The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

The centurions of the Water Barbarian tribe were at least at the peak of the Spirit Gathering Realm, yet Bai Lingxi was able to kill two of them on her own. This strength truly deserves her title as the number one genius of the Blood Slaughtering Camp.

"It seems she's a shoo-in for first place in this theater assessment."

Song Lingfei said softly to Dong Lu.

"I heard that the Imperial Azure Deer Academy has already decided to admit her?"

Donglu nodded.

"The news is accurate. This girl is exceptionally talented and comes from a prestigious family; those old guys at Qinglu Academy have been eyeing her for a long time."

While the two were talking, Bai Lingxi had finished registering and stood quietly to the side.

Her gaze swept calmly across the camp entrance, as if she were waiting for something.

Not long after, another commotion arose outside the camp.

A crimson sword light, as red as fire, ripped through the sky as Zhao Yin rode his sword and landed gracefully.

Although his brocade robe was badly damaged, his proud aura remained undiminished.

"Zhao Yin, return the mission."

With a wave of his hand, he placed the three points plaques steadily on the registration table.

After the officer's inspection.

"Hunting down a centurion and destroying two watchtowers—that's comparable to Bai Lingxi's achievements."

Zhao Yin turned to look at Bai Lingxi not far away, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Junior Sister Bai, it seems we'll have to have a proper competition this time."

Bai Lingxi glanced at him indifferently, without replying.

Just then, another figure appeared at the camp entrance.

The man was covered in blood, his clothes were so tattered they could barely cover his body, but his back was ramrod straight.

"Li Duxing!"

Someone exclaimed.

Li Duxing silently walked to the registration desk, the points card he pulled from his pocket stained with blood. The officer took it for inspection, his expression turning serious.

"Single-handedly killing three Water Barbarian scout captains and destroying an armory—this is a remarkable achievement."

Zhao Yin's smile froze. He hadn't expected that this sword fanatic, who usually kept to himself, could achieve such results.

Bai Lingxi also showed some surprise, but quickly regained her composure.

She looked into Li Duxing's cold, wolf-like eyes and said softly.

"Congratulations."

Li Duxing simply nodded, then walked to the side, sat down cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries.

As time went by, students such as Changsunhen, Gongming, Shiyu, and Ningmeng returned one after another.

Each of them had an impressive track record, which drew gasps of amazement.

"Strange, why haven't we seen that kid Jiang Xuan yet?"

Dong Lu frowned as he looked toward Demon Cloud Ridge, his tone filled with worry.

Song Lingfei also looked worried.

Could it be...?

"impossible!"

Shi Yu and Ning Meng had somehow gotten nearby and overheard the instructors' conversation. Shi Yu immediately retorted.

"Jiang Xuan is incredibly resilient. In the battle at the volcano, he single-handedly took down seven Water Barbarian warriors, including their genius Water Eagle!"

Ning Meng nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that kid's really cunning. He's definitely holding back some big move at the last minute."

Bai Lingxi, who was not far away, heard this conversation and her eyes shone with an unusual light.

She looked towards the camp entrance again, this time with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Zhao Yin noticed Bai Lingxi's unusual behavior, walked over to her, and spoke with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Is Junior Sister Bai waiting for someone?"

Bai Lingxi did not deny it.

"Jiang Xuan hasn't returned yet."

"Jiang Xuan?"

Zhao Yin frowned.

"That kid from Camp 39? Why is Junior Sister Bai paying so much attention to him?"

Bai Lingxi glanced at Zhao Yin and said calmly.

"You wouldn't understand."

Zhao Yin's expression darkened slightly, his tone clearly showing disdain.

"Even if he has some skill, he can't compare to us. The top three in this war zone assessment will definitely be among me, you, Li Duxing, and Changsun Hen. I'm confident I can make it into the top three."

"You overlooked Jiang Xuan."

Bai Lingxi interrupted him.

"He has earned our respect."

Zhao Yin's eyes were filled with jealousy and anger. He was about to retort when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the camp.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound.

A blood-covered figure staggered into the camp, and at the last moment before crossing the boundary, he used his last strength to collapse to the ground.

"Jiang Xuan!"

Dong Lu and Song Ling stood up at the same time, their tense expressions finally relaxing.

Shi Yu and Ning Meng rushed forward in two strides, blocking him from the left and right.

Ning Meng's hand had just touched Jiang Xuan's shoulder when he was pushed away by an elbow strike.

"Bloody Bee."

Jiang Xuan coughed twice and took a bulging leather bag off his waist.

"We had to take a three-mile mountain road to shake them off."

The leather bag made a metallic clanging sound when it hit the ground, and the opening came undone, revealing more than a dozen blood-stained bronze nameplates.

