Zhao Mu stood alone at the very front of the formation, gripping his massive halberd tightly.
Behind him stood dozens of cadet soldiers.
Ahead of him surged a pack of terrifying Remnant Beasts.
Yet despite the overwhelming pressure, Zhao Mu's figure remained as steady and immovable as a mountain.
The other cadets instinctively fought in groups, relying on teamwork to survive.
But Zhao Mu was different.
Completely different.
Holding the enormous heavenly halberd in both hands, he charged directly into the center of the Remnant Beast formation by himself.
Boom!
The moment he moved, the atmosphere seemed to shake.
His halberd sliced through the air with terrifying force, producing explosive sounds like thunder and roaring wind.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The giant weapon swept horizontally, then descended vertically like a collapsing mountain.
Some Remnant Beasts were split in half instantly.
Others were smashed apart so violently that their bones shattered into pieces.
Organs and blood splattered across the ruined battlefield.
To Zhao Mu, these terrifying humanoid monsters looked no more threatening than weeds waiting to be cut down.
The watching cadet soldiers were completely stunned.
"He's… actually overpowering Remnant Beasts using pure physical strength?!"
"That's impossible…"
Humans naturally feared strange beasts because their bodies were born superior.
Faster.
Stronger.
More durable.
At the same rank, ordinary Spirit Power Users could rarely compete physically with strange beasts.
Without Spirit Power, humans would merely become prey.
But Zhao Mu's fighting style completely overturned their understanding.
He barely used Spirit Power at all.
Every movement relied purely on overwhelming strength and terrifying combat instincts.
The enormous B-rank alloy halberd became a weapon of massacre in his hands.
One sweep.
One strike.
One smash.
Every attack carried enough power to crush steel.
A Remnant Beast lunged toward him with claws aimed directly at his neck.
Without hesitation, Zhao Mu punched forward.
Boom!
His fist collided head-on with the beast's sharp claws.
The result shocked everyone.
Crack!
The Remnant Beast's claws shattered instantly.
Its entire arm twisted unnaturally before the massive creature was blasted backward like a broken ragdoll.
The cadets watching nearby subconsciously swallowed hard.
Unmatched bravery.
Unstoppable force.
At this moment, Zhao Mu looked less like a human and more like a war god standing amid the battlefield.
Even Zhu Meng, who had sparred with Zhao Mu before, felt cold sweat forming on his back.
Only now did he realize how fortunate he had been that day.
Back then, they had agreed to stop before serious injuries occurred.
Otherwise…
Zhao Mu might truly have crippled him.
After all, the Seven Kills combat art taught personally by Bu Yanhuan was not meant for sparring.
Every move existed solely to kill.
Every strike targeted vital points.
It was a combat technique designed entirely for slaughter.
In less than five minutes, Zhao Mu alone had already killed seven Remnant Beasts.
Meanwhile, the combined efforts of the other cadets had only managed slightly more than ten.
The overwhelming difference in efficiency left everyone speechless.
More importantly, the fear inside their hearts began disappearing.
At first, most of them had been terrified of the strange beasts.
After all, these monsters were infamous for their brutality.
Many cadets had imagined Remnant Beasts as invincible nightmares.
But now?
Watching Zhao Mu casually tear through them like paper shattered those fears completely.
The timid cadets who previously trembled now clenched their weapons tightly with excitement.
Zhao Mu turned around slowly, his halberd dripping with blood.
"Did you see that?" he shouted calmly.
"As long as we stay calm, trust each other, and stop fearing these monsters…"
"They're nothing special."
His words struck deeply into everyone's hearts.
For the first time since entering the Trial Zone, the cadets finally felt confidence.
Real confidence.
"Move forward!" Zhao Mu ordered.
"Yes!"
The team immediately responded with enthusiasm.
Under Zhao Mu's leadership, morale soared rapidly.
Everyone felt honored to fight alongside him.
The chaotic fear from earlier had vanished completely.
Now, their minds focused only on one thing—
Killing strange beasts.
At this moment, they finally resembled true soldiers of the Empire.
Watching from afar, the instructors nodded with satisfaction.
Instructor Xie Yingxue's beautiful eyes even revealed a trace of admiration.
"A natural-born general," she murmured softly.
"Outstanding leadership, overwhelming personal strength, and incredible charisma."
"His performance is practically flawless."
Beside her, Zhang Biao laughed lightly.
"Unfortunately, his score still trails behind Mo Guanguan and Shao Han."
Hearing that, Xie Yingxue narrowed her eyes slightly.
"The real test is only beginning."
Indeed.
Everything so far had merely been a warm-up.
Meanwhile, deep within the ruins…
Shao Han's team continued advancing rapidly.
Compared to Zhao Mu's straightforward combat style, Shao Han relied more on planning and coordination.
At this moment, over ten elite cadets followed behind him closely.
