Chương 35: Azure Stream, Key Target for Winning Over

"I have only been at the base for two months and was truly unaware that this was the general's forbidden training ground. I have trespassed, and I beg the general's forgiveness!"

Cang Lian was thrown off balance by the immense force, but his years of honed willpower allowed him to forcefully suppress the dizziness.

He suppressed the lingering suffocation in his neck, quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and was impeccably courteous.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Chu Zhaoxue noticed that although his face was slightly tense, his eyes were exceptionally clear, and his demeanor was composed, without the slightest hint of flattery or fear. A strange light flashed in her cold eyes.

Ordinary people, especially those from aristocratic families, would bow their heads low and not dare to breathe loudly when they saw her, intimidated by her status and the power of a strong warrior.

When they made a mistake, they were filled with fear and trepidation, and became incoherent.

But the young man before her, facing her thunderous might, seemed to be facing a sudden downpour; though disheveled, he was not defeated.

This composure prevented her from feeling any aversion at first; instead, she took a few more glances at him.

"I would never dare to lie!" Cang Lian met her gaze and said frankly.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Cang Lian!"

"Cang Lian?" Chu Zhaoxue searched her mind for the name, but seemed to have no recollection of it.

She waved her hand, and the oppressive aura surrounding Cang Lian instantly dissipated.

"Go back now, and remember not to come here again next time."

"Yes, General!"

Without uttering a single wasted word, Cang Lian bowed again and turned to leave decisively.

Chu Zhaoxue gazed at the figure gradually disappearing into the night, her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a thoughtful look appeared in her frosty eyes.

"Just now, when I grabbed him with my powerful qi, I discovered that his heart meridian was long and deep, like an old ape breathing, and his blood and qi were as robust as a young tiger lying in wait. He had a certain 'dragon and tiger merging' quality. This kind of martial arts foundation is in no way inferior to the core members of any force..."

She murmured to herself, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

That's not just good, it's exceptionally good.

First, there's the muscles and bones.

The moment she was enveloped by the protective aura, she could feel that Cang Lian's bone density was far beyond that of ordinary people, especially his spine, which was like a polished steel whip, tough yet elastic.

His fascia was exceptionally strong, like layers of cowhide wrapping around his bones, and was full of astonishing explosive power.

This is something that cannot be achieved through ordinary cultivation. It must be the result of consuming various secret medicines and soaking in various precious medicinal herbs from a young age, supplemented by top-notch massage techniques, to cultivate a "treasure body"!

Secondly, there's qi and blood.

His heartbeat was deep and powerful, like the beating of a war drum.

With each heartbeat, the pumped blood surges like a river, brimming with vigorous vitality.

This shows that his internal energy is extremely pure and his foundation is extremely solid, without the slightest hint of superficiality.

This is the purest foundation of martial arts, and the greatest guarantee for breaking through to higher realms in the future!

Finally, and what surprised her the most, was his character.

Despite being choked by a master like her with her inner energy, he was able to remain calm and respond appropriately, his eyes showing no sign of flinching.

This courage to remain calm even when faced with a collapsing mountain is the most valuable quality!

Muscles and bones, blood and qi, and temperament—all three are the best choices!

"A person like him, in any major family, should be groomed as the future head of the family, so how could he... have come to our Martial Hall?"

Chu Zhaoxue's eyes deepened.

……

At night, the lights in the command center remained bright, shutting out the deep darkness outside the window.

Chu Zhaoxue sat behind the huge desk, her fingertips rhythmically tapping the surface, as if savoring something.

A moment later, she raised her head and looked at the female officer beside her.

"Among those scions of aristocratic families, is there one named Cang Lian?"

"Yes, General," the female officer replied.

"Give me all his information."

The female officer quickly placed a document in front of Chu Zhaoxue.

Chu Zhaoxue's gaze swept over Cang Lian's information, and a glint suddenly flashed in her eyes.

"Cang Lian, sixteen years old, her birth mother Han Yu is deceased, the cause of death is questionable, she suffers cold treatment in her family, and is powerless and without influence..."

