Chapter 61: Gunner

"You are all cultivators; standard shooting training doesn’t suit you. For example, this heavy machine gun—ordinary people must set up its tripod, lie on the ground, and brace the stock against their shoulder to reduce recoil and maintain stability during firing, thereby improving accuracy."

"But you’re different. With your physical condition, you can lift this heavy machine gun with one hand and fire it; the recoil is well within your tolerance."

"Therefore, for cultivators, I’ll only teach you essential firearm knowledge and shooting techniques. The rest, you can practice on your own in the training ground."

At this moment.

In the Zone One training ground, Instructor Ma Qiang, dressed in camouflage, was instructing several new recruits, including Li Yi.

"This is the weapons display area. I’ll now demonstrate the use and techniques of every weapon. Pay close attention. If you have questions afterward, come ask me—I’ll do my best to guide you." Instructor Ma Qiang was straightforward and efficient.

After a brief explanation, he immediately moved to the weapons display area, picked up a pistol, and demonstrated its usage, precautions, and disassembly/reassembly techniques.

Cultivators have excellent memories; after just one demonstration, everyone remembered how to use it.

And not just one firearm—Instructor Ma Qiang demonstrated every weapon in the display area.

"Everyone, any questions? Ask now, or the firearms lecture ends here." Ma Qiang glanced at the group.

Li Yi had no questions—he had already memorized the usage of every firearm. What remained was simply hands-on practice.

"Instructor, what level of proficiency in firearms qualifies as passing?" Suddenly, one of the trainees asked.

Instructor Ma Qiang replied immediately: "Simple. Master at least four different firearms and achieve a minimum 90% hit rate on moving targets. That’s the minimum requirement. I’ll have someone demonstrate what a moving target is."

He then shouted toward the shooting range: "Yuan Mingjin, still training?"

"Instructor, what’s up?" A voice came from the range.

"Come over and demonstrate moving-target shooting for the new recruits." Instructor Ma Qiang said.

"Alright." The voice responded quickly. Soon, a young man in a tank top, wearing headphones, and with a muscular build strode over, carrying a sniper rifle.

Li Yi glanced at the sniper rifle in the man’s hands.

It wasn’t the Superb M200 model—it was another type he’d never seen.

Yuan Mingjin looked at the group and greeted them: "Hello everyone. Instructor Ma Qiang is usually busy—he’ll be training another batch of recruits soon—so I’ll demonstrate moving-target shooting for you. Anyone have coins? Yes, ordinary coins. If you do, please toss them toward the range—higher and farther."

"I’ll do it." A man stood up, pulling out several coins: "How many do you need?"

"To pass, you must hit at least nine out of ten coins," Yuan Mingjin smiled.

"Fine, ten then. I want to see how good a marksman really is—don’t disappoint me." The man was a Spirit Medium cultivator. He flicked his wrist, and ten coins shot high into the air.

It was now evening.

The lighting was poor.

The coins were small; to an ordinary person, they’d be nearly invisible. But not to cultivators—they activated their Spirit Sense, granting them extraordinary vision, even in darkness.

"Ha! Watch closely." Yuan Mingjin laughed. Though carrying a heavy sniper rifle, his body moved with impossible agility—he flipped midair and brought the rifle to bear.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out.

As soon as he landed, he rapidly cycled the bolt, fired again, then shifted position, cycled the bolt, and fired once more.

His movements were impossibly fluid—cycling and firing in one seamless motion, without deliberate aiming.

At that moment, Li Yi noticed: Yuan Mingjin’s sniper rifle had no high-magnification scope—he fired entirely by instinct, not by aiming.

A rifle with extremely slow rate of fire was now being used like an assault rifle—gunshots came in rapid succession.

In just a few seconds, Yuan Mingjin stopped firing.

At this moment.

The ten coins thrown into the air had vanished—not one had hit the ground. All had been struck midair and shattered into fragments.

"Nine shots? He only fired nine times?" The man who’d tossed the coins stared in shock—he’d seen the truth.

