Chapter 101: The Heretics

"Heh, isn't this the troublemaker Shen Qingzhu? You got eliminated too?"

"…Yeah."

"Still daring to blow up drones? Who gave you the guts?"

"Sorry, I got cocky."

"Since that's the case, your punishment time will be doubled. Let me think about where to start... Oh right, did you hear what Li Liang said just now?"

"I heard it."

"Is it true what he said?"

"…Yeah."

"So why did you wrap yourself up as ruthless, lawless, and arrogant?"

"Because people are all scared of the strong. Weak people will always get bullied."

"Although I'm curious about your past, given the current situation, I won't ask for now… Why do you want to become strong?"

"I don't want to be looked down upon."

"Just because of that?"

"Mm."

"Faking your true self, being outwardly harsh and inwardly soft, and caring so much about other people's opinions… Are you a Virgo?"

"…Yes."

"Oh, let's talk about your love life. How many love letters have you written so far?"

"One hundred and fourteen."

"That many? Tell me more."

"When I was four, I fell in love with the older sister next door, then…"

While Shen Qingzhu was being publicly reprimanded, Lin Qiye and his two companions were running through the mountains, with their ears straining to hear Shen Qingzhu's public punishment.

"Wow, this time Brother Zhuai is totally done for," Bai Li Pangpang wheezed, laughing from time to time.

Lin Qiye glanced at the darkening sky and slowly spoke:

"It's been almost five hours since we entered Jinnan Mountain, and most of the people have already been eliminated."

Cao Yuan turned to Bai Li Pangpang, surprised, "Weren't you struggling when you first came in? How are you still going?"

"I'd rather pass out than face that punishment," Bai Li Pangpang seemed to remember something, his face turning pale.

"Now you've got me even more curious about the secret you're hiding."

"…Go away!"

As more and more new recruits were dragged down the mountain, the number of drones around the mountain had noticeably increased. At first, there were only two or three drones chasing them, but now, there were often more than ten!

Fortunately, the instructors were still somewhat considerate, not surrounding them from all sides. They always left an opening through which they could escape.

The drones would chase them for a while, wearing them down, then disappear, giving them a brief recovery period, only to repeat the cycle, pushing them to the limit over and over again.

Now, Lin Qiye finally understood why this was called "extreme training."

The deeper they went into Jinnan Mountain, the slower their pace became. Bai Li Pangpang was stumbling more and more, his face growing increasingly pale.

"Sit down and rest if you can't go on," Lin Qiye keenly noticed Bai Li Pangpang's condition and frowned.

"No… No, I have to keep running…"

Bai Li Pangpang's eyes were glazed over, his clothes drenched in sweat. He staggered forward, determination in his eyes.

"Damn it… Why haven't I passed out yet…"

Cao Yuan pondered for a moment, "How about you run headfirst into a tree?"

"…I'm afraid it'll hurt."

Bai Li Pangpang waved his hand, "You guys go ahead. I really can't go on much longer… If I pass out, don't come back for me."

"Honestly, we weren't planning on saving you anyway…"

Bai Li Pangpang's expression twitched, and he coughed twice, "Ouch, that hurts… Uh…"

Bai Li Pangpang touched his chest, but before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Cao Yuan stepped forward to check on him and nodded to Lin Qiye, "It's fine, he just passed out from exhaustion."

"Mm, let's go then."

Lin Qiye turned and continued through the forest.

To be honest, Lin Qiye was also approaching his limits. After five hours of carrying weight through rough terrain, even with multiple breaks, his body wasn't that strong. Now, his vision was starting to blur, and he could see stars.

"Why don't you take a break too?" Cao Yuan glanced at Lin Qiye.

Lin Qiye took a deep breath and shook his head, "I can still hold on."

"Why push yourself so hard?"

"Only by breaking through the limits can you get stronger," Lin Qiye said calmly, "And only by getting stronger can you survive. Only by surviving can you go back…"

"Go back? Go where?"

Lin Qiye shook his head and didn't answer. "If you just want me to help clear your sins in the future, there's no need to suck up to me," Lin Qiye suddenly spoke.

"Hm?"

"If this is a transaction, you only need to offer enough of a price."

"A transaction… So, that's how you see it?"

"What else?"

"…Don't you have any friends?"

"I've always been an outcast."

"Coincidentally, so am I," Cao Yuan said indifferently. "But because of that, we might actually be able to be friends, don't you think?"

"The last person who wanted to be my friend, I personally chopped their head off. The one after that, I personally sent them into a monster's mouth. Now their grave probably has grass growing half a meter high." Lin Qiye said without expression.

"…Being friends with you is that dangerous?"

"Yeah."

"Actually, we're pretty similar," Cao Yuan shrugged. "I've not only personally killed a dozen of my closest friends, but I also wiped out everyone in my village. After that day, not even a dog was left in the village I grew up in."

"…Don't compare yourself to me. Looking at it this way, I'm far worse than you."

"You're special. Even without the prediction from the Great Master Jinchan, you're still special," Cao Yuan looked into Lin Qiye's eyes. "Actually, if possible, I still hope that we two outcasts can become friends."

Lin Qiye was silent for a moment, then pointed to Bai Li Pangpang, who was lying unconscious behind them. "What about him?"

"Him?" Cao Yuan smiled. "Don't you think… in a way, he's also an outcast?"

"Yeah, he's unusually stupid and unusually rich."

"Insightful."

…

Not long after, two instructors arrived with a stretcher beside the unconscious Bai Li Pangpang and were somewhat surprised.

"This little fatty actually managed to last until now, and he passed out on his own while running."

Another instructor shook his head with regret, "What a shame. I was hoping to hear some gossip from the Bai family. I heard those rich young masters live very messy lives!"

"Ah, forget it, just take him down."

"Whoa! So heavy!"

The two instructors hoisted Bai Li Pangpang onto the stretcher, grunting as they ran down the mountain.

On the stretcher, Bai Li Pangpang, lying like a dead pig, groaned softly, slowly opened his eyes, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth...

At the foot of the mountain:

"Seven hours have passed. How many are left?" Instructor Hong walked into the tactical tent and asked.

A few instructors, staring at the screen, counted and answered:

"There are still sixteen left. Most of them are veterans or special forces. But… hmm, this Lin Qiye and Cao Yuan are still in the field. This is a bit unexpected."

"They're good at combat, but physical endurance isn't their strong suit. If I'm not mistaken, they're both probably close to their limits."

Instructor Hong looked up at the darkening Jinnan Mountain and slowly said.