94: Chapter 94 Might Makes the Rules

Elder Ye brought Lin Fan to a waiting area of the Heavenly Pride Training Camp in Kyoto.

"Kid Lin, wait here. Someone will come to meet you later."

After saying that, he disappeared, leaving a bewildered Lin Fan behind.

...

The massive military transport plane jolted violently in the air currents.

The cabin was dim and oppressive, with two rows of seats filled with young martial artists from all over the country.

Most of them were resting with their eyes closed or sizing up their surrounding competitors with scrutinizing gazes.

Everyone wore an identification badge on their chest, engraved with their respective names and home provinces.

Lin Fan sat in a corner, looking down through the porthole.

Below was a primeval jungle shrouded in gray mist, with rolling mountain ranges resembling giant dragons coiled upon the earth.

This was a no-man's land in the heart of Huaxia.

It was also the location of the legendary Heavenly Pride Training Camp.

"Wake up, you rookies."

A gruff voice boomed through the cabin's intercom, accompanied by distinct static.

"We are about to arrive at our destination. Put away your 'young master' and 'young lady' attitudes from home."

"Here, you are just a bunch of weak rookies."

As the announcement ended, the transport plane began a steep dive.

A sense of weightlessness hit instantly.

Many people's faces turned pale, but even more showed expressions of excitement.

"Boom!"

The transport plane slammed heavily onto the runway. After taxiing for a bit, the plane came to a halt, and the hatch slowly opened.

A wave of heat mixed with the scent of blood and rotting leaves rushed toward them.

Lin Fan shouldered his bag and walked off the plane, blending into the crowd.

A massive square came into view.

The square was surrounded by alloy walls tens of meters high, topped with high-voltage electric fences and automated cannons.

In the very center of the square stood a massive black stone stele.

On it were eight large, blood-red characters:

[Indestructible, Invincible]

"Move faster! Didn't you eat?"

A group of instructors in black combat uniforms had been waiting for a long time.

The lead instructor, a one-eyed man, held an alloy staff and slammed it hard against a nearby iron barrel, creating a deafening noise.

"I'm giving you three minutes to line up by province. Anyone who takes longer can get lost and go back home!"

The crowd immediately fell into a commotion.

Although they were all geniuses, having just arrived at the legendary camp, they instinctively chose to obey.

Lin Fan quickly found the Jiangnan Province queue where Jianghai City was located.

Standing next to him was a tall girl with short hair. Her badge indicated she was an S-rank Wind-type Talent from the provincial capital, Jinling.

She glanced at Lin Fan, and after seeing the words "Jianghai City" on his chest, a flicker of imperceptible disdain flashed in her eyes before she looked away.

Lin Fan didn't care at all.

His attention was now entirely on the one-eyed instructor.

[Name: Lei Zhan]

[Realm: High-level Grandmaster]

[Talent: S-rank Berserk Blood]

The feedback from the Eye of True Sight made Lin Fan raise an eyebrow.

Any random instructor was a High-level Grandmaster; the foundation of this Tianjiao Camp was indeed unfathomably deep.

Three minutes later.

The lines were fully formed.

Lei Zhan carried his alloy staff, pacing back and forth in front of the formation with heavy steps.

His single eye emitted a beast-like light; anyone he scanned felt a stinging sensation on their skin.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Lei Zhan, your instructor."

"I know you are all the pride of your respective cities, pampered darlings."

"But in my eyes, you are just a bunch of weaklings."

Lei Zhan's voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, making their eardrums ache.

"Tianjiao Camp has no need for trash."

"Here, there are no privileges, no favors—only rules."

"And there is only one rule: the one with the biggest fist calls the shots."

Lei Zhan stopped and pointed his staff at a cluster of buildings built against the mountain in the distance.

It was a mountain peak with a terraced layout.

At the lowest level were rows of dilapidated wooden huts, or rather, thatched shacks, surrounded by overgrown weeds and looking as if they might collapse at any moment.

One level up were ordinary brick houses; though simple, they could at least provide shelter from the elements.

Further up were independent apartment buildings with clean surroundings.

And at the mist-shrouded summit, a few luxurious standalone villas were faintly visible, complete with their own gardens and pools, where the spiritual energy was so dense it was almost palpable.

"Do you see?"

Lei Zhan sneered.

"Those are your dormitories."

"From the foot to the summit, they are divided into four ranks: Ding, Bing, Yi, and Jia."

"Rank Ding is for pigsties—no water, no electricity, and sparse spiritual energy."

