God-Level Special Forces Soldier

Chapter 868: Chapter 864: Return to the Sect

The leaders all made a quick exit, and naturally, the audience couldn’t stay behind, especially since Sun Miaohan, as the disciple of Sect Leader Xu Ming, had quite a bit of influence with her words.

Since she dared to say she’d bring everyone into the same group as herself, she must have some assurance. Having witnessed Ji Dantong’s hellish daily training, nobody would willingly suffer alongside her.

In the blink of an eye, everyone present left the scene, leaving only Ji Dantong standing there. After a while, she let out a rather sorrowful sigh.

Ever since Xu Ming set a deadline for her to advance her strength significantly within mere months, an expected sequence turned into a slow-brewing nightmare.

Of course, Xu Ming wasn’t only targeting Ji Dantong individually; all his disciples faced similar treatment. As this trend caught on, the upper levels started imitating it.

In no time, Heartbreak Valley was filled with wails of despair, and the disciples were so busy from the moment they opened their eyes each day that they could barely sit down, crashing into bed upon their return. Those routine late-night conversations naturally couldn’t take place.

The prolonged mental strain under such a tense and orderly sect-wide atmosphere finally began to overwhelm some disciples. There seemed a real possibility they’d rebel at any moment, showing negative effects.

However, upon witnessing the hardships endured by Xu Ming’s disciples, those feelings instantly dissipated, leaving them feeling grateful to their masters.

Turns out there are others suffering even more miserably!

With this realization, the disciples couldn’t help but feel infinitely relieved, comparing themselves and feeling like they were in paradise!

Still, the disciples weren’t foolish; they knew better than to reveal their gratitude to their masters. Otherwise, if their masters took the chance to increase training intensity, there wouldn’t be time even to cry.

Thus, despite secretly counting their blessings, the disciples continued to grumble outwardly.

For one, they were genuinely exhausted, and for another, fearing that speaking too much could bring unwarranted disaster.

All of this was naturally noted by Xu Ming, the instigator, who felt quite gratified in his heart.

Despite the drop in image among the disciples, the effects obtained were tangibly good!

Xu Ming even dared to predict that if Heartbreak Valley continued to develop smoothly at this pace, within two years, they could leave Profound Spirit Valley and Wind Blade Valley behind, gaining a monopoly for themselves!

Of course, this was merely an assessment based on the current situation, and Xu Ming wasn’t naive enough to take it at face value.

In a world where secrets are hard to keep, especially with the other two sects so close by, they couldn’t possibly overlook the signs.

And true to Xu Ming’s expectations, just three days after she proposed accelerating disciples’ progress and began implementing it step-by-step, probing from the other two sects quietly arrived.

The situation caused Chen Zhenfang, who held an esteemed position, to furrow her brows, believing Xu Ming’s method to be flawed. It could potentially lead to a chain reaction, dragging the other two sects into this tense atmosphere, which would be detrimental to long-term development.

But this time, Xu Ming didn’t accept suggestions as usual and instead settled the matter by dismissing opposition, leaving Heartbreak Valley’s top ranks in an uproar, wondering what the young junior sister had in mind.

Yet Xu Ming’s reasoning was beyond reproach — to grow strong, they couldn’t be limited to small gains. If they fear the risks ahead, how would they progress?

Given this, the upper levels had no choice but to follow the meeting content and intensify their disciples’ training.

In a short time, Heartbreak Valley’s upper echelons showed their true caliber.

While subjecting their disciples to special training, they deliberately adjusted the training intensity to match each disciple’s current limit — not too much, not too little!

This way, neither would excessively high intensity damage their foundation, causing premature growth, nor would insufficient intensity slow progress.

In general, Xu Ming was very pleased with the current situation, though what the other two sects might plan wasn’t her concern.

...

Ji Dantong had been standing for a long time, and only when she gradually felt the urge not to move did she awaken, dragging heavy steps toward her residence.

Yet after only a couple of steps, Ji Dantong halted, squinting her eyes toward the front...

Just ahead, a silhouette suddenly appeared against the night, faint and indistinct, leaving only the outline visible, suggesting a female figure.

A gentle breeze passed, and the woman’s waterfall-like waist-length hair danced lightly with the wind, accentuating her exquisite figure.

At the next moment, as the silhouette started moving, Ji Dantong finally recognized the identity of the other.

Simultaneously, a familiar voice drifted into her ears...

”Junior sister, how have you been lately?”

Accompanied by a nightingale-like clear and pleasant voice, Sun Miaohan emerged from the shadows, smilingly looking at Ji Dantong, who appeared rather disheveled.

Ji Dantong frowned, recalling the recent scene and inwardly resenting why Sun Miaohan always showed up at just the right times when she was embarrassed!

Once or twice might be coincidence, thrice or fourth might be random, but with many occurrences, it couldn’t simply be deemed coincidence or randomness.

Thinking of this, Ji Dantong replied in frustration, ”Why don’t you go see master since you’re back, coming to find me instead?”

Sun Miaohan smiled again, replying candidly, ”Just passing by, didn’t expect to run into you. How have you been these days?”

This earnest inquiry at that moment landed like the utmost sarcasm on Ji Dantong, who immediately sneered, ”You tell me?!”

”No need to treat me as an adversary, junior sister!” Sun Miaohan slightly raised her gaze, observing Ji Dantong subtly before continuing, ”Actually, this time I truly ought to congratulate you.”

”Ha, congratulate?!” Ji Dantong chuckled uncontrollably, ”Congratulate on what?”

”Congratulations on finally beating me once!” Sun Miaohan mentioned, recalling her unprecedented defeat by Ji Dantong, her eyes flickering slightly with an undetectable complexity.

Fortunately, Sun Miaohan quickly masked it, lightly tapping on her brow, sending the seemingly non-existent Fairy’s Tears fluttering toward Ji Dantong.

Immediately afterward, Sun Miaohan grasped the sword from her waist, flinging it along with the sheath toward Ji Dantong, exuding none of the dejection a loser might show, instead resembling the winner of the wager.

Ji Dantong instinctively caught the incoming sword, checked its hilt to confirm it was intact, then beckoned Fairy’s Tears into her palm, feeling as if in a dream, unsure whether in a dream or reality, her inner emotions complicated.