Chapter 147: Farewell to the God of Wealth, Return to the Reverse Tide

Far from the crowd of players, he stopped before a twisted ancient tree.

Duan Xing turned to look at Li Zheng and the others, their faces wearing expressions of playful mockery, and still found it hard to believe.

This group had left a deep impression on his memory.

Back then, they had exchanged inferior canned food with him for resources, subsequently triggering the notorious incident where the player clan scavenged junk to trade for resources.

According to news from the Storm Fortress training camp in Phase Two, the player clan members of the Snow Valley Phase One training camp chose to sacrifice themselves voluntarily to cover the retreat of their fellow trainees, ultimately dying in battle as a whole.

Upon learning this news at the time, Duan Xing's heart was filled with indescribable complexity.

Living in this chaotic new era, death had long become commonplace, with news of clan members falling on the front lines arriving every day.

But what left him incredulous was that the player clan, whose personality he saw as erratic and unrestrained, would voluntarily sacrifice themselves for other trainees.

In the Phase One training camp he had not witnessed, the growth of the player clan members shocked him.

After finishing the trial assessment and officially promoting to a warrior of the Reverse Tide Legion, he personally went to the Phase Two training camp to ask Gui Tong and other trainees about the situation.

Upon learning the process of the player clan members' sacrifice, he held them in deep respect.

Before leaving the training camp, he sat silently for an hour before the tombstones set up by Gui Tong and other trainees for the player clan members, and offered the Reverse Tide war salute.

While sincerely recognizing the player clan, a sense of pride also rose in his heart.

These were new trainees recruited using the Heavenly Talisman Clan quota; they had not shamed him.

After returning to the Reverse Tide Legion, he met Elder You and detailed the situation of the player clan members' total sacrifice.

Upon learning all this, Elder You finally gave a reply, stating he would grant the player clan ten new trainee quotas, and took a batch of condolence resources to deliver to the player clan.

Before the condolence resources could even be distributed, he saw Li Zheng and the others, full of life and energy, running frantically towards him from a distance.

At that moment, he felt as if he were living in a dream.

Gui Tong had personally told him that Li Zheng, the leader of the player clan, had died in his arms, dissolving into black mist.

Yet now, he saw the player clan members, who should have been dead, standing vividly before him.

Bang!

Setting the flying vehicle aside, Duan Xing looked at Li Zheng and the other members of the Grind Emperor Group, and spoke in a heavy voice:

"I need you to give me an explanation. You are not dead? Did Gui Tong hide the truth and help you escape the training camp... No, the process was recorded on video; this cannot be faked."

Facing the inquiry, Li Zheng smiled awkwardly:

"We did die, but we resurrected."

"Resurrected?!"

"That's right. It is a special ability unique to our player clan. You can understand it as us having a special place in the Outer Realm that preserves our souls. After we die, our memories can reshape our flesh and blood, and then we resurrect... but we ourselves are unclear on exactly how many times we can resurrect."

Li Zheng, who had already prepared his explanation, detailed the reasons for the resurrection.

After listening to his account, Duan Xing stood stunned like a wooden chicken.

This ability seemed utterly absurd to him.

Having lived in the rear areas of the Reverse Tide Legion for so many years, the news from the battlefield included various alien clans possessing absurd abilities.

Among them were alien races possessing resurrection abilities.

For example, the main lineage members of the Soul Return Clan also possess resurrection abilities.

Moreover, their method of resurrection is much like Li Zheng and the others, completing revival through a process of consciousness reshaping.

The difference lies in that this type of resurrection is similar to flesh replication.

Lost memories do not return; the resurrected are more like a cloned new life, retaining only the memories from the time of the save, and this type of resurrection cannot be performed multiple times, as each cloning requires cutting the consciousness of a Soul Return Clan member.

But since self-consciousness cannot be cut multiple times, the conditions for resurrection are extremely restricted.

However, the player clan's resurrection ability, as described by Li Zheng, seemed utterly absurd.

First, it allows for multiple resurrections, and the player clan members themselves do not know the specific number of times.

Second, it allows for the retrieval of lost memories.

But the most absurd part is Li Zheng's description that strength increases with every resurrection.

The facts were indeed so; through his perception, he discovered that the intensity of the blood qi and spiritual energy fluctuations on Li Zheng and the others had increased significantly compared to the beginning.

"God of Wealth, did you come this time to recruit players to go to the training camp?" Li Zheng asked the question that concerned him most at this moment.

