520-524

Chapter 520: Send Off!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ling Lan had brought back enough glory for the First Men's Military Academy, and this made her name and the Lingtian Mecha Clan become the hot topic for conversation—Ling Lan was even considered an idol by the younger cadets. In the First Men's Military Academy, Ling Lan became the next idol after Qiao Ting to be worshiped by the academy; however, she always lived alone and in addition to her coldness she brought about, people didn't dare to get too close to her. The idolizing didn't affect Ling Lan's lifestyle too much.

When Qiao Ting and the other fifth-year cadets left because of their internships in an army division, the other weakened mecha clans would not be confident enough to go against the Lingtian Mecha Clan, who had reached the top; they all began to be more low key. Ling Lan's outstanding performance in the Grand Mecha Tournament made them clearly understand that without the capabilities of an ace operator, they wouldn't be able to go against her. Everyone all came to a mutual agreement and didn't cause any more trouble. The First Men's Military Academy had once again returned to a time of peace and tranquility.

Very soon, another two months passed and the fifth-years who were successful in their applications for their internships in a large army division were finally going to leave the First Men's Military Academy… all the mecha clans were emotional at this; they all went to the spaceport and sent off their seniors.

On the spaceport, 23 warships formed a straight line. They were the 23 divisions of the Federation. Although some divisions only had a few people from the First Men's Military Academy successfully get in, in order to show that they valued the First Men's Military Academy's cadets, they didn't hesitate to send a standard warship to welcome them.

Ling Lan saw that other than the numbering on the warships and the totem markings, everything else was the same as standard warships. She suspected that this may have been the result of the divisions going against one another.

However, it didn't matter. The ones who benefited from all this was the First Men's Military Academy's cadets. Compared to normal passenger ships, warships were incomparably more comfortable and safe on many levels.

Ling Lan wasn't the only one who came to send them off; the entire Lingtian Mecha Clan had all come out to the docking area of the 23 warships to send off their seniors. Perhaps it was because 70-80% of the cadets were first and second-years, who were curious about the army divisions and wanted to see it for themselves. In the end, they all came and were surprisingly enthusiastic.

Ling Lan's head trembled and hurt as she looked at the crowd of Lingtian Clan members. She could almost see in her mind the empty classrooms that all the instructors were looking at, as well as the angry and frustrated look they would have on their faces.

Ling Lan sighed internally. Today was a good day, so she shouldn't get angry! Thus, Ling Lan decided to ignore these members. She was looking forward to whether or not they would be reprimanded and punished by the instructors when they got back.

This time, Lingtian Mecha Clan was sending off three people, and they were Li Lanfeng, Zhao Jun and Li Shiyu.

It couldn't be helped, as the Lingtian Mecha Clan had just been founded. Other than the three of them who had decided to join the year before, Lingtian didn't have any achievements that were enough to attract other senior cadets to join. After Ling Lan and the others returned in glory, the fifth-years who were focusing fully on evaluations didn't have the time or the state of mind to join a new mecha clan.

Quality over quantity. Although Lingtian only had three fifth years apply for army divisions, these three fifth-year cadets were the most outstanding in their own field. Li Shiyu had graduated at the top of his class in military medicine. Right when his application was sent to the 23rd Division, Ling Xiao wrote him off instantly and gave him the no extra exam treatment, and this had made everyone else become green with envy.

Zhao Jun and Li Lanfeng had both advanced to ace level during the at the end of the Grand Mecha Tournament. Although Li Lanfeng's ace operator level wasn't stable, no one denied it. As long as Li Lanfeng was given time, he would definitely easily advance into ace level. No matter which military division they went to, ace operators were all welcomed.

However, compared to Zhao Jun's smooth sailing during examinations, Li Lanfeng had tripped on some of the steps. Although Li Lanfeng's mecha operating talent had moved the examiners of the 23rd Division, his poor physical constitution had the examiners worried. Li Lanfeng used all of his strength to operate the mecha and could only hold on for 10 minutes. This was his biggest issue and made the examiners very hesitant. With this kind of physical condition, even if his operating was top notch, he would still be throwing his life away on the battlefield. They really wanted to give up on him… After all, the number of people they could take in was limited and considered to be valuable, so they couldn't afford to waste a slot.

Although it was cruel, they had to be responsible for their own division. While examining the capabilities of a cadet, they would also think about whether they would undergo growth in the future or not… and living a long life was the most important point. Even when it came to the strongest and most aberrant talents, if they couldn't live long, it would then all be for naught.

However, they couldn't let Li Lanfeng go because they saw another possibility in Li Lanfeng. He was able to advance during battle while under pressure, which would allow Li Lanfeng to have hope of living a long life. The examiners could not come to a consensus and neither could they convince the others on their opinions. Instead, they sent Li Lanfeng to the staff officer department of the 23rd Division to determine his fate. They wanted the staff officer department to decide whether they would take him or not.

In reality, Li Lanfeng's fate wasn't certain, and Ling Lan knew that very clearly. When Zhao Jun and Li Lanfeng were going through their assessments, Little Four, who was curious about the details, had sneakily broadcasted their assessments live.

Ling Lan didn't stop him. Although Ling Lan had many ways to help Li Lanfeng get into the 23rd Division smoothly, Ling Lan believed that this was Li Lanfeng's own path. No matter if it was smooth sailing or full of hardships, he had to experience it himself.

Of course, if Li Lanfeng had failed the assessment, he would have had to wait until his sixth year to continue to apply. Even if he failed in his sixth year, it didn't mean that he had no hope of getting into the 23rd Division. But if that happened, Li Lanfeng's path in the future would be even more difficult. Firstly, he would need to apply like any average citizen for soldier tryouts in the 23rd Division. He would have to spend many years and slowly climb up from the lowest rank. Right, it wasn't like this. If he got into the 23rd Division right now, he would have the rank of lieutenant…

However, some things could not be done by just thinking about it. A few days later, Ling Lan received a phone call from her father's first staff officer, He Xuyang.

"Young Master Lan, long time no see, right?" Ling Lan's forehead couldn't help but twitch a few times after seeing He Xuyang's smiling face appear in the virtual video call. She first suspected that perhaps her father had laid some sort of trick for her.

He Xuyang seemed to perceive what Ling Lan was thinking and immediately spoke up for his general. "Young Master Lan, contacting you today has nothing to do with the general."

"Oh?" Ling Lan looked at him slyly. She really didn't know what other connection she shared with this first staff officer aside from her father.

He Xuyang smiled awkwardly. When he had previously contacted Young Master Lan, he was actually sending the general's regards to him. The general was very busy but was scared that he had neglected his only child; thus, he made He Xuyang contact Ling Lan from time to time and make sure he was safe.

However, He Xuyang was still Ling Xiao's first staff officer. His skin was trained enough to be very thick and so he quickly said without a care in the world, "Young Master Lan, the situation's like this. We received the newest assessment results of an applicant from the First Men's Military Academy. The examiners from below could not come to a consensus regarding this applicant. In the end, the application was sent to us and we were told make the decision instead."

Ling Lan thought about it. She knew that this applicant was definitely Li Lanfeng. He was the only one who would make the examiners want to give up and fail him, yet still be reluctant in doing so. His physique was always being worked to its limit, and he was able to break through into ace level during his fifth year. Li Lanfeng's mecha operating talent was undoubtedly monstrous, which was why he was able to continuously break past his body's limits and successfully break through time and time again.

"Who is it?" Ling Lan's tone was very plain as if she didn't know what the situation was about.

He Xuyang knowingly smiled and said, "Li Lanfeng!"

Ling Lan coldly looked at the image of He Xuyang and waited for what he was going to say next.

"I know Li Lanfeng was in your mecha clan and could also have been in your battle team," He Xuyang continued. Although Ling Lan's team's team member list wasn't told to the public, He Xuyang had reached a verdict. Even if he hadn't seen the real list of names, he would be able to determine it from Ling Lan's arrangements in the battle royale.

"Yes!" Ling Lan naturally knew about this and admitted to it outright.

"You should know Li Lanfeng very well. I just want to ask, do you think Li Lanfeng has a chance?" He Xuyang didn't beat around the bush and asked the question he was concerned about.

Ling Lan knew He Xuyang wanted to ask whether Li Lanfeng had a chance to continue to break through in the future. The army divisions accepted applicants from military academies not only to increase their military strength, but also to choose the exceptional seeds that could be nurtured to become a backbone in the division. Officers who were the backbones were 80-90% nurtured by the divisions as their own "inside men". Only these officers would be loyal to their own division and would be able to hold the division together.

