Strongest Soldier King

"Yes." Luo Zheng came to his senses, agreed with a sound, and followed the female military officer outside. Her familiar pace and silhouette made Luo Zheng even more certain of his judgment. Scenes of pursuing the enemy together in the jungle surfaced in his mind, but Luo Zheng couldn't understand why their appearances were so starkly different.

Before he knew it, he arrived at the infirmary where the medic treated his wound briefly. After bandaging it and giving him several instructions, Luo Zheng thanked the medic and left, noticing the female officer was still waiting at the door. He walked up to her, and she gave him a look. Surprised, Luo Zheng followed her to a deserted area and, making sure no one was around, he asked softly with doubt, "Do we know each other?"

"What do you think?" the female officer retorted, her tone still cold but her voice completely different.

Hearing the familiar voice, Luo Zheng's conviction in his judgment grew stronger. He looked at the female officer's face with astonishment and said, "Who on earth are you?" Saying so, he couldn't help but reach out to touch her face.

The female officer stepped back, skillfully avoiding Luo Zheng's hand, and said coldly, "You still haven't recognized me? You disappoint me."

"No, it's this face of yours?" Luo Zheng asked, surprised.

"Silicone mask, a few hundred bucks a piece." The female officer suddenly laughed, her icy demeanor melting away.

"Lan Xue? Is it really you?" Luo Zheng exclaimed with joy and quickly asked, "I thought I wouldn't see you for two years, what's this silicone mask thing? Why are you disguising yourself? Is there something here you fear? Tell me, maybe I can help you."

"Just do what you need to do—that's enough. Don't concern yourself with the rest, and don't let me down," the female officer Lan Xue replied, her expression turning icy again as she turned and left.

"I won't let you down, I definitely won't." Luo Zheng said softly, his tone full of unwavering determination.

Lan Xue paused in her steps but continued walking forward. A gentle smile briefly crossed her frosty face, unseen by Luo Zheng. Knowing that the female officer was Lan Xue lifted Luo Zheng's spirits. Combining his shooting practice and the recent incident, he gained some insight into Lan Xue's purpose and solidified his own resolve.

Returning to the dining hall, Luo Zheng tidied the utensils, cleaned the area thoroughly, then went back to his room to assemble his sniper rifle. With bullets in hand, he climbed out the window and headed straight for the back mountain, oblivious to the fact that Lan Xue, watching from a dark corner nearby, smiled knowingly, like a lily blooming silently under the moonlight, pure and elegant.

Unaware of Lan Xue's attention, Luo Zheng reached the back mountain, concealed himself, and began his sniper lurking training. This training was a true test of one's patience and willpower. He couldn't move when insects crawled over him, when his body stiffened, and not even if a Fierce Beast passed by. Except for his eyes, no part of his body moved—an extreme form of self-discipline in the absence of supervision.

Half an hour later, Luo Zheng felt his whole body stiffen, drenched in sweat with his hands gripping the gun, also covered in sweat. Large beads of sweat fell from his brows, blurring his vision and causing extreme discomfort. Luo Zheng's lips curled slightly as he blew the sweat off his eyebrows and gritted his teeth to endure.

Another half hour passed, and Luo Zheng felt an itchy sensation like ants crawling over his body, but he still remained motionless, gritting his teeth and persisting, imagining himself as a stone fused with the surroundings. For the past two weeks, Luo Zheng had never surpassed an hour and a half in his sniper concealment training, not for lack of desire but because his body couldn't handle it. Today, Luo Zheng decided to push his limits.

Gradually, Luo Zheng's vision began to blur, and he quickly took a deep breath, using the Breathing Skill to adjust his condition. The target in front of him started to appear illusory, and Luo Zheng knew his limit was near. He closed his eyes outright and concentrated on finding the fallen leaves that had always been his target, fluttering in the breeze. Hitting such moving targets was difficult; normally, one began with stationary targets for shooting practice, but Luo Zheng, eager to improve quickly, started using leaves as targets according to the methods taught by Lan Xue.

After a while, Luo Zheng felt the invisible force that bound him suddenly disappear, his body no longer stiff, and his blood flowing smoothly all at once. The moving target in his mind became clearer, with distance, wind speed, and other parameters surfacing in his thoughts. Waiting a while longer, Luo Zheng sensed as if the leaf had fallen, and, surprised, he abruptly opened his eyes to see the leaf indeed drifting down, blown by the wind.

Seeing this, Luo Zheng was overjoyed and realized that his perception had greatly improved. The sounds of insects and birds chirping around him became clearer, his stiff body filled with strength, and even his heartbeat grew stronger. His every vein relaxed, and it felt like every cell in his body was rejoicing. This profound sensation nearly made Luo Zheng shout out loud.

Striking while the iron was hot, Luo Zheng continued his concealment training, and time slipped away unnoticed. Three hours later, Luo Zheng's body again became stiff, as if it wasn't his own, and he knew another new limit had been reached. He quickly moved to restore blood circulation.

Luo Zheng clearly remembered Lan Xue's warning; in such a state of extreme stillness during training, haste makes waste. Forcing progress could only harm his body, with light consequences being internal injuries and severe ones being disability. Luo Zheng slowly stood up, checked the time—it was already past midnight. After a brief warm-up, Luo Zheng continued training the third set of military boxing until he had drained the last bit of energy from his body. Soaked in sweat, he finally descended from the mountain and headed towards the cafeteria.

Not long after Luo Zheng descended from the mountain, a figure jumped down from a nearby large tree. Standing silently under the moonlight, hands behind their back, an ice-cold face bore a trace of satisfaction. Under the moonlight, they resembled a graceful and elegant celestial being. But soon their face turned cold, and they disappeared into the deep forest with a few swift movements.

...

At the Training Team's base, the instructor sat in the office with an iron-faced expression, looking at Song Yang, who was leisurely leaning on the sofa. His mood was sour, troubled by the behavior of the female officer Lan Xue at the cafeteria and feeling that something was amiss. Quietly calling Song Ye for a thorough discussion, he was exasperated by Song Yang's nonchalant attitude, and couldn't help but bitterly smile, "Song Junior, it's just the two of us here. What's the deal with that sniper instructor? Why do I feel like something's off?"

"Do we even have to say it? It's definitely off. I've contacted home, and we should hear news soon. She isn't important; what's important is that we must kick that bastard out of the Training Team," Song Yang said, sitting up straight, his tone unfriendly.

Seeing Song Yang's hostile demeanor, the instructor suddenly thought of a question. A fierce light flashed in his eyes as he coldly stated, "We never see him around; where does he go? Check it out."

"You mean he's not at the training camp?" Song Yang asked in surprise, looking at the instructor: "Are you saying that when no one's around..." He then made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.