Chapter 80: Warband Captain

Chapter 80: The War Cohort Company Commander

At the "Arctic Crown" arena, atop the towering observation spire.

This was no ordinary spectator gallery, but a solitary chamber, minimalist in decor yet exuding solemnity and authority on every side.

Through a massive one-way window, the entire arena lay spread below, the clamor of hundreds of rings and hundreds of thousands of spectators sealed away entirely.

Within the room, over a dozen figures of formidable presence had gathered.

They were the lead mentors from the seven most elite advanced martial arts high schools of Qiming Star.

Professor Gu Yue from Qiming First High was among them, conspicuous.

From Tianzhu Martial High came a stern, unsmiling middle-aged man; from Xinghe Military Affiliated High, an elderly man with a ramrod-straight back and a heavy military bearing; the mentor from Jinlong Martial High wore a black robe with a golden dragon embroidered on the sleeve...

Though rivals, as pillars of the planet's educational elite, they had known each other for years, and the atmosphere of their exchange was, for now, harmonious.

"Old Gu, your school's got quite a showing this year—over two hundred entries in the freshman tournament, far more than us at Tianzhu," said the Tianzhu mentor, cradling a cup of hot tea with a smile.

Professor Gu Yue waved a hand dismissively: "Numbers alone mean little; quality is what counts. That Lei Yi from your school, this year's top scorer in the entrance exams, is riding a wave of fame."

"Haha, just small-time scuffles among the youngsters, nothing worth the stage, nothing worth the stage."

The mood among them was congenial.

Yet, all eyes in the room, deliberately or not, kept drifting toward the figure standing alone before the window at the room's center, his back to the assembly.

He was a tall warrior clad in deep-blue power armor.

The armor was ancient and heavy, steeped in an aura of bloodshed and slaughter, its edges scarred and dented from battle.

Most unsettling of all, his pauldron and chest were stained with the still-damp, dark-purple blood of some unknown creature, exuding a faint, rank odor.

His helmet was tucked under his arm, revealing a weathered, sharply defined face.

His eyes were like two unsheathed swords; merely gazing down at the arena below seemed to chill the very air in the room.

Every mentor present was exceptionally powerful.

But in their perception, this tall man in power armor was like a supernova on the verge of eruption, or a black hole devouring all—within him lurked a terrifying energy beyond their imagination, capable of shattering heaven and earth.

His presence was as deep and dark as an abyss.

"Lord Zhou," the elderly mentor from Xinghe Military Affiliated High finally spoke, breaking the room's delicate equilibrium with deference.

"That you would grace our Qiming Star's inter-school league is an honor that leaves us old men humbled and awestruck."

At this address, the other mentors chimed in, their words steeped in genuine reverence.

Lord Zhou.

Company Commander of the Seventh Company, Third Sub-Chapel, of the Ultramarines War Cohort.

And he bore another title—mentor at the highest institution of the Canaan Star System, "Canaan Starry Sky Martial University."

The Ultramarines War Cohort was one of the Empire's most elite Space Marine legions, a steel bastion guarding humanity's domains against alien races and Chaos.

Any company commander among them was a true pillar of the Empire, forged through seas of blood and mountains of corpses.

And Canaan Starry Sky Martial University was the foremost sanctuary that all martial geniuses across the hundreds of billions of life-bearing planets in the Canaan Star System dreamed of entering.

For such a figure to suddenly appear on Qiming Star, an educational planet, at the observation gallery of a "high school" level competition—that in itself was an unfathomable event.

Lord Zhou turned slowly, his piercing gaze sweeping over every mentor present.

Those he looked upon felt as if an invisible hand had seized their hearts, making breathing a struggle.

"I'm merely passing through Qiming Star on personal business, and stopped by for a look," he said, his voice low and forceful, like metal grinding against metal. "No need for formality. If I spot promising talent, I'll naturally offer a few pointers."

At these words, every mentor's heart jolted, and they clenched their fists in secret.

The previously relaxed atmosphere instantly grew taut.

A few pointers!

