Chapter 175 - 99: Passing with Brute Force
"Sigh... I guess this is it." Gao Yongkang let out a heavy sigh, following Lin Yi dejectedly through the boisterous crowd toward the edge of the field.
The two of them sat down on a metal bench at the edge of the field.
Gao Yongkang anxiously wrung his hands, his gaze constantly scanning the field, searching for even the slimmest of opportunities.
Lin Yi, on the other hand, simply closed his eyes. He appeared to be resting, but in reality, he had already focused most of his attention on his Mosquito Avatar.
’Unfortunately, I can’t quietly practice Bone Tempering right now.’
’This is such a waste of precious Cultivation time!’
’Every second that ticks by is money down the drain!’
...
Time slipped by quietly as they waited.
Before they knew it, the sun had begun to dip westward. It was 3:40 PM.
BLARE!!!
A sharp assembly whistle suddenly blared from the massive speakers mounted high around the field.
It was followed by a booming and authoritative voice.
A voice that rolled like thunder, overpowering all the chatter:
"All squads, attention! Form up in your ranks immediately! Move it! Any students without a squad, report to the designated area outside the field and form your own! Anyone who fails to form a squad within ten minutes will be considered to have forfeited their right to take the assessment!"
The command was absolute.
In an instant, the entire field erupted into a frenzy.
A thousand students, like a colony of well-trained ants, followed the instructions and formed neat square formations.
The scene was both grand and tense.
Lin Yi and Gao Yongkang exchanged a look and immediately got up, joining the other stragglers as they hurried toward the empty patch of land temporarily sectioned off outside the field.
On the empty land, another eighteen figures were scattered about.
Like Lin Yi and Gao Yongkang, they wore different clothes and had different demeanors, but their faces all showed varying degrees of disappointment, resentment, or feigned composure.
Clearly, they were the rejects, the ones left over after all the other squads had picked their members.
Without a word, the twenty of them made eye contact and instantly reached a consensus—
They were the final squad.
The twenty people gathered in silence, quickly forming a vaguely neat line.
Although they were strangers to one another, their eyes were filled with distrust and anxiety.
But at this moment, they were bound together by an invisible fate.
"Let’s go!"
Someone muttered in a low voice.
This hastily assembled ragtag army re-entered the field with somewhat disorderly steps.
As they entered, the other forty-nine squads, who were already assembled and ready, cast glances their way. Some were curious, some pitying, and some were filled with undisguised contempt, as if looking at a group of cannon fodder destined to fail.
With the last squad in place, the one thousand trainees were finally divided into fifty clearly distinct squads.
An invisible pressure descended upon the entire field, and the air seemed to freeze.
The camp entrance assessment...
had officially begun!
...
Soon, an officer in a crisp, dark-green uniform walked straight up to Lin Yi’s squad.
His gaze swept over the twenty young but anxious faces, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"Follow me. Your squad has been assigned to Assessment Hall 35."
Without any further explanation, the officer turned and walked away, his pace fast and steady.
A small stir went through the squad, but no one dared to question him.
Lin Yi and Gao Yongkang were mixed in with the group.
They followed the officer, quickly leaving the main area of the field, passing through several corridors, and arriving in front of a square-shaped building. It was cast entirely from some unknown alloy that radiated a cold, metallic sheen.
They walked past room after room, until they reached the one marked with the number "35."
The heavy alloy door was shut tight, exuding a heart-pounding, oppressive aura.
The officer stopped in front of the door, turned around, and once again swept his gaze over the group before announcing the Rules in a cold voice:
"You have ten minutes to prepare."
"The assessment Rules are simple:"
"Once you enter, the hall door will be completely sealed. There are only two ways to get out early—"
"First, defeat all the enemies inside! Second, survive inside for one hour. When the time is up, the door will open automatically. Understood?"
Ten minutes left!
The oppressive atmosphere was instantly ignited.
From within the squad, a tall, well-built young man immediately stepped forward.
He looked around at the others, his voice booming:
"Everyone! I am Li Ming from Chang City!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "Chang City," as if to give himself more weight.
"You’ve all seen the situation! This assessment is clearly about teamwork! The other squads have had at least two hours to get used to each other, learn their strengths, and build chemistry! And us?"
"We were just thrown together and don’t even know each other’s names! If we go in like this, a scattered mess fighting on our own, we’ll be completely wiped out by the enemies inside in less than ten minutes!"
His words hit a raw nerve with everyone.
A low murmur of agreement and worry rippled through the squad.
Seeing this, Li Ming immediately raised his voice, his tone leaving no room for argument:
"Therefore, our top priority right now is to unite! And the key to uniting is to have a single voice! A single commander!"
His gaze swept over the crowd, focusing on the few companions beside him who were also from Chang City.
"We from Chang City have seven people in this squad! We have the most members! Our strength is also relatively balanced! So that everyone can pass this assessment, I propose that we from Chang City take the lead in this operation, and that I, Li Ming, serve as the temporary captain! Any objections?!"
Time was tight.
Less than ten minutes remained.
There was no time to introduce themselves and learn about each other’s abilities.
And Li Ming’s words, though aggressive, pointed out a harsh reality—
A scattered mess would surely be annihilated.
The seven from Chang City sticking together were indeed the strongest faction in the current squad.