Facing the inquiry, Duan Xing, still in shock, took a while before speaking:

"That's right. Elder You gave me ten quotas to recruit a batch of your player clan members to go to the Phase One training camp... By the way, he also gave me a batch of condolence resources to gift to your clan members."

Hearing there were condolence resources, Li Zheng and the other members of the Grind Emperor Group immediately beamed with joy:

"No need to give them to our clan members; we are right here, just distribute them to us directly."

As he spoke, Li Zheng glanced at the black spatial bracelet on the God of Wealth's wrist.

"No, condolence resources are only distributed when it is confirmed that you are dead. Since you have already resurrected, whether to give them or not must be decided by Elder You."

"God of Wealth, you are being too rigid. Death is a fact that has already occurred; resurrection is an unexpected result. Condolence resources are distributed because of death; how can they be tied to resurrection?"

Chi Tu, standing to the side, analyzed with a serious expression.

"No, I must report this to Elder You for a decision."

Facing Duan Xing's firm refusal, Li Zheng and the others did not persist; what they cared about more was whether they could go to the training camp again.

"God of Wealth, since we have already resurrected, can we go to the training camp again to participate in the unfinished training?"

"I am not sure; I have no authority to decide this question; I still have to ask Elder You."

"Then ask quickly, speak a good word for us; whether we can continue the training camp depends on you," said Family Shared Godfather with an earnest expression.

"Very well, I will go back first, and return after Elder You gives me a clear reply."

"Good, we will wait for you."

Duan Xing nodded, waved his hand towards the flying vehicle, and immediately mist spewed forth as the vehicle's hatch opened from bottom to top.

The incident of the player clan members dying and resurrecting seemed utterly absurd to him; he must report it to Elder You as soon as possible, leaving the decision on what to do next to Elder You.

Before leaving, Duan Xing reached out and patted Li Zheng on the shoulder:

"You did well. Although you have the ability to resurrect, you didn't embarrass me in the training camp. Your final choice to sacrifice yourselves for the other trainees has earned my respect."

Hearing these words, Li Zheng and the others laughed very happily.

In fact, one of the reasons they chose to resist the bullying by Gui Tong and the others back then was that they didn't want to embarrass their guarantor, the God of Wealth.

"God of Wealth, do you have any parting gifts before we separate?"

"No!" Seeing Li Zheng and the others once again reveal their ugly, begging faces, Duan Xing's expression turned cold as he shook his head, then decisively walked toward the flying vehicle.

Not long after, the flying vehicle ascended and vanished into the spatial rift amidst Li Zheng and the others' waves.

"Brother Li, what do we do next?" Sha Xin turned his head to ask Li Zheng.

"Let's wait here. Maybe they'll be back soon. Let's temporarily give up hunting."

"I agree."

"I agree too."

Regarding Li Zheng's decision, the members of the Grind Emperor Group, as usual, fully supported him without any opposing views.

Having made the decision, the members of the Grind Emperor Group sat on the ground.

They passed the time by browsing forums, watching live streams, chatting, and eating spiritual food.

Deep in their hearts, they looked forward to the God of Wealth's return, bringing good news.

……

The 128th War Legion of the Reverse Tide.

Spiritual patterns crisscrossed the ground, spewing forth dense spiritual energy.

At the center of the spiritual pattern path sat a burly humanoid man cross-legged. His body was covered in a layer of dimly glowing scale armor as he absorbed the energy released by the array below.

Before him, Duan Xing was explaining the discoveries made during this trip to the Di Zhao Mountain Range region.

Upon hearing that the deceased Player Clan trainees had already resurrected, Elder You suddenly opened his eyes, unable to hide his shock.

"Resurrection?"

"Elder You, according to the Player Clan's description, it is indeed resurrection."

"If I am not mistaken, the Player Clan must possess a Rule ability. This is not a racial talent ability that any clan could possess; only a Rule can have such an effect that transcends cognition."

After listening to Duan Xing's account, Elder You thought of a possibility.

He recalled Duan Xing's description of the Player Clan as a group that separated from the Monster World in ancient times.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the Player Clan was once granted a Rule ability by Beneath Di Zhao. They took this Rule out of the Monster World and established a new clan territory in the Outer Realm.

This would also explain why members of the Player Clan can resurrect after death.

Even the most absurd settings can be explained when it comes to Beneath Di Zhao.

