After Old Mo left, Lin Xun had become much quieter.
Every day, after he completed his training sessions, he returned to Old Mo’s warehouse and silently drank a jar of wine by himself.
Xiaoman was a little worried about Lin Xun.
She sensed that there was something wrong with Lin Xun, but every time she wanted to comfort him, he had already gone off to practice.
Xiaoman sighed and gave up on comforting Lin Xun. Some things might be better to face alone, only then will he mature quicker.
Thirteen days later.
Early in the morning.
Today, the 237 students from the eight campgrounds of Blood Kill Camp would take a battleship to the Demon Cloud Ridge in the northern frontier of the empire to participate in the battlefield assessment.
“Don’t worry, I will take care of Jiujiu. You only need to worry about safely bringing back a beautiful assessment result.” Xiaoman softly urged before Lin Xun left.
“Yes.” Lin Xun nodded and headed to the 39th Campground.Xiaoman’s bright eyes glistened as she stared at the handsome young man’s back, casting her mind back to the first time they met.
At that time, Lin Xun seemed frivolous. Sometimes he was a sweet talker and sometimes he was focussed and serious, but most of the time he wore a warm smile like a harmless sunshine boy.
However, he had become different. No one could tell what was on his mind anymore.
Is this a good or bad thing?
Xiaoman didn’t know. Maybe this is growth. It isn’t determined by age. People often change with experience.
Jiujiu lay in Xiaoman’s arms, its round black eyes staring longingly at Lin Xun’s back. It constantly chirped.
……
A moment later, following rumbling roars, eight standard small-scale Violet Hero Battleships carrying the 237 students rose into the sky, cut through the clouds. and sped towards the north.
“How many people do you think will return?”
“Fewer than fifty.”
“Fifty? That is almost twice as many as previous times. I can only hope so.”
“Then, how many do you think would lose their lives?”
“It’s hard to say.”
“Demon Cloud Ridge is a test of life and death. There are only two outcomes for those who can’t persist. Elimination or death. Death is inevitable among the students.”
“That's the rule. Regardless of how extraordinary their backgrounds are or how talented they are, they won’t become great if they can’t withstand the flames of war.”
“I’m just a little worried. The forces and clans behind the students are complicated. They might blame our Blood Kill Camp if an accident were to happen.”
“You’re wrong. In a large clan or sect, there is never a shortage of outstandingly talented descendants. Sometimes the death of an unfit descendant might not be a bad thing for them.”
“Indeed. In terms of how cruel it is, the competition among ancient sects and clans is more perverted than in Blood Kill Camp. Descendants competing for resources and power, brothers turning against each other, and family feuds are all very common.”
“Wait and see. In three months, we will know how many of the 237 students will stay, and who will be eliminated, or…die.”
In Blood Kill Camp, a group of instructors briefly conversed as they watched the eight Violet Hero Battleships disappear into the north.
……
In the Violet Hero Battleship carrying the 39th Campground students, Lin Xun was studying the storage ring in his hand.
It was the only allowed aeth tool in the assessment. Students weren’t allowed to bring other aeth tools or armaments.
That was the rule of the assessment.
After arriving at Demon Cloud Ridge, the 237 students would enter the battlefield and be assigned missions as ordinary soldiers of the empire.
They would have to survive in the war zone for three months using their own means just like ordinary soldiers.
The military merits they obtained was their assessment result. Those who unfortunately died would be eliminated and those with little military merits would also be eliminated.
The storage ring distributed to each student was prepared for collecting military merits.
The so-called military merit was the life of enemies!
It wasn’t particularly quiet in the cabin as many people were discussing in low voices about the assessment in the Demon Cloud Ridge.
Demon Cloud Ridge was a complicated war zone located on the northern frontier of the empire. Further north of Demon Cloud Ridge was the turbulent wasteland that the Darkness Kingdom controlled.
War had been ongoing in Demon Cloud Ridge for hundreds of years and the flames of war raged everywhere, but both the empire and the Darkness Kingdom were aware that there was only the tiniest hope of completely occupying the Demon Cloud Ridge.
This was due to the complicated terrain in Demon Cloud Ridge. It was shrouded in a black haze all year round and the area spanned thousands of miles and was full of danger. Anyone who wanted to occupy the area had to pay a heavy and immeasurable price.
Now, the Demon Cloud Ridge had become a buffer zone between the empire and the Darkness Kingdom. Although the flames of war hadn’t ceased, they were all small-scale battles.
“I heard that the Demon Cloud Ridge had changed and is now regarded as a training ground for the empire and Darkness Kingdom. Young cultivators are sent there to experience true battles. Only the tempering from the flames of war could shape them into true fighting talents.”
Shi Yu suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously. “This also means that we might run into young experts of the Magi Brute Race. Their strengths likely won’t be inferior to us.”