In the Federation, the longest legacy was the first, second and third divisions. Their appointed division commander would always become one of the three Great Marshals. This was the legacy. However, because every great marshal was developed by these three divisions, this made the three divisions always become the three strongest divisions in the Federation.

However, nurturing a general would use up countless resources, and this was also why army divisions attached so much importance to every military academy's evaluations. These applicants were their future pillars, and thus they couldn't be sloppy with any of the slots reserved for the cadets. They had to take every detail into consideration, afraid that their negligence would result in taking in a piece of trash. This would waste not only waste a spot, but also waste countless resources of the division.

Ling Lan frowned and asked, "Why ask me? Isn't this something the 23rd Division should be dealing with?"

"Actually, Li Lanfeng was logically going to be given up on," He Xuyang said. "However, he's one of yours, so that made me hesitate a bit."

Ling Lan's hands made a fist, her eyes becoming more colder than before. "What, he's different because he's one of my men?"

"Yes!" He Xuyang's words caused the anger in Ling Lan to rise. She felt that she and Li Lanfeng were being humiliated. Perhaps it was because she was Ling Xiao's "son"? That was why she had special privileges? Was Li Lanfeng someone that would accept this kind of gracious handout because he was one of her men?

"Heh. Young Master Lan, did you think that I was going to give Li Lanfeng a special privilege?" He Xuyang smiled. He had sensed Ling Lan's unhappiness from the coldness between her brows.

"You're saying that's not the case?" He Xuyang words instantly made Ling Lan calm down and the placidness returned to her eyes again. She shouldn't have been concerned; He Xuyang was a very moral person and would definitely not give the general's "son" a backdoor of sorts in order to get on the general's good side.

He Xuyang's eyes showed a hint of approval. Ling Lan's cold and heartless appearance actually showed that she was very emotional—she cared deeply for those around her and didn't allow anyone to look down on them. However, Ling Lan wasn't someone to be controlled by emotions. When she needed to be calm, she would be calmer than anyone.

"Of course not." He Xuyang smiled, and then his expression became serious. "Young Master Lan, I understand you. The people that you set your eyes upon are all remarkable individuals. Li Shiyu is one of them and Zhao Jun is the same. Then I must assume that this Li Lanfeng is the same as well. Although it seems like he doesn't have a future now, being able to become your subordinate, he definitely must have had enough exceptional talent to attract you, and I just want to know what he is exceptional in and whether that is valuable enough for the 23rd Division to invest and nurture him."

Ling Lan went silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Why should I tell you?"

"It's a win-win situation for the both of us! Don't tell me you don't want to get into the 23rd Division in the future? If that's the case, just wait until General Ling Xiao chases you down with his God-class IN mecha from miles away," He Xuyang threatened. "Ensuring that your battle team stays complete would be very beneficial for your future development, Young Master Lan. If Li Lanfeng really is worth nurturing, the 23rd Division won't pass up on the opportunity. It's always a good thing for us to add another strong member into our division. Young Master Lan, don't forget that the 23rd Division is the division of your father, General Ling Xiao."

"Are you not afraid that I would give you false information out of selfishness?" Ling Lan asked with raised brows.

"If Young Master Lan was that kind of person, then he wouldn't be our Young Master Lan," He Xuyang responded, half smiling.

"Well. Since you said that, I definitely can't tell a lie, so that I won't let Staff officer He Xuyang's trust go to waste," Ling Lan replied. "Give him some time. It isn't impossible for him to advance to imperial level!" He Xuyang eyes lit up, but this wasn't enough. As expected, Ling Lan continued, "And, he is also capable of becoming an exceptional strategist."

After hearing Ling Lan's answer, He Xuyang ended his call with Ling Lan in satisfaction. Seeing the screen suddenly turn black, Ling Lan was dumbfounded. This He Xuyang was too much. He was this heartless after getting what he wanted? Not even saying a word of thanks?

He Xuyang didn't know how Ling Lan was criticizing him. He walked in front of his desk and picked up the report. He thought it over for a moment, then wrote down one statement and signed his name.

Allow Zhao Jun enter the 23rd Division as the rank of senior captain!

Allow Li Shiyu enter the 23rd Division as the rank of senior captain!

Allow Li Lanfeng enter the 23rd Division as the rank of second lieutenant!

Compared to Li Shiyu's and Zhao Jun's ranks, Li Lanfeng's rank was very low. One only needed to be at the level of advanced mecha operator to obtained the rank of second lieutenant. Although Li Lanfeng's ace mecha operator level wasn't stable, he was still easily at the special-class operator level. According to the ranks given accordingly to the levels of mecha operators in the Federation, Li Lanfeng's rank should be first lieutenant and not second lieutenant.

This meant that while Li Lanfeng was approved by He Xuyang to enter the 23rd Division, He Xuyang still suppressed Li Lanfeng. This was He Xuyang testing Li Lanfeng!

Ling Lan returned from her flashback and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Although she didn't want to have a hand in the situation, she still did something. It was just that she didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for Li Lanfeng. Ling Lan believed that since Li Lanfeng was now being eyed by He Xuyang, he would definitely have a rough time in the 23rd Division.

Ling Lan looked at the three of them wearing uniforms standing in front of her, and her worries were gone in an instant. She encouragingly said, "The 23rd Division has formed recently, so they're basically all veterans. There aren't many new people like you guys there. It's going to be a hard road ahead. However, at the same time, it is an opportunity for you guys, since the 23rd Division lacks pretty much everything. As long as you guys behave well, you won't have to be like in the other divisions where everyone has his own task and there's nobody to spare, needing to waste time and resources just to rank up. Maybe when we're fifth-years and enter the 23rd Division, you guys will be our superiors then."

"Don't worry, Boss. Even then, you'll still be our Boss," Zhao Jun said with a smile.

Li Shiyu said, "When you guys come, even if you guys train until your last breath, I will make sure to revive you guys instantly." Li Shiyu's words were vicious, but what he meant was that he would definitely take a spot as a military doctor and not have them worry about the future.

Li Lanfeng looked at Ling Lan with a complicated look. He hadn't expected that Ling Lan would give him such a big surprise when they were about to leave. His expression was very serious and it seemed like he was making a promise as he said, "Rabbit, I will definitely finish that training. When you come to the 23rd Division, you will see a flawless Li Lanfeng."

It turned out that Ling Lan had told Li Lanfeng to quickly resolve the issues of his physical condition. She had created a training regimen along with three sets of extremely valuable basic fundamental physical skills training from the learning space. She told Li Lanfeng clearly that he needed to stick to the training every day and finish the three sets of physical skills, as this way he would be able to resolve the issue of his physical constitution. This unexpected gift had made Li Lanfeng feel ever so grateful.

Ling Lan's training regimen seemed to be meant for just resolving Li Lanfeng's issues on his physical constitution, but only Li Lanfeng knew what Ling Lan had actually given him—he had given him the chance to be reborn, a chance to turn his life around.

Right then, the docks rang with a sound telling the cadets to get ready to board the ships, and this caused dismay to show on the faces of the three who were going to leave the academy for their division. Looking back at the five years they spent in the military academy, only the last year had been fraught with dangers and surprises, and all this was brought about by the person standing in front of them.

"Seniors, go take a look at the 23rd Division. We're counting on you," the members of the Lingtian Mecha Clan all screamed out after seeing that the three of them were about to leave.

"Good luck, seniors!"

"Let's get together again after three years!" These were the second-year cadets who were reluctant to let these three seniors who had treated them well leave after getting to know them in the past year. They also knew that Boss Lan was going to the 23rd Division in the future, so they were prepared to go there as well.

"There's still us after four years!" These were the first-years. They had just joined and hadn't formed any relationships or bonds with these three chosen ones yet they were going off to join the 23rd Division, making the first-years feel that it was a shame they couldn't get to know them. At that moment, they all called out, not caring whether the three of them could hear or know who they were.

The enthusiasm of the mecha clan members made the three of them emotional. Li Shiyu was the softest in terms of emotions, to begin with; his eyes grew even redder than before and were on the verge of shedding tears. Although he had ended up joining Lingtian because of Ling Lan's tricks, after one year of being together, he had come to see Lingtian as family. This scene in front of him made him even more reluctant to leave.

"Alright." Seeing that it was getting out of control, Ling Lan quickly spoke up, and this made the entire scene become instantly silent. Every member looked towards Ling Lan and waited for their Boss Lan to say something.

