"But we..."
The disciples' faces were pale. Even after the battle ended, standing within the barrier, they could still feel the fierce killing intent of the battlefield, sending chills down their spines. If they went out, the lingering imperial might might destroy their souls and crush their will.
"No buts. If you don't go out to clean up the battlefield, you can stay here. From now on, any resources from the academy will have nothing to do with you.
The academy doesn't keep idle people, but it won't drive you away either. You can choose to reproduce here, and that's the only value you can create for the academy. Long Chen said coldly.
These disciples had never experienced bloody battles; they were afraid, dreadful, and cowardly. Long Chen could understand this, after all, strength isn't built overnight.
While others are fighting to the death, they can barely survive here, which is no problem. After all, with their strength, they simply can't go to the battlefield.
Now that the battle is over, they still stubbornly stay here watching others busy, acting like 'I'm weak, I'm right, you deserve it.' That's infuriating.
Looking at Long Chen's gloomy face, these disciples knew he hadn't scared them. Thinking about never getting any resources in the future and becoming useless idle, they ultimately chose to grit their teeth and step onto the battlefield.
"It's useless. These people have no will to get stronger. Even if you force them, they won't be able to go to the battlefield." At this moment, the Dragonblood Legion received Long Chen's order to return inside the barrier. Yue Zifeng looked at the reluctant expressions of these people and couldn't help but say,
"I didn't expect them to go to the battlefield, but that doesn't mean they can just slack off in the academy every day, wasting food. At the very least, they can create value to support themselves."
Long Chen replied, "By the way, Zifeng, how is your injury?" "
As a sword cultivator, Yue Zifeng's attack power was terrifying, but his defense was extremely weak. To rescue Yu Qingxuan, he endured a strike from a half-step Human Emperor expert. Although that strike wasn't a full-power strike and an ordinary Dragon Blood warrior could easily block it, for Yue Zifeng, it was extremely deadly.
Even after being struck hard, Yue Zifeng gritted his teeth and kept fighting. Now, his face was pale, his breath weak, and his body trembling as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet he did not use his strength to heal.
"I'm fine. I like this state of weakness. Losing my strongest support makes me feel things I normally can't feel." Yue Zifeng said.
Long Chen secretly admired Yue Zifeng's talent—he was constantly gaining insight and cultivation. His strength was inevitable, not accidental.
"Yeah, just looking at these guys makes me angry. Back then, they mocked us quite a bit. I still can't forget how they looked at each other." At that moment, a group of people walked in, led by Long Ziwei of the Tianhuang Dragon family.
Beside him were the mercenaries of the Long family. In previous battles, they had been alongside the disciples of the Xinghe Sect and had contributed significantly on the battlefield.
It was Qin Feng who brought them back to the start. Bai Letian directly enrolled them in the academy and treated them as inner disciples. At that moment, these mercenaries were instantly overwhelmed with gratitude toward Bai Letian. This was the warmth they felt once again, except for Long Chen, in their lives.
Although later on, they were targeted by the branch disciples and often scolded as picked up trash, they had long since gotten used to such insults.
Now that Long Chen had returned, his forceful and bloody methods had terrified them, and Long Chen had been especially busy these past few days, with no time to rest. No one had a chance to greet him.
Long Chen saw familiar faces like Long Ziwei, Yu Ying, and Wu Song, and immediately felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, hurrying over to them.
At this moment, Long Ziwei and the others appeared extremely reserved. He cautiously said, "Dean..."
"Ziwei, Sister Ying, Brother Song..." Long Chen approached the crowd and warmly greeted them, which made Long Ziwei and the others instantly overjoyed. Long Chen was still the same Long Chen, and with just one sentence, the distance between them instantly closed.
"Are you used to it at the academy?" Long Chen said with a smile.
"Accustomed to it, we're doing very well here, a thousand times better than in Tianhuang, a thousand times better!" Yu Ying looked at Long Chen with an excited expression and said, while the other mercenary experts were also deeply moved, filled with gratitude toward Long Chen.
Compared to Tianhuang, one is heaven and the other hell. Here, they can enjoy the treatment of inner sect disciples, and the pills and resources they receive are beyond their imagination.
Most importantly, except for the disciples from the First Branch, no one treated them as outsiders. Whenever they faced difficulties, they would proactively help. Their enthusiasm moved them to tears.
During the previous bloody battle, if it weren't for the disciples of the Galaxy Sect blocking them, they would have already charged out with the Dragon Blood Legion. Even if it cost them their lives, they would protect Lingxiao Academy. The only way they could repay the academy was to fight with their lives.
Yu Ying said, "Dean Long Chen..."
"Call me Long Chen!" Long Chen pretended to keep a stern face as he spoke.
Yuying had no choice but to change her words: "We've enjoyed so much care from the academy. Let's go out and clean up the battlefield. After all, there's not much we can do for the academy." "
Yeah, let's do this kind of rough work!" The other mercenaries also spoke up, saying that eating free meals at the academy every day made them feel very uneasy.
Long Chen smiled and said, "Who says you can't do much for the academy? Not much now doesn't mean there won't be much in the future. Don't help them; helping them is harming them.
I let them work to give them a chance. If they can't seize this chance, they'll really be ruined in the future. "
Long Chen saw that after the mercenaries underwent tribulation at the academy, over eighty percent of the experts had advanced to Nine-Star Destiny Practitioners. Moreover, he sensed that the Jiuli rune within them was rapidly awakening. Their potential was enormous.
As long as they have enough resources, the powerful Jiuli runes within them will directly awaken the Destiny Roulette. At that point, their strength will be extremely formidable.
Most importantly, Long Chen noticed that the Jiuli runes were gradually showing star fluctuations, suggesting that perhaps the Galaxy and Firmament Technique was undergoing a mutation.
Long Chen had also witnessed the previous battles. Their strength was no less than that of the disciples of the Galaxy Sect. As time passed, the gap between them would gradually become apparent. Perhaps the Galaxy Sky Technique would flourish within them.
When all those who fought on the battlefield returned to the barrier, and all the disciples inside the barrier were driven into the battlefield, now everyone inside the barrier was a true warrior.
At this moment, the disciples of the First Academy looked at Long Chen with nothing but admiration and awe. In this battle, they finally witnessed the style of a peerless prodigy, and they felt supreme honor to have such a dean.
"Brothers, hurry up and recover. In one day, we'll set out!" Long Chen said.
Ye Ziwen couldn't help but say, "Dean Long Chen..."
"Since we're on the battlefield together, we're brothers who fought bravely. Compared to Dean, I prefer hearing you call me senior brother." Long Chen said.
Long Chen's words made all the disciples present feel their blood surge with excitement, their noses tingling with excitement. What merit or ability did they have to be called brothers by a powerful figure like Long Chen?
Ye Ziwen was so excited that his voice trembled, his mouth agape, and he actually forgot what he had just said.
"Tomorrow, we'll set out and hunt down those who slipped through the cracks. Anyone who dares to stand in our way will be killed, and gods will be killed."
Before Ye Ziwen could press further, Long Chen gave his answer directly. Hearing Long Chen's words, everyone's blood boiled—Long Chen was about to lead them on a campaign.