Even the Reverse Tide God they respected once served Beneath Di Zhao, and the Rule he mastered was also a gift from Beneath Di Zhao.

Thinking of this, Elder You looked at Duan Xing standing before him and said in a deep voice:

"What about the resurrected Player Clan?"

"They expressed a desire to return to the Reverse Tide Training Camp."

Elder You did not answer. After a long silence, he nodded and said:

"Their performance in the Phase One Training Camp was good, earning high praise from Instructor Kuang Sha. Since they have already resurrected, I can allow them to return to the training camp."

"But according to the Reverse Tide Legion regulations, they failed to complete the Phase One to Phase Two training project, so they must retrace the entire Phase One to Phase Two training journey."

"Understood. I will go inform them immediately." A trace of joy appeared in Duan Xing's eyes.

"No need. I will go with you on this trip."

Having spoken, Elder You stood up, grabbed forward with both hands, and slowly spread them apart.

An invisible spatial barrier was torn apart, and a spatial rift generated before them.

……

Di Zhao Mountain Range, Ancient Battlefield.

While waiting for the God of Wealth to return, Li Zheng was chatting with the brothers of the Grind Emperor Group.

In the upper left corner of the view was a minimized forum interface, below it was a minimized live video window, and on the right was a minimized regional voice channel chat box.

He was still chewing on silver-tailed fish meat purchased from the trading hall and roasted by a Spirit Chef player.

"Brother Li, why hasn't the God of Wealth come yet? Is it possible we've been completely eliminated?" Eating Dirt sighed with a troubled expression.

"Don't jinx it. We sacrificed ourselves for Tong Zi and the others; no matter how you look at it, that's a plus point. We can definitely be given another chance." Li Zheng glared at Eating Dirt.

"True, we were awesome back then..."

Just then, a spatial rift suddenly appeared in the sky.

Two figures flew out of the spatial rift, gliding through the air and trailing afterimages, appearing before them and stopping at an unimaginable speed.

Besides their familiar God of Wealth, Elder You had also come this time.

Compared to the burly Elder You, who was nearly three meters tall, Duan Xing standing beside him looked exactly like a small doll toy.

"Elder You." Li Zheng and the others greeted him one after another.

"I heard you want to enter the training camp again?" Elder You's lips curled up as he asked with a smile.

"Yes, Elder You, please give us a chance." Li Zheng pleaded with hopeful eyes.

Elder You did not answer this question. Instead, he asked with curiosity:

"Can I meet the high-ranking members of your Player Clan?"

"They are in the Outer Realm. Once we entered the Monster World, we lost contact with them."

After hearing Li Zheng's explanation, Elder You's gaze focused on Li Zheng's pupils. After a long silence, he nodded and said:

"It seems you have many secrets. It's fine if you don't want to say. But since you have chosen to join the Reverse Tide Legion, you must understand your position. I hope you will not disappoint me."

Watching Li Zheng and the others nodding repeatedly, Elder You raised his hand, and invisible energy lifted them, sending them flying toward the sky.

Curious, Li Zheng focused his gaze on Elder You and activated his Analysis ability:

【You Qiong】:

Hunting Rank: Level 388

Target Introduction: Elder of the Tongyou Clan, one of the ten Wang Zu of the Reverse Tide Legion, currently serving as the highest logistics officer of the 128th War Legion of the Reverse Tide Legion.

……

Seeing Elder You's Hunting Rank, the entire Gan Di Tuan was stunned.

Last time they were busy learning about the training camp and forgot to check the analysis; only now did they realize how terrifying Elder You's strength truly was.

"Tian Beng," the invincible, muscular champion warrior in the players' eyes, was only Level 358.

Elder You's strength had actually reached Level 388, thirty levels higher than the champion warrior.

"Guide, what is Elder You's win rate against Tian Beng?" Family Shared Godfather, curious in his heart, asked via the voice channel.

The Guide avatar floating beside him propped his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression:

【The higher the Hunting Rank, the harder it is to increase; every level brings a significant boost in strength. The champion warrior's Hunting Rank is thirty levels lower than Baldy's; judging solely by physical strength, he could fight three champion warriors. More importantly, he is empowered by the Power of War Rules and masters multiple war divine techniques granted by rules. If they truly fight, he might be able to kill a whole van full of champion warriors.】

Hearing the Guide's answer, Li Zheng was stunned:

"So strong?!"

【Otherwise what?】

"I remember the champion warrior also has rule power support, that so-called Battle Soul Power?"

