Chapter 43: Codename Silver Fox

Beside the yellow-brick, green-tiled Apothecary Hall was a fenced-off cliff. A silver cable extended from a stone pillar, stretching across to an unknown valley in the distance.

Since Lin Xi had already used his ability to rewind time ten ticks earlier that day, he sat a fair distance from the cliff's edge, picking a clean stone to rest on. He opened the white porcelain pill bottle in his hand.

Inside was a bean-sized pill, pale green in color, with little luster but constantly emitting a unique cold fragrance.

"Sorry, looks like I'm now one credit ahead of you... Wonder if you're already down there?"

Looking at the pill, Lin Xi couldn't help but think of Qiu Lu, who had challenged him to a duel in the trial valley. He smiled faintly, then decisively swallowed the Fragrant Condensation Pill.

The precious pill melted in his throat like flowing water and transformed into streams of warm energy, dispersing into his internal organs.

"So extravagant…" Lin Xi muttered.

According to Xia Yanbing, the Warfare Department lecturer, two credits could exchange for goods worth roughly one hundred taels of gold.

That meant this single Fragrant Condensation Pill was worth at least fifty taels—enough to sustain a mid-sized household in Deerwood Town for many years. And even that value only reflected the academy's internal cost.

Some ingredients might be purchasable, but certain herbs were unique cultivations of Qingluan Academy. Their true value was beyond estimation—utterly unavailable to the outside world.

So while the academy assigned nominal value to its pills, they simply couldn't be bought anywhere else.

Lin Xi waited patiently, closing his eyes. Soon, he could feel the spiritual stream in his dantian grow more vigorous. As the stream flowed, gentle warmth suffused his body even more deeply.

Thinking of the female professor's enthusiastic thumbs-up and her remarks about the stone balls, Lin Xi grinned and instinctively grasped the stone beneath him, lifting it.

The stone, easily 50–60 jin (about 60–70 pounds), rose effortlessly in his hands.

"Lil' Sis… you wouldn't believe your big bro has turned into a muscle-bound beast…" Lin Xi stared blankly at the stone. If his sister in Lulin Town saw him lift this rock like it was nothing, her jaw would surely hit the ground.

"What are you doing?" a curious voice suddenly asked.

Lin Xi turned—then nearly toppled the stone onto his own foot from dizziness.

Gao Yanan—the tall girl who made his heart race—stood bathed in golden morning light, a curious look on her face.

"I…" Lin Xi's mouth went dry. Flustered, he quickly set down the stone and tried to compose himself. Looking at the girl in her gray academy robe, he managed, "Just testing if I could lift it."

"Oh." Gao Yanan smiled. "Your name's Lin Xi, right? I'm Gao Yanan. We met during the Selection."

Lin Xi took a deep breath. "Of course I remember."

"You're heading to the trial valley too?" Gao Yanan asked, then waved. "I'm going ahead."

"Alright." Lin Xi nodded reflexively, watching as she slid down the silver cable. He didn't speak again.

Though clad in plain gray robes, she glided through the mountains like a flying bird. Her silhouette was graceful, leaving an impression Lin Xi couldn't shake.

"Lil' Sis… your big bro probably looked really dumb just now with all that muscle flexing," he sighed in self-mockery once she vanished.

He hadn't expected his first private conversation with Gao Yanan to happen in such a scene. If he could still use his time-reversal ability, Lin Xi would've redone it—acted more cool, more composed.

Not wanting to immediately follow and risk ending up in a direct fight with Gao Yanan, Lin Xi waited a bit longer before sliding down the silver cable.

The cable stretched a long way, threading through mountain peaks and descending into a vast, lush valley.

To his surprise, the cable's end connected to a temple-like structure, specifically to a hall supported by many white stone columns.

Kicking off from the padded wall to land smoothly, Lin Xi steadied himself—only for a hunched, white-haired man in black robes to suddenly emerge ghostlike from a side door.

