Chapter 138: A Gathering of Heroes
Three hours later, a massive silver transport plane soared through the sky deep within the mountains of Celestial Sea City.
BOOM!!
"The Practical Training Base was once a War Base. After being abandoned, it was re-established as a base for the Practical Training Camp."
"This base is jointly run by the military, the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos of Cang Province, the Martial Arts Education Bureau, and the Celestial Sea Martial Arts University. That’s why it’s abbreviated as the—Joint Training Base."
"The Joint Training Base is built deep in the mountains, far from any city. All the Calamity Beasts in the surrounding forests have been cleared out."
Aboard the Giant Sparrow transport plane, Zhao Hai, who was seated at the very front, stood up. His voice boomed like a great bell, deep and resonant, ensuring everyone could hear him with perfect clarity.
Most people looked out the windows. Their view was filled with endless mountain ranges and a vast, unbroken expanse of towering, giant green trees.
In the distance, at the edge of their vision, metal structures slowly came into view. Massive Steel Fortresses stood tall and imposing, forming a huge perimeter.
At the Core was a cluster of buildings, all constructed from high-strength alloys that glinted in the sunlight.
Lin Qi even saw a huge, gray statue. It depicted a powerfully built, middle-aged man with a resolute and determined expression, holding a Battle Saber.
The statue was so lifelike, especially with the distinct gash on the Battle Saber in its hand. The moment one saw it, it was as if a flash of saber light was slashing right at them.
It made even Lin Qi instinctively close his eyes.
Beside it was a giant plaque—Celestial Sea Martial Arts University!
"It’s Celestial Sea University!" someone exclaimed.
"Who is that statue of?" someone asked.
"You idiot, you don’t even know that?" someone scoffed.
"That’s Xue Wanpeng, a Peak Martial Artist of the Eighth Realm and the first principal of Celestial Sea Martial Arts University."
"He’s a hero who fought side-by-side with Emperor Red to fend off the Calamity Beast invasion. He’s been in history textbooks and on TV several times. Are you even from Celestial Sea?"
Someone explained the statue’s origin.
"The moment I saw the saber, I felt a flash of light slash at me. Was that an illusion?" someone asked in alarm.
"We felt it too!"
"The gash on the Battle Saber was made by Principal Xue himself. The Mental Realm within it has yet to disperse," Zhao Hai explained.
Everyone was in awe after hearing this, and some began to fantasize about becoming an Eighth Realm Martial Artist themselves one day.
"Is the Joint Training Base located at Celestial Sea University?" someone suddenly asked.
Zhao Hai shook his head and pointed behind them.
"The Joint Training Base is next door to Celestial Sea University."
The crowd looked again. Past the Core Region, they saw a sprawling base from which all sorts of cold glints reflected.
There were watchtowers and, on the tall base walls, massive, cold, triple-barreled cannons aimed at the sky.
The entire place had a black, grim aesthetic, radiating an aura of Slaughter that washed over them.
BOOM!!
In the distance, other transport planes were also arriving, slowly descending onto a vast and massive airfield.
"We’ve reached our destination! Everyone disembark in an orderly fashion," Zhao Hai shouted.
Everyone stood up and filed off the plane.
ROAR!!
The moment he stepped off the plane, Lin Qi was met with a cacophony of noise as gusts of fierce wind battered his face.
Looking around, he saw an enormous airfield with dozens of transport planes parked on it.
"Hello, everyone. We’re students from Celestial Sea University, and we’re here to be your guides today."
In the distance stood four young men and women. They looked youthful and exuded a powerful vitality, their Qi Blood abundant and their eyes bright and full of spirit.
One of them, a pretty girl with striking features, smiled as she spoke, winning over many of the students.
Lin Qi sensed their auras. With his sharp Perception, he could tell the four of them posed no threat. ’They’re weak,’ he concluded. ’Not even on par with Li Lang. No, I’m giving them too much credit. Li Lang is a top-thirty genius in Celestial Sea City, after all. These four are just ordinary students.’
The pretty girl in the long blue dress said with a smile,
"Please follow me. I’ll lead everyone to the assembly hall."