Shi Yu's pupils contracted slightly. These were all identification tokens for barbarian warriors, each representing at least ten military merits.

"ha!"

Ning Meng suddenly burst into laughter and slapped Jiang Xuan hard on the back.

"Chased all over the mountain by those poisonous insects? You've finally met your match!"

Jiang Xuan retaliated with a kick, but Ning Meng, who was prepared, jumped away and bumped into Shi Yu, who was watching the commotion from behind.

The two rolled around in a ball, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"quiet!"

The sound of bells echoed through the valley, and the towering figure of the chief instructor appeared in the center of the camp.

At his feet lay forty-two leather bags, each embroidered with the student's name; these were the survivors' entire loot.

"The theater assessment has concluded."

The head instructor's voice was like a dull knife scraping across a stone slab.

"Forty-two people passed, an elimination rate of 82%."

When the instructors began to tally up the military achievements, Bai Lingxi was the first to step forward.

Her pristine white uniform stood out starkly against the disheveled appearance of the other trainees.

When the parchment scroll is unfurled, the bronze plaque cascades out like a waterfall.

"Bai Lingxi, 1309 military merits."

An uproar spread.

Zhao Yin was the second to step forward, and he deliberately snorted coldly as he passed by Jiang Xuan.

When his 1,254 military merits were announced, the smile that had just appeared on his lips froze when he heard about Li Duxing and Changsun Hen's achievements.

"Li Duxing, 1258 military merits. Changsun Hen, 1243 military merits."

Zhao Yin's face turned ashen; he had been relegated to fourth place.

"What did I tell you?"

Bai Lingxi appeared beside the scorer's table at some point, her delicate hand gently touching the jade pendant at her waist.

"Some analyses seem to have overlooked an important variable."

Shi Yu and Ning Meng were too preoccupied to bicker at that moment.

When Shi Yu's 1,178 military achievements were announced, his face scrunched up in a bitter expression.

Ning Meng's 1,179 military merits made him jump up and down, winking at Shi Yu.

"Do you remember the bet?"

Ning Meng nudged Shi Yu with his elbow.

"My dirty socks for the next month"

"roll!"

Shi Yu gritted his teeth.

"Jiang Xuan hasn't handed it in yet!"

All eyes turned to Jiang Xuan, who was having his wound bandaged. Dong Lu whispered as he tightened the bandage.

Don't be stressed, you're already alive!

"Jiang Xuan."

The head instructor's voice interrupted him.

"Your turn."

The campsite suddenly became so quiet that you could hear the rustling of the mountain wind through the treetops.

When Jiang Xuan got up, the blood seeping from his wound stained his newly changed clothes.

He walked slowly, but his back was ramrod straight.

"Keep it up, bro!"

Ning Meng suddenly shouted.

"Take down that pretty boy!"

He was clearly referring to Zhao Yin.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Yin's eyes as he whispered to Bai Lingxi, "Watch closely, this is the one you thought so highly of."

Jiang Xuan's leather bag was a size smaller than Bai Lingxi's.

As the nameplates jingled and landed on the recording table, the instructors began to skillfully categorize and count them.

An older instructor paused in his actions.

He picked up a broken piece of bronze, the strange patterns etched on it were blurred, but he could vaguely make out that it was some kind of animal head pattern.

"This is."

Several instructors huddled together, tracing the lines on their fingers.

The head instructor took the fragment and examined it carefully in the sunlight.

His thick knuckles trembled.

"The totem markings of a level-two elite barbarian."

The sounds of gasps came one after another.

Bai Lingxi's eyes widened, while Zhao Yin froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

"According to the rules, killing a level-two barbarian grants a reward of 800 military merits."

"It was the head instructor who said in a deep voice."

"Although the totem is damaged, the authentication is correct."

The recorder quickly moved the abacus beads.

"Adding the original 509 military merits, the total is 1,309."

"Tie for first place!"

Ning Meng roared and grabbed Shi Yu in a tight embrace.

"See that? My brother!"

Zhao Yin's face instantly turned ashen, and his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white.

He was originally firmly in third place, but now he has been squeezed down to fourth.

"This is impossible!"

Zhao Yin practically forced out those words through gritted teeth.

The surrounding students also became agitated, with questions rising one after another.

"Jiang Xuan's totem patterns are clearly fewer than Bai Lingxi's, so why are his military merits the same?"

"A level two elite barbarian? Are you kidding me? How could he possibly kill a powerhouse of that level?"

"Could it be that they cheated?"

Faced with the crowd's questions, a stern-faced instructor stepped forward and explained in a loud voice.

"This damaged totem pattern did indeed come from a level two elite barbarian. According to the Imperial military merit reward standards, killing such a powerful figure can earn at least three hundred military merits, and up to eight hundred."

