《Supreme Star Card Master》 Chapter 1 The World of Star Cards Great me Country, Guangchuan City. At the end of January, in the midst of winter. In Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, in a ssroom of over forty students in ss 1 of Senior Grade 3, the bespectacled homeroom teacher Yang Jun was exining the simted test on the Star Beast As. "Thest fill-in-the-nk question, the six-dimensional qualification of the Fierce Lizard..." Yang Jun slightly lowered the test paper he was holding in his left hand, adjusted his sses with his right hand, and looked up at the students in the ss. "Speaking of the Fierce Lizard, it has often appeared on exams in recent years. You need to grasp all its basic information and the corresponding ways to deal with it, not just its six-dimensional qualification. Who can exin it in detail for us?" Seeing Yang Jun''s question, the students below lowered their heads quietly. There were tens of thousands of types of star beasts on Blue Sea Star. Even in high school introductory courses, several hundred kinds were covered. The Fierce Lizard was rtively umon among these star beasts. It was manageable to talk about its six-dimensional qualification, but when it came to its basic information and coping methods, not many people could say it all. Of course, there were a few students in the ss who looked confident; they seemed to know the answer but had no intention of standing up to respond. In any ssroom, students willing to proactively answer questions were always a minority. Since no one was answering, he would pick a student to answer. Yang Jun''s gaze quickly scanned the many students below and furrowed his brows when he saw the student by the window. Sitting in the second-tost row by the window was a delicate-looking boy with ck hair and ck eyes. He was quietly staring at his desk''s mock test paper. He looked serious, but upon closer inspection, he seemed a bit distracted. "Su Yuan, you try to answer." Yang Jun directly named the boy. Su Yuan heard his name and blinked, quickly snapping back to reality. Was he picked by the homeroom teacher? Su Yuan looked at Yang Jun, who was staring at him from the podium. He quickly realized the situation: the teacher had asked a question and "luckily" picked him. However, he had been distracted earlier and didn''t know what the question was. Su Yuan slowly stood up. At the same time, his eyes quickly scanned the ckboard. Thest line was "Fluorescent Butterfly gets attracted to Tan Water Wood fragrance..."@@novelbin@@ Fluorescent Butterfly... Su Yuan''s gaze fell on the mock test paper on his desk, and he quickly locked onto the Fluorescent Butterfly. This was the second-tost fill-in-the-nk question. Below the fill-in-the-nk questions were short answers, but Yang Jun usually exined the short answers directly without asking questions. Since the Fluorescent Butterfly had already been discussed, it was probably thest fill-in-the-nk question about the Fierce Lizard''s six-dimensional attributes. Su Yuan roughly figured it out. As the information about the Fierce Lizard shed through his mind and he was about to try answering, a low prompt came from his right side: "The basic information and response methods for the Fierce Lizard." Hearing this prompt, Su Yuan''s heart moved. After a brief thought, he began to answer: "The Fierce Lizard, an ordinary grade star beast, has a six-dimensional qualification of Strength: E, Agility: F, Defense: F, Constitution: E, Spirit: F, Star Power: F. It is a star beast with rtively outstanding physique and strength, generally at the Star Apprentice Level or Bronze Level, never exceeding the Silver Stage. Its Star Skills include: Beginner Stage Frenzy (Ordinary), Barbaric Sprint (Ordinary). It usually lives in forests and swamps. Its weakness is the base of its tail, which is very fragile and causes it to lose bnce when severely injured." "Good. Very well done!" Hearing Su Yuan''s detailed and urate answer, Yang Jun''s furrowed brows gradually rxed, and he appreciatively nodded. Yang Jun looked at Su Yuan and pondered, "Pay attention in ss. Even if you can''t awaken your Soul Card, with your academic performance, you won''t be short of opportunities after graduation." Su Yuan replied, "Thank you, Teacher Yang, for the reminder." Waving to indicate that Su Yuan could sit down, Yang Jun looked at this student who answered his question perfectly but couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. Su Yuan, once a prodigy, had broken through to the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice in the second semester of his first year, bing the first Sixth Stage Star Apprentice in Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, gaining much fame and high expectations from the school! But since obtaining his Soul Awakening Card at the Sixth Stage, he had been unable to awaken his Soul Card, causing his Star Power cultivation to progress slowly. Now, halfway through his third year, he was only at the Seventh Stage of Star Apprentice. Meanwhile, the students who he initially surpassed had rapidly caught up after awakening their Soul Cards, with many reaching the Seventh or even Eighth Stage of Star Apprentice. "What a pity..." Yang Jun felt sorry for Su Yuan. Nevertheless, this child excelled in all subjects other than Star Power cultivation, consistently ranking among the top three in every academic mock exam. Yang Jun withdrew his gaze and picked up the test paper. "Now, the next question, the short answer..." Sitting back in his seat, Su Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. I almost embarrassed myself." Recalling the earlier prompt, Su Yuan turned to his right. Sitting to his right was a neat and capable-looking girl with short red ponytail hair. She sat up straight, casually spinning a ck pen in her right hand. "Didn''t expect Jiang Jun to help me." Su Yuan was a bit surprised. Guangchuan Fourth Middle School had four Star Apprentice sses and fifteen ordinary sses. Among the four Star Apprentice sses, only a handful had reached the Eighth Stage of Star Apprentice so far, all aiming to join the top twenty Star Power cultivation academies in Great me Country. Jiang Jun was one of them. Straightforward and a bit cold, coupled with her Elite Soul Card and strong abilities, she didn''t mix well with the girls in ss, and the boys didn''t dare to mess with her, leaving her without many friends... Su Yuan whispered, "Thanks." Jiang Jun nced at Su Yuan expressionlessly, then looked back at the podium, showing no other response. "This girl''s personality is really cold..." Su Yuan shook his head, not thinking much more, returning his gaze to the desk while secretly calling, "System!" With a slight blur in front of his eyes, a semi-transparent panel that no one else could see appeared before him: [Su Yuan] [Level: Star Apprentice Seventh Stage] [Soul Card: None] [Star Dust: 9] [Card Enhancement] ... "9 points of Star Dust... Almost there. By the time ss ends at six, it should recover to 10 points of Star Dust." "10 points of Star Dust can boost once more. ording to the pattern over the past year, this might be the final boost!" "I''ve waited so long for this day!" Su Yuan''s eyes faintly glowed with excitement. The reason he was distracted earlier was also because of this system. Speaking of which, he was originally an ordinary office worker on Earth who had just graduated not long ago. But due to an ident a year ago, he''d traveled to this world called Blue Sea Star. This ce was different from Earth, not only matching Earth in technological advancement but also filled with an extraordinary power called "Star Power." Moving mountains and seas, changing the weather, calling the wind and summoning the rain, traveling miles in an instant... All those things that existed only in myths on Earth were achievable here, even more dramatically... Provided one could master Star Power! In Blue Sea Star''s history, thousands of years ago, the world was ruled by various mythical star beasts. Humans, innately weak, could only struggle to survive in the shadows of these low-stage star beasts, barely maintaining their existence. Until one day, some extraordinary human pioneers created "Star Cards" to harness Star Power. Since then, these pioneers pushed forward, ying star beasts, driving out alien races, expanding territories, establishing nations, and gradually rising to power, ushering in the era of human dominance! Now, standing proudly in the southeast of Blue Sea Star, Great me Country was one of the most powerful nations on this. And those who could arm their cards andmand star power were known as Star Card Masters! Chapter 2 Above Perfect Star Card Masters were divided into Bronze, Silver, Gold, Shining Star, Radiant Moon, Burning Sun... various levels. A high school student like Su Yuan had not yet reached Bronze Level. He was just a Star Card Master Apprentice,ying the foundation for breaking through to be a Bronze Star Card Master. Star Card Master Apprentices were divided into nine stages. The first five stages were rtively easier. However, starting from the Sixth Stage, the difficulty of each progression increased significantly. Those without "talent" might never be Star Card Masters. This so-called "talent" was the Lifebound Star Card awakened from each Star Card Master''s soul, also known as the Soul Card! From the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage onwards, the umtion of Star Power was enough to support the awakening of the Soul Card. To increase the probability and potential of awakening the Soul Card, specially crafted "Soul Awakening Cards" were often used. In Great me, Soul Awakening Cards were white Star Cards that every high school student reaching the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice was eligible to apply for. A strong youth meant a strong country. The more young people became Star Card Masters, the stronger Great me Country''s future would be, standing firm through various natural disasters. Although Soul Awakening Cards were white cards that could be applied for, their high-level counterparts were extremely few in number and precious beyond measure. Including Soul Cards, all Star Cards were graded into six tiers: Ordinary White Card, Elite Green Card, Master Blue Card, Epic Purple Card, Legend Golden Card, and Myth Red Card. All Star Cards had five skill levels: Entry-level, Skilled, Master, Great Sess, Perfect. Generally, the Soul Awakening Cards that all high school students could apply for were of Entry-level. Skilled-level Soul Awakening Cards were so rare that Guangchuan Fourth Middle School could apply for only ten from the Guangchuan Education Bureau each year. The rules forpeting for these ten Skilled-level Soul Awakening Cards at Guangchuan Fourth Middle School were simple: whoever broke through to the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice first would get them. Therefore, both Su Yuan and Jiang Jun, who had just given a reminder, received a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card after breaking through the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice. As for Master-level Soul Awakening Cards, Guangchuan City had only one or two, but they were usually monopolized by First Middle School and Second Middle School. Guangchuan Fourth Middle School had no chance. If purchasing independently, a Master-level Soul Awakening Card cost an astronomical sum¡ªimpossible without a few million in hand. This price was even higher than most Blue Cards! Higher levels like Great Sess and Perfect-level Soul Awakening Cards were beyond mostmon people''s reach, often avable but with no market. As the most ordinary White Card, the high price of a Soul Awakening Card was due to its special manufacturing costs and, more importantly, its ability to increase the awakening probability and determine the quality of the awakened Soul Card! The quality of the awakened Soul Card was influenced by only two factors. First was the soul strength of the Star Apprentice. Second was the level of the Soul Awakening Card! The greater the soul potential and the higher the level of the Soul Awakening Card, the higher the quality of the awakened Soul Card would be! A year ago, Su Yuan had crossed over and inherited the memories of his past life. In his past life, he had a talent for cultivating Star Power, reaching the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice early on. However, he repeatedly failed in awakening the Soul Card. The first time, he used a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card issued by Fourth Middle School, and he failed!@@novelbin@@ His father, Su Yang, and his mother, Tang Shiyang, encouraged him by spending tens of thousands to buy another Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card from the market. Yet, the second attempt of his past self also ended in failure! Su Yuan''s family was not wealthy. His mother, Tang Shiyang, was an elementary school teacher, and his father, Su Yang, ran a small fruit shop in the neighborhood. Though their family was not poor, they were far from well-off. Spending tens of thousands was a heavy blow to the Su Family, using up all their savings on that one Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card. Even so, Su Yang and Tang Shiyang gritted their teeth and borrowed ten thousand more to buy another Entry-level Soul Awakening Card for their past son. Generally, an individual''s first awakening attempt had the highest probability of sess if they had the "talent" to be a Star Card Master. The probability decreased with each attempt. If unsessful after three attempts, there would be no further chances. That night, holding the Soul Awakening Card, the past Su Yuan was overwhelmed and fainted from the pressure. At that moment, Su Yuan crossed over... It seemed as though he had inherited the will of his past self. Su Yuan not only crossed over but also brought along a system, a system capable of enhancing cards! Suddenly finding himself in a transcendent world, Su Yuan was immensely curious about "Soul Cards" and "Star Power." However, even with such curiosity, Su Yuan did not blindly use the ten-thousand-worth Entry-level Soul Awakening Card. He knew very well that his past self had failed twice with a Skilled-level Soul Awakening Card. How could he seed with just an Entry-level Soul Awakening Card? Moreover, he had not adapted to anything after crossing over. Blindly awakening would be fatal. But most importantly, it was because of the Golden Finger. This system had an "enhancement" function, seemingly capable of enhancing cards, so he had to study it well. After a period of observation and experimentation, Su Yuan roughly grasped the enhancement function. The system used "Star Dust" as energy, automatically recovering 1 point of Star Dust per day. Every 10 points of Star Dust could enhance a card already embedded in the Star Power Vortex,monly called a point addition. Without awakening, the Star Apprentice''s Star Power Vortex could support only one Soul Awakening Card. So, Su Yuan could only experiment with the Soul Awakening Card. When he elevated the Entry-level Soul Awakening Card to a Skilled-level with the first point addition, Su Yuan immediately realized his potential for sess! Inheriting the memories of his past self, Su Yuan understood the significance of high-level Soul Awakening Cards. He decided on the spot that regardless of whether he could sessfully awaken the Soul Card or how much time it took, he would enhance the Soul Awakening Card to Perfect Level! Since then, Su Yuan embarked on the point addition path. One addition from Entry-level to Skilled, Two additions from Skilled to Master, Four additions from Master to Great Sess, Eight additions from Great Sess to Perfect, A total of fifteen additions, costing 150 points of Star Dust, and taking 150 days. When the card reached Perfect Level, Su Yuan prepared to awaken his Lifebound Star Card but found the Soul Awakening Card still upgradable! This waspletely unexpected for Su Yuan, as the highest level of Star Cards taught in the Star Apprentice ss was Perfect Level. Although it was excellent that the Soul Awakening Card could still be upgraded, it presented a dilemma for Su Yuan. The Soul Card significantly elerated the cultivation speed of Star Power. From the Sixth Stage of Star Apprentice onwards, each stage was much more challenging than the first five. Without the Soul Card, one could hardly move forward. Being surpassed by others did not matter. Still, if he failed to awaken the Soul Card by the age of 18, he would never have another chance. Based on the previous point addition pattern, ascending to the sixth level beyond Perfect would require 16 additions, around 160 days¡ªalmost half a year! And that was in an ideal scenario. If it required 32 or even 64 additions, it would take even longer. He might not achieve the sixth level by graduation. However, after contemting for a short while, Su Yuan decided to try, aiming to make at least 16 more additions. After all, such an upgrade opportunity for the Soul Awakening Card was unique! Not trying would waste the system''s capabilities! If he did it, he would do it to perfection! If 16 additions did not reach the sixth level, he would use the Perfect-level Soul Awakening Card to awaken, leaving him more than half a year to prepare for the college entrance exam. So, Su Yuan embarked on the long journey of enhancing the Soul Awakening Card again. Until today, thest day of the first semester of his senior year, Su Yuan had made 15 additions on the Perfect-level card, just one point shy of 16! Chapter 3 Transformation Realm Soul Awakening Card "Ring, ring, ring..." The school bell rang. "ss dismissed," Yang Jun put away his teaching materials, looked at the students below, and said with a smile, "Happy winter break!" The students in the ssroom immediately cheered. "Yay, winter break is here!" "Vacation, vacation!" "Xiao Fang, how about we go out for dinner tonight and then y some murder mystery games?"@@novelbin@@ "..." What followed was a month-long winter vacation, so the students were quite excited. Seeing the students so excited, Yang Jun couldn''t help but remind them, "Vacation is fine, but don''t ck on your cultivation. There''s only one semester left before the college entrance exams. Also, don''t forget about the joint trial with other schools at the beginning of next semester. Prepare well and practice your skills." The joint trial for middle schools was a trial for all the Star Apprentice ss students in Guangchuan City. All students with awakened Soul Cards from Guangchuan First Middle School to Guangchuan Twelfth Middle School would participate, with an expected number of nearly a thousand. Good performance in the trial could earn rewards from the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau. "Don''t worry, Teacher Yang, we won''t ck on our cultivation!" "Exactly, we''ll show the other schools what we''re made of!" ... Seeing the students still a bit excited and expectant, Yang Jun was not so optimistic. On average, First and Second Middle Schools were strong and steadily outperformed the other schools, so the highest rewards from the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau in previous years only went to First and Second Middle Schools. Additionally, the trial would be conducted in the Secret Realm, which contained many genuine Bronze-level Star Beasts. There could be casualties, making it not so simple. Yang Jun shook his head slightly and turned to leave. Most of the students in the ssroom did not leave immediately, gathering in small groups to discuss winter vacation dinner parties and outings. However, one person decisively walked through the crowd and quickly followed Yang Jun out of the ssroom. It was Su Yuan. Su Yuan was excited because just at the moment the school bell rang at six o''clock, the amount of Star Dust on his system panel increased to 10 points! Unable to contain himself, Su Yuan quickly left the school and took the light rail home. Su Yuan lived in an ordinary residential area in the northern suburb of the city, named Four Seasons Garden, with the tallest building being only six stories high. Nearly an hourter, Su Yuan finally arrived home. "Mom, I''m back!" As soon as Su Yuan entered the door, he greeted as usual while quickly changing into slippers. Su Yuan''s mother, Tang Shiyang, immediately responded from the kitchen, "Little Yuan, dinner will take a while..." "Mom, I need to cultivate today, don''t worry about me. You and Dad can eat firstter!" Before Su Yuan finished speaking, he had already rushed into his bedroom with an excited heart. Mother Su hurriedly came out of the kitchen with a spat in hand. Looking at the closed bedroom door, a hint of heartache appeared on her face... In the bedroom. Su Yuan sat at the desk by the window, stretched out his right hand, and with a swirl of Star Power, a white card appeared in his hand. The card was surrounded by white light, emitting a strong pressure of Star Power, making it clear that it was extraordinary. [Soul Awakening Card (Ordinary): Perfect Level (can be enhanced)] "Let''s begin!" Without waiting any longer, Su Yuan tightly held the card in his hand and called out in his heart with some excitement and a bit of apprehension, "System, enhance this Soul Awakening Card!" After half a second of silence, a blue starlight dust emerged from Su Yuan''s right hand and quickly gathered towards the Soul Awakening Card in his hand. The starlight dust flickered slightly on the card''s surface and then disappeared into it. The Soul Awakening Card then burst out with an extremely intense white halo! [Soul Awakening Card (Ordinary): Level 6] "Finally, a Level 6 Soul Awakening Card!" Su Yuan''s right hand, holding the Soul Awakening Card, trembled slightly. Earlier, he had been worried about whether adding points this time would enable it to break through to beyond Perfect Level to Level 6. Fortunately, it was sessful, and he felt a sense of relief and joy. A Level 6 Soul Awakening Card, Su Yuan had never heard of such a level before! After all, typically, Perfect Level was already the highest proficiency level for a Star Card! If the Soul Awakening Card could be enhanced to Level 6, could other Star Cards also be enhanced to Level 6? It was very possible! Su Yuan tried saying, "System, change the ''Level 6'' above Perfect Level to ''Transformation Realm.''" The information on the system panel about the Soul Awakening Card became slightly fuzzy, and then it changed to [Soul Awakening Card (Ordinary): Transformation Realm]. "Still user-friendly." Su Yuan nodded, his gazending on the Star Card. He couldn''t suppress the strong excitement in his heart. After waiting for so long, today he would finally see the results! Suppressing his fluctuating emotions, Su Yuan took a deep breath and channeled the Star Power within him to the Soul Awakening Card. "Come on, let me see what kind of effect the Transformation Realm Soul Awakening Card has! Is the half year''s worth of cultivation needed to advance from Perfect Level to the Transformation Realm worth it?" As the Star Power was infused, the Soul Awakening Card shone brightly. A substantial beam of dazzling starlight shot out from the card and entered Su Yuan''s chest, reaching the depths of his soul. A peculiar sensation surged in his heart, making Su Yuan involuntarily close his eyes. Under the influence of the Soul Awakening Card, strands of pure white light shot out from the depths of his soul, gradually forming a cocoon of light through dense interweaving, as if something was about to be born. Sweat beads formed densely on Su Yuan''s forehead, and his lips turned slightly pale. It felt as if he was undergoing extremely high-intensity training, with rapid consumption of both physical and spiritual power. "The awakening process usuallysts for three minutes. It''ll be over soon..." This had been mentioned in ss and wasmon knowledge among all Star Apprentice ss students. During the awakening process, the power of the Soul Awakening Card would guide the Star Apprentice to explore their soul''s nature, potential, and limits, step by step, nurturing the Soul Card within the light cocoon. It consumed both spiritual and physical power greatly. However, the longer this processsted, the more potential was unearthed, and usually, the stronger the Soul Card obtained from the awakening. Most people took three to four minutes; those with higher talent could take five minutes, while it was rare to find anyone in Guangchuan City who took six minutes. As for above seven minutes, not just in Guangchuan City, but in the entire Great me, it was like a needle in a haystack. One minute, Three minutes, Five minutes, ... Su Yuan, feeling his consciousness was about to blur, realized the awakening was not yetplete. He could only grit his teeth and persist. "Crossing into such a transcendent world, if I can''t master extraordinary power, how could I be content?" "Hold on a bit longer, I absolutely can''t fall down here!" "Persevere!" "Persevere!" ... "Crack, crack..." At the eight-minute six-second mark, a silver crack suddenly appeared on the light cocoon, which had been umting soul power continuously. Following this, countless cracks appeared. Momentster, apanied by dazzling silver-white light, a blue bird with indifferent silver eyes and a body seemingly carved from blue Liu Li broke out of the cocoon with a gentle chirp and transformed into a non-physical small card embedded in the Star Power Vortex at Su Yuan''s chest. "It''s done!" Su Yuan''s tense nerves suddenly rxed. At this moment, the system''s somewhat mechanical voice echoed in Su Yuan''s mind: "Detected sessful awakening of Soul Card by host. Now activating the subdiv..." However, at this moment, Su Yuan''s consciousness had reached its limit. He barely heard the system''s indistinct voice before his vision went ck, and he fell onto the bed... Chapter 4 Azure Sky Phoenix After a long time, Su Yuan woke up again and nced at the time. "It''s already been two hours?" Fortunately, he had made an agreement with his parents in advance that once he decided to train, they would not disturb him. Su Yuan rubbed his temples. Although he still felt a bit dizzy, it didn''t affect his movements. "My Soul Card!" Su Yuan couldn''t wait to probe his consciousness inside himself. He saw a miniature card with a blue back quietly suspended at his chest. On the card face was the beautiful bluebird that had emerged from its cocoon earlier... At that time, he didn''t see clearly. Now, upon closer inspection, the pattern on the card face looked more like a young phoenix than a bluebird! "Blue Card? It''s actually a Blue Card!" Su Yuan felt a joy in his heart. ording to the awakening data from the Great me Country, even those who could train to the Sixth Stage as a Star Apprentice had over half failed in their awakening. Among those who seeded, 30% would awaken an Ordinary Grade White Soul Card during their first awakening. These people had lower talent and limited potential, and even if they became Star Card Masters, it would be difficult for them to break the Gold limit in their lifetime. Over 69% of Star Apprentices could awaken Elite Grade Green Soul Cards. These people had mid to high talent, with the potential to break through the Gold and reach the Shining Star Level, where they could undergo a second Soul Card awakening and further unleash their potential. Only less than 1% could awaken Master Grade Blue Soul Cards. These people had extraordinary talent and were considered geniuses. As long as they practiced steadily, they could at least reach the Shining Star Level. As for Purple Soul Cards... it''s impossible to have a Purple Soul Card during the first awakening. That is the limit for the human species. Only through continuous training and a second awakening at the Shining Star Level can one break the limit. People who awakened White Soul Cards could never break the Gold level no matter how hard they tried, while those who awakened Blue Soul Cards could reach the Shining Star Level as long as they practiced steadily. This was "talent." It was realistic and cruel, with no fairness at all. Su Yuan suppressed the joy in his heart and probed his consciousness into his Soul Card, or rather, his Lifebound Star Card. [Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix] [Grade: Master] [Species: Phoenix] [Element: Space] [Talent: Azure Sky: Increases the power of space-rted skills by 20%] [Six Dimensions: Strength C, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution C, Spirit C, Star Power C] [Soul Skill: Instant Movement (Master, Entry-level)] "Space-type Soul Card?" "All Six Dimensions are C?!" "Master Grade skill, Instant Movement?!" The Blue Card itself was already a surprise, but the attributes of this Soul Card were even more dazzling! Leaving aside the rare and powerful space attribute and Instant Movement, the all-C Six-dimensional Qualification was simply outrageous! The Six-dimensional Qualification was extremely important for a Star Card Master, determining their growth in various aspects. Strength: Determines strength magnitude. Agility: Determines movement speed, hand speed, and nerve reaction speed.@@novelbin@@ Defense: Determines physical and star power defense capabilities. Constitution: Determines stamina, self-recovery ability, and resistance to abnormal states. Spirit: Determines spiritual power strength, amount, and recovery speed. Star Power: Determines star power recovery speed, strength, total amount, and recovery speed. As realms advanced, the differences brought by the Six-dimensional Qualification for a Star Card Master would be increasingly significant. Generally speaking, the grade of a Soul Card determined the upper and lower limits of the Six-dimensional Qualification. An Ordinary White Card at least had one E-level qualification. An Elite Green Card had at least one D-level qualification, and a Master Blue Card had at least one C-level qualification¡­ Even among Blue Cards, there was a huge difference between having one C-level qualification and having all six. Having 1-2 C-level qualifications was low grade, 3-4 was mid-grade, and 5-6 was top-grade! Being able to awaken a Blue Card was already very rare, but what''s more exaggerated was that all six dimensions of his Soul Card were C-level! "This is the legendary hexagonal warrior!" Su Yuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva. After a few seconds, he gradually calmed down from the shock, followed by uncontroble excitement and ecstasy! "To awaken a top-grade Blue Card on the first try. It really lives up to being the sixth-level Soul Awakening Card. The wait was totally worth it!" Su Yuan withdrew his consciousness from his body. He had been immersed in the joy of awakening his Soul Card, but now that he came to his senses, he immediately noticed the changes in himself. Although his physical appearance hadn''t changed much, his strength, constitution, and other physical qualities had improved several notches! In addition, his star power was abundant, and his sensitivity to the surrounding star power had reached an unimaginable level, as sensitive as a baby''s tender skin. Not only was it exceptionally clear, but there was no blockage in absorption. The bottleneck of the Seventh Stage as a Star Apprentice that he always had trouble breaking through now started to loosen by itself. In his delight, Su Yuan immediately sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and fully absorbed and refined the omnipresent star power¡­ After a long time, with a slight surge of star power emanating from Su Yuan''s body, he slowly opened his eyes. "Eighth Stage as a Star Apprentice. I didn''t expect to break through while awakening my Soul Card!" Due to the awakening of his Soul Card, his physical quality, spiritual power, and star power had just surged. After breaking through to the Eighth Stage, they increased again. Su Yuan was extremely satisfied. Previously, due to not being able to awaken his Soul Card, his cultivation progress hadgged behind others, especially Jiang Jun and another top genius in the ss, Chen Jiujun, who were already close to the Ninth Stage. Entering the Eighth Stage now meant he had somewhat caught up. "Azure Sky Phoenix, worthy of being a top-grade Blue Soul Card! This cultivation speed is simply amazing, faster than an average Blue Soul Card!" The higher the grade of a Soul Card, the faster the spiritual power cultivation speed. Generally, after awakening a White Card, the absorption and refining speed of spiritual power would increase by about twice, with a Green Card increasing it by twofold, and a Blue Card by threefold. But Su Yuan''s Azure Sky Phoenix had brought nearly a fourfold increase! Although he knew that the Soul Card would greatly enhance cultivation, it was only after experiencing it himself that he truly felt the difference. If it was a gently flowing stream before, now it was like a rushing river. Su Yuan got up from the bed, walked to the mirror by his desk, and took a good look at himself after the awakening. The young man in the mirror was wearing the uniform of Guangchuan Fourth Middle School. A white inner shirt, a light blue long-sleeved cotton jacket and pants outside, and a pair of white sneakers. With a young face that wasn''t exceedingly handsome but rather attractive, his appearance wasn''t bad. However, the originally ck-brown eyes of the Great me Country''s significant characteristic had now turned silver, as cold and indifferent as the Azure Sky Phoenix, giving the previously ordinary young man a bit of a sharp aura. "My eye color changed. It''s very noticeable¡­" Su Yuan scrutinized himself closely in the mirror. In the Great me Country, ordinary people typically had ck hair and ck eyes, but Star Card Masters could be different sometimes. During awakening, under the influence of the Soul Card''s power, Star Card Masters could undergo certain changes themselves. For example, changes in eye and hair color, and some could even develop strange symbols or patterns on their bodies. So in the Great me Country, apart from those with colored contact lenses or foreigners, those with atypical eye colors were likely to be sessfully awakened Star Card Masters. "Right, I remember the system seemed to say something before I fainted..." Su Yuan recalled and called, "System, can you repeat the previous prompt?" However, the system didn''t respond. "Still no intelligence..." Su Yuan shook his head, not surprised. After almost a year, Su Yuan had roughly figured out this system. It could follow simplemands and provide some hints at certain points, but it had almost no intelligence and couldn''t even answer basic questions. "Maybe I can find some clues on the panel." Su Yuan thought for a moment and opened the system panel, immediately noticing the difference. There were two new modules added after the original [Card Enhancement]. "Card Dposition and Card Extraction?" "I wonder what dposition can dpose... could it be... Star Dust?" Chapter 5 Star Card Skills Su Yuan''s eyes brightened. Since it was the dposition of Star Cards, what he obtained was probably the Star Dust required by this system. If it was indeed Star Dust, then this would be the second way to obtain it besides its natural increase over time. And it would be a way he could actively manipte!@@novelbin@@ With Star Dust, he could enhance Star Cards, which meant a higher Skill Proficiency Level! "Unfortunately, I don''t have other Star Cards on hand, so I can''t try it immediately." "And then there''s card extraction. Star Card Masters have the ability to extract Star Cards from Star Beast Star Cores. I''m not sure what this system''s function does." "Regardless, these two new functions must be tested as soon as possible. Especially card dposition, as it rtes to whether I can quickly improve the Star Card skills embedded in my Star Power Vortex." Su Yuan pondered for a while, then made a decision quickly. "I''ll act tomorrow. For now, let''s try the Space Movement of the Azure Sky Phoenix!" Su Yuan dispelled his thoughts, looked up, and his eyes shone with a silver light that rippled like water. His vision immediately transformed, bing a transparent, three-dimensional ck and white world. All unobstructed areas turned white, while upied spaces like desks and walls turned ck. At this moment, there were ck human shapes in both the living room and the kitchen. From their features, it wasn''t hard to deduce that Su Yang was watching TV in the living room, and Tang Shiyang was washing dishes in the kitchen. Su Yuan looked towards the kitchen, focused his mind, and immediately Star Power surged from his body, turning into silver light around him. In a sh, he disappeared from where he stood. In the kitchen. Tang Shiyang had just finished washing the dishes. She opened the warm cab, ncing at the green pepper beef and tomato scrambled eggs inside. "Winter makes everything cool down quickly. Keeping it warm in the cab doesn''t help much." Shaking her head, Tang Shiyang took out the two tes. "Little Yuan has been cultivating for so long this time. It''s already past nine, and he still hasn''te out. I should reheat these dishes." Just then, a silver sh appeared in the kitchen, and Su Yuan materialized behind Tang Shiyang. Watching her ce the two tes on the table, Su Yuan softly called out, "Mom~" "Ah!" Though he had lowered his voice, his sudden call still startled Tang Shiyang, causing her to shudder. Fortunately, she had already ced the dishes down, or else they might have fallen. Tang Shiyang quickly turned around: "You scared me to death, Little Yuan, how did you..." Before she could finish, she noticed Su Yuan''s eyes had turned silver. Stunned for a moment, she quickly covered her mouth, her eyes growing moist. "Little Yuan, did you...awaken?" Tang Shiyang''s voice trembled slightly. Non-ck pupils meant awakening for the people of Great me. Though Guangchuan City was a remote third-level city, there were still many Star Card Masters. Tang Shiyang had seen several with non-ck pupils. Su Yuan nodded and smiled: "Thank you, Mom." Without the full financial support of Su Yang and Tang Shiyang for his former self, Su Yuan wouldn''t have awakened today. He was genuinely grateful. "That''s wonderful!" Tang Shiyang hugged Su Yuan with excitement. "Son, you finally awakened! Brother Yang,e quickly, our son has awakened!" "Awakened?!" Su Yang, a sturdy man with thick eyebrows, leaped up from the sofa and strode over quickly. After a thorough inspection, Su Yang excitedly patted Su Yuan''s shoulder several times: "You''ve truly awakened! Great, great! You''re really my son. Our Su Family will have a Star Card Master! Hahaha!" Feeling the force on his shoulder, Su Yuan winced internally. Su Yang''s grip was strong. If Su Yuan hadn''t sessfully awakened as an Eighth Stage Star Apprentice, enduring these pats would have been difficult. But Su Yang''s excitement was understandable. Who in the Great me didn''t want to be a Star Card Master? Su Yang did too! But Su Yang had it worse than Su Yuan. He couldn''t even gather Star Power, making it impossible to enter the Star Apprentice Stage. Therefore, Su Yang had exhausted his resources buying Soul Awakening Cards for Su Yuan. Beyond doing it for his son, it also carried his own dreams. Now, after all the struggles and hardships, his son had finally awakened. It''s hard to imagine Su Yang''s joy... Tang Shiyang released Su Yuan and wiped away excited tears from the corner of her eyes: "Little Yuan, go sit in the living room. The food is cold. I''ll reheat it quickly, let''s eat first!" Su Yang also realized he had been overly excited. Pausing, he patted Su Yuan''s shoulder and smiled: "Yes, yes, you just awakened, the energy consumption must be considerable. Eat first!" Seeing the genuine joy from the bottom of their hearts, a warm feeling surged within Su Yuan. He wasn''t just inheriting this body. He was inheriting the memories of its former owner. The blood is thicker than water, and the blood connection can''t be severed. These two people in front of him were his parents. They were the only two people in this world he needed to protect! The next day, just after seven. "Mom, I''m leaving!" "Little Yuan, be very careful! Don''t go too deep. Shouldn''t you reconsider and bring some ssmates along?" "Don''t worry, Mom. I know what I''m doing." "Make sure to call when you''re out!" "Okay!" Carrying a ck nylon backpack and holding a long bag in his left hand, Su Yuan responded and went out. On the light rail to the east of the city, Su Yuan took out "Low Stage Star Beast Skill Evaluation," flipping through the skills he had marked. "The Green me Wolf''s Small Fireball, the Saber Lying Grasshopper''s Open and Close sh, the Rock Melt Beast''s Steel me Finger... These are all Star Beasts in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area." "Unfortunately, I can''t deal with Flying Demon Beasts. Otherwise, the Lightning Raid of the Rapid Lightning Falcon would be excellent; among White Card skills, it''s quite superior." "In addition to the chosen attack skills, the Earth Cave Spider''s Sky Binding Net is also a powerful control skill. I wonder if I''ll encounter it..." Indeed, Su Yuan''s goal this trip was to hunt Star Cards in the wild. First, to verify the system''s two new functions. Second, to quickly improve his strength. Though he had awakened a Master Grade Soul Card, he started nearly a yearter than other students who had awakened sessfully. In terms of realm, he barely caught up as he had just broken through to the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage. However, the strength of a Star Card Master didn''t rely solely on the Star Power Realm. The Star Power Realm was the foundation, but another crucial module was skills! For Star Apprentices, sessfully awakening the Soul Card not only provided a Soul Card skill but also allowed the Soul Card to act as a core in the Star Power Vortex to embed other Star Card Skills. By embedding Star Cards, a Star Card Master could master the skills within the Star Cards, harnessing the full potential of Star Power to greatly enhance their strength. Without Star Cards, one could only use the most basic and inefficient methods to release Star Power in battle, like a beast without ws. This is why only students who had sessfully awakened in the Star Apprentice ss could join the unified trials in the next semester. Without awakening, students wouldn''t benefit from the Soul Card''s enhancement and wouldn''t have any skills, making them vulnerable against Star Beasts born with inherent skills. Participating would be pointless. Thus, Su Yuan was eager to acquire practical Star Card skills to boost hisbat power. On Blue Sea Star, hunting Star Beasts was the mainstream method to obtain Star Cards! Star Beasts had a different structure from humans, born with Star Cores and skills. After killing a Star Beast, a Star Card Master could use spiritual power to extract a Star Card with a random skill from the Star Core. Although the cheapest White Cards could be bought for just a few thousand bucks, with the current state of the Su Family, Su Yuan didn''t want to ask for money anymore. Moreover, having now awakened and broken through to the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage, he had significantly enhanced strength and saw this as a perfect chance for practical training. Compared to other Star Apprentices, Su Yuan''s Azure Sky Phoenix Soul Card had the skill of Instant Movement, a highlyprehensive skill. With Instant Movement, he could advance and retreat freely unless facing Bronze-level Star Beasts adept in speed. Self-protection shouldn''t be an issue. Chapter 6 First Battle with Star Beast Two hourster, Su Yuan arrived at the Great Barbarian Mountain Area in the eastern suburbs of Guangchuan City. At this moment, the ck backpack on Su Yuan''s back was fully stuffed. Inside, it contained arge amount ofpressed food and water, and some basic medicines, enough for Su Yuan tost for more than ten days. "The Great Barbarian Mountain Area, this is my first timeing here..." Surveying the dense vegetation and faintly dangerous aura ahead, Su Yuan tightened his grip on the long bag in his hand. The Great Barbarian Mountain Area bordered the third-level cities of Guangchuan City and Liao Ping City, as well as the second-stage city of Qingye City, and was a "low-stage dangerous zone." There were more than two hundred different types of Star Beasts in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. The highest level one could reach was the Silver Stage, making it the only dangerous area around Guangchuan City. A dangerous zone referred to areas where Star Beasts roamed or where there were anomalies in Star Power. There were many such dangerous zones in the Great me Country. If the Great me Country wanted to tten all the dangerous zones within its borders, it would certainlye at a high cost, but it could absolutely be done. However, the Great me Country had not done so. The reason was simple. While the existence of dangerous zones posed a threat to nearby cities, they also provided important renewable resources. Just the Star Beasts in these zones alone, whether it was their Star Cores or some of their materials, were indispensable treasures for Star Card Masters and various industries. Not to mention, dangerous zones often gave rise to various heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Considering many aspects, the Great me Country had cleared some densely distributed, hard-to-control dangerous zones, while the remaining dangerous zones were kept and monitored by the local City Guard. The Great Barbarian Mountain Area in front of him was amon adventure spot for Star Card Masters from Guangchuan City. The outer areas were less dangerous, so students from various middle schools in Guangchuan City often came here for training. This included Su Yuan''s Guangchuan Fourth Middle School. As far as Su Yuan knew, some of his ssmates would sometimes form teams toe to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area.@@novelbin@@ Slowly opening the long cloth bag, Su Yuan revealed a cold, long saber inside¡ªan E-3 alloy standard longsword. For Star Card Masters, especially low-stage Star Card Masters, a handy weapon was equally important. Low-level attack skills like the Ice Cone Technique and Small Fireball might not cause as much damage as using a sword or saber directly. All students in the Spiritual Disciple ss had to choose a martial art, be it saber, spear, staff, or boxing, but they had to focus on one for training. This was also one of the subjects for Star Apprentice ss students'' college entrance exams. Su Yuan had chosen the longsword. This weapon was flexible, fast, and very sharp. The E-3 alloy standard longsword in his hand was bought at a discounted price for educational purposes. The original price was over twenty thousand yuan. After folding the cloth bag and putting it back in his backpack, Su Yuan gripped the longsword, took a deep breath, and resolutely stepped into the Great Barbarian Mountain Area... After quickly traveling a few kilometers, he officially entered the outer part of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area and soon encountered Star Beasts. Under a tree ahead were two yellow-hairedrge dogs about 1.3 to 1.4 meters long. These two yellow-hairedrge dogs had a mouth full of terrifying sharp teeth. Unlike ordinary dogs, both dogs had particrlyrge ears. "Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs, huh?" Information about these two Star Beasts shed through Su Yuan''s mind: [Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog] [Grade: Ordinary] [Species: Dog] [Element: None] [Talent: Auditory Enhancement: Possesses enhanced hearing, can urately locate sounds, and can even avoid some sneak attacks through sound] [Six Dimensions: Strength E, Agility E, Defense F, Constitution F, Spirit F, Star Power F] [Skill: Steel Teeth Bite (Ordinary)] "In previous Star Beast sses, the Star Beasts I saw were all raised in breeding bases. This is the first time I''ve faced a real Star Beast in the wild." "Judging from the Star Power fluctuations, they''re about Seventh Stage. Unfortunately, they''re just ordinary Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs. I can''t use Steel Teeth Bite, but I can test the card dposition feature on them first." Steel Teeth Bite could be used in battle. However, the idea of using teeth to bite opponents was unappealing, and more importantly, it could result in having one''s head blown off in one hit... While Su Yuan was observing them, the two Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs noticed Su Yuan approaching through the sound of the wind. Without hesitation, they bared their teeth and charged at him. "Theirrge bodies and fierce aura are quite intimidating!" Su Yuan held his breath, his powerful dynamic vision locked onto the two Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs. He gripped the scabbard with his left hand, while his right hand rested on the saber''s hilt. With dual E-rank Strength and Agility, the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs were not slow. In just a moment, they were in front of Su Yuan. As faint Star Power fluctuations arose, the dogs'' teeth turned a metallic silver-gray, bing solid and metallic. Skill, Steel Teeth Bite! At this moment, the two Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs leaped forward, rushing at Su Yuan with bared teeth! Su Yuan, who had remained motionless, finally moved when the dogs leaped. With a speed far surpassing ordinary humans, he dodged the first Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog and swiftly drew his saber, shing upward at the second Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog. The second Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog never expected Su Yuan to be so fast. It wanted to dodge but couldn''t change direction in mid-air. A sh of cold light and a spray of bloodter, the second Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog''s head flew high, without even a chance to scream! At this time, the first Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog had justnded back on the ground. Seeing itspanion dead, the remaining Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog turned and looked. Its eyes shone with even fiercer determination! "Woof!!" The Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog howled in anger and charged at Su Yuan with renewed force! However, Su Yuan had already turned around. Seeing the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog attacking again, he advanced instead of retreating, swinging his saber directly at the dog''s head! The Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog was shocked. At thest moment, it managed to mp its metallic silver-gray teeth onto the saber. Feeling relieved, it intended to use its strength to knock Su Yuan down. But what the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog didn''t expect was the astonishingly strong force from the saber, which knocked it flying. Most of its sharp teeth were broken, and it spat out a mouthful of blood. Before the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog could regain its footing, a silver light shed in Su Yuan''s eyes. In the next instant, he instantly teleported behind the dog and shed. Hearing the sound of the wind from behind, the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog''srge ears twitched. Thanks to its "Auditory Enhancement" talent, it sensed the danger and tried to roll forward. However, detecting danger was one thing. Evading it was another... A line of blood appeared along the back of the Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog, extending to its tail. Its body split open, spilling innards and blood everywhere. Though it avoided getting its head cleaved, it was still heavily injured. The grievously injured Big-eared Steel-toothed Dog fell to the ground, quickly losing its strength. After a few whimpers, it closed its eyes andy still... Chapter 7 Card Decomposition Su Yuan took a slight breath, looking at the corpse of the big-eared steel-toothed dog. However, his heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.@@novelbin@@ After all, practice was practice. This was Su Yuan''s first actualbat with a Star Beast. "Fortunately, the result was as expected. After augmenting with the Azure Sky Phoenix''s six-dimensional qualification, my physical condition could crush ordinary Star Beasts of the same level. Not to mention, these two big-eared steel-toothed dogs were only seventh stage, with a single attack pattern, so they were not too difficult." The only difficulty in this battle was the number. The synchronization of the two big-eared steel-toothed dogs was very high. If he confronted the first one head-on, it would be hard to avoid the second one''s bite. So Su Yuan directly ignored the big-eared steel-toothed dog that pounced at him and first killed the one behind. After reflecting on the battle process for a moment, Su Yuan walked to the big-eared steel-toothed dog that was split open and used his knife to cut out a white crystal core the size of an egg. "Is this the Star Core?" Su Yuan held the Star Core, and ording to the Star Apprentice ss teaching method, he explored it with his spiritual power. Soon, a faint glow appeared on the Star Core. "It''s responding!" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up and he continued maintaining the output of his spiritual power. Before long, the Star Core gradually disintegrated from the outside to the inside into tiny bits of blue glowing dust. Finally, it turned into a Star Card thaty quietly in Su Yuan''s hand. This Star Card had a white back, and on the front was a big-eared steel-toothed dog with silver-gray teeth, opening its mouth in a biting stance. [Steel Teeth Bite] [Element: None] [Grade: Ordinary] [Introduction: Enhances the hardness, sharpness, and biting force of the teeth, leading to a highly destructive biting attack] "It''s indeed just Steel Teeth Bite." ording to the course taught in school, extracting Star Cards from Star Cores was random, drawing a skill from the existing skills of the Star Beast. The big-eared steel-toothed dog had only one skill: Steel Teeth Bite. Naturally, only Steel Teeth Bite could be extracted. "Definitely not learning it... I''m just a Star Apprentice now, with a maximum of five Star Card Skill Slots." The more Star Cards embedded, the greater the burden on the Soul Card. Usually, Star Apprentices can only embed three to four Star Cards besides the Soul Card. Even if the Azure Sky Phoenix is of high quality, it would not exceed five. Embedded Star Cards cannot be destroyed, but each level-up grants more skill slots. Though "quality over quantity" is advised, and more skills are not necessarily better, nor will all skill slots be used, care should be taken to avoid waste. Space Star Cards are rare. Even if Su Yuan couldn''t find a Space Star Card temporarily, he would still choose good skills from the White Cards. "But if I don''t use it, I can certainly try the system''s ''dpose'' function." Looking at the [Steel Teeth Bite] Star Card in his hand, Su Yuan tried calling out in his mind: "System, dpose this Star Card!" Half a secondter, the [Steel Teeth Bite] shone with light again, and then it turned into bits of glowing dust, seeping from his palm into Su Yuan''s body, disappearing. At the same time, the Starlight Dust number on the system panel sharply jumped from 0 to 10. "It indeed dposed into Star Dust, and it''s 10 points!" Su Yuan''s eyes were full of joy. As previously spected, card dposition indeed converted Star Cards into system-required Starlight Dust, and this Ordinary Grade [Steel Teeth Bite] yielded a full 10 points of Star Dust, exactly the amount needed for one enhancement of a White Card. "This... will really make me soar!" Su Yuan could not help but swallow. Following the natural recovery rate of Star Dust, it restored 1 point per day, taking 10 days to raise one entry-level White Card skill to Skilled, 30 days to Master, and 70 days to Great Sess. This was already much faster than average, since training skill proficiency levels after embedding Star Card skills is not easy. Taking Guangchuan Fourth Middle School as an example, most awakened Star Apprentice students had only one Master level skill now. Students with two or three Master level skills were rare; those with Great Sess were non-existent. But now, with just one White Card, he could reach Skilled, three for Master, and seven for Great Sess! What kind of speed was this? Not to mention Perfect, a breakthrough to Transformation Realm could be achieved in a very short time! Su Yuan walked to the other big-eared steel-toothed dog''s corpse, applied the same technique to extract a Star Card from its Star Core, and dposed it into Star Dust. In this way, he had a total of 20 points of Star Dust in hand! "At such speed..." Su Yuan looked at the undting mountains and forests ahead, his eyes full of passion, "This Great Barbarian Mountain Area is endless proficiency points for me!" Su Yuan lifted his long knife and without hesitation headed into the depths of the forest... Most of the day passed, and along the way, Su Yuan encountered four types of Star Beasts: Wild Lizard, Earth Ground Pangolin, Little Tree Demon, and Double Ringed Patterned Snake. These were all six to seventh stage Star Beasts with only one skill each. They posed no threat to Su Yuan; he crushed them all with his physical prowess and obtained four white Star Cards: Wild Lizard''s Monster Power Punch, Earth Ground Pangolin''s Ground Boring Assault, Little Tree Demon''s Beginner Stage Vine Dance, Double Ringed Patterned Snake''s Poison Kiss. These skills did not meet Su Yuan''s expectations and were all dposed by him. "Finding a barely satisfying White skill is not easy..." Su Yuan walked on the hillside, nced at the setting sun, and couldn''t help but sigh, taking out a water bottle from his backpack for a few sips. "At most, an hour more action, then I need to find a rtively safe ce to spend the night." For Star Card Masters, staying in danger zones or secret realms for ten days to half a month wasmon. Although Su Yuan was just a Star Apprentice, his school had already conducted numerous simtions on skills such as finding water sources, setting up guard lines, and shallow sleep. As long as supplies were sufficient, staying in the outskirts of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area for a week was not a problem. However, being alone required extra caution. While pondering, Su Yuan suddenly sensed a strong Star Power fluctuation ahead and immediately became vignt, looking forward. In the distance, beside a gray-ck rock, a Star Beast about half the height of a man was leaning on the rock. This was a humanoid Star Beast, standing on two legs,posed entirely of ck stone, with only two fiery red pupils. Seeing the appearance of this Star Beast, Su Yuan''s eyes immediately lit up: "It''s a Rock Melt Beast; my luck isn''t bad after all!" [Rock Melt Beast] [Grade: Ordinary] [Species: Elemental Life] [Element: Earth, Fire] [Talent: Solid Rock, increases the density and hardness of body ck rock to a certain extent] [Six Dimensions: Strength E, Agility F, Defense E, Constitution F, Spirit F, Star Power E] [Skills: ck Rock Punch (Ordinary), Steel me Finger (Ordinary)] This Rock Melt Beast was exactly the target Su Yuan had marked earlier in the "Low Stage Star Beast Skill Evaluation". Its Steel me Finger was a mid-to-high level skill among ordinary white skills. It had high power and bursts. Given it was a skill of a humanoid Star Beast, it fit human use perfectly. Market price was around 20,000 to 30,000. Meanwhile, its other skill, ck Rock Punch, was valued at just 7,000 to 8,000. The Steel Teeth Bite from the big-eared steel-toothed dog was less popr, fetching less than 4,000 on the market! "Speaking of which, so far, all dposed white cards yielded 10 points of Star Dust, while selling one [Steel me Finger] could buy several [Steel Teeth Bite]. Using this method seems like a way to earn a lot of Star Dust for free..." Su Yuan pondered, wondering if there was such a bug? However, heter learned that only Star Cards extracted by personally defeating Star Beasts could be dposed. Star Cards given by others or purchased were not dposable. Chapter 8 Steel Flame Finger At this time, the Rock Melt Beast beside the big rock had also discovered Su Yuan. Su Yuan suppressed other thoughts and scrutinized the Rock Melt Beast carefully. "Judging from the dispersing Star Power fluctuations, this Rock Melt Beast should be at the Star Apprentice Ninth Rank. It might be tricky for other Eighth Stage Star Apprentices, but¡­" Su Yuan drew out his E-3 standard long knife, holding his breath and concentrating on the Rock Melt Beast. "With my current six-dimension qualities, a Rock Melt Beast of the Star Apprentice Ninth Rank is nothing much!" Star Power slowly started to flow within him. Su Yuan stepped forward and charged with his knife. The irritable Rock Melt Beast was already displeased with someone daring to intrude on its territory. Sensing Su Yuan''s intent to attack, it became extremely furious, waved its arms and legs, and charged towards Su Yuan in big strides. In just a few seconds, the distance of two to three hundred meters was shortened, and they were about to engage in closebat. Up close, the Rock Melt Beast became clearer in Su Yuan''s eyes. The body made of ck rock was small but firm and solid, with faint red light flowing on the surface, as if containing enormous energy. At this moment, the Rock Melt Beast clenched its fist, and arge amount of Star Power gathered swiftly into its right arm. "It''sing, ck Rock Punch!" Silver light faintly shed in Su Yuan''s eyes. He was about to dodge sideways as he took a step. However, the Rock Melt Beast seemed unwilling to let Su Yuan escape. It roared angrily, increased its forward speed again, and suddenly leaped in front of Su Yuan. Its fist, as big as a sandbag, quickly and heavily punched forward! Just as the punch was about tond on Su Yuan, a silver light shed, and Su Yuan inexplicably disappeared from the spot. The punch hit nothing. The Rock Melt Beast''s face showed some astonishment. It quickly stopped moving after a few steps but suddenly sensed some movement from behind. rmed, the Rock Melt Beast turned around hurriedly. But just as it turned, a point of cold light rapidly expanded in its eyes! "Swoosh!" Su Yuan swiftly thrust his knife, precisely stabbing the Rock Melt Beast''s face. For one of his intended targets, the Rock Melt Beast, Su Yuan had already done his homework. Compared to the hard limbs and body, the face of the Rock Melt Beast was rtively fragile. Being struck by Su Yuan''s knife, even with the "Solid Rock" talent supported throughout its body, the fragile face didn''t hold for long under Su Yuan''s powerful thrust and was prated after slight resistance! A fatal blow! The body of the Rock Melt Beast instantly stiffened, its arms drooped, and the light in its eyes gradually dimmed before it slowly fell to the ground. "The intelligence of Star Beasts on Blue Sea Star isn''t low¡­" Su Yuan looked at the dead Rock Melt Beast and slowly pulled out his long knife. During the battle, the Rock Melt Beast had held back initially, not using its full speed. It suddenly elerated only when it used the ck Rock Punch. Although it wasn''t aplex maneuver, this showed that even the lowest level Star Apprentice Level Star Beasts had somebat consciousness. "Moreover, the drawbacks of this Entry-level Instant Movement are numerous. Slow casting, significant consumption, limited moving distance, and around a 7-second casting interval¡­ Especially the nearly one-second casting time is unbearable. It must be prepared in advance. But now it''s only Entry-level Instant Movement. If the skill is upgraded to skilled or master level, it should be significantly improved." It wasn''t that Su Yuan didn''t want to add points to Instant Movement. He had tried before, but even with 60 Star Dust points, he couldn''t enhance Instant Movement at all. How much Star Dust does it take to enhance a blue skill? Only more star card dposition can answer that.@@novelbin@@ Su Yuan pushed his thoughts aside and began cutting the Rock Melt Beast''s body with the long knife. "The star core of the Rock Melt Beast should be in the chest area... Here it is!" Su Yuan cut open the Rock Melt Beast''s chest and took out a ck and red core the size of a duck egg, inspecting it closely. "The Rock Melt Beast star core of Star Apprentice Ninth Rank, with E-level Star Power Talent, indeed contains significantly more Star Power than the Sixth or Seventh Stage Star Beasts before¡­" Gripping the star core, Su Yuan infused his spiritual power to extract a star card: "I hope to get Steel me Finger¡­" Since star card masters extract a star card randomly from the star core, even with the same white skill, the probability is equal. Currently, Su Yuan had a fifty percent chance of extracting ck Rock Impact from this Rock Melt Beast''s star core. If there were green or even blue skills, the higher the grade, the lower the extraction probability. Of course, a few star card masters have unique talents or secret techniques that increase the chance of extracting certain star cards. These few are known as professional "card drawing masters." Su Yuan was channeling spiritual power for extraction when the dormant system in his body suddenly reacted. "Ding! First detection of multiple skill Star Beast star core. Reminder, do you want to use the extraction function?" "This star core contains skills: 1. ck Rock Punch, 2. Steel me Finger. You can consume 10 Star Dust to selectively extract one." ... "10 Star Dust for selective extraction?" "The skill star cards generated randomly from the star core can be chosen selectively?" Su Yuan was momentarily stunned. Wasn''t this more of a card-drawing master than a card-drawing master? Card drawing masters only marginally increase the probability, while he could randomly select through the system at the cost of some Star Dust! Even if the skills are of the same quality, there are good and bad among them. For ordinary white cards like ck Rock Punch and Steel me Finger, the difference might not be significant. But for elite green cards or master blue cards, even epic purple cards, the gap between unpopr skills and top skills could be vast! Suppressing his excitement, Su Yuan decided to test it: "System, extract Steel me Finger!" As soon as themand was given, the Star Dust points in the system immediately decreased by 10. At the same time, blue starlight dust poured into the star core through Su Yuan''s arm. The Star Power inside the core surged, birthing ck and red radiance, which circted around the surface. Within a few seconds, the star core slowly dissolved and vanished, leaving a white card with a drawing of the Rock Melt Beast lying quietly in Su Yuan''s hand. On the card, the Rock Melt Beast extended its right index finger,pletely fiery red, wrapped with strands of red me! [Steel me Finger] [Element: Fire] [Grade: Ordinary] [Introduction: Transforms Star Power into fire attribute, concentrating it in the finger, unleashing a prating and burning strike] "It really is Steel me Finger, this is awesome!" Su Yuan was excited not because of Steel me Finger but because he confirmed the system''s "extraction" function! Being able to select any skill from the star core could greatly save resources and elerate his growth, even if not used for profit. "Let''s use this [Steel me Finger]." Su Yuan held the [Steel me Finger] star card, channeling spiritual power to activate it. Soon, the [Steel me Finger] card vanished from his hand, turning into a white star hovering around the Azure Sky Phoenix Soul Card. Su Yuan raised his right hand. With a thought, the Steel me Finger star card beside the Soul Card emitted a bright light. Simultaneously, arge amount of Star Power surged to Su Yuan''s right hand. Instantly, strands of red me coiled around his index finger, radiating powerful energy. Surveying the area, Su Yuan walked over to the gray-ck rock the Rock Melt Beast leaned on and poked at the stone with his finger! "Steel me Finger!" It was like poking into coal. Su Yuan felt only slight resistance as his finger made a charred ck hole, finger-thick, in the stone. There wasn''t a single crack around the hole. After the strike, the Star Power of the fire attribute on Su Yuan''s finger was exhausted. "What a powerful destructive force!" The unexpectedly strong power of Steel me Finger amazed Su Yuan. The small hole precisely showed the concentrated power of the strike without any dispersion¡ªa feat Su Yuan couldn''t achieve before. The stone surface would have cracked along with the hole. In fact, Steel me Finger is a close-range physical attack skill boosted by strength, influenced by strength and Star Power. Post-awakening, Su Yuan''s C-level strength and Star Power talents were far superior to ordinary people. No matter the skill, close or long-range, physical or energy, attack or defense, Su Yuan''s six-dimensional all-C talents could exert the strongest effect. Feeling the Star Power within him, Su Yuan noticed the overall consumption wasn''t much; he could use it several times at full capacity. Nodding in satisfaction, Su Yuan summoned the system to start adding points. "System, enhance Steel me Finger three times." After using the extraction function and consuming 10 Star Dust, he still had 50 points. He could first spend 30 points to enhance Steel me Finger to master level. Starlight dust appeared within him, flowing into the mini star card of [Steel me Finger]. The card lit up three times, ascending to master level. Now, the system panel showed Su Yuan''s information as follows: [Su Yuan] [Level: Star Apprentice Eighth Stage] [Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix] [Grade: Master] [Species: Phoenix] [Element: Space] [Talent: Azure Sky: Enhances space-rted skills by 20%] [Six Dimensions: Strength C, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution C, Spirit C, Star Power C] [Soul Skill: Instant Movement (Master: Entry-level)] [Skill: Steel me Finger (Ordinary: Master)] [Star Dust: 20] "It''s at master level already¡­" Su Yuan marveled at the system''s power again. "Today, I got Steel me Finger. I''ll rest for now. Starting tomorrow, I''ll look for other skills and upgrade Steel me Finger and Instant Movement!" Chapter 9 Rapid Improvement The northwestern outskirts of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, sandwiched between Guangchuan City and the northeastern Second Stage City, Qingye City, were ringed by both cities. In the dense forest within the mountains, a handsome young man in a green and ck school uniform was swiftly moving through the woods. The four characters, "Qingye High School," were embroidered in gold thread on his uniform. Just as the young man was about to pass a tree that required two people to encircle, suddenly, a green shadow shot down from the tree! The young man reacted quickly. The ck and red longsword in his hand immediately turned red hot and shed at the ck shadow above his head as fast as a phantom, cutting it into two pieces that fell to the ground. It turned out to be a chameleon python skilled in ambush. The chameleon python could change its skin color for camouge and hide its aura. The chameleon python, cut in half, was not dead yet. It twisted its upper body and attempted to leap again to bite the young man. "Eighth Stage chameleon python, truly courting death." The young man seemed to be in a bad mood. Seeing the python''s futile efforts, he swiftly swung his longsword again. In just a few moments, the three to four-meter-long Eighth Stage chameleon python was chopped into a dozen pieces scattered around. "No sign of me Crystal Stones but an endless stream of these pesky things!" "ording to the information provided by the Star Card Master Association, that me Crystal Stone should be in this area near Guangchuan City, guarded by a Bronze Early Stage Fire Stepping Wolf. I''ve been here for three days and still haven''t seen any trace of the Fire Stepping Wolf." The young man suppressed the frustration in his heart and sighed softly. Taking out a handkerchief to wipe off the snake blood from his sword, he casually retrieved the chameleon python''s Star Core, then continued deeper into the forest... Time passed quickly, and a week had gone by since Su Yuan entered the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. Besides killing numerous Star Apprentice-level Star Beasts, Su Yuan had also encountered a real Bronze-level Star Beast yesterday, a Wind Running Weasel with incredible speed! Bronze-level Star Beasts were at least twice as strong in all aspects as Star Apprentice Ninth Rank Beasts, with terrifying strength. Fortunately, Su Yuan made rapid progress thanks to the system''s points. His current strength far surpassed what it had been when he first entered the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. Having enhanced the Steel me Finger 15 times, it had reached the Perfect Level. In addition, the Instant Movement had sessfully been enhanced once, and just that one time cost a whopping 200 Star Dust points! This meant that the enhancement cost of a Blue Card was 20 times that of a White Card! However, the effect was also visibly significant. The casting time of Instant Movement decreased from 1 second to about 0.7 seconds, and the interval between casts reduced from 7 seconds to 5 seconds. As for the maximum distance of Instant Teleportation, which rted to skill level and Star Power, it increased from 10 meters to 20 meters. It was imaginable that this blue skill would only be stronger in the future. Unfortunately, the Star Dust required for enhancements was too much. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, it was better to be patient for the time being. Additionally, Su Yuan had also acquired another rather good defense enhancement skill, Hardened Iron Skin, from an Iron-backed Ape. With Hardened Iron Skin quickly maxed to the Great Sess Stage, Su Yuan gained a lot of error tolerance in battles. Especially when dealing with the Wind Running Weasel. As a Bronze-level Star Beast skilled in speed, the Wind Running Weasel was exceedingly fast and even had a skill to increase movement speed, "Wind Walking." Even Su Yuan couldn''t match it. Luckily, the Great Sess Stage Hardened Iron Skin could withstand most of the Wind Running Weasel''s attacks, including Wind de, allowing Su Yuan to kill it with abination of Instant Movement and Steel me Finger after an intense battle of grappling and dodging! Finally, Su Yuan spent Star Dust to extract "Wind Walking," embedding it into the Star Power Vortex as his third skill. The value of Wind Walking was almostparable to Steel me Finger¡ªboth were very useful skills among White Cards. Just the Entry-level Wind Walking further increased Su Yuan''s speed by another 20%! "I''ve been out here for over a week now. Supplies are running low, so I should head out to rest and replenish." Su Yuan now looked quite distressed. His clothes were torn in many ces, mostly shredded by the Wind Running Weasel, and were stained red and green with the blood and fluids of numerous Star Beasts, looking like they had been dyed. Even washing in the stream couldn''t clean them. Furthermore, he had a few injuries on his body, but they weren''t serious. Thanks to the recovery ability of his C-grade stamina and some medication, most of them had already scabbed over. "Too bad I haven''t encountered any Star Beasts with healing skills," Su Yuan regretted slightly. "Otherwise, learning a Healing Skill would allow me to bepletely self-sufficient." Su Yuan examined the situation within his Star Power Vortex. As he expected, he still had the capacity to learn two more skills. When he reached the Bronze Level, he would have five new skill slots, so Su Yuan didn''t have to worry about wasting skill slots like others did. Generally, Star Card Skills were secondary; they just needed to be useful. There was no need to think too much about them. The real focus should be on choosing Soul Skills carefully. Soul Skills were Star Card Skills directly embedded into the Soul Card, typically receiving extra boosts from talents. They came with an initial one upon awakening. Afterward, from the Bronze Level onward, a new Soul Skill could be embedded at each level, and only embedding a Soul Skill would allow cultivation to proceed to the next realm. This was the fundamental reason why awakening a Soul Card was a prerequisite for bing a Star Card Master. Besides speeding up Star Power cultivation, the core reason was that the inherent Soul Skill of a Soul Card opened the door to the Bronze Level. The quality, level, andpatibility of the Soul Skill with the Soul Card would also influence the strength of the Soul Card''s second awakening. The first skill slot on the Soul Card would open at the Bronze Level. Though it would take some time, Su Yuan could start scouting for suitable skills. Compatibility had no fixed standard; however, for Soul Cards with attributes, a basic rule was to embed Star Card Skills matching the attribute of the Soul Card. Therefore, Su Yuan needed high-quality space-rted skills. As for skill levels, with the system''s help, they could always be increased, so that wasn''t an issue. The issue was that space-rted, time-rted, and some other special attribute Star Beast skills were rare and generally higher in qualitypared to elemental attributes, making them hard to find. "There''s no use worrying too much now. When the timees, there will be a way. If worstes to worst, when I enter the Star Power Academy, with arger tform, I''ll definitely find some leads on space-rted skills." Shaking his head, Su Yuan put on his deted backpack, took out a map and apass, determined his direction, and started heading back. After nearly half a day''s walk, Su Yuan suddenly heard the rustling sound of someone moving quickly through the dense forest in the distance. He immediately became alert, turning to look. Soon, a young man in a school uniform came into view, fleeing in distress, while seven or eight grey wolves with green mes on their legs were chasing closely behind him. Sensing the Star Apprentice Ninth Rank aura from those grey wolves, Su Yuan couldn''t help but pause: "This guy, did he stir up a Stepping me Grey Wolf pack?" Just then, miraculously, the young man noticed Su Yuan and his eyes lit up. He changed direction and ran towards Su Yuan, shouting loudly, "Brother, help me!"@@novelbin@@ Chapter 10 Students of Qingye High School Su Yuan''s face darkened, but after observing for a while, he did not leave. On the periphery, star beasts were sparsely distributed. He could often only kill seven or eight in a day, but it was rare to see so many star beasts at once. These were all Star Dust! Moreover, although the young man ahead was being chased by so many Fire Stepping Wolves, he moved at a steady pace and showed no obvious signs of panic on his face; he was evidently not simple.@@novelbin@@ After a brief thought, Su Yuan drew his long knife and quickly walked forward, with silver light shing in his eyes. Instant Movement was ready. If this person was just using him as a scapegoat, Su Yuan wouldn''t mind using Instant Movement to leave immediately. Seeing Su Yuan approaching with a knife, Zhuang Xun showed a look of delight. "Good man, I knew anyone daring to venture here alone must be extraordinary. As expected, this guy is tough!" Those beautiful and unique silver eyes made Zhuang Xun take a few more nces. However, now was not the time for observation. To show his sincerity, Zhuang Xun turned around and swung his sword into the wolf pack when Su Yuan was within twenty meters! Red mes entwined the sword, and the two leading Fire Stepping Wolves were immediately injured by the long sword! However, the wolves were quite tenacious. If you didn''t kill them, you had to be prepared for a fierce counterattack. In just a short moment, Zhuang Xun was surrounded by a pack of wolves, left struggling to fend off attacks from both sides, surrounded by danger. Fortunately, Su Yuan''s figure had already crashed into the wolf pack. With Wind Walking enhancing his steps, Su Yuan''s movements were incredibly agile, and he swung his long knife toward the Fire Stepping Wolves. Su Yuan''s arrival immediately attracted the attack of several Fire Stepping Wolves. Zhuang Xun felt the pressure lessen sharply, and while swinging his sword, he turned his head to look, seeing that Su Yuan moved lightly and gracefully, the four Fire Stepping Wolves surrounding him almost unable to touch the hem of his clothes. Impressive! Zhuang Xun was slightly surprised. He didn''t expect to randomly encounter a student near Guangchuan City whose strength seemed no weaker than his own. Guangchuan City was merely a third-level city under Qingye City. When had it be so extraordinary? Zhuang Xun shouted, "Good brother, thanks!" Swinging his knife and killing wolves, Su Yuan replied without turning his head, "Let''s deal with them first." Zhuang Xun smiled, the mes on his sword burning even hotter, "Alright!" With someone sharing the pressure, the remaining three Fire Stepping Wolves posed no threat to Zhuang Xun. Previously, because there were too many, even a genius student like Zhuang Xun from Qingye High School could do nothing. Because Star Apprentice''s Star Power was limited, they typically wouldn''t learn high-consumption AOE skills during the Star Apprentice Level. They would be out of power after a few uses, making it impractical. Moreover, even if they learned it, it wasn''t very effective. Star Apprentices prioritized college entrance exams to get into top-ranked academies. There were too many other things to learn and practice, so AOE skills weren''t a priority. Zhuang Xun wielded his me-wrapped sword, pierced thest Fire Stepping Wolf beside him, and contentedly sheathed his long sword. Turning around, he noticed that not far away, Su Yuan had just ended the fight by thrusting Steel me Finger into the forehead of thest Fire Stepping Wolf. "This..." Zhuang Xun looked at the three Fire Stepping Wolves'' corpses around him, his eyes widening slightly, "I took down three, he took down four, and we ended the battle together?!" "Judging by the Star Power fluctuations, wasn''t he only at the Eighth Stage!" "And, just now, wasn''t that the Steel me Finger? How did he so easily pierce the Fire Stepping Wolf''s head, was he a Fire Element Enhancement talent?" As a prominent figure in Qingye High School, Zhuang Xun was a bit confused at this moment. Could there be a more outstanding student than him in Guangchuan City? This couldn''t be! Just as Zhuang Xun was thinking, Su Yuan had already collected the Star Core of the Fire Stepping Wolf and walked over. The Fire Stepping Wolf had two skills, one was Fiery Fire w, and the other was Small Fireball. Among them, Small Fireball was a rtivelymon long-range attack skill, with a valueparable to the Steel me Finger of the Rock Melt Beast. Su Yuan thought that if there were no other choices, he could use this Small Fireball as a backup for his fourth skill. "ssmate, nice skills!" Zhuang Xun said with a smile. Seeing Zhuang Xun''s school uniform, Su Yuan asked, "A student from Qingye High School?" The area they were in now bordered Guangchuan City, far from Qingye City. Zhuang Xun smiled, "That''s right, my name is Zhuang Xun, from ss 1 of Qingye High School. What''s your name?" "I''m Su Yuan, from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School." "Fourth Middle School? You''re so good I thought you were a genius from Guangchuan First Middle School!" Zhuang Xun looked surprised, "But thanks a lot this time, otherwise, even if I could run away from so many Fire Stepping Wolves, I''d have to shed ayer of skin!" Zhuang Xun appeared a bit frustrated. Su Yuan asked, "But how did you provoke so many Fire Stepping Wolves?" "Well, it''s a long story..." Zhuang Xun''s expression turned a bit awkward. He had initiallye to find me Crystal Stone, but as he searched further and further, just when he was about to think it was false information or someone else had gotten there first, he really found it. However, what Zhuang Xun didn''t expect was that Fire Stepping Wolves which were supposed to be at the initial Bronze Level, had evolved into Green me White Wolves! If they were only Bronze Level Fire Stepping Wolves, Zhuang Xun was confident he could handle them, but Green me White Wolves were elite star beasts, far beyond thebat power of Fire Stepping Wolves. Moreover, the Green me White Wolf had gathered many Star Apprentice-level Fire Stepping Wolves around it. Left with no choice, Zhuang Xun could only retreat. However, the Green me White Wolf was too sensitive and noticed Zhuang Xun retreating. It dispatched many Fire Stepping Wolves to chase after him, leading to the situation Su Yuan now saw. Zhuang Xun seemed to think of something and suddenly brightened his eyes at Su Yuan, "By the way, Su Yuan, seeing you use the Steel me Finger, you must be a Fire Star Card Master, right? Listen, I know there''s a Green me White Wolf ahead, an elite star beast evolved from the Fire Stepping Wolf. There''s a chance it might drop an elite grade skill, the Gray me Strike!" "A Green me White Wolf?" Su Yuan''s expression changed slightly, "What level?" Zhuang Xunughed, "Just Bronze Early Stage!" Hearing this, Su Yuan quickly thought it over. The Green me White Wolf was an elite star beast evolved from the Fire Stepping Wolf. Its representative skill was the Green Grade Gray me Strike, a special skill only possessed by the Green me White Wolf species, greatly powerful, with very fast projectile speed, making it hard to avoid. Generally, green star cards were priced at tens of thousands, and rare green cards might be worth thirty or forty thousand. The Gray me Strike could sell for at least over twenty thousand if put on the market! Although he was not a Fire Star Card Master, obtaining a practical green card wasn''t easy for Su Yuan in his current situation. This was a rare opportunity. Besides, with the system''s help, he could extract the Gray me Strike with 100% certainty. Su Yuan asked, "What do you want for giving me the Green me White Wolf''s intel?" "Rest assured, the Gray me White Wolf''s Star Core is yours." Zhuang Xun smiled, exining, "To be honest, my target is a me Crystal Stone upied by that Gray me White Wolf. This information was top-secret intel I paid a high price for, and I came here quickly. If I leave empty-handed this time, the me Crystal Stone might be taken by someone else. Su Yuan, you''re strong. If we team up and solve the Green me White Wolf together, the Star Core is yours, and the me Crystal Stone is mine. What do you say?" me Crystal Stone? No wonder. Su Yuan suddenly understood. me Crystal Stone was a second-stage fire attribute mineral. Though not a particrly high-grade material, its high demand made it often out of stock and hard to buy. "Alright, no problem!" Su Yuan didn''t think much more and immediately nodded in agreement. The elite-level Green me White Wolf was undoubtedly stronger than the Wind Running Weasel he encountered yesterday. Still, it wasn''t impossible to handle. Unlike the speed-focused Wind Running Weasel, he had confidence in using Instant Movement to escape from the Green me White Wolf if necessary. "Good!" Zhuang Xun''s eyes brightened, "Then let''s go, and recover a bit on the way." Chapter 11 Green Flame White Wolf Zhuang Xun walked in front to lead the way, and Su Yuan followed closely behind. The two quickly moved through the forest for nearly half an hour. They finally found the Green me White Wolf that Zhuang Xun had mentioned in a clearing. Zhuang Xun immediately stopped and leaned against arge tree that three people could barely wrap their arms around. Lowering his voice, he said to Su Yuan, "Su Yuan, look, right ahead." Su Yuan came closer and looked from behind the tree. Sure enough, there was a huge Green me White Wolf, about as tall as a person. The snow-white body had me-like green patterns, and its eyes glinted with a fierce light, giving off a daunting presence! [Green me White Wolf] [Grade: Elite] [Species: Wolf] [Element: Fire] [Talent: Wolf Nature: The more severe the injuries it sustains, the higher the damage it inflicts, up to a maximum of 24%] [Six Dimensions: Strength D, Agility E, Defense E, Constitution E, Spirit F, Star Power D] [Skills: Gray me Strike (Green), Fiery Fire w (Ordinary), Beginner Stage Healing Skill (Ordinary)] For mammalian Star Beasts, generally, therger the size, the stronger the ability. At this moment, the massive Green me White Wolf was lying on the ground, hugging a fist-sized crystal red ore, which was precisely the me Crystal Stone Zhuang Xun wanted. Su Yuan observed for a while and then whispered, "The Star Power fluctuations of this Green me White Wolf are quite unstable. It seems that it has just recently evolved." Zhuang Xun nodded and said, "It should be. The information I received mentioned only a Bronze-Level Fire Stepping Wolf." Su Yuan looked at Zhuang Xun expressionlessly, "But earlier, you didn''t mention that there were also four Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolves here?" Indeed, surrounding the Green me White Wolf were fourrger Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolves! Zhuang Xunughed, "I thought four Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolves wouldn''t be much of a problem for us, right?" Su Yuan pursed his lips. This guy wasn''t honest, hiding the truth just to make sure he woulde along. "Fine, dealing with four Fire Stepping Wolves is indeed not much of an issue. But to take on the Green me White Wolf, we have to handle them first." Su Yuan pretended to ponder and then said, "How about this? I''ll take care of the four Fire Stepping Wolves, and you handle the Green me White Wolf alone. That should be manageable, right?" Since they were already here, there was no reason to retreat without a fight. After all, the Gray me Strike was still something they had to obtain. However, Zhuang Xun yed Su Yuan, so letting him off too easily was out of the question. Upon hearing Su Yuan''s words, Zhuang Xun''s face immediately darkened. Acknowledging his guilt, he coughed twice and then reluctantly agreed, "No problem, but you''ll need to be quick...." After a brief discussion, Su Yuan set down his backpack, drew his knife, and walked out, instantly catching the attention of the Green me White Wolf and the four Fire Stepping Wolves.