"You guys have to remember that although there's only three of you, you guys are representing the Lingtian Mecha Clan and Ling Lan. If you get bullied by people in the 23rd Division, don't bring shame to Lingtian," Ling Lan said coldly.

Zhao Jun's eyes flickered. Didn't that mean that if something really did happen, Boss would be able to deal with it? He happily nodded and replied, "Understood, Boss!"

Zhao Jun's behavior made Ling Lan's forehead throb. She quickly looked towards Li Lanfeng and added, "No bullying."

She was right. She should be worrying about the soldiers in the 23rd Division and not the three in front of her. Li Lanfeng had so many tricks up his sleeve, Li Shiyu was the top cadet for military medicine, and even Zhao Jun was a person with a silly face but an evil heart. This made it so that they certainly wouldn't be bullied by others. Her worry just now was really pointless and made her head spin.

Li Lanfeng held in his smile after seeing Rabbit's frustration from not knowing what to do and his head hurting. This made his reluctant feelings instantly lessen. He smiled and nodded while comforting Ling Lan, "Understood. I will definitely look after Zhao Jun."

"Oh ho!" Li Lanfeng's answer made Li Shiyu laugh out loud. "Look after Zhao Jun? Are you sure you didn't mean that you would work with Zhao Jun?"

Zhao Jun looked at Li Lanfeng with indifference. The two of them exchanged a stare that they both understood.

Ling Lan suddenly realized that asking Li Lanfeng to look after Zhao Jun was an absolute mistake. She could confirm that if Zhao Jun was to cause trouble, Li Lanfeng would not only not stop him, but also strategize for him…

Seeing the three of them be less reluctant compared to earlier after hearing her words, Ling Lan's heart softened. As long as they weren't bullied, she couldn't care less about helping the people they were going to bully while in the 23rd Division. The only thing she could do was that when they caused trouble and couldn't resolve it, she would be able to contact her dad in a timely manner and help them out.

Although she had this thought, Ling Lan was still in a bad mood. She pointed to the warship and said, "You guys can leave now." If they stayed any longer, she would have definitely given them a beating. What kind of members had she scouted? Not a single one of them didn't make her worry.

Hearing this, the expressions of the three changed; they knew that the time to leave had come. They exchanged looks, raised their hands and saluted Ling Lan. "Thank you, Captain!"

"Thank you for letting me understand the significance of friendship! I am no longer a lone wolf!" Zhao Jun's eyes were red at that moment.

"Thank you for letting me find myself and help me find the correct path!" Li Shiyu couldn't control himself and ended up blinking. One teardrop dripped down silently.

"Thank you for giving me the friendship that I had always wanted. Thank you for letting me have the chance to change my fate! Thank you!" Li Lanfeng's eyes were steady. Finished speaking, he lowered his hand and said to Zhao Jun and Li Shiyu, "Let's go!" The three of them turned around and walked into the warship, disappearing at the loading dock.

Seeing Li Lanfeng and the other two disappear into the ship, Ling Lan got ready to leave with Qi Long and the others. But right when she turned around, she saw a familiar face walk towards her.

That person saw Ling Lan. His eyes instantly flickered and stopped his footsteps.

"You're here to send them off?" Ling Lan was still a second-year cadet right now, so she couldn't be the one going to the 23rd Division.

Ling Lan lifted her brow in surprise. "Senior Nie, long time no see."

"Long time no see. You're here to send off members from your mecha clan? Or you wouldn't possibly appear here." Nie Feng-ming looked around him. The Lingtian Mecha Clan had almost everyone move out. If these people weren't from their mecha clan, who else could they be? He moved his head and thought for a while about the list of this year's applications that were approved and came to an understanding. "It's Li Lanfeng, Li Shiyu and Zhao Jun. These three right?"

"Yes, Senior Nie." Ling Lan looked at the uniform he was wearing. It had the logo of the 23rd Division. "Congratulations, Senior Nie, you've also entered the 23rd Division successfully it seems."

Nie Feng-ming looked at Ling Lan silently, then suddenly said, "Ling Lan, one year ago, I hated you to the bone. In the battle arena, you were ruthless and wounded me severely which caused me to miss that year's evaluation. You made me waste a whole year's worth of time and so I could only get into the 23rd Division this year."

Ling Lan nodded and said, "I know, but I don't regret it. If it was to happen again, I would still do the same thing." She wouldn't to let someone who wanted to hurt her friends off that easily. Returning the same level of harm was the least she had to do to take revenge.

"I know, you weren't in the wrong. After a whole year, I've calmed down and realized that it was my own fault," Nie Feng-ming said, then continued sarcastically, "But even though I know it's my fault, I still have to take my revenge or else I won't be able to continue on with life."

Nie Feng-ming pumped his chest with his fist. After lying in bed for seven months within the treatment pod's narrow space, he had almost gone insane from the suffocating environment. He had endured through all that because of his desire for vengeance. If he didn't take revenge himself, he wouldn't be able to live his life, to have the chance to move forward.

Chapter 521: Chase!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Your boss, Huo Zhenyu, has already made an agreement. We'll resolve this in the 23rd Division three years later." Ling Lan's expression was plain as she told him about the promise between her and Huo Zhenyu.

Nie Feng-ming nodded and said, "The boss' promise is my promise. Three years later, I'll be waiting for you in the 23rd Division." Nie Feng-ming took a stare at Ling Lan again and continued, "However, I still have to thank you."

Ling Lan was stunned. Why would Nie Feng-ming thank her after she ruthlessly made him lose one year's worth of time?

"If it wasn't for you, Boss Huo wouldn't have suddenly changed his plans to apply for the 23rd Division; our battle team would have then split off into many different pieces. But now, our entire battle team has gotten into the 23rd Division. We can now continue to fight amongst our brothers-in-arms. I am also grateful for the ruthlessness you showed back then. So thank you!" Nie Feng-ming said with a serious tone. After saying that, he walked past Ling Lan without turning around and boarded the warship of the 23rd Division.

Nie Feng-ming's words made Ling Lan's heart shake uncontrollably. In reality, what had happened to Nie Feng-ming last year had made Ling Lan feel disdain; she had felt that this person was a terrible person. But now it looked like she was the one who was short-sighted.

No one person was perfect. Everyone had their own interests and tendencies. Even if they were ruthless towards those whom they hated, they wouldn't admit their mistakes, and they would think it was alright no matter how much they gave to those they loved… In that case, with what qualifications could she judge him as right or wrong?

She took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky above the spaceport and looked beyond the stars. Her heart felt clear, as if a layer of fog that had been clouding her had vanished. She showed a hint of a smile, raised her right hand and placed it on her chest softly to feel the beating of her strong heart.

"There was never a so-called right or wrong in being a human or doing something. It was always about whether it's worth it or not! Thus, in the future, I will follow my heart. I'll do what my heart wants to do."

"What kind of Dao is this?" Instructor Number One's cold voice suddenly rang inside her mind.

"It���s my natural Dao and also the Dominance Dao that I created." Ling Lan's eyes gleamed without the confusion she once had about creating a Dao.

"What is it based on?"

"The heart. Whether it be the Sage Dao, Sovereign Dao, Killing Dao or Ghoul Dao… every type of Dao wouldn't be able to compare to the heart, the giving of the heart," Ling Lan said without hesitation. "There is no need to force, to hide, to endure, to agonize and to be reluctant. I think, so I do. It's as simple as that."

As Ling Lan's thoughts moved, the sound of a lock opening was heard—the barrier that had been confining her body and mind had broken. The aura that was originally suppressed by Ling Xiao was now finally flowing through Ling Lan's body and merging with it…

Qi Long and the others who were standing beside Ling Lan only felt that there was an aura where Ling Lan stood, and then they couldn't feel her presence anymore. This odd scene made them very nervous. They all scattered and surrounded Ling Lan to protect her.

The odd movements of Qi Long and the others also surprised the other members of the Lingtian Mecha Clan. Seeing this scene, they all formed an endless wall, surrounding Ling Lan in one layer after another.

On the 23rd Division's warship, the commanding officer saw this on his surveillance camera and his eyes narrowed. "Is it an advancement in physical skills? Even I can't actually tell what his real level is… and he's also well respected in the military academy to have hundreds of people move to protect him. How very interesting. I have to remember this person and hope that the next time I come here, he'll be among those that I welcome."

