From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

As the journey continued, the terrain became increasingly complex and difficult to traverse.

More and more people, like Zhanbo, were running out of energy and their pace slowed down significantly.

They gradually drifted away from the main group and had to slow down to conserve their energy.

For these people, there is no hope of competing for the top spots.

Being able to complete the training within the allotted time and avoid being eliminated is already a stroke of luck.

At this moment, the entire marching force was unconsciously divided into three distinct echelons.

The first group was at the forefront, with the fewest members, only ten people.

Fang Qing looked into the distance, but could only catch glimpses of those rapidly moving figures through the gaps in the trees.

These people are almost all experts at the sixth level of Body Tempering, and their strength is formidable.

Lu Jianfeng, ranked first and 50th on the Salt Patrol Guard Reserve Battalion list, is naturally the leader of this team.

Following closely behind are the elites ranked lower.

Zeng Qian ranked fifty-fifth, which is also in the first tier. She is agile and her strength is not weak.

The second group is the group Fang Qing is currently in, which has the largest number of people, about thirty or so.

The rankings of this group are roughly between sixty-fifth and eighty-fifth.

Fang Qing's ranking rose to 85th after completing the "one-through-ten" challenge a few days ago.

Within this second tier, he was ranked relatively low.

The third group naturally consists of those who fell behind, such as Zhanbo, who gradually formed a team of more than ten people.

They lagged far behind the rest of the group, staggering and struggling to move forward.

The twenty-mile journey from the Xunyuanwei reserve camp to the destination was by no means safe.

The route is lined with dense, pristine forests, where wild animals often lurk.

In such an environment, most people would choose to stick together and move forward in order to deal with potential dangers.

Fang Qing followed the second group, all he could hear were heavy breathing and footsteps.

As the journey progressed to nearly halfway point, more and more people in the second group began to fall behind.

People kept shaking their heads and sighing, giving up the chase and retreating to the roadside to rest.

Eventually, they will be incorporated into the third tier and gradually complete the remaining journey.

This is truly unavoidable; everyone's physical limits are different.

What's more, he was carrying a full 500 pounds of weight on his shoulders.

Some people didn't have time to buy a leather backpack from Kuang Shisan and could only carry it with a simple rope.

After a bumpy ride, most of the water they carried had already spilled.

Gunpowder used for self-defense and starting fires was scattered along the way, leaving spots and marks on the soil.

Several people have already been taken away by the commanding officer due to exhaustion or injury.

This means they ended their training mission early and lost their eligibility to compete.

Gradually, the number of people in Fang Qing's second team shrank to about fifteen or sixteen.

Leading the group was Fang Fengtai, ranked sixty-fifth, a young man with a cold and stern face.

In the salt patrol reserve camp, people of similar rank often formed their own small cliques.

For example, the second tier consists mostly of members between the numbers 65 and 75.

They would practice together, exchange information, and even hold small private gatherings.

Therefore, most of the team members were quite familiar with each other and had a certain tacit understanding in their actions.

When Fang Fengtai turned around to count the number of people, his gaze fell on Fang Qing at the end of the line.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a hint of rejection flashed in his eyes.

Fang Fengtai winked at a few familiar people beside him and then gestured towards Fang Qing with his lip.

The group immediately understood and exchanged knowing glances.

Although their original route was somewhat overgrown with bushes and thorns, it could still be considered a path.

But at that moment, at Fang Fengtai's signal, the group in front suddenly turned a corner.

The entire group deviated from its original direction and headed into a denser, darker forest.

Hidden beneath this grove of trees was an inconspicuous snake den.

Among the damp fallen leaves, one can vaguely see the winding, crawling traces, which are chilling.

Fang Fengtai and his followers leaped into the air.

They abandoned the difficult ground and instead leaped and traversed among the trees, their toes touching the tree trunks.

It must be said that Fang Fengtai and other experts at the sixth level of Body Tempering are indeed quite skilled.

Although he has not yet mastered the true art of lightness, he is already quite skilled at simple breathing exercises and leaps.

Rock climbing, tree climbing, and scaling walls are not too difficult for them.

It was obvious that Fang Fengtai wanted to use this complex terrain and movement method to shake off Fang Qing.

Fang Qing initially followed them as they turned, trying to keep up with them for a distance in the trees.

But he soon discovered that the routes Fang Fengtai and the others were choosing were becoming increasingly remote.

In many places, one even needs to take detours repeatedly, clearly not to reach the destination faster.

Fang Qing instantly understood the other party's intention.

He simply stopped and stood on a thick tree branch, watching the figure rapidly disappear into the distance.

Since others are unwilling to take you along, why force yourself to join them?

Fang Qing leaped lightly, landing silently, and turned back to the relatively easy path she had taken before.

In fact, given Fang Qing's true cultivation level and the physique forged by the Undying Golden Body Refining Technique,

He could easily rush to the front of the group, and even has the ability to clear a path for the entire team.

However, Fang Qing deliberately kept a low profile during this period.

The reason is simple: after he achieved the feat of "winning ten games in one go" a few days ago, the odds changed.

He climbed from 99th to 85th place, attracting the attention of the bookmakers.

If Fang Qing were to bet on himself to win now, the odds would have dropped to a pitiful 1 to 2.

Investing one Qi Gathering Pill will only allow you to win back two, one of which will be your original investment.

Compared to the last time when the odds were 1 to 10, and I won ten Qi Gathering Pills, the current odds are really not good enough.

Fang Qing planned to cultivate his own betting odds, so that the bookmakers and everyone else would temporarily ignore him.

Therefore, during this training mission, he remained hidden in the second group and did not reveal his true strength.

But he didn't expect that even in the second tier, he would be ostracized by people like Fang Fengtai, who were ranked in the sixties or seventies.

Fang Qing shook his head, a self-deprecating bitter smile appearing on his lips.

Since keeping a low profile only leads to being ostracized, then I'll stop hiding.

He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly sharpened, and his blood and qi began to circulate faster.

The next moment, Fang Qing's pace quickened, and he shot out like an arrow released from a bow!

He no longer held back his energy and chased after Lu Jianfeng and Zeng Qian, who were in the first group, with all his might.

……

The second group is currently traversing a dense forest.

Fang Fengtai took the lead, his figure nimbly weaving through the trees at great speed.

He occasionally glanced back to make sure the tail had been shaken off.

"Hmph, a bottom-ranked player in the 85th place team, trying to take advantage of our team's resources."

Fang Fengtai curled his lips into a disdainful sneer and whispered to the people beside him.

"If we take him with us and we encounter a pack of beasts, abandoning him would make us look unjust."

"If we don't leave him behind, he'll be a burden, slowing down the whole team."

"Now it's all good, he can't keep up on his own, which saves us some trouble."

……