Chapter 16: Sea of Consciousness Practical Training
At exactly six in the morning, the camp's alarm sounded on schedule.
It was not a piercing emergency siren, but a gentle, long, low-frequency hum that traveled through the walls of the dormitory building into every room. The nine newly admitted cadets quickly got up, changed into the uniform dark gray training suits, and headed down to the open ground to assemble. The morning breeze carried the characteristic damp chill of the coastal region. A faint gray mist shrouded the distant horizon, through which the massive silhouette of the coastal defense fortifications was faintly visible.
Lu Ling was already standing at the front of the formation, dressed in dark combat gear, his posture upright as his gaze slowly swept over the nine people. "Today is the first day of training. The core subject is the Sea of Consciousness practical training cabin." Lu Ling's voice was steady. "The practical cabin can simulate psychic turbulence from scaled beasts of varying intensities, from low-level all the way up to sub-high-level impacts. The purpose is not to have you endure it through brute force, but to learn to actively gather your Sea of Consciousness and construct a stable mental barrier. Remember, if your Sea of Consciousness collapses inside the cabin, it will leave permanent fractures. If you experience a headache or dizziness, shout to stop immediately. Do not push yourself."
The group responded in unison and followed the instructor to the practical training building.
The interior of the training building was quiet and solemn. Along the long corridor, independent cabins were lined up in sequence. Inside each cabin was a semi-enclosed Sea of Consciousness practical training pod, connected to dense sensor lines. The pod could directly inject simulated psychic fluctuations into the subject's Sea of Consciousness, while a monitoring screen beside it drew the Sea of Consciousness fluctuation curve in real time.
The nine cadets entered the cabins in numerical order to prepare.
The first two cadets to go only activated the second-stage simulated impact. One of them suffered severe Sea of Consciousness turbulence; clutching his head and groaning in pain, the monitoring instruments inside the cabin immediately triggered a protective mechanism and terminated the impact. The cadet was helped out of the cabin by medical staff, his face deathly pale, unable to continue training in the short term. The other barely held on to the third stage, but when he walked out, he was completely drained of energy, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Su Qin was third. She took a deep breath, lay in the practical training pod, and put on the sensor headset. The impact gradually increased from the first stage. She methodically gathered the core of her Sea of Consciousness, resisting steadily. By the third stage, the Sea of Consciousness wristband began to flash yellow, indicating massive mental consumption, but she still gritted her teeth and persisted. When the impact reached the peak of the third stage, she actively signaled the instructor to stop.
"Not bad." Lu Ling looked at the curve on the screen and commented lightly, "You know how to control your upper limit and don't blindly overextend yourself."
Soon, it was Lin Yan's turn.
He lay in the practical training pod, the sensor headset gently pressing against his forehead. Once the connections were complete, the cabin door slowly closed, isolating the external light.
"Ready. Starting first stage," the instructor's voice came through the communicator.
Faint psychic ripples slowly flowed into his Sea of Consciousness, like a gentle breeze brushing over the water's surface. Lin Yan handled it with ease, his core of consciousness remaining perfectly still.
"Second stage."
The impact increased, and a sensation like fine needles brushed against the surface of his Sea of Consciousness. Lin Yan no longer relied solely on his old method of guarding his true heart. Following the method he had explored and merged the previous night, he actively wove a thin mental barrier outside his core.
This barrier was not meant to stubbornly block the impact, but to buffer and divert the incoming conscious fluctuations. When the external turbulence struck the barrier, most of its force was dissipated; by the time it reached his core, it was negligible.
In the monitoring room, Lu Ling stared at Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness curve on the screen, his eyebrows slightly raised. Under the second-stage impact, most cadets' Sea of Consciousness curves would show regular, minor fluctuations, but Lin Yan's curve was smooth, almost a straight line.
"Third stage."
The intensity of the impact continued to rise, now equivalent to the full psychic pressure released by a low-level scaled beast in the ruins. The simulated conscious impacts in the cabin continuously washed over the barrier on the surface of his Sea of Consciousness. Lin Yan constantly made fine adjustments to the shape of the barrier, directing his conscious power to reinforce areas under high pressure, flexibly guiding the impact.