After sending off the fifth-year seniors, Ling Lan and the other cadets returned to their tight study schedule. During this time, Ling Lan had increased the demonic training regimen for Qi Long and the others. Luo Lang came behind Qi Long and was the second person to successfully advance to special-class operator.

Not only that, Lingtian Mecha Clan's other battle teams had good news; Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie had almost advanced to special-class operator at the same time. These two had seen that every member of Ling Lan's team was training crazily. This had moved them, and thus they took their own battle teams and followed the training regimen behind Ling Lan's team. No matter how much Ling Lan had shooed them away, they still wouldn't leave.

Wu Jiong was a smart person. There definitely had to be something mysterious about the training regimen since the members in Ling Lan's team were all quickly advancing to special-class level. If he followed and trained with them, it would definitely be good for him.

Although Li Yingjie wasn't as smart as Wu Jiong, Li Yingjie still knew that following him was definitely the right choice. Since Wu Jiong gave up his dignity to follow Ling Lan's team and train with them, he would naturally follow suit as well.

It had to be said that their decision in this matter was very correct. After giving a beating to all her members, Ling Lan saw their eyes yearning for the training. (Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie were yelping in horror. It wasn't yearning in their eyes, it was fear and terror, okay?) So she graciously allowed them go to the center of the arena and beat them ruthlessly. This made them almost not have enough energy to crawl out of the training room.

After going through thick and thin, Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie's friendship became stronger. These two people, who originally didn't like each other, had in the end held onto each other as they left the training room.

After being beaten like this for two months, Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie advanced to special-class operator one after the other. The time they took to achieve this was one year less than their original estimate of three years. After tasting the sweetness of the beatings, the two of them were no longer willing to leave, and thus the three battle teams fought each other and held battle royales between the battle teams as well. Since Ling Lan's battle team was stronger, Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie's battle teams would always cooperate to go against Ling Lan's battle team. Although the members of Ling Lan's team were all stronger, because Ling Lan didn't fight with them, they would lose more times since they had less than half the number of people compared to the other two battle teams. Of course, after losing, what awaited them was a more terrifying hellish training. This also made the members of Ling Lan's battle team perform crazily in every fight. However, this also made Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie's battle teams counter-attack in a crazed manner as well…

These wild confrontations that were similar to real battles caused the capabilities of all the members of the three battle teams increase exponentially… As autumn passed and spring began, the second half of the school year for the second-years passed by silently in training and studying…

"Wow, this the First Men's Military Academy? It's so big!" Among the crowd of new cadets for the First Men's Military Academy, a baby-faced youngster from one of the teams was surprised that this military academy was as large as a city as he looked around the scenery. His huge eyes that looked terrified, as well as his babyface, made him seem adorable.

"Captain, I'm so excited. I didn't think that I'd be able to get into the First Men's Military Academy." The baby-faced person was wearing a dreamy expression on his face; it was as though he still hadn't woken up from the happiness and joy from receiving his acceptance letter.

"Tao Xiaotao, can you be quiet." A somewhat dispirited-looking youngster appeared to have gotten a headache from the loud noise made by the baby-faced person; he couldn't help but clutch at his forehead.

"Speaking isn't a crime. Aren't you excited? This is the First Men's Military Academy. You know, the academy that took more than half of the overall score of the Grand Mecha Tournament last year. They probably had more than 20,000 points compared to the last few military academies. A score like that also broke the record for the year when General Ling Xiao had participated in…"

Someone talking to him made Tao Xiaotao even more excited. Yan Wuyou's defeated expression made a young man beside him lose control and start laughing.

"Rong Ziruo, you also agree with me, don't you?" Tao Xiaotao saw Rong Ziruo laugh out loud and immediately jumped beside him like a hamster to ask him this question.

Rong Ziruo saw that he was now entangled with Tao Xiaotao and immediately clutched at his forehead while smiling bitterly; he regretted laughing out loud. Once someone became entangled with this Tao Xiaotao, they wouldn't be able to get away. He was also someone that would never shut up.

"Hey, answer me man. Rong Ziruo, Ziruo, Ziruo, Ziruo." Tao Xiaotao began to chant his name.

"Xiaotao, don���t disturb Ziruo anymore." A young, handsome youth beside Rong Ziruo wore an expression that seemed a bit sorry for him. He quickly advised, "Otherwise, the captain's going to get angry."

"Hua Qingxin, I'm not going to believe your sissy remarks." Tao Xiaotao wasn't scared of Hua Qingxin's threat.

"Shut up!" A cool youth, who had been in the midst of deep thought, was awakened by Tao Xiaotao's voice. He glanced at Tao Xiaotao with dissatisfaction and coldly told him to stop making noise.

Tao Xiaotao's body suddenly froze and he immediately bowed his head; this made Hua Qingxin hold his hand to his mouth and snicker in secret. Tao Xiaotao looked at him angrily and responded with his head down, "Yes, Captain!" The captain's expression was so cold, Xiaotao was so scared.

Beside the cool youth, there stood a young man with a friendly expression on his face. He glanced at Tao Xiaotao, who was pleading to him for attention, and thought it was funny. He couldn't bear to continue looking at Tao Xiaotao's pitiful expression, thus he said, "Ling Yi, Xiaotao was only really excited. Just let him off this time."

Ling Yi stared at Tao Xiaotao for a moment before saying, "Tiange, the First Men's Military Academy isn't the scout academy we were just at. It is a gathering spot for all the geniuses in the Federation. Powerful people are everywhere. Xiaotao's jumpy personality could easily cause trouble. For his own good, he must keep it in a bit."

The person who was called Tiange had a surname of Yi and he was their team's strategist. Upon hearing Ling Yi's words, Yi Tiange felt that he was right and thus he said, "Ling Yi, you're right. Xiaotao, shut your mouth now. If you speak another word, I'll let the captain beat you up."

Hearing this, Tao Xiaotao's body trembled. The captain's operating skills was too terrifying and he didn't want to experience it, so he instantly nodded to show his determination to not speak. He also covered his mouth exaggeratedly to show that he would not speak another word.

After taking care of the jumpy Tao Xiaotao, Yi Tiange remembered something. He looked towards Ling Yi and said, "Ling Yi, you've trained with your life on the line before. Even if you were wounded all over, you still wanted to improve your capabilities. When I asked why you put in so much effort, you answered that you needed to chase someone and hope to have a chance to fight alongside him someday…"

Yi Tiange words made Ling Yi's eyes flicker and show a bit of nostalgia, a bit of pain, a bit of desire, and most of all—resolve.

"Yes!" Ling Yi confirmed Yi Tiange's words. His affirmation came deep from his throat and actually sounded somewhat hoarse.

"Then can you now tell us who that person is?" Yi Tiange finally asked.

Yi Tiange's questions made the others look towards Ling Yi. The other 5 members of the team also knew that Captain Ling Yi had trained with great effort in order to chase after someone; only, the captain was never willing to tell them who it was. He gave in to pressure in the end, but was only willing to tell them after they got admitted to the First Men's Military Academy.

Ling Yi went silent for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and replied, "In the Grand Mecha Tournament last year, do you guys remember who led the team of the First Men's Military Academy?"

Yi Tiange nodded and smiled, saying, "Yes, of course. I remember because the leader wasn't Qiao Ting, the ace operator that everyone looks up to, but instead an unknown second-year cadet called Ling Lan. It's also a coincidence that he has the same surname as you."

After Yi Tiange finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something. His smile suddenly vanished and he asked with a frozen expression, "Is it that Ling Lan?"

Ling Yi nodded earnestly, confirming what Yi Tiange had said was true.

"A surname of Ling. Could it be that Ling Lan is the captain's older brother?" Tao Xiaotao forgot that he wasn't allowed to speak; he lowered the hand covering his mouth and asked this question in surprise.

At that moment, no one had the time to care about Tao Xiaotao. Ling Yi smiled bitterly and with a shake of his head, replied, "How would that be possible? How could I be qualified to be Young Master Lan's younger brother?"

Seeing that his team members had expressions of curiosity, Ling Yi checked the surroundings and after seeing that there weren't any other people around, he continued, "What I'm about to say next is originally not allowed to be told to you guys. However, you guys are all brothers that I trust. I trust you guys. I'll only say it once. Once you guys hear it, just let it sink in and never tell it to anyone else."

The team members all nodded showing that they understood. Ling Yi's words made them very emotional, and made them grow closer than ever—they were ready to die for one another.

"Young Master Lan is the master of the Ling family, and I am Young Master Lan's loyalist." Ling Yi finally told them his identity. He instantly felt liberated after telling them because he had felt he was being untruthful to his team members by hiding his real identity.

