"Gu Chen is here. Thank you all for standing up for me."
Gu Chen turned around and bowed to the many War Soldiers, including Yu Qitian.
No matter what, these War Soldiers had spoken up for him and stood on his side against Lei Chao, whose influence was formidable.
Whether by reason or by feeling, Gu Chen had to remember this kindness.
"There's no need to thank us. We just couldn't stand that guy with his nostrils practically on his forehead, looking down on everyone."
The War Soldiers all burst into hearty laughter, telling Gu Chen not to take it to heart.
"If you really want to show your gratitude, then give it your all when we fight each other!"
Yu Qitian rubbed his fists, itching for a fight.
"Having to hold back every time we spar is no fun."
Gu Chen smiled and nodded.
"If Brother Yu wants to spar, then Gu Chen will gladly oblige."
At that, the War Soldiers grew excited all over again.
Right now, Yu Qitian and Gu Chen could be called the two undisputed top fighters in their camp.
A full-strength battle between the two would be a spectacle no one could afford to miss!
"Good. I'll come find you for a spar once you've recovered."
Yu Qitian said with a faint smile. He had no intention of taking advantage of Gu Chen.
"I'll hold you to that. Don't think you can back out when the time comes."
After chatting for a while, everyone left to rest. They still had a grueling afternoon of training ahead.
Once everyone had left, an ancient-looking, sword-shaped pendant around Gu Chen's neck spoke in a hoarse voice.
"That fellow doesn't seem inclined to let you off. What do you plan to do next?"
Only Gu Chen could hear the voice.
Gu Chen grinned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Strike first and gain the upper hand. Seven days from now, he'll be dead!"
"In these seven days, I have to gain enough strength to kill Lei Chao!"
Then Gu Chen suddenly changed the subject.
"You said before that becoming your sword master wouldn't cost me anything, right?"
The voice from the sword-shaped pendant was clearly taken aback. Then it asked in surprise,
"You've refused to become my sword master for so long. I didn't expect a small fry like Lei Chao to change your mind."
"If I'd known it would be this easy, I'd have stirred up a few people to give you trouble."
Hearing the pendant's teasing, joking voice, Gu Chen rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"A true powerhouse relies on nothing external. I believe that through my own efforts, I can become a mighty, towering powerhouse."
Gu Chen's eyes brimmed with indescribable confidence, as if everything he wanted was already destined to be his.
"But now I only have a week. Even if it's just for my younger brothers' safety, I have to kill Lei Chao and eliminate the threat for good."
The sword-shaped pendant fell silent for a moment, then spoke solemnly.
"Becoming the sword master means shouldering the sword master's duty. In the future, dangers beyond your imagination will stand in your way."
"When that day comes, even if you want to give up, there will be no turning back."
"Enough nonsense. I chose this path myself. Even if I have to crawl on my knees, I'll see it through!"
Gu Chen's eyes were filled with resolve.
"Good. Then first, throw away that worthless Qi Guiding Art of yours and cultivate the Nine Heavens Immortal Sword Art instead."
Gu Lin hurried on his way and soon reached the Logistics Camp.
But it was already mealtime, and Ma Tie and the other Logistics Soldiers had returned to camp with the Wild Beasts they'd just hunted.
Gu Lin asked around, but no one had seen Gu Han.
"Didn't Gu Han tell you? He's been going off on his own from the rest of us for the past few days."
Hearing this from Ma Tie, Gu Lin's brows knitted together.
"What a fool!"
Gu Han was stronger than the other Logistics Soldiers, but at most he was only a Second-tier Martial Apprentice.
The powerful Wild Beasts in the forests near the Military Camp had mostly been cleared out.
But if a Second-tier Martial Apprentice ran into danger, there was no guarantee he could keep himself safe.
And although Deng Li had ordered Lei Chao to remain under House Arrest and stay in the Warrior Camp for a week, Lei Chao had been in the Military Camp for years. They had only just arrived, so how could they know whether he had other connections?
Worried for Gu Han's safety, Gu Lin couldn't stop to rest. He grabbed a few steamed buns and headed straight for the forest.
The forest was thick with vegetation, and the paths were rough and uneven.
It was Gu Lin's first time going into the mountains, so he could only search slowly, following the traces left by others.
All the while, he clutched the dagger Gu Chen had given him.
Just like the one given to Gu Han, this dagger had been coated with a deadly poison that killed at the slightest touch of blood!
Meanwhile, after several days of hunting, Gu Han had reached the strength of a Fourth-Order Martial Disciple.
He was even just one step away from becoming a Fifth-Order Martial Disciple.
"Keep at it. Let's try to break through to Fifth-Order Martial Disciple today."
Ever since reaching Third-Order Martial Disciple, Gu Han had no longer been satisfied with the meager gains from hunting rabbits and wolves.
So the area he roamed now was where Wild Beasts ranged from the strength of Fourth-Order to Sixth-tier Martial Apprentices could be found.
Where there was danger, there was opportunity.
Gu Han could also use these Wild Beasts to hone his combat skills.
But Gu Han was a Logistics Soldier, after all. Returning to camp with the corpses of Fourth- and Fifth-Order Demonic Beasts would be far too shocking, and would likely draw other people's attention.
It might even attract people with ulterior motives, who could suspect he had some kind of treasure.
So Gu Han didn't bring the Demonic Beasts' corpses back.
He cooked some of the Demonic Beast meat that looked especially tasty over a fire in the wilderness and enjoyed it there.
As for the rest, he had no choice but to leave it behind.
Meanwhile, the War Soldiers punished by being sent to hunt Wild Beasts trudged through the mountains, grumbling bitterly.
"It's all that bastard Lei Chao's fault. Picking on Gu Chen and the others wasn't enough—he had to curse out all the new recruits too. He got Instructor Deng's attention, and now we're the ones dragged into this."
"Ugh, just focus on finding some Wild Beasts. Instructor Deng the Demon won't be playing around with you. If you can't bring back a hundred one-star, Fifth-Order Demonic Beasts, you'd better get ready to go hungry."
Just then, someone spotted a few hyenas in the distance, gnawing on a Demonic Beast's corpse.
"Holy crap, get away from that, you bastards!"
The War Soldier's heart leaped with joy. He charged over, and with his companions, quickly took care of the three hyenas.
"Three hyenas, plus this mostly intact corpse—that makes four!"
"Looks like we're not far from finishing the job."
The men grinned, collected the corpses, and continued onward. Soon, they realized something was off.
"We've been to this area before. How come there are so many Demonic Beast corpses?"
"And they all look like they've only just died."
Demonic Beasts fought each other too, but only to claim territory or feed.
If that had been the reason, there was no way the dead Demonic Beasts would have been left whole.
So how could there be a Demonic Beast corpse every few hundred meters, like there was here?
Not every one of them was a one-star, Fifth-Order Demonic Beast.
But if things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before they could pick up a hundred Demonic Beast corpses and complete their task!
"Who cares? As long as we finish the job."
Before you continue