On the night of his return to school, Su Mo received a message from Yang Jie, which roughly stated that the man he had killed was one of the members involved in the recent tomb robbery case.
According to Yang Jie, the ancient tomb they had looted was no ordinary burial site—it was an ancient ruin.
Su Mo didn’t understand why Yang Jie was suddenly telling him this, so he replied directly: “Commander Yang, are you sending me to catch tomb robbers?”
Yang Jie: “You probably don’t know yet, but the tomb I’m talking about is the very one your sister, Ye Qingyu, explored.”
Su Mo froze. What a coincidence.
Yang Jie sent another message: “Though we belong to different organizations, we’re all citizens of Xia. Everything we do is for the sake of our country, so you don’t need to suspect that her goals conflict with ours.”
Su Mo: “So, you’ve reached some kind of cooperation?”
Yang Jie: “You could say that.”
Yang Jie: “By the way, the reason I’m telling you this isn’t to encourage you to seek her out. I just think it’s time you knew.”
Su Mo fell silent.
He didn’t have much affection for Ye Qingyu, so he felt little emotional turmoil. His only concern was for Ye Qingyi.
To her, her sister was currently her only family. If anything happened, she would be devastated.
After ending the conversation, Su Mo resumed his cultivation.
The night passed without incident.
…
The next day.
As promised, Su Mo gave Huo Jingshuo some guidance in practical combat and also told her about the five slots he had available.
At almost the same time, he shared the news in the class group chat, immediately drawing out a flood of responses from the lurkers.
Wang Xing: “Holy crap, this is awesome. That last slot is mine for sure.”
Li Kesi: “Five slots… Yeah, we can definitely fight for the last one.”
Chen Hu: “Over a hundred people competing for one slot? That’s way too hard. (⋟﹏⋞)”
Luo Xuan: “Hard or not, we’re still fighting for it! (Let’s go!)”
Huang Wenhao: “Sigh, I really don’t get you E-rankers, always competing like this. Unlike me, just chilling, tsk tsk tsk…”
Ma Lei: “Ew~”
Almost everyone tacitly assumed that Su Mo would first pick the four who had excelled in the written exam—Huo Jingshuo and the others—since they were significantly stronger than the rest.
Unexpectedly, Su Mo added: “The selection criteria will include but are not limited to combat. Specific rules will be announced later. Everyone has a chance.”
His words boosted the morale of many mid-to-lower-ranked students, though some of the stronger ones weren’t convinced.
They knew all too well that those at the top—higher cultivation, stronger abilities—were also well-rounded in other aspects.
Except for Xia Qingqing.
In their eyes, this girl relied purely on talent, surpassing most in cultivation in a short time while also having physical abilities far beyond her peers.
What they didn’t know was that the red fruit had also played a role.
After receiving Su Mo’s advice, Huo Jingshuo left in a hurry, clearly eager to capitalize on the momentum.
Unsurprisingly, others soon approached him privately—some for guidance, some to learn about the selection process, and even some who tried to bribe him…
Well, let’s just say they embodied the art of social maneuvering to perfection.
Naturally, Su Mo refused the bribes and issued warnings.
The would-be bribers left in disappointment.
Honestly, Su Mo wasn’t keen on bringing others along. He was used to working alone—having more people would only hinder his movements.
Of course, if they were strong enough, that was another story.
He planned to discuss it with Yang Jie later, hoping to have someone else lead the team instead…
Time flew by, and soon it was the day of Su Mo’s selection.
Over half the class signed up.
Since the selection method was entirely up to him, he designed a relatively reasonable process based on the expedition’s needs, covering hard skills, perseverance, and foundational theoretical knowledge.
After rounds of elimination, thirteen candidates remained, all meeting the criteria—including Wang Yun.
Ever since learning about the selection, Xia Qingqing had also become a grind lord, practicing the test items day and night.
As others had assessed, she was strong in combat but lagged in other areas—though “lagging” was relative to her strength, not an objective weakness.
Su Mo’s gaze swept over the thirteen. Most were E-rank, confident in their abilities.
“We depart in five days. The final five slots will be decided today, and my test for you is simple.” Su Mo smiled mysteriously. “All thirteen of you will enter the arena at once. You may choose to fight alone or team up. The last five standing after eight eliminations will earn the right to train at the ruins.”
His announcement took them by surprise—no one had expected a free-for-all brawl.
Some were thrilled, some worried, and some indifferent.
A scruffy-looking boy called out to those around him: “I suggest we team up and eliminate the strongest first. That’ll give the rest of us a better shot.”
His idea quickly gained traction, and seven formed a small alliance.
Of the remaining six, Xia Qingqing naturally paired with Luo Xiu, while Huo Jingshuo rejected Lei Hao’s request and opted to go solo.
The other two wavered before finally joining Lei Hao’s group.
At first glance, the seven-man team seemed to have the upper hand—with numbers on their side at the same rank, their odds looked good.
Su Mo noted that Wang Yun was among the seven.
The battle began. Though Huo Jingshuo was alone, no one dared challenge her—everyone knew this girl fought like a maniac…
Luo Xiu and Xia Qingqing, a powerhouse duo, were also not to be trifled with.
Thus, an intense 7v3 team battle erupted.
The two following Lei Hao, though decently strong, quickly became dead weight and were eliminated.
The seven then turned their focus on Lei Hao, beating him down relentlessly while the other three stood by, watching like spectators.
“Why not join us? It’s not like we have to fight each other,” Xia Qingqing offered, and Huo Jingshuo accepted.
The others stared.
Holy crap. How are we supposed to win now?
The seven turned back to Lei Hao: “Let’s beat this guy up first. One less competitor means one more slot for us.”
Lei Hao was furious: “Are you guys out of your minds? Why the hell are you all targeting me?!”
“You’re the weakest, and no one wants you.”
Someone’s blunt remark made Lei Hao snap: “Fine! If I don’t show you what I’m made of, you’ll really think I’m easy to bully!”
The seven hesitated, giving him space to retreat.
But instead of unleashing some hidden power, Lei Hao just smirked: “Even if I’m eliminated, there are only two slots left for you seven. Can you be sure you’ll be one of them?”
The boy who had organized the team retorted: “Who said there are only two?”
“Hah! If it took this much effort just to take me down, do you really think numbers alone will work against those three?” Lei Hao scoffed. “And with how openly you’re scheming, you think they won’t attack you right now?”
The seven exchanged uneasy glances, distrust flickering between them.
“Don’t worry, go all out on him. We won’t ambush you,” Xia Qingqing suddenly said.
Lei Hao: (〝▼皿▼)