Chapter 522: Why are you scared?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Ah… Captain is actually a loyalist." Everyone yelped in surprise. A few of them had come from large families and understood what it meant to be a loyalist—they were individuals born to serve and die for their master. Their entire life would be enveloped in darkness, never to see the light.

"Aren't loyalists only allowed to stay in the family and not be allowed to apply for military academies?" Yi Tiange asked what everyone else was confused about.

"It's because I received permission from Young Master Lan and was allowed to attend military school." Ling Yi cool expression showed a grateful smile, instantly making him seem to have a warmer personality.

"Permission? Could it be that your Young Master Lan asked your family head for you?" Yi Tiange involuntarily frowned. He understood clearly the importance of loyalists for a family; they were the most secretive existence in a family. Normally, families wouldn't even allow loyalists to come into contact with the outside world, fearing that they may have a change of heart. If the family head nonchalantly agreed to their child's requests and didn't care for the family's rules, then that family would become closer to ceasing to exist.

"No, Young Master Lan is the family head of the Ling family." Ling Yi's response surprised everyone. Ling Yi had come up from the scout academy and didn't join in the middle, which meant that Ling Yi was given permission to attend before he was 6 years old. In other words, Ling Lan had to have been the family head at that time, or even earlier than that. This meant that Ling Lan had become the family head when he was six or seven years old? He was probably the youngest family head in history.

It should be known that the family head that families chose nowadays required that they be direct descendants that were 30 years old. If the direct descendants did not meet this requirement, they would choose indirect descendants who were at the right age to temporarily be the family head. When the direct descendants became 30 years old, they would then reselect the real family head. This made sure that the family head wouldn't be controlled and cheated by servants due to young age, creating problems for the family and threatening the legacy of the family.

"He's not a puppet?" Yi Tiange made a worried gesture with his hand.

Ling Yi stared at him angrily and replied, "Of course not. Young Master Lan is the official family head. He was very strong when he was young. No one would dare to go against Young Master Lan's orders."

Hearing this, Yi Tiange looked at Ling Yi with a serious look, patted Ling Yi on the shoulder and said, "Ling Yi, now I can finally safely put my life in your hands. To be able to respect such a young family head and not think of taking power, everyone in your family deserves to be trusted."

"F**k off!" Ling Yi brushed off Yi Tiange's hand. Those of the Ling family were all loyal, morally sound and courageous people. Otherwise, how could they nurture someone like General Ling Xiao?

Ling Yi thought about this fact proudly. However, he knew very well that he couldn't say anything about Ling Xiao. Whenever Ling Qin had contacted him during all these years, he had always reminded him that in order to protect Young Master Lan, he definitely could not allow anyone to know that Young Master Lan was Ling Xiao's son.

Ling Yi looked at the team members beside him with regret but returned to being calm the next second. He was Young Master Lan's loyalist. Even if he betrayed his brothers, he would take this secret to his grave.

"However, loyalists that are exposed are no longer considered loyalist. Can you still return to his side?" Yi Tiange finally asked a cruel question. He didn't believe that Ling Yi didn't know about this fact.

Ling Yi's expression showed hesitation, but he quickly firmed himself and said, "Young Master Lan said that when I become stronger, he will let me return." He felt as if this promise had been made yesterday. He had said that he would take over Uncle Yu's position and become Young Master Lan's loyalist captain, becoming Young Master Lan's most devoted loyalist. He would do what he promised! Ling Yi lowered his hands and clenched them even tighter, as though this could increase his confidence.

Yi Tiange sighed internally. He, Rong Ziruo and Yan Wuyou exchanged glances and an understanding came to be formed from their eyes. Seeing how Ling Yi still dreamt of returning to Ling Lan's side, they didn't say anything to deter his dream.

Loyalists were not allowed to be exposed. They were not allowed to have contact with the outside world and were even more so not allowed to have a battle team, friends and comrades like Ling Yi. They only lived for their masters. Ling Yi's current condition didn't even meet the lowest requirements for a loyalist. Yi Tiange believed that the young Ling Yi had definitely been deceived by his Young Master Lan.

Ling Yi's mood slowly calmed and returned to the cool young man from before. He looked at the comrades who had grown up with him and instantly felt full of confidence and courage. He yelled, "Let's go. We're going to sign up."

Ling Yi was the first to take a huge step towards the hover car station that was closest to them. Yi Tiange and the others looked at each other with faces full of smiles. This Ling Yi that was full of energy was definitely their captain. They happily followed.

"Young Master Lan, I, Ling Yi, am coming to you!"

At the first faction of the Lingtian Mecha Clan's headquarters, Ye Xu led a few members and walked into the atrium. Once Ye Xu walked it, he felt that the atrium felt different from usual after walking only a few steps. Before he could think deeply, he heard the people behind him shout out, "Senior Ye, wait a moment."

Ye Xu turned around to take a look; it was a second-year junior who was part of the atrium's reception services. The junior was briskly walking towards him with a face full of pleasant surprise.

"Something wrong?" Ye Xu asked curiously.

The second-year junior said while blushing, "Senior Ye, are you going to where Captain Wu is?"

"Yes." Ye Xu normally wouldn't go to the headquarters. If he went to the headquarters, he would always look for his own captain to discuss some things about the battle team. Ever since Wu Jiong became responsible for everything in the headquarters, the training arrangements of the battle team were given to this vice-captain, Ye Xu, and this had made him become really busy.

"Could I ask Senior Ye to help me give this to Captain Wu?" The junior suddenly bowed at a 90-degree angle and handed him a small memory card.

Ye Xu was utterly surprised by the person's respectful posture. He unconsciously took a step back and said, "Stand up and speak normally. Why are you doing this?" After saying that, he pointed at the item in his hands and asked, "And what's in here?"

"This contains this year's new cadet applications who are applying for our clan. Please give this to Captain Wu, Senior Ye." The second-year cadet didn't stand up but instead lowered his head even more.

"I'll give it to him on the way there. However, did something happen for you to be this diligent?" Ye Xu saw that the other person's head was almost hitting the ground and felt sorry for him; thus, he took the memory card and asked him this question confusedly.

The second-year junior breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ye Xu accept the item and showed an expression of rejoice that seemed like the amount of joy he will feel throughout the rest of his life. Upon hearing Ye Xu's question, he looked around before drawing closer to Ye Xu and softly saying, "The boss came today." After saying that, he pointed up to show that the boss was at where captain Wu was.

It had been a while since the clan members no longer regarded Ling Lan as captain but as the boss.

Ye Xu gasped at his reply. He subconsciously took a look at the memory card in his hand, but right when he wanted to give it back to the junior…

"Where did he go?" Ye Xu stared ahead, stunned. The second-year cadet, who had been standing in front of him respectfully, had now vanished without a trace. Ye Xu actually didn't see when he had run away.

Ye Xu then wanted to find someone else to give the memory card to, but discovered that the atrium that was supposed to be crowded and loud was now empty without a single person in sight. No wonder he had felt something was off when he walked into the atrium—it had been too silent.

"These punks. Why didn't I see them run this fast during training? Now they ran away faster than anyone," Ye Xu said to himself as he clenched the memory card.

Ye Xu turned around and looked at his team members. His team members met his gaze and all of them took a huge step back. One of them held onto his stomach and said with a pained expression, "Vice-captain, my stomach hurts. I'm going to the washroom." He didn't want to go see the boss.

Ye Xu dragged him close and then shot a warning gaze at the other members who were moving about. He said, "Whoever dares to run away, I will definitely ask Boss to train them for seven days."

This kind of threat was really terrifying and made the members stop in their tracks. They all cried out in agony. One member pleaded, "Vice-captain, please let us go this time. Even if we go, we wouldn't be of any help to you…"

"Right, right. Vice-captain, just let us go please."

"You guys want me to face Boss by myself? No way. If we die, we die together." Ye Xu didn't let them off. He believed that having more people to take the pressure of the boss was a great idea. In addition, even if it had no effect, he would feel it fair if there were other people who were punished alongside him.

Just like that, Ye Xu, who didn't want to be the only one punished, heartlessly dragged his teammates into the elevator.

After coming to the door of Wu Jiong's office, the members all huddled behind Ye Xu and pushed him forward. If it were possible, they really didn't want to come here.

Ye Xu hesitated for a long while, but in the end, bit his lip and pressed down the doorbell on the door frame. The earlier he died, the quicker he'd be able to get into heaven.

