Chapter 56

(These days I've been out of town for gatherings and haven't paid much attention to the book review section. I only got home at noon today, opened the webpage, and found that three new allies had been added. For the three new allies—Xingye Lianhe, Xue Tan Qin, and Guobao I Panda—I will add one more chapter, and there are two more chapters to be added. I will try to finish them in the next two days... Thank you with a bow!)

The next day, the forty-two tribes on the northern slope of Mianya Ridge sent their young members to gather at the southern shore of Tianma Lake, preparing to participate in the bloody competition for only five recommendation slots.

Chen Xun, along with Zong Ya, Zong Ling, and Nan Xi, represented the Black Python Tribe, and their number was extremely small.

The Mountain Tong Tribe, which had previously joined forces with the Black Mountain Tribe to besiege the Black Python, this time sent as many as thirty young members under the age of eighteen, almost all of the young elites, just to secure one recommendation slot to enter the Canglan Academy.

Before, Chen Xun would have thought the Mountain Tong Tribe's actions were crazy, but after experiencing the harsh winter, he could somewhat understand their madness.

The cold wave brought a large number of wild beasts from the lake marshes and even further north to move south, and the savage beasts deep in Mianya Ridge also became restless. Nearly one-third of the tribes suffered catastrophic disasters, and the remaining forty-two tribes all suffered heavy losses.

This provided enough motivation for the tribes to go crazy in pursuit of greater strength.

Everything was for survival.

The mud on the parade ground was trampled into a mess by the thousands of tribal youths gathered there, most of whom were about the same age as Zong Ya, and a considerable part still had a hint of childishness.

Chen Xun looked at all this and thought: I wonder how many will survive in the end, and I wonder if they can even survive to enter Canglan City.

At this moment, he felt a deep hatred for the Su family:

Even if five people could eventually win the trial iron plates and enter the Canglan Academy to practice advanced mystic arts, and even if some could survive, the thousands of young members of the Northern Mountain tribes standing here were destined to slaughter each other, with blood flowing like a river. The potential of the young generation of the Northern Mountain tribes would be greatly consumed, and the hatred between them would only deepen.

"Chen Xun, Chen Xun..."

He heard someone calling from a distance. Chen Xun saw that it was Gu Jianfeng and several young members of the Black Mountain Tribe coming over.

Since they would receive a trial iron plate from the beginning, Chen Xun, along with Zong Ya, Zong Ling, and Nan Xi, kept a low profile in the crowd to avoid drawing attention.

Seeing Gu Jianfeng come over, Chen Xun waved him over and asked:

"So, has the Black Mountain Tribe thought it through and are not afraid I'll trick you?"

Gu Jianfeng's face was already rugged and dark, but he blushed slightly when Chen Xun asked this. He pulled Chen Xun aside and said in a low voice:

"My father argued with the tribe members all night. No one could convince the other. In the end, it was decided that the Black Mountain Tribe's people would be divided into two groups after officially setting out. I will lead one group to go with you. Is that okay?"

Chen Xun looked at Gu Jianfeng's guilty face and smiled inwardly. He didn't expect the Black Mountain Tribe to still treat him like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child who could be easily deceived. This kind of overt strategy and covert action had long been played out by the ancients on Earth, and it was still being flaunted in front of him.

Even if he saw through the Black Mountain Tribe's intentions, Chen Xun found it hard to be angry. He guessed that the Black Mountain Tribe was now divided into two factions, and Gu Hu letting Gu Jianfeng follow them might be more of an expectation for their group.

Chen Xun had no intention of exposing this and said, "Alright, I'll talk to Grandpa. After we officially set out, we'll meet at the foot of Black Rock Peak and then head south together."

************************

"It won't work. If they think you have both trial iron plates, they will attack you crazily along the way," Nan Liao opposed when he heard Chen Xun wanted Gu Jianfeng to join them. "The Black Mountain Tribe has a good plan, wanting to use us as bait to protect the trial iron plate they have..."

"The real danger is after we leave Mianya Ridge and enter the Canglan Wilderness," Chen Xun said. "The large tribes like Gui Xi will set up ambushes, and they won't care if we have one or two trial iron plates..."

"Xun is right," Zong Tu frowned and said. "The Gui Xi tribes want more slots and don't know who has the trial iron plates. They might intercept all the Northern Mountain youths entering the Canglan Wilderness. The real danger is after entering the Canglan Wilderness."

Nan Liao knew that whether the Black Python had a chance and whether Nan Xi and the others could safely enter Canglan City all depended on Chen Xun. Seeing that Chen Xun had a plan and was determined, he felt a bit more at ease and nodded in agreement with his suggestion:

"If that little brat Gu Jianfeng tries to play tricks along the way, don't show any mercy."

Zong Tu said, "After this, Gu Hu and Gu Chen might not be on the same page anymore..."

