In contrast to the recruits' excitement, confusion, and disbelief, the other party involved on the rostrum—Shao Xuan, captain of the Golden Eraser—appeared quite calm. In truth, he had already received his answer yesterday on the walk to the auditorium with Han Qingyu: Han Qingyu was staying in Regiment 425.
As for the reason, Shao Xuan had asked him on the spot. Han Qingyu answered that some of his friends were there and he couldn't leave them behind. Shao Xuan didn't entirely buy it.
A certain possibility had crossed his mind back then... but after turning it over, he dismissed it as unlikely. The boy hardly looked like someone harboring grand, soaring ambitions.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted before the rostrum.
A figure suddenly stepped up to the edge of the rostrum, blocking many people's view, and shouted toward the formations, "So, are you planning on holding back forever? Avoiding the fight so thoroughly you even gave up the Golden Eraser?"
It was Bai Ji, the super rookie who had already chosen the White Eraser.
This was perhaps his last chance to clamor after Han Qingyu. Even as the crowd felt he was crossing the line, they couldn't understand why Han Qingyu had avoided him all this time.
After all, Bai Ji had been making a racket for two days straight.
Yet Han Qingyu had never given any response.
Was it truly because he knew he couldn't win?
What did that make the "Erasers' Strongest in a Decade"?
With Bai Ji's appearance and his shout, the training field abruptly quieted down again. Recruits, Ninth Army leaders on the rostrum, squad personnel—nearly everyone around was filled with curiosity or anticipation.
They all turned their eyes toward that figure, waiting for his reaction.
"Look at your luck," Han Qingyu said without turning his head, his tone suddenly laced with amusement as he spoke to He Tangtang. "I'll go beat him up for you. Tenfold."
Without glancing at anyone else's reaction, he strode forward.
"He's coming over."
"Yeah."
Just two words.
Having avoided the fight for two days, Han Qingyu finally walked up before the rostrum. Naturally, he hadn't changed his mind to take part in the Golden Eraser's mutual selection. Standing there with his three-dimensional apparatus on his back, his eyes calmly fixed on Bai Ji.
"As I recall, the prize for the ultimate winner of the combat trials was two source energy blocks, right?" he asked earnestly.
Bai Ji froze for a moment, then broke into a delighted grin. "That's right."
"Are they with you?"
"Yep, because I won to the very end... But if you want to play, I can count you in."
"All right," Han Qingyu said.
"Should I take them out and leave them here first?" Bai Ji gestured toward the source energy blocks on his person.
"No need. Since they're on you, I'll just take them myself in a bit."
The surrounding atmosphere ignited in an instant. The Strongest in a Decade, Han Qingyu—silent until provoked, but unyielding the moment he answered.
Bai Ji choked on his words, somewhat stifled by the blunt retort. But thinking about it, he smiled with renewed confidence. "Fine. Head to the simulated combat arena now?"
"The simulated combat arena? It's a bit far." Han Qingyu turned his head and glanced around. "How about right here? Everyone's busy today; running back and forth is too much trouble... And the blades?"
"No need to switch them," Bai Ji answered hastily. Fighting with dead iron straight swords allowed direct conduction of source energy, which favored him completely since he could crush Han Qingyu with the sheer depth of his surging tide.
"Fair enough." Han Qingyu nodded. "With your strength and mine, we should both be able to control ourselves. Nothing fatal."
Han Qingyu specified "nothing fatal."
Injuries were omitted entirely.
A few sharp observers noticed.
Bai Ji added, "Right. I've always said getting injured is a small matter, and part of growing."
Officers on the scene immediately sought the opinion of Army Commander Lu Wuzheng.
Had Han Qingyu decided to fight? Lu Wuzheng considered it and agreed. Azure had always encouraged competition and trial combat. Since today was the recruits' final day in camp, seeing off the recruits with a duel between the strongest rookies of two consecutive classes sounded rather fitting.
After giving his approval, Commander Lu promptly dispatched experts to watch closely, wary that the young men might get carried away and fight to the death, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
"The army commander approved it."
Word came back, and the two stepped onto the field.
"Let's use this track." Bai Ji signaled with his eyes, then stared into Han Qingyu's eyes. "Remember, you chose this." With that, he walked toward the opposite end.
Han Qingyu didn't reply; he simply halted and stood firm.
Order was restored across the training ground in an instant. Those on the rostrum and along the inner and outer perimeters of the field took their places. The dueling area was cleared out—the straight dirt track running right before the rostrum.
On the left, Han Qingyu.
On the right, Bai Ji.
Around one hundred and fifty meters separated them. It seemed like quite a distance, but under the power of their three-dimensional apparatuses, it was actually very, very close.
The people from Regiment 425 had been distracted by their regimental commander's bickering and arrived late; only a few managed to squeeze their way to the front.
"What is that kid doing?" Seeing the scene, Regimental Commander Li asked with instinctive tension.
