Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 54: Joint Training Unveils Deadly Intent in the Northwest Forest Region

Three days later, the square of the Tianlan Provincial Martial Arts Association was packed with people.

Colorful flags, red, blue, and yellow, fluttered in the wind all around the square. A red banner stretched above the stage, proclaiming "The 32nd Provincial Key High School Joint Training Campaign Launch Ceremony." Below the stage, three thousand students, dressed in matching blue school uniforms, stood in neat rows, densely covering the entire square.

The students were all in high spirits. Some were whispering to each other, some were checking their weapons, and some were stretching their wrists and ankles. Most of them had excitement on their faces. This kind of province-wide training only happened once a year, and everyone was determined to get a good ranking.

"Hey, I heard this year's training location is the Northwest Forest Area, where there are a lot of second-tier ferocious beasts."

"That's great! Killing a second-tier ferocious beast gives you fifty points, which is more worthwhile than killing ten first-tier beasts."

"Keep your voices down. I heard there are Tier 3 monsters deep in the forest. If you run into one, you're done for."

Lin Chen stood in the core class's line, listening to the surrounding discussions without saying a word. Zhao Lei next to him kept tiptoeing around, muttering things like "So many people." Su Qingyue stood in the front row, her long hair tied in a ponytail, her back ramrod straight. Su Muyue next to her clutched a bulging blue cloth bag tightly in her hand, filled with formation-breaking flags and magical artifacts.

On the stage, the leaders of the Provincial Martial Arts Association took their seats one after another. Liu Kun, dressed in a dark gray suit with gleaming leather shoes, walked to the microphone. He had a smile on his face and looked very kind, like a considerate elder.

"Hello everyone!" His voice echoed through the square through the loudspeakers. "The annual joint training exercise for key high schools across the province officially begins today! This year's training location is the northwest forest area of ​​Qingyang City. I hope everyone will hone their will and improve their skills during this exercise, while also paying attention to safety and helping each other."

He paused, glanced at the huge crowd below the stage, and raised his voice: "I hereby declare the 32nd Joint Training Session of Key High Schools in Tianlan Province officially open!"

A deafening roar erupted in the square. Thousands of people shouted together, their voices soaring into the sky and startling the birds in the nearby trees into flight.

The students boarded the military vehicles parked outside the square in an orderly fashion. One after another, the green military vehicles formed a long line, their engines roaring as they drove out of the city and headed towards Qingyang City.

Lin Chen, Zhao Lei, Su Muyue, and Su Qingyue were in the same car. Zhao Lei leaned against the window, his face pressed against the glass, watching the scenery rush past. After watching for a while, he turned back, muttering repeatedly, "It's finally starting! I'm going to slay a second-tier ferocious beast during this training. Don't you dare try to take it from me!"

"Don't be careless." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "This training is different from previous years; it will be very dangerous. Stay close to me and don't act alone."

Zhao Lei patted his chest confidently: "Don't worry! I'm now in the mid-stage of the Qi and Blood Realm, and I'm also the captain of the logistics medical team. I can protect myself and my classmates."

After he finished speaking, he leaned back out the car window to look at the scenery.

Su Muyue sat next to Lin Chen, clutching the blue cloth bag tightly in both hands. Her fingers rubbed back and forth on the cloth, her knuckles turning white. Her face was paler than usual, and her lips were almost bloodless.

"Don't worry," Lin Chen said softly, holding her hand. "Everything will be alright. The plan is very thorough."

Su Muyue nodded, leaned on his shoulder, and slowly closed her eyes. She still didn't let go of her bag.

Su Qingyue sat opposite, leaning against the carriage, her eyes closed, her arms crossed over her chest, seemingly resting. But Lin Chen noticed the strength of her clenched fists—both hands were tightly clenched, and the veins on the back of her hands were faintly visible.

The military vehicle bumped along for three hours. The road grew narrower and narrower, and the fields on both sides were barren, overgrown with weeds. The distant mountains drew closer, and at their foot lay a gray, misty forest shrouded in a thin fog.

The car was parked at the entrance to the forest area.

