Qin Fen clenched his fists tight, his legs rooted, and with a sudden lurch of his body, his arms swung out ferociously, unleashing the Yuanba Swinging Hammer—a move so unexpected it stunned everyone, rooted in the basic military combat drills.

Fueled by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, this single hammer blow maximized the power and momentum of an ancient, valiant general’s hammer technique! The military combat drill set, commonly known as the army's fitness routine, erupted in an unprecedented wave of explosive force.

Cha Can's charging step brought with it an unstoppable momentum for a follow-up rear kick, and Qin Fen’s hammer strike erupted completely, truly embodying the indomitable spirit of Li Yuanba.

The force of the hammer exploded outward, colliding head-on with Cha Can’s leg, which moved like a swinging stone pillar.

Upon impact, Cha Can’s body faltered momentarily. His whip kick slammed heavily onto the ground, and without pausing for breath, his arms shot up into a torrential storm of elbows and knees.

This sequence, "Meteor Shower Entering the Clouds," consisted of thirty-two strikes, each capable of splitting wood and shattering brick; few young martial artists could execute all thirty-two without interruption.

Back then, Cha Can had secured the youth championship at the Xintai Boxing Championship relying on a flawless execution of the thirty-two strikes of the "Meteor Shower Entering the Clouds," battering his opponent to death right there on the stage, ultimately claiming the top spot.

His elbows and knees were still a considerable distance from the ground, yet the rushing wind was strong enough to kick up the pulverized dust of the blue bricks they had broken, the air itself cracking repeatedly like the snap of a whip.

Qin Fen's Yuanba Swinging Hammer was even more fiercely potent; the explosive gusts carried faint sounds of thunder and wind, giving his display an edge over Cha Can’s, subtly overpowering the dominance of Xintai Boxing. "As expected of the man hailed as the strongest among the new recruits!" Cha Can unleashed a continuous barrage, yet failed to breach Qin Fen’s defense; instead, during the collision, his vital energy began to falter.

In that split second of astonishment, Qin Fen’s arms suddenly swelled and thickened, driving the hammer down to completely break open the arm Cha Can used to guard his chest, exposing a massive opening.

Qin Fen’s feet stomped down like ancient war elephants; he charged directly into the centerline, the muscles along his back writhing rapidly as if transforming into a slab of iron. He slammed heavily into Cha Can’s chest—the turning single-reliance mountain strike from the Arhat Fist!

Cha Can saw it coming and his heart seized. He was a pinnacle figure among four-star martial artists, unafraid even when facing bio-beasts utilizing first-level fusion like Gang Benwu. He naturally understood the consequences of Qin Fen’s impending collision.

In that instant, Cha Can violently expelled a breath, his lower abdomen contracting so tightly it nearly touched his spine, his entire back arching like a curled shrimp. In a flash of lightning and flint, he executed his fastest possible countermeasure.

Whether he could evade it, even with Cha Can's martial sense, he couldn't calculate clearly this time—life or death depended on a gamble!

Bang!

Qin Fen struck Cha Can’s sternum like a Porsche Cayenne speeding under the influence, crashing into him violently. The pure energy from the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill surged like a massive elephant, forcibly shattering Cha Can’s protective vital energy, piercing through his rock-like muscles, and hammering deep into his bones and his organs.

The instant that Ji Zhenxuan Yi and Du Peng both frowned sharply, a series of cracking sounds erupted from Cha Can’s chest. He tumbled end over end through the air, flying back over ten meters.

The victor... had been decided!

Ji Zhenxuan Yi’s eyes narrowed repeatedly. Clean! Decisive! This Qin Fen must have deployed his full strength against Cha Can, unable to even hold anything back, resulting in such a severe injury.

"Qin Fen, from Kyokushin Ryū New Karate. Ji Zhenxuan Yi challenges you!"

Ji Zhenxuan Yi decisively took a step forward. He stared directly at Qin Fen, who was walking toward the fallen Cha Can, his own excitement mounting. If he could defeat this man, he would become the strongest new recruit.

The other recruits were still reeling from Qin Fen’s recent intense exchange. Was this Old Qin a specialist in "fitness drill boxing"? Arhat Fist, Hung Gar, and now military combat drills?

"I’d also like to spar with Qin Fen..." Du Peng slowly stepped between Ji Zhenxuan Yi and Qin Fen. "A wheel battle offers little glory even if you win. Since Qin Fen just fought one match, let us compete first, and the victor will face him."

Ji Zhenxuan Yi smiled. Qin Fen had defeated Cha Can with unmatched ferocity, placing him at the peak of momentum. Challenging him directly carried a disadvantage in spirit. If he could defeat someone else first, though it would deplete some stamina, it would allow him to equalize his momentum with Qin Fen; indeed, this was a viable strategy.

Qin Fen squatted beside Cha Can, nodding in recognition. "You are strong; the strongest I’ve seen among the new recruits. In our exchange just now, I couldn't have beaten you while holding back power."

Cha Can's entire rib cage was completely crushed. Lying on the ground, aside from the pain etched on his face, there was immense happiness.