【The gap between rules is enormous. The War Divine Seal on Baldy's body is far stronger than Battle Soul Power... but it ultimately depends on the battle conditions. If both sides fight under completely equal strength conditions, the champion warrior will inevitably win; the Battle Soul Power it gains during combat will make it grow stronger with every fight, and every clash will cause it to grow a bit.】

"I see." Li Zheng nodded in realization.

"Guide, how does Elder You's combat power rank within the Reverse Tide Legion?" Sha Xin curiously interjected at this moment.

【Without specific data, analysis is impossible, but judging from the analysis introduction, Elder You is already a core member of the Reverse Tide Legion. Although he is responsible for logistics, he should rank in the second tier of combat power within the Reverse Tide Legion.】

"This is only the second tier?" Li Zheng was dumbfounded.

【The first tier must be the commanders leading the war on various fronts of the Reverse Tide Legion. Through the long years of war feeding back into them, they likely possess combat power approaching that of a demigod, or have already attained demigod-level combat power. Elder You probably cannot rank in the first combat power tier.】

After hearing the Guide's analysis, Li Zheng could already imagine how powerful the Reverse Tide God behind the Reverse Tide Legion must be.

It was likely World True God-level combat power, no longer measurable by Hunting Rank numbers.

"God of Wealth, did you pass your trial?" At this moment, Chi Tu spoke, interrupting Li Zheng's thoughts.

He followed suit, looking up at God of Wealth.

Facing the question, God of Wealth nodded:

"I underwent another round of assessment and have passed the trial. After my vacation ends, I will head to the war front."

"The front is so dangerous; remember to protect yourself." Chi Tu said with a worried expression.

Upon hearing this, Duan Xing shook his head with a smile:

"Every warrior is a betting chip for the Reverse Tide Legion's victory in war. For victory, we can sacrifice everything. Protecting myself is not within my core considerations; as long as the sacrifice has meaning, I will go forward without hesitation."

Li Zheng opened his mouth, about to say that Duan Xing seemed brainwashed, but after glancing at Elder You, he swallowed his words.

Duan Xing seemed to see Li Zheng's thoughts and smiled, saying:

"This is an infinite cycle of war. Countless warriors like me are growing; among them are those with extraordinary talent, possessing growth potential beyond ordinary imagination, but most are buried in the battlefield. I might be no exception."

Speaking thus, Duan Xing fell silent for a while before continuing:

"Eight million Reverse Tide warriors die every day; this is only the regular casualty data. If a full-scale war breaks out, the death toll will increase several times, or even dozens of times. Do you now have a concept of the front? I have long been prepared to die on the front lines."

The data Duan Xing stated so casually left the entire Gan Di Tuan stunned.

Eight million deaths daily in regular conflicts means nearly three billion Reverse Tide warriors die annually.

This number truly frightened them.

The human race on Earth numbers only two billion; judging solely by the numbers, it wouldn't even be enough to fill the lines for one year.

One can imagine how brutal the front-line war of the Reverse Tide Legion must be.

This is only under regular conflicts, not counting the death toll during full-scale war; it is truly terrifying.

No wonder the training camp's progress is pushed so fast; most warriors are destined to fill the lines.

By cultivating true war elites through the method of raising insects in war, only this part counts as the core combat power of the Reverse Tide Legion.

It is clear that when Duan Xing mentioned there were 500 Phase One training camps, he referred to the training camps of the Reverse Tide 128th War Legion; other war legions also have their own new recruit training camps.

"God of Wealth, hold on until we graduate; at that time, we will go to the front to protect you." Chi Tu spoke solemnly with a serious expression.

Upon hearing this, Duan Xing nodded with a smile:

"Good. I will wait for you on the front. Work hard to graduate."

While chatting, Elder You led them through a twisting, changing colorful space tunnel.

Before their eyes appeared a familiar scene.

Snowflakes mixed with cold wind blew against their faces; at the end of their vision lay the Snow Valley Training Camp, where hunger and staying up late coexisted in their memories.

Invisible forces lifted them, allowing them to jump consecutively in the air before landing on the playground of the Snow Valley Training Camp.

Elder You pointed his index finger forward, and nearly invisible energy ripples spread out; before long, Instructor Kuang Sha and other training instructors arrived.

After respectfully greeting Elder You, their gazes turned toward Li Zheng and the others.

Upon seeing their faces clearly, their minds instantly went blank.

