Cultivation Online

Chapter 2608: Learning Void Control

”Welcome back, everyone.”

The soldiers greeted one another as the four squads returned from their gathering mission.

After a quick headcount confirmed that everyone had returned safely, the four squads pooled their loot.

”Three hundred and twenty-seven Unknown Ores, huh? Looks like we got lucky, especially the third squad, who contributed over a hundred ores.”

”You can thank Corporal Yuan for that, as he’d gathered more than half of our total alone.”

”Regardless, everyone did a good job. Hope to see you all in the next one again.”

The group was disbanded soon after.

Although Yuan could’ve absorbed all of the Unknown Ores of their Eternal Essence, he decided against it, as he did not want to be too greedy. Above all, he wanted to be cautious.

After leaving, Yuan went to look for Sergeant Quang.

”I want to partake in missions within the Red Zone, but I heard that one must take some kind of test.”

”That’s correct. Your Void Control will be evaluated by a group of examiners to see if you qualify to enter the Red Zone.”

”Where do I go to take the test?” Yuan then asked.

”You can—” Sergeant Quang suddenly paused, his eyebrows raising as he realized something. ”You’re trying to take the test? Now? That implies you already know Void Control, but as far as I am aware, you did not have the time or opportunity to learn such a technique,” he said.

Besides Wu Wang and Shi Fa, neither Sergeant Bing nor Sergeant Quang were aware that Yuan could use Void Control.

”I just want to know for future reference—for when I learn Void Control,” Yuan said, concealing the fact that he had already mastered it, let alone knew it.

”Then you’re looking quite far into the future. Void Control isn’t something you can learn in a day—or even a month. Most people need years just to grasp it, let alone reach a level that would allow them to traverse the Red Zone. Even for a genius like you, it would likely take several years.”

”Then I’d better start learning now, huh?” Yuan said with a calm smile. ”I still have a training session with an elite soldier as a reward for my performance during recruitment. Could I ask them to teach me Void Control?”

Sergeant Quang nodded.

”You can. Are you going to ask me to teach you?” he then asked.

However, to his surprise, Yuan shook his head and said, ”No, I already have someone in mind.”

”Who?”

”Sergeant Wu.”

”Seriously? Instead of Wu Wang, I’d recommend Shi Fa. He’s a much better teacher—not that I’m trying to badmouth Wu Wang. Hell, since you can technically ask anyone to train you, you might as well choose an actual instructor. They’re trained to teach, after all.”

However, Yuan shook his head and refused.

”I have my reasons for choosing him.”

”If that’s what you really want...”

”I’ll let Wu Wang know,” Sergeant Quang said a moment later.

”Thanks.”

Yuan returned to his living quarters to rest afterward.

Although the idea might have seemed sudden, he had already planned to pretend to learn Void Control from either Wu Wang or Shi Fa. Revealing that he already knew it would raise too many suspicions, and he knew he couldn’t fool everyone as easily as he had the soldiers before.

A few days later, Yuan received merit and money from the gathering mission, and on the same day, Wu Wang appeared at his doorstep with a frown on his face.

”Is it true that you requested for me to train you?” he questioned the moment Yuan opened the door. ”Please tell me that’s not true and that bastard Quang Qing is just messing with me.”

A wide smile tugged at Yuan’s lips as he responded, ”No, it’s true. I want you to teach me Void Control.”

”Are you fucking with me?! You want me to teach you Void Control?! If anything, I should be asking to be your student!” Wu Wang exclaimed in disbelief.

After all, he was fully aware of how profound Yuan’s Void Control was—that it was far superior to his own.

”Lower your voice. Are you trying to let the entire residential area hear you?” Yuan sighed, shaking his head.

”Calm down. I’m not seriously asking you to teach me. Aside from you, Shi Fa, and a few others who aren’t a concern, no one knows I can use Void Control. If I suddenly use it, people would grow suspicious, so I need to pretend that I learned it from you.”

