391: Chapter 391 Departure for the Zhenhai Battlefield!

Lu Youyou didn't mind and soon started chattering away again.

Most of the time, Lu Youyou was talking while Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu listened.

Lu Youyou was naturally talkative and had a lively personality.

She wasn't going to the Zhenhai Battlefield this time; she had just been there a short while ago.

She had come this time just to see off her junior brother and her best friend.

Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu listened quietly.

Qin Yan would occasionally interject a few words or nod in agreement.

Xiao Wangshu mostly stood silently, her gaze calmly looking ahead.

Just then, a figure appeared silently on the high platform in the center of the Martial Arts Arena.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in deep blue robes, with a peaceful face and ordinary features.

He was the type who would disappear if thrown into a crowd.

But standing there, he seemed to become the center of the entire Martial Arts Arena.

It wasn't because he deliberately exuded an aura, but rather the surrounding light, sound, and even the flow of air naturally distorted and converged slightly with him as the core.

Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the ripples spread naturally.

“This is Lin Shui, the Vice Dean of the university's Second Academy.”

Xiao Wangshu's cold voice suddenly rang in Qin Yan's ear, offering a rare proactive explanation. “He specializes in water-attribute cultivation techniques and has a Rank Seven peak cultivation level. It's said that he already has one foot in the Great Grandmaster threshold.”

Qin Yan felt a chill in his heart.

Rank Seven peak, half-step Great Grandmaster!

Such a cultivation level was a top-tier existence even in the entire Modu University of Martial Arts.

No wonder he had such an aura.

Lin Shui's gaze slowly swept across the crowd below.

His eyes were peaceful, even carrying a hint of a gentle smile.

But everyone swept by that gaze felt as if they had been ‘seen’ through from the inside out by an invisible force.

“What powerful Mental Energy.”

Qin Yan was inwardly awestruck.

He could feel that Lin Shui's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer—though it was only a fraction of a second, that feeling of being completely seen through was incredibly clear.

“Alright.”

Lin Shui spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached every corner of the Martial Arts Arena clearly.

“Everyone gathered here should know why we are here.”

“The pressure on the Zhenhai Battlefield has increased recently, and fresh blood is needed for reinforcement.”

“You are all elites carefully selected from various schools. This journey is both a trial and a responsibility.”

“I won't say anything more. There are only three rules—”

He held up three fingers: “First, obey military orders; second, watch out for each other; third, come back alive.”

As his voice fell, the Martial Arts Arena went silent.

All the young martial artists straightened their backs, their eyes burning as they looked at the high platform.

“Non-participating personnel, please withdraw to the viewing seats.”

Lin Shui's voice remained peaceful, yet it carried an unquestionable power. “Participating personnel, you have five minutes to assemble your teams.”

As the order was given, the Martial Arts Arena immediately sprang into action.

Accompanying students and teachers quickly retreated to the tiered seating around them.

Meanwhile, the more than two hundred participating martial artists began to assemble of their own accord.

Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu exchanged a glance and walked in tacit understanding toward the Modu University of Martial Arts's formation area.

The Modu University of Martial Arts team was quickly assembled.

There were nearly a hundred people, with condensed auras and strict discipline.

Qin Yan stood in the middle of the team, with Xiao Wangshu by his side.

He could feel the gazes of many fellow martial artists from the same school sweeping over the two of them—curiosity, scrutiny, and fighting spirit, among others.

Teams from other schools also finished assembling one after another.

More than two hundred people were divided into six phalanxes, standing solemnly like a forest.

The entire process took less than three minutes.

Lin Shui stood on the high platform, looking at the neat formations below, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He said no more, simply waving his sleeve lightly: “Set out.”

Having spoken, he turned and stepped forward.

With one step, he was already over thirty meters away.

His pace seemed leisurely, but his speed was astonishingly fast.

Behind him, the martial artists of the six phalanxes moved simultaneously.

Their footsteps were in perfect unison, their blood and qi surging like a tide.

The team of over two hundred people, like a waking dragon, slowly marched out of Martial Arts Field No. 3.

Lu Youyou stood in the front row of the viewing seats, her hands tightly clasped in front of her chest.

Her large eyes followed the two familiar figures in the team—Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu.

It wasn't until the team disappeared at the end of the road that she slowly lowered her hands and sighed softly.

After standing for a long time, Lu Youyou finally turned and left the viewing seats.

As she walked, she took an exquisite communicator from her bosom and pressed a shortcut key.

The communicator was quickly connected, and an old but energetic voice came from the other side: “Youyou? Finished seeing them off?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

Lu Youyou responded, her voice sounding a bit muffled.

But soon, she took a deep breath, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her pretty face again.

Her tone also became lighthearted, with a hint of acting like a spoiled child:

“Grandpa, can I discuss something with you~?”

“You see, my junior brother and Wangshu have both gone to the front lines. I can't fall behind, right?”

“So... can you share some of your insights on the Hammer Dao Profundity with me? I want to break through as soon as possible so I can go with them next time!”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communicator, followed by a burst of hearty laughter:

“You little girl... alright, alright, Grandpa still has some stock here. But you must promise me to meditate at home, no fooling around, and truly grasp it...”

“Okay, Grandpa, I'm going home right now.”

...

After the team left the Martial Arts Arena, they marched forward in silence under the leadership of Dean Lin Shui.

They passed through several heavily guarded checkpoints along the way.

Before long, everyone arrived at that familiar area—the area where the Secret Realm Tower was located.

Continuing forward, a towering and heavy giant wall suddenly loomed before them.

At this moment, Vice Dean Lin Shui was standing beneath the wall, conversing with a soldier in dark red armor, who then nodded.

Immediately, the soldier stepped forward, facing the center of the giant wall.

He didn't take out any key or token; he simply slowly raised his right hand, aiming his palm at the cold wall.

In the next moment, a deep and blazing red light erupted from his palm!

The light surged toward the wall like flowing water, creating a strange resonance with it.

“Buzz—”

A low and grand humming sound came from deep within the wall, as if some sleeping behemoth was being awakened.

Under Qin Yan's slightly shocked gaze, the center of the high wall, which was originally as smooth as a mirror and perfectly integrated, suddenly became bright and active.

They were like living vines, rapidly intertwining and outlining.

Unexpectedly, an arched portal outline about ten meters high and seven meters wide ‘grew’ on the wall!

The wall material within the portal outline seemed to instantly soften and flow.

It receded to the sides, forming a deep, dim passage.

The light inside the passage was dim, making it impossible to see the specific situation.

One could only feel the aura faintly emanating from it, which was completely different from outside the wall—a battlefield aura mixed with the saltiness of the sea breeze and a faint smell of rust.

“Set out.”

(This arc won't be written as long as the Hidden Dragon Assembly, so you guys can rest easy~)