In Douluo Continent, I am the mastermind behind the scenes.

Chapter 24. A Trial Filled with Mischievousness

Simply using brute force is unlikely to cross Poseidon Lake. Do we really need to build bridges and roads as Qin Yi suggested, or perhaps drain Poseidon Lake?

Everyone thought it was unreliable. Building a bridge wasn't difficult, but building a bridge that could withstand the pressure of a level 60 soul force was no small project... No, to build a bridge, you have to reach the other side. But once you reach the other side, is there still a need to build a bridge?

For a moment, the nine students walked hurriedly along the shore, constantly thinking of a way to break the deadlock.

Just then, a blond middle-aged man walked over, cupped his hands in Qin Yi's direction, and said, "Junior Dai Hao greets Elder Qin."

Dai Hao?

Upon hearing this, the nine trainees who were undergoing training instinctively turned around and looked in the direction from which the voice came.

As for Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin, everyone knows what's going on, so I won't go into the specifics here. As for the others, they were more eager to witness firsthand the prowess of the White Tiger Marshal, who had guarded the western gate of the original Douluo Continent Territory Alliance, blocking pressure from the Sun Moon Empire time and again.

Dai Hao may not be the most powerful Soul Master among the three great empires, but his leadership ability is definitely among the best.

(ps: The protagonist follows the historical trajectory of the original work, and the overall strength of the Sun Moon Empire is several times stronger than the three emperors combined.)

Qin Yi waved his hand and said expressionlessly, "Dai Huabin is currently undergoing a trial. Let's catch up later."

"No, Elder Qin, I've come to see you," Dai Hao said quickly.

"Looking for me? What do you want? I don't have much of a relationship with your White Tiger lineage's predecessors," Qin Yi said impatiently.

Dai Hao raised his arm and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He then walked up to Qin Yi and whispered, "Elder Qin, you see, every year my White Tiger Legion comes to Shrek Academy to recruit a group of eligible students to go to the front lines for training. This year we have five more spots, so I wanted to ask you if your Body Sect has any thoughts on this."

Qin Yi said irritably, "Our Body Sect doesn't engage in that kind of formalism, sending a bunch of students who have hardly ever been to the military to the front lines under the guise of training. In reality... hehe, isn't it just Shrek Academy trying to establish an image of having students all over the world?"

"The Star Luo Empire gained manpower from this deal; those outstanding students will definitely become the backbone of the army. Shrek Academy gained reputation, but the only ones who suffered were those students. As temporary workers, they didn't get any credit, but they were quite adept at taking the blame!"

Dai Hao: "..."

Why are you just spouting the truth!

"We definitely don't have any trainees, but we have plenty of mercenaries." Changing the subject, Qin Yi said with a smile, "Dai Hao, do you want mercenaries at the Soul King or Soul Emperor level? They're not expensive; just pay them three times the standard salary for a mid-level White Tiger Guard officer."

As he spoke, Qin Yi stuffed a wine-red token into Dai Hao's hand.

"If you are interested, take this token to the headquarters of the Body Sect to negotiate. As long as you offer enough money and sufficient compensation for the dead, there are plenty of people willing to go to the battlefield."

As a skilled behind-the-scenes manipulator, balancing the strength of both sides is imperative. Border conflicts between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire continue unabated. High-end combatants haven't joined the fray, while mid- and low-end combatants have suffered heavy casualties. For a time, the Star Luo Empire couldn't find enough mid-level Soul Masters to fill the gaps on the front lines.

And so, Dai Hao, holding the token Qin Yi had given him, walked away happily. Qin Qin's proposed method of hiring mercenaries solved the Star Luo Empire's urgent problem. The Star Luo Empire was not short of money; the commission from holding a top-tier auction was astronomical. Military expenses were naturally not a problem; what they lacked was manpower.

Dai Hao left, and the nine students of Class Tian continued their first trial. No matter how hard they tried, whether fighting alone or in unison, or even using an armored ship, they could not cross the lake in front of them.

By chance, Qin Mengmeng was surprised to discover a small mechanism hidden at the bottom of the Sea God Lake. After performing a series of operations, the originally turbulent Sea God Lake finally calmed down, and the trial was completed in just one hour.

On the way to the cafeteria, the students of Class 14 were not in high spirits. What kind of trial was this? It was like there was a door in front of you. You pushed it countless times and pulled it countless times. You thought that you would have to solve a series of puzzles to open it, but it turned out to be able to slide open to both sides. What a twisted sense of humor!

At this moment, Qin Mengmeng raised her little hand and said unhappily, "Teacher, I really don't understand the meaning of this trial. It's clearly about seeing who notices the mechanism at the bottom of the lake first. Why make it the first trial for the top class?"

The other eight trainees nodded, their faces filled with confusion.

Qin Yi countered, "If it's that simple, why didn't the nine of you pass the trial immediately, but instead took a full hour?"

"Hmph, it's a very simple principle. As prodigies, you like to overcomplicate things. This lesson... is to reinforce this idea for you. No matter when or where, never lose your basic judgment. The real test has just begun."

As he spoke, Qin Yi led the nine students into the cafeteria.

"You only have fifteen minutes to eat. Just a reminder, it's best not to eat too much, otherwise... hehe, it will affect your fighting ability."

Upon hearing Qin Yi's words, the nine students hurriedly ran to the window where there was no queue to buy food. Qin Xue, in particular, devoured a large hamburger in just two bites, completely disregarding her ladylike image.

Having a father who ruins his daughter's life means she has no chance to maintain her ladylike image.

After finishing their meal, the nine trainees followed Qin Yi out of the cafeteria without stopping.

On the way, remembering what Qin Yi had just said, Dai Huabin rubbed his hands together and asked, "Teacher Qin, are we going to have a practical exercise? A friendly match between classes, or... a friendly match with the upperclassmen?"

"None of those. What you are challenging are the powerful figures on the Douluo Continent who have been written into the annals of history."

As he spoke, Qin Yi arrived in front of a large, azure-blue door, and laid his right hand out, pressing it tightly against a device that looked like a card reader on the right side of the door.

"Identity verification successful. Demon Dragon Douluo Qin Yi, AI No. 7 Xiao Jiu is at your service."

(End of this chapter)