The giant snakes atop the four pillars opened their mouths simultaneously, spewing out puffs of mist so faint they were nearly translucent. All the examinees felt their consciousness blur, and by the time they regained clarity, they found themselves in a lush green valley surrounded by undulating hills and patches of dense woods.
Wei Yuan stood near the base of a hill, facing an area that was quite open but still had noticeable undulations. Behind him, a small hill rose about twenty zhang high, making it one of the tallest in this small world and a commanding height in the nearby area. According to military texts, such a place was highly contested grounds.
Without any hesitation, Wei Yuan immediately dashed up the hill to get a clear view of his surroundings. As he ran, his clothing flashed with light and transformed into a set of dark yellow attire. Once atop the hill, Wei Yuan's field of vision included a few dozen other examinees, all of whom were spread out at distances of several dozen zhang from one another. It seemed that after entering the Illusion Realm, all examinees were scattered, popping up in random locations unknowingly.
All the examinees' clothing was divided into two colors, either sky blue or dark yellow, indicating team division by uniform color.
Suddenly, some examinees appeared equipped with armor of various designs.
A virtual Treasure Box also materialized before Wei Yuan. Inside the box, on one side, were several sets of differently styled Armor, while the other side contained various weapons. The armor and weapons appeared palm-sized, but once Wei Yuan reached out to grab them, they would transform into actual size and automatically fit onto his body. On the lid of the box were compartments in which an Elixir was embedded. The Elixir could replenish energy and heal minor injuries, and it was up to the examinee to decide when to use it.
Before Wei Yuan had chosen his equipment, light pillars surged into the sky from the south and north. At the base of each column of light stood a small hill—these were the key locations that each team had to defend. If the enemy took and held one of these key points, it would be considered a loss for the defending side.
With teams divided and key locations revealed, the examinees sprang into action, as examinees with matching uniform colors swiftly began to gather at their respective key location. Those congregating under the red light pillar to the north were from the Green Team, while those under the golden light pillar to the south were all Yellow Team examinees. When examinees from opposing teams crossed paths on their way to their positions, they usually just coldly glanced at each other and continued on without engaging in combat.
After observing for a while, Wei Yuan understood that this was the "gathering of forces" Li Zhi had spoken about. Before the martial test, Li Zhi had already chosen his people and organized a team. Upon entering the Illusion Realm, they immediately moved towards the southern key location to assemble the entire team, then intended to determine victory or defeat using military formations.
But Li Zhi wasn't the only capable person; the opponent from the North was just as formidable, even having gathered slightly more examinees. However, it was unknown how many spies each team had hidden within the other's ranks.
Almost in a blink, the two large forces completed their assembly, but dozens of scattered examinees remained at the center of the testing ground, each wearing a look of confusion. These individuals were clearly like Wei Yuan, abandoned by both sides. Some quick-witted ones finally recovered, hurrying to join the team that matched the color of their uniform, but most were still foolishly standing in the middle, unsure of what to do.
Wei Yuan did not immediately choose weapons and armor, intending first to observe what both sides were planning before making a decision.
The small hill where Wei Yuan stood was tall by local standards, providing a good vantage point over a large portion of the battlefield. He couldn't get a clear view of the main camps to the south and north, but it seemed intentional, a feature of the Illusion Realm, to limit visibility; one had to pass through the Central Zone to see the other side's camp layout.
Wei Yuan's hill was located on the western edge of the Illusion Realm, with a dense forest behind him. Within the forest, a light curtain rose, marking the boundary of the Illgion Realm. The south and the north were riddled with undulating terrain, and at the middle of the flat central area was a slightly elevated piece of land, several zhang higher than the surrounding area, another key point of contention.
At that moment, about a dozen examinees from both the south and north sides dashed out. They wore Light Armor, moved nimbly, and spread out in a fan-like formation as they headed toward each other.
Observing from afar, Wei Yuan cross-referenced with military tactics he had learned, "These are Scouts, of course. Both sides need to first understand the terrain, the environmental conditions, and the opponent's deployment before formulating a strategy."
Scouts from both sides occasionally encountered each other, carefully passing by without engaging in combat.
The rules of the martial test were vague, but one thing was certain: the longer you survived, the higher your evaluation. Anyone with a lick of sense knew that if you died at the start, you couldn't expect a high score.
While Wei Yuan was observing the activity of both sides, suddenly a blue figure dashed up the hilltop like a galloping horse. This disciple in blue was thin and small, wearing leather armor and holding a longsword, staring fiercely at Wei Yuan. Clearly, seeing Wei Yuan unarmed and without armor, he had murderous intent.
Wei Yuan's eyebrows lifted slightly as he watched the man quietly. At the moment he was still just watching, but if someone was eager to die prematurely, Wei Yuan wouldn't mind helping him along.
However, upon seeing Wei Yuan, who stood a head taller, the man's courage faltered, and in the end, he dared not attack. After glaring fiercely at Wei Yuan, he rushed down the hilltop towards the South to scout.
No sooner had the blue-clad candidate left than a yellow-clad one reached the crest. Clutching a longsword too, he looked at Wei Yuan and said politely, "Brother, if you haven't found a team yet, you might want to meet Brother Li Zhi. With your bearing, you should be able to secure a position in a team."
Without waiting for Wei Yuan's response, he wished Wei Yuan to take care and continued scouting towards the North.
In a short amount of time, scouts from both sides, four from each, had passed by Wei Yuan.
It couldn't be helped; this small hill was too conspicuous, and nearby scouts had to climb up to take a look. Those from the Green Team naturally harbored murderous intentions towards Wei Yuan, and those from the Yellow Team weren't much friendlier. But upon seeing Wei Yuan's stature and build, both sides tacitly chose to ignore him.
Even taking the Red Tide Sect into account in this comprehensive examination, the recruitment quota equaled only half the total number of candidates. One like Wei Yuan, who seemed to lack even a team, was considered to have been eliminated in advance. As scouts positioned somewhat higher than the Big Head Soldiers in the formations, they all still had hopes for themselves and were unwilling to entangle with a commoner like Wei Yuan at this stage.
By this time, Wei Yuan felt he had observed enough, so he summoned the equipment Treasure Box once again. From the beginning of the martial test until now, Wei Yuan had seen over thirty candidates, most of whom wielded longswords. Zhang Sheng had once taught the basic knowledge of weapons, including the longsword, which he said was the Emperor's Weapon, combining beauty and dignity but more symbolic than practically powerful. On the battlefield, any mortal who used a sword was an idiot.
However, it was clear that most candidates preferred the Emperor's Weapon.
Wei Yuan reached out and grasped a long spear.
As soon as the spear left the Treasure Box, it lengthened to twelve feet with a spearhead one and a half feet long, extending out from two half-a-foot branches at the joint, making a cross shape. The spearhead and shaft were of one piece, and the entire body was engraved with an ancient pattern; its material was a mystery.
The moment Wei Yuan held the spear, his arm sank. The spear was considerably heavy, weighing tens of pounds; Wei Yuan would have to utilize six or seven parts of his strength to wield it effortlessly with his physique.