41: Want to give me a warning?

Clutching the cold, black token, Li Dong turned and left the registration office.

He still clearly remembered Executive Chen's face behind him—that deliberate Make things difficult and inherent arrogance felt like his old face had been brutally torn off, thrown to the ground, trampled hundreds of times by shoes that had stepped in dog shit, spat upon, and finally thrown into a pigsty to plaster the walls!

The Prefecture Demon Suppression Division truly lived up to its name.

Before even officially starting, he had already experienced what it meant to be put in his place and the indifference of human relations.

His hard-earned extraordinary rating, which he had struggled to achieve, seemed to have become a joke and original sin in the eyes of some people here.

That's fine.

This is even better.

It saves him the trouble of having to pretend.

He weighed the token in his hand; his name and the words "New Recruit Camp" were engraved on it.

New Recruit Camp? Heh.

It sounded like a starter village, a place specifically prepared for "newbies" like them.

Following the faint guidance on the token, Li Dong walked through several corridors, feeling the surroundings become increasingly remote.

The main stronghold was solemn and awe-inspiring, exuding a suffocating pressure, while this side was clearly... much more down-to-earth.

The buildings weren't as grand, some even appeared somewhat old, and the Spiritual Qi concentration in the air couldn't compare to the main stronghold, but it was still much richer than Mu Shi County.

It seemed the New Recruit Camp's status within the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division was just so-so.

Indeed, when he arrived at a relatively open courtyard and saw the "New Recruit Camp" sign hanging, Li Dong's judgment was further confirmed.

The courtyard wasn't small, but the architectural style inside was unadorned, even somewhat crude.

Compared to the buildings outside, which often came with Formation halos, this place was practically a slum.

There were already a few scattered figures moving around in the courtyard, and judging by their attire and faint Auras, they should all be newly arrived Demon Suppression Guards.

As Li Dong stepped through the courtyard gate, an old man sitting at a stone table in a corner of the courtyard looked up.

This old man wore ordinary gray cloth clothes, his hair was white, and his face was deeply lined, appearing unremarkable, but Li Dong could feel that he possessed a Foundation Establishment Realm - Middle Stage Cultivation, and his Aura was much more solid than that of the arrogant Executive Chen before him.

The old man's gaze swept over Li Dong and landed on the token in his hand.

"New here? Give me your token." The old man's voice was a bit hoarse, not enthusiastic, but certainly not as aggressive as Executive Chen's earlier. He took the token Li Dong handed him, glanced at it, and nodded.

"Li Dong, from Mu Shi County, recommended quota... Mm." The old man returned the token to Li Dong, "My surname is Wang, just call me Manager Wang. I'm responsible for the daily affairs of the New Recruit Camp."

Manager Wang stood up and pointed to several buildings in the courtyard. "These are the dormitories, that's the training ground, and behind is the mission assignment and merit exchange office. The New Recruit Camp lasts for three months. During these three months, you will undergo basic training, complete assigned missions, and accumulate merit points."

His speaking pace was not fast, but his points were clear.

"The rules are simple: obey arrangements, train diligently, and earn merit.

Merit points are everything here. They determine what kind of dormitory you can live in, what kind of Cultivation resources you can use, what level of guidance you receive, and even whether you can leave the New Recruit Camp on time and enter the core departments of the Demon Suppression Division."

"After three months, there will be an assessment. Those with outstanding performance will be assigned to various positions based on their specialties and merits. Those who fail..." Manager Wang paused, a hint of coldness flashing in his cloudy eyes, "Either get out, or... you can only start as the lowest-level handyman. Whether you can make a name for yourself depends on your own fortune."

Indeed, competition was everywhere, and even more blatant.

Li Dong understood.

Merit points, this thing seemed to be the hard currency of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

"Your dormitory is Room C-3, go there yourself."

Manager Wang pointed in a direction, then ignored Li Dong, sat back at the stone table, and closed his eyes to rest.

His attitude wasn't exactly good, but at least he didn't deliberately make things difficult.

Li Dong didn't expect him to greet him with a smile; being businesslike was good enough.

He walked in the direction Manager Wang pointed and found the C-block dormitory area.

