Chapter 145: Demon Clan Combat Techniques Discovered in the Military Archives

Originally, Zhang Chu had said he would take some time to consider the offer. The Twin Cities Military Command Tournament was scheduled for next month, exactly twelve days away. However, Zhang Daoyi managed to sway him instantly by revealing three key points.

First, Zhang Xueying would be participating in the tournament as an individual competitor. Second, Liu Tianhe, as the top talent of the Binzhou Military Command, would also be a participant. Zhang Daoyi then added a casual remark, noting that he never interfered in the romances of young people. The implication was clear: if Zhang Chu didn't participate, that kid Liu Tianhe would have the advantage of being close at hand.

This move was nothing short of explosive. "Old Zhang is truly shameless, using Sister Xueying to lure me!" Zhang Chu was shaken, but the third condition was what truly sealed the deal: access to the Military Secret Vault.

"Uncle Zhang, rest assured. Binzhou is my home. With demi-humans appearing frequently here, I would never stand by and do nothing," Zhang Chu said, thumping his chest as if to show his righteous indignation, ensuring he didn't appear to be doing it solely for the vault. "I will lead the team to Ganzhou myself and bring back the championship. I definitely won't let you down!"

"You kid, I knew I hadn't misjudged you." Zhang Daoyi, feeling satisfied, exchanged a few pleasantries and left.

"Uncle Zhang, what about the Military Secret Vault..." Zhang Chu quickly pressed for confirmation. Opportunities like this were rare, and he had to strike while the iron was hot before Zhang Daoyi could change his mind.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll grant you two days of access."

Watching Zhang Daoyi’s car drive away, Zhang Chu performed a celebratory shooting motion. "Jackpot! This is an absolute win!"

The Military Secret Vault was the most heavily guarded area of the Binzhou Armory, consisting of the fourth and fifth floors of the military technical library. Even Liu Tianhe lacked the qualifications to enter. During his time training at the Armory’s special operations range, Zhang Chu had chatted extensively with the front-desk staff, learning that the vault housed 8-star and 9-star combat techniques, as well as high-tier equipment—a collection far superior to anything the Martial Arts Administration could boast. Rumor also had it that there were bizarre, incomplete combat techniques stored there—legendary skills that had been archived simply because they were no longer whole.

Zhang Chu spent the afternoon in a state of excitement. That evening, Zhao Wuming called. "Director Zhang, tomorrow's drug testing will have to be pushed back a few days. The medicinal pills exploded during our improvement experiments today, and we're currently re-adjusting the formula."

The pills exploded? Upon hearing this, Zhang Chu could only offer a brief consolation, relieved that everyone was safe. The breakthrough pills were indeed potent, but he had a more important matter tomorrow: the Military Secret Vault. He spent the night in a restless, half-awake state. At the first light of dawn, he drove to the Armory.

When he arrived, the warriors and commanders were just beginning their daily training. "Brother Chu, here so early? That’s diligent," said Bai Lulu, who was eating breakfast. Seeing Zhang Chu’s radiant expression, she teased, "You look happy—is it because of Sister Xueying...?"

"Stop with the gossip. Check your email; the City Lord should have sent you the orders."

Upon hearing about the City Lord, Bai Lulu quickly opened her computer. A red-headed document appeared before her, accompanied by a 12-digit dynamic key.

"Brother Chu, you're something else! The City Lord actually granted you two days of access to the Military Secret Vault. In the three years I've worked here, no one else has been allowed in for that long," she exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

"Maybe it's because I'm handsome," Zhang Chu said, handing over his ID badge from his storage ring. "Since the City Lord thinks so highly of me, I have to make every second count."

"You should. This is an immense fortune." No one understood the importance of the vault better than Bai Lulu. Anyone who gained entry could choose a set of equipment matching their cultivation level—though it was for use, not ownership, and the Armory could reclaim it at any time. They were also allowed to pick one combat technique as a permanent gift. In short, entering the vault was like finding a treasure chest.

Soon, Bai Lulu processed the access command and personally led Zhang Chu to the fourth floor. At the entrance, a massive plaque bore the words "Military Secret Vault," the characters written with such vigorous brushwork that they seemed to hum with lingering spiritual energy. A gate formed by a high-energy electric grid blocked the way; unless one was a high-level Spirit Realm practitioner, attempting to force entry would result in being shredded by the grid.

Following Bai Lulu's instructions, Zhang Chu stood before the facial recognition interface. After an iris scan, the grid temporarily vanished.

"Good luck, Brother Chu," she winked.

"Count on it." Zhang Chu stepped through, and the grid immediately reactivated behind him.

"Holy cow, this is insane!" Once inside, Zhang Chu was stunned. The layout was similar to the lower levels, but the fourth floor was the equipment zone. Below each piece of gear was an electronic screen scrolling through its specifications. Zhang Chu scanned the room; there were about 500 sets of equipment, the weakest being 7-star grade.

Take the 7-star "Heavenly Steel Blood Armor," for example; it sold for 50 million in the Dual-Force Martial Artist Mall. Here, Zhang Chu could take it for free with permanent usage rights. He didn't rush, spending the entire morning walking through the fourth floor. After understanding the attributes of the 500 sets, he chose two.

The first was the 8-star "Thousand-Rainbow Defense Armor." Its most brilliant feature was a formation set by a Spirit Realm practitioner, capable of deflecting 40 percent of an attacker's force—turning a heavy blow into something as light as a feather, effectively a lifesaver. The second was the 9-star weapon "Dragon-Roar Greatsword." When powered by martial energy, a hollow steel ball in the hilt emitted a sound like a dragon’s roar, providing sonic attack capabilities—perfect for disrupting an opponent’s mental state during group battles. He passed on other gear; to him, anything else would be dead weight. As for boots, with his "Teleportation" skill, even the best footwear would be superfluous.

After selecting the items, he headed to the fifth floor, the zone for martial techniques. Despite his mental preparations, his heart raced as he looked at the shelves. The mental combat techniques alone could throw all of Binzhou into chaos if leaked. The most impressive were the shelves at the very back, holding incomplete, legendary techniques that had cultivated formidable warriors in the past.

"Fragment of the Dragon-Subduing Fist!"
"Scroll of the Hypnotic Divine Art?"
"High-Tier Mind Reading (Volume One)!"
"Introduction to the Gravity Field!"

Nearly every lost martial and mental technique had a fragment here. Even the "Heaven-Given" techniques used by the likes of Wang Peng had fragments present.

"System, scan this place. Is there anything here suitable for me?" Zhang Chu activated the system. There were too many techniques on the fifth floor to search manually.

"Ding!" A white pop-up appeared: "Detected host has awakened the 'Plant-Demon' host body. The third technique on the eighth shelf of the tenth row meets your current needs."

Tenth row, eighth shelf... Zhang Chu scanned the area and locked his gaze on a yellowed, tattered book. The moment he pulled it out and saw the cover, his expression shifted. "Are you kidding me, you stupid system? This is a demonic clan technique!"

Wait! Zhang Chu suddenly realized a very serious problem. How could a technique of the demonic clan appear in the Binzhou Military Armory’s secret vault?