The Body Sculpting Technique utilizing psychic energy truly lived up to its name. Not only did Yang Ying temper his right arm, but he exercised his entire body, including his viscera and bones, exactly as described in the manual. By the next day, he could feel the difference throughout his system. Although the overall improvement amounted to only a few percentage points, it was a most auspicious beginning.
The knowledge contained within this book on psychic energy was the crystallization of hundreds of years of effort by successive masters at the Neng Temple, refined through countless trials and errors. If placed in the world of martial arts, it would be akin to a peerless secret manual like the Nine Yin Manual.
In the ensuing days, as Yang Ying delved deeper into his training, he felt his stamina become increasingly boundless. Where previously a mere two repetitions of the basic sword form would leave him aching all over, now he could manage four or five repetitions with only a slight hint of fatigue.
His strength in both hands and feet had also progressed significantly. Lifting heavy objects became easier; what once required both hands to move, he could now lift with just one.
Sensing the immense benefits, Yang Ying dedicated every spare moment to the Body Sculpting Technique, practicing ceaselessly in movement or stillness, pushing the speed of his physical enhancement to its absolute limit. Almost every morning, he awoke feeling stronger than the day before!
A month later, Yang Ying could execute the basic sword form ten times in succession without flushing or shortness of breath, his physical conditioning reaching the level of a professional athlete.
This intense, systemic overhaul demanded an extreme amount of nutrition and energy, leading to a ravenous appetite for Yang Ying. Fortunately, the gates of the temporary military camp belonging to the Seventh Fleet were always open to him.
Every evening, after consulting with Master Pang Qian, he would head to the mess hall for a late-night snack, often packing a substantial amount to take home. This was necessary because he now required five full meals daily—breakfast, lunch, afternoon meal, dinner, and supper—each portion larger than what an ordinary person consumed in an entire day.
According to later calculations by the mess hall staff, he consumed an average of ten kilograms of high-nutrition, high-energy military rations daily, whereas a regular soldier needed only one kilogram to sustain a full day of intense combat.
The internal transformation also manifested externally. His height increased by three centimeters without any corresponding gain in weight. Because the subcutaneous fat layer had been refined away, distinct muscle groups became visible. While on the surface he didn't appear bulkier than a bodybuilder, his physique was actually dense with elasticity and possessed explosive power. Later on, he dared not jump with full force even at home, lest he accidentally punch a hole through the ceiling.
The regeneration of his internal organs spurred a more vigorous metabolism, purging all toxins from his system, which in turn made his skin smooth, fine, and incredibly resilient. Even if a dagger were thrust into his skin, he could easily deflect the blade’s edge.
Master Pang Qian witnessed Yang Ying’s changes firsthand and worried that the physical transformation was too drastic. He frequently advised Yang Ying with genuine concern, cautioning that too much, too fast could overwhelm his body, urging him to take it easier.
However, Yang Ying held no fear of physical breakdown. Whenever he felt any tissue or organ sustain damage, he would call upon the medical soldier, Katerina, for an injection. Under the restorative effects of the potent healing fluid, any internal or external injury was repaired instantly.
The high-energy military rations and the healing fluid were the twin pillars supporting Yang Ying through this ferocious sculpting process. Lacking either one, he could never have achieved such a rapid and complete metamorphosis.
With his physical conditioning enhanced, movements that were once difficult became remarkably simple. Consequently, Yang Ying’s execution of the basic sword form grew increasingly fluid. He practiced daily according to the swordsmanship manual and brought any points of confusion to Master Pang Qian for clarification each evening.
Yang Ying had flipped through both books hundreds of times. He had memorized every piece of knowledge within them; every illustration, every line of text, was deeply etched into his mind, laying an unshakeable foundation for his future cultivation.
Fundamentals were paramount. The swordsmanship manual contained several advanced sword forms that could integrate with the basic techniques, but Yang Ying resisted the urge to rush into them. He understood that only a solid foundation could support the superstructure; otherwise, the entire edifice would collapse.
The psychic energy cultivation and usage techniques detailed in the Neng book were exquisite. During his breaks from swordsmanship, Yang Ying diligently practiced according to the manual, though his regular cultivation using the magic cube method never ceased.
On another front, the growth in psychic energy had led to the ignition of two more lamps in the central tower of the floating continent within a month, bringing the total to five lit lamps at the base level. The continent’s total area had expanded to five hundred square kilometers.
The Zerg had established five satellite bases, and the Hydralisk Den was fully developed. However, Yang Ying's immediate focus was not on Zerglings or Hydralisks, as their current numbers remained zero. Yet, the number of Drone workers had exceeded one hundred.
Terran forces had expanded significantly, now boasting two Starports, four মারাত্মক Factories, and twelve Barracks.
Vespene Dragoons and Siege Tanks had both been produced, though only in modest quantities—one squad of Dragoons and half a squad of Tanks.
The Barracks could now generate a squad of Marines or Flametroopers daily. Currently, there were ten full squads of Marines, and five squads each of Flametroopers and Medics held in immediate readiness.
Wraith fighters were temporarily limited to half a squad, and one Dropship was kept on standby for emergency transport.
The firepower and armor of infantry in the Engineering Bay, and the firepower and plating of armored vehicles from the Machine Factory, had both been upgraded to Level One. All five technologies offered by the Infantry Research Center had been mastered, though the Center possessed functions beyond those detailed in the game simulations once those five core technologies were complete.
Yang Ying had once ordered the Research Center to investigate laser-transforming the weapons used by Marines. He believed that despite being in the 26th century where kinetic weapons were still in use, lasers represented the inevitable trend for replacing conventional bullets.
After all, bullets had a finite velocity, making accuracy difficult beyond a thousand meters due to wind, humidity, and gravity. Laser fire, conversely, was unaffected by these external factors and had virtually no recoil; with a quality sighting apparatus, accurate hits were possible at three thousand, even five thousand meters.
Reality, however, proved harsh. The researchers at the Center used overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that the Marines’ standard C-14 "Imp
Following this demonstration, Yang Ying resolved to cease interfering with weapons research using his own half-baked military knowledge.
Similar to the Research Center, the Machine Factory’s integrated Armory was researching various technologies related to armored vehicles. Currently, they were exploring the magnetic levitation of these vehicles, reasoning that wheeled or tracked drives were inherently limited compared to magnetic propulsion, which would function flawlessly across all complex terrains.
The Terrans’ final structures, two Science Facilities, were completed and equipped, respectively, with an Intelligence Research Center and a Physics Laboratory. The Terrans' most powerful assets—the Nuclear Missile and the Battlecruiser—had now been researched.
However, as they progressed, a problem arose, presenting both good news and bad news.
The good news was that the power of the Nuclear Missile and the Battlecruiser had been amplified by a full hundredfold!
The bad news was that the required cost—Vespene Gas, Minerals, and construction time—had also increased a hundredfold!
In Yang Ying's estimation, this outcome was acceptable. In the game simulations, a glorious Battlecruiser could barely destroy a single Marine with a laser cannon blast, performing worse than a fortified Tank turret—hardly worthy of the name Battlecruiser! How could one conquer the universe with such inadequate hardware?
Now, although a Battlecruiser demanded forty thousand Minerals, thirty thousand Gas, and twenty-two months to build, its destructive power finally justified its title!
The Nuclear Missile also possessed genuine nuclear yield, no longer delivering a small blast that merely injured targets without killing them outright.
Nevertheless, due to insufficient resources, Yang Ying had no immediate plans to begin constructing these two ultimate-tier assets.