@@novelbin@@ The Green me White Wolf scrutinized the sudden appearance of the human. When it sensed Su Yuan''s Spiritual Power fluctuations were only at the Eighth Stage, it arrogantly raised its head and roared. Instantly, two of the four Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolves flung themselves toward Su Yuan. Zhuang Xun watched closely from behind the tree. There was no clear view of Su Yuan''s real strength earlier as he was also surrounded by three Fire Stepping Wolves. Now, it''s the perfect time to observe! As the two Fire Stepping Wolves charged, green mes ignited on their four legs, enhancing their momentum. Before they got close, they opened their mouths and spat out two basin-sized green fireballs. For long-range attacks, dodge if you can. Su Yuan''s feet gathered wind attribute Star Power. Clear wind swirled as he lightly swayed left and right, effortlessly dodging the two green fireballs. "Boom, boom!" The small fireballsnded on trees and the ground, creating loud explosions. "Darn it, Su Yuan, were you doing that on purpose..." Zhuang Xun walked out from behind the tree that had arge hole blown out of it, looking displeased. However, he was unscathed, without a single speck of dust on him. Su Yuan ignored Zhuang Xun. The two Fire Stepping Wolves had already reached him, and the leading one extended its ming green w, aiming to strike¡ªFiery Fire w! "This scene is somewhat simr to that time when I first encountered those two Big-eared Steel-toothed Dogs. But now, I don''t need to dodge anymore." Su Yuan''s expression didn''t change. He neither dodged nor evaded. Stepping up, he swung his scarred and battered long knife down! The long knife met Fiery Fire w. After a brief stalemate, he forcefully pushed the charging Fire Stepping Wolf back. At this moment, the second Fire Stepping Wolf had already lunged within an arm''s reach and snapped its jaws at him. Zhuang Xun, observing the fight, slightly frowned, "Such strength. He has strength qualification of at least D-grade to possess such power at Star Apprentice Eighth Stage. But after repelling the first Fire Stepping Wolf, how is he going to dodge the second one''s attack¡­ huh?!" Zhuang Xun''s eyes widened in shock. He saw Su Yuan''s left hand reach out and grab the snapping jaws of the Fire Stepping Wolf! "What is he doing? Is he trying to get himself killed?" Zhuang Xun was startled. However, the next moment exceeded Zhuang Xun''s expectations. Su Yuan actually grabbed the upper jaw of the Fire Stepping Wolf. Although the wolf''s sharp teeth bit into his hand, they didn''t sever it! "What''s going on? How could anyone withstand the sharp teeth and powerful jaws of a Fire Stepping Wolf with their bare hand?!" Zhuang Xun was stunned. The next moment, he noticed that Su Yuan''s left hand, from the forearm to the grasping hand, had turned to a metal-like dark gray color. "I see. His isn''t fire element enhanced ability after all. Perhaps he specializes in defense? Damn, this isn''t normal!" Zhuang Xun wouldn''t have guessed that this was due to a C-grade defense qualification paired with a Great Sess Stage defense skill, Hardened Iron Skin, which was beyondmon understanding. Grasping the upper jaw of the Fire Stepping Wolf, Su Yuan didn''t wait for the wolf to struggle. He twisted its jaw backward and over his shoulder, mming it down to the ground. "Die." Su Yuan rotated the long knife to a reverse grip and thrust it downward into the wolf''s head! Blood sprayed. Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolf, dead! "Why does a casual outing lead to encountering such a monster..." Zhuang Xun swallowed hard. Killing a Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolf wasn''t impressive, but Su Yuan''s toughness was absolutely staggering! To subdue a Ninth-Stage Fire Stepping Wolf barehanded¡ªwhat a monster. Zhuang Xun suddenly realized that Su Yuan seemed even stronger than expected, possibly stronger than he was. And what was even more terrifying was that this person was only at Star Apprentice Eighth Stage! "Where did this freake from? I rememberst time in Shuzhou special recruitment exam, that Fang Kun was from Guangchuan City. Luckily, I''ve kept in touch. I need to ask him!" As Su Yuan killed this wolf, it enraged the distant Green me White Wolf. Roaring furiously, the remaining two stationary Fire Stepping Wolves and the one that had been pushed back now rushed together toward Su Yuan. "You handle the Green me White Wolf for now." Without turning back, Su Yuan called out to Zhuang Xun. Withdrawing his knife from the wolf''s head, he moved to face the remaining three wolves, shing with them instantly. Once Su Yuan hadpletely engaged the Fire Stepping Wolves, Zhuang Xun also sprang into action, circling around the battlefield and charging toward the Green me White Wolf with his sword. The Green me White Wolf had already noticed Zhuang Xun but disdainfully didn''t make a move. Now, seeing Zhuang Xun approaching, its eyes grew fiercer. It released a surge of Star Power, causing the green patterns on its white body to light up and burn silently! While the Fire Stepping Wolves only had green mes on their four legs, the Green me White Wolf was enveloped in a faint green fire during a fight. With a single bound, it transformed into a ball of green and white fire, ramming towards Zhuang Xun. The terrifying oppression of a Bronze-Level elite demon beast could only be truly felt in this direct confrontation! Zhuang Xun''s expression turned serious. He shook his long sword, causing fiery mes to rise and wrap around the entire de. "Such overwhelming Star Power... I hope Su Yuan can wrap things up quickly, or I really won''tst!" Gritting his teeth, Zhuang Xun charged, shing with the iing Green me White Wolf... Chapter 12 Join Forces to Kill the Wolf Su Yuan dealt with three Ninth Stage Fire Stepping Wolves with rtive ease, using Wind Walking and Hardened Iron Skin while keeping an eye on Zhuang Xun''s battle with the Green me White Wolf. "This Zhuang Xun, truly not simple..." Su Yuan''s eyes narrowed slightly. Zhuang Xun had already demonstrated quick speed ying the Fire Stepping Wolves. Now, facing the Green me White Wolf alone, he remained calm andposed, advancing and retreating with skill. Fierce mes erupted from the ck-red longsword, and various powerful sword moves imbued with the fire element were frequently unleashed. Even though the Green me White Wolf had some me resistance, it still suffered continuous burning damage when struck by the longsword. Additionally, Zhuang Xun''s Fiery me Sword Technique and me Explosion Technique were used at just the right moments, making it so that he didn''t fall behind at all for now. "That fierce fire sword skill is at least of Green Grade. Coupled with the Green Grade me Explosion Technique and that ck-red longsword... the burning trait of its attacks should also belong to this weapon. It''s almost certain it''s a Green Grade Weapon Card..." Su Yuan''s gaze fell on the ck-red longsword in Zhuang Xun''s hand, and he silently clicked his tongue. "Truly a wealthy young master, no wonder he doesn''t care much about the demon core of the Green me White Wolf." This entire set on Zhuang Xun, even the me Explosion Technique, was the cheapest, only around two hundred thousand. Next was the fire sword skill. Skills like sword techniques, staff techniques, or de techniques couldn''t be extracted from beast cores of Star Beasts but instead were produced in another way¡ªrecorded by human experts. Because of higher costs and fewer numbers, their value was also higher, possibly twice that of the me Explosion Technique. As for Zhuang Xun''s ck-red longsword, it couldn''t bepared to the standard long de in Su Yuan''s hand. It was a genuine Star Device transformed from a "Weapon Star Card"! Weapon Star Cards differ from typical Skill Star Cards. They are a revolutionary craft created by humans. By integrating forging techniques with Star Cards, ordinary objects are sublimated into extraordinary items capable of fully unleashing Star Power, known as Star Devices. Throughout the process of driving away Myth Star Beasts and consolidating human domination, Star Devices yed a crucial role. Star Devices could not only enhance the user''s attributes but also possess special traits, like the "burning" trait of this ck-red longsword. Moreover, the rarity of Star Devices was higher than sword skills, and their prices far exceeded those of Skill Cards of the same grade. They were not much cheaper than even high-grade Skill Cards. Zhuang Xun''s green-ck-red longsword was likely priced close to a low-tier Blue Skill Card. So overall, Zhuang Xun''s entire set was worth at least three to four million! During the Star Apprentice Stage, being able to casually spend millions meant almost certainly being a wealthy young master. It was hard to earn that much money during the Star Apprentice Stage. However, Su Yuan didn''t feel too much envy. After all, you have your money, and I have my tricks... The battle between humans and wolves was extremely intense. Star Power burst forth, and dust flew everywhere! After a fierce battle, with a dull thud, Zhuang Xun was knocked away by the Green me White Wolf, flying more than ten meters, and he groaned, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Truly powerful, worthy of being a Bronze Level Elite!" The Green me White Wolf was stronger than expected. Zhuang Xun had been pressed hard the whole time, and now he was getting angry. Casually wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhuang Xun gathered Star Power again. The firelight on the sword, dispersed by the Green me White Wolf''s strike, reunited and was restored. Gritting his teeth, Zhuang Xun prepared to charge again. But at this moment, the Green me White Wolf seemed to be annoyed and unwilling to entangle with Zhuang Xun any longer. It suddenly opened its mouth, and the immense Star Power within swiftly converged in its mouth, forming a highlypressed blue me.@@novelbin@@ Elite Skill, Gray me Strike! Zhuang Xun immediately felt an intense sense of oppression. He wanted to dodge but sensed that this strike would not be easily evaded. Gritting his teeth, Zhuang Xun decisively withdrew his longsword and quickly rubbed arge me ball with his hands to face it head-on. Although both were elite green skills, Zhuang Xun''s me Explosion Techniquepared to the Green me White Wolf''s Gray me Strike showed a significant energy difference. The reason was simple, the disparity in Star Power was toorge! Zhuang Xun was merely at the Ninth Rank of the Star Apprentice Stage, while the Green me White Wolf was a Bronze Level Elite Star Beast with a D-ss Star Power Talent! In a matter of seconds, both sides were ready to strike, but as Zhuang Xun''s heart grew heavier, countless thoughts shed through his mind: "I was careless. Being a Bronze Level Elite Star Beast, I shouldn''t have engaged. I was too young, thinking after killing two Bronze Early Stage ordinary Star Beasts I could handle this Green me White Wolf..." "Am I going to die here today? I''m still so young and handsome. I haven''t even seen what a top Star Power Academy looks like... Also, I haven''t even held a girl''s hand yet! It''s all my mom''s fault for being so strict, saying I couldn''t date until I got into the top twenty academies." "It''s over, everything''s over! I shouldn''t have trusted anyone so easily. Su Yuan ispletely unreliable. He hasn''t even dealt with those three Fire Stepping Wolves yet? He''s nowhere to be seen. Did he run away?" "But even if he returned, he would be no match for this Green me White Wolf... Huh? Above the Green me White Wolf, is, is that Su Yuan?" Zhuang Xun''s somewhat dazed mind instantly cleared up. Looking again, it was indeed Su Yuan, who had somehow appeared above the Green me White Wolf out of thin air! Earlier, Su Yuan had also noticed the Bronze Level Elite Star Beast''s strength was greater than imagined, making it hard to confront directly. So, after killing the three Fire Stepping Wolves, he decisively used the remaining Star Dust to enhance Steel me Finger to the Transformation Realm, awaiting the right opportunity! At this moment, with the Green me White Wolf fully upied by Zhuang Xun, the opportunity had arrived, and Su Yuan used instant teleportation to arrive. As the Green me White Wolf was about to unleash Gray me Strike, Su Yuan''s ironized, ck-gray left arm suddenly turned crimson like metal being forged at high temperature! Then he suddenly turned his fingers into a w and thrust all five fingers into the Green me White Wolf''s head! "Awwoo!!" A heart-wrenching scream echoed as the Green me White Wolf, in immense pain from the blow, began to struggle fiercely,pletely neglecting the Gray me Strike it had prepared. It inadvertently sprayed it onto the ground nearby, causing a huge explosion and leaving a crater several meters in diameter! Su Yuan unleashed all his Star Power to fend off the burning blue mes on the Green me White Wolf. Despite its furious thrashing, he held its head tightly with his five fingers! A Bronze Level Elite Demon Beast wasn''t indestructible. Despite its strong constitution, with such severe head injuries, survival was impossible. Within seconds, the Green me White Wolf rolled its eyes, spewed blood from its mouth, and copsed on the ground. Chapter 13 Departure, Harvest "Finally, it''s over..." Su Yuan let go of his left hand. Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. His body was covered in burns and wounds, all inflicted by the Green me White Wolf''s desperate struggle. After all, the Green me White Wolf had the "Wolf Nature" talent. Fortunately, it onlysted a few seconds. Otherwise, he would not have been able to endure it any longer. "Even though they are both Bronze Level, the difference between elite and ordinary is much greater than I imagined..." Su Yuan felt a shiver in his heart. The Green me White Wolf''s strength was far higher than he had expected. This time, he had taken quite a risk. It might have been because he had suppressed himself for a year, and now, with his explosive growth in strength and after killing the Bronze Level Wind Running Weasel, he had be somewhat impetuous. "I need to reflect on this carefully. After all, I only have one life." While Su Yuan was summing up, Zhuang Xun walked over, dumbfounded. Looking at the corpse of the Green me White Wolf lying on the ground, he skeptically asked, "This... you killed it just like that?" Su Yuan, still reflecting on himself, nodded casually, saying, "Killed it." "Killing such a powerful Green me White Wolf and still staying so calm, is this what a real expert is like?" Seeing Su Yuan soposed, Zhuang Xun secretly marveled, "Indeed, I still don''t have enough ''expert demeanor.'' Stay calm, stay calm, it''s just a Green me White Wolf, no big deal!" "But how did Su Yuan get on top of the Green me White Wolf? Could he possibly fly?" Zhuang Xun was still very puzzled. Earlier, while dealing with the Gray me Strike, Zhuang Xun had been fully upied conjuring fireballs, paying no attention to how Su Yuan had suddenly appeared. Zhuang Xun was about to ask further when Su Yuan had already leaned down to extract the Green me White Wolf''s Star Core. "As we agreed earlier, the Star Core is mine, and the me Crystal Stone is yours." "Oh, right, the me Crystal Stone!" Zhuang Xun pped his forehead. Seeing the me Crystal Stone on the ground in the distance, he rushed over happily to pick it up, without bothering to question Su Yuan any further. He held the me Crystal Stone in his hand, studying it fondly for a moment. Suddenly, a white light shed on his left hand, and the me Crystal Stone disappeared from his hand. "A space ring? No wonder he didn''t even carry a backpack. Truly a rich kid..." Su Yuan''s gaze fell on the ring on Zhuang Xun''s left hand, clicking his tongue, "This thing is really convenient. I''ll have to buy one when I have money." While Su Yuan was secretly thinking, he carefully put the Green me White Wolf''s Star Core in his bosom and then retrieved his backpack and scabbard from a distance, sitting down to rest. Zhuang Xun, satisfied, pped his hands and walked over to Su Yuan: "Su Yuan, thanks a million this time! You not only saved my life twice but also killed the Green me White Wolf to help me get the me Crystal Stone!" Su Yuan shook his head and smiled: "It''s nothing, really. Besides, the reason we could kill the Green me White Wolf so smoothly was mainly because you attracted its fire." Seeing Su Yuan say this, Zhuang Xunughed and said, "Alright, I won''t thank you much more then. Let''s exchange contact information; if you need any help in the future, just let me know." Su Yuan nodded: "Sure." The two exchanged contact information and then went their separate ways. Zhuang Xun headed directly back to Qingye City with the me Crystal Stone, while Su Yuan nned to replenish and rest in the suburbs of Guangchuan City, let his parents know he was safe, and then head back to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hunt Star Dust. After all, whether it was the Hardened Iron Skin, Instant Movement, or the soon-to-be-acquired Gray me Strike, they all consumed a lot of Star Dust. With three weeks left in the winter break, he had to seize the time. After leaving the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, he returned to a hotel in the eastern suburbs of Guangchuan City to rest for a day, replenished his supplies, and then returned to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to continue hunting Star Beasts. ... Time flew, and before he knew it, the winter break was almost over. Su Yuan left the Great Barbarian Mountain Area again, took a good shower in the hotel, and then took the light rail home. Besides the time spent resting in the hotel and traveling back and forth, Su Yuan had spent almost three and a half weeks in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. On good days, he could hunt a dozen or so Star Beasts. On bad days, only five or six. This was because the outer areas of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area were sparse with Star Beasts, and Su Yuan did not venture deep inside easily. After the battle with the Green me White Wolf, Su Yuan realized he needed to develop more steadily. After nearly a month of hunting, Su Yuan had gained nearly 2000 points of Star Dust, and his status panel had undergone tremendous changes! [Host: Su Yuan] [Level: Star Apprentice Eighth Stage] [Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix] [Grade: Master] [Species: Phoenix] [Element: Space] [Talent: Azure Sky - enhances the power of space-rted skills by 20%] [Six Dimensions: Strength C, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution C, Spirit C, Star Power C] [Soul Skill: Instant Movement (blue, mastered): casting time reduced to 0.5 seconds, casting interval 4 seconds, teleportation distance affected by skill level and Star Power] [Skills: Steel me Finger (white, transformation), Hardened Iron Skin (white, transformation), Wind Walking (white, transformation), Gray me Strike (green, great sess)] [Star Dust: 160] The system panel elements had been directly color-coded by Su Yuan. The cost-performance ratio of the three White Card skills was the highest, so Su Yuan had upgraded them all to the transformation realm, resulting in not only enhanced power but also a qualitative change. The transformation level Steel me Finger could cover his entire palm and fingers and had been used against the Green me White Wolf, showing strong lethality. The transformation level Hardened Iron Skin could turn his entire body into steel skin for a certain period, simr to the iron cloth in Earth''s martial arts, making him almost impervious to des and bullets! The transformation level Wind Walking allowed him to manipte the wind to affect the trajectory of long-range attacks, thereby evading certain types of ranged attacks. Additionally, the Green Card Gray me Strike was upgraded to great sess. It was highly consuming, but the power increased correspondingly! Although it was not as strong as the Green me White Wolf''s strike, it was not far off. Lastly, the Soul Skill Instant Movement, due to the high Star Dust cost for upgrading blue skills, was only leveled up to master. However, it became increasingly useful, further reducing casting time and interval, and enhancing teleportation distance. After many upgrades, Su Yuan had also gained a deeper understanding of the system''s functions. Enhancing a White Card skill once required 10 points of Star Dust, a Green Card 40 points, and a Blue Card 200 points. If using the system''s extraction function to choose directly, it would consume the Star Dust required for one upgrade. "It''s just that the E-3 longsword is almost scrapped. With the Joint Trialing up, I''ll need to buy a new one." Su Yuan sighed slightly. This month of training had turned his nearly new longsword into a worn-out mess, and in the battle two days ago, it had even been broken by a Star Beast. Su Yuan had buried it in the woods of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area as he left. "It would be nice to have a Weapon Card. Regardless of its attributes, at least Star Devices wouldn''t be as easily damaged as Mortal Iron." Thinking of Zhuang Xun''s ck and red longsword with the scorching trait, Su Yuan couldn''t help but feel envious. ... Tang Shiyang, who had gotten the news of her son''s return, waited early in the living room. As soon as Su Yuan came back, she quickly went up to check him all over, very worried. It took a full two hours before Su Yuan finally escaped from his mother''s deep concern and endless questions. Returning to his bedroom, Su Yuan copsed into bed in a big, spread-eagle position and slowly closed his eyes. "Overall, this trip to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area was very rewarding. The rapid improvement in strength is quite addictive. But it''s really exhausting, both physically and mentally..." The warm atmosphere at home quickly rxed Su Yuan''s continuously tense nerves, and as hey there with his eyes closed, he fell into a deep sleep within a few seconds. In a short while, Tang Shiyang came to his bedroom with a te of freshly cut fruit: "Little Yuan, these are fresh fruits your dad brought back from the suburbs this morning..." Tang Shiyang opened the door, only to find Su Yuan already asleep. She quickly stopped talking. "He fell asleep so quickly, this child..." There was pain in Tang Shiyang''s eyes, and tears involuntarily welled up. Su Yuan had spent a whole month in such a dangerous ce as the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. As a mother, how could Tang Shiyang not feel pained and worried? But seeing her son work so hard, she and his father could only support him and try not to be a hindrance to his growth.@@novelbin@@ Gently cing the fruit tter on the bedside table, Tang Shiyang carefully pulled the quilt over Su Yuan, then quietly exited the bedroom... Chapter 14 Special Admissions End of February, school opening day. Because his home was rtively far away, Su Yuan, as usual, got up early to go to school. On the first day of school, maybe everyone camete. When Su Yuan arrived at the ssroom, there were only a few scattered people. Su Yuan walked to his seat and sat down. He took out "Great me Geography," "Blue Sea Star General Language," "Star Power Cultivation Basics," and other books, recalling and summarizing the battles and gains in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area over the past month. "It''s a pity that there might not be any chance to go to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to max out Instant Movement and Gray me Strike in a short time." On one hand, the high-stakes exams were approaching, and the improvement in the realm had to be more urgent. Simply reaching the Eighth Stage was not enough. At least, he had to enter the Ninth Stage, or even formally step into the Bronze Level! On the other hand, preparation for the cultural subjects was also necessary. Overall, this semester''s studies were rtively tight. If there were no idents, it would be hard to find time to level up his skills in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. "You seem different from before... Hmm? Have you awakened?" While Su Yuan was pondering, Jiang Jun''s voice suddenly came from the side. Su Yuan had been fighting in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area for nearly a month. He had juste out, and the bloody aura on his body had notpletely dissipated. Jiang Jun, with her keen perception, immediately noticed Su Yuan''s difference. When she saw Su Yuan''s silver pupils, she confirmed it but didn''t know what kind of Soul Card it was. Su Yuan turned his head to look at Jiang Jun, who had just sat down, and felt a slight movement in his heart. The Star Power fluctuations on her body were exceptionally intense. She had already reached the Ninth Stage, seemingly just recently breaking through, so she was not good at concealing it yet. "Yes, I was lucky. I had an awakening during the holiday." Su Yuan smiled and then said, "But you, you have already broken through to the Ninth Stage. No student in our Fourth Middle School has reached the Ninth Stage yet. Impressive! Breaking through before the test, getting into the top ten should be no problem this time!" "No, I''m not the first one to break through to the Ninth Stage." Jiang Jun''s face showed a hint of confusion. "Don''t you know? Chen Jiujun broke through to the Ninth Stage just before the winter vacation. He also took advantage of the holiday to participate in the special recruitment of Wanzhou Academy and passed smoothly." "Oh?" Su Yuan was a little surprised. "Chen Jiujun got specially recruited by Wanzhou Academy?" The cities of Great me Country were divided into three levels, directly governed by higher-level cities. For example, Guangchuan City was the lowest third-level city, while Qingye City, where Zhuang Xun was, was a second-stage city. As for the higher first-level cities, there were neen in total, collectively known as "Three Cities, Four Extremes, Twelve States." From an administrative level, Guangchuan City belonged to Qingye City, and Qingye City belonged to Shuzhou City, located in the southwest of the Twelve States. As for Wanzhou City, where Chen Jiujun participated in the special recruitment, it bordered Shuzhou City to the east. The higher the city''s level, the more educational resources it had. So, the Star Power Academies in the neen cities were undoubtedly stronger than those in other cities! Among them, Wanzhou Academy in Wanzhou City ranked twelfth in thetest academy rankings, two ces higher than Shuzhou Academy, which was fourteenth. It was absolutely an academy that all students in Guangchuan City dreamed of entering! And Chen Jiujun had been specially recruited in advance? Su Yuan admired, "No wonder he is a genius who awakened a blue Soul Card." Chen Jiujun was the second student in Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, after Su Yuan, to reach the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage. He was not only famous in Fourth Middle School but also well-known among students throughout Guangchuan City. His father was a renowned Gold Level Star Card Master in Guangchuan City. It was said that although Chen Jiujun received a Skilled Level Soul Awakening Card from the school, he did not use it. His father spent a considerable amount of money to prepare a Master Level Soul Awakening Card for him. And he lived up to expectations, even exceeding them, awakening a Master Grade Thunder Attribute Soul Card, bing a top genius in Guangchuan City! As for the special recruitment of first-ss Star Power Academies... Star Card Masters heavily depended on talent, and there were differences even among geniuses. To attract top talents, strong academies would identify some genius students in advance and recruit them before the high-stakes exams. This was known as the special recruitment. With the idea that better students should receive better education, the special recruitment by such academies was allowed by the Department of Education but with some restrictions, leading to high requirements for special recruitment. The minimum threshold for special recruitment by the neen academies: Star Apprentice Ninth Stage, low-grade blue Soul Card, and Master Level Martial Arts. Among these three conditions, Su Yuan''s Soul Card and Martial Arts met the requirements. Because he didn''t have a Soul Card before, Su Yuan put more effort into cultural subjects and Martial Arts. The basic saber skill had long reached the Master Level. During this trip to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, his saber skill transformed through practicalbat and reached the Great Sess level. As for the Soul Card, the top-grade blue Azure Sky Phoenix was self-exnatory. But in terms of the realm, Su Yuan was far behind. After all, he wasted a year and just broke through the Eighth Stage.@@novelbin@@ However, Su Yuan did not envy the special recruitment. With his "talent," Su Yuan was confident enough to get into any academy, even obtaining extra resources. Special recruitment or not, it made no big difference. Jiang Jun asked suspiciously, "Don''t you usually check your phone? When he was recruited, our ss group chat exploded." "I was busy during the winter vacation and didn''t check my phone much. When I checked it these days, there was 99+ unread messages in the group chat... already scrolled up to the top..." Su Yuan casually exined. He then heard amotion outside the ssroom. "Look, it''s Chen Jiujun! He was just admitted to Wanzhou Academy!" "I didn''t expect our Guangchuan Fourth Middle School to produce a special recruit for Wanzhou Academy. That''s amazing!" "So envious, that''s Wanzhou Academy. I have no hope of getting into such an academy in this lifetime..." "Are you kidding? There''s no retaking in the Star Apprentice ss. If you fail once, there''s no second chance. But if you go reincarnate now, you might still be early." "Screw you!" "..." Amidst the exmations and discussions, a tall, handsome young man with a stern face walked into the ssroom under the gaze of students inside and outside the ss. Chen Jiujun casually nced at everyone in the ss. His eyes paused on Jiang Jun''s face for a half-second before he turned and sat in his seat. "I must say, the gap is really big..." Chen Jiujun thought of the geniuses he had seen during the special recruit selection and then looked at his ssmates who hadn''t even reached the Ninth Stage. He shook his head. "There''s really noparison... Soon, in a few months, I will leave this countryside of Guangchuan and go to Wanzhou Academy, where talents gather, topete with various geniuses!" Having passed Wanzhou Academy''s special recruitment, Chen Jiujun was full of spirit now. He didn''t even regard Jiang Jun, who was barely apetitor before, as worthy anymore. Having seen the talents outside, he knew Guangchuan was too small and too weak. "No wonder Dad was so strict with me, saying that my opponents are not in Guangchuan but outside... In all of Guangchuan, perhaps only Fang Kun from First Middle School can be considered my opponent now." These past few months were filled with good news for Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau! For the first time in over ten years, two students were special recruits in first-ss academies in one go! Fang Kun from First Middle School was specially recruited by Shuzhou Academy two months ago. Chen Jiujun from Fourth Middle School was specially recruited by Wanzhou Academy during the winter vacation. With two special recruits in one go, doubling the education resources next year was not impossible! Chapter 15 Joint Trials Not long after, the ssroom gradually filled up. All the students asionally nced secretly at Chen Jiujun, who was sitting by the aisle, but didn''t dare to whisper in the ssroom. When the bell rang, homeroom teacher Yang Jun walked in with a glowing face, immediately looking at Chen Jiujun and nodding with a smile. "Okay, students. The one-month winter break has passed. It''s time to get serious, as the intense and exciting college entrance exam season willst all the way until June." On the first day of the new semester, it was essential to build psychological resilience, especially for the crucial second semester of senior year. Although Yang Jun was rtively young among the teachers, he had ample experience leading sses and rich teaching skills. After his speech, everyone in the ss felt the tension and regained their usual study mode. "By the way, I think you all know that Jiu Jun stood out in the special admission selection for Wanzhou Academy and sessfully became a special admissions student of Wanzhou." Yang Jun gestured for Chen Jiujun toe up, "Jiu Jun,e, share your experience with everyone. Or do you have anything you want to say to your ssmates?" The ssmates immediately got excited. "Great! The experience of a Wanzhou special admissions student. It must be very useful!" "I wonder what kinds of tests Wanzhou University''s special admission exams have. I''m really curious and want to practice ordingly." "Be quiet, Chen Jiujun ising up. Listen carefully and take good notes!" "..." The students whispered, with quite a few taking out notebooks to take notes diligently. Chen Jiujun walked a few steps to stand beside Yang Jun and looked at his ssmates below. After a moment of contemtion, he said, "Honestly, everyone here is far too behind the geniuses of top universities. Even if you practice day and night, no one can get into a top school. Give up those baseless illusions. Recognize your own strength and position. Maybe you can get into a good second-tier college."@@novelbin@@ Chen Jiujun''s words instantly made the room fall silent. Even Yang Jun, beside him, was dumbfounded, not expecting such "bluntness" from Chen Jiujun. In the next moment, the entire ss exploded. While the girls were still silent, the boys couldn''t hold back and each stood up shouting angrily. "Chen Jiujun, aren''t you a bit too arrogant..." "Yeah, what''s with that attitude? Being a special admissions student makes you so proud?" "What the hell, really..." "..." Chen Jiujun seemed not to hear them, nodding to Yang Jun before returning to his seat. He didn''t care how these mediocrities in the ss viewed or thought of him. What he cared about were those geniuses outside who were on par with him! Although Yang Jun felt a bit embarrassed, he quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, quiet down!" Opening his hands to signal everyone to stop, Yang Jun cleared his throat and said, "Jiu Jun wants to give everyone a wake-up call. There are indeed many geniuses out there. If you remain grounded and work harder, it''s not impossible to get into a top university in the future..." Su Yuan saw that Jiang Jun, sitting beside him, remained calm and asked curiously, "You have always wanted to get into Shuzhou College. Don''t you get angry at what he just said?" Jiang Jun replied indifferently, "Whether I can get into a top university is determined by myself. It''s not something Chen Jiujun can negate with a few words." Jiang Jun''s gaze was firm and confident, unaffected by Chen Jiujun''s words in the slightest. Su Yuan nodded secretly. Without considering strength, Jiang Jun''s mindset alone already surpassed most people. A Star Apprentice Ninth Rank with a mid-grade green Soul Card. If she worked hard, there was still a significant chance to get into Shuzhou College. "What about you? Aren''t you bothered? After all, you used to be the top genius at Fourth High." Jiang Jun pondered briefly before adding, "Even if it was just a brief moment of glory." "I don''t care." Su Yuan chuckled and shook his head. This girl, sharp with her words without any sign. In Su Yuan''s opinion, Chen Jiujun was a bit conceited, especially after bing a special admissions student of Wanzhou Academy. Nevertheless, what he had just said wasn''t entirely wrong. He was merely stating a reality that most people in the ss didn''t want to hear. The day quickly passed with Star Beast As ss, Cultivation ss, Combat Training... the typical high school life. Nearing six o''clock, just before Teacher Wang Xiuyun was about to announce the end of thest Blue Sea General Language ss, Yang Jun returned to the ssroom. "Today''s lesson ends here. Teacher Yang has something to tell you about tomorrow''s joint trial." Wang Xiuyun tidied her teaching materials and pumped her fist to cheer everyone up, "Good luck!" "Thank you, Teacher Wang!" Wang Xiuyun nodded, then walked out of the ssroom, handing the lectern over to Yang Jun. Yang Jun spoke slowly, "The joint trial will be conducted in the Rainforest Secret Realm in Guangchuan City, as in previous years. It willst two days and one night. I''ve mentioned the precautions many times, so I won''t repeat them. However, I''ll synchronize thetest list of participants in the joint trial again. This time, our ss participants are Chen Jiujun, Jiang Jun, Zhao Wan, Li Pan... Ren Junqi, and... Su Yuan, totaling 28." "Su Yuan?" Sitting by the aisle, Chen Jiujun looked at Su Yuan in surprise, "I didn''t expect he finally awakened. I hadn''t noticed before. But awakening at this time is toote. He''s no longer an opponent that needs my attention. The geniuses who were also admitted through special admissions are my focus." Chen Jiujun didn''t look any longer and shook his head, withdrawing his gaze. Once, Su Yuan''s breakthrough to Star Apprentice Sixth Stage could be described as stunning. No one expected this boy from an ordinary family to be the first to advance to the Sixth Stage. Chen Jiujun, the "Star second generation," had always been arrogant and didn''t regard others. How could he ept a civilian surpassing him? So, he worked harder and followed up,pleting his breakthrough half a month after Su Yuan did. But this time, he had lost. Chen Jiujun was determined to awaken his Soul Card early and advance to Seventh Stage to prove he was more talented than Su Yuan! However, no one anticipated that Su Yuan couldn''t awaken the Star Card for a long time, diminishing. Without Chen Jiujun needing to exert effort, Su Yuan had already stalled and was surpassed. This left Chen Jiujun feeling both regretful and disdainful. It was rare to meet someone in the school who could cultivate faster than him, but it turned out to be this? Yang Jun smiled and nodded at Su Yuan. This student had always been one of his favorites. Awakening at this time still provided a chance of getting into a second-tier college. He just hadn''t had time to check what Soul Card Su Yuan had awakened, and would have to see after this trial. Chapter 16 Generous Rewards "As for the trial rewards..." Yang Jun paused briefly, then raised his voice, "This time, the rewards are much higher than before!" Much higher? Upon hearing this, the students in the ss were immediately drawn in, looking at Yang Jun with eyes full of anticipation. Yang Jun did not keep them in suspense: "Whatever the students earn during the trial, they can take it all with them, but that''s not all. Additionally, this time the Education Bureau has really splurged, offering high-grade White Cards to the top two hundred, and Green Cards to the top twenty." Hearing this, the students couldn''t help but begin murmuring among themselves. "In the past it was only the top one hundred who received high-grade White Cards, but this year it''s the top two hundred? That''s great, now I also have a chance topete!" "Yes, every year the White Cards given out by the joint trial of the Education Bureau are worth over twenty thousand, getting one is a real gain!" "..." Hearing about the rewards, Su Yuan''s eyes also lit up. Currently, besides the Soul Skill ''Instant Movement'', he had hunted and embedded four skills in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area: ''Steel me Finger'', ''Hardened Iron Skin'', ''Wind Walking'', ''Gray me Strike''. The reason he still had one skill slot left was to keep it for the Star Card from this joint trial reward! "Twenty Green Cards, ten more than before, I should be able to pick a satisfying skill, right?" Su Yuan was somewhat expectant. The Star Card rewards provided by the Education Bureau were chosen based on ranking, from front to back, the higher the rank, the greater the choice. "I haven''t finished yet," Yang Jun suddenly spoke again. There''s more? The students in the ss were taken aback. As per usual, the highest reward for the trials would be the Green Star Card. Yang Jun''s gaze paused on Chen Jiujun, and he said with a smile, "For the top threepetitors in this trial, the Education Bureau has additionally provided three Green Grade Weapon Cards to choose from!" As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately stirred up amotion. "What!" "There are even Weapon Cards!" "Why so excited, it''s not like Weapon Cards have anything to do with us!" "Wang Rui, one must have dreams!" ... Regardless of the others, when the Green Weapon Cards were mentioned, everyone''s eyes, including Su Yuan''s, Jiang Jun''s, and Chen Jiujun''s, who was leaning against the window, red with a burning desire! "There are actually three Weapon Cards!" Su Yuan was inwardly thrilled; he had just been envying Zhuang Xun''s ck-red longsword, and now this? ns cannot always keep up with changes; if there were Weapon Cards, that was definitely the choice! Skills were just transitional, but a Green Grade Weapon Card could be useful even up to the Silver and Gold Levels! "It appears Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun, these two special admissions, have indeed brought quite a few benefits to the Guangchuan Education Bureau... and these three Weapon Cards, if I''m not mistaken, should also be targeted rewards from the Education Bureau for both Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun, albeit in a different form." In terms of strength, special admissions indeed significantly excel over others, making it not too difficult to enter the top three. Yang Jun continued, "Those are the rewards, everyone take good advantage of them, the chance is not small. Additionally, everyone needs to bring their own weapons for the trial, other items like locators, dry food, etc., will be distributed tomorrow. Alright, go back and rest early tonight, we will be staying in the Secret Realm for nearly two days." Yang Jun finished speaking and left, setting off a wave of discussions in the ssroom. "Wang Rui, Pan Zi, let''s form a team, shall we divide the killing rewards equally?" "Sure, we are all Eighth Stage, our strengths are not much different, teaming up might even give us a chance to kill a Bronze-level Star Beast. While Weapon Cards might not be easy to get, a Green Skill Card is still worthpeting for, especially since this time the top twenty all have Green Card rewards." ... "Wan''er, shall we team up too?" "But, I''m only at the Seventh Stage, won''t I hold you back?" "Not at all, aren''t you skilled in perception and healing? How could you hold us back?" "Well, okay then, thank you, Yingying..." ... The joint trials didn''t prohibit forming teams; from the experience of past events, although the Rainforest Secret Realm in Guangchuan City used random teleportation, those who entered together would be teleported to the same location. This time, rewards were doubled, and everyone was hoping to make it into the top two hundred to earn the White Card reward. People from the ss formed teams in groups of twos and threes, while Chen Jiujun naturally had no intention of teaming up and left the ssroom directly. Behind him, a dozen students who hadn''t awakened their Soul Cards also left early. Su Yuan packed up his things and prepared to leave; his old E-3 Longsword was already scrapped, and he nned to sell some undposed White Cards at the mall after ss and buy a new Longsword. Su Yuan was about to leave when Jiang Jun suddenly said, "How about we team up? I don''t have a teammate anyway." "Me?" Su Yuan was truly surprised. Jiang Jun was offering to team up without knowing his details. After all, Jiang Jun was already at the Ninth Stage, one of the strong contenders for the Weapon Card, yet she was willing to initiate a team-up with him. Although he had rapidly improved over the past month, only he knew about it. To his ssmates, it seemed like his cultivation had stagnated for a year, so his strength shouldn''t be considered strong. After a slight pause, Su Yuan said apologetically, "No need, I should act alone, and with your strength, you probably don''t need a teammate either." Forming a team meant that rewards, including points and Star Cores, had to be split, and team actions weren''t as free as those of an individual. Su Yuan estimated that with his current strength, he would be more efficient acting alone. After saying this, Su Yuan waved his hand and left the ssroom. Watching Su Yuan''s briskly departing figure, Jiang Jun slightly narrowed her eyes. "I don''t know why, but this guy always seems moreplex than he appears, even though he just awakened¡­" Shaking her head, Jiang Jun didn''t team up with anyone else and quickly left after packing her things. ... At ten o''clock at night, in an underground practice room in a residential area in the east of the city, a figure was still vigorously swinging a broadsword under the lights. This was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, bare-chested with a muscr build, much more robust than typical peers! This youth was Fang Kun, a specially recruited student from Guangchuan First Middle School from Shuzhou. Fang Kun brandished his sword swiftly. His saber skills were wide, powerful, and dominant, resembling a Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain, disying immense strength. Suddenly, the mobile phone on the table started ringing. Fang Kun paid no attention to it and didn''t even nce at it, continuing toplete the entire sequence of saber techniques before stopping. He ced the broadsword on the rack, wiped his sweat with a towel, and then picked up the mobile phone. "Zhuang Xun? One of the students who passed through the special recruitment from Shuzhou, seems to be from Qingye High School. Why is he suddenly calling me?" With a bit of confusion, Fang Kun answered the call, "Hello?" "Fang Kun?"@@novelbin@@ "That''s me, you''re Zhuang Xun from Qingye High School, right? What''s up?" "I want to ask about someone." "Ask about someone?" "That''s right, a student named Su Yuan from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School." "Su Yuan? Fourth Middle?" Fang Kun pondered for a moment, "I haven''t heard of him, isn''t Chen Jiujun the only notable one from Fourth Middle?" Zhuang Xun seemed puzzled, "Chen Jiujun? Who is that?" "Just epted as a special admission by Wanzhou Academy." "Oh? One city, Guangchuan, not only has you and Su Yuan but also another special admissions student?" Fang Kun was quite surprised, "Is this Su Yuan really that impressive, to be mentioned alongside me and Chen Jiujun?" "Be mentioned alongside?" Zhuang Xun''s voice suddenly became a bit more solemn over the phone, "No, in my view, he might even be stronger than you and me!" "Oh?" Fang Kun frowned slightly, "You''re not kidding, are you?" "Of course not." Fang Kun paused slightly and said, "Well, we in Guangchuan City are having a joint trial tomorrow, so let me see for myself what this Su Yuan is capable of." "Hm?" A mysteriousughter came over the phone from Zhuang Xun, "Then I wish you a triumphant victory!" "Alright." Fang Kun hung up the phone. "Stronger than us?" Fang Kun thought for a while, a trace of eagerness rising in his eyes, and he broke into a smile, "I''m really looking forward to seeing just how skilled this expert Zhuang Xun mentioned is¡­" Chapter 17 Heading to the Secret Realm Early the next morning, the Awakening students of the four Star Apprentice sses from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School gathered on the school yground, totaling 104 people. Everyone had different emotions; some were anxious, some were excited, some were worried... All the students carried a backpack issued by the school and held various weapons such as swords, guns, and sticks. The dean of Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, Zhao Kang, distributed locators with functions like maps and points disy to everyone. Su Yuan nced at his, which was number 388, while Jiang Jun''s next to him was number 389. "It seems all the students participating in the trial from First to Twelfth Middle Schools must have consecutive numbers," Su Yuan thought to himself. Zhao Kang called out, "If you''re ready, get on the bus. Teacher Yang Jun from ss One will take everyone there. This trial focuses on honing your skills, so try to ensure your safety." Yang Jun took over, "Come on, everyone, get on the bus!" Under Yang Jun''s arrangement, more than a hundred students boarded the three buses parked at the edge of the yground and headed towards the Rainforest Secret Realm in Guangchuan City. In a certain ce in the western suburbs of Guangchuan City, there was a low City Guard base, with City Guards of considerable strength standing guard at the entrance. Several buses were parked on the open space in front of the base buildings, with each busbeled ording to various schools like "First Middle School," "Second Middle School," and so on. Indeed, this was the entrance to the Rainforest Secret Realm, and most of the schools'' students had already arrived. It wasn''t long before the three buses from Fourth Middle School also arrived one after another. Yang Jun led Su Yuan and over a hundred students off the buses and into the base, following a City Guard. After walking inside the base for less than ten minutes, the group from Fourth Middle School arrived at a spacious square, which was bustling with activity, already filled with teachers and students from various schools. "Look, more people have arrived." "This time, it''s the Fourth Middle School." "I heard someone from Fourth Middle School got specially recruited by Wanzhou Academy. Who is it?" "Wanzhou Academy? Really?" "It''s true. It''s that tall guy over there, see?" "That one? He looks kind of intimidating." "Not really. I think he''s not as good as Fang Kun from First Middle School." ... As soon as the group from Fourth Middle School arrived, the students in the square started discussing in low voices, naturally focusing on the conspicuous Wanzhou specially-recruited student, Chen Jiujun, in the team. Chen Jiujun snorted disdainfully upon hearing the discussions. Yang Jun lined up the people from Fourth Middle School, "We still have some time. Seventh and Eleventh Middle Schools haven''t arrived yet. Wait a bit. Everyone, stay quiet and get adjusted." Not far away, in the team from First Middle School, Lv Xinghen asked Fang Kun, "Kun, are you confident in defeating this Chen Jiujun?" Apart from the specially recruited student Fang Kun, First Middle School also had another Star Apprentice Ninth Rank genius, Lv Xinghen, who had previously gone with Fang Kun to participate in the Shuzhou special recruitment selection but wasn''t selected. Fang Kun casually replied, "Hard to say, I haven''t seen him in action. But he should have entered the Ninth Stage less than a month ago. In terms of level, I have some advantage." Lv Xinghen noticed Fang Kun''s gaze still wandering around the Fourth Middle School''s team, puzzled, "What are you looking for?" "Nothing." Fang Kun withdrew his gaze, but secretly frowned. What is Zhuang Xun doing? Didn''t he say there was another expert? In this whole Fourth Middle School, there''s only Chen Jiujun at the Ninth Stage. Where''s the other expert? Is he trying to trick me? Fang Kun was puzzled, but he couldn''t know that the expert Zhuang Xun mentioned was just an Eighth Stage... After a long while, the teams from Seventh and Eleventh Middle Schools arrived one after the other. At that moment, a group of people dressed in the City Guard uniform walked over from the depths of the base. The leader was a burly man with a stern face. His mere presence caused a faint fluctuation of Star Power, making Su Yuan and the other students slightly breathless. "So strong!" Not only Su Yuan, but everyone could feel the man''s strength. The teachers from various schools enthusiastically greeted him. "Captain Xiao!" "Hello, Captain Xiao, long time no see." ... Xiao Yong, the captain of Guangchuan City Guard, Gold Middle Stage Star Card Master! Xiao Yong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the group, and asked the City Guard responsible for the statistics beside him, "Is everyone here?" "Yes, Captain." "Good," Xiao Yong nced over the teachers and students, "Then let''s cut to the chase. Follow me." Xiao Yong turned and walked towards the depths of the base. The teachers immediately called their students to line up and follow behind. After walking for nearly twenty minutes, the group of over a thousand teachers and students followed Xiao Yong to the depths of the base, stopping in front of a silver light door made of energy, several meters tall. Xiao Yong slowly said, "This is the entrance to the Secret Realm. It''s now open. ording to the rules, teachers will stay outside and wait. Students, line up and pass through one by one. This trial is under my responsibility. Whether or not you understand the trial rules, I will go over some points here again. After you enter the Secret Realm, you will appear randomly somewhere inside. Then you will start killing Star Beasts. Remember to use the locator in your hand to take a snapshot of the Star Beast''s corpse after you kill it. It will record your killing points. After the trial, we will rank you based on the points recorded by the locators. The points for Star Beasts are as follows: Star Apprentice Sixth Stage: 20 points.@@novelbin@@ Seventh Stage: 30 points. Eighth Stage: 50 points. Ninth Stage: 100 points. Bronze Early Stage: 1000 points! Bronze Middle Stage: 2000 points! Bronze High Stage: 4000 points! Additionally, the points for Elite Star Beasts are triple those for Ordinary Star Beasts! Finally, the trialsts for two days and one night, ending at six o''clock tomorrow afternoon. If you encounter life-threatening danger during this period, you can press the red button on your locator. Our people wille to your aid immediately. However, pressing the red button for help means failing this joint trial. Understood?" The students responded loudly, "Understood!" The points for killing Star Beasts of different Levels were the same as in previous years, which all the students already knew. It was noteworthy that Star Beasts at the Ninth Stage were worth 100 points, while Bronze Early Stage Star Beasts jumped to 1000 points, a ninefold increase! The reason for this point setting, besides the Bronze-level Star Beasts being extremely strong, included two other reasons. One was to force students aiming for high rankings to actively hunt Bronze-level Star Beasts, better showcasing their abilities. The other was to create a point disparity among students to avoid some winning by sheer quantity, hunting arge number of Star Apprentice-level Star Beasts to boost their rankings. Overall, the joint trial encouraged students to challenge stronger Star Beasts. Xiao Yong saw the students'' responses and waved his hand, "Then let''s begin." The silver light door at the Secret Realm entrance was very wide, allowing over a dozen people to pass through at once. One by one, figures stepped into the silver light door. In just over ten minutes, over a thousand students had disappeared... "The trial assessment is entrusted to our team. We''ll start our work now. Teachers, please wait outside." Xiao Yong left two team members to guide the teachers to the waiting room while he led the rest into the Secret Realm. Chapter 18 The Trial Begins Su Yuan''s vision blurred, and he found himself in the midst of an endless tropical rainforest. The air was humid and stuffy, the scorching sun was dazzling, and the sounds of various birds, beasts, and insects filled the surroundings.@@novelbin@@ "It''s really hot here..." "Yeah, it''s also particrly stuffy. Look, I''m already sweating just after this short while." Su Yuan turned his head and saw two students standing not far from him. Judging from their school uniforms, they should be students from Guangchuan City''s Secondary School No. 11. For students long ustomed to the ins of Guangchuan City, this environment was indeed challenging to adapt to. "Hey, student over there, are you alone?" Among the two, a tall and thin boy noticed Su Yuan and greeted him. Seeing that Su Yuan was alone, the tall and thin youth invited: "It''s fate that wended together. How about we team up? Spending the night here withpanions would be more convenient, don''t you think?" The tall and thin youth had just spoken when his green-hairedpanion immediately said: "Old Wu, why are you asking him to team up? With our Eighth Stage strength, it shouldn''t be difficult to get into the top 200 and earn the White Card reward. Why bother with someone we don''t know?" The tall and thin youth lowered his voice: "Anyone daring to act alone is probably a master. Having an extra person could be beneficial." Su Yuan had no intention of teaming up with anyone and smiled, saying: "Thanks for the invite, but I prefer acting alone." As he spoke, Su Yuan opened the electronic map on his locator. The map marked various information, including the density distribution of Star Beasts, and indicated the danger levels of each area with green, yellow, orange, and red. ording to the locator''s tips, green indicated rtively safe areas without Sixth Stage Star Beasts. Yellow indicated areas with Seventh to Eighth Stage Star Beasts. Orange indicated areas with Ninth Stage Star Beasts. As for red, it represented areas with Bronze-level Star Beasts! Su Yuan quickly identified his location, in a yellow area at the southeastern corner of the entire rainforest. "Not the best luck, it''s nearly half a day''s journey to the nearest red zone... I need to hurry." ording to the rules, to strive for the top three, one must target Bronze-level Star Beasts. Su Yuan estimated that special students like Chen Jiujun and Fang Kun should have the ability to kill Bronze-level Star Beasts. Among the remaining Ninth Stage students from the twelve secondary schools, some might also be able to kill Bronze-level Star Beasts. So, even killing one Bronze-level Star Beast might not guarantee a top-three spot. To secure a top-three position and obtain the Green Weapon Card, he needed to seize every moment to kill more Star Beasts. Seeing Su Yuan engrossed in studying the map, the green-haired youth hummed and said: "This guy is quite arrogant. From his Star Power fluctuation, he''s only at the Eighth Stage yet he rejected us." The tall and thin youth lowered his voice: "Those who dare to act alone are definitely masters. If we can bring him over, it would be even better." "Eighth Stage isn''t that strong after all..." Before the green-haired youth could finish his sentence, a clear wind suddenly blew. Their vision blurred, and Su Yuan, who wasn''t far away, quickly left like a blurred shadow. In an instant, he disappeared into the depths of the rainforest,pletely out of their sight. "This... such speed!" The green-haired youth came to his senses, swallowed hard, and was so shocked that he could hardly speak. The tall and thin youth was also shocked. He had guessed Su Yuan had some strength but didn''t expect him to be this powerful. "This trial is indeed full of hidden masters. We should hurry too, or we might not even get the White Card!" "Right, let''s go quickly!" ... After leaving the two behind, Su Yuan controlled his thoughts, and the wild wind around him gradually calmed down, leaving only a few strands of clear wind entwined around his legs. Fully utilizing Wind Walking consumed a lot of energy, but for just hurrying, disying only two or three-tenths of its power was enough, which could reduce consumption and still achieve a good eleration effect. With his left hand on the long knife at his waist, Su Yuan moved forward while staying wary of his surroundings. Although he wasn''t afraid of directbat with ordinary Bronze-level Star Beasts, the rainforest was fraught with dangers, and the dense trees obstructed his view. If he was ambushed by any Star Beast, it would be easy to suffer a hidden loss. Getting injured wasn''t a big deal, but it could lower his efficiency in hunting Star Beasts. Before he had walked far, Su Yuan noticed a dense rustling sound in the waist-high bushes on both sides, indicating that something was rapidly approaching. "Here theye!" Su Yuan looked up and saw a rtively sparse open space not far ahead. He immediately leaped over, drew his long knife, and alertly gazed around. At that moment, the rustling sound became more intense, and the surrounding vegetation was sessively knocked down. Then, three gigantic snakes covered with yellowish-brown spots emerged from three different directions and spat out clumps of yellow-green miasma at Su Yuan! [Poison Miasma Giant Snake] [Grade: Ordinary] [Type: Snake] [Element: Poison] [Talent: Enhanced Toxicity] [Six Dimensions: Strength F, Agility E, Defense F, Constitution E, Spirit F, Star Power F] [Skills: Miasma (Ordinary), Poisoned Teeth (Ordinary)] "Three Eighth Stage Poison Miasma Giant Snakes. Their synchronization is quite good." Su Yuan''s expression remained unchanged. The clear wind entwining his legs suddenly intensified, surrounding him with a powerful wind element. The three clumps of yellow-green miasma approaching were dispersed by the surrounding wild wind before they could reach him. "Too bad they''re still too weak." Seeing their miasma being blown away, the three Poison Miasma Giant Snakes immediately coiled their bodies and opened their mouths wide, ready tounch a simultaneous attack. Su Yuan ced his right hand on the long knife, looked at the snake directly in front of him, took a step forward, and his figure moved like a feather in the wind, quickly reaching the snake''s front and shing with his knife. A sh of cold light, and the snake''s head flew. Arge amount of yellow-green venom sshed out but was blown away by the wild wind around Su Yuan. Turning around, Su Yuan saw the other two Poison Miasma Giant Snakes hadunched themselves at him, moving at an incredible speed. However, no matter how fast they were, he was faster! Wind Walking, full power! With a burst of wind power, Su Yuan''s figure blurred and slipped through the two Poison Miasma Giant Snakes. As they slightly brushed past each other, the two Poison Miasma Giant Snakes were severed into two segments, falling to the ground, their severed bodies still twitching madly. Su Yuan, with a flick of his long knife, severed the heads of the three Poison Miasma Giant Snakes to thoroughly end their lives. Examining the new E-3 standard long knife he had just bought, Su Yuan saw that though killing the Poison Miasma Giant Snakes had only taken a moment, a small part of the de had already been corroded. "A newly bought long knife, over twenty thousand dors..." Su Yuan painfully sheathed his long knife and took out his multi-function locator to take photos of the three Poison Miasma Giant Snakes. One Eighth Stage Poison Miasma Giant Snake was worth 50 points. Three of them were 150 points. Not much, but every little bit helps. The recognition was quick. In half a second, the points on it disyed from 0 to 150. After the recognition, Su Yuan skillfully took out another small knife to extract the Star Cores from the three snake corpses and put them into his backpack. "Earning points and hunting Star Cores at the same time, feels great!" Su Yuan felt quite pleased. Though Eighth Stage Star Beasts offered limited points, the extracted Star Cores could be directly converted to White Cards, with one Star Core equating to a White Card worth 10 Star Dust. The density of Star Beasts in the Secret Realm was much higher than in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. In this short period, he had already encountered three Eighth Stage Star Beasts. At this rate, even with just two days, he might be able to fully level up to Great Sess''s Gray me Strike! After tidying up, Su Yuan didn''t rest much and hurried towards the nearest red zone on the map... Chapter 19 Showing Their Skills "Three heads of the Seventh Stage ck Forest Anaconda. Wang Ping, you and I will go. Little Yu, provide remote support!" "Alright!" "A Ninth Stage Serrated Yellowjacket! Damn, flying beasts are really troublesome; even if we all go up together, we''re no match." "Don''t think too much, just run!" "Why did we encounter a wolf pack as soon as we came out? Is this teleportation point trying to mess with us!" "Isn''t it because you guys were talking so loudly? I told you to be quiet when exiting, but you never listen!" "Brother Hao, let''s call for help, or we''re really going to be feeding this pack of hungry wolves today!" Most of the area in the secret realm was yellow or orange. So it wasn''t just Su Yuan; most of the students in the secret realm encountered star beasts shortly after their descent and immediately engaged inbat. Some, with worse luck, were attacked by star beasts as soon as theynded, without even having a moment to react... At the secret realm camp, in themand center, more than twenty City Guard members in charge of trial assessments were monitoring the students'' conditions through star power-driven drones. "Two students are calling for help in Area A, numbers 34 and 35." "Student number 744 in Area C is calling for help." "Student number 253 in Area D is calling for help." "They justnded, howe there are so many students calling for help already..." A rtively young city guard sighed. After reporting more than twenty rescue signals in a row, the number of students calling for help finally began to decrease. The teammate next to himughed, saying, "Little Liu, you''re new to our City Guard; you don''t understand the situation with the joint trial. Every year it''s like this. There are more eliminations at the start because these students are still young; some have never even dealt with star beasts. Even those who have trained in the Great Barbarian Mountain area a few times don''t necessarily adapt instantly to the secret realm. After all, except forcking Silver Stage star beasts, theplexity of the environment, the variety and density of star beasts here are iparable to the Great Barbarian Mountain area." Little Liu nodded, "So that''s how it is..." Feeling somewhat relieved, the people in themand center started chatting while monitoring. "Although many were eliminated uponnding, some students look pretty good." "Yes, like student number 389, Jiang Jun. Her moves are clean and sharp, her saber skill is fast, ruthless, and precise, probably at least at the master level." "Yours isn''t as good as mine. Check out mine, number 002, Lv Xinghen from No. 1 High School. His swordsmanship must be the green grade Star Pointing Sword Technique from the East City Fanxing Martial Arts Hall''s master, Liu Chen. Looking at his proficiency, it should be at the master level, foreseen in the top three!" "I live in the east city; I know Lv Xinghen. He is Liu Chen''s nephew." "No wonder he mastered this sword technique at such a young age." "Speaking of which, these two special admission students from No. 1 and No. 4 High School are truly impressive. Fang Kun just killed a Ninth Stage berserk pig demon with one strike. Chen Jiujun has also electrocuted four Eighth Stage Wind Spirit Birds with lightning beams."@@novelbin@@ "Naturally, special admissions have a high chance of being in the top three. Green weapon cards are really enviable; I''m still using a white star device." "..." Amid the discussions, rookie Yang Jian, who also joined the Guangchuan City Guard this year, suddenly widened his eyes. "This student seems impressive too. Being surrounded by three Eighth Stage Miasma Serpents and still managing to counterattack and kill them!" "Eighth Stage Miasma Serpents? That''s average. It''d be remarkable only if there were three Ninth Stage Miasma Serpents." "But Brother Wang, this student seems to be just at the Eighth Stage." "An Eighth Stage student?" The city guard called Brother Wang shook his head, "Nothing impressive about that. Considering there are nearly ten Ninth Stage students in this trial, being in the top ten for an Eighth Stage student is tough~" Yang Jian thought for a moment. Brother Wang wasn''t wrong, but this student number 388 did seem outstanding and deserved closer attention. "Quiet, the captain ising!" Suddenly, a team member at themand center door whispered a reminder. Hearing this, everyone immediately stopped chatting and pretended to be focused on their work. Shortly, Xiao Yong walked in with a few others. ncing around themand center, Xiao Yong said expressionlessly, "You all seem to be enjoying your chat. I could hear you clearly from outside¡­ Han Guangyuan!" "Here!" The city guard who had just spoken up immediately stood up. Xiao Yong looked him over and snorted, "You still have time to tip others off. Seems like you''re idle. If so, go to Area B and take over rescue work from Luo Fei." Han Guangyuan''s face turned bitter. Rescuing wasn''t asfortable as sitting in the ''office'', but under Xiao Yong''s gaze, he immediately responded, "Yes, captain!" Saying that he obediently picked up his equipment and quickly ran out. The others breathed a sigh of relief, secretly d they hadn''t been punished. "What''s the situation?" As soon as Xiao Yong walked in, he asked. "Report, captain. All students sessfully entered the secret realm. Currently, 78 have been eliminated, and our people are escorting them back." "Alright, no fatalities?" "No. Among the eliminated, 42 had minor injuries, 3 had serious injuries. Emergency treatment has been administered, and Doctor Wang is already waiting with the medical team in the square." "Good, keep monitoring." Xiao Yong nodded and began moving around in front of various screens. Half a dayter, Su Yuan finally entered the target red area. "Steel me Finger!" Su Yuan''s figure flickered. He extended his steel-like right index finger, easily piercing through two Eighth Stage Forest Wolves that suddenly leaped from the forest. Since thest battle with the Green me White Wolf, Su Yuan discovered thatbining Hardened Iron Armor with Steel me Finger increased its power significantly more than using Steel me Finger alone. So on this journey, except for the three initial Miasma Serpents, which were poisonous, Su Yuan tried using Hardened Iron Armor and Steel me Finger to solve battles. The effect was surprisingly good. By partially hardening his fingers with Hardened Iron Armor, Steel me Finger at three percent power easily dealt with all Eighth Stage star beasts. At five percent power, it could kill most Ninth Stage star beasts. This saved a lot of star power and still posed considerable power! Of course, it was easy due to hitting the weak points. For Su Yuan, with a C-level agility talent and Wind Walking, this wasn''t an issue... Su Yuan casually took out the locator, snapped the two Forest Wolves, and took out their star cores. He then opened the locator''s map to check. "I''ve almost covered the entire red area, but I still haven''t found the Bronze-level star beast. Could it have left? Logically, Bronze-level star beasts have strong territorial awareness and shouldn''t wander off. Is my luck really that bad?" Su Yuan had killed many star beasts along the way, including three Ninth Stage ones, but it wasn''t enough. The Bronze-level star beast was key. "I''ll search thoroughly once more." Shaking his head, Su Yuan put away the map, deciding to conduct a carpet search... Chapter 20 The Directors Visit Not only Su Yuan, but everyone in the Rainforest Secret Realm was seizing the time to hunt star beasts. Especially those ninth-stage students such as Fang Kun, Chen Jiujun, Lv Xinghen, and Jiang Jun, who aimed for weapon cards. These people all had to hunt Bronze-level star beasts. At this moment, in a certain part of the rainforest, Chen Jiujun was in a fierce battle with a two-meter-tall iron-backed ape. From its size and star power fluctuations, this iron-backed ape turned out to be at the Bronze Early Stage! This iron-backed ape''s hardened iron armor was likely at the Great Sess Stage. More than seventy percent of its body hadpleted hardening. Combined with its agile posture and incredible strength, itsbat power surpassed the Wind Beast that Su Yuan had encountered in the Great Barbarian Forest! At this moment, the iron-backed ape was going all out in its battle mode, swinging its fists at high speed while screaming wildly. "Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh..." Those hardened, sandbag-sized fists were enough to seriously hurt even a Bronze-level star card master, let alone star apprentice students who could not withstand a direct hit. However, Chen Jiujun had a way to cope. Two silver thunder snakes slithered around Chen Jiujun''s body. His whole body glowed with thunder light, moving like silver lightning, shing by!@@novelbin@@ It was the blue soul skill "Twin Thunder Snakes" carried by Chen Jiujun''s soul card! Chen Jiujun moved like white thunder, constantly shing and dodging in the field. The iron-backed ape couldn''t touch him at all, getting yed around and gradually bing furious, pounding the ground in a fit of impotent rage. However, using a skill like Twin Thunder Snakes continuously consumed more than instant movement. Chen Jiujun was just a star apprentice. If this continued, he would soon run out of star power and be caught by the iron-backed ape. But Chen Jiujun was not just evading. After a while, a light shed in his eyes. He turned around to face the fiercely pursuing iron-backed ape and did not dodge anymore. If Chen Jiujun''s opponent were human, this sudden stop might have alerted them. But the iron-backed ape, already seeing red, didn''t care about such things. It swung its arms, ready to give Chen Jiujun''s head a "Double Dragon Burst"! Just as the iron-backed ape was about to pounce on Chen Jiujun, two thunder snakes entwined around Chen Jiujun suddenly flew out like lightning. Joining head and tail, they formed a silver electric magic chain, binding the iron-backed ape! Twin Thunder Snakes wasn''t just for speeding up. Its stronger feature was its ability to bind opponents! "Zzz... zzz..." The silver electric magic chain sparkled with thunder light, and electric currents surged. The iron-backed ape tried to break free but found the chain extremely tough. It couldn''t get out for a while. Chen Jiujun sneered and made a seal with his hands: "Eightyer Thunder Strike Array!" As soon as the words fell, palm-sized thunder runes lit up on the ground all around. Torrential thunder spiritual power shot out from the runes and gathered beneath the iron-backed ape bound by the silver electric magic chain in a short moment. Chen Jiujun shouted: "st!" "Boom!!" Thunder burst and electric light surged! The torrential thunder light exploded under the iron-backed ape''s feet, illuminating the surrounding sky for a moment. A few secondster, the thunder element calmed down. The iron-backed ape, whose body was as tough as iron and steel, was now riddled with holes, its flesh and blood mangled, unable to be any more dead. "Done!" Chen Jiujun let out a long breath. "Although the preparation time for the Thunder Strike Array is rtively long, once it''s activated, its power is far superior to that of ordinary green skills of the same level." Thunder Strike Array was Chen Jiujun''s only master-level green skill. It worked by setting up thunder strike seals to store thunder, which were then activated together, unleashing the umted power of multiple seals in a super strong thunder element attack. The more thunder seals set up, the greater the final thunder strike power. Entry-level could set up to four thunder seals, skilled level up to eight, and master level up to sixteen! Just an eight-seal Thunder Strike Array could kill a Bronze-level star beast. And sixteen seals... During the special recruitment exam at Wanzhou Academy, Chen Jiujun had impressed the tutors and narrowly passed the exam by using a sixteen-seal Thunder Strike Array to st a Bronze Middle Stage star beast to pieces. "One is not enough, I need to hurry and kill a few more!" Quickly cleaning up the battlefield, Chen Jiujun, with a slightly pale face, soon set off again. It was different now. Chen Jiujun had to take first ce. Only first ce, not top three! It wasn''t for the green weapon card, but something he, as a special recruit of Wanzhou Academy, must achieve. In Chen Jiujun''s view, the level of Guangchuan City students was far below the geniuses he had seen during the winter special recruitment exam. Not to mention those who passed the exam; even those who didn''t pass almost all came from Second Stage or higher cities. Especially the one who ranked first in thest special recruitment exam, that super genius from Capitol City! Coming from an aristocratic family, with a mid-grade blue soul card, astonishing talent, and just a step away from the Bronze level! Such a person was the kind ofpetitor Chen Jiujun wanted to face. This trial was merely a small test before heading to Wanzhou Academy. As a special recruit of Wanzhou Academy, if he couldn''t even take first ce in Guangchuan City, how could hepete with the geniuses in the academy? Not to mention, there was only one person in this trial who posed a threat: fellow special recruit Fang Kun. Determined, Chen Jiujun said, "I''ll take first ce in this trial, thenpete with the students of Wanzhou Academy!" In themand post of the secret realm camp, as Chen Jiujun forcefully killed the Bronze-level iron-backed ape, the team members began to whisper again. "This Chen Jiujun is really something, to forcefully kill a Bronze-level iron-backed ape like that." "I have to admit, the attack power of a thunder-based star card master is really strong!" "That skill of his is also extraordinary. It''s quite excellent among green skills." Xiao Yong stared at the advancing Chen Jiujun, nodded slightly. "Though the quality is uneven, some are really good-for-nothings, unable to even fight seventh-stage star beasts. But there are some promising talents. At least Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun are quite impressive." Xiao Yong was thinking when he seemed to notice somemotion outside. He frowned. "Outsidersing in? Are those the teachers from before? What''s going on?" Xiao Yong turned to go outside to see who was so audacious to enter without reporting after the joint trial began. At this time, a handsome middle-aged man in a ck suit appeared at the door. Xiao Yong saw him clearly, his face changed, and he quickly saluted: "Director Wang!" The city guards who were working also hurriedly stood up in surprise and saluted. The middle-aged man was none other than Wang Haiping, Director of Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau. Of course, identity was secondary. The main reason for Xiao Yong and the guards'' respect was that Wang Haiping was a powerful Shining Star-level star card master! The City Guard belonged to the military, separate from the education department. But a powerful star card master received respect wherever they went, much more so a top-tier Shining Star-level star card master! Xiao Yong didn''t expect this senior to personallye to observe the trial. It was the first time in many years. Chapter 21 Warrior and Magician Wang Haiping smiled and said, "Everyone, go about your business. Just be casual." "Yes!" The city guards returned to their seats and started working. However, with such a master by their side, no one dared to be too casual. Wang Haiping walked to Xiao Yong''s side and asked, "Captain Xiao, how is the situation now? How are the students performing this year?" Xiao Yong pondered for a moment and then replied truthfully, "Overall, it''s not bad, but the disparity between the highs and lows is quiterge. The good ones are exceptionally good, while the poor ones are extremely poor." "That''s normal, after all, Star Card Masters rely heavily on talent." Wang Haiping nodded and smiled, "Where are the two seed students? I want to take a look." Xiao Yong had already guessed that the reason Wang Haiping came in person was because of those two special recruitments. He immediately nodded, "Director Wang, this way please. I''ve specifically assigned two drones to monitor these two people in real time. Look at these two screens. On the left is Fang Kun from First High, and on the right is Chen Jiujun from Fourth High." "Well done." Wang Haiping nodded, observing the situation of the two students with his hands behind his back. Fang Kun mastered the Power of Fierce Tiger, his saber skills were fierce, and his physique was astonishing. He had already in five Ninth Stage Star Beasts and countless other Eighth Stage or lower ones. He had now entered the territory of a Bronze-level Star Beast. Chen Jiujun, on the other hand, was recovering while heading to the next red zone. Xiao Yong introduced, "Just now, Chen Jiujun had killed an Iron-Backed Ape at the Bronze Early Stage without getting a scratch. The skills he''s mastered, apart from the soul skill, are also Lightning Beam, Thunder Strike Array, and Thunder Maic Shield." "Oh? All three are Green Skills?" Wang Haiping smiled somewhat unexpectedly, "He has mastered three green Thunder Skills at the Apprentice Level. His father, Chen Yan Chuan, is really generous." Chen Yan Chuan was Chen Jiujun''s Gold Star Card Master father. In Guangchuan City, a Gold-level master was indeed renowned, and Wang Haiping naturally knew him. Wang Haiping looked at Chen Jiujun on the screen and slowly said, "However, he didn''t choose any martial arts for closebat. He took a rather retro magician route. Nowadays, at least one closebat skill for self-defense is essential for magicians in their early stages." Due to different qualifications, the growth of the Star Card Master in strength, agility, and other attributes varied in potency. To maximize their abilities, Star Card Masters usually chose skills based on their talents and six-dimensional qualifications. This made every Star Card Master unique, each with their own characteristics. However, over countless years under human dominion, there have been two main directions: warriors and magicians. A warrior was a Star Card Master who coordinated their body and Star Power inbat. A magician was a Star Card Master who relied on Star Power and even spiritual power to fight, without relying on their physical body. These could be further divided into many branches and schools.@@novelbin@@ But as of now, more than ny-nine percent of Star Card Masters were warriors because warriors were moreprehensive and better suited for personal growth. Magicians, on the other hand, had weaker physical qualities. Their survival ability was low before learning some life-saving skills. This was why many magicians perished before they could grow, leading to fewer and fewer magicians, almost to the point of extinction. Survival of the fittest. At this moment, Xiao Yong nodded and said, "Magicians are indeed rare nowadays, especially those whopletely abandon closebat martial arts. It''s no wonder Wanzhou Academy picked him among many special recruits." Wang Haiping shifted his gaze to Fang Kun on the left, "How is this Fang Kun performing?" Xiao Yong looked appreciative, "Also very good. This kid has practiced a white skill, ck Tiger Strong Strike, to the Great Sess Stage. Hisbat style is bold and unrestrained, quite to my taste." "Butpared to Chen Jiujun with his three green skills, Fang Kun only has two, and his Bloodthirsty Battle Intent is just at Entry-level. It seems to be a reward from Shuzhou College''s special recruitment." Wang Haiping nodded, "You''re right. I''ve heard from his teacher at First High that Bloodthirsty Battle Intent was indeed his choice from Shuzhou College." "Shuzhou College is on a different level from our Guangchuan Education Bureau. This Bloodthirsty Battle Intent can improve recovery ability, enhance attack speed, and movement speed with a considerable range, making it among the finest of the green skills." Wang Haiping suddenly turned to look at Xiao Yong, asking, "Captain Xiao, who do you think will take first ce in the end?" "Well..." Xiao Yong thought for a while, then replied, "If it were a one-on-one duel, it''s hard to say. But in this point-based trial, as of now, I favor Fang Kun." "Oh?" Wang Haiping smiled, "Why? Exin." Xiao Yong looked at the screen where Chen Jiujun was using Lightning Beam to heavily injure an Armored Rhinoceros blocking his path. He slowly said, "In one-on-onebat, there''s no need to care too much about consumption. But in this two-day point-based trial, controlling Star Power and stamina is more crucial." "Chen Jiujun follows the magician route. Although the quality of his skills is higher and their power greater, their consumption is equally high." "Moreover,pared to white skills, green skills are harder to practice and their levels advance slower." "Like now, Fang Kun''s white skill ck Tiger Strong Strike has reached the Great Sess Stage, whereas Chen Jiujun has one skill at Master level and two at Skilled level, none at the Great Sess Stage." "In terms of lethality, Fang Kun is not far behind Chen Jiujun; in terms ofbat consumption and flexibility, there''s noparison." After listening to Xiao Yong''s analysis, Wang Haiping looked at him with admiration. "Captain Xiao, as expected from the elite captain of the City Guard, well said." "Yes, in terms of consumption and stamina, Fang Kun does have some advantages." "Embedding green skills at the Star Apprentice Level indeed shows greater potential. There''s no need to wait until the Bronze Level to start practicing new green skills, which saves a lot of time to improve skill proficiency." "But for now, its practicality might notpare to higher-level white skills." While the two talked, Chen Jiujun had finished off the Armored Rhinoceros and continued on his way. However, after several consecutive battles, his face was noticeably pale. Wang Haiping slowly said, "Being able to kill a Bronze-level Iron-Backed Ape without a scratch is indeed impressive, but he has consumed a lot in doing so." "I guess his Star Power is now less than thirty percent. In this rainforest teeming with Star Beasts, he might need to rest for a few hours and recover his Star Power before continuing to fight." "Otherwise, with little Star Power left, a Star Card Master, especially a magician, in the Secret Realm is at a high risk of failure." Xiao Yong said, "But after all, he killed a Bronze-level Star Beast. He is now far ahead of most people; resting a bit isn''t a problem." "To kill a Bronze-level Star Beast, which student here doesn''t go all out? If the cost is just consuming most of the spiritual power, it''s already pretty good..." Wang Haiping nodded and smiled, "Captain Xiao said¡­" "Wow, he actually one-shot killed a Bronze-level ck Shadow Leopard!" Before Wang Haiping could finish speaking, he was interrupted by an exmation from behind. Chapter 22 Instant Kill Shadow Leopard Wang Haiping abruptly stopped talking and exchanged a nce with Xiao Yong. They both turned their heads to look. Not far behind them, Yang Jian was staring at the screen in front of him in shock. The people around him also shot curious and doubtful nces upon hearing the exmation. "Killing a Bronze-level ck Shadow Leopard in one hit? How is that possible? Xiao Yang, quickly rey the footage!" "Oh my god, it really was in one hit!" "Did he use Steel me Finger? Is Steel me Finger that powerful?" "He can run as fast as the ck Shadow Leopard. Is that even possible for a Star Apprentice? I''m not sure if I could run that fast!" The scene on the screen was so astonishing that the City Guard members forgot the Education Director was still standing in themand center and started cursing. Wang Haiping and Xiao Yong also moved closer to the screen. "Yang Jian, what''s the situation?" Xiao Yong asked directly. Seeing Xiao Yong and Wang Haiping approaching, Yang Jian quickly reyed the footage. "Captain, Director Wang, look at this rey. This student number 388 killed the ck Shadow Leopard with one strike, even though it was a sneak attack. It''s quite impressive!" Ever since Su Yuan killed the three Miasma Serpents, Yang Jian had been paying close attention to him. Although Su Yuan''s subsequent performances were also outstanding, there hadn''t been any significantly powerful Star Beast encounters, so they weren''t particrly remarkable. But this time was different. He killed a Bronze-level Star Beast without making a sound! Wang Haiping and Xiao Yong immediately focused on the screen. In a valley area of the rainforest, student number 388 was resting under arge tree. Not far behind him, a Bronze Early Stage Shadow Leopard was silently leaping through the shadows, getting closer and closer. The Shadow Leopard, wielding the power of the shadow element, was quite eerie. Although its frontalbat strength was limited, it excelled at ambushes. Before long, the Shadow Leopard used Shadow Jump to move within ten meters behind student number 388 using the shadows of numerous trees as conduits. As getting any closer might risk detection, the Shadow Leopard suddenly burst into action. Using its Shadow Strike skill, it transformed into a shadow that silently and rapidly shot towards the back of student number 388 before leaping to strike! Just as the Shadow Leopard was about tond its sneak attack, strong winds suddenly erupted around student number 388. His body, like a feather blown by the wind, swiftly and erratically moved to the side at thest moment! "What a movement technique!" Just that response and maneuvering made Wang Haiping''s eyes light up. However, what happened next left Wang Haiping even more astonished. The 388 student, having evaded the attack, did not pull back to create distance. Instead, he swiftly closed in on the missed pounce of the Shadow Leopard. With one step forward, he grabbed its neck and pinned it to the ground with one hand. In an instant, mes rose from his index finger of his other hand, and he pierced it into the Shadow Leopard''s head! The Shadow Leopard twitched violently, then died instantly. Student 388 shook off the mes on his finger, skillfully drew a long knife, extracted the Star Core from the corpse, nodded in satisfaction, and then calmly resumed resting. Super strong reflexes, rapid and agile movements, powerful strength, high-damage skills! From receiving the attack to turning the tables and extracting the core, it was clean and efficient¡ªso fluid, it was almost cinematic! "Perfect Level Steel me Finger and at least Great Sess Stage Wind Walking!" Xiao Yong took a deep breath, his expression serious. "What a kid. Is his long knife solely for dissection?" The surrounding City Guard soldiers were shocked by Xiao Yong''s assessment. "What?! That''s Perfect Level Steel me Finger?" "It must be. Without Perfect Level Steel me Finger, there''s no way a Star Apprentice at the Eighth Stage could kill a Bronze-level Shadow Leopard in one hit. They might even struggle to break through the leopard''s defense!" "But Perfect Level Steel me Finger? How is that possible? Among our City Guard Army, several people have Steel me Finger, but only four reached Perfect Level, and it took each of them over three years!" All skills be increasingly difficult to master at higher levels. Even the most ordinary White Card Skills require years, often without sess, to reach Perfect Level. Among the twenty-plus City Guard soldiers present, only one or two had Perfect Skills. One reason was that many people stopped practicing their original White Card skills once they acquired Green Skills. "Director Wang, what do you think..." Xiao Yong was about to ask but, turning his head, he saw Wang Haiping staring intently at the screen, his eyes filled with excitement, almost losingposure! Xiao Yong was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. To them, a talented student was merely surprising, but to the Education Bureau, it meant something entirely different. "Xiao Yong, bring up his information!" Wang Haiping demanded, his emotions running high, forgetting even formalities. "Alright, Yang Jian, disy the information of student number 388." "Yes!" Yang Jian swiftly brought up student number 388''s information and disyed it on the screen. [Name: Su Yuan] [Number: 388] [School: Guangchuan Fourth Middle School] [Realm: Star Apprentice Eighth Stage] "Su Yuan? Star Apprentice Eighth Stage?" Wang Haiping read the information on the screen. "Now bring up Fang Kun''s information." Fang Kun''s information was easy to find; Yang Jian had reviewed it many times. He quickly disyed it next to Su Yuan''s. [Name: Fang Kun] [Number: 001] [School: Guangchuan First Middle School] [Realm: Star Apprentice Ninth Stage] [Soul Card: Furious Tiger (Master)] [Introduction: Shuzhou College special recruit, possesses Green Skills "Superstate Vision" and "Bloodthirsty Battle Intent," and White Card Skill "ck Tiger Strong Strike" at Great Sess Stage. Strength and Constitution are both rated C, specializes in frontalbat.] Wang Haiping frowned slightly. "Fang Kun''s data includes his Soul Card and introduction. Is this all we have on Su Yuan?" Theparison between the two highlighted the information scarcity of Su Yuan''s file.