If I made you a special forces soldier, would you become a terrestrial god?

Time, like the ever-flowing river beyond the Zhenguo Pass, flows quietly.

Before we knew it, it was early spring of 2001.

More than a year has passed since the world-shaking "Operation Thunder." Kunlun, meanwhile, has been lying low in this secluded and formidable pass for two whole years.

Over the past two years, undercurrents have been swirling in the outside world. The intelligence network of Country M has been mobilized in full force, frantically searching the globe for that ghostly "God Force." They have spent astronomical sums of money and used every available connection and technology, but to no avail.

Kunlun, like a dream that never existed, disappeared completely from everyone's sight after its stunning debut, becoming a sword hanging over the hearts of the top military leaders of the United States, who didn't know when it would fall again.

In contrast, the secluded Zhenguo Pass was bustling with activity, never stopping for a moment.

On the training field, the initial two hundred team members have undergone more than seven hundred days and nights of hard work and reflection, and have been completely transformed.

At this moment, at the edge of the training field, two figures are engaging in what appears to be a casual sparring session.

"Old Gao, your punches are getting slower and slower, haven't you eaten?" Lei Kaihua shouted, but his body moved like a ghost, easily avoiding Gao Dazhuang's powerful straight punch.

Gao Dazhuang grunted and did not answer. His fist stance changed. The originally fierce and unparalleled fist wind suddenly stopped and turned into a dense rain of fist shadows, which enveloped Lei Kaihua's major acupoints.

Lei Kaihua's playful expression vanished as he became more cautious. His palms moved swiftly, unleashing invisible fiery blades that precisely collided with the fist shadows.

There was no deafening roar, only a series of soft hissing sounds. The special cement floor beneath their feet was already covered with spiderweb-like cracks and charred marks from the high temperature.

Their power, which they could control at will, had reached a terrifying level.

In the past two years, every one of the initial two hundred team members has steadily reached the Acquired Realm.

Meanwhile, Mada (Grey Wolf) and Coyote from the original Lone Wolf A group, as well as Wang Meng and Li Xiang from Su Chen's original class, have already entered the late stage of the Acquired Realm thanks to their extraordinary talent and relentless hard work.

Among them, the four most outstanding individuals—Gao Dazhuang, Liang Sanxi, Jin Kailai, and Lei Kaihua—stood at the top of the pyramid, reaching the pinnacle of the acquired realm. They were only a thin veil away from the legendary innate realm, which is said to break the limits of the human body and connect the bridge between heaven and earth.

As for Su Chen himself, he reached an inconceivable level.

His cultivation level was still at the peak of the terrestrial immortal realm, but his two years of secluded cultivation had made his understanding and application of power more than ten times stronger than during the Middle East war.

He no longer needed to deliberately draw upon the power of heaven and earth, because he himself seemed to have become a part of this world.

In the blink of an eye, the wind can stop, the rain can cease. Every gesture carries a subtle, powerful quality.

He once dived alone to a depth of 10,000 meters in the ocean, strolling leisurely under the terrifying water pressure that could crush an aircraft carrier. He also once ascended to the heavens, enduring fierce winds and lightning with his own body.

Now, he is confident that even if he were hit at point-blank range by several strategic nuclear bombs with a yield of tens of millions of tons, he would still be safe and sound thanks to the near-immortal regenerative power of the "Sacred Heart Technique" and his extremely strong physical body.

He is the true pillar of the Dragon Kingdom, capable of single-handedly rivaling the nation's guardian dragon!

On this day, Su Chen looked at the system panel, where the remaining experience points were still over six million, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

In the past two years, every breakthrough in the team members' strength has provided him with a continuous stream of experience points.

The seeds of Kunlun have been buried deep in fertile soil and are fully ripe.

It's time to let them spread their branches and let this legion of gods truly show its fangs.

"Pass on my order to summon the four battalion commanders and heads of various departments to a meeting at the brigade headquarters."

Ten minutes later, the conference room of the Kunlun Brigade headquarters was packed with people.

Gao Dazhuang, Liang Sanxi, Jin Kailai, and Lei Kaihua sat upright at the front. Their aura was more restrained and profound than it had been two years ago, but also more dangerous, like four peerless divine weapons hidden in their sheaths, yet already soaked in blood.

"Comrades, after a year of seclusion and rest, our first batch of seeds in Kunlun have fully matured and are ready to graduate."

Su Chen's voice was calm, yet it was like a boulder thrown into a lake, causing everyone present to jump in surprise.