"A clash between the strongest rookies of Golden and White. Why are you so nervous? It's none of your business anyway," his old rival Yang Wudong chimed in from behind, continuing to needle him.
Meanwhile, both figures on the field activated their three-dimensional apparatuses.
*Clang-clang.* Each drew his weapon.
Han Qingyu held two swords.
Bai Ji held a single sword. However, he had likely borrowed a custom combat sword from a veteran member of his squad; the long blade was noticeably longer, wider, and thicker than a standard dead iron straight sword, looking exceptionally heavy—far more suited to leveraging the depth of his source energy surge.
This was the combat tactic the White Eraser had planned long ago: overwhelm him directly with a source energy surge to prevent Han Qingyu from relying on tricks.
Considering his opening move for a moment... Han Qingyu asked, "Did you injure He Tangtang on purpose?"
"In simulated combat spars, accidents happen," Bai Ji replied with a smirk. "We're all men here. Don't be so petty and womanish."
"You call that an accident?!" several recruits who had witnessed the match immediately piped up.
Having watched that arena bout, they harbored no small resentment, not to mention their closer bond with He Tangtang and the others.
Once they spoke up, they turned to explain the scene to those nearby.
Every person present was a warrior; naturally, they understood what deliberately discarding a sword to use bare fists and feet on the arena stage meant... to say nothing of Bai Ji's despicable act of propping He Tangtang's arm up so he wouldn't fall.
At this point, the recruits finally understood why Han Qingyu had chosen to accept the challenge after avoiding combat for two days: his brother could not be hurt in vain.
Yet could he really pull it off?
Bai Ji was terrifyingly strong!
Faced with the murmurs and diverse stares from the crowd, Bai Ji had no intention of paying them any mind. He knew he had gone too far against He Tangtang, but he had done so solely to force Han Qingyu into fighting him.
Now that Han Qingyu had finally stepped up, that was enough. Nothing else mattered. Once he won, anything could be justified.
Thus, he fixed his gaze solely on Han Qingyu. "Whatever the case, you're finally willing to fight me. I thought—"
"Save the rest for after the fight," Han Qingyu interrupted coldly.
Shut down once again, Bai Ji was so infuriated that he laughed. "Fine! Then let me see just how terrifying the Erasers' acknowledged Strongest Rookie in a Decade truly is!"
With that, Bai Ji lowered his shoulders and gathered his momentum.
The veteran from the White Eraser had conducted a precise analysis of Han Qingyu's strength: as long as Bai Ji forced Han Qingyu into a head-on clash and poured in his surging tide of source energy, victory was guaranteed.
The only thing he needed to worry about was Han Qingyu evading and playing hit-and-run tricks.
"You're not going to throw your sword, are you?" Bai Ji shouted from afar, deliberately goading him.
Unexpectedly, Han Qingyu said, "Fair enough."
Even as the words left his mouth, Han Qingyu burst forward. Less than five steps in, the sword in his left hand flew from his grip in a fluid motion... while his feet never slowed, closing the distance at blinding speed.
A straight line.
The man ran in a straight line, and the thrown blade flew in a straight line.
"Ah..." On and off the rostrum, many people couldn't help but sigh at such a casual throw. To them, Han Qingyu's thrown blade was supposed to be his key to victory, yet he had squandered it so carelessly.
In that moment, the dead iron straight sword spun upright like a whirling gear along its straight path, hurtling forward. Fast and ferocious though it was, having lost the element of surprise, it was unlikely to accomplish anything.
Bai Ji grinned. *The guy really can't take any bait.*
With that thought, he charged forward as well.
The sword arrived before him.
*Clang!* Gripping his blade in both hands, Bai Ji slashed horizontally and sent the flying sword spinning away.
*A bit heavy, but manageable.*
Glancing forward, Han Qingyu had already closed to within twenty meters.
Head-on. Still head-on.
Bai Ji was thoroughly reassured. Since the kid chose to fight this way, all that awaited him was lying flat on his back.
"What?!" At the exact same moment, gasps of astonishment mixed with profound confusion rang out across the grounds.
Because in the spectators' view, after rushing close, Han Qingyu actually... leaped.
It wasn't especially high, but wouldn't that put him at a disadvantage?
Midway through his blistering sprint, Han Qingyu suddenly vaulted into the air, gripping his remaining sword with both hands to cleave down at Bai Ji.
"Bring it on!" Everything had played right into his hands, and Bai Ji let out an ecstatic shout.
Accelerating into a run-up, he leaped as well, swinging his blade upward to meet him.
The heavy cleaver detonated through the air. Mobilizing all the source energy throughout his body in a single, unified burst, Bai Ji cleaved toward Han Qingyu.
A textbook demonstration of what *not* to do from two super "rookies."
Leaping, then clashing head-on.
In midair, the great cleaver and the standard dead iron straight sword finally collided.
*Clang!* A sharp, ear-splitting ringing.
A collision between two super rookies.
Instantly, eyes widened in shock across the crowd, while others narrowed in tense focus.
Chapter 109