"Lin Xi, follow me," the man said, directly calling Lin Xi by name and leading him into a small, windowless changing room.

"Put on this mask and this armor," the man said with little interest in conversation. He opened the room's only cabinet and handed Lin Xi a silver mask and a set of black leather armor.

These were the voice-altering mask and full-body combat gear Instructor Mu Qing had mentioned.

The silver mask covered the entire head, with overlapping silver threads forming the face. The eyeholes had mesh-like filters that slightly hindered visibility but allowed for easy breathing—surprisingly comfortable.

The black armor covered every inch of his body. The inside was lined with soft fur. It took a great deal of effort—and help from the black-robed man—to learn how to properly don the gear.

After buckling the black straps, Lin Xi looked bulky and formidable. Even someone like Meng Bai would be unrecognizable in such armor.

"So this is a voice-changing mask?"

Fully suited up, Lin Xi now looked like a black-armored warrior with a silver mask, emanating a cold, sharp aura. He spoke experimentally—and froze.

His voice came out as a raspy hiss, like a snake breathing in the distance. Completely unrecognizable.

"The special weave changes the airflow around your mouth, altering your voice," the old man said seriously after checking Lin Xi's gear. "Now listen closely. Remember every single word I say. In this trial valley, any mistake may cost you between one to five credits, depending on severity."

"I will remember," Lin Xi replied, though even he felt awkward at the strange voice coming from the mask.

The old man continued: "There are two zones in the trial valley: the Free Combat Zone and the Combat Technique Training Zone. Everything outside the yellow stone-walled training zone is part of the Free Combat Zone."

"In the Free Combat Zone, anyone you meet is an enemy. You only have two choices: run, or fight."

He inserted three golden, five-pointed star badges into the slots on Lin Xi's right shoulder armor. "If you're defeated, you'll lose one star to your opponent. Likewise, if you defeat them, you may claim one of their stars and attach it to your left shoulder slot. Once you have four or more stars, you may walk to the wooden platform—it's a safe zone and ends your trial. You can't fight on the wooden platform."

"Don't worry about instructors—they'll pick you up when it's over. Your trial results will be recorded whether you leave with four stars or lose all three."

"What if someone refuses to admit defeat and won't hand over a star?" Lin Xi frowned.

"No one hands them over willingly," the old man sneered. "You beat them until they can't resist, then take it."

Lin Xi drew a deep breath. He had assumed trial valley meant a single fight. But this... this battlefield forged actual combat skills—more brutal than he imagined.

"Never remove your armor or mask—even on the wooden platform. Do so, and it's two credits deducted!" the old man barked. "The valley contains scattered real weapons—standard military arms. If you don't want to lose your head or two credits, remember that well."

"Real weapons?" Lin Xi winced. It reminded him of a certain death-game movie.

"These suits are designed to protect you from fatal injury—but getting hit will still hurt like hell. So don't go easy. Treat it as a real battlefield."

"Five consecutive exits with at least four stars earn you one credit. But if you always leave with exactly four stars, five times in a row, you lose one credit."

"That's to stop people from farming credits safely?" Lin Xi guessed.

"Exactly. Each armor has a unique mark." The old man knocked on Lin Xi's chest. A silver fox symbol shimmered on his armor.

"This set is codenamed Silver Fox. You'll wear it every time. Trust me, it's better if no one knows who you are. Hurting your friends can weigh heavily."

"And trust me—those who chase glory won't let you earn it from them easily."

Lin Xi absorbed the meaning silently. "What about the Combat Technique Training Zone?"

The old man nodded. "Once you walk onto the wooden platform and exit combat, you can go there—or end the trial."

"The training zone has challenges that test speed, reaction, accuracy—if you beat a freshman record, you get one credit per record."

"Sounds like easy credit," Lin Xi muttered.

The old man glared. "If you're capable. Now repeat the rules. You're ready."