@@novelbin@@ This genius student, who had mastered a Perfect Skill, had such limited information? Xiao Yong exined, "Director Wang, that''s all the information we have. Each student''s details arepiled and provided by their school. This is a trial, not a selection process, so we only require the name, school, and realm. Additional details are provided by the schools individually." Wang Haiping''s frown deepened. "What is Guangchuan Fourth Middle School doing? Even if he''s only a Star Apprentice at the Eighth Stage, how can a genius with a Perfect Skill have so little information? Send a message outside and have Guangchuan Fourth Middle School''s apanying teachere in!" In the Secret Realm, regrmunications couldn''t reach outside. Special methods were needed to contact the external world. Xiao Yong nodded and quickly went to send the message. Chapter 23 The Terrifying Skill Talent Ten minutester, a City Guard brought in Yang Jun, who was waiting outside the Secret Realm. "Director Wang?!" Yang Jun was already confused about what was happening. Now seeing his boss, Guangchuan Education Bureau Director Wang Haiping, waiting for him here, he was even more baffled. "Director Wang, Captain Xiao, I wonder what''s the matter?" Yang Jun thought to himself, could it be that something had happened to Chen Jiujun during the trial? Xiao Yong said, "Teacher Yang, don''t be nervous. Director Wang just has a few questions about a student from your school named Su Yuan." "Su Yuan?" Yang Jun was stunned. It wasn''t about Chen Jiujun? Su Yuan had just awakened. How did he catch the attention of these two? Wang Haiping, a Shining Star Card Master, had already calmed his emotions in a few minutes. He seemed calm as he spoke to Yang Jun. "Teacher Yang, how much do you know about Su Yuan from your Guangchuan Fourth Middle School? Besides what''s on the screen, tell me all the other information you know about him, in detail!" Yang Jun also saw the information about Su Yuan disyed on the monitor. Although he did not understand why Director Wang was suddenly so concerned about Su Yuan, it did not affect his answers. Yang Jun respectfully said, "Director Wang, this Su Yuan just happens to be a student in the ss I teach. I am quite familiar with him." Wang Haiping''s eyes brightened, and he said eagerly, "Good! Tell me everything!" Yang Jun pondered slightly and said, "Speaking of Su Yuan''s story, it is quite inspiring and full of hardships. Su Yuan''s family conditions are average, but he has been very diligent and hardworking in both cultivation and studies. In his first year of high school, he broke through to the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage during the second semester. He was the first student in Guangchuan Fourth Middle School to reach the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage, catching the attention of the entire school. Everyone thought he had great talent and believed he might awaken a Master Soul Card, bing a super genius overnight." At this point, Yang Jun shook his head and sighed. "Yet, to everyone''s surprise, the situation took a sharp turn after that. Su Yuan failed to awaken using the Soul Awakening Card. For a year, he couldn''t awaken, and even his cultivation progress was hindered. But heaven never bars one''s way. Just this past winter break, he finally seeded in awakening and breaking through, managing to participate in thisbined trial..." "You said he sessfully awakened during the winter break?!" Wang Haiping suddenly interrupted Yang Jun loudly, his face full of disbelief. Xiao Yong had the same expression. Yang Jun was taken aback by their reaction and quickly said, "Yes, although this child hadn''t awakened for a long time, his studies were very diligent. His academic performance had always been in the top three of his grade. I also paid a lot of attention to him. I was very happy for him when he finally awakened at thest minute. He said he used the Soul Awakening Card at the beginning of winter break toplete his awakening." When Yang Jun finished speaking, themand center fell silent. Everyone was too shocked to speak, and the silence was palpable. It was well known that before awakening, no one could embed or use any Star Cards except for the Soul Awakening Card, let alone practice to improve their skill levels. So Su Yuan managed to practice Steel me Finger to the Perfect Level in less than a month? One month to reach the Perfect Level? What a terrifying cultivation speed for a skill! Although it was just a white skill, could a human really achieve this! Even Xiao Yong and the other City Guards began to question the world. But Wang Haiping''s face, changing from shock to an uncontroble joy, could not conceal his feelings! After all, as a Shining Star Level expert, Wang Haiping had seen and knew much more. At this moment, as if sensing the wonder of the people around him, Wang Haiping tried to suppress his inner excitement and said, "My friends, don''t doubt yourselves. Guangchuan City is just a small third-level city in Great me Country without even a Star Power Academy. Great me Country is vast, and Blue Sea Star is huge beyond belief. There are many kinds of geniuses in this world that we have never seen or imagined." Hearing this, Xiao Yong and the others nodded slightly. Yes, the world is so big. There would always be geniuses beyond ordinary people''s understanding. Being able to encounter one was indeed very fortunate. Wang Haiping took a deep breath and continued, "However, to my knowledge, only one person has ever managed to cultivate a skill to the Perfect Level within a month..." Before Wang Haiping could reveal the answer, Xiao Yong suddenly thought of something, his expression changing dramatically. "Is it... your superior?!" "Yes," Wang Haiping''s face showed a look of reverence, "Lord Huangfu!"@@novelbin@@ The Director of the Education Bureau of Great me Country, Huangfu Qi! He was known as the strongest genius in the Great me for the past century, the person with the strongest skill cultivation talent in the whole Great me. It was said that during his youth, while still in the academy, he had once practiced a green skill to the Perfect Level within a week, a performance even more impressive than Su Yuan''s. Of course, at that time, Huangfu Qi was already a Silver Star Card Master, while Su Yuan was only at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage. Regardless, Su Yuan''s disyed skill cultivation talent was at least on par with that of "Little Huangfu Qi." Even though Wang Haiping and Xiao Yong discussed so much, the City Guards in themand center, while shocked and questioning their understanding of life, listened and understood. Only Yang Jun was still confused about what was happening. Yang Jun swallowed and tentatively asked, "Um... Director Wang, Captain Xiao, what''s going on? Did something happen with Su Yuan?" Wang Haipingughed heartily without caring about his image, patting Yang Jun on the shoulder. "Your Guangchuan Fourth Middle School has produced a genius! Captain Xiao, show him the video." Xiao Yongplied and showed Yang Jun the video of Su Yuan using the Perfect Steel me Finger to kill the Shadow Leopard in one strike. This time, Yang Jun was the one too shocked to speak... In the Secret Realm, Su Yuan, unaware of the attention he had attracted, prepared to head to the next red area after his rest. The red areas were limited to seven. If he didn''t hurry, someone else might kill all the Bronze-level Star Beasts, leaving him no beasts to hunt, even if he had the strength. Su Yuan walked while looking at the locator map. "This time it''s farther. The nearest red area is already in the central region of the Secret Realm. It will take at least half a day to get there. It''s already gettingte. In such a dense forest, it will be difficult to move at night. The earliest I can get there is tomorrow morning. Additionally, there are three red areas in the central part of the Secret Realm. So, students aiming to improve their ranking by hunting Bronze-level Star Beasts will likely head towards the center, leading to a high chance of encounters during the hunt... Seems they want to createpetition for us?" Su Yuan put away the locator, his expression unchanged. Clear Wind swirled around his feet, speeding him up as he headed rapidly for the next red area. If there''spetition, then so be it. There''s nothing to fear, as long as you speak with strength. Moreover, hunting Star Beasts alone is not as interesting aspeting with the geniuses of Guangchuan City, right? Chapter 24 Poison Fire Two-headed Python Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the next morning. Su Yuan parted the vegetation and walked out from a hidden stone cave. He resumed Wind Walking and continued towards his target, the red zone.@@novelbin@@ Yesterday, after killing the Shadow Leopard, Su Yuan hunted star beasts along his way. Not only did he get close to the target red zone, but the day''s harvest was also significant with many star beasts in. Currently, Su Yuan''s kill and points status was as follows: Sixth Stage Star Beasts: 5, 100 points. Seventh Stage Star Beasts: 18, 540 points. Eighth Stage Star Beasts: 14, 700 points. Ninth Stage Star Beasts: 6, 600 points. Bronze Level Early Stage Star Beast: 1, 1000 points! Total: 2940 points. The high efficiency was due to the denser distribution of star beasts in the Rainforest Secret Realm, and also because Su Yuan''s strength had increased significantly. He could now easily handle Star Apprentice Ninth Rank star beasts. Furthermore,st night, Su Yuan extracted all star cores of Star Apprentice Level star beasts into Star Cards, except for the Shadow Leopard, and obtained a total of 43 White Cards! Star cores were the energy core of star beasts, containing highlypressed star power. Besides extracting Star Cards, they had multiple uses such as refining elixirs, serving as high-level energy sources, creating barriers, and acting as refining materials. The star power in Bronze Level star cores was several times that of Star Apprentice Level star cores, making them much more valuable. Star Card extraction only considered the beast''s grade, not level. This meant that extracting Star Cards from an Ordinary Bronze Level star beast would only yield a White Card, which wasn''t very valuable, making the star core itself more worthwhile. Hence, unless there was a particrly good skill, extracting Star Cards from Bronze Level star cores was not profitable. Selling the star cores directly was more cost-effective. Su Yuan sped forward for over two hours before finally entering the red zone near the center of the Secret Realm. Soon after entering, Su Yuan found the carcass of an Armored Rhinoceros in the forest. He quickly approached and examined it: "Based on its size, it should be a Ninth Stage Armored Rhinoceros. Judging by the wound, it was pierced through the neck by a sword from the side." The physical defense of the Armored Rhinoceros was extremely high, surpassing even the Iron-Backed Ape in the areas covered by scales. "It seems someone is ahead of me. I need to hurry up¡­" Su Yuan continued towards the center of the red zone and encountered some scattered star beast corpses along the way, all in by a sword. It seemed to be the same person. Following the direction in which this person advanced, Su Yuan gradually sensed increasingly clear and intense star power fluctuations from deep within the forest! "This fluctuation¡­ Bronze Middle Stage!" Su Yuan''s eyes flickered. This wave was much stronger than any he had encountered before, surpassing both the Wind Running Weasel and the Shadow Leopard. This was definitely a Bronze Middle Stage star beast. "Bronze Middle Stage star beast, worth 2000 points¡­ Killing it would secure a top-three spot." Su Yuan pondered, a fierce silver light gleaming in his eyes¡­ Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, four people were besieging a nearly eight-meter-long, fierce snake. Among the attackers was a girl with a red ponytail, Su Yuan''s desk mate from ss, Jiang Jun. The second was a handsome young man wielding a longsword. He wore the uniform of First High School and was the Ninth Stage genius from First High School who had attended Shuzhou''s special recruitment with Fang Kun, Lv Xinghen. The star beast corpses Su Yuan had seen along the way were all killed by him. Thest two, both at Bronze Eighth Stage, wore the uniforms of Seventh High School and seemed to be together. As for the serpent they were besieging, it had two triangr heads, one red and one green. It was called the Poison Fire Two-headed Python, a particrly troublesome star beast even among Bronze-level star beasts. [Poison Fire Two-headed Python] [Grade: Ordinary] [Type: Snake] [Element: Poison, Fire] [Talent: Double Head] [Six Dimensions: Strength F, Agility E, Defense E, Constitution E, Spirit F, Star Power E] [Skill: me Snake Breath (Ordinary), Poison Mist (Ordinary)] Except for strength and the rarely used spirit, four of the Poison Fire Two-headed Python''s attributes were all E, surpassing some elite star beasts of the same level. In addition, its unique talent, Double Head, required both heads to be severed for it to diepletely. Moreover, it was at the Bronze Middle Stage! Such a Poison Fire Two-headed Python was challenging even for an ordinary Bronze-level Star Card Master. Jiang Jun and the others'' siege was indeed not going well. The area within a twenty-meter diameter centered around the Two-headed Python was filled with pale green poison mist spewed from the poison snake head. The mist was highly corrosive, making flesh difficult to resist. Lv Xinghen, Jiang Jun, and the others continuously released their star power to shield their bodies from the corrosive mist. However, the cost was a rapid depletion of star power! In contrast, the Poison Fire Two-headed Python, with its robust constitution and defense, was unharmed by the swords and des of the four. It moved agilely within the poison mist, handling four opponents with ease. "Kill!" Jiang Jun shouted, shing a foot-and-a-half-long wound on the fire snake''s neck. Before she could retreat, the Poison Fire Two-headed Python flicked its thick tail, sweeping it toward her. Although startled, Jiang Jun remained calm. She swiftly leapt backward, barely avoiding the strike. "Huff, huff¡­" Breathing heavily, Jiang Jun tightened her grip on the longsword and charged again. "The situation isn''t good. This poison mist is suppressing us too much. I fear the four of us together might not be its match¡­" Earlier, Lv Xinghen, Jiang Jun, and the two from Seventh High School had arrived here one after another and tested the Poison Fire Two-headed Python''s might. They quickly realized they were no match for it alone, so they decided to team up. As for who would get the kill points, it depended on who dealt the fatal blow. Initially, all four held back, hoping tond the final strike. However, the Poison Fire Two-headed Python was stronger than expected, soon forcing everyone to give their all. Even so, they were still suppressed. This was mainly because skills like Poison Mist were extremely effective against people below the Bronze level like Jiang Jun and the others. Compared to Lv Xinghen and Jiang Jun, the two at Eighth Stage from Seventh High School were in worse shape. They were staggering, drenched in sweat, their strength and star power nearly exhausted. Without Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen diverting the python''s attention, they would have already been overwhelmed. "Old Deng¡­ I-I can''t hold on much longer!" One brown-haired boy from Seventh High School gasped. "Me either¡­" "Bang!" The boy called Old Deng reacted a second toote. Before he could finish his sentence, the python''s tail struck him, hurling him far away to crash into a tree, where he vomited a mouthful of blood. Chapter 25 Super Genius "Old Deng?!" The brown-haired boy from Seventh High School eximed. Seeing hisrade severely injured, the brown-haired boy couldn''t worry about the Two-headed Python. He quickly left the battlefield to support Old Deng. Old Deng barely stood up, but his left arm was broken. His face was pale, and his lips twitched from the pain. He had nobat strength left. The brown-haired boy saw this and thought to himself that they shouldn''t have aimed too high by trying to hunt this Poison Fire Two-headed Python. "We''re retreating, you all be careful!" The brown-haired boy shouted to Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen, who were still in the battlefield. Then, he retreated with Old Deng. Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen''s faces turned grim. Losing two people suddenly, Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen felt an intense pressure. They were already struggling, and now they were even more stretched thin. "We can''t dy any longer. If we want to create an opportunity, we must go all out!" Jiang Jun thought of this and looked up at Lv Xinghen on the opposite side. Just then, Lv Xinghen also looked over, his eyes gleaming. It seemed they had the same thought! The remaining Star Power within both of them surged out violently! Starlight leapt onto their longswords, and fire wrapped around the des! Lv Xinghen and Jiang Jun both went all out, each shing at one of the Two-headed Python''s heads. "Star Pointing Second Form, Break Army!" "Fire Death Strike!" A cunning gleam shed in the eyes of the fire snake head of the Poison Fire Two-headed Python. The next moment, a torrent of fire attribute Star Power spewed from the fire snake head''s mouth, igniting all the surrounding poison mist into a burning poison fire mist! Just as Lv Xinghen and Jiang Jun reached the Two-headed Python, they felt their protective Star Power rapidly corroding in the burning poison mist at an rming speed. "Bad news!!" The two of them were shocked. Hunting Star Beasts topete for trial rankings was important, but rushing in now would definitely mean death! Without thinking, they stopped and started to retreat. Star Power flickered on Lv Xinghen''s body. He leapt back swiftly with an extremely fast movement technique. Though a bit disheveled, he quickly shed out of the burning poison mist''s range. But Jiang Jun didn''t have such a refined movement technique. The burning poison mist roiled, and a huge snake tail swung directly at her. "No!" Jiang Jun''s eyes widened. She could only raise her longsword to block it. "Bang!" Jiang Jun spat out a mouthful of blood and was instantly flung away like a ck shadow by the tail. With no one to restrain it, the blow Jiang Jun received was even harder than the one Old Deng took earlier. Her arms throbbed with pain, and her head was spinning. "Hitting the ground with this strike will surely cause serious injuries. Am I going to be eliminated?" Lying face up, watching the rapidly changing scenery above her, this thought shed through Jiang Jun''s mind. At that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew from behind, like arge stic. It quickly reduced the terrifying force from the Two-headed Python''s strike on Jiang Jun. Unsteady, Jiang Jun was about to fall to the ground when a hand reached out from the side to pull her up. "Hey, are you alright?" Su Yuan asked. Jiang Jun turned to look at the suddenly appearing Su Yuan beside her. She asked in surprise, "Su Yuan?" Wasn''t he only at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage? How did hee to the red area? Su Yuan smiled and nodded. Then, he let go and looked ahead at the rapidly approaching Poison Fire Two-headed Python wrapped in poison mist! The two students from Seventh High School had already left, and Lv Xinghen had also shed far away using his movement technique. The Poison Fire Two-headed Python seemed to have locked onto Jiang Jun, charging straight at her. Su Yuan said, "I saw you guys seemed unable to handle it. If I step in now, it won''t be stealing your prey, right?" Jiang Jun, having taken a heavy internal blow from the snake tail, could barely stand. Hearing his words, she was shocked, "No, its poison fire mist is too strong to approach it, and it has two heads. Both must be cut off to kill it!" Su Yuan walked forward with a calm expression. He grasped his right wrist with his left hand. As he opened his right hand, arge amount of Star Power surged into his palm, and a ball of quietly burning blue me quickly formed. Jiang Jun vaguely sensed the power of the blue me in Su Yuan''s palm. But she was more keenly aware of the terrifying strength of the Poison Fire Two-headed Python. Anxious, she urged, "Hurry, leave. I''ll forfeit!" Even Lv Xinghen, who had shed to a distance, shouted in rm when he saw Su Yuan seemingly prepared to face the Poison Fire Two-headed Python head-on, "Get her out of there, don''t try to resist it!" As if he hadn''t heard, Su Yuan didn''t intend to leave. Star Power continued to converge into his right palm. The blue me grew even brighter and more intense. Fifty meters, Forty meters, Thirty meters... The Poison Fire Two-headed Python drew closer. The stench from the snake heads was now discernible. The poison fire mist was about to spread to Su Yuan and Jiang Jun''s faces. Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen held their breaths in tension, their hearts filled with unease. Twenty meters! "Perfect!" The blue me in Su Yuan''s right palm red to its peak brightness and started to flicker wildly! Then, Su Yuan''s body shed with silver light and suddenly disappeared from Jiang Jun''s side. "Where did he go?" Jiang Jun was momentarily stunned, wondering if Su Yuan had just run away alone at this critical moment. But the next moment, a blue streak suddenly radiated through her vision! A sh of lightning-like blue me shot out from the left, sting both of the snake heads of the Two-headed Python in an instant from left to right! "Crack!" The headless corpse of the Poison Fire Two-headed Python fell to the ground, and the surrounding poison mist dissipated with a "sizzling..." sound. "What, what is this...?" Jiang Jun and Lv Xinghen''s pupils dted. They were both stunned by this sudden turn of events. It took them several seconds to react. In shock, they turned their heads to look in the direction the blue me had shot from. Dozens of meters away, Su Yuan slowly withdrew his right hand. His silver eyes, indifferent yet beautiful, flickered with sporadic silver light, appearing quite mysterious... "What just happened? Rey that, quickly!" Wang Haiping was extremely excited in themand center, eager to take control himself. Unlike the silence at the battle scene, the Secret Realm Command Center was in an uproar! Wang Haiping, Xiao Yong, Yang Jun, and over twenty city guards couldn''t stay calm. They discussed animatedly! "Was that spatial movement?!" "Could he be a Space Star Card Master? Does Guangchuan City have such a genius?!" "And that Gray me Strike that sted both snake heads, could a Star Apprentice Eighth Stage achieve that?!" "..." Wang Haiping and the others reyed the video of Su Yuan sting the Poison Fire Two-headed Python several times from start to finish. "There''s no mistake!" Wang Haiping''s eyes sparkled. Patting his chest repeatedly, he couldn''t suppress his excitement. "Spatial movement, along with the lingering silver spatial power in his eyes, definitely a Space Star Card Master!" Xiao Yong swallowed hard. As for Yang Jun, he waspletely bewildered.@@novelbin@@ "That Gray me Strike was also at the Great Sess Stage! Unparalleled skill cultivation talent along with top-tier space talent, such a super genius..." Wang Haiping took a deep breath and said slowly, "Our Guangchuan City is bound to be famous in the future!" Chapter 26 The Final Boss Secret Realm.@@novelbin@@ "Exerting the Great Sess Stage Blue me Strike with all my might directly drained nearly half of my star power." Su Yuan felt the depletion inside him and shook his head slightly. "As expected, using pure star power for green skills is still too strenuous..." Although Su Yuan was only at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage, he had C-level star power talent. The total amount of star power in his star power vortex was higher than those of Fang Kun and Lv Xinghen, who were Ninth Stage. It showed that high-level green skills indeed consumed a lot of energy and weren''t something that Star Apprentice Level individuals could use effortlessly. However, the advantage of the Gray me Strike was its lightning speed. Its power wasn''t top-tier among green skills. Without using his full strength, Su Yuan really didn''t have the confidence to blow off the two heads of the Poison Fire Two-headed Python in one strike. Su Yuan walked over to the Poison Fire Two-headed Python, took a snapshot with the locator, and then pulled out a long knife to find and extract its star core from its body. This was a star core with a blend of red and green colors. Because this Poison Fire Two-headed Python was at the Bronze Middle Stage, the star power fluctuation within the star core was quite strong. "Su Yuan, you''re really something..." Jiang Jun stared in awe at Su Yuan, who had just dealt with the Two-headed Python''s corpse, still unable to calm the shock in her heart. "But I really have to thank you this time. Otherwise, I would have had to call for help. With half a day left until the trial ends, being eliminated now might mean I wouldn''t even secure a ce in the top twenty." If unable to stay in the top twenty, Jiang Jun, raised in a humble background, would miss out on a green skill, a significant setback for her. Su Yuan kept the star core and smiled. "Consider this repaying the favor for your subtle reminder in the Identification ss back then." "Identification ss?" Jiang Jun was taken aback, then realized and shook her head involuntarily. "What was that? Just a small matter." Su Yuan casually responded. "I did it in passing as well." Jiang Jun wanted to say more, but an exmation came from the side. "That''s truly impressive!" Lv Xinghen strode over with a longsword, sizing Su Yuan up and down. "So powerful! I''m Lv Xinghen from First High. What''s your name?" Su Yuan replied, "Fourth High, Su Yuan." Lv Xinghen recognized Su Yuan''s Fourth High school uniform, but still found it hard to believe. "To kill this Poison Fire Two-headed Python in one hit, it''s surprising that Fourth High had such a hidden genius! And just now, was that instant movement?" Su Yuan nced at Lv Xinghen with a smile, saying nothing more. Asking someone about their embedded star card skills and details wasn''t polite, especially for a stranger. Lv Xinghen realized and coughed a few times. "Ah! Sorry, I was too surprised! My apologies!" "It''s fine." Su Yuan shook his head slightly. Seeing Jiang Jun''s pale face, Su Yuan reminded her, "Don''t target Bronze-level Star Beasts anymore. There are less than ten Ninth Stage participants in the trial. Since you''re injured now, aim safely for the top ten." Jiang Jun nodded. "Yes, I understand." "Alright then, I''ll be off." After speaking, Su Yuan paid no more attention to the two, quickly heading into the distance. There were so many star beasts in this Rainforest Secret Realm. Even if not for the points, he needed to kill more star beasts for Star Dust. "Su Yuan, huh..." Lv Xinghen watched Su Yuan disappear, then turned to Jiang Jun. "Fourth High produced someone so powerful, howe we never heard of him before?" "I don''t know." Jiang Jun secretly pursed her lips. Not even we knew this guy, who had just awakened, could be this strong. Naturally, Jiang Jun wouldn''t reveal that Su Yuan had awakened onlyst month. Lv Xinghen didn''t ask further, just sighed. "His strength might not be below Kun''s. With him here, that third weapon card will probably not be ours." Jiang Jun casually responded. "I don''t mind. I''m already injured. I just want to keep my rank and pick a good skill." Saying she didn''t want the weapon card was a lie. After all, there were only two special enrollment slots but three weapon cards, so there was still a chance. Initially, all Ninth Stage participants were eligible topete for thest weapon card. However, Su Yuan had emerged, killing the Poison Fire Two-headed Python in one hit. With such strength, it wasn''t impossible for him to outshine the two special enrollees to win the trial. Let alone secure a weapon card. ... Time flew by, and it was already afternoon, with just two or three hours until the trial''s end. At the Secret Realm Command Center. A city defense team member looked at the screen information and reported to Captain Xiao. "Captain Xiao, all Bronze-level Star Beasts have been cleared!" Before Captain Xiao could speak, Wang Haiping, in high spirits,ughed. "This year''s students are indeed extraordinary. To clear all Bronze-level Star Beasts in a joint trial is unprecedented." Captain Xiao agreed. "It is indeed the first time. However, with two special enrollees from top academies this time, plus that exceptional student..." Captain Xiao''s gaze inevitably fell on Su Yuan again. This student''s performance was bing more impressive. Wang Haiping suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Captain Xiao, I recall there''s a rule in the joint trial¡ªif all Bronze-level Star Beasts are defeated, then...a Bronze Elite Star Beast will be released." "Correct." Captain Xiao nodded. "Although this rule has never been implemented, we do have an elite star beast here. And recently, we even received a ''high-quality'' one..." Captain Xiao pressed a button on the console, and a mighty, four-legged star beast''s 3D image appeared on the disy. "Oh?" Wang Haiping showed a hint of surprise and then smiled. "Such a rare species; this will likely eliminate quite a few participants." After a brief thought, Wang Haiping added, "Its strength is formidable. Send more people to ensure the students'' safety, especially Su Yuan''s." Captain Xiao casually ced his jacket aside. "Rest assured, Director Wang, I''ll go personally." Wang Haipingughed. "Good, then I''m relieved." ... After killing the Poison Fire Two-headed Snake, Su Yuan went to two neighboring red zones. However, judging by the battle traces and star beast corpses, the Bronze-level Star Beasts in these areas had already been in. "In that case, this trial should be wrapping up?" Su Yuan checked the map. The several central red zones he had visited were densely packed, and farther areas, even if they had Bronze-level Star Beasts, were too far to reach in time. But just then, his locator emitted a series of "beep beep beep" sounds. Simultaneously, a ck mark appeared on the map in the central area of the Secret Realm, just over an hour''s journey from his current location! On a closer look, the ck mark was moving. "What''s this?" Su Yuan showed a hint of surprise, tapping the ck mark which only disyed a "BOSS"bel. "The final BOSS? There''s even such a thing?" Su Yuan pondered. "Even the Bronze Middle Stage Poison Fire Two-headed Python isn''t considered a BOSS. I wonder what star beast this BOSS is. Could it be...an elite star beast?" Su Yuan''s heart surged with excitement. If it was an elite star beast, it meant a green card for him, something he couldn''t miss! Su Yuan assessed his condition. After killing the Poison Fire Two-headed Snake, he hadn''t had any high-intensity battles, so his star power had gradually recovered to about seventy percent. "At seventy percent, using that move is sufficient." Su Yuan contemted briefly. Watching the ck mark slowly move south on the map, he immediately got up and gave chase... Chapter 27 Divine Skill, Elemental Magnetism Pressure Not only Su Yuan, but also hundreds of students who were training in the Secret Realm, all received a prompt from their locators. "Hey, Pan Zi, there''s even a BOSS, and it''s not far from us. Should we go check it out?" "Do we really want to go? Shouldn''t we spend more time killing more Star Apprentice Level Star Beasts?" "It won''t hurt to take a look. It won''t take long." "Well... okay, let''s go, let''s go." ... "Zheng Qi, it seems like the BOSS ising towards us." "It really does. We should run and hide!" "Don''t you want to see what it looks like?" "With our abilities, we can barely handle Ninth Stage Star Beasts. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. We should know better!" ... Central area, slightly west. "BOSS?" Fang Kun looked at the mark on the map, grinned, and pulled out the long knife stuck in the corpse of a Star Beast at his feet. He then quickly headed in the direction of the marked location. ... More than an hourter, Su Yuan opened the map. He was less than two kilometers away from the ck-marked BOSS. Moreover, Su Yuan could vaguely hear noises and exmations from studentsing from ahead. "Run quickly!" "This guy is terrifying!" "..." Su Yuan agilely climbed up a nearbyrge tree and looked far into the direction the sound wasing from. He saw dust rising, birds scattering, and something seemed to be crashing wildly through the forest. The vegetation and trees along the way were knocked to the sides. Su Yuan murmured, "It seems to be that BOSS. Unfortunately, it''s too far to see what it is clearly." The trees in the forest blocked the view, and at such a distance, it was almost impossible to make out its appearance. Su Yuan leaped down from the tree and headed forward. He would find out what it was by taking a look. But very soon, Su Yuan got his answer. Because not long after he started moving, a boy from another school ran towards Su Yuan in distress. Seeing Su Yuan heading inward, the boy didn''t forget to shout, "Run! There''s an Earth Element Beast ahead. If it catches you, you won''t be able to escape!" Earth Element Beast? Su Yuan was first a little shocked, then intense joy welled up in his heart. It was actually an Earth Element Beast! The Earth Element Beast was not only an Elite Star Beast but also one of the stronger Elite Star Beasts. However, its strength didn''t lie in its six-dimensional attributes, but in its representative skill, which was considered one of the top skills among countless green skills¡ªElemental Maism Pressure. [Elemental Maism Pressure, green skill, can change the gravity within a certain range through Earth Maic Power.] A super-strong invisible control skill that could target both single and multiple enemies, and also had some damage output. As a control skill, it was absolutely top-tier. Moreover, Elemental Maism Pressure had a very special aspect. The gravity change from Elemental Maism Pressure could not only increase gravity but also reduce it. It was said that when Elemental Maism Pressure was cultivated to Perfect, it could achieve short-term levitation! It should be known that more than 99% of Low Stage Star Card Masters couldn''t achieve levitation, which would make anyone envious to the point of explosion! So, a top-tier control skill plus levitation... There was no doubt that it was a divine skill! Even though there was only a small chance to extract Elemental Maism Pressure from the Earth Element Beast Star Core, and it would take a lot of time and effort to cultivate it to Perfect to achieve levitation, But for Su Yuan, this was not a problem! Card extraction plus card dposition, done~ It was just a matter of spending more time hunting arge amount of Star Dust. "Elemental Maism Pressure, this skill is a must-get..." Su Yuan''s eyes lit up with eagerness. "Hey! What are you spacing out for? Hurry and run!" The boy from the other school, already past him, saw Su Yuan still standing there and didn''t forget to call out again. "It''s okay, you go ahead." Su Yuan responded, then continued toward the ck-marked location. "Why doesn''t this guy listen to advice?" The boy from the other school shook his head. He didn''t know Su Yuan, and reminding him once or twice already felt like doing his duty. Seeing the Earth Element Beast getting closer, the boy from the other school didn''t care about Su Yuan anymore and ran away faster. Su Yuan proceeded cautiously. Soon, he saw from a distance a majestic, gray-ck Star Beast with four hooves.@@novelbin@@ It was the Earth Element Beast! Unlike all the previous Bronze-level Star Beasts, this Earth Element Beast''s eyes glowed faintly red, seemingly affected by something with strong attacks in mind. At this moment, it was aggressively chasing two students from another school in the dense forest. It didn''t even bother to turn much, knocking down any trees blocking its way with its strong head! "It really is an Earth Element Beast, and it''s only Bronze Early Stage." Su Yuan observed the beast from a distance, feeling even more joyful, "If it were a Bronze Middle Stage Earth Element Beast, I wouldn''t be able to handle it." After all, it was just a trial assessment. If they released a Bronze Middle Stage Earth Element Beast, this assessment would be hellishly difficult and pointless. "It''s no good. It''s catching up!" One of the students looked back and found the Earth Element Beast only thirty meters behind, and cried out. Both of these students were at Star Apprentice Eighth Stage and just wanted to see what the BOSS was, only to be targeted by the Earth Element Beast. In fact, before these two, the Earth Element Beast had already eliminated dozens of students... At this moment, hearing the other student''s words, the other one''s face turned grim, "Damn, ask for help quickly... Ah!" He hadn''t finished speaking when the Earth Element Beast''s body shed gray, and an invisible field suddenly enveloped the two fleeing students. Instantly, both of them fell to their knees with their hands on the ground! Their bodies trembled, eyes bloodshot, and blood started to seep from their mouths and noses, as if under immense pressure! Elemental Maism Pressure! Enveloped by Elemental Maism Pressure, the two couldn''t move at all, not even to call for help! The Earth Element Beast controlled them and ran fast towards them, raising its powerful front leg to strike one of them. With the Earth Element Beast''s strength qualification at D-level, if this strikended, the student would probably be killed on the spot. Just then, a strong figure suddenly appeared beside the two students. In a sh, he grabbed each of them and took them out from under the ck hoof of the Earth Element Beast, retreating more than ten meters. "Roar!!" The Earth Element Beast was about to seed, but this human suddenly disrupted it, and it roared in fury. Its body shed gray light again, and it charged once more. However, this person seemedpletely unaffected by any gravity changes, standing straight and even ncing at Su Yuan who was hiding in the distance. "Captain Xiao?" Eye contact, Su Yuan recognized the face of the person as Xiao Yong, who was fully responsible for this assessment. Su Yuan was initially stunned, then he figured it out. Right, the Earth Element Beast was indeed dangerous. If students were caught by Elemental Maism Pressure, they might not even have a chance to call for help, and it wasn''t 100% sure that the Silver and Bronze level City Guards could save every student being attacked by the Earth Element Beast in time. Watching the Earth Element Beast approach, Xiao Yong, carrying the two students, turned into a ck shadow and disappeared from sight in a few bounds... Chapter 28 Earth Element Beast "Captain!" Several City Guards hiding near the Earth Element Beast saw Xiao Yong bringing back two students who were still in shock. They quickly approached to greet them. Xiao Yong nodded and threw out the two students he was carrying. "Take them back to the camp. Also, announce the information about the Earth Element Beast and warn those without sufficient strength to stay away." Xiao Yong grumbled, "How long has it been? Three or four dozen students have been eliminated already. They are fine, but I am exhausted!" Xiao Yong spoke bluntly. Even though they knew this was a BOSS and most likely not simple, many students still approached out of curiosity without proper observation. As a result, they were detected and immobilized by the Earth Element Beast''s Elemental Maism Pressure from afar, leading to their elimination. If this wasn''t a trial, it wouldn''t be just an elimination for these students. It would mean "death." "Not a shred of caution. Completely worthless!" Xiao Yong cursed as he turned around. "I''ll continue to monitor the Earth Element Beast. You guys stay alert. The trial is almost over. Even though there is a death indicator, it''s best if nothing unexpected happens." "Yes, Captain!" ... On the other side, The Earth Element Beast lost its target and the vicious light in its eyes intensified. Its two sturdy forehooves stomped heavily on the ground, appearing extremely irritable! "It''s time to step in, kill the Earth Element Beast, and obtain the ''Elemental Maism Pressure!''" Su Yuan''s eyes focused as he walked out from behind the tree. The irritable Earth Element Beast immediately sensed it. It suddenly twisted its body, ring angrily at Su Yuan with its slightly red eyes. "So perceptive." Su Yuan frowned slightly. Regarding Bronze Level Elites, Su Yuan would never underestimate them. Although he killed the Green me White Wolf during winter break, Su Yuan knew very well that this did not mean he was stronger than a Bronze Level Elite. He seeded that time because Zhuang Xun, who was not weak,pletely distracted the Green me White Wolf, allowing him to seize the opportunity to kill it with the Transformation Realm Steel me Finger.@@novelbin@@ Moreover, thebat ability of the Earth Element Beast in front of him was far stronger than the Green me White Wolf! The Earth Element Beast roared and charged at Su Yuan with its four ck hooves. Su Yuan also did not intend to avoid it, engaging with Wind Walking. To really understand the Earth Element Beast''s strength, he needed to experience it firsthand. As they rapidly approached, the Earth Element Beast''s body suddenly shed with light. "Here ites!" Su Yuan was already on alert. A gust of wind instantly erupted beneath his feet. He used Wind Walking to swiftly dodge to the side! "Thunk!" A bird that had just flown above Su Yuan suddenly plunged to the ground, shattering into pieces without a drop of blood sttering. Su Yuan felt that the space around him seemed to undergo some invisible change that could not be discerned by his eyes. "It can be dodged!" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up as he dodged to the side. By observing how the Earth Element Beast utilized Elemental Maism Pressure to cover the two students, Su Yuan discovered that although Elemental Maism Pressure was invisible, it could be detected by the gray light on the Earth Element Beast''s body. Since Elemental Maism Pressure was a range skill, he could possibly avoid it by moving quickly enough. Indeed, it seemed possible. By reacting swiftly and using Transformation Realm''s Wind Walking, he sessfully dodged the Elemental Maism Pressure! Although this approach felt like dancing on a knife''s edge, Su Yuan had a backup n if he ever got caught in the Elemental Maism Pressure. The Earth Element Beast seemed surprised that Su Yuan had managed to dodge its Elemental Maism Pressure. After a brief hesitation, it became outraged and prepared to use it again. At this moment, a ck figure suddenly dashed from the side. It was Fang Kun, a top special recruit of Yizhong! With a ck aura swirling around his shiny silverrge de, Fang Kun charged ahead of Su Yuan, reaching the Earth Element Beast first, and fiercely shed down. "ck Tiger Strong Strike!" With a spurt of fresh blood, the sh left a near-foot-long wound on the Earth Element Beast''s left side! Fang Kun frowned, seeming dissatisfied with this oue. The Earth Element Beast, in pain, turned around furiously and kicked at Fang Kun. Fang Kun quickly raised hisrge de to block in front of him. With a "bang," he was kicked several meters away. However, Fang Kun did not fall. After taking a few deep breaths, he recovered. Such robust physical strength naturally came from his Soul Card¡ªdouble C in strength and physique, the Furious Tiger! "Roar!!" This attack suddenly made Fang Kun the primary target. The Earth Element Beast abandoned Su Yuan, gray light flowing on its body as it prepared to use Elemental Maism Pressure on Fang Kun. At this moment, a zing white light as thick as a washbasin shot over from the side, causing the Earth Element Beast to stagger. The Elemental Maism Pressure was interrupted. Crackling electricity danced and sparkled on the Earth Element Beast''s body, continually causing stiffness and sustained Thunder Element damage. Su Yuan and Fang Kun looked up to see Chen Jiujun walking over from a distance with an indifferent expression. When he saw Su Yuan, Chen Jiujun frowned and said ndly, "Su Yuan, you''re only at the Eighth Stage. How dare youe here to face the Earth Element Beast?" "Su Yuan... so that''s Su Yuan?" Fang Kun''s eyes shed with surprise as he turned his head to scrutinize Su Yuan again. "Is this the person Zhuang Xun mentioned, and he''s only at the Eighth Stage?" "Well, dodging Elemental Maism Pressure with speed is something I can''t even do. Maybe... Zhuang Xun wasn''t exaggerating!" Thinking of Zhuang Xun''s assessment of Su Yuan, Fang Kun narrowed his eyes, looking at Su Yuan with much more seriousness. "Does one have to be at the Ninth Stage toe here?" Su Yuan chuckled lightly, not paying much attention to Chen Jiujun''s words. "We are both Star Apprentices, not much different. This ce isn''t a ''Ninth Stage exclusive'' area." "Not much different? How arrogant..." Chen Jiujun sneered, shaking his head dismissively. An Eighth Stage novice Star Apprentice dared topare himself to Chen Jiujun? Even Jiang Jun wouldn''t qualify! "Roar!!" The Earth Element Beast had cleared itself of the crackling lightning at this point. Annoyed at being ignored, it roared once again. How dare you! Three insignificant beings dare to ignore my presence! Although the three of them were observing andmunicating, they were continuously alert to the Earth Element Beast. Su Yuan didn''t know about the other two, but he had personally experienced the prowess of a Bronze Level Elite Star Beast! Upon hearing the roar, Su Yuan immediately heightened his vignce. "Whoever kills it, gets it!" Fang Kun shouted as he once again charged towards the Earth Element Beast. Su Yuan also used Wind Walking, holding his long de, and rushed in. Chen Jiujun watched the two rushing towards the Earth Element Beast with slight disdain in his eyes. "Warriors are so brainless. All they can do is charge forward, but it saves me the trouble of fighting, giving me ample time to set up Thunder Strike Seals!" Chen Jiujun also moved, maneuvering around the battlefield to start setting up one Thunder Strike Seal after another. Chapter 29 Fierce Battle At the Secret Realm Command Center, everyone focused on this battle. "It''s happening, three geniuses versus the final boss. This is the highlight of the trial." "Old Deng, do you think they can win?"@@novelbin@@ "I think it''s difficult. That''s an Earth Element Beast, not some Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals!" "Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals... Old Deng, to be honest, the ones in the sea domain are Master Star Beasts." "Uh, this!" "But it is hard to win. The Earth Element Beast''sbat power is top-tier among the many Elite Star Beasts. Even with two special recruits and an even more abnormal one..." Without Xiao Yong, Wang Haiping could only chat with Yang Jun. "Yang Jun, what do you think? Which side will win?" Yang Jun was rtively young. He had never been this close to a big shot from the Guangchuan Education Bureau in his few years of teaching. Upon hearing this, he cleared his throat nervously. "Director Wang, I guess... the Earth Element Beast has a better chance of winning? To deal with a wild Earth Element Beast, usually, a Star Card Master of at least one or two higher stages would go. Although Su Yuan and the others have high talents, they still pale inparison to the Earth Element Beast." Wang Haiping nodded slightly. Yang Jun''s judgment was rtively normal and reasonable. No matter how talented high school students are, they are still just high school students. They are still in a "newborn" stage. When they enter the academy, with a broader tform and vision, it''ll be the time for young students to truly leap and grow rapidly. Wang Haiping looked at the three people and one beast on the screen, and his eyes finally fell on Su Yuan''s face. He murmured, "However, this time there might be an unexpected result." Yang Jun was taken aback. "You mean...?" Wang Haipingughed heartily. "Since you say the Earth Element Beast will win, I''ll bet on these youngsters to win!" ... In the center of the secret realm, Su Yuan and the others had already engaged the Earth Element Beast. The two attacked the Earth Element Beast from the left and right. The Earth Element Beast, of course, was not polite. ck light shed on its body continuously, and two Elemental Maism Pressures pressed towards the two. Su Yuan repeated his old trick, fully utilizing his Wind Walking to dodge and then continued to close in. But Fang Kun didn''t have Su Yuan''s speed. He was immediately covered by the gray-ck light, causing his whole body, including his internal organs, to weigh several times more. He couldn''t move an inch! However, Fang Kun was still Fang Kun. As a Star Apprentice Ninth Rank with C-level strength qualification, he did not copse to the ground like the two people Su Yuan had seen before. Instead, he stood firm with a taut body. "There should be a backup n..." Su Yuan nced at Fang Kun, who was tense and unable to move. Geniuses are not fools. Since they dared to charge the Earth Element Beast head-on, they must have the means to counter the Elemental Maism Pressure. Sure enough, at this moment, arge amount of ck smoke-like airflow rose from Fang Kun''s body and quickly spread all over! "Ugh!" Fang Kun suddenly let out an angry roar. Although it was a human voice, it was as soul-stirring as a tiger''s! Fang Kun''s muscles swelled, and in a moment, he grew twenty centimeters taller, tearing off his shirt! The ck airflow spiraled back to his exposed left chest... or rather, to the heart area, forming a roaring ck tiger pattern! Blue Soul Skill- Hu Ben''s Heart! By unleashing his soul skill, Fang Kun''s aura surged. He slowly lifted his left foot and stomped on the ground, which trembled. Then, step by step, he moved faster and faster until hepletely broke free from the Elemental Maism Pressure! "What immense strength!" Su Yuan felt a slight shock at Fang Kun''s way of countering the Elemental Maism Pressure. Without a doubt, the other party used some skill to enhance his strength, from strong to even stronger, astonishingly so. This was a talent specialized in strength! Su Yuan approached the Earth Element Beast first. It swung its front paw at Su Yuan. With the support of Transformation Realm Wind Walk, Su Yuan''s speed and agility were far superior to the Earth Element Beast. He swayed his body with gusting wind at his feet and shed to the side of the Earth Element Beast, shing three times in an instant. However, these three shes only left three thin blood marks on the Earth Element Beast, just barely breaking its skin. Su Yuan squinted slightly. "It''s really tough..." Earlier, Fang Kun''s sh had left a foot-long wound, causing Su Yuan to misjudge. "It seems that therge knife Fang Kun used is probably a white Star Device. And that sh was definitely an enhanced attack skill at Perfect Level or higher." Su Sheng''s thoughts churned as he quickly analyzed Fang Kun''s information. If Fang Kun knew what Su Yuan was thinking, he would be very surprised. His knife was indeed a white Star Device, and "ck Tiger Strong Strike" could enhance his next attack. With Perfect ck Tiger Strong Strikebined with the white Star Device, it could take down even a defensive Ninth Stage Star Beast with just one sh! The Earth Element Beast''s tailshed over, and Su Yuan quickly retreated. Seeing his shing attacks were ineffective, Su Yuan decisively put away his long knife. Firelight entwined his right index finger, forming the perfected Steel me Finger. The Earth Element Beast turned around. Su Yuan, instead of retreating, stepped forward to its side and stabbed its neck with his Steel me Finger! The sensation from his finger was like poking steel. The perfected Steel me Finger could only go halfway in! The Earth Element Beast felt the pain and swiftly kicked at Su Yuan with its front hoof. Tond this Steel me Finger on the beast''s neck, Su Yuan had to get very close. Even with Wind Walking, he couldn''t evade in time. But Su Yuan had prepared for this. Hardened Iron Armor! With a muffled chant, Su Yuan raised his left arm, which instantly turned metallic gray-ck. "ng!" The collision of his left arm with the Earth Element Beast''s hoof felt like being hammered, pushing him back several steps. Su Yuan checked his left arm. "Fortunately, it''s just a minor injury. With Transformation Realm Hardened Iron Armor plus C-level strength and defense, I can withstand a few hits. But the Earth Element Beast''s neck defense is really tough, quite tricky..." Su Yuan had used the Steel me Finger to test the Earth Element Beast''s toughness. Its D-level defensive qualification was evidently far superior to that of the Bronze Elite Star Beast, Green me White Wolf! Indeed, of all the Earth Element Beast''s possible weak points, even the rtively weak neck was surprisingly tough. "Although I have that move, I can only use it once. To guarantee a fatal strike, it''s best to weaken it as much as possible first. And this battle can''t drag on. Otherwise, the three of us Star Apprentices will run out of Star Power first... So the fight must be elerated!" Although many thoughts shed through Su Yuan''s mind, only a few seconds had passed in the actual battle. The Earth Element Beast pped Su Yuan away, but it wasn''t satisfied. Instead, it became even more irritable, as that finger had genuinely threatened it! The Earth Element Beast roared, its star power surging, ck light shing! This time, the Elemental Maism Pressure seemed different! "Not good!" Su Yuan''s heart skipped a beat. He rapidly pushed his Wind Walking to the limit to dodge. But in the blink of an eye, he felt a suffocating pressure, as if encased in high-density metal, immobilized by tremendous gravity. It wasn''t over. The Earth Element Beast stomped its ck hoof, creating a ck light-rimmed crack that raced past Su Yuan and extended far beyond. Su Yuan nced down. The long crack beneath his feet glowed faintly with ck light, containing terrifying energy that made his scalp tingle! Chapter 30 Why do you have to be so amazing? With the appearance of the fissure, Chen Jiujun''s expression changed dramatically while setting up the Thunder Strike Seal. Fang Kun, who had just rushed forward to sh at the Earth Element Beast, also hurriedly stopped and retreated! "It''s the Crack Earth Gorge!" The two of them remembered that this was another green skill of the Earth Element Beast, injecting Star Power into the ground to unleash a super strong attack skill in the form of a gorge ¡ª the Crack Earth Gorge! The Crack Earth Gorge injected a massive amount of energy into the ground, resulting in a dy of two to three seconds before activation. However, this exchange led to more terrifying power. And now, Su Yuan was controlled by the Earth Element Pressure, clearly unable to dodge! "Quick, press the SOS... Damn it!" Fang Kun eximed. Earlier, Fang Kun had seen several students pressing the SOS button. Once pressed, it would activate the Star Power Barrier pre-set in the locator to temporarily protect the student in distress. However, Fang Kun quickly realized that Su Yuan was immobilized by Elemental Maism Pressure and couldn''t press for help. Chen Jiujun also frowned and said, "Judging by his earlier moves, I thought he had some skills, but it turns out that''s all? Daring to wade into these muddy waters, he''s really courting death!" Not far from the battlefield, Xiao Yong stood tense and highly focused, ready to take action at any moment. If it weren''t for knowing that Su Yuan had Instant Movement, Xiao Yong would have intervened already. After all, these three, especially Su Yuan now, couldn''t afford any mistakes! "Boom!!" With a loud roar, turbulent ck light mes erupted from the ground fissures, rising several meters high in an instant, like a terrifying ck wall of Star Power! The terrifying power of the attack shocked even Fang Kun, who had retreated in another direction! Two secondster, the ck light mes dispersed, leaving a gigantic fissure seventy to eighty meters long on the ground. "The power... It''s indeed somewhat terrifying!" Fang Kun swallowed and suddenly looked into the distance. "Right, where is that guy..." "It was really dangerous..." While Fang Kun was pondering, a faint voice suddenly came from behind. Fang Kun was startled. Turning his head, he saw Su Yuan suddenly appear behind him; calm, unscathed. "How is he here?! Is it illusion, substitute technique, or..." Seeing the silvery glow in Su Yuan''s eyes, Fang Kun suddenly realized something, and his pupils constricted, "Could it be... Instant Teleportation?!" Su Yuan stepped forward and said to Fang Kun, "Step back a bit." Fang Kun frowned. "Hmm? What do you mean?" Su Yuan raised his head and indicated to the distance. Around the Earth Element Beast, within dozens of meters, there were fifteen silver Thunder Seals scattered. "I didn''t expect, Su Yuan can also instant move?!" Chen Jiujun''s face was full of suspicion and uncertainty. Finally, he coldly snorted, "So what? This Earth Element Beast is mine! I am the first in the trial and the number one genius in Guangchuan!" Chen Jiujun set up thest Thunder Strike Seal and then quickly formed seals with both hands. Su Yuan said to Fang Kun, "He is ready. We can''t stop it. Do you want to help the Earth Element Beast share the damage?" Fang Kun clenched his brows. "He set it up so quickly. This guy, are we just going to let him have the Earth Element Beast?" Su Yuan remained calm. "You and I have both experienced the Earth Element Beast''s defense firsthand. Don''t you have any confidence?" Fang Kun was stunned, remembering that even his full-force strike in normal condition could only leave a superficial wound on the Earth Element Beast. He settled down again. Su Yuan said slowly, "Whether we work for him or he works for us, we will know after this strike." Su Yuan, having tested it with the Perfect Steel me Finger, had great confidence in the defense of the Earth Element Beast. Even if Chen Jiujun had a powerful green skill, as long as it wasn''t perfect, it wouldn''t necessarily be able to kill the Earth Element Beast with one blow! The Earth Element Beast had just used the Crack Earth Gorge when dozens of silver thunder marks lit up all around it. The dense thunder elements swirling around made the Earth Element Beast uneasy, so it urgently rushed outward. After setting up for so long, there was no way Chen Jiujun would let the Earth Element Beast escape. Two Thunder Snakes flew out of his body, connecting head to tail to form a Silver Electric Magic Chain, binding the Earth Element Beast. Killing a Bronze Level Earth Element Beast would absolutely rank high among the Wanzhou Special Admissions! Chen Jiujun''s eyes shone brightly, his heart surging. He shouted while forming seals with both hands, "Sixteen Layers, Thunder Strike Array!" Countless Thunder Attribute Star Power burst out from the Thunder Seals. Explosions and lightning roared! The blinding thunder light instantly engulfed the Earth Element Beast! Such a powerful disy even made Fang Kun exim in admiration, "This strike, very strong!" "Indeed, it''s quite an astounding strike!" Su Yuan squinted slightly. "However, it might still fall short." Hearing this, Fang Kun''s gaze flickered. Looking at the gradually dissipating thunder light, he nervously gripped his broadsword. "Zi, zi..." The sound of thunder crackling was endless. As the silver light faded, they could clearly see the situation in the field. The Earth Element Beast''s body, originally gray and ck, had now bepletely charred. After using the energy-intensive Crack Earth Gorge and being hit by the Sixteen Layers Thunder Strike Array, the Earth Element Beast''s aura weakened significantly. Even so, it still stood firmly on the ground, ring at the three people outside! "How is it possible?!" Chen Jiujun''s eyes were full of disbelief. How was it possible that even the Sixteen Layers Thunder Strike Array, which could kill a Bronze Middle-Stage Yellow Rock Armadillo, didn''t kill this Earth Element Beast?! Chen Jiujun had ultimately underestimated the might of an Elite Star Beast. In fact, Star Apprentice Level students rarely had the chance to encounter Elite Star Beasts, so even Su Yuan and Zhuang Xun had almost suffered greatly initially. Moreover, Su Yuan''s Steel me Finger and Fang Kun''s ck Tiger Strong Strike had already inflicted effective damage on the Earth Element Beast. This led Chen Jiujun to misjudge the Earth Element Beast''s defense. Fang Kun was understandable; in Chen Jiujun''s eyes, Su Yuan was just a newly awakened Eighth Stage! Chen Jiujun believed the Earth Element Beast''s defense, though strong, was at mostparable to the Yellow Rock Armadillo he had killed before. "So you can''t rely on others. The opponent''s strength must be tested personally..." Seeing Chen Jiujun''s distraction, Su Yuan shook his head slightly. At this moment, Star Power surged in front of him. Fang Kun, wielding his broadsword, burst forth and dashed toward the weakened Earth Element Beast as a ck line. Su Yuan chuckled lightly: "So impatient..." With Star Power surging from within, Su Yuan''s entire right arm instantly erupted with gold and fire elements. ck and red intertwined, turning his right arm into a burning, red-hot piece of metal. "Instant Movement..." A sh of silver light in Su Yuan''s eyes, and he disappeared from his spot, instantly reappearing beside the Earth Element Beast. His burning metal right arm formed a hand knife and shed at the Earth Element Beast''s neck. "Golden Burning Hand!" With a low shout, Su Yuan''s gold-and-fire-entwined right arm slightly stiffened before slicing through the Earth Element Beast''s neck! "Da-da..." The Earth Element Beast''s head, like a basketball, fell to the ground, rolling to the feet of Fang Kun, who had just rushed over. The Earth Element Beast, dead! Su Yuan''s face turned pale. Dispersing the Star Power on his right arm, a strong sense of pain and burning filled the entire arm, as if his bones were broken. With his current physical condition, using this move was still somewhat strenuous... This move was something Su Yuan had unintentionallyprehended whenbining the Perfect Hardened Iron Armor with the Steel me Finger. The integration of two perfect skills seemed to generate a deeper reaction, further tapping into potential and unleashing power beyond the limit! Su Yuan named it "Golden Burning Hand." With both skills at the Transformation Realm, its power at full strength was above a great sess green skill and quite close to perfect level. Dozens of meters away, Xiao Yong, always watching, twitched his mouth. After a while, he finally uttered a sentence: "Why are you making such a fuss?" With Su Yuan''s powerful strike killing the Earth Element Beast, Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun were left in shock. Chen Jiujun finally realized that there were geniuses beyond him in Guangchuan City, and one was just a Star Apprentice Eighth Stage! Recalling Su Yuan''s earlier words, Chen Jiujun suddenly understood and mockingly said, "Half a pound and eight ounces... Turns out I''m the half pound, and you''re the eight ounces." As for Fang Kun, he was stunned, staring at the Earth Element Beast''s head at his feet, unable to describe the terrifying power of the Golden Burning Hand. This definitely surpassed the power of his Hu Ben''s Heart Transform and strong strike by far! This was an attack a Star Apprentice Eighth Stage could deliver by hand?!@@novelbin@@ Looking at Su Yuan, Fang Kun shook his head with a bitter smile and cursed internally. "Zhuang Xun, you tricked me! This was ''possibly stronger than us''? This is a monster!" "We are all special admissions to Shuzhou; we will all be ssmates in the future. Since you knew he was so powerful, why didn''t you give me more intel?" "Oh, I get it. You did it on purpose to make me look bad? You wished me to win big and take the lead? Fine, wait till we get to Shuzhou College, and I will settle the score with you!" "Ah... Ah-choo!" At Qingye High School, during the generalnguage ss, Zhuang Xun, who was dozing off, suddenly felt a cold chill and sneezed. "Goodness, who''s cursing me behind my back?!" Confused, Zhuang Xun scratched his head and continued to nap... Chapter 31 Compound Skills Secret Realm Command Center. "I fuck!" "What''s with that move? How is it so strong?" "I don''t know either." "Is that really still a student? Even I might not be a match for that Earth Element Beast!" "..." The city guards exploded, some stood up, some cursed, regardless of the presence of the education chief beside them. Of course, the education chief no longer cared about anything else. He was grinning like a fool who had just won the jackpot. The continuous surprises throughout the day had left Wang Haiping numb... Initially, he hadn''t expected Su Yuan to pull off anything spectacr. Yet now, here he was, pulling off a super big move? Compound skill! It was actually apound skill! The city guards might not know this, but Wang Haiping was clear: Su Yuan''s move was definitely apound skillposed of Steel me Finger and Hardened Iron Armor! Apound skill referred to a stronger skill formed bybining two or more perfect skills with sufficientpatibility. It could elevate the skill grade by half! Note, simply achieving perfectpatibility between two skills did not guarantee apound skill. Achieving a perfect skill level was merely the basic condition for using apound skill. It wasn''t just about using two perfect skills simultaneously to form apound skill. The proportions of star power output for the two skills, the method ofbination, the final form of release... all these details were crucial, and a slight error could lead to failure. Even with a pound form" in ce, it took countless practices and attempts to master apound skill. Because white skills were mostly transitional in the early stages, most people focused more on green skills once acquired, making the numbers of whitepound skills rtively few. At least, Wang Haiping never heard of apound skillbining Steel me Finger and Hardened Iron Armor. So Su Yuan not only used apound skill, but it was an original one! Compared to this, the news that Su Yuan''s Hardened Iron Armor had also reached perfection didn''t even matter much. One month, perfect Steel me Finger and perfect Hardened Iron Armor, Great Sess Gray me Strike, and at least Great Sess Wind Walking... And apound skillbining Steel me Finger and Hardened Iron Armor! How was Wang Haiping supposed to feel? Super genius? Freak! Little Huangfu Qi? Huangfu Qi didn''t create apound skill during his Star Apprentice period either! Too much shock, too much surprise, Wang Haiping waspletely numb... After calming down a bit, Wang Haiping looked at the screen, constantly pondering as he saw Su Yuan extracting the Earth Element Beast star core. Su Yuan''s skill talent was unparalleled, evenpared to the myriad geniuses and freaks in the Three Cities. With such talent, regardless of his future realm, he would undoubtedly be among the top experts of the same level. He might even be able to fight across greater realms! Guangchuan belonged to Shuzhou, and as the chief of Guangchuan Education Bureau, it was his duty to send outstanding talents to Shuzhou College. Even if Su Yuan''s realm was a bitcking, it would be absolutely fine to rmend him to Shuzhou College. This was quite amon practice. But for Su Yuan, for the cultivation of talents for Great me... and for himself, perhaps a better path should be given to him! Wang Haiping pondered for a while and quickly made a decision. Being able to help a super genius at a young age would definitely yield feedback tens or even hundreds of times in the future! Such examples were countless throughout the history of the Blue Sea Star. Encountering one and giving them a push suited both parties. "I''ll contact my teacher when I get back!" Thinking of the old man, Wang Haiping felt a bit distressed, but whatever, he could bear another lecture. Inside the Secret Realm. Seeing Su Yuan carefully put away the gray-ck star core of the Earth Element Beast, Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun were both very envious. But they quickly let it go. Even with the star core, it didn''t guarantee extracting the Star Card of Elemental Maism Pressure. More than 50% of the probability was a white Earth Element Shield, while the other 50% was evenly split between Crack Earth Gorge and Elemental Maism Pressure. However, the wild joy in Su Yuan''s heart was something these two could notprehend. "I hit the jackpot, Elemental Maism Pressure!" Su Yuan''s eyes sparkled. This Earth Element Beast star core was even more precious to him, who could definitely extract Elemental Maism Pressure, than a green Weapon Card! If it were not inappropriate now, Su Yuan could hardly wait to extract the Elemental Maism Pressure! Su Yuan checked the time, it was almost five o''clock. In his current state, he could still find time to hunt some low-stage star beasts to umte star dust. "You two take care, I''ll go ahead." In great spirits, Su Yuan waved cheerily and continued fighting within the Secret Realm. Time flew by, and soon it was six o''clock. With the "beep beep" prompt sound from the locator, this trial ended perfectly. The map marked several teleportation points. As long as they reached a teleportation point, they could leave the Secret Realm and go to the outside za directly.@@novelbin@@ Because the Secret Realm was rtivelyrge, the rule was to return within two hours, that is, by eight o''clock. "Two more hours, enough to earn a few dozen more star dust points." Su Yuan looked at a few teleportation points near him on the map, quickly mapped out a route, and continued... After dealing with the Earth Element Beast, Xiao Yong had returned to the Secret Realm Command Center and started arranging the post-trial tasks, including withdrawing students, tallying results, and handling the site... "Captain Xiao, I''m heading off," Wang Haiping greeted as he got up and left. Wang Haiping was now eager to meet Su Yuan, the suddenly emerged genius student, alone. Initially, he came to check on Chen Jiujun and Fang Kun, the two special recruits. But now... these two could wait! Yang Jun, feeling a bit dazed, also got up to leave with Wang Haiping, as he still needed to consolidate the students from the Fourth High School. Outside the Secret Realm, on the za deep in the base. One by one, students walked out from the teleportation gate. They gathered in the za and soon started chatting. "Oh man, I''m exhausted! I''ve never spent a night in the wild before, let alone in a more dangerous Secret Realm." "Heh, Yuan Jie, you managed to hold out till the end without being eliminated? You must have scored decently, huh?" "So-so, just over a thousand points." "Over a thousand points? Definitely in the top two hundred! That''s awesome, you''re guaranteed a useful White Card!" "Hehe, not bad~" ... "Geez, that Earth Element Beast was terrifying, it almost kicked the star power barrier on the locator to pieces and scared the crap out of me!" "No kidding, I was rooted meters away from it. How is such a thing in the Secret Realm for our trial? No way any of us could handle it!" "Well, actually, someone did defeat it in the end." "How''s that possible?!" "Why would I lie? Those who stayed till the end know, the Earth Element Beast''s mark was removed from the map in the end. But among the special recruits, it was probably either Fang Kun or Chen Jiujun, or maybe the two teamed up." ... Among the First High School team. Lv Xinghen whispered to Fang Kun: "Kun, was it you who killed the Earth Element Beast?" Fang Kun shrugged: "No." Lv Xinghen was surprised: "Then Chen Jiujun is that strong?" "He''s not the one either." "Huh? Then it''s..." Lv Xinghen suddenly thought of Su Yuan, who killed the Poison Fire Two-headed Python, "Could it be him..." "Him?" Fang Kun looked at Lv Xinghen in confusion. Lv Xinghen then detailed how Su Yuan killed the Poison Fire Two-headed Python with one blow. The more Fang Kun listened, the more shocked he became. This Su Yuan, it turned out he had killed a Bronze Middle Stage Poison Fire Two-headed Python? And with one strike? Fang Kun took a deep breath and said, "He''s the one who killed the Earth Element Beast." "It really was him? Damn!" Lv Xinghen couldn''t help but exim, then shook his head and sighed, "Why is the gap between people so huge? I''m considered a top genius in Guangchuan City too!" Both looked at the Fourth High School team, but almost everyone from there had arrived, except Su Yuan. "Still in the Secret Realm?" Fang Kun and Lv Xinghen were surprised. Chapter 32 Over Ten Thousand Points! In a lounge on the left side of the square, Wang Haiping sat by the window, asionally ncing at the Fourth Middle School''s team. Wang Haiping looked at the time. It was almost eight o''clock, and he had been standing here for nearly two hours but still had not seen Su Yuan. "This kid, the trial is over. What is he still doing in there?" Wang Haiping didn''t know thest time he had waited so long for someone. At this moment, Xiao Yong came into the lounge to get some water. Seeing Wang Haiping, he couldn''t help but be a little surprised: "Director Wang, are you waiting for Su Yuan?" "Why hasn''t hee out yet?" "He''s still in there killing monsters, but he should be out soon." "Killing monsters?" Wang Haiping looked puzzled. "The trial is over. What monsters are there to kill?" "No idea. Maybe it''s for experience or Star Cores... Oh? He''s out. Look over there." Xiao Yong gestured towards the square. Sure enough, Su Yuan, carrying a backpack, returned to the square. Xiao Yong asked, "Should I bring him to see you?" "No need. I already instructed Yang Jun." Wang Haiping suddenly thought of something. "By the way, how did he do in the trial?" Speaking of this, Xiao Yong paused while holding the kettle. Looking up at the ceiling, Xiao Yong said in a daze, "Unprecedented..." ¡­ In the Fourth Middle School''s team on the square. Chen Jiujun looked at Su Yuan with an extremelyplex expression. Jiang Jun, who also knew Su Yuan''s strength, sighed. With the final boss Earth Element Beast killed, Jiang Jun knew it wasn''t Chen Jiujun who did it. So it was likely Su Yuan. "Su Yuan, you''re back?" Yang Jun felt like he was dreaming when he saw Su Yuan, finding it hard to believe. "Teacher Yang," Su Yuan nodded in response. Yang Jun came to his senses, walked up, and patted Su Yuan on the shoulder, smiling: "It''s good you''re back. Come with me for a moment." "Hmm?" Su Yuan thought briefly and realized he might have attracted some attention. He immediately nodded and followed Yang Jun to a distant lounge. The students of Fourth Middle School, unaware of what was going on, started discussing: "What happened to Su Yuan? Why did Teacher Yang call him?" "Did he vite some rule?" "But there didn''t seem to be any rules to vite in this trial." "Then I don''t know¡­" At this moment, several City Guard members brought over the trial results. The scores and rankings of a total of 1,148 students were posted on the bulletin board. The top 200, top 20, and top 3 were marked with gray, yellow, and red borders respectively. First ce: Su Yuan, 10050 points, Guangchuan Fourth Middle School Second ce: Fang Kun, 6160 points, Guangchuan First Middle School Third ce: Chen Jiujun, 5480 points, Guangchuan Fourth Middle School Fourth ce: Lv Xinghen, 3660 points, Guangchuan First Middle School ¡­ Seventh ce: Jiang Jun, 2840 points, Guangchuan Fourth Middle School ¡­ "Whoa, 10050 points? Am I seeing this right?" "My God, what a monster! Who is this Su Yuan?!" "What''s going on? What are you talking about, what monster?" "First ce! Su Yuan, 10050 points, higher than Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun!" "Damn, really? This must be cheating! How can anyone have over ten thousand points!" "From Fourth Middle School? Is there anyone from Fourth Middle School who can tell us who Su Yuan is!" "Wait, wasn''t that Earth Element Beast boss killed? A Bronze Level Earth Element Beast is worth 3000 points. Was it Su Yuan who killed it?" "It should be. But who exactly is Su Yuan?!" ¡­ As soon as the trial results were posted, the square erupted in chaos! The reason was simple: Su Yuan, the first ce winner. Everyone had assumed the first ce would go to Fang Kun or Chen Jiujun. How did Su Yuan appear out of nowhere? Not only did he take first ce, but he also scored over ten thousand points? Nearly 4000 points more than Fang Kun, the special student in second ce! Is he a Star Apprentice? Even high-level Bronze experts might not achieve that! While the entire square echoed with "Who is Su Yuan? Who is Su Yuan?" those who had seen Su Yuan in action, such as Fang Kun and Jiang Jun, were filled with emotion. Although they had anticipated Su Yuan might take first ce in the trial, they never expected he would achieve such an astronomical score! "10050 points. How many Star Beasts did this guy kill..." Lv Xinghen gasped. Fang Kun recalled the scene where Su Yuan''s gold and fire intertwined arm decapitated the Earth Element Beast. His eyes shed with intense fighting spirit: "I really want to fight him with real weapons!" Lv Xinghen curiously asked, "How confident are you?" Fang Kun pondered briefly: "At most, thirty percent." ¡­ Chen Jiujun stared at the bulletin board, fixating on Su Yuan and Fang Kun, who ranked above him. His fists clenched tightly, and his heart was in turmoil! Especially Su Yuan''s score, nearly twice his own, made the usually arrogant Chen Jiujun, who had always regarded the geniuses from other big cities,pletely unable to ept it! "High trial rankings don''t necessarily mean stronger real strength. If I get the chance, I would definitely like to test myself against you again!" ¡­ The square was abuzz, everyone questioning who Su Yuan was. Meanwhile, Su Yuan himself had been brought by Yang Jun to Wang Haiping. Yang Jun reminded: "Su Yuan, this is Director Wang Haiping from the Guangchuan Education Bureau. He said he wants to meet you." Wang Haiping? Su Yuan''s heart skipped a beat. He never expected this prominent figure to personally seek him out. He quickly bowed slightly: "Director Wang." Wang Haiping smiled warmly: "Su Yuan, right? Good!" Yang Jun said: "Director Wang, I brought him over. You two talk. I''ll take my leave." "Okay, go ahead." After Yang Jun left, Wang Haiping smiled and indicated for Su Yuan to sit: "Take a seat first." Su Yuan sat down, thinking about why this big shot wanted to see him. Su Yuan never imagined that Wang Haiping had been to the Secret Realm Command Center and had seen all of his performances over the past two days and nights. Wang Haiping smiled: "Su Yuan, I called you over to ask you a few questions." "Questions?" Su Yuan quickly recalled if he had exposed the system in the Secret Realm. Su Yuan knew that the trial had not only drone surveince but also City Guard members everywhere. He hadn''t used the system at all. As for the disyed skills like Steel me Finger and Hardened Iron Armor, Su Yuan wasn''t too worried. Although he had only been here for a year, Su Yuan knew that on the Blue Sea Star, with its extraordinary powers, many geniuses defied the odds. The Great me had always nurtured its domestic talents instead of dissecting them.@@novelbin@@ This was one of the reasons why the Great me had so many emerging talents and was bing increasingly powerful. His only peculiarity was being extraordinarily fast in cultivating skills, which wasparable to the Director of the Education Bureau, Huangfu Qi. It shouldn''t cause much of an issue. Of course, that was as long as the system''s existence wasn''t exposed. If that happened, all bets were off. Chapter 33 Demon Capital! "Don''t be nervous," Wang Haiping smiled. "This time I came to watch the joint trial. Your performance in the trial was very surprising and unexpected to me, so I wanted to learn more about your situation. Don''t worry. My questions won''t be too demanding. Answer if you want to; if you don''t, it''s fine." Su Yuan naturally couldn''t refuse and immediately said, "Feel free to ask." Wang Haiping nodded. After a brief pause, he asked, "I heard from your teacher, Yang Jun, that you justpleted your awakening over the winter vacation?" "Yes, on the first day of the winter break." "By that calction, it''s been exactly a month." Wang Haiping didn''t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point. "Su Yuan, you and I both know that you can only embed other Star Cards after awakening the Soul Card. In other words, within just a month, you have mastered the Perfect Steel me Finger and Hardened Iron Armor? And also achieved Great Sess in Wind Walking and Gray me Strike?" Wang Haiping didn''t ask aboutpound skills. This wasn''t knowledge avable in high school; Su Yuan might not even know he was usingpound skills. From the moment he began using the system''s Enhancement Star Card to frantically improve his Skill Level, Su Yuan foresaw this day. His exceptionally high Skill Level would eventually draw attention. But this was unavoidable unless he was willing to drastically slow down his growth or even not use the system''s enhancement function. So, to cover up the fact that he used the system to enhance Star Cards to elevate his Skill Proficiency Level, he had to have a title of "Skill Cultivation Super Genius." A slight look of confusion appeared on Su Yuan''s face. "Well, actually, I''m a bit puzzled too. It seems I have some unique qualities... After I awakened my Soul Card, I went hunting Star Beasts in the eastern Great Barbarian Mountain Area. At first, it was fine, butter I found that every time I used an embedded Star Card skill, I would gain substantial insights, and my skill mastery would improve rapidly, especially during battles. After discovering this, I simply stayed there. Except for resupplying in the town, I spent a whole month hunting Star Beasts in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. After nearly a month of continuous fighting, all my embedded skills, including the Perfect Steel me Finger and Wind Walking, visibly improved. Director Wang, you are strong and knowledgeable. Do you know what might be causing this? Will there be any side effects in the future?" Is that so... Wang Haiping rubbed his chin, quietly observing Su Yuan''s eyes. Su Yuan, after all, was a person who had lived two lives and even died once in his previous life. He faced Wang Haiping with calm, still-water eyes that showed a mix of confusion and a hint of worried naivety without revealing a single w. Acting! After a while, Wang Haiping couldn''t discern anything and nodded secretly. If Su Yuan''s situation wasn''t so unusual, Wang Haiping wouldn''t have even asked. Now it seemed that Su Yuan could gain extraordinary insights into skills duringbat. In other words, hisprehension was amazing! Without such exceptionalprehension, it would be impossible to createpound skills. Furthermore, to hone his skills, he persisted in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area for a whole month. This little guy could really endure hardships. Not bad... Thinking this, Wang Haiping grew increasingly satisfied with Su Yuan. Patting Su Yuan''s shoulder, Wang Haiping smiled and said, "Su Yuan, don''t worry. This won''t have any side effects. It''s simply because your skill cultivation talent is incredibly strong, stronger than anyone I''ve ever seen! This talent is on par with the special recruits of top universities, so I n to rmend you directly to a prestigious academy." Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. Since Wang Haiping was the Director of Education in Guangchuan City, he assumed this meant Shuzhou College was in the bag! Being directly admitted to Shuzhou College as a special recruit was certainly a good thing. Moreover, Su Yuan''s predecessor''s dream before the transmigration was to enter Shuzhou College. Wang Haiping continued slowly, "You know the conditions for special recruitment in top universities. Your realm is only at the Eighth Stage, so we can put that aside for now. However, I must ask about your Soul Card. If I''m not mistaken, you awakened an incredibly rare space-type Soul Card, right?" "Yes." "I previously asked your homeroom teacher, Yang Jun. He said you awakenedte because you encountered numerous obstacles during the process and only seeded during the winter vacation. May I ask what grade your Soul Card is?" Wang Haiping stared at Su Yuan''s silver eyes, feeling a bit nervous. Su Yuan considered briefly before replying somewhat vaguely, "Blue Grade." The condition for special recruitment into elite academies was a blue Soul Card. The rapid improvement of his Skill Levels could be attributed to an extraordinary talent. This was justifiable. However, the awakening of a Soul Card was rted to one''s soul and the level of the Soul Awakening Card used. If the Education Bureau investigated, they would easily find out that he had used just an entry-level Soul Awakening Card. Awakening a blue top-grade Soul Card with an entry-level Soul Awakening Card, what a concept... Out of curiosity, Su Yuan had looked through information and records afterward. In the current Great me, there were likely fewer than ten people who initially awakened a blue top-grade Soul Card. As for those who initially awakened a 6C talent Soul Card, there had only been three in the entire history of humankind on Blue Sea Star. This was far more astonishing and important than mastering perfect skills within a month. It would definitely draw unimaginable attention. If he truly possessed this talent, it would be fine to state it outright. But since it involved the system, it required careful consideration, thus he only mentioned it was a blue Soul Card. "Good! Excellent, to achieve a blue Soul Card is very impressive!" To Su Yuan''s surprise, Wang Haiping didn''t ask more and pped his hands in delight.