63: Chapter 63 Joint Operations

Early the next morning, four people arrived in front of the No. 3 High School playground.

The four were wearing uniform dark blue Nanling Martial Arts University training suits, with the four silver characters "Nanling Martial Arts University" printed on their chests. They were not old, at most in their early twenties, but just standing there, their aura was completely different from high school students.

The students on the playground, who had been noisy, suddenly had all their attention drawn over.

"Who are they?"

"College students?"

"People from Nanling Martial Arts University? Damn, is that real?"

"This is quite the setup..."

Lu Cheng stood in the crowd and took a few extra looks at the four people.

Three boys and one girl.

The young man in the lead with a crew cut had dark skin and solid arm muscles. The girl next to him wore a high ponytail, had sharp features, and carried a short blade at her waist.

The remaining two, one tall and thin, one slightly chubby, looked calm.

Instructor Qin Feng walked out from the front, his voice as stiff as ever.

"Quiet."

The noise on the playground quickly died down.

Instructor Qin Feng scanned the crowd and got straight to the point.

"Let me introduce you. These four are students from Nanling Martial Arts University. They may be your seniors in the future, and they are all in the Meridian Opening Realm."

As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of low gasps erupted below.

Meridian Opening Realm!

Instructor Qin Feng continued: "For this Wasteland Zone training, they will assist the teams, responsible for part of the combat guidance, maintaining order, and handling emergencies."

The young man with the crew cut nodded to everyone, his voice low: "I am Zhou Heng."

The high-ponytail girl added: "Xu Qinghe."

The other two also reported their names: "Lin Chen! Lin Xi!"

Nanling Martial Arts University.

This was a legitimate martial arts university, and it was very famous in the south. Every student who could get into this martial arts university was a standout in martial arts!

Instructor Qin Feng waited for the scene to quiet down a bit before continuing.

"The training location this time has shifted to a relatively stable area far to the south, which was once a region where humans lived! No. 3 High School will select fifty people for training!"

"The location is far from the ruins area."

Someone below couldn't help but whisper.

"The location has been changed?"

"Further south? Isn't that closer to the depths of the Wasteland Zone?"

"But he said a relatively stable area..."

Instructor Qin Feng ignored these voices and continued:

"I believe everyone is aware of the situation with the northern ruins. This time, choosing the south is controllable in terms of risk and is suitable for joint training."

"This operation will no longer be No. 3 High School training alone."

"It will be a joint operation between No. 3 High School, No. 1 High School, No. 2 High School, and Yangrong Girls High School. The military and the city will provide generous rewards for teams that rank high in this operation!"

The moment his voice fell, the entire playground erupted.

"What? Joint operation between four schools?!"

"And No. 1 High School?!"

"Yangrong Girls High School is coming too?"

"Damn! This time it's really a big deal!"

The noise rose layer by layer, and the entire playground was like a boiling pot.

Instructor Qin Feng raised his hand to press down.

"Quiet!"

"The list will be announced later. Those who pass the selection should gather before noon and leave the city together in the afternoon."

"Those who didn't make the list will stay at school for training."

More than an hour later.

The entire No. 3 High School campus was going crazy.

The area in front of the bulletin board was crowded with people; the corridors of the teaching building, the entrance to the cafeteria, and the side of the training hall were all discussing this joint operation.

"I heard that the resource rewards include high-level recovery potions!"

"I also heard that the top few can get time in the energy room!"

"And there are military observation spots! This is definitely a big move!"

"Damn, if I had known, I would have trained a bit more a few days ago!"

"It's probably too late for you to train now..."

The list was posted quickly. The students from the original key classes were all on the list, and in addition, some students with good strength from ordinary classes were selected.

After noon, the teams from the four schools officially moved to the gathering point outside the city.

The location was a huge open space near the city wall.

That place was usually a temporary gathering area for joint military and school training. The ground was packed hard, and high-power lighting poles and simple metal fences were set up around it.

In the distance was the thick city wall, with patrolling martial artists and fixed artillery positions on the wall, creating a strong sense of oppression.

When the No. 3 High School convoy arrived, it was already quite lively there.

The elites of the four schools were gathered together.

The school flags of each school were unfurled in the wind, with distinct colors.

The black and gold school flag of No. 1 High School was particularly eye-catching. Having dominated the martial arts exam for ten consecutive years, it was normal to have this kind of status...

