Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." The boy looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in coarse cloth, clearly a child from a nearby village who had come to participate in the selection. Ning Che could tell from his appearance that he didn't seem to have any cultivation, that he was thin and small, and that he was trembling with fear, his lips shaking.

"Is 'sorry' all you want?" Lin Ye stomped on the back of his hand, grinding his boot into it twice. The boy let out a piercing scream of pain, his knuckles cracking under the weight. "Kneel down and kowtow three times, beg 'Master Lin, spare my life,' and this matter will be over. Otherwise, I'll cripple your hands today, so you can't even step onto the stage!"

Some people in the canteen looked angry, but no one dared to stand up.

Those with connections naturally knew that these were people brought in by Commander Mu and dared not offend them. Those without connections were mostly not cultivators, and couldn't even beat Lin Ye's henchmen, so they had no way to stand up for themselves at this time.

Only one girl, who also seemed to be from the village, secretly walked out. Ning Che ignored her and continued preparing to get his meal.

Seeing that no one dared to stop him, Lin Ye became even more arrogant. He raised his foot to step on the boy's arm, and at the same time, he raised his voice in a sarcastic tone, loud enough for the entire canteen to hear clearly: "Let me tell you, here, I am the rule!"

Don't think you can cause trouble just because you have a little skill. Some country bumpkins, don't think you're someone important just because Commander Mu said a few words to you! I could crush you like an ant!

He was looking at Ning Che when he spoke.

Many people also looked over, with varying expressions.

But Ning Che seemed not to hear at all.

He took his food, found a place to sit, and steadily picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, chewing it slowly and deliberately without even lifting his eyelids.

Everyone around was stunned.

No one expected that Ning Che could remain seated and unmoved in the face of such humiliation, without even the slightest reaction.

Lin Ye was also stunned for a moment, then his anger intensified. He had come specifically to provoke Ning Che, and this whole performance was meant to provoke Ning Che into making a move so he could beat him up. But Ning Che's complete disregard made him feel even more humiliated than if Ning Che had actually fought him on the spot.

"What the hell are you pretending to be, you coward!" Lin Ye abruptly pulled his foot back, rushed to Ning Che's table, and slammed his hand hard on the surface, making the dishes rattle loudly. "I'm cursing you! You country bumpkin! Stand up if you dare!"

Everyone in the canteen held their breath, thinking that Ning Che was about to make a move.

But Ning Che still didn't move.

To prevent Lin Ye from ruining this seemingly precious soup, he grabbed the small bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp, then sped up his eating.

It has to be said that, having traveled through time for so long, this was the first time he had ever had a decent meal.

Lin Ye could no longer hold back and was about to make a move when a female voice shouted, "The law enforcement team is here!" He was stunned upon hearing this.

While he was still in a daze, a figure rushed in. It was the girl who had sneaked out earlier.

She wore a faded coarse cloth shirt and had two braids that reached her shoulders. She looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with a healthy red cheek, which was rare in the village.

Taking advantage of her cover, Ning Che finished his meal and left the dining hall.

He first sensed his own Dao talisman and found that the "spiritual soup" had not brought him any improvement, which made him somewhat disappointed.

Only then did he see the law enforcement team slowly approaching in the distance. He thought to himself that this girl was quite clever, and he would find an opportunity to thank her later.

As for the score with Lin Ye, that would naturally be settled once they were in the ring. However, he always felt that Lin Ye was somewhat mentally unstable; with such a wicked personality, how had he grown up in the village like this?

After practicing his swordsmanship at the training ground, it was already noon. He returned to the Jiazi barracks, where only Zhao He was practicing. Ning Che didn't care about anyone else's movements; after placing the Crescent Moon Blade within easy reach, he immediately began his own practice.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past three days, Ning Che has gained a general understanding of the daily life of the mountain guardians. They eat two meals a day, morning and evening. In the morning, they receive a body-tempering soup, which can enhance one's physique with prolonged consumption, but its effects are not immediately apparent.

Every year, the mountain guardians recruit talented young men and women as reserves, who undergo three months of training before competing for vacant spots. Although this recruitment is not restricted by background, candidates must have cultivation talent, and it is conducted only within the city. The original owner of this body was unaware of this method before.

As for the three who shared a room with him, Lin Ye never returned. Chen Mu only came back to sleep at night, spending his days practicing combat in the training ground. Zhao He, on the other hand, was a cultivation fanatic, to the point of neglecting to eat or sleep.

Unfortunately, the path from the ninth rank to the eighth rank is long, and many people cannot complete it even after decades. Naturally, he did not make any progress in these short three days.

Ning Che, however, suddenly sensed something and mastered the third Lung Gold Sword Qi, which had already caught up with the village chief's ten years of hard work.

On the day of the selection, the training ground was already bustling with noise just as dawn was breaking.

A square stone arena, about ten feet in size, stands in the center of the training ground. An array is set up on the arena to prevent the aftershocks of the battle from injuring others.

This was Ning Che's first time seeing an array, so he examined it carefully. Although he didn't understand what the dense runes were for, he felt a sense of satisfaction from gaining knowledge.

The training ground was surrounded by stands, but perhaps due to the drought, only a few people were sitting on them, making it seem quite empty.

The judge for this selection was also a deputy commander of the mountain guardians, named Yu Congrong. Although her name sounded rather menacing, she was actually a tall and beautiful woman.

After Ning Che and the others signed the death waiver, it was already 7:45 AM. At her command, the gong rang out, and the entire training ground fell silent instantly.

The enforcement team leader stepped onto the stage and loudly announced the rules: "In this selection of the mountain guardians, a life-or-death agreement has been signed. On this stage, life and death are irrelevant. The winner is determined by one side's surrender, falling to the ground, or death!"

Another gong sounded, and the results of the draw were sent to the arena.

The steward glanced at the list, then loudly announced the names, his voice echoing throughout the entire training ground:

"First round, first match: Jiazi No. 1, Xing! vs. Jiazi No. 2, Lin Ye!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar!

No one expected that this most anticipated showdown would clash in the very first round!

Ning Che was also quite surprised. His eyes swept over the referee's table, only to see Yu Congrong looking down at them with a half-smile on his face.

Lin Ye stepped forward, leaping onto the stage with his toes and making a throat-slitting gesture in the direction of Ning Che.

Ning Che didn't take it to heart, picked up the Crescent Moon Blade, and walked up the steps.

The gong rang out again.

The arena for life and death has officially begun!