@@novelbin@@ "Possessing both incredible cultivation talent and an extremely rare space-type Soul Card, I was worried your Soul Card might be green-grade, which would greatly limit your future potential. Since you have awakened a blue Soul Card, there''s hope that you could even surpass the level of the Burning Sun in the future. You can fully utilize your monstrous talent!" Wang Haiping had already inquired about Su Yuan''s family background through Yang Jun. Coming from a traditional civilian family that wasn''t even middle-ss, at best, they could afford a master-level Soul Awakening Card. Hence, Wang Haiping was only concerned that Su Yuan''s Soul Card might be green and affect his potential. He never imagined Su Yuan''s Soul Card would be blue mid-grade or even top-grade. A blue low-grade space-type Soul Card might not even be inferior to a typical blue mid-grade Soul Card. This made Wang Haiping even happier. Smiling with satisfaction, he said, "Since you have a blue Soul Card, I can confidently rmend you to Demon Capital Academy." "Thank you, Director Wang... Hmm? Demon Capital Academy?!" Su Yuan was about to express his gratitude when he suddenly realized that Wang Haiping wasn''t referring to Shuzhou College but Demon Capital Academy? Wang Haipingughed heartily and said, "That''s right, one of the Three Capitals Academies, Demon Capital Academy!" In Great me Country, there were the Three Capitals, Four Extremes, and Twelve States, totaling neen Level One cities. States like Shuzhou and Wanzhou wouldn''t be discussed for now. The Four Extremes referred to the north, south, east, and west, each securing a part of Great me, maintaining internal stability, and defending against external threats. As for the Three Capitals¡ªCapitol City, Demon City, and Demon Capital¡ªthey were the absolute core of Great me, with each city having its unique characteristics. Demon Capital, located in the southeastern border of Great me, was adjacent to the highly dangerous and unfathomable Ancient Forbidden Zone. Thousands of years ago, Great me signed a pact with the Star Beasts ruling the Ancient Forbidden Zone. Demon Capital served as both a link for friendly rtions between Great me and the Ancient Forbidden Zone and a crucial preventive measure in critical times. The "Demon" in Demon Capital referred to both the Star Beasts and extraordinary geniuses. This young, free city was full of diverse cultures unrestricted by numerous rules, producing countless strong individuals with very open policies. Registered Star Beasts could walk freely in Demon Capital, which also epted Star Beasts friendly to humans to join in building and managing the city. These unique policies attracted numerous renowned powerful Star Beasts, including one of Demon Capital''s Deputy City Lords, the legendary Star Beast above the Burning Sun level¡ªthe Five-colored Peacock Ming King, Kong Zheng! Demon Capital''s unique geographical location and policies created its distinct cultural style. Even in Demon Capital Academy, every few years, descendants of epic and legendary Star Beasts who were friendly with Great me humans would asionally be sent to study there. These descendants were either from powerful Star Beasts within Great me or... from the Ancient Forbidden Zone! Chapter 34 Perfect Together Su Yuan tentatively asked: "Director Wang, do you mean you can rmend me as a special student at Demon Capital Academy?" To Su Yuan, with the talent he had shown so far, it should not be a problem if Wang Haiping rmended him to Shuzhou College. But if it was Demon Capital Academy... To be blunt, Wang Haiping probably couldn''t get a word in there. "Hahaha, you underestimated me, kid." Wang Haiping naturally understood what Su Yuan meant, but he didn''t mind. He started exining to Su Yuan. "I indeed don''t have the qualifications to rmend you to Demon Capital Academy. But while I can''t do it, my teacher can... I forgot to mention, I graduated from Demon Capital Academy over a decade ago." So, this Guangchuan Education Bureau director was a graduate of Demon Capital Academy? Su Yuan couldn''t help but reevaluate Wang Haiping. So, his teacher was also a teacher at Demon Capital Academy. If it was a teacher from Demon Capital Academy, rmending a student shouldn''t be a problem. "To be honest, I''m the weakest among my teacher''s students who graduated from Demon Capital Academy. Because of that, every time I contacted my teacher, I would get disdain." Wang Haiping couldn''t help but shake his head when he mentioned this. Su Yuan timely gave apliment: "Director, you are being too modest. You are the esteemed director of Guangchuan City''s Education Bureau, responsible for enhancing the education level here. Even for the joint trial among middle schools, you take personal responsibility. You''re a Shining Star Level strongman; there''s no need for self-deprecation." "I didn''t expect you to be so good with words." Wang Haipingughed heartily, "But I''m not being modest; I indeed am the weakest of the group. Shining Star Level... it''s just the beginning; it doesn''t make me a master. You will find, in Demon Capital, Shining Stars are everywhere, especially in Demon Capital Academy, which is full of hidden talents. Wang Haiping gazed intently at Su Yuan, with a hint of warning: "Remember, the outside world is vast. At no time should you becent. There''s always someone better, and another sky beyond!" Since awakening, Su Yuan had smooth sailing all the way. In this trial, he outperformed two special students to win first ce, obtaining Elemental Maism Pressure, a Green Weapon Card, and numerous star cores, feeling on top of the world. Now, Wang Haiping''s words brought a shiver to Su Yuan''s heart, calming his agitated mood significantly. Su Yuan nodded and said seriously: "Thank you for the reminder, Director." Su Yuan could see that the Education Bureau director was sincerely reminding him. Wang Haiping saw Su Yuan suddenly calm down and nodded secretly. He understood instantly, hisprehension is indeed high! Wang Haiping said: "Of course, I''m just giving you an additional option. Whether to go to Shuzhou or Demon Capital, the choice is yours. For Demon Capital Academy, I can only ask my teacher to take you there. Whether you seed still depends on you. I need to remind you that the special enrollment requirements of Demon Capital Academy are very high, and they prefer quality over quantity, with only a few enrollments each year. For Shuzhou College, I can guarantee you admission directly. Think about where you want to go; I''ll give you ten minutes." "No need to think about it." Su Yuan said firmly, "I will go to Demon Capital!" Wang Haiping smiled: "Good, a genius must have drive! If you had chosen Shuzhou, I might have felt a bit disappointed. Alright, for now, go back, and prepare well. You might have to go to Demon Capital for the assessment anytime. I will inform you if there are any updates." Su Yuan thanked him and left the lounge... With the trial over, Su Yuan became famous in Guangchuan No. 12 Middle School. As for the trial rewards, they would be arranged and distributedter by the Education Bureau. Su Yuan and other students returned to their respective schools in the buses and then went home. By the time Su Yuan reached home, it was already past ten at night. On the return trip, Su Yuan had extracted all the Star Apprentice Level star cores into White Star Cards. Su Yuan went for a shower first, then sat at the study desk in his bedroom, dposing all the extracted star cards into stardust, one by one. On the first day of the trial, Su Yuan hunted 43 White Cards; on the second day, the central area of the Secret Realm had a denser distribution of star beasts. Su Yuan hunted more than sixty star beasts. Except for the three star cores he preserved¡ªEarth Element Beast, Shadow Leopard, and Poison Fire Two-headed Python¡ªthere were 105 White Cards in total! It took a while for Su Yuan to dpose all 105 White Cards. "System!" Su Yuan called in his heart. In a sh, a system panel appeared before his eyes. [Starlight Dust: 1100]@@novelbin@@ "1100 points!" Seeing so much stardust, Su Yuan couldn''t help but feel a strong sense of satisfaction from his hard work. The stardust was ready, so next was the biggest gain of this trial! Su Yuan took out the Earth Element Beast star core from his pocket and held it in his hand, sensing the abundant star power inside with his spiritual power. "System, extract Elemental Maism Pressure!" "Do you want to consume 40 points of stardust to extract the Elemental Maism Pressure star card?" "Yes!" Following Su Sheng''s confirmationmand, plenty of stardust poured into the Earth Element Beast star core. Gray light surged on the star core. A few secondster, a star card surrounded by faint green light fell into Su Yuan''s hand. On the card surface was an Earth Element Beast using Elemental Maism Pressure. [Elemental Maism Pressure (Green): By transmuting star power into earth maic power, alters the gravity within a certain range] Elemental Maism Pressure! Su Yuan was thrilled, immediatelymunicating the card with his star power and embedding it into his body. In the star power vortex, centered around the blue soul card "Azure Sky Phoenix," five star cards hung like stars, with Elemental Maism Pressure glowing the weakest. But this was no problem. Experience points were ready! After spending 40 points to extract Elemental Maism Pressure, there were still 1060 points left. Though not enough to enhance it to the Transformation Realm, it was plenty to perfect it! "System, enhance Elemental Maism Pressure to perfect!" Plenty of stardust appeared out of thin air within the star power vortex, spiraling into the Elemental Maism Pressure star card. The green light of the Elemental Maism Pressure star card flickered fifteen times, each time brighter than thest, until it was the most dazzling among the five cards orbiting the soul card! It was even more radiant than the white card Steel me Finger in the Transformation Realm! This wasn''t the end yet. After perfecting Elemental Maism Pressure, 460 stardust points remained. Su Yuan then spent 320 points to upgrade the Gray me Strike from Great Sess to Perfect. Afterward, Su Yuan looked back at the panel. His stats had undergone aplete transformation! [Su Yuan] [Level: Star Apprentice Eighth Stage] [Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix] [Grade: Master Quality] [Species: Phoenix] [Element: Space] [Talent: Azure Sky: Enhances the power of space-rted skills by 20%] [Six Dimensions: Strength C, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution C, Spirit C, Star Power C] [Soul Skill: Instant Movement (Blue): Master] [Skills: Steel me Finger (White): Transformation Realm, Hardened Iron Armor (White): Transformation Realm, Wind Walking (White): Transformation Realm, Gray me Strike (Green): Perfect, Elemental Maism Pressure (Green): Perfect] [Stardust: 140] "All three white skills are at Transformation Realm; both green skills are also perfect!" Su Yuan was extremely satisfied. Next, he wanted to test Elemental Maism Pressure. With a move of his mind, a mysterious force acted around him, making his body feel light, almost weightless. Su Yuan gently pushed off with his foot, and like zero gravity, he floated off the ground, drifting towards the ceiling and suspending in mid-air. "It worked!" Su Yuan''s eyes were full of joy. Who doesn''t dream of flying? Although weightlessness isn''t really flying, at least he could hover, and with Wind Walking''s wind power, he could barely change direction. After experimenting for a while, Su Yuan suppressed his excitement and dispelled the Elemental Maism Pressure, returning to the ground. Sitting back at the desk, Su Yuan contemted about Demon Capital Academy. "The special enrollment of Demon Capital Academy has always been limited to single digits each year. Even with Director Wang''s teacher''s rmendation for the assessment, it''s probably not that simple to pass... The skills are almost there; the main problem is with the realm. The Eighth Stage of Star Apprentice is too low. If I could break through to the Ninth Stage, my odds of passing the special enrollment would increase significantly!" Su Yuan sensed the state of his star power vortex. Although he hadn''t actively absorbed and refined star power, the continuous high-intensity battles over the two days in the Secret Realm also trained the star power vortex considerably, especially the battle against the Earth Element Beast, gaining a lot. But upgrading the Soul Awakening Card previously took a long time. Now, even counting days, it had only been a month since breaking through to the Eighth Stage, so the umted star power in the vortex was still limited. Even with the Azure Sky Phoenix''s assistance, speeding up cultivation far beyond normal, breaking through again in a short period was still tough. "Do my best and ept fate. Who knows when the assessment at Demon Capital will be. If there''s no time, it can''t be helped." Su Yuan calmed himself and focused on his cultivation. He just had to do his best. If he couldn''t reach the Ninth Stage, it didn''t mean he had no chance at all. Chapter 35 Dragon Armor Blade After the trial ended, Su Yuan returned to his normal school life. Since his awakening during the winter break, Su Yuan had been in various battles, hardly taking any rest and never settling down to cultivate in peace. Now that his life had calmed down a bit, he could focus on his cultivation. More than half of the Star Apprentice ss''s courses were specialized subjects, including Star Power cultivation, skill practice, and martial arts training, in addition to the academic courses. To speed up his cultivation and reach the Ninth Stage as soon as possible, Su Yuan applied to his homeroom teacher, Yang Jun, to switch all his specialized courses to personal Star Power cultivation. Yang Jun already knew of Su Yuan''s astonishing skill talent. Even if Su Yuan hadn''t said anything, Yang Jun would have suggested that Su Yuan focus his cultivation on Star Power. Moreover, on the day the trial ended, Wang Haiping had personally instructed him to give Su Yuan more freedom, including reducing some specialized courses and allowing Su Yuan to leave school for a few days if necessary. After all, Wang Haiping thought Su Yuan might need to go to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hone his skills. A weekter, at Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, in Yang Jun''s office. Su Yuan carefully took a green Star Card handed over by Yang Jun. "Thank you, Teacher Yang." "You''re the first in the trial; this is something you deserve!" Yang Jun patted Su Yuan on the shoulder with a smile, encouraging him, "Keep it up, Su Yuan!" Su Yuan nodded, then stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him. "So this is the green Weapon Card for the top three in the trial?" Leaning against the wall, Su Yuan looked at the green Star Card given to him by Yang Jun with some anticipation. [Dragon Armor Saber] [Grade: Green] [Introduction: Made primarily from White Rock Gold, blended with several First-level and Second Stage materials and a small amount of ck Dragon''s w nail powder. It boasts extremely high hardness and sharpness.] "Dragon Armor Saber, so this ''Armor'' refers to ''nail'' armor..." Su Yuan felt a bit speechless. The name was a bit of a joke. However, Su Yuan did not underestimate this Dragon Armor Saber. On the contrary, as a top Star Beast species on Blue Sea Star, even a single nail of the Dragon n was a precious biological material! Its hardness and sharpness were higher than most natural Second Stage ores! Just a little inclusion in artifact refining significantly improved the quality of the finished Star Device. Although Zhuang Xun''s ck-red long sword had a special burning trait, the superior hardness and sharpness were the most important basic properties for all ded weapons. Simple and unadorned, this Dragon Armor Saber was definitely more valuable than Zhuang Xun''s ck-red long sword.@@novelbin@@ Thanks, Director Wang... Su Yuan smiled. The trial''s rewards were taken from the Guangchuan Education Bureau''s inventory. It was easy to guess that Director Wang had specifically arranged for Su Yuan to get this superior-quality [Dragon Armor Saber] Star Card. Without hesitation, Su Yuan used his Star Power tomunicate with the [Dragon Armor Saber] Star Card. A green sh from the Star Card was absorbed into his body. "Let me see, my first Star Device!" Su Yuan extended his right hand. A silver-gray long saber appeared in his hand with a flicker of light from his palm. The saber felt cool to the touch. It was three feet and two inches long, two fingers wide, and overall in and unassuming. However, one side of the de was slightly darker in color. From a distance, the de''s edge appeared as a slender ck line, indicating where the ck Dragon''s w nail powder had been used. With a thought, Su Yuan directed his Star Power from the Star Power Vortex in his chest through his arm into the Dragon Armor Saber, feeling no resistance. "As expected from a Star Device, the ease of Star Power infusion is iparable to Mortal Iron!" Su Yuan felt very satisfied. Previously, his E-3 long saber had poor Star Power conduction. It could only manifest about 70% of the Star Power he infused, and felt sluggish in use. But this Dragon Armor Saber was entirely different. The Star Power flowed through it without any hindrance, like an extension of his own body. "Let''s test it at the training ground!" Full of joy, Su Yuan stowed the Dragon Armor Saber and headed quickly towards the Practical Combat Hall where the training ground was located. The Practical Combat Hall at Fourth Middle School was a square buildingrger than an Olympic swimming pool, divided into several training grounds for martial arts, skill practice, and actualbat sparring. In fact, Fourth Middle School''s Practical Combat Hall wasparatively small. The Practical Combat Halls of various Star Power Academies were at least ten to twenty times bigger and more specialized. Because of the training ground barriers set up in the Practical Combat Hall, students could practice and spar freely. Once they entered the academy, the Practical Combat Hall would be one of the most frequented ces apart from the dormitories and ssrooms. Soon, Su Yuan arrived at the Practical Combat Hall on the east side of the teaching building. "Is that Su Yuan? Look over there, Su Yuan is here!" "Why is he here? Didn''t he skip this ss for many days?" "I don''t know either." ... "Is that our Senior Su Yuan from the recent joint trial?" "Yes, that''s him!" "He''s so handsome, especially his eyes. Those silver eyes are so beautiful!" "Emmm, Little Yun, stop drooling. You''re embarrassing us!" ... It was ss time. The Star Apprentice ss One and ss Three from the senior year, along with a few sophomore and junior sses, were in the Practical Combat Hall. After the joint trial, Su Yuan had be famous throughout Guangchuan City. His trial score spread like wildfire in Fourth Middle School, and his feats were increasingly exaggerated. For a while, he was even more popr than the specially recruited student, Chen Jiujun. Feeling the curious, admiring, and reverent gazes in the Practical Combat Hall, Su Yuan didn''t pay much attention. He just walked to an empty training ground. Before long, Jiang Jun came over from a distance, "Su Yuan, aren''t you focusing on cultivating Star Power? Why are you here?" "I''m here to test out the Weapon Card." Su Yuan said, raising his hand slightly to summon the Dragon Armor Saber. Jiang Jun''s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver-gray long saber in Su Yuan''s hand, "Is this the Weapon Card from the trial rewards? This saber looks in but seems extraordinary." Also a long saber user, Jiang Jun couldn''t help but show a hint of envy. Su Yuan was also looking forward to the power of this Dragon Armor Saber. He immediately infused it with Star Power and found some ck Steel Stones near the training ground to test it. With a few swift cuts, the saber shed through the ck Steel Stone targets like cutting through tofu. The cuts were smooth and shiny! These sharp strikes stunned Jiang Jun and many students watching from a distance. The ck Steel Stone had a hardnessparable to First-level materials; cutting through multiple pieces was incredible. "As expected, it''s very sharp. The previous E-3 long saber couldn''t even cut through one piece of ck Steel Stone, let alone several in a row!" Su Yuan gently stroked the de of the Dragon Armor Saber, which showed no signs of wear, feeling extremely pleased. He had truly gotten a treasure! At this moment, Chen Jiujun also approached from somewhere. Fixing his gaze on Su Yuan, Chen Jiujun said in a deep voice, "Su Yuan, dare to duel with me?" Chapter 36 Differences "Su Yuan, dare to duel with me?" As soon as Chen Jiujun said this, therge Practical Combat Hall suddenly quieted down. Everyone turned to look, and the members of ss One were even more dumbfounded, including the martial arts instructor, who was stunned. Chen Jiujun challenged Su Yuan? The next moment, everyone got excited. "Oh my god, Chen Jiujun wants to challenge Su Yuan!" "Shuzhou''s genius special admission student versus the top of the joint trial!" "This is going to be a good show!" "Su Yuan won''t coward out, right?" "No way, Su Yuan isn''t afraid of that arrogant Chen Jiujun!" "He''s clearly from Guangchuan City himself, but he looks down on other Guangchuan students. Now with Su Yuan around, it''s about time someone taught him a lesson!" ... Su Yuan turned his head and looked calmly at Chen Jiujun. "Are you sure?" Su Yuan could tell that Chen Jiujun was an extremely proud and arrogant person. Such people found it hard to ept being overshadowed by others. However, Su Yuan didn''t expect Chen Jiujun to challenge him in front of everyone. Have you thought about the consequences of failing? Chen Jiujun affirmed firmly, "Of course!" Su Yuan sighed silently. Since you''re insisting on seeking a beating, you can''t me me for striking you down. "Then let''s do it. I''m just in the mood to try out my de." Su Yuan turned to face Chen Jiujun, his silver pupils appearing devoid of any warmth. Under Su Yuan''s gaze, Chen Jiujun''s heart involuntarily tightened. Although the other was just standing there with a casual grip on his saber, he felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. But soon, a wave of shame and anger surged in Chen Jiujun''s heart. Damn it, how could I be suppressed by the aura of a peer? Chen Jiujun swiftly retreated to create distance, simultaneously spreading his hands. Amidst a shimmer of light, a slender, pitch-ck metal staff appeared in his hands, adorned with intricate silver patterns. Trial reward: Green Star Device, Thunder Drawing Staff. When using thunder skills, it gives an additional power boost. In terms of appearance alone, the Thunder Drawing Staff seemed at least two levels more impressive than Su Yuan''s Dragon Armor Saber, clearly extraordinary. Chen Jiujun gripped the staff with both hands, full of vignce, only to see Su Yuan standing idly in ce, which made him even more infuriated. Magicians are not adept at closebat. Every warrior knows to close in on a magician during a fight, yet Su Yuan stood there motionless, clearly looking down on him. "Courting death!" Chen Jiujun shouted, transforming arge amount of star power into thunder elements that surged into the Thunder Drawing Staff. Silver lightning danced as he pointed the staff at Su Yuan. "Lightning Beam!" A dazzling silver lightning bolt, magnified by the Thunder Drawing Staff, leaped out and shot towards Su Yuan with incredible speed. However, a gust of wind arose at Su Yuan''s feet, diverting the swift lightning beam to the side. With a "boom!" it exploded behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust! Though the Thunder Drawing Staff amplified his power, the effects of Transformation Realm Wind Walking in evading long-distance attacks were not something Chen Jiujun''s Skilled Level Lightning Beam could prate. A silver sh in Su Yuan''s eyes, and he vanished from his original spot. Instant Movement! Chen Jiujun, who had long wanted a duel with Su Yuan, was also prepared for his Instant Movement. Seeing Su Yuan activate Instant Movement, Chen Jiujun calmly initiated his long-held charge. Amidst the dancing silver lightning, two Thunder Snakes coiled around Chen Jiujun''s body, greatly boosting his agility. Chen Jiujun knew that Su Yuan could only have teleported behind or above him, so he lunged forward without looking back. At that moment, an irresistible force of terrifying gravity suddenly pressed down on Chen Jiujun! "Ugh!" With a grunt, Chen Jiujun''s knee abruptly mmed into the ground. This is... Elemental Maism Pressure? Extracted from the Earth Element Beast Star Core? How could he be so lucky! Chen Jiujun was utterly shocked, struggling to stand on one knee, a face filled with disbelief!@@novelbin@@ "You still don''t understand the gap between us." Su Yuan''s voice came from the side. The cold de of the Dragon Armor Saber lightly touched Chen Jiujun''s face. "You lost." After saying this, Su Yuan sheathed the Dragon Armor Saber, retracted the Elemental Maism Pressure, and walked out of the Practical Combat Hall without looking back. The hall remained silent. What everyone thought would be a battle of equals ended so quickly? The crowd stared nkly at Su Yuan leaving the hall, graduallying back to their senses. "One hit! Damn, Su Yuan took down Chen Jiujun in one move!" "Unbelievable, that''s the specially admitted talent from Wanzhou, not some random guy!" "What happened to Chen Jiujun just now? Why did he suddenly stop moving?" "No idea... I need to post this explosive news on the forum. Dear god, Guangchuan Middle School''s forum will blow up today!" ... The entire Practical Combat Hall was in an uproar. All the students excitedly discussed in loud voices. Only Chen Jiujun remained kneeling on the ground, defeated, with Su Yuan''s words echoing in his mind. You still don''t understand the gap between us... ... For Su Yuan, the incident with Chen Jiujun was just a minor episode. As he walked out of the Practical Combat Hall, his phone suddenly rang. "Hello?" "Su Yuan, it''s me." Came Wang Haiping''s voice from the other end. "Director Wang?" Su Yuan''s heart stirred. Could it be news about Demon Capital Academy? "I''m calling to inform you about two things. First, the rmendation to Demon Capital Academy is settled. They didn''t recruit many this year, so in two months, there will be a final supplementary special admission. My mentor has already submitted your name, so you''ll join then." Great! Su Yuan was overjoyed. However, Wang Haiping''s tone didn''t sound entirely positive. "But..." Hearing this "but," Su Yuan thought, indeed, there''s a catch. "My mentor told me privately that there are several exceptional candidates in the uing supplementary special admission. In fact, it''s primarily for one of them. Even though Demon Capital Academy hasn''t set a limit on how many they will admit, if your performance isn''t outstanding among these strongpetitors, you''ll be easily passed over." So, a nearly predetermined genius, huh... Su Yuan pondered, then calmly said, "Rest assured, Director. I''ll give it my all." Sensing that he might have pressured Su Yuan too much, Wang Haiping smiled. "There''s another piece of good news. If you seize this chance, your chances of passing the special admission will greatly increase." "Oh?" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. "What is it, Director?" "The Divine Tree in Qingye City''s Secret Realm is about to bloom again. This special Divine Tree is a precious Master-quality nt-type Star Beast. It blooms once a year, each bloomsting only a day. Then its flowers fly into the sky and be Heavenly Sweet Fruits that descend. As a Master Grade nt-type Star Beast, it can absorb various energies from the heavens and earth and convert them into star power. The Heavenly Sweet Fruits contain its overflowing star power essence. Qingye City''s Divine Tree is still young, at the Gold Level. The Heavenly Sweet Fruits'' energy is limited, not much use to Star Card Masters above Bronze, but for Star Apprentices, they are an extremely nourishing supplement. Every year, one or two people use the fruit to reach the Ninth Stage Limit, and asionally, a talented genius breaks through to the Bronze Level!" "Director Wang, so you''re saying...?" Su Yuan understood the implication as Wang Haiping continued. "Because the Secret Realm is in Qingye City, they get more slots. I managed to secure one. The Divine Tree will bloom about two weeks before the Demon Capital special admission, which is in one and a half months. You''ll join me in Qingye City andpete for the final qualification to enter the Secret Realm. Assuming all goes well, reaching the Ninth Stage shouldn''t be a problem, which would greatly increase your chances in the special admission." "Great! Thank you, Director Wang!" Su Yuan sincerely expressed his gratitude. Though Wang downyed it, it was clear this opportunity wasn''t easy to get. Valuable resources are always better with fewer people involved. "Prepare well then. There are only four slots to enter the Secret Realm. To promote the development of second and third-level cities, no one from Shuzhou willpete, but Qingye City and other second-level cities under Shuzhou will. Every year, about twenty peoplepete for those slots." "Got it, no problem." After the call, Su Yuan reflected. I must enter this Secret Realm. Even if there''s only one slot, I''ll get it. And despite only having two months, reaching the Ninth Stage would significantly increase my chances. As for the strong candidates and that genius for whom the special admission is nearly held... I wonder what kind of talent they are. Su Yuan chuckled, anticipating the future journey even more. Chapter 37 Gathering at Qingye In the blink of an eye, a month and a half passed. It was now April 22. Aside from the necessary literary sses, Su Yuan spent most of his time each day cultivating. With the blessing of his Soul Card, the speed of Star Power growth within his Star Power Vortex was quite satisfactory. He had made progress of over thirty percent towards the Ninth Stage. One must know that, counting the breakthrough caused by the awakening of his Soul Card, it took Su Yuan nearly two years to advance from the Sixth Stage to the Eighth Stage. Yet now, in less than three months, he had achieved over thirty percent progress. Without the assistance of auxiliary resources, this cultivation speed was already quite fast. Every weekend, Su Yuan ventured into the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hunt Demon Beasts for Star Dust. Although the efficiency couldn''tpare to the Rainforest Secret Realm, over several weekends, he had collected more than 2600 Star Dust. Su Yuan directly elevated "Elemental Maism Pressure" and "Gray me Strike" to the Transformation Realm. The power of both skills surged! At this point, all five embedded skills had reached the Transformation Realm! Additionally, Su Yuan had elevated "Instant Movement" from Master to Great Sess! With the "Instant Movement" at Great Sess, the casting time shortened to 0.3 seconds. The interval between casts reduced to four seconds. The maximum movement distance further increased, allowing Su Yuan to teleport to anywhere within an eighty-meter radius at his current Realm, with a reduced consumption of Star Power for the same distance! The innate Soul Skill of the Azure Sky Phoenix was bing increasingly terrifying. That morning, the sky was clear, and the weather was perfect. Su Yuan did not go to school. Dressed in casual attire and white sneakers, he greeted his family and walked out of the neighborhood. At the entrance, a ck sedan was already waiting, with a beautiful woman in a ck suit standing beside it. The woman had a faint smile, a slender figure, long legs wrapped in sheer ck stockings, and her ck hair was tied up at the back. She was both sexy andpetent. Hmm¡­ Director Wang not only had an eye for talent but also had excellent taste in selecting secretaries¡­ Su Yuan silently praised and quickly walked over. Seeing Su Yuan approaching, the woman greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Su, is it?"@@novelbin@@ "That''s me." The woman walked to the back seat and opened the car door for Su Yuan: "Please get in. Director Wang is already waiting for you at the airport." "Okay, thank you." ¡­ Today was the day to head to Qingye City. Upon arriving at the airport, Su Yuan flew together with Wang Haiping to Qingye City. Su Yuan was also able to experience a rare free first-ss flight. By noon, they had arrived at the Star Card Master Association located in the urban area of Qingye City. The Star Card Master Association existed in every city of the Great me Country, including Guangchuan City. It was a semi-official, semi-private organization involved in numerous businesses, including registration, transactions, tasks, intelligence, and more. All affairs rted to Star Card Masters fell under its jurisdiction. The basic rule was that all Star Card Masters in the Great me Country must register with the Star Card Master Association. Without registration, they were unrecognized and faced inconveniences everywhere. Although Su Yuan was just a Star Apprentice, he was already registered with the Star Card Master Association, allowing him to carry weapons. Bing a Bronze-level Star Card Master only required updating his formal Star Card Master credentials. The Star Card Master Association in Qingye City was argeplex, muchrger than the one in Guangchuan City, and far more grand and imposing. After all, it was a Second Stage City! Inside one of therge halls of the Star Card Master Association, Su Yuan followed Wang Haiping in. As for the beautiful female secretary, she stayed outside. Su Yuan and Wang Haiping weren''t early. Some distant attendees had arrived the night before, and many people were already present in the hall. "Ha, Haiping, you''re here!" As the two entered, a tall middle-aged man with a square face walked over with a smile. Wang Haiping bowed slightly with Su Yuan: "Director Yan." Yan Chenfei, Director of the Qingye Municipal Education Bureau, was also Wang Haiping''s superior. "I figured you''d be here soon." Yan Chenfeiughed heartily, "This time, two elite students from Guangchuan City were admitted to first-rate academies. As the Director of the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau, you must be thrilled! If this continues, you might get transferred to another Second Stage City, or evene over here to assist me." Yan Chenfei was referring to the position of Deputy Director of Qingye Municipal Education Bureau. From the Director of the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau to Deputy Director of Qingye, it would certainly be a promotion. Wang Haiping shook his head with a smile: "Director Yan, you''re teasing me. Even Second Stage Cities may not have an elite student admitted every year, let alone a Third-level City like ours. Moreover, even if we do have several elite students, it won''t change much. You and I both know it''s all about the students'' hard work and talents. We can only provide minimal guidance." Yan Chenfei smiled back, refraining from furtherment, and his gaze fell upon Su Yuan behind Wang Haiping: "You requested a spot, bringing this student, correct? Is he one of those elite students?" Wang Haiping turned to Su Yuan, who swiftly stepped forward and bowed: "Su Yuan from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, greetings, Director Yan." "Su Yuan?" Yan Chenfei looked puzzled, "I recall the elite students'' names as Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun?" Wang Haiping chuckled: "This child has great potential, so I brought him along." "Great potential?" Yan Chenfei pondered before saying, "Alright, have a seat and wait a moment. I need to entertain someone else." "Of course, go ahead." ¡­ On the side of the hall, among the Qingye students, Zhuang Xun was talking to three other Qingye geniuses when he turned and saw Su Yuan entering with Wang Haiping. He was taken aback. "No way, he actually came!" "Who?" asked a short-haired girl in a purple jacket next to him. "The one I mentioned before, the student from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School I met in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, whoter outperformed Fang Kun in a trial." "Oh?" The short-haired girl, Xu Xin, raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Su Sheng. "He seems ordinary? Fang Kun is an elite student from Shuzhou and yet lost to him?" "Do not underestimate him. He is not to be judged by normal standards," Zhuang Xun murmured, shaking his head. Xu Xin, you still haven''t grasped the gravity of the situation. His presence means four slots drop to three, significantly increasing thepetition! As Zhuang Xun pondered, Su Yuan looked over, and Zhuang Xun quickly waved. Su Yuan nodded in acknowledgment before looking away. "Zhuang Xun is here too¡­" Though Su Yuan did not know Zhuang Xun was an elite student from Shuzhou, he knew he was from Qingye High School and quite strong, so his presence here made sense. Suddenly, a notification interrupted him. Su Yuan checked his phone. It was a message from Zhuang Xun. He nced at Zhuang Xun, who smiled and winked. Su Yuan opened the message, containing just four characters. "Show mercy!" "This guy¡­" Su Yuan chuckled. Having once fought together against the Green me White Wolf, Su Yuan honestly didn''t mind going easy if possible. Chapter 38 The Battle for the Arena After waiting for about fifteen minutes, everyone finally arrived. Besides the people from Qingye City, there were also bigwigs and their one or two students from other Second Stage cities under Shuzhou City. However, thest person to enter, a middle-aged man with a round face, seemed to be at odds with Wang Haiping. "Yo, isn''t this Director Wang? Long time no see. I wonder how you''re doing in Guangchuan City?" As soon as the man came in, his gaze fell on Wang Haiping, and a hint of surprise shed across his face. He then briskly walked over with his student. "So, it''s Director Hu..." Wang Haiping''s smile immediately faded when he saw this man. This man was the Deputy Mayor of Zigui City, Hu Tao. Speaking of which, there was indeed some past between Wang Haiping and Hu Tao. Back then, Wang Haiping was young and promising with outstanding work abilities and had a chance to be promoted directly to Deputy Director. However, Hu Tao, due to some reasons, squeezed out Wang Haiping from the position, blocking his promotion path. Until today, no new promotion opportunity had appeared. So, the grudge between the two was quite significant. Hu Tao''s gaze fell on Su Yuan behind Wang Haiping. "Is this the student you''re bringing to participate in the Divine Tree''s blooming, Director Wang? The Star Power fluctuation seems a bit weak, only at the Eighth Stage? Indeed, Director Wang, you''re always so unique in your actions!" Hu Taoughed and pushed forward a young man behind him. "Come, Director Wang, let me introduce this Qingye City''s talent, this year''s special admission student of Hengzhou Academy, Liu Rulong." Hengzhou''s special admission student? Both Su Yuan and Wang Haiping couldn''t help but take another look at the young man behind Hu Tao. With short light purple hair, thick eyebrows,rge eyes, and a burly figure, Liu Rulong grinned and provocatively lifted his chin slightly when Su Yuan looked over. "So, it''s Hengzhou Academy''s special admission student. Impressive, impressive," Wang Haiping responded perfunctorily with an expressionless face. Hengzhou Academy was ranked eleventh, higher than the academies in Shuzhou and Wanzhou, indeed a reason for boasting. Seeing Wang Haiping''s attitude, Hu Tao''s smile didn''t reach his eyes. "I hope your Eighth Stage student can enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm, Director Wang. I''ll be cheering for you." Wang Haiping said indifferently, "Entering the Secret Realm is certain, so there''s no need for you to worry." Hu Tao let out a snort and then walked past Su Yuan and Wang Haiping with Liu Rulong. ... Ji Qinghe, President of Qingye City''s Star Card Master Association, was a thin and spirited old man. However, his realm was the highest in the whole venue. He had been at the high stage of the Shining Star Level for many years, and it was said that he was only a step away from the Radiant Moon Level, ready to break through at any time. Even Director Yan Chenfei of Qingye Education Bureau had to be courteous in front of him. At this moment, Ji Qinghe slowly walked to the center of the hall. Seeing this, everyone stopped their discussions and looked up. Ji Qinghe cleared his throat and said, "Since everyone is here, let''s startpeting for the spots to enter the Divine Tree. To save time, the rules are the same as before: arena format, defending and attacking. Each person has only one chance. Fail, and you''re eliminated. Until no one challenges the defender on the arena, the defender wins and gains the qualification to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm. Does anyone have any objections?" "No."@@novelbin@@ "We''ll follow your instructions, Elder Ji." These rules had been in ce for many years, always the same. To have two or three rounds ofpetition to determine the top four participants was impractical. Firstly, the number of participants was uncertain, making it hard to organize. Secondly, with nearly twenty Star Apprentices, at least the bigwigs in the Shining Star Level around wouldn''t find it entertaining. It wasn''t necessary. "Alright then, let''s begin," Ji Qinghe said with a smile, ncing at the many young people below. "Anyone who wants to defend the arena, just step onto the stage behind." Behind Ji Qinghe was a huge square-shaped arena, much more professional than the duel arena at Guangchuan Fourth Middle School. "I''ll go!" As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice to Su Yuan rang out, it was Zhuang Xun. Quite proactive... Zhuang Xun didn''t actually want to be the first one, but since this was Qingye City, as the hosts, they couldn''t let others defend first. Earlier, Yan Chenfei had instructed him to be the first to take the Secret Realm spot! Zhuang Xun walked out from one side to the duel arena, and from afar, he winked at Su Yuan. Big brother, please don''t mess with me! Su Yuan initially nned to go up directly, take the spot first, and get it over with. Although he wanted to help Wang Haiping deal with Liu Rulong under Hu Tao, seeing Liu Rulong''s demeanor, he thought provoking him might make him go up immediately. Besides, in front of such arge audience, Liu Rulong wouldn''t refuse a challenge. But with Zhuang Xun already up there, Su Yuan decided to wait a while... "Is this one of Qingye City''s special admission students for Shuzhou?" "I think so. Indeed, Qingye City has performed well this year. Not only did they have two special admission students of their own, but they also produced two more special admits from below." "Yes, Qingye City really hit the jackpot this year. Director Yan''s career prospects are limitless..." The young students scrutinized Zhuang Xun on stage, while the bigwigs casually chatted in threes and twos. These bigwigs didn''t care who the specific special admission students of Qingye were; they only cared about the number of special admittances as this was also a performance evaluation metric from the Ministry of Education for the local educational bureaus. "Is there anyone to challenge first?" "I''ll do it!" A dark-skinned young man stepped forward and leaped onto the duel arena. He raised his hands and summoned a ck iron hammer with a rather exaggerated shape. The hammer was faintly covered by a thin yet heavy gray light, also a Green Star Device! "Yanyun Second Middle School, Luo Feng!" the dark-skinned young man shouted with a deep voice. Seeing that his opponent was no simpleton, Zhuang Xun waved his hand to summon his ck and red longsword, "Qingye High School, Zhuang Xun!" No referee was needed to call the match''s start. The two eyed each other before engaging inbat simultaneously. As a matter of fact, Luo Feng was indeed formidable, being the nephew of a Shining Star Level beginner stage Star Card Master in Yanyun City. With a low-grade blue Soul Card and C-level strength talent, he had a solid foundation since childhood and a strong talent. Although not a special admission student, Luo Feng had long been coached by his Shining Star Level uncle and didn''t think he was much weaker than those students from prestigious schools. Luo Feng activated the Strength Enhancement as soon as the fight began. His muscles bulged, and the enormous iron hammer seemed light as a feather, whirling fiercely in his hands! "ng! ng! ng! ng!" The two fought closely several times, with Luo Feng repeatedly forcing Zhuang Xun back several steps. Zhuang Xun suddenly exerted force to briefly suppress Luo Feng''s attack, then quickly retreated. While twisting his somewhat numb arm, Zhuang Xun couldn''t help but smirk. Goodness, this strength is truly impressive, indeed unmatched. However, raw strength alone isn''t enough... This match ends here! Zhuang Xun grew serious. In a defending battle, not only must one win, but win decisively! He needed to showcase absolute strength to deter others. Otherwise, if he showed weakness, everyone would want to try their luck, leading to a continuous battle. Star Apprentices had limited Star Power, and no matter how strong they were, they would be worn down eventually. Seeing Luo Feng swinging the giant hammer and charging once more, Zhuang Xun quickly formed several hand seals. He stamped on the ground, causing dense fire elements to erupt beneath him. Among the rising me light, six fire serpents emerged, rushing straight towards Luo Feng''s face! rmed, Luo Feng hastily swung his hammer at the iing fire serpents, easily smashing one. However, the fire serpents were highly agile, and such a rtively cumbersome weapon as a hammer had difficulty dealing with them. Luo Feng smashed three serpents but got entangled by the remaining three. The next moment, the three fire serpents began to glow intensely! "Oh no..." "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Explosions ensued, and the bursts of orange mes enveloped Luo Feng, leaving the student spectators below shaking in their boots. Yet, none of the bigwigs, including Yanyun City''s Deputy Director of Education who brought Luo Feng, made any move. "Don''t think you can defeat me just like this!" At that moment, Luo Feng suddenly reached out from the mes! His body was covered in ayer of dark green fish scales, barely resisting the fiery explosions from the fire serpents'' sts. However, before Luo Feng couldpletely dissipate the residual mes, he suddenly sensed intense heat rising in front of him. He focused and saw a half-meter-diameter massive fireball rolling and surging in Zhuang Xun''s hands. The fire serpents were merely a distraction. The me Explosion Technique was the real killing move! "Go, me Explosion Technique!" Zhuang Xun eximed without mercy. The fire zed brilliantly. The massive fireball, packed with astonishing energy, swiftly flew toward Luo Feng, who had barely recovered from the previous explosion. Luo Feng''s face turned grim. "Doomed..." At thest moment, a figure appeared beside Luo Feng, reaching out to catch the iing massive fireball. It was Ji Qinghe! The fireball, caught by Ji Qinghe, didn''t explode but instead deted like a punctured balloon. Feeling the remaining heat from the massive fireball, Luo Feng sighed in relief. "Zhuang Xun wins!" Chapter 39 Emerging Sharpness "Good!" Yan Chenfei''s face broke into a smile. "Well done!" Zhuang Xun''s strong performance this round was enough to intimidate most of the people below. Among the many departments of Star Card Masters, Fire Element Star Card Masters were always renowned for their top-notch offensive capabilities. Although there were many Shining Star Level experts in the venue, ensuring no idents, Zhuang Xun''s fiercebination of Fiery me Fire Snake and me Explosion Technique still made many students below shudder. "This Zhuang Xun is quite formidable!" "The power of the me Explosion Technique is immense. It must have reached the Great Sess Stage. No one below Bronze Level could withstand it!" "Hmm. I think Luo Feng isn''t weak either. He was clearly suppressed, yet he suddenly counterattacked with an explosive burst." "..." Listening to the praises from the students below, Zhuang Xun merely smiled while gripping his longsword, maintaining an unppable demeanor. Stay calm, stay calm. Maintain the "master" demeanor like Su Yuan didst time... Su Yuan was also watching Zhuang Xun on the stage. After more than two months apart, Zhuang Xun''s strength had significantly improvedpared to before. The newly embedded Fiery me Fire Snake skill? He hadn''t used it before. Although it had less powerpared to the me Explosion Technique, it was much more flexible. Additionally, his me Explosion Technique had also reached the Great Sess Stage. Even my Transformation Realm Hardened Iron Armor at full power might not block itpletely. Speaking of that, Hardened Iron Armor leaned towards physical defense. I still needed a defensive skill that could handle energy attacks¡­ "Anybody else want to step up and challenge him?" Ji Qinghe asked as no one went on stage. The students below looked at one another, but no one stepped up to challenge. After all, this was only the first slot. It wasn''t worth shing with such a strong opponent. "Since that''s the case, Zhuang Xun from Qingye City wins the first entry slot to the Divine Tree Secret Realm." Thank goodness! Zhuang Xun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After shing a dashing smile, he sheathed his longsword and jumped off the stage. Instead of returning to his original spot, Zhuang Xun walked over to Su Yuan. "Well done," Zhuang Xun whispered as he approached. Su Yuan nodded slightly, "There are still more slots anyway." Wang Haiping noticed that this genius from Qingye City seemed to know Su Yuan. He felt a bit surprised but didn''tment.@@novelbin@@ However, other young geniuses from various cities noticed Zhuang Xun walking over to a silver-eyed student, sparking curiosity about Su Yuan''s background. Ji Qinghe announced, "The second round begins. Whoever wants toe up, just go ahead." This time Su Yuan didn''t wait, "Director Wang, I''m going up." "Good, be careful." Wang Haiping was well aware of Su Yuan''s strength. His high-level skills made him fearless against anyone in the venue. Even if there was a tricky opponent, Su Yuan had thepound skill he named the "Golden Burning Hand." As long as this move hit, none of the young students in the venue could withstand it! And with Su Yuan''s Instant Movement, it would be hard not to hit. Zhuang Xun also smiled, "You''ll be fine, right?" Su Yuan smiled back, nced around the arena, and then stepped forward. Su Yuan''s movements immediately caught everyone''s attention in the venue. "Hey? That person next to Zhuang Xun is moving!" "He knows Zhuang Xun. Could he be a tough one?" "I''m not sure. He doesn''t look like it. Earlier, I heard someone say he''s only at the Eighth Stage." "Eighth Stage? Really?" "You''ll know when we see the Star Power fluctuation during the fight!" "..." These young geniuses were unsure, but the Shining Star Level experts could easily see that Su Yuan was only at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage, leaving them puzzled. "Really letting an Eighth Stage go up?" Hu Tao turned to Wang Haiping, frowning slightly, "Ru Long, watch his moves closely. Knock him out when it''s your turn. I''ll give you a Green Card!" "Green Card?" Liu Rulong''s eyes brightened. He nced at Su Yuan nonchntly andughed, "Don''t worry, Director Hu. I don''t even need to watch. I can knock him out!" ... Regardless of what others thought, Su Yuan just took a few steps and leapt onto the stage. He opened his right hand and summoned the Dragon Armor Saber, then looked below and said, "Su Yuan from Guangchuan City. Whoever wants toe, hurry up." "Quite the arrogant one! I''ll go!" A young man with flowing long hair leapt onto the stage, summoning a white-grade Star Device long saber. "Gou Jin from Liantai City!" Su Yuan raised his head to look at the person. They exchanged a nce, then the battle erupted with no unnecessary words. Gou Jin took a step forward. A gust of wind rose beneath his feet, intertwining and almost enveloping his lower body entirely! "Great Sess Wind Walking, impressive!" A student recognized it immediately. Liu Rulong nodded slightly, "This guy is quite good." Su Yuan, however, had a peculiar expression. It was the first time encountering someone with the same skill as himself. Quite a coincidence¡­ Initially nning for a quick victory, Su Yuan decided to end the fight differently, since they both had Wind Walking... With the Wind Walking, Gou Jin''s body moved like a storm arrow, crossing several dozen meters in an instant to strike at Su Yuan, his hand raised for a swift strike like a sudden gale! Wind Walking and Wind-splitting Saber, Gou Jin''s most practical skillsbination, were both fast and powerful! As the long saber was about to hit Su Yuan, a sudden gust of wind arose! Su Yuan''s feet also had the Wind Element swirling around, enveloping his body. With a slight sway, Su Yuan easily dodged Gou Jin''s fierce de. "Wind Walking!" "What? They have the same skill?" "Another Great Sess Wind Walking!" "..." The crowd murmured. Though skill matching was rare, it wasmon at early stages due to limited skill slots, energy, and resources. The most cost-effective, practical, and easy-to-practice cards were widely reviewed and documented. Having the same skill wasn''t intimidating. Who was weaker was the embarrassing part... On stage, Gou Jin swiftly turned after his attack missed, surprised to see Su Yuan also using Wind Walking. After a moment of surprise, Gou Jin gathered more Star Power and charged at Su Yuan again. "Competing with me in Wind Walking? Let''s see who''s faster!" Gou Jin''s prideful move was Wind Walking. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have perfected it to the Great Sess Stage first. Now, seeing an Eighth Stage Star Apprentice using Wind Walking to evade him, Gou Jin''s temper red. He abandoned the Wind-splitting Saber topete with Su Yuan in movement technique and speed! Wind power surged, and the air howled! With Wind Walking, their lightning-fast figures shed like two storms. The nging of their long sabers was incessant, like a torrential downpour! "So fast!" "These two are really going head-to-head, neither changing moves!" Among a few Qingye students, Xu Xin closely observed the scene, noting, "No, it''s not that they don''t want to change moves, they can''t!" A long-haired girl from Qingye City beside him asked, "Why?" Xu Xin exined, "In such intense, high-frequency exchanges, retreating or changing moves is likely to expose vulnerabilities, whiches with a cost." "I see... So it''s about whosts longer?" "Exactly." The long-haired girl thought for a moment, then asked in confusion, "But that''s not right. Su Yuan is only at the Eighth Stage, so he''ll clearly tire first. Why is he dragging the fight into a stamina contest? He could''ve used other strategies initially." Xu Xin was stunned, "This..." Yes, why? Did he intend to lose? Or did he have no better options? Zhuang Xun, having returned from Wang Haiping''s side, said to Xu Xin and the others, "Watch out; he still has a trick up his sleeve." In Zhuang Xun''s view, Su Yuan could''ve used Instant Movement to create distance, so he must have other ns. At that moment, the scene changed. The gust swirling at Su Yuan''s feet intensified into a storm, bing a whirlwind! Su Yuan''s figure blurred further! The young geniuses below could barely see Su Yuan''s actions and strikes! "This... stronger than Great Sess Wind Walking... Could it be the Perfect Wind Step?!" "Impossible! Achieving a Perfect Level skill before graduation?!" "A student from Guangchuan City, right. One of the two special recruits from Guangchuan City, could this be one?" "..." Reaching a Perfect Level skill before high school graduation was rare in even second-stage cities like Qingye and Yanyun. There were barely any such talents across the entire Shuzhou region! Did Guangchuan City really have such a talent? The experts couldn''t help but be amazed, ncing at Wang Haiping. Wang Haiping, arms crossed, remained calm and collected. Perfect Wind Step. What''s the big deal? Small matter! Nearly two months had passed since the trial. With Su Yuan''s terrifying talent, even a Green Skill could almost reachpletion by now. Too bad Su Yuan already had Steel me Finger, Hardened Iron Armor, Wind Walking, and Gray me Strike. To embed new skills, he had to wait for the Bronze Level. This made Wang Haiping sigh. Others struggled to master one skill, while Su Yuan ended up with no new skills to practice because all his skills were at the Perfect Level. It was quite the humblebrag¡­ As the crowd marveled, the fight reached its conclusion. With Su Yuan''s full burst, Gou Jin couldn''t keep up. With a "ng," Su Yuan disarmed him. The long saber spun in mid-air, drawing an arc before embedding itself into the ground. Gou Jin found the in Silver Gray Dragon Armor Saber at his neck. Su Yuan won! Chapter 40 Astounding Skills Gou Jin looked at the longsword that had stopped on his shoulder, and couldn''t help swallowing. "Perfect Wind Walking? Impressive. I admit my defeat wholeheartedly!"@@novelbin@@ The battle between Su Yuan and Gou Jin did not feature any overwhelmingly powerful techniques like the me Explosion Technique. However, in terms of intensity and thrill, it far surpassed Zhuang Xun''s match just earlier! Gou Jin jumped off the arena. The many young talents who hadn''t fought yet fell silent. The strength Su Yuan exhibited was already beyond the usual Ninth Stage. These young talents couldn''t gauge Su Yuan''s full capability and preferred to observe more. Su Yuan mentioned as he looked down at the crowd, "Anyone else? Hurry up." As he spoke, Su Yuan''s gaze fell on Liu Rulong. Beside Zhuang Xun, Xu Xin briefly hesitated but then prepared to step forward. Many people were still watching. As the spots dwindled, the selection andpetition would only get fiercer. It was better to secure a spot while three were still avable. Xu Xin felt confident that he could handle an Eighth Stage who mastered a Perfect Skill. "Wait!" Xu Xin hadn''t taken two steps before Zhuang Xun quickly pulled her back, "Don''t go." Xu Xin stopped, "¡­Let go of me." "Ah, sorry¡­" Zhuang Xun forced augh as he released her hand. Hmm¡­ didn''t expect Xu Xin''s hand to be so soft¡­ Zhuang Xun advised, "I''m telling you, he hasn''t used many of his moves. Anyone who goes up now is giving him a free win. Trust me, okay?" Xu Xin still felt a bit skeptical. After all, they were special recruits from Shuzhou, counted among the top-tier young talents in the entire Great me Empire. Aside from some geniuses from the Three Cities and the Four Extremes, they shouldn''t consider themselves no match even before fighting, right? But Zhuang Xun seemed so sure¡­ Forget it, she''ll listen to him this time. Xu Xin hesitated for a moment but did not step forward. After all, the opportunity to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm was extremely important for them; it determined whether they could advance to the Bronze Level early. Better to be safe than sorry. "This Su Yuan seems formidable. Rulong, are you confident?" On the other side, Hu Tao asked in a deep voice. Liu Rulong fearlessly met Su Yuan''s gaze with a lightugh, "Don''t worry, Director Hu. Even if it''s Perfect Wind Walking, I won''t be afraid even if he has another perfect skill!" Hu Tao nodded, nced slightly at Wang Haiping not far away, and then said, "In that case, go ahead." "Alright!" Liu Rulong responded with a stride forward, "I''ll go!" "Liu Rulong is up!" "The special recruit from Hengzhou, Liu Rulong!" "Reportedly, Liu Rulong is one of the top in Hengzhou''s special recruits. He is certain to secure one of the four spots in the Divine Tree Secret Realm. If he beats this sudden Su Yuan, our chances will be much greater!" "That''s right. No matter what, either Su Yuan or Liu Rulong will fail. That''s beneficial for us." "¡­" Liu Rulong dashed to the arena in a few steps. With a sh in his hand, a violet longsword, three fingers wide, appeared. "Zigui City, Liu Rulong!" Liu Rulong grinned at Su Yuan, lowered his voice, and said, "Kid, bad luck." Liu Rulong felt pleased; solving an opponent for the Divine Tree Secret Realm qualification and earning an extra Green Star Card in the process was perfect~ He was about to advance to the Bronze Level, precisely the time when he needed high-grade star cards for the four additional skill slots. "Indeed, unlucky. But it''s your bad luck." Su Yuan smiled. If the opponent hadn''te forward, it would have been difficult to clear him for Wang Haiping. Now, it was just right. A faint glow shed on the Dragon Armor Saber in his hand before it vanished, absorbed into his body. Liu Rulong frowned, "What are you doing?" Su Yuan casually replied, "To deal with you, no weapon needed." At this, the crowd erupted. "Damn, that''s bold!" Zhuang Xun pped his thigh excitedly, "As expected of you, Su Yuan!" Xu Xin looked at Zhuang Xun in bewilderment, "What''s with this guy? Zhuang Xun, are you sure you didn''t con me?" "Should be¡­ not," Zhuang Xun was confident in Su Yuan, but even he had some doubts now. Although Zhuang Xun knew from Fang Kun that Su Yuan had taken the first ce in the trial, Fang Kun held a grudge about Zhuang Xun''s "unpardonable action" and wouldn''t have detailed Su Yuan killing the Earth Element Beast barehanded. Many young talents started buzzing. "Is he serious? Facing Liu Rulong without a weapon!" "Is he really that badass!" "Hah, just a clown seeking attention!" "I''d love to see why he''s so cocky. Hope he isn''t defeated in a second, or that''d be embarrassing!" "¡­" Ji Qinghe also slightly frowned; he previously appreciated this young man but didn''t expect him to be so overconfident. Only Wang Haiping''s lips subtly curved into a smile. Goodd, quite the character! Wang Haiping knew that Su Yuan, without saber skills, had advanced skills like Steel me Finger and Gray me Strike, more powerful than a normal strike with a Green Star Artifact! Typically, in extendedbat, one couldn''t abandon weapons because even with superior strength, a body not tough enough to withstand weapons would be at a constant disadvantage against an opponent''s sharp sword. Even though Su Yuan''s Perfected Hardened Iron Armor might be able to match Liu Rulong''s Star Artifact Longsword when used, skill use would drain his star power far faster than in attacking with a weapon. That was the advantage of weapons, exining why the audience was so shocked. But this was the norm¡­ If Su Yuan could crush his opponent in a short burst, there''d be no need for weapons. However, the crowd, including Liu Rulong, witnessed this scenario did not know that. Thus, Liu Rulong became instantly enraged. "You reckless fellow!" Liu Rulong''s eyes narrowed. Without further words, a surge of ck-purple energy enveloped his body. "Fractal Shadow!" Liu Rulong shouted, and in the next moment, three eerie purple shadows rushed towards Su Yuan from three directions! "A Shadow System Star Card Master? Rare indeed." Su Yuan looked at the rapidly approaching purple shadows, unable to discern the real one. But Su Yuan kept a calm face, standing still as his star power flowed steadily. "What''s he doing?" Liu Rulong was puzzled. Even if Su Yuan couldn''t handle his Fractal Shadow, staying still was too strange. Could it be a trap? But there''s no apparent action¡­ Should I y it safe? No! Just a moment of hesitation, Liu Rulong resolved. Missing such a chance to finish an opponent wasn''t eptable; he could handle any trick Su Yuan might have! In the blink of an eye, the three eerie purple shadows formed a Three Talents formation and surrounded Su Yuan, swords shing, leaving no room for dodging! Director Hu touched his chin, slightly grinning. Fractal Shadow, a blue soul card skill of Liu Rulong''s, at Skilled Level could produce two shadows with thirty percent of the host''s attack and defense. Both real and illusionary, it wasn''t just a distraction or ordinary illusion! "Even a normal Bronze Star Card Master would struggle with Liu Rulong''s skill initially. This boy can''t avoid it with Perfect Wind Walking!" Thinking this, Director Hu nced towards Wang Haiping, who seemed surprisingly calm without a trace of concern. "What''s happening? Is there an unexpected move?" Director Hu frowned, suddenly sensing something was off. Of course, Wang Haiping wasn''t worried because Su Yuan had Instant Movement. "Instant Movement to dodge, then counter with Gray me Strike, possibly hitting both the host and shadows together¡­" Wang Haiping had Su Yuan''s next moves nned out in his mind. As the three purple swords closed in, Su Yuan did not use Instant Movement. "What''s up with him? It still needs activation time even with Instant Movement!" Wang Haiping grew slightly tense, ready to intervene at any second. Then, a burst of dim gray light sparked from Su Yuan, distorting the space around him. Next, the three purple shadows seemed pinned by an immense force! "Crack crack!" The two shadows in front and on the right shattered into fragments within half a second, while Liu Rulong himself stumbled to his knees in the face of the unrelenting pressure! "What''s happening?!" An uproar rose, the bizarre scene shocked everyone! Even Wang Haiping was wide-eyed and astonished! Elemental Maism Pressure? A fifth skill? Wang Haiping''s mouth opened slightly, speechless. Amazing~ Liu Rulong trembled under the pressure, hands on the ground, unable to lift his head, "What is this?" "Just a bit of gravity." Su Yuan casually replied. It was just a bit of gravity because Su Yuan had only used Skilled Level Elemental Maism Pressure, far from the limits of the Transformation Realm. At master level, the skill gained a new trait, forming a Gravity Domain centered on oneself. Real or fake, all shadows destroyed under absolute pressure. Pure strength types like Fang Kun might resist somewhat, but technique-focused Liu Rulong had no chance of turning the tables. Elemental Maism Pressure, cure for shy tricks! "Ugh!!" Liu Rulong roared, purple star power surging to resist, struggling inch by inch to stand. Useless struggle¡­ Su Yuan shook his head, intensified the skill to Great Sess. Liu Rulong, overwhelmed by the increased pressure, copsedpletely! Face down! Su Yuan lowered himself, a Red me gleaming on his left index finger, touching Liu Rulong''s forehead. "Checkmate." Chapter 41 Healing Star Card The screen paused, the oue was decided. Su Yuan ended the battle in a sh, suppressing Liu Rulong with an unbelievable method, using just one finger to clinch the victory! It turned out "no need for weapons" wasn''t an exaggeration, but a fact! The numerous young geniuses below the stage were stunned into silence. Was this person really just a Star Apprentice of the Eighth Stage? Even Liu Rulong could be defeated in an instant? This was too outrageous! The influential figures also looked at Su Yuan on the stage with astonishment and disbelief. "If I am not mistaken, this is Elemental Maism Pressure, right?" "Yes, and its Level is not low, at least Great Sess! Otherwise, he, being only at the Eighth Stage, wouldn''t be able to suppress Liu Rulong who''s at the Ninth Stage." "Eighth Stage Star Apprentice, Great Sess of Primordial Maic Pressure... Where did Guangchuan City find such a talent?" "Who knows, but since he has this skill, no student in this venue can move an inch under him." "That''s right, with Great Sess of Primordial Maic Pressure, he is already unbeatable." Hearing the discussions of the influential figures, the young geniuses below realized that Su Yuan used the Elemental Maism Pressure from the Earth Element Beast! Elemental Maism Pressure, T0 Divine Skill! It''s impossible to buy it for less than a million, and it''s priceless on the market! Everyone was both amazed and envious. Gou Jin, who had just lost to Su Yuan, couldn''t help but smile bitterly and shake his head. "So he had such means, I thought I was just one step short..." Xu Xin was also filled with shock, unable to believe Liu Rulong was defeated so instantly. He turned to look at Zhuang Xun beside him. "I didn''t expect what you said to be true..." Zhuang Xun silently swallowed and suppressed his inner surprise, crossing his arms and putting on a calm facade as if he had anticipated this. "Of course, I told you no one could go up against him, not even Liu Rulong!" In his mind: Damn, I knew he was strong, but I didn''t know he was this strong! I thought it was Space Movement to dodge, who knew he had such a terrifying skill! Elemental Maism Pressure? He even has such a Divine Skill! "Su Yuan wins!" Ji Qinghe announced, while taking a few more nces at Su Yuan with a nod. This young man is indeed impressive! Su Yuan stood up, dispersing the Elemental Maism Pressure. Liu Rulong leaped up from the ground, gasping heavily, his face changing colors and his mood unpredictable. Being suppressed and defeated with one move was not only humiliating but also a significant loss. He didn''t get the extra Green Skill or qualification to enter the Divine Tree! ncing at Su Yuan, Liu Rulong didn''t stay a second longer on the stage, sneaking off to stand behind Hu Tao. Hu Tao''s face was also particrly grim, not believing Wang Haiping''s student had mastered the Great Sess of Primordial Maism Pressure! Are you deliberately screwing me over? Hu Tao looked towards Wang Haiping not far away with a gloomy expression. Meanwhile, Wang Haiping had a slight smile on his face, feeling refreshed and pleased!@@novelbin@@ Especially seeing Hu Tao''s face, which looked like pig liver, felt even more satisfying! From a distance, Wang Haiping sped his hands apologetically, "Director Hu, Su Yuan is a straightforward boy, excuse hisck of discretion, sorry, really sorry..." "Wang Haiping...!" Hu Tao gritted his teeth, "Alright, you win this time!" Hu Tao snorted coldly, knowing staying would only make him aughingstock among his colleagues, and took Liu Rulong out of the venue. The influential figures in the venue just shook their heads and smiled. In this environment, grudges and animosities were not umon, but everyone worked in the same department, and usually, things were pretty harmonious. Such an interesting situation as today was rare; they were just enjoying the spectacle. Yan Chenfei walked over to Wang Haiping and asked, "Haiping, your student is very impressive, where''s he from?" "Of course, he''s a student of Guangchuan." Yan Chenfei smiled, "Not bad, tell the higher-ups, getting this kid added to Shuzhou''s special recruitment shouldn''t be a problem! This time, Qingye will have three special recruits, making history!" Wang Haiping nodded and didn''t say more. Ji Qinghe asked in a loud voice, "Anyone else want to step up? If not, the second slot goes to Su Yuan." Since even influential figures believed no one could withstand Su Yuan''s Elemental Maism Pressure, the young geniuses wouldn''t embarrass themselves by trying. Besides, losing would be very disgraceful! No one stepped up, and Ji Qinghe immediately announced, "Alright, the second slot in the Divine Tree Secret Realm goes to Su Yuan!" Su Yuan bowed to Ji Qinghe, then jumped off the stage and returned to Wang Haiping''s side. "Well done, Su Yuan!" Wang Haiping said, patting Su Yuan''s shoulder gleefully. "Director, you are too strong!" Su Yuan smacked his lips. "Oh!" Wang Haipingughed, retracting his hand, and after a thought, took out a Green Star Card. "What you did today pleased me, take this, it''s a good card. If you don''t need it, you can sell it." "Hmm?" Su Yuan was delighted, and without being modest, said, "Thank you, Director Wang." Being with influential people is amazing, living the high life, and getting a Green Card effortlessly! Although a Green Card is nothing to a Shining Star Level figure, it was extremely precious to me, even if it was the lowest quality Green Card! Su Yuan examined the card Wang Haiping handed him. [Holy Light Baptism] [Grade: Green] [Element: Light] [Description: Intermediate Light Healing Skill, effective on both internal and external injuries.] "Holy Light Baptism?" Su Yuan was astonished. He didn''t expect Wang Haiping to hand him such a valuable item. "How is it, good enough?" Wang Haiping asked. Su Yuan nodded, "Of course it is!" Holy Light Baptism is a single target healing magic, moderate in consumption and healing intensity, but it has several advantages. Firstly, its healing isprehensive, covering both internal and external injuries of almost all types. For instance, burns, frostbite, cuts, corrosion, etc. Secondly, upon reaching Perfect cultivation, the skill gains a Dispel Effect, working on toxins, continuous bleeding, mental abnormalities, and more. Lastly, when used against targets of the "Dark Attribute," "Undead," or "Ghost" species, Holy Light Baptism can serve as an Attack Skill, dealing additional damage. Like Liu Rulong''s Shadow System, a branch of the Dark Attribute, Su Yuan could use a high-level Holy Light Baptism to break through his "Fractal Shadow" illusions. Overall, this skill''s biggest advantage lies in its "All-Purpose" quality, healing various conditions, with the Dispel Effect and attack function being just icing on the cake, not frequently used. Thus, Holy Light Baptism ranks between T1 and T2 among Green Grade healing skills, which is quite good. Wang Haiping smiled, "Actually, this card was for my niece studying at East Pole Academy, focusing on healing and support." Healing Support refers to Star Card Masters specializing in recovery but not withoutbat capabilities. "Uhm..." Su Yuan hesitated, halfway to storing the card in his pocket, "So should I¡­" "Hahaha, it''s alright, you keep it. Once given, it won''t be retracted, and I will get another one for her." Su Yuan smiled gratefully and epted the card, "Thanks, Director Wang." Receiving help and gifts from others simrly strengthens rtionships. Su Yuan saw clearly that Wang Haiping valued his potential and intended to befriend him. Though he possessed Azure Sky Phoenix and a system, his foundation was shallow andcked background, so getting along well with such influential people was highly beneficial without any downside. Chapter 42 Gathering Heavenly Sweet Fruits As Su Yuan finished, the next round ofpetition for the slots had already begun. Only two slots were left, but there were still over a dozen people, making thepetition intense. After a fierce contest, the final two slots went to Xu Xin from Qingye City and another boy named Liu Dong from Yanyun City. Ji Qinghe announced, "The slots for the Divine Tree Secret Realm have been decided. Zhuang Xun, Su Yuan, Xu Xin, and Liu Dong,e with me. The rest of you may leave on your own. Director Yan, please see them off." Yan Chenfei smiled and agreed, beginning to see off the other big shots. Only Wang Haiping and another big shot from Yanyun City named Ge Qiu remained in the venue. Wang Haiping advised Su Yuan, "Go with Elder Ji. I''ll wait here for you. Remember, don''t hesitate to collect the Heavenly Sweet Fruit once you''re in the secret realm. Everyone relies on their own abilities, and with your Wind Walking, you should reap a good harvest." "We don''t know what the exact situation inside is?" Wang Haiping said, "Elder Ji will exin in a moment." Su Yuan nodded. "Follow me, little ones," Ji Qinghe called, leading the way to the other side of the venue. Su Yuan, Zhuang Xun, and the others hurriedly followed behind. Just out of the venue, they entered another small room. Ji Qinghe took out a talisman and activated it. Starlight streaked from the talisman, intertwining and entangling, revealing a secret realm portal. "Enter." Ji Qinghe stepped into the portal first, disappearing. Su Yuan and the others followed suit. In a blink of an eye, they found themselves in a clear forest. Ancient trees stood tall, and the air was fresh. In sight were Mink Tail Flowers, Moon Silver Grass, and many other First and Second Stage spirit nts. "It''s not just the Heavenly Sweet Tree. There are also some harmless nt-type Star Beasts and arge number of low-stage spirit nts," Ji Qinghe introduced as he led the way. Not long along the path, they arrived at an open clearing. Standing before them was a beautiful ancient tree with many branches full of numerous light blue flowers. "This is the Heavenly Sweet Tree. Come closer," Ji Qinghe led Su Yuan and the others forward. As they approached, the branches of the Heavenly Sweet Tree suddenly shook violently, with branches dancing wildly, looking quite frightening. The four of them were startled and instinctively stopped, ready to retreat if not for Ji Qinghe beside them.@@novelbin@@ After all, this was a Gold Level Master Star Beast! "Heavenly Sweet, stop scaring them." Ji Qinghe smiled, walked forward, and stroked the Heavenly Sweet Tree for a while. "I''ve brought the people. It''s up to you next, just like before." The Heavenly Sweet Tree obediently stopped its wild movements, with its trunk slowly nodding forward as if it "nodded." Su Yuan carefully observed the Heavenly Sweet Tree. This was the first Master Grade Star Beast he had ever seen! Normally, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, the lower three levels of Star Beasts, have rtively low intelligence, especially nt-type Star Beasts. But this Heavenly Sweet Tree seemed capable ofmunication, indeed different, worthy of being a Master Grade. Ji Qinghe turned to the four of them and said, "In a moment, the Heavenly Sweet Tree will start shedding flowers. During this process, all the Heavenly Sweet Flowers will fly into the sky and transform into Heavenly Sweet Fruits falling around. Remember, the Heavenly Sweet Fruits will convert to natural energy and disappear once they hit the ground. So, you must catch them with your palms as much as possible. Only palms work; you can use both hands; otherwise, the energy will mostly dissipate. The Heavenly Sweet Fruits have a very gentle effect. Once caught with your palms, the Star Power essence will flow from your hand into the Star Power Vortex in your body. Do you understand?" The four nodded excitedly, "Understood!" Ji Qinghe looked at the eager four and added after a brief hesitation, "One more reminder, the Heavenly Sweet Fruits are special. They''re physically fragile but have high Star Power resistance and abnormal resistance. Don''t think about using other energies to interfere with or alter their falling trajectory." "Oh,e on!" Liu Dong from Yanyun City was immediately disheartened, "I was nning to use water waves to sweep the fruits over. Is that not allowed?" Ji Qinghe interrupted his illusion directly, "No, unless your Star Power is more than three times stronger than the Heavenly Sweet Tree." "Alright, start preparing. Collecting the Heavenly Sweet Fruits depends on your ability. But based on previous experience, if you spread out in four directions around the Heavenly Sweet Tree, each of you should have plenty." After reminding them, Ji Qinghe stepped aside, and Su Yuan and the others spread out around the Heavenly Sweet Tree. Zhuang Xun went west, Xu Xin went north, Su Yuan went east, and Liu Dong went south. After preparing, the Heavenly Sweet Tree shook slightly, and then the numerous Heavenly Sweet Flowers on it began to glow one by one, detaching from the branches and gradually flying into the sky. In a moment, the sky above was filled with a vast number of blue Heavenly Sweet Flowers, very beautiful! These Heavenly Sweet Flowers gathered, suddenly bursting into dazzling blue light and strong energy fluctuations, merging into arge patch of blue clouds. The blue clouds churned, spreading a peculiar fragrance. Then, Heavenly Sweet Fruits, like transparent blue hailstones, shot down from the clouds! "Here ites!" Su Yuan and the others braced themselves! Seeing the nearest Heavenly Sweet Fruit, Su Yuan pointed with his left hand, and Elemental Maism Pressure instantly enveloped the fruit, trying to slow its descent. However, the Heavenly Sweet Fruit seemed unaffected, maintaining its state and descending steadily. Indeed, it was futile. Su Yuan understood. Wind Walking under his feet, he rushed forward at great speed and caught it with his hand. The fruit felt warm to the touch. Before Su Yuan could examine it closely, it melted into a blue essence, absorbed into his palm, and flowed along his arm into the Star Power Vortex in his chest, converting into his own Star Power with a single spin. So pure, it didn''t need refining at all! Su Yuan was both surprised and delighted. Although the increase in Star Power was limited, it was just one Heavenly Sweet Fruit, andrge quantities of them were falling from the blue clouds, faster and more densely! Su Yuan immediately targeted another Heavenly Sweet Fruit. Not only Su Yuan, but the others also used various methods, striving with all their might to grab more Heavenly Sweet Fruits. Xu Xin activated the Qi Blood Secret Technique, his blood energy surging all over, greatly enhancing his body and increasing his speed. Liu Dong summoned a stream of water. Although he couldn''t move the fruits, he moved agilely like a fish within the water. Zhuang Xun had no speed-boosting skills, but he took out a talisman. Upon activation, his entire body became as light as a swallow, his speed abruptly increased, and he could even leap several meters high at a time! Green Skill, Flying Horse Stepping on Swallow! "Wind Walking, Qi Blood Burst, Water Flow Form, Flying Horse Stepping on Swallow, these little guys should all reap quite a harvest this year¡­" Ji Qinghe nodded approvingly from afar. The Heavenly Sweet Fruits fell quickly, and previous students could only catch half of the fruits around them. But this year''s four students were remarkably exceptional. Each caught at least seventy percent of the fruits falling around them. Ji Qinghe''s gaze fell on the stormy Su Yuan, his expression somewhat strange, "But this kid is really something else¡­" With Wind Walking and C-level Agility at full effort, Su Yuan''s speed reached its peak, evenparable to most Bronze Star Card Masters. Not a single fruit around Su Yuan fell to the ground! "Perfect Wind Walking and Great Sess of Primordial Maic Pressure, Guangchuan City has produced such a genius¡­ huh?!" Ji Qinghe was amazed but suddenly widened his eyes in strong shock! Su Yuan, originally using Wind Walking to move quickly and collect the fruits, was no longer content with the fruits in his area. He activated Elemental Maism Pressure to neutralize his gravity and flew up, expanding his search range! "What, he flew up?" Ji Qinghe watched Su Yuan leaping and darting in the air, speedily collecting Heavenly Sweet Fruits. Though his "flying" was stiff, it was far more efficient than his previous collection! "I get it! It''s Elemental Maism Pressure, Perfect Elemental Maism Pressure!" Ji Qinghe quickly understood but was even more shocked. An Eighth Stage Star Apprentice mastering Elemental Maism Pressure to the point of floating in the air and using Perfect Wind Walking to move freely in the air? What a joke! Yet, reality was before him. Ji Qinghe watched Su Yuan in bewilderment, stunned for a moment. "Strange, why are there so few fruits falling on the right?" Liu Dong, to the south of the Heavenly Sweet Tree, wondered. Was the Heavenly Sweet Fruit drop slowing as it was ending? Liu Dong caught another Heavenly Sweet Fruit and looked up towards the eastern sky. He was startled to see a figure darting in the air, rapidly collecting fruits. The fruits seemed not enough for him, even affecting Liu Dong''s side, with almost no fruits falling to the right. "Su Yuan?! What the hell, how is he flying!" Liu Dong''s face changed drastically, and as he was stunned, several fruits fell to the ground and vanished. "Damn it!" Liu Dong, startled, suppressed his shock, refocused, and continued catching fruits on his side. But with Su Yuan encroaching on his right area, fewer fruits fell. Liu Dong could only move closer to Zhuang Xun. Zhuang Xun noticed Liu Dong and Xu Xin approaching, several fruits he aimed for taken by them. "Xu Xin, Liu Dong, what are you doing here? This is my area!" After Xu Xin intercepted another fruit, Zhuang Xun shouted angrily. Liu Dong forced a smile, didn''t exin, and continued catching fruits. Xu Xin replied without looking up, "Look up, and you''ll understand." Look up? Confused, Zhuang Xun nced up and saw Su Yuan darting in the air. Most of Liu Dong''s and Xu Xin''s areas were taken by Su Yuan, leaving few fruits falling. They were helpless; only Su Yuan could fly. They couldn''t outfight him, and Ji Qinghe didn''t intervene. They reluctantly moved closer to Zhuang Xun. "This guy¡­" Zhuang Xun was stunned, "Does he have to be such a freak?" Chapter 43 9th Level Limit! After a while, As the final Heavenly Sweet Fruit was collected by Su Yuan, the extremely thin blue clouds in the sky suddenly contracted and exploded into particles of light. Su Yuan and the others secretly sighed in relief as they all stopped and sat down cross-legged on the spot. Although the Heavenly Sweet Fruit was quite gentle and pure, requiring almost no refinement, the sheer quantity was overwhelming. Absorbing hundreds of Heavenly Sweet Fruits at once, the vast amount of Star Power Essence crowded in the Star Power Vortex had to be quickly refined and absorbed. A few minutester. "Finally, it''s over!" Liu Dong let out a long breath and stood up from the ground, noticing his chest and back were soaked in sweat. Xu Xin also opened his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face noticeably paler as his body''s energy and blood were heavily consumed. "Not bad, the Ninth Stage Limit. If I''m lucky, I can break through to the Bronze Level before graduation!" Despite feeling a bit weak, Xu Xin''s eyes were full of joy. Xu Xin looked around and saw that Liu Dong had already finished. On the east and west sides of the Heavenly Sweet Tree, Su Yuan and Zhuang Xun still had their eyes closed, seemingly not fully digested yet. "This guy, he must have absorbed at least two hundred Heavenly Sweet Fruits!" Seeing Su Yuan, Xu Xin, who had been busy collecting the Heavenly Sweet Fruits and didn''t have time to think much earlier, now felt waves of astonishment surging up in his heart. "Perfect Maic Pressure, it''s unbelievable..." Another ten minutes passed. Apanied by a dissipating Star Power fluctuation, Su Yuan slowly opened his eyes. "The Ninth Stage Limit!" The 256 Heavenly Sweet Fruits not only allowed Su Yuan to break through to the Star Apprentice Ninth Rank but also directly reached the Ninth Stage Limit! Feeling the state of his body, Su Yuan couldn''t help but smile.@@novelbin@@ The gains this time were huge! Although his Six Dimensions and skills were strong, his realm had always been a weakness due tote Awakening. Absorbing 256 Heavenly Sweet Fruits brought a significant step forward, greatly narrowing the realm gap with top talents! Now at the Ninth Stage Limit, his physical qualities and Star Power had improved by thirty to forty percent. Even without using skills, Su Yuan was confident he could suppress ny-nine percent of his peers with just his Azure Sky Phoenix and Dragon Armor Saber! And with his Perfect level skills... no one among his peers could daunt him! Not even those at the Bronze Level! "Zhuang Xun hasn''t finished yet?" Su Yuan put away his thoughts and looked up, noticing Zhuang Xun still had his eyes closed and was motionless. "It''s impossible that Zhuang Xun collected more Heavenly Sweet Fruits than me. And now he''s still not done refining, could it be..." Su Yuan''s heart stirred, vaguely guessing something. At this moment, an astonishing wave of Star Power suddenly burst from Zhuang Xun in the distance! Su Yuan, Xu Xin, and Liu Dong all looked over. Suddenly,rge patches of orange mes ignited all over Zhuang Xun''s body. The mes roared and surged, growing stronger until finally transforming into a Purgatory me Demon with two horns on its head! The me Demon opened its arms and roared, quickly crashing back into Zhuang Xun''s body and disappearing. Zhuang Xun abruptly opened his eyes, mes flickering within them, and his Star Power fluctuation surged continuously before gradually stabilizing after nearly ten seconds! "Hahaha, looks like I got lucky." Seeing everyone looking at him with a mix of uncertainty and astonishment, Zhuang Xun stood up with a smile. mes flickered between his hands, with an impressively powerful fluctuation. Without a doubt, the Bronze Level! Su Yuan and the others gathered under the Heavenly Sweet Tree. "Zhuang Xun, you broke through!" Xu Xin eximed in amazement. "Hahaha, just luck, just luck!" Zhuang Xun scratched his head and asked Su Yuan, "Su Yuan, is that Perfect Maic Pressure you have?" Hearing this, Liu Dong and Xu Xin also looked over. "Yes, I just reached the Perfect level recently." Although Zhuang Xun and the others had expected this, hearing Su Yuan admit it still made them draw a sharp breath. While they didn''t even have a Great Sess level Green skill, Su Yuan had already refined his Maic Pressure to the Perfect level? "Really... don''t know what to say." Xu Xin muttered. Zhuang Xun sighed, his joy of breaking through to the Bronze level dampened by Su Yuan''s extraordinary skill talent. Su Yuanughed and said, "By practicing diligently, skills will eventually reach higher levels, and now that you''ve broken through to the Bronze Level, having taken the first step, you''re already far ahead of us!" Just by the time you refine a Green skill to the Perfect level, I''ll probably have several more Transformation Realm skills... Su Yuan thought to himself. Of course, he didn''t say this aloud, not wanting to discourage Zhuang Xun. However, Zhuang Xun''s talent in Star Power cultivation was indeed exceptional. Otherwise, even with the help of the Heavenly Sweet Fruits, it would be impossible to leap into the Bronze Level. The me Demon, which had just appeared, should be Zhuang Xun''s Soul Card. It looked extraordinary, and although its exact Six Dimensions were unclear, its previous disy of power suggested Zhuang Xun''s Star Power Talent was likely at C level. For a Star Card Master, the most crucial of the Six Dimensions was Star Power. At this moment, Ji Qinghe also approached from a distance, gently touching the trunk of the Heavenly Sweet Tree. "Thank you for your hard work." Su Yuan and the others respectfully bowed to the Heavenly Sweet Tree. Although for the Heavenly Sweet Tree, this was just a normal process of metabolism, Su Yuan and the others had undeniably gained enormous benefits from it. Though repaying it may not be feasible, at least they should feel grateful. Watching the four of them, Ji Qinghe felt bothforted and satisfied. In this Divine Tree Secret Realm, two students from Qingye City, one reaching the Ninth Stage Limit, and the other breaking through to the Bronze Level. Thest time a student advanced to a Bronze Star Card Master within the Divine Tree Secret Realm was five years ago. Moreover, that student wasn''t even from Qingye City. Additionally, although Su Yuan wasn''t a native of Qingye City, he was from Guangchuan City, a sub-region under Qingye. Ji Qinghe smiled and said, "Alright, since everything is settled, let''s head back." "Okay!" Su Yuan and the others harvested richly, feeling joyful and radiant. Outside, in the arena, Yan Chenfei, Wang Haiping, and Ge Qiu continued their cheerful conversation. The three of them were influential figures, unaffected by a few Star Apprentice students gaining in the Divine Tree Secret Realm. Yet, both Wang Haiping and Yan Chenfei felt secretly anxious. "Su Yuan, you must break through to the Ninth Stage!" Wang Haiping thought to himself. "With the Great Sess of Primordial Maic Pressure and entering the Ninth Stage, the chances for Demon Capital Academy should be very high!" Yan Chenfei, likewise, set great store by Zhuang Xun. Zhuang Xun was arguably Qingye City''s most talented student in the past ten years, a specially rmended student to Shuzhou by Qingye. If Zhuang Xun could break into the Bronze Level in the Divine Tree Secret Realm, Qingye City would have provided Shuzhou with a top-notch talent! At that moment, the door at the far end of the arena opened suddenly. "They''re here!" Wang Haiping, Yan Chenfei, and Ge Qiu immediately stopped their conversation and looked into the distance. Ji Qinghe led Su Yuan and the others out. The Star Power fluctuation on them was significantly stronger than before! For Shining Star Level experts, there were no secrets regarding Star Apprentice Level. The three leaders only took a nce to ascertain the Star Power realms of Su Yuan and others. "Bronze Level!" "Ninth Stage, and it''s the Ninth Stage Limit!" Yan Chenfei and Wang Haiping''s eyes brightened, feeling delighted. "Director." Su Yuan greeted and stepped to Wang Haiping''s side. Wang Haipingughed heartily, "To have reached the Ninth Stage Limit, well done, well done!" Yan Chenfei and Ge Qiu also praised their respective students. Ji Qinghe said, "These youngsters have performed well, each collecting at least a hundred Heavenly Sweet Fruits, far exceeding the results of the past two years." While saying this, Ji Qinghe''s gaze fell on Su Yuan, a hint of amazement in his eyes. "Especially this student... Director Wang, you''ve truly found a gem in Guangchuan City." What did he mean? Wang Haiping, Yan Chenfei, and Ge Qiu were puzzled. Liu Dong whispered something to Ge Qiu. Yan Chenfei and Wang Haiping, being Shining Star experts, heard it all clearly at such a close distance. Knowing that Su Yuan used Maic Pressure to fly and collected over two hundred Heavenly Sweet Fruits, even the steadfast trio couldn''t help but remain silent for several seconds. Taking a deep breath, Yan Chenfei said to Wang Haiping, "Perfect Maic Pressure... Maic Pressure isn''t an easy-to-master,mon skill. Hai Ping, this student of yours truly has an extraordinary talent!" Wang Haiping nced at Su Yuan standing calmly beside him and coughed lightly, "This kid does have a knack for skill cultivation..." Yan Chenfei took a few more scrutinizing nces at Su Yuan before nodding and refraining from furtherments. Ji Qinghe said, "This round at the Divine Tree Secret Realm concluded perfectly. You may leave on your own. I have to tidy up the area, so I won''t see you off." Yan Chenfei, Wang Haiping, and Ge Qiu responded, "Thank you, Elder Ji." The group walked out of the arena. Wang Haiping said, "Director Yan, I will take my leave." Yan Chenfei smiled, "Alright, I hope to see you at the Qingye Municipal Education Bureau soon." "Thanks for your good wishes, hahaha." Zhuang Xun stepped out from behind Yan Chenfei, approached Su Yuan, and said, "Su Yuan, let''s stay in touch!" "Sure, no problem." Chapter 44 Dragon Bone Gate ``` After the trip to the Divine Tree Secret Realm in Qingye City, Su Yuan and Wang Haiping returned to Guangchuan that same day. There were less than two weeks until the special recruitment at Demon Capital Academy. Having absorbed a lot of Heavenly Sweet Fruit, Su Yuan needed some time to let his state settle and develop further. There was no room for improvement at the moment. However, his skills could still be enhanced. Although all currently embedded skills had already been strengthened to the Transformation Realm, Instant Movement was not fully maxed out yet! Usually, when a skill reached the Perfect Realm, it would undergo various changes. For instance, Steel me Finger would cover the entire right hand, Wind Walking would evade long-range attacks, and Elemental Maism Pressure would cause levitation... Who knew what changes would ur when the Soul Skill Instant Movement reached perfection? Su Yuan directly asked his homeroom teacher, Yang Jun, for a two-week leave. With Wang Haiping having given prior notice, Yang Jun didn''t inquire further and just told Su Yuan to be careful. Su Yuan then took his Dragon Armor Saber and spent two whole weeks in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area... May 4th. At the gate of Four Seasons Garden residentialmunity, Wang Haiping''s beautiful secretary was once again waiting in a car downstairs. Her pretty face and sexy, mature figure attracted many heated stares from passersby. Seeing Su Yuan approaching, the secretary slightly bowed and then greeted him with a smile, "Mr. Su, please get in the car." "Thanks." Su Sheng walked forward, only to see the rear window slowly roll down. "Su Yuan, hurry up and get in," Wang Haiping called out. "Director Wang?" Su Yuan was very surprised. "Why did youe personally?" Two days ago, Wang Haiping mentioned he had some urgent matters. Su Yuan was to go to Demon Capital alone for the academy''s trial. So Su Yuan had thought that only this pretty secretary would be seeing him off at the airport. He didn''t expect Wang Haiping toe along too. "I''m here to see you off." Su Yuan smiled. "I feel honored." Once Su Yuan was settled in, Wang Haiping instructed, "Xiao Yu, let''s go." "Yes, Director!" The secretary responded, driving towards the airport. Wang Haiping sighed and said, "If it wasn''t for some urgent matters, I wouldn''t let you travel so far alone to Demon Capital... How about I have Xiao Yu go with you?" "Uh... no need!" Su Yuan quickly declined. He was not a big shot; he wasn''t used to having a secretary or the like. It would be much more convenient to travel alone. "Traveling alone isn''t a big deal, and you''ve already arranged everything for the trip," Su Yuan shook his head and added, "But what do I do once I get to the Demon Capital Academy to take part in the assessment?" "Didn''t I give you the teacher''s phone numberst time? Just call him when you get there. By the way, better not call if you''re free," Wang Haiping reminded, thinking of the teacher''s impatient nature. "Got it." ... Great me was vast. Shuzhou was located in the southwestern central region, while Demon Capital was on the southeastern border. Plus, the flight path had to detour around some dangerous areas, which inevitably extended the travel time. After a day and night, Su Yuan finally arrived at the Demon Capital Airport in the early morning of the 5th. "It''s truly different here!" Su Yuan exited the Demon Capital Airport, looking at the majestic and ancient city corner ahead, and couldn''t help but feel awestruck. Unlike ind cities, most buildings in Demon Capital were grand and used minimally processed materials. Observing people around him, Su Yuan could faintly sense powerful Star Power fluctuations from several individuals. "Among ten or so people, nearly one is a Star Card Master, and their realms are not low either!" Su Yuan couldn''t help but marvel, "As expected of Three Cities, it''s truly beyond the imagination of a small city like Guangchuan." Even if he didn''t pass the special recruitment of the Demon Capital Academy, just visiting Demon Capital was an eye-opener ¡ª totally worth it! Of course... that was just a thought. He had to get into Demon Capital Academy this time! Shaking his head, Su Yuan opened his phone to locate the Demon Capital Academy. Taking the light rail would take about two hours. "Good, it''s not too far. The special recruitment starts in the afternoon, so there''s plenty of time." Patting his cheeks to stay alert, Su Yuan then took the light rail to Demon Capital Academy. At noon, at the main gate of the Demon Capital Academy ¡ª the South Gate, Su Yuan walked over from a distance. This entire South Gate was constructed from a single, over forty-meter-long primal Dragon Bone, with the giant Dragon Skull proudly gazing towards the southeast!