"Student Zhao Mu, do you have any concerns?"
Golden Elephant City asked with a smile.
Zhao Mu shook his head: "I'm just used to being alone, it's fine. You should go look for someone else!"
Golden Elephant City stared at Zhao Mu for a moment. Zhao Mu still maintained a faint smile, leaving Golden Elephant City with no choice but to leave.
As for Li Zixuan and Zhou Haoyu, he did not continue to invite them.
Li Zixuan and Zhou Haoyu sighed internally. Once Golden Elephant City left, they felt a sense of loss, afraid they had missed a perfect opportunity.
"Zhao Mu, I think what he said makes sense. Moreover, the Jin Family of Lujiang City is not an ordinary Family, and Golden Elephant City must be very powerful."
Zhou Haoyu hesitated as he voiced his inner thoughts.
Zhao Mu smiled, crossing his hands to prop up his chin, and asked lightly, "Have you studied mathematics?"
"Huh?"
Zhou Haoyu was stunned for a moment.
Zhao Mu continued matter-of-factly: "When you encounter a situation where you can't make up your mind, you can use an extreme state to approach the correct value. This is called the Squeeze Theorem."
"Suppose forming a group is the most likely way to successfully pass the trial. Under an extreme state, Golden Elephant City's team could encompass everyone participating in this trial."
He looked at Li Zixuan and Zhou Haoyu, "Do you think Qingfeng Camp will let everyone pass the trial?"
Zhou Haoyu and Li Zixuan were stunned. Of course that was impossible!
Zhao Mu continued slowly: "When a person does something, they always have a purpose. What is Golden Elephant City's purpose in organizing so many people to group together?"
Li Zixuan said, "He is naturally trying to ensure that he can pass the trial."
Zhao Mu nodded.
"You are right. Tracing back to the source, his purpose, according to the First Principles, is simply for himself to pass the trial."
"And he didn't gather so many people out of kindness. He just wants to turn these people into his tools."
"In other words, it's a circle centered around him, designed to secure his core interests."
"And once this team encounters a crisis, the first ones to be sacrificed will definitely be the others."
He looked toward Golden Elephant City, who was still tirelessly and smilingly inviting others to join his team among the crowd, and smiled faintly.
"If we accepted his invitation, we would definitely be swept up by a team centered around his will, forcing us to make sacrifices in the name of the team."
The two felt as if they had been enlightened, finally understanding Golden Elephant City's intentions, and immediately a layer of cold sweat broke out on their backs.
If there was really something good, why would someone approach you, a complete stranger?
"However, on the other hand, joining his team is not without benefits."
Zhao Mu laughed: "If you lack confidence in your own strength and want to gamble on having good luck—not being one of the first ones sacrificed—you certainly can join his team. It's like gambling; if you win the bet, you might pass the trial."
Zhou Haoyu and Li Zixuan chose to keep quiet.
Because they knew their strength wasn't outstanding, participating in such a group meant they would most likely be treated as cannon fodder.
Furthermore, once they joined Golden Elephant City's team, Zhao Mu would definitely stop caring about them.
At this moment, above the massive tiered lecture hall surrounding the plaza, by a third-floor window, a black-haired young woman slightly frowned, her gaze fixed on Zhao Mu sitting on the steps.
Shen Moran was directly admitted without examination as a B-rank Special Recruit.
Special Recruits are allowed to observe the entire process of the trial.
Although she wasn't directly participating, this was equivalent to indirectly experiencing it once.
She saw Zhao Mu. He was still the same as in the past—tall and long-limbed, sitting placidly on the steps, as if the surrounding commotion had nothing to do with him.
"Even though he is about to face an extremely dangerous trial, can he still be so relaxed?"
"This guy, just to spite me, is willing to go to such lengths."
Shen Moran felt a bit resentful in her heart.
Entering Qingfeng Camp does not automatically mean one will become an officer.
If their performance is not outstanding, they will also be sent to the battlefield early to face life and death.
No matter how she looked at it, she felt that the life she had arranged for Zhao Mu—to coast in the logistics department for five years, then return home, marry, have children, and live a normal life—would be better than him risking everything here.
"To prove to me that you aren't useless, you chose to risk your life. Zhao Mu, you are still too naive."
Shen Moran gently shook her head.
At this moment, a teasing voice came from beside her: "What can be done when some people are immersed in past glory and refuse to wake up?"
Shao Han came up beside her, leaning on the window railing, smiling as he looked down.
Following Shen Moran's gaze, he naturally saw Zhao Mu as well.
A hint of sharpness flashed in Shao Han's eyes.
"Talent E, the lowest grade of Spiritual Energy Talent. His path ahead can be seen clearly to the end. It would be remarkable if he could achieve a Breakthrough to the third Spirit Energy User Rank, Sharp Edge, in the future."
"Shen Moran, you don't need to waste your feelings on him."
Shen Moran frowned and turned to leave: "We broke up a long time ago, it's just..." She paused, then slowly said, "We are still ordinary friends."
Shen Moran did not want to talk more with Shao Han, and she flipped her long hair and left.
Shao Han leaned against the windowsill, staring at Shen Moran's retreating figure with a half-smile.
"Just ordinary friends, huh? Then..."
A cold glint flashed across his eyes: "You shouldn't mind if I do something to him, right?"
...On the plaza, Trial Participants arrived one after another. The required time for assembly was before 8:00 AM, and no one dared to be late.
Zhao Mu appeared to be sitting there, but in reality, the proficiency of the Turtle Breathing Technique was already increasing.
[Turtle Breathing Technique]: Proficiency 155.4, 155.5, 155.6... After reaching the second stage, the increase in proficiency became slower and slower, but with every slight increase, Zhao Mu's body could clearly feel the change.
He really liked the feeling of constantly growing stronger.
After a while, Li Zixuan and Zhou Haoyu ran back, panting heavily.
Zhao Mu could rest here, but they dared not.
To prepare for the subsequent trial, the two decided to provide some value, so they ran into the crowd to gather information.
"Zhao Mu, we finished gathering information. Awakener from major universities across Lujiang City have come for this trial. Fortunately, the B-rank Monsters were all directly admitted, so they won't participate in this trial."
"But among the remaining people, there are quite a few difficult individuals."
Zhao Mu: "Oh? Tell me about it."
The two led Zhao Mu to the very top of the steps. From this position, they could clearly see most of the plaza.
The two pointed to several spots and began recounting the information they had gathered for Zhao Mu.
"Among all the candidates this time, there are a total of seven people who are currently the most prominent."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)