BOOM!

The slash descended from Zhang Yuelun’s shoulder like a crescent moon, severing one of his arms. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

"Argh! Why? Didn’t you say we were fighting one-on-one?!" Zhang Yuelun’s eyes went bloodshot. He knew exactly who had ambushed him from behind.

Kong Kun!

It was Kong Kun who had suddenly grabbed him from behind.

Otherwise, there was no way he would have been so grievously wounded.

"Did I say that? I just told Kong Kun to get Fang Tangtang and the others out of here. I never said anything about fighting you one-on-one." Gao Neng looked completely innocent. He really hadn’t.

Zhang Yuelun had misunderstood.

Besides, he wasn’t an idiot. A Tier Two Mid Stage fighter going one-on-one against a Tier Three Late Stage? His odds of winning were 40 percent at best.

Most importantly, a fight like that would be incredibly costly.

"You’re shameless! Despicable!" Zhang Yuelun seethed.

But it didn’t matter whether he accepted it or not, because Gao Neng’s Eighth Slash was already descending. The blade struck Zhang Yuelun on the neck.

BOOM!

The force of the blow sent Zhang Yuelun sprawling to the ground.

His battle armor encased his entire body, and the neck was specially reinforced, so Gao Neng’s slash didn’t cut through.

Still, the blow made it difficult for him to breathe.

And then...

He saw a dazzling, golden Scythe of Death.

"Take this! Thirteen Death God Slash!"

"..."

"Fang Tangtang, don’t kill him! Leave some for me, I haven’t even had a turn yet!" Kong Kun yelled frantically, leaping forward and desperately pummeling the stump where Zhang Yuelun’s arm had been.

"Argh! You shameless bastards!" Beaten into excruciating pain, Zhang Yuelun couldn’t hold on for long. Soon, he vanished like smoke.

...

In the viewing hall.

Whether they were new or returning students, everyone was speechless for a long time.

In this duel, the Moon Wheel Team should have been stronger than the Invincible Team on paper. The reality, however, was that the Invincible Team had a massive advantage.

One could even say they completely dominated the battlefield.

Zero deaths, three kills!

That was the record they had witnessed.

Although the challenge match wasn’t officially over, the Moon Wheel Team was down to just Li Ling. The outcome was already a foregone conclusion.

How could this be?

None of the students, new or old, understood what had happened. They just had the feeling that the Moon Wheel Team had been led around by the nose the entire time.

"It seems they really are going to be sent to the battlefield." Lin Ying glanced over at Gui Zian and Song Tianyun in the distance, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"..." Qiao Yaqiu remained silent.

Chen Qing and Han Yuping looked at Lin Ying in surprise, but they quickly realized her judgment was probably correct.

Because Song Tianyun had already stood up.

As the Headmaster of the Eastern Capital Military Academy, Song Tianyun rarely spoke at such informal gatherings. This time, however, he went straight to the stage.

And not just Song Tianyun.

Gui Zian, Wang Qixing, Shen Fei, and the old vice-chancellor from the Research Academy all stood up and followed Song Tianyun onto the stage.

The challenge match wasn’t over.

And yet, the image on the screen had gone dark.

Then, row after row of numbers appeared on the screen...

Alliance Calendar, Year 056: Total Human Population - 4.57 billion.

Alliance Calendar, Year 057...

...

Alliance Calendar, Year 076: Total Human Population - 1.53 billion.

Alliance Calendar, Year 077: Total Human Population - 1.28 billion.

Alliance Calendar, Year 078: Total Human Population - 610 million...

...

The numbers were simple.

But every student in the viewing hall fell silent.

These were numbers written in blood.

"In two more years, how many humans will be left?" Song Tianyun began, his eyes growing moist as he gazed down at the students.

"Today’s battle, the one fought by Gao Neng and his team, might have seemed unsettling to some of you. That’s because it wasn’t a normal, head-on fight."

"How is a ’normal’ battle supposed to be fought? You go all-out, you risk everything... because in the training rooms, no one really dies. All that matters is winning!"

"I imagine many of you think that way. But why did they fight like they did? I think you’re starting to understand... Yes. A Tier Two against a Tier Three. That was never a normal fight. All they wanted was one thing: for the entire team to survive!"

"And that is all I ask of you, as well. When you truly step onto the battlefield, I want you to be like Gao Neng and his team today... and survive."

"The Military Department’s reforms have already begun!"

"Previously, the academy’s rule was that you could not go to the battlefield before reaching Tier Four. This was to keep the casualty rate down. Now, that rule has changed. You still cannot go to the battlefield *alone* before Tier Four. However, if you are in a four-person squad under the leadership of an instructor, you can!"

...

Song Tianyun said a great deal more.

By the time Gao Neng and his team emerged from the training room, they had also made their way to the viewing hall.

However, Gao Neng hadn’t heard Song Tianyun’s speech. By the time he arrived, Wang Qixing had already finished his part, and Gui Zian was the one speaking on stage.

Gui Zian was reading from a list.

It was mostly filled with teams from the B-List and C-List of the battle rankings.

As for the teams on the D-List...

There was only one.

The Invincible Team!

The very last one on the list.

"We’re going to the battlefield!" Fang Tangtang was beside herself with excitement.

"So soon? I’m not ready for this..." It wasn’t that Gao Neng had never considered going to the battlefield one day, but he certainly hadn’t expected to go right now.

’Isn’t this a bit too rushed?’

No one answered Gao Neng’s question.