While other cadets were passively enduring, he was actively regulating his Sea of Consciousness.
"Fourth stage," Lu Ling said, intending to test his upper limit.
The fourth-stage impact was precisely the highest intensity from the Sea of Consciousness assessment during the trial, equivalent to the continuous psychic suppression of a sub-high-level scaled beast. A violent wave of consciousness instantly swept over.
Su Qin and the other waiting cadets watched the screen through the observation window, holding their breath. Almost none of them dared to attempt the fourth stage.
The barrier on the surface of Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness began to tremble as countless fragmented impacts continuously battered it. He kept his core of consciousness unmoved, continuously adjusting the barrier and diverting the surging psychic turbulence. The curve remained steady, with only a slight fluctuation in the fine details.
All parameters on the monitoring instruments were normal, with no signs of Sea of Consciousness collapse.
A hint of surprise appeared in Lu Ling's eyes. He had seen countless excellent recruits; even those with outstanding Sea of Consciousness talent would have their curves shake violently when attempting the fourth-stage impact in the practical cabin for the first time. Lin Yan not only endured it but could also independently regulate his Sea of Consciousness barrier.
"You can stop now," Lu Ling said into the communicator.
The psychic impact inside the practical training pod slowly faded. Lin Yan gradually gathered his consciousness and relaxed his Sea of Consciousness. The cabin door opened, and he sat up, his expression calm, without the splitting headache or total exhaustion that others displayed after finishing their training.
"How does it feel?" Lu Ling walked to the side of the pod and asked.
"The intensity of the impact is bearable," Lin Yan replied. "It's just that maintaining the Sea of Consciousness barrier consumes a lot of mental energy. Over long periods, it will slowly drain me."
"Your approach is very unique." Lu Ling looked at him. "When others learn to fortify their Sea of Consciousness, they first tighten inward, gathering all their consciousness into the core of their Sea of Consciousness for completely passive defense. You are building a buffering barrier outside the core to divert the impact. This method is very rare and requires extremely strong mental control."
Lin Yan didn't explain further, simply replying lightly, "I'm just trying to explore a method that suits me."
The morning's Sea of Consciousness practical training lasted until noon. Out of the nine people, two had to pause their Sea of Consciousness training due to excessive turbulence and were switched to rest and observation. The remaining seven barely completed the basic training.
After the lunch break, the afternoon session covered physical fitness and scaled beast tactics.
Entity specimens of scaled beasts were placed on the training ground. The instructor explained the movement patterns, attack habits, and weak point distributions of scaled beasts of different levels. Low-level scaled beasts relied on speed to ambush, while sub-high-level scaled beasts prioritized releasing large-scale psychic impacts to suppress their prey before engaging in close-quarters combat. And in the deep sea, there were giant scaled beasts whose size far exceeded that of sub-high-level ones; once they made landfall, ordinary garrison squads would be completely unable to stop them.
"Once a giant scaled beast makes landfall, the city defense line faces the immediate risk of collapse," the tactics instructor said in a heavy voice, standing beside the specimen. "Our defense line is the last barrier protecting humanity's inland cities. The ocean is their nest."
As training ended, the setting sun fell on the camp's perimeter walls, casting long shadows from the metal shielding mesh.
Su Qin walked to Lin Yan's side, a hint of astonishment on her face. "In the practical cabin this morning, you actually endured the fourth-stage impact. I could only stabilize at the third stage at most. Instructor Lu kept staring at your monitoring screen."
"I was just exploring a method," Lin Yan said. "The Sea of Consciousness barrier consumes too much energy. In prolonged combat, the disadvantage will become apparent."
"But it's still incredibly impressive." Su Qin sighed softly. "I wonder if, after two months of training, we'll be able to withstand the pressure of a real battlefield by the sea. The near-shore defense line has to face scaled beasts crawling out of the sea every single day."
Lin Yan looked toward the distant, grayish direction of the sea. Deep within the ocean, countless monsters lay in wait. And the mission that had brought him to this dimension was still hidden somewhere in this perilous world.