"Hehe, Instructor Kuang Sha, long time no see. I've missed you to death." Chi Tu pouted, took two steps forward, and opened his arms to embrace Instructor Kuang Sha.

Instructor Kuang Sha lifted a foot and kicked Chi Tu in the abdomen, sending him flying like a cannonball, crashing into the camp fence.

"You... aren't you dead?" Instructor Kuang Sha looked utterly incredulous.

Having learned that the members of the Player Clan died to cover other trainees, he had once felt immense regret and heartache.

When he first made contact, his impression of the Wan family clan was very poor.

Lazy training, constant complaints, whining about being tired or hurt at every turn, and their physical fitness was dead last in the training camp—he couldn't find a single redeeming point.

He had even entertained the thought of ending the Wan family clan's training early.

But the Wan family clan's later performance changed his thinking, shifting gradually from contempt to admiration.

By the time Phase One training camp graduated, his impression of the Wan family clan trainees had completely transformed—they were already outstanding trainees in his eyes.

So when he learned the entire Wan family clan had been sacrificed, he felt heartache over it.

Recalling the lively training camp scenes when the Wan family clan was still around, he couldn't help but sigh.

This memory was destined to be unforgettable.

But he never expected to see Li Zheng and the other Wan family clan members again.

The intelligence was wrong? They didn't die?

Elder You spoke up at this moment:

"You set out from here and head once more to the Phase Two training camp."

After speaking, Elder You looked up at Kuang Sha:

"Kuang Sha, they'll fill you in on the specifics. I'll take my leave first."

"Yes." Kuang Sha nodded respectfully.

After Elder You departed with Seeing Duan Xing, Kuang Sha and Li Zheng's group stared at each other.

"Speak. What's going on."

"It's a long story."

"Make it short. Don't give me any nonsense." Kuang Sha glared fiercely.

"Let's go to the Wangshitang, eat while we talk, and let me tell this wondrous journey in detail."

Hearing this, Kuang Sha turned and headed toward the Wangshitang, and Li Zheng's group immediately followed.

At night, Kuang Sha and the Liver Emperor Squad players from Li Zheng's group shared drinks and reminisced, recounting their journey after leaving the training camp.

During this, Chitu stood with one foot on the bench, a half-eaten leg of meat in his right hand:

"Instructor, you can't imagine how dangerous the situation was. We were completely trapped in a desperate situation. At that moment, if no one covered the rear, the brothers would have died for sure."

"At the critical moment of life and death, the trainees of our Wan family clan resolutely stepped in front of the brothers. I charged to the very front and roared, 'Brothers, run, I'll cover the rear'... In the end, we regrettably died in battle, but the brothers successfully escaped."

Kuang Sha listened to Chitu's boasting with an expressionless face, while Li Zheng beside him couldn't help but cover his face:

"Chitu, you magic class, how did you end up charging at the very front? Looking to die?"

"Right? It was clearly me who charged at the very front." Family Share Godfather also said with a speechless expression.

"Hehe, pretty much the same meaning—we all charged at the very front." Chitu wasn't embarrassed in the slightest, opening his mouth to take another bite of the leg meat.

"So after you died, you revived back at the clan grounds?" Kuang Sha asked at this point.

"That's right."

"When you first arrived, I asked about the Wan family clan's situation, but you didn't tell me anything about reviving. You only said you'd be summoned by the clan grounds and disappear for periods of time. But during training, I never saw any of you return to the clan grounds."

"This reviving thing, it can't be controlled. Even we ourselves don't know whether we can actually revive, so we didn't report it."

Hearing this, Kuang Sha shook his head but didn't press further. After a sip of spirit wine, he said in a low voice:

"Since you've decided to return to the training camp and want to skip Phase One, picking up where your previous training left off and going straight into Phase Two training camp, you'll have to redo the trials you didn't complete. So do you plan to stay here a few days to rest and recover, or set out right away?"

Faced with the question, the Liver Emperor Squad players all turned their gazes to Li Zheng, their leader.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Zheng looked at Kuang Sha:

"Instructor Kuang Sha, we plan to stay here tonight and set out at dawn. We'll trouble you with the supplies—please remember to pack plenty of spirit food in the packs."

"Regulations only allow me to provide Energy Paste, and you want spirit food too? Should I find a chef to go with you, to make spirit food on the road?" Kuang Sha couldn't help but laugh and curse.

"That works, I agree. Thank you, Instructor Kuang Sha."