"Come in!" Wu Jiong's voice came out from the doorbell's little speaker. As his voice faded, the door suddenly opened from the side.

Ye Xu took a deep breath and walked into the door as though he wasn't going to come back alive.

Wu Jiong's office was very big. The first thing that came into sight was the living room, where there were many sofas surrounding a large coffee table. The glass of the coffee table was actually a large screen. When they needed to discuss something and needed to go into the virtual world to look for information or watch certain videos, they would turn on the screen and use it. Usually, the coffee table's function was a coffee table and had tea sets on top.

Behind the living room was Wu Jiong large office desk. At that moment, Wu Jiong wasn't sitting at his desk but was sitting on a sofa facing the door. He saw that Ye Xu had walked in and smiled, saying, "Ye Xu, you've come?"

Ye Xu took a quick look around and didn't see Ling Lan's presence. He instantly let out a sigh of relief. "So Boss isn't here."

Wu Jiong frowned and asked, "You're looking for Boss?"

Ye Xu instantly shook his head. "No, no, I just heard someone from below say that Boss came here and was in your office." No longer feeling pressured, Ye Xu began to make random guesses. "Did Boss go to his own captain's quarters? Or did he go to the silent room for Closed Door Meditation? Or maybe he went to beat up Qi Long and the others…"

Wu Jiong's expression showed a hint of strangeness. He quickly cut off Ye Xu and asked, "If you're not looking for Boss, then why are you here?"

Ye Xu raised the memory card in his hand and begrudgingly said, "It's those punks from downstairs. They thought Boss was here and gave me this list of new cadets applying for the clan. Before I could react, they all ran away without a trace. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to find you at this time. They're afraid of Boss and I am as well."

As Ye Xu spoke, he looked down and began to look through the memory card he had in his hand. He wanted to know what kind of outstanding cadets were available that was worth their attention this year.

"What are you afraid of?" A clear and cold voice suddenly rang out.

Ye Xu, who was looking at the information, thought it was Wu Jiong who had asked him. He raised his head in surprise and said, "Huh? Captain, you're joking, right? Don't tell me you're not afraid. I don't believe that. The Boss' cold glare is the sight of death and could freeze someone to death instantly. Besides that, the aura on Boss is domineering enough to make someone suffocate. Standing beside Boss is actually the same as going against the reaper." Ye Xu patted his own chest with fear for his life and finished, "I don't want to die young."

Wu Jiong's smile grew increasingly bitter, and the expression he wore as he looked at Ye Xu became more and more sympathetic. Was this guy this slow? Those who wanted to die didn't die like this.

"Ye Xu, looks like your training wasn't enough. I don't see Qi Long and the others feel uncomfortable being around me." That cold voice rang out once again.

Ye Xu's expression changed instantly—he straightaway lowered his head, peeked up at Wu Jiong and accused him, "Captain, you've made a fool of me!"

Wu Jiong shrugged and mouthed silently, "Idiot." Not being able to differentiate Boss' voice? What was he if not an idiot?

Ye Xu laughed bitterly as he turned his head towards the direction where the voice had come from, and he saw Ling Lan sitting in one of the sofas with its back faced towards the door. Ling Lan had her arms crossed together and was watching him coldly.

"Boss, Boss, seeing you really makes me happy." Ye Xu suddenly pounced towards Ling Lan and made a hugging motion.

Ling Lan stopped Ye Xu by bringing up her right leg and placing it against his chest. "Don't give that sh*t. In any case, to train your nerves, you'll be training with me for seven days next week. If you still can't get it right, then we'll train more until your nerves are gone."

"No, Boss!" Ye Xu began to cry in agony. He turned around and looked at Wu Jiong with an expression full of entreaty, asking for him to save his life!

Wu Jiong thought it was funny and immediately helped his own vice-captain get out of the situation. "Boss, Ye Xu's nerves definitely needs training, but the mecha clan still needs him as a laborer. Aren't there new cadets that want to join? We're short on assessment officers. When we're done with this, I will send him to you and let you train him."

"Captain, you really are the captain!" thought Ye Xu. Ye Xu was so moved that he was crying and sobbing. He had definitely made a smart choice when he had joined Wu Jiong's battle team. As long as he made it past this period of time, Boss would be very busy. After a long time passed, he would automatically escape from this nightmare.

Ling Lan huffed. She exerted a bit of strength into her right leg and kicked Ye Xu onto one of the sofas on the side, saying, "Since your own captain says so, then I'll let you go for now."

Ling Lan looked towards Wu Jiong and continued, "Since you're short on assessment officers, I'll let Qi Long and the others come help you."

Wu Jiong's eyes flickered as he replied, "That would be great. With Qi Long and the others joining, we will be able to handle this year's new cadet evaluations."

Although he hadn't received the detailed list of applicants, Wu Jiong already knew that almost half the new cadets had applied for the Lingtian Mecha Clan after receiving information from the application department. It seemed that the glory that Ling Lan had obtained through leading the First Men's Military Academy in last year's Grand Mecha Tournament had made a huge influence on these new cadets; otherwise, a newly formed mecha clan that was founded by a second-year cadet would never have been swarmed by new cadets.

Chapter 523: Evaluation!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ye Xu heard that he had temporarily gotten away from trouble, so he immediately crawled up from the sofa. He saw Ling Lan shoot a glare at him, so he quickly held out the memory card in his hand. He obsequiously said, "Boss, this is the list of new cadets that have applied to join our mecha clan this year. Please take a look."

Ling Lan looked at Ye Xu speechlessly. Wasn't this Wu Jiong's job? Why was he the one giving it to her?

It turned out that Ye Xu was so scared of Ling Lan's cold glare that he reflexively gave her the memory card. After he said this sentence, his face was full of frustration. "How could I make another mistake?"

Wu Jiong put his hand on his forehead. Recently, Ye Xu would always become clumsy when seeing the boss. He wasn't this clumsy before. Seeing that Ye Xu's sideburns had already become wet with sweat, Wu Jiong couldn't help but care and help him out of the situation. He said, "Boss, you're the regiment commander of the Lingtian Mecha Clan. Shouldn't you care about future members of our clan?"

Following that he looked to Ye Xu and said, "Ye Xu, it's alright. You can screw off now."

To Ye Xu, this sentence was a life saver. He didn't care if Ling Lan wanted to see it or not and immediately put the memory card on the coffee table in front her. He gave Wu Jiong a grateful look and then ran like hell as though there was a monster chasing him.

In the next second, he had arrived at the door. He saw his members who were peeking their heads in to see what was happening on the inside. Ye Xu glared at them. These guys had no honor. In the end, they had actually still let him face Boss all by himself.

"Vice-captain, was Boss there?" one team member asked softly upon seeing that Ye Xu's expression was complicated.

Ye Xu's expression instantly tensed up. He reflexively turned around to look inside and didn't see the threatening and cold face of the boss. He instantly let out a sigh of relief. However, he didn't want to stay in this dangerous place and quickly said, "The enemy's defenses are strong. Get out of here."

This had already become Lingtian Mecha Clan's catchphrase. If they were faced with danger, they would say this to get out quick. This was also Lingtian's own characteristic.

The team members heard this and knew what they had to do. They didn't even think and followed Ye Xu and got the f**k out of there.

Hearing the movement at door, Ling Lan felt irritated. She asked with irritation, "Am I that scary?"

"I just don't smile right? But I don't insult people or hurt people. I'm a good regiment commander that cared for my subordinates right? Did they really have to so scared of me?"

This question made Wu Jiong's expression freeze. His eyes looked around the room as he said, "Actually… that… how should I say it…"

"You don't need to say anything. I understand!" Ling Lan said coldly. "The look on your face means that I actually really am scary right? It seems that my white angelic face is useless."

Ling Lan picked up the memory card on the coffee table depressedly. She used the wireless transmission function to display the data it contained on the large screen of the coffee table.

"There's a lot." After seeing the countless names and their information, Ling Lan was a bit surprised. There was so much.

"The application center tells me that they have already deleted a large portion of people who didn't meet the minimum requirements." Wu Jiong had already walked beside Ling Lan and chosen a sofa closest to her to sit down on.

"This amount is around 400 to 500 people right?" The words that were cramped onto the screen made Ling Lan's head spin.

Wu Jiong pointed on the screen lightly. "If you look at it like this, it'll be clearer." Very quickly, the image changed. The originally cramped folders had now been categorized into a few larger categories and looked clearer instantly.

