Lead-filled wrist guards

Standing in the sandy expanse, the ground stirred with their every movement. In an instant, yellow dust billowed, obscuring the world in a hazy blur. Many, blinded by the stinging grit, found their tears flowing like water from an open tap.

Shangguan Xiao covered her nose and mouth, eyes squeezed shut. She was determined to keep the sand at bay, having no desire for any foreign objects to irritate her eyes. Across the throngs of people, Ouyang Xianyu stood tall, his height granting him a stature that made him stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

At one meter and ninety-three centimeters, he towered over the other youths. Leveraging his height, he quickly locked eyes with Shangguan Xiao. Seeing her standing there, seemingly unfazed by the chaos, Ouyang Xianyu could not help but curl his lips into a smile.

She was truly worthy of the name Shangguan Xiao, knowing exactly when to keep her eyes closed. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he surveyed everything around him with a sense of detachment. The instructors watched the restless children with cold eyes, annoyed that such a minor incident had caused such a prolonged commotion.

It seemed they were in dire need of further training. As the head instructor scanned the crowd, he was surprised to find a few students from Class A standing perfectly still. Among them was that girl from Class F—the one who had been pursued by assassins on the way here.

The head instructor watched them with growing interest; it appeared this year had brought in some truly intriguing students. His enthusiasm spiked at the discovery, for it seemed he might unearth even more potential this time around.

If these few were organized into a single unit, they would surely become a formidable fighting force. Just looking at them, he felt as if they were radiating a brilliant, golden light.

His eyes glinted with a predatory hunger; he was determined to recruit them into his own squad. While their true capabilities remained to be seen, the mere fact that they could remain this calm under such conditions was a rarity rarely seen in a century.

For that reason alone, they deserved rigorous training. He would push them to unlock their full potential, and he was confident the results would be satisfactory. In his mind, he began mapping out how to intensify their drills and how to foster unity and cooperation among them.

He envisioned them helping one another and providing critical support in the most dire moments. Observing them now, they seemed to lack any interaction, so he would need to engineer more opportunities for them to get to know each other.

The instructor had no idea that they were already acquainted. While seamless cooperation might still be a distant goal, mutual trust was certainly within reach.

Ouyang Xianyu, Hui, Dongfang Shuo, Bing Ling, Xue Xin, and Xiao Ai, all standing their ground, shivered in unison. They reached up to rub their noses, wondering if they were catching a cold.

That was impossible, though! It was the height of summer, and they had taken precautions to keep themselves protected. Dismissing the thought, they rubbed their arms and returned to standing as still as statues.

Shangguan Xiao felt a chilling breeze sweep across her back, leaving her unsettled. Her keen sixth sense warned her that something ominous was afoot.

Yet, she could not fathom what it might be. The group that had attacked her earlier had been apprehended; surely, no one else would target her now.

With that thought, she relaxed slightly. The previous attack had indeed shaken her, and she had no desire to experience it a second time. The poor children had no inkling that they had already been marked by the "Big Bad Wolf."

The wolf had already extended his claws, creeping closer step by step, waiting to devour Ouyang Xianyu and the others whole. Beneath the scorching sun, the rest of the crowd continued to fidget and complain incessantly about the added weight they were forced to carry.

Everyone had forgotten that they hadn't eaten breakfast, until one by one, their stomachs began to growl in protest. They turned their heads in unison to look at the instructors above, only to find the instructors’ eyes burning with a fierce, fiery intensity.