Strongest Soldier King

Risking their lives in training was something only those with a steadfast mind and great perseverance could achieve. In the military, such individuals were deeply respected and recognized. Captain Wu was no fool; a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes as he looked toward the sea and said, "You three, keep an eye on everything. Take whatever you need." He hurriedly went to explain things to Wu Miao. The captain held a high and influential position at the base, his word was as good as gold, but he also didn't want to offend Wu Miao, who helped save and heal the injured.

Ghost Hand, Snow Leopard, and Mountain Eagle emerged from the masses to become local Soldier Kings. They were cunning and exchanged glances, then looked toward Luo Zheng surfacing for air in the sea, nodded understandingly, and laughed. Snow Leopard spoke first, "Guys, I think this kid's training methods are quite special, constantly pushing his limits and challenging himself. Maybe we should consider changing our training methods too."

"I agree," Mountain Eagle chimed in.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Ghost Hand laughed in agreement, the three of them nodded in sync, and with loud cries, they charged towards the sea, startling Luo Zheng as he turned around while catching his breath.

"Little brother, oh right, you have a code name called Ghost, right? From now on, that's what we'll call you. We, the brothers, plan to stay and keep you company, everyone together won't be too crowded, no objections, right?" Ghost Hand said with a chuckle, admiration appearing in his eyes.

"Sure," Luo Zheng said casually. The beach was big enough for many, so he agreed nonchalantly and dived back into the water, holding his breath and starting to practice the third set of military boxing. This sequence had the characteristics of the first and second set, plus the long punches were expansive and elegant, movements swift and powerful with a clear rhythm, and also had the steady, vigorous, and forceful features of the Southern Fist. The number of movements equaled the sum of the first two sets, and it demanded more physical effort and had a more complex difficulty—all moves had a martial meaning, a strike to defeat the enemy, a powerful weapon for survival on the battlefield.

This set of boxing was already deeply ingrained in Luo Zheng. The 32 combined movements were easy to perform on land, but in the sea, it was different. Kicking out, Luo Zheng felt an endless pulling drag on his leg, making it so weak and slow. Straight punches were somewhat easier, but hooks, swings, and blocks were particularly strenuous, and the resistance when striking with his hand was even greater.

However, Luo Zheng was clear about one thing—if he could execute the moves in the sea with the same force and effect as on land, his strength would definitely see a significant improvement. The pressure and opportunity coexisted. He just clenched his teeth and toughed it out, not aiming for perfection, but to strike out fast and fiercely. After more than two minutes, Luo Zheng felt he couldn't hold his breath any longer and had to surface again. Seeing Ghost Hand and the others staring at each other, he became curious and asked, "What's up?"

"Are you practicing boxing underwater?" Mountain Eagle asked in surprise.

Luo Zheng nodded nonchalantly. They were brothers who had faced life and death together, and there was nothing to hide. Besides, this wasn't a big deal. Ghost Hand, with an excited smile, said, "I knew it, carry on." As Luo Zheng dived back into the water, Ghost Hand continued, "He's a complete freak. Brothers, if Ghost is pushing himself to the limit like this, we can't fall behind. Otherwise, we'd have no face to show."

"I'm going for it, Elite Soldier King, here I come!" Snow Leopard yelled excitedly and also dived into the water to practice boxing like Luo Zheng. Ghost Hand and Mountain Eagle weren't fools either; they recognized the incredible benefits of this kind of training and swiftly followed into the water.

Luo Zheng, unbeknownst to him that his life-risking training had motivated Ghost Hand, Snow Leopard, and Mountain Eagle, frantically swung his fists and kicked in the water while silently counting. Holding his breath while boxing was particularly exhausting, especially in the water, but Luo Zheng aimed to hold his breath for at least two and a half minutes each time, gradually increasing the duration to push his limits.

An hour later, Luo Zheng's last bit of energy had been drained, and his body uncontrollably floated on the seawater. He was so exhausted he didn't even want to move his fingers, letting the sea sweep his body toward the shore. Lying quietly on the beach to regain his strength, after ten minutes, Luo Zheng felt a bit better, got up to drink some water, and continued lying down to relax his muscles.

The others, including Ghost Hand, who had reached the beach to rest, spread themselves out on the sand, panting heavily as they recovered their strength. Half an hour later, they felt better, but still hadn't fully recovered and found walking difficult when they noticed Luo Zheng had already briskly headed towards the sea and dived into the water again.

Mountain Eagle woefully howled, unable to hide his weakness, "Brothers, in terms of stamina and endurance we are stronger than Ghost, but when it comes to recovery, we can't even match half of what he can do. This guy is just too abnormal! I had barely recovered a bit, and there he goes, spiritedly jumping into the water. There's no comparing."

"What's wrong, giving up?" Snow Leopard laughed.

"The hell I am," Mountain Eagle retorted, still unconvinced.

"If we can't match his recovery, then let's compare our willpower. If Brother Ghost can do it, why can't we? Elite Soldier King, here I come!" Ghost Hand bellowed as he got up, guzzled a bottle of water, and with a fierce determination in his eyes, charged toward the sea, howling.

"Kill." Mountain Eagle and Snow Leopard exchanged a look and ran into the sea as well.

None of them noticed Captain Wu, standing quietly in the coastal woods, observing their training intensively. Seeing Luo Zheng push himself to the limits and stirring the others to do the same, Captain Wu smiled contentedly. Deciding not to interrupt, he returned to the base and first went to the logistics squad to arrange enough water and food to be sent over.

Being a soldier himself, Captain Wu understood the pressure Luo Zheng was under, and the strong desire among Ghost Hand and the others to become stronger. Entering the Soldier King's squad meant no one was content with mediocrity. Seeing his comrades strive forward, as their captain, his natural response was to support them. What he could do was to alleviate their worries about their basic needs.

At noon, Luo Zheng finished training and prepared to head back for some food only to find that several supplies of water and food were already placed on the beach. Seeing no one around, he figured it was Captain Wu's doing, felt a warmth in his heart, and without hesitation, he grabbed the supplies and started eating voraciously, calling Ghost Hand and the others over as well.

The four sat together, eating and sharing insights from their training. After they had eaten their fill, they lay down for a short rest. Suddenly Ghost Hand said, "Ghost bro, the training method in the sea is excellent, focusing on stamina, strength, speed, and technique—all offensive elements. But on the battlefield, along with offense, one must also learn to defend and take hits."

Luo Zheng was startled, then deep in thought, he suddenly ran into the woods. Seeing Ghost Hand and the others look at him with surprise, he soon returned with three arm-thick wooden sticks over a meter long, forcefully snapped off and cleaned of branches and twigs. He dropped the sticks on the ground and earnestly said, "Please use these to hit me and help me practice the hard energy Pai Da Skill."

"Are you sure?" Ghost Hand looked at the arm-thick sticks with surprise.

"Yes, I've practiced Pai Da Skill before. Just go ahead and hit, no need to hold back, please," Luo Zheng earnestly requested, his eyes filled with anticipation.