"Since losing to Aklas, I haven't been defeated in a long time. I planned to defeat you and then challenge Aklas, who wouldn't even spare a glance for the youth championship title. Now, I see I still have much immaturity." Cha Can showed no signs of dejection. "Thank you; thank you for teaching me this lesson. Even though you didn't hold back your full strength, you still showed mercy. I couldn't even force out your ultimate move. You are undeniably the strongest new recruit in this barracks."

Qin Fen was somewhat surprised; Cha Can seemed stronger than anticipated. The fact that he could discern that Qin Fen hadn't used his ultimate move suggested his foundation was quite deep.

Two sounds, reminiscent of human impact yet slightly unnatural, echoed from behind. Strong currents of air swirled, and Qin Fen knew, without turning, that Ji Zhenxuan Yi and Du Peng had engaged.

"Both of you, stop it right now..."

Just as Squad Leader Hao's voice rang out, he arrived between the two new soldiers. Immediately following were two muffled thuds, as if punching heavy sandbags; the two young recruits vying for the challenge right flew backward, bending over even more severely than curled shrimp, each heading in opposite directions.

Thump-thump...

Two heavy impacts sounded. Du Peng slid about ten meters on the ground, his trousers ripped; whether the flesh on his backside was also torn was unknown. He clutched his lower abdomen with both hands. Squad Leader Hao’s kick carried the genuine power of a six-star meteor-level strike; it was lucky he hadn't been kicked to death.

Ji Zhenxuan Yi was not as fortunate as Du Peng. The impact when he landed was too great, causing him to tumble and roll a distance of nearly twenty meters, lying on the ground bruised and swollen, continuously spitting up sour bile.

Seeing this, Qin Fen could only shake his head with a weak smile. The disparity in their situations wasn't that Du Peng was stronger than Ji Zhenxuan Yi, but that Squad Leader Hao’s protective instincts had taken effect; the kick directed at Du Peng was clearly less forceful than the one aimed at Ji Zhenxuan Yi.

"Fighting first thing in the morning? It seems your spirits are quite high." Squad Leader Hao’s benevolent smile reappeared, causing goosebumps to rise across all the new recruits. Whenever this smiling tiger of a squad leader displayed such gentle warmth, it signaled that he was about to enact something decidedly unkind.

"Fighting? That's nothing!" Squad Leader Hao waved his hand dismissively. "I fought plenty when I was a new recruit too. But you must adhere to the basic rules of the army. The morning training schedule cannot be delayed. As a model example of military discipline, how can I allow such a group of rule-breaking new soldiers under me? Where would that leave my reputation?"

The new recruits had a strong urge to rush up and beat the Squad Leader. If they hadn't known they couldn't win, many would have acted on the thought. This Squad Leader Hao was notoriously known for not following army rules. Someone had once presented him with the official army standards manual, hoping he would implement training according to those documented benchmarks.

The Squad Leader’s response, as recounted, was: "Perfect, I couldn't find any toilet paper. This paper is a bit stiff, but it will suffice. Kid, to thank you for providing crucial paper, I’ve decided to reward you. Run twenty laps on the field. No internal energy allowed! If I catch you using inner power, I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks..."

A man who used the army standards manual as toilet paper would adhere to military rules?

"You all make me feel deeply distressed," Squad Leader Hao said, his benevolent expression now genuinely tinged with extreme sorrow.

But the new recruits knew that the more distressed their squad leader appeared, the more suffering awaited their bodies.

"How about this: apart from Qin Fen and Du Peng, who were the fighters, considering you were just onlookers and accessories, today’s training will be doubled."

"..." The new recruits fell silent. Doubled? That would exhaust them to death!

"What? Have you not profoundly recognized your error and feel that doubling isn't enough self-punishment?" Squad Leader Hao’s smile now carried a threat. "Since you're so proactive, shall we make it triple?"

"No need!"

The new recruits answered in unison, then scrambled away, casting pitiful glances at Qin Fen, as if to say: Brother, it’s not that we’re disloyal. When you get into trouble later, please don't blame us. Blame your squad leader.

Du Peng managed to use his vital energy to suppress some of the stinging pain. At this moment, Ji Zhenxuan Yi also managed to sit up, propping himself up with trembling arms.

"Squad Leader Hao, you hit too hard! My soldier isn't yours to discipline, is he?"

Qin Fen saw an older soldier, barely five-foot-three, walking toward them. From his gait, Qin Fen could tell this man also practiced New Karate and was likely a soldier from Hezhou.

"Such a small matter, a mere favor. You don’t need to rush over here to thank me."

Squad Leader Hao, a master of psychology, was a heavyweight in verbal sparring, and his skin was so thick that cannonballs couldn't penetrate it.

The approaching Hezhou soldier sneered, "So, if I get the chance next time, I can help you discipline your soldiers too?"

Squad Leader Hao shrugged. "If my soldier challenges yours in front of your barracks, you’re welcome to step in and discipline him. It’s just that... hmph..."

With Qin Fen holding the title of the strongest new recruit fighter, there was no chance he would go challenge anyone elsewhere.