# 1021
Chapter 1022: Scaling the Cliff
Fang Mo's hands gripped the protrusions at the top of the cliff. With a heave, he pulled himself over the edge and sat down at the summit of the mountain peak.
He gasped for breath.
He was the first among all the recruits to scale the cliff and reach the mountain peak, and also the first to complete the third segment of the journey.
While stretching his tense muscles, Fang Mo looked toward a nearby spot at the peak, where a figure draped in a deep crimson cloak sat quietly cross-legged in the snow, calmly overlooking everything below.
Every recruit's physical condition, mental state, the struggle in their expressions, or the determination in their eyes—all of it was laid bare under his spiritual感知.
As if sensing Fang Mo's gaze, Lin Qiye turned his head slightly and smiled at him.
"Well done. Keep it up."
"Thank you, Commander Lin."
Fang Mo bowed deeply to Lin Qiye. After a brief rest to recover his strength, he continued on toward the fourth segment of the journey.
Lin Qiye turned back to his monitoring and protection of the recruits.
Another long while passed before two figures climbed up to the top of the cliff one after another, collapsing weakly onto the snow. Their eyes were filled with endless exhaustion.
They were second and third place for this segment—Su Yuan and Ding Chongfeng.
After saluting Lin Qiye, they too began walking toward the distance. But barely two steps in, Su Yuan stopped and hesitated for a moment before turning back to address Lin Qiye seriously:
"Commander Lin, I think this elimination format is inappropriate."
Nearby, Ding Chongfeng's footsteps suddenly froze in mid-air, his expression somewhat stiff.
"Hmm?" Lin Qiye turned, looking at the girl before him with surprise. "Why?"
"I understand that you want to use this daily elimination method to maximumly inspire our potential to complete this seemingly impossible journey, but that isn't fair to many people." Su Yuan spoke resolutely.
"Physical fitness shouldn't be the sole standard for judging whether someone is qualified to be a Night Watch. As far as I know, many recruits possess powerful Forbidden Ruins but aren't physically strong themselves.
If Forbidden Ruins are suppressed, using only physical stamina to determine whether they have the qualification to become Night Watch is somewhat one-sided."
Lin Qiye's eyebrows rose.
In the wind and snow, Su Yuan stood quietly facing Lin Qiye, her eyes showing not a trace of fear.
After a long while, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Lin Qiye's lips.
"I understand everything you've said. These seven days have never been a simple physical assessment...
As I said, this isn't an assessment—it's a lesson.
And the lesson content... has only just begun."
Lesson?
Hearing those two words, Su Yuan was stunned.
She recalled that back on the plane, Commander Lin had indeed said this was the final lesson... but what was it that he wanted to teach?
Su Yuan couldn't figure it out, but she trusted Commander Lin. If he said so, there must be deep meaning behind it.
"I understand."
Su Yuan nodded and left together with Ding Chongfeng, departing from the cliff.
...
"Su Yuan, what's wrong with you?"
Only after they had completely left the cliff's vicinity did Ding Chongfeng finally ask, "Commander Lin designed this trial with his purpose in mind. I feel like you were being a bit impatient."
"Maybe..."
Su Yuan replied absent-mindedly.
"No matter what, we've crossed this hardest hurdle—the cliff. The remaining three segments, three days should be enough to finish." Ding Chongfeng glanced at the gradually darkening sky. "We still have some time before full dark. Let's hurry and try to reach near the ravine to rest for the night."
Su Yuan didn't answer. She quietly came to a halt.
"What's wrong?" Ding Chongfeng, seeing Su Yuan stop, asked with confusion.
"Ding Chongfeng, from here on, walk on your own."
Su Yuan said slowly.
"What about you?"
"I'm a bit tired."
"I can wait here for you to rest a while before we set off."
"No need." Su Yuan shook her head. "Go ahead. Don't worry about me."
Ding Chongfeng was about to say more, when suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. He fell silent for a moment, looking at Su Yuan with complicated emotions:
"You're not planning to..."
"I want to walk the path I choose." Su Yuan's expression was utterly calm.
"...I understand."
Ding Chongfeng sighed and didn't insist further. He turned and walked toward the distance alone. "I'll wait for you all at the summit of Mount Kongur."
Watching Ding Chongfeng disappear into the wind and snow, Su Yuan slowly closed her eyes, as if sensing something. Then she turned and decisively began retracing her steps back toward the cliff.
...
Night had fallen deep.
By now, more than half of the recruits had scaled the cliff and were advancing toward the distant ravine.
At the gradually quieting base of the cliff, a hand suddenly emerged from the snow. Following this, the figure of a one-eyed boy slowly stood up. That sole remaining eye gazed at the top of the cliff, flickering with unprecedented fighting spirit.
He had rested in the snow for most of the day, finally restoring his physical strength to its peak.
But equally, one failed climb plus half a day of rest had left his progress far behind the main group of recruits—nearly approaching the elimination line.
Even so, there was no panic on his face. He merely squinted his eyes and murmured to himself:
"I'm back..."
The words fell. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately scaled the steep cliff and began moving upward at an astonishing speed.
Though his current position was already at the tail end of the recruits' main group, this didn't prevent him from overtaking them one by one with his superb physical condition.
Several drones whistled past overhead the cliff.
"Elimination list now being announced."
"Fifth place, five hundred and thirty-two—Luo Gang, eliminated."
"Fifth place, five hundred and thirty-one—Hu Shiying, eliminated."
"Fifth place, five hundred and thirtieth..."
Hearing this mechanical voice devoid of any emotion, those recruits lying at the base of the cliff who had failed or given up their climb remained silent.
Su Zhe lay sprawled across the snow. He felt as though he couldn't move a single finger. Gazing at the snow-swept top of the cliff, a bitter expression appeared in his eyes.
"Su Yuan, your brother can only accompany you this far..."
"Fourth place, five hundred and eighty-one—Su Zhe, eliminated."
On the cliff, Lu Baoyou clenched his teeth tightly. His ranking soared upward, and the distance between his name being called by the drone and his current position shrank smaller and smaller. He had to overtake as many recruits above him as possible to avoid elimination this round.
He was the only recruit among everyone who had fallen to the valley bottom after a failed climb and yet still fought his way back!
As the names the drone called out grew closer and closer, suddenly, a figure vaulted over the top of the cliff!
Going against the flow of people, she plummeted rapidly from the cliff's summit, like a shooting star crossing the night sky.
"Fourth place, five hundred and fifty-second—Su Yuan, eliminated."