Qin Fen couldn't be bothered to explain the imbalance between his strength and his physical organs. As the service attendant opened the door, he hurried inside, secretly wondering if learning culinary arts was a required skill for an army recruit. What was the use of learning that? Was he supposed to become a chef at a five-star hotel after retirement? Besides, the food cooked by the brother he knew wasn't very good; if he were cooking for someone, he’d be fired the next day! The Master of Theory once said that today he was a Slaughtering Martial Artist of Po Jun (Army Breaker); perhaps learning a little from him could offer another surprise when facing the Butcher?

Light and shadow reconfigured, and the person who appeared was the original guiding light figure.

"The cultivator has entered a critical breakthrough threshold. Suspend all other combat instruction; I will take over everything."

The voice was mechanical and cold, sending a shiver down Qin Fen’s spine. The light figure had appeared at the absolute worst time—not earlier, not later, but precisely when he entered the gravity room to rest.

Qin Fen had not forgotten the previous ultra-intense training conducted by the light figure; back then, it only stopped when he finally achieved a breakthrough. Surely, it wasn't going to be the same this time?

If so... Qin Fen felt an immense headache coming on. That likely wouldn't allow him to wake up for days, meaning the specialized skills he had just started learning from the instructors would have to be paused again.

"Cultivator, begin self-cultivation."

Qin Fen knew the light figure’s rigidity too well. Refusing to cultivate would only result in forced execution, and self-cultivation under duress often led to bodily accidents.

Giving up resistance, Qin Fen consciously began practicing the third stage of his Dragon-Elephant Prajna Gong.

As he started, Qin Fen tragically realized that because his body was still within the gravity room's field, the intensity of his dream cultivation was taking place under 1.5 times the normal gravity.

After one full cycle, Qin Fen wearily looked toward the light figure, assuming the figure would speak if there were any errors or if he needed to complete more cycles.

"If you have any questions, ask them," the light figure’s rigid voice sounded.

Qin Fen paused for a few seconds before voicing the thoughts he had after the fierce battle with Phoenix Woman.

The Raging Tidal Surge was an extremely explosive attack method. It was fierce and powerful but unsustainable. How to sustain it was something Qin Fen had been contemplating post-battle.

The two self-cultivation sessions under 1.5 times gravity had been extremely slow. Qin Fen combined his initial concept and proposed a small idea of his own.

"If I cause the starting point of the true qi within my body to form a vortex, utilizing the rotational force to create a form of supercharging, shouldn't that increase the speed of the qi's movement? However, would this cause any harm to the body?"

"It is possible, but there are several limitations. One: the strength of the body. Two: the precision of force control. Three: the tolerance for pain." The light figure narrated placidly. "Four: it cannot be used continuously for long periods. The cultivator must determine when it can be used again based on their physical sensations."

"Then I..."

"Body strength meets the requirement; the other two aspects cannot be tested."

A slight curve of a smile touched the corner of Qin Fen's mouth. The vortex cultivation method might already exist, but this path was something he had pieced together through small bits of experience and martial intuition.

"Cultivator, do not waste time..."

The light figure began urging him again.

Qin Fen secretly pumped himself up: "If I can think of it, I can control it."

Entering the cultivation state once more, Qin Fen began employing the vortex method. The true qi within his body spun little by little—spinning, and spinning faster...

As the vortex rotated, the propulsive force generated grew stronger. The qi, which had been moving at a snail's pace, gradually accelerated toward the speed of a turtle. Correspondingly, as the propulsion speed increased, the pain in the meridians grew more severe.

Qin Fen carefully controlled the spinning qi. Once the vortex began spinning, it continuously absorbed more true qi to fuel the rotation. The rotation gradually generated a slight tearing force. If he continued adding qi into it, the meridians might very well be ripped apart by the rotational power.

At this moment, Qin Fen began to understand why the light figure mentioned the requirement for precise force control; this truly demanded exactitude.

The vortex automatically absorbed qi to strengthen itself. Qin Fen constantly drew qi out of the vortex, strictly controlling its power from exceeding the limit, while simultaneously managing the qi's cyclical circulation through the meridians, keeping his mind in a state of extreme tension.

In one hour, Qin Fen accomplished what normally took five hours using the vortex method. He was so exhausted he nearly collapsed into sleep within the dream state.

"Cultivator, proceed to the third cycle..."

Qin Fen, dragging his weary spirit, began the third cycle of cultivation...

The reveille horn sounded across the barracks, and the new recruits who had slept all night quickly assembled.