Those four words, spoken by a company commander of an Ultramarines sub-chapel and a mentor from Starry Sky Martial University, carried the weight of mountains!

If a student from their school could catch the eye of such a figure, even a single word of praise or an offhand recommendation would pave a smooth road to a brilliant future, a meteoric rise!

In an instant, a fierce flame kindled in every mentor's heart.

They silently competed, each hoping their own prodigies would shine before Lord Zhou and earn his favor.

Just then, Lord Zhou's gaze fell upon Professor Gu Yue.

"Professor Gu Yue." "Lord Zhou."

Professor Gu Yue's eyes showed confusion, wondering why he had been singled out.

"I hear that Qiming First High has a freshman this year named 'Qin Feng'?" Lord Zhou asked with a smile.

Professor Gu Yue was taken aback.

He hadn't expected such a figure to know Qin Feng's name.

"Yes, indeed there is," he replied, suppressing his surprise, speaking truthfully. "A promising seedling—hardworking and quick to grasp."

"Hmm." Lord Zhou nodded slightly and said no more, turning his gaze back to the window.

Yet that brief inquiry struck like a bombshell, stirring a storm in the hearts of the other mentors.

Their faces were etched with shock and bewilderment.

Qin Feng?

Who in the world was that?

They racked their brains but could not recall the name.

Several mentors discreetly activated their terminals, swiftly searching internal databases.

[Name: Qin Feng]

[School: Qiming First Advanced Martial High School]

[Entrance Exam Rank: 67,352]

When they saw that rank, every mentor who had searched was dumbfounded.

Over sixty thousand?

A student ranked over sixty thousand in the entrance exams, personally named by a company commander of an Ultramarines sub-chapel?

How was that possible!

In an instant, a wave of disbelief and resentment surged through them all.

What a joke!

Lord Zhou's gaze seemed to pierce through tens of thousands of meters, through layers of building structures, and land precisely on the young man who was resting with his eyes closed in the Qiming No.1 High School viewing area.

His eyes were deep, and no one knew what he was thinking.

In fact, not long ago, the Ultramarines Chapter had received news from the Thunder Warriors Chapter—a ranking match video from the Imperial Arena.

In it, Zhou Yu and Qin Feng fought fiercely, and Qin Feng revealed the Nail of Favor.

This time, under the pretext of "passing by," he came to Qiming Star, his true purpose being to see for himself what was happening with this young man marked as the "Emperor's Chosen."

The Ultramarines Chapter's attitude toward the "Emperor's Chosen" had always been consistent: in the early stages of their growth, they would never actively interfere, only observe covertly.

Let them grow along a normal trajectory—attend martial high school as they should, take the Star Martial University entrance exam as they should.

Only when they graduated from the martial university, with both mind and strength reaching a certain standard, would the Chapter formally contact them, letting them undergo the tempering of blood and fire, and in the cruel war, grow into a qualified, true Imperial Space Marine.

Then, step by step, rise to become a strong guardian of a region, a true pillar of the human empire.

"Life force index 14.03, killing technique perfected... enrolled less than three months, from ranking sixty thousand in the middle school exam to this level..."

"Ordinary and unremarkable, what is so special about him that the Emperor would take notice?"

In Lord Zhou's mind, the thought flashed by.

Perhaps Qin Feng's performance was considered a strong genius at Qiming No.1 High School, with high comprehension and a catching-up life force index, but in the eyes of an experienced sub-chapter company commander... it was indeed not enough.

Lord Zhou did not know what outstanding qualities Qin Feng had to be favored by the Emperor.

The other mentors present also had their own thoughts stirring.

They quietly watched the arena, all wanting to see what kind of skill Qin Feng, whom Lord Zhou had named, possessed.

Could he possibly have improved from ranking over sixty thousand in the middle school exam to being stronger than those fellows Shi Dang, Lei Yi, and Li Qing?

The undercurrents on the viewing platform did not affect the arena below.

With a long, resonant bell toll echoing throughout the "Arctic Crown,"

The match officially began!

(End of chapter)