The dark gray school flag of No. 2 High School was more sedate, and the team was lined up very neatly, but looking from a distance, one could see a few troublemakers with dyed hair.

The side of Yangrong Girls High School was a mix of white and red. The girls' team stood straight, with extremely strong discipline; even the angle of their turning heads was uniform.

A row of military vehicles was parked at the edge of the open space, their black-green bodies gleaming with a cold, hard luster. The military logo was printed on the doors, and fully armed martial artist instructors stood nearby.

The equipment was laid out one by one, with screens glowing blue. Scanning frames, vital sign monitors, positioning binders, and emergency rescue modules were all neatly arranged.

Lu Cheng got off the bus with the No. 3 High School team, scanned the area, and felt a bit emotional.

The students from No. 1 High School almost all exuded a feeling of "I am just stronger than you."

They didn't speak loudly, but their eyes were very arrogant, carrying a natural sense of scrutiny when scanning the teams of other schools.

"That's No. 3 High School?"

"The one that has been at the bottom of the rankings for the past few years?"

"I heard that their key classes are almost empty."

"A few are okay, but the overall group is average."

Yangrong Girls High School had a different style.

Everyone was dressed uniformly, with neat hairstyles, standing in rows, their movements as neat as if measured by a ruler.

At a glance, it was really pleasing to the eye. A group of beautiful girls standing there naturally drew a lot of attention.

Many boys around couldn't help but peek over there.

In comparison, the No. 3 High School side seemed a bit unremarkable.

The results had been too poor in recent years, and their reputation was also bad, so many people from other schools glanced over without much interest.

One was Su Wan with an S-rank talent, and one was Xia Xi... Mayor Xia's daughter, though no one knew what level of talent she had yet.

But overall, No. 3 High School's presence in this gathering of four schools was indeed not high.

The four students from Nanling Martial Arts University leading the team stood in front of the No. 3 High School team, also observing silently.

Zhou Heng whispered: "In the files, Su Wan is one to focus on."

Xu Qinghe nodded: "Yes, S-rank talent, the data is quite impressive."

The other tall and thin youth flipped through the electronic tablet: "The rest... are average."

Xu Qinghe had also read that file.

She remembered the key class files very clearly.

In the entire No. 3 High School, on paper, apart from Su Wan who was worth a few extra looks, the rest were basically just foils.

They came here this time, and assisting with the training was one aspect.

A more important aspect was to see in advance if there were any good seeds worth contacting and inviting before the martial arts exam.

Nanling Martial Arts University also lacked geniuses.

Just at this moment, there was a sudden commotion on the other side of the open space.

"Lin Tianjian is here!"

"Damn, it's really him!"

"Look, No. 1 High School's signboard has arrived!"

Many gazes turned over at the same time.

A young man wearing the No. 1 High School uniform walked from behind the crowd. He was tall and slender, with a long sword on his back, handsome features, and that iconic arrogance of No. 1 High School in his expression.

He didn't walk fast, but the people around him would naturally make way for him.

Lin Tianjian.

One of the most famous high school students in Rong City now.

Rumor has it that he used some special method to awaken his talent early, and he has now entered the Source Gathering Realm.

At this age, with this realm, he was enough to suppress the vast majority of his peers.

Even the four students from Nanling Martial Arts University took an extra look at him.

This kind of seed would be highly contested in the martial arts exam.

Lin Tianjian was obviously accustomed to this kind of gaze, and his expression was quite calm, but after walking forward a few steps, his gaze suddenly paused.

The next second.

He walked directly towards No. 3 High School.

Many people around were stunned for a moment.

"What is he doing coming to No. 3 High School?"

"Looking for Su Wan?"

"Looking for Xia Xi, right?"

"It should be looking for the eldest Miss Xia..."

As it turned out, under everyone's gaze, Lin Tianjian walked all the way to Lu Cheng, stood still, and clasped his hands.

The movement was very standard.

There was even obvious respect in his tone.

"Brother Lu."

"Since we parted last time, your demeanor is even better than before."

At this, the surroundings went quiet for half a beat.

Everyone was bewildered. Who is this person?

The news of Lu Cheng fighting a Meridian Opening Realm martial artist alone and winning against Lin Tianjian in the Arena had not spread yet, so naturally, no one knew Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng was also a bit surprised, then smiled and returned the gesture with a casual clasp of his hands.

