The Seed Students opened their eyes, the light of newly awakened power flashing within them. In that instant, as the mysterious power of the Rite of the Fated Rival surged from the Crystal Stele and infused their bodies, each student felt an unprecedented shock and awakening. This power, welling up from the depths of their souls, seemed to resonate directly with the Heroic Spirits from the long river of human history, sublimating their willpower.

His voice somewhat weak, Lu Hu said, "You should be able to feel the power surging through your bodies. This is a top-secret method currently used by the Human Alliance Military Department, which we call [Soul Enemy]. You are not to disclose anything about this rite to outsiders without permission. I trust I don't need to elaborate on the reasons why."

After a sweeping glance, Lu Hu continued sternly, "As we all know, the racial abilities of the Abyssal Demons are bizarre and unpredictable. Some demons even possess the ability to seize souls, allowing them to take over the bodies of Human Alliance Warriors without anyone noticing. However, under the baptism of the Rite of the Fated Rival, any method of soul possession will be rendered useless. This will allow us to counter the infiltration tactics of the Abyssal Demons and hopefully, thoroughly eradicate the demon spies and cult followers hidden within the Human Alliance's ranks."

"Of course, this rite is still in its initial stages and has significant limitations. Simply put, the lower one's strength, the easier it is to stimulate their soul's potential. Therefore, you can consider yourselves lucky! Your confirmation as Seed Students of the Sea City Military Academy coincided with the Human Alliance Military Department's small-scale implementation of the Rite of the Fated Rival across Blue Star's elite military academies. You newly awakened Apprentices are at the optimal stage to receive the rite's baptism."

"Furthermore, the higher your talent, the greater the proficiency increase under the stimulus of the rite's energy. In the Human Alliance military's previous experimental records, after a continuous ten-minute baptism, the best result was achieved by a young man from Dragon City Military Academy. He raised his [Soul Enemy] Skill proficiency all the way to the Mastery level, just a single step away from Perfection. This time, have any of you reached the Mastery proficiency level?"

At Lu Hu's question, all the Seed Students involuntarily turned their gazes to Fang Zhou. His legendary performance over the past three months had completely won them over. In their eyes, Fang Zhou was a miracle. The Seed Students were certain that if anyone among them could break the historical records of the Human Alliance military, it could only be Fang Zhou.

And Fang Zhou did not disappoint. He stood tall, met Instructor Lu Hu's expectant gaze, and stated calmly, "Reporting, Instructor. Under the baptism of the Rite of the Fated Rival, the proficiency of my awakened [Soul Enemy] Skill has reached Perfection."

"Good!" Instructor Lu Hu clenched his fist, his face filled with excitement.

The other Seed Students showed little reaction to Fang Zhou's achievement. After all, they had only passively received the rite's baptism to awaken the [Soul Enemy] Skill, so they didn't immediately grasp the profound significance behind his performance.

But while the students didn't understand, how could Lu Hu not? He exclaimed excitedly, "The [Soul Enemy] Skill is rooted deep within your souls, so its growth path is completely different from other Professional Skills. Other than the initial proficiency gained from the rite's baptism, the only way to enhance the effects of the [Soul Enemy] Skill is by slaughtering Abyssal Demons."

"The stronger and more numerous the demons you kill, the greater the increase in your [Soul Enemy] Skill's proficiency. Currently, your awakened skill is only effective against Apprentice-level Abyssal Demons. In the future, as you step onto the battlefield and slay more and more Abyssal Demons, the effect of your Soul Enemy will grow strong, like a seed sprouting. One day, even Legendary Demon Lords will fall within your hunting range."

As the saying goes, a newborn calf does not fear the tiger. Upon hearing Instructor Lu Hu mention the title of Legendary Demon Lord, all the Seed Students, including Fang Zhou, wore fearless and eager expressions.

This was precisely the effect Lu Hu wanted.

However, among the crowd, Fang Zhou's excitement wasn't limited to the power increase the [Soul Enemy] Skill brought to his main body. What he was truly looking forward to was seeing what new skills his Skeleton Clone would gain when the proficiency leveled up from Perfection to Instinct.

