Chapter 165

"The Fourth War Corps arrives in Hengzhou? The thousand-year rotation war at the Borderlands boundary has ended!"

Chen Ruofu was startled upon hearing this; he hadn't expected that behind the Hengzhou Martial Association's restart of the Wilderness Trial this time, there was actually such an inside story hidden.

Immediately after, this Tai'an top leader also faintly sensed a crisis atmosphere; the Center City received the news but did not leak a word outward until this moment when they explained the reason, clearly meaning to isolate him, to isolate the Tai'an Urban Circle.

"Someone in Center City's upper echelons wants to knock us down a peg?"

Chen Ruofu was old and crafty, his nose extremely sharp.

He narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the two representatives, secretly pondering:

"Zhou Yuanchen represents Center City, Ji Yuqi and Pei Han represent the Urban Circle. The Martial Association and Education Bureau both strongly push Zhou Yuanchen, placing him in the Top Hundred Competition, probably intending to tell the Military Department, and Dongxia, that Center City's strength is beyond doubt, the highest level in Hengzhou."

Fang Butang picked up the enamel cup on the table, took a sip of the steaming hot tea, and then eased the atmosphere, saying:

"Lao Chen and I have always supported Center City's resolutions, and also greatly respect the Education Bureau and Martial Association, but suddenly taking such a big step, isn't it too aggressive? A death quota of fifty people equals saying we have to accept half the people folding inside.

Two representatives, schools cultivating good seedlings is not easy; moreover they are all born of fathers and mothers, if they perish inexplicably, who can bear it? When the time comes public sentiment will be aroused, afraid it will turn ugly."

Representative Li was a high-level Martial Association figure; he nodded and explained:

"Everyone's worries are not without reason; the Great Expedition's intensity is far lower than the previous few thousand years; since it's not a wartime era, making it this bloody and cruel indeed easily provokes resistance psychology.

Minister Chen, and Committee Member Fang, please rest assured. The Martial Association and Education Bureau have arranged professional rescue teams; we merely considered the worst-case scenario, so we applied for a fifty-person death quota. It does not mean we will sit by and watch those children die tragically."

The other Zhou representative also spoke:

"The Great Rift Valley was once the battlefield during Hengzhou's Tuohuang Shidai; pollution is very severe; quite a few Cultist Faction members, as well as Martial Artists with fleshly mutations, use this as a stronghold. Cannot deny, for participants below professional rank, the danger is considerably high. Therefore, before each participant receives equipment, they all put on a Wrist Terminal.

That thing normally stays in standby mode, unaffected by electronic interference; if encountering a Strong Enemy they cannot handle, it can emit a signal marker that penetrates the Blockade. Nearly twenty rescue teams stand by at all times, guaranteeing arrival within fifteen minutes."

Fang Butang still hesitated; he was the Education Committee Leader, needing to face Qiguang Heng University, even other academies; the pressure would be heavier:

"Fifteen minutes, Representative Zhou, this risk coefficient is still very high, the possibility of accidents..."

The Zhou representative's expression was normal, but his tone became much colder:

"Committee Member Fang, you should know, these years Qiguang Heng University's Martial Arts Department, the number of graduates selected for Officer School, joining War Corps for service, is getting fewer and fewer. As a Hengzhou local First-Rank Academy, you completely cannot compare to the same-level Linzhao Hai University, Yazhou Yang University.

Fifty years early, Qiguang Heng University was the favorite enrollment ground for all major War Corps. If Tai'an's students can't even distinguish the most basic enemy-versus-us strength, blindly acting as reckless rookies, and thus cannot guarantee their own lives... please forgive me for saying an unpleasant sentence: being screened out is only right and proper."

Fang Butang was left speechless; this round it fell to Chen Ruofu to smooth things over:

"The Fourth War Corps' rotation period ends; who goes to replace them? In this one thousand years, I remember the Fourth War Corps repelled nearly three hundred major offensives, a glorious battle record; when those few Corps Commanders return to the Imperial Capital, they should receive commendations."

Representative Li also didn't want to make things too stiff, so he took over the conversation:

"Still the Fourth War Corps holds the Border First Line of Defense; this time is whole-army rest; two years later, enter the Border War Zone. As for replacement, temporarily let the Ninth War Corps take over defense duties.

"Old rule; everyone says the Fourth War Corps draws bad luck; four thousand years, four rotations, they manage to draw the short straw three times, truly helpless."

Chen Ruofu did not continue speaking; the Fourth War Corps' years-long rotation war led to a high mortality rate, counting as a sensitive topic the Military Department tacitly understands.

Widely known, officers from the Fourth War Corps mostly have violent tempers, huddle together tightly, and possess a sense of belonging and honor rarely seen in other War Corps; touch one and you pull a whole group; even the Security Police dare not go too far.

Once caused an incident where a certain Division Commander personally led men to smash the Security Zone's Security Police office to pieces.

The cause was merely several very low-rank Fourth War Corps service soldiers, before retirement dining and drinking in the canteen, caught red-handed by the Police Squad.