"The list for those who have the most potential (Captain Level)." Ling Lan saw the category that was at the very top and tapped on it to open it.

Immediately, around 20 names showed up. The first name, Ling Yi, made Ling Lan feel a huge sense of familiarity.

Wu Jiong also saw this and asked in surprise, "This new cadet also has a surname of 'Ling'?" He opened Ling Yi's file. Just like that, a cool-looking young man appeared on the big screen along with his details set to the side.

"Ling Yi, commoner, comes from the Puyi Scout Academy (Level 3 Planet Puyi). Physical skills: Beginner level Qi-Jin; Mecha operating level: Advanced!" Wu Jiong shouted out loud and lost his voice. When they first entered the advanced level it was because Qi Long and the others had beaten themselves up and managed to somehow advance successfully. This Ling Yi, however, was a commoner from Planet Puyi, yet he had actually reached that level. Was it because Ling Yi's talents were insane or was he also beaten up like the rest of them?

Ling Yi… Ling Lan was thinking about why this name felt familiar. Could it be because he also had a surname of 'Ling'?

"Bam!" Suddenly, two foggy images appeared in her mindscape.

"I want to inherit my father's position. I will become Young Master Lan's most trusted loyalist," five-year-old Ling Yi said firmly.

"Brother Yu, I'll let you take care of Young Master Lan for now. When I get stronger, I will take over your position." Ling Yi respectfully bowed to Ling Lan to say goodbye and then left the Ling family…

As the images disappeared, Ling Lan heard Little Four's complacent voice say, "Boss, it's that same Ling Yi."

Ling Lan smiled softly. Little Four was really playful. She looked again at the image of the cool young man and thought to herself, "I didn't think that child from then had already grown to this age. No wonder his father, Ling Hua, did not hesitate to betray the Ling family for his child's future."

"Could it be that everyone who has the surname 'Ling' are all monsters?" Wu Jiong mumbled as he looked at Ling Lan. He discovered that Ling Lan was thinking deeply about something. He instantly thought of something and asked, "Boss, do you know him?"

Ling nodded. "Yes, he's kind of family."

Kind of family? Could he be a bastard son? Right when Wu Jiong thought of this question, he immediately shook his head to get rid of that thought. How could General Ling Xiao do something like that? He really was thinking too much. It was possible that he was an indirect descendant of the family. Wu Jiong felt that he found out the truth already.

"Then during the evaluation…?" Wu Jiong asked carefully.

Ling Lan glared at Wu Jiong making Wu Jiong's heart tremble. He couldn't help but reply, "Boss, I understand."

In the end, this Ling Yi would still be treated like any other person and his entry into Lingtian would be decided upon his capabilities and performance. At that moment, Wu Jiong couldn't help but smile. How could he think that Boss had selfish gains? He was definitely affected somehow by that idiot Ye Xu.

Ling Lan looked at the files of the other applicants disinterestedly. She stood up and said to Wu Jiong, "You keep doing what you're doing, I'm going to leave first. Oh, and no matter how busy you are, you guys have to report to me two days every week. Notify Li Yingjie as well."

Wu Jiong's smile fell to the floor. How could he consider that training with Qi Long and the others was a good thing? However, how could he dare to say no to that cold face of Ling Lan? He could only nod agonizingly, showing that he understood. Luckily, he wasn't the only one who was going to endure hardships. He had Li Yingjie go with him together. Wu Jiong felt comforted.

After walking out of Wu Jiong's office, Ling Lan began a discussion with Little Four. "Little Four, do you think this Ling Yi person is trustworthy?"

"So far, he is," Little Four replied. "Actually, I've been monitoring him all this time ever since Ling Yi left the Ling family."

Ling Lan was stunned. "Why did you monitor him?"

"I was checking to see if those people who wanted to harm you went to find him again to try and draw out even the slightest amount of information," Little Four replied with regret. "Unfortunately, there weren't any who tried. Maybe it was because your people had hidden Ling Yi's family really well and those who wanted to harm you didn't find them."

"Perhaps they felt that such young child wouldn't have any value to be exploited." Ling Lan didn't believe that those people couldn't find Ling Yi. It was possible that they thought a 5-year-old child that was sent far away wouldn't be able to do anything. If they bribed him, it wouldn't have any effect.

"Yes, Boss, what you said is right. However, with Ling Yi's current abilities, he will definitely be discovered by someone." Ling Yi also thought Ling Yi's talents was top notch. His future was boundless as long as he was given time.

"Isn't that great though? Whether Ling Yi will be used or not will depend on the choices he will make." When Ling Yi shows himself, those other family members would always be able to find him. Although she had already wiped away all traces of Ling Hua's betrayal, those other family members might still have proof of Ling Hua's betrayal of the Ling family.

"I don't understand why you wanted to keep him, Boss." Little Four was feeling very conflicted since Ling Yi, like his father, might betray the Ling family again. She should have either removed the the source of trouble and gotten rid of Ling Yi, or made it so that Ling Hua had no more connections with the Ling family. Wasn't having the possibility of betrayal lingering like this inviting possible trouble for the future?

"Didn't I say that he is a good chess piece?" Ling Lan's eyes were cold but deep in thought. She and her father's enemies had hidden themselves very deep into the world. Her father had used all his resources to investigate but didn't get anything out of it. Although they clearly knew that those people were of high ranks and stood at the highest peak of hierarchical power, they still couldn't find a way to find out who that person really was.

"No matter if Ling Yi is loyal to me or not, he is still a trap I've set for the enemy." Ling Lan's eyes flashed with a bitter coldness. Back then, she might have been somewhat merciful but now, after having gone through the cruelty of the learning space, she could be merciless.

"What trap?" Little Four asked curiously.

Ling Lan didn't answer him. In the next second, Little Four was shut into the little black room. Little Four was in tears. He had only just asked a little thing out of curiosity. Did she really have to treat him so coldly?

Ling Lan's mecha clan's first round of applicants were 100 new cadets, and the six members of Ling Yi's team were all in the first batch; this made them very happy. Logically, the first batch of applicants was the most looked upon by the mecha clan.

Ling Yi's team of six came to the Lingtian Mecha Clan's headquarters for the first time, and they were stunned by the presence of the huge majestic building in front of them.

"Wow. This a headquarters of the first faction. It's so big and tall." Tao Xiaotao opened his big mouth and couldn't close it.

Ling Yi was also stunned. He took a deep breath and his eyes became filled with respect. As expected, Young Master Lan was the strongest.

They walked into the headquarters with floating steps. Following the staff members' lead, they arrived at building's basement level 2. Basement level 1 was the leisure space for members to have fun and relax. Basement level 2 was a large training dojo.

Once they entered the training dojo, Ling Yi and his team had more of an understanding of why this place had become the first faction's headquarters; this training dojo alone was enough of a reason, as it was big enough to hold thousands of people to come here to do any activity.

They walked to the center of the training dojo where there was a large arena. Just this arena was big enough to hold 200 to 300 people. This large arena was used for competitions between the clan members. They could fight one-on-one or in teams. Now, however, this arena was where they were going to be evaluated.

Chapter 524: Evolution!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The staff member led them to the bottom of the arena, and there they discovered that there were eight A.I. computers installed on all sides.

The staff member pointed towards the A.I. computer beside him and began to explain. "The A.I. has entered the list of seniors who are evaluating you. Whoever is ready can freely choose the senior that they would like to fight. Once you have chosen, the virtual screen at the top of the screen will show the time of the fight." As he said all this, the staff member smiled and patted the A.I. computer beside him. "Of course, these A.I. computers will also show the time. The preparation time for each evaluation is 3 minutes. If you still haven't gone up to the arena after 3 minutes, then that means you've failed the evaluation. Remember, don't go over the time limit. Our boss will definitely not give you guys a second chance."

Hearing that, the new cadets all began to focus. They looked at the staff member in hopes of getting more information about the evaluation out of him, but the staff member was very careful and only said what he could say. After he informed them of all the things that they should be cautious about for the evaluation, he left the stage.

In the commander's quarters, Qi Long and the others were all on the sofas, slouching, lying down, sitting, etc. They had just crawled out from the training room, feeling like that their entire body had been sucked dry. They only wanted to find a bed and go to sleep, but unfortunately, Boss notified them especially for today for them to report to this place after training. They could only come here in great pain. Everyone decided that after they heard Boss' orders, they would all stay at Boss' place and rest up well.

Ling Lan and Wu Jiong walked in. She saw everyone sprawled all over the place and immediately frowned. She said, "What, no more energy?"

