BOOM!

Huo Long charged forward. Wherever it passed, the Bone Spur Devil Apes were burnt to crisps.

With Huo Long leading the way, the Dragonblood warriors roared, their voices shaking the sky. Terrifying killing intent erupted, and in that instant, it felt like space had frozen.

Behind Long Chen; Gu Yang, Guo Ran, Song Mingyuan, and Li Qi were attacking the Bone Spur Devil Apes that covered the land as far as one could see. Even the valley in front was packed full of them.

Standing on Huo Long’s head, Long Chen clasped his hands behind his back. There was no need for him to do anything as the Bone Spur Devil Apes were unable to stop the power of an Earth Flame.

Seeing that Long Chen also had an Earth Flame startled everyone. Hua Shiyu snorted and didn’t say anything. Just based on the fact that he possessed an Earth Flame, Long Chen was qualified to form a faction like them.

As for Long Chen’s people, although they numbered less than four hundred, instead of using the most energy-saving wedge formation, they spread out in an arc as they pushed forward.

“They really overestimate themselves,” said Que Xinyan disdainfully.

The five great powers were charging forward at the same time, pushing along with wedge formations.

But Long Chen’s side was clearly spreading out, so Que Xinyan found it disdainful.

Long Chen didn’t even look at Que Xinyan. He naturally had his own reasons.

“Many thanks, senior apprentice-brother Long Chen!”

This formation was naturally for the thirty thousand disciples that hadn’t been chosen. If they still couldn’t understand like this, then they really would be idiots.

The Dragonblood Legion was cutting open a path for them. The other factions tightened their battle formations as much as possible, while Long Chen spread his formation to the greatest extent.

Although these people were unrelated to him, Long Chen didn’t want to just watch them die here. As long as there was still no threat to the Dragonblood Legion, he could open a path to survival for them.

But this path was not so simple to go through. Although the Dragonblood warriors were spread out and killing the majority of the Bone Spur Devil Apes coming from the front, there were still quite a few attacking from the sides. Those disciples were still being killed.

“Idiot, do you think you’re their savior? They’re just trash, or why would we toss them aside? What you’re doing is absolutely futile!” sneered Han Yunshan from behind Hu Guishan.

“If you keep talking, I’ll slap you again.” Long Chen glanced at him.

“You…!”

“Long Chen, pay attention to your tone. Han Yunshan is now one of my people.” Hu Guishan’s sword continuously danced in the air, sweeping out Sword Qi that easily cut down his opponents.

“You mean if I want to beat a dog, I first have to check with its owner?” asked Long Chen.

“Youngster, this character of yours will make it easy for you to suffer losses,” said Hu Guishan coldly, his expression sinking. Long Chen was ignoring his threat.

“Thank you for your praise. It’s been a long time since someone has called me a youngster. But there’s one thing you’re wrong about: I don’t suffer losses. Everyone has their own way of living, and you can refuse to acknowledge other people’s conduct and even spout your nonsense. But remember, it will be painful when you get slapped by others, so don’t complain at that time,” said Long Chen lightly.

“Long Chen…” Tang Wan-er looked at him.

“Go ahead.” Long Chen nodded.

Only then did Tang Wan-er appear at the forefront of the battle, wind blades whirling around her. They rapidly spread, covering all the people behind the Dragonblood warriors. Within the wind blades, those people were temporarily safe.

“Fool.”

Seeing Tang Wan-er not hesitate to unleash such a powerful magical art to protect these disciples, Hu Guishan sneered.

The other experts also sneered disdainfully, thinking Long Chen and the others were fools for wasting their precious energy on these hopeless people. That wasted energy might be the factor that caused them to lose their own lives.

Whether it was Hu Guishan, Fan Cong, or Que Xinyan, they all had a disdainful look on their faces. Wang Zhen’s expression was icy like usual as he ignored them and focused on controlling his insects.

On the contrary, Hua Shiyu’s expression softened slightly. She wondered whether Long Chen was just trying to show off or whether he really wanted to help these people.

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen…”

Seeing the Dragonblood warriors spreading out their formation as wide as possible and Tang Wan-er spend her precious spiritual yuan to protect them, quite a few disciples were touched and even wept tears.

Long Chen sent out Huo Long to attack while he turned back to face those disciples. “You don’t need to feel emotional. The reason I’m helping is because I was moved by you.”

“Us?”