The buildings here looked older. Pushing open the door to Room 3, inside was a relatively spacious room, furnished with six simple wooden bunk beds, and matching tables, chairs, and cabinets, quite spartan.

There were already four people in the room.

When Li Dong entered, the four were gathered together, chatting about something. Hearing the door open, they all looked over in unison.

Four gazes fell on Li Dong, carrying undisguised scrutiny and assessment.

Li Dong also roughly scanned them.

These four people looked to be around twenty years old, and their Cultivation were all in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Three of them were in the Early Stage, and one had subtly reached the Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase Peak, his Aura noticeably stronger than the others.

It seemed that those who could enter the New Recruit Camp of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division were indeed not weak; at least they were all Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Recalling that in Mu Shi County, the Foundation Establishment Realm was already at the captain level, Li Dong couldn't help but sigh again, this Prefecture truly was a place where "Foundation Establishment cultivators are everywhere, and Body Refining cultivators are worse than dogs."

"New here?" A square-faced young man was the first to speak, his tone relatively polite, "Which city are you from? What's your name?"

"Li Dong, Mu Shi County." Li Dong found an empty bed by the wall and put down his simple luggage.

"Mu Shi County?"

As these three words came out, the atmosphere in the room immediately became somewhat subtle.

The eyes of the other three instantly changed. Originally, it was just scrutiny; now, there was a bit more... an indescribable something, perhaps curiosity, perhaps disdain, perhaps both.

The young man whose Cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase Peak, wearing a noticeably better quality blue outfit and appearing somewhat arrogant, even let out a direct sneer.

"Mu Shi County? That kind of godforsaken small place can produce Demon Suppression Guards? And even a recommended quota to directly enter the New Recruit Camp?" The blue-clothed youth scrutinized Li Dong from head to toe, his expression practically screaming "I don't believe it."

He took two steps forward, standing in front of Li Dong with a condescending posture. "My name is Lin Fan, from the Lin Family of the Prefecture. This is Brother Zhao, whose Family is a prominent clan in Qing He City. This is Brother Sun, a disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect. And this is Brother Qian, a Loose Cultivator, but also a skilled expert who has been venturing in the Prefecture for many years."

He introduced them one by one, emphasizing his own and the other two's "backgrounds," while only briefly mentioning Brother Qian, the Loose Cultivator, clearly showing who he was closer to.

"The few of us all got in by our own strength, or our families and Sects put in great effort to secure our quotas." Lin Fan raised his chin, his words pointed directly at Li Dong, "You, from Mu Shi County, your Cultivation... tsk tsk, Foundation Establishment Early Stage? Did you get incredibly lucky and snatch a recommended quota?"

This question was quite impolite, full of provocation.

Brother Zhao and Brother Sun next to him also showed expressions of watching a good show. Brother Qian, the Loose Cultivator, silently stepped back half a step, seemingly not wanting to get involved.

This old man is truly screwed.

Just sent off an Executive Chen, and now another Lin Fan?

Are they treating me like a soft persimmon to be squeezed, wanting to use me to establish their authority?

Are the Geniuses of the Prefecture all so fond of such low-level entertainment?

Seeing Li Dong remain silent, Lin Fan assumed he was intimidated by his Aura and background, and his arrogance intensified. "Kid, let me tell you, the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division is not like your county's petty squabbles. The waters here are very deep; without strength or background, you can't move an inch!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "strength" and "background."

"Your Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivation is just bottom-tier here. In a place like Mu Shi County, where Spiritual Qi is thin and resources are scarce, your lucky Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment probably means your ancestral grave is smoking green." Lin Fan's lips curled into a sneer, "Once you're in the New Recruit Camp, you have to face reality. Here, a bigger fist and a stronger background are what truly matter! You, who got in by luck, had better keep your tail between your legs, otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was already very clear.

Li Dong finally looked up at Lin Fan.

There was no anger, no rebuttal, not even a hint of emotional fluctuation.

He just looked at Lin Fan calmly, as if looking at a... well, a clown?

His gaze was very faint, as clear as plain water, yet it carried an indescribable penetrating power, as if he could directly see through Lin Fan's petty schemes.

