Destiny Star emerged from the storage ring. As usual, it was worried.
Tianlei found its concern a little amusing, especially since it was a spirit beast. A cold chill burst from its body toward Tianlei's wound, and it began healing him.
But there was no way he could regain a lost finger. Body reconstruction was far beyond his league.
"I need to become stronger. Maybe…" Tianlei thought.
He tapped his forehead, and a boiling, milky liquid emerged.
"What if I refine the Bodhi Blood Essence…"
"Attention all cadets and provisional executors. Prepare for the games."
"Games…?"
He hurriedly returned the Bodhi Blood Essence to his forehead, placed his hand on Destiny Star, and it disappeared back into the storage ring. Luckily, Destiny Star's healing magic removed all the stains from his new uniform.
Just as he got up, footsteps approached his bed.
"Like they said, prepare for the games," Xue Yuchen said.
Xue Yuchen. That name—Xue—also belonged to Xue Ren. There was no way they could be related. If they were, Xue Ren would have at least hinted that he wasn't alone here.
"Your wound healed fast."
"But my finger won't," Tianlei finished. There was a sharp edge to his voice he didn't even realize was there.
"Okay."
"Based on what I see, you don't know what the games are, do you?"
No matter how much he didn't want conversation right now, Tianlei knew nothing about this place or its activities. Even a fat woman had cheated him of his money just to give him a little insight and this one was offering information for free.
"I don't even know what my rank requires me to do."
"Well, that's simple. A provisional executor is a squad leader and overall commander for cadets. And when it comes to the games… they're deadly. Luckily, they don't include killing."
"Attention cadets and provisional executors. Please report to the designated area for further instructions."
"Good luck," Xue Yuchen said, saluting before walking away.
That salute felt more like mockery than encouragement. He had to lead a group of well-built men with his thin body into some kind of game. They would surely expect him to deliver victory.
The designated area was the central building. He spotted the fat woman who had given him his new uniform talking to someone. Her gaze fell on him, and she smiled before walking toward them.
Her fat body made it impossible for her to balance properly, but she still managed to reach them.
As soon as she arrived, all cadets straightened, placing their hands just above their right chests.
"Meet Honorary Lieutenant!"
Their voices echoed as they raised one foot and stomped it onto the ground with a loud thud. This surprised Tianlei even more ,there was no way this fat lady possessed such a high rank but as she said,' looks don't define who you are'
Unlike everyone else, Tianlei didn't salute , only straightened his body a few seconds later.
She shook her head mockingly, then waved her hand.
"Alright. Follow me, you amateurs."
They followed her down a corridor that led underground to a massive hall with a platform in the middle.
"Go on, provisional executors."
Two briefcases rested atop small pillars on the platform.
"Each of you will choose a briefcase. It contains the names of your teammates and your team color."
Tianlei and Muyan stepped forward. Muyan glanced at him with disdain, as if daring him to challenge. Tianlei ignored the stare and picked the right briefcase. Muyan chose the left.
Tianlei opened his revealing a tablet holding some names with a black mark insignia on top which meant his team color was black
Muyan's was red.
He scanned the names, and his eyes narrowed. His team didn't have a single Vanguard-level master , only peak Soldier-class cultivators. Muyan's team, on the other hand, consisted of Muyan himself, a three-star Vanguard-level master, Xue Yuchen also Vanguard-level and several others.
Tianlei's team had three senior cadets which were Han Yu, Tianyu, and Han Kai who were close to Vanguard-level. Muyan's group had none.
It was structured to look fair but it wasn't.
Each group had nine members, including the provisional executor.
The fat woman stepped onto the platform and touched the air before her. Space rippled inward, forming a wormhole.
"Proceed."
Muyan shot Tianlei a devilish smile before entering the wormhole with his team.
Tianlei followed, already cursing his horrible misfortune. His team was discussing among themselves, clearly pointing fingers in his direction.
He sighed and stepped into the wormhole.
After a moment, he and his squad emerged into what looked like a cave.
The siren screamed.
The sound seeped through the underground hall like a living thing, vibrating against the concrete walls and settling deep into Tianlei's bones. The cadets behind him shifted uneasily.
Above them, a massive steel gate began to descend.
A holographic screen flickered to life midair. Lines of data scrolled rapidly before stabilizing into a single insignia , the emblem of the Military Branch.
Then a voice followed.
"Welcome, provisional executors, to your first operational assessment."
Tianlei's gaze shifted forward.
Across the chamber stood Muyan, hands relaxed at his sides as if this were nothing more than a casual inspection. His blue eyes swept over Tianlei's squad with thinly veiled contempt before locking onto Tianlei himself.
A smile crept onto Muyan's face.
"This trial is designated: The Convergence Trial."
The hologram expanded, revealing a three-dimensional map of a sprawling underground ruin layered with open kill zones like a corpse-stacked grave.
"Location: The Sunken Grid."
The Sunken Grid was infamous . It was an abandoned military sector located within a hill on the outskirts of the Great Di Forest.
"Each provisional executor will command one squad."
"Objective: retrieve and activate three Cores located within the Grid."
Three pulsing markers appeared on the map.
"The first team to complete activation gains extraction priority. Before that, you will undergo a set of trials."
Tianlei's instincts tightened. The Military Branch never designed systems without redundancies or knives hidden in the fine print.
"Executors are prohibited from direct engagement unless specific conditions are met."
That earned a glance from Muyan, whose smile widened slightly.
"Cadets who fall are not extracted."
"Trial begins in sixty seconds."
The gate sealed shut with a thunderous clang.
Tianlei exhaled slowly.
He turned to face his eight cadets.
Some avoided his gaze. Others watched him closely, measuring the weight of the man placed above them. None looked confident under his command.
But he had to act like a leader. There was no room to be undermined.
"Listen," Tianlei said, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his chest. "This is an extraction-priority trial. Do your best."
Tianyu, standing near the back, frowned. Though his rank was lower than Tianlei's, his strength was greater.
"So how are we sure you'll lead us to success?"
"I can't guarantee success if you don't cooperate," Tianlei replied. "As a senior cadet, I expect full obedience and cooperation. Understood?"
Someone swallowed audibly.
"And if we run into Team Red?" another cadet asked.
Tianlei's eyes flicked toward the sealed gate separating them from Muyan.
"Based on what I see, our team is weaker in raw strength. For now, avoid direct combat."
The siren hummed again.
The floor beneath them shifted, revealing a descending platform that dropped them into darkness, lit only by flickering lights.
The air inside the Sunken Grid was stale and metallic.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance. Ruins stretched endlessly in all directions, vertical shafts cutting through levels like open wounds.
Tianlei raised a hand.
The squad halted instantly.
He crouched and brushed his fingers across the glass floor. Two corridors lay ahead, separated by a glass bridge they had to cross.
"What the heck is this?" Han Yu asked.
A voice echoed through the chamber.
"Cadets, before you are two corridors. One is made of tempered glass. The other is ordinary glass. To pass this test, choose a path. One of you must walk on it."
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Not only did he have to choose the path, but also risk one cadet's life. Luckily, there was no killing , anyone who fell would be saved.
The only way to distinguish tempered glass…
His mind flashed back to physics lessons he had never paid attention to.
"Light… tempered glass has stress marks… reflections, maybe…"
"What are you doing?" a cadet whispered.
"Shh," Tianlei silenced him, narrowing his eyes at the Left glass bridge.
Then the room darkened, reducing visibility but as someone who possessed spiritual energy , that alone wouldn't stop him.
But the voice echoed again, sharp and mocking.
"Use of spiritual energy is restricted unless authorized."