Chapter 102: One Person

Eight hours into entering Jinnan Mountain.

Carrying heavy loads, Lin Qiye and Cao Yuan crossed an unknown number of peaks. The night sky had grown darker, and the mountain range before them had completely fallen into darkness.

In such an environment, where branches and pits litter the ground, it was nearly impossible to move without a flashlight. No one knew whether the next step would lead to solid ground or a pit full of thorns.

At this moment, the vast Jinnan Mountain was eerily silent.

"How many are left?" The instructors sat together, and Instructor Hong glanced at the time as he asked.

"Three left—Special Forces member Zheng Zhong, Lin Qiye, and Cao Yuan."

"Damn it, how are those two still going? This doesn't make sense…" one of the instructors muttered.

"Cao Yuan's body has been tempered by the Black King Slash, so it's not surprising he's holding up, but Lin Qiye... how is he doing it?" Instructor Hong stroked his chin, his eyes filled with confusion.

"There are only two left now," another instructor, who had been staring at the screen, said, "Just now, Zheng Zhong lost his footing in the dark and fell down the mountain, knocking himself unconscious. The medical team has already gone to assist."

"It's so late now, should we call off the extreme training?"

"Yeah, it's too dark, and we can't see anything in the mountains. Continuing like this might lead to accidents."

Instructor Hong paused for a moment and said, "Not yet. Send all drones to those two kids and have the medical team follow closely behind them, ready to assist. I want to see... just where their limits are."

In the pitch-black jungle.

Lin Qiye's eyes flickered, and the knife in his hand accurately cut through the thorns in front of him as he bent down to pass through.

Cao Yuan followed closely behind him, not a step behind.

"It's this dark, and you can still see?" Cao Yuan asked, holding a small spoon, unable to resist.

"I can," Lin Qiye replied calmly.

"…Then slow down a bit. I can't see anything now."

"I'm already walking slowly."

"No, you said you were at your limit about an hour and a half ago. How come you still have so much energy now?" Cao Yuan grumbled. "Are you a night owl?"

"Sort of."

Lin Qiye had indeed been nearing his limit quite a while ago, but as the sky grew darker, his stamina began to recover at an astonishing rate. As long as he rested for a bit, he felt more energized than when he first entered Jinnan Mountain!

Although he didn't want to cheat by using his ability, the passive skill was something he couldn't turn off!

He wanted to train seriously and push his physical limits, but every time he felt he was nearing exhaustion, his stamina mysteriously recovered…

In contrast, Cao Yuan's body, though modified by the Forbidden Ruins and very strong, still had limits when it came to endurance. After pushing himself to this point, he was nearing his limit.

In other words, Lin Qiye was like an oddity with a 1000% recovery rate, while Cao Yuan's endurance was long but slow to recover, and eventually, it would reach a breaking point.

"We haven't heard any sounds of punishment for a while. Do you think we're the only ones left in the mountain?" Cao Yuan asked after a while.

"Ten minutes ago, there was one more. Now, it's just the two of us."

"You know that?"

Lin Qiye didn't respond, just glanced at the bat that flew past overhead.

In the deep night mountain, earthworms, millipedes, lizards, bats... all the nocturnal creatures were Lin Qiye's eyes. About an hour ago, Lin Qiye had already used them to get a full grasp of the mountain's situation.

Even the medical team following behind them and the drones circling overhead were fully known to him. If he wanted, he could hide deep within the mountain now, and no one would find him.

At this point, the mountain had become Lin Qiye's territory.

"I think I'm at my limit." After walking a while longer, Cao Yuan's staggered steps finally came to a stop, and he stood behind Lin Qiye.

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow. "Not going to try a little longer?"

"I can't afford to lose consciousness." Cao Yuan shook his head. "Once I lose consciousness, the Forbidden Ruins might take control of my body, and that'll be worse."

"It seems that having a high rank in the Forbidden Ruins isn't always a good thing." Lin Qiye sighed.

"Go ahead. I'll wait here. If all goes as expected, you'll hear the sound of me getting punished soon." Cao Yuan sat down on the spot and smiled slightly at Lin Qiye.

"I'll head out first."

"See you at the training camp."

"Mm."

Lin Qiye turned around, tightened his grip on his knife, and took big strides into the dark mountain.

At the base.

"Cao Yuan has given up and stayed behind. Now it's just Lin Qiye." One of the instructors spoke.

"This kid... always surprises us," Instructor Hong raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of admiration.

"And...?"

"What?"

"About an hour ago, he started walking in a straight line."

"What?" The instructors inside the tent were stunned. "That's impossible! We've been changing the route through Jinnan Mountain. How could he be walking in a straight line?"

"I don't know, but he's definitely doing it. At this pace, he could cross the entire Jinnan Mountain in just three more hours!"

"Three hours? Does he have the stamina for that?"

"As much as I'd like to say no, logic seems to be irrelevant to him."

"…" Instructor Hong fell silent for a moment and then spoke slowly. "Pack up the tents here. Leave one person behind to punish Cao Yuan, and the rest of us will head to the other end of Jinnan Mountain... we'll wait for him there."

"Do you really think he can do it?"

"If it were anyone else, I might not believe it, but if it's him... that's a different story."

Nine hours into entering Jinnan Mountain.

Lin Qiye ran faster and faster through the deep mountain forest. He moved like a shadow, freely weaving through the mountains, as though he was at home.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind his heavy load.

"Cao Yuan?"

"Mm."

"You've done well."

"I know."

"But unfortunately... you still have to face punishment."

"I know."

"Not many people can hear us now. Apart from a few instructors, only your comrade still fighting in the mountains. You can relax a little."

"Go ahead, ask."

"What kind of girl do you like?"

"I don't like girls."

"??? You're not...?"

"I like mature, curvy women, preferably someone who has had a partner before, and is intelligent..."

"Thank goodness... Wait, did you just say something outrageous?" The instructor's expression changed. "Your taste..."

"…"

"Ahem, Cao Zhai, let's change the subject... What's your biggest regret in life?"

Cao Yuan fell silent for a moment.

"When I was six, I didn't drown in the river."

"Why?"

"If I died back then, none of what happened next would have happened." Cao Yuan spoke calmly. "I wouldn't have gone back to the village. I wouldn't have picked up the scythe on the ground out of curiosity...

I wouldn't have let my Forbidden Ruins run wild, killing 172 innocent villagers in the village.

And I wouldn't have been sent to the police station, where I killed 161 people in the entire police department with a nail knife..."

"…That wasn't your fault."

"It's my fault. I won't run away from it."

"You just couldn't control the power inside you. It wasn't your intention."

"It's my body, and I couldn't control it. That's my fault."

"…" The instructor paused for a moment and then asked, "So now, is there anything you want to say to your comrade in the mountains?"

Cao Yuan smiled faintly, turned to look at the dark Jinnan Mountain, and spoke slowly:

"Lin Qiye, don't make us outcasts look bad..."