At dawn, just as the sky began to brighten faintly, Jiang Chen awoke from his cultivation.
After finding a shop and eating a hot breakfast, he arrived at the central square of the city and waited patiently.
He hadn't arrived particularly early; many boys and girls were already waiting in the square.
As the first ray of sunlight shone into the city, a massive bell rang out suddenly, echoing through every corner of the city.
In an instant, countless youthful figures surged out from every street, heading toward the square.
In less than five minutes, all the participants had gathered in the central square.
Only then did Jiang Chen realize that the number of people participating in the special training far exceeded his estimate from yesterday.
He roughly counted; there were at least one hundred and thirty people in the square, and he also sensed several powerful auras. Those auras were completely unrestrained, clearly much stronger than the others.
Great Soul Masters!
"As expected, there are still Great Soul Masters," Jiang Chen thought to himself.
After all, this place gathered geniuses; it was normal for a few Great Soul Masters to appear.
"Damn, how is there such a small one? Nearly made me trip and eat shit." Someone glanced at Jiang Chen and grumbled curses, but before he could teach Jiang Chen a lesson, Jiang Chen had already been squeezed somewhere else in the crowd.
Jiang Chen looked innocent, very much wanting to say, "Big brother, you're the one who doesn't watch where you're walking."
Indeed, almost everyone had their heads raised, looking forward and squeezing toward the front.
Squeezed in the crowd, Jiang Chen was carried along involuntarily, surrounded by boys and girls who were more than half a head taller than him, causing him to nearly get trampled several times.
On the high platform at the front of the square stood a middle-aged man with a steady aura, around fifty years old.
Behind him stood a row of people, some middle-aged, some young, all standing respectfully.
While being "swept along by the current," Jiang Chen suddenly sensed a peculiar aura. This aura gave him a strange feeling, inexplicably attracting him.
His expression turned somewhat odd. This sensation felt somewhat familiar, like the attraction blood had for him, but he was certain this wasn't blood; it should be some kind of special thing.
Before he could carefully sense where this thing was coming from, the middle-aged man on the platform spoke, so he had to hold back.
The middle-aged man pressed his hands downward, and a terrifying pressure burst out from his body, pressing toward the crowd below.
The overwhelming pressure was like a mountain, instantly making the boys and girls feel suffocated. The entire square fell silent in an instant.
His gaze swept across the crowd; anyone who met his eyes couldn't bear it and lowered their heads.
"You have half a minute to form two lines."
As soon as his voice fell, the entire crowd moved. Jiang Chen, who originally couldn't see the middle-aged man, was suddenly pushed forward by someone behind him, right to the front row, directly in the center, standing right below the middle-aged man.
Jiang Chen curiously looked at this middle-aged man. The other party had an ordinary appearance, and like the uncle who had brought him here, his face was stiff and cold.
Half a minute passed, and the lines were formed.
"I am your chief instructor, Long Shan."
His voice was very low and deep, yet filled with explosive power, as if every word could make everyone's hearts tremble.
Low gasps of shock immediately rose from the quiet group, some fearful, some incredulous.
"My god, it's actually one of the three most bloody and brutal chief instructors. I didn't expect this batch to still be him."
"In the previous batch, he was also the chief instructor, and in the end, almost everyone died; only three survived out of over a hundred."
"The other instructors are much better; each time, at least a small half can pass."
"Mom, I want to go home..."
"I heard the previous batch had an accident, that's why..."
Jiang Chen's ears twitched slightly as he listened to the crowd's comments about this instructor.
Long Shan paid no attention to the trainees' discussions. After two minutes, he spoke again: "Now, those who want to leave can go. This is your last chance to leave. If you don't leave this time, your only outcome is one: pass, or die!"
Many people's faces immediately turned pale, and some truly stepped out and silently left the group.
After those people left, Long Shan continued: "Very good, only ten people left. Your courage exceeds my expectations. Now, we begin roll call."
As his words fell, a young woman walked forward from behind him.
She had a voluptuous figure, her waist soft as if boneless, swaying dramatically with each step. She wore a tight cyan outfit that clung tightly to her full curves, causing many boys' eyes to light up instantly before their faces flushed red.
"I am one of your deputy instructors. You can call me Qing Qing. Now, when your name is called, reply 'here'."
Her voice was pleasant, and her smile somewhat charming. To Jiang Chen, this woman felt like a venomous snake.
"Miao Renfeng."
"Here!"
...
She called names quickly, and soon it was Jiang Chen's turn.
"Jiang Chen."
"Here!"
The childish, high-pitched voice rang out, instantly drawing many gazes. Even Qing Qing, who had been keeping her head lowered, curiously raised her head to look at Jiang Chen.
Seeing such a small child, a look of interest appeared on her face, but her gaze didn't linger long before she continued calling names.
The moment he answered, Jiang Chen noticed the chief instructor Long Shan looking in his direction, his gaze pausing for a moment.
"It seems this is the instructor Teacher mentioned, the one I can seek help from once," Jiang Chen thought to himself.
"A total of one hundred and thirty-eight registered, ten left, one hundred and twenty-eight remaining. The youngest is six years old, the oldest eleven years old. All present."
Qing Qing closed the roster and swayed back to the line of deputy instructors.
Watching her swaying figure in the tight outfit, many boys' eyes bulged, and some even had nosebleeds that wouldn't stop.
Long Shan stepped forward again and said, "This training is expected to last up to three years at most. Including me, there are seven instructors in total. A reminder: no matter how great your grudges are, killing is not allowed once you return to the city."
"The first training begins in half an hour. I can tell you clearly: if you try to pass this stage relying solely on your own strength, ninety-nine percent of you will fail, even die. Therefore, I allow you to form teams. Now, free activity. We depart in half an hour."
The crowd instantly erupted into commotion. Such brutal training on the very first day, even though they had heard of Long Shan's infamous reputation, was still beyond what they had imagined.
Many people reacted and began grouping up, seeking strong teammates.
For a moment, the entire square was filled with the sound of self-introductions as people displayed their strength to find powerful allies.
Jiang Chen kept weaving through the crowd, searching for that special sensation that attracted him. Finally, after pushing out from the crowd, he saw a small group not far away.
This small group had seven people in total, with a pretty girl surrounded like the moon among stars in the center.
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up. The one giving him that special feeling was precisely this girl, and she was a Great Soul Master.