Book 2: Chapter 16: Black Flower Pike
Book 2: Chapter 16: Black Flower Pike
Inside the training valley, it was forbidden to remove the voice changing mask and black armor at any time.
When facing an opponent, when the enemy was defeated, a single golden pentagon emblem can be removed by the winner, while the loser will lose an emblem, taking more than one is not allowed. Once one had four or more emblems, or if all of the emblems were seized, only then could they step on the wooden path, conclude the training.
When one withdraws with five golden pentagons five times in a row, they will obtain a course point of reward.
All types of real army weapons were scattered in the valley, but they had to be found.
…
Lin Xi was listening closely to begin with, and since the rules of this training valley weren’t even that complex anyway, he easily repeated these important rules one after another.
When he heard Lin Xi repeat everything without mistake, moreover without the slightest bit of frivolousness, the expression of the black-robed elder whose face was covered in wrinkles clearly became gentler. He turned around, pushed open the door, and then led the way.
The shrine-like building was dark and complex. After the black-robed elder pushed open a heavy stone door, bright sunlight immediately poured in, shining down on the black-robed elder and Lin Xi.
This was a gate that led into the training valley. A fixed silverthread zipline was fastened to the wall on the other side of the door, leading into the valley jungle below.
Lin Xi saw that there were at least a hundred similar silverthread ziplines extending from similar entrances, leading into the training valley jungle below.
The black-robed elder nodded towards the silverthread zipline, quietly saying, “The last word of advice I have for you is that just like on the battlefield, there will definitely be no fairness to speak of. Even though practically all of the students will be sliding down these silver ziplines into different regions, there is no guarantee that a student who has already obtained a weapon won’t be camping around these ziplines. That is why the moment you enter the training valley, you should already be prepared to fight.”
Lin Xi bowed respectfully towards the black-robed elder. “May I ask for teacher’s name?”
The black-robed elder gave Lin Xi a look. “Luo Houyuan.”
The silver-masked black-armored Lin Xi didn’t say anything else, turning around and quickly sliding down the zipline.
“Even though my Yunqin Empire attaches importance to respecting your teachers, towards this old one who is already close to entering his grave, yet still only having the status of a lecturer, he actually still has such a respectful attitude… Vice Principal Xia, the heaven’s choice you chose is a bit different as expected.” As this Luo Houyuan dressed in ordinary lecturer black robes watched Lin Xi’s figure disappear into the distance, he muttered to himself.
Almost all golden spoon youngsters who had an innate sensitivity towards power, when they saw the old long robed elder lecturer, they would feel like glory and prospects were already beyond his grasp. Only the professors who understood the academy knew just what kind of individual this elder was.
Green Luan Academy had all types of people, and it was just like the single-eyed black-robed lecturer Tong Wei said: each person had their own selfish desires and entirely different way of looking at different things. As such, the academy also had people like Luo Houyuan who secluded themselves in the mountains and rivers of the academy, not pursuing fame and glory, only taking action when the academy faced a true threat.
They were true undercover experts. In some top secret scrolls of the outside world, the term used to call people like him, was ‘Academy Protector’.
…
Compared to the other silverthread ziplines, this zipline extending out from the shrine-like building wasn’t that long. In a dozen or so seconds of time, Lin Xi already reached its end.
In the limits of this place was a tattered small pavilion, with large and tall wild cherry trees around it.
The rather imposing looking Lin Xi who still hadn’t gotten completely accustomed to the black armor yet landed heavily on the ground. His eyes only swept around, and then his lips inside the mask immediately produced a bitter smile.
There was no ambush waiting for him, but when he looked out from the small pavilion in the direction he came from, he could clearly tell that Green Luan Academy’s main peaks were all on that side, which was to say, this valley was completely outside of Green Luan Academy’s peaks. There was no end to the rising and falling mountain forests around him, the only feeling this training valley gave him was that it was massive. Moreover, even though he knew that he was in a valley, possibly more than one academy lecturer secretly observing every student’s activity, right now, he didn’t see the wooden path Luo Houyuan spoke of at all.
Which was to say, even though the wooden path used to withdraw from the battlefield definitely existed, there weren’t that many of them. Even when withdrawing from the battlefield, while searching for these wooden paths, they might suddenly run into an opponent, and then be forced into a new battle.
He knew that the most important thing was to leave this area first, so Lin Xi randomly picked a direction, and then started running.
However, after running just a few dozen steps, Lin Xi immediately slowed down.
Since he previously didn’t make any movements that were too great, the black armor on him, apart from being a bit heavier, didn’t feel all that unnatural. However, once he began to move more, Lin Xi instead sensed that the stream within his dantian produced a warmth, but quite a bit of it was counteracted by the icy-coldness naturally produced by the black armor.
