Chapter 560 Zhenhai Army
(Thanks to reader 20181201154148651 for casting a monthly vote.)
The news of the selection of "Xuanjia Elite Warriors" and "Xuanjia Dark Blades" stirred up a huge wave in the Xuanjia Army camp outside Jian'an City, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
Despite prior rumors, the entire military camp was instantly abuzz when Sun Xiaoliu officially announced that the selection of "Xuanjia Elite Warriors" and "Xuanjia Dark Blades" would begin later this month.
On the drill ground, in the tents, even in the row of latrines where soldiers relieved themselves—almost the entire military camp—all the soldiers were excitedly discussing this matter.
"It's finally here!"
"I've been waiting for this day for half a year!"
A burly man slapped his thigh and said this; he was known in the army for his great strength.
"A sharp knife at sea, a fierce tiger on land... Our general has quite the spirit!"
But that sounds really exciting!
Another lean and agile soldier also gleamed and echoed the man's words;
At the same time, he himself was eager to participate in the competition.
"Register! You must register!"
Even if I don't get selected, just being able to compete against those skilled applicants will make my time in the military worthwhile!
"I heard that if you are selected, you will be the general's elite!"
At that time, their treatment will be even better than that of a general's personal guards!
The pay, food, and uniforms—everything was top-notch!
Whether these soldiers were motivated by the excellent benefits or simply wanted to advance further, the registration for this selection competition was exceptionally popular.
Of the 2,500 Xuanjia soldiers in Jian'an, nearly a thousand eventually signed up, far exceeding Li Shiyue's initial expectations.
After all, of the 2,500 men, 1,500 were new recruits; they were just farmers who had recently become soldiers.
Li Shiyue originally thought that it would be quite good if 500 people had the courage to sign up.
To everyone's surprise, nearly a thousand people signed up!
After all, this selection competition was specially organized by Li Shiyue in order to deal with the Japanese pirates in the future.
Those were Japanese pirates who committed all sorts of atrocities, including burning and looting!
This batch of selected soldiers will be the first to face the Japanese pirates before all other soldiers!
what does that mean?
Their casualty rate will be higher than that of the regular Xuanjia Army!
However, the number of people who signed up for the competition reflects the soldiers' eagerness to become stronger and stand out from the crowd;
At the same time, it also proves that Li Shiyue has established extremely high prestige and influence in the army—she keeps her word, treats soldiers as human beings, and gives them the best treatment within her capabilities, which is why many people are willing to do their best to participate in the competition and try their luck.
In fact, many times, soldiers are not afraid of hardship or death; they are just afraid that after they die, they will have nothing and nothing at all!
And Li Shiyue?
She brought these soldiers to Jian'an, and she fulfilled all the promises she had made to them!
That alone is enough to make someone want to give it a shot.
However, this number of applicants made Li Shiyue feel both gratified and under immense pressure.
She immediately summoned Chen Yong, Sun Xiaoliu, and several experienced veteran team leaders to discuss with them overnight how to best plan the selection competition.
The selection process is far from a simple martial arts competition.
Li Shiyue knew that she was selecting special soldiers who could complete missions in extreme environments, not just soldiers who fought on the battlefield.
Finally, Li Shiyue discussed and deliberated with them repeatedly before deciding to divide the selection into four rounds.
Round One – Water-based.
The competition venue was set off on the coast, about 1 li from the sea, ten li outside the Xuanjia Army's camp.
The competition consists of participants carrying a weight (a 20-pound stone weight) and swimming to a marked point in the sea, then returning to the starting point.
Those who exhaust themselves or give up halfway are eliminated.
This round eliminated nearly three hundred people, including many strong men who were skilled in land combat but not so good at swimming, as well as many soldiers who could swim.
However, during the competition, a dozen or so Xuanjia soldiers with excellent swimming skills quickly swam back and forth, eliciting gasps of amazement from the soldiers watching on the shore.
The second round – endurance.
After resting for three full days, the first group of over 600 people were mobilized before dawn on the fourth day. Each of them carried 30-pound stone weights and embarked on a 50-mile forced march along the rocky coastline.
Those who fail to reach the finish line within the allotted time will be eliminated.
Scorching sun, reefs, long distances, and heavy loads test the soldiers' physical strength, willpower, and resourcefulness.
During the competition, many people had to withdraw due to exhaustion, falling and being unable to get up, or foot injuries.
By the time they reached the finish line, the number of participants had dwindled to less than four hundred.
The third round – competition and cooperation.
The remaining soldiers were divided into dozens of groups and, five days later, were taken to a dense forest that Li Shiyue and his team had already scouted out, to conduct a three-day wilderness survival and combat exercise.
Each person is only given a small amount of food and water. In the dense forest, they need to find their own water and food, and avoid or "attack" other groups (using specially made wooden swords and guns as weapons, which are coated with white lime to inflict damage).
Those who are "killed" or who voluntarily withdraw due to hunger or injury are eliminated.
This round of competition not only tests the individual abilities of the soldiers, but also their ability to work as a team, survive in the wild, and advance against the enemy.
Traps abound in the dense forest, and small-scale skirmishes are frequent. Some manage to get through smoothly due to seamless cooperation, while others are eliminated in disappointment due to acting arbitrarily or being ambushed.
Three days later, only about 250 people emerged from the dense forest. They were all ragged and wounded, but their eyes, like sharpened blades, had become even more piercing.
The fourth round – the ultimate showdown.
Ten days later, the final round of the competition was held at the training ground of the Xuanjia Army camp.
The elites who pass the first three rounds will be drawn into a duel to test their individual martial arts skills, fighting techniques, and mental fortitude.
Li Shiyue, Chen Yong, Sun Xiaoliu, and others personally observed and evaluated the match on site.
However, the competition is not the only criterion; the performance in the previous rounds, the soldiers' daily behavior, learning ability, and willpower will all be taken into consideration.
Meanwhile, cheers and shouts of encouragement filled the air on the training ground.
None of the soldiers who made it to this final round were weak.
Several high platforms were erected on the training ground, and now, the sounds of fists clashing and weapons clashing were deafening.
Some won by force, some by skill, and then there were the seven or eight soldiers who had passed the first three rounds but were ranked at the bottom, who showed amazing resilience and agility in the competition.
Although they were slightly weaker, they were always able to outmaneuver their opponents with unexpected angles and tenacious will, winning cheers from the spectators several times!
This final round of the competition took a full eight days to complete.
Finally, after a full month of rigorous selection and fierce competition, Li Shiyue calculated the scores given to each soldier in these four rounds of competition and finally came up with a list.
The "Black Armor Warriors" were selected from 120 men who were specializing in naval warfare.
The vast majority of them were exceptional swimmers, familiar with boats, and possessed a fierce and courageous character.
The "Mysterious Armored Dark Blade" unit, specializing in land reconnaissance and raids, selected eighty members.
They are mostly soldiers with amazing endurance, good at infiltration, meticulous thinking, and proficient in wilderness survival.
A total of two hundred people became the first batch of the Xuanjia Army, and the prototype of the future world-renowned "Zhenhai Army".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