Along the way, they had already killed dozens of Remnant Beasts.
Most of those kills belonged to Shao Han personally.
No one could deny his talent.
Combat Level 9.
Dual-element abilities—Ice and Wind.
A powerful B-rank talent.
And most importantly…
His exclusive first-grade jin weapon:
The Frost Blade.
Purely in terms of combat ability, only Zhao Mu and Mo Guanguan could rival him among the cadets.
Combined with the intelligence he secretly acquired beforehand, Shao Han's score steadily climbed higher and higher.
Currently, he ranked first.
Even slightly ahead of Mo Guanguan.
Suddenly, a distress signal came through Shao Han's electronic wristband.
It belonged to a member of Team Two.
Shao Han glanced at the message indifferently before deleting the sender without hesitation.
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"I already warned them," he said coldly.
"Mediocre people should know their limits."
"If they insist on entering the deeper areas of the Trial Zone, then dying is their own fault."
Beside him, Jin Xiangcheng immediately nodded flatteringly.
"Young Master Shao is absolutely right."
"It's already merciful enough that you didn't use them as cannon fodder."
Shao Han glanced at him arrogantly before speaking calmly.
"The warm-up is over."
"From now on…"
"The real trial begins."
He slowly raised the Frost Blade with both hands.
His gaze fixed firmly on a dark pool ahead.
The surrounding ruins were silent.
Too silent.
Then suddenly—
Shao Han thrust the Frost Blade directly into the water.
"Freeze!"
A terrifying wave of icy energy erupted instantly.
White frost spread rapidly across the pool.
Within seconds, the entire surface froze solid.
Cold mist rose into the air.
The surrounding cadets immediately tightened their grips on their weapons.
Everyone looked nervous yet excited.
Crack!
A massive crack suddenly spread across the frozen surface.
The next moment—
Boom!
A huge figure burst out of the water violently before landing atop a collapsed stone pillar.
The cadets' expressions changed instantly.
It was a Remnant Beast.
But unlike the others they had encountered before, this one was far larger and far more horrifying.
Its body resembled a twisted humanoid monster covered in scale-like armor.
Its bald head looked like the skull of a venomous snake.
And most terrifying of all—
It possessed six eyes.
Those six crimson eyes stared coldly at the humans below.
An oppressive pressure spread immediately.
Shao Han's eyes lit up with excitement instead of fear.
"The Head Beast…" he muttered.
"The strongest monster in this Trial Zone."
"A Private-grade Remnant Beast."
Combat Level 15.
Within every beast pack, the strongest creature naturally became the leader.
These Head Beasts possessed greater intelligence, terrifying physical abilities, and much stronger defenses than ordinary Remnant Beasts.
Shao Han had already known about this creature beforehand.
That was why he came fully prepared.
With the Frost Blade and the elite cadets surrounding him, he believed victory was guaranteed.
"Chen Tang! Song Siqi! Support me from the sides!"
"Archers, prepare yourselves!"
"Be careful not to hit allies!"
His commands came rapidly and decisively.
Despite his arrogance, Shao Han's battlefield leadership remained excellent.
"The intelligence of strange beasts is inferior to humans," he continued confidently.
"As long as we focus our attacks properly, we can kill it even if we have to wear it down slowly!"
The moment he finished speaking, Shao Han charged forward.
The Frost Blade dragged across the ground, leaving behind a trail of frozen air.
As he activated the Endless Cold Art, chilling white mist spread throughout the battlefield.
Everything near him rapidly dropped in temperature.
Several elite attackers followed closely behind him.
At the same time, the archers in the rear drew their bows.
Spirit Power gathered around the arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A rain of arrows shot toward the Head Beast.
Facing the attack, the monster crossed its iron-like arms defensively.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The arrows struck its body repeatedly, producing metallic sounds.
Although the attacks failed to penetrate the scale-covered armor, several visible marks still appeared.
The pain enraged the beast instantly.
It roared furiously, causing the surrounding ruins to tremble.
But by then, Shao Han had already arrived directly before it.
With both hands gripping the Frost Blade tightly, he slashed downward fiercely.
The Head Beast counterattacked immediately.
Its enormous claw smashed downward toward Shao Han's head.
However, instead of panicking, Shao Han revealed a smile.
"Got you."
Boom!
The Frost Blade collided directly with the iron claw.
In the next instant, freezing energy exploded outward.
Ice spread rapidly across the monster's arm.
Within seconds, the claw became completely frozen.
The Head Beast roared in shock and anger.
Shao Han laughed triumphantly.
"I came prepared for this fight."
"I know exactly how to deal with you!"
The moment the monster's movement was restricted, the other attackers immediately seized the opportunity.
Five or six elite cadets charged forward simultaneously.
Sabers.
Spears.
Swords.
Staff weapons.
All of them struck toward the Head Beast's vital points at once.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)