The squad of Second Squad, Third Platoon, Second Battalion, Seventy-fifth Regiment was assembled swiftly. Deng Biao noticed the empty spots belonging to Du Peng and Qin Fen and called out loudly, "Report, Squad Leader! Du Peng and Qin Fen entered the gravity room and haven't returned all night!"

"Are they in secluded training?" Squad Leader Hao picked up his phone, quickly tapping the keys, and called the gravity room. "What? Du Peng had breakfast and continued self-cultivation, but Qin Fen hasn't eaten at all and has been in seclusion? Understood!"

Hanging up the phone, Squad Leader Hao raised his voice, "Your two comrades are in seclusion! It's nothing; everyone, start training."

At the end of the day’s training, Squad Leader Hao went to Gravity Room Number Four to inquire about the situation.

"Qin Fen has been in seclusion nonstop? Not even eating? Which room is he in? 1.5 times gravity? Is that true? Take me to see!"

The other self-cultivators in the 1.5x gravity room were also not training; they were all staring at Qin Fen with looks reserved for monsters. Had this young man gone crazy? Not eating for an entire day? Wouldn't he starve? Training in there consumed immense physical energy.

Qin Fen’s expression was grave; his military uniform was already soaked through with sweat, but his breath was long and powerful, showing no signs of distress. It was as if he were right on the verge of a breakthrough.

"This little lunatic!"

Squad Leader Hao cursed under his breath. How could anyone attempt a breakthrough this way? Even in seclusion, one needed to eat and rest, making periodic attempts to push through the barrier. This method—eating nothing, drinking nothing, sleeping none, forcing a breakthrough no matter what—was unheard of.

Despite his worry, Squad Leader Hao was helpless in this situation. Even the most powerful masters couldn't safely wake someone attempting a breakthrough without causing injury to the cultivator.

"Qin Fen is in the 1.5x gravity room?" Phoenix's voice sounded in the hall. She soon arrived in the gravity room, and upon seeing Qin Fen's demeanor, her first words were the same: "Nonsense!"

Like Squad Leader Hao, Phoenix was anxious but equally powerless in this situation.

"We wait. When he runs out of energy, he’ll wake up."

Squad Leader Hao was helpless, and Phoenix could only nod in agreement.

The two of them kept watch in the gravity room for an entire night. Qin Fen simply sat there the whole time.

His skin was ruddy, his breathing deep, and his heart beat strongly. After a day and a night without food, Qin Fen showed absolutely no signs of physical depletion.

This bizarre situation left even the highly experienced Squad Leader Hao completely dumbfounded.

"This kid Qin Fen now seems even more of a freak than his monstrous brother!"

Finally, the Butcher provided an evaluation that everyone agreed upon.

On the fifth day...

The door to the 1.3x gravity room suddenly opened. The service attendant, bored while reading a newspaper, looked up, and her eyes immediately lit up. It was the handsome young man wearing the new Taekwondo uniform.

The attendant set down her newspaper and looked at the emerging youth with slight surprise.

These past few days, Park Jong-Hwan, the new recruit from Hanzhou training in the 1.3x room, had maintained a very regular schedule, only emerging during breakfast, lunch, and dinner to eat. Otherwise, he remained in the gravity room practicing his self-cultivation to break through.

Today, this time was neither for lunch nor dinner. Why had he suddenly come out of seclusion?

"So early today?"

The service attendant wrestled briefly with herself, looking at Park Jong-Hwan with a hint of concern, afraid that this man, who exuded an aura of cold pride, might refuse to answer.

"Early," Park Jong-Hwan replied with a detached, polite acknowledgment, his tone still carrying a hint of cold arrogance.

The service attendant, having run into a wall of coldness, dropped her previous warmth and adopted a professional tone: "Sir, do you require a meal?"

As the service attendant for the gravity room, such an inquiry was mandatory.

"No. The nutrient meals here are truly awful. Make sure you tell your superiors to replace the cook."

A faint displeasure showed in Park Jong-Hwan’s brow. As someone from a prestigious family, even when training at the Hanzhou Martial God’s dojo, he ate delicious, high-quality cuisine. He had never tasted food so repulsive it made him want to gag.

"You mean the chef?"

"The chef?" Park Jong-Hwan gave a cold laugh. "He doesn't deserve the title of chef; at most, he's just someone who cooks."

The service attendant was already used to complaints about the cook. She smiled lightly and said, "I will report it, but I hope you don't get your hopes up too high. Also, if you don't eat the nutrient meals, regulations state you cannot re-enter the gravity room for one week."

"Understood." Park Jong-Hwan puffed out his chest, his eyes gleaming with pride. "I have already completed my breakthrough. I need an adjustment period before I can elevate myself further. I need time to settle things internally."