"A chef is great, we'll have food on the road. Didn't expect we'd get this kind of treatment. Sweet."

"A word once spoken cannot be taken back—thank you, Instructor Kuang Sha, for arranging the chef."

Facing Li Zheng's group going with the flow and about to agree, Kuang Sha's forehead veins pulsed.

When it came to being shameless, these guys were still the Wan family clan he remembered—not a single bit changed even after dying once.

"Shut up, eat, and after eating hurry up and go to sleep."

This meal lasted several hours, during which Li Zheng's group also discussed the current Phase One training camp's situation.

It wasn't until deep into the night that they returned to the barracks to sleep, and they didn't see any trainees from this phase the entire time.

Early the next morning.

Li Zheng and the Liver Emperor Squad players shouldered the packs Kuang Sha had prepared, left the camp, and set out into the wind and snow toward the Phase Two training camp's location.

Stepping onto the snowy mountain, they looked back—Kuang Sha stood at the camp gate as always, watching them depart.

Li Zheng's group waved farewell to the camp, then plunged into the wind and snow.

The first leg of the journey took less than three days. The Liver Emperor Squad players pressed forward against the biting cold wind, without a single rest in between, and finally made it out of the endless snowy mountains.

The second leg of the journey was the most dangerous—the White Plains region.

It was on this stretch of the journey that they were attacked by soul beasts, and ultimately the entire group perished at Beneath Di Zhao.

But this time, Li Zheng's group had confidence.

After returning to the newbie village, their strength had multiplied several times over, and the average level of their strongest single Painful Painful Minghun had reached 43.

Even if they encountered the same soul beasts from last time, they had the strength to fight.

But if they could avoid encountering them, that would naturally be best.

Before entering the White Plains, Li Zheng's group chose to rest by a stream, lit a bonfire, and ate to recover their stamina.

As if remembering something, Family Share Godfather turned to look at Li Zheng:

"Brother Li, what if we suffer casualties on the way through the White Plains?"

Before Seeing Li Zheng could speak, Killing Intent picked up the thread:

"Dummy, of course we all die together. Could we really abandon our brothers and head to the training camp on our own? So what we have to do is make absolutely sure no one dies. For the rest of this journey we need to be careful the whole way—when we run into danger, avoid it if we can."

Broke Eating Dirt: Priority protection on me, I'm a squishy mage.

Seeing Li Zheng: Dirt, didn't you tell Instructor Kuang Sha that when danger comes you'll charge at the front? When we hit danger I'll lend you a hand—throw you to the very front, let me see your courage. Remember to shout the line 'Brothers, go on ahead!' loud and clear.

Hearing this, the group couldn't help but burst into laughter.

After resting in two shifts, the Grinders set off once more.

But the more you fear something, the more certain it is to come.

They chose to skirt the spot where they'd run into soul beasts last time, but they were still attacked by soul beasts.

Fortunately, this time there was no swarm of soul beasts surrounding them.

With explosive output boosted by Extreme Speed Painful Painful Minghun, they took down the soul beasts blocking their path with ease.

Four days, three consecutive battles—Seeing Li Zheng and his brothers finally walked out of the plains region.

The third leg of the journey wasn't as dangerous as the White Plains, but the path was rugged, flanked by Chongshanjunling and dense forests of ancient flora.

Before entering the third leg's scene, Seeing Li Zheng climbed a towering old tree, sat on the trunk, and gazed toward the end of the horizon.

His gaze swept across—distant mountains layered upon mountains, a thousand ridges rolling on without end, like a slumbering giant dragon lying across the earth, with no telling where the journey's end lay.

He could also see thin miasma churning between the mountain ranges.

This was where the importance of flying mounts showed itself, but only three people in the team had flying mounts, with a flight time of just half an hour.

In the end they decided to trek on foot through Chongshanjunling.

Before this leg of the journey was even finished, Seeing Li Zheng and the others had run out of rations.

Luckily, with the Analysis ability and guidance to assist them, they could clearly tell which plants were edible and which were toxic.

If there really was nothing to eat, they could also buy spirit food listed by other players from the Trading House to replenish their stamina.

This stretch of the journey made Seeing Li Zheng and the others feel like savages—they had to stay on guard against all kinds of small dangers as they moved forward.

For example, a kind of mottled mosquito swarm—when they gathered in a group they looked like a moving cloud of colored miasma, buzzing and circling, their irritating drone never ceasing, and extremely aggressive.