The place was deserted, the ground covered with pebbles and withered grass. There was a faint, fishy smell in the air, it was hard to tell if it was from rotting leaves or something else. The distant mountains and forests were shrouded in mist, indistinct and blurry, like a large, blurry shadow.

The students disembarked one after another and gathered in the open space by class, their chatter blending together. Some stretched, some rubbed their sore bottoms, and some squatted down to tie their shoelaces. A few bolder boys pointed to the distant mountains and forests, discussing what ferocious beasts might roam there.

Liu Kun and Zhang Tao also got off the car. Liu Kun jumped onto a large rock, dusted off his hands, and shouted to the students, "Students, this is the entrance to the Northwest Forest Area. The training period is seven days. Your task is to find spiritual materials, kill ferocious beasts, and earn points in the forest area. After seven days, the class with the highest points will win first place in the province and receive a reward."

He pointed to the distant mountains and forests, his tone becoming more serious: "Remember, do not venture deep into the forest. There are high-level ferocious beasts there; it's very dangerous. If you encounter danger, fire a signal flare, and we will send someone to rescue you. Now, each squad, proceed according to the designated route!"

At Liu Kun's command, the homeroom teachers of each class led their students in different directions.

Zhou Yue, the homeroom teacher of Class One, led the group eastward. This was a deliberately misleading route—eastward. The Wang family assumed they would go there.

Wang Hao, leading the Wang family members, walked about twenty meters behind, following at a leisurely pace. Lin Chen could occasionally feel a gaze from behind, as if someone was watching him. He didn't turn around, but his perception had already spread out, covering a radius of one hundred meters around him.

"Young Master Wang, everything is ready." A black-clad assassin leaned close to Wang Hao's ear, his voice low. "The evil array is fully activated; we're just waiting for them to enter. Xiao Cui has also sent word that they are indeed heading east."

"Very good." Wang Hao's voice was tinged with laughter. "Pass the word down, tell everyone to prepare. We'll make our move once they enter the evil array's range. Remember, Lin Chen must be alive, and the Star Martial Core must be intact. As for the rest, kill them."

"Yes."

Lin Chen had his back to them, listening intently to every word of their conversation. His lips twitched slightly, but he remained silent and continued walking forward.

The group ventured deeper into the forest. The trees grew denser, and sunlight could only filter through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. The fog thickened, the air became damp, and breathing in the mist carried an earthy, foul odor and an indescribable stench.

"Why aren't there any ferocious beasts?" Zhao Lei scratched his head and looked around. "At this time of year, there should be many first-tier ferocious beasts on the outskirts of the forest."

He wasn't wrong. It was too quiet. There were no birds chirping, no insects humming, not even a breeze. The trees didn't move, the grass didn't sway; the whole forest was like a dead place.

Lin Chen's heart sank.

Just then, Su Muyue suddenly stopped and her expression changed.

"Oh no!" She looked down at a disc-shaped magical artifact in her hand, its pointer spinning wildly. "I sense a strong aura of evil. And—the compass is malfunctioning!"

Everyone around looked down at their compasses. The needles were spinning wildly, completely disoriented.

Someone took out a communicator, but there was no signal on the screen.

"Everyone, be on guard!" Lin Chen shouted, circulating his star power, silver light dancing at his fingertips. "We've entered the Wang family's ambush!"

Before he finished speaking, a dense chorus of footsteps echoed through the surrounding woods.

It wasn't the sound of one or two people's footsteps, but the sound of hundreds of feet stepping on the dead leaves—rustling, rustling, rustling—coming from all directions.

Black figures emerged from behind trees, bushes, and rocks, dressed in black, wielding weapons, their eyes fierce. Behind them followed some hideous creatures—blue-faced with fangs, black skin, red eyes, and black breath billowing from their mouths. They were evil warriors.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of people surrounded Lin Chen and his group, forming a tight circle.

Wang Hao stood atop a large tree, one foot on a branch, the other hand gripping the trunk, looking down at the people below. His face held an barely suppressed smile, his eyes gleaming.

"Lin Chen! Didn't expect this, did you?" His voice drifted down from the treetops, echoing through the forest. "You've fallen into my trap! Today is your death day!"

Behind him, the dark clouds pressed down lower and lower, dark and heavy, like an overturned pot.