End of Chapter
It was not a piercing emergency siren, but a gentle, long, low-frequency hum that traveled through the walls of the dormitory building into every room. The nine newly admitted cadets quickly got up, changed into the uniform dark gray training suits, and headed down to the open ground to assemble. The morning breeze carried the characteristic damp chill of the coastal region. A faint gray mist shrouded the distant horizon, through which the massive silhouette of the coastal defense fortifications was faintly visible.
Lu Ling was already standing at the front of the formation, dressed in dark combat gear, his posture upright as his gaze slowly swept over the nine people. "Today is the first day of training. The core subject is the Sea of Consciousness practical training cabin." Lu Ling's voice was steady. "The practical cabin can simulate psychic turbulence from scaled beasts of varying intensities, from low-level all the way up to sub-high-level impacts. The purpose is not to have you endure it through brute force, but to learn to actively gather your Sea of Consciousness and construct a stable mental barrier. Remember, if your Sea of Consciousness collapses inside the cabin, it will leave permanent fractures. If you experience a headache or dizziness, shout to stop immediately. Do not push yourself."
The group responded in unison and followed the instructor to the practical training building.
The interior of the training building was quiet and solemn. Along the long corridor, independent cabins were lined up in sequence. Inside each cabin was a semi-enclosed Sea of Consciousness practical training pod, connected to dense sensor lines. The pod could directly inject simulated psychic fluctuations into the subject's Sea of Consciousness, while a monitoring screen beside it drew the Sea of Consciousness fluctuation curve in real time.
The nine cadets entered the cabins in numerical order to prepare.
The first two cadets to go only activated the second-stage simulated impact. One of them suffered severe Sea of Consciousness turbulence; clutching his head and groaning in pain, the monitoring instruments inside the cabin immediately triggered a protective mechanism and terminated the impact. The cadet was helped out of the cabin by medical staff, his face deathly pale, unable to continue training in the short term. The other barely held on to the third stage, but when he walked out, he was completely drained of energy, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Su Qin was third. She took a deep breath, lay in the practical training pod, and put on the sensor headset. The impact gradually increased from the first stage. She methodically gathered the core of her Sea of Consciousness, resisting steadily. By the third stage, the Sea of Consciousness wristband began to flash yellow, indicating massive mental consumption, but she still gritted her teeth and persisted. When the impact reached the peak of the third stage, she actively signaled the instructor to stop.
"Not bad." Lu Ling looked at the curve on the screen and commented lightly, "You know how to control your upper limit and don't blindly overextend yourself."
Soon, it was Lin Yan's turn.
He lay in the practical training pod, the sensor headset gently pressing against his forehead. Once the connections were complete, the cabin door slowly closed, isolating the external light.
"Ready. Starting first stage," the instructor's voice came through the communicator.
Faint psychic ripples slowly flowed into his Sea of Consciousness, like a gentle breeze brushing over the water's surface. Lin Yan handled it with ease, his core of consciousness remaining perfectly still.
"Second stage."
The impact increased, and a sensation like fine needles brushed against the surface of his Sea of Consciousness. Lin Yan no longer relied solely on his old method of guarding his true heart. Following the method he had explored and merged the previous night, he actively wove a thin mental barrier outside his core.
This barrier was not meant to stubbornly block the impact, but to buffer and divert the incoming conscious fluctuations. When the external turbulence struck the barrier, most of its force was dissipated; by the time it reached his core, it was negligible.
In the monitoring room, Lu Ling stared at Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness curve on the screen, his eyebrows slightly raised. Under the second-stage impact, most cadets' Sea of Consciousness curves would show regular, minor fluctuations, but Lin Yan's curve was smooth, almost a straight line.
"Third stage."
The intensity of the impact continued to rise, now equivalent to the full psychic pressure released by a low-level scaled beast in the ruins. The simulated conscious impacts in the cabin continuously washed over the barrier on the surface of his Sea of Consciousness. Lin Yan constantly made fine adjustments to the shape of the barrier, directing his conscious power to reinforce areas under high pressure, flexibly guiding the impact.