They saw with their own eyes a calf-sized monster swarmed by the mottled mosquitoes—in the blink of an eye only a husk of skin was left, flesh and blood devoured completely, not even a bone remaining.

According to the Analysis info on these mosquitoes, when they bite they inject a flesh-dissolving venom into the target, along with a numbing effect, leaving a target bitten by a swarm unable to move—forced to watch helplessly as they are consumed.

When Seeing Li Zheng and the others slept in the dense forest, what they feared most was running into the mottled mosquitoes—they simply couldn't sleep in peace.

There were plenty of other dangers hiding in the shadows—for example, a kind of brightly colored poisonous spider, adept at weaving invisible giant webs between branches. Let your guard down for a second and you'd crash headlong into a trap, and then you'd see a water-buffalo-sized, fuzzy poisonous spider open a mouth full of green-glowing fangs and come straight at you from the tree.

Killing them wasn't hard, but the process was genuinely terrifying.

The hot, humid environment, all manner of poisonous insects and fierce beasts running rampant—dealing with them wasn't as pressured as soul beasts, but it truly drained their energy.

On the fourth day, Seeing Li Zheng and the Grinders finally walked out of Chongshanjunling.

Gazing into the distance, a majestic castle structure of obvious antiquity lay across the end of the horizon, with large numbers of flying monsters circling overhead on sentry duty.

"We're finally here!"

"Hahaha, we cleared it! I'm going to storm into the training camp and eat spirit food in huge bites."

"No more living in fear—being wound up tight the whole way was way too grueling."

Seeing the distant castle, the Grinders cheered and jumped for joy.

The final leg of the journey held no more dangers; they walked out of the mountains and headed straight for Stormwind Fortress.

A few hours later, they arrived before the gates of Stormwind Fortress.

Before they could enter the city, they saw a figure descend from the sky and land, blocking their path.

The figure blocking them was not humanoid—its body seemed built from crystal shards, with pale blue energy luminescence drifting off it, holding a slender crystal spear:

"State your origin."

Facing the guard's question, Seeing Li Zheng spoke up at once:

"We're graduates of the first cohort from Snow Valley Training Camp. Due to special circumstances we arrived late."

Hearing this, streams of light flickered across the guard's crystal face, and it then nodded:

"Your situation has been logged. Before entering the Phase Two training camp, we need to do a detailed check of your physical condition. Follow me."

Saying so, the guard turned and walked into the city; Seeing Li Zheng and the others immediately followed.

A physical check was entirely understandable to them.

On this stretch of the journey they might run into soul beasts released by the Soul Return Clan, and the special trait of soul beasts is that they can perfectly inherit everything about those they devour—including their memories.

If used as spies, they could easily infiltrate the Reverse Tide Legion.

So the check was also to confirm whether they were trainees, or soul beasts that had taken over a body.

Following the guard into the city, a thick sense of history washed over them. The buildings here were all built of stone, many of them even showing signs of weathering, looking very old.

The ground was paved with thick bluestone slabs. They followed the guard into a tall, oddly shaped building.

The hall's floor was covered in spirit runes.

The guard had already explained the physical-check procedure along the way; from here on they just needed to follow the guard's instructions.

Once the check was done, Seeing Li Zheng and the others were led by the guard to an empty room and arranged to stay there. Next, the guard would go contact the Phase Two training camp's instructors to liaise with them.

An hour later, Seeing Li Zheng and the others, waiting in the room, met the head instructor of the Phase Two training camp.

The moment he stepped in, the head instructor slapped the door with his palm, startling Seeing Li Zheng and the others into jumping.

Turning to look, they saw a man standing in the doorway—nearly two meters tall, bare-chested, his build burly as an iron tower. His shoulders were broad, his bulging pectorals like two slabs of hard rock, rising and falling gently with each deep breath.

Surging blood qi churned within his body, emitting a tidal "swoosh-swoosh" sound.

The Grinders, including Seeing Li Zheng, could even clearly sense the blood qi fluctuations radiating off his body.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Yan Sha, the combat head instructor of Stormwind Fortress in the Phase Two training camp." Yan Sha's gaze swept over Seeing Li Zheng and the others as he introduced himself in an icy tone.

Upon hearing these words, Li Zheng and the others rose to their feet, stood at attention, and saluted with the Reverse Tide military salute.

Focusing their gazes, their analytical abilities activated, and information about Yan Sha surfaced in the minds of Li Zheng and the others.

