Chapter 26: Reconnaissance Infantry

"Temporary notice: the midterm practical test is canceled." Zhang Ding looked at his phone: "The campus network announcement says the principal, acting as the opposing side in the drill, encountered a problem during his cultivation."

"Alright, class dismissed!"

The students were astonished; it was extremely rare for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to suffer bodily issues—many might never have heard of such a thing since enrolling.

The crowd dispersed; those with flight artifacts flew off, while others boarded the bus.

"Jiang Ding, stay behind." Zhang Dingjun waved from a distance.

"Understood."

Jiang Ding ended his internal qi nourishment of the meridians and reluctantly returned the blue steel sword to the weapon rack.

"You're too obsessed with cold weapons—that's not the path of a Daoist cultivator," Zhang Dingjun frowned but said no more.

Jiang Ding pondered carefully.

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'My math score needs to rise by at least five to ten points. If I master the five basic arrays, I should barely pass, right?'

"Before you, Sun Xiao and others tried too, but gave up quickly. What’s your current thought?"

Ding! Only after all his thoughts settled did the pale blue interface slowly unfold before Jiang Ding.

It wasn’t corruption; Huang Deyou wasn’t even from an accounting background—minor errors were inevitable.

"Yes."

"How much do you know about Reconnaissance Infantry?"

Jiang Ding thought a moment, disappointed: "If only I could make the sword shadow appear before or vanish after the blade—something like an illusion. That’d be a true sword technique killer."

"I still have one bottle of Bai Jing Hua Qi Pills left. If I want to maintain my cultivation speed, I must search for more medicinal ingredients." Jiang Ding thought silently: "Now that I’ve broken through to Inner Qi, I can afford to be a bit bolder."

Huang Deyou tapped twice on the back gate and waited quietly.

After a long while, he sheathed his sword.

Huang Deyou lowered his head, daring not to look up.

"Besides, when he finishes work, he wants to learn martial arts at the newly opened Qi Xuan Martial Hall."

Before him stood a slender, handsome youth in green robes, holding a brush and sketching something on his desk—a dense tangle of lines that made one’s head ache.

He had formed an unspoken understanding with this reclusive proprietor: every morning he came to the door to greet him; if there was no reply, he left quietly and began his day’s work.

A perfect circular arc appeared out of thin air, faintly glowing white like a full moon hanging in the sky, dimming only after a few breaths.

Tap open.

【Name: Jiang Ding】

…

As for reference materials, they were all the texts he’d expanded his reading on lately—some of the internal qi circulation methods had been unconsciously applied.

"Sigh," Li Junhao also sighed: "If only our strengths could combine, we’d far surpass the Daoist Department of Qianling University."

In his spare cultivation time, Jiang Ding opened the transmission of the "Minor Concealment Technique," comparing it with the elder’s annotations—not demanding immediate understanding, merely memorizing it into his mind.

He shook the empty pill bottle.

【Unknown Insight: Can retain sword shadow for 0.2–0.5 seconds using optical principles; internal qi structure altered to…, possibly derived from texts: 'Shen Xiao Hundred-Step Flying Sword,' 'Great Sun Seed Sword Refining Art,' 'Great Sun Radiant Sword Art'…】 "Sword shadow retention… useless. Purely a skin effect."

"Enter."

In his eyes, the proprietor had saved him when he was nearly starving, given him food, required only four hours of labor daily, granted two days off every seven days, and paid well—what immense kindness was this?

With his internal qi completely depleted, Jiang Ding swallowed a Bai Jing Hua Qi Pill and silently activated his technique to restore his qi, while also using stillness practice to refine the ten primary meridians of the second regular meridian, the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Channel.

Jiang Ding took the ledger and quickly entered all income and expenditure data into the display projected onto his contact lenses, cross-checking via a microcomputer spreadsheet.

"This is merely my duty."

"Moreover, those who haven’t mastered the Minor Concealment Technique are useless in reconnaissance—forcing it only harms yourself and others."

Cultivation is a discipline combining practice and theory; with internal qi as a low-tier energy, previously incomprehensible array and technique theories had become easier to grasp.

"Reconnaissance Infantry is an elite profession—better to have none than a mediocre one who exposes himself needlessly."

His mind went blank; countless thoughts and sword techniques surged like tides.