Jiang Xuan's military achievements were assessed according to the minimum standards; in reality, his achievements were likely higher.

These words caused an even greater uproar.

Bai Lingxi stood in the center of the crowd, her beautiful face revealing neither joy nor anger.

She gave Jiang Xuan a deep look, then turned and left, her back view as proud and aloof as a plum blossom atop a snow-capped peak.

"Hmph, what are you pretending to be so high and mighty for?"

Zhao Yin stared at Bai Lingxi's back with a sinister expression, then turned his gaze to Jiang Xuan, secretly vowing revenge.

"You lowly commoner dare to step on my head? You'll be sorry when we get back to the Bloodthirsty Camp!"

Shi Yu and Ning Meng had already squeezed next to Jiang Xuan, their faces filled with disbelief.

"You little brat"

Ning Meng slapped Jiang Xuan's shoulder hard, almost knocking him over.

"How did they manage that? Those are level two elite barbarians!"

Jiang Xuan rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped so hard, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Just lucky."

"fart!"

Shi Yu rarely swore.

"There's no such thing as luck on the battlefield! Confess now!"

Jiang Xuan simply shook his head and gazed into the distance.

"secret."

Ning Meng and Shi Yu both saw helplessness in each other's eyes.

They knew that if Jiang Xuan didn't want to talk about something, no amount of pressing him would make a difference.

"Fine, I won't say then."

Ning Meng suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of big white teeth.

"But don't forget about the bet."

Shi Yu's expression froze instantly, and his face turned even uglier than Zhao Yin's.

Jiang Xuan's eyes held a sly glint.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. My two senior brothers, I've prepared the IOUs."

"you"

Shi Yu pointed at Jiang Xuan, his finger trembling.

"You knew this would happen?"

Jiang Xuan blinked innocently.

"I'm just confident in my abilities."

Ning Meng laughed heartily and put his arm around Shi Yu's shoulder.

"Old Shi, you've got to accept your loss. It's just five hundred gold coins, nothing to you!"

Shi Yu gritted his teeth.

"That's enough of my cultivation resources for half a year!"

"Don't be so stingy."

Ning Meng winked and made faces.

"How about this, I'll put my share on your tab first?"

"roll!"

Amidst the playful banter, the three signed an IOU.

Jiang Xuan carefully put the note away, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

This money meant that he had secured his cultivation resources for the next few months.

Not far away, Zhao Yin watched all of this with a cold eye, his fists clenching tighter and tighter.

He turned and walked toward his followers, whispering a few instructions to them.

The students all revealed sinister smiles, glancing in Jiang Xuan's direction from time to time.

After the assessment, the forty-two trainees who passed boarded the warship returning to the Bloodthirsty Camp.

The massive metal hull gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Inside the warship, the trainees gathered in twos and threes, discussing the various aspects of the assessment.

Jiang Xuan stood alone by the porthole, gazing at the rapidly receding clouds outside, his thoughts drifting far away.

“What are you thinking about?”

Shi Yu was standing beside him at some point, holding two cups of hot tea.

Jiang Xuan took the teacup, and the warmth passed through the cup to his palm.

"It's nothing, it just feels like a dream."

Shi Yu chuckled softly.

"How did it feel to kill a level two elite barbarian?"

Jiang Xuan took a sip of tea, finding it bittersweet.

"To be honest, I almost died."

Shi Yu looked surprised, then understood.

"No wonder you're unwilling to say more."

"It's not that I'm unwilling to talk about it, but..."

Jiang Xuan carefully considered his words.

"Some things are better said than said."

Shi Yu nodded and did not ask any further questions.

The two stood there, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

At the other end of the warship, Ning Meng was chatting and laughing loudly with several familiar students, occasionally bursting into hearty laughter.

Bai Lingxi sat alone in a corner, closing her eyes to rest, as if she were isolated from the world.

Zhao Yin stood in the center of the crowd, surrounded by several followers, a fake smile on his face, but his eyes kept glancing in Jiang Xuan's direction.

"Brother Zhao, don't worry, we'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with that kid once we get back to camp."

"A student with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks said obsequiously."

Zhao Yin snorted coldly.

"I don't want a simple lesson; I want him to be kicked out of the Bloodthirsty Camp for good!"

"this"

The henchmen looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed.

Zhao Yin's eyes were fierce.

"What? Is there a problem?"

"N-No!"

The group quickly shook their heads.

"Don't worry, Brother Zhao, we'll definitely find a way."

The warships sailed through the clouds and soon arrived at the Bloodthirsty Camp.

The massive camp complex cast long shadows in the setting sun.

The trainees disembarked one by one and were ordered to return to their respective camps to rest. (End of Chapter)