Chapter 32: The Grand Tournament in the Camp

For the next few days, Qin Jue went back and forth between the military camp and his residence, living quite comfortably.

It couldn't be helped... If I had never seen the light, I could have endured the darkness! Since I can enjoy myself... why make things difficult for myself?

However, this comfort came to an abrupt end five days later. The date for the grand military camp competition had been set: it would take place in exactly one month.

As the most highly anticipated contest, everyone was naturally full of enthusiasm, hoping to use this opportunity to defy the heavens and change their fate. After all, the rewards for this competition were even more generous than before. This was partly due to the vast amount of supplies seized from the Qingfeng Stronghold during the battle of Lishan, and partly because the number of participant slots had increased.

Currently, the Vanguard Battalion, which served as the main force, had grown to a full 2,000 soldiers. Because of this increase in personnel, the quota for each company had been raised to five people.

One battalion consisted of five companies, and each company had two platoons! Although the platoon where Qin Jue served had been permitted to expand to a full strength of 500 men due to its outstanding performance, it was still only allotted five slots.

Qin Jue had been locked in for one of these slots very early on, and the remaining four were naturally prioritized for the three platoon leaders. However, when people learned that Xu Panyue, who had reached the perfection of the third gate, had also been given a spot, many made snide remarks: "A surrendered general, typical!"

Even though only one slot remained, no one wanted to give up this chance to change their destiny. As a result, everyone was training day and night, forgetting to eat or sleep.

As a platoon leader, Qin Jue naturally could not keep running off. Even if he didn't need to train, he still had to keep up appearances. Unfortunately, the specific format of the camp competition had not yet been determined; it was only rumored that it would not be a standard arena duel. Qin Jue didn't care what the format was; his only hope was that it wouldn't interfere with his ability to harvest victory points.

Half a month later, Wu Mi gathered his company, intending to select the final participant. Qin Jue arrived with his platoon, and as he stood there, he saw Xu Panyue approaching with his own men. The formation was neat and orderly, looking quite imposing!

As the most criticized platoon leader, Xu Panyue managed his team surprisingly well. Furthermore, despite the endless mockery and sarcasm directed at him over the past half-month, he remained calm and composed, which was truly unexpected.

With all four platoons present, Wu Mi arrived at the field with his personal guards. He scanned the crowd and said bluntly, "For this grand camp competition, our company has one remaining slot. It will go to the most capable; those who wish to compete, step forward."

He paused, then added with emphasis, "Do not overestimate your own strength!"

The competition was restricted to those below the second realm, so many fourth-gate martial artists would be participating. Below the fourth gate, there was simply no hope. If it weren't for the fact that Xu Panyue possessed martial arts techniques, and that Wu Mi needed to rely on this surrendered general to pacify other captives, he wouldn't have qualified for a slot even as a platoon leader.

As soon as he finished speaking, several men stepped forward. Among them was Xiao Wushan. Following the mission to Lishan, his diligent training over the past half-month, and the rewards bestowed by the military, he had successfully broken through to the perfection of the third gate. Even though he was only at the third-gate perfection, he still stood out to give it a try. Regardless of winning or losing, at least he would have fought for it!

Before long, a total of eight people stood out to compete. Except for Xiao Wushan, they were all fourth-gate martial artists. These men were almost all Wu Mi's personal guards. Because they were guards, they had fewer opportunities to go to the battlefield and earn merit, but that did not mean they lacked strength.

It was precisely for this reason that they held resentment toward Qin Jue and Xu Panyue. In their eyes, as fourth-gate martial artists, they still had to compete, so why were those two automatically given spots? Especially when there was only one slot available previously, Wu Mi’s decision to give it to Qin Jue without hesitation was something they could not comprehend.

They dared not show this dissatisfaction openly, as it was Wu Mi’s decision, but that didn't mean it didn't exist. For instance, in this competition, they used Xiao Wushan as an outlet for their frustration. After a few bouts, Xiao Wushan, who was only at the third-gate perfection, was beaten to a pulp, covered in blood, and in a miserable state.

In the end, a fourth-gate martial artist who had reached the great completion stage successfully won the final spot. Among the crowd, Qin Jue took an extra look at this man.

With the slots finalized, Wu Mi mentioned that there would be three rounds of competition in the upcoming event, with rewards for every round. After speaking, he cast a special look at Qin Jue. Although the latter had reached the fourth gate, fourth-gate martial artists were everywhere in the camp, and there were many at the great completion and perfection levels. Making it to the end would be extremely difficult! He hoped that Qin Jue would not act on impulse and would know when to retreat.

"Commander, what is the format of the competition?" someone asked.

Wu Mi replied, "We only know the location is out in the field; the specific rules won't be announced until the time comes." The higher-ups had not revealed much, likely to ensure fairness.

After the company was dismissed, Qin Jue returned to his tent.

"Platoon leader, the intelligence gathering is complete," Zhang Qi's voice sounded from outside. Ever since the date for the competition was set, Qin Jue had asked Zhang Qi to help investigate the other participants. To know oneself and the enemy is to be invincible! Although his current victory points were enough to support further advancement, who knew if there were other hidden masters?

"Enter," Qin Jue said calmly, sitting behind his desk.

Zhang Qi entered the tent and bowed respectfully. His expression was reverent, but his brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes held a hint of worry. He spoke slowly: "Platoon leader, among the fifty people participating in this camp competition, forty-three are fourth-gate martial artists, and twenty-five of them have reached the great completion stage of the fourth gate."

Because of the battalion's expansion, the competition was incredibly fierce. Zhang Qi was very worried about whether his platoon leader could make it to the end.

"Continue," Qin Jue said, remaining completely unaffected. Only the fourth gate provided victory points; he wished they were all at the fourth gate.

Following this, Zhang Qi listed the information of several highly anticipated fourth-gate perfection martial artists one by one. Among them, he specifically mentioned two people!

The first was named Cui Dongxing, the nephew of the military advisor Cui Ziyuan, who served as the disciplinary officer of the Vanguard Battalion. The disciplinary officer was responsible for enforcing military law and supervising internal discipline. Although it was a clerical role, his reputation had long since spread throughout the entire Vanguard Battalion, especially since he had mastered a martial arts technique.

Qin Jue's eyes flickered. He had already deeply experienced the power of martial arts techniques. This was indeed a formidable opponent. With his current victory points, he did not have enough to upgrade his cultivation technique twice. If he encountered him early on, there would be significant risk.

Then, Zhang Qi mentioned the second person. His name was Wu Xiao. Although he possessed no martial arts techniques, he was a well-known "battle maniac" in the Vanguard Battalion. His combat skills were exceptionally prominent, and he possessed a special constitution that made him grow stronger the longer he fought. It was said that he had once challenged every fourth-gate martial artist in the entire camp without a single defeat. Even Cui Dongxing could only manage a draw against him.

These two were the universally acknowledged favorites to win the championship in this competition. Listening to Zhang Qi’s introduction, Qin Jue was lost in thought. This competition was even more difficult than he had imagined.

But it didn't matter... Only with difficulty could potential be ignited. A martial artist should always press forward!