"Rank Jia is for villas—Spirit Gathering Arrays are active 24/7, S-rank nutritional meals are delivered to your door, and there's a dedicated medical team to serve you."

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

The difference in treatment was like heaven and earth.

"Quiet!"

Lei Zhan roared, suppressing all the chatter.

"I know what you want to ask. How are they assigned?"

"Simple: you take them."

"Every resource here—points, pills, weapons, even your seat at dinner or your bed—must be fought for."

"Whoever has the harder fist enjoys the best."

"Whoever is a weakling sleeps in the pigsty and eats swill!"

Lei Zhan pulled a stack of magnetic cards from his vest and tossed them casually.

Hundreds of magnetic cards flew toward the crowd like scattered flower petals.

Each card landed precisely in the hands of the corresponding student.

This exquisite control of force caused the pupils of many arrogant students to shrink.

Lin Fan caught the card flying toward him.

On the black surface of the card, a pale white number was printed.

[Ding-9527]

"This is your initial rating."

Lei Zhan's voice rang out again.

"It was assigned based on your records and strength assessments before entering the camp."

"Those who got Rank Jia, don't get cocky; it's only temporary."

"Those who got Rank Ding, don't lose heart; as long as you have the guts, you can kick the people above you down at any time."

"Now, get lost to your doghouses!"

After Lei Zhan finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving hundreds of students staring at each other.

Lin Fan looked at the card in his hand, a helpless curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Rank Ding.

9527.

This wasn't just the lowest-level dormitory; it was also a number with its own mocking attribute.

"It seems my low-profile strategy was very successful."

Lin Fan muttered to himself.

Although he had made quite a stir in Jianghai City, that was in business.

In the actual martial arts strength assessment system, his evaluation really didn't rank high.

Especially since geniuses from metropolises like Kyoto and Magic City were gathered here.

"Let's go take a look at my 'mansion'."

Carrying his backpack, Lin Fan followed the weed-choked path toward the Rank Ding area at the foot of the mountain.

The further he walked, the more desolate the environment became.

When Lin Fan stood before the door of room 9527, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still left speechless by the sight.

This was no dormitory.

This was a dilapidated building.

The wooden door panel was half-rotten, hanging precariously from the frame.

There were several large holes in the roof, allowing sunlight to pour in unobstructed.

The floor was damp earth, and several brightly colored poisonous mushrooms grew in the corners.

A wooden bed with only three legs leaned against the wall, propped up by a few bricks.

"Can people even live in this place? Is it too late for me to quit? I suddenly miss my big villa."

Lin Fan sighed and reached out to push the door.

*Crack.*

The door panel fell right off, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Cough, cough..."

Lin Fan waved away the dust and walked inside for a look.

No bathroom, no water source.

To shower or use the toilet, he'd likely have to go to a public area several hundred meters away.

Most importantly, the concentration of spiritual energy here was outrageously low.

Cultivating in this environment, let alone making progress, it would be lucky if one didn't regress.

"But it doesn't affect me much; the resources in my system space are already piled up like a mountain."

Lin Fan tossed his backpack onto the three-legged bed, letting out a dull thud.

He walked to the door and looked up toward the summit.

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, and the S-rank True Sight Eye quietly activated.

His vision pierced through layers of mist, locking onto the villa at the very center of the summit.

That was Jiazi No. 1.

It was also the best location in the entire Tianjiao Camp, with the densest spiritual energy.

"Since I'm here, I shouldn't mistreat myself."

Lin Fan brushed the dust off himself and picked up his backpack again.

He was never one to enjoy suffering; since the rules allowed taking, then he would take.

At this time.

The other students were also busy looking for their dormitories.

In the Rank Ding area, complaints and curses were everywhere.

"What a dump! My dad's doghouse at home is bigger than this!"

"I want to complain! I'm the young master of the Zhao family from Magic City. Why should I live here?"

"Stop shouting. Didn't you hear the instructor? If you're not satisfied, go take one from above."

Amidst the noise, Lin Fan's figure moving against the flow appeared particularly conspicuous.

Several students who were cleaning up their messes stopped what they were doing and looked at him in surprise.

"Where is that guy going?"

"Looking at the direction, he seems to be heading up the mountain."

"Is he crazy? He just got here and wants to challenge the people above?"

"Look at his badge—Jianghai City? Which backwater is that?"

"Probably not right in the head, just wants to go up and try his luck."

The chatter didn't cause Lin Fan's footsteps to pause for even a second.