Lin Fan felt a chill in his heart from being stared at like that.

What's going on?

Logically, a guy from a remote county with bottom-tier Cultivation, being humiliated like this to his face, should either be enraged or submissive, shouldn't he?

Why this reaction?

He felt like his full-force punch had landed on cotton, soft and without resistance, leaving him feeling somewhat stifled.

This kid... is a bit strange.

Could the rumors be true? That extraordinary rating from Mu Shi County... No, impossible! It must be an exaggeration!

Lin Fan suppressed that inexplicable discomfort in his heart and coldly snorted: "What are you looking at? Am I wrong?"

Li Dong still didn't speak.

He merely withdrew his gaze and began to tidy his bed, as if Lin Fan's lengthy speech just now was nothing more than wind in his ears.

Hmm, you're right, but I don't understand.

This kind of disregard was more upsetting to Lin Fan than any fierce rebuttal.

He felt his cheeks flush, as if he had been invisibly slapped.

"You!" Lin Fan wanted to say something more.

"Alright, alright, Brother Lin, we're all in the same dormitory, we'll be seeing each other all the time, no need to make things so tense right from the start." The square-faced Brother Zhao stepped in to mediate, but judging by his eyes, he was clearly siding with Lin Fan, just not wanting to escalate the situation.

Brother Sun also chimed in: "That's right, Brother Lin, didn't Manager Wang just say that the New Recruit Camp looks at merit? If you have the ability, show it in the missions."

Lin Fan's expression changed several times, but he ultimately held back.

He glared fiercely at Li Dong, dropping a phrase: "Hmph, just a good-for-nothing, we'll see!"

Then he turned and returned to his bed.

A small skirmish, temporarily quelled.

But Li Dong knew, this was just the beginning.

People like Lin Fan, arrogant and self-important, having met a soft rebuff from him today, would certainly not let it go.

Moreover, looking at the attitudes of the other two, they clearly regarded Lin Fan as their leader.

In this dormitory, he seemed to have already been isolated.

However, Li Dong didn't care.

He came to the Prefecture not to make friends, and certainly not to play house with these second-generation rich kids.

He had more important things to do.

Improve his strength, earn merit, gain authority, and then... figure out what the hell was going on with that damned "demon-attracting incense" and "spirituality fragment," and expose the mole hidden within the Demon Suppression Division who might be colluding with demons!

This was his primary goal.

As for provocations from the likes of Lin Fan?

If they behaved themselves, Li Dong wouldn't bother with them.

If they insisted on asking for trouble... Li Dong's lips curved into a subtle arc.

Then he wouldn't be polite.

He tidied his bed simply, then sat cross-legged on it, silently circulating his Cultivation Technique, sensing the Spiritual Qi around him, which was several times richer than in Mu Shi County.

Although the environment was crude, the rules strict, and annoying flies buzzed around, for Li Dong, as long as there was enough Spiritual Qi and opportunities for advancement, it was enough.

Merit points... it seemed he had to find a way to get his hands on them quickly.

Whether it was for exchanging Cultivation resources or for gaining access to more core secrets in the future, this stuff, the more the better.

Just as Li Dong settled his mind, preparing to familiarize himself with the Spiritual Qi environment here, the dormitory door was pushed open again.

This time, it was Brother Qian, the Loose Cultivator from before, holding a few thin sheets of paper in his hand.

"Here, Manager Wang asked me to distribute these, the New Recruit Camp regulations handbook, and the basic training schedule for the next three days." Brother Qian handed out the papers to everyone. When he gave them to Li Dong, he hesitated for a moment, then quietly added, "Lin Fan's Family has considerable power in the Prefecture, you... be careful."

After saying that, without waiting for Li Dong's response, he hurried back to his bed, looking like he didn't want to cause more trouble.

Li Dong took the papers, his gaze falling on them.

The regulations were dense, and the training schedule was packed.

It seemed the days in the New Recruit Camp wouldn't be too leisurely.

Lin Fan glanced at Li Dong's side, then heavily snorted again, picked up his own handbook, and started reading it.