The whole group followed her. Not far away, people from other transport planes were walking alongside them.
"Brother Qi, this airfield is huge!" Jiangtao exclaimed from beside him.
Lin Qi also scanned his surroundings. The airfield was ridiculously large, and the surrounding buildings stretched as far as the eye could see.
Everyone walked along the airfield, joined by other groups along the way, their numbers constantly growing.
A dense sea of people had formed, all of them geniuses from across Cang Province. Their auras emanated from them uncontrollably.
The atmosphere grew tense and oppressive.
After a few moments, everyone had gathered in a spacious hall. In front of them was the exit.
Countless soldiers in dark green military uniforms also appeared around the crowd.
The four students from Celestial Sea University departed, leaving the students seemingly encircled.
At the same time, everyone began to size each other up.
"Brother Qi, over here are the geniuses from Celestial Sea City. That one’s Zhou Xiyin."
Jiangtao, standing next to him, pointed to a girl with a remarkable presence not far away.
"Zhou Xiyin, the number two from our Celestial Sea City. Her nickname is Thunder Sound Sword. Her sword strikes like a thunderclap ripping through the sky, as fast as Lightning."
Lin Qi looked over curiously, noticing that both Zhou Xiyin and Jiang Miaoyin had the ’yin’ sound in their names.
She was wearing a white sweatsuit and had her hair in a ponytail. Her figure was athletic and tall, and below her sport shorts was a pair of long, straight legs.
Jiangtao then pointed to a handsome guy with golden hair. "That’s Li Ke. He’s of mixed Chinese and Western descent. His nickname is Knight’s Lance. He’s pretty good-looking, but not as handsome as the two of us."
Lin Qi nodded. "I know him. I was the one who eliminated him in the Genius Tournament."
Jiangtao froze for a second, then gave a thumbs-up. "Brother Qi, you’re a beast!"
Next, he pointed to another person. This one was handsome, with a build that didn’t look particularly strong compared to the others.
But he radiated a unique Sharpness that made him stand out in the crowd.
Jiangtao pointed at him and said, "Brother Qi, you should recognize this one, right?"
"It’s Wang Qiufeng, number one in our Celestial Sea City. His title in the Red Realm is Wind God."
"He’s also one of your main competitors this time, Brother Qi."
Lin Qi nodded and looked at him. Before now, he had only known of Wang Qiufeng through the Red List and from what others had said.
Now, he was finally seeing him in person.
"Brother Qi, there’s one last person."
Jiangtao gestured toward a tall and burly young man in the distance who was over two meters tall and had an overbearing aura.
"That’s Chen Li, nicknamed Overlord Sword. He’s been on TV. He killed 25 Calamity Beasts in a row at Magic Cube Plaza in Bailu City. His record is even more insane than yours, Brother Qi."
"He’s also your strongest competitor."
"But we believe in you, Brother Qi. You can surpass him."
Lin Qi looked at Chen Li. The guy had an imperious disposition and a ferocious aura.
’He’s one of the targets I plan to suppress this time. In fact, so are Wang Qiufeng and Zhou Xiyin.’
He saw Guo Heng in the distance, standing with Lv Xiang, Wu Feng, and Qiu Siying.
Guo Heng waved a greeting.
Lin Qi and Jiangtao waved back.
Seeing this, Wang Qiufeng asked curiously, "You guys know Lin Qi?"
Guo Heng nodded in acknowledgment. "We’re friends!"
Lv Xiang added with a smile, "We all met at the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo."
Wang Qiufeng looked at Lin Qi in the distance. The guy was tall, with excellent proportions, and his body seemed to contain terrifying power.
His expression was cold and stern, his aura heavy and fierce.
’Hidden Tiger. A super-genius who keeps his true abilities concealed!’
"I’ve heard of his reputation as well. I look forward to a thrilling exchange during this Practical Training Camp!"
Not far away, geniuses like Zhou Xiyin and Li Ke were also silently observing the other talents.
After a classmate pointed them out, Chen Li committed the faces of Lin Qi, Wang Qiufeng, and Zhou Xiyin to memory.
’In this Practical Training Camp, I’m going to leave everyone else in the dust.’
...