Due to shoving and physical conflict occurring during the process, several low-rank soldiers were handcuffed into the Security Zone, punished with twelve hours of Detention.

Then in less than six hours, the Division Commander led a Black Mass of large troops arriving; according to rumors, even mobilized a warship just finished repairs, Cannon muzzle pointed straight at the Security Zone Security Police main gate.

The most outrageous part was probably after this storm ended, that Division Commander was not held accountable; the Military Department upper echelons seemed to maintain a subtle tacit understanding, turning a blind eye and letting it pass.

"The Fourth War Corps is Dongxia elite, a hundred-battle strong army; their arrival in Hengzhou, even Governor Tai must treat solemnly. Hope this Top Hundred Competition produces a few outstanding good seedlings, so the Military Department knows our Hengzhou disciples are absolutely not inferior!"

Chen Ruofu set the tone, counting as accepting the two representatives' statements.

His gaze returned to the Monitoring Screen arranged at the Command Base; due to the Wilderness's electronic Contamination being extremely severe, unable to deploy drones or activate satellites to obtain real-time footage.

The screen only displays flashing Light Points; each represents a participant; only see Core Area deployed first, beginning rapid movement; then Middle Layer Area; finally Outer Area's turn.

Less than twenty minutes, the first cry signifying withdrawal rang out; Electronic Markers lit up like Torches suddenly.

The Martial Association's prepared rescue teams immediately departed; half hour later, the participant successfully left the Great Rift Valley, sent to a temporary medical center for treatment.

This made Chen Ruofu and Fang Butang both breathe a sigh of relief in unison; the Hengzhou Martial Association still has propriety; throwing out a fifty-person death quota was truly too shocking, making both Tai'an Urban Circle bigwigs jump in fright.

"Zhou Yuanchen's points are rising very fast, leaving everyone in the dust."

The Zhou representative basked in reflected glory; this genius is the Education Bureau's pushed Newcomer, and also obtains Ying Clan support.

Barring accident, winning the Champion top spot has no suspense!

"He was deployed to the Core Area; according to Patrol Department provided intel, the main Foreign Race creatures there are 'Cybernetic Heir' and 'Skull Swarm'; killing one adds roughly twenty points.

Middle Layer Area is a bit less; 'Iron Rust Beast' aggressiveness not high; familiar with characteristics, killing not difficult.

As for Outer Area, instead more troublesome; suspected Cultist Faction and Depraved Martial Artists active; if luck bad, might be directly eliminated."

Fang Butang analyzed.

Using the Great Rift Valley as the Trial battlefield was after serious consideration.

Here the terrain environment is harsh, survival difficulty also high, able to test participants' adaptability and true strength.

"Huh! The Outer Area Light Points, why are they gathering?"

Representative Li suddenly raised eyebrows, gaze tightly locked on the huge screen.

"Looking at movement trajectory, looks like forming an encirclement! Who are they preparing to surround and hunt?"

Chen Ruofu's expression sank slightly; the Ying Clan's big hand truly reaches everywhere; assassination doesn't work, so they use money-burning tactics to frantically spend money, blocking Qin Shi.

"The center of the encirclement seems to be a participant called Qin Shi."

The Zhou representative's mouth corner hooked up, holding a smile as he said:

"I think probably he encountered danger, other participants came to enthusiastically help. Only an hour has passed; could this Qin Classmate become the second eliminated player?"

The deployment process was very similar to a certain game Qin Shi played in his previous life; according to sequence, put on parachute pack on back then jump down.

The Top Hundred Competition does not encourage slaughter competition; after all it's the Dongxia Republic now, somewhat particular about human rights; naked Gu-raising style cruel education is too barbaric, does not conform to the Education Bureau's formulated policy.

Qin Shi An landed steadily; he used his saber to cut the parachute cords, found an obstacle to conceal his figure, and avoided being attacked.

The temperature inside the Great Rift Valley was far higher than outside, roughly around fifty degrees; the wind blowing through the air appeared dry and scorching, evaporating the human body's moisture completely dry.

The ground underfoot was dark red; Qin Shi grabbed a handful of soil and slowly crushed it — coarse and fine uneven granular particles.

"Large day-night temperature difference, bad climate too, water and soil erosion, barren like saline-alkali land; what kind of creature can survive."

He searched his brain sea memory; the handbook clearly wrote that the material needed to be collected was the stomach pouch of the Flesh-Eating Beasts in the Outer Area.

That thing can extract a certain substance; it is the main material of the implant developed by Central City.

"When it comes down to it, it's still working for people."

Qin Shi sighed; he tightened his tactical backpack, and based on the handbook content memorized in his brain sea, swiftly drew the marching route.

"Wanting to reach the Middle Layer Area, the difficulty is still not low; one must pass through a suspected Secret Sect disciple-occupied old nest, then pass through an underground cave..."

After a brief rest, Qin Shi silently gnawed two protein bars to supplement energy, slowly operated the Furnace Method, kept his breath at peak state, and then began moving.