@@novelbin@@ If Su Yuan was slightly amazed at the airport, now he was truly awestruck! Upon close inspection, Su Yuan carefully examined this majestic, seamlessly crafted Dragon Bone Gate. The Dragon Bone was not pure white but carried a highly textured shade of gold. Upon closer inspection, this gold came from within the Dragon Bone, exuding a faint, undispersed Dragon''s Will. "Golden Bone?" Su Yuan''s heart raced slightly. "Heh, here to participate in the special recruitment?" Just then, a voice came from not far behind Su Yuan. He turned to see a young man about the same age. With a square face, bushy eyebrows, big eyes, short hair, and dark red pupils, he stood at about 1.85 meters tall. Wearing a training vest andbat shorts, his hands were in his pockets, and he didn''t seem very approachable. "Who are you?" Su Yuan asked while observing him. Even though Su Yuan was focused on the Dragon Bone, this guy had silently approached without notice ¡ª definitely not simple. Moreover, the guy had his Star Power collected very well, with no leakage at all. Among everyone Su Yuan had encountered, no one had managed to do so ¡ª including Fang Kun, Zhuang Xun, Chen Jiujun, and even Su Yuan himself. "My name is Xiang Dingqian." The young man stepped beside Su Yuan, scrutinizing the Dragon Bone Gate and casually added, "Just looking is superficial. Toprehend the secrets of our Demon Capital Academy''s Dragon Bone Gate, you need to immerse your spiritual power into the Dragon Skull. Every new student does this annually to temper their spiritual power. You can give it a try." Judging by his tone, was he a Demon Capital Academy student? No wonder he approached so silently. Su Yuan nodded and, with a thought, sent his spiritual power into the distant Dragon Skull. Instantly, a roar echoed in Su Yuan''s mind, and the surroundings became a nk canvas with only the Dragon Bone Gate remaining in sight. The Dragon Bone seemed toe alive, with the Dragon Skull turning to face Su Yuan, lowering its gaze. "Roar!!" With a mighty roar, an ancient Dragon''s Will charged towards Su Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness. Su Yuan groaned, shut his eyes tightly, and instinctively unleashed his spiritual power in resistance. This Dragon''s Will was overwhelming, crushing Su Yuan''s spiritual power and seemingly attempting to overturn Su Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness. If the Sea of Consciousness were fully exposed to this Dragon''s Will, the consequences would be dire. "Damn it!" Su Yuan''s heart sank. He realized he might have been deceived. This person was definitely not a student from the Demon Capital Academy. However, his timing and appearance were too perfect. He even knew the Dragon Skull''s intricacies... In any case, being too careless was Su Yuan''s own mistake! Now was not the time for regret and reflection. Spiritual confrontations were perilous, a single misstep could lead to utter destruction! Su Yuan had no idea when this Dragon''s Will invading his Sea of Consciousness would cease. With no other options, he could only muster all his spiritual power to resist! ``` Chapter 45 The Participants of the Assessment "Ha!" Just when Su Yuan was about to give up, a scolding sound suddenly echoed in his ears. In an instant, the oppressive force from the Dragon Bone suddenly dissipated. Su Yuan only felt his Sea of Consciousness rx, and he regained his rity. But immediately after, Su Yuan''s mind went into a daze, and he almost stumbled and fell. This was the side effect of excessive spiritual power consumption. Su Yuan opened his eyes. Standing in front of him, though he didn''t know when he arrived, was a young man with sword-shaped eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a handsome face, with blue hair. At this moment, the blue-haired young man frowned and looked at Su Yuan with a serious expression. "Only at Star Apprentice Level, you actually dared to directly gaze at the Head of Demon Dragon!" the blue-haired young man scolded. Su Yuan didn''t mind the other party''s harsh tone. Instead, he said, "Thank you, Senior, for your help." Su Yuan knew very well that without the other''s help, in just a few more seconds, he would have been in big trouble today. Seeing Su Yuan''s attitude, the blue-haired young man''s expression softened a bit. After a slight pause, the blue-haired young man said to Su Yuan, "Direct gazing at the Head of Demon Dragon requires at least Bronze Level spiritual power and someone to assist by the side. Otherwise, once you get trapped and can''t pull out, at best, you might faint on the spot due to excessive spiritual power consumption; at worst, you''d be overdrawn and would need to lie down for ten days or half a month! Seeing you''re only at Star Apprentice Ninth Rank but still daring to do such a dangerously mysterious thing, it''s really... I don''t know how to describe you! Luckily, your spiritual talent seems decent, being able to withstand it for so long. A regr Star Apprentice would have copsed already!" "Senior is right. It was my carelessness." After apologizing again, Su Yuan nced sideways. Seeing Xiang Dingqian standing with his arms crossed and a mocking smile, Su Yuan''s eyes turned colder. The blue-haired young man also noticed Xiang Dingqian and asked, "Are you Xiang Dingqian?" Xiang Dingqian responded casually, "I am." The blue-haired young man nced at Xiang Dingqian, then at Su Yuan, and seemed to guess something. He frowned slightly. However, he said nothing and spoke up, "My name is Qi Tian. Director Tan instructed me to pick you up." Qi Tian? Suz Yuan was slightly taken aback. Indeed, quite a bold name! Xiang Dingqian stepped forward, "Then I trouble you, Senior Qi." Qi Tian didn''t say more and turned to Su Yuan, "Are you also here for the special recruitment?" "I am." Su Yuan thought of Teacher Wang Haiping and added, "My name is Su Yuan, rmended by Teacher Yang Yifeng." "Teacher Yang?" A hint of surprise shed in Qi Tian''s eyes. He then nodded and said, "Thene with me. We''re going to the assessment site now." "Thank you, Senior Qi." Qi Tian nodded and then led Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian beyond the Dragon Bone Gate, heading inside. Demon Capital Academy was vast. The entire academy was designed in a "forest series" style, with ancient trees and rugged rocks everywhere. The three walked for a long time and finally arrived at a secluded dark green forest within the academy. At this time, there stood a teacher from Demon Capital Academy, with a thin face, dressed in brown brocade, looking about forty years old. There were also a few young students around Su Yuan''s age, seemingly also here for the special recruitment. But the most eye-catching was the two-meter-high ck Mysterious Stele standing beside the Demon Capital Academy teacher! Apanied by waves of mysterious fluctuations, lines of different Golden Seal Secret Symbols intermittently appeared and disappeared on the Mysterious Stele, making it extraordinarily mysterious. "Director Tan, I''ve brought them." Qi Tian, with Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian, stood at a clearing in front of the ck Mysterious Stele. "Thank you, Qi Tian." Tan Songlin, dressed in ck brocade, smiled. "No trouble at all." Tan Songlin nodded, looked at Xiang Dingqian, and said, "Xiang Dingqian, how is your father? Haven''t seen him for four or five years?" Xiang Dingqian, upon hearing this, knew this might be his father''s friend in Demon Capital Academy. Now, he seemed to be the person in charge of this assessment. Xiang Dingqian hurriedly made a bow, "He''s good. He asked me to send his regards." "Good, that''s good." Tan Songlin nodded with a smile, then focused on Su Yuan, "Qi Tian, who is this student?"@@novelbin@@ Su Yuan replied, "Hello, Teacher Tan, I am Su Yuan." "Su Yuan?" Tan Songlin looked puzzled as if Su Yuan''s name wasn''t on the special recruitment list. Qi Tian added, "Director Tan, he was rmended by Teacher Yang Yifeng." "Oh?" Tan Songlin''s eyes showed surprise as he carefully observed Su Yuan, "So you are the student Teacher Yang mentioned?" "That''s me," Su Yuan replied. Su Yuan muttered inwardly. Director Wang''s teacher seemed to hold a rather extraordinary position in Demon Capital Academy. But as Wang Haiping didn''t mention it, Su Yuan didn''t ask further. Qi Tian said, "Director Tan, since I''ve brought them, I''ll take my leave." "Alright, you may go." After Qi Tian left, Tan Songlin spoke to the others, "Wait a little longer. There''s one more hour before we begin." Saying this, he closed his eyes to rest. Su Yuan observed the other students in the clearing. Three men and two women, all extraordinary. From their realms, they were at least at Ninth Stage Limit. Among them, a young man with a cold face and yellow hair drew the most attention, even though he tried to suppress it. The strong Star Power fluctuation around him couldn''t be entirely concealed, clearly at the Bronze Level! Although Zhuang Xun also broke through to Bronze Level, it didn''t mean Bronze Level wasn''t significant. Those who reached the Bronze Level at this time had immense talent and significant opportunity. As time passed, another hour quickly went by. Since Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian entered the forest, other rmended teachers had brought in three more people, including twin siblings and a somewhat thin boy. Now it was already 2 PM, and the assessment should have started, but Tan Songlin stood quietly without initiating anything. Seeing Tan Songlin asionally nce outside, Su Yuan had a vague guess. Tan Songlin seemed to be waiting for someone, and Director Wang previously mentioned, this special recruitment seemed mainly for one person... As Su Yuan was pondering, two people suddenly walked in from a distance. Leading was a strikingly handsome young man with long hair, dressed in white, holding a folding fan, his demeanor refined, gentle as jade. Behind him was a petite girl. Silver short hair, ice-blue eyes, walking behind the long-haired man, emitting a chilly aura. As soon as the two appeared, they captivated everyone''s attention, their stunning looks and aura making them seem like they walked out of a painting, pleasing to the eyes. Su Yuan also looked at the silver-haired girl, but what attracted him was a faint, familiar yet strange aura from her. "She seems, different from us..." Staring at the silver-haired girl, Su Yuan frowned, pondering deeply. At this moment, sensing Su Yuan''s gaze, the silver-haired girl slightly raised her head towards him. Her ice-blue crystalline eyes were devoid of any emotion, resembling non-human entities. "She''s not human!" Su Yuan''s pupils contracted. Recalling the rumors about Demon Capital Academy, Su Yuan immediately realized this cold-looking girl was likely a Star Beast! The familiarity of her aura possibly came from his vast experience of hunting Star Beasts after his Awakening, making him more attuned to their presence. So, there are Star Beasts in this recruitment! Withdrawing his gaze, Su Yuan was deeply astonished. Chapter 46 Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet Tan Songlin saw the handsome young man approaching from afar. His face suddenly changed, and he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, but was stopped by the young man''s slightly raised folding fan.@@novelbin@@ The young man smiled and said, "Director Tan, I''m here to bring my niece for the assessment." Niece¡­? Tan Songlin was slightly moved and turned to look at the silver-haired girl behind him. He nodded, "Alright, pleasee this way." The students who came to participate in the special examination were all astonished at this scene. Tan Songlin, a teacher from Demon Capital Academy, was so polite to this handsome young man in Demon Capital Academy? Moreover, the other party looked to be only about thirty years old. Everyone couldn''t help but be incredibly curious about the identity of the handsome young man and also cast more nces at the silver-haired girl. But the silver-haired girl silently followed behind the handsome young man, her head neither raised nor did she seem to care about the people or things around her. The handsome young man followed Tan Songlin to the stele and carefully gazed at the Mysterious Stele, a solemn look in his eyes. "Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet... I''ve heard the name of this tablet many times. This is the first time I''m seeing it in person." As if to respond to the handsome young man, the Mysterious Stele suddenly shone brightly with a golden light. "What strong spirituality!" Su Yuan''s heart was astonished. He didn''t expect the Mysterious Stele to possess such strong spirituality. It was said that Star Devices of Epic Grade and above would give birth to Artifact Spirits with a certain level of spirituality, which could better coordinate with the Imperial Master and even automatically protect the master. This ck Mysterious Stele surprisingly responded independently to the words of someone who wasn''t its master. Such spirituality was quite strong! However, it didn''t take long for Tan Songlin to exin it to everyone. After greeting the handsome young man, Tan Songlin turned to look at Su Yuan and the other students participating in the special recruitment. "Since everyone is here, let''s begin this special examination." Tan Songlin raised his hand to form seals and pped the stele. A golden seal technique instantly imprinted on the stele. The Mysterious Stele suddenly burst into dazzling golden light. A peculiar wave of energy enveloped the area, and the entire stele was suddenly lit up with dense golden rune inscriptions. "So miraculous!" Most of the young people present, including Su Yuan, were seeing such a magical treasure for the first time. They couldn''t help but be amazed. Even the silver-haired girl lifted her head, showing a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Tan Songlin said loudly, "This stele is called the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet and is one of the treasures of our Demon Capital Academy, an Ancient Legendary Star Artifact. This special examination will bepleted through it." "It''s actually a Legendary Star Device? And an Ancient Legendary Star Device at that!" All the students widened their eyes! Aside from the few Divine Artifacts held by countries and some super organizations, Legendary Star Devices were the highest level of Star Devices. Nobody expected to see a Legendary Star Device here today. Ancient Legendary Star Devices were even rarer. Star Devices were generally ssified into Ancient Star Devices and Modern Star Devices, based on the time they were refined. The history of humans on Blue Sea Star had three key points: the appearance of humans, the appearance of Star Card Masters, and humanity''s domination of Blue Sea Star. Due to this, the history of Blue Sea Star was divided into four eras. They were Ancient, Ancient Times, Medieval, and Modern. Ancient: Refers to the time before humans appeared, when myths and Legendary Star Beasts roamed Blue Sea Star, ruling differentnds and shing with each other. Ancient Times: Humans appeared. But under the rampage of powerful Star Beasts, humans, who had no Star Cores and could only crudely mobilize Star Power, were as weak as ants. It was a miracle they weren''t exterminated. Medieval: Human sages with Heavenly People demeanor discovered the way to awaken Soul Cards. Human groups, with astounding growth rates and powerful reproductive abilities, officially took the world stage. Modern: After tens of thousands of years of efforts in the Middle Ages, humans drove away Star Beasts, established nations, and secured their dominance on Blue Sea Star. They then expanded, and the Path of the Star Card Master developed rapidly, continuing to this day. The so-called Ancient Star Devices were Star Devices forged during the Medieval era by humans to fight against Star Beasts. During the early and mid-Medieval era, Blue Sea Star was filled with treasures, leading to the birth of many high-grade Star Devices, even several Divine Artifacts of Mythical Grade! However, after tens of thousands of years, including the driving away of Star Beasts and internal human wars, fewer than one-tenth of the Ancient Star Devices had been fully preserved. Despite modern advancements in Artifact Refining, making significant progress and improving overall refining standards, Divine Artifacts were still extremely hard to refine, and even Legendary Star Devices were very rare. Currently, on the East Continent of Blue Sea Star where the Great me Country was located, only two Divine Artifacts existed. It was precisely because of these two Divine Artifacts that the positions of the two superpowers, "Great me" and "Qiguang," on the East Continent were firmly established. Tan Songlin continued, "The Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet contains the souls of many Star Beasts, including Ancient Star Beasts. With the power of the tablet, the souls of these Star Beasts can rebuild bodies and ''resurrect.'' Later, you will use your spiritual power tomunicate with this tablet. It will draw you into the stele space and release wave after wave of Star Beasts by reconstructing their souls. The assessment requires you to kill each wave of Star Beasts to score points. Each wave of Star Beasts you kill grants you 100 points. Even if you don''t clear the current wave, the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet will give you a corresponding score based onpletion. You just need to do your best. If there''s any life-threatening danger, the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet will ''negate'' the damage caused by the Star Beasts and transport you out safely." The Bronze Level youth with brown hair asked, "Teacher Tan, how do we pass the assessment?" "The sixth wave," Tan Songlin''s gaze swept over the students. "Clearing the sixth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet is the basic requirement. If no one can clear the sixth wave, then no one will be epted in this special recruitment. Additionally, if more than three people clear the sixth wave, we will only select the top three with the highest scores." Upon hearing this, Su Yuan began pondering. The rules of the assessment were simple, simr to the joint trial in Guangchuan City, where points were raised by killing Demon Beasts. The mechanism was different, the joint trial was an "open world," while this was a "tower-climbing challenge." There was another problem, no idea about the strength of the sixth wave of Star Beasts in the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, not even a reference. Tan Songlin looked at everyone and added, "You are all very lucky; under normal circumstances, the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet wouldn''t be opened easily. Conducting trials within the stele''s space offers additional rewards from the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. The more Star Beasts you kill, the more generous the rewards, including Spirit nts, materials, Star Cards, and more. These rewards aren''t just limited to our era. They might evene from the Medieval era! Regardless of whether you pass or not, you won''t leave empty-handed. And if you clear the fifth wave, the rewards will be equivalent to those usually given to specially recruited students. Clearing the sixth wave... the rewards within the stele will be of an even higher grade!" As he spoke, Tan Songlin nced at the handsome young man and the silver-haired girl beside him. It was precisely because of them that the Dean arranged for this assessment to use the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. "There are rewards too!" The students'' eyes brightened upon hearing this. With so many participants, not everyone could pass the assessment, but at least there was a guaranteed bottom line. Su Yuan also nodded secretly. If he could pass the assessment, the quality of the special recruitment rewards would depend on his efforts. "Your final results will be determined by the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. Alright, everyone, go in now!" Tan Songlin called out and said no more. Everyone looked at each other, seemingly unwilling to be the first to enter. Xiang Dingqian sneered, "Cowards, I''ll go first." As he spoke, golden light identical to that on the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet shed on Xiang Dingqian, and he disappeared into the tablet. "That is indeed amazing." Su Yuan chuckled lightly. Having seen the effects of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, Su Yuan immediately extended his spiritual power toward the tablet. Golden light enveloped his body, and in an instant, he was pulled into the tablet. The others did not hesitate either, one by one turning into golden light and entering the Mysterious Burial Tablet. The handsome young man said to the girl beside him, "Bing Tong, go ahead." The silver-haired girl looked at the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet beside her, blinked, and also turned into golden light, entering the tablet. Chapter 47 Charging Through, Unstoppable Like Splitting Bamboo! In a short moment, only Tan Songlin and the long-haired youth holding a folding fan remained in the field. "Director Tan, is there really a Dragon Saliva Fruit, something that''s already extinct, inside the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet?" Tan Songlin smiled. "Of course, Lord Kong Zheng." Hearing this title from Tan Songlin, the incredibly beautiful man in front of him was actually one of the Demon Capital''s Deputy City Lords, the Five-Colored Peacock Ming King, Kong Zheng! "The Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet of our academy, though not as powerful inbat as your Five Elements Five Directions True Light Treasure Fan, has functions beyondbat. It was used in ancient times to train younger generations and holds many ancient treasures. Last time, the Presidentmunicated with the Mysterious Stele and confirmed the existence of a Dragon Saliva Fruit. As long as she passes the sixth wave, she has a chance to obtain it." At this point, Tan Songlin paused. After a moment of contemtion, he asked, "Forgive my directness, but due to the unique nature of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, even the President cannot arbitrarily retrieve treasures from it. It selects the most suitable treasures based on the trialists and their performance. Are you and the President so sure that she will definitely get the Dragon Saliva Fruit?" Hearing this, Kong Zheng turned his head and gazed at Tan Songlin with a faint smile. "Director Tan, what you really want to ask is, who exactly is Bing Tong, right?" Under Kong Zheng''s gaze, Tan Songlin felt an intangible pressure bearing down on him, causing his chest to tighten and making it difficult to breathe. After all, this person was far from being as gentle and refined as he appeared. On the contrary, it was precisely because Kong Zheng had maintained his position as a Great Demon and steadfastly held onto the title of Deputy City Lord of the Demon Capital for so many years, relying on the corpses and blood thaty beneath him, and his fearsome reputation that shook the entire East Continent! In terms ofbat power, this individual could undoubtedly rank among the top three in the entire Demon Capital! Now the East Continent was in turmoil, with foreign countries, evil cults, gangs, and Star Beasts... In recent years, things have be increasingly unstable, with signs of upheaval looming. The situation within the Great me Country was rtively stable, but it was far less peaceful abroad. "It''s no harm to tell you." Kong Zheng opened the folding fan, with its blue, gold, red, ck, and white bones gleaming faintly and looking quite lovely. "The Dragon Saliva Fruit should naturally be pursued by the True Dragon..." Hearing this, Tan Songlin looked down at the few ice crystals left on the spot where the silver-haired girl used to stand. Suddenly, something dawned on him, and his expression changed drastically. After several seconds, Tan Songlin took a deep breath, the shock in his eyes notpletely fading.@@novelbin@@ No wonder the President specially arranged to open the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet again. No wonder she was personally brought by Kong Zheng. It turned out she was rted to the overlord of the Ice Pearl Mysterious Cliff within the Ancient Forbidden Zone! ... Su Yuan''s vision blurred and he found himself inside the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. The surroundings were empty with nothing in sight, and a gray mist seemed to permeate the distance, blocking his view. A faint light shed in Su Yuan''s palm, and he had already summoned the Dragon Armor Saber, tightly gripping it in his hand. Barely two seconds passed before the gray mist in front rolled, and five pure white wolf-shaped Star Beasts lunged out. "Starting off with five Star Apprentice Ninth Rank Ice Snow Wolves?" Su Yuan was rather surprised. Ice Snow Wolves were ordinary-grade Ice Element Star Beasts, but there were five here, and all of them were at the Ninth Rank. Though it was no big deal for him, for an ordinary Ninth Rank student, facing five Ninth Rank Ice Snow Wolves simultaneously could be quite a headache. This was only the first wave and it was already this intense. One could only imagine how abnormal the sixth wave would be... As expected of the Demon Capital Academy, this special examination of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet was indeed tough! The five Ice Snow Wolves nced at Su Yuan, then howled and charged at him, wrapped in a fierce icy wind and silver flowers. Dealing with this kind of cannon fodder, Su Yuan didn''t intend to waste much effort. Using Elemental Maism Pressure would be overkill. He unfolded his Wind Walking steps, his body swaying lightly, and the Dragon Armor Saber struck continuously. The five Ice Snow Wolves couldn''t even touch Su Yuan''s body before their heads were precisely chopped off one by one by the Dragon Armor Saber! Given Su Yuan''s current strength, he could dispatch any Star Beast below the Bronze level with a single strike. It was no different from ughtering chickens or dogs. Su Yuan crouched down, about to disembowel the Ice Snow Wolves'' bodies as usual. Suddenly, the five Ice Snow Wolves'' corpses simultaneously turned into patches of gray gas and dissipated. "Right, these are the reconstructed Star Beasts within the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, not real Star Beasts." Su Yuan realized, meaning that there would be no Star Cores from killing these Star Beasts. Two minutester, the mist ahead began stirring again. This time, three Elite Star Beasts of the Ninth Rank appeared. Su Yuan easily dispatched them just by using Wind Walking steps. In the battles involving Star Card Masters and Star Beasts, quality far outweighed quantity. Against opponents with simr strength, more numbers could determine the oue of the battle. But against significantly stronger opponents, even two, three, or four or five at once would struggle to prevail. Not to mention, Su Yuan''s strength far surpassed these Ninth Rank Elite Star Beasts by several tiers! Simply using Wind Walking steps, Dragon Armor Saber, and the strong body granted by the C-level Talent, he effortlessly slew the three Elite Star Beasts, hardly using any Star Power at all. After this, there was another two-minute rest period. As the gray mist ahead rolled, amon Bronze Mid-Tier Star Beast leapt out. Four-hoofed, long-tailed, about two meters long, with an agile body and a head resembling that of a bison. Su Yuan didn''t recognize it, but it seemed to be an ancient Star Beast. "Bronze level atst, though still not much of a challenge." Su Yuan extended his left hand towards the Star Beast, a sh of gray light, and Elemental Maism Pressure descended powerfully. The four-legged Star Beast was only halfway there before its spine was crushed under immense pressure, copsing to the ground with a "thud" and vomiting blood! Su Yuan stepped forward and chopped off its head with the Dragon Armor Saber. "The third wave already features Bronze Mid-Tier Star Beasts. Up next, it will either be Bronze High-Tier or Bronze Elite Star Beasts!" Although it was only two minutes, Su Yuan took the time to adjust himself. After a while, the gray mist stirred, and a dark shadow shot out like a bullet from the mist, reaching Su Yuan in a sh! "Boom!" The air waves exploded, and dust rose. Su Yuan stood his ground, holding his Dragon Armor Saber in a reverse grip, blocking the dark shadow that charged at him. His silver eyes coldly watched the Star Beast before him. It was a menacing werewolf standing on two legs, with ck and red fur and bloodshot eyes. Its right w gripped the Dragon Armor Saber tightly. "Blood Moon Werewolf, indeed, a Bronze Early Stage Elite Star Beast." The Blood Moon Werewolf was an Elite Star Beast still present in modern times, highly sensitive, highly durable, and with an extraordinary healing ability elevated by the "Blood Wolf Regeneration" Talent. Only its strength was rtively weaker. This was merely the fourth wave, and it was already on par with the Earth Element Beast from before. However, he was far stronger now than during the joint trial back then! Su Yuan swung his long saber, deflecting the Blood Moon Werewolf. The werewolf regained its bnce after two steps and charged at Su Yuan again. "Elemental Maism Pressure!" Su Yuan''s gaze was indifferent as he raised his left hand. The Elemental Maism Pressure crashed down, pinning the werewolf to the spot! "Awoo!..." A sh of cold light, and the Blood Moon Werewolf''s howl was cut short as its head was severed. "No matter how strong the recovery ability, once the head is removed, it can''t regrow." Su Yuan looked towards the mist ahead. "Next should at least be a Bronze Middle-Tier Elite Star Beast..." Chapter 48 The Master Star Beast, The 6th waves opponent! Su Yuan didn''t wait anymore, but with a long knife in hand, he walked to the edge of the gray fog where the star beasts appeared. In this kind of "breakthrough" battle, besides defeating the opponents, the goal was also to minimize consumption. Once you got entangled in a fight, even if you could solve the opponent, your own consumption would be huge; it would be difficult to achieve better results. After a while, the gray fog in front of him churned, and a red and blue demon fox rushed out from the gray fog. "Two of them... Both are Bronze Middle Stage!" Su Yuan was slightly surprised inside, but his actions didn''t stop. ck light surged around him, and the heavy pressure field immediately spread out from his body! The two demon foxes had just emerged from the gray fog when they felt an extremely strong gravity pressing on them. They immediately fell to the ground, their limbs bent. Su Yuan raised his long knife and shed at the nearest Fiery Fire Fox. The Fiery Fire Fox screeched in desperation, star power burst from its body, and a fiery cover formed around it, swirling mes all over. As Su Yuan approached, he was burnt by the raging mes of the fiery cover. "D-level star power talent!" Su Yuan''s eyes cooled. Instead of retreating, with a single thought, his entire body swiftly turned to a metallic ck iron hue. "Kill!" In the face of such high temperatures, the Hardened Iron Armor that specialized in dealing with physical attacks couldn''tst long. Su Yuan infused star power into his Dragon Armor Saber. The de surged with star power, gleaming coldly, and he shed down fiercely, directly decapitating the Fiery Fire Fox! The fire light dissipated, and the mes scattered suddenly. Su Yuan hadn''t even caught his breath when he heard a piercing sounding from the right side. A five-foot-long icy cone shot towards him. Previously, because Su Yuan got close to the Fiery Fire Fox, the heavy pressure field''s suppression on the nearby Frost Blue Fox was reduced significantly, allowing it to summon an icy cone. Without even raising his head, Su Yuan''s eyes shed silver, and his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot. The next moment, Su Yuan appeared out of thin air beside the Frost Blue Fox and shed down with a calm face. The heavy pressure field centered around Su Yuan. As he teleported, the Frost Blue Fox felt the terrifying pressure again, and it couldn''t resist, falling back down. In a critical moment, the Frost Blue Fox summoned arge amount of frost and snow, forming a more than two-inch-thick Frost Demon Shield on its body! "ng!" Even with the Dragon Armor Saber''s sharpness, this sh couldn''t break it in one go. "This energy shield has incredibly high physical defense." Su Yuan showed a slight surprise. The Frost Blue Fox''s star power swelled violently, resisting the elemental maism pressure with all its might. Su Yuan snorted coldly, and the gravity in the field increased once again. The Frost Blue Fox''s head, which had just lifted, mmed into the ground with a "thud!" Su Yuan raised his hand, aimed at the Frost Blue Fox, and a mass of blue mes welled up in his palm, illuminating the gray fog-covered space significantly. "Gray me Strike." Su Yuan murmured. The blue light burst forth! The electric blue mes only lingered for a moment before breaking the Frost Demon Shield, hitting the Frost Blue Fox directly!@@novelbin@@ "Boom!!" After a deafening explosion, arge crater appeared, and the entire upper body of the Frost Blue Fox had vanished. Su Yuan retracted his hand, taking a slight breath. "This round, not simple at all..." The previous four waves had been almost effortless, but this wave not only consumed a fair amount of star power but also caused some minor burns. Fortunately, it didn''t affect hisbat ability. "The skill slots are still somewhat insufficient. After breaking into the Bronze Level, I should first learn Holy Light Baptism." Su Yuan shook his head and quickly adjusted his state. The fifthyer had Bronze Middle Stage elite star beasts. Apart from that cold young man at the Bronze Level, most of the others might fall at this stage. And next was the sixth wave! It determined whether he could pass the special recruitment assessment of the Demon Capital! "The sixth wave, is it Bronze High Stage Elite star beasts or... Master star beasts?" It definitely couldn''t be Silver Stage star beasts; the power gap was toorge. Besides the gap in physical bodies and star power, Silver Stage star beasts, having lived longer, generally had skill levels one or two stages higher than Bronze-level star beasts. In the joint trial, the Bronze Early Stage Earth Element Beast''s elemental maism pressure likely didn''t even reach Mastery, only Skilled Level. But many Silver Stage star beast skills could reach Mastery. So it couldn''t be Silver Stage star beasts, at least not the sixth wave. Then, it could only be Bronze High Stage Elites or Bronze Masters! Su Yuan silently counted the time. When he reached about two minutes, he opened his left hand, and Gray me Strike quickly gathered momentum in his palm. Soon, the gray fog in front split open, revealing a snow-white figure walking out. "Gray me Strike!" Not waiting to see the star beast clearly, Su Yuan''s eyes focused, directly unleashing the long-prepared Gray me Strike. The cerulean mes shot out, almost hitting the newly emerged white star beast. Two sharp silver lights intersected, shattering the mighty Gray me Strike, though the silver lights were soon consumed by the blue mes. Su Yuan squinted his eyes slightly. Although this strike was just probing without full power, its Great Sess Stage power was still broken easily by the opponent. As the blue me light slowly dissipated, the white star beast''s form was finally revealed. Snow-white all over, with emerald eyes and golden pupils, a more than three-meter body, and two de-sharp silver wings on its back. "Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger!" Su Yuan recognized it at a nce, and his face grew more serious. [Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger] [Grade: Master] [Species: Tiger] [Element: Gold] [Talent: Strong Edge: Enhances the sharpness and cutting effect of sharp attacks] [Six Dimensions: Strength D, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution D, Spirit E, Star Power D] The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger was a star beast with impressive attack abilities. Extremely fast, with a body as hard as iron, and highly destructive. Under the Strong Edge talent, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger could break through most defenses at the same level. Especially those two silver wings, which were not only as sharp as the Dragon Armor Saber but could alsounch "Iron-cutting Silver Gang" to attack enemies from a distance with incredible power! Moreover, although the two silver wings couldn''t make the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger fly, they could greatly enhance its movement speed. "A Bronze Middle Stage Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger. This is quite troublesome..." Su Yuan tightened his grip on the Dragon Armor Saber, raising his left hand, spreading his fingers, and applied elemental maism pressure towards the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger''s position! Elemental maism pressure was difficult to guard against. Unprepared, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger immediately bent its limbs and fell to the ground, though not as helpless as the two demon foxes earlier, it couldn''t stand up at the moment! Just emerged, it was sneak-attacked by Su Yuan, now suppressed by the elemental maism pressure, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger was furious. Star power burst from its body, fighting the elemental maism pressure. Meanwhile, the silver wings on its back gleamed coldly, and with two sharp "ngs," two extremely sharp silver lights quickly shed out! Iron-cutting Silver Gang! The air shrieked, and the Iron-cutting Silver Gang instantly reached Su Yuan. Su Yuan''s eyes shed silver, and his figure vanished from his spot. The two sharp silver lights shed empty air and disappeared into the gray fog. What happened?! The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger was rmed, wondering where the human suddenly went. Just then, an intense wave of star power appeared nearby! Struggling under the pressure, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger nced out of the corner of its eye and saw Su Yuan standing beside it, left arm entwined with golden mes like a burning iron rod! Golden Burning Hand! Su Yuan fiercely chopped at the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger''s neck with a hand de. "Roar!!" The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger couldn''t react in time, crying out in pain at the Golden Burning Hand''s impact. But Su Yuan''s expression was grim. Despite significant harm, the Golden Burning Hand couldn''t cut through the tiger''s iron-like neck in one go. Without dy, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger''s silver wings swung again, readying two Iron-cutting Silver Gangs to fire from point-nk range! There was no time for Instant Teleportation, and at such close range, Wind Walking couldn''t evade in time. As for whether the Transformation Realm Hardened Iron Armor could block the Gold-breaking Jade-breaking Iron-cutting Silver Gang, Su Yuan wasn''t sure. The situation was urgent, but Su Yuan showed no panic, eyes shing silver. Suddenly, the original Instant Teleportation spot lit up with a mysterious silver mark. The next moment, Su Yuan disappeared from beside the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger, instantly teleporting to the marked spot, narrowly avoiding the two Iron-cutting Silver Gangs. Instant Teleportation¡¤shback! A new trait acquired after mastering Instant Teleportation! Since the end of the Divine Tree Secret Realm and before arriving at the Demon Capital, Su Yuan spent two full weeks in the depths of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. Those two weeks weren''t wasted. He gathered nearly seven thousand points of Star Dust. Adding the leftover from upgrading Gray me Strike and elemental maism pressure, he had enough to advance Instant Teleportation from Great Sess to Transformation Realm! [Instant Teleportation (Transformation Realm): Casting time 0.1s, cooldown 3s, Trait: shback] [shback: After using Instant Teleportation, you can return to the previous location within three seconds without consuming star power] Chapter 49 Twin Gray Flames "Roar!!" The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger was even more enraged as it saw Su Yuan dodge its attack again and felt the wound on its neck. Under the continuous impact of Star Power, the Elemental Maism Field around it was already on the brink of copse. It wouldn''t be long before it broke free. Seeing this, Su Yuan''s eyes turned cold. If he couldn''t kill it before it broke free, the advantage he had gained earlier with the Elemental Maism Pressure wouldpletely vanish. Once the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger broke free from its binding and unleashed its full strength, the odds of winning the battle would be significantly reduced. Even if he won in the end, he would likely have to pay a substantial price. So he had to kill it quickly! "The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger''s physical defense is too strong; the Golden Burning Hand can''t guarantee a kill. In that case, I can only use another move..." Su Yuan opened his hands, and azure blue mes rapidly gathered in his palms. Sensing the danger, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger''s silver wings on its back vibrated continuously. Streams of Iron-cutting Silver Gang shot out, shing towards Su Yuan! But once the distance was widened, hitting Su Yuan again would not be so easy. With a stomp, a gust of violent wind emerged around Su Yuan, rippling outward. The Transformation Realm Wind Walk not only greatly enhanced Su Yuan''s agility but also influenced the trajectory of the Iron-cutting Silver Gang, helping him avoid the attacks. Although countless Iron-cutting Silver Gangs shed at Su Yuan, none couldnd a direct hit! Within just a few seconds, Su Yuan finished gathering his strength. The two clusters of Gray me Fire in his hands werepressed to their limit, nearly exploding. However, Su Yuan didn''t immediatelyunch the two clusters of Gray me Strikes. Instead, he pressed his palms together, and the two clusters of Gray me Fire intertwined, emitting an even more terrifying wave of energy! Faced with this power, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger felt threatened. With a roar, its white fur stood on end and turned into countless needle-like projectiles, raining down on Su Yuan! Such dense needle rain was impossible to dodge, but Su Yuan executed a sh and disappeared from his original spot.@@novelbin@@ The Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger widened its eyes, thinking Su Yuan had Instant Teleported behind it. It twisted its head to search for him, but in the next moment, a powerful wave of energy emanated from above! It hurriedly looked up despite the Elemental Maism Pressure, only to see two azure blue mes crossing down like lightning from the sky! Twin Phoenix Strike! Boom!! The fierce mes burst, and the gray mes surged! Like twin blue flowers blooming together, the azure blue mes swept a radius of over twenty meters in an instant. When the blue mes gradually dissipated, the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tigery in the crater left by the Twin Phoenix Strike, covered in scorch marks and gravely injured. Su Yuan, controlling the gravity, slowlynded beside the crater. "Finally settled..." Su Yuan let out a breath of relief. His energy was depleted, and his face was slightly pale. The move he used just now was a new feature of the perfected Gray me Strike: Twin Phoenix Strike. The advantage of Gray me Strike was its fast release speed, but its power was rtively average among green-grade attack skills. Twin Phoenix Strike resolved this issue by consuming more Star Power and nearly doubling the power of Gray me Strike, thuspensating for itsck of firepower! But the consumption was immense¡ªeven with C-level Star Power Talent, Su Yuan found it hard to sustain. Below the Bronze Level, he couldn''t freely use it. It could only be a trump card. Without any other choice, Su Yuan wouldn''t have used this move. "My attack methods are stillcking, especially missing a weapon skill to fully enhance the Dragon Armor Saber''s power. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be any need for such a costly move like Twin Phoenix Strike." Shaking his head, Su Yuan knew there was no other way since he had already used it. Now was not the time to dwell on it. He saw the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger gradually dissipate into a gray mist and immediately resumed recovering... The Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet separated everyone into different spaces, arranging various Star Beasts as opponents. Not only Su Yuan, but all students participating in the exam were also fighting with all their strength. The types of Star Beasts varied, but the strength of each wave was roughly the same. The first and second waves were merely appetizers at the Ninth Stage, and from the third wave onwards, Bronze-level Star Beasts appeared. The fourth wave was Bronze Early Stage Elite Star Beasts. The fifth wave featured multiple Bronze Middle Stage Elite Star Beasts. The sixth wave brought Bronze Middle Stage Master Star Beasts. Outside the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, students were being teleported out continuously, with their scores disyed prominently on the stele in golden letters. "He Yong, 440 points." "Jiang Qianqian, 420 points." "Jiang Wenwu, 470 points." "Luo Wenhao, 510 points." "Li Xinhuo, 480 points." "..." The young men and women teleported out had paleplexions as they held various rewards like green star cards, spirit nts, and materials, only regaining theirposure after a few seconds. Although they were unharmed now, they had been severely injured by the Star Beasts before being teleported out. The Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet nullified the injuries caused by the Star Beasts inside the tablet. Additionally, they felt a deep sense of despair during the exam... Every one of them rmended for the Demon Capital Academy exam was a renowned local talent. Initially, they thought they had a chance to pass the exam. However, the strength of the Star Beasts in the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet jumped too drastically, right? Wave five already had multiple Bronze Elite Star Beasts¡ªwas this even a game? Wave six had Bronze Middle Stage Master Star Beasts? Were high school students capable of handling that? Not to mention, there was hardly any rest, only two minutes¡ªenough for a sip of water? Fighting desperately to kill the Star Beasts, as they approached wave six, the feeling of despair grew stronger. Passing the sixth wave was required to pass the exam. Could anyone really pass? Probably not one person! The students red at Tan Songlin, standing near the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, but none dared to voice their anger. At this moment, the stele shed with golden light as another person was teleported out. It was the stern young man who had reached the Bronze Level earlier. Holding a Blue Star Card in his hand, he looked somewhat lost. Seeing this, the other students immediately checked the stele to see if this Bronze-level genius had passed the sixth wave. The stele shed with golden light, revealing the stern young man''s score. "Tian Yuheng, 560 points." Returning to his senses, Tian Yuheng clenched his fists, showing signs of frustration and disappointment in his eyes. He had expended too much energy during waves four and five. The strength of the sixth wave''s Star Beasts exceeded his expectations. Despite using all his strength, he could only heavily wound it but was far from defeating it! Had he more time to rest and recover at least half his Star Power, he might have defeated it. But with just two minutes of rest, who could possibly pass! "Even a Bronze Level couldn''t pass the sixth wave. I told you, how can anyone pass this exam!" Luo Wenhao, who scored 510 points, was already disgruntled. Seeing Tian Yuheng fail the sixth wave, he couldn''t suppress his annoyance and muttered aint. An average Bronze Level failing the exam wouldn''t mean much. But Tian Yuheng was a top genius with a Blue Grade Soul Card, far exceeding ordinary people in martial arts and skills. A Blue Soul Card and a Bronze Level only earned him 560 points. How much stronger could anyone else be? "Yeah, it''s too hard. I didn''t even pass the fifth wave..." "If no one passes today, it''ll be interesting." "..." Luo Wenhao''s words immediately resonated with others, prompting them toin softly. They felt free to speak now, having been eliminated. Tan Songlin listened to the students'' discussions indifferently, not lifting an eyelid. He had said before, if no one passed the sixth wave, they wouldn''t recruit. Demon Capital Academy always maintained high standards. Moreover, the talents Demon Capital Academy sought to recruit were beyond ordinary imagination! Just because they hadn''t seen one didn''t mean there was none. Tian Yuheng didn''t join the discussion but started counting the remaining names on the stele. "Three people left." Scanning the surroundings, Tian Yuheng thought about who these three might be. The Silver-haired Girl was too noticeable, instantlying to mind. He recalled Xiang Dingqian being the first to enter the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. Who was the third... Tian Yuheng frowned, checking the students repeatedly but couldn''t remember who it was. At this moment, the stele''s golden light brightened, and a tall figure was teleported out. With a strong and towering physique, the figure stood defiantly. It was Xiang Dingqian! Chapter 50 First! "610 points! Damn, 610 points!" "Xiang Dingqian, 610 points. He actually passed the sixth wave? Defeated the Bronze Middle Stage Master Star Beast. How did he do it!" "So he is also Bronze Level! He didn''t show any Star Power fluctuation before. Really unexpected!"@@novelbin@@ The person who came out was Xiang Dingqian. Because the battle had just ended, and the strong Star Power fluctuation around him hadn''tpletely dissipated. Everyone just realized that Xiang Dingqian was also of the Bronze Level! Listening to the exmations around him, Xiang Dingqian turned back to nce at the score on the stele. Among all the scores, he was the only one with over 600 points. The highest of the rest, including the other Bronze Level participant, was only 560. "Not bad, barely satisfactory." The corner of Xiang Dingqian''s mouth curled up. He was quite satisfied with his score. Xiang Dingqian was confident. Given the strength of the sixth and seventh wave Star Beasts, no one could have a better score than his! Among those participating in the assessment, aside from himself whopletely hid his Star Power fluctuation, there was only one other Bronze Level participant. The rest were at most at the Ninth Stage Limit. Not to mention, it''s almost impossible for anyone to pass the sixth wave. Even if someone managed to pass the sixth wave, it would be impossible to score in the seventh wave! Thinking about the scenario in the seventh wave, Xiang Dingqian couldn''t help but feel a bit fearful. It was actually a Silver Early Stage Elite Star Beast! He got 10 points because he used a trump card to inflict damage right away. Yet, within two minutes, he was sted out. Tian Yuheng said, "There are still two people left." Jiang Qianqian from the twin siblings suddenly said, "Yeah! Now that Xiang Dingqian hase out and passed the sixth wave, do you think the remaining two could also pass the sixth wave?" Xiang Dingqian was startled and observed the field again. Only then did he realize there were indeed two people left. Jiang Qianqian''s brother, Jiang Wenwu, said, "Qianqian, beingte toe out doesn''t necessarily mean they have a good score." Tian Yuheng nodded, "That''s right. The stronger your strength, the faster you clear the levels. It doesn''t necessarily mean they''lle outter." Jiang Qianqian said, "I remember one of them is that beautiful silver-haired girl. Do you know who the other is?" "I don''t remember." "I don''t know. There were 11 people before entering. Now 9 havee out. So, there''s indeed one more person left." "There''s also a Ninth Stage Su Yuan," Xiang Dingqian suddenly said. Others might not remember Su Yuan, but Xiang Dingqian did. After all, he yed a small trick on Su Yuan at the Dragon Bone Gate earlier, and they came together. Xiang Dingqian chuckled, "The remaining ones are just two Ninth Stages. Did they really think they could pass the sixth wave? Just wait, they''ll be out soon." "That''s true... Even Bronze Level finds it hard to pass the sixth wave, let alone Ninth Stage." Tian Yuheng and others agreed. They knew the difficulty of the assessment from personal experience. Not far away, Kong Zheng, standing next to Tan Songlin, nced at Xiang Dingqian with a slight smile. Everyone thought it would be two or three minutes before the remaining two came out. However, as time slowly passed, Two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes... "What is going on? Are they stuck and recovering?" "Stuck? What does that mean?" "It means severely injuring the Star Beast without killing it, then recovering slowly!" "There''s such a tactic? Why didn''t I think of it? But isn''t that cheating... um!" Before the student named He Yong finished speaking, he was forcefully silenced. Suddenly, all the students felt an immense pressure, as vast as the ocean, surging towards them! "Cheating?" Tan Songlin raised his head, sweeping his gaze over everyone with a slightly cold expression. "Not to mention the Mysterious Stele has a spirit. If the Star Beast losesbat ability, the stele will automatically arrange the next wave for the examiner. Even if they manage to recover as you said, it''s just utilizing the mechanics." Tan Songlin snorted coldly. "Those who maliciously belittle others out of their own ipetence, even if they pass the sixth wave, are not wanted by our Demon Capital Academy!" Under Tan Songlin''s immense pressure, everyone in the field, including Xiang Dingqian, was sweating and had a look of fear. Especially He Yong, who mentioned "cheating," turned pale. Obviously, he was heavily "taken care of" by Tan Songlin. "Director Tan, it''s normal for young people to say the wrong thing asionally. A slight warning is enough." Kong Zheng smiled lightly as he fanned himself. Tan Songlin snorted again and then nodded, "For your sake, I won''t hold it against them." Saying this, Tan Songlin raised his hand and withdrew his pressure. "Hah..." "Cough, cough!" "¡­" In just a few seconds, it felt like tens or even twenty minutes had passed. The young people in the field were instantly relieved. Except for Xiang Dingqian and Tian Yuheng, all of them sat down on the ground, panting heavily. Although Xiang Dingqian and Tian Yuheng could still stand, they were also shocked to the core, not daring to act lightly anymore. For a while, besides the sound of heavy breathing, there was no other noise. At this moment, the Mysterious Stele suddenly lit up with golden light. "Here ites again!" A ray of golden light shot out from the stele, transforming into a silver-haired girl holding a snow-white long knife. She also held a peculiar, egg-sized fruit in her hand. Chapter 51 Soul Card Test The assessment concluded. Tian Yuheng, Jiang Wenwu, and other students who failed the assessment were taken away from the academy by other teachers. Su Yuan, Xiang Dingqian, and Luo Bingtong were left behind, seemingly for other arrangements. "Alright, Director Tan. I''ll leave Bing Tong to you and won''t follow along. I''m heading out now." Kong Zheng put away his folding fan and prepared to leave. Tan Songlin responded respectfully, "Okay, take your time. I still need to instruct these three little ones on some things, so I won''t see you off." Kong Zheng nodded and said to Luo Bingtong, "Bing Tong, when this is done, Director Tan will escort you to the school gate. Someone will pick you up there. I have something to do, so I''ll go first. After I finish, I''ll take you around the city tonight." Luo Bingtong thought for a moment, then nodded. Kong Zheng smiled and patted Luo Bingtong''s head. Then his body shed with a five-colored light and transformed into a colorful beam, quickly flying away into the distance. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared. "So fast!" Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian were both shocked. Until now, neither of them could figure out Kong Zheng''s identity. But considering Tan Songlin was so respectful to him, it must be extremely distinguished. In Great me, those with distinguished identities usually had strong powers. It''s simple. This was the era of the Star Card Master. Power was supreme. Most people''s distinguished statuses came from their strength. After Kong Zheng left, Tan Songlin said to the trio, "Follow me. We need to register you as special admissions students and conduct a simple test." "A test?" Su Yuan''s mind stirred. He guessed it might be a test rted to the Soul Card. After all, the basic requirement for special admissions at any academy was a blue Soul Card. "Follow me." Tan Songlin led the way, with Su Yuan and the others following behind. The area where the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet stood was rtively remote, with hardly anyone around. Now, as they walked along, they encountered quite a few Demon Capital Academy students. Most of these students were in a hurry, moving quickly. Life at Demon Capital Academy seemed to have a fast pace. Su Yuan''s group attracted a lot of attention from passing students, mainly because of Luo Bingtong in their group. After a while, they arrived at one of Demon Capital Academy''s main buildings, the Government Affairs Building. It was bustling, with students and teachersing and going. "Director Tan, are these new students?" a teacher at the building entrance asked. Tan Songlin replied, "Yes, these are the students who passed the supplementary special admissions today." "Three of them. That''s a good result for this supplementary recruitment!" "Ha ha, not too bad..." Tan Songlin first took the trio to the admissions office to register their special admissions status and issued them Demon Capital Academy student IDs in advance. "Here, one for each of you." Tan Songlin took out three purple rings and handed them to the trio. Rings? Su Yuan was initially stunned, then eximed in surprise, "Space Rings?!" "That''s right," Tan Songlin nodded. "Besides the rewards you received from the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, the Space Rings are standard for our special admissions students." Xiang Dingqian, being a noble family''s progeny, already possessed a high-end Space Ring and put it on indifferently. But Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong did not have one. Su Yuan curiously put on the Space Ring. When he extended his spiritual power into it, he found it had about four cubic meters of space. "Such arge space. Its market value should be over a million!" Su Yuan was overjoyed. The Space Ring wasn''t exceptionally rare, but it wasn''t cheap either. Four cubic meters should be worth between one million and one hundred and twenty thousand. At this moment, Su Yuan felt intermittent shes of light. Luo Bingtong, beside him, was wearing the ring on her left hand and holding a golden pattern ebony box containing the Dragon Saliva Fruit in her right. The ring shed as she put the box into the ring and shed again as she took it out. Repeatedly, it shed and sparkled as if she was having a lot of fun! "Hillbilly," Xiang Dingqian scoffed. Luo Bingtong seemed oblivious to this and continued ying, her ice-blue eyes full of wonder. Tan Songlin coughed lightly, "Alright, follow me to the Soul Card testing." Tan Songlin led the trio deeper into the Government Affairs Building. Soon, they arrived outside a specialized testing room. "This room has a precision Soul Card testing barrier. Once inside,municate with and fully activate your Soul Card''s power. The barrier will guide you toplete the test. It''s very simple. During the test, the barrier will use the theoretical myth limit of S-level qualification as a 100-point standard to rate your six-dimensional qualifications. Since this is your first awakening, the highest qualification will not exceed C-level, so the maximum score for any item is 70 points. Star Power qualifications are critical for Star Card Masters and will be multiplied by a factor of 2, making the maximum score 140 points. Thus, the highest total score for six-dimensional qualifications is 490 points." Su Yuan nodded. Even with the same C-level talent, there were stronger and weaker variations. Such test results were indeed more detailed. Tan Songlin beckoned, "That''s it. You can go in one at a time. The test results will be confidentially archived by the academy, with only a few individuals, including the principal, having the right to view them." Only the principal and a few others could view it... Su Yuan pondered. His Azure Sky Phoenix''s 6C qualification was unparalleled, with only three recorded in history. It was extremely unique. He had awakened the Azure Sky Phoenix through the Transformation Realm of the Soul Awakening Card, enhanced by the Star Dust system, which carried some risk of exposing the system. However, since this was Demon Capital Academy, and only a few people, including the principal, could see it... disying it shouldn''t be a problem. After all, the higher the talent, the more resources it would attract! While Su Yuan was contemting, Xiang Dingqian had already stepped forward. "I''ll go first." Xiang Dingqian directly pushed open the testing room''s door and walked in. About seven or eight minutester, Xiang Dingqian came out, looking rxed, indicating he had finished the test. Tan Songlin took out his phone, logged in with permissions, and connected to the Soul Card testing barrier, pulling up Xiang Dingqian''s results. Test Number: No.0000****3691 Name: Xiang Dingqian Student ID Number: ******220006 Test Results: Strength: 66 (C), Agility: 60 (C), Defense: 58 (D), Constitution: 66 (C), Spirit: 52 (D), Star Power: 54*2 (D) Total Score: 410 Above 400 points! Tan Songlin''s eyes lit up. 3C qualification, not bad, worthy of someone from the Capitol City''s Xiang Family! "Not bad!" Tan Songlin nodded at Xiang Dingqian. "As expected from the talented Xiang Family." Xiang Dingqian grinned, "Teacher Tan, you''re ttering me." Seeing that Luo Bingtong showed no intention of moving, Su Yuan took the initiative. He pushed the door open and stepped into the testing room. After closing the door, he saw the room was somewhat dim and empty, with a metal cylinder over a meter high at the entrance. The cylinder had a card slot. Su Yuan scanned his newly obtained student ID, and a photon marker immediately lit up in the center of the room. Su Yuan walked to the marker and, as instructed by Tan Songlin, began tomunicate with the Azure Sky Phoenix in his Star Power Vortex. With Su Yuan''s spiritual power reaching into the card, the originally dormant Azure Sky Phoenix on the card gradually came alive, eventually lifting its head to look at Su Yuan''s consciousness! "So amazing!" Su Yuan''s heart stirred. This was his first timemunicating with the Azure Sky Phoenix, feeling a sense of closeness. "Chirp!" With a crisp phoenix cry, the Azure Sky Phoenix spread its power, and a faint space Star Power enveloped Su Yuan. At the same time, numerous silver runes suddenly lit up on the dark ground. A red rune chain emerged from the barrier and shot into Su Yuan''s body. Su Yuan immediately felt an invisible fluctuation emanating from the red rune chain. This fluctuation was intangible. Instinctively, Su Yuan resisted it using the Azure Sky Phoenix.@@novelbin@@ As the red rune chain grew brighter, the Azure Sky Phoenix in Su Yuan''s Star Power Vortex also shone brighter. Both sides continuously increased their power. Gradually, the Azure Sky Phoenix reached its limit, while the red rune chain''s energy steadily increased, finally surpassing the Azure Sky Phoenix. Instantly, the rune chain withdrew from Su Yuan''s body and retracted into the barrier, and a line of text appeared on the barrier: Strength: 66 (C) "So that''s how it works..." Su Yuan looked at the strength rating on the ground and quickly understood the barrier''s principle. The red rune chain represented "Strength." By arm-wrestling with the Soul Card, it determined the card''s strength qualification. Before Su Yuan could think further, the text on the barrier vanished with a sh of light. Then, a green rune chain representing "Agility" shot out and entered Su Yuan''s body. After a brief test, the final result appeared: Agility: 68 (C) "It''s even higher than the strength qualification..." Su Yuan nodded slightly. Next, the Defense, Constitution, and Spirit were tested one after another: Defense: 66 (C) Constitution: 66 (C) Spirit: 66 (C) Finally, it was time for the most important qualification for a Star Card Master: Star Power. As light swirled on the barrier, a blue rune chain representing "Star Power" shot into Su Yuan''s body. Su Yuan fully unleashed the power of the Azure Sky Phoenix. "Chirp!!!" With a resounding phoenix cry, the Azure Sky Phoenix explosively exerted all its strength. Brilliant silver light swirled around Su Yuan. Without waiting for the blue rune chain to gradually intensify, it immediately forced the blue rune chain to its brightest. After a long struggle, the blue rune chain''s light suddenly intensified, its energy rising sharply, finally overpowering the Azure Sky Phoenix. "Chirp chirp..." Unable to fight back, the Azure Sky Phoenix let out a pitiful cry. "You''ve reached your limit. Have a good rest." Su Yuan sent a soothing thought to the Azure Sky Phoenix. "Chirp~" The Azure Sky Phoenix responded and fell silent. With a faint sh, the barrier disyed the result for Star Power qualification: Star Power: 70 (C) Perfect score! Chapter 52 First Display of Talent Looking at the test results disyed on the ground barrier, Su Yuan was initially stunned, then revealed a delighted smile. "Impressive. As expected of the Azure Sky Phoenix, perfect Star Power!" Su Yuan nodded in satisfaction. Since the test was over, Su Yuan didn''t stay any longer and walked out of the testing room. Seeing Su Yuane out, Luo Bingtong and Xiang Dingqian both stared at him. Especially Xiang Dingqian. Su Yuan, with the strength of the Ninth Stage Limit, surpassed Xiang Dingqian and took first ce in the special recruitment test. Xiang Dingqian now wanted to know Su Yuan''s six-dimensional qualifications very much. He stared at Su Yuan, trying to glean some information from his face. But Su Yuan showed no unusual expression, and Xiang Dingqian naturally couldn''t see anything. He shifted his gaze to Tan Songlin, who was about to check the results. Tan Songlin was also very curious about Su Yuan, the student who unexpectedly scored first in the test. He immediately took out his phone and pulled up the just-updated test results. Test Number: No.0000****3692 Name: Su Yuan Student ID Number: ******220004 Test Results: Strength: 66 (C), Agility: 68 (C), Defense: 66 (C), Constitution: 66 (C), Spirit: 66 (C), Star Power: 70*2 (C) Total Score: 472 6C? Tan Songlin was stunned at first, then suddenly his eyes widened! 6C? 472 points? Perfect Star Power?! I... I can''t believe it! Tan Songlin looked up at Su Yuan, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets in shock! As the Director of Demon Capital Academy, Tan Songlin fully understood the significance of 6C qualifications. Since humans began exploring the path of the Star Card Masters in ancient times, only three individuals in recorded history had awakened with 6C qualifications. And now, right in front of him, there was a peerless talent with 6C qualifications and perfect Star Power?! Even though Tan Songlin was a Burning Sun level expert who had seen countless geniuses, his emotions were in turmoil, leaving his mind somewhat dazed. "Good, good, very good!" After a while, Tan Songlin heavily patted Su Yuan''s shoulder, his initial shock turning into overwhelming joy. "You''re only at the Ninth Stage, yet you passed the sixth level. Truly extraordinary!" Xiang Dingqian saw Tan Songlin''s initial shock turn into an even brighter smile. It wasn''t hard to guess that Su Yuan''s qualifications far exceeded expectations. Tan Songlin was this overjoyed... Could it be that his qualifications were much higher than Xiang Dingqian''s? Thinking of this, Xiang Dingqian''s face grew even more somber as he looked at Su Yuan. Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian had finished their tests; only Luo Bingtong was left. Tan Songlin finally calmed himself down a bit and smiled at Luo Bingtong. "Bingtong, it''s your turn. Although you are different from us, this test barrier will still work." Different? A trace of curiosity shed in Xiang Dingqian''s eyes as he looked at Luo Bingtong, unsure what made her different. Su Yuan, however, knew that Luo Bingtong was a Star Beast, possessing a Star Core without the concept of a Soul Card. Luo Bingtong nodded and walked into the Soul Card testing room. Seven or eight minutester. The door of the testing room opened again, and Luo Bingtong came out. Tan Songlin quickly opened the report. Just one nce and Tan Songlin''s expression changed. His mood, which had just calmed after Su Yuan''s record-breaking qualification score, now surged once again. Test Number: No.0000****3693 Name: Luo Bingtong Student ID Number: ******220005 Test Results: Strength: 70 (C), Agility: 68 (C), Defense: 68 (C), Constitution: 68 (C), Spirit: 56 (D), Star Power: 66*2 (C) Total Score: 462 5C qualifications, 462 points, perfect Strength! First Su Yuan''s 6C qualifications, now a 462-point 5C qualification! "What''s happening today?" Tan Songlin swallowed, looking at Luo Bingtong, then at Su Yuan, feeling almost like in a dream... Historically, the highest performer at Demon Capital Academy was a student with 5C qualifications and 451 points. Now, there were suddenly two who broke that record! After a long while, Tan Songlin regained hisposure, his face blossoming into an extremely broad smile. Our Demon Capital Academy has really hit the jackpot this time! Although Su Yuan couldn''t see Luo Bingtong''s score, Tan Songlin''s poorly managed expression gave away that her test results were also excellent. Even if not as good as his own, they wouldn''t be far behind. After all, he passed the sixth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet thanks to his six Transformational Realm skills, including the Soul Skill Instant Movement,bined with his unparalleled 6C Space Soul Card. This Luo Bingtong, who also passed the sixth wave at the Ninth Stage Star Apprentice level, surely had extraordinary six-dimensional qualifications as well. At this moment, Xiang Dingqian''s face was bing increasingly unpleasant. What''s going on with Director Tan? Could it be that both of them have higher qualifications than I do? How is that possible?! After a while, Tan Songlin finally calmed down and immediately encrypted and forwarded the three''s test records to the dean, marking it "Priority Information!" "Alright." Tan Songlin cheerfully looked at the three of them. "That''s it for today. Let me walk you out. Demon Capital Academy is quite big; you might get lost." "Thank you, Director Tan!" Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian responded. Luo Bingtong simply nodded. Demon Capital Academy, Dean''s Office. A kindly old man with white hair and beard was handling some documents when an encrypted message suddenly popped up on hisputer. "The test results of the special recruits are out?" Cai Qinglong looked at the encrypted message and smiled. He decrypted and opened it. "Xiang Dingqian, Su Yuan, Luo Bingtong..." Cai Qinglong smiled again, deciding to check Luo Bingtong''s results first. Saying so, Cai Qinglong opened Luo Bingtong''s test results. "Hmm... As expected of the descendant of the Ice Pearl Mysterious Cliff overlord, even among 5C qualifications, you are top-notch, exceptionally rare!" Next, Cai Qinglong opened Xiang Dingqian''s results. "Direct lineage of the Capitol City Xiang Family, 3C qualifications with 410 points, not bad." Cai Qinglong nodded and then opened thest remaining report. "Thest one, Su Yuan, seems to be a student rmended by Yifeng... Huh?!" Cai Qinglong was momentarily stunned. Then a burst of aura that slightly distorted the space around him suddenly emanated from him before disappearing in an instant, as if it had been an illusion. "6C qualifications!" Cai Qinglong stared unblinkingly at the test report on the screen, his eyes sparkling as brightly as the sun and moon! ... At the south gate of Demon Capital Academy, Tan Songlin escorted Su Yuan and the others. "School starts nationwide on September 1. Remember to be on time. At that time, mentors will be assigned as well. Also, if you have any questions about cultivation or life in general, feel free to contact me. You are now students of Demon Capital Academy, and I''ll be responsible for liaising with you until sses start." "Understood." Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian responded. Tan Songlin nodded, reiterated some important points, and then turned to leave. At this moment, a tall, cold-looking middle-aged man in a ck suit walked over. "Miss Bing Tong, the master asked me to wait for you here. Pleasee with me." The middle-aged man spoke expressionlessly. Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian looked at him. He had bushy eyebrows and big eyes, his expression sharp, clearly an expert!@@novelbin@@ Luo Bingtong gave Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian onest look before silently following the middle-aged man to a ck car parked on the right side of the gate. Su Yuan nced at the license te. Unlike ordinary tes, it seemed to be from Demon Capital''s official fleet. "The person with the fan earlier was indeed extraordinary." Xiang Dingqian crossed his arms, watching the ck car drive away. "Such a prefix on a license te isn''t found on more than a hundred cars in Demon Capital." Su Yuan asked, "You seem quite knowledgeable?" "Because my family has one." Xiang Dingqian replied casually, then suddenly turned to Su Yuan. "Because of the Head of the Demon Dragon incident, are you nning to teach me a lesson?" "That''s right." Xiang Dingqian grinned, "I have the same n! Passing the sixth wave at the Ninth Stage Star Apprentice, I really want to see your strength!" Su Yuan said calmly, "Shall we do it now?" "No." Xiang Dingqian shook his head. "You''re only at the Ninth Stage Star Apprentice. Even if I win, it won''t prove anything. Hopefully, you''ll reach the Bronze Level by the time school starts. Then, I''lle looking for you!" Su Yuan smiled, "Maybe, even as a Ninth Stage Star Apprentice, you won''t be able to beat me?" As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of Star Power pressure washed over him. Star Power surged around Xiang Dingqian, his tiger-like eyes fixed intently on Su Yuan, ready to explode at any moment! After a few seconds, Xiang Dingqian withdrew his Star Power with a cold snort. "After school starts, I''ll be waiting for you!" With that said, Xiang Dingqian walked away without looking back. "Quite patient, isn''t he?" Su Yuan knew that Xiang Dingqian held back not because he thought it would be unfair to fight someone at the Ninth Stage Star Apprentice, but because Xiang Dingqian wanted to prove he was unbeatable among his peers! A Bronze Level victory over a Ninth Stage Star Apprentice was expected. Xiang Dingqian wanted to defeat Su Yuan when he became a Bronze Level. Su Yuan didn''t stop him for an immediate fight either. Since he had provoked Su Yuan, he wouldn''t get away easily. But beating him up here wouldn''t do much good; it wasn''t like he could kill him. He''d have the chance to teach Xiang Dingqian a more memorable lesson once school started. Su Yuan turned to look at the impressive Dragon Bone Gate of Demon Capital Academy. "Finally, it''s over, perfectly." This trip to Demon Capital Academy had been fairly smooth overall. He sessfully passed the assessment and the Soul Card test. Additionally... Su Yuan took out a Star Card that emitted a brilliant blue light. It was the reward for passing the sixth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. [Space Cut] [Element: Space] [Grade: Blue] [Introduction: A knife or sword skill, left by the ancient sh Sky School, which uses space power to alter des, greatly enhancing destructive power] "Blue weapon skill!" Holding the [Space Cut], Su Yuan was filled with excitement and joy. Hecked weapon skills, and this [Space Cut] was not only that but also a rare Space weapon skill! It couldn''t fit him better! "Can''t wait to reach the Bronze Level..." Su Yuan put away the [Space Cut], his eyes filled with anticipation. He took one more look at the Dragon Bone Gate before turning to leave as well. Chapter 53 Bronze Level, Molten Lava Cave (4000 words, please vote) After returning from Demon Capital Academy, Su Yuan resumed his normal study life. Although he was already a specially recruited student, he still had to attend sses. Courses like "Great me Geography" and "Blue Sea Star General Language" were not just for the college entrance examination but because they were useful. As for skill practice and other courses, he could skip them and focus entirely on cultivating star power to reach the Bronze Level as soon as possible. Not many people in the academy knew that Su Yuan went to Demon Capital for the special recruitment assessment. But once the results of Su Yuan''s assessment were out, Guangchuan Fourth Middle School and even the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau immediatelyunched a massive publicity campaign! The sound of firecrackers and the beating of drums filled the air! In front of the teaching building of Fourth Middle School, the banner that originally congratted Chen Jiujun on bing a specially recruited student of Wanzhou was moved aside. The central spot was given to a banner for Su Yuan: "Congrattions to our student Su Yuan for passing the special recruitment assessment of Demon Capital Academy with outstanding results and bing a specially recruited student of Demon Capital Academy!" It was too exaggerated! That was not all. Many localpanies in Guangchuan also approached Su Yuan for endorsements. "Nine Walnuts" and "Imperial Flower Show" were fine. But even the "Concentrated Nine vors Earth Rejuvenation Pills" sought him out... Now, in Guangchuan City, everyone knew about this specially recruited student from Demon Capital called "Su Yuan." Of course, Su Yuan did not want such high-profile attention. But even the opportunity to go to Demon Capital was given by Wang Haiping. He could not stop the education bureau from publicizing it. It was considered fortunate they did not require too much cooperation from him for the promotion.@@novelbin@@ It took a good one or two weeks before the topics of "Su Yuan, specially recruited student from Demon Capital" and "One City, Three Special Recruits" finally dropped from Guangchuan City''s trending searches. Time flew by, and it was already mid-July, more than a month since the college entrance examination in early June. During this period, there was the college entrance examination, filling in applications, admissions, and graduation trips... The outside world was bustling. But Su Yuan seemed isted from the world. Every day, besides eating and sleeping, he would go to a nearby professional cultivation hall to absorb and refine star power. Even in Guangchuan City, there were four or five such cultivation halls. They provided a quiet ce specifically for cultivation and were equipped with basic barriers. It was not convenient to always cultivate at home. First, his parents were home, and there were often guests. Secondly, sometimes controlling star power poorly would mess up his room or even damage the furniture. Although the cultivation hall charged fees, Su Yuan had now sold a few Bronze Level star cores and had tens of thousands to spend, so he was not short of money for the time being. The cultivation hall Su Yuan chose was called Pan Da, mainly because it was close to home, just 15 minutes away. When the owner saw that it was Su Yuaning to cultivate, although it was not entirely free, he directly offered a 90% discount as an advertisement opportunity. "Cultivate at Pan Da, the choice of top specially recruited students!" ... This noon, in a VIP cultivation room at Pan Da Cultivation Hall. Apanied by a high-pitched phoenix cry, a strong spatial fluctuation filled the entire cultivation room. Su Yuan slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp and his divine light was captivating! "Finally, Bronze Level!" Feeling the massive torrent of thick star power within him, a faint smile appeared on Su Yuan''s face. Since absorbing arge number of Heavenly Sweet Fruits in the Divine Tree Secret Realm, he had already reached the Ninth Stage Limit. However, breaking through to the Bronze Level to be a true Star Card Master was a step that had stumped countless people. It was truly challenging! Now, after more than two months of relentless cultivation day and night, he had finally broken through to the Bronze Level just before the academy''s opening! After a while, calming his excited mood, Su Yuan sat cross-legged again and entered a state of introspection. The star power vortex in his chest had significantly expanded, with a tremendous increase in both the quantity and intensity of star power! If he were to face the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger from the sixth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet again now, he would definitely have it in the bag. It would not be as difficult as before. "However, this is not the end..." The Bronze Level marked the official beginning of the path of a Star Card Master. After advancing to the Bronze Level, as expected, he received five new skill slots. With a sh of his ring, Su Yuan held a blue and a green card in his hand. These were the [Space Cut] obtained from the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet and the [Holy Light Baptism] given by Wang Haiping. Su Yuan focused his mind. The brilliance of [Holy Light Baptism] intensified and disappeared first, embedding itself around the Soul Card Azure Sky Phoenix. Looking at the [Space Cut] left in his hand, Su Yuan''s gaze sharpened, and he used it without hesitation. However, this time, it was as a soul skill! For Star Card Masters of different levels, due to their capacity, there was a limit on the grade of star cards they could embed. Star Apprentices could embed only green star cards at most. Starting from the Bronze Level, with every two levels of star power advancement, the grade of star cards that could be embedded also increased by one tier. In other words, star power level +2 meant star card grade +1, specifically: Bronze, Silver, the highest grade of embedded star cards is blue. Gold, Shining Star, the highest grade of embedded star cards is purple. Radiant Moon, Burning Sun, the highest grade of embedded star cards is gold. Only above Burning Sun can red star cards be embedded. Of course, this was the theoretical grade limit. In practice, even among high-level Star Card Masters, it was rare for any card to reach the grade limit. White, green, and blue were fine. But star cards of purple Epic grade and above were extremely rare. Usually, out of several Shining Star Level Star Card Masters, not many would have even one purple-grade star card! Chapter 54 Trio At dawn the next day, Su Yuan was sitting on the ground, cultivating. "Knock, knock, knock!" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Su Yuan went to open the door. Outside stood Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun, who looked rather excited. "Su Yuan, are you ready?" Zhuang Xun asked. "There''s nothing much to prepare. Let''s go." "Alright!" Because they were staying at a suburban hotel near me Mountain, the three of them had encountered several Star Card Masters with slight fluctuations of Star Power when they checked in yesterday. They were also likely heading to the Molten Lava Cave. "Hello, I''d like to check out." A pleasant female voice came from the direction of the front desk. As Su Yuan and the others entered the lobby, they saw three people in front of them checking out. Two men and one woman, all dressed in ck. One young man had a stern face, a tall and sturdy build, and was estimated to be about six-foot-one. The person next to him, of average height, stood beside the tall young man, his face slightly effeminate, pale yet unusually rosy. He was shaking his leg in boredom. Thest person was the girl who had just spoken to check out. She was beautiful, wearing a ck id JK uniform and knee-high socks, with two small pigtails tied at the back of her head, looking quite youthful and energetic. "Hey, that girl looks pretty nice!" Zhuang Xun''s eyes lit up, and he lowered his voice to Su Yuan and Fang Kun. "She has the looks and the figure¡­ We just started our trip today and already met a pretty girl. It''s really delightful, making one feel happy~" Fang Kun turned his head slightly with disdain and snorted, uninterested in the topic of "pretty girls" as a "Martial Artist" and contemptuous of Zhuang Xun''s behavior. Su Yuan raised his head and nced at the JK girl, nodding slightly. In terms of appearance, if he took the best-looking people he had seen, Kong Zheng and Luo Bingtong, as a perfect ten, this girl was indeed a solid seven or eight, quite good. But in terms of figure¡­ this girl not only was half a head taller than Luo Bingtong but also had a far more impressive chest than Luo Bingtong. The reason Su Yuan and the others paid attention to these three was that they also had faint waves of Star Power, indicating they were likely students from some college. "Okay, let me see¡­" The youngdy at the front desk took the room card, "Hmm? A single king bed room¡­ correct?"