Challenge to Tier 7 (Part 2)

Yang Wenzhao led Long Haochen aside and actually bowed slightly to him in salute. Long Haochen quickly sidestepped. "Brother Yang, what are you doing?"

Yang Wenzhao gave a bitter smile. "There's something I'd like to ask of you. Please, you must agree." Long Haochen froze for a moment. "What is it?"

Yang Wenzhao lowered his voice. "I'd like to ask Brother Long to take good care of Yinger." "Hm?" Long Haochen looked at him in confusion. "When the teams were being chosen earlier, Brother Yang seemed to have chosen Yinger, but she didn't agree. Actually, there's no need for you to ask me. I'll protect her all the same. We're members of the same team." After hesitating slightly, Yang Wenzhao said, "To be honest with you, Brother Long, Yinger is my fiancée. Our families arranged our marriage when we were children. It's just that this girl is a little rebellious and unwilling to accept her family's arrangements, which is why things have ended up like this. No matter what, I'm her fiancé, but she isn't on the same team as me. So I can only ask Brother Long to look after her. I'm willing to give Brother Long one-third of all the Merit Points I earn in the future. What do you think?" Long Haochen's expression changed, and his voice became several degrees colder. "Brother Yang, I already said it. Yinger is a member of my team, and I will certainly protect her well. How could I take your Merit Points? That's enough. Let's leave it at that."

With that, he turned and walked away. To Long Haochen, Yang Wenzhao's attempt to tempt him with profit was practically an insult.

Watching his retreating back, Yang Wenzhao could not help patting his forehead. He had truly let concern cloud his judgment. He never should have said something like that to him.

Just then, Long Haochen stopped and turned back to Yang Wenzhao. "I'll protect every member of my team and won't let them suffer any harm." Yang Wenzhao nodded. "Brother Long, I'm sorry about what I said just now."

Long Haochen waved a hand and returned to his companions.

At that moment, Holy Knight Captain Han Qian of the Knight Temple entered the trial grounds with ten brawny men, all at least forty years old and dressed in fitted white uniforms. At the sight of him, the Demon Hunt Squads swiftly fell silent.

Han Qian stopped at the center of the trial grounds, while the ten men lined up behind him.

"From today onward, you are officially members of soldier-grade Demon Hunt Squads. I'm sure you have all seen what Merit Points can bring you. This is also one of the important reasons why Demon Hunt Squads are known as the cradle of the strong. You can probably guess what comes next. That's right. Next will be the newly promoted Demon Hunt Squad team competition. On the battlefield, individual strength will always be insignificant, while an outstanding team is the source of miracles. The team competition will no longer have you face one another in direct matches. That would only be a waste of time. Shortly, you will leave Holy City and depart from here for the border, where you will spend three months in military service."

"There, you will face the cruelty of the demon race directly, but it will also be your most direct opportunity to earn Merit Points. After three months, the team with the highest total Merit Points will take first place in the team competition, and so on. The team competition only rewards the top three teams. First place will receive one thousand Merit Points, second place five hundred, and third place three hundred. I mean each individual within those teams."

One had to know that even Long Haochen, champion of the individual competition, had received only one hundred Merit Points. Yet Han Qian had opened with one thousand Merit Points for every member of the champion team. That meant the team would have a chance to rapidly advance to commander-grade Demon Hunt Squad status! For a moment, everyone's eyes lit up.

On the battlefield, individual strength would be greatly diminished. A team's strength was by no means as simple as adding up the abilities of its individual members. Anyone could potentially claim the final championship.

Han Qian continued, "The ten men standing behind me are Guardian Knights. They will each serve as your leaders. They are all heroes who have fought the demon race for many years. On the battlefield, you are to learn from them well. Leaders, take your positions. Depart."

The Temple Alliance had clearly put considerable thought into this. The best place to temper people was naturally the battlefield. If one wanted a team to grow quickly and develop teamwork, then a battlefield where they constantly faced the threat of life and death was clearly the best place to forge them together. To ensure these children's safety, the Alliance had sent these ten Guardian Knights. Their task was not merely to protect the newly promoted Demon Hunt Squads; they were also responsible for cultivating the squads' core knights. For any team, the knight responsible for coordination, defense, and command was always the most important.

The ten Guardian Knights stepped forward one by one, each arriving before a newly promoted Demon Hunt Squad.

The one assigned to Long Haochen's group was a burly man about the same build as Sima Xian. He looked to be around forty years old. His chiseled face was filled with sternness. There was a scar on each side of his neck, as well as a circular scar nearly two inches across on the side of his head.

Gu Sheng: "He's here—the leader who'll train you is here. Remember, don't use your full strength. Try to bring it down in one go, to roughly Long Haochen's level."