Qi Xuan Sect had once been a major martial sect, requiring vast quantities of herbs, so it maintained a large team of herb collectors—Han Lin’s grandfather was one of them.

Thirteen wen were unaccounted for.

"My fundamental technique proficiency jumped over twenty points at once!" Jiang Ding’s face lit up: "This counts as a minor enlightenment, doesn’t it?"

Zhang Dingjun nodded: "Reconnaissance Infantry requires two high-grade magic artifacts from the start—far more expensive than Line Infantry. The sect doesn’t want too many students choosing this path." Huang Deyou pushed the door open.

Huang Deyou’s tone was angry.

Jiang Ding replied honestly: "I know nothing."

"So, the Minor Concealment Technique must reach minor mastery to yield results; otherwise, no matter how high your other scores are, you get zero."

Jiang Ding’s internal qi surged like a tide as he struggled to complete the final stroke.

The only function of this array diagram was to be placed in a spiritually rich location for years, possibly turning it into a metal plate—useless.

Hum! The pale yellow talisman trembled slightly; a faint, nearly invisible golden light flashed and vanished—the paper talisman seemed to have hardened considerably.

Li Junhao’s words dripped with envy.

【Realm: Inner Qi, Initial Completion】

Huang Deyou was delighted; though the proprietor closely monitored accounts, he was generous—never like his former bosses who made empty promises.

【Student ID: 1246215】

Jing! The blue-green blade drew out; he felt considerably more at ease.

"Let me introduce you then—it’s crucial for your college entrance exam and future career," Zhang Dingjun nodded. "The core ability of Reconnaissance Infantry is the Minor Concealment Technique, but that doesn’t mean other skills like the Golden Seal, Thousand Threads Pull, or Mathematics-Arrangement are unimportant—they must be trained just as hard, even better than most classmates."

Knock knock!

Jiang Ding thought silently.

Rui Jin Array! Jiang Ding’s internal qi was nearly exhausted; he exhaled deeply and sat down.

He put away the Golden Light Array diagram and looked at Huang Deyou.

"Good morning, Master!" Huang Deyou bowed respectfully. "Here is the shop’s ledger for this period."

Jiang Ding was stunned—this was too cruel.

"Are you now the first Inner Qi cultivator in our class?"

"Far too far. I still see no hope of entering a sect," Jiang Ding shook his head, clenching his right hand—something felt missing, leaving him uneasy.

He hesitated.

"Since the Snow Fairy returned and reestablished the sect, she issued new policies: all former Qi Xuan members may learn martial arts for free at the Qi Xuan Martial Hall; if they achieve something, they may become official disciples of Qi Xuan Mountain."

Since successfully carving the Hundred-Step Flying Sword version of the Rui Jin Array under his teacher’s protection during the last math class, he’d gained an inexplicable insight into basic arrays; after days of contemplation, he finally drew a standard Rui Jin Array.

【Last Training Skill: 'Sixty-Eighth Set Ju Ying Takeoff Sword Art' (Minor Mastery 32%)】

Jiang Ding pointed out the errors, had him correct them, then praised: "Manager Huang, your collection progress of botanical and zoological specimens has increased several-fold recently—excellent work. If you keep this up, I’ll reward you with a bonus at month’s end."

"Master, most of this credit goes to Han Lin, the attendant you brought back. His grandfather used to work for Qi Xuan Sect and still has many connections with herb collectors."

…

"Zero?"

"That’s impossible."

"Hmm, decide quickly," Zhang Dingjun said nothing more: "The longer you wait, the worse it will be for your college entrance exam."

!.

Jiang Ding was oblivious; his arm-sword, step-sword, organ-sword, and running-sword techniques flowed like water, swordlight appearing and vanishing in the air.

On the bus.

"Understood."

Off the bus, Jiang Ding dashed to the cultivation room and lunged for the weapon rack.

"Teacher Zhang, I’d like to try a bit longer."

He noticed a detailed button beneath the 'Ju Ying Takeoff Sword Art.'

Not only does he not think, he’s trying to climb higher—ungrateful wretch! "Then go ahead."

Jiang Ding shrugged: "As long as he works seriously during duty hours, what he does after work—so long as it’s not illegal or immoral—is none of my concern."

"This… yes."

Huang Deyou was stunned, not understanding.

(End of Chapter)