The campfire is still burning.
Everyone was chatting and laughing.
Mu Hen roared, "Fuck you, Su Zhe!!"
"Where the hell did you put the chicken I roasted?"
"I finally got a break, and you stole from my house?"
Su Zhe smiled, a greasy smile on his lips, and said with a blank expression, "I didn't eat your food! That food just flew into my mouth!"
Mu Hen: "Go to hell, okay?"
Seeing the two's arrogance, the crowd was no longer surprised. However, a hint of bloodlust flashed in Li Chen's eyes as he murmured...
"The ability to control blood."
He felt he could control everyone's body, even sensing the beating of their hearts and the flow of their blood.
This gave Li Chen a strange feeling; he felt he was becoming less and less human and more like a monster, a monster even more terrifying than Eerie Monsters.
An inexplicable sense of distance seemed to make Li Chen want to distance himself from the group of people around him.
He was afraid, and he was in pain.
He feared that one day the secret he carried might kill others and completely destroy his peaceful life.
He had once enjoyed that solitude, been captivated by it, and even doubted it. Solitude had accompanied him for almost his entire life, but fate had led him to the light. Who would want to return to darkness...?
Time flies.
Before we knew it, it was three days before the Academy Tournament.
The selection of participants for the Academy Tournament has been completed.
Of the seven people on Li Chen's side, only Li Chen participated in the individual competition. This was because the Ranking Board had undergone a major change, with the bottom five all being replaced, resulting in no one competing in the individual competition.
As for the team competition, it's just Li Chen and a few others.
The atmosphere inside the dilapidated van was quite lively.
Li Chen sat silently in the passenger seat.
He was the only one participating in the individual competition, so the pressure was immense.
This time, it was Faluo who was driving, and he would lead a few people to Canghai City. This Academy Tournament would be held on the outskirts of Canghai City, located at Canghai Pass. As for Yu Qingnian, it seems he has already gone there.
As Faluo drove, the person beside him skillfully shifted gears, jokingly remarking...
"Kid, what's there to be afraid of?"
"Last year, only one person from my Canglan team participated in the individual competition."
Li Chen asked, "Did you make it into the top ten?"
Faluo an awkward smile. "Does being in the top 100 count?"
Li Chen: "..."
While Su Xian and the others were laughing and joking, he was under immense pressure. He was participating alone in the individual competition, which meant he had to represent Canglan and face challenges from all the academies.
To put it nicely, you should pick on the weakest one.
Seeing that Canglan was the only one there, the other academies would definitely want to eliminate him as soon as possible to secure their rankings.
However, there's nothing to be afraid of. After all, no one knows the rules of the competition yet. If it's a ring match, Li Chen can definitely make it into the top ten, but if it's a contest, then he'll be in danger.
The car was waiting at a traffic light when Faluo handed Li Chen a cigarette.
Li Chen politely declined, saying, "I don't smoke, Faluo."
Faluo smiled and said, "A real man should learn to smoke; it's a treasure!"
"It can help you relax."
Li Chen shook his head. He only knew that smoking was harmful to his health, but as far as his body was concerned, even if he developed lung cancer, he wouldn't die.
The physical body of the Withered Sea Realm is no joke.
Faluo glanced at the rearview mirror, exhaled a smoke ring out the window, and slowly said, "You kid, you're actually going to participate in the Academy Tournament."
"Don't listen to anyone's nonsense Academy Tournament; people can die in this Academy Tournament."
"I don't expect you to win any big prizes, just being safe and sound is enough."
"Canglan can't afford any more losses. Yu Qingnian is just too arrogant towards you. Listen to me, be careful in everything you do."
It's unbelievable that these words came from Faluo's mouth.
Li Chen nodded; he naturally knew that this trip to the Academy Tournament would be anything but simple.
Watching the scenery rush by.
A myriad of thoughts flooded my mind.
They are about to face geniuses from all over the world. Su Xian and his group have their goals, but Li Chen's own goal has never been found.
It seems he always fights for others, never making the right choices for himself.
The Imperial Capital.
In the courtyard.
Yu Qingnian and Elder Gu sat at a stone table.
The surface is already covered with chess pieces.
Yu Qingnian raised his eyes, looked at Elder Gu who was deep in thought, and said calmly.
"Elder Gu, the Academy Tournament has begun."
Elder Gu did not respond, but stared intently at the chess pieces on the stone table. After pondering for a long time, he gently picked up a white piece and placed it down.
It was as if a howling hurricane had swept through the entire courtyard.
But the two remained unmoved.
It seemed that the wind had no effect on the two of them.
Elder Gu raised his head, his eyes, as calm as still water, looking at Yu Qingnian, and said slowly, "It's good to begin... it's good to begin..."
"How's Canglan doing lately? And that little guy with S-rank abilities you mentioned before, is he able to take on a major role now?"
Yu Qingnian recalled, and after a moment, said, "I don't know."
"But I believe that little guy will take that step."
Then, picking up a black piece and placing it down, Elder Gu looked at the chessboard, his brows furrowed.
After a moment...
Elder Gu stood up and laughed, "You don't know either. Let me have a turn. I'm the one who taught you how to play chess."
"Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Yu Qingnian did not laugh; his expression was unusually serious. He did not speak, but simply sat quietly by the stone table.
Elder Gu shook his head and slowly said, "The world is about to change. According to the information from the little snake, the Godless Cult and the God-Binding Cult are about to take action against Canghai Pass."
Yu Qingnian was not surprised to hear this news and asked, "Then why won't you let me go?"
"You said the pass must not be breached, are you going to let the Black Mist...?"
Elder Gu didn't speak, but looked at the chessboard and said, "Qingnian, you should have seen through this world by now."
"Whether it's me or those others, we're all waiting for chaos to erupt; the Black Mist is the shackles that bind us."
"Your cultivation level hasn't wavered for several years now, has it?"
"But an extremely strange entity has already emerged from the Black Mist outside, and the Sword Elder has already fought that thing once."
"Half God Realm has appeared..."
"Half God Realm!!" Yu Qingnian also somewhat shocked. As one of the strongest people among humans, he knew a lot, and this realm was exactly what he was pursuing.
Elder Gu narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the swirling clouds in the sky, and said, "Yes, a monster capable of disrupting the balance has already emerged from the Black Mist."
"Our Human Race can no longer fight to protect our hearts; we must now face this chaotic world."
"Only in a world where the future is unseen and the light is unseen can a chosen one emerge who is capable of breaking all the rules."
"But how I wish peace were lasting, but... alas..."
Looking at Elder Gu appearance with his head full of white hair, Yu Qingnian felt a pang of pity.
He also thought how wonderful it would be if so many things hadn't happened in the world.
This is a war between Human Race and Eerie Monsters.
This is a war that risks the very survival of their race. They, the Human Race, haven't even figured out where this Black Mist came from. They are truly unwilling to accept defeat...