Cai'er: "All right, Brother."

Mm-hm.

Arriving before the group, Gao Yingjie raised his right fist and struck his left chest. In a deep voice, he said, "My name is Gao Yingjie. From now on, I will be your leader for the next month. I will not be responsible for commanding you in battle, but I have the authority to correct your decisions at any time. My task is to ensure that you can leave the battlefield alive three months from now. The three months will begin the moment we arrive at the battlefield. Before we depart, I first need to understand your strength." Chen Yinger asked with the curiosity of a child, "Leader, how will you do that?"

Gao Yingjie glanced at her. "Battle is always the best way to test one's strength. You have only just formed your team, so I'm afraid you have never fought together before. In that case, I will be the first target you challenge."

Upon hearing that, Sima Xian and Wang Yuanyuan were the first to react. The two of them were the most battle-hungry; otherwise, they would not have trained a shield warrior and a priest into powerful fighters.

Wang Yuanyuan asked, "Leader, what rank are you?"

Gao Yingjie replied calmly, "A Seventh-rank Temple Knight. However, in my match with you, I will not use my flying ability or summon a mount."

Wang Yuanyuan said eagerly, "Then if we beat you, do we get any benefits? Like some Merit Points or something?"

Long Haochen had not spoken the entire time. Just as Gao Yingjie had said, this team had only just been formed. He needed to observe his companions more closely and familiarize himself with everyone's traits. Now, he had discovered one of Wang Yuanyuan's traits—greed...

"Win?" A trace of a smile appeared on Gao Yingjie's resolute face. "I cannot directly give you Merit Points. However, if you win, I will become a member of your team and temporarily serve as one of your Guardian Knights, obeying your captain's commands. On the battlefield, all Merit Points I earn will be divided equally among your team members."

"It's a deal." This time, Long Haochen spoke, settling the matter with a single word.

The leaders were assigned to protect these newly promoted Demon Hunt Squads, so naturally they would not directly join their battles against the demon race. They would only act at extremely necessary moments. This man was a Seventh-rank Temple Knight! If he could temporarily become part of their team, then both the quantity and quality of demons they hunted would undergo a qualitative leap. At that point, what team could compete with them for first place?

Although challenging a seventh-rank opponent would be extremely difficult for them, Gao Yingjie was, after all, a Guardian Knight rather than a Punishment Knight. Moreover, there was no real danger involved, and he was not even summoning a mount.

Why not take a chance at such a good opportunity?

Seeing the eager looks on these youths' faces, Gao Yingjie found it somewhat amusing. These children... Did they really think challenging someone above their rank was so easy? And by two ranks at that. One had to know that the entry threshold for a Seventh-rank Temple Knight's spiritual energy was as high as ten thousand. Not to mention, he was no ordinary Temple Knight.

The other Demon Hunt Squads left one after another under their leaders' guidance, and Han Qian departed as well. Only their Demon Hunt Squad remained in the Knight Trial Grounds.

Gao Yingjie walked straight to the center of the grounds. A shield and sword appeared in his hands, though he wore no armor. The shield and sword looked like nothing more than the most ordinary standard-issue knight weapons. They probably did not even qualify as magic-grade equipment.

"Come."

Long Haochen stepped forward several paces and moved to the front of the team. He swiftly donned his Holy Spirit Set. With a flash of white light, Holy Spirit Protection activated, and a hazy layer of white radiance immediately enveloped all of his companions.

"Sima, Berserk. Yuanyuan, inlay. Yinger, summon from the rear. Lin Xin, support our defense. Han Yu, defend the front with me. Cai'er, adapt as needed. Go."

Long Haochen issued his commands rapidly. This was their first time working together, so there was no teamwork to speak of yet. They could only use direct verbal commands.

As he spoke, purple light flashed from between Long Haochen's brows, and Haoyue appeared. However, Long Haochen did not mount him, instead having him remain at the rear.

Han Yu also equipped himself. His heavy sword in his right hand swiftly completed its rune summoning, and twisted light appeared above his head. A strange magical beast emerged in the air above him.

At the sight of this magical beast, even Gao Yingjie, a Temple Knight, was stunned for a moment. Han Yu's magical beast companion was simply too bizarre.

It was an eyeball roughly two feet in diameter, as large as a millstone. Yes, it was nothing but a giant eyeball, with a black tail hanging beneath it. Its pupil was black as well. The enormous eye rolled about continuously, while distorted bands of light flickered around it, giving it a distinctly sinister aura.

Gao Yingjie said in surprise, "An Evil Eye? What a rare magical beast companion!" Long Haochen was also slightly stunned. When he had defeated Han Yu before, Han Yu had never summoned a magical beast.