Chapter 94

The wind from the valley brought a refreshing coolness, carrying the natural scent of grass and trees, which instantly made people feel relaxed. The wind blew through Zhang Tie's hair, circled around his collar, and then swept over his sweat-soaked back. The refreshing sensation was so pleasant that Zhang Tie almost moaned in comfort.

It had been seven days since Zhang Tie recovered from his injuries and left the Wild Wolf Castle, and also seven days since he resumed his life as a miner. During these seven days, Zhang Tie gradually formed the habit of delivering a basket of ore to the delivery point below the Wild Wolf Castle by noon every day. Unlike the previous load of 50 to 70 kilograms, over the past seven days, Zhang Tie's load of ore each time exceeded 100 kilograms, often completing his daily task with a surplus, which left the guys at the ore collection point in awe. No one could tell from Zhang Tie's unremarkable physique how he possessed such astonishing strength that left his peers amazed.

These seven days had been uneventful for Zhang Tie. No one knew that his strength had reached another level during this time. Five days ago, Zhang Tie consumed the third No-Leak Fruit, as expected, which allowed his coccyx bright point to break through the third barrier. Now, his coccyx bright point had reached the stage of emitting a blue light. With just one more No-Leak Fruit, the flame of his coccyx bright point would be fully ignited, and Zhang Tie's strength would reach another level, officially advancing him to the rank of a Second-Class Warrior. In less than a month, he had ignited one bright point and advanced from a First-Class Warrior to a Second-Class Warrior, a speed that was astonishing. At least in Black Flame City, Zhang Tie had never heard of anyone advancing so quickly in igniting a bright point. Besides the imminent ignition of his coccyx bright point, the effects of the Soul Plunder Fruit were also gradually becoming apparent. Zhang Tie, who fought with the three wolves multiple times each day, felt his combat skills improving rapidly. The fighting techniques he learned in school were becoming more and more proficient, and killing wolves was becoming increasingly easy.

With the heavy treasure in his possession, Zhang Tie became even more low-key. To outsiders, it seemed as if he had forgotten about the incident where he was attacked by wild wolves, appearing carefree and indifferent.

As usual, when Zhang Tie slammed the basket of ore on the scale at the ore collection point, the guys from No. 2 High School, who had become familiar with him, ran over to check the number.

"138 kilograms, damn, how did you break the record again? Does mining really improve one's strength so quickly?" One of the guys complained, "I might as well give it a try. Seeing Zhang Tie come to deliver ore every time, it seems so easy, just one trip and the daily rations are secured!"

"Like you? Forget it, Zhang Tie has already ignited his divine palace bright point and is a First-Class Warrior!" Another person shook his head, recorded the data on a notebook, and gestured for Zhang Tie to help, asking him to assist in lifting the ore from the basket and pouring it into the ore car on the railway. This task used to be manageable for two people, but now, with the increasing weight of the ore Zhang Tie brought, the two people at the collection point found it difficult to lift the over 100-kilogram basket and pour it into the ore car, which was over a meter high, so they always needed Zhang Tie's help.

"Didn't Tan Ning also ignite his divine palace bright point and become a First-Class Warrior? Why do I feel that Tan Ning is not as strong as Zhang Tie..." The guy who spoke earlier retorted, enviously glancing at Zhang Tie while lifting the basket, "A guy who can survive falling into a 200-meter-deep pit of a gold-eating python is indeed a freak!"

Zhang Tie didn't know who Tan Ning was, probably an outstanding student from their school. Hearing such comments, Zhang Tie just smiled and threw out a smokescreen, "Actually, mining is really good for training, especially the part of carrying the ore out. I couldn't carry such heavy loads before, and you all know how much I could carry. But recently, I found that as long as I keep challenging my strength limit while carrying the ore and persist, my strength will naturally increase significantly after breaking through a barrier. If you don't believe me, give it a try!"

Zhang Tie's words were half true and half playful, but he spoke with great seriousness. If these two guys really believed him and wanted to experience the "promising career" of a miner, it wouldn't be Zhang Tie's problem. Physical labor could indeed increase one's strength, but how much it increased depended on individual luck and effort.

Zhang Tie chuckled to himself, adding, "If you could also have a No-Leak Fruit every week, your strength would naturally grow rapidly."

