Chapter 152: Mission Begins
Hu Long’s blood was already boiling with anger. He immediately realized that he had said something wrong but it was already too late to take it back.
The more that Hu Long heard everyone’s laughter, the more his expression changed. He hated Lin Xun more and more. If he hadn't called me a dog, how would it turn out like this?
He’s so hateful!
Embarrassed and humiliated, Hu Long suddenly saw that Lin Xun’s expression was a little overcast and he couldn’t help but smile coldly. “What, someone can’t stand this kind of insinuating attack?”
Lin Xun sighed. He couldn’t even be bothered to assess Hu Long’s intelligence. He was just baffled as to how such an idiot passed the quarterly assessment and could remain in Blood Kill Camp.
Seeing that Lin Xun kept silent, Hu Long seemed to have found a chance to vent his anger. He arrogantly and triumphantly raised his head and uttered coldly, “Don’t be a coward. Aren’t you very good at talking? If you’re so amazing, come and hit me? Do you dare to do it?”
Everyone broke into clamor. Hu Long wasn’t really stupid. He knew that no one would dare to create trouble with all the students watching in the cabin. He took advantage of this chance to provoke Lin Xun.
Will Lin Xun be a coward?
Definitely not.
But will Lin Xun take action?
He likely wouldn’t.
This was the same tactic that Lin Xun used to ask Hu Long to prove whether he was a dog or not.
Boom!
Unexpectedly, facing Hu Long’s provocation, Lin Xun didn’t utter a word and just got up. He stepped forward in large strides and threw his fist forward.
It happened in the blink of an eye and even Hu Long didn’t really think that Lin Xun would dare hit him. Lin Xun’s punch landed right in his stomach.
Following a loud boom, Hu Long felt that his stomach was about to explode and a terrifying force rushed into his body like the tide. The force rumbled to the extent that he felt like his organs were shifting positions. He wailed in pain and curled his back like a boiled prawn.
“Lin Xun…you…” Hu Long roared, but before he finished, a palm slammed his back. With a thud, fell forward and lay on the ground like a toad, tears, and snot running down his face and nose. He couldn’t make any other noise except scream in agony.
Everyone was in an uproar and disbelief.
However, Lin Xun seemed relaxed and just smiled at the onlookers, “Everyone, you heard him right? He asked me to hit him. It’s the first time I heard such a request. How could I refuse?”
Everyone was speechless.
However, Hu Long was so furious that he almost vomited blood. He didn’t look good at all.
The cabin door opened with a loud bang and a mighty and burly figure stood at the doorway. An oppressive aura assaulted everyone’s faces.
It was Dong Lu, the instructor responsible for leading the 39th Campground students to Demon Cloud Ridge to participate in the battlefield assessment.
“What's going on? You want to see what it’s like to violate the rules of the camp?” Dong Lu’s face was chilling as he coldly swept his eyes over Lin Xun and Hu Long lying on the ground.
“Instructor, he hit me first!” Hu Long wailed, struggling to get up. But Lin Xun pinned him to the ground with his foot.
“Little guy, what do you have to say?” Dong Lu's unfriendly voice boomed out.
“He asked me to hit him. You can’t blame me. Everyone here can testify. If he didn’t say so, how would I be interested in bullying a weak chicken like him?” Lin Xun answered seriously.
Dong Lu was taken aback for a moment; he then glanced at the others and saw that no one refuted Lin Xun. His expression turned a little strange.
“Liar!” Hu Long was so infuriated that he roared till his lungs were about to rupture.
“Instructor, have you ever seen a person like him? He asked someone to hit him, but he won’t admit it. There’s something wrong with his brain.
Lin Xun sighed helplessly, “I really think he has no pride."
Dong Lu began to understand the situation, and his expression grew more and more strange. He looked at Hu Long going berserk from anger for a long moment and coldly snorted, “This matter ends here. If I find out that any of you guys have fought, I will kick you out regardless of the reason!”
He turned around, walked out of the cabin, and slammed the door shut.
Just as the door was closing, many people with sharp hearing could vaguely hear Dong Lu mumble, “Really has no pride!”
All of a sudden, many of the students’ expressions turned strange and they looked at Hu Long with pity in their eyes.
He was provoked, beaten, and was called prideless by the instructor. Who could blame him?
Lin Xun returned to his seat, calm and composed like nothing had happened.
“Amazing.” Shi Yu gave him a thumbs up.
“Haha, absolutely amazing.” Ning Meng laughed.
Lin Xun just smiled slightly.
This little incident soon passed, but many students in the cabin looked at Lin Xun with overcast and fearful faces.
No one dared underestimate someone who didn’t play by the rules.
……
The eight Violet Hero Battleships flew for seven days before they landed at a military area called Black Wind in the northern frontier of the empire.
The Black Wind Army was a large army of the northern frontier consisting of 300,000 soldiers and 50,000 cultivators. It was controlled by Lieutenant General Wu Xinglie, who had splendid military achievements in the empire.
