# 1015
Chapter 1016: The Devil's Training Begins
Above the barren snowfield, silhouettes descended onto the earth one after another. The recruits in their winter gear quickly organized their equipment and hurried along the route marked on their maps.
At the foot of a mountain range, Su Yuan and Su Zhe, who had landed nearby, reunited with Ding Chongfeng and Fang Mo.
"This place is damn cold."
Su Zhe rubbed his arms as he exhaled a breath of mist, closely following behind Su Yuan and the others.
"This is still the mild part. Once we climb higher, the temperature will drop to a ridiculously low level." Ding Chongfeng replied. "Coupled with the increasingly thin air and the exhaustion from the long trek, it won't be long before our bodies are pushed to their limits. Right now, while our physical strength is still relatively intact, we should try to move as fast as possible. After all, we have no idea where everyone else is. If we unknowingly fall behind the main group, we risk being eliminated."
"Ding Chongfeng is right." Fang Mo nodded slightly. "We've just landed. Everyone's morale is at its peak right now, which means everyone will be giving it their all to push forward. If we hold back now, we might get eliminated in the first phase."
"Where are Zhenzhen and Lu Baoyou?"
"Zhenzhen jumped with the main group and landed somewhere else. As for Lu Baoyou… he's definitely charged ahead to the front by himself." Fang Mo sighed.
"Let's get moving too. This first section across the snowfield should be the easiest part of the entire journey. We just need to trek over it on foot. Let's try to cross the snowfield and frozen lake within a day—that way we'll definitely avoid elimination."
Ding Chongfeng took the first step forward.
Fang Mo and Su Yuan followed closely behind.
After taking two steps, Fang Mo seemed to sense something and stopped, turning to look back. He saw Su Zhe standing alone in place, not moving.
"Su Zhe?"
"I've thought about it carefully, and I think we still shouldn't walk together." Su Zhe spoke solemnly. "I have a very clear understanding of my own physical condition. Any one of you three has what it takes to complete the entire journey… but I don't.
With my garbage constitution, I can probably last maybe a day or two at most. Then I'll be so exhausted I'll be crawling through the snow like a dead dog. If we walk together, you'll definitely slow down to wait for me, and in that case, I'll just become deadweight dragging you all down."
Fang Mo and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"You're not deadweight." Fang Mo said calmly. "During the chaos in Shangjing City, you chose to stay and rescue me. Now, there's absolutely no way I would abandon you.
Do you believe that even if the three of us took turns carrying you, we could still carry you up to Mount Gonggar?"
Hearing this, a smile appeared at the corner of Su Zhe's mouth, but he still waved his hand.
"I appreciate your kindness, but your boy Su Zhe still has some pride… You all go ahead."
Seeing that Fang Mo and the others were still standing there, Su Zhe's brow furrowed slightly.
He plopped down onto the snowfield,
"If you won't leave, then I'll just sit here and not move. Either way, I'm going to be eliminated anyway. What's the difference between being eliminated on the first night versus being eliminated later?"
Seeing Su Zhe's resolute attitude, Fang Mo and Ding Chongfeng's expressions both turned troubled.
"Don't worry about him."
His sister Su Yuan glanced at him, turning around expressionlessly, and dragged Fang Mo and Ding Chongfeng away toward the distance, speaking coolly, "He can't lift himself up. Don't drag others down with you… Let's go."
Fang Mo and Ding Chongfeng were pulled away by Su Yuan. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes full of complicated emotions.
As the three figures departed, in the vast expanse of ice and snow, only Su Zhe remained sitting alone on the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, once he could no longer see their silhouettes, Su Zhe helplessly smiled. He swayed to his feet, brushed the snow and dust off his clothes, and strode forward.
…
On the high mountain cliffs.
Lin Qiye gazed at the endless snowfield stretching in all directions, looking somewhat bored.
The third section of the route he was overseeing was still quite a distance from where the recruits had landed. Whether by sight or spiritual sense, he couldn't detect what was happening at the very front. But since Jiang Er, who was responsible for the first section, hadn't sent any messages, it meant everything was proceeding normally.
He slowly closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the Asylum of the Gods.
Inside the asylum.
Noon sunlight fell upon the spacious and tidy hospital building. The orderlies downstairs were busy preparing lunch. The thunder beast Laifu lay sprawled on the rooftop of the ward building, yawning lazily.
It rested its head on its furry paws, eyes contentedly closed, preparing to begin its wonderful afternoon nap.
Suddenly, a figure flashed behind it.
Laifu's fur stood on end in alarm. Before it could discharge any electricity, a hand had already grabbed it by the neck, lifting the entire cat into the air.
The terrified Laifu turned its head back and saw a cold monkey face.
Sun Wukong, wrapped in that tattered cassock, held Laifu by the neck with one hand. This eighth-order mirror spirit at the Pseudo-God realm was now completely helpless, like a kitten with no resistance, being casually dangled in the air.
"Meow—!!"
Laifu struggled violently.
"Don't scream." Sun Wukong's eyes narrowed as he spoke calmly.
Laifu quickly shut its mouth, looking at Sun Wukong with innocent, terrified eyes.
"I'm asking you—while you've been lying up here all this time, did you happen to see where Bragi ran off to?" Sun Wukong asked coldly.
Laifu froze, thought for a moment, then shook its head rapidly.
Sun Wukong clicked his tongue in annoyance, casually tossing Laifu aside. The agile cat landed lightly on the rooftop of the ward building and swiftly fled the scene, as if evading some kind of plague god.
Sun Wukong furrowed his brow, his gaze sweeping across the vast hospital. He lowered his head in contemplation.
A moment later, a figure climbed the stairs and gradually walked to his side.
Gilgamesh stood on the rooftop of the ward building, draped in that gray cloth that resembled a royal robe. His dominion-sweeping gaze swept over everything below, his expression somewhat displeased.
"The kitchen didn't have him either."
"The hospital is only so big—he can't have gone far." Sun Wukong said calmly. "Without him around, battle feels a little less exciting."
"Agreed."
Gilgamesh nodded slightly. "An epic war always needs some stirring accompaniment to set the mood."
The two stood silently at the highest point of the hospital, searching every corner of the facility bit by bit, like two hungry wolves hunting for prey, radiating a dangerous and terrifying aura.