Luo Lang looked at Boss with a face full of sorrow. Wasn't he asking when he already knew the reason? When did training not make them tired and out of energy? And also, Boss had added even more training today. This overload made their limbs shake. They might not even have the energy to pick up a single chopstick.

Disregarding the angry glares of the others, Ling Lan looked at Wu Jiong regrettably and said, "Looks like these new cadets have pretty good luck this time. Their examiners don't have the energy to fight. Whoever chooses them, it'll probably end up with the examiners losing without even fighting."

Wu Jiong expression showed a hint of surprise. He didn't think that Boss actually hadn't notified Qi Long and the others first. Knowing that there were evaluations today, she had still increased the training load… However, Wu Jiong believed that Boss wasn't doing this randomly. This kind of arrangement definitely had its own deeper meaning.

"Evaluation? Losing before even battling?" Everyone yelled angrily. If they lost without even fighting, how could they face the new cadets?

"Boss, you actually tricked us!" Han Jijyun almost spat out blood. Whose captain would help outsiders and trick his own members? They had really lost to him. Did Boss really not care if he lost his dignity? After all, he was their captain, right?

"Tricked?" Ling Lan glared coldly, making everyone's anger dissipate into nothingness. "The amount today I gave you guys, I could handle when I was 13 years old and I wouldn't be so miserable like you guys. In the end, it's just that you guys aren't strong enough."

"If you don't want to lose your dignity, then stand up!" Ling Lan ordered coldly.

Qi Long and the others quickly stood up from the sofas. Ling Lan walked in front of them and calmly said, "If anyone loses to their opponent, I will let you guys try the training mode that I am currently doing."

"Boss, that'll end up killing someone," Qi Long yelped. Their current training was enough to take half of his life. If he really did try out Boss' mode of training, Qi Long believed that the same day next year would be the anniversary of his death.

Everyone else had a pale white face. They had witnessed Boss' mode of training before, and it was the real kind of training to the death; one mistake would result in death.

Luo Lang's small physique began to softly tremble. Wuwu, he thought of the two Senior Li's. One could have said something to help them and the other could have used his mystical medicinal agents to save their lives. Alright, he wouldn't be jealous of them anymore for taking Boss' attention away from him.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Luo Lang repented, the two Senior Li's had already gone to the army division and no one could help them.

"If you don't want to die then don't lose," Ling Lan said coldly. Everyone suddenly stood up straight and uniformly shouted, "Understood, Boss!"

They definitely would not lose. In order to survive, in order to keep their dignity as seniors, in order to continue to triumph… Ugh, they should take away the last one. However, for the future, they would definitely not lose.

Their spirits that were originally sapped dry by the hellish training instantly soared and their eyes filled with the desire to fight.

Ling Lan was now satisfied. She said to Wu Jiong, "Wu Jiong, let's go down."

"Yes, Boss!" Wu Jiong replied, unconsciously standing up straight. After Ling Lan walked out of the commander's room, Wu Jiong realized the feeling. Before he knew it, he had already been considering himself as Ling Lan's subordinate…

Wu Jiong smiled bitterly. The longer he was with Ling Lan, the more he got used the identity of being a subordinate. The courage and ambition he had before to compete with Ling Lan had now been tossed to some corner of his mind. He was not the only one like this, however, as Li Yingjie was also like this and they accepted it wholeheartedly, without any displeasure.

Looking at the silhouettes of those in Ling Lan's battle team, Wu Jiong uncontrollably smiled. He said to himself, "This is the charm of strong people! And I'm still thousands of miles away from achieving that." Luckily, he was only going to the 15th Division in the future. That place was the home of the descendants of the Wu family… While he rejoiced at this, Wu Jiong also felt regret. Sometimes he thought that it might be more stimulating if he followed Ling Lan to the 23rd Division and have a life that was more stimulating.

Unfortunately… everyone had their own responsibilities! Since Wu Jiong was a descendant of the Wu family, then he definitely needed to take on the responsibility of the family.

"Commander Wu, come quick!" Xie Yi moved his body out of the elevator door and waved to him. It turned out that Wu Jiong was behind them by quite a lot. Wu Jiong smiled, quickly increased his pace and walked into the elevator.

The elevator went straight down to the basement level 2. When they arrived at the door to the training dojo, they discovered that the other vice-captains who were examiners were already waiting at the door.

Ye Xu was originally very excited to see Wu Jiong, Qi Long and the others. Right when he was about to greet them, however, he saw Ling Lan appear behind them. He immediately swallowed back his greeting, which almost made him choke. But even if it choked him, he couldn't afford to yell; Ye Xu didn't forget that he had offended Boss Ling Lan a few days ago. Having temporarily escaped from a catastrophe, he couldn't let his existence be known to Boss and make him remember the stupid things he did.

"Boss!" Everyone immediately cried out as they saw Ling Lan arrive. The relaxed atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Ling Lan's presence gave them so much pressure that they didn't dare to make any random movement, fearing that they might make a mistake.

Ling Lan looked around her and then said, "Let's go in."

They all clustered around Ling Lan and walked into the training dojo. At that moment, inside Ling Lan's mindspace, Little Four was holding up his face and squatting. He curiously asked Ling Lan, "Boss, your aura has already been integrated into your body completely recently and can be taken out and put back in with ease. Why do you still release your aura to terrorize them when you face them?"

"My aura has always been strong, cold and dominant. If it suddenly disappeared and I became completely in control, it would make people suspicious," Ling Lan replied. "And with this aura, they won't dare to look at me. This allows me to not have to think about how to cover up anything." Ling Lan had seen what she looked like when her aura vanished. This face of hers… was a real problem.

Little Four understood what Ling Lan meant. He said with regret, "So you mean that you don't want to hold back this aura in the outside world." Little Four recalled that warm smiling face of hers he had glimpsed the other day… then he suddenly clutched at his chest and instantly disappeared from the mindspace.

Ling Lan looked at the empty mindspace and shook her head. This Little Four was still running away and not steady enough. However, she thought that he was still only about 4 to 5 years old, and so she felt that she could understand why he was like that…

After such a long time, Ling Lan had forgotten that Little Four had been with her for more than a decade and that he had always retained the same appearance. In fact, Little Four wasn't that young.

Little Four, who had already returned to the learning space, appeared in the space of Instructor Number One in the next second.

"Cool me down, Number One." Little Four had two tear bubbles form in his eyes—he was panicking.

"Hmph!" Instructor Number One coldly snorted. He transported the both of them straight into an ice world and froze Little Four in it, making a transparent ice coffin.

At that moment, several spatial tears opened up beside Instructor Number One and the faces of other the instructors appeared.

"Number One, we felt Majesty Four's energy fluctuating and came to where you were. Is he alright?" Although Instructor Number Nine was expressionless, her eyes still showed a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, Sister Nine. As long as Number One is here, there definitely won't be any problems." Number Five smiled, a sense of unseen bootlicking hidden under his smiling face.

"It's good there's no problem. I'm leaving." The Number Two, who was speaking in the darkness, had closed his spatial tear first.

"It's not going to slow down his processing speed iif he's frozen like this right?" Instructor Number Three asked concernedly. If Little Four slowed down his processing, they would all be greatly affected here.

"Our spaces are very peaceful. How could Majesty Four have any issues," Instructor Number Four replied enchantingly with a raised brow, showing an expression full of charm to Number Three.

"It's okay, I'm leaving!" It was as though Instructor Number Three had seen something terrifying; he immediately closed the spatial tear he had entered through and disappeared without a trace.

"Man, so boring. By the way, Number One, is it alright for you deal with Majesty Four so barbarically?" Number Four asked with a half-smile. Her eyes turned to Number One, a hint of flirting appearing in them .

The aura around Instructor Number One was cold. Right at that moment, the ice coffin that was sealing Little Four exploded. Little Four jumped out from it and with a laugh, said, "It's alright, the microchip's temperature returned to normal!

"Huh, you guys are all here? Are you guys having a meeting? Then I'm not going to bother you guys. Bye guys." Little Four saw the number of people in the room and waved to them without a care in the world. In the next second, he had disappeared without a trace.

"Number One, is his Majesty Four really alright?" Instructor Number Four's expression had become deeply tense and serious. This time, her enchanting aura was completely gone; only, when she frowned, she would show a hint of charm that she couldn't hide.

"His Majesty Four's emotions have become more and more abundant. Maybe he's reached the time for his next evolution," Instructor Number One replied.