The fact that close to 1,000 people would be divided into 10 teams was naturally not merely for the convenience of administration; there was another purpose.
Theoretically, they would be able to earn a Star Stone as their yearly pay, but there was another rule among the reserve troops, and that was that there would be a major tournament held among the 10 teams every year. The team that ranked the lowest among the 10 teams would lose their pay for the next year, and it would be presented as a reward for the top team.
Ling Han’s subordinates were all “poor quality”, and were made up of the worst members. How could their team possibly compare with the other nine teams? Weren’t they destined to be the lowest rank?
Thus, every single one of them looked depressed. Some even thought of withdrawing; why shouldn’t they take the initiative to be eliminated in the next year? They could wait another 100 years to be enlisted in the army.
Ling Han did not say anything. In truth, he could defeat a team of 100 all by himself. Furthermore, he was the Alchemy Emperor. There was no lack of alchemical pills here; he could completely refine a great volume of high grade Divine Pills.
As long as they followed his lead loyally, Ling Han could guarantee that he would not disappoint any single one of them.
Of course, those who merely wanted to take advantage of him could just stay as far away from him as possible.
Ding Hu glanced coldly at Ling Han. He would make use of his methods to ensure that Ling Han disappeared as soon as possible.
They all entered the camp. Every person had a single room to rest in. Actually, they did not have much to do usually, and would simply be trained in the art of cooperative attacks. Occasionally, they would have practical battles to destroy a band of mountain bandits that were not too powerful.
However, this kind of practical battle would ordinarily be scheduled for 10 years later. Without proper coordination, people would die too fast in a major battle.
After Ling Han and the Empress entered their room, they immediately entered the Black Tower.
Ling Han used the power of the Black Tower to erase the martial intent that Ding Hu had left in him. Once this power of Regulation had vanished, his physical body immediately recovered.
The Empress’s expression was icy, and she declared, “I want to go into seclusion, and break through to the Severing Mundane Tier within three years! Three years later, there will not be a single living being left of the Ding Clan!”
Someone dared to wound her husband, so the Empress’s killing intent was already blazing.
“Don’t!” Ling Han wrapped his arms around her, and laid a kiss on her black locks. “If you simply focus on cultivation, you will be able to reach the peak stage of the consummate level of the Genesis Tier, but if you want to break through to the Severing Mundane Tier, you will have to go to a special place.”
Why was it said that the Saint King Tier was the end of the road in the Ancient Realm?
This was not because of natural talent or cultivation technique, but rather because one needed a special location in the Celestial Realm if he wanted to break through to Severing Mundane Tier. He would only be able to interact with the prehistoric powers of the Heavenly Dao, and deal a blow with the Heaven’s Will Saber onto himself there.
Otherwise, it was useless even if you had the apt.i.tude of a Celestial King; you would only be stuck on the level of Saint King Tier.
The Empress’s fury did not lessen, and she said, “Then I will reach the consummate level of the Genesis Tier as soon as possible.”
She was filled with confidence in herself. As long as she had reached the peak stage of the Saint King Tier, she would be able to successfully undergo the first severance, and become a Severing Mundane Tier.
Ling Han shook her head. “Breaking through to the Severing Mundane Tier is not that easy. What is the Severing Mundane Tier? That is to sever one’s mortal bonds and completely merge with the great dao. In other words, the more reluctant you are to sever the mortal bond that you will sever, the more completely you will be able to merge with the Dao of Heaven and Earth.”
This was what the Heavenly Emperor of Thunder and Fire had told Ling Han alone. Severing Mundane Tier had to undergo four severances in total, but putting aside four severances, even when undergoing the first severance, the majority of elites would become incredibly cold and detached because they had already cast away something that they cared most about.
Usually, this first severance would be dealt to kins.h.i.+p, love, and friends.h.i.+p.
Only now did the Empress reveal an expression of shock. For her, the most important thing now was Ling Han. If she was to deal the first severance to love, she would rather die. But if she brought such an obsession to break through to the Severing Mundane Tier, she might kill herself in the process, and disappear for eternity in this world.
How could it be so easy to achieve immortality? How could it be possible that they could accomplish such a feat without having to sacrifice something?
The Empress thought for a moment, and said, “If I had to deal such a blow to myself, then I would rather not become immortal, and be together with you for this lifetime!”
The Severing Mundane Tier did not necessarily mean that one had to sever love. Anything that one valued could be severed, but when things had really reached that step, under the torture of the furnace of the heaven and earth, most people would face their own conscience directly, and would unconsciously sever their most important mortal bond.
Who could maintain a clear mind in front of the great dao? Only a prodigy among prodigies could do so.
“Hence, if we want to sever our mortal bonds, we have to plan carefully.” Ling Han embraced the Empress’s waist. It was not only her; every single person in the Black Tower had to make their own preparations well. Otherwise, they would easily sever the emotional bonds with their family and love.
Ling Han arrived at the base of the Reincarnation Tree. Everyone was continuously cultivating. The Black Tower had harvested the Spiritual Qi of the Celestial Realm, and added with the help of the Reincarnation Tree, everyone could be considered to be progressing in leaps and bounds.
After Ling Han explained the situation to them, he and the Empress exited the Black Tower. The people inside could not come out yet. No matter what, it would have to wait until they could merge the Regulations of the two Realms.
After a night of rest, training began.
With teams as the unit of measure, the 10 teams were a.s.signed to be led by 10 military instructors. The military instructor for Ling Han’s team was Wu Jing, a middle-aged man with a rounded, plump build and a peak stage Saint King.
“You pieces of trash, useless fleas, wanting me to train you is completely an insult to me!” As Wu Jing trained them, he showered them with a torrent of abuse.
“I gave up the option of staying with my comrades-in-arms to train you merely to watch your monkey acts?
“Tras.h.!.+
“Idiot!
“Even pigs are 100 times smarter than you all!”
His insults rained down. Whether you performed well or poorly, you would first be treated to a dose of abuse.
In the first place, the team’s morale was already very low due to following Ling Han, and now with a torrent of abuse from the instructor, they naturally felt even worse, and wanted nothing more than to immediately withdraw.
But it was not easy for them to enter, and leaving was not that easy, either. By now, they only had two ways they could leave—firstly, one person would be eliminated every year, and secondly, they could die for various reasons, and leave in death.
By now, everyone was targeting that single place for elimination, so their performance was naturally as bad as possible.
However, merely on the third day, Wu Jing announced with a strange expression on his face that they had been a.s.signed a mission to suppress bandits, and were to set out immediately.
What, so fast?
Everyone exchanged looks, all feeling that this was too abrupt.
They had just learnt a little of cooperative attacks, and they could not be considered to be able to cooperate with each other at all, nor were they able to coordinate with one another, yet they were actually told to suppress bandits.
This was practically sending them to their deaths!
Perhaps they could succeed, but the price they had to pay would definitely be very astonis.h.i.+ng. Maybe half of the people here would not be able to make it back alive.
They were not fools, and immediately guessed that this had to be Ding Hu’s scheme to target Ling Han, and they were merely cannon fodder. He couldn’t directly send Ling Han to his death, right?
“Ling Han, you are the captain, this mission must be completed perfectly!” Wu Jing handed him a jade scroll. “The details on this group of mountain bandits are in here. They are merely a mob of misfits, and there are only 10 peak stage Saint Kings.
“Thus, the losses on this mission must be limited to less than 10, and if this number is exceeded… you will be punished by martial law when you return.”
So vicious!