Before participating in the Top Hundred competition, Lao Liang told him that surviving alone in the wilderness, the first precaution is preserving physical strength, second is food reserves, and third is danger prevention.

"In another hour it will be dark; I only need to rush to the edge of the old nest and rest on the spot. Then the second day break through, search the Secret Sect disciples' supplies, allocate eight hours of leeway to collect materials; that'll be fine. Save ample physical ability for the Middle Layer Area, where herds of 'Iron Rust Beasts' appear."

Qin Shi leaned his body forward, lowered his center of gravity, his footsteps rapidly stepping over the rough soil; even though the scorching airflow containing trace toxins was inhaled into his body, it caused him no influence whatsoever.

"Zheng Jun, are you sure you can lock onto the Nanhuang Daoist Hall Disciple's direction?"

On the other side of the Great Rift Valley, a small group that chose to team up completed their rendezvous according to the discussed method.

They consisted of five men and one woman; their Qi Life Force were all above eighty points; all came recommended by Central City's big companies.

Among them, the one called "Zheng Jun", a red-haired girl, seemed to be the core figure; she squatted down, placed her hand on the ground, closed her eyes and sensed.

A moment later, she pinched another handful of soil and rubbed it with her fingertips, carefully tasted it, and finally lowered her whole body, pressing tightly against it, as if listening to something.

"North side, the distance isn't very far, but his movement speed is very fast; we must hurry to catch up. Same as we thought, he's definitely heading for the Middle Layer Area; we can completely wait by the tree stump for the rabbit."

Zheng Jun did not explain; she very decisively gave the answer.

The remaining five people exchanged glances with each other, chose to believe.

They all clearly knew Zheng Jun cultivated a special Qi Lock technique, named "Thousand Mile Soul Locking Technique".

Just now during that gathering moment, Zheng Jun kept staring at Qin Shi, secretly collecting that abnormally boiling "Qi".

For the purpose of releasing it into the Outer Area to sense and lock the position.

"Then can I send a message to Lao Wu?"

The young bald-headed brother in the team spoke.

He also received Ying Clan's benefits, obtained quite a lot of resources from it, therefore he must handle matters.

"Send it; we don't need to care about rations, eat them all up, rush through the night, and then arrive one step ahead at the Middle Layer Area's essential route, wait for the Nanhuang Daoist Hall Disciple to deliver himself to our doorstep!"

Zheng Jun decisively issued orders, then fished out protein bars and nutrient paste from her backpack, expression unchanged, ate half.

The others likewise; then discarded the load-bearing, only kept the water canteens they could carry on their persons, and rapidly advanced toward the target.

Sizzle!

A wisp of electric arc jumped; the saber light suddenly flashed past, slicing open a huge, wolfdog-shaped flesh-and-blood creature.

Its four limbs were abnormally sturdy; its forelimbs were sharp metal claws, its hindlimbs had been modified into curved mechanical structures, increasing jumping power and sprinting ability.

Its skin surface was covered in blood vessels and scars, as if it would burst open at any moment; a glowing red crystal was embedded in its forehead.

As Qin Shi swung his saber and beheaded it, that head — two circles larger than a basketball — rolled and fell to the ground, but the flesh vitality contained in its body still made this "wolfdog" creature that had undergone large-scale modification struggle several times before it thoroughly died.

"Not far from the Secret Sect disciples' old nest. This kind of 'War Mastiff' is clearly the result of some 'Blood Flesh Secret Art'."

Qin Shi used his saber tip to pick out the forehead's now-lusterless red crystal; this is also a points option; he collected it into his backpack, then stomped the head to pulp, eliminating other hidden dangers.

He found a dry cave, confirmed no creatures occupied inside, and rested on the spot.

Forty minutes of forced march, crossing dozens of kilometers, the physical strength consumption was not small.

"Wanting to completely break through the thousand-plus kilometer Great Rift Valley, at least five days are needed, but only two days of rations are issued. Judging from the environment, the possibility of obtaining food here is not high; it's too barren, and creatures are mostly contaminated, modified."

Qin Shi pondered; could it be that Hengzhou Martial Association advocates participants opposing each other?

He closed his eyes and meditated, to better recover his body; in the state of spirit residing in inner landscape, he suddenly captured a wisp of extremely weak breath wave fluctuation.

This is not a spiritual field mark; it does not reflect in the mind sea; therefore it is very concealed; it was almost overlooked.

"Turns out it's Qi Lock; the technique is very exquisite; a bit like the Thousand Mile Soul Locking Technique Lao Liang mentioned."

Qin Shi lightly raised an eyebrow, then grinned and said:

"Hope they can leave some rations to fill my food shortage."

He leaned against the wall and sat; outside the cave the sky slowly darkened; the originally scorching temperature plummeted; strands of cold air drifted, condensing into bone-piercing frost qi.

"Hunting hour arrives."

By deep night, all sounds stilled.

Qin Shi suddenly opened his eyes, gripped the Perfect Grade Electric Shock Military Saber, and went toward the sensed direction.

He was hungry again; a few protein bars were simply not enough to fill his stomach.

(Chapter End)