We're about to exit customs!

Everyone's eyes instantly turned fervent.

In the past two years, their strength has been increasing rapidly every day. They have been holding back their energy and can't wait to find a battlefield to test their results.

"However," Su Chen changed the subject, looking around at everyone, "a fully-staffed brigade-level unit with only two hundred people—wouldn't that be a laughingstock?"

Lei Kaihua's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, unable to hold back any longer: "Brigade Commander, stop beating around the bush and just tell us, isn't it time to recruit some soldiers so we brothers can experience what it's like to lead greenhorns?"

His words immediately enlivened the atmosphere in the conference room, with many people showing eager expressions.

"That's right." Su Chen nodded, walked to the huge electronic sand table, and his expression became serious. "The second phase of Kunlun's military expansion plan is officially launched!"

He took a red document bearing the highest seal of the Central Military Commission from the guard beside him and gently placed it on the table.

The gold-embossed national emblem on the red cover made everyone's breath catch in their throat.

"This is the official order just issued by the Central Military Commission regarding the first batch of expansion and selection for the Kunlun Brigade."

Su Chen's voice echoed in the quiet conference room.

"Starting three months from now, a selection notice personally drafted by me will be issued to all major theater commands, all branches of the armed forces, and all special operations units."

"The message was simple: Kunlun, we need him."

"There are no entry requirements for this selection process!"

"No rank, no experience, no age. As long as you are an active-duty soldier of the People's Liberation Army of China, whether you are a fresh recruit with the rank of private or a veteran with a distinguished record, whether you are a civilian staff officer in an office or an elite soldier in a field unit, you are eligible to apply!"

"There is only one selection method—"

Su Chen's gaze swept over everyone, and he said, word by word, "I will personally conduct the assessment!"

boom!

These words were like a bombshell, detonating completely in the conference room.

Military-wide selection! No discrimination! Brigade commander personally conducts the assessment!

This is unprecedented!

Even Gao Dazhuang's bronze face flushed slightly, and his breathing became a little heavier. What did this mean? It meant that Kunlun would have the opportunity to select the very best from among the millions of elites in the entire army!

"Brigade Commander, are you going to personally select candidates from all the major military regions across the country?" Liang Sanxi, the most meticulous of them all, was the first to calm down and asked with a hint of worry, "Won't this cause too much of a stir? It might attract attention from all sides."

"No." Su Chen shook his head, a hint of unspeakable sharpness flashing in his eyes. "This isn't a large-scale mobilization, this is... a reconnaissance mission."

He stretched out his finger and gently ran it across the electronic sand table.

"In the past two years, although we have been training hard inside the Great Wall, the outside world has never stopped developing. What level of training have the regular troops of the major military regions reached? What is the true quality of those so-called elite special forces? Are there any promising talents worthy of our attention? I want to see these things with my own eyes and touch them with my own hands."

"A report on paper is too vague. I need the most authentic information!"

Su Chen paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, I also want to see how far they've progressed on their own these past two years without us. Working in isolation will never amount to anything. This trip is both a selection process and a wake-up call, a spur to action."

Everyone suddenly realized.

The brigade commander is using the selection process as a pretext to conduct a surprise inspection of the entire army!

"I've decided that before the official selection notice is issued, I will personally lead a team to randomly visit several representative units under the guise of inspection and guidance. We'll skip the formalities and go straight to their doorsteps to see their first reaction and their true combat effectiveness."

Su Chen's gaze fell on Gao Dazhuang and Lei Kaihua.

"Gao Dazhuang, Lei Kaihua, you two will come with me."

"Yes!" The tall, strong man stood up abruptly, his voice booming.

"Alright! Mission accomplished!" Lei Kaihua was so excited he almost jumped for joy. Finally, he could go out for some fresh air! He rubbed his hands together, already imagining the scene of those elite troops being thoroughly humiliated by them.

Liang Sanxi glanced at the excited Lei Kaihua, then at the expressionless but fiercely determined Gao Dazhuang, and instantly understood Su Chen's intention.

One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop. One is responsible for deterrence, the other for stirring up trouble. The brigade commander is preparing to completely muddy the waters.

"As for the daily management and training of the base, I'll leave that to Liang Sanxi and Jin Kailai for now," Su Chen said, looking at the other two.

"Yes! We guarantee to complete the mission!" Liang Sanxi and Jin Kailai replied in unison, their expressions solemn.

An unprecedented super selection process spanning the entire army has begun.