The evening clouds were flowing like fire.
Flags fluttered at the camp. The military discipline was strict and meticulous.
In one of the open spaces, the 237 students from Blood Kill Camp walked out of the battleships in single file and were led to one of the eight camps by their respective instructors.
“Old Song, I leave these little guys to you. I will come to check the assessment results in three months.” Dong Lu said to a middle-aged man who came to greet them.
The middle-aged man was clad in martial attire and silver armor. He had a tough appearance and exuded a chilling iron-blooded murderous aura. He clearly had years of experience on the battlefield.
He was called Song Ling and was a senior colonel in the Black Wind Army.
“Alright.”
Song Ling was clearly a man of few words. He ran his gaze across Lin Xun and the other students, and then he nodded.
Immediately, he sent someone to fetch the maps and travel bags. Then he distributed them among the students. “From today on, you are all a member of the Black Wind Army. Although you have special identities, you will still be subjected to military punishments if you fail to complete your mission!”
His words were powerful, resounding, and full of murderous spirit. Many people shuddered inwardly.
Dong Lu silently left the camp. He had completed his mission and only had to come and collect the students in three months.
“From tonight on, you will be divided up and each of you will carry your own equipment and enter the Demon Cloud Ridge to fight.”
“Your mission is to kill all Magi Brute experts you encounter and you will be given military credit every time you acquire a brute totem rune.”
“The duration of the mission is three months. During this period, anyone who leaves without authorization will be killed!”
“Those who liaise with the enemies will be killed!”
“Those who murder their comrades will be killed!”
Song Ling’s three consecutive “killed” made the students realize that everything was indeed different from in Blood Kill Camp.
It was a real military camp, the military front, and the most ruthless battlefield. Military orders had to be obeyed and military discipline had to be followed.
In the end, a dazzling steely light flashed from Song Ling’s eyes. He swept a glance over everyone. “Most importantly, those who betray us and flee to the enemy army will be slaughtered with their families!”
It was the most terrifying punishment!
……
At night.
Clouds shrouded the sky above Demon Cloud Ridge and only faint wisps of dull moonlight squeezed through the layers of clouds, casting a gray and oppressive glow upon Demon Cloud Ridge.
On a mountain ridge, Lin Xun’s figure shuttled between the rocks and trees like a nimble leopard cat. It was extremely dark there and he almost couldn’t see his own hands.
It hugely affected Lin Xun’s vision. Fortunately, he had an extremely strong spirit sense and was able to clearly detect everything within a 120-foot radius.
Just like Lin Xun, the other Blood Kill Camp students participating in the war zone mission also entered the Demon Cloud Ridge before night fell.
Some people chose to travel in a team, and some chose to act alone, such as Lin Xun.
“It says in the information that there are many magi brute experts scattered across Demon Cloud Ridge. There are fierce ones acting alone and there are also groups of them...It seems that I have to be careful.”
Lin Xun tightened his grip around the blade when he recalled the information he was given before setting off.
The blade was a standard empire aeth tool called Defeat Army. It wasn’t of particularly high quality but fortunately, it was sharp enough.
In addition to the Defeat Army Blade, Lin Xun and the other students were allocated equipment such as a map, inner armor, and a whistle to call for rescue.
The map of Demon Cloud Ridge was very rough and could only be used as a guide.
The inner armor was called Iron Scale Armor and was also a standard empire armament. It wasn’t particularly good or bad and had adequate defense power.
The rescue whistle was very unique. Small, sophisticated, and shaped like an eagle’s beak, it produced a unique whistle and wave of energy once blown. Experts outside Demon Cloud Ridge could perceive it immediately.
But a student would be eliminated once the whistle was blown. Furthermore, rescue might not come in time even if the whistle was blown.
Therefore, it wasn’t particularly special and a student still had to rely on themselves if they wanted to survive.
“Three months—besides fighting an unknown number of enemies, we don’t get a supply of materials. This period will be very difficult…”
“It seems like I have to make a plan before I act. I mustn’t be impatient and go out to kill the enemies. My priority is to adapt to the environment here first.”
While he was deep in thought, Lin Xun suddenly sensed something and silently leapt onto a low hill. He leaned right against the rocks and held his breath.
Before long, a black leopard beast was speeding towards his direction from the grass in the distance. Its strong and lightning-like body was almost imperceptible like a ghost in the night.
It was a black leopard with strength comparable to the eighth layer True Martial Stage, but it wasn’t a threat to Lin Xun.
Lin Xun was about to get up and leave the area when a bad feeling rose in his heart. He realized that he had overlooked something.
He released his spirit sense and it spread like a tide. It didn’t take long for him to detect a figure behind the black leopard. The figure was like a wisp of black smoke as it perfectly camouflaged with the night. It was impossible to notice it with just the naked eye!
“What a sly guy. He uses a black panther to scout out the path while he hides in the dark. Fortunately, I didn’t show myself.”
Lin Xun trembled inwardly!