These days, Zhang Tie would come to mine in the morning, transport the waste ore into the Black Iron Castle, and in the afternoon, return to the treehouse base to practice the "Iron Blood Divine Fist." Under Zhang Tie's influence, the members of the Airplane Brotherhood gradually adapted to this routine. In the morning, they would go hunting or set traps, and in the afternoon, they would return to the treehouse base to practice the "Iron Blood Divine Fist." Everyone knew the importance of the former royal martial arts of the Norman Empire and the food they needed to survive, so they all made the right choice. By now, Bally and the others had dug five deep pit traps, and there were over twenty simple traps made from branches and stones. Their skills in setting traps were improving, and the power of trap warfare was gradually showing. The fish guts and deep pit traps were particularly effective against wild animals that liked the smell of blood. The Airplane Brotherhood was slowly gaining a reputation, and some of the other trial students were starting to follow Bally's lead in setting traps.

After delivering the ore and collecting the day's rations, Zhang Tie was about to return to the treehouse base when he noticed a blue flag hanging from the highest tower of the Wild Wolf Castle, visible for miles. The blue flag was a signal that a transport caravan from outside had arrived at the Wild Wolf Castle, and everyone could come to trade with the caravan.

On the 20th day of the trial, the transport caravan from Black Flame City finally arrived at the Wild Wolf Castle. The arrival of the caravan made many people happy, as it meant that the items they had collected during the trial could be immediately traded for things they needed.

The square of the Wild Wolf Castle was bustling with activity, with many people gathered around the three transport vehicles. Zhang Tie also squeezed in to watch. This was his first time seeing such transport vehicles used in the wild. Compared to the public transport vehicles in Black Flame City, these vehicles designed for the wild looked much stranger. Each vehicle resembled an ugly caterpillar, with two low carriages, a head that looked like a small, round locomotive head embedded in a square block, and a tall chimney on top. The front part of the wheels was a track, and the back part was a solid tire. Behind the head, there was a coal bunker. Each transport vehicle was about 20 meters long. Besides the onlookers, some people were unloading boxes from the vehicles, quickly setting up trading platforms with the boxes, and displaying the contents of some boxes to the crowd. The boxes mainly contained standard rations from the Black Flame City military, with higher-quality items like dried milk, meat, and sausages. There were also some miscellaneous biological supplies.

Near the transport vehicles, the animals let out a cry of surprise. Zhang Tie squeezed through to see what was happening and was also startled. Damn! When the boxes from the transport vehicles were opened, the shiny weapons inside immediately made the animals drool.

"Everyone, bring out what you have, all kinds of animal skins, herbs, crystal sand, and any strange things you don't recognize. As long as you have good stuff, you can trade for anything here..." A small leader from the transport caravan jumped onto a few boxes and shouted through a metal horn, "Animal skins are over there, herbs in the middle, crystal sand and other strange things here. Hurry up, what are you waiting for..."

Many people became chaotic, with women running to the inner castle and men running to the Wild Wolf Valley. Thinking of his animal skins, Zhang Tie was also tempted. After looking at the items brought by the transport caravan, Zhang Tie decided to return to the treehouse base to bring the animal skins collected by the Airplane Brotherhood to trade for some essential items, such as food, which was always in high demand...

As Zhang Tie left the small square of the Wild Wolf Castle, he couldn't help but look back. The shiny weapons, the rows of swords and spears, were now prominently displayed. In previous years, the transport caravans during the trial rarely brought weapons. Why was it different this year? Zhang Tie felt a bit puzzled.

...

"I disagree..." When the square outside the Wild Wolf Castle was in chaos, an argument was taking place in the temporary inspection committee's office. Qili, the teacher who had a brief encounter with Zhang Tie and gave him an unforgettable "punishment," was angrily looking at a merchant dressed in a luxurious silk hat, with a slender build and a mustache, "There is no goose neck grass or golden wolf bone marrow in the Wild Wolf Valley. To collect goose neck grass and hunt golden wolves, these students need to leave the Wild Wolf Valley and go deep into the edge of the Crescent Grassland, which is too far from the Wild Wolf Castle, with too many wolves, making it too dangerous for the trial students!" (To be continued...)