“Yes. Despite knowing there was no hope on the Xuantian Staircase, you still bitterly endured and refused to give up all the way to the end. That made me very emotional. To not give up under those circumstances doesn’t just require willpower or courage. I see the determination in your eyes, the kind of determination to burn all the bridges behind you if have to. I trust that few of you have any status or background, so you came to the Central Plains with the will to change your fates. Looking at you, I think of myself when I was young. Each day I was powerless, mired in despair. At that time, I wished so much that someone would help me.

“I swore that if someone gave me that chance, I would definitely cherish it a thousand times over and put in ten thousand times the work of others. Looking at you, I see that same resolve, and so I came to help you.

“But you have to be clear about one thing: on the cultivation path, a person can only help you once. If you can grasp that opportunity, then grasp it. If you can’t, it will be very unlikely for a second chance to come. Right now, the trial has only just started and will become even more difficult toward the end. So listen closely.”

Long Chen’s voice reverberated through the air. All the disciples behind the Dragonblood Legion listened with rapt attention.

However, the others had long since begun looking down on this conduct of Long Chen’s. Someone sneered, “Who wants to listen to your farts? Even if you have to fart, make it quieter-”

That person’s head suddenly exploded as a golden arrow struck him. Guo Ran had killed him in an instant.

“Long Chen, you’re asking for it!” roared Que Xinyan. That person was one of the experts from his faction.

“Idiot, you really are fucking stupid. If you keep talking, then let’s stop the trial and I’ll play around with you properly.” Now Long Chen was also angry, and he glared at Que Xinyan.

“Since you want to die, I’ll accompany you!” raged Que Xinyan. He hated it the most when people called him stupid like that. It was an insult to his name.

“Que Xinyan, if you want to fight, don’t disturb my faction, or don’t blame me for the consequences,” warned Hua Shiyu.

That was because their six factions were charging forward side by side. Hua Shiyu was between the Dragonblood Legion and Que Xinyan, so if he were to attack, he would have to go through her faction.

“Long Chen, just wait!” snorted Que Xinyan. But he continued forward.

Long Chen narrowed his eyes. Que Xinyan’s fury was fake, and he was just using it to conceal his greed. This little scheme of his wasn’t able to escape Long Chen’s eyes.

Que Xinyan targeted him not because he wanted to seek revenge for his people, but because he coveted Long Chen’s Earth Flame. Once he devoured it, his power would rapidly rise.

Long Chen sneered. He dared to place his sights on him? Good, very good.

Long Chen continued speaking to the disciples, “You’ve also seen that the so-called experts are only at that level. As long as you are given an opportunity, you can also reach that height. In fact, you can reach even greater heights than them.

“I can only protect you for a moment, so listen closely. If you want to become an expert, it depends on your talent, the resources you’re given, your origins, your master, etc. Of course, if you have a rich daddy, everything will go smoothly.

“However, you don’t have such things, or you wouldn’t be in your current straits. So if you want to become an expert, there’s only one thing left to you: to put your lives on the line! Right now, that’s the only trump card left for you. If you keep hesitating, that trump card will be lost as well.

“Think about those people beside you that were torn apart by the Bone Spur Devil Apes. They wanted to put their lives on the line, but they didn’t have the power to even do so. If you continue to hesitate, you’ll be thrown into the dust. Look at those idiots sneering at you. They’re looking down on all of you. Are you willing to die just like this? If death is on your left and right, why not put everything on the line for once?

“Only if you are ready to lose everything can you one day trample those people who are looking down on you. Only by going all-out, only by being willing to lose your lives, can you bring forth a glorious future for yourselves. Only then can you return to your hometowns decked in glory.

“Whether it’s for yourself, your family, your friends, or whether it’s for those idiots who are looking down on you, what reason do you have to not put everything on the line right now? What are you still hesitating for? Your opportunity is right in front of you. Each slain Bone Spur Devil Ape brings you one step further! Raise your weapons, release your power! Shed your hot blood to show that you’re alive, that your fate is in your hands! Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Under Long Chen’s emotional and impassioned speech, the cowardice and misgivings in those disciples’ hearts were instantly stripped away. He was absolutely right: there was no way back any longer. If they still didn’t put everything on the line, they would only die under other people’s sneers.

If they went all-out, at least they would have more dignity. And they might even win a slight chance at survival. Why not go all-out? Why not kill?

Their roars rang out in waves, each higher than the last. Only now did Tang Wan-er slowly withdraw her sea of wind blades. The originally fearful and timid disciples raised their weapons with scarlet eyes, charging at the Bone Spur Devil Apes.