Chapter 60: Training Ground

Name: Li Yi.

Gender: Male.

Age: Twenty.

Cultivation Status: Spirit Medium has been activated.

Home Address: District Dongcheng, Tianchang City, Dashun Alley, Xiamen Community, Building 4, Unit 302.

Li Yi, now at the Investigation Bureau, was filling out personal information forms and applications; once these procedures were completed, he would officially become an external combat officer of the bureau. Under normal circumstances, Wang Jian would take charge of him.

After finishing this, He Xiong—the man who had lost one arm—found him.

“Li Yi, finished yet? If you’re done, come with me to the training ground. You’re a new recruit, so you still need standard training; I’ll handle everything from now on.”

“Training? How long will it take?” Li Yi put down his pen, handed the documents to the staff, and asked.

He Xiong said: “Depends on how fast you learn. A week if you pick it up quickly, a month if slow. Don’t worry—it’ll help you, won’t waste your time.”

“Alright.” Li Yi nodded.

“The training ground isn’t here. It’s near the abandoned district—we need to drive there. Can you drive?” He Xiong asked.

“I have a license, but I’m not skilled.” Li Yi replied.

He Xiong tossed the keys over: “Good. You drive.”

Li Yi caught the keys and nodded.

Soon.

A vehicle pulled out of the old city district.

Li Yi’s driving was clumsy at first, but he quickly grew skilled—because as a cultivator, his body had evolved, making him learn technical skills with remarkable speed.

As the car moved toward the abandoned district, pedestrians and vehicles grew sparse, and the surrounding ruined buildings became more numerous.

“Li Yi, do you know why the training ground is located so far out?” He Xiong suddenly asked.

“How would I know? I’m just a new recruit.” Li Yi replied while driving.

He Xiong chuckled: “Right ahead of the training ground lies the abandoned district; beyond that is the danger zone. We placed the training ground here to respond instantly to emergencies. Most residents in the old city are safe only because of the defensive lines we’ve built.”

“Last month, on a mission inside the abandoned district, I encountered a monster that wandered out from the danger zone. That’s when I lost this arm.”

He touched his severed arm, then shook his head: “I was too careless. Thought the abandoned district was harmless. Don’t follow my example—stay alert at all times. Never let your guard down. Even in the old city, even in the secure zones, hidden dangers lurk.”

“Wang Jian knows many secrets. Ask him when you get the chance.”

Hearing this, Li Yi suddenly remembered Liu Yan, the woman who had died and come back to life. He asked: “He Xiong, do you think there are terrifying ghosts or demons in the old city that haven’t been discovered?”

“Yes.” He Xiong instantly grew serious. “And there are many. They blend into crowds. Ordinary cultivators can’t detect them. Normal methods can’t harm them. If you notice anything strange, leave immediately.”

“I’ll tell you something: three months ago, in Tianchuan City, someone found a bronze coffin in the abandoned district. It wasn’t from our world. Its surface bore unreadable talismans, and around it lay large quantities of cinnabar, sulfur, mercury. Some cultivators thought it might contain a rare artifact, so they opened it—and released a terrifying zombie.”

“This wasn’t some hopping cartoon monster. It was a real bloodthirsty beast. Any cultivator without activated Spirit Medium was torn apart on sight. It moved incredibly fast, nearly impossible to track, excelled at hiding, and possessed limited intelligence. Regular firearms were useless; heavy weapons were too restricted to be effective.”

“The Investigation Bureau in Tianchuan suffered heavy losses. Many from the Cultivator Association died at its hands.”

Li Yi’s eyelid twitched: “How was it finally dealt with?”

“The local Investigation Bureau set a trap: they used bait to lure it out, then ambushed it.” He Xiong tapped his head. “The monster fell for it. One hundred and forty-six Superb M200 sniper rifles fired at once. One bullet hit it right here—its head exploded instantly.”

“Under that level of firepower, success was guaranteed. That zombie was just unlucky.” Li Yi could already picture the scene—how shocking it must have been.

He Xiong immediately said: “No, you’re wrong. Without that one shot, the operation had already failed. The zombie was hit by only that one bullet—all others missed.”

