Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9: Black Iron Training Valley
Three days later, the academy airship carried the new students toward Black Iron Training Valley.
It was Qin Yuheng’s first time riding an academy warship.
The vessel was nearly fifty meters long, built from black spirit wood and reinforced iron plates. Formation lines covered its sides, and pale blue crystals floated beneath the hull, holding it above the clouds. From the deck, Heavenly Gate City looked vast and distant, while the Heavenly Gate Tower rose behind it like a shadow that touched the sky.
Many students stood along the railing, excited and nervous.
For most of them, this was their first real trial.
Not a classroom test.
Not a family training session.
A field mission where blood could be spilled.
Qin Yuheng stood near the rear deck with his team.
Qin Yuchen studied the map again. Qin Lian watched nearby students and memorized team formations. Qin Mo sat on a wooden crate, apparently asleep, though Qin Yuheng knew he was listening.
Instructor Han Shuren stood at the front of the deck.
Beside him were several academy guards and two senior students.
Qin Yuheng recognized Qin Ruyan among them.
She wore dark red light armor and carried a long sword at her waist. Her expression was proud and cold, but when her gaze passed over the Qin group, it softened slightly.
Next to her stood Qin Feng.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and grinning like he hoped something would go wrong so he could punch it. He gave Qin Yuheng a thumbs-up when Han Shuren was not looking.
Qin Yuheng smiled faintly.
The presence of senior students confirmed that the academy did not intend to let new students die easily. But they would not interfere unless the danger exceeded the trial limit.
Han Shuren’s voice spread across the deck.
"Listen carefully. Black Iron Training Valley is an academy-controlled trial zone. The strongest beasts inside are generally below Level 15, but accidents can happen."
A crystal projection appeared above his hand.
[Newcomer Trial Rules]
Team Size: 3–6 members
Duration: 12 hours
Main Score Sources:
1. Trial Tokens
2. Monster Cores
3. Resource Markers
4. Hidden Task Completion
5. Team Survival Evaluation
Forbidden:
Intentional killing of students
Use of lethal restricted artifacts
Leaving the valley boundary
Attacking academy observers
Han Shuren’s eyes became sharp.
"Injuring others during competition is not completely forbidden. But if you intentionally cripple or kill another student, the academy will not protect you from punishment."
Several students looked toward Zhao Tianyu’s group.
Zhao Tianyu remained calm.
Han Shuren continued, "Each team will receive a signal flare. If you encounter danger beyond your ability, activate it. Your score will stop, and you will be removed."
He paused.
"Do not be ashamed of surviving. Be ashamed of dying stupidly."
The airship descended after another hour.
Black Iron Training Valley appeared beneath them.
It was a wide valley surrounded by dark mountains. The soil was gray-black, and jagged stones protruded from the ground like broken blades. Sparse trees grew across the landscape, their trunks dark and metallic. In the distance, ridges, caves, streams, and abandoned mining paths divided the terrain.
The airship stopped above a stone platform at the valley entrance.
Teams disembarked one by one.
Each received a map crystal, a signal flare, and a recording badge.
When Qin Yuheng received his badge, his panel flickered.
[Trial recording artifact detected.]
[Function: Score tracking, location safety monitoring, rule violation recording.]
[No direct panel access.]
[No threat.]
Qin Yuheng relaxed slightly.
The badge could not read his real status.
Good.
Han Shuren raised his hand.
"Trial begins in ten breaths."
The students tensed.
Zhao Tianyu stood with five teammates. His gaze moved toward Qin Yuheng, and he smiled faintly.
Qin Yuheng ignored him.
"Formation," he said quietly.
Qin Yuchen stood slightly behind and to the right.
Qin Lian moved to the left flank.
Qin Mo stayed in the center, protected but with enough space to use formation tricks.
Qin Yuheng stood at the front.
Han Shuren’s hand dropped.
"Begin!"
The teams rushed into the valley.
Some sprinted toward known token zones. Others moved cautiously. Zhao Tianyu’s team advanced quickly toward the central route, but two allied teams subtly shifted to nearby paths.
Qin Lian noticed immediately.
"They are spreading."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"To herd us."
Qin Yuchen looked ahead. "Western ridge?"
"Yes. But not too directly. Let them think their pressure works."
The Qin team moved at a moderate speed.
Within ten minutes, they found their first Trial Token hanging from a black iron tree. Qin Lian detected the thin tripwire beneath it before anyone touched it.
Qin Mo crouched and examined the mechanism.
"Simple snare. Academy-made."
He scratched two formation marks into the ground, redirected the trigger, and safely removed the token.
[Qin Yuheng Team]
[Trial Token +1]
The recording badge flashed.
