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Half an hour later, everyone assembled on the battered training ground.

More than twenty instructors stood at attention on the training platform, with all the members of the Masked Squad beside them.

Below them stood the grimy recruits.

Yuan Gang stood in front of the instructors and looked down at the dispirited recruits. As usual, he began, "I'm very disappointed in you—"

His deep voice echoed beneath the night sky.

But those words sounded different to different people.

The Masked Squad on the platform and most of the recruits below began to feel uncomfortable all over.

The recruits were dejected because, apart from the handful of monsters who had managed to hold their own against the Masked Squad with their power suppressed to the Cup Realm, everyone else had been eliminated early.

Their somewhat lofty pride had been smashed to pieces, and the boasts they had made to Yuan Gang that afternoon had come back like boomerangs, stabbing them in the heart. The feeling was indescribably miserable, and all they could do now was listen as Yuan Gang lectured them from the platform.

But the members of the Masked Squad felt no different from the recruits.

There was no need to look closely. From a distance, the five members of the Masked Squad looked like five beggars wearing masks because they didn't want to show their faces.

They were bruised black and blue all over, and their clothes were in tatters. They no longer looked as splendid as they had when they descended from the sky. Only half of their gray cloaks remained, turning them into shawls.

"Captain, can you get Officer Yuan to stop talking? I know he's saying that to the recruits, but why do I feel like every word is aimed at us?" Tianping stood with his legs apart, squeezing the words out through his teeth.

Whirlpool lowered his head and pretended not to hear.

"You two are way too thin-skinned. That was a true god! What's so embarrassing about a few River Realm and Sea Realm people like us losing? Besides, we got a chance to fight a true god. I couldn't be happier!" Moon Ghost grinned, not taking it to heart at all.

"You're the thick-skinned one! I'm dying of embarrassment! I was the first to attack and the first to get knocked down, and my weapon was even stolen!" Rose's face flushed slightly.

Although their voices on the platform were as quiet as mosquitoes, Yuan Gang still heard them, and the corners of his mouth began to rise uncontrollably again.

Though he wanted to laugh, he still had to continue his speech. He had just prepared to speak again when—

"Reporting in! Officer Yuan! I still don't accept this!" Shen Qingzhu suddenly raised his hand in the crowd of recruits and shouted.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Sir, the five members of the Masked Squad were clearly beaten so badly by Lin Qiye that they couldn't get up. The few of us who were left all saw it. By all rights, that should count as our win!" Shen Qingzhu looked up at the platform without fear.

Lin Qiye, standing beside him, slapped his forehead, his face full of embarrassment.

The instructors and the Masked Squad on the platform all lowered their heads. Only Yuan Gang met Shen Qingzhu's gaze, his eyes bright.

The recruits below immediately stirred.

"What? The Masked Squad was beaten?"

"Did you see it yourself? I was eliminated ages ago."

"No, I didn't! Isn't that what Brother Shen said?"

"Lin Qiye took care of the Masked Squad by himself? Isn't he in the Cup Realm too?"

Yuan Gang smiled faintly. He had anticipated this situation.

Things had been rushed just now, and he and the instructors had been too busy scrambling to deal with the few who remained, including Shen Qingzhu, Baili Pangpang, Cao Yuan, and Mo Li.

Of those few, he wasn't worried about the others, but Yuan Gang had been certain that Shen Qingzhu, the troublemaker, would challenge him during his speech.

After all, aside from the instructors, only those few remaining recruits had seen Zhou Meng pin the members of the Masked Squad to the ground and pummel them one after another.

But Yuan Gang naturally had a way to deal with it.

"Ahem. A small number of you did exceed my expectations, but that doesn't change the outcome of today's match! Shen Qingzhu! Tell me, what were my conditions before the match began? Repeat them loudly for everyone!" he ordered.

Shen Qingzhu paused, then answered loudly, "You said that before nine o'clock tonight, if all of us recruits, using any means, could remove the mask of any member of the Masked Squad, it would count as—"

Halfway through, he seemed to realize something and stared wide-eyed at the training platform.

Though the Masked Squad's clothes were in tatters, all five masks remained firmly on their faces.

Fuck! I was so excited to see those arrogant bastards get sent flying that I forgot about that!

Honestly, Lin Qiye, couldn't you have taken their masks off while you were at it? But how did he do it, anyway?

Shen Qingzhu didn't understand. When the few of them had gathered there, all they had seen was Lin Qiye using a very strange method to take care of the members of the Masked Squad one by one. It had been too dark at night, and the lighting had been dim, so they hadn't been able to see clearly.

Right afterward, Yuan Gang had rushed over with the instructors. After he said a few words to Lin Qiye, Lin Qiye had suddenly fainted.

When Shen Qingzhu fell silent, Yuan Gang's voice continued to sweep over the recruits. "That's right! My requirement was for you to remove their masks before nine o'clock, but not one of you did it. If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for not properly remembering my instructions and requirements!"

"You're recruits now, soldiers! Soldiers must strictly carry out their superiors' orders! It was your own fault that you lost a victory that was within your grasp. You have no one to blame but yourselves!" Yuan Gang's voice grew increasingly stern.

Shen Qingzhu could only remain silent.

No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, he had to accept the fact.

Seeing that no more troublemakers were coming forward to cause trouble, Yuan Gang cleared his throat and finished what he had left to say.

"It's already ten o'clock. Everyone, go back and rest. Enjoy this last stretch of comfort! Starting tomorrow, your nightmare begins!"

Yuan Gang clapped his hands, signaling that they were dismissed. Then he swept his cloak around and left them with an arrogant view of his back. The instructors and the Masked Squad followed him away.

The recruits were left looking at one another before making their way to the dormitory building in scattered groups.

Lin Qiye didn't have many thoughts about what had just happened. Ignoring the various looks directed at him, he calmly walked back to the dormitory.

"Qiye! Qiye! Wait for me!" Baili Pangpang hurried forward a couple of steps and caught up with Lin Qiye from behind.

"You looked so cool taking care of the Masked Squad just now! How did you do it? I've never heard of a Forbidden Ruins like that! Could it be that you have some kind of forbidden item too? Come on, take it out and let me see it!" His face was full of excitement.

"Ah, but it's such a shame. How come you didn't think to take those masks off at the time? Ah, I don't mean to blame you. I just think it's a bit of a pity." He sighed.

Hearing that, Lin Qiye's expression twitched.

Brother Meng, you beat them up, so why did you forget the most important thing?

The masks! Even smashing one would have worked!

At that moment, Zhou Meng, inside the Mental Hospital, suddenly sneezed.

"Who's talking about me? That kid Lin Qiye? I helped him so much, and he's still talking about me?" Zhou Meng muttered.

"But didn't I seem to forget something? Forget it, never mind. I just spent ages working hard. I'll go find Li Yifei and get him to make me a late-night snack!"