Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Although Zhou Qingfeng, Ye Tingxiu, and Xiao Hongyun were all in Sword Tower City, they each had their own things to do and rarely had the chance to meet. It was a rare occasion for them to get together again today during the promotion tournament.

Without a doubt, the three quickly reached a consensus, with Zhou Qingfeng leading the formation of a team to compete.

However, their three-person team is far from meeting the standards for entering the world competition. They need to find at least five more teammates to form a minimum eight-person team to participate.

Out of respect for his two friends, Zhou Qingfeng asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Ye Tingxiu gripped the hilt of his sword and said frankly, "Don't ask me. I have no ideas. I just need to follow orders and be responsible for chopping people. Don't make things difficult for me if I have to use my brain."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongyun and Zhou Qingfeng exchanged a glance and chuckled.

Xiao Hongyun chuckled and shook his head, then slowly composed himself. After a moment's thought, he said seriously, "Old Zhou, teammates are undoubtedly important in this competition, so we absolutely cannot choose them randomly."

"If you choose the wrong teammates, you will face a lot of problems."

"For example, being betrayed by a teammate at a crucial moment, or having your kill stolen by a teammate after you've earned points from killing an enemy."

"Or when fighting against other squads, if your teammates don't listen to orders and act recklessly, they will drag your squad into the abyss of death. There are too many similar problems."

"However, such temporary combat teams are inherently full of uncertainties, and problems are almost inevitable. Moreover, the more teammates there are, the more uncontrollable accidents will occur."

"I suggest keeping the team size to 8 people, and giving priority to inviting acquaintances and friends to join. This way, our team will at least have a basic foundation of trust, eliminating many potential problems."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded, giving his full agreement: "It's a good idea, but there's a problem."

Xiao Hongyun felt that his line of thinking was perfectly sound, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's the problem?"

Zhou Qingfeng helplessly spread his hands: "The players here who are acquaintances of mine are all geniuses from powerful families in Sword Tower. They have already formed their own teams and it is unlikely that they will join my team."

Xiao Hongyun was speechless: "Damn it."

Ye Tingxiu couldn't help but click his tongue, finding it utterly ridiculous.

I know quite a few people, and they're all very capable, but I can't recruit any of them into my team.

Because they are all talented individuals from powerful families, they create their own teams and play by themselves. They would never join someone else's team and listen to others' opinions.

Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun were not familiar with anyone present. Even Zhou Qingfeng couldn't recruit any acquaintances into the team, so they had no other options. In other words, the only thing they could do right now was to recruit unfamiliar players to fill the five vacant spots.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Qingfeng said, "Here's what we'll do: Lao Ye and Lao Xiao, you each go and recruit people to join the team. There are no conditions, as long as people join, we can quickly form a team of eight."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu hesitated, but their confidence in Zhou Qingfeng outweighed their curiosity to get to the bottom of things. They believed that Zhou Qingfeng would not make a foolish decision.

The incense stick has already burned down to a third of its length, and they really don't have much time left.

So Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu quickly got to work.

Zhou Qingfeng waited patiently in place. In his opinion, apart from Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu, no one else at the scene was trustworthy.

Since that's the case, why bother with all the selection? Just recruit people into the team as cannon fodder. Keep those who obey, and eliminate those who don't. At worst, you can just hunt down one more enemy to even out the points deducted from the team.

Moreover, time doesn't allow for careful selection. Even if you choose a teammate you think is great, they might team up with someone they already know, or even if they don't, they might not be willing to join.

Even if someone is willing to join, it takes time to convince them to join.

If we go one by one, even if an incense stick burns out completely, we probably still won't be able to gather an eight-person team.

The competition was intense, and the incense stick had quickly burned down to almost nothing.

At this moment, Mizutsuaki Asahi, who had fought her way back from the revival round, walked over.

She said coldly, "Zhou Silang, are you interested in joining our Python Sparrow Squad? Our captain is Huangfu Yunzheng. Seeing that you are all alone, he specially sent me to invite you to join the team."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng looked at Huangfu Yunzheng, who was surrounded by admirers not far away. Huangfu Yunzheng had long, snow-white hair and was wearing a snow-white python robe. He was nodding and smiling at him.

"Oh, I see. Go back and tell Prince Yunzheng that I have already formed my own team."

Shui Zheqian frowned slightly: "What about your team members?"

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "You don't need to trouble yourself with that. Please thank Prince Yunzheng for his kindness."

Upon hearing this, Shui Zheqian turned and left, relaying Zhou Qingfeng's message to Huangfu Yunzheng.

Huangfu Yunzheng nodded calmly: "Understood."