That meant one bullet had struck two coins simultaneously.

"Understood, everyone?" Yuan Mingjin smiled, slinging the sniper rifle over his shoulder.

"Precise shooting, but the movements are flashy. Even though all hits landed, it’s unstable—unsuitable for real combat," someone commented.

Yuan Mingjin glanced at him: "If you don’t understand, don’t speak. You’re embarrassing yourself."

The man’s face darkened, silenced instantly.

Li Yi paused briefly, then spoke: "I understand a little. Your timing is terrible—always mid-air, just after landing, or mid-flip... This massively increases shooting difficulty."

"Not bad—you noticed something," Yuan Mingjin nodded. "But do you know why I do it this way?"

"Because the targets we snipe aren’t usually humans—they’re ferocious beasts, supernatural entities, even unknown monsters. Snipers must fire critical shots under extreme conditions. These monsters won’t let you calmly crouch far away and aim at them," Li Yi said.

Yuan Mingjin said: "Exactly. What’s most important for a gunner? Timing. Your bullet must support your team at the critical moment. No matter your state, you must hit the target."

"What I just demonstrated was simple. Coins fall slowly, their trajectory predictable, and I stood on flat, unobstructed ground. But what if those coins were ferocious beasts moving at high speed, and I was fleeing? Or if I’d just flipped down from the third floor, and my teammate suddenly needed cover fire? Could I hit the target while falling?"

"Do you know why my rifle has no scope? Because most of the time, you won’t have time to aim—you must fire by instinct."

"If you can’t do this, I advise you not to bother with firearms—you’ll get your teammates killed at the critical moment."

The others’ expressions turned grim.

Yuan Mingjin was right. Hearing this, everyone realized: firearms weren’t easy to master. Becoming a qualified gunner demanded immense time and effort.

"By the way, what’s your name?" Yuan Mingjin suddenly asked.

"I’m Li Yi."

Li Yi?

At the name, many nearby turned to look at him.

Yuan Mingjin paused, then smiled: "Li Yi? I’ve heard of you. A week ago, you committed a major murder in the Old District—killed eight Spirit Medium cultivators barehanded, including the wanted criminal Wang Kui. Even Ning Wu, the Sensation cultivator, couldn’t match you—he lost a leg in the end."

"You’re a beast."

He gave Li Yi a thumbs-up.

Killing eight people and crippling a Sensation cultivator—such a record wasn’t easily achieved.

"So he’s Li Yi? Didn’t expect him to join the Investigation Bureau so quickly."

"When did the Bureau recruit such a ruthless type?"

"Damn, no wonder I felt uneasy sitting next to him—this guy’s young but radiates killing intent."

Others couldn’t help muttering.

Li Yi said casually: "I’m not that strong—just desperate fighting, a burst of potential."

"Hah! You’re humble, Li Yi. Since you’ve joined the Bureau, we’re colleagues now. Want to train with firearms? I can guide you—help you get started fast," Yuan Mingjin said warmly.

Li Yi asked sincerely: "I want to pass shooting qualification quickly. Any advice?"

"Understood. You’re a fist cultivator—shooting isn’t natural for you. But to pass, you need to master at least four firearms. No matter which four, a sniper rifle is essential. Handguns and submachine guns? Too weak—they’re like scratching a beast. They won’t kill. Focus on powerful firearms. The rest? Just play around."

Yuan Mingjin gave sound advice.

"Makes sense." Li Yi nodded, accepting it. He glanced at the weapons display.

Quickly, he selected four weapons in his mind.

"Alright, actions speak louder than words—let’s head to the range now. Ask me if you have questions." Yuan Mingjin smiled, then slung his rifle and left.

At that moment, Instructor Ma Qiang walked over and added: "The training ground is open 24 hours. If you’re tired, the dormitory building over there offers lodging. Now, you’re free to go."

With a plan in mind, Li Yi wasted no time—he headed straight to the shooting range to train, determined to pass quickly and refine his combat skills.