Trial Grounds

Xian Wu seemed much more cheerful after taking off his cloak.

In the afternoon, under a bright sun, the group of four walked along the bluestone path of Sacred Orchid Academy, led by Zhu Jun Xiang as they explored.

They visited the beginner warrior classroom, the library, the training grounds, and the sparring field.

The cafeteria and bathhouse were adjacent to the dormitories, so it wouldn't be too late to visit them on their way back.

"Hey, what do you think the women's bathhouse is like?" Lu Piao asked, hands behind his head, a lecherous look on his face.

He had a peculiar habit of peeping at women bathing, and the words "women's bathhouse" made him itch with curiosity.

Zhu Jun Xiang replied with a serious expression, "It's probably similar to the men's bathhouse, with large wooden tubs inside."

He had been inside the men's bathhouse and knew there was an old man in charge of the boiler who provided hot water.

"That's boring," Lu Piao said, somewhat disappointed. He had imagined something like a pool, and the conditions were too rudimentary, not as comfortable as home.

Xian Wu grumbled inwardly: It's good enough that it's free to use, and you're still being picky.

Nearly seventy percent of the students at Sacred Orchid Academy were from commoner families, and the large wooden tubs were intended for them.

"What is that place inside that high wall?" Nie Li asked, pointing to a tall building in the distance.

They had almost finished visiting the buildings to the south and were now heading north.

The dormitory area was located in the northwest corner of the academy, while that building was in the northeast, facing it from afar.

However, the building was enclosed by a tall wall, so they couldn't see what was inside.

Zhu Jun Xiang replied, "That's the Trial Grounds, jointly established by the legendary Spirit Master Ye Mo and the Black Gold Spirit Master Gao Yuan."

"Every year, powerful individuals from the City of Brilliance capture some low-level Demonic Beasts and release them into the Trial Grounds for the students to hunt and gain experience."

"Students below Silver Rank can enter, and they can keep any fur, Demonic Crystals, or Demonic Spirits they obtain."

"Once our strength increases and we reach the realm of a Bronze Warrior, we can go in to hunt Demonic Beasts and supplement our family's income."

The thought of being able to reduce his family's burden through his own efforts brightened Zhu Jun Xiang's eyes.

"Can't we go in now?" Xian Wu asked. His left hand was invincible, capable of easily killing any Demonic Beast that didn't use magic.

Zhu Jun Xiang scratched his head. "We can go in, but we won't be able to do anything once we're inside. We can only look around near the entrance."

"The weakest Demonic Beasts inside are already Bronze Rank, and those in the deeper parts are even more terrifying. There are rumored to be Gold Rank existences."

"But you don't need to worry. Gao Yuan, who is our academy's dean, is always researching Demonic Beasts in the depths of the Trial Grounds."

"If any student encounters mortal danger in the Trial Grounds, they just need to fire a signal flare, and the dean's assistants will arrive immediately."

Xian Wu nodded, surprised that the Dean of Sacred Orchid Academy was also a researcher.

The world outside the city had been overrun by Demonic Beasts. Every year, Demonic Beast Tides would attack the City of Brilliance, causing significant casualties.

Demonic Beast Tides ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands, and some even reached hundreds of thousands or millions.

It was said that the City of Brilliance had once faced a Demonic Beast Tide attack of tens of millions, nearly slaughtering all its inhabitants.

Xian Wu speculated that if a Demonic Beast Tide of hundreds of millions were to appear, the City of Brilliance would be utterly destroyed.

Therefore, how to dismantle the terrifying Demonic Beast Tides had become a common goal for the entire City of Brilliance.

The more one understood the weaknesses of Demonic Beasts, the easier it was to eliminate them. Dean Gao Yuan's actions were truly a monumental achievement.

"Under normal circumstances, one Bronze One Star Demonic Beast requires at least two Bronze One Star warriors working together to subdue."

"We aren't even Bronze Warriors yet, so the Trial Grounds are not a place we can venture into," Zhu Jun Xiang said, losing his enthusiasm.

Lu Piao was dismissive. "We're just going in for a look, it shouldn't be too dangerous, right?"

He had been bold since childhood, fearing nothing.

If he dared to peep at women bathing, how could he not be bold?

"Let's go take a look. I'm also very curious about what it looks like inside," Xian Wu said.

With the Demon Left Hand, as long as he didn't encounter a pack of Demonic Beasts or those that used magic, he could handle them with ease.

However, his Demon Left Hand would definitely be exposed then.

If only he had Hu Yan Lan Ruo's ability to erase memories.

Zhu Jun Xiang shrugged. "Since you all want to go, I won't stop you."

"Let's... let's go!" Nie Li raised his hand, then shyly retracted it.

Xian Wu shot Nie Li a look. He didn't know much about Tales of Demons and Gods, except that the protagonist was named Nie Li.

But how could their protagonist, who looked like such an idiot, save the world?

Was he going to muddle through?

He had initially planned to latch onto a powerful figure, but now it seemed... he had overthought things.

Based on his observations so far, Nie Li had no redeeming qualities whatsoever; he was practically Lu Piao's shadow.

Let alone saving the world, he couldn't even save himself.

Xian Wu suspected he had misread the script. Du Ze, from the commoner background, seemed more like the protagonist.

Thirty years of the east bank of the river, thirty years of the west bank, the kind of indignant youth who refused to be looked down upon for being poor.

And every time he saw Nie Li, he was stuck to Lu Piao like a conjoined twin. Who would believe they weren't gay?

Since he couldn't count on the protagonist, Xian Wu decided to go it alone.

With the Demon Left Hand by his side, as long as he developed stealthily and wasn't crushed in the cradle, he was sure to carve out his own piece of the world.

Then again, after provoking so many people right at the start of the semester, was he really developing stealthily?

There were always so many things and people he couldn't stand, making him unable to resist taking action.

Compared to powerful figures like Boss Cao who massacred Lu Boshe's entire family, his own level was still far behind.

Soon, the four arrived before the gate of the Trial Grounds.

"Halt! Please present your student IDs!" The two tall and mighty guards at the gate, wielding halberds, blocked their path.

Xian Wu stared enviously at the imposing armor on the guards, feeling an urge to possess it.

Armored warriors – that was the romance of most young boys.

The group each took out a wooden plaque made of a special material, engraved with their names and student numbers.

Warrior

Junior Class

Thirty-four

Xian Wu

The guard took the plaque, quickly glanced at the front, and then flipped it over.

A complex Inscryption was carved on the back. The guard injected his Soul Force into it, and the Inscryption lit up.

"Inspection passed, you may enter!" The guard returned the plaque to the four and turned to open the gate for them.

Judging by the guard's strained expression, the gate to the Trial Grounds was quite heavy, weighing at least a thousand to two thousand jin.

As the group entered the Trial Grounds, the guard called out to them, pointing his halberd to a small door on the left side of the main gate:

"Leave through the side door when you depart. Do not use the main gate. We will not open it even if you knock."

With that, the guard took four signal flares with pull cords from his pocket, tossed them to the four, and then retreated from the Trial Grounds.

The gate rumbled shut... Before the four lay a dark and deep jungle.