Just as the incense stick was about to burn out, Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu returned with five teammates. Zhou Qingfeng briefly greeted them and didn't have time to say much more.

Mao Erlang announced the end of the free team formation period.

The team members were scattered throughout the hall, waiting for Mao Erlang to continue speaking.

Mao Erlang stood on the steps leading to the second floor, looking down at the contestants in the hall, and slowly said, "Do you see the training room door next to you? The city lord has already opened the gate to the world."

"Those doors have connected to another world, and the participating teams can now push them open and enter."

The teams on site sprang into action, each choosing the nearest door to enter.

Soon all the squads disappeared into the first-floor hall of the Bone Foundation Tower.

Zhou Qingfeng led his seven teammates through the training room door, but what came into view was not the familiar and simple training room, but an abandoned temple with ruins and a large hole in the roof.

Through the large hole, you can see rainwater dripping continuously from the outside.

The sky was pitch black, without a trace of moonlight, as if the whole world had been plunged into darkness.

Looking back, the gate to the world has slowly closed, and it's unlikely that you can return the way you came.

Zhou Qingfeng calmly surveyed his surroundings and sensed that the turbid air here was boiling wildly, almost indistinguishable from the Five Turbid Worlds. In other words, all sorts of demons and monsters would definitely appear here.

"Everyone be careful. We're new to this world and nothing is familiar to us. Please don't do anything reckless."

"Xiao Hongyun, Ye Tingxiu, inspect this temple first, and warn us immediately if you find anything unusual."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu clasped their hands in response and said, "Yes, Captain."

The two then cautiously began to explore the abandoned temple.

Zhou Qingfeng looked at the remaining five team members and said coldly, "I know you are all strong, but in my team you must obey my commands and absolutely not act on your own. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, the five team members fell silent.

Zhou Qingfeng said, "You all go and search this abandoned temple as well. Let me know if you find anything."

"Yes, Captain." The five team members clasped their hands in a salute and quickly dispersed.

Zhou Qingfeng scanned the deserted temple, feeling a vague unease.

Because he remembered the three rules of wilderness survival that his master had taught him.

One of the rules is to never enter abandoned ancient temples or deserted villages.

Now it's not a question of whether I can get in or not; I'm already here, and the die is cast.

Regardless of whether the deserted temple is safe or not, staying there is definitely not an option, because the players' locations will be exposed periodically. How exactly they will be exposed and for how long is currently unknown.

However, one thing is certain: once exposed, it will likely attract the attention of several squads from the surrounding area. Simply hiding here will only lead to passively waiting for something bad to happen.

Therefore, it is necessary to leave the deserted temple as soon as possible, keep the squad in motion, and even actively hunt down surrounding squads to eliminate potential threats and turn the passive situation into an active one.

Alright, let's cast a divination first to determine if I'm safe.

[The worst possible outcome; remaining in the abandoned temple is ominous.]

[Neutral divination: Leave the abandoned temple; neutral outcome]

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng felt increasingly uneasy. He even summoned the Fighting Ape and unleashed his fury to start a fire on the spot, dispelling the darkness in the deserted temple. He decided to lead the team away as soon as they returned.

After a while, everyone returned one by one.

Ye Tingxiu said, "There are no living people, nor ghosts, and not even a single statue of a god."

Xiao Hongyun said, "Me too, I didn't gain anything."

All six team members shook their heads in succession, indicating that they had gained nothing.

Zhou Qingfeng looked at them and felt that the number of people was a bit off.

I remember there were five, right?

When did it become six? Could I have misremembered? No, I can't be mistaken, it's five.

Zhou Qingfeng remained calm and showed no unusual emotions. There was a temple here, and the ghost that had sneaked in was probably an evil god. The Mad God wouldn't play the trick of pretending to deceive people, because the Mad God was mad.

He stood up and said to the crowd, "Let's go."

Everyone was stunned, not understanding where they were going.

Ye Tingxiu pointed outside and said, "Captain, it's raining outside and it's dark. Where should we go?"

Xiao Hongyun kicked Ye Tingxiu in the shin and said calmly, "We'll do whatever the captain says. Why all the fuss? You're not an ordinary person. A little rain won't kill you."

Ye Tingxiu shrugged: "Then let's go."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at the remaining people: "Are you leaving or not?"

"Um, Captain, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Let's wait until dawn."

"Yes, Captain..."

Zhou Qingfeng remained calm, not listening to what they had to say. Refusing to leave meant disobeying orders, and they deserved to die. Moreover, Zhou Qingfeng didn't want to expose them, lest he have a direct confrontation with the evil god and end up losing in the gutter.