Chen Xun nodded, knowing that Grandpa was right. Seeing that Nan Liao agreed with his decision, he felt relieved. He thought that Gu Jianfeng was now too ashamed to look him in the eye. For the benefit of the Black Mountain Tribe, Gu Hu might change his mind, but there was no need to worry too much about Gu Jianfeng.

Moreover, Gu Jianfeng's strength was much greater than Zong Ya and Zong Ling's. If they encountered danger along the way, he would definitely be a reliable partner.

After settling this, Chen Xun was about to leave Grandpa Zong Tu and Nan Liao and continue to hide in the crowd when he suddenly felt a chill. Turning his head, he saw that the evil eyes of Lou Li, the leader of the Gui Xi tribe, were staring at him from the top of a distant tower, making him feel a chill.

Chen Xun felt a sense of unease. He wasn't worried that Lou Li might attack them along the way, but Lou Li would likely notify the Gui Xi tribe's members to keep an eye on them, which was enough to cause him a headache.

***************************

"Leader, what are you looking at?"

Lou Jiao climbed up the tower and saw that Leader Lou Li was staring at the crowd in the parade ground, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought. He asked.

Lou Li's strange eyes finally moved away from Chen Xun, but he was still thinking. He wasn't sure if the young man's sudden look was accidental or if he had become alert.

If the latter, his spiritual awareness was not to be underestimated.

Although entering the seventh level of blood change would make a savage soul sprout spiritual awareness, an ordinary savage warrior without training in spiritual awareness would need to be extremely sensitive to sense the gaze of a Rebirth Realm expert from two to three hundred meters away.

Lou Li frowned slightly. He originally thought that the tribal youths who could enter the Canglan Academy, none could match their Gui Xi's Lou Shiyi. But seeing this young man who appeared twice beside Zong Tu, he had doubts. Could Shiyi still be the best?

If this young man successfully entered Canglan City, not only would Shiyi have a new competitor in the Canglan Academy, but if a new Rebirth Realm expert emerged from the Black Python, it would not be a blessing for the Gui Xi.

"Did you see that young man?"

Chen Xun hadn't grown much taller in the past two years, and his face was still that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old, but he was quite thin compared to the giant-like Zong Ya.

Lou Jiao looked down from the tower, following Leader Lou Li's finger, and immediately saw Chen Xun in the crowd. He asked, "What's the matter?"

"Ride the scaly horse quickly and go see Shiyi. Tell him the appearance of this young man and to be careful. If there's a chance, he must eliminate him and prevent him from entering Canglan," Lou Li said.

"Shiyi has already reached the eighth level of blood change and has the Vajra Mystic Symbol. Why be so cautious about this young man?" Lou Jiao asked, puzzled. He looked at the Black Python youth, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old and had reached the seventh level of blood change, which was indeed remarkable, but he couldn't possibly be a match for Shiyi. He didn't understand why Leader Lou Li was so cautious.

Lou Li gave Lou Jiao an unhappy look. Lou Jiao realized he had spoken too much, broke out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly apologized, descended the tower, led out the scaly horse, and found an excuse to ride south.

The eastern slope of the mountain range, although mostly consisting of mountains about a thousand meters high, was deep and dangerous, with no paths to follow. In this mountain, only scaly horses could travel a thousand miles a day...

***************************

Chen Xun, Zong Ya, Zong Ling, and Nan Xi stood quietly in the crowd.

After the harsh winter, the Northern Mountain still had forty-two tribes, but most were located in deep mountains and wilderness, and except for neighboring tribes, they rarely interacted.

Most people did not know each other; most of the sixteen or seventeen-year-old tribal youths stood in groups, warily eyeing each other, their serious expressions already penetrating their still childish faces. Everyone knew that from the moment they left the Tianma Lake fort, they would not hesitate to kill anyone on the journey.

In front of the parade ground was a huge stone platform, about seven or eight meters high, with a black flag inscribed with the ancient characters "Canglan."

Although Gui Xi's leader Lou Li might be the most powerful person in the Tianma Lake fort at this time, the selection of tribal youths by the Xuwu Commandery was not his responsibility.

Therefore, in addition to the Canglan warriors representing the Xuwu Commandery, such as Ge Yi, there were also the leaders of the Northern Mountain tribes, such as Nan Liao and Gu Hu, standing on the platform, listening to Ge Yi loudly announce the competition for the recommendation slots.

"After leaving the Tianma Lake fort, the route for the tribal youths to head south is fixed, following the Wild Horse Creek to the Black Rock Peak and entering the eastern slope canyon...

"After leaving the eastern slope canyon, they will pass through the Zuo Ji and other tribes to reach Canglan City. The detailed route will be provided on a detailed animal skin map...

"Along the way, there will be Xuwu Commandery personnel monitoring everything...

"The designated trial area is within forty miles on either side of the specified route...

"Non-participating tribal youths who enter this area will be mercilessly killed by the Xuwu Commandery; and participating tribal youths who leave this area will not be protected by the Xuwu Commandery...

"Those carrying the