”Don’t worry, I won’t take up much of your time. Only a few days. Hell, I won’t mind training you, either.”

”You? Train me?” Wu Wang stared at Yuan with one of his eyebrows raised.

”Are we still talking about Void Control?” he inquired.

”If you think Void Control is the only advantage I have over you, you’re sorely mistaken,” Yuan replied with an arrogant smile.

Wu Wang fell silent for a moment, visibly irritated by his claim.

”In that case, I’d love to see what else you think you’re better than me at!”

”Does that mean you accept my request?”

”Yes. Even if you didn’t provoke me, I would’ve agreed, since I will get merit for training you.”

”Is that so? Then let’s go.”

Yuan and Wu Wang made their way to a private training room.

Once they were inside, alone, they began sparring.

Before the match, Wu Wang had been certain there was no way he would lose to Yuan in a fair fight. Yet only a few minutes later, he found himself sprawled on the ground, having failed to touch even a single hair on Yuan’s body.

”???”

Wu Wang stared at the ceiling with a bewildered expression on his face, looking like he was having trouble comprehending what had just happened.

”Want to go again?” Yuan asked.

Wu Wang immediately sprang back to his feet, and their second round began.

The two continued sparring for several rounds without pause.

In the end, Wu Wang lost every match—each defeat more crushing than the last.

”So, how about it? Still going to refuse my guidance?” Yuan asked with a cheeky smile as he looked down at Wu Wang, who lay sprawled on the ground.

Wu Wang gritted his teeth in frustration, but instead of giving in to his anger, he swallowed both his pride and his resentment before asking Yuan for guidance.

Thus, Yuan started training Wu Wang.

Six days later, Sergeant Quang and Sergeant Bing showed up at their training room together to check on Yuan’s progress.

”It’s much harder than you expected, isn’t it?” Sergeant Quang asked Yuan with a faint smile, his expression practically saying, ’I told you so’.

Before Yuan could even respond, Sergeant Bing chuckled and said, ”Even with your talents, there is no way you can learn Void Control so quickly!”

”Um... actually, he’s already learned it.”

Rather than Yuan, it was Wu Wang who spoke.

”What did you just say?”

Sergeant Quang and Sergeant Bing both stiffened, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

”I said he’s already learned Void Control,” Wu Wang repeated in an awkward voice, feeling a little guilty about fooling his comrades.

”Surely you’re just messing with us,” Sergeant Bing eventually responded. ”There’s no way someone can learn Void Control in just a few—”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Yuan used Void Manipulation, teleporting directly in front of her.

”You were saying?” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

”Heavens!”

Sergeant Bing was so surprised that she fell backward, hitting the hard ground with her buttocks.

”That was... Void Control?!” Sergeant Quang exclaimed, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.

”You actually managed to learn Voice Control in just six days?! Just what kind of monster are you?!”

”I am just good at learning things,” Yuan calmly replied. ”Really, really good.”

”Even so, there should be a limit to such nonsense!”

Yuan silently shrugged.

”Just what kind of training did you do?” Sergeant Bing suddenly asked as she stood back up, one hand rubbing on her buttocks.

”Just normal training,” Yuan replied.

”And how did you train, exactly?”

”Normally.”

”...”

Sergeant Bing gave up on trying to receive a proper answer from Yuan and turned to look at Wu Wang, who quickly said, ”He isn’t lying. He just sat there and watched me use Void Control over and over again. Then, after a few days, he was able to use Void Control.”

”He learned it just by watching? That’s beyond ridiculous?” Sergeant Bing shook her head.

”I don’t know what else to tell you,” Wu Wang shook his head.

”Regardless...” Sergeant Quang started speaking, ”Even if you managed to learn Void Control in just a few days, you’ll likely need at least several months of training before you become proficient enough for the test.”

”Perhaps, but I want to take the test and see just how difficult it is,” Yuan responded. ”If I fail, I can just retake the test in the future.”