Soon after, three Black-Claw Hounds appeared from behind a rock slope.
They were Level 6 beasts, with dark fur, iron-like claws, and glowing yellow eyes.
Qin Yuheng drew the Black Iron Sword.
To outsiders, it looked ordinary.
The first hound lunged.
Qin Yuheng stepped forward and cut.
The blade passed through the beast’s neck with far less resistance than expected. freёwebnovel.com
The hound collapsed.
Qin Yuheng immediately suppressed the sword’s hidden energy.
Too sharp.
He adjusted his strength.
Qin Yuchen handled the second hound with clean footwork, striking its eyes and throat.
Qin Lian circled behind the third and severed its hind tendon before finishing it.
Qin Mo contributed by throwing a small stone that somehow made the beast misstep.
The battle ended quickly.
[Monster Core acquired: Black-Claw Hound Core x3]
[Score increased.]
Qin Yuheng looked at the cores.
His panel identified them.
[E Grade Beast Core]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
He did not evolve them.
Not now.
Common materials were better saved until he understood score conversion and resource needs.
The team continued.
As expected, Zhao-affiliated teams appeared several times in the distance. They did not attack directly. Instead, they occupied easier paths, forced monsters toward the Qin team’s route, and created pressure from behind.
To ordinary students, this would feel like being squeezed.
To Qin Yuheng, it felt like free monster delivery.
Over the next two hours, the Qin team killed Black-Claw Hounds, Iron-Fang Rabbits, and two Rockhide Boars. They collected tokens and cores steadily. Qin Yuheng did not reveal too much power. He allowed Qin Yuchen and Qin Lian to fight often, while Qin Mo handled traps and minor formations.
Their teamwork improved quickly.
By midday, they reached the outer western ridge.
The air changed.
The black iron energy in the ground became denser. The trees were fewer. Claw marks appeared on stones. Several old mining tunnels could be seen ahead.
Qin Lian crouched near a footprint.
"Ironhide Wolves."
"How many?" Qin Yuchen asked.
"At least twelve nearby. More deeper in."
Qin Mo looked toward the ridge.
"This is where normal people leave."
Qin Yuheng smiled.
"Good thing we are not normal."
Qin Mo sighed.
"I was afraid you would say that."
They moved carefully along the ridge.
Soon, wolf howls echoed from the stones.
A pack of Ironhide Wolves emerged.
They were larger than Black-Claw Hounds, with gray-black fur and metallic plates along their backs. Their claws scraped sparks from the stone ground.
Level 9 to Level 11.
For new students, this was dangerous.
For Qin Yuheng’s team, it was pressure—but manageable.
"Talismans ready," Qin Yuheng said.
Each person held one D Grade Defensive Talisman.
The wolves attacked.
Qin Yuheng finally released a little more strength.
His sword flashed.
A wolf’s iron plate cracked.
Qin Yuchen moved beside him, predicting attack angles and creating openings.
Qin Lian disappeared into shadows between rocks, striking tendons and eyes.
Qin Mo placed three small formation marks on the ground, creating brief flashes that disrupted the wolves’ charge.
The battle was intense.
One wolf broke through and struck Qin Mo’s shield.
A talisman shattered, blocking the attack.
Qin Mo immediately used another without hesitation.
"Survival first," he muttered.
Qin Yuheng approved.
After nearly fifteen minutes, the last wolf fell.
Everyone was breathing harder.
Even Qin Yuheng had allowed himself to sweat.
The recording badge flashed repeatedly.
[Ironhide Wolf Core x14 acquired.]
[Team combat evaluation increased.]
[Western Ridge danger zone entered.]
Qin Lian wiped blood from her dagger.
"Something is wrong."
Qin Yuheng looked toward the mining tunnels.
"I know."
Qin Yuchen said, "Too many wolves for this outer area."
Qin Mo pointed toward a collapsed tunnel entrance.
"And the black iron energy is flowing there."
Qin Yuheng walked closer.
His panel flickered.
[Resource aura detected.]
[D Grade Black Iron Spirit Liquid]
[Quantity: Unknown]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes deepened.
They had found it.
A resource hidden in the danger zone Zhao Tianyu tried to push them into.
Behind them, distant footsteps approached.
Qin Lian looked back.
"Zhao Tianyu’s team." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Qin Yuheng smiled faintly.
"Good. Let them arrive."
Qin Yuchen understood.
"We found the resource first, but they will try to claim it."
Qin Mo stood up reluctantly.
"Then we are fighting?"
Qin Yuheng looked at the collapsed tunnel, then at the approaching figures.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"We are negotiating."
Qin Mo blinked.
"With Zhao Tianyu?"
Qin Yuheng’s smile did not change.
"Negotiation is just another battlefield."
