The exam candidates were already exhausted. Although Xia Yanbing's words had sparked a bit of renewed vigor in them, after walking for almost another half hour, someone finally couldn't hold back and cried out in pain.
A frail girl collapsed to the ground, clutching her legs, clearly suffering from severe cramps in both her calves.
"Zhu Ling, Tong Minmin, help her up, keep going."
But Xia Yanbing showed no mercy, instructing the two girls to support her and continue the journey.
As they pressed on toward the empire's sacred land, the march began to feel like a true ordeal.
Lin Xi's legs felt like they weren't his own. His feet were throbbing with sharp pain, probably from blisters that had burst.
There were forty-one freshmen in the Warfare Department, five of them were girls, and among the thirty-six boys, four were from Border Tribe origins. Though their tough and courageous aura stood out among the rest, even they were starting to suffer. Perhaps it was a habit from the border army, but all four of these carried long knives. One of them, a tall, silent boy, also carried a longbow and a quiver of arrows.
The extra weight had initially given the Border Tribes an edge in stamina, but after half a day's trek around Lingxia Lake, they had already exhausted that advantage. Now, these four had heavier steps than the others.
Suddenly, the quiet, tall boy collapsed to the ground, sweat pouring down his face—both of his legs were cramping.
"Everyone must know how to assess the situation. In the border army, carrying a knife is a habit due to the constant danger, but here, do you think our Qingluan Academy's knives are any less reliable than those from the border army? Do you think we can't guarantee your safety?" Xia Yanbing's expression darkened significantly, her tone now tinged with mockery as she spoke. "Your stamina was once the best among all of you, but because of these burdens, you're the first to collapse. Don't you think that's foolish?"
The other three Border Tribes quickly dropped their long knives, but the silent, tall boy stubbornly stood up, refusing to shed any of his gear.
All the other freshmen looked at him curiously. Even the black-haired man at the front turned around to give him a disapproving glance, his expression as though he wanted to reprimand him: "Boy, what's your name?"
The tall boy lowered his head. "My name is Tang Ke."
The black-haired man looked at him. "Give me one good reason not to throw those burdens away."
The tall boy's voice trembled slightly. "This knife and bow were left to me by my elder brother... He died in battle."
Lin Xi's brow twitched as he instantly remembered this stubborn boy's name.
"Very good." The black-haired man's eyes lit up with a strange gleam, a hint of madness in his expression. "You're loyal and have a strong spirit. I like you. I'll add half a credit to your score."
The rest of the freshmen were stunned. Now everyone knew how valuable credits were. Half a credit just like that?
"Professor Qin, no one has the authority to grant credits except for Professor Wang, who is teaching along the way. Please keep that in mind."
"Oh, I forgot. That doesn't count. I'll find a reason to add half a credit when we get back to the academy."
The exchange between Xia Yanbing and the black-haired man left the new students in awe.
"Lin Xi!" Mu Shan Zi suddenly approached him.
Lin Xi gave him a sharp look. "What is it?"
Mu Shan Zi gritted his teeth. "Let's bet again. Whoever can't hold out, has to shout the words I made you say earlier."
Lin Xi grinned innocently. "Sure." He pulled out a dried meat strip from his pack and began chewing it, handing a few pieces to Li Kaiyun beside him.
Mu Shan Zi was taken aback, and his stomach growled loudly. "That's not fair, I'm not betting anymore!" He sulked and walked off, clearly defeated.
Lin Xi smiled. This chubby guy, Meng Bai, really had an appetite. The pack he handed him was filled with crispy, well-seasoned venison jerky, some cakes, and fresh fruits. Among them was also a bunch of Black Ice Pears, which Meng Bai had mentioned to Lin Xi but he hadn't had a chance to try.
"Ah!"
Just as Lin Xi was enjoying a bite, a sharp pain shot through his left calf, and he couldn't help but cry out—his left leg had cramped up as well.
...
The other freshmen from Warfare Department were filled with a sense of future glory and loyalty to the empire. Lin Xi wasn't sure what kept him going, but he continued for another hour until more than half the group was barely able to walk on their own. It was then that the black-haired man and Xia Yanbing allowed them to stop and rest.
"Don't sleep, wait for food. First, take off your shoes, break the blisters with your hair, and apply this ointment, or you won't be able to walk tomorrow or the day after." Xia Yanbing lit several bonfires, commanding the group sharply.
None of them were able to rest immediately, as the sharp pain in their feet was secondary. Aside from Lin Xi and Li Kaiyun, the rest of them hadn't eaten anything since the afternoon, and their stomachs were grumbling with hunger. Even their throats felt dry and sour.
A large bamboo tube filled with pale green ointment quickly made its way to Lin Xi. He shakily punctured the blisters on his feet, and several more had already burst as expected. The moment the ointment touched his skin, it spread a cool sensation up his legs, relieving the swelling and pain almost immediately.
"Long winds sweeping on… holding a spear… decapitated heads never end… the blood of enemies never dries…" A faint, melancholy song drifted through the air.
The black-haired man emerged from a thicket, carrying three yellow antelopes that were even larger than he was.
"Thud!"
He casually threw the three antelopes near a bonfire. "You all did okay today. But from tomorrow, the task of hunting will be yours." He spoke casually, then effortlessly used a dagger to gut the antelopes, skinning them and removing the organs. Aside from the heads, the rest of the meat was cut into palm-sized chunks with bones still attached.
The hard bones cut easily under his blade, as though they were as soft as tofu.
"At least he's a Grand Soul Master. His soul energy can enhance his weapon." Li Kaiyun whispered in Lin Xi's ear.
"Do you all know how to roast meat?" The black-haired man asked, already preparing to roast the heads of the antelopes.
The delicious aroma of roasting meat filled the air, and the hungry freshmen swarmed toward the fire.
...
The meat of these antelopes was tender and fresh. The sizzling sounds and the rich scent of roasted meat soon spread through the entire camp.
Lin Xi was rubbing his sore legs when he noticed the frail girl, who had been the first to cramp up, sitting not far away by the bonfire with tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing her in such a state made Lin Xi, who wasn't shy, approach her and greet her. "Why aren't you roasting the meat? Can't you do it?"
"It's not that…" The frail girl looked up in surprise, obviously flustered, not knowing what to do with her hands. Her face contorted in a near-tearful expression. "I've been allergic to lamb since I was little… Every time I eat it, I get diarrhea."
"That means you're allergic to lamb."
"Allergic?"
"It's nothing. Here, you can have these." Lin Xi handed her the pack from his bag.
"No… but what about you?" The frail girl froze for a moment before becoming even more flustered.
"It's fine, I like antelope meat. I'll roast it myself." Lin Xi smiled and pointed to Li Kaiyun, who was already roasting a piece of meat.
"Seems like your people are okay." A voice came from behind Lin Xi.
He turned around to see a tall girl with a square face and a round-faced, fair-skinned girl looking at him. The tall girl pointed at the pack in front of the frail girl and said, "I thought you were going to eat all of it yourself."
Lin Xi thought this girl was rather forthright and smiled. Before he could respond, the girl with the hoarse voice introduced herself: "My name is Hua Jiyue, from the Bei Miao province."
"I'm Wang Xiaoqian, from the Nan Ling province." The fair-skinned round-faced girl beside her nodded at Lin Xi.
The frail girl quickly stammered, "I'm Bian Linghan, from the Qiantang province."
"My name is…" Lin Xi began to introduce himself but was interrupted by Hua Jiyue.
"Go roast the meat, Tianxuan student. Who doesn't know you're Lin Xi from Lulin Town?"