Rules of the Training Camp

Ban Zhuang seemed somewhat annoyed as he glanced at the two of them. "I'm the boss of this dorm too!"

The two merely smiled noncommittally. "Without the two of us at the bottom, you wouldn't even make the top ten on the second floor."

Ban Zhuang seemed about to say something, but just then, someone knocked on the door. Aila entered carrying a brand-new set of bedding. "Get some rest if there's nothing else. Training starts at six tomorrow morning."

Aila placed the bedding on Jun Xuehan's bed and walked straight out.

Ban Zhuang and the other two stared at Jun Xuehan as though they had seen a ghost. "You really are from a commoner family?"

Jun Xuehan got up and began arranging his bedding. "Yes. Why?"

As he spoke, Jun Xuehan paid no mind to their question.

"If you're from a commoner family, why would Instructor Aila personally bring you bedding?" Ban Zhuang asked curiously.

"Doesn't everyone get it?" Jun Xuehan asked in confusion after arranging his bedding.

"Everyone gets it? You're thinking too much. We brought our own bedding. No instructor delivered any for us." As Ban Zhuang spoke, he began telling Jun Xuehan about the Training Camp.

After learning more, Jun Xuehan discovered that the instructors trained them every day, though the training content was not fixed. Their daily task was simply to complete whatever training the instructors assigned. Furthermore, the Heavenly Pride Competition was held every year, with the top ten talents of the Training Camp participating. The competition was also an important factor in determining rankings.

Therefore, many people formed alliances and created small factions within the Training Camp to suppress talented students and stifle their growth, ensuring better results for themselves.

"Won't the instructors do anything about it?" Jun Xuehan asked calmly.

"Heh, this is a world where Survival of the Fittest rules. Not only will the Training Camp not interfere, it actually encourages it. As long as no one dies, the instructors won't step in at all." Ban Zhuang looked out at the Training Camp, his eyes utterly calm.

"What factions are there in the Training Camp?" Jun Xuehan asked calmly as he leaned against the bed.

Ban Zhuang thought for a moment. "You can basically ignore the other small factions. You only need to know that there are three factions and one person in the Training Camp that you must not provoke. First is Long Qiang. His martial soul is the Demonic Wolf. He's already twelve years old, a level twenty-five Agility Assault System Soul Grandmaster, and the publicly acknowledged number one in the Training Camp."

"Second is Yin Bing. His martial soul is the Black Spirit Profound Serpent. He's a level twenty-three Agility Assault System Soul Grandmaster, ranked second in strength within the Training Camp."

"Third is Yan Xing. His martial soul is the Iron Arm Bear. He's a level twenty-two Defense System Soul Grandmaster, ranked third in strength within the Training Camp."

"The factions formed by these three are all named after their surnames. If you encounter people from those three factions, don't provoke them. As for the last person, he's Zong Ming. He's a complete madman who does everything according to his own whims. As for his actual strength, aside from the instructors, practically no one in the Training Camp knows."

"However, there are rumors that Zong Ming is stronger than Long Qiang and is the true number one in the Training Camp. But no one has ever seen him fight Long Qiang. Zong Ming may be a loner, but there's a saying in the Training Camp: better to offend the three major factions than Crazy Zong."

"Because in the Training Camp, people from the three factions still heed the camp's rules and won't try to kill you. But Zong Ming is different. He'll kill in secret."

Ban Zhuang explained everything in detail. After their conversation, Jun Xuehan had basically learned all there was to know about the Training Camp. He also learned the names of the other two, Yu You and Yan Feng, both level twelve Soul Masters.

After chatting for a while longer, the four of them lay down on their respective beds to rest.

As the first rays of dawn rose, sunlight once again spread across the earth.

At six in the morning, Jun Xuehan followed his three roommates to the Training Camp plaza.

More than a hundred Training Camp students stood in neat rows across the plaza, quietly waiting for the instructors to arrive.

Soon, five instructors appeared before them. Jie Kaer, who led the group, swept his gaze over them. "A little Morning Training first thing in the morning will make breakfast taste better. Run laps around the plaza for two hours."

"But remember this: no releasing martial souls, and no using Soul Power. Anyone who dares release a martial soul or use Soul Power will face serious consequences. The person running last won't have a good outcome either."

With that, Jie Kaer found a chair and sat down, quietly watching the Training Camp students.

Long whips appeared in the hands of the other four instructors. With a light flick of their wrists, the whips struck the ground. A sharp crack rang out, and cracks spread across the stone-paved floor.

"Gasp..." Waves of sharp inhalations sounded among the students.

The whips had cracked the ground with a single strike. If they landed on their bodies, there was no need to imagine how invigorating that would feel.

At the instructors' command, the students in the plaza began racing around the square. No one wanted to come in last, but someone had to be last.

The instructor looked at the student running at the very back, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. The whip in his hand lashed out without mercy.

Crack! The whip struck the last student. A pained scream escaped his mouth, and then his speed abruptly increased. In an instant, he had passed several other students.

Hearing the screams from behind, Jun Xuehan simply ran unhurriedly in the middle of the group. This position was inconspicuous, but it had two advantages: first, he did not need to worry about being whipped; second, it would not drain too much of his stamina.

The instructors had set a two-hour limit, meaning they had to keep running for two full hours. If they exhausted themselves by charging at the front from the start, they might avoid being whipped for the moment, but once their stamina ran out, getting whipped was practically guaranteed.

Jun Xuehan did not know what being whipped felt like, but he had absolutely no desire to find out. Besides, he was very familiar with morning runs. Before coming to the Genius Training Camp, he ran around Heaven Dou City every day.

And each of his morning runs generally lasted more than two hours, so this was not difficult for him at all.

Within the Training Camp, the stronger students and the older trainees mostly ran in the middle of the pack. Only a few newly arrived hotheads desperately charged ahead, raising the group's overall pace.