Chapter 103: Conspiracy
Besides being fast, Su Li's sword skill was extremely terrifying.
Duan Ling Tian was sure of at least one thing: Su Li's sword skill was fast enough to compete with his Sword Drawing Arts...
Sword Drawing Arts was only able to manifest the might of a high grade Profound Rank sword skill when attacking unexpectedly.
Su Li's sword skill, however, was a genuine high grade Profound Rank sword skill!
Moreover, it was obviously one of the top sword skills among the high grade Profound Rank sword skills.
"The Synchronous Shadow Sword I passed on to Li Shi Shi is still slightly inferior to his sword skill.... Perhaps only Ke Er's Freezing Sword can compare to it," Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart.
Ke Er's Freezing Sword was part of the top cultivation method Frost God's Sword Technique and was also the foundation for the succeeding profound sword skills within the Frost God's Sword Technique, so it was extremely extraordinary.
"Unless I exerted all my strength, or my Spirit Serpent Movement Technique breaks through to the Perfection Stage, it would be extremely difficult to defeat this Su Li!"
Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath and his eyes flashed with a trace of an intent to do battle.
As time went by, dusk slowly approached.
At this time, the Genius Camp tests were drawing to a close.
After Su Li, although there were many third level Core Formation youth genius that were quite extraordinary, they were still inferior to Su Li...
"Number 237."
As the Captain spoke, a youth so robust that he looked like a cow walked out quickly, his imposing manner piercing through the sky.
"Hmm?"
Duan Ling Tian, who was originally slightly drowsy, suddenly jolted awake and looked towards the robust youth.
"This guy isn't simple."
Xiao Yu had a serious expression. He obviously noticed as well.
Meanwhile, the ten enemy kingdom soldiers followed him into the arena and pounced towards the robust youth.
Hua!
The robust youth's body trembled.
In the blink of an eye, six ancient mammoth silhouettes condensed into form above him...
"Fourth level of the Core Formation Stage!"
"Another one at the fourth level of the Core Formation Stage!"
Many of the youths in the crowd couldn't stop themselves from exclaiming.
The expressions of the ten enemy kingdom soldiers that flew out all distorted greatly.
Meanwhile, the robust youth had already closed the distance between him and the second level Core Formation soldier.
Clap!
He slapped out his palm and knocked the soldier out cold.
This was nothing; he proceeded to extend his hand and hoist up the soldier's body, hoisting it up as easily as lifting a feather. He treated the body as a weapon and swung it out towards the remaining nine enemy kingdom soldiers.
The nine enemy kingdom soldiers were repeatedly blasted away... and they were all, without exception, killed from impact.
The enemy kingdom soldier that the robust youth used as a weapon had long since become badly mutilated. Although the body seemed to have some slight movements, even god would find it difficult to save him.
Suddenly, the robust youth lifted his hand and tossed up the soldier.
Whoosh!
His leg moved out like a bolt of lightning!
Ka!
The body of the enemy kingdom soldier dislocated at the waist and was kicked away flying before crashing down onto the ground without any signs of life.
The surrounding drill grounds fell into a deathly silence.
"Haha... Good, good!"
The Iron Blood Army's Vice Commander laughed heartily. The youths that participated in this year's Genius Camp test really gave him too huge of a pleasant surprise.
Especially this youth in front of him; he was virtually a combat machine...
If he were to enter the battlefield, he would certainly slaughter the enemies in all directions!
"What's your name?" Qiao Qing Shan asked.
The robust youth cupped his hand towards Qiao Qing Shan and respectfully said, "Reporting to Vice Commander, Sir! I'm known as Tian Hu!"
"Tian Hu, well done."
Qiao Qing Shan smiled as he nodded without sparing any commendations.
Immediately, the hundred plus youths present at the drill grounds looked at Tian Hu with envious and jealous gazes.
"This Tian Hu is extremely formidable."
Duan Ling Tian's pupils constricted.
"I didn't expect that this many freaks would appear for this year's Genius Camp test..."
Meng Quan laughed bitterly.
At the same time that Meng Quan sighed, there were plenty of people who were similarly sighing.
"So many black horses actually appeared during this year's Genius Camp test... Tsk tsk, four youths at the fourth level of the Core Formation Stage is truly shocking!"
"Yeah, in any other year, if even one fourth level Core Formation youth appeared, it would be enough to cause surprise. But this time four people actually appeared."
"Especially that Duan Ling Tian. Although his current strength might not be on par with Su Li's and Tian Hu's, he's still young. Once grows to Su Li's and Tian Hu's age, he will certainly be even more terrifying."
...
These words all entered Yu Xiang's ears.
Yu Xiang's eyes flashed with a trace of cold light, revealing a killing intent.
"Once he grows up to the age of Yu Xiang and Tian Hu, then he will surely be even more terrifying?"
The corners of Yu Xiang's mouth curled into a sneer. "Then he will at least need to be alive until then...."
"It'll end soon," Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart as his gaze once again descended onto the drill grounds.
In the later part of the test, over ten youths died, but there were also over ten youths that passed the test...
At this moment, the Genius Camp test completely came to a close.
The Captain had returned to the side of the Iron Blood Army's Vice Commander and whispered something in his ear.
Qiao Qing Shan took a step forward and looked at the group of youths that seemed to have matured within a day as he slowly said, "First of all, congratulations on being able to pass the Genius Camp test... It's needless to say that this year's test was beyond my expectations. Besides the amount of people that passed being higher than the previous years, there were even a few peoples whose strength shocked even me!"
