The Trial Begins Before Entering the Camp
8,000 combat power was only the average. Among the thirty-odd people, quite a few were Intermediate Martial Artists.
A Junior Martial Artist had a base combat power of 5,000, while an Intermediate Martial Artist had a base combat power of 10,000.
8,000 combat power still fell within the range of a Junior Martial Artist.
But even Junior Martial Artists varied in strength.
Take Guan Jie of Hailin City, for example. He was also a Junior Martial Artist, but his combat power was only 5,000.
Clearly, Guan Jie wasn't qualified to attend the Southeast Province's Genius Training Camp.
When Ye Nan appeared in their field of vision, several people immediately stopped paying attention to him.
Others looked Ye Nan up and down, seemingly very interested in him.
"Ye Nan, you're here."
A smile appeared on Wang Lingxi's face when she saw Ye Nan.
"Mm."
Ye Nan nodded in response, then sat down beside Wang Lingxi.
"I heard this year's Genius Training Camp is insanely brutal. We might get a nasty welcome as soon as we enter."
"What's there to be afraid of? My combat power has already reached 10,000. I'm not afraid of any challenge."
"Your combat power has reached 10,000, but mine is only a little over 8,000. I'm still really scared."
"..."
As Ye Nan and Wang Lingxi listened to their conversation, neither showed much reaction.
He only hoped that the month-long Genius Training Camp wouldn't disappoint him.
If it did, that would mean wasting a month.
A short while later, everyone had arrived.
Once everyone participating in the Southeast Province's Genius Training Camp had arrived.
A staff member led them to a bus and addressed the dozens of geniuses:
"Everyone, board the bus in an orderly manner. We're heading to East Mountain now. That will be the main base of the Genius Training Camp."
Hearing the staff member's words, everyone began lining up to board the bus.
Ye Nan and Wang Lingxi boarded as well. Since they knew each other, they naturally sat together.
Along the way, the geniuses on the bus chatted with one another.
Most of them weren't particularly arrogant, though some rested with their eyes closed, looking wild and unruly.
"I don't hope for anything else right now. I just hope this month at the Genius Training Camp will help me grow."
"Who doesn't? If it can't help us grow, why would anyone come to this Genius Training Camp?"
"Your ambitions are too lofty. All I want right now is for the Genius Training Camp not to be too brutal. If it's too brutal, I won't be able to take it."
As everyone talked on the bus, it had already left Southeast City and was heading toward East Mountain.
East Mountain lay in the wilderness outside Southeast City, not too far away.
After fierce beasts invaded the planet, the wilderness had become extremely dangerous.
These geniuses came from cities across Southeast Province, and their elders usually took them into the wilderness for training.
It could be said that they had some actual combat experience.
However, there usually weren't any fierce beasts on the road from Southeast City to East Mountain.
Just as the geniuses on the bus continued chatting, full of longing and anticipation.
Suddenly, the bus jolted violently, turning everything inside upside down.
"What's going on?"
The geniuses on the bus were all Martial Artists, and they had some composure.
But now they were all somewhat bewildered, unable to understand why the bus was suddenly shaking so violently.
"Driver, do you even know how to drive?"
"Drive properly, or else..."
"Fuck, the driver's gone!"
As everyone on the bus cursed and shouted, they suddenly saw the driver vanish from the driver's seat in a flash.
Before the geniuses on the bus could react, the bus crashed straight into the rock wall ahead.
The bus stopped after hitting the rock wall, leaving the geniuses aboard badly shaken.
"Get off the bus."
Ye Nan spoke to Wang Lingxi.
He thought to himself that the driver suddenly disappearing at a time like this was probably a trial set by the training camp instructors.
"Mm."
Wang Lingxi nodded solemnly, then got off the bus with Ye Nan.
The dozens of geniuses also realized what was happening and inwardly felt contempt.
They hadn't even reached East Mountain, and the trial had already begun?
After everyone had gotten off the bus, a rather imposing voice suddenly rang out around them.
"Hello, students. I'm one of your instructors."
"That's right, you guessed correctly. Your trial has already begun. Receiving an admission notice is only the first condition for entering the Genius Training Camp. What comes next is the most important part."
The geniuses looked around and saw no one, but they did spot several loudspeakers.
Clearly, the voice was coming from those loudspeakers.
The dozens of geniuses were somewhat dumbfounded by the unexpected announcement.
In their eyes, receiving an admission notice for the Southeast Province's Genius Training Camp.
Didn't that mean they'd already successfully entered the training camp?
Were there other conditions?
"Next, you'll make your own way to East Mountain. Along the way, you'll face attacks from fierce beasts and alloy automatons."
"Whoever successfully reaches East Mountain will be admitted to the camp."
Then the voice came from the loudspeakers again.
Hearing the voice from the loudspeakers, the geniuses could no longer remain calm.
So the conditions for entering the Genius Training Camp were this demanding?
The geniuses soon recovered from their surprise.
They were all as fired up as if they'd been pumped full of chicken blood, as though primordial power had surged within them.
As the top geniuses of Southeast Province, what they loved most was a challenge.
They thought that since this was an admission trial, it couldn't be too difficult.
If it were too difficult, wouldn't hardly anyone make it into the Genius Training Camp?
"There are many routes to East Mountain, enough for each of you to choose one. You cannot form teams for the admission trial."
"Lucky students may not encounter any danger at all, but unlucky students may face dangers at every turn."
"All right, best of luck to you. The admission trial officially begins!"
As the geniuses listened to the voice from the loudspeakers, they all noticed numerous signposts not far away.
For example, Route 1, Route 2, and so on!
"Let's go. It's not like we can avoid it."
A young man shook his head.
After saying that, he was the first to head forward.
Seeing this, the other geniuses quickly followed.
Ye Nan and Wang Lingxi did the same.
Meanwhile, in a room on East Mountain.
Qing Lingxue, Shi Wu, and Zhang Hao watched the large screen before them.
Of the dozens of routes to East Mountain, all were monitored once they reached the second half.
As for the first half, they disdained to watch it.
"I don't think those geniuses know yet that this admission trial is actually a farce. It's impossible to complete."
"I think it's enough as long as they try. Now let's see if anyone can make it through the second half."
"Even if they don't make it through the second half, they can still enter the camp. They've just been fooled, that's all."
Shi Wu and Zhang Hao talked.
Seeing that Qing Lingxue hadn't spoken, the two turned their gazes to her.
"Lingxue, why aren't you saying anything?"
"I was wondering whether the peerless genius Governor Xiao mentioned could make it through the entire route."
Qing Lingxue spoke slowly.
Shi Wu and Zhang Hao were both stunned by her words.
"Don't joke, Lingxue. To make it through the entire route, you'd need to be at least a Junior Grand Martial Master. We set up a trial like this in the first place to make these geniuses understand where they stand."
"That's right. We don't have a heaven's chosen like that in Southeast Province."
Neither Shi Wu nor Zhang Hao believed it. They thought that even the peerless genius the governor had spoken of.
At the age of someone who had just taken the college entrance exam, he could never make it through the entire route.
Ye Nan had chosen Route 19.
A dense forest appeared before his eyes. Entering it felt rather like surviving in the wilderness.
Roar!
He hadn't gone far when the roar of a fierce beast rang out.