It seemed like when Lecturer Mu Qing said that there was cultivation suppression in this valley, she was speaking precisely about this black armor!
Lin Xi moved through the jungle at a slow pace. Suddenly, a trace of abnormal black color from between some rubble drew his attention.
It was a long black blade.
Lin Xi took a breath. After moving a few steps forward, the instant he picked up this long black blade, the naturally formed curve and fine pine-like patterns covering the long blade’s rather wide back and the blade itself, as well as a deep blood groove, immediately told Lin Xi that this blade was just like that of the long blade on Tang Ke’s back, a true Yunqin Empire border army standard long blade!
The standard Yunqin Empire border army long blade was formed from three types of steel. The blade itself, in order to prevent it from breaking while cutting through the other side’s armor, after being forged hundred times over, would have cold iron strips embedded inside, the cutting edge even having a piece of Blackcloud Steel forged into it. Finally, only after using more than ten types of ore powder and the purest charcoal to temper it, continuously hammered and refined for three days, did it take form. Through this process, this type of long blade could remain intact even after continuously hacking through enemy heads and armor.
Right now, this long black blade that was a foot longer than his entire arm completely matched his appearance. Compared to the long blade Tang Ke brought to the academy, the only thing that was different was that it didn’t have a scabbard, the handle lacking the thick cloth strips used in the border army to prevent slippage.
While holding this black long blade that was still a bit heavy for him, Lin Xi immediately felt much safer. However, right when he couldn’t hold back his urge to test this standard issue Yunqin border army long blade out on a short withered tree next to him, he heard a kacha sound, the sound of someone stepping on a dried branch produced not far behind him.
There was an opponent!
Lin Xi was a bit startled, quickly turning around. When he saw his opponent and the weapon he wielded, he couldn’t help but become extremely nervous.
The weapon this similarly black-armored, silver-masked opponent who suddenly appeared found, was a black pike.
The three-edged spear point that released a cold glint and the matte black color of the black wooden pole reminded Lin Xi that this was also a true border army standard pike: Black Flower!
‘Black Flower’ Pike was made from special black vine wood, extremely difficult to cut through, and its weight wasn’t heavy, the shaft supple and strong. The powerful warriors in the army could easily display great spear techniques, even bend the spear into a semicircular shape, use the tremendous rebound force to send their opponents flying. Once the three-edged spear impaled the body, it would also produce a blooming flower — a blood blossom.
‘Black Flower’ Pike was at least a head taller than the current Lin Xi, which was why Lin Xi immediately felt that in terms of bladed weapons, he was at a great disadvantage.
Moreover, the other side’s black armor had three golden pentagon emblems on the right side, while the left shoulder grooves had a single golden pentagon emblem, meaning that he already won at least once today.
Lin Xi inadvertently gave the other side’s chest a look; it was a Rose Flower symbol.
The other side’s eyes also landed on Lin Xi’s chest, presumably also seeing the Silver Fox symbol on Lin Xi’s chest.
“You…” Lin Xi spoke out. He originally wanted to ask what department the other party was from, but the moment he uttered this word, the other party already moved.
What Lin Xi faced first was a rock!
This Black Flower Pike wielder had his left hand behind his back the entire time. Now, it moved, but it was a rock the size of half a head that smashed towards Lin Xi without any hesitation. The left hand that chucked the rock immediately shifted towards the long black spear, and then his entire figure charged forward, the spear thrusting out viciously.
“So dangerous!”
Lin Xi dodged the rock coming straight at him almost subconsciously, but the other side’s spear was already stabbing at his lower abdomen fiercely.
The black armor was extremely sturdy, impossible to penetrate. The Black Flower Pike formed a semicircular arc between this opponent and Lin Xi, and then the powerful impact and the pike’s own elastic force immediately made Lin Xi fall backwards, continuously tumble out.
Even though, under the black armor’s protection, Lin Xi didn’t suffer any wounds, the powerful force was still transmitted into his body, immediately knocking the air out of his chest.
Pu!
The other party’s pike descended unrelentingly, but because of Lin Xi’s naturally tumbling body, it instead smashed heavily into the earth next to him.
This bought Lin Xi a bit of time. He forcefully endured the urge to vomit. After tumbling backwards a few times, he struggled back to his feet.
However, the other party directly pulled the pike out from the ground, treating it as a staff, bringing it down heavily. Lin Xi didn’t have the time to move out of the way, his left shoulder was smashed into, entire body sinking down from the weight. A scream of pain was released from his mouth.
However, at the same time, Lin Xi’s last ditch mentality was also aroused. There was such a small distance between them, so when the enemy’s attack descended, the pike about to smash down on him again, he decided to give up on dodging, instead bringing his blade down heavily on the other party’s head.