The people present all knew who Qiao Qing Shan was talking about when he spoke about their shocking strength.
For a moment, nearly everyone present had their gazes divided towards four places, respectively being Duan Ling Tian, Su Li, Tian Hu, and Yu Xiang...
The four of them were absolute black horses!
"Tonight, all of you can enjoy yourselves... but starting from tomorrow, you will all become members of the Genius Camp, and for the next year, there won't be any luxuries for you to enjoy. Although all of you are extraordinary, based on our past experience, there won't be more than ten of you alive in a year."
Qiao Qing Shan dispersed the crowd of youths after he finished speaking.
After a year, no more than ten would survive...
None of the youths that left the Iron Blood Army drill grounds doubted what Qiao Qing Shan had said.
As the Iron Blood Army's Vice Commander, Qiao Qing Shan had seen countless young geniuses die during the Genius Camp training over the years.
What he said was something extremely worth believing, as it came from experience.
"Tsk tsk... No more than ten people. I roughly counted earlier and there were 98 people who passed the Genius Camp test." Meng Quan couldn't help but be astounded.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Duan Ling Tian shook his head and laughed.
"Let's have a feast tonight. We won't have the chance to enjoy ourselves for a year starting tomorrow," said Xiao Yu.
"Right, let's open up our stomachs tonight and fill them to the brim!" Meng Quan grinned.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Duan Ling Tian took the lead and walked towards the restaurant.
After eating their fill that night, Duan Ling Tian's group of three took a stroll around Iron Blood City before heading back to the inn.
Duan Ling Tian cultivated until deep into the night before slowly falling asleep.
He deeply anticipated the arrival of the Genius Camp's training.
In a vast, brightly illuminated room of another inn.
"Brother, I'm sorry."
Yu Xiang lowered his head.
Opposite Yu Xiang stood a 25-year-old young man.
The young man was wearing casual clothes, and there was a similarity to Yu Xiang between his brows. However, at this moment, his eyes flickered with a ghastly brilliance, and mixed within was a trace of rage and killing intent....
"It isn't your fault. You don't have to blame yourself."
The young man was precisely Yu Hong, the elder brother of Yu Xiang.
"Brother, it's all because of that Duan Ling Tian. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had an argument that eventually attracted the Vice Commander over."
Yu Xiang's eyes emitted killing intent as he spoke.
"Don't worry, as long as he enters the Genius Camp, I have ways to kill him."
Yu Hong tightly clenched his fist as his Origin Energy started raging and swept out....
Under extreme rage, eleven ancient mammoth silhouettes appeared above him.
Eight level of the Core Formation Stage!
"Brother, didn't that Wang Mang say that you have to avoid doing anything that would arouse suspicion?"
Yu Xiang was dazed.
"Yes, I do."
Yu Hong's eye flickered and the corners of his mouth curled into a sneer. "But of the few Centurions that are in charge of the Genius Camp, two of them are good friends of mine.... When the time comes, all they will have to do is play a few underhanded tricks and that Duan Ling Tian will undoubtedly be dead!"
"Great!" Yu Xiang's was wild with joy.
In the largest tent of the Iron Blood Army's quarters.
"Qing Shan, I heard there were a few good seedlings in this year's Genius Camp."
A refined middle-aged man sat at the head. He emitted a warm smile as he looked at the stalwart middle-aged man beside him.
"Yes, Commander, Sir!" Qiao Qing Shan nodded with a face full of delight.
"I'm really getting curious as to why you're still happy even until now... Tell me the details."
The refined middle-aged man lightly smiled. His interest had been aroused.
Probably no one would have imagined that the cold-blooded Iron Blood Army's Commander would be such an ordinary and refined scholar once he removed his armor.
"Yes," Qiao Qing Shan answered respectfully.
"Among the four of them, the only one I heard about before was Yu Xiang, the younger brother of Decurion Yu Hong... But, although this Yu Xiang's strength isn't bad, he is a mediocre person and will not have any great achievements."
Qiao Qing Shan had an expression of disregard when he spoke of Yu Xiang.
"Isn't Yu Hong a Centurion?" The refined middle-aged man was dazed.
After hearing Qiao Qing Shan's explanation, he finally understood the whole story, and his expression sunk as he grunted. "This Yu Hong is too presumptuous! How could the Iron Blood Army allow him to use his authority for personal gain?"
"That's why, out of consideration of his previous merits, I gave him a chance. If he doesn't know how to change his ways, we can only discharge him from the Iron Blood Army," QIao Qing Shan said.
"You handled this matter well. That Duan Ling Tian is the second person that caught your attention?" the refined middle-aged man asked curiously.
"Exactly."
Qiao Qing Shan nodded. "This Duan Ling Tian isn't even seventeen yet, but he isn't humble nor arrogant.... He was even unfazed when faced with the murderous aura I released on purpose towards him. I suspect that although he is still young, but he's already killed quite a few people."
"Not even seventeen but killed quite a few people?" The refined middle-aged man was dazed.
"Yes. Later on, in order to prove my suspicions, I purposely observed him... As a result, I noticed that when faced with the brutal murderous scene in the drill grounds, unlike the other youths, he was unfazed and just watched coldly from the beginning till the end. It's hard to imagine how a youth that's only sixteen years of age could be able to achieve such a feat," Qiao Qing Shan continued.