“What?” Li Yi was stunned: “Really? Only one hit?”

“Correct.” He Xiong said: “We only discovered this after reviewing the footage. The shooter was an external combat officer like you. His shot came 0.8 seconds earlier than the others—a preemptive shot. It was as if he could predict the zombie’s movements.”

“Even with its head blown off, the zombie didn’t fall. Its threat level remained high. But the shot had weakened it—it took several more hits before it was finally destroyed.”

“This situation was already better than most. At least you could see the monster and destroy it. Some ghosts are worse—they’re visible only to cultivators with activated Spirit Medium, yet even then, we can’t harm them. All our current attack methods are useless. The only weapon that works? Rare artifacts.” He Xiong sighed.

Li Yi asked immediately: “Can rare artifacts attack invisible ghosts?”

“Of course. Rare artifacts generate their own energy field and possess inexplicable powers. Some are weapons themselves. But they’re rare and precious. Only the Investigation Bureau can deploy them for major incidents. That’s why many officers avoid strange cases—not because they’re unwilling, but because they’re powerless against them.”

“So that’s how it is...”

Li Yi now understood why Wang Jian, as an officer, had seemed reluctant to handle the murder case back in Wangmen Community.

It wasn’t that Wang Jian was irresponsible—he simply couldn’t do anything.

“I never realized rare artifacts could be used as weapons.” He then remembered the broken half of the knife coin on his person.

That broken knife coin was also a rare artifact. Could it be used as a weapon too?

But how exactly?

Li Yi didn’t know. He didn’t ask. Better to be cautious right now.

Soon.

The vehicle stopped before the main gate of a base.

He Xiong registered at the guard post before entry was permitted.

Li Yi drove into the training base, parked, then followed He Xiong to the training ground.

As he neared, he heard continuous gunfire.

He Xiong explained as they walked: “The training ground has four zones. Zone One is the shooting range. Here you can practice firearms. Though you can’t carry guns normally, you can apply through Wang Jian for use during missions—must be returned after.”

“Can I train with sniper rifles?” Li Yi asked.

“Still thinking about that Superb M200?” He Xiong grinned. “You can train here, but only with standard training rounds. Special ammunition for supernatural targets? Not for training. And all ammunition used is your own expense—the bureau won’t reimburse you.”

“Before you start, I must warn you: decide your training direction early. Don’t choose firearms just because they’re powerful and let you fight from afar. Spending hours on shooting means you’ll rarely get to use it—most of the time, you won’t even have a gun. It’s a waste of time and effort.”

“And you already have a fist technique. Your strength is obvious. Abandoning your natural advantage is irrational.”

Li Yi nodded: “You’re right. I’m not suited for shooting. Expensive, time-consuming, exhausting—and I’d rarely get to use it. Better to focus on close combat.”

“Good. Zone Two is close-quarters combat. The instructors here aren’t high in cultivation, but they’re all elite fighters. You’ll learn many effective techniques. Of course, compared to your fist art, theirs are inferior—but you can still learn from them.” He Xiong smiled.

“Zone Three is cold weapons. There you can train with knives, spears, swords. Instructors are all former national martial arts champions.”

“Zone Four is meditation. Instructors will guide you to enter stillness faster, test your cultivation metrics. If you pay extra, they can act as guides to assist your cultivation. They’ll also explain any cultivation realm concepts you don’t understand.”

“That’s the overview. How you train is up to you—consult the instructors directly. When you pass, they’ll record your progress. Once you earn certification from all four zones, your training ends, and you’re cleared for missions.”

“You just told me not to train with firearms—then why do I need certification from Zone One?” Li Yi asked curiously.

He Xiong grinned: “I said don’t focus on firearms. But you still need basic proficiency. At least know how to use one when you have to—don’t be completely clueless.”

“Understood.” Li Yi nodded.

He didn’t need to master firearms—but he needed basic competence.

The same went for close combat and cold weapons.

Only by mastering these fundamentals could he better handle any danger.

Lin Jie was right—joining the Investigation Bureau as an external combat officer truly offered much to learn.

Thinking of this, Li Yi felt a surge of excitement.