To make matters worse, the reinforced regiment was equipped with various combat vehicles. Although the use of heavy weapons was restricted, there were no such limits on superpowered weapons, except they were loaded with blanks.

Keep in mind, this was a bona fide army. A superpowered weapon for every soldier was standard issue.

According to Meng Jun’s rules, they would be hunted by at least two thousand fully armed, battle-hardened Third Realm Martial Artists. This force also included four hundred from the Inner Qi Realm, dozens from the Fifth Realm, and four Gang Qi Martial Artists.

A force of this magnitude meant that once they were spotted, escape would be impossible.

Watching the two Gang Qi Realm colonels cheerfully greet the crowd, not a single one of the participants could manage a smile.

Yu Fei’s heart sank as he thought, ’My Illusory Sword Intent can probably fool an average Inner Qi Martial Artist, but at close range, there’s no way it would work on a Gang Qi Martial Artist. Even tricking someone in the Fifth Realm would be a long shot.’

After a moment of silence, the crowd of prodigies began to network and form alliances.

No one was a fool. Faced with such a powerful pursuit force, there were only two paths available. The more confident and powerful Martial Artists would inevitably set out alone. Everyone else was better off forming small groups. That way, if they encountered the enemy, they would at least have a fighting chance. At worst, they could sacrifice a teammate to cover their retreat and buy themselves an opportunity to escape.

Fu Bin approached Yu Fei. They had all been kept in isolation for three days, so they didn’t recognize most of the others. It was only natural to gravitate toward familiar faces.

"Yu Fei, we’re both only Second Realm. Let’s stick together!"

Yu Fei shook his head.

"No, thank you. I plan to go alone."

"You..."

All of Fu Bin’s plans for expanding their team and forging an alliance were instantly dead in the water. He couldn’t understand it. An Inner Qi Realm cultivator certainly had the right to travel alone, but they were both just Second Realm. ’What’s he playing at?’

’Is he an idiot?’

Time was short, so Fu Bin didn’t waste any more of it trying to persuade Yu Fei and immediately went to find another group.

Everyone was weighing their options. The vast majority of Second Realm Martial Artists had zero confidence in completing the mission. Their goal was simply to hide, avoid being found, and collect the base participation points.

That’s why they had to find as many teammates as possible early on. If they were pursued, someone could hold the rear to buy time until they found a suitable hiding spot.

As for who would be left behind to cover that retreat, well, that would depend on each person’s own abilities.

The Third Realm Martial Artists, on the other hand, preferred forming small groups of five or less. Their Qi Blood was vigorous, giving them a real chance at completing the mission. Therefore, they needed a certain degree of combat strength and endurance, and at the very least, teammates who wouldn’t drag them down if they were pursued.

Inner Qi Martial Artists, however, tended to go solo. They were guaranteed to attract more intense pressure, and grouping up would just make them a more convenient target for a concentrated attack.

The prodigies chattered away like a bustling marketplace, but gradually, clear divisions emerged.

The groups of ten, or even twenty, were invariably made up of Second Realm Martial Artists. They glanced around with anxious expressions, their eyes showing no ambition to complete the mission—only a sense of camaraderie and reliance on their teammates.

The groups of about five were mostly Third Realm Martial Artists, and they looked eager for a challenge.

As for the lone wolves, all of them were Inner Qi Realm—with the sole exception of Yu Fei.

"Hey, you three Inner Qi cultivators are really planning to stick together? Aren’t you afraid of getting focus-fired?"

Zhang Xunyi scanned the area. Everything was unfolding just as he’d predicted, though he was surprised to see Zhou Bai had actually teamed up with two other Inner Qi cultivators.

Zhou Bai smiled and shook his head. "Zhang Bi, haven’t you heard there’s strength in numbers?"

The two had known each other since high school, but they’d never gotten along. Great minds don’t always think alike; sometimes they just can’t stand the sight of each other.

Zhang Xunyi sneered, "A beast of prey walks alone; only sheep and cattle travel in herds."

"Oh, really? Then look over there."

Zhou Bai gestured with his eyes toward Yu Fei.

Zhang Xunyi followed his gaze and froze for a second.

Amid the crowd stood Yu Fei, dressed in a black sweatsuit, his gaze calm and fearless. As if sensing Zhang Xunyi’s stare, Yu Fei met his eyes with unnerving ease. His own eyes were deep and emotionless, as if he were looking at nothing more than a weed on the side of the road.

Looking at Yu Fei’s handsome features and extraordinary presence, Zhang Xunyi felt an inexplicable wave of inferiority wash over him, much to his own annoyance.

He never showed his full face in any of his social media photos, convinced he wasn’t photogenic and that it would undermine his status as a prodigy.

But seeing Yu Fei today, he suddenly had a thought. ’What’s the point of being photogenic? Even my best posed photos, cranked up with beauty filters, can’t hold a candle to this guy just standing there.’

Zhang Xunyi then noticed another gut-wrenching fact: most of the female prodigies present were, whether intentionally or not, sneaking glances at Yu Fei.

But, as prodigies, their intelligence was at least intact. At a moment so critical to their futures, none of them would be foolish enough to let a Second Realm moron drag them down.

’Fuck, so what if he’s handsome? A man has to be damn powerful! A mere Second Realm daring to be such a show-off... he won’t last long.’

Zhang Xunyi shot back at Zhou Bai indignantly, "And you should know that even among sheep, there are idiots who wander off alone and become food. Hmph!"