"The Cang family... one of the most prestigious martial arts families in Shenghai, with widespread businesses and deep roots, is our most desired target for control. And this Cang Lian, he holds no position within the family; he perfectly fits our criteria for winning him over... a perfect entry point!"

She slowly closed the document, her eyes gleaming with the excitement of a hunter discovering a perfect prey.

"However, General..."

The female officer spoke up at the opportune moment, "This guy named Cang Lian, although from a prestigious family, is only at the Qi Refining stage in terms of strength. He won the Grand Prize of Luck twice, doubling his merit points, but he doesn't even dare to accept the most basic D-level mission! He's extremely cowardly; his spirit has probably been completely crushed by the Cang family. Although he's a suitable person to win over, we can't support someone like him even if we wanted to.

We absolutely cannot rashly hand over military power to someone like him."

"Cowardly?" Chu Zhaoxue laughed, a hint of amusement in her smile.

"Not necessarily! This person dared to trespass into my forbidden training ground, unintentionally, but afterwards, when I used my internal energy to lock his throat, he instantly calmed down, responding with neither servility nor arrogance, his eyes clear, without the slightest fear or hesitation! This is definitely not the timid, useless coward described in the files!"

She stood up, walked to the window, and seemed to see Cang Lian's tall and straight back again.

"Furthermore, his cultivation level is definitely not at the Strength Refinement stage!"

"I observed his gait; his steps were steady and grounded, as if he were standing firmly on the ground. Every step he took was like a stance! His muscles were full, and his blood and energy were abundant, without the slightest sign of leakage. He... is definitely a Ming Jin!" she said with absolute certainty.

"Ming Jin? Could it be that he's hiding something? Is everything he does in the Cang family just a facade?" the female officer suddenly wondered.

"Endurance?" Chu Zhaoxue's lips curled slightly, her eyes gleaming with contemplation.

"Sixteen years of enduring cold shoulders, yet managing to conceal one's brilliance within the Cang family's quagmire... Interesting! I admire those who know how to endure, especially members of the Cang family!"

She turned around, having already made up her mind.

"This person deserves close attention! Immediately designate him as an 'S-level' key target for recruitment! Infiltrate his ideology from all angles; he must be convinced of the New Army's ideals!"

"Yes, General!" The female officer was surprised, but immediately obeyed the order and raised Cang Lian's attention level to the highest level.

……

On the other hand, after witnessing Chu Zhaoxue's miraculous skills, Cang Lian's heart remained unsettled for a long time.

He barely slept a wink all night.

What kept replaying in his mind was the dazzling golden aura and the deep thunder that seemed to tear the sky apart, emanating from Chu Zhaoxue's body.

All of this clearly told him that Chu Zhaoxue's cultivation technique was extraordinary, and the true foundation of the National Martial Hall was far more complex than he had imagined.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Cang Lian jumped up and headed straight for the Hall of Merit.

A fire burned in his heart; he wanted to see how many merit points it would take to exchange for such a top-tier cultivation technique!

However, when he asked the person in charge of the Hall of Merit to let him see the list of top-level cultivation techniques, the stern-faced officer only gave him a faint glance.

"Only those who accumulate enough merit points to exchange for top-tier cultivation techniques are eligible to view the list. You do not meet the requirements yet!"

The officer paused, his voice carrying a hint of warning: "Furthermore, even if you have enough merit, you must sign the 'Three No's Agreement' before exchanging it—no sharing, no note-taking, and no demonstration. If you violate this, the National Martial Hall will consider you a traitor and launch a worldwide manhunt against you until you are dead."

The officer's words caused Cang Lian to pause slightly.

Top-tier cultivation techniques are indeed not so easy to obtain!

Without sufficient strength and status, one doesn't even have the right to peek into the list.

Having failed to achieve his goal, Cang Lian had no choice but to suppress the turmoil in his heart, turn around and leave, heading once again to the cultivation room he was already familiar with.