Using these scapegoats to hold off the evil god for a while isn't bad.

He decisively turned around and strode towards the temple exit. Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun quickly followed, leaving the remaining team members looking at each other in bewilderment. They couldn't help but panic, as they hadn't expected Zhou Qingfeng to be so decisive.

"What should I do? Should I follow?"

"Why follow them? Although the environment here isn't great, at least we have a place to stay, and we're protected from the wind and rain. If we go out, we might encounter some deadly danger."

"You can stay if you want, I'm going with Zhou Qingfeng."

"Wait for me, I want to come too."

"Count me in."

"I also think it's better to follow Zhou Qingfeng."

Before long, only two people remained in the temple, circling the fire.

"You're crazy. It's raining so hard, and you don't even know what's going on outside. You're just rushing out like that. You're practically asking for death, aren't you, brother?"

"Hehehe... Of course, it's too dangerous outside. It's safe here, so let's stay here."

"Dude, you're drooling."

"Oh, you're mistaken. It's just rainwater from the roof dripping onto your face."

"Oh?"

"By the way, I'll tell you something in secret. The reason I didn't leave is because I discovered there's a basement under this temple, which seems to be filled with miraculous medicines and rare treasures. I was in a hurry earlier and was afraid they would find out, so I didn't dare to look too closely. Shall we go down and take a look?"

"With such a good thing happening, you're still thinking of sharing it with me. You're not trying to harm me, are you?"

"You misunderstood. I didn't say anything earlier simply because there were too many people and I wouldn't get much. Now it's just the two of us left. If you don't leave, I can't get any either, so let's just share it together."

"Fine, I'll trust you this once. Take me there. If you dare to play me for a fool, I'll skin you alive."

Zhou Qingfeng, Xiao Hongyun, and Ye Tingxiu walked ahead in the rain, looking around at their surroundings as they went. They were very cautious and no one dared to fly or run around recklessly in order to avoid encountering any accidents.

Four team members followed behind, one after another.

"Captain, they're catching up," Ye Tingxiu said.

Zhou Qingfeng glanced back, his Fighting Monkey hand still radiating fury, and said coldly, "Ignore them, keep going, don't stop, get as far away from that temple as possible."

Xiao Hongyun said, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Did you discover something?"

Zhou Qingfeng nodded: "There's one more person in our team. Originally it was an 8-person team, but it became a 9-person team in the temple. An evil god has infiltrated the team. I don't know its level, so it's best not to provoke it."

Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu exchanged a glance, their pupils almost shrinking. Under the scorching rain, they both felt a chill run down their spines. If Zhou Qingfeng hadn't led them away quickly, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything amiss yet.

It's not their fault, because the team members they brought in were basically just randomly selected, and they really don't know each other at all. To put it bluntly, they don't even know who's who yet.

Moreover, in that situation, their attention was not on their own teammates.

"Captain, Captain, wait for us..." Four team members quickly caught up from behind.

Zhou Qingfeng continued walking, saying casually, "Weren't you going to stay in the temple? Why are you following me?"

The four team members looked embarrassed, but still explained, "We didn't intend to stay there. It's just that you walked too fast, Captain. We realized what was happening and hurried to catch up."

In fact, most of them joined because of Zhou Qingfeng's reputation. A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. Zhou Qingfeng's brilliant record of winning 100 consecutive matches in the preliminary competition undoubtedly proved his reputation as a peerless genius and unparalleled strategist.

At that moment, a shrill scream suddenly rang out from the direction of the ancient temple. The shrill and familiar sound echoed in the endless darkness and rain, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost from the depths of hell.

Moreover, the screams showed no sign of stopping, as if the victim was enduring excruciating pain of being skinned and having his bones shattered.

"What happened?" The four team members looked terrified and turned to look in the direction of the ancient temple.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zhou Qingfeng paused, but without turning his head or bothering to explain, he quickened his pace and continued walking along the dirt road. Xiao Hongyun did the same.

Only Ye Tingxiu slowed his pace and kindly turned back to say, "You should be glad that you listened to the captain and left that deserted temple with us, because an evil god has infiltrated our ranks."

"Did you hear those screams? Those are coming from the person left behind in the deserted temple. He's probably already food for the evil god. Hurry up and leave. From now on, listen to the captain, or you'll suffer a terrible death."

The four men were pale and their lips trembled. They hadn't expected to encounter such a terrifying thing as the Evil God so soon after entering the world arena. Just now, their lives were truly hanging by a thread.

"Listen, listen, we promise to listen to the captain."

"Yes, whatever the captain says goes."