The military system of Great Wei is meticulously structured, and not all who lead troops are officers.
The five ranks—Decurion, Squad Leader, Centurion, Captain, Military Sima, Commandant, and Colonel—form the framework of military governance.
Below the Centurion, soldiers are incorporated into military households, while those above are entered into official records. Only upon becoming a Colonel can one be considered part of Great Wei's ruling class; otherwise, they are merely followers acting on orders.
However, this does not mean that the position of Commandant is not prestigious. At least within the military, a Commandant wields the power of life and death over an entire camp.
Zhou Yuan did not expect Commandant Li of the Shesheng Camp to personally meet him, leading the soldiers in the Wuwei Camp to believe he was a hidden scion of a noble family.
"Try this bow, shoot as many arrows as you like, let me see your endurance."
"Yes, sir."
The sound of heavy impacts echoed across the training ground.
Although Zhou Yuan's archery was not up to standard, it wasn't completely erratic; at least he could ensure the arrows landed in the same area.
After shooting thirty arrows, even with his physical strength, he felt fatigued, and his arms were sore and burning.
"Good, truly a natural Divine Arm Warrior. Today your bow-drawing is raw and forceful, but with training, it won't be so strenuous.
I value your talent and wish to transfer you to the Shesheng Camp as a Decurion. If you can demonstrate your prowess in martial arts, I will certainly secure an official position for you."
"Thank you for your care, Commandant. I am deeply grateful."
"Don't be in a rush to thank me. The Shesheng Camp is different from the Wuwei Camp. Wuwei is prestigious, Shesheng is ordinary.
The Wuwei Camp is the elite of the Jingan Army, its soldiers are brave and skilled, often led by noble sons.
The treatment in the Shesheng Camp is somewhat inferior to the Wuwei Camp, but promotion is easier. You must weigh the pros and cons yourself."
"What is there to consider? Since the Commandant offers a military position and an official status, I am willing to serve in the Shesheng Camp."
For Zhou Yuan, staying in the Wuwei Camp was indeed good, but joining the Shesheng Camp and being able to speak with the Commandant was undoubtedly a significant elevation in status and position.
With the appreciation of a leader and the support of his attribute panel's skills, he would have a stable path for advancement.
"Good, come with me, I will assign you a new instructor."
The Wuwei Camp is in the east of the city, the Shesheng Camp in the west. Although Commandant Li said there was a gap between the two camps, it was clearly referring to the treatment of soldiers, not officers.
In the new camp, Zhou Yuan not only received a larger room and more nutritious food but also skipped the selection phase, directly receiving an official soldier's badge and armor.
The armor of the Shesheng Camp was a more flexible ring-arm armor, unlike the iron lamellar armor commonly used in the Wuwei Camp.
After receiving his armor, Zhou Yuan began systematic training. Under the guidance of a skilled archer, he quickly acquired a new skill.
[You have comprehended 'Bow Control', mastering an archery technique.]
[Bow Control, Lv1 (1/10)]
[Effect: Unifies energy and strength, focuses on locking the target, enhances body coordination, and strengthens mental concentration.]
The Bow Control skill, derived from systematic instruction, was more comprehensive than the Thrusting Spear and Mountain-Splitting Strike that Zhou Yuan had figured out on his own. It not only had offensive effects but also came with enhancement effects.
With professional guidance and ample nutrition, Zhou Yuan began to train with a frenzy.
The Food Supplement skill helped him recover health, and the Rest skill alleviated negative states.
With the assurance of these two restorative skills, a diligent genius emerged in the Shesheng Camp, making others' scalps tingle.
Every day, as dawn broke, he would start practicing archery, and by nightfall, he was still at it, as if he had iron arms that never tired.
This brutal training regimen seemed like self-harm to the camp's instructor.
He tried to stop Zhou Yuan many times, but couldn't change his training rhythm.
Later, when he saw that Zhou Yuan was full of energy and not weakened each day, he tacitly accepted Zhou Yuan's near self-destructive training method.
This caused trouble for the ordinary soldiers of the Shesheng Camp, plunging them into a collective illusion that they were neither talented nor hardworking.
When they tried to emulate Zhou Yuan, their arms were too sore to lift after just one day.
In the end, not only did they fail to enhance their training effects, but they also struggled to maintain normal training the next day.
Only then did they realize that effort also had a threshold and even depended on physical talent.
As a result, several soldiers, once full of fighting spirit, suddenly became dejected and dispirited.
It was one thing to be outmatched by noble sons, but to have to compete in effort and talent as well? If fate decided everything, why bother training?
When the first batch of soldiers gave up, the camp instructor quickly identified the problem.
"Commandant, Zhou Yuan is not suited for practicing archery on the training ground. His presence demoralizes the other soldiers."
"Oh, why is that? Has his archery surpassed the veteran soldiers in the camp?"
"Not only surpassed, but he can shoot with both hands, hitting wherever he aims.
"He's truly a talent worth cultivating. If he's surpassed them, so be it. It's not like our camp hasn't produced talented archers before.
Soldiers whose morale is affected should strive to catch up, not wallow in self-pity."
Commandant Li Fu of the Shesheng Camp had yet to realize the severity of the issue.
The prerequisite for striving to catch up is having the space to do so, but Zhou Yuan compressed his rest time to the extreme, leaving ordinary soldiers without even the qualification to try.
"Commandant, it's impossible to keep up. Zhou Yuan has iron arms and can train for six hours a day.
Even if the other soldiers break their arms, they can't match his training volume."
"Six hours? His endurance is that strong?"
"Yes, not only is his endurance strong, but his recovery ability is terrifying.
The camp's medic said the boy is as robust as a bear, with naturally tough muscles and bones."
The instructor's words left Commandant Li Fu very satisfied. He had indeed not misjudged; the young man was truly a natural Divine Arm Warrior.
"It seems we've found a treasure. Zhou Yuan hasn't been assigned soldiers under his command yet, has he?"
"Commandant, reconsider. Assigning him soldiers might not be nurturing but consuming them.
If he demands the same from his soldiers as he does from himself, we'll lose a batch of elite archers in no time."
"No, I mean not to assign him soldiers but to promote him, let him join the Divine Arm Squad."
"Is that appropriate? He's still a newcomer.
Transferring him to the Divine Arm Squad and sending him into the Secret Realm for battle, isn't that too soon?"
"It's not too soon. If he sees everyone in the camp as mediocre yet above him, he might develop resentment.
Transfer him into the squad. Even the finest sword must draw blood to reveal its edge; otherwise, it's just a decorative piece."
"Understood, I'll go and explain it to him."
Zhou Yuan may appear to be a young man, but he lacks the rebellion and arrogance of youth.
However, Commandant Li doesn't know this. To him, Zhou Yuan is an unpolished gem that needs careful honing but shouldn't be overly pressured.
Therefore, he decided to transfer Zhou Yuan to the team exploring the Secret Realm, allowing him to witness the vast and extraordinary world and realize his own insignificance and ordinariness.
"Let's see if you can kill the enemy with your perfect aim and three-stone heavy bow. Don't disappoint me."