Chapter 75: The Grandmaster Appears

When the reveille sounded, these men were already up. They used fifteen minutes to eat breakfast and were now standing here. The summer sun was already blazing and merciless, even in the morning.

Yet Lu Ming continued to sleep, and even Sun Zhengde dared not disturb him, much less the others. So they remained standing here, waiting, and waiting. Fortunately, their basic military qualities were exceptional—otherwise, they would never have been selected for Fire Dragon. Though sweat poured down their backs under the searing sun, each one stood as straight as a spear.

Lu Ming swept his glance over them, finally resting his gaze on Yang Jun.

"Yang Jun, step forward," Lu Ming said without expression.

With a single stride, Yang Jun stepped out of line.

Lu Ming spoke slowly. "As a soldier, you look down on men of the martial world, yet you always fight using their methods. Don't you find that shameful?"

"I don't understand, Instructor," Yang Jun replied, standing tall, his answer resolute and clear.

Lu Ming sneered. "A soldier should defeat his enemy with the least amount of force, always preserving his own strength. Yet you only know brute strength, without a hint of technique. On a battlefield that shifts in the blink of an eye, do you have any idea what you'll face next? Is your way of fighting truly appropriate?"

Lu Ming’s words made Yang Jun's face flush and pale by turns. He had always believed in the supremacy of strength, that with absolute might everything else was an illusion. Yet as a soldier, he knew that preserving strength on the battlefield was essential—war was a long and brutal contest, changing in an instant, and only those who maintained their power had a hope of survival.

But he had always been gifted, crushing opponents with sheer force since childhood, which only deepened his belief in strength above all. Now, Lu Ming had taught him a harsh lesson, making it clear that not everyone could be overwhelmed by brute force.

"I understand, Instructor," Yang Jun answered loudly, recognizing his mistake.

Lu Ming nodded. "Your attitude is acceptable. Fall back in line."

Yang Jun took a step back and returned to his place.

Lu Ming then addressed the assembled men. "Now, I will teach you a set of combat techniques. With them, you will learn how to use the least amount of strength to achieve the greatest effect against your enemies. This set of techniques can be called a divine skill. Even if you grasp only a fraction, it will benefit you for life."

At these words, everyone’s eyes widened in excitement. The skills Lu Ming displayed during his bout with Yang Jun had already opened their eyes to a new world. Now, hearing that he would teach them, their anticipation soared.

They were all skilled fighters—an expert knows another at a glance. The techniques Lu Ming demonstrated were clearly extraordinary. If they could learn them, their own strength would rise to a new level.

"Watch closely. I will only demonstrate once. How much you remember is up to you."

With that, Lu Ming began to slowly perform the dozens of basic movements of the Divine Priest Combat Technique.

The movements were bizarre, bending and stretching the body in unexpected ways, leaving the men bewildered.

When Lu Ming finished, their faces still showed confusion. To them, this seemed less like combat and more like a strange series of motions.

Lu Ming looked at them and said, "These are the basic movements. Master them, and they can combine into endless variations, allowing you to adapt to any terrain and situation, using the least energy for the greatest result. Take your time to understand them."

With that, Lu Ming found a shady spot, lay on a reclining chair, and began to rest.

The others began to practice the movements he had shown. Yet, to their astonishment, they found themselves unable to perform even a single one.

Lu Ming, watching their baffled expressions from his chair, allowed a sly smile to play across his lips. The Divine Priest Combat Technique was developed by the Dragon God specifically for his chief priests, requiring a strong constitution—ordinary people couldn’t hope to learn it. The Fire Dragon commandos, with their superior physique, might manage a few movements if they pushed themselves, and even that would be a lifelong benefit.

In martial arts, even mastering a single move can set one above the rest. This was a divine art—grasping even a part of it was a remarkable feat.

The following hours passed with Lu Ming asleep, while the commandos ceaselessly tried to mimic his movements. Though their attempts were far from perfect, gradually they began to resemble the forms.

Only that evening did Lu Ming rise. Seeing their instructor awake, the men hurried to line up. But now, they stood slack and weary—the movements were so difficult, their bodies exhausted from the effort, and merely imitating the shapes had worn them out.

Lu Ming glanced at them. "You have disappointed me greatly," he said, then turned and left.

The commandos, especially Yang Jun, flushed with shame. If they couldn’t even execute the basic moves, they could hardly blame the instructor for looking down on them.

After Lu Ming left, Yang Jun gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe it. They're just basic moves!" So he kept practicing. The others, seeing this, also clenched their jaws and persevered. As elite commandos, they could die, but never allow themselves to be looked down upon.

So, under the cover of night, their training continued.

A night passed.

The next day, Lu Ming again slept until after ten. When he finished breakfast and arrived at the training ground, the men had already begun their drills. Though their bodies were wracked with fatigue, their spirits remained strong, each one doggedly persisting.

Lu Ming glanced their way, said nothing, and went to nap in a cool spot.

Three days passed like this. Some of the men finally began to grasp the essence, particularly Yang Jun, who seemed to have an epiphany, a smile breaking through his exhaustion.

As night fell, Lu Ming awoke, looked over the group, then prepared to head to the cafeteria for a hearty meal.

At that moment, a figure descended from the hill behind them. In a few moments, the man approached. He looked at Yang Jun and the others, then fixed his gaze on Lu Ming.

Lu Ming met his eyes.

The newcomer appeared to be around fifty, tall and lean, dressed in civilian clothes. His eyes were sharp and cold as a winter wind as he regarded Lu Ming.

Just then, Sun Zhengde hurried over. "Mr. Lin, you’ve returned," he greeted.

The man nodded and pointed at Lu Ming. "What’s going on here?" His tone was full of pride.

Sun Zhengde replied with a smile, "This is Instructor Lu, sent from above—Lu Ming." Then, turning to Lu Ming, he introduced: "This is Mr. Lin Feng, also an instructor for Fire Dragon. Mr. Lin Feng is a grandmaster-level expert."

Lu Ming nodded in greeting.

Hearing Lu Ming was also an instructor, Lin Feng’s expression soured. When Lu Ming merely nodded in acknowledgment, Lin Feng’s face darkened further.

"I was invited to be the instructor here. Why has another nobody been sent?" he demanded.

As a grandmaster, Lin Feng had reason for his pride. He had already accepted the position, and now the higher-ups had sent another—naturally, he was displeased.

He’d only agreed to instruct here out of consideration for a certain someone. Upon arrival, he found the men to be little more than military hooligans, especially Yang Jun, who was particularly insolent.

As a grandmaster, he was revered wherever he went and could not tolerate such disrespect. But Yang Jun was the grandson of the God of War and held special status, so Lin Feng dared not punish him outright.

Seeing such behavior, Lin Feng lost interest in teaching them real skills, showed them a few tricks, and retreated to the back hills for his own cultivation, planning to fulfill his three-month commitment and be done with it.

He hadn’t expected the higher-ups to send another instructor, which made him all the more annoyed. As a grandmaster, revered and above reproach, if he couldn’t discipline Yang Jun, then teaching a lesson to this new upstart might suffice. He would show them why a grandmaster was called such—because they were invincible, and to insult a grandmaster was a line that could not be crossed.