While other cadets were passively enduring, he was actively regulating his Sea of Consciousness.
"Fourth stage," Lu Ling said, intending to test his upper limit.
The fourth-stage impact was precisely the highest intensity from the Sea of Consciousness assessment during the trial, equivalent to the continuous psychic suppression of a sub-high-level scaled beast. A violent wave of consciousness instantly swept over.
Su Qin and the other waiting cadets watched the screen through the observation window, holding their breath. Almost none of them dared to attempt the fourth stage.
The barrier on the surface of Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness began to tremble as countless fragmented impacts continuously battered it. He kept his core of consciousness unmoved, continuously adjusting the barrier and diverting the surging psychic turbulence. The curve remained steady, with only a slight fluctuation in the fine details.
All parameters on the monitoring instruments were normal, with no signs of Sea of Consciousness collapse.
A hint of surprise appeared in Lu Ling's eyes. He had seen countless excellent recruits; even those with outstanding Sea of Consciousness talent would have their curves shake violently when attempting the fourth-stage impact in the practical cabin for the first time. Lin Yan not only endured it but could also independently regulate his Sea of Consciousness barrier.
"You can stop now," Lu Ling said into the communicator.
The psychic impact inside the practical training pod slowly faded. Lin Yan gradually gathered his consciousness and relaxed his Sea of Consciousness. The cabin door opened, and he sat up, his expression calm, without the splitting headache or total exhaustion that others displayed after finishing their training.
"How does it feel?" Lu Ling walked to the side of the pod and asked.
"The intensity of the impact is bearable," Lin Yan replied. "It's just that maintaining the Sea of Consciousness barrier consumes a lot of mental energy. Over long periods, it will slowly drain me."
"Your approach is very unique." Lu Ling looked at him. "When others learn to fortify their Sea of Consciousness, they first tighten inward, gathering all their consciousness into the core of their Sea of Consciousness for completely passive defense. You are building a buffering barrier outside the core to divert the impact. This method is very rare and requires extremely strong mental control."
Lin Yan didn't explain further, simply replying lightly, "I'm just trying to explore a method that suits me."
The morning's Sea of Consciousness practical training lasted until noon. Out of the nine people, two had to pause their Sea of Consciousness training due to excessive turbulence and were switched to rest and observation. The remaining seven barely completed the basic training.
After the lunch break, the afternoon session covered physical fitness and scaled beast tactics.
Entity specimens of scaled beasts were placed on the training ground. The instructor explained the movement patterns, attack habits, and weak point distributions of scaled beasts of different levels. Low-level scaled beasts relied on speed to ambush, while sub-high-level scaled beasts prioritized releasing large-scale psychic impacts to suppress their prey before engaging in close-quarters combat. And in the deep sea, there were giant scaled beasts whose size far exceeded that of sub-high-level ones; once they made landfall, ordinary garrison squads would be completely unable to stop them.
"Once a giant scaled beast makes landfall, the city defense line faces the immediate risk of collapse," the tactics instructor said in a heavy voice, standing beside the specimen. "Our defense line is the last barrier protecting humanity's inland cities. The ocean is their nest."
As training ended, the setting sun fell on the camp's perimeter walls, casting long shadows from the metal shielding mesh.
Su Qin walked to Lin Yan's side, a hint of astonishment on her face. "In the practical cabin this morning, you actually endured the fourth-stage impact. I could only stabilize at the third stage at most. Instructor Lu kept staring at your monitoring screen."
"I was just exploring a method," Lin Yan said. "The Sea of Consciousness barrier consumes too much energy. In prolonged combat, the disadvantage will become apparent."
"But it's still incredibly impressive." Su Qin sighed softly. "I wonder if, after two months of training, we'll be able to withstand the pressure of a real battlefield by the sea. The near-shore defense line has to face scaled beasts crawling out of the sea every single day."
Lin Yan looked toward the distant, grayish direction of the sea. Deep within the ocean, countless monsters lay in wait. And the mission that had brought him to this dimension was still hidden somewhere in this perilous world.
End of Chapter