【Yan Sha】:

Hunting Rank: 105

Target Analysis: Outstanding warrior of the Steel Clan, "Thorn"-rank soldier of the Reverse Tide Legion, currently serving at the Reverse Tide Legion's Gale Fortress Training Camp as Chief Combat Instructor, responsible for training new recruits from all clans.

……

Through this analysis, it became clear that Yan Sha, like Kuang Sha, was also a "Thorn"-rank soldier of the Reverse Tide Legion.

After brief exchanges and completing identity registration,

Yan Sha's gaze swept over Li Zheng and the others, and he spoke in a deep voice:

"Starting tomorrow, you officially join Phase Two Training Camp. But let me be clear: every training session you missed must be made up. Prepare yourselves for grueling training."

"Instructor, can we freely tour the training camp now?" Li Zheng asked at this moment.

"Outside training hours, you are free to move about any area outside Wangshitang."

With that, Yan Sha turned and left without waiting for Li Zheng's reply.

……

Night fell.

After a day of intense training, Gui Tong devoured his meal in large bites at Wangshitang.

Around him at the same table were brothers from the Snow Valley Training Camp.

During the meal, Gui Tong unconsciously glanced at the towering, massive figure afar—and the man seemed to sense it, lifting his head and grinning at him with a ferocious smile.

The man was a trainee from Dragon Valley Phase One, and the undisputed strongest trainee in Phase Two's Gale Fortress, having dominated Gui Tong throughout Phase Two training, his strength unmatched in this cohort.

"If only those bastards were still here," muttered a Bronze Clan trainee, "we could keep doing the hunger-training drills with them—even if we lost, at least we'd vent our rage."

Hearing this, all the Snow Valley Training Camp trainees' eyes dimmed.

Had it not been for the Player Clan trainees stepping forward and sacrificing themselves to hold the rear, they would never have reached this place.

"After dinner, go to the graveyard," Gui Tong said, then swallowed another large bite.

Hearing this, the other trainees also sped up their eating.

When dinner ended, the Snow Valley Training Camp trainees followed Gui Tong toward the graveyard in the eastern sector of the training camp.

Entering the grounds, countless tombstones stood erect.

Each tombstone was a memorial cenotaph—no bodies were buried here; most were trainees who died en route to Phase Two, yet not every fallen trainee qualified to be honored here.

Every trainee memorialized in this graveyard sacrificed themselves for the sake of others.

To honor these brave, fearless young reserve warriors, Phase Two Training Camp established this graveyard.

Over countless years, the graveyard's scale has continuously expanded.

Under the glow of scattered starlight, they followed a moss-covered path to a row of tombstones at its end.

Each tombstone bore a name.

Bricklaying, Eating Dirt, Family Share, Killheart…

Gui Tong stepped forward, knelt before Li Zheng's tombstone, and placed a block of energy paste upon it:

"Bricklaying, you know the camp's rules—we can't take soul-food out of Wangshitang. This energy paste, divide it among yourselves…"

As he spoke, Gui Tong's memories returned to that day.

The scene of Player Clan trainees sacrificing themselves to hold the rear, fighting desperately to help them escape the soul-beast encirclement.

In the final image, Li Zheng lay in his arms, vomiting blood uncontrollably, his expression withered.

When the Li Zheng in his memory dissolved into black mist, Gui Tong's heart clenched, and he involuntarily drew a deep breath:

"Rest easy. When we've mastered our arts, we will go to the White Plains and avenge you. I swear it by the Reverse Tide God, and by the honor of my Four-Eye Clan."

With that, Gui Tong swept his hand across the tombstone, then rose.

As Gui Tong stepped aside, the other trainees stepped forward one by one, wiping each Player Clan trainee's tombstone with their hands.

In this way, they expressed their mourning for the fallen.

Finally, they stood in a line, bowing their heads in silent tribute before the tombstones.

Recalling the scenes from Snow Valley Training Camp, their eyes grew red.

At that moment, a mocking voice came from behind:

"Emotions are perfect—shouldn't you kneel and kowtow before leaving?"

"Exactly. They gave their lives for you. Isn't a kowtow deserved?"

The familiar voice came from behind.

Gui Tong and the Snow Valley Training Camp trainees all turned to look.

They saw familiar faces standing not far off, watching them with mocking expressions.

In that moment, Gui Tong and the trainees felt as if they were dreaming, still asleep.

(End of Chapter)