“Nonsense.” Ning Meng snapped.
“Nonsense?” Shi Yu sneered. “If you know yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles. An idiot like you will die before you know it when you reach Demon Cloud Ridge.”
“You don't have to worry about this.” Ning Meng said disdainfully. “Little White Face, I am different from you. I grew up on the battlefield and I dare to say that you don’t even have one-tenth of my understanding of war!”
Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Lin Xun had a headache. “Guys, how about this? You two can treat the assessment in Demon Cloud Ridge as a match and compete on military merit. Isn’t this better than smack talking? You two can even make a bet. You can decide what to bet on.”
Shi Yu and Ning Meng looked at each other, anger rising inside their eyes. They nodded at the same time. “Alright!”
“Aren’t you going to join in?” Shi Yu asked Lin Xun.
“Me?”
“Yeah, how can we have a bet without you!?” Ning Meng’s eyes lit up and he rolled up his sleeves enthusiastically. “How about this? We each bet one hundred gold coins and the two losers will give theirs to the winner.”
“One hundred gold coins…" Lin Xun inhaled sharply. The wager is huge. That equals to ten thousand silver coins and one million copper coins!
Unexpectedly, Shi Yu didn’t look satisfied with the amount. He snorted. “One hundred gold coins? That’s too little. We might as well not bet.”
Lin Xun was at a loss for words. This is the style of the third young master of Stone Cauldron Alms. Even one hundred gold coins are too little to him.
“Then how much do you want to bet?” Ning Meng sounded displeased.
“At least one thousand gold coins, plus another condition.” Shi Yu said with a smile, “The condition is very simple. If Ning Meng loses he has to apologize to me and admit that he is inferior!”
Ning Meng’s expression changed. He said through gritted teeth, “Alright!”
Shi Yu chuckled. “So straightforward!”
Lin Xun couldn’t help but say, “Guys, I don’t have one thousand gold coins.”
“You can owe us!” Shi Yu and Ning Meng almost said at the same time.
His two friends’ determination sparked Lin Xun’s competitive spirit. Without changing his tone or expression, he spat out one word, “Alright!”
A harsh sneer suddenly sounded from the other side of the cabin. “Someone is really a gambler. Does he think he won gloriously against Xiao Kun the other day?”
Lin Xun, Shi Yu, and Ning Meng all turned their heads.
It was a slightly pale, unfriendly, and grumpy-looking boy called Hu Long. Like Li Duxing, he was also one of the students who joined the 39th Campground after the quarterly assessment.
The fact that Hu Long survived the quarterly assessment already proved that he wasn’t weak. Furthermore, his score was ranked average.
It was just that, at that moment, he was sneering and when he said “someone”, it was a direct jab at Lin Xun.
Hu Long’s voice was full of provocation and immediately attracted the attention of other students in the cabin.
Seeing this, Hu Long had no intention of stopping. Instead, he looked more pleased and proud. He said disdainfully, “Who in Blood Kill Camp doesn’t know that Xiao Kun didn’t lose because of his strength? Miss Bai Lingxi couldn't bear to see someone lose and embarrass himself so she stopped the battle. Who would have thought that someone isn’t ashamed and proudly thought he won. He really is an embarrassment to our 39th Campground!”
This matter had spread throughout Blood Kill Camp, but many people also understood that Lin Xun wasn’t as bad as Hu Long had said. If the battle continued to the end, they also wouldn’t know who would win.
However, many people could tell that Hu Long was deliberately mocking Lin Xun. Many of them only had an acquaintance relationship with Lin Xun and so they didn’t want to get involved.
Shi Yu and Ning Meng frowned and both were about to say something when Lin Xun stopped them. “Just a dog barking. Do you plan to reason with a dog?”
Hu Long’s expression dramatically changed and he screamed, “Who are you insulting?”
Lin Xun smiled. “A dog.”
Hu Long thundered, “I'm asking you who you are calling a dog?”
Lin Xun shrugged. “The dog will know.”
Hu Long flew into a rage. He got up, pointed at Lin Xun, and said, “You’re insulting me but you don’t dare to admit it?”
Lin Xun said with a smile, “If you admit that you’re a dog, then I am insulting you. Why don't you prove to everyone that you’re a dog?”
Will Hu Long prove he is a dog?
Definitely not!
That would be too humiliating!
But who doesn’t know that Lin Xun was insulting him?
Many people couldn’t help but smile, and some even laughed out loud.
Hu Long’s face reddened with anger. He was so enraged that his body trembled and he roared, “Someone dares to do it but doesn’t dare to admit it. If I am a dog, that someone is worse than a dog!”
He compared himself to a dog and compared Lin Xun to someone worse than a dog. Many people burst into laughter, almost shedding a tear from laughing too hard.
Is there such an insult?
He really has gone mad from rage.