Chapter 783: Official Students (IV)

Chapter 783: Official Students (IV)

“Are you not going to stay for a while?” the Black Armor asked slowly. “You should know that many benefits await you after becoming an official student. I didn’t lie to you about that. You won’t need too long in here, just a month before you set foot into Apex—the seven element Arcanus realm by your system!”

“That’s fine.” Hou Xiaochen smiled faintly. “I think I know how to grow stronger from here. Thank you for your good intentions, senior. Send me out! Or is the senior going to go back on your word?”

“Of course not!” The Black Armor looked at him. “Are you... going to seek revenge on me?”

“No, you’ve misunderstood, senior. I have absolutely no intentions of doing that! Life and death are commonplace in the martial world, not to mention that I am not of the same kind as them. I am an official, they are bandits!”

“I see...” mused the Black Armor. “I also hope you understand that even if you become the seven element Arcanus that your age is familiar with, there are many, many Apexes who died to my hands back in the day!”

“Of course!” Hou Xiaochen remained calm, not saying anything else. He frowned as the moments dragged on with no sign of action from the Black Armor. “What does... the senior mean by this?”

“Nothing much.” The Black Armor suddenly shook its head after a period of silence. “I’m just assessing a few things. Forget it, it’s a bit complicated. Someone once said that the human heart should not be tested. I took the bit in my own teeth this time—the human heart is very difficult to be tested!”

The scene blurred in front of Hou Xiaochen—it was only now that he seemed to set foot in the real world. He blinked, dazed by what he found.

Li Hao was rubbing his head, a dark expression on his face. Hong Yitang had his head tilted toward the sky. Sky Sword avoided Hou Xiaochen’s eyes out of extreme awkwardness. However dashing he’d been with the dashing line of “this is what we call the martial world” was however mortified he was now.

Qian Wanhao and the others were still present in the surroundings, as was Panther. They looked curiously at the newly returned quartet. What was going on? Had they succeeded?

The Black Armor was in deep thought and said slowly after a while, “That... was a real battle in the annals of history... and this was how we secured victory that day! I placed you in the illusion because I wanted to see if you could walk out of it... If it would be one person walking out or all of you...”

One person meant that someone had sacrificed themselves. Everyone walking out meant that the mission had been failed as the group chose to withdraw. As for an option of everyone being alive after passing, that was impossible. That outcome did not exist.

“This battle happened in the early days of New Martial. Many people participated in or witnessed it. The identities you assumed were that of real people back in the day. A great number of people died in that skirmish, most of them the older guard of martial masters.

“Even the Human King participated in that battle, but as an insignificant soldier. Hong Yitang’s identity of headmaster was the old headmaster of Demonic Martial University. His fall in battle was a staggering loss to humanity. He taught untold powerhouses and geniuses, choosing to erupt with the Incantation of the Blade of Blood when his blood qi declined.

“Going down with the enemy was the choice of many veteran martial masters back in the day,” sighed an emotional Black Armor. “I had you participate in this battle simply because I wanted to see how you’d choose in such circumstances. Would you save your lives and withdraw, or would you consider the impact of your actions on the outside world and choose to save one or two of your number?

“You would not have defeated the enemies if there wasn’t a certain degree of coordination between you, as well as the resolve to die! Trusting one another and a sacrificial spirit was key! Only in trusting one another and having most of you detonate yourselves to save one or two did you have a hope of beating back the enemy.

“That is a true martial master in my eyes!”

“It was completely unnecessary!” snorted Li Hao. He was still rubbing his head. “In my opinion, some things do not need to be tested. You said so yourself, the human heart should not be tested! Was there a need for this? What is Director Hou supposed to do with himself after surviving that test?”

“......” Hou Xiaochen played deaf and dumb. He wasn’t just feeling awkward at this moment, he even wanted to die.

“And us too, how are we supposed to face each other after laying down all those heroic words?”

“......” Sky Sword flushed with embarrassment. Pretend I didn’t say anything just now.

“Of course not,” the Black Armor responded calmly. “If that had been the case, the only difference was that you would not be able to access certain things and your level of authorization wouldn’t be too high. You would just be a visitor!”

The quartet looked at each other. So... does this mean our authorization level is now high?

“Then can we do with these people as we see fit?” Li Hao pointed at Qian Wanhao’s group.

“You would not have the right to do so if you were visitors. But as official students, you may!”

Qian Wanhao’s eyes widened with dismay and he furiously roared, “You can’t do that! Senior, I am exceedingly high placed in the outside world and can facilitate your revival! I can supply one hundred million mysterious power stones for you...”

BOOM!

Li Hao struck with his sword! His opponent didn’t have any treasures or weapons on him, and was weak after the earlier battle.

The Black Armor simply watched the resulting action. He really wouldn’t have handed over the trespassers to these people if they’d only passed the regular third test. But in this moment, he decided to bestow them with the identity of true students. What did it matter if students killed a few outsiders, a few invaders?

Nothing at all!

All that rot about identity and revival... it was the living dead a long time ago, what did it care about this?

Li Hao wasn’t the only one to make a move—Hou Xiaochen and the others did so as well. All of them were crazed fiends as they struck with vicious ruthlessness. They seemed to be regarding their opponents as the Black Armor!

Kaboom!

A furious barrage of explosions ensued. The quartet would’ve beaten a five element Arcanus to death, to say nothing of a four element! Qian Wanhao had the chance to scream once before Li Hao’s sword ran through his throat! Hong Yitang turned him into a sieve the next moment!

The other three ministers, including the resentful Hu Mingfa, were churned to pieces in a mad frenzy. The one from the City of Supernaturals wanted to run away, but Panther tore it to pieces with a bite!

The dog spat out the body and regarded the Black Armor with an odd look.

“It is of no consequence that students keep a steed around,” the Black Armor was unmoved. “You do not need the identity of a student, but do not harm other students or you will be executed for it!”

Panther relaxed with relief. It’d been testing the Black Armor just now. Thank goodness the effects seemed good. But that suit of armor was definitely scary to read what it was thinking.

All was truly quiet now. Li Hao and the rest were feeling much more content after venting their frustrations. Even the Black Armor didn’t seem as irritating as before, although it’d been very maddening when it was testing them!

None of them like this kind of examination!

“All of you should rein in your thoughts.” The Black Armor was as calm as before. “Your first thought after surviving a calamity is how to reap benefits from me and loot the university. That is not a good thought!”

“......” Four humans and one dog immediately blanked their minds. Are we that obvious?

The Black Armor seemed to be smiling.