Lu Hu asked again, "Aside from Fang Zhou at the [Perfection] level, what are the proficiency levels of the others? Seed Two, Meng Hongzhuang, did you reach the [Mastery] level? And you, Seed Three, Ye Fan?"

Meng Hongzhuang, Ye Fan, and the others who were called on responded one by one. To Lu Hu's even greater delight, four Seed Students—Meng Hongzhuang, Ye Fan, Gu Zhiqiu, and even Bai Xiaochan—had all pushed their [Soul Enemy] Skill to the [Mastery] proficiency level after the rite. The remaining Seed Students had mostly reached the [Skilled] proficiency level.

After tallying the performance of the 100 Seed Students, Lu Hu made no attempt to hide his satisfaction. Gazing at the vibrant and energetic students before him, he grinned and said, "The activation of the [Soul Enemy] Skill is not just an empowerment, but also a confirmation of identity."

"Under its mark, your souls have been designated by the Human Alliance as [Pure Good], which means you have passed the willpower assessment."

"As your strength increases, the core secrets of the Alliance will gradually be revealed to you."

"In short, this marks you as an official and crucial part of the struggle against the Abyssal Demons!"

Seeing the students' high morale, Lu Hu, who was exhausted from the effort of activating the rite, couldn't help but show a gratified smile. His hard work had not been in vain. On the grounds of the Sea City Military Academy, a land steeped in history and glory, the torch of legacy had been lit. It was no exaggeration to say that with the awakening of the [Soul Enemy] Skill, every student had undergone a metamorphosis—from adolescence to maturity, from students to warriors.

After giving the Seed Students some time to familiarize themselves with their newfound power, Lu Hu took a short rest. He then opened his personal terminal and sent everyone the upcoming schedule for the Seed Company.

As Fang Zhou opened his personal terminal to check the schedule, he listened to Lu Hu's introduction.

"Your status as Seed Students of the Sea City Military Academy is a testament to your undeniable talent as Professionals. However, to break through High-Tier bottlenecks, forge your own [Champion's Will], and even craft the omnipotent [Law Crown], you must possess unshakeable conviction. True victory lies not only in conquest on the battlefield but also in an unyielding spirit and the continuation of civilization."

Fang Zhou only half-understood, grasping a fleeting sliver of insight that vanished before he could seize that Spiritual Light.

At that moment, Lu Hu clapped his hands. "Alright, that's enough talk. The tour of the Historical Museum was the first lesson. The Rite of the Fated Rival was the second. Now, for today's third lesson: practical training!"

As he finished speaking, Instructor Lu Hu walked to one side of the hall. There stood an ancient statue whose posture seemed to be silently pointing toward something. He reached out and touched an inconspicuous stone brick at the statue's base, activating an ancient mechanism. With the faint sound of meshing gears, the floor of the Hall of Glory slowly split open.

A dim stone staircase was revealed, leading deep underground.

Bai Xiaochan and the other Support Professionals hadn't undergone the three-day ordeal of the Cave Hunting, so their mental fortitude naturally couldn't compare to students like Fang Zhou and Ye Fan, who had returned from bloody battle. At some point, Bai Xiaochan had quietly slipped behind Fang Zhou, tugging on the corner of his sleeve with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Fang Zhou turned and gave her a reassuring look. The other Seed Students exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. Led by Instructor Lu Hu, they descended the unknown path one by one. Along the way, Fang Zhou scanned his surroundings. The walls flanking the staircase were etched with the names and heroic deeds of generations of outstanding students. As the group went deeper, the humidity increased, and a scent of steel and sweat filled the air.

When the students reached the bottom, the space opened up dramatically. A grand and technologically advanced underground training ground unfolded before them. A vast array of high-tech training facilities stretched out beneath the towering dome, from high-precision Simulation Battlefields to extreme survival training zones.

Instructor Lu Hu came to a halt, his voice echoing in the expansive training ground. "Welcome to the most vital and confidential training base of the Sea City Military Academy. Here, there are no outside distractions and no comfortable environments—only endless challenges and trials awaiting you."

The Seed Students gazed around, deeply stunned by the unprecedented sight. Then, under Instructor Lu Hu's command, they quickly fell into formation, ready to face the severe tests to come.

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