Di Liu finished the last sip of tea, let out a comfortable sigh, and looked at Jiang Qingyuan, saying casually, "It's all up to you to arrange. I'm only responsible for bringing him here and taking him back."
"Alright, I understand. Gu Yuan, come here." Jiang Qingyuan waved for Gu Yuan to sit closer.
Gu Yuan sat on the sofa opposite Jiang Qingyuan.
Jiang Qingyuan stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said to Gu Yuan, "The annual trials are usually carried out by small teams composed of various geniuses to foster synergy. This time, there's a genius from Qinshan, Qin Chuan Prefecture, named Qin Erlang. He's also a true disciple of a major sect and possesses formidable strength. He can team up with you to complete missions within the army as a trial."
"What do you think, Gu Yuan? Feel free to express any opinions you have," Jiang Qingyuan said, smiling as he looked at Gu Yuan.
"I have no opinions. Everything is up to City Lord Jiang's arrangements," Gu Yuan replied calmly. It didn't matter who he teamed up with, as long as he could undergo his trials and improve his strength.
"Very well, I'll arrange a room for you. Qin Erlang will also arrive today. You two can get acquainted, and then we can add one more person to form a three-person team to undertake army missions," Jiang Qingyuan decided on Gu Yuan's trial team.
"Gu Yuan, do you understand what Young Master Qing meant? If so, follow me. I'll take you to your accommodation," Di Liu said, standing up at the opportune moment and addressing Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan nodded, indicating he understood, and then stood up, ready to follow Di Liu.
As they reached the door, Di Liu suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something, and turned to ask Jiang Qingyuan, "The usual place?"
Jiang Qingyun nodded with a smile.
Di Liu then turned, pushed the door open, and led Gu Yuan away.
After leaving, the two walked in silence, exiting the City Lord's mansion quietly. Unlike their arrival, they didn't rush. Once outside the mansion, Di Liu reached into his sleeve, fumbled for a moment, and then pulled out a scroll, handing it to Gu Yuan.
"This is the intelligence on Qin Erlang of Qinshan. Take a look for yourself. He's also among the top ten geniuses of Qin Chuan Prefecture and an exceptionally outstanding prodigy," Di Liu said calmly, casually handing over the scroll.
Gu Yuan accepted it but chose not to open it immediately. He put it directly into his storage ring, intending to examine it in a safe place. He wasn't sure if it contained any sensitive information, so he decided to err on the side of caution.
As they walked through streets and alleys, Gu Yuan sensed that the atmosphere here lacked the oppressive aura of the border. Instead, it was harmonious, like an ordinary city. He speculated that perhaps the war hadn't arrived yet; otherwise, as one of the nine passes of Tianxia, it wouldn't be so peaceful.
They arrived at a quiet spot. About five hundred meters away stood a military camp, from which the sounds of troop training occasionally drifted. From Gu Yuan's perspective, an immense surge of vital energy and blood shot towards the sky, and a peculiar, mythical beast let out a sky-rending roar. However, these were sensations invisible to ordinary people; only Gu Yuan, with his Dao Fortune Heavenly Map, could perceive these unusual phenomena.
Di Liu pulled out a token and waved it about a meter in front of the house's entrance. A faint blue formation slowly materialized, opening a passage just wide enough for one person. Di Liu gestured for Gu Yuan to follow him in.
After they entered, the formation automatically mended itself and slowly faded away.
As they walked, Di Liu introduced the house to Gu Yuan: "This is a small base for our academy, where students undergoing trials can reside. Currently, no students are staying here. From what I understand, no one has come for trials in the past half a month, so you'll be living here alone."
Gu Yuan nodded. This was good; he wouldn't have to worry about revealing any secrets.
Opening the door to the room, Gu Yuan and Di Liu tidied up briefly. Then, Di Liu said to Gu Yuan, "I'll be heading back. As for Qin Erlang's personality, how should I put it? You'll probably understand each other after a fight. I won't say more. I hope you can return to the academy safely from this trial, okay?"
"Okay!" Gu Yuan looked directly into Di Liu's eyes, his tone very serious.
Seeing Gu Yuan's determined gaze, Di Liu said no more. He dropped a token, turned, waved goodbye, and left.
Gu Yuan caught the token Di Liu threw. It was the control token for the house's defensive formation. Gu Yuan carefully put it away and accompanied Di Liu to the door.
After watching Di Liu disappear from view, Gu Yuan turned and entered the house, beginning to rest and prepare himself for the arrival of Qin Erlang and the third team member.
At the end of the long street, a figure clad in black martial robes, tall and imposing, with a two-meter-long halberd slung across his back, was slowly approaching, exuding an untamed aura.
The surrounding residents, seeing his intimidating demeanor, promptly made way. The once bustling street quickly cleared a wide path.
Qin Erlang's sharp eyes swept across the residents. Seeing their fearful expressions, he couldn't help but frown slightly. He then began to rein in his aura, and the man-devouring presence vanished.
Ignoring the onlookers, he took a step forward, circulating his true qi. His body instantly blurred, disappearing from his spot. With a single stride, he covered ten meters, rapidly vanishing down the prosperous street.
Seeing Qin Erlang disappear, the crowd's normal order was restored.
Qin Erlang looked at the building enveloped by the formation. Comparing it with the intelligence he had, he reached out and patted the formation.
Inside the building, Gu Yuan sensed the anomaly in the formation and opened his eyes. A flash of lightning momentarily illuminated the dimly lit room.
He stood up, opened the door, and saw the tall Qin Erlang standing outside the formation, impatiently patting it.
Upon seeing his intended contact appear, Qin Erlang stopped his drumming. He said to Gu Yuan, "Are you the team member for my trial?"
Gu Yuan looked at the tall man before him. Comparing him with the information he had, he realized this was his partner, Qin Erlang, the true disciple seed from Qinshan, Qin Chuan Prefecture.
He nodded slightly, then waved his hand, opening a gap in the formation. Gu Yuan stepped out and stood face-to-face with Qin Erlang.
The two-meter-tall Qin Erlang looked down at Gu Yuan, who was a head shorter than him, and said seriously, "Fight me."
Gu Yuan recalled Di Liu's parting words and agreed without hesitation. He had also become interested in confronting this powerful man.
"A straightforward person. Follow me. There's a dedicated arena for sparring," Qin Erlang said, then turned and led the way.
Gu Yuan followed without hesitation.
Far away in the City Lord's mansion, Jiang Qingyuan watched the water mirror. The mirror displayed the scene of Qin Erlang and Gu Yuan. His lips curved into a slight smile.
Soon after, a message flew out from the City Lord's mansion: "A genius is dueling in the combat arena. Hurry and watch!"
This message attracted a large crowd of spectators to the combat arena.