@@novelbin@@ The youngdy at the front desk nced at the three of them with some surprise, her voice gradually lowering. The JK girl ced her hands on the table and smiled casually, "Yes, a king bed room." "Oh, okay!" The front desk girl responded quickly, operating the system. Su Yuan and the others, with their keen hearing, naturally heard the conversation. "Three people in one room, huh¡­" Zhuang Xun retracted his gaze and sighed slightly. Zhuang Xun had just graduated sessfully and finally got his mother''s approval to pursue a passionate romance. Despite the temptation earlier, debating whether to ask for the girl''s contact information, the words from the front desk girl had instantly deted his enthusiasm. A beautiful love hadn''t even begun and was already over¡­ "It''s done. Here is your deposit." The front desk girl said. "Alright." The JK girl took back the deposit and left with the other two boys. As they passed Su Yuan and the others, she gave them a friendly smile and nod. "That smile just now almost made me lose control again¡­" Zhuang Xun retracted his gaze from following the girl, sighed, and said, "That profound chest, those big white legs¡­ such a pity!" "Enough!" Fang Kun pped him on the shoulder, making Zhuang Xun stagger, "Hurry up and check out. Stop thinking about pointless things." Su Yuan smiled and said, "It''s okay. School is about to start. Maybe you''ll find true love at Shuzhou College." Su Yuan and Fang Kun knew that Zhuang Xun was just joking. "Let''s go. Check out and hurry up." The three of them stepped forward to check out together. "Hello, checking out¡­" "ng!" At that moment, a loud phoenix cry suddenly came from Su Yuan''s Soul Card. Startled, Su Yuan didn''t know what was happening. He quickly connected his mind to the Azure Sky Phoenix in his Soul Card. Azure Sky Phoenix: "ng, ng!" "Is that so¡­" Receiving the message from the Azure Sky Phoenix, Su Yuan frowned slightly. ording to the Azure Sky Phoenix, there seemed to be something "bad" here, making it feel ufortable. Su Yuan fully opened his senses and rapidly circted the Star Power within his body, carefully probing the surroundings. However, he found nothing. "ng!" Then the Azure Sky Phoenix said that the ufortable feeling was gone. Was it wrong? Su Yuan squinted his eyes slightly, turned, and looked outside the door, deep in thought. "Check out isplete, sir," the front desk girl said, puzzled, handing over the deposit. "Sir?" "What''s wrong, Su Yuan?" Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun noticed Su Yuan''s strange behavior and turned to look as well. Su Yuan nodded to the front desk girl and took the deposit. He then said to Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun, "Let''s go out first." Once outside the hotel, Su Yuan said softly, "I felt that something might be off with that group of three just now. I can''t exin exactly what, though." "Off?" Zhuang Xun asked in confusion. "Could it be an illusion?" Recalling the Azure Sky Phoenix''s behavior, Su Yuan shook his head, "Probably not." Zhuang Xun''s carefree expression faded. He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment and said solemnly, "Then we should be careful. They were also heading toward me Mountain. We might encounter them again." Fang Kun nodded, "Better to be cautious. The Secret Realm is not like the city. Without government and City Guard constraints, things like robbery and killing do happen." Star Card Masters possessed extraordinary power. When someone had power, discussions often couldn''t be peaceful and were instead determined by strength, leading to conflicts. Disputes of pride, resources, beliefs¡­ No country could entirely banbat and killing among Star Card Masters, but they usually set up regtions to restrict Star Card Masters with extraordinary power to maintain the safety of citizens, cities, and the country. For example, banningbat in urban areas and preventing interference with city safety, and forbidding Star Card Masters from attacking ordinary people¡­ If anyone vited these rules, the City Guard would deal with it. Serious cases could even lead to government pursuit and arrest. But once in dangerous areas, Secret Realms, or even abroad, many restrictions were lifted. Life and death were left to fate, and how one acted depended on individual judgment and decisions. Considering societal rtions, reputation, and other factors, although mortal battles urred, overly egregious incidents were generally rare. ¡­ Around noon, Su Yuan and hispanions finally entered the me Mountain area. Due to a recent eruption, the entire me Mountain was shrouded in thick volcanic ash. With a single nce, the sky was gray and ck, and the rolling hills came into view. The temperature felt about twelve degrees higher than outside. If ordinary people came here, they would struggle to move, let alone endure a stay of two or three hours. "Be careful. From here on, we are within me Mountain territory," Zhuang Xun warned. Su Yuan and Fang Kun nodded, raising their vignce. The three had substantial outdoor experience. Unlike the rich kid Zhuang Xun, Fang Kun came from an ordinary family and had gone on many hunts for Star Beasts in the wild for collecting materials and Star Cards. As for Su Yuan, there was no need to mention¡­ Because of Su Yuan''s presence, the Demon Beasts in the western part of the Great Barbarian Mountain Area had be significantly sparser than before. Many Star Beasts, including several Bronze-level ones, had been so frightened that they migrated deeper into the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. If Su Yuan continued hunting in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, the Guangchuan City Guard mighte to him before long, reprimanding him for "disrupting the ecological bnce" in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area¡­ Su Yuan took out a map and examined it: "The entrances to the Molten Lava Cave are at those nine volcanoes. Considering the environment and Star Beast obstacles in me Mountain, it will probably take us two or three days to reach the nearest entrance." "Alright, let''s hurry up and move." Chapter 55 Entering the Earth Cave "Instant Teleportation!" "Instant Teleportation!" "Elemental Maism Pressure!" "Instant Teleportation!" "..." "Su One sh, could you slow down a bit?" Zhuang Xun helplessly nced at Su Yuan, silently dispersing the Fiery me Fire Snake just summoned in his hand. "Why do you see star beasts as if they''re meat? These low-stage star cores don''t sell for much, right? Yet you''ve killed them all!" Since entering the me Mountain, two days had passed in the blink of an eye. In these two days, whenever Su Yuan saw a star beast, he would instantly teleport forward and y it with a single sh. If it was a high-agility beast, he would use Elemental Maism Pressure to immobilize it, then instantly teleport and sh. If it was a high-defense beast, he would use Space Cut Enchantment, then instantly teleport and sh. In short, for all the star beasts encountered so far, even the ordinary Bronze High Stage star beasts, Su Yuan only needed one sh. Such strength was simply astonishing; Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun were both numbed by it! Zhuang Xun directly gave Su Yuan a nickname¡ªSu One sh. This led to over seventy percent of the star beasts they encountered being in by Su Yuan alone.@@novelbin@@ Since they were all low-stage star beasts with little value, Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun were happy to take it easy. But in fact, even if they wanted to, they couldn''t havepeted... Could they run faster than instant teleportation? "Skill level increases with use; that''s the fastest way to improve." Su Yuanughed. "But isn''t this a bit much?" Zhuang Xun sighed enviously. "Instant teleportation is just too versatile..." Although instant teleportation was a blue skill, it was not a high-consumption attack or defense skill. Instead, after advancing to the Transformation Realm, instant teleportation had been vastly optimized, reducing its consumption significantly; it now consumed less than Elemental Maism Pressure. Combined with Su Yuan''s surge in star power after breaking through to Bronze Level, as long as it wasn''t long-distance teleportation, he could use it almost freely within dozens of meters. Not just Zhuang Xun, even Fang Kun was envious. In terms of effect, instant teleportation was absolutely T0 level among all movement, discement, and eleration skills. It was constantly imitated but never surpassed. In terms of versatility, instant teleportation was like a universal panacea. Whether in life or battle, attack or retreat, frontal assault or sudden ambush, closebat or long-range skill throwing... Instant teleportation was applicable in over ny-nine percent of situations. But the problem was, not only were its effects and versatility T0 level, its rarity was also T0 level! That was extremely frustrating! So naturally, Su Yuan''s Soul Card having instant teleportation made others envious. Zhuang Xun shook his head. "Space, space... No wonder it''s one of the top attributes in the hierarchy, and no wonder even Demon Capital Academy wants to recruit you as a special student." Su Yuan pondered briefly and said, "I don''t think Demon Capital Academy necessarily knows I''m from the space attribute..." After all, the assessment was conducted inside the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet, where the outside couldn''t see. "Hmm???" Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun both widened their eyes. "Your space soul card didn''t give you extra points?" "There was no extra points for the soul card. This special recruitment assessment by Demon Capital Academy was purely strength-based." Seeing their surprise, Su Yuan added solemnly, "I passed this assessment purely on my own abilities!" System points were also an ability! "Awesome!" Zhuang Xun praised. "As expected from you!" In reality, Su Yuan was also puzzled. Logically, Wang Haiping should have mentioned to his teacher that he was a Space Star Card Master to secure the special recruitment rmendation. But Tan Songlin seemed unaware, not even asking once. Also, he didn''t mention his skill talent. Could it be that Demon Capital Academy''s standards were so high that even "super skills talent" and "top attribute soul cards" were not worth mentioning? Of course, Su Yuan didn''t realize that Wang Haiping''s teacher was so unreliable that he just asked the academy for a rmendation without saying anything... Su Yuan looked up. "The red glow at the base of that volcano should be the secret realm''s entrance, right?" After two days of trekking, the three had reached the foot of one of the volcanoes. Dozens of meters ahead, there was a several-meter-high barrier, formed by the dense fire element, encircling the volcano. "That''s right. ording to previous records, this is the boundary between the Molten Lava Cave and Blue Sea Star. Passing through this barrier will directly enter the secret realm." Su Yuan nodded. The three of them stepped into the me barrier together! With a wave of scorching heat and stuffy air hitting them, Su Yuan''s vision went dark. He had entered a dimly lit cavern. A stream of moltenva flowed below, illuminating the surroundings with its glow. The ck jagged cave had numerous forks, deste and barren, the entire world in ck and red hues. "Such dense fire element. Zhuang Xun, your strength should improve by thirty to forty percent here..." Su Yuan turned to look at Zhuang Xun, only to find both hispanions had vanished! Su Yuan was stunned, then slightly furrowed his brow. "A random teleportation secret realm? This Molten Lava Cave seems different from before..." Secret realms had various types, entry methods, and exit methods. A random teleportation secret realm meant that entering would randomly teleport participants to different locations within the realm. This type of secret realm carried high entry risks because one could be teleported to dangerous ces, preventing team assembly. During the joint trial in the Rainforest Secret Realm, Su Yuan and others were also randomly ced, but that was because Guangchuan City had modified the secret realm entrance, not the nature of the Rainforest Secret Realm itself. Of course, this wasn''t the main issue. The main issue was that the Molten Lava Cave had never had random teleportation before! Looking at the dark, red-ck world ahead, Su Yuan sensed a violent and oppressive atmosphere, feeling a slight foreboding. "Hope those two don''t get into trouble." Summoning the Dragon Armor Saber into his hand, after slightly orienting himself, Su Yuan cautiously moved forward... In another part of the cave, within a pitch-ck wide cavern, arge number of ghouls with bloody mouths rapidly swarmed toward the center. Fang Kun continuously swung his saber, cutting one ghoul in half with each swing! Although Fang Kun was strong, he couldn''t withstand the sheer number of fearless ghouls, and his defense circle was gradually shrinking. "Damn!" Fang Kun''s expression was grim. Who would have thought that upon entering, both his teammates would disappear, and he would end up in a ghoul-infested cave? Usually calm, Fang Kun couldn''t help but curse. The scrawny ghouls, who had never seen such fresh and nutritious flesh like Fang Kun, charged at him with glowing red eyes! "At this rate, I can''t hold out much longer..." Fang Kun''s eyes focused. With a horizontal sweep, he cut three oing ghouls in half. Then, gripping his saber with both hands, the de gleamed coldly, and he shed down fiercely! A crescent-shaped saber light shot out, cutting through dozens of meters! Instantly, limbs flew, and flesh scattered! A huge blood mist erupted. One sh had cleared dozens of ghouls in a straight line! Fang Kun didn''t bother with the star cores that dropped. With a powerful stomp, he charged out of the cave before the surrounding ghouls could swarm again... Chapter 56 Black Flying Insects On the other side, Zhuang Xun was walking on a ck stone ridge bridge that was only wide enough for two people. "If I fall down, I''ll probably turn to ash in less than two seconds..." Looking at the rolling magma below, Zhuang Xun felt a bit uneasy. After all, Bronze Level couldn''t withstand the high temperatures of the magma! And this magma flow was quite wide. Jumping across it directly was impossible. He could only use the surrounding ck stone ridge bridges to navigate. Swallowing hard, Zhuang Xun carefully moved forward. When Zhuang Xu was halfway across the bridge, he suddenly saw a dark-haired youth with his head half-lowereding from the opposite direction. The youth''s body swayed slightly, as if he had been drinking, and he walked onto the ck stone ridge bridge a few stepster, heading towards Zhuang Xun. Zhuang Xun stared at him, feeling a heightened sense of vignce. "Hey, friend?" As they got closer, Zhuang Xun greeted. But the other person didn''t even lift his head and continued approaching step by step. Zhuang Xun frowned, sensing something was off, and stopped in his tracks, gazing intently at the youth. The cave''s light was too dim. Previously, he couldn''t see clearly. But now, as they were getting closer, the firelight from the magma below slowly illuminated the youth''s face.@@novelbin@@ The youth''s face was expressionless, his eyes vacant. His clothes were stained with some dry blood. His swaying walk was due to a stiff, uncoordinated movement, as though he had just learned to walk. Zhuang Xun''s pupils instantly constricted. Realizing something was wrong, he prepared to take action. At that moment, the youth lifted his head and suddenly drew out a longsword, rushing towards Zhuang Xun. Though he wobbled while walking, he wasn''t slow when running. In an instant, he was upon Zhuang Xun! Zhuang Xun had been on guard. Seeing the youth pounce, he immediately swung his ck-red longsword to block. "Bronze Middle Stage!" As soon as they shed, Zhuang Xun''s heart skipped. The youth''s Star Power fluctuation was clearly at the Bronze Middle Stage level. The youth didn''t use any skills, just fully unleashed his Star Power, swinging his sword fiercely at Zhuang Xun. Seeing the youth''s raw but unstructured attack, Zhuang Xun realized he might be under mind control. However, though Zhuang Xun had killed many Star Beasts, he had never killed a human before. He felt hesitant. And the youth, being at a higher realm, attacked throw caution to the wind, putting Zhuang Xun in danger. With a ng, Zhuang Xun was knocked back by the youth. His upper body dangled off the bridge! Scorching air rushed toward him, turning Zhuang Xun''s face red. He turned pale with fear. "Damn it!" Zhuang Xun leaped up. "I don''t know if you can regain consciousness, but I''m sorry!" Zhuang Xun reached out. Five Fiery me Fire Snakes shot out and instantly wrapped around the youth. The youth''s hands were bound. He unleashed his Star Power, trying to break free. "Explode!" Zhuang Xunmanded. Boom boom boom... The five Fiery me Fire Snakes exploded together, enveloping the youth in fierce mes. Secondster, the mes receded. The youth, despite severe injuries, had not fallen, under the protection of his Star Power. Gritting his teeth, Zhuang Xun charged with his longsword. "Don''t, don''t kill me..." Suddenly, a voice of struggle and urgency came from the youth. It seemed the explosion had made him regain consciousness. Shocked, Zhuang Xun stopped his attacking ck-red longsword. "Are you okay?" "I am under control... no, no, save me!" As soon as he said this, his brow split open, and a thumb-sized, beetle-like ck insect emerged, staring at Zhuang Xun. The youth, with a look of terror, moved uncontrobly, crashing into Zhuang Xun! Zhuang Xun hadn''t time to react and was knocked off the bridge. Both plunged toward the flowing magma below. Mid-air, Zhuang Xun was terrified. He tried to push the youth away, but his hands were tightly wrapped around Zhuang Xun. "Damn!" Seeing the magma approach, Zhuang Xun had no choice. He struck the youth''s shoulder with full force, dislocating it. He then lifted his right foot. mes erupted as he stomped on the youth''s chest. Boom!! The explosion sent the youth into the magma, while Zhuang Xun used the impact to leap back onto the bridge. Huff, huff... Zhuang Xun, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, panted heavily, sweat dripping off his chin. "Close call!" After a few breaths, Zhuang Xun noticed something. Looking up, he saw a ck insect flying from where the youth fell into the magma. "That insect from before!" Recalling the youth''s controlled state, Zhuang Xun felt a chill. He sent out a Fiery me Fire Snake and decisively detonated it. Boom! The mes exploded in mid-air, engulfing the ck insect. Before Zhuang Xun could rx, he saw the insect''s wings glow red, and it continued flying toward him after a wobble. "High Star Power resistance!" Startled, Zhuang Xun took a deep breath, suppressing other thoughts. He gripped his longsword tightly. As the ck insect approached, Zhuang Xun''s gaze sharpened. He swung his ck-red longsword, slicing the insect with precision. The insect was cut in half, falling dead onto the bridge. Phew... Zhuang Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the insect''s corpse, Zhuang Xun frowned tightly. "What is this? Not only can it control others, but it also has unusually high Star Power resistance!" Zhuang Xun looked into the depths of the cave. "Is it a creature from this moltenva cave, or someone else''s doing?" Zhuang Xun''s expression darkened. "I must quickly find Su Yuan and Fang Kun. I hope they''re alright..." With that in mind, Zhuang Xun looked forward. From the terrain, this direction seemed to lead to the Secret Realm Center. "They should head to the center of the Secret Realm. I must hurry and find them!" With this thought, Zhuang Xun continued onward. ... Deep ahead of Zhuang Xun, a girl was slowly walking inward. The girl was beautiful, with two small braids, wearing a ck checkered JK uniform. She was the girl Su Yuan''s group met at the hotel entrance two days ago. At this moment, the JK girl seemed to sense something. She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the surroundings. Momentster, she reopened her eyes and chuckled. "Someone''sing my way again. Hmm... seems like that loudmouth from the hotel." "In that case..." The girl turned andmanded, "Go take care of him." Behind her stood over a dozen young men with their heads half-lowered. These people wore different clothes, their cultivation realms varied. The lowest was at Bronze Early Stage, but the highest included three at Bronze High Stage! All had vacant eyes, devoid of spirit. Following hermand, four of them, including one at Bronze High Stage, broke from the group and headed back. After this, the girl turned forward. Scattered ahead were some ghouls, bone skeletons, silver-hooked ck bats. In the distance, there was even an undead fortress surrounded by bones! "This Molten Lava Cave seems to have ovepped with an undead area from the Hell ne. These creatures along the way all belong to the Undead Race." "In a high level ne like Hell, there should be some exceptional treasures to find!" The girl looked at the undead fortress, excitement filling her eyes. She led her controlled followers forward... Chapter 57 Blood Shadow Somewhere in the Earth Cave. The silver-gray Dragon Armor Saber, under the blessing of Space Cut, emitted an intensely textured pitch-ck brilliance. Su Yuan tightly gripped the long knife, raised his hand, and with one swift motion, sliced the steel White Bone Wolf emanating Bronze High Stage fluctuations in half! Skillfully extracting a Star Core from its skull, Su Yuan''s eyes showed contemtion. "Another Undead Star Beast. It seems there''s indeed an ovep with parts of the Hell ne. This ce is far more dangerous than I imagined..." In terms of the East Continent, very few Secret Realms connected to hell. The creatures in hell, whether undead or demons, were rtively troublesome. With varied special abilities, and incredibly resilient life forces. "However, the number of Undead Star Beasts here is quite substantial. It''sfortable for farming Star Dust." Raising his hand, Su Yuan converted the Star Core into a Bone Enhancement and casually dposed it. He sheathed his long knife and continued walking forward. He hadn''t walked far when he suddenly heard noises ahead. Raising his head, he saw a man and a woman fleeing in panic in the distance.@@novelbin@@ Chasing them was a massive pack of ghouls! "So much experience fodder..." Su Yuan chuckled softly. Shifting his figure, he grabbed his knife and moved closer... "Zhang Yang, what should we do now? At this rate, we''ll be caught sooner orter!" Yang Jie asked anxiously with a pale face. Zhang Yang, though calm, also wore a grim expression. Both were freshmen from Yunyang College. Following the eruption of me Mountain, many students from Yunyang College had first entered the Molten Lava Cave. Zhang Yang and Yang Jie, along with a few other ssmates, formed a team. But soon after entering, they all got separated. Luckily, Zhang Yang quickly encountered Yang Jie. They teamed up andter formed a squad with several others along the way. But not long ago, their team inadvertently entered a cave deep inside, which housed arge number of Necromancy beings. A chaotic battle broke out. The group couldn''t match their enemies. Amidst the chaos, Zhang Yang and Yang Jie were lucky enough to escape, but couldn''t shake off the pursuing ghouls. Ghouls were the lowest creatures in hell. Not too strong, but they often moved in packs and had an unquenchable thirst for fresh flesh. Once they locked on a target, they pursued relentlessly. Zhang Yang said in a deep tone, "There''s no good solution. There are three Bronze-level ghoul leaders behind us. Stopping would mean death! Keep running and see if we can find a way out!" Yang Jie, knowing there was no other way, was annoyed. "How can this Molten Lava Cave be like this, filled with tough Undead creatures? This is so different from the information I collected... Huh?!" At that moment, a strong pressure suddenly pressed down. Yang Jie and Zhang Yang grunted, fell to their knees, and supported themselves with their hands on the ground. "What''s this?!" Zhang Yang, shocked, forced himself to look up. He vaguely saw a figure wielding a knife moving around, with the continuous sound of des slicing into flesh, mixed with the ghastly screams of ghouls. "Zhang Yang, what''s happening? Are we going to die?" Yang Jie, terrified, couldn''t lift her head to see what was happening. Zhang Yang quickly calmed down and whispered, "No, it seems someone is helping us kill the ghouls!" About five minutester, the pressure on them suddenly lifted, and the terrifying weight disappeared. "Hah..." Zhang Yang stood up, gasping for breath, and looked around, shocked at the sight. All around them were the severed bodies of ghouls, most decapitated, and a few brutally cut in half. Without exception, all ghouls were killed with a single strike, including the four Bronze-level ghoul leaders! "This..." Zhang Yang gulped. The enemies they struggled so hard to escape from were all dead within just five minutes?! Suddenly, a breeze behind him made Zhang Yang turn. He saw a silver-eyed young man with a clean face. The youth''s silver-gray long knife still clung to bits of flesh, with blood dripping from its de. "Are you guys okay?" Su Yuan asked, looking at the two. "W-We''re fine." Zhang Yang quickly regained hisposure, took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you for saving us." Yang Jie, who had been staring at Su Yuan in shock, quickly responded, "Thank you so much!" "It was nothing, just a small favor." Su Yuan waved his hand. "I''m Su Yuan. Which school are you from? Why were you running from so many ghouls?" "I''m Zhang Yang, and she''s Yang Jie. We are students of Yunyang College. We entered a few days ago but got separated due to the random teleportation of the Secret Realm... We were chased by these ghouls because we stumbled into arge cave filled with numerous Bronze-level Undead creatures led by several Elite Bronze-level ones. Our team wasn''t strong enough. Everyone got scattered. We fled here and were saved by you. Thank you so much!" "A lot of Undead creatures?" Su Yuan''s eyes sparkled. More Star Beasts? And some of them, Elite Star Beasts? Star Dust was never too much; the more, the better! Beforeing here, he had used Star Dust from hunting in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to upgrade Holy Light Baptism and Space Cut to Transformation Realm and Perfect. With over two thousand more Star Dust, Space Cut would also advance to Transformation Realm! Although his embedded skills were already at the Transformation Realm, hoarding Star Dust meant new Skills Star Cards could be maxed out instantly! Moreover, Zhang Yang mentioned Elite Star Beasts. It was worth checking if any good skills were avable! He wasn''t the same as before. In the past, with little strength, securing a single Green Card worth tens or hundreds of thousands was fortunate. There was no choice. But with his strength now elevated to Bronze, hunting Elite Bronze-level Star Beasts was feasible. Even against Master Star Beasts, he had a fair chance if encountered. Now, he could afford to choose the best skills! "Can you take me there?" Su Yuan asked. Yang Jie was startled, "Are you sure? It''s very dangerous there, with even two Bronze High Stage Elites! Even experts from Qing Province Academy and Shuzhou College couldn''t hold them off!" "I''m sure," Su Yuan understood Yang Jie''s concern, "Don''t worry, just take me close." The Earth Cave had many branch paths. Su Yuan might not find the way on his own. Yang Jie hesitated, "Well..." "I''ll take you!" Zhang Yang said decisively. Zhang Yang was initially hesitant, but remembering Su Yuan''s terrifying power, there might still be a chance to aid their original team. Su Yuan smiled, "Thanks a lot." "No need. You saved us. I''m just leading the way." Zhang Yang shook his head, then looked at Yang Jie. "If you don''t want toe, wait here for me." Yang Jie nced at the ghoul corpses, remembering the terrifying and desperate chase. There were over a dozen Bronze-level Undead in that cave... Approaching again could mean no escape. Su Yuan was strong, but not invincible against so many Bronze-level Undead! After a swift internal debate, Yang Jie bitterly said, "Alright, I''ll wait here. Be careful and return quickly." Zhang Yang nodded. Once Su Yuan collected the Star Cores, they left together. Watching them depart, Yang Jie sighed silently. The Secret Realm was far more dangerous than expected. Safety was priority... The random teleportation from the Secret Realm energy would eventually close, allowing exit from any position. ording to records, the Molten Lava Cave usuallysted about ten days. Yang Jie pondered, unaware of a blood shadow rapidly approaching in the dim space, reaching her in seconds! Hearing the wind, Yang Jie''s heart jumped. Turning, she instinctively raised her hand, unleashing Star Power with a fierce palm strike! Green Fire Skill, Burning Body Palm! "p!" Hands collided, and Yang Jie was directly sent flying, blood spraying, gravely injured! Looking up, she saw her attacker: a sneering, pale young man. "Burning¡­" Yang Jie roared. Burning Body Palm''s follow-up ignited, mes spreading from the man''s right hand! "Such a trivial trick." The young man mocked. His right arm fluidly turned to blood, extinguishing the mes effortlessly before reverting. Yang Jie, shocked at his ease in countering her perfected Burning Body Palm, asked in terror, "Who are you?!" The young man didn''t answer, smiling as he transformed into a blood shadow, grabbed her head. "Blood Clothes." With his low shout, a surge of blood enveloped Yang Jie, like a tight crimson garment. "Mmm!" Yang Jie struggled, her Star Power suppressed by the thin blood veil. Meanwhile, a corrosive pain spread throughout. "Ah¡­ Gurgle¡­!" Opening her mouth, blood flooded in. Her struggle weakened. Momentster, the young man withdrew the blood, leaving Yang Jie''s ckened skeleton. "Not bad, my Star Power has grown¡­" Satisfied, he looked towards Su Yuan and Zhang Yang, smirking. He transformed into a blood shadow and followed. Only a corroded skeleton remained¡­ Chapter 58 Students from Qing Province Zhang Yang led Su Yuan forward at high speed. Twenty minutester, before reaching the cave, they saw their two teammates in danger ahead. Not far away, amidstyers of webs, the two were being besieged by four Bronze-level Star Beasts. The young man in white with a knife, Wang Huai, was at the Bronze High Stage, while the other, Wu Yue, holding a long spear, was at the same Bronze Middle Stage as Zhang Yang. By now, the area around them was littered with the corpses of numerous Star Beasts, including two Bronze-level Star Beasts! The remaining Star Beasts attacking Wang Huai and Wu Yue were increasingly difficult to deal with. Two Ogre Battle Axe Men, an Earth Cave Demon Spider, and a terrifying Zombie Tyrannosaurus! [Ogre Battle Axe Man: Bronze High Stage Ordinary] [Earth Cave Demon Spider: Bronze Intermediate Stage Elite] [Zombie Tyrannosaurus: Bronze High Stage Elite] The Ogre Battle Axe Man swung arge winter-chill axe with tremendous strength. The Earth Cave Demon Spider shot sticky webs and spat corrosive venom, greatly limiting Wang Huai and Wu Yue''s movements. The Zombie Tyrannosaurus, with its steel-like skin and bones, was extremely fierce, its massive and frightening head armed with sharp teeth capable of biting through even a white Star Device! Wu Yue had already been shed by an Ogre Battle Axe Man, blood continuously oozing from a huge wound on his chest, unable to stop. His physical strength and Star Power were diminishing drastically!@@novelbin@@ Wang Huai, though uninjured, was struggling to handle the Earth Cave Demon Spider and the ferocious Zombie Tyrannosaurus simultaneously! "Wang Huai, I can''t hold on any longer!" Wu Yue spoke with difficulty under the relentless pressure from the two Ogre Battle Axe Men. Wang Huai quickly nced at Wu Yue''s situation. Although anxious, he couldn''t spare any effort and had to shout, "Hang in there!" Their retreat waspletely sealed off by the Earth Cave Demon Spider''s web, making it nearly impossible to break through. It wasn''t that they couldn''t break these sticky webs, but these webs had some resistance to Star Power and physical force, which would take some time. But they were almost out of breath. Where was the time! Moreover, without defeating the Earth Cave Demon Spider, it would keep spinning new sticky webs. "Damn it!" Two steel axes swung down simultaneously. Wu Yue staggered back a few steps, his hands numb, nearly losing grip of his silver spear. At this moment, suddenly, two lightning-fast blue-gray mes shed from a distance, striking the heads of the Ogre Battle Axe Men from behind! "Bang!" The heads of the two Ogre Battle Axe Men exploded like rotten watermelons, sttering a mixture of blood and brain matter onto Wu Yue''s face. "This...?" Wu Yue stared wide-eyed at the headless bodies of the two Ogres slowly falling, stunned for a moment before quickly looking up in surprise. Not far ahead, a delicate-looking young man had somehow moved into the dense web interior, the blue-gray residual mes in his palms slowly dissipating... Outside the web, Zhang Yang''s face was filled with disbelief. "Instant Movement?!" "And in one shot, killed two Ogre Battle Axe Men?!" The most shocked person was naturally Zhang Yang, who observed the whole process from outside. When Zhang Yang saw Wang Huai and Wu Yue besieged, he was inwardly conflicted about whether to risk his life to help. But Su Yuan had already prepared a Gray me Strike and teleported in, taking advantage of Wu Yue drawing the attention of the two Ogres to kill them from behind! Even if Gray me Strike was a T3 Green Skill, it was still a Green Skill! Moreover, Su Yuan had achieved Transformation Realm! With Su Yuan''s powerful Bronze-level Star Power, hitting a Bronze High Stage Ordinary Star Beast''s weak spot by surprise, how could he not kill it? Wang Huai immediately noticed the change. He didn''t know Su Yuan, but since Su Yuan had just killed two Ogres to help, he was definitely not an enemy. Having survived a desperate situation, Wang Huai and Wu Yue were overjoyed and wanted to express their gratitude, but now was not the time for many words. Wu Yue nodded from afar at Su Yuan and then went to help Wang Huai. After finishing off the two Ogre Battle Axe Men, Su Yuan didn''t stop. He raised both hands and summoned two more Gray me Strikes! This time, however, hebined them. Instantly, the gray mes shed brightly! Constantly supplied with Star Power, the two Gray mes interwove andpressed, emitting an astonishing Star Power fluctuation. It was the Twin Phoenix Strike! The Zombie Tyrannosaurus, battling Wang Huai and the newly arrived Wu Yue, suddenly felt a startling Star Power fluctuation from behind. It turned sharply, abandoning Wang Huai and Wu Yue to charge at Su Yuan. But how could Wang Huai let it have its way? He pointed with his left hand, and two wind tornadoes swiftly shot from behind and tangled the Zombie Tyrannosaurus''s legs. "Crack, crack, crack!" The Zombie Tyrannosaurus let out a dry, unpleasant sound, struggling to lift its legs. It broke free from the wind bindings in just two seconds. However, those few seconds were toote. Two blue-gray mes, like lightning, crossed and struck the Zombie Tyrannosaurus''s chest. After a brief pause, the Twin Phoenix Strike pierced through the body of the Zombie Tyrannosaurus from front to back, leaving a terrifying, basin-sized hole! The Zombie Tyrannosaurus stared in shock at Su Yuan with its bloodthirsty mouth open before slowly copsing to the ground. Su Yuan dissipated the residual mes from his hands, clicking his tongue in slight amazement. With someone covering the front line, staying behind to cast skills was far morefortable than fighting desperately on the front lines. He finally understood some of the joy of Chen Jiujun and his magic techniques¡­ although it did consume a lot. Of course, Su Yuan just thought about it. In reality, whether warriors or magicians, most of the time, they acted alone. In solo action, without someone to hold the front line, long-range-focused magicians were even more at risk when enemies got close. After handling the Zombie Tyrannosaurus, Su Yuan didn''t move again, leaving thest Earth Cave Demon Spider for Wang Huai and Wu Yue. The sticky webs of the Earth Cave Demon Spider were useful, but Su Yuan already had Elemental Maism Pressure, so he didn''t need to snatch the kill. Wang Huai and Wu Yue were both students from prestigious schools, theirbat skills undoubtedly excellent. They had held off numerous Star Beasts during the earlier siege and managed to survive; now, taking down one Earth Cave Demon Spider was an easy task. Not long after, Wang Huai''s Sky-splitting Wind Gap sh and Wu Yue''s st Gun Rain struck the Earth Cave Demon Spider, killing itpletely! After dispatching the Earth Cave Demon Spider, Wang Huai and Wu Yue took a couple of deep breaths before walking over to Su Yuan together. "Hey, ssmate, I''m Wang Huai and he''s Wu Yue. We''re both freshmen at Qing Province Academy. Thank you so much for just now!" Wang Huai and Wu Yue expressed their sincere gratitude, knowing clearly that without Su Yuan''s timely intervention, they would have been in real trouble. Su Yuan nodded and smiled, saying, "My name is Su Yuan." With the Earth Cave Demon Spider dead, the surrounding sticky webs quickly dissolved and disappeared. Zhang Yang rushed over from a distance: "Wang Huai, Wu Yue, are you alright!" "Zhang Yang?" Wu Yue eximed in surprise, "I remember you and Yang Jie were chased by those Ghouls¡­" Halfway through his words, Wu Yue realized what had happened, his eyes turning to Su Yuan. "Did Su Yuan save you too?" "Exactly." Su Yuan said: "Zhang Yang brought me over here." "Is that so?" Wu Yue patted Zhang Yang''s shoulder heavily, saying, "Thanks for bringing over such an expert! Otherwise, we''d have ended up like Zhou Jian and the others¡­" Halfway through, Wu Yue''s smile vanished, and he sighed deeply. Zhang Yang''s heart sank slightly as he asked, "How are the others?" Wang Huai was silent for a moment before saying heavily, "Aside from us, no one else made it out..." Chapter 59 Clearing the Cave "None of them made it out..." Zhang Yang''s heart trembled upon hearing this: "Is that really the case..." Although Zhang Yang had somewhat anticipated this, he couldn''t help but take a deep breath. This was the Secret Realm, where life and death were uncertain. Those who dared to explore had to be prepared for their demise! The path of the Star Card Master was never one of safety and enjoyment. Especially for those who aimed to be strong Star Card Masters. Besides the necessary talent, it required more effort and bearing greater risks! Wang Huai saw that Zhang Yang was alone and asked: "By the way, where is Yang Jie?" Zhang Yang replied: "She''s over there waiting for us. We''ll go find her together in a bit." Wang Huai and Wu Yue''s expressions both changed ever so subtly. "As long as she''s fine." Wang Huai nodded and said after a brief contemtion, "But we won''t go with you." In reality, Yang Jie protecting herself wasn''t much of an issue. The team was a temporary one, and everyone was unfamiliar with each other, so there was no need to take great risks for others. But giving up on a teammate in critical moments, regardless of right or wrong, or the reasons, would make the team awkward and hard to work together again. Zhang Yang sighed inwardly. He naturally understood this reasoning and said: "Alright, you both be careful then." After Wang Huai finished speaking, he turned to ask Su Yuan: "Su Yuan, do you want toe with us? With us leading, we guarantee your powerful long-range skills can be fully utilized, and we''ll prioritize your safety!" Wu Yue also chimed in: "Yeah, Su Yuan,e with us!" Clearly, Wang Huai and Wu Yue both considered Su Yuan, who used Gray me Strike to obliterate the Zombie Tyrannosaurus and Ogre Battle Axe Man, as a magician. Since Su Yuan was a powerful attacking magician, teaming up as three would definitely boost their strength significantly! Moreover, Su Yuan had saved them. If they teamed up, they could share some of the loot with Su Yuan to repay him. Zhang Yang chuckled at their words: "Wang Huai, Wu Yue, you''re underestimating Su Yuan. His long-range spells are formidable, but he''s not a magician. He has even more impressive abilities!" Zhang Yang remembered clearly. Earlier, all those ghouls were killed instantly by a single sh from Su Yuan! "Oh? Is that so?" Wang Huai and Wu Yue both looked at Su Yuan again in surprise. Could someone with such powerful long-range skills not be a magician? Su Yuan smiled and said: "I have two friends with me as well. It''s more dangerous here than I thought. I need to find them soon, so I can''t join you." "I see..." Wang Huai looked quite disappointed. "Alright, wish you luck." Su Yuan nodded and added: "But before that, I n to clear out the cave you mentioned." Wang Huai and the others were taken aback by this. Wu Yue widened his eyes: "Are you sure? There are nearly ten Bronze-level Star Beasts and arge number of Star Apprentices and Star Beasts inside." Su Yuan confirmed: "Yes, I''m sure." After some thought, Wang Huai suggested: "It seems too dangerous for you alone. How about this? If you insist on going, Wu Yue and I will apany you. The Zombie Tyrannosaurus and Earth Cave Demon Spider here are dead, so the remaining forces in the cave are greatly weakened. With Wu Yue and me assisting, we should have a chance against the remaining Bronze-level Star Beasts. It''s better than you going alone. Don''t worry. We won''t take any of the loot. It''s all yours!" Wu Yue echoed: "That''s right. Since you saved us, we should help you in return. But... we''re in poor condition right now. You''ll have to wait for us to rest first. How does that sound?" These students from Qing Province were quite loyal... Su Yuan looked at Wang Huai and Wu Yue and his gaze fell on the wound on Wu Yue''s chest, injured by the Ogre Battle Axe Man. Su Yuan formed a hand sign, and golden light shed and faded from his hands. Immediately, a pale golden light pir descended from mid-air, shining upon Wu Yue. Wu Yue was momentarily dazed, then felt a warm sensation all over his body, especially at the chest wound, which tingled pleasantly. Looking down, he saw the massive wound visibly stopping its bleeding and scabbing over. In just a few seconds, it almostpletely healed, without leaving a trace! "What a powerful healing skill!!" Wu Yue eximed. Wang Huai and Zhang Yang were also amazed. They didn''t expect Su Yuan to be not only an extremely capable fighter but also to possess such incredible healing abilities! After all, Su Yuan used the Transformation Realm''s Holy Light Baptism. Healing Wu Yue''s external injuries was more than sufficient. Wu Yue came to his senses, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude toward Su Yuan.@@novelbin@@ Su Yuan waved it off with a smile and said: "I also need rest and recovery. So, when we clear the caveter, your kills can keep the Star Cores." Seeing Su Yuan agree, Wang Huai and Wu Yue stopped insisting on not taking anything. They readily agreed with a smile: "Alright!" Observing the three of them working together with such unity to explore the Secret Realm, Zhang Yang also felt a strong urge to join in. However, thinking of Yang Jie, he sighed inwardly. Sighing softly, Zhang Yang said: "You all be careful, then. I''ll go find Yang Jie." Wang Huai nodded: "Alright, you be careful too." Zhang Yang turned and left while Su Yuan, Wang Huai, and Wu Yue started to gather the Star Cores on the ground. The three then left the battle site and moved to a slightly safer ce to rest and recover... Chapter 60 Summoning Card "Summoning Card?" Su Yuan''s heart stirred slightly as he checked the attributes of the card: [Nether Wolf Summon] [Grade: Green] [Introduction: A summoning technique developed by undead mages that can connect to hell and summon Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves for control] ¡ª [Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf] [Grade: Elite] [Species: Undead, Wolf] [Talent: Netherme Bone: Containsherfire within its bones, enhancing physical defense by 10% and fire resistance by 20%. Additionally, it causes continuousherfire corrosion on the targeted area for a certain period.] [Element: Gold, Fire] [Six Dimensions: Strength: D, Agility: D, Defense: D, Constitution: F, Spirit: F, Star Power: E] [Skills: Netherfire Cannon (Green), Netherfire Steel ws (Green), Skeleton Charge (White)] Seeing the attributes of this star card, Su Yuan couldn''t help but feel delighted. This was a summoning card capable of summoning a Star Beast with 3D Talent! A summoning card also belonged to the Skill Star Card category, but it was rtively unique. Among the various factions of Star Card Masters, there were two major branches under sorcerers who primarily relied on summoning forbat. One was the Beast Tamer, and the other was the Summoner. Beast Tamers formed contracts with Star Beasts, treating them aspanions, growing together. Summoners, on the other hand, summoned Star Beasts, energy bodies, and even non-biological summons through magic techniques. Compared to Beast Tamers, Summoners had the advantage of summoning and using their creatures instantly without worrying about their death or damage. However, the downside was that summoned creatures couldn''t be cultivated, having limited potential and growth. Each summon consumed their spiritual power and star power, acting more like tools in battle. Nheless, practitioners of these two factions were rtively rare due to the high entry barriers. Not everyone could master them. First, Star Card Masters needed high spiritual power to enhance summoning effects and increase the summoning limit, which was fundamental. Secondly, considerable financial resources were necessary. Beast Tamers needed to purchase materials for their beasts'' growth, while Summoners had to buy various summoning cards. As summoned creatures had limited strength, Summoners had to constantly upgrade their summoning cards to match their own level, leading to substantial expenses. Lastly, whether a Beast Tamer or Summoner, having talents that could strengthen beasts or summoned creatures was advantageous. Due to these requirements, such Star Card Masters were very rare¡ªfinding even one Summoner among a hundred Star Card Masters was difficult. However, it didn''t mean only Summoners could embed summoning cards. On the contrary, good summoning cards were highly sought after by all Star Card Masters! Summoned creatures varied widely, providing advantages beyond battle, such as reconnaissance, tracking, healing, and buffing, greatly benefiting Star Card Masters. Apart from human-developed summoning techniques, Star Beasts with summoning skills were incredibly rare and usually humanoid. Thus, summoning cards in the market were very scarce,parable in rarity to weapon cards! At this moment, seeing no immediate danger, Wang Huai and Wu Yue approached. "Su Yuan, what is it?" Su Yuan replied truthfully, "A summoning card!" "A summoning card?" Wu Yue was shocked, eyes filled with envy, "A Green Grade summoning card, that''s very rare!" Su Yuan nodded,municating his star power to embed the [Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf (Summon)] card without hesitation. Although Su Yuan had only studied the "Beginner Stage Star Beast As" at the academy and was unfamiliar with Hell ne creatures, the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf had Strength, Agility, and Defense of 3D Talent! Even though its Constitution and Spirit were only F, it wasn''t much of a problem for a summoning creature. Su Yuan opened the panel and saw that the information on [Nether Wolf Summon] had already been updated: [Nether Wolf Summon (Green, Entry-Level): Summons a Bronze Early Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf, maximum quantity: 1. Summon effects dynamically change based on the Imperial Master''s realm and spiritual power.] Su Yuan nodded. Summoning a Bronze Early Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf at the entry-level was normal. Although this didn''t provide much of an enhancement for him, it was only at the entry-stage. Once the skill level increased, the power and limit of the summoned creatures would significantly improve. For others, at a Bronze Early Stage, they''d have 6-8 skill slots. Besides auxiliary and buff skills, at least 4-6 summoning cards would be embedded. This meant they''d have 4-6 Bronze-level Star Beasts! Thus, in most cases, Summoners could easily outnumber their peers in sheer quantity. Only at the highest levels of engagement did the quality of creatures make a significant impact, affecting the oue differently. At this point, the ground of the cave slightly trembled, stone pirs slowly retracted, and the wall ahead moved aside, revealing a tunnel entrance fitting two people. Wu Yue eximed, "What is this?" Wang Huai''s eyes lit up, "Seems like the pathway to the core area of the secret realm!" Su Yuan nodded in agreement. The three of them approached the entrance and peered inside. Inside was a cold, blue stone passageway with dimly glowing illumination stones embedded on both sides, stretching out of sight. Su Yuan asked, "Shall we take a look?" "Alright!" The three of them entered the passage together. After walking for seven to eight minutes, the view brightened slightly, revealing arge Undead Fortress. Behind them stood a massive forty-meter-tall wall made of bones, adorned with twisted, eerie patterns and unreadable evil runes. In front were various structures, including pces, altars, and ck towers, mainly built from blue and ck stones. On the open ground before them, they could see Ghost Knights, Hellish Goblins, and othermon creatures from Hell. The most striking sight was a Necromancy Hall built entirely of bones at the edge of their vision. Wu Yue took a deep breath and said, "It seems this is the core area of the Molten Cave Secret Realm." Wang Huai concurred, "Exactly. Moreover, it appears more aligned with the Hell ne; it might be a fragment of the Hell Undead Domain." Seeing Wang Huai eager to explore, Wu Yue hesitated, "The Molten Cave was already more perilous than expected. The core area will likely be even more dangerous..." Wang Huai smiled, "The path of the Star Card Master isn''t without risks. The higher the risk, the greater the rewards. The best treasures in the secret realm are probably in the core area. This is only a Bronze-level secret realm. Silver-level creatures shouldn''t appear, so it''s worth the risk!" Wu Yue pondered momentarily, then nodded firmly, "Alright, let''s venture in!" Wang Huai asked Su Yuan, "How about you, Su Yuan? You and your friend are separated. It''ll be harder to meet outside, but easier if we head deeper." Su Yuan nodded, "That''s my n too. Besides, I want to see that Necromancy Hall." Wang Huai agreed, "With your skills, Su Yuan, you should definitely check out the Necromancy Hall. If this secret realm has any extremely rare treasures, they''re likely in there!" After a brief contemtion, Wang Huai suggested, "But let''s rest and recover before taking separate actions. After all, we consumed a lot fighting in the cave." If not for the recent battle in Qingli Cave, Wang Huai might have asked Su Yuan to consider a team-up. But now, having witnessed Su Yuan''s superior strength, Wang Huai dismissed the idea of teaming up. The strength gap was too vast. Forming a team would only result in them being burdensome. "Indeed, we need to recover." Su Yuan checked his star power, finding it below 40%. "By the way, Su Yuan," Wu Yue suddenly asked, "Which academy did you get into? I noticed your star power fluctuation is at the beginner stage, so you must be a prospective student at a top-tier academy, right?" Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire "Yes, I''m at Demon Capital." "No wonder. Demon Capital Academy''s iing student, huh?" Wu Yue shook his head with a bitter smile, "Seems like the gap between Qing Province Academy and the Three Capitals Academy is quite significant..."@@novelbin@@ Su Yuanughed, "Usually, the gap wouldn''t be that wide..." After all, I have the system, so don''t take me as the standard... Wang Huai studied Su Yuan and nodded in agreement, "Indeed, you''re impressive!" Wu Yueughed heartily, "Yes! Even our top freshmen might not match you!" Wang Huai patted Wu Yue, "Let''s stop chatting and find a rtively hidden ce to recover quickly..." Before Wang Huai could finish his sentence, a rapid, discreet star power fluctuation came from the passage behind them. Three dark red blood arrows shot swiftly toward Su Yuan and hispanions! "Dodge!" Su Yuan shouted, his eyes shing silver as he instantly teleported out of the way. But Wang Huai and Wu Yue weren''t as fortunate. Realizing the danger toote, they only managed a slight dodge, avoiding vital organs. The blood arrows pierced through their bodies, leaving egg-sized blood holes in their chests and abdomens! Wang Huai copsed heavily, body trembling. Wu Yue fared worse. Despite Holy Light Baptism healing his previous injuries, his vitality hadn''tpletely recovered. Now heavily injured again, he passed out. "Instant Movement is indeed impressive, dodging my Blood Shadow Dark Arrow in such circumstances..." A rather frivolous voice echoed from the stone passage. Su Yuan looked up to see a pale, rosy-faced effeminate youth slowly emerging from the dim passage''s exit. Chapter 61 Rough "You?" Seeing this person''s appearance, Su Yuan was first a little surprised, then his heart sank somewhat. This young man was one of the trio encountered earlier at the hotel entrance. At that time, the Azure Sky Phoenix had given a warning, and Su Yuan felt that there was something off about the trio. Now, with the other sideunching a sudden ambush, their stance was unmistakable. However, what made Su Yuan uneasy was not the sinister youth himself, but that since he did not harbor good intentions, the two others traveling with him ¡ª the burly stern youth and the girl in JK uniform ¡ª were surely the same type. The Molten Lava Cave was already dangerous enough, and with these malicious people¡­ he hoped Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun would not encounter those two! Suddenly, Su Yuan seemed to remember something; his eyes narrowed slightly: "Have you been following us all along?" The sinister youthughed softly: "Yes, I''ve been following you for half a day, and you never even noticed!" Half a day? Wang Huai, suppressing his bleeding with Star Power, struggled to stand, his forehead sweating and face pale. Upon hearing Su Yuan''s question, Wang Huai immediately understood the implication and shouted at the sinister youth: "What did you do to Zhang Yang!?" "You mean the man who went back?" The sinister youthughed heartily, "Unfortunately, he has already been devoured by my Blood Power, reduced to bones." The sinister youth''s lips curled up: "Oh right, as for the woman who stayed behind, young female blood and flesh essence is truly delicious." Upon hearing this, both Su Yuan and Wang Huai''s faces darkened to the extreme. "Evil Card Master!" Wang Huai''s eyes widened in anger, "Damn you, all of you evil card masters!" Evil Card Masters were Star Card Masters who used demonic means to harm others for self-gain and quickly enhance their strength. In the Great me Country, Evil Card Masters were prohibited; once discovered, the City Guard or even higher authorities would deal with them. Thus, Evil Card Masters usually operated abroad; even if they infiltrated domestically, they wouldn''t dare to act too tantly. "Injured so badly and still able to talk?" The sinister youth sneered, flipping his hand to produce a dark red stinger sword, "Looks like I''ll have to send you to death to finally shut you up!" As he spoke, the sinister youth suddenly transformed into a blood shadow and shot at Wang Huai, thrusting the sword forward! Wang Huai''s pupils shrank, wanting to dodge, but intense pain from his chest and abdomen paralyzed him with weakness¡­ "ng!" In a critical moment, silver light shed in front of Wang Huai, and it was Su Yuan who used his Dragon Armor Saber to precisely block the sinister youth''s thrust. Su Yuan''s hands trembled with the saber, directly forcing the sinister youth back several steps. "Take Wu Yue and leave first." Su Yuan didn''t even turn his head. Wang Huai was startled: "But you¡­" Su Yuan''s expression remained calm: "Don''t worry, I have Instant Movement. Nothing will happen." Wang Huai clenched his fists, his face ugly. This sinister young Evil Card Master was at the Bronze High Stage, seemingly very powerful. Although he wanted to assist in fighting the enemy, given his current state, he was of no help. And with Wu Yue severely injured and unconscious, he had to treat his wounds quickly, or Wu Yue''s life would be at risk. "Alright! Be careful!" Wang Huai assessed the situation, quickly moved to pick up Wu Yue, took onest look, then gritted his teeth and left. The sinister youth watched Wang Huai and Wu Yue leave without rushing to pursue, instead showing interest in Su Yuan''s Dragon Armor Saber. "This saber is not bad¡­" The sinister youth''s face showed a hint of surprise, "Struck by my Blood Bee Stinger, normal Green Star Artifacts would be damaged to some extent, but your saber ispletely unharmed." Su Yuan had no intention to waste words, raising his left hand. With a sh of gray light, Elemental Maism Pressure ruthlessly descended!@@novelbin@@ The sinister youth instantly felt an overwhelming pressure, making his body bend. But at that moment, blood light flowed over the youth''s body, and he instantly transformed into an energy body akin to blood water. "This Pressure Technique, right?" the sinister youth slowly stood straight and stepped out of the pressure area. The youth grinned: "For ordinary people or Star Beasts, this move is powerful, but for me, it''s not very effective¡­" Previously, while following Su Yuan''s group, the sinister youth had witnessed the astonishing power of Su Yuan''s Elemental Maism Pressure. Now, daring to confront him, he believed he could handle it. After transforming with Blood Origin Transformation, the body became a blood water energy body, significantly reducing its weight and preventing organpression from impacting its function. With his strong Bronze High Stage Star Power, the sinister youth could rtively easily resist the Elemental Maism Pressure. The sinister youth smiled, about to speak again, but saw Su Yuan raise his hand once more. "You think you can really withstand it?" Previously, Su Yuan hadn''t exerted full force, only using Great Sess Power''s Elemental Maism Pressure to conserve Star Power and kill Star Beasts. Now, with a cold glint in his eyes and gray light shing intensely in his hands, he unleashed the full power of Transformation Realm Maic Pressure! The space visibly distorted for a moment, and the sinister youth''s face changed dramatically. With a "bang," he was forced to kneel by the suddenly intensified pressure! "How¡­ how could this be? I should have resisted! Damn it!" Pouring forth all his Star Power, the sinister youth''s body was engulfed in blood light, and he slowly stood up again, seemingly about to break free from the Elemental Maism Pressure. Such strength was indeed impressive! But at that moment, silver light shed before the youth as Su Yuan instantly teleported, Dragon Armor Saber emitting a terrifying ck glow. "Time to send you off." The youth''s face changed, but before he could react, Su Yuan had already shed with his saber! The Dragon Armor Saber cut through his body, splitting him in half. Yet, in an instant, the flowing blood water remerged. "A self-repairing blood water body, hmm?" Su Yuan''s expression remained calm. "Let''s see how long you can keep repairing!" Before the terrified eyes of the youth, Su Yuan''s Dragon Armor Saber, imbued with Space Cut''s ck glow, began a frenzied assault! One sh, two shes, three shes¡­ In just a few seconds, Su Yuan had struck nearly twenty times, making the initially dark red blood water turn extremely transparent! Simple brutality! The sinister youth''s Blood Power was exhausted rapidly, his repair speed quickly falling behind. At this rate, he wouldn''t escape the pressure before being killed! "Damn it!" The youth''s fear turned into venomous hatred as he red at Su Yuan, "You forced me; if it''s like this, we''ll die together!" As he spoke, the youth''s Blood Power surged wildly, and his blood water body twisted and shrank. "Self-destruction?" Su Yuan''s face changed slightly, then he instantly teleported away with a sh of silver light. "Boom!" Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire The sinister youth''s blood water body exploded violently! Aside from the intense explosion, countless blood arrows shot in all directions indiscriminately! Su Yuan stomped, wind swirling around him, deflecting the blood arrows rushing toward him. But among them, one blood arrow subtly altered its course, entering the stone corridor and quickly disappearing. Su Yuan narrowed his eyes: "Pretending to self-destruct to force me back, only to escape with a secret technique?" The blood arrow vanished quickly, alongside the lingering explosion aftermath, making pursuit difficult. "Evil Card Masters have so many tricks¡­ but you escaped once, you won''t escape again." Su Yuan nced around, "Pray we don''t meet again, or I will kill you!" Su Yuan sheathed his Dragon Armor Saber, picked up the sinister youth''s fallen Blood Bee Stinger Sword, and stored it in his Space Ring. "I need to recover." Su Yuan considered his Star Power situation. Having cleared the cave earlier, his Spiritual Power was already low, and now, after using both Elemental Maism Pressure and Space Cut, his Star Power was nearly depleted. The noise from the sinister youth''s self-destruction had drawn some scattered Undead Star Beasts nearer. Su Yuan nced deeper into the secret realm, then quickly left the scene. Chapter 62 Transformation Realm Nether Wolf Summon The sinister youth''s original body, transformed into a blood arrow, continued to shoot out from the bluestone passage until it reached the original cave. Amidst the surging blood water, a human form reappeared. However, at this moment, the sinister youth''s face was pale, his breath weak, and his expression extremely grim, starkly different from his previousposed and easy demeanor. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" The sinister youth looked back to confirm that Su Yuan hadn''t followed; only then did he curse out loud uncontrobly. "Not only did I fail to recover the Blood Bees, but I also blew up all the Blood Essence umted over the past year! That was my preparation for breaking through to the Silver Stage!" The youth was filled with resentment. After umting Blood Essence for over a year, once engaged in ughter and harvesting in the cave, it was likely that after leaving, he could break through to Silver. As a result, everything was ruined due to self-detonation.@@novelbin@@ "How could that Bronze Early Stage be so strong? If I had known, I would have retreated from the Great me Country directly!" In reality, the sinister youth was named Dou Xiao. He, along with the burly youth Tu Yuan and the schoolgirl Mo Wenwen, were members of the notorious Evil Card Master organization, the ck Demon Association, located in the northwest direction of the Great me Country. This time, the three came to the Great me Country for another task. The task had been sessfullypleted, and Dou Xiao''s trio was about to return, intending not to stir up more trouble. But on their way back, they encountered the eruption of me Mountain. Such opportunities were rare, and the trio immediately decided to make a significant gain before leaving. The three of them were young and elite Bronze High Stage members of the ck Demon Association, with strong and cunning means. As long as they didn''t court death, breaking into a Bronze Level Secret Realm wouldn''t be difficult. However, what Dou Xiao never expected was that he suffered a setback, and it happened at the hands of a Bronze Early Stage student! "No, I''m too weak now. I must find Mo Wenwen and Tu Yuan first. Otherwise, I might be killed by something in this cave!" Dou Xiao flipped his hand to take out a bronze disk. He sealed it with both hands, revealing three Blood Essence with different auras on the disk, which slowly moved. "Mo Wenwen is closer¡­" The youth''s eyes narrowed, and he turned into a dim blood shadow, rushing into the distance. ¡­ A long timeter, under a dpidated altar on the edge of the fortress, Su Yuan slowly opened his eyes. "Finally, recovered almostpletely." Su Yuan stood up, stretching slightly. "Although that person escaped, the self-detonation''s aftermath shouldn''t be small. It won''t be possible for him to recover in a few days, and he won''t dare to follow." "I just don''t know how Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun are faring¡­" Su Yuan shook his head. It would be best if he could meet them; if not, there was nothing he could do. If he could clear this Secret Realm sooner, he might be able to close it in advance. Su Yuan looked towards the White Bone Hall in the distance but did not rush over. Instead, he turned and walked up the steps next to the altar. While resting here, he had felt a faint energy fluctuation from the altar. Now that he was fully recovered, it was perfect to check it out. As Su Yuan walked step by step to the center of the altar, a gust of green ghostly wind suddenly blew. Numerous runes on the altar''s ground lit up. Then, apanied by a strong fluctuation of Star Power, a two-meter-long Steel Bone Wolf, shrouded in ck ghostly mes, was summoned from the altar. Upon seeing this wolf-type undead creature summoned by the altar, Su Yuan was slightly stunned, then showed a slightly strange expression. Netherfire, skeletons, wolf? Weren''t these the three keywords? "So this is the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf¡­" Su Yuan scrutinized this Bone Wolf. Its characteristics were too obvious. It might as well say, "I am the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf." The Bronze Middle Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf attacked Su Yuan as soon as it appeared. It opened its maw wide, gathering arge amount of ck Netherfire in its mouth, and after a brief charge, spat out a head-sized ck me Fireball at Su Yuan. It was indeed the Netherfire Cannon! However, such a move could hardly hit Su Yuan unless it was point-nk. Su Yuan executed Wind Walking, easily dodging the ck me Cannon with a slight sway of his body. "Boom!" The pitch-ck mes exploded behind him. Su Yuan turned to look, seeing a three-meter-diameter pit sted on the altar. The Netherfire continued to erode the surroundings, slowly expanding the pit''s size. "The speed is a bit slow, but the power is decent. Under the influence of its Talent, it has spreading and eroding properties... barely a T2 technique." As Su Yuan contemted, the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf''s ghostly mes intensified. Its entire body shot out like a ck phantom, reaching Su Yuan in a blink, with its steel ws highlypressed with ck mes, swiping down! Su Yuan blocked with his de, but was pushed back two steps. "Swift Shadow Charge plus Netherfire Steel ws, huh? Using the charge to increase impact and strength,bined with the high-damage Netherfire Steel ws. If it hits the body, it could severely injure or even kill a Star Beast of the same rank." Su Yuan nodded secretly. Compared to the Netherfire Cannon, obviously, this closebat move was what this strength-, agility-, and defense-oriented Bone Wolf excelled at. The intensity was quite good. Seeing the Netherfire Wolf charging over again. Su Yuan casually dealt with it while calling out the system. "System, enhance [Nether Wolf Summon] to Transformation Realm!" Within his Star Power Vortex, the green [Nether Wolf Summon] flickered 31 times in a short moment! Simultaneously, a vast amount ofprehension about [Nether Wolf Summon] surged into Su Yuan''s mind. Su Yuan pushed away the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf before him, retreated a few steps, and sealed with one hand. "Come on, let me see what kind of effect it will have when enhanced to Transformation Realm¡­" Su Yuan suddenly pointed in front of him: "Nether Wolf Summon!" With a slightly spiritual and star power consumption, the space before him twisted and transformed. A Gate of Hell, exuding chaotic and violent aura, swiftly opened in front of Su Yuan. Then, four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, engulfed in ghostly mes and a sizerger than the one facing Su Yuan, leaped out of the gate! "Four Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves can actually be summoned!" Su Yuan was slightly shocked. Aside from Master Quality Star Beasts, Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves were incredibly powerful attack-type Star Beasts within the Bronze Level! And he could summon four at once! It''s worth noting that the fifth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet challenge only had two Bronze Middle Stage Elite Star Beasts. And the sixth wave of Bronze Middle Stage Master Star Beasts, like the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger Su Yuan encountered, might not be a match for the four Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves. In other words, just by relying on the Transformation Realm [Nether Wolf Summon] skill, Su Yuan could almost pass the Demon Capital Academy Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet''s assessment! Of course, if Su Yuan were only Star Apprentice Ninth Rank, he might not be able to summon four Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves. Summoning one would be good enough¡­ Compared to ordinary Star Card Masters, Summoners heavily relied on Great Realm. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire The four Netherfire Wolves summoned by Su Yuan all had a death spirit mark the size of an egg on their foreheads. As theynded, they roared at the charging altar Netherfire Wolf. "Howl!!" The altar Netherfire Wolf immediately halted its charge. Its already shallow intelligence seemed even more insufficient at this moment, dazed in ce. Su Yuan ordered, "Go, finish it." The four summoned Netherfire Wolves obediently attacked together. A few secondster, they dismantled the altar Netherfire Wolf''s bonespletely! Afterpleting this task, the four summoned Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves returned to Su Yuan quietly, with one even retrieving the Star Core of the fallen altar Netherfire Wolf for Su Yuan. "Truly impressive!" Su Yuan smiled, extremely satisfied with the Transformation Realm Nether Wolf Summon effect. "With these Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, I can now y a support role in many battles¡­" Su Yuan checked and found that the casting interval for the Transformation Realm Nether Wolf Summon was six hours, while the duration was four hours. If summoned earlier, the interval would reduce based on the number of summoned Nether Wolves and remaining time. Overall, it could cover mostbat durations. At this time, with the death of the altar Netherfire Wolf, the altar began to react again. Some Death Energy gathered and entered the altar. A stone tform slowly rose from the ground, and on ity a nt imbued with rich Death Energy. "Soul Nourishing Grass?" Su Yuan recognized the nt at a nce. Level One Spiritual nt, Soul Nourishing Grass, had a slight effect of replenishing spiritual power. It was a rtivelymon grassy nt for magicians who often consumed spiritual power. Although fully exerting Nether Wolf Soul Summoning consumed some spiritual power, it was not enough for Su Yuan to waste a spiritual nt to refill. He casually put away the Soul Nourishing Grass. Looking at the four undead creaturesposed of bones and Netherfire, Su Yuan dismissed the idea of using them as mounts. The thought of the running sensation with them was not pleasant¡­ "But while summoning consumes both spiritual power and star power, the overall consumption is reduced significantly. This way, my C-Level Spiritual Talent can be more useful¡­" Su Yuan suddenly realized that summoning cards suited him well. Summoning card effects mainly depended on the Card Master''s Great Realm, skill level, and spiritual strength. Unlike general skills like Gray me Strike that were based on self-exertion, the summoning card''s skill level significantly impacted the summoning''s strength (of course, except for T0 divine skills like Elemental Maism Pressure). For instance, now, his Bronze Early Stage could summon four Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beasts. And with the system, he could easily enhance the summoning card''s skill level, thereby summoning powerful creatures¡­ Collecting his thoughts, Su Yuan looked around. "Since activating this altar and dealing with the summon resulted in obtaining a spiritual nt, there might be various stuff in other altars or halls as well¡­" After a brief thought, Su Yuan took the four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves with him, exploring the buildings along the way while heading towards the White Bone Hall in the fortress''s depths. Chapter 63 Reaching the Depths Before three days passed in the blink of an eye. Deep in the fortress, not far from the massive White Bone Hall. A six-member team from Shuzhou College was engaged in battle with over a dozen Netherworld Guards, Netherworld Mages, and other Undead Star Beasts. The team''s strength was impressive; two were at the Bronze High Stage, one at the Bronze Middle Stage, and three at the Bronze Early Stage. Among the three at the Bronze Early Stage, one had bushy eyebrows,rge eyes, and a burly physique, wielding arge sword with great vigor... Who else could it be but Fang Kun, who had been separated from Su Yuan and Zhuang Xun? Compared to the outside, all the Star Beasts in the Undead Fortress were at the Bronze Level, with nearly a third being Elite Star Beasts. At this moment, Fang Kun''s team was facing twice their number of undead creatures yet maintained a slight upper hand and was steadily expanding their advantage. Besides their impressive strength, there was another reason: the team had a wood-type assistive magic technique performed by a tall, beautiful girl wielding an Elf Wood Staff among the Bronze Early Stage members. The girl swung her Elf Wood Staff, casting "Natural Guardian," "Living Tree Armor," "Entangled Vines," and other skills at opportune moments, providing healing, shields, and control, significantly boosting thebat abilities of Fang Kun and the others. The leader of the group, Zhou Fenghua, a freshman from Qing Province, dealt with several Netherworld Guards in front of him while shouting, "Don''t advance rashly. Maintain formation and push forward slowly. Also, don''t let these undead creatures break through to the back!" Sensing their dire situation, the undead creatures suddenly erupted; the Netherworld Guards'' powerful shes and the Netherworld Mages'' Netherworld sts urred one after another! Fang Kun and others at the frontline immediately felt the increased pressure, their formation almost falling apart. Zhou Fenghua shouted loudly, "They''re making their final struggle. Hold on!" Fang Kun and the others understood this, summoning their strength. At this moment, a Netherworld Assassin shrouded in shadows, seizing the powerful offensive from the Netherworld Guards and Mages, suddenly transformed into ck smoke, bypassing Zhou Fenghua and rushing towards the assistive girl at the rear. "Not good, his target is Little Yu!" "Little Yu, be careful!" "Yu Changle, block it quickly!" The fighters at the front were rmed and wanted to help; however, the numerous Netherworld Guards pressed in immediately, making it impossible to break away. By Ai Xiaoyu''s side at this time, only Yu Changle, a prospective freshman tasked with protecting her, was left. The ck smoke transformed by the Netherworld Assassin quickly reformed behind the frontline fighters, wielding a short de towards the assistive Ai Xiaoyu. "Little Yu, get back!" Yu Changle gritted his teeth and quickly stepped in front of Ai Xiaoyu, wielding his sword with full Star Power against the Netherworld Assassin! With crossed swords, Yu Changle blocked the attack of the Bronze Middle Stage Elite Netherworld Assassin. But before Yu Changle could catch his breath, the assassin''s vague, human-like face under the ck smoke twisted into a sinister smile. With a shake of both shoulders, two dark clones veered off towards Ai Xiaoyu from both sides. Green Skill: Shadow Splitting sh! "Not good!" Yu Changle was startled, quickly turning the Netherworld Assassin before him into ck smoke with a forceful strike, but it was toote to pursue the two elusive clones! Ai Xiaoyu, seeing the two clones approaching, remained calm despite her fear, and waved her Elf Wood Staff to cast a defensive skill. "Elf Shield!" Rich wood elements surged from the Elf Wood Staff, quickly forming a light green energy shield around Ai Xiaoyu. The two clones simultaneously struck the Elf Shield with ck daggers, the right one dissipating immediately, while the left one revealed the true Netherworld Assassin! Netherfire zed on the dagger, swiftly corroding the wood element shield, ready to break through in an instant. Ai Xiaoyu''s face turned pale. She immediately started channeling a new control skill. But it was toote; the Elf Shield shattered with a bang. "Hehehe¡­" The Netherworld Assassin let out an eerieugh, bursting through the Elf Shield and thrusting towards Ai Xiaoyu. Seeing the dagger tip mere inches from Ai Xiaoyu, a silver sh appeared beside her, blocking the dagger and knocking the assassin away with a counter. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire Turning, Ai Xiaoyu saw a calm young man with silver eyes beside her. "Th-thank you!" Ai Xiaoyu, pale and with a heaving chest, thanked him, still shaken. Su Yuan nodded silently. Ai Xiaoyu was about to ask his name when she saw Su Yuan walking towards the Netherworld Assassin. The assassin, after being stabilized, seeing Su Yuan had blocked the surprise attack, became furious. "Argh!" With a strange cry, the assassin charged Su Yuan again. Just then, arge Bone Wolf engulfed in ck me pounced from behind, pinning the assassin to the ground. The assassin, taken aback, began struggling with Star Power, only to see the fiery heads of three more Bone Wolves closing in. Four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves'' eyes glowed with Netherfire, staring down at the assassin, causing sheer terror! "Argh!..." The scream stopped abruptly. Within seconds, the assassin was torn apart by the four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves.@@novelbin@@ Ai Xiaoyu, seeing Su Yuan not only rescuing her but summoning creatures to easily dispatch the powerful assassin, was astonished. "Su Yuan?!" This sudden change caught everyone''s attention. Fang Kun, from a distance, recognized Su Yuan and showed a rare expression of delight, "It''s really you. I''m d you''re okay!" Leading the group, Zhou Fenghua asked, "Fang Kun, you know him?" Fang Kun nodded, "Yeah, we came together." Like Su Yuan and Zhuang Xun, Fang Kun had been worried about their safety due to the perilous Molten Lava Cave. Though he had initially fallen into a Ghoul''s nest, his luck led him to encounter Ai Xiaoyu, Zhou Fenghua, and other Shuzhou College students, forming a team. Besides Fang Kun, Yu Changle, and Ai Xiaoyu, Zhou Fenghua and the two others were experienced freshmen with substantial strength. As a result, under Zhou Fenghua''s leadership, the team had cautiously navigated the fortress, collecting valuable resources without significant incident. What about Su Yuan? Ai Xiaoyu watched Su Yuan, who was retrieving a Star Core from the assassin''s dismembered body. Su Yuan nodded to Fang Kun, raised his hand, ordering the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, which opened their mouths and charged Netherfire Cannons at the undead creatures in the distance! "Boom, boom, boom, boom!" The ck me erupted almost simultaneously, with the raging Netherfire annihting two Netherworld Guards on the spot and severely injuring four others nearby. "So strong!!" Zhou Fenghua, Fang Kun, and others were startled by the Netherfire Cannons exploding among the undead creatures. Sensing the powerful Star Power fluctuations, Zhou Fenghua and the others realized Su Yuan''s four ck Fire Bone Wolves were at the Bronze High Stage! After firing, the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves charged fearlessly into the undead Star Beasts like ck shadows, their steel defenses and powerful Netherfire Steel ws wreaking havoc and breaking the enemy''s formations. "Well done!" Zhou Fenghua shouted, his eyes brightening. With the situation reversed, everyone felt relieved. "Damn, I''ve been cut¡­ Little Yu, heal me quickly. I can''t hold on!" A pained cry came from the front. "Huh?!" Ai Xiaoyu gasped, quickly refocusing, and waved her Elf Wood Staff, casting a Healing Technique forward, "Wood Elf''s Blessing!" Chapter 69 64th Chapter: Labyrinth Corridor After a while, the battle gradually ended.@@novelbin@@ The addition of the four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves directly broke the previously bnced battle situation. With the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves fearlessly charging ahead and disrupting the formation, Zhou Fenghua and the others only needed to fight steadily, and the battle had no suspense. However, even with the strong defense of the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, in such a fierce charge, one was killed and one was severely injured. The remaining two also suffered significant depletion. After bringing the obtained Star Cores to Su Yuan, they were recalled to hell to reduce the casting interval. Fang Kun took a few deep breaths before walking over to stand next to Su Yuan. "That''s great, Su Yuan. I was worried something happened to you. I didn''t expect to meet you here!" Su Yuan smiled. "Me too." Zhou Fenghua and the others also walked over, all looking at the young man who could summon four Bronze High Stage Elite Bone Wolves with amazement. "Fang Kun, aren''t you going to introduce your friend to us?" Zhou Fenghua said with a smile. Fang Kun nodded and began to introduce him to everyone. "This is Su Yuan, a student from Guangchuan City, which is under Shuzhou. We originally entered the Secret Realm of the Molten Lava Cave together this time." He then turned to Su Yuan. "Su Yuan, these are all seniors or ssmates from Shuzhou College. If I hadn''t met Senior Zhou Fenghua and joined their team on the way, I might not have even been able to enter the fortress, let alone get here." "Guangchuan City..." Pan Long, standing beside Zhou Fenghua, looked at Su Yuan with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. "Could it be you''re the special recruit from Demon Capital?" "Special recruit from Demon Capital?" Others were also slightly surprised upon hearing this. Zhou Fenghua asked, "Old Pan, you know him too?" "I don''t know him but have heard about him. I heard that a third-level city under Shuzhou had a special recruit for the Three Cities program recently, and today we are fortunate to see him in person. I didn''t expect he would be a rare summoner. He hasn''t even entered the college yet and can already summon four Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beasts. It''s quite staggering. No wonder he passed the special recruitment exam of the Demon Capital Academy!" When Fang Kun heard the words "summoner," his expression turned a bit strange, but he didn''t say much. However, Fang Kun was quite surprised that Su Yuan could suddenly summon four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves. This guy was the warrior who killed an Earth Element Beast with a hand chop when he was at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage. How did he suddenly be such a powerful summoner? Moreover, wasn''t his growth speed terrifying? It''s been less than half a year since the joint trial. He was barely able to handle Bronze Early Stage Earth Element Beasts, and now he could casually summon four Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beasts? Although every Star Card Master''s strength greatly increased after ascending to Bronze Level, they were just climbing a new peak. This guy directly soared to the sky! Fang Kun couldn''t help but feel a bit frustrated. Once, they were all top geniuses at the Star Apprentice Level. Although there were differences, the gap wasn''t too wide, and at least they could match each other. Now, having just stepped into the Bronze Level, the gap between them had be an insurmountable chasm. Comparing oneself to others can only invite anger! At this time, the others had also gained some understanding of Su Yuan after hearing Fang Kun and Pan Long''s conversation. Zhou Fenghua said, "Student Su, we really owe you this time. Not only did you save Little Yu, but you also helped us deal with these undead creatures." Ai Xiaoyu clutched her Elf Wood Staff tightly and hurriedly bowed to Su Yuan upon hearing this, thanking him politely. Su Yuan waved his hand with a smile. "No need to be so polite. With Fang Kun in the team, I couldn''t sit by idly. Besides, I also took the Star Cores of the Star Beasts I killed, so it''s a win-win." Zhou Fenghua nodded and, after chatting a bit more, led the team to collect the Star Cores and process some corpse materials. Ai Xiaoyu gave Su Yuan a nce, hesitated slightly, and then also went to help. Fang Kun took the opportunity to lead Su Yuan a bit off to the side. "Su Yuan, do you have any news about Zhuang Xun?" "No, I haven''t run into him." Fang Kun frowned slightly, a bit worried. "Could something have happened to him?" Speaking of which, Su Yuan said solemnly, "Remember the three young men and women we met in the hotel lobby the day we set off?" "Those three people... Yes, I remember." It had only been a few days, and Dou Xiao and hispanions had certain Star Power fluctuations back then, so Fang Kun remembered them after a brief thought. "What about those three?" "Those three should all be Evil Card Masters." "What?!" Fang Kun couldn''t help but exim, his expression darkening. "They''re Evil Card Masters?!" The threat posed by Evil Card Masters needed no exnation. Even in a Secret Realm, where life and death were matters of destiny, people from the Great me Country typically wouldn''t kill unless there was a deep-seated grudge. But Evil Card Masters were different. They regarded others'' lives as worthless. Even if it didn''t benefit them, they would kill without hesitation. They were extremely dangerous. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire Su Yuan nodded. "I was attacked by one of them, a thin youth with a ruddyplexion." Fang Kun quickly asked, "Are you okay?" "Nothing serious, I critically wounded him, but his magic was sinister. He escaped in the end..." Su Yuan''s voice deepened. "However, he killed someone else, and ording to him, the manner of death was quite cruel." Chapter 64 Labyrinth Corridor_2 Fang Kun snorted coldly, "These damn Evil Card Masters!" Su Yuan cautioned, "Later, you should ry this information to your team. Those three are likely all at Bronze High Stage and are ruthless and cunning. Be very careful." "Okay, I understand..." Fang Kun looked at Su Yuan and asked, "What about you? What are you nning to do?" Su Yuan looked ahead at the immense White Bone Hall not too far away and smiled, "I''m nning to check out that hall." "Our team is also heading to that White Bone Hall... Why don''t you consider joining our team, or I can go with you alone!" Su Yuan shook his head, "You guys are from Shuzhou College, so I won''t interfere. You don''t need toe with me either. It''s more suitable for you to stay here. This team hasplementary tactics and can progress steadily and surely, which should yield significant rewards. Besides, I have Instant Movement. It''s very convenient for solo actions. If I encounter any danger, I can escape." Fang Kun pondered for a while and sighed, "You''re right. Your current strength far exceeds ours. Following you wouldn''t be of much help to you anyway." Su Yuan nodded, "Then I''ll be on my way." "Alright, take care of yourself!" Su Yuan responded and dashed towards the front alone. "Fang Kun, did Student Su go alone?" Zhou Fenghua and the others had almost finished packing. Seeing Su Yuan leave alone in such a short time, they hurried over to ask. "Yes, he left first." Zhou Fenghua shook his head and sighed, "What a pity. I originally wanted to invite him to join us. With his Summoning Technique, our team''s strength would significantly increase." Fang Kun didn''t say much more. Remembering Su Yuan''s information about the Evil Card Masters, he quickly ryed it to Zhou Fenghua and the others... Su Yuan advanced at high speed, casually cutting down the Star Beasts along the way. Before long, he arrived in front of the White Bone Hall. This was a vast hall, built with a structure that widened at the base and narrowed higher up. It looked more like a broad-based bone tower rather than a hall. The ground floor of the hall had numerous small, sieve-like entrances. Above each entrance was a faint energy curtain, obscuring the view inside. Su Yuan took out the Dragon Armor Saber and tightly gripped it. After carefully observing for a moment, he decisively stepped inside. The scene suddenly brightened. Su Yuan''s eyes widened in surprise.@@novelbin@@ "A maze, huh..." Su Yuan examined his surroundings. The interior of the White Bone Hall was indeed like a maze. In front of him were crisscrossing corridors. The walls, emitting a faint white glow, soared up to a ceiling over a dozen meters high. Even if Su Yuan flew, he couldn''t see the whole structure. Unlike the dark, cold, and dpidated exterior, the inside was bright, intricately designed, and exuded a touch of noble mystery. However, the obstructed view due to the maze walls,bined with the monotonous color palette, could easily make anyone feel suffocated and mentally exhausted over time. Su Yuan raised his hand, and teal mes surged in his palm. Gray me Strike quickly charged up and was released toward the wall in front of him! "Boom!" With a loud explosion, the Gray me Strike burst out. As the mes gradually subsided, a faint blue glow lingered on the wall where the Gray me Strike had hit. Numerous runes appeared and disappeared until they eventually vanished, restoring peace. "The wall has a Barrier... As expected, given the maze design, it''s unlikely to let intruders take shortcuts." Su Yuan''s eyes gleamed with silver light as he tried to use Instant Movement to prate the wall. Unfortunately, the Barrier on the wall also blocked traversal-type skills. "In that case, I''ll have to break through by force..." Su Yuan mused, "If I remember correctly, there should be threeyers outside..." Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire When he first entered, Su Yuan deliberately observed the structure of the White Bone Hall. If there was no space-folding Magic Technique, it was likely a threeyered hall. The current bottomyer was thergest, and eachyer above got smaller. Thus, the topyer of the White Bone Hall was both the core of the hall and the centerpiece of the entire Undead Fortress and the Molten Cave Secret Realm. On the way to the White Bone Hall, Su Yuan had already umted many good items, including First and Second Stage Spirit nts, ores, materials, as well as white and green Star Cards, and even a Green Star Artifact! It was already quite a substantial harvest. "Let''s see what kinds of treasures the topyer of this White Bone Hall holds!" Su Yuan''s figure flickered as he dashed into a corridor. After a few turns, he disappeared... Some timeter, in a certain part of the firstyer of the White Bone Hall maze. "Golden Burning Hand!" Su Yuan''s left hand interwove with golden fire, piercing through the chest of a Death Spirit Mage who had its Ghost Shield activated, forcefully extracting a dark green Star Core. With a silent scream and a twisted face, the Death Spirit Mage burst into a cloud of blue smoke and dissipated. Casually storing the Star Core, Su Yuan looked at the dead-end in front of him, furrowing his brows slightly. "Another wrong turn. I wonder when I''ll find the entrance to the nextyer." More than half a day had passed since he entered the White Bone Hall. To quickly find the entrance to the nextyer, Su Yuan had even summoned the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf to help search. Yet, even after the duration of the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf expired, he found nothing. Chapter 65 Three Treasures """ Outside the White Bone Hall, numerous necromantic energies converged. Then, a young man with red hair and red eyes was transported out, holding a star card emitting a radiant blue light. "Hellfire? Getting this card was worth rushing over from South Pole City so quickly!" Geng Qiuyi looked at the blue star card in his hand, his face full of joy. Passing the third trial of the White Bone Hall, he finally got this blue-grade fire element star card, very suitable for himself. "Let''s use this ''Hellfire'' as my soul skill after breaking through to the silver stage!" Geng Qiuyi nodded in satisfaction, waved his hand to store the card into his ring, and nned to search the secret realm onest time before leaving. But before he could take two steps, he suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound above his head.@@novelbin@@ Geng Qiuyi looked up and saw a ck figure plummeting from the sky like a cannonball! "Damn!" Geng Qiuyi''s expression changed drastically, his star power surged, and he suddenly leaped to the side! "Bang!!" A loud crash followed, smoke and dust rose violently, andrge amounts of white air currents roiled and spread around like waves! In no time, a rather disheveled red figure was sted out. Geng Qiuyi rolled on the ground for two whole circles before stabilizing and standing up again. "Damn it!!" Geng Qiuyi''s face was extremely grim, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his clothes were shredded by the powerful impact just now. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Geng Qiuyi squinted his eyes and looked ahead. The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, revealing a huge crater several meters in diameter. A sturdy, grim-looking young man in ck slowly walked out, white vapors swirling around his arms. "Hiss..." Tu Yuan slowly exhaled a white vapor. The vapor shot out like an arrow, hitting the ground and creating another small pit! "Did you ambush me?" Geng Qiuyi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Who are you?" Tu Yuan''s expression remained calm: "Who I am is not important. Hand over the reward you got from the thirdyer of the White Bone Hall." "So you want to rob me..." Geng Qiuyi sized up Tu Yuan and suddenly realized, "I understand now. You must be the one who took the first reward, right?" Geng Qiuyi''s mouth curled into a sneer as he took a step forward. Scorching orange-red mes surged out from his body! "Since you''re out to rob someone, you''re obviously no good. I won''t feel guilty taking your stuff either." The ring on Tu Yuan''s hand shed, and a blue star card appeared in his hand. "If you have the skill,e and get it." Tu Yuan''s voice was cold and indifferent, showing no concern that this top talent from South Pole Academy could take the blue card from his hands. "Pretentious!" Geng Qiuyi sneered and was about to make a move, but just then, he seemed to sense something and turned his head to look behind him. "So you have helpers. No wonder you''re so confident..." Geng Qiuyi''s expression darkened slightly. Two more figures slowly surrounded him from behind. One was a lively girl in a school uniform. The other was a young man with a delicate face and a rosyplexion. It was Mo Wenwen and Dou Xiao. With Mo Wenwen''s help, Dou Xiao had devoured a lot of essence blood over the past few days. Although breaking through to the silver stage was still out of reach due to the massive loss of umted essence blood, his strength had mostly recovered thanks to the blood secret technique. This was the power of blood. As long as there was enough essence blood, any serious injury could be healed! Mo Wenwen waved her hand, and a huge, ugly ghost face with three eyes appeared behind her amidst swirling ck smoke. The ghost face opened its mouth, and one by one, young men and women with vacant expressions staggered out. This scene was quite eerie. Seeing the three familiar faces among the group, Geng Qiuyi''s expression changed. "Stand tall, Dong Lai, Ah Ping?!" "Hehe, it seems you have acquaintances here?" Mo Wenwen chuckled, gesturing for the three toe forward. "These three, huh? They were indeed tough. I had to sacrifice seven insect servants to catch them. My ck Soul Gu is almost running out..." "What did you do to them?!" "Nothing much... just controlling them temporarily. Of course, if I took the time to eat their brains, that would be interesting too~ but not very much fun." Geng Qiuyi lowered his head slightly, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails almost dug into his flesh, trying hard to suppress his anger. Anger could make a person irrational and interfere with judgment in battle. Tu Yuan nced at Geng Qiuyi and said tly, "Put down the star card in your hand, and we''ll let you go." "Just let him go like that?" Dou Xiao raised an eyebrow, "No, his essence blood is very dense. I need..." Before Dou Xiao could finish, he felt a chill on his back. Turning his head, he saw Tu Yuan staring at him expressionlessly. "Che~" Dou Xiao shrugged. The three of them ganging up on one couldn''t handle it? Even if it was a silver stage opponent, they had killed nearly twenty silver stage foes together! Was there a need to be so afraid? But Dou Xiao ultimately didn''t say anything more. Although the three had no hierarchical differences, Tu Yuan usually made the decisions when they acted together. Tu Yuan knew that anyone who could pass the thirdyer of the White Bone Hall wasn''t ordinary. The difficulty was such that even he almost failed! So if they could intimidate the person in front of them to give up the blue card and leave, that would be the best oue. "Do you really think you have me cornered?" Geng Qiuyi slowly raised his head, and fiery lights flickered in his eyes. Suddenly, a me dragon illusion flew out from his body, coiling around him! Layer uponyer of fierce me spread out like a sea of fire. Geng Qiuyi bathed in this sea of fire, his aura surged! "Come!" Geng Qiuyi''s gaze swept across Tu Yuan and the other two, "All three of you,e at me together!" ... Su Yuan''s vision blurred, and he was now in the thirdyer of the White Bone Hall. After ughtering intensely for only two hours and killing a ck Wings Demon, Su Yuan sessfully reached this thirdyer. This thirdyer was no longer a maze but a dark, cold graveyard filled with necromantic elements. The graveyard was filled with many decayed tombstones. In the center were threerge red tombstones, two people tall. Two of the three red tombstones were already covered in cracks, leaving only thest one rtively intact. Su Yuan stepped forward to examine it. There were some scribbled writings on the tombstone. Unlike the runes seen outside, these writings were in the Blue Sea Star General Language. Reading carefully, Su Yuan learned about the origin of the White Bone Hall. This White Bone Hall was named the Bone Maze. Its owner was "Saki," a magician from the Western Continent of Blue Sea Star. Later, Saki was severely injured and could only use a secret technique to transform into an undead. At first, Saki could still travel between the Western Continent and Hell with his half-undead body and some secret techniques. But eventually, he fell into Hellpletely, unable to return to Blue Sea Star. Yearster, gravely injured again and nearing death, Saki left part of his inheritance, which became the White Bone Hall. Since Saki excelled in necromancy and fire magic, his inheritance was primarily focused on these two areas. Every tombstone in the graveyard corresponded to an undead creature from Hell. Defeating them would grant at least an elite-grade item. The central three red tombstones contained three master-grade (blue) treasures! These were a high-damage fire element star card, a rare summon card from the sixthyer of Hell, and... a summoning star device from Hell. Su Yuan analyzed thest tombstone: "So this tombstone corresponds to a summoning star device? No wonder the first two picked the fire element star card and the rare summon card from the sixthyer of Hell." It''s not that the summoning star device wasn''t strong, but summoners were rare to start with. Saki''s device from Hell likely specialized in necromancy. If not used personally, such an item would be difficult to sell unless to a specific summoner. In short, this item wouldn''t immediately enhance one''s strength or wealth, making it somewhat of a scrap. The other two master-grade treasures, the top-tier fire element star card, required no exnation¡ªfire element was the most popted branch among elemental star card masters. High-quality fire element star cards were in high demand. As for the rare summon card from the sixthyer of Hell, for non-summoners, it was practical to embed one or two summon cards due to skill slots. These summon cards didn''t need to form a system. Practicality was the key. The sixthyer of Hell and beyond was also known as the Abyss, where demons roamed. This master-grade rare summon card could likely summon a master demon. The value of a master demon was simply its sheer strength. "Others have taken the two master-grade items. There''s no other choice. I can''t pick an elite-grade item. Besides, I already have the Nether Wolf Summon, an undead species. This summoning star device should be useful!" Without further thought, Su Yuan ced his hand on the tombstone,municating with it using star power. Gradually, the tombstone glowed red, pulling Su Yuan into it in an instant... """ Chapter 66 Slaying Enemies for Treasure (4k characters, seeking recommendations) The surroundings were a pitch-dark wilderness, with the remains of various creatures scattered everywhere. Not far ahead of Su Yuan, on top of a square altar, sat a humanoid Star Beast holding a Ghostly Soul Wand, glowing all over with a greenish-blue hue. [Netherworld Great Mage] [Grade: Master] [Level: Bronze High Stage] "A Bronze High Stage Master Star Beast..." Su Yuan''s expression slightly tensed. Feeling the unrestrained thick Star Power from the opponent, it wasn''t hard to discern that this was undoubtedly a Bronze High Stage Star Beast with C-level Star Power Talent. It was also the strongest Star Beast he had encountered so far, surpassing even the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger of the same Master Quality. Compared to the more direct attack methods of the Golden-eyed Silver-winged Tiger, the Netherworld Great Mage in front of him was clearly much trickier. Just as Su Yuan was assessing the opponent, the Netherworld Great Mage stood up, and sharp, piercing characters emerged from its mouth. "¦Á¦Í¦È¦Ñ?¦Ð¦É¦Í¦Á?¦Í¦Ó¦Á (human)?" Although Su Yuan couldn''t understand it, he could feel that this Undead Mage possessed high intelligence. "Let''s test its strength first..." Su Yuan formed a seal with his left hand. The Gate of Hell opened in front of him, and four Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves emerged from it. "Go." With amand from Su Yuan, the four massive Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves charged forward simultaneously. Seeing these Bone Wolves, a hint of surprise shed across the Netherworld Great Mage''s face, seemingly not expecting that Su Yuan would summon Undead Creatures. The Netherworld Great Mage cackled, raising his Ghostly Soul Wand. Pointing at the four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, four greenish energy beams flew from the wand, entangling the steel wolves'' bodies deftly. In an instant, the running speed of the four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves dropped by nearly half! Green Skill: Netherworld Entanglement! Then the Netherworld Great Mage''s wand gathered death energy again, swiftly building up power. In just a few moments, a strong wave of energy surged across arge area ahead! Su Yuan raised his eyebrow, shouting, "Scatter!" The four Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves instinctively sensed the danger. Hearing Su Yuan''smand, they immediately scattered to the sides without hesitation. However, under the effect of Netherworld Entanglement, the steel wolves'' speed significantly reduced. They hadn''t managed to get far before a Netherworld Pulse exploded within a range of several tens of meters in diameter! Two Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves barely escaped from the range, while the remaining two were shattered into scattered fragments of bones on the spot by the powerful Netherworld Pulse! "Its attack power is indeed formidable. But judging from the pulse explosion just now, it shouldn''t be enough topletely destroy the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves with a single hit. It seems this slowdown skill also has a damage-enhancing effect¡­" Su Yuan wasn''t too concerned about the sacrificed Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, quickly analyzing the capabilities of the Netherworld Great Mage in his mind. The Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves had strong physical defenses, but their resistance to Star Power was limited, making them somewhat countered by Magician-type enemies. Especially since the opponent was a Master Star Beast. Against opponents of a mid to upper level, the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves could be quite effective. But in this top-tier duel, it mainly depended on his own strength. He controlled the two Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves to move to the sides, waiting for the right moment tounch the Netherfire Cannon. Silver light shed in Su Yuan''s eyes as he instantly teleported behind the Netherworld Great Mage, swinging a de infused with Space Cut energy! The long de shed down swiftly. The Netherworld Great Mage was startled, and its entire body instantly transformed into a deep green, ethereal state. The de with Space Cut passed through its body directly, having no effect. "It negated my attack throughplete virtualization?" Su Yuan''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Simr to that Evil Card Master''s blood-body, but even more troublesome." Dou Xiao''s blood-body was an energy body, and getting struck by the space force in Space Cut would cause significant energy loss. The Netherworld Great Mage''s move changed its own state directly, rendering Su Yuan''s shpletely ineffective, causing no harm at all. The Netherworld Great Mage turned around, pointing its wand at Su Yuan. The wand''s tip brimmed with death energy, shooting out a Netherworld Beam! Su Yuan enveloped himself in silver light. Just before the Netherworld Beam hit, he used shback to teleport several meters away, evading the energy attack. At that moment, from the sides of the Undead Mage, two Netherfire Cannons, zing with ck mes, came at high speed. These were the attacksunched by the two Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves Su Yuan had positioned on either side. Facing this assault, the Netherworld Great Mage remained unperturbed. The Ghostly Soul Wand flicked in front of it, unleashing a shield imbued with death energy. "Boom boom!" The two Netherfire Cannons hit the shield simultaneously, causing slight ripples but were easily blocked and extinguished by the death spirit shield. Witnessing this, Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. "Its ethereal state canpletely immunize physical-based attacks, but it cannot resist pure star energy attacks¡­" In terms of destructive power, Space Cut was undoubtedly stronger. But when the Netherworld Mage entered its ethereal state, it didn''t even need to defend, relying instead on a defense shield against the Netherfire Cannons from the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves.@@novelbin@@ At this moment, the Netherworld Great Mage''s form solidified again, returning from its ethereal state. Chapter 67 Hell Chanting Ring Darkness flickered before his eyes, and Su Yuan suddenly found himself somewhere outside the White Bone Hall. "Automatically teleported out..." Su Yuan raised his head and looked around. From a distance, he could still see the White Bone Hall, confirming that he was indeed outside. It seemed that this teleportation mechanism was set by Saki to prevent one person from repeatedly challenging and taking all the treasures. Su Yuan looked at the ck ring in his hand and carefully examined his first blue-grade Star Device. The ring was neither gold nor jade; it seemed to be made of some kind of stone, cool to the touch, with a ferocious demon head carved on it. His spiritual power prated it, and he quickly obtained information about this Star Device. [Hell Chanting Ring] [Grade: Master Quality] [Introduction: An ancient ring from the depths of the Abyss] [Effects: 1. Enhances the wearer''s spiritual power. 2. When subjected to a strong spiritual attack, it automatically generates a Demon Possession Shield to block the attack using the umted energy within the ring. Can also be used actively, with a casting interval of one day. 3. Each time a Hell Creature is summoned, at least one additional summoning (up to Epic grade) can be produced.] "There are actually three effects..." Su Yuan was shocked. As expected of a blue-grade non-weapon Star Device, even green-grade Star Devices of the same type rarely had two effects. "The first two effects are rtively ordinary, but the third effect must be the core of this ring." Being able to additionally increase the number of summoning creatures was a straightforward and brutal effect! Ordinary summoning creatures could be overlooked, but if the summoned creatures were individually powerful, that made a significant difference. For instance, with [Nether Wolf Summon], as the skill level increased, the realm and quantity of the summoned Netherfire White Bone Wolves would also increase. But for some summoning cards, even reaching Perfection wouldn''t increase the number of summoning creatures. Instead, it would enhance the creatures in terms of realm, elements, skills, and equipment. Typically, these summoning cards with only one summoning creature were called "General Cards," while [Nether Wolf Summon] was called a "Soldier Card." General Cards focused on quality, while Soldier Cards bnced quantity and quality. How tobine the two was up to the summoner''s decision. And this Hell Chanting Ring could summon at least one additional creature, doubling the effect for a high-level General Card! Thinking about this, Su Yuan was even more delighted. The first two effects were okay, but thest effect truly befit the noble blue grade of this ring! After putting on the Hell Chanting Ring, Su Yuan immediately felt a surge of rity in his mind. His spiritual power within his Sea of Consciousness had more than doubled, significantly enhancing both his perception and thinking abilities! Of course, this was also because Su Yuan was currently only at the Bronze Level, making the enhancement from the Star Device quite obvious. Most Star Devices provided fixed enhancements. As for Star Devices that could enhance an attribute by a percentage... they didn''t exist below the legendary level. "A Transformation Realm Netherworld Fire Skeleton Wolf can summon four. Wearing this Hell Chanting Ring, I wonder how many more it could summon..." Su Yuan couldn''t wait to try it, but since he had just used Nether Wolf Summon while dealing with the Netherworld Great Mage, it was still in the casting interval. At that moment, Su Yuan suddenly sensed something and frowned, looking up. From high above, a ck figure descended like a cannonball! Su Yuan remained calm. His eyes shed silver, and he suddenly disappeared from where he stood. "Boom!" With a loud crash, a strong white shockwave burst out in all directions! Tu Yuan slowly stood up from the crater he had made. Turning his head, he saw Su Yuan, surrounded by flowing silver light, sh dozens of meters away, and couldn''t help but frown slightly. "Instant Movement?" Was it luck that allowed him to obtain this extremely rare Star Card, or... was the other person a Space Star Card Master himself? "Another ambush. As expected, Evil Card Masters are all sneaky..." Su Yuan raised his hand, and the Dragon Armor Saber appeared and fell into his hand. Tu Yuan looked puzzled. "What do you mean..." "Hehe, it seems the second person has arrived too..." Mo Wenwen and Dou Xiao approached from the other side, surrounding him. "Although the strategy was simple, it was effective. We managed to teleport the two who passed the third level here one after another." Dou Xiao grinned and nodded. "You two took the stuff from thatst kid first. Either way, I get first pick of this one''s belongings..." Before he could finish, Dou Xiao saw the appearance of the person in front of him. Suddenly, it felt like a bolt of lightning struck his mind, and he stopped cold, trembling all over. Seeing that Dou Xiao hadn''t followed, Mo Wenwen turned her head in confusion. "Dou Xiao? You..." "It''s you?!" Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire Dou Xiao snapped back to his senses. His face shed through astonishment, panic, and gloom.@@novelbin@@ Such an unusual reaction stunned both Mo Wenwen and Tu Yuan, who was still at a distance. The three had worked together for over two years. When had Dou Xiao ever reacted like this? But soon, the two understood. "He''s the one who forced you to self-destruct your Blood Origin Transformation body?" Mo Wenwen''s smile faded, and she asked seriously. Dou Xiao clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "It''s him..." "So, you want my stuff?" Su Yuan chuckled, gripping the long saber in his hand slightly. "Watch out!!" Tu Yuan seemed to sense something and suddenly shouted! With a sh of silver, Su Yuan immediately disappeared from his spot. Feeling a faint spatial disturbance from behind, Dou Xiao was shocked and was about to dodge when he felt a sh of pain on his neck. "Since you escaped with your lifest time, you should have stayed away with your tail between your legs. You dare to appear before me again..." A cold voice whispered in his ear. Dou Xiao''s eyes widened, his gaze frozen as he involuntarily glimpsed a pair of indifferent silver eyes. In the next moment, blood spurted, his head flew, and his face remained full of shock and fear! This time, Dou Xiao didn''t even have a chance to use his Blood Origin Transformation before being beheaded! "Thud, thud..." His head fell, his body copsed, blood soaking the ground... "Dou... Dou Xiao?!" Mo Wenwen''s pupils trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief! Dou Xiao... died just like that? In the instant that Mo Wenwen was shocked and distracted by the sudden change, Su Yuan moved, lifting the long saber and rushing toward her. "Boom!!" A sonic boom echoed, and a shockwave exploded! Amid the white turbulence, Tu Yuan shot forward like a human cannonball. Just as Su Yuan was about to close in on Mo Wenwen, Tu Yuan punched toward him! "What speed! What powerful fist force..." Su Yuan''s eyes narrowed. If he used Hardened Iron Armor to take this blow head-on, he would likely be severely injured by the opponent''s staggering fist power. As three seconds passed, Su Yuan''s eyes shed silver, and he decisively used Instant Movement again, retreating dozens of meters to avoid the powerful punch. "Be careful! This guy is strong!" Tu Yuan nced at Dou Xiao''s body on the ground, then looked ahead at Su Yuan, raising his guard to the highest level. Mo Wenwen snapped out of it. Remembering what had just happened, her face paled, then turned red with anger and shame. She had been intimidated by someone younger than herself? And almost got killed? If Tu Yuan hadn''t arrived in time, her fate would have been no better than Dou Xiao''s! "I got it!" Mo Wenwen''s face turned grim. With a wave of her hand, a giant ghost face appeared behind her, and more than a dozen figures emerged from it. One of them, with red hair and red eyes, was Geng Qiuyi, who had just passed the third level! Chapter 68 Double Kill Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire "Go, kill him!" Mo Wenwen shouted in a deep voice. Out of the dozen Insect Servants, who were at least Bronze Middle Stage, four broke away from the group and charged at Su Yuan. Geng Qiuyi and the remaining Insect Servants, under Mo Wenwen''s control, expanded outward with her at the center. Mo Wenwen knew very well that considering Su Yuan''s terrifying Instant Movement, she had to prioritize her own safety. Among the three of them, Tu Yuan was a pure Martial Arts Warrior; Dou Xiao''s Blood Power was versatile, capable of both close and long-rangebat; only her closebat ability was the weakest! Among the four Insect Servants charging at Su Yuan, one was Bronze High Stage, and three were Bronze Middle Stage. One of them even wore a school uniform from a Second Stage city academy under Qing Province. Unlike the Insect Servant Zhuang Xun encountered earlier, who didn''t use any Skills, these Insect Servants, under Mo Wenwen''s control, disyed various Skills from a distance. me Explosion Technique! High Stage Ice Cone Technique! Water Dragon Bullet! ... They were all Green Skills. Bronze Level strength indeed had aprehensive improvementpared to a Star Apprentice. However, without restricting his movement, hitting Su Yuan with these Skills was undoubtedly difficult. With just a step, a gust of wind surged out. With a slight use of Wind Walking to affect the trajectory of these Skills, Su Yuan easily dodged all of them. "Star Power is limited, this needs to be a quick battle..." He just came out from the thirdyer. Although the fight with the Netherworld Great Mage went fairly well, it also consumed a lot. The opponents were well-rested, so the longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for him. "But really, you''re all scared and gathered together?" Su Yuan chuckled softly, raised his hand, and a gray light flickered in his palm, aimed at Tu Yuan and the others. Tu Yuan and Mo Wenwen immediately felt something was off. Before they could ponder, they felt a powerful, invisible pressure descending upon them! Elemental Maism Pressure fell from the sky, instantly enveloping Tu Yuan, Mo Wenwen, and the numerous Insect Servants scattered around! "What?!"@@novelbin@@ Tu Yuan and Mo Wenwen''s bodies sank suddenly, letting out muffled grunts. "This is the Gravity Field Dou Xiao mentioned!" Tu Yuan spoke in a deep voice, and arge amount of white mist surged from his body, quickly stabilizing his stance. Mo Wenwen''s body was not as strong as Tu Yuan''s. She nearly copsed under the pressure, hastily erupting her Star Power to resist the pressure, then slowly and arduously stood up. Even so, both found moving extremely difficult, As for the surrounding Insect Servants, besides Geng Qiuyi, they were all pinned down and unable to move, sprawling across the ground! "Damn it, the range of this Gravity Pressure is actually thisrge!" Dou Xiao had previously mentioned that Su Yuan could use a type of Gravity Field, but Dou Xiao didn''t know, nor did he expect, the range of Su Yuan''s Transformation Realm Gravity Field to be so vast! At this moment, to guard against Su Yuan''s Instant Movement attack, Mo Wenwen had gathered numerous Insect Servants around her, and even Tu Yuan was close by to protect the Magician Mo Wenwen. Everyone got caught in one move. At this moment, an indistinct yet astonishing spatial fluctuation came from the front, making Tu Yuan''s heart race. He looked up to see Su Yuan wielding a long de emitting deep ck light. "Not good, retreat!" Tu Yuan shouted, stepping back fiercely. With a Talent Buff, Tu Yuan''s senses in battle were particrly sharp. Before, when Su Yuan prepared to use Instant Movement to kill Dou Xiao, Tu Yuan had already sensed it and warned Dou Xiao. Now, with Su Yuan shing out the Boundary Breaking Line, Tu Yuan felt an extremely strong sense of foreboding, as if a single misstep would cost him his life! Mo Wenwen knew Tu Yuan''s senses were very sharp. Hearing this, her heart trembled, and she started retreating without hesitation. To be safe, Mo Wenwen''s hand shed green, swiftly forming a Seal Technique. The pitch-ck Boundary Breaking Line appeared before them and extended horizontally! Tu Yuan narrowly avoided it, but his abdomen was still cut with a nearly two-inch deep wound, even slicing his intestines! Mo Wenwen fared worse, nearly sliced in half, with her upper and lower body barely held together by skin. Looking at the wound on her abdomen, Mo Wenwen was terrified, immediately activating her Seal Technique. "Damage Transfer!" The Seal Technique that Mo Wenwen had just formed glowed green, and a nearby Insect Servant, pinned to the ground by the pressure, suddenly had the same mark on its forehead. The faint green light flowed over both their bodies. Momentster, Mo Wenwen''s waist wound healed perfectly, bing white and smooth again, while the Insect Servant had its waist cut open and died on the spot. "No... I can''t take this anymore!" Even after recovering, Mo Wenwen was still pale with fear. This life-saving Damage Transfer could only be used once a day. Using it right off the bat meant that if this happened again, she would surely die here! Thinking of this, Mo Wenwen''s beautiful face was full of terror. On the other side, Tu Yuan ignored his abdominal wound. Dozens of strands of White Stream Energy burst out from his body, and his aura surged. Within a few steps, he broke free from the Elemental Maism Pressure! "White Dragon!" Tu Yuan, wrapped in arge mass of swirling white energy, charged straight at Su Yuan like a white dragon! This attack was formidable, with fierce white energy making it incredibly powerful! Su Yuan initially nned to use the Boundary Breaking Line to end him. However, sensing the Star Power within, his expression turned serious. Blue Grade Skills consumed a lot of power. While using the Space Cut Demon Armor Saber alone wasn''t too draining, shing out the powerful Boundary Breaking Line across space exponentially increased the consumption! In his earlier fight with the Netherworld Great Mage, he had used the Boundary Breaking Line twice. Just now, he used it again. Even with his C-level Star Power Talent, he started to feel the strain. Within a heartbeat, Su Yuan had a n. With a slight move, he ascended tens of meters into the air. "You can fly?" Tu Yuan showed a hint of surprise, then sneered, "I can too!" Tu Yuan stomped hard, his White Stream Energy surged, and he flew toward Su Yuan, reaching him in mere moments! Su Yuan''s expression remained calm. His eyes shed silver and he suddenly disappeared from the air, reappearing on the ground. Anticipating Su Yuan''s Instant Movement, Tu Yuan quickly scanned and found Su Yuan directly below. "Trying to flee?" Tu Yuan immediately swerved his dragon-like form and charged downward! Knowing Instant Movement was formidable, Tu Yuan understood that every Skill had its weaknesses. Even Instant Movement was not invincible. Every Blink and Fake Instant Movement type of Skill had a casting interval. All he needed to do was be fast! Before the casting interval of the opponent''s Instant Movement refreshed, before he could deploy that Boundary Breaking Space Skill again, Tu Yuan had to kill him! Giving his all, Tu Yuan descended with the white dragon form in less than a second. The overwhelming pressure blew the dust off the ground, plummeting toward Su Yuan! "Die!" At the critical moment, Su Yuan''s eyes shed silver. He vanished once more. shback! Suddenly, the space before him was empty. Tu Yuan''s expression changed drastically, but his attack from the sky couldn''t be stopped! "Boom!!" A huge explosion. The white dragon form exploded instantly, and the surging white mes spread out like a tidal wave! Standing in the massive crater, Tu Yuan gasped, looking around with uncertainty. Tu Yuan knew full well he hadn''t hit his target; the opponent had teleported away at thest moment. "How? Why can he still use Instant Movement?" Tu Yuan couldn''t figure it out, but now wasn''t the time to think about it. Suddenly, a ck shadow swiftly descended from the air! Tu Yuan''s keen senses immediately noticed it. Shocked, he turned around, and white stream energy surged from his fists, striking upward! But then, an even stronger gravity pressure descended! Tu Yuan''s prior White Dragon technique had consumed arge amount of white stream energy. His old strength had just faded, new strength had yet to restore, and his Star Power had not fully recovered. The sudden gravity pressure caused his movements to halt! "No!!" Tu Yuan''s eyes widened, foreseeing his end. "Swoosh!" The sound of a de entering flesh. A ck line directly cut down from Tu Yuan''s head. Tu Yuan''s body trembled, his expression froze. Two secondster, he was sliced in half, falling to both sides. "One left..." Su Yuan dissipated the space power from his de. With silver eyes narrowed, he looked beyond the dust, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent! Chapter 70 Upgrade! Su Yuan returned to Guangchuan City from me Mountain. After resting at home for half a day, he immediately went to Pan Da Cultivation Hall to start his cultivation. Su Yuan found that after each intense battle, he would have many insights. Cultivating at this time often had twice the result with half the effort. After nearly a week of cultivation, Su Yuan had fully digested his insights and made considerable progress towards the Bronze Middle Stage. However, instead of continuing with cultivation, Su Yuan hurried to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hunt Star Beasts. Both his blue skills, Hellfire and Hellfire Summon, were still eagerly waiting to be developed and needed to be leveled up quickly. Now, Su Yuan''s efficiency in hunting Star Beasts was incredibly terrifying. With the blessing of the Hell Chanting Ring, one Nether Wolf Summon could additionally summon two Netherworld Fire Skeleton Wolves, and Hellfire could also summon one more. So, most of the time, Su Yuan hardly needed to take action himself. With two Hellfires and six Netherworld Fire Skeleton Wolves together, they almost roamed unchallenged in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, where the highest level was only Silver Stage Star Beasts! As long as he didn''t encounter a group of Silver Star Beasts, Su Yuan could crush and harvest his way through with just his summons. This was the strength of high-level summoning cards! But just a few days into this enjoyable star dust farming, Su Yuan was indeed found by the City Guard of Guangchuan City. And it wasn''t anyone else but Captain Xiao, who was in charge of the joint trial for high schools... On this day, Su Yuan was leading his Hellfires and Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves in encircling a group of elite Mountain-prating Triangle Beasts when Captain Xiao arrived with more than a dozen team members. When Captain Xiao saw the two terrifying Hellfires covered in Evil Green mes, the six three-meter-long Netherworld Fire Skeleton Wolves, and Su Yuan leisurely following behind these undead creatures, he waspletely stunned. He thought someone was excessively ughtering the Star Beasts in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, but it turned out to be this kid?! And what''s with these undead summons? Isn''t this kid a Space Star Card Master? How is he ying summoning and being so abnormal at it! What was he up to? What was Wang Haiping up to? Captain Xiao was already so stunned, let alone the rest of the team members. They were all shocked beyond words. The Bronze Level members of the team were terrified by the fierce and grim undead creatures from afar, and even the few Silver Stage experts looked slightly pale. If they got surrounded by this formation, there might not be much hope for survival! After instructing his team to stay where they were, Captain Xiao swiftly leaped towards Su Yuan. Su Yuan also sensed several people approaching behind him and immediately looked back. Upon seeing that it was Captain Xiao and the City Guard, Su Yuan sighed inwardly, knowing this hunt was likely over. Looking at the struggling Mountain-prating Triangle Beasts in front of him, Su Yuan''s eyes shed slightly with silver light, and he used his mind tomand his undead followers, "Increase the intensity, make it quick!" So, the eight undead creatures went all out, and in no time, various skills like Chaotic Heavy Strike and Netherfire Steel ws were directed at the few Mountain-prating Triangle Beasts in the middle... "Su..." Captain Xiao rushed forward quickly and was about to greet when he saw a silver sh, and Su Yuan instantly teleported a hundred meters into the air. ??? Captain Xiao was stunned, looking at Su Yuan floating in mid-air, dumbfounded. Gold Level couldn''t fly, nor could they jump that high... "Su Yuan, get down here!" "Hurry up and get down!" "..." "Su Yuan, if you don''te down, I''ll ughter your summons!" Failing to call Su Yuan down after a long time, Captain Xiao raised his hand, and with a swift knife light, he instantly sliced through two Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves not far away. "Ah, it''s Captain Xiao. I thought it was someone with ill intentions trying to ambush me." Su Yuanughed and slowly floated down from the sky. "Captain Xiao, what brings you here?" What brings me here? Don''t you have a clue! Captain Xiao rubbed his temples, not wanting to argue with Su Yuan, and directly ordered, "Stop, call back your undead summons." "Boom!" At that moment, with a massive green ming fist, thest Mountain-prating Triangle Beast was smashed into meat paste by Hellfire. All the Mountain-prating Triangle Beasts were dead. Captain Xiao was speechless. "Alright, as youmand." Su Yuan smiled, raised his hand, and Hellfire and the Netherworld Fire Skeleton Wolves collected all the scattered Star Cores and handed them to Su Yuan.@@novelbin@@ Then Su Yuan summoned the illusory Gate of Hell and sent them all back. "Are you crazy for money?" Captain Xiao frowned tightly. "Do you really think the Great Barbarian Mountain Area is your backyard? If you keep killing like this, there will soon be no more Star Beasts left!" "Captain Xiao, I didn''t break any rules. At most, I just killed a little too many Star Beasts..." "A little? You call that a little?" Captain Xiao raised an eyebrow and said angrily, "In any case, you are now banned from hunting in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. Got it?" Su Yuan had expected this and immediately replied, "No problem, I''ll be down the mountain soon!" In recent days, Su Yuan had wildly hunted in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area. Coupled with the remaining star dust from upgrading the Transformation Realm Void Cut in the Molten Cave Secret Realm, he had taken Hellfire and Hellfire Summon to the cost-effective level of Perfect. Both significantly improved in attributes! [Hellfire] [Grade: Blue] [Element: Fire] [Level: Perfect] [Introduction: Summons twelveyers of Hellfire with powerful destructive power within the target range. The Hellfire will not easily extinguish before incinerating the target!] Hellfire not only increased from threeyers to twelve but also added the trait "will not easily extinguish before incinerating the target." And the Hellfire summoned by Perfect Hellfire Summon had attributes so powerful it was frightening! [Hellfire] [Grade: Master Quality] [Species: Demon] [Elements: Fire, Earth] [Talent: Advanced Evil Power Rock Body: Created with Evil Green mes and Hell Rock for resisting powerful magic in legion and siege battles. Enhances Star Power resistance and physical defense by 30 percent and grants immunity to spiritual attacks.] [Six Dimensions: Strength C, Agility C, Defense C, Constitution D, Spirit E, Star Power C] [Skills: Meteor Descent (Blue), Evil Power Shield (Blue), Rock Creation (Blue), Chaotic Heavy Strike (Green), Evil Energy eleration (Green)] With amazing defensive talent, super-strong 4C attributes, and as many as three blue skills! Plus, a terrifying six-meter-tall body, this Hellfire was practically a small mountain of flesh! If it weren''t for the special summoning card that prevented taking anything from the summons, Su Yuan could have gotten rich by sacrificing Hellfire and taking its Star Core... At this moment, Captain Xiao looked at Su Yuan, who appeared as submissive as a little white rabbit, feeling a damn annoyance but nowhere to vent it. "You..." Captain Xiao shook his head and finally sighed, not saying anything more. Others could still be criticized and taught, but this student in front of him... Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire "Alright, if there''s nothing else, hurry back. School starts in a few days. Spend more time with your family; you won''t have much time to go home once you''re in the academy." "Okay." Su Yuan nodded, and casually asked, "By the way, Captain Xiao, which academy did you graduate from?" "Me?" Captain Xiao was surprised and then said, "I graduated from Qingye Academy, but I''m not like you. I was only at Silver Middle Stage when I graduated." Captain Xiao looked at Su Yuan, pondered for a moment, and seriously advised, "Su Yuan, I don''t think I will ever see another student with a talent stronger than yours. You must work hard when you enter the academy. Don''t waste your talent." Captain Xiao was appointed to oversee the joint trials in recent years because he volunteered for it. As a City Guard concerned with the country and its people, Captain Xiao hoped to see the youth of Great me have a better future. If the youth are strong, the nation is strong. This way, Great me will be stronger! Not to speak of expanding territory or waging war, but at least ensuring the nation''s fortune and peace. Hearing Captain Xiao''s ordinary yet sincere advice, Su Yuan nodded and solemnly replied, "Don''t worry, I won''t ck off." "Good!" On Captain Xiao''s usually stern face, a rare smile appeared, and he looked at Su Yuan with a bit more anticipation. "I hope you can be a pir of Great me." Chapter 71 Departure to the Demon Capital! A few days passed, and it was already August 31. The summer break was almost over. Colleges all over Great me were about to start their new terms, and students from various regions were heading off to their respective academies. "Mom, I''m leaving now!" Early in the morning, Su Yuan, equipped with his space ring, called out to his mother, Tang Shiyang, who was preparing school materials in the next room. Tang Shiyang hurriedly put down her papers and came out: "Are you sure you don''t want your dad and me to see you off?" Su Yuan smiled and said: "No need, Demon Capital is so far away. It''s inconvenient for you toe and go, plus your school starts tomorrow, too. You have to give a speech on stage." "Alright then..." Tang Shiyang actually wanted to take a leave to see Su Yuan off, but because Su Yuan had been specially enrolled in Demon Capital Academy, she too had be an honored teacher. The principal had arranged for her to give a speech at the uing opening ceremony as a representative teacher. "Your dad too! It''s your first day at the academy, and he insists on being busy at the store!" "The store needs someone to manage it, he can''t get away." Su Yuan smiled, "Besides, he said there''s a batch of fresh fruit arriving tomorrow." Although with Su Yuan''s current strength, making money wasn''t difficult and he could easily support his parents without them needing to work anymore. Teaching and running the fruit store were not just jobs but a way of life for Tang Shiyang and Su Yang; they were used to it. Moreover, two weeks ago, arge sum of money, totaling over 3.8 million, had been deposited into Su Yuan''s ount from the Shuzhou City Guard Bureau! The space rings of Tu Yuan and Mo Wenwen were smaller than Su Yuan''s, only two cubic meters each, and amounted to 1.4 million together. As for the bounties on Tu Yuan and the others, it was around 800,000 per head. Usually, bounties for Bronze Level wanted individuals were below 500,000, which showed how incredibly strong Tu Yuan and the others must have been. Adding the sale of various useless treasures Su Yuan had acquired from the Secret Realm, his assets quickly grew to over four million! With this amount, he could barely afford an ordinary Blue Card on the market. However, since he already owned two powerful Blue Cards, [Hellfire] and [Hellfire Summon], he wasn''t interested in ordinary ones. What he really wanted for hisst skill slot was a strengthening Star Card.@@novelbin@@ Su Yuan said to Tang Shiyang: "I have to go, Mom. Director Wang said he''d take me to the airport; he''s already waiting at themunity gate." Tang Shiyang was surprised: "Is he? Then hurry up and don''t keep Director Wang waiting!" Su Yuan nodded, hugged Tang Shiyang briefly, and then went downstairs. Wang Haiping and his female secretary, Xiao Yu, were already waiting out front. After getting in the car, Xiao Yu drove while Su Yuan sat in the back with Wang Haiping. Wang Haiping said apologetically: "Su Yuan, it was only when my former teacher contacted me a few days ago that I realized they didn''t pick you up on the assessment day." Su Yuan smiled: "It''s okay, a student from Demon Capital Academy happened to take me to the assessment site, so I didn''t call you." Wang Haiping nodded: "I see... that''s good then." "By the way, Director Wang, since you were once a student at Demon Capital Academy, can you tell me about the mentor assignment there?" "I was wondering when you''d ask." Wang Haiping chuckled, "Mentor assignments depend on the number of new students. Do you know how many new students are admitted each year by the over a hundred Star Power Academies nationwide?" Su Yuan thought for a moment: "I know a bit. Shuzhou College admits a bit over 4,000 students each year, and Qingye Academy admits around 4,800. As for the Three Capitals Academy, I hear they enroll fewer than the general academies. I don''t know the exact number; please enlighten me, Director Wang." Wang Haiping, being a local education director, was well-versed in these figures. He nodded and began his exnation: "Our Great me is vast and populous, and every year around 14 million students sit for college entrance exams. Among these 14 million, only about 400,000 are admitted to Star Power Academy''s Star Apprentice ss, less than 1 in 30 of the total examinees! In Great me, every Second Stage City or higher has an academy, totaling over a hundred. Including the Twelve States and numerous Second Stage Cities within them, each academy usually admits 4,000 to 5,000 students each year. The seven independent cities, including the Three Capitals and Four Extremes, have higher admission standards, leading to fewer admissions, usually around 2,000 or more. So, our Demon Capital Academy also admits a little over 2,000 new students each year." "Around 2,000..." Su Yuan had checked Demon Capital Academy''s forum while at home and seen mentions of the new student numbers. Wang Haiping paused and added: "But it''s worth noting that there are two special cases. Both the Capitol City, the core of Great me, and Demon City, which is teeming with international organizations and enterprises, have far more resources than Four Extremes City and the Demon Capital located on the southeastern border near the Ancient Forbidden Zone. Thus, the Capitol and Demon City academies are exceptionally strong, and with their high-quality student sources guaranteed, they enroll nearly 3,000 new students annually!" Su Yuan nodded. In terms of resources, both the Capitol and Demon City were indeed a notch above Demon Capital. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire In fact, shortly after Su Yuan was admitted to Demon Capital Academy, teachers from Capitol and Demon City academies had also contacted him, offering rather generous conditions. Chapter 71 Departure to the Demon Capital!_2 Although Su Yuan had signed a contract with Demon Capital, and was already considered an official student of Demon Capital Academy, these two academies provided solutions, such as paying a high penalty for breach of contract or transferring after half a year to bypass the contract. However, Su Yuan also decisively rejected these options. Even disregarding the spirit of the contract, Su Yuan knew that Demon Capital Academy, next to the "Ancient Forbidden Zone," was the most suitable for him. Great me had a pact with the dominant forces in the Ancient Forbidden Zone to stay out of each other''s way, but this contract mostly applied to the top Star Beast forces deep within it. The Ancient Forbidden Zone was vast and filled with numerous Star Beast forces. Although dangerous, it was also brimming with countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and rare beasts. For someone like Su Yuan, who had the system, it was a paradise waiting to be explored. Of course, the prerequisite was having sufficient strength... Getting back to the point. Wang Haiping continued, "Demon Capital Academy admits over two thousand new students every year. With four grades, there are around eight to nine thousand students in total. The academy also has more than two thousand teachers. Among them, nearly 2,000 are Shining Star Level, over 300 are Radiant Moon Level, and more than 20 are Burning Sun Level. As for those above the Burning Sun Level... there are four. Excluding teachers in administration, logistics, and management, the remaining teachers generally each mentor 5 to 10 students, regardless of the grade. Every year before the school starts, Demon Capital Academy creates a ''pre-selection'' sequence based on the strength and qualifications of the teachers. The higher a teacher''s pre-selection rank, the earlier they can choose their students. So, what is the basis for this pre-selection? It''s the freshmen''s entrance exam scores! In simple terms, better teachers get the right to choose better students in advance." Su Yuan couldn''t help but be shaken by the terrifying faculty strength of Demon Capital Academy. A Shining Star Level individual was already an elite in Guangchuan City, but at Demon Capital, they were just an ordinary member among more than two thousand teachers!@@novelbin@@ To say nothing of the even more powerful Radiant Moon, Burning Sun levels, and those above them. The difference was simply too vast! The information Wang Haiping revealed couldn''t be found on Demon Capital Academy''s official website. The more powerful the academy, the less likely they were to disy such details. There was no need! Su Yuan thought for a moment and asked, "Director Wang, ording to your meaning, the teachers at Demon Capital Academy have already pre-selected us?" "That''s right, this pre-selection result is generally announced on the first day of school. You should be able to check the pre-selection result tomorrow morning." "Since you mentioned ''pre-selection,'' does that mean the results can still change?" "Of course, the selection of mentors is mutual. A teacher may choose a student, but the student might not choose that teacher." Wang Haiping took a sip from his insted cup and further exined to Su Yuan, "Capitol City is full of noble families, and Demon City is a gathering ce for wealthy consortia. In these ces, you have to be cautious in your actions. However, Demon Capital has apletely different style. It is free, unrestrained, and respects strength above all else. As long as you have the strength, there''s no fear of not standing out! Simrly, Demon Capital Academy values strength and actualbat. If you want to change your mentor, you can apply to the desired mentor within a week of the pre-selection announcement and challenge one of their pre-selected students. If you seed, you exchange ces with the challenged student. Under normal circumstances, as long as the gap isn''t too significant, most mentors won''t deny such challenges. Unless the challenged student is in a support role or has other reasons such as health issues..." At this point, Wang Haiping smiled and said, "Special admission students are often chosen by Burning Sun Level teachers. If you are really selected, then most likely, someone will challenge you." Su Yuan said directly, "Is it because there are too few Burning Sun Level teachers?" "That''s right. After the teacher pre-selection, students ranked after 500 are mostly assigned to Shining Star Level mentors. Those ranked before 500 are almost all assigned to Radiant Moon Level teachers. Overall, there''s not much difference. But around the top 100, thepetition is intense! The freshmen at Demon Capital Academy are almost all Ninth Rank Star Apprentices. At least nearly a hundred students break through to Bronze Level at the start of the school year each year! There are even some who break through to Bronze Middle Stage! Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire But Burning Sun Level teachers number only a little more than twenty. Some of these teachers might choose one or two students, while others might not n to ept students at all this year. For students, given the choice between Burning Sun and Radiant Moon Level teachers, who would they choose? It''spletely obvious! Those who can break through to the Bronze Level before school starts are top talents from various ces. So many students who are not assigned to Burning Sun Level teachers won''t give up the chance and will try. Even if they didn''t do as well in the entrance exam, realbat affects many factors, so it might be different then!" Su Yuan curiously asked, "Are there any sessful challenges?" "Yes! And there are two or three sessful challenges every year, which also encourages freshmen to take on challenges." Su Yuan calmly nodded. Wang Haipingughed, "You really haven''t cared about anything since bing a special admission student." "I''ve been quite busytely..." Su Yuan shook his head. He had been focused on his cultivation and hunting Star Dust, not having much time to understand these things. If someone dared to challenge him, he would just deal with it casually. The flight to Demon Capital took off from Guangchuan Airport, breaking through the morning light and heading east. "Director, do you really think highly of Mr. Su Yuan?" Secretary Xiao Yu, seeing Wang Haiping continuously watching the ne disappear into the clouds, curiously asked. Wang Haiping seemed to be in a good mood and smiled, "Yes, although I don''t know the specifics of Su Yuan''s performance in the Demon Capital assessment, my mentor called a few days ago and almost explicitly stated he wanted to select him." Wang Haiping knew very well that for his old mentor to take an interest, Su Yuan''s performance must have been extraordinary. Moreover, this meant that he and Su Yuan would no longer just have their current rtionship, but they might also be fellow disciples. As an excellent secretary, Xiao Yu shouldn''t listen too much or ask too much, but at this moment, she couldn''t help but ask, "Director, your mentor must be very formidable, right?" Wang Haiping was taken aback, thenughed heartily, "I''m not sure how formidable he is, but in terms of seniority... there aren''t many in Demon Capital Academy who canpare to him. Let''s go back." "Oh, okay!" Xiao Yu nodded quickly and hurried off to bring the car... Chapter 72 The First Day of School September 1st. The nationwide start of the semester for all colleges in Great me. Around eight in the morning, the flight Su Yuan was onnded at Demon Capital Airport. As soon as he got off the ne, the signal was back. Su Yuan turned on his phone and found an official email from Demon Capital Academy. "Is this about the mentor pre-selection that Director Wang mentioned?" Su Yuan opened the email and saw a single line table. His mentor was... "Yang Yifeng?" Su Yuan was taken aback. Wasn''t that Wang Haiping''s mentor? Moreover, it turned out he was indeed Burning Sun Level! Seeing the golden sun symbol after the name "Yang Yifeng," Su Yuan couldn''t help but furrow his brow slightly. Although Su Yuan hadn''t seen Yang Yifeng during the special recruitment exam, he had vaguely guessed from the few words of Tan Songlin and Qi Tian that Wang Haiping''s mentor, Yang Yifeng, held a significant position at Demon Capital Academy. It turned out he really was a super expert in the Burning Sun Realm! Su Yuan opened the phone''s contacts. He initially wanted to call Wang Haiping directly but thought better of it and put the phone away. In any case, he decided to go to the academy first and see. This week was the pre-selection period, and there should be plenty of information about the mentors in the academy for him to explore. "Wow... Fangfang, Demon Capital is really grand and beautiful!" "Yeah, I was also shockedst time I came here for a trip. Little Yuan, let''s hurry; our other two roommates have already arrived at school." "Alright!" Su Yuan looked up. It was two fashionable and energetic girls of his age, each carrying a backpack and arge suitcase. These days, the Demon Capital Airport was very crowded, especially with a considerable number of young faces. It wasn''t just Demon Capital Star Power College that was starting today; other prestigious schools like Demon Capital University of Geology, Demon Capital Wen Hua University, and Southeast Media University were also starting their new semester. Su Yuan left the airport, hailed a cab, and headed directly to Demon Capital Academy. By near noon, Su Yuan once again stood before the Dragon Bone Gate of Demon Capital Academy. The previously quiet gate was now bustling, filled with new students and their apanying parents. Some members of the Demon Capital Academy student council were scattered in front of the Dragon Bone Gate, responsible for weing new students. One senior in a white shirt stood in the middle, forming a seal with his hands, and continuously called out: "Parents are not allowed inside! Students are almost adults now; there''s no need for parents to escort them into the academy! After entering, turn right and go straight; you''ll see the registration office. Register to get your student ID, which is also your ess card. You can then go directly to your assigned dormitory area!" Although the voice of the senior in the white shirt wasn''t loud, it was clear enough to be heard by everyone within a few dozen meters. "Son, I''ll head off now. Remember to share this expensive yellow tea with your roommates. Listen to your father and make sure to get along with them!" "Don''t worry, Dad. I understand!" Su Yuan nced to the side and saw a chubby boy around 5''3" with a buzz cut. After a close examination, Su Yuan sensed that the star power fluctuations on this chubby boy weren''t weak. He might even be Bronze Level! Truly, you can''t judge a book by its cover... Many students had parents apanying them, not because the students needed thepany, but because most parents wanted to see the top-tier academy their children would be attending. Therefore, students like Su Yuan, who came alone, were in the minority. Su Yuan made his way through the crowd and approached a senior with short brown hair. "Hello, I''m here to register." The brown-haired senior looked at Su Yuan, with restrained star power and empty-handed, and was somewhat surprised, asking, "Are you also a new student?" Before Su Yuan could respond, a slightly indifferent voice came from ahead: "Although the star power fluctuation isn''t that obvious, it''s notpletely concealed either. Of course, he is a new student." Su Yuan turned to see a tall, stern-looking young man walking out from the gate. "Vice President Qin, why are you here?" The brown-haired senior quickly stepped aside and greeted the tall youth. Upon hearing this, Su Yuan''s heart stirred. Vice president? Vice president of the student council? "I''ve arranged manpower in other areas, so I came to check here." Qin Jia responded casually and then scrutinized Su Yuan, finally focusing on the purple special recruitment ring on Su Yuan''s right hand, giving him a few more looks. "Please present your eptance letter." "Sure." Su Yuan flicked his wrist, producing an eptance letter mailed by Demon Capital Academy. Demon Capital Academy''s theme color was purple. This eptance letter also had a purple seal with golden text and a deep red stamp. Qin Jia took a quick look and handed it back to Su Yuan: "After going in, turn right, and you''ll see the registration office." Su Yuan took back the letter, thanked him, then walked past the two and into the Dragon Bone Gate, heading toward the registration office. "So, this is the top new student for special recruitment..." Qin Jia thought for a moment, regained his focus, and resumed assisting the student council members with the registration tasks. The registration office was about 100 to 200 meters to the right after entering. There were eight windows lined up horizontally, mostly managed by student council members, with only one female teacher handling statistics and verification. "It seems like the student council has a significant role in Demon Capital Academy and perhaps substantial influence too," Su Yuan spected. It was around nine to ten in the morning, the peak time for new students to register, with each window front lined with many students. Su Yuan joined one of the shorter lines. "Zhou Cheng, South Third Garden, Room 3-303." "Wang Jin, South Third Garden, Room 11-604." "Han Peiyao, South Second Garden, Room 24-1." ...@@novelbin@@ "South Second Garden, South Third Garden?" Su Yuan pondered, unsure how these garden areas were divided. Hearing Su Yuan''s mutter, a yellow-haired youth in front of him turned around and said, "South Second Garden has two people per room, South Third Garden has four people per room. Buddy, you didn''t know that?" The yellow-haired youth looked a bit puzzled. "I didn''t look into it much." Su Yuan smiled. "You seem well-informed, could you tell me more?" The yellow-haired youth chuckled and began to exin: "I''m not good at cultivation, but I really know a lot about this stuff. You asked the right person! The dorms at Demon Capital Academy are divided into four main districts: east, south, west, and north. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire Each district is centered around the middle and divided into three gardens from the inside out: First Garden, Second Garden, and Third Garden. First Garden has single rooms, with 100 spots. Second Garden has double rooms, with 400 spots. Third Garden has quadruple rooms, and the rest will stay here. Every year, graduating seniors will move out of a specific district, and new students will move into that district. This year, it''s the South District''s turn, right across from the main gate. We''re pretty lucky this year!" Chapter 73 Dormitory Assignment Su Yuan admired: "You really know everything..." The blond youth crossed his arms and smiled smugly, "That''s nothing. Ever since I got epted, I''ve been on the Demon Capital Academy forum every day. In just over a month, I''ve reached level 8 on the forum!" So he''s a level-8 forum big shot, terrifying indeed! Su Yuan was still level 2 on the Demon Capital Academy forum, which he had casually leveled up tost time. "So how is the room assignment determined?" Su Yuan asked again. If he could get a room to himself, that would be the best. It would be more convenient for life, cultivation, andmuting. The blond youth replied, "Of course, it''s based on entrance exam scores." Su Yuan nodded. Based on scores, it should be fine. Even though he didn''t take the entrance exam, as a special admission student, he should be able to rank within the top 100. The blond youth sighed, lowered his voice, and said to Su Yuan, "I ranked 2022nd upon entry, so I can only stay in the South Third Garden, thest building of the boys'' dormitory..." "2022?" Su Yuan was stunned. He took out his phone from his pocket, opened the Demon Capital Academy''s official website, and saw this headline on the homepage: [This year our academy admitted 2029 students. Seven were special admissions, and 2022 were admitted through the national unified professional exam...] What?! Su Yuan looked at the blond youth in front of him with some surprise. Goodness, it turned out that this guy in front of him was thest ranked student at Demon Capital Academy this year! "It seems you''ve figured it out. Buddy, your observational skills are sharp!" The blond youth didn''t seem embarrassed at all. Instead, heughed. Coming inst was stilling in first. To Su Yuan, no matter his grades or talent, this guy''s luck value was unmatched. It was simply supreme luck! Getting in touch andmunicating more with someone this lucky would surely allow some of that luck to rub off on him! Su Yuan extended his hand proactively and smiled, "I''m Su Yuan!" The youth equally warmly extended his hand to shake Su Yuan''s: "I''m Huang Xiang, pleasure to meet you!" Huang Xiang? Su Yuan looked up and saw the blond curls on Huang Xiang''s head. He couldn''t help but think of something amusing, almost pulling his hand back immediately. "Huang Xiang, your name... is quite special. It goes well with your hairstyle!" Huang Xiang coughed twice but seemed used to it over the years, "My parents gave me the name. I can''t just change it." Su Yuanughed, "That''s true. Besides, maybe the name symbolizes that you will definitely surpass to Shining Star level and master flight techniques." "Right! Su Yuan, you''re spot on!" As Huang Xiang spoke, he suddenly felt that the name "Su Yuan" seemed familiar. It was as if he had seen it somewhere recently... "Xia Yue, Southern First Garden, Room 9."@@novelbin@@ At this moment, an especially front-dormitory number was called. "Southern First Garden, and it''s a single-digit room number!" "A top student!" "But she doesn''t look easy to mess with..." "Xia Yue? Is that Xia Yue!" "Ah, right! It''s that Xia Yue from Demon City! What is she doing at Demon Capital Academy?!" ... As the crowd chatted, Su Yuan and Huang Xiang couldn''t help but nce ahead. There was a long-haired girl with red eyes, wearing a stylish red long-sleeve shirt and a ck skirt. She was about 5''4", clearly a youngdy from a wealthy family. "It''s really Xia Yue!" Huang Xiang''s eyes were full of surprise. Su Yuan asked curiously, "You know her?" "Of course I do!" Huang Xiang, a bit excited, began to introduce Xia Yue to Su Yuan, "Xia Yue is the second daughter of the Xia family in Beidou Consortium from Demon City. She''s a super talented Bronze Level Fire Element Mage and has over a million followers online! I didn''t expect her to leave Demon City ande to Demon Capital Academy..." Beidou Consortium... Su Yuan''s pupils contracted slightly. This consortium''s strength was ranked in the top ten in Great me and even had international business. Apart from their economic power, the consortium was filled with experts, making it an absolute giant! "When discussing others, couldn''t you be quieter?" Apanied by a somewhat cold and arrogant question, Xia Yue had already walked beside Su Yuan and Huang Xiang, looking at them with a trace of disdain and annoyance. New students in line around also looked over, eager to watch the scene. "Um... sorry, sorry, I got excited!" Huang Xiang scratched his head and quickly said, "Xia Yue, I''m your fan!" "Keep your mouth in check!" Xia Yue snorted coldly before walking away. Huang Xiang scratched his head, turning to Su Yuan, "I was too loud just now. Sorry for getting you involved." "Not your fault," Su Yuan shook his head nomittally, "It seems this youngdy has a bad temper." Talking about others behind their back is indeed not polite. But Huang Xiang was just introducing Xia Yue to Su Yuan and had no intention of badmouthing her. Compared to Xia Yue, Huang Xiang didn''te off as haughty at all. Speaking of which, it''s unclear whether by coincidence or not. Demon Capital Academy students all seemed to have "personalities," unlike the harmonious folks from Shuzhou College like Zhuang Xun and Fang Kun... After a while, Su Yuan and Huang Xiang finally reached the front of the line. The round-faced senior sister with sses was responsible for registration. Huang Xiang handed over his admission letter. Taking Huang Xiang''s letter, the senior sister operated on theputer and then suddenly froze before handing back his student ID and saying in a low voice, "South Third Garden, Room 7-405." "Okay, thank you, senior sister!" Huang Xiang smiled, thanking her for both registering him and being discreet with the information. Even though she lowered her voice, some nearby still heard. "Building 7? Isn''t that thest boys'' dormitory?" "It seems so. Buildings 8, 9, and 10 are vacant, and building 11 is the girls'' dormitory. South Third Garden has six floors on each building and six rooms on each floor. Room 7-405 should be one of the bottom ones, right?" "Guys, I checked beforeing¡ªroom 7-405 is thest boys'' dormitory this year." "Isn''t this guy thest in ranking then?" "Seems so!" ... Though not malicious, their chatter was a bit harsh. Huang Xiang seemed used to it over the years of beingst. In his first high school year, he narrowly met the physical requirements, qualifying for Star Apprentice ss. Since then, he was always at the bottom. But three yearster, he made it to Demon Capital Academy, still at the bottom. Huang Xiang believed that just like in high school, being at the bottom was just the start! With hard work, persistence, and some luck, he believed he would eventually catch up among the 2000 freshmen at Demon Capital Academy! Huang Xiang took the student ID and moved aside, saying to Su Yuan, "I''ll wait for you." Su Yuan nodded, observing Huang Xiang. Only on mentality alone, Huang Xiang was far better than Xia Yue. Su Yuan handed his admission letter. The round-faced senior sister quickly operated on theputer but soon showed a bit of surprise. Handing back his student ID, the senior sister said, "Southern First Garden, Room 4." Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire "Thank you." Su Yuan nodded and took it. Southern First Garden Room 4, even ahead of Xia Yue''s number, stirring surprise and discussion among the surrounding students, including the astonished Huang Xiang. As a forum junkie, Huang Xiang suddenly remembered: "I knew your name sounded familiar! You''re Su Yuan, one of the special admissions! I saw your information online!" Su Yuan left the queue, "Let''s head to the dorm." Huang Xiang paused, "You''re a special admission, joining me, thest rank?" "Of course, didn''t I say we''d go together?" Su Yuanughed, patting his shoulder, "What''s wrong withst rank? You''re my first friend in this academy." Huang Xiangughed, "Honored, let''s go then!" Chapter 74 Neighbor of Room 3 On the way to the South District Third Garden, there were signs and members of the student council all along the route. And not only were Su Yuan and Huang Xiang there, but along the way, many freshmen who hadpleted their registration were also heading towards the dormitory area, so they just followed the crowd. After a while, Su Yuan and Huang Xiang finally arrived at the dormitory area.@@novelbin@@ "What a big tree..." All the students who came here couldn''t help but be amazed when they saw the giant tree ahead! It was a huge ancient tree over two hundred meters tall, spreading its branches and leaves, standing on a tnd. Around it, there were two circles of dormitories. The inner circle had one hundred rooms, all in two-story row houses, close to the giant tree. The outer circle had two hundred rooms, also in two-story houses. Since each room amodated two people, the houses wererger but a bit farther from the Divine Tree. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire On the outermost side, there were a dozen expansive six-story t buildings scattered around. All the buildings were in a forest style, blending together seamlessly,plemented by the central giant tree and surrounding greenery. It looked more like garden vis than student dormitories! Huang Xiang eximed to Su Yuan, "That giant ancient tree must be the Soul-binding Divine Tree of the Demon Capital Academy, which was reportedly brought here by the overlords from the depths of the Ancient Forbidden Zone when the academy was founded. It''s a fourth-level spirit nt." "Besides being able to enhance alertness, dispel evil, and ward off demons, its main function is to gather Star Power!" "A fourth-level spirit nt?" Su Yuan felt greatly surprised. A fourth-level spirit nt was equivalent to an Epic grade Star Beast or Star Card, which was extremely rare. After sensing a bit, Su Yuan nodded and said, "The Star Power around here is indeed a bit denser." "That''s from far away," Huang Xiang shook his head and smiled, looking at Su Yuan with envy. "You''re living in the Southern First Garden, the innermost circle, where the Star Power concentration is reportedly thirty percent higher than outside!" "Thirty percent?!" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. If the increase was indeed thirty percent, that would be significant, especially for students with high-grade Soul Cards! The higher the grade of the Soul Card, the faster it could refine Star Power. Now that the Star Power concentration was also increased, the cultivation speed would naturally be greatly enhanced! After chatting for a while, Huang Xiang smiled and said, "Su Yuan, I''m off to Building 7. You need to go further to the inner Southern First Garden. Let''s exchange contacts and catch upter when we''re free." "Alright." After exchanging contact information, the two parted ways. Su Yuan continued on through the Southern Second Garden into the innermost Southern First Garden. "This is Room 72. Is Room 4 to the right..." Su Yuan walked around the giant tree for a while and quickly found Rooms 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the south side of the Divine Tree. Standing in front of Room 4''s door, Su Yuan swiped his student ID and the door opened automatically. The first floor was a living area, with a living room, bedroom, toilet, and even a kitchen. And since there was only one bedroom, it looked quite spacious. The second floor mainly consisted of a cultivation room. The floor of the cultivation room was engraved with a multifunctional fixed barrier that had pest repellent, sound instion, and Star Power fluctuation istion functions. There was also a more than thirty square meter semi-circr open-air balcony on the side close to the Divine Tree. Leaning against the balcony railing, Su Yuan felt the dappled sunlight on his head while looking at the lush branches and leaves of the Divine Tree before him. Just by looking at the Soul-binding Divine Tree, he felt a refreshing coolness, his senses became clear, and distracting thoughts faded away. Moreover, as Huang Xiang had said, the Spiritual Power concentration here was indeed thirty percent higher, if not more! "As expected of a fourth-level spirit nt!" Su Yuan felt greatly satisfied. Ignoring everything else, just having a dormitory close to the Soul-binding Divine Tree was already a great gain! Back on the first floor, Su Yuan thoroughly cleaned the ce and organized the many daily necessities he had bought and stored in his ring. "ording to the email, today is the freshman registration day. Starting tomorrow until the 8th, there are seven days for the freshmen to rece their mentors through challenges during the pre-selection period. If I''m not mistaken, before the pre-selection challenges begin, each mentor should meet with their pre-selected students first, which should be today." Opening his phone, Su Yuan checked the time and saw it was already 1 PM. After confirming there were no new messages, Su Yuan took out some food from his ring to quickly fill his stomach and then got up to go out and explore the academy first. After all, it was his first time at this school, and familiarizing himself with the environment was a priority. There was no need to rush to cultivate. He decided to check out the teaching buildings, Practical Combat Hall, and library of this top academy to see how they differed from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School. As Su Yuan walked out of his room and passed by Room 3 next door, the door opened, and Su Yuan couldn''t help but look over. A slender young man in a coarse gray robe with slightly long hair, tall stature, and a face with some freckles, looking very ordinary, stood there. He was the type who wouldn''t stand out in a crowd. However, Su Yuan was well aware that someone living in this room couldn''t possibly be ordinary. The more ordinary someone appeared, the more extraordinary they likely were. "Is this what they call plete concealment''?" Su Yuan recalled the term Vice Chairman Qin mentioned today. This should be a method to hide the fluctuations of Star Power under normal circumstances. Although Su Yuan could somewhat suppress Star Power fluctuations by concentrating Star Power Vortex, it was far from what Xiang Dingqian could achieve. Undoubtedly, his direction was wrong. There must be some techniques involved. Apart from Xiang Dingqian, this young man before him was the second freshman he had seen who achievedplete concealment. He could sense no trace of Star Power fluctuations from him. At this moment, seeing Su Yuan looking over, the young man smiled warmly and waved at him. Only then did Su Yuan notice the young man''s hands. They were not only unusually fair but also quite slender and delicate, even more beautiful than those of a girl. "Hello, I''m Shang Baiyu." The young man walked up and greeted with a smile. "Hello, Student Shang, I''m Su Yuan." "So you''re Su Yuan, who ranked first in the supplementary special admissions. Nice to meet you." Shang Baiyu smiled and added, "Also, just call me Xiao Shang or Baiyu." Xiao Shang? Uh... Su Yuan''s expression grew somewhat peculiar. This special admissions student living in Room 3 of the Southern First Garden was quite courteous, almost excessively so... "Let''s go with Baiyu," Su Yuan said, "Baiyu, where are you heading now?" "I''m nning to explore the Demon Capital Academy, especially the Practical Combat Hall!" Shang Baiyu''s eyes shed with excitement. After a moment of thought, Su Yuan said, "I was about to go there too. Mind if I join you?" Meeting a couple of new friends at a new school was undoubtedly a good thing. Plus, Su Yuan also wanted to see the Practical Combat Hall and gauge the level of the new freshmen at Demon Capital Academy. "Sure," Shang Baiyu replied with excitement. "Practical Combat Hall No. 1 is nearby, just a twenty-minute walk north. Let''s go quickly. I heard some freshmen couldn''t wait to spar already!" Su Yuan cast a surprised look at Shang Baiyu. This guy, he didn''t expect him to be a battle maniac... Su Yuan nodded, and they quickly headed towards Practical Combat Hall No. 1 together. Chapter 75 Let me do it! Number 1 Practical Combat Hall was located north of the dormitory area. Walking further west led to the teaching buildings. Before long, Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu arrived at thebat hall. This was a massive, t building with two floors, each over sixteen meters high. The first floor was for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Levels. The second floor was for Shining Star and above. Ordinary students didn''t have ess. "Such argebat hall, the area alone is more than ten times bigger than that of No. 4 High School," Su Yuan couldn''t help but click his tongue. Shang Baiyuughed: "Of course, back in high school, all the students were Star Apprentices. The destructive power and impact range were limited." "But from the Bronze Level onwards, a Star Card Master''s power range increases substantially, leading to higher requirements for training grounds. It needs to be spacious, sturdy, and resistant to erosion, among other qualities." Su Yuan nodded, noticing that Shang Baiyu referred to "your high school" instead of just "high school," making him a bit curious. "Let''s go, hurry up and check it out!" Shang Baiyu urged excitedly. After briefly pondering, Su Yuan didn''t ask further and walked in with Shang Baiyu. The hall''s interior resembled an erged indoor basketball court. The perimeter had stands and walkways, while the center featured a massive square arena. The arena was made of precious materials of levels one, two, and even three, with barriers set up, making it costly. The moment Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu entered, they felt intense Star Power fluctuations. "Surprising Swan!" "Blowing Snow Second Style!" "ng, ng, ng...!" ... Many students were sparring and exchanging moves in the central arena, with sounds ofbat ringing continuously. Most of the onlookers stood at the edge of the arena or on walkways, many itching to join in. Shang Baiyu observed for a while: "It seems like all of them are at Star Apprentice Ninth Rank." Su Yuan nodded: "Perhaps because of the uing preselection challenge, none of the Bronze-Level are participating." "Preselection challenge... that makes sense." Shang Baiyu thought for a moment and understood. Hundreds of Bronze-Level students aimed to challenge the Burning Sun-Level mentors in the preselection. Naturally, they wouldn''t reveal their strength easily. In Star Card Master battles, raw strength was crucial, but intelligence was equally important. Know yourself and your enemy, and you won''t be defeated in a hundred battles. Attributes countered, skills targeted, and tactics changed; these all could influence the oue. In terms of skills, if sparring exposed their usual tactics and trump cards, it could be detrimental during the preselection challenge. There were no invincible, wless skills. The lower the skill''s grade, the more ws it had, making it easier to counter. Of course, if confident enough to overpower any opponent with sheer strength, it wouldn''t matter as much. After watching for a while, they didn''t see anyone particrly outstanding. Remembering Shang Baiyu''s earlier eagerness, Su Yuan asked: "Baiyu, aren''t you going to try?" Shang Baiyu looked around, seemingly searching for something, then shook his head: "I don''t like fighting, no, I won''t go." Su Yuan was puzzled: "You don''t like fighting, so why were you...?" "Ah...!" Just then, a scream suddenly sounded not far away. "Someone got hit by a fireball, hurry, take him to the infirmary!" "It looks pretty serious. His whole arm is burned like a pig''s trotter, hurry up!" "..." The injured boy''s entire right arm was burned, indeed a serious injury. Compared to ordinary people, a Bronze-Level Star Card Master already possessed extraordinary power. Even during sparring, it wasn''t always possible to control the damage, so injuries weremon. ces like thebat hall usually had on-duty healers. The infirmary of this Number 1 Practical Combat Hall was right next to the stands. The injured boy''s roommate was a strong, solid guy. He easily carried him on his back, apanied by a slightly panicked girl, ready to head to the infirmary. At that moment, Su Yuan''s vision blurred. With a "whoosh," Shang Baiyu sped off. "Let me do it!" Shang Baiyu called out, then directly pulled the injured boy from his roommate''s back and pressed him to the ground. "What are you doing?!" The strong youth was startled and rushed forward to stop him. The girl who caused the burn was also dumbfounded, not knowing what was happening. But with a casual push, Shang Baiyu sent the strong youth stumbling several steps back,nding on his backside. "Don''t disturb me." Shang Baiyu didn''t even lift his head, then smiled at the injured boy lying on the ground, "Don''t move, or I might mess up and waste my efforts~" Shang Baiyu said this while forming a seal technique, and then started pointing at the injured boy''s shoulder in a specific sequence with his index finger.@@novelbin@@ At seventeen or eighteen, the boys were young and vigorous. Being pushed to the ground under the watchful eyes of so many people was embarrassing. "Damn it..." The strong youth cursed angrily and stood up. He wasn''t about to let this slide and was ready to battle Shang Baiyu again! But just then, the strong youth saw a blur before his eyes, and Su Yuan blocked his way, gripping his wrist. "Get out of my way!" The strong youth, still steamed with anger, tried to shake off the person in front of him. However, the opponent didn''t move an inch. The strong youth used all his strength several times but couldn''t budge Su Yuan. rmed, his anger lessened somewhat. Su Yuan smiled: "Just wait a bit, let''s get your friend treated first." The strong youth nced forward and saw Shang Baiyu pointing down with his fingers, cing clusters of pure white plum blossom-shaped Star Power on the injured boy''s arm. It indeed looked like a healing technique. The strong youth spoke in a deep voice: "Alright, I''ll wait!" Su Yuan nodded and released him, then turned to watch Shang Baiyu apply the healing skill, his eyes narrowing slightly. This guy had high strength and agility... Su Yuan recalled how Shang Baiyu disappeared from his sight in a sh and casually pushed the strong youth down, confirming that the opponent wasn''t simple. He hade over to restrain the strong youth partly to cover for Shang Baiyu, who had started healing. He also wanted to personally gauge the strong youth''s strength forparison. The strong youth wasn''t weak. Using him as a reference, Su Yuan was surprised to find that Shang Baiyu''s strength might not be much different from his own. At that moment, with Shang Baiyu''sst finger press on the injured boy''s hand, twelve white plum blossom petals rotated together, emitting a mist that quickly enveloped the entire arm. "Ah..." A cooling sensation surged through the burnt arm, and the injured boy couldn''t help but groan in relief. Realizing his mistake, the injured boy looked up and saw the amused faces of surrounding students. His face flushed, wishing he could crawl into a hole. Soon, the plum blossoms dissipated, the mist vanished, and the injured youth''s right arm returned to its normal color. "Thank you so much!" The injured youth stood up, waving his right arm, finding itpletely healed, and couldn''t help but thank Shang Baiyu gratefully. Shang Baiyu smiled: "No problem. As a healer, bringing people back to health is my ideal!" This scene drew exmations from the surrounding students. "He healed it so quickly, in just a short time!" "What an amazing healing skill. You can''t even tell he was injured!" ... Just then, someone else shouted from another spot: "Someone''s been shed, help us!" "Coming!" Shang Baiyu enthusiastically responded and dashed off again. Su Yuan was momentarily speechless. It seemed that Shang Baiyu wasn''t eager to spar but rather to treat injuries in thebat hall? He sure was "unique"! ... At the infirmary entrance, four Demon Capital students, two males and two females, watched Shang Baiyu treat the new sparring students from a distance. "That new student''s healing skill seems quite impressive, right?" "Yeah, my Intermediate Water Healing Skill might not heal that burned arm faster. He''s just a new student..." "And his healing skills are pretty unique too." ... The four students discussed, intrigued by the new healer. "Teacher Xin Lan, can you tell what healing skill he''s using?" one girl turned to ask. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire The other three also looked curiously at the mature female teacher sitting by the window. "White Plum Finger," the mature teacher spoke calmly, "He''s from Mo Mei Valley." "Mo Mei Valley? Haven''t heard of it..." The questioning girl looked puzzled and whispered to herpanions, "Do you guys know?" "Nope..." "Never heard of it, but it sounds like some faction?" They nced at Lan Xin but didn''t dare to ask further. Lan Xin looked through the window, seeing Shang Baiyu enthusiastically treating injuries, no matter their severity. She couldn''t help but frown slightly, a trace of almost imperceptible disdain shing in her eyes. Chapter 76 Pre-selection Sequence: 1 Su Yuan watched in the Practical Combat Hall for a while. Seeing there wasn''t anyone worth paying attention to, he prepared to leave. But tomorrow it would definitely be lively because the preliminary challenge for mentors would also take ce in this No. 1 Practical Combat Hall. "Are you still going to continue helping with the treatment?" Su Yuan asked Shang Baiyu beside him. "Of course!" Shang Baiyu smiled. "There''s nothing much for me to do if I go back. If you need to go somewhere else, don''t worry about me." "Alright then, I''m leaving first." Su Yuan nodded and walked toward the exit of the Practical Combat Hall. Just as he stepped out, his phone suddenly rang. Su Yuan opened his phone. He received a new message. "Come to the Book Tower, the outer corridor at the southeast corner of the third floor." ¡ª Yang Yifeng Sure enough, it hade! Su Yuan''s expression changed slightly. He opened the academy map attached to the admission email and quickly found the location of the Book Tower. Although it was also in the South District, it was much closer to the center of the Demon Capital Academy. After replying with "Received," Su Yuan got ready to head to the Book Tower. But when he turned around, he saw Shang Baiyu following him. "Didn''t you say you have to stay here to treat others?" Su Yuan asked, puzzled. Shang Baiyu sighed, somewhat helpless. "The preliminary mentor just asked me to go find him." "Preliminary mentor..." An idea popped into Su Yuan''s mind. "Could it be, you are going to the Book Tower too?" "Uh, how did you know..." Halfway through his sentence, Shang Baiyu realized and asked in surprise, "You too, Yang Yifeng as your mentor?" "That''s right," Su Yuan smiled. "What a coincidence." Shang Baiyu couldn''t help butugh. "Haha, we must really have some fate. Not only are we neighbors, but we even have the same mentor." Su Yuan nodded. "Let''s go over first. We can talk on the way." The two of them left the Practical Combat Hall together and headed for the Book Tower. The ce where the Demon Capital Academy stored its books was named Book Tower, not library. Because it was indeed a tower. A sixteen-story ck tower with strict entry permissions. The first to third floors were open to Star Apprentices and Bronze Level. The fourth to sixth floors were open to Silver Stage. The seventh to ninth floors were open to Gold Level. The tenth and eleventh floors were open to Shining Star Level. The twelfth and thirteenth floors were open to Radiant Moon Level. The fourteenth and fifteenth floors were open to Burning Sun Level. As for the top sixteenth floor, currently, less than a handful of people in the entire Demon Capital Academy could ess it. Besides four experts above Burning Sun Level, including the principal, only a few others such as the head of teaching and the Book Tower manager had the privilege to go in. Nearly half an hourter, Su Yuan and others arrived at the Book Tower, swiped their student cards, and walked in. "There are actually quite a few people here, and many seem to be senior students." The admission time for new students and returning senior students at the Demon Capital Academy was staggered. New students arrived on September 1, while senior students returned on September 6 each year. So the senior students currently in the academy were likely just a small part. That''s why, since Su Yuan joined the academy, he hardly saw any senior students other than the student council members. However, at this moment on the first floor of the Book Tower, besides the curious new students looking around, there were many senior students quietly reading and studying documents. Shang Baiyu showed a hint of anticipation on his face. "Let''s go to the third floor first. I wonder what our mentor Yang Yifeng is like!" Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire Seeing Shang Baiyu''s eager look, Su Yuan felt an inexplicable sense of unease. The two of them went up the spiral staircase to the third floor. At a small table by the southeast corner of the tower, they saw their preliminary mentor. He was an old man with white hair and a white beard, unkempt in appearance, wearing a vest and sandals, holding a hand fan worth about ten bucks, fanning himself. "This....?" Such an appearance stunned the eagerly arriving Shang Baiyu and Su Yuan. A Burning Sun expert should be grand, imposing, and condescending, right? Why did the person in front of them resemble an old man who yed chess and drank tea downstairs in their neighborhood?@@novelbin@@ The mental gap was toorge, making Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu think they hade to the wrong ce. Shang Baiyu stepped back and looked around, but there were only bookshelves on both sides, and only here could they reach the outer corridor of the tower. "Hey, you''re all here? Stop standing there. Come on over!" The old man called out when he saw them standing still. The old man''s voice wasn''t loud, but it seemed to ring directly in Su Yuan''s mind. "This skill, not bad..." Su Yuan''s heart moved. He nced at the old man again and then walked over. Shang Baiyu had no choice but to follow Su Yuan. Su Yuan asked, "Are you teacher Yang Yifeng?" The old man shook the fan. "Absolutely." Shang Baiyu''sst bit of hope was shattered. Special admissions and the top ten in the college entrance examination usually got picked by Burning Sun Level mentors. But if it was the support ss, then not always. Because whether warriors or magicians, as long as they belonged to the main battle system, they were usually self-sufficient. It was easier for mentors to take care of them since it was more convenient for learning and tasks. However, students of the support ss had weaker self-preservation and insufficient attack power. Their actions often requiredpanions, making them unstable and more troublesome for the mentor. Even if they were special admissions, a Burning Sun Level mentor might not pick them. This morning, Shang Baiyu found out he was chosen by a Burning Sun Level mentor at Demon Capital Academy and was very happy. But now... Reality and imagination were indeed quite different! Because he was in the support ss, Shang Baiyu didn''t worry about challenges from others, as the mentor would reject such challenges. But simrly, because of limitedbat ability, it was impossible for Shang Baiyu to switch mentors... Yang Yifeng said, "You two sit down." Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu sat opposite Yang Yifeng. Yang Yifeng said slowly, "Since tomorrow is the preliminary challenge, at this time, mentors usually gather their chosen students to talk, to prevent them from running away. I''m no exception. So I will briefly introduce my strengths to keep you from running to other mentors." As he spoke, Yang Yifeng slowly put down the hand fan. At the moment the fan fell, Yang Yifeng''s entire demeanor drastically changed. The smile on his face disappeared, reced by a dignified expression. His eyes shone with spirit, and an extremely domineering aura exploded from his body! In an instant, Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu felt like the whole world in their vision was reduced to the person in front of them, and everything else seemed insignificant as dust and weeds. "What is this?!" Su Yuan''s pupils quivered in shock. He gasped for breath, his thoughts sluggish. Even a Burning Sun Level shouldn''t have such terrifying presence! But this feeling quickly dissipated as Yang Yifeng spoke again. "First, my preliminary sequence is... 1." Chapter 77 The Realm Above the Burning Sun Preselection Sequence 1?! Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu were both stunned. Although Su Yuan had long thought that for Yang Yifeng to choose both of them, his preselection sequence must be quite high. Among the Burning Sun teachers, he was likely to be at the forefront. But they did not expect that he would be the first! "Let me tell you about the selection process. This time, there are 16 Burning Sun level teachers participating in the student selection, and I am ranked first. Because I n to select two people, I was given the 1st and 4th picks. With the 1st pick, I chose Su Yuan, and with the 4th, I chose Shang Baiyu." Shang Baiyu was once again surprised and looked at Su Yuan beside him. Although he was a bit surprised that he, as a healer, was picked 4th, he was even more amazed that Su Yuan was the first choice among the more than two thousand new students at Demon Capital Academy! "The teacher preselection sequence is evaluated based on strength and seniority." "As for seniority, I can say without hesitation that, except for the dean and three other King Level members, no one has higher seniority than me!" High seniority is very important. Because it represents teaching experience, personal experience, and the understanding of Demon Capital Academy. "As for strength..." Yang Yifeng looked at the two and asked, "Do you know the realm above the Burning Sun?" Above the Burning Sun? Su Yuan really didn''t know. After the three levels of Sun, Moon, and Star, he didn''t know what realm was above the Burning Sun. However, Shang Baiyu seemed to know something and hesitantly asked, "King... King Level?" "That''s right," Yang Yifeng smiled lightly, "King Level!" "And as for me, I am only a step away from the King Level!" King Level! Just from this name, one could hear the weight it carried! Although the strength of a Star Card Master has manyponents, Yang Yifeng being only a step away from King Level meant he was almost at the pinnacle of the Burning Sun, so how could he be weak? And once he sessfully broke through to King Level... Then they would have a King Level backing them?! Thinking of this, both Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu felt their hearts race. Seeing their shocked expressions, a hint of pride shed in Yang Yifeng''s eyes. "Furthermore, I haven''t taken on any students in nearly ten years, and I currently have no students at the academy. This means I can devote all my attention to you two." Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu looked at Yang Yifeng with a trace of fervor in their eyes. There was nothing more to consider; they had to cling to this opportunity! "Rest assured, Teacher Yang, we will definitely not abandon... not challenge anyone else!" Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu immediately stood up and dered. Yang Yifeng nodded in satisfaction and said to Shang Baiyu, "I''m not worried about you. Even though you are from Mo Mei Valley, and the future looks promising, right now, even if you want to challenge others, you don''t have the capability." Shang Baiyu cried andughed, thinking that was a bit too blunt and not saving face at all. Mo Mei Valley? Su Yuan murmured to himself. It didn''t sound like a school name. Besides various middle schools, were there other sources supplying students to the academy? Could it be that... Shang Baiyu, like Luo Bingtong, is also a descendant of some Star Beast? But he didn''t quite look like it. Yang Yifeng looked at Su Yuan, "Is it okay to defend your position? ording to the rules, each challenger only has one chance, and each defendable position can only be challenged up to three times a day. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire If you find it troublesome, just show some of your strength to intimidate them, and they naturally won''t challenge again." Su Yuan responded, "Rest assured, teacher." Yang Yifeng nodded, "Good. That''s all for today. You can leave now." "Yes!" Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu responded and turned to leave together. ... After Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu were far away, Yang Yifeng shook his fan and smiled with satisfaction. Just as he was about to get up, a figure emerged from a burst of colorful light in front of him. "Yifeng, you seem to be in a good mood." It was an amiable old man with hair even whiter than Yang Yifeng''s, wearing a simple robe. "Dean Cai!" Yang Yifeng saw the visitor and quickly put down his fan, standing up respectfully, "What brings you here... How long have you been here?" "I''ve been here for a while," Cai Qinglong smiled, "I came to see you and take a look at those two students." Yang Yifeng''s face immediately turned embarrassed. So, the scene where he used his near-King aura to intimidate the two students was fully witnessed by the dean? Cai Qinglong sat on the opposite side and gestured for him to sit, "You can sit too." "Yes, dean." Yang Yifeng obediently sat down. Cai Qinglong said slowly, "These two kids have a lot of potential." "I understand." Yang Yifeng smiled, "Rest assured, dean, since they have been entrusted to me, I will do my best to guide them." Cai Qinglong smiled warmly, "I naturally believe you will teach them well." Yang Yifeng asked, "So, what do you mean...?" Cai Qinglong paused, then looked directly at Yang Yifeng, "What I mean is, hope still exists." Yang Yifeng paused, then shook his head with a smile, "The severe loss of origin energy makes it uncertain how many more years I can live. So many years have passed without finding a cure. There is no hope left in the East Continent." Cai Qinglong said, "If there''s no hope in the East Continent, what about beyond the sea..." "The Star Sand blows across the sea, dividing the four continents, the Burning Sun path is lost, and the King Level struggles to cross. Going to the other three continents is already hard enough, let alone finding a cure." Cai Qinglong lowered his voice and suggested, "The world changes, yin and yang are unpredictable. Perhaps in a few years, new changes may ur..." Yang Yifeng seemed to catch on to something, sitting there pondering. Cai Qinglong smiled, his shoulders shook, colorful light shed, and in an instant, he disappeared from where he stood. Watching Cai Qinglong leave, Yang Yifeng''s previouslyzy and indifferent eyes gleamed brighter and sharper. ... After returning to the dormitory, Su Yuan immediately took out his phone to ask Wang Haiping. Knowing that Yang Yifeng was a super expert just one step away from the King Level, he had to verify this information no matter what. The call connected quickly. "Director Wang." "Su Yuan? Calling me on the first day of school, is it about the tutor preselection?" "Yes, I have some questions about the tutor preselection." Wang Haipingughed, "Ask away. There are many teachers at Demon Capital Academy, but there are only over twenty at the Burning Sun level. I more or less know them. So, who chose you?" "It was Teacher Yang Yifeng." "Oh? Was it really him?" Wang Haipingughed, "A few days ago, he called to inquire about you. I guessed he might choose you. This is great; now, we are fellow students under the same teacher!" Su Yuan asked directly, "Director Wang, I wanted to ask if it''s true, as Teacher Yang Yifeng said, that he is just a step away from the King Level?" Wang Haiping did not hesitate, "Yes, he is indeed just a step away from the King Level, but that step, who knows how long it will take to cross." "Good!" Su Yuan nodded after a brief contemtion. As long as this confirmation was in ce. Breaking through to the King Level is extremely challenging and won''t be easy. Wang Haiping asked, "Any other questions?" "Not for now." "Alright, if you have any other questions in the future, feel free to find me, Junior Brother." Su Yuanughed, "Alright, Senior Brother." After hanging up, Su Yuan started to ponder. Since Yang Yifeng was indeed a super expert just a step away from the King Level, there really was no need to change tutors. Besides, Su Yuan was never that picky about his tutor. At Guangchuan Education Bureau, Wang Haiping put down the phone, sighed, and shook his head with a wry smile. "Su Yuan, you can''t me me. You didn''t ask, so I can''t reveal the shorings of our own teacher..." Most of the Burning Sun level teachers at Demon Capital Academy probably didn''t know some of the things about Yang Yifeng. Most people only knew that Yang Yifeng had been teaching at Demon Capital Academy for decades, seemingly unchanged since they met him. But as Yang Yifeng''s student, Wang Haiping inadvertently came to understand some of Yang Yifeng''s past. "After all, the teacher was once a King Level..."@@novelbin@@ Chapter 78 The Directionally Challenged The next day, around 2 PM. Su Yuan was refining Star Power in the cultivation room on the second floor when his phone suddenly rang "ding ding." "It''s time..." Su Yuan opened his eyes, got up, and walked over to check his phone. "Freshman, Wang Qiang, has issued a mentor challenge. Please confirm and proceed to Combat Hall No. 1 to ept the challenge." "Freshman, He Huanyan, has issued a mentor challenge. Please confirm and proceed to Combat Hall No. 1 to ept the challenge." "Freshman, Luo Wenbin, has issued a mentor challenge. Please confirm and proceed to Combat Hall No. 1 to ept the challenge." Three messages in a row. All notifications from the Academic Affairs Office. "Three people challenged me on the first day... There might be more, but the limit was reached, so these three were selected. It seems that having no background and no fame indeed makes me an easier target..." Su Yuan shook his head. Although he anticipated being challenged, he hadn''t expected to reach the challenge limit on the first day. Last night, to facilitate student challenges, all the preselected student lists for the teachers had been released. This time there were 16 Burning Sun Level teachers in total, with 28 students selected. That meant there were 28 spots. In theory, with over a hundred Bronze Level freshmen challenging 28 targets, excluding a few predetermined spots for individuals like Shang Baiyu, each Burning Sun Level teacher''s students would receive no more than six challenges. Yet, on the first day alone, at least three people had approached him... Su Yuan didn''t believe others faced the same situation. "Solve this early, and I can get back to cultivation sooner..." Su Yuan casually confirmed all three challenges and headed out to Combat Hall No. 1. With the Soul-binding Divine Tree, cultivation efficiency was greatly enhanced. When Su Yuan arrived yesterday, he had only felt the surrounding Star Power concentration increase by over 30%.@@novelbin@@ But by seven this morning, when Su Yuan began his usual cultivation, his mind was clear, Star Power flowed smoothly, and he felt like he was blessed with divine assistance! This was all thanks to the Soul-binding Divine Tree. In addition to enhancing Star Power concentration, it also had a calming and focusing effect. Such efficient and smooth cultivation had quickly be addictive for Su Yuan, making him cultivate from morning till now. If there weren''t other matters, he would prefer continuous cultivation! ... Su Yuan walked briskly along the forest path when he suddenly felt a slight chill approaching from the left and stopped to look. He saw a familiar petite figure jogging towards him from a distance, with white shoulder-length short hair, ice-blue eyes, and a small expressionless face. "Luo Bingtong?" Su Yuan didn''t expect to see this petite humanoid star beast here. What surprised Su Yuan even more was that in just a few months, the star beast aura around her had dissipatedpletely, bing undetectable. If not known beforehand, Su Yuan wouldn''t have thought she was a star beast. While Su Yuan pondered, Luo Bingtong jogged past him, running towards the right path. Su Yuan checked the electronic map on his phone. Taking the right path seemed to lead to another cafeteria. "Rushing to eat? By the way, she''s a star beast. I wonder if Demon Capital Academy prepares special food for star beast students. Or does she eat the same as us?" As long as there was enough energy and no food preferences, it didn''t matter what she ate. Moreover, star beasts generally had stronger digestive systems than humans and were not worried about digestion issues. Su Yuan didn''t look further and continued towards Combat Hall No. 1. After walking two to three hundred meters, he saw Luo Bingtong again emerging from another path and running towards a left path. "What is she doing?" Watching Luo Bingtong''s gradually disappearing figure, Su Yuan opened the map again. "Restroom? Ate too fast and got a stomachache?" Confused, Su Yuan shook his head and continued forward. Before long, Luo Bingtong ran up from an angled rearward path. Su Yuan quickly made way for her. Surprisingly, this time, Luo Bingtong quietly stopped behind Su Yuan. "What do you want?" Su Yuan turned and asked, assuming she could understand humannguage. Luo Bingtong stayed silent for a moment and then suddenly recalled something. She took out a white phone from her ring, clumsily typed a few words with her finger, and showed it to Su Yuan. "Combat Hall No. 1" Su Yuan: ... But Su Yuan understood and asked, "So, you want to go to Combat Hall No. 1?" Luo Bingtong put away the phone and nodded lightly. Su Yuan thought for a moment, realizing she also must have received a challenge notification. However, it seemed this kid was a bit directionally challenged? Having trouble with normal life, how her parents trusted sending her here was uncertain... "Alright, follow me. I am heading there as well." After Su Yuan spoke, he continued forward, and after a thought, Luo Bingtong silently followed. ... Combat Hall No. 1. Today, thebat hall was much busier than yesterday. The field''s barrier was fully activated. Qin Jia, the vice president of the student council, who met Su Yuan briefly yesterday, was organizing the matches and determining the oues with some student council members. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire The stands were filled with people, not just freshmen but also some sophomores. "Little Jiang, Kun Yu, keep your eyes wide open. See if there are any promising magician recruits. Our Secret Technique Society aims to recruit twenty people this year!" "Don''t worry, Brother Wang. I''ve done my homework. The one named Xia Yue, about to fight, is the most promising magician!" ... "I heard there are several martial arts prodigies this year. The president specifically mentioned two people, remember?" "Yeah. One called Wei Hong, and the other Zhang Tai. Both are Bronze Level. The president wants us tomunicate with them today." "The Southwest Wei family and the East Pole Zhang family? Definitely martial arts powerhouses. Their level should be adequate." ... In the stands, small groups of sophomores observed the freshmen, mostly seeking fresh blood for their societies. Martial Arts Society, Secret Technique Society, Summoning Society... These various and distinctive societies were one reason the academy produced so many talented individuals, fostering a thriving environment. Each society''s members typically followed simr disciplines, supporting each other and progressing together. This was incredibly beneficial for students, especially freshmen. Although official society recruitment was set to start after the 9th, these sophomores were already scouting for talent and initiatingmunications. At this time, the arena was 99% filled with this year''s freshmen. Including a few special recruits and top-ranked students from the entrance exam. Even if they weren''t challenged, they were here to watch. After all, today was packed with many Bronze Level matches! Being in the same school, all top geniuses naturally wanted to see how good others were. Chapter 79 Preliminary Challenge At the east gate of the Practical Combat Hall, Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong had just entered, attracting quite a bit of attention. Of course, it wasn''t Su Yuan who drew the attention but rather the cold, silver-haired Luo Bingtong who was quite conspicuous. "How did they end up together?" Xiang Dingqian saw Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong entering and couldn''t help but frown slightly. "Who are they?" A handsome young man with green hair and green eyes asked. Xiang Dingqian replied casually, "The other two special recruits in my batch." "Additional special recruits, huh..." Seeing the interest in the green-haired youth''s eyes, Xiang Dingqian frowned and said, "Ye Qing, he''s my opponent. Don''t get involved." Ye Qing, a genius Beast Tamer from the Capitol Beast Taming Family of Ye Family and the top recruit of this year''s official special recruitment at Demon Capital Academy. "So, you have a grudge against him?" Ye Qing waved his hand and smiled. "Don''t worry. I''m not interested in him..." Xiang Dingqian nodded and said no more. Ye Qing looked in the direction of Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong. His expression suddenly changed as if he sensed something. He immediately closed his eyes, made a seal with his right hand, and lightly tapped the center of his brow with his forefinger. A momentter, Ye Qing opened his eyes again, deep green fluorescence flowing in his eyes. Everywhere he looked, everyone had a unique golden symbol marked on them. Blue auxiliary pupil skill¡ªPeeping Technique. It could see through and identify the essence of targets and at higher levels could break through most transformations, illusions, and disguises. At this moment, in Ye Qing''s vision, all the golden symbols on Su Yuan and the others were the same, representing "human." Only Luo Bingtong''s was different. Her symbol was much moreplex than the others, representing... "Dragon"! She was a master-level Dragon, and her bloodline was extremely pure... Ye Qing closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the deep green fluorescence was gone, but the look in his eyes toward Luo Bingtong now had a barely suppressed fervent heat. ... Su Yuan observed the two people dueling in the field, one of whom was Xia Yue from Demon City. She wielded a delicate and expensive Red Gemstone Wand, effortlesslyunching various-sized fireballs continuously in front of her, reminiscent of a human cannon. Her fighting style was as fiery as her temper. If not for the high physical and magical resistance of the Practical Combat Hall''s floor, plus the barrier, the high school''s Practical Combat Hall would have been dismantled in no time.@@novelbin@@ As for her opponent, it was a female Water Element magician named Lu Yi, ranked 68 in the entrance rankings. Lu Yi decided to challenge Xia Yue, thinking she had the elemental advantage. However, every Water Dragon Bullet and Blue Water Triplet she cast was swiftly and ruthlessly evaporated by Xia Yue''s fireballs. Such a huge difference in strength, the slight elemental restraint was wholly insufficient topensate! If there was no trump card to change the situation, the oue was just a matter of time. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire "Bronze Middle Stage, and a Blue Star Artifact..." Xia Yue didn''t conceal her strength. The intense star power fluctuation emanating from her clearly indicated she was at Bronze Middle Stage! And the Red Gemstone Wand she wielded was undoubtedly a blue fire element magic wand with a massive amplification ability! A Blue Star Artifact! Even at the Gold Level, not many could use a Blue Star Artifact! If not for the terrifying enhancement of the Red Gemstone Wand, Xia Yue couldn''t possibly suppress Lu Yi solely with the Perfect Level Fireball Technique so forcefully. After all, Lu Yi was no ordinary Bronze Level talent. She was one of the top one hundred geniuses in the entrance rankings of Demon Capital Academy! "Su Yuan, you''vee?" As Su Yuan was pondering, Shang Baiyu walked out from the crowd in the aisle. Su Yuan smiled, "I knew you''d be here first." Even for a sparring session yesterday, Shang Baiyu had been so enthusiastic. With today''s official duels, with more injured participants, how could Shang Baiyu stay idle? Su Yuan spected that Shang Baiyu''s fervor for healing might be due to a natural inclination to study medicine and help others. Alternatively, it could also provide him with certain benefits... However, respecting someone''s cultivation privacy, Su Yuan wouldn''t pry. If there was any issue, it wouldn''t fall to him; Yang Yifeng and the school would certainly take action. Shang Baiyu smiled, then nced at Luo Bingtong behind Su Yuan. He was stunned at first and then curiously asked, "Su Yuan, who is she?" Su Yuan turned and introduced, "She''s Luo Bingtong, the other special recruit with me." "So, she''s also a special recruit." Shang Baiyu hurriedly greeted, "Hello, I''m Shang Baiyu." Luo Bingtong looked at him, nodded, but had no intention of speaking. Seeing this, Su Yuan said, "She''s just this cold; don''t mind." "It''s fine~" Shang Baiyu smiled and shook his head, about to say more when suddenly a loud noise came from the front. Su Yuan and Shang Baiyu immediately turned to see a Fiery me Red Lotus erupting in the field. The tumultuous mes rolled fiercely, causing ripples in the barrier over the stage! Shang Baiyu eximed, "What a powerful move! Definitely a skilled or higher blue fire element skill!" Su Yuan nodded gravely. Yes, indeed powerful... It seemed to have thebined power of seven or eight Hellfires. Several secondster, the afterglow of the Fiery me Red Lotus faded, revealing the figures of two people. Lu Yi''s face was somewhat pale, and in front of her stood Qin Jia, the vice president of the student council, overseeing the challenge. Though knowing Xia Yue hadn''t used her full strength, Lu Yi still decided to go all out for a final strike. First, she cast a Water Flow Wall for defense, then used Sea-colored Vines to control Xia Yue, and finally, with Great Sess, Deep Sea Call condensed four immensely powerful Sea Dragons. However, Xia Yue easily broke the Sea-colored Vines'' binding with a Resistance Fire Ring. Seeing Lu Yi''s persistence, she unleashed hering-of-age gift, a T1 level blue attack star card, Fiery me Red Lotus! The overwhelmingly powerful Fiery me Red Lotus obliterated the four water dragons and pressed toward Lu Yi. Qin Jia saw this and decisively stepped in to rescue, resulting in the current situation. "Xia Yue wins!" Qin Jia nced at Xia Yue, who was leaning on her wand with one hand on her hip, and announced calmly. Lu Yi came up behind, still a bit shaken, and stammered, "Th-thank you, senior!" Qin Jia nodded slightly, seeing multiple burns on Lu Yi and told a nearby student council youth, "Ah Tian, get someone to give her treatment." Though not directly hit by Fiery me Red Lotus, Lu Yi had still been struck several times by Xia Yue''s fireballs and was seriously injured. "Got it, President." The young man named Ah Tian responded, quickly spotting Shang Baiyu in the crowd, and called out, "Baiyu junior,e over here!" "Coming!" Shang Baiyu responded loudly, then hurriedly said to Su Yuan, "I''m going over. Su Yuan, give it your allter. If you get hurt, I''m here." "I''ve got your back!" Shang Baiyu shouted and quickly went over. Su Yuan watched Shang Baiyu''s back, shaking his head. That guy, is he cursing me... Chapter 80 Luo Bingtong Enters the Scene As Xia Yue shattered Lu Yi with a stunning Fiery me Red Lotus, the atmosphere in the arena reached its peak. "As expected of Xia Yue from Demon Academy. She''s incredible..." "Top-tier genius plus ultimate pay-to-win. It''s impossible not to be amazing..." ... Xia Yue put away the Red Gemstone Wand and walked out of the Real Battlefield amid the astonished gazes and murmurs of the crowd. The freshmen on the road automatically made way for her. Even after she sat down, many still nced at her asionally, continuing their discussions. "There''s no real difference between Demon Capital Academy and middle school..." Xia Yue felt both a bit bored and a bit disdainful. From childhood to now, any event she attended, she was always the center of attention. It was the same in Demon City. Now,ing to Demon Capital Academy, nothing seemed to have changed. "I originally thought that girl named Lu Yi could pique my interest, but she was defeated as soon as I got a bit serious." "Perhaps I should have stayed in Demon City. At least there, a few formidable people exist." Xia Yue shook her head. She initially nned to stay in Demon City. However, what was the point of staying there, where everything would be observed by that woman? No matter how remarkable her achievements, her family would only think it was that woman''s arrangement and care. Achieving higher feats than her in Demon Academy was impossible. To prove she was no less than her, she had to go to Capitol City or Demon Capital. ... At the edge of the arena, Qin Jia checked the list and announced, "Next group, Yao Tianba challenges Luo Bingtong." "Just in time." Su Yuan''s heart thumped slightly as he turned to look at Luo Bingtong beside him. Luo Bingtong also looked back at him. Then, she silently walked out from the crowd towards the tform. Mysterious Star Beast identity. Achieving the Star Apprentice Ninth Rank like him to pass the sixthyer of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet... Su Yuan was curious about her overall strength. So far, he only knew she seemed to be an Ice Attribute Star Beast. But up next, they should be able to see something. Because the boy named Yao Tianba challenging Luo Bingtong was also no ordinary person. "Make way!" "Why are you pushing me?" "Be careful!" Amid the slight noise, a youth about 6''1" with developed muscles and dark skin stormed through the crowd and leaped heavily into the Real Battlefield. The youth extended his hand. Star light surged, and a hefty ck-golden iron hammer appeared and crashed onto the ground. "Boom!" The hammer hit the ground, causing a slight tremor. It was heavy! The youth grinned and casually lifted the ck-golden hammer with one hand, resting it on his shoulder. "What tremendous strength!" The watching freshmen were stunned. Some senior members recruiting for clubs on the stands also lit up their eyes, focusing intently. This was Yao Tianba from Taizhou No.1 Middle School, ranked 33rd in the entrance exam, possessing a Strength-type blue Soul Card. Yao Tianba scanned the surroundings loudly, "Where''s Luo Bingtong? Come up here!" Without Yao Tianba having to shout, a petite white figure had already reached the edge of the field and stepped in. With silver hair and blue eyes, the expressionless girl Luo Bingtong caught everyone''s attention as soon as she stepped on the stage. "Youyou, look! This girl named Luo Bingtong is so tiny?" "She looks so cute and dazed~~~" ... "Damn, a white-haired loli? This is cool!" "If it weren''t for seeing her here, I would''ve thought she was a middle schooler." "She''s so tiny. Can she really face off against that muscle giant? I''m not sure I can bear to watch." "Don''t worry, man. She''s a specially admitted student. She won''t be as simple as she looks." ... Everyone was quite surprised that Yao Tianba''s opponent turned out to be such a tiny girl. Their body size contrast was so significant, it felt rather jarring. On the stands, Xiang Dingqian''s expression grew serious. If anyone''s background Xiang Dingqian wanted to know the most, first would be Su Yuan, and second would be Luo Bingtong. Among the specially recruited batch, Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong had test scores higher than his and tied with him, respectively. Unlike himself, these two participated in the assessment while still being Star Apprentice Ninth Rank! He hadn''t understood it before. Now he could finally see what Luo Bingtong was capable of! Beside Xiang Dingqian, Ye Qing was even more focused, staring at Luo Bingtong on the field without blinking. Yao Tianba looked at the opposite-standing Luo Bingtong, quite surprised. "I randomly picked an opponent, and it turned out to be such a little girl." Waving the iron hammer with one hand, Yao Tianba grinned, "Hey, do you need me to go easy on you? Otherwise, I might identally tten you!" Luo Bingtong quietly watched him, blinking as if she didn''t quite understand what he was saying. Then she opened her right hand, and amidst swirling frost and snowkes, a snow-white long de materialized. The two stood still with their weapons, unnecessary for anyone to dere; the battle had already begun. Yao Tianba retracted his arrogant stance and adopted a serious, heavy demeanor. In reality, from the start, Yao Tianba hadn''t underestimated Luo Bingtong in the slightest. Although she was petite and harmless-looking, how could a student preselected by a Burning Sun level teacher be simple? He had tried to provoke and distract her with words, but it had no effect. Luo Bingtong stood there like a walking ice block, holding her long de, unmoving. "Can''t figure it out. Then I''ll just go for it!" With this in mind, Yao Tianba charged forward with his hammer. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire Midway, he leaped up. Gripping the heavy hammer with both hands, he began spinning it. Ayer of golden light flowed over the hammer''s surface. "It''s the Centrifugal Armor-breaking Hammer, Yao Tianba''s trump card move, taking it out first thing!" One Taizhou No.1 Middle School student on the stands eximed. The Centrifugal Armor-breaking Hammer used centrifugal force to efficientlypress Star Power and significantly enhance the hammer''s power! In an instant, Yao Tianba had taken three steps, spun three times, and reached Luo Bingtong. By then, the hammer was glowing with golden light, emitting a fearsome aura! Luo Bingtong still stood motionless. "Not dodging?" Seeing Luo Bingtong had no intention to evade, Yao Tianba furrowed his brows. He worried that Luo Bingtong might have set up a trap unnoticed. At the same time, he feared his hammer might identally crush the tiny girl if anything went wrong!@@novelbin@@ But the two were now inches apart. There was no turning back. Thinking that Qin Jia was watching nearby, he hoped nothing would go wrong. Gritting his teeth, Yao Tianba swung the hammer,rger than half of Luo Bingtong''s body, down towards her head! "ng!..." A high-pitched metallic sh rang out. A wave of white energy sted out from the center of the arena. In the center stood Luo Bingtong, right hand holding the de above her head. The triple-powered hammer crashed against the snow-white slender de and could not press it down! Chapter 81 Overbearing Strength "How is that possible?!" Yao Tianba''s pupils shook violently, his eyes filled with horror. That was a Centrifugal Armor-breaking Hammer at the Third Transition. It could smash a Silver Early Stage Elite Star Beast with one blow, yet it was blocked by a girl not even reaching his chest height? Am I dreaming? Yao Tianba''s mind buzzed. He couldn''t ept the oue before him. After a brief silence, the entire hall suddenly erupted with a wave of exmations! "What? She caught it with one hand?!" "Could it be that Yao Tianba''s hammer is actually made of stic, and that unstoppable aura was just a fake?" "Impossible!" "..." Su Yuan gazed at Luo Bingtong, who had stopped the iron hammer with her de, his expression bing slightly serious. "This strength is a bit too astonishing... Her strength talent is higher than mine, possibly even full marks. Moreover, her talent must have enhanced her strength." ... On the field, Luo Bingtong slightly raised her head after stopping the hammer. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire Yao Tianba came to his senses instantly and thought to himself, "Not good!" In the next moment, Luo Bingtong raised her snow-white long knife. Yao Tianba only felt a terrifying forceing from the de. He was immediately sent flying. Yao Tianba groaned, didn''t bother to stabilize the churning blood in his chest, and quickly stood up. In just a moment, Luo Bingtong had already charged with her de, brutally and directly shing again. Ayer of Golden Gang surged onto his body. Yao Tianba steadied his lower body with a Thousand-Pound Fall and swung his hammer again. "Die!" However, the result was not ideal. Though Yao Tianba wasn''t chopped flying due to the effect of the Thousand-Pound Fall, his hands went numb, and he retreated two steps! Luo Bingtong did not stop moving. Her knife, shining coldly followed by Frost like a chain, constantly shed out ferociously, forcing Yao Tianba to retreat continuously. Before long, they reached the edge of the barrier! Defeat was evident. At this rate, he would inevitably lose. Yao Tianba''s face darkened, and he roared in anger: "Powerful Arhat!" A strong burst of golden Star Power surged from Yao Tianba, pushing Luo Bingtong back a bit. Yao Tianba''s entire body was enveloped in a violently surging golden Star Power, which then all contracted into his body surface, as if he were coated in gold dust. His aura suddenly became deep and unpredictable. Seeing Luo Bingtong shing again, Yao Tianba snorted coldly and swung his hammer. "ng" was heard. This time, Luo Bingtong was actually sent flying by the hammer. The spectators were shocked. "This Yao Tianba is so strong, he actually turned the tables!" "This is his blue Soul Skill Powerful Arhat!" A boy from the same school as Yao Tianba said excitedly, "With this skill, he''s incredibly strong and invulnerable to des and spears. Just with this move, no one in Taizhou''s high schools can match him!" Luo Bingtong quickly stabilized her retreating figure. Even after being hit by Yao Tianba''s transformed Arhat form, Luo Bingtong seemed unhurt. Her constitution was quite remarkable. Seeing Luo Bingtong unharmed after being sent flying made Yao Tianba''s eyes narrow. "Time to use the ultimate move!" Yao Tianba stomped his foot. Arge amount of golden Star Power surged, and the dense golden light rippled around him like morning light. Then, Yao Tianba shot out like a dazzling golden star, charging at Luo Bingtong again! Great Sess green skill: Dawn Star! Faced with such an unstoppable attack, Luo Bingtong gripped her long knife with both hands. The white light on the de intensified. Instead of retreating, she advanced. The two zoomed toward each other! Be it on the walkway or the stands, everyone held their breath and focused intently on this sh. In an instant, Luo Bingtong''s long knife struck Yao Tianba''s heavy hammer! "ng." The shockwave exploded; the weapons halted in midair. As frost and snow swirled, an intense chill spread out from Luo Bingtong, turning the twenty-meter radius around her frost white. Yao Tianba''s face changed drastically. The cold was so extreme that even his Vajra transformation couldn''t withstand it for long. "Crack... Crack..." At that moment, a continuous cracking sound echoed. At the intersection of the ck gold hammer and the long knife, a terrifyingly cold ice blue mark appeared. Ice quickly spread from the mark, soon freezing the entire hammer and approaching Yao Tianba''s hands! A chilling premonition rose in Yao Tianba''s heart. He let go of the ck gold hammer without hesitation! The frozen hammer fell to the ground and shattered into pieces! "Hiss..." The entire Practical Combat Hall gasped. That was a green Star Device, and it was destroyed just like that? A Bronze Level destroyed a green Star Device? Xiang Dingqian''s pupils shook slightly at Luo Bingtong''s astonishing performance, finding it hard toe back to his senses. Even with all his strength, he couldn''t destroy a green Star Device, yet Luo Bingtong did it with one strike! Meanwhile, Ye Qing''s eyes sparkled, continually rubbing his fists, suppressing his strong desire. ... After breaking the dark gold hammer, Luo Bingtong faced no obstacles and shed at Yao Tianba. "I admit defeat!" Yao Tianba was terrified. Even after bing an invulnerable Arhat, he didn''t dare face Luo Bingtong''s strike. Not just the immense power, but the terrifying coldness on her de was not something the Arhat Golden Body could withstand. His body couldn''t be tougher than a green-grade hammer, right? The hammer shattered into pieces after being frozen; his flesh and blood couldn''t possibly fare better! The snow-white long knife stopped before Yao Tianba. Luo Bingtong raised her head to look at him. Under the ice-blue gaze, Yao Tianba felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. While the onlookers couldn''t feel it, Yao Tianba sensed Luo Bingtong''s inner coldness, as if human lives meant nothing to her and she could kill him anytime. "I admit... I admit defeat. I admit defeat!" Yao Tianba panicked.@@novelbin@@ At that moment, Luo Bingtong lowered her long knife. Kong Zheng had said that in the academy, it wasn''t like the Ancient Forbidden Zone. One couldn''t harm others arbitrarily. Moreover, they shouldn''t kill and must listen to the dean and teachers. Yao Tianba let out a long breath of relief. Ignoring the "corpse" of his dark gold hammer, he quickly left the real battlefield. Qin Jia announced, "Luo Bingtong wins!" "White-haired lolis are the best!" With Luo Bingtong''s victory, the entire hall boiled over. "A Bronze Level that can destroy a green Star Device! Amazing!" "And she''s white-haired. I can''t take it. Does anyone know her social media? I want to follow her!" "..." In the real battlefield, Qin Jia said to Luo Bingtong, "You have only one challenger today. You can leave now." At these words, Luo Bingtong dispelled her snow-white long knife. ncing outside, she returned to Su Yuan''s side. "Who''s that guy? Why is she standing next to him?" "No idea. But they seemed to havee together." Su Yuan immediately felt numerous scorching gazes from all directions. Shaking his head slightly, he said to Luo Bingtong, "Your challenges are over. You can go back now." Luo Bingtong took out her phone, tapped on the screen, and then handed it to Su Yuan. "Take me back." Su Yuan: ... Recalling Luo Bingtong''s wandering earlier, Su Yuan guessed that this directionally challenged girl probably couldn''t find her way back after just one visit. "Alright, wait a moment. I still have to go upter." Luo Bingtong nodded and stood silently beside him. Chapter 82 Entrance ``` The battle between low stage Star Card Masters was still very fast. In less than half an hour, there were five consecutive matches. And this time slot was specially arranged by the student council, all challenges were at the Bronze level against the 28 qualifying students of the Burning Sun ss. Five challenges, with challengers ranked as high as 31 and as low as 106, but none seeded in their challenges. "Next group, Wang Qiang challenges Su Yuan." "Finally, it''s my turn," Su Yuan nodded and said to Luo Bingtong, "Wait here for me, don''t wander off." Luo Bingtong nodded. Wang Qiang was the first to take the stage. He was a lean guy, ranked 89th in the freshman list, with a top-grade green Soul Card, agile movements, and sharp eyes, appearing quite alert. Soon, Su Yuan followed him up. However, Su Yuan didn''t hurry to the center of the battlefield but approached Qin Jia, who was in charge of adjudicating. "Senior Qin, I have three challenges, right?" Qin Jia remembered meeting this special admission student at the school gate yesterday. He nodded and said, "Yes, you have three. Don''t worry about a marathon, we''ll arrange the three matches spaced out so you can recover." But Su Yuan said, "I actually want you to arrange all three matches together." "Are you sure?" Qin Jia thought Su Yuan didn''t realize the strength of his opponents and reminded, "All those ranked within the top 100 are not weak. Wang Qiang is 89th, and the next two, He Huanyan and Luo Wenbin, are ranked 44th and 52nd respectively." "Yes, I''m sure," Su Yuan nodded. If it wasn''t necessary to go one-on-one, Su Yuan would directly face all three at once. Qin Jia frowned slightly, thinking Su Yuan was being overconfident, but since he insisted, he let it be. "Alright, that''s fine," Qin Jia agreed and casually adjusted the uing sequence. "Thanks for the trouble, Senior," Su Yuan thanked him and then walked to the center of the field. Although the conversation was not loud, since Qin Jia was near the edge, some new students nearby heard Su Yuan talking to Qin Jia. "This Su Yuan has some nerve." "Indeed, quite daring. I saw Luo Bingtong with him earlier. Anyone knows his background?" A brown-haired young man behind them leaned over and said, "You guys are really ignorant. Although I don''t know his background, ording to the information I got on the forum, he is the top-ranked special admission student, in the same group as Luo Bingtong and Capitol City''s Xiang Dingqian." "You mean he''s stronger than Luo Bingtong?!" The brown-haired youth chuckled, "I can''t guarantee it, we''ll see soon enough!" On the battlefield, Wang Qiang pulled out a long knife and said solemnly, "I heard what you talked to that senior about. It seems you are quite confident in your strength?" Su Yuan nodded, "Fairly confident." To be a top yer, while avoiding arrogance, one must have a realistic understanding of oneself. With his current strength, Su Yuan was confident that below the silver level, it was hard for anyone to pose a threat to him; only top-tier geniuses like Luo Bingtong could make him exert some effort. Hearing this, Wang Qiang frowned slightly. The opponent looked ordinary but exuded such strong confidence it caused him some pressure. Seeing that Su Yuan hadn''t drawn his weapon yet, Wang Qiang said, "Get ready quickly, I''ming." Su Yuan nodded, his right hand''s Demon Ring glowed with a faint light. Then, he formed seals with both hands and shed fiercely in front of him. The pitch-ck Gate of Hell spread out in front of him, emitting violent, cold, and chaotic aura that spilled into the field. Then, one after another, giant skeleton wolves over three meters long, engulfed in ck mes, squeezed out from it. "Awoooo!!" Six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves lined up in front of Su Yuan, their powerful Star Power at Bronze High Stage burst forth without restraint! "What is this, a Necromancy Summoning Technique?!" "Holy crap, six skeleton wolves, and all at Bronze High Stage?!" "Is this what special admission students are like? That''s freaking insane!" The new students in the Practical Combat Hall were all stunned. Besides Xia Yue and nearly a hundred at Bronze Early Stage, most of the new students were only at Star Apprentice Ninth Rank. And here Su Yuan summoned six Bronze High Stage elite Star Beasts right off the bat? How were they supposed to y! The most shocked was Xiang Dingqian, who had always wanted to fight Su Yuan. "Turns out he''s a summoner? No wonder he could pass the sixth wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. Forget six Bronze High Stage Bone Wolves, even Bronze Early Stage has a fair chance to pass, not to mention that summoners usually have more than one summoning creature." Ye Qing watched Su Yuan summon the Bone Wolves and sneered. "Xiang Dingqian, this is the guy who beat you in the exam, a summoner?" "Yes." Ye Qing chuckled, "A summoner¡­ If you don''t mind, I can help you deal with him." Ye Qing looked down on Su Yuan, not for any other reason but simply because Su Yuan was a summoner. Belonging to therger school of thought, Beast Tamers and Summoners had entirely different philosophies. Not only was there no harmony between brother schools, but there was mutual disdain and multiple theoretical and practical shes every year. "No need," Xiang Dingqian sneered, "Who I, Xiang Dingqian, want to deal with doesn''t need outside help. Since the school has started, I''ll find a chance to challenge him soon." Ye Qing smiled faintly, "Alright, as expected of you." Both from noble families, Ye Qing''s stance was subtly higher than Xiang Dingqian''s. Because Ye Qing was the only child of his generation in the Ye Family, showered with love. While Xiang Dingqian had a cousin of the same age, Xiang Dingkun, who had even higher talent than him. No matter what the audience thought, the person suffering the most was Wang Qiang, who was standing opposite Su Yuan with his long knife. "This is freaking insane!" Wang Qiang swallowed, wanting to concede directly, but since he was already on stage, he had to grit his teeth and give it a try. Otherwise, he''d be utterly humiliated right at the start of school! Looking at the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves opposite him, Wang Qiang felt like six alpacas were stomping back and forth in his heart. Although for Star Card Masters, quality was greater than quantity, In a situation where strength was simr, one against six meant one against six, without any deception! Moreover,pared to Wang Qiang, only at Bronze Early Stage, the Bronze High Stage Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves were probably slightly stronger. "Six Bronze High Stage elite summoning creatures. No wonder he doesn''t need to rest." Nearby, Qin Jia predicted the oue and shook his head with a sigh for Wang Qiang. Summoning techniques usually had intervals between uses. It was inconvenient to insert other battles in between. It''s best to take all opponents out in one go. "Go." Su Yuan gave themand, and the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves unleashed a barrage of Netherfire Cannon at Wang Qiang! "Holy crap!"@@novelbin@@ Wang Qiang''s face changed dramatically. He immediately activated his Star Power and jumped, summoning a Star Power shield to protect himself while dodging. "Boom boom boom¡­!" Balls of Netherfire Cannon exploded around Wang Qiang, the ck mes swelling and spreading, quickly engulfing him. But soon, the stubborn Wang Qiang staggered out of the billowing ck mes, covered in soot, with a burn on his left arm, and a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. As a top 100 student of Demon Capital Academy, Wang Qiang had excellentbat skills. In just a few moments, Wang Qiang found the best route to dodge the six Netherfire Cannons'' central impact points, avoiding serious injury. However, even without a direct hit, the explosion''s aftershock from the Netherfire Cannon still impacted Wang Qiang significantly. Just after charging out, before he could catch his breath, he saw six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves in front of him, now with new Netherfire Cannons ready to fire. Damn it! Wang Qiang could only curse in his heart and quickly shouted, "I concede!!" But it was a tadte. The six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves unleashed their second salvo! The deafening explosions roared, and the ck mes engulfed Wang Qiang again, shocking the audience. As the ck mes subsided, everyone could see that Wang Qiang was shivering in the midst of the ck mes, not daring to move. At thest moment, Su Yuan hadmanded the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves to avoid hitting Wang Qiang. Qin Jia nodded and announced, "Su Yuan wins!" "Summoners are really strong; it''spletely bullying¡­" "Indeed, he won too easily!" ... Su Yuan didn''t even move. He easily won relying solely on the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, which made the surrounding freshmen envious. "Next, He Huanyan challenges Su Yuan." Since Su Yuan didn''t need a break, Qin Jia immediately called the next challenger onto the stage. He Huanyan, ranked 44th, with a top-grade green Soul Card. After stepping up, He Huanyan pulled out a green longsword, with a gentle breeze on the sword. She was a wind element Star Card Master dressed in a white training suit, looking valiant. "He Huanyan." "Su Yuan." They announced their names, signifying the start of the duel. Facing the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves that crushed the previous opponent, He Huanyan showed no fear, seemingly having a strategy to deal with them. "Against a summoner, it''s best to avoid the summons and attack the summoner directly," He Huanyan thought to herself. Compared to regr magicians, ny percent of a summoner''s power was in their summons, making them more vulnerable. Hence, they usually had strong self-defense skills. But still,pared to defeating all of a summoner''s creatures, forcing out and breaking the summoner''s self-defense was more effective. In fact, those trying to defeat all a summoner''s creatures usually got exhausted... Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire He Huanyan immediately activated her Star Power and charged towards Su Yuan, enhanced by wind elements! Su Yuan mentallymanded the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves to attack. The six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves gathered ck mes in their mouths, preparing tounch the Netherfire Cannons. The surrounding spectators couldn''t help butment. "Same move again. Su Yuan is a bit sly..." "You don''t understand, one good move is enough. Practicality is key." In just a few moments, the first round of "six wolves" artillery was ready and fired at He Huanyan. He Huanyan was prepared. She formed a seal with her left hand, unleashing arge amount of wind elements around her into a four-meter-long powerful wind field! With the wind field''s support, He Huanyan''s speed greatly increased, and all iing Netherfire Cannons were easily deflected by the wind. Although the wind didn''t specifically counter fire, it had a significant impact on the fire. "Wind Wandering Step?" Su Yuan was a bit surprised. This was an advanced skill of Wind Walking, enhancing both speed and agility. He Huanyan had cultivated it to Great Sess, nearly reaching Perfect level. Impressive! In this case, the Netherfire Cannons were ineffective. If a single cannon couldn''t break the wind field, more of them would be equally ineffective. However, the strength of the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves wasn''t just in their cannons. As bnced summoning creatures excelling in strength, agility, and defense, they were powerful in closebat! Su Yuan pointed andmanded, "Go, tear her apart." ``` Chapter 83 Overwhelming ```@@novelbin@@ "Howl!!" The eyes of the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves flickered with ck mes. Their ferocity on full disy, they all charged at He Huanyan. Facing the joint attack of the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, He Huanyan''s eyes sharpened. Her left hand quickly formed a seal, and her entire being became increasingly ethereal. "Trivial Wind, Everywhere!" In the next moment, He Huanyan twisted her body, transforming into a subtle Clear Wind that swiftly slipped through the gaps between the wolves! "Wind Breath Skill?!" "She actually mastered such a rare Wind skill..." There were countless skills, but someone recognized the one He Huanyan used. Wind Breath Skill, a Green Skill, allows the user to be a Wind Attribute Energy Body for a short time, elerating and passing through very small gaps. However, when using Wind Breath Skill, one would bergely immune to physical damage but still vulnerable to Star Power attacks, which could force the user back into their original form. And because it couldn''t be maintained for long, it was somewhat impractical even as an auxiliary skill for travel. Therefore, it was rtively unpopr, earning a T3 level among Mobile Skills. However, the strength of a skill is one thing; who uses it is another matter. At this moment, He Huanyan, with her superb skills and courage, caught the six wolves off-guard and broke through their encirclement in one fell swoop! As He Huanyan reappeared, she brandished her longsword. Amidst the Clear Wind, her figure shot out like a white rainbow, thrusting her sword towards Su Yuan''s chest! Fast Sword, Chasing Wind! Seeing the sword about to strike Su Yuan, He Huanyan felt a trace of heat. ncing sideways, she saw fierce mes ignite in Su Yuan''s right hand! "Sizzle!" The interwoven golden mes of the Golden Burning Hand grabbed the oing Chasing Wind sword. The blue longsword was only a dozen centimeters from Su Yuan''s chest, but it couldn''t pierce any further. Not good! He Huanyan''s expression changed. She poured Star Power into the sword, trying to enhance its power and break free from Su Yuan''s Golden Burning Hand. However, it had little effect. Su Yuan''s right hand, burning with Red Gold Fire, mped down on the longsword like a pair of fiery tongs. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire Just then, the sound of wind grew louder behind her. The six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves rushed to attack. He Huanyan frowned. A surge of Wind Element erupted from her back, quickly forming a pair of Clear Wind Wings. "Wind Wings?!" "Perfect Wind Wings? A flying skill!" The onlooking students eximed. Even a sh of surprise crossed Su Yuan''s eyes. Star Card Masters could achieve short-term flight after reaching the Shining Star Level. While not practical for long-distance travel, it sufficed forbat. However, for those at the lower three levels, skills that enabled flight were extremely rare. Wind Wings stood out as an excellent Green Skill among them. At lower skill proficiency, Wind Wings increased movement speed. When cultivated to Great Sess, it allowed for aerialbat and was more flexible than Su Yuan''s Elemental Maism Pressure. This was the reason He Huanyan dared to challenge Su Yuan, who had six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves. In He Huanyan''s view, no matter how strong these Bone Wolves were, as long as she took flight with Wind Wings, they couldn''t touch her! At that moment, He Huanyan decisively released her grip on the longsword. With a p of her Wind Wings, she rapidly soared into the air. The pursuing Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves saw this and immediately charged their Netherfire Cannons, aiming at He Huanyan. He Huanyan, now more agile in the air, easily dodged these attacks without even using Wind Wandering Step. With a slight shift of her body, she evaded the Netherfire Cannons. The cannon sts hit the ceiling of the Practical Combat Hall, causing booming sounds. A sh from the ring on He Huanyan''s hand summoned arge white bow. Holding the bow in her left hand and drawing the string with her right, she channeled the Wind Element from her body, converging it onto the white bow to form a five-foot-long Gale Arrow. Looking down at the helpless Su Yuan and the six Bone Wolves, He Huanyan''s lips curled slightly. "You''re different from other Summoners, skilled in defense skills and having decent closebat capability. But if this is all you have to protect yourself, I fear I''ll be taking your ce!" He Huanyan aimed her Gale Arrow, the surrounding freshmen amazed by its imminent release. "Could it be that the first sessful challenger of this year is about to emerge?" "Flight and such an astounding Energy Wind Arrow; let''s see how Su Yuan handles this. If he can''t, he''ll have to use the Bone Wolves to block it." "Indeed, He Huanyan is really impressive. She was subdued by Su Yuan just now, yet now, she has turned the tables." "Exactly, and not only are her skills unique and high-level, but she also uses them exceptionally well!" "..." Just as He Huanyan was about to release her right hand, a glint of silver shed. Su Yuan suddenly disappeared from her sight. "What happened?!" Shocked, He Huanyan hurriedly scanned the surroundings but found no trace of Su Yuan in the vastbat arena. "Up there!" "What the hell, how did he get up there?!" Silent observers were wise, but the Practical Combat Hall''s barriercked soundproofing, inviting interjections. Hearing the exmations, He Huanyan sensed a slight disturbance behind her. Without hesitating, she pped her Wind Wings to flee forward. ``` Chapter 84 Hellfire Descends "Noting down yet, Xiang Dingqian?" As Su Yuan spoke, everyone turned their attention to Xiang Dingqian, who was sitting high up in the stands. "So, Su Yuan wants to challenge Xiang Dingqian?" "Who is Xiang Dingqian?" "A genius from the Xiang Family in Capitol City. Like Xia Yue, he is one of the most famous new students enrolled this time. How could you not know?" "What''s the use of fame? Luo Bingtong and Su Yuan aren''t famous, yet their strength is outstanding, right?" "Hmm..." ... "Fine. I didn''t think I''d have a chance. Let''s settle it today!" Xiang Dingqian sneered, standing up from his seat in the stands. Ye Qing smiled and said, "Do you have confidence in dealing with the Summoner?" "It''s just six Bone Wolves. You don''t think they really pose any serious threat to me, do you?" Ye Qing replied, "His Summoning Technique isn''t weak. Although he has only summoned these six Bone Wolves so far, it may not be his strongest Summoning Technique. Be careful. These Bone Wolves are just a Soldier Card. He might also have a General Card..." Judging from the quality, level, and strength of the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves Su Yuan summoned, Ye Qing quickly deduced that it was undoubtedly a Perfect Level Green Soldier Card. For an ordinary Bronze Level Summoner, summoning three to four Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beasts with a Perfect Green Soldier Card is already impressive. Since Su Yuan can summon six, it indicates he might have a talent for increasing the ''Summoning Limit.'' The specific conditions for increasing his summoning limit are unclear. If he can also increase the number of General Cards, he will definitely seek powerful General Cards. However, Ye Qing could never have imagined that Su Yuan was just a guest Summoner with a Blue Summon Star Device who casually practiced Summoning Skills... After hearing Ye Qing''s words, Xiang Dingqian''s expression changed slightly. He took note of it and then walked down from the stands directly toward the Real Battlefield. Ye Qing crossed his hands under his chin and stared at Su Yuan below. "This guy, Su Yuan, does have a good talent. Up to now, I''ve only perfected two Green Skills. Besides that, he has Instant Movement and flight skills for self-protection... Let''s see if Xiang Dingqian can handle him. If even Xiang Dingqian can''t, then it might be worth my personal try." Ye Qing secretly pondered that in the next exchange between the Beast Taming and Summoning Schools, he would represent the younger generation of the Beast Taming School, and Su Yuan would be the perfect practice Summoner. On the Real Battlefield, as Xiang Dingqian entered, the atmosphere in the arena heated up. Everyone spected about what might have happened between Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian to openly challenge each other in such a setting. Even Xia Yue couldn''t help but perk up her ears to listen to the students'' discussions around her. However, no one knew the details, making her even more curious. Qin Jia turned to look at Qi Tian, who stood beside her with his arms crossed. From Qi Tian''s expression, it seemed he already knew Su Yuan was going to fight Xiang Dingqian. There was no doubt that Qi Tian knew something. Qin Jia lowered her voice and asked, "What exactly happened between them?" Qi Tian replied slowly, "South Gate Dragon Head." Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire With just a bit of thought, Qin Jia guessed the reason behind the conflict, frowning. So that''s how it is, no wonder... This means that without drawing some blood, this fight won''te to a resolution. While Qin Jia was pondering, Xiang Dingqian had already drawn out a ck long spear with golden patterns, ready for battle. Qin Jia thought for a moment and then walked to Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian, giving a reminder, "This battle is for practice. You must not take lives, sever limbs, or cripple anyone. Vitions will be severely punished!" "Understood?" Both Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian nodded. "Then, let''s begin directly." After saying that, Qin Jia stepped back to the edge of the arena. "It''s starting, it''s starting! Xiang Dingqian vs. Su Yuan. Who do you think will win?" "I think Su Yuan will win. His two previous opponents weren''t weak, especially He Huanyan, whose actualbat strength is definitely within the top 30 despite being ranked 44th. Su Yuan easily crushed her!" "It''s hard to say. Xiang Dingqian is from a prominent Capitol City family. Not only is his talent exceptionally high, but the guidance and education he''s received since childhood also far exceed ours. However, Su Yuan hasn''t shown many skills. His only Summonings are these six Bone Wolves. Let''s see if he has any other powerful Summonings." The battle was about to start, and the arena grew even more lively, with everyone''s eyes focused on this matchup. On the battlefield, neither Su Yuan nor Xiang Dingqian wasted any words; they immediately made their moves. Xiang Dingqian charged forward with his spear, trying to quickly close the distance to Su Yuan. Su Yuan waved his hand, repeating his earlier move. The six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves lifted their heads and opened their mouths, and the "Six Wolfs" Artillery Campunched their attack! "Such a petty trick. It''s one thing to use it against ordinary people, but using this move against me? You''re underestimating me, Xiang Dingqian!" Xiang Dingqian sneered, raised his left hand to his chest, and suddenly, silver foil-like Gang Qi burst out from his chest, flowing around him continuously. The Netherfire Cannons were charged and fired at Xiang Dingqian. Xiang Dingqian did not dodge or avoid it, swinging his spear and instantly shattering all the Netherfire Cannons! "Bang, bang, bang..." Six Netherfire Cannons exploded sessively, and Xiang Dingqian rushed out from the ck mes,pletely unscathed with the Gang Qi gently flowing around him! Su Yuan''s expression changed slightly, "This Silver Gang is quite impressive..." Su Yuan never intended for the Netherfire Cannon barrage to solve Xiang Dingqian, but Xiang Dingqian''s strength and tactics were still unknown, and using the Netherfire Cannons to probe was enough. Now, seeing Xiang Dingqian''s power, he realized that special recruits were indeed extraordinary. Xiang Dingqian was significantly stronger than his previous two opponents. He had directly endured six Netherfire Cannons without a scratch. That slowly flowing silver Gang Qi must be a Blue Grade skill! In fact, those silver Gang Qis were Xiang Dingqian''s Blue Soul Skill, ''Heavenly Gang Energy,'' awakened at that time.@@novelbin@@ Though seemingly lightweight, they possess a startling energy density far beyond the Bronze Level limit, impervious tomon Star Power attacks. The Netherfire Cannons had no effect. Su Yuan waved his hand, and six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves lunged forward. Seeing this, Xiang Dingqian gripped his spear tightly with his right hand, and more Heavenly Gang Energy gushed out from his body, climbing up his right hand and onto the spear. In an instant, his spear was shrouded in Gang Qi, gleaming silver, and its power greatly enhanced! Facing the first approaching Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf, Xiang Dingqian wielded his spear with both hands and smashed it down! The Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf unhesitatingly used its Netherfire Steel ws to attack the descending spear. "Boom!" With a muffled sound, Xiang Dingqian''s spear instantly broke the Steel ws and crushed its skull and body. The Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf, with its corpse encased in a Gang Qi reinforced by the [Netherme Bone] Talent and D-rank defense, was smashed to pieces! "So strong! He one-shotted a Bronze High Stage Elite!" "As expected of the genius from Capitol City''s Xiang Family!" In the first sh, Xiang Dingqian''s performance astonished the new students. Killing a Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beast and one-shotting a Bronze High Stage Elite Star Beast are twopletely different concepts. This meant that the Bone Wolves posed no threat to Xiang Dingqian. Indeed, after smashing the first Netherfire Steel Bone Wolf, Xiang Dingqian continued to swing his spear, sending the following Bone Wolves flying and crashing to the ground. "It seems Xiang Dingqian has made considerable progress in the past few months..." Su Yuan observed Xiang Dingqian, who was dealing with each Bone Wolf one by one. Xiang Dingqian''s Cultivation had greatly advanced, and he was on the verge of breaking through to the Bronze Intermediate Stage. More importantly, his Skills had significantly improved. Otherwise, passing the seventh wave of the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet wouldn''t have been an issue. After facing setbacks from Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong during the special enrollment, Xiang Dingqian returned and underwent hellish training in the family''s Secret Realm! Back then, Xiang Dingqian could onlyst a week in the Secret Realm before needing toe out. This time, however, he endured several months of rigorous training, with only a few days off. Even Xiang Dingqian''s father was astonished, as his son exceeded the continuous training record in the Secret Realm for Bronze Level. This painful training resulted in Xiang Dingqian''s increased confidence. The core confidence of a Star Card Master should stem from their own strength, not the power behind them. "This Su Yuan is in trouble..." Somewhere in the stands, a few new dormitory mates discussed. "When thesest two Bone Wolves fall, will Su Yuan just surrender?" "That would be too disappointing." The three chatted enthusiastically, noticing that theirst roommate, Huang Xiang, was focused on the battlefield without saying a word. "Huang Xiang, why aren''t you talking? Who do you think will win?" one of them asked. Huang Xiang stared intently at the battlefield, "Su Yuan will win!" Surprised, his roommate asked, "Are you that sure?" "Not sure." Huang Xiang shook his head, "I just hope he wins!" ... On the battlefield, as Xiang Dingqian was about to destroy thest Bone Wolf, Su Yuan had no Summoning left in front of him. The tension in the stands increased, but Su Yuan remainedposed. As Xiang Dingqian approached, Su Yuan made a move, forming seals with his hands. Star Power surged and opened a Gate of Hell several times bigger than before! "Herees the new Summoning!" "What will it be? Another Death Spirit?" Everyone stared intently at the slowly opening Gate of Hell. Xiang Dingqian noticed Su Yuan''s actions, frowned, and poured arge amount of Star Power into his spear, shing both White Bone Wolves aside before swiftly charging at Su Yuan. Even if Su Yuan could escape using Instant Movement, he had to interrupt the summoning! In a few steps, Xiang Dingqian closed in on Su Yuan. His spear radiated Gang Qi and Star Power, thrusting directly at Su Yuan. At that moment, a stone arm burning with green mes emerged from the Gate of Hell, blocking the spear with itsrge palm. Xiang Dingqian''s pupils contracted. The stone arm pushed him back several meters, spear and all. Then, two enormous Hellfires, over six meters tall, slowly emerged from the Gate of Hell. At the same time, a violent, chaotic, and evil aura filled the battlefield with their presence. Chapter 85 Pick Up the Ears! (Both yesterday and today are 7,000 words, please follow the story) "What...what is this?!" "Holy shit, how did such terrifying monsters appear?!" "Is this even yable, this feels like cheating!" At this moment, not only the many new students, but even Qi Tian and Qin Jia and other student council members were stunned.@@novelbin@@ "They have the aura of a demon. This is... a Master Grade hell creature?!" Qin Jia''s face was filled with surprise. Qi Tian also took a deep breath as he looked at Su Yuan: "This kid is really something else..." In the arena, Xiang Dingqian looked at the two Hellfires standing like two small mountains in front of Su Yuan. He only felt his chest tighten and his scalp tingle. The six-meter tall gigantic bodies, the chaotic and evil terrifying aura, and the swirling, burning Evil Green mes... all of this brought an overwhelming sense of suffocation and intense pressure! "Damn it, how could he have such terrifying summoned creatures!" Xiang Dingqian was horrified. Everyone in the venue was utterly amazed. However, Su Yuan secretly shook his head. In the Practical Combat Hall, it''s already disappointing that Hellfire cannot descend from the sky in such a dramatic fashion. Opening such arge Gate of Hell also consumed a lot more Star Power... Looking at Xiang Dingqian ahead, Su Yuan gave the attackmand to the two Hellfires with a thought. The green mes burning on the two Hellfires suddenly intensified, already initiating Evil Energy eleration. Despite theirrge size, the Hellfire had a C-grade Agility Talent, making their movements quite fast. Coupled with Evil Energy eleration, the two Hellfires advancing in great strides towards Xiang Dingqian were nothing less than two green meteors! Xiang Dingqian''s fighting prowess wasn''t low. Even in the face of the terrifying and domineering Hellfire, he remained unshaken. With a thought, a lot of substantial silver Heavenly Gang Energy swarmed out from his chest! Bathing in the vast Heavenly Gang Energy, Xiang Dingqian''s aura surged rapidly. Holding a long gun, he charged fearlessly. Xiang Dingqian was very clear that closebat was his forte. If he couldn''t even win a head-on fight, then there was no need to continue this battle! "Bang, bang, bang...!" In the blink of an eye, Xiang Dingqian and the two Hellfires shed! Even with the blessings of multiple Heavenly Gang Energies, Xiang Dingqian was still retreating step by step! Against the defensively terrifying Evil Energy Rock Body of the Hellfire, his ck long gun could leave only minor injuries with his powerful skills. Without skills, he couldn''t even break their defense. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire Even with his formidable Strength of 68, it couldn''tpare to the two Bronze High Stage Hellfires, with a gap of almost two whole levels! Not to mention, he was fighting two against one! "Bang!" A muffled sound rang out as Xiang Dingqian was sent flying by a chaotic heavy punch from one of the Hellfires. He crashed heavily into the light barrier before falling to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. "This is just too tragic..." "Yeah, I can''t bear to watch..." Everyone witnessed Xiang Dingqian''s formidable strength, but his failure was in being strong, yet not strong enough. If he were a bit stronger, he might stand a chance against the two Hellfires. If he were a bit weaker, it would have ended already, rather than being pummeled like a sandbag by the two Hellfires. Xiang Dingqian was at a significant disadvantage, but not entirely without hope. He was just barely able to struggle, making it seem so tragic. At this point, the two Hellfires, without new instructions from Su Yuan, immediately took strides towards the fallen Xiang Dingqian at the edge of the barrier. Xiang Dingqian stood up, ring angrily at the two approaching Hellfires. Gritting his teeth, he roared: "Damn it, I''ll go all out!" With a high-speed series of hand seals, Xiang Dingqian mmed his palm onto his chest. A gust of wind arose, and an overwhelming surge of Heavenly Gang Energy burst forth, weaving together like a mad white ribbon. In just a moment, it formed a more than five-meter-tall Ancient General outside Xiang Dingqian, d in shimmering silver armor and holding a Fangtian Halberd! This was the greatest result of Xiang Dingqian''s months of intense training in the Secret Realm¡ªOuter Path Avatar¡¤Ancient Military Soul! "Outer Path" was a major skill category where one''s own energy is used to shape a more powerful avatar. This type of Star Card was exceedingly rare and could be said to be among the most precious of all Star Cards! In terms of growth, sticity, andbat power, it was exceptionally outstanding. And the Ancient Military Soul was a reward given to Xiang Dingqian and his brother Xiang Dingkun by the Xiang Family for gaining special admission to the Three Capitals Academy, serving as their Bronze Level Soul Card. Though noble family progenies had their families as support and ess to ample resources, with extended family branches and many direct lineage and coteral descendants, young juniors were numerous. Therefore, noble families didn''t blindly nurture their descendants. Basic resources were provided to everyone, but higher-grade resources were given only to those who demonstrated sufficient achievement! This wasn''t just because of the limited advanced resources, but also to encourage descendants to strive for excellence. Otherwise, even a family with a King Level foundation would eventually decline if resources were handed out freely. In other words, if Xiang Dingqian hadn''t gained special admission to Demon Capital at that time, this precious Blue Star Card, Ancient Military Soul, would have been given to his younger brothers and sisters! After several months of intensive training in the family''s secret realm, Xiang Dingqian had already mastered the Ancient Military Soul. The Ancient Military Soul and Xiang Dingqian were highlypatible. Due to Xiang Dingqian''s inherent Heavenly Gang Energy being a high-density special energy, the Military Soul he shaped was several levels stronger than those shaped by ordinary Star Power! Chapter 86 The Final Challenge As Su Yuan walked off the real battlefield, the entire Practical Combat Hall fell quiet for a moment, then erupted into heated discussions. Apart from a few who were unhappy with Su Yuan''s final actions, the majority were amazed by the terrifying Hellfire d in armor and wielding swords. "Those two me Stone Giants must be Master Grade summonings. Their strength is simply terrifying!" "What me Stone Giants? Those are Hellfire," a skinny boy with sses, who seemed familiar with Hell Star Beasts, corrected them. "Ke Bei, you actually know?" "Just came across it in some books." The boy named Ke Bei adjusted his sses and began introducing it to those around him. "Hellfire is not only a Master Star Beast, but also of the Demon Race. Its six-dimensional attributes are powerful. With the talent buff, its defense is particrly impressive, making it the main force in breakthrough battles. And the two Hellfires d in armor and wielding swords summoned by Su Yuan must be ones that have fully developed their potential andprehended the ''Rock Creation'' skill, making them much stronger than ordinary Hellfires." The people nearby were stunned: "Ke Bei, you really know a lot! But is that Hellfire really as powerful as you say?" Ke Bei nodded slightly with a serious expression. "Very powerful." ... Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire Xia Yue watched the backs of Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong as they left, a slight smile forming on her lips. "Perhaps Demon Capital Academy isn''t much worse than Demon City Academy. If it were a bunch of nobodies, I would''vee all this way to this remote academy for nothing. However, it seems some people''s strength has exceeded my expectations. That makes things a bit more interesting." Not far away, Ye Qing frowned slightly, sensing that Su Yuan''s strength might be much greater than he had anticipated. "Those two Hellfires are already Master Demons. With the giant swords and rock armor, they''re practically monsters. My three pet beasts are only Bronze Middle Stage Masters. Even if they joined forces, they might not be able to defeat those two Hellfires from the Demon Race... But summoners ce great importance on realms. At least before reaching the Bronze High Stage, the strength of summoning is limited by the summoner and cannot break through to the Silver Stage. Once I cultivate my three pet beasts to the Bronze High Stage, dealing with him shouldn''t be a problem. And once I reach the Silver Stage, I will gain an extra pet beast slot. Unless he finds another one or two Master Grade General Cards, the gap will only get bigger." Thinking of this, Ye Qing felt a bit relieved... At the 7-405 dormitory, Huang Xiang looked at Su Yuan, full of amazement and excitement. "I never knew Su Yuan was so strong!" "So strong, yet still willing to be friends with someone like me who was always at the bottom of the ss!" Huang Xiang, having been at the bottom of the ss, had faced a lot of ridicule and had few friends. The geniuses at school looked down on him and rarely spoke to him. Until finally, he rose step by step, bing the top of the school, and pped those people in the face. Even in a new environment, Huang Xiang believed that as long as he worked hard and used his unique talent, he would eventually catch up in Demon Capital Academy. The thoughts of a young boy are quite simple, without muchplexity. To Huang Xiang, for Su Yuan to be so powerful and still willing to exchange contact information and be friends with someone like him, it was alreadymendable. "I really hope that one day I can team up with Su Yuan... but with my current strength, I''m far from it." Huang Xiang sighed quietly. Let alone Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian, evenpared to students like He Huanyan and Lu Yi among the top hundred, the gap was still huge. "I must work harder and not aim too high. The first step is to quickly break through to the Bronze Level!" Huang Xiang lifted his spirits, set his goal, and became more determined. ... Su Yuan returned to the corridor where Luo Bingtong still stood quietly, without even changing her posture. If it weren''t for her white hair fluttering slightly in the breeze, she could easily be mistaken for a life-sized figurine... Su Yuan couldn''t help but silently mock the situation. As Su Yuan approached, Shang Baiyu quickly caught up before he could even speak. "Su Yuan, that was amazing!" Shang Baiyu seemedpletely unaffected by the atmosphere of awe surrounding Su Yuan. He was visibly excited. "You really showed off today!" "Not bad. I had a good time too." Su Yuan smiled. This trip to the Practical Combat Hall served three purposes: handle the scheduled challenge, observe a few matches to gauge the level of the new Demon Capital Academy students through enrollment rankings, and finally, to deal with Xiang Dingqian. Su Yuan felt pleased and mentally clear, eager to return to cultivation. "I''m nning to go back. What about you?" Su Yuan asked. Shang Baiyu smiled. "I''ll stay here and see if I can help treat a few more injured." Su Yuan nodded, said goodbye to Shang Baiyu, then turned to Luo Bingtong: "Let''s go home."@@novelbin@@ Luo Bingtong blinked and without speaking, walked a few steps to stand behind Su Yuan. The two left the Practical Combat Hall first. Qin Jia and the student council quickly managed the scene and proceeded with the next set of challenges. However, the thoughts of those in the hall still lingered on the previous battle. The Heavenly Gang General of Xiang Dingqian, and Su Yuan''s terrifying Hellfire... Even among Bronze and Silver Levels, these were formidable things! These freshmen, having been admitted to the Demon Capital Academy, were the top-tier students from all over Great me. But after witnessing the battles of Xia Yue, Luo Bingtong, Su Yuan, and Xiang Dingqian, they realized the enormous gap that still remained between themselves and the top students. Some freshmen were deeply discouraged by this; others looked forward to academy life and their future even more. ... After the first challenge day, no one challenged Su Yuan again. Some of the other top hundred students had already submitted their challenge applications to Yang Yifeng, scheduled for the second or third days. But after witnessing the showdown between Su Yuan and Xiang Dingqian, they quickly withdrew their applications. Fortunately, Yang Yifeng didn''t stop them and approved the process, letting these students escape unscathed, feeling lucky. But Yang Yifeng wondered what exactly Su Yuan did. How in one afternoon everyone withdrew their challenges against him. So he went directly to the Practical Combat Hall, essing thebat recordings and inquiring with Qi Tian to find out what had happened. "This kid, getting revenge where it''s due, suits my appetite," Yang Yifeng said, satisfied after hearing the whole story from Qi Tian. One reason was Su Yuan seeking revenge. The other was Su Yuan adhering to the rules and showing restraint. Qin Jia, beside him, frowned and remarked, "Teacher Yang, the nature of the contest is friendly sparring, not a life-and-death struggle. Su Yuan deliberately harming ssmates isn''t quite right, is it?" "Nothing''s wrong with it," Yang Yifeng blew his beard, "Didn''t that Xiang Dingqian still not admit defeat?" Seeing Qin Jia wanted to say more, Qi Tian quietly patted his back and stepped forward with a smile: "Teacher Yang is right. Xiang Dingqian didn''t admit defeat at that time." "Let''s leave it at that," Yang Yifeng stood up, "I noticed Xiang Dingqian''s teacher is Zhang Heng. If he has anyints, let hime to me." Qi Tian responded, "Understood." Yang Yifeng nodded and walked away in his slippers, leaving the Practical Combat Hall recording room. Chapter 87 Skill Planning September 8th, afternoon. Southern First Garden, Room 4, second-floor lounge, Su Yuan slowly opened his eyes. "The effect of this week''s cultivation was worth ten days before." Feeling the visible growth of Star Power in his body, Su Yuan couldn''t help but show a satisfied smile. These days, Su Yuan hadn''t left the house. Apart from eating and sleeping, he had basically spent his time in the second-floor cultivation room. He picked up his phone from the side and saw that Yang Yifeng had sent a message. "Come to the Book Tower, the usual spot." The message was received at noon. Su Yuan didn''t dare to dy, replied with a word, and immediately set off. "Today is really much livelier..." Su Yuan scanned the Book Tower. Compared to a few days ago when he had just enrolled, there were many more people in the Book Tower today because the senior students had also started school. Su Yuan arrived at the walkway on the outer side of the third floor. Yang Yifeng was already waiting there. But today, Yang Yifeng was quite different. He was no longer in a white vest and slippers but was dressed in an exquisite green robe, with well-groomed beard and sideburns. The whole person had undergone a dramatic change, exuding the aura of a reclusive master. "The man relies on clothes" is not just talk... "Teacher." Su Yuan walked up and greeted. "Yes, sit down." Su Yuan sat down opposite Yang Yifeng and asked, "Did you call me for something?" "Nothing special. Since the preliminary challenges will end today, and you and Shang Baiyu are officially my students, I wanted to have a chat with you two separately." Su Yuan asked, "Where is Shang Baiyu?" "I''ve already talked to him." Su Yuan''s heart stirred. Talking to them separately meant today''s conversation might involve personal cultivation. Cultivation is rtively private. Apart from the mentor-student rtionship, even fellow students are not allowed to disclose it. For example, Su Yuan wouldn''t ask why Shang Baiyu liked to heal others so much. Yang Yifeng waved his left sleeve, and a streak of blue Star Power was infused into the void nearby and vanished. Immediately, Su Yuan felt everything around him quieting down. The sounds from within the Book Tower and the wind from the tower''s edge all disappeared. "Soundproofing technique?" Yang Yifeng casually said, "It''s not any magic, just simply using Star Power to block the sound." "Pure Star Power can achieve soundproofing..." Su Yuan couldn''t help but be surprised. Up to now, based on his middle school education, Su Yuan only knew that Star Cards could effectively unleash the Star Card Master''s Star Power capabilities.@@novelbin@@ Yang Yifeng smiled and said, "You will also learn this after school starts. Even without relying on skills, there are many techniques to utilize Star Power." Su Yuan nodded. Yang Yifeng restrained his smile and said, "I have seen yourbat recordings in the Practical Combat Hall from a few days ago." Su Yuan pondered for a moment, "Have I caused trouble for you, Teacher?" "Mm?" Yang Yifeng was stunned, then reacted and shook his head with a smile, saying, "It''s nothing. You handled it quite well." "Then, what do you want to say...?" Yang Yifeng looked at Su Yuan and slowly said, "I saw you mainly used two Summoning Techniques from the Hell ne in the Practical Combat Hall. One is Green Grade, and the other is Blue Grade. If I''m not mistaken, both have reached the Perfect Level, right?" Su Yuan replied, "Yes, that''s correct." "As expected!" A look of amazement appeared in Yang Yifeng''s eyes. "Before selecting you, I also inquired with Hai Ping about you. He mentioned that your skill talent is amazing, and you even independently developedpound skills. He jokingly called you ''Little Huangfu.'' Now it seems, I think he was being modest. With the talent you''ve shown, you may not be inferior to Huangfu Qi!" "Thank you for thepliment, Teacher." Su Yuan modestly chuckled. I don''t just have one Perfect Blue Skill. All my Blue Skills have been upgraded to Perfect... "But..." Yang Yifeng''s tone changed. "ording to Hai Ping, you are not specialized in summoning but rather a