"Brother Lin, you are too polite."

Lin Tianjian looked at Lu Cheng, his eyes full of seriousness.

He still couldn't forget the scene in the Arena last time.

The sense of oppression from Lu Cheng, that outrageously unreasonable combat performance, had left a deep impression on him.

In Lin Tianjian's view, for someone like Lu Cheng, talent ratings didn't explain anything at all.

The strong are the strong.

On this point, he was convinced.

But the next moment, Lin Tianjian's gaze fell to Lu Cheng's side.

Xia Xi was standing there.

She had her hair in a high ponytail today, wearing her school uniform neatly, and her face was still very beautiful. After noticing Lin Tianjian looking over, she blinked, then very naturally reached out and directly grabbed Lu Cheng's wrist.

The movement was very practiced.

She even leaned half a step closer to Lu Cheng.

Lin Tianjian: "..."

In that instant, the expression on his face stiffened.

His heart gave a sharp twitch.

It shattered.

It really shattered.

He stood there, his eyes dazed for a moment.

Inside, he was already silently wailing.

That's true...

Only a strong person like Brother Lu is worthy of Miss Xia.

Wuwuwu!

But after all, he was still a person with some demeanor, so he forced himself to keep a straight face, although his hand-clasping gesture seemed a bit heavier.

Lu Cheng looked down at his wrist being held, his mouth twitching slightly.

This girl really knows how to pick her moments.

Xia Xi even blinked at him, looking completely innocent.

The people around were already completely numb.

"Wait... Xia Xi knows him too?"

"Not just know each other, they're holding on!"

"So who exactly is this person?!"

"Damn! Some gossip!"

The discussions suddenly grew louder.

Zhou Heng's gaze stopped on Lu Cheng, and he whispered: "It seems there is an error in the file."

Xu Qinghe nodded, and there was a bit more interest in her eyes.

"The error is not small."

"To be able to make someone of Lin Tianjian's level take the initiative to lower his head, there must be something to him."

Just as the scene became increasingly restless, a figure walked out onto the high platform in front.

Commander Ji Yunlan.

She was wearing a military training uniform today, her back straight, her brows and eyes cold and stern. Just standing there, she carried a strong sense of command.

As the overall person in charge of this joint training, as soon as she went on stage, many instructors below subconsciously stood straighter.

Commander Ji Yunlan scanned the audience and spoke.

"Quiet."

The voice was not loud, but very firm.

The students of the four schools, who were still a bit restless, quickly quieted down.

Even Lin Tianjian put away his emotions and retreated to the edge of the team.

Commander Ji Yunlan stood at the very front, her gaze cold and hard, her tone without any extra fluctuation.

"From now on, I announce the official rules for this four-school Wasteland Zone joint training."

"The duration of this training is three days and two nights. Everyone will enter the designated area today and must return to the gathering point before the end. Those who do not return on time will have 30% of their points deducted."

"The training adopts a point system. The final results will be settled based on total points, determining team rankings and the allocation of rewards."

"The sources of points are divided into four categories: beast elimination, resource recovery, area reconnaissance, and special missions. The more dangerous the target, and the higher the value of resources and intelligence, the higher the points. The details are all written in your manuals."

"Competition is allowed in this training. You can compete for resources, snatch missions, and confront each other head-on, but there is a bottom line."

"It is strictly forbidden to maliciously maim, strictly forbidden to use lethal force, strictly forbidden to destroy others' rescue and positioning equipment, strictly forbidden to deliberately create beast tides and traps beyond the scope of the assessment, and strictly forbidden to continue pursuing those who have been eliminated."

"Violators will have their team scores wiped out, and in serious cases, they will be handed over to the City Defense Army for handling."

"The elimination rules are also very simple: those who actively request rescue are eliminated, those who lose combat capability are eliminated, those whose identity tags are taken will have personal points deducted, and those who are seriously injured, unconscious, or have abnormal vital signs will be forcibly eliminated."

"In addition, from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM every day, the danger level of the Wasteland Zone increases, but the points for night missions and dangerous areas will also increase. Whether you have the guts to take them depends on yourselves."

"As for the rewards... the points obtained this time can be directly exchanged for Military District items, and the top ten teams will receive additional rewards in order!"

The commander scanned the audience, her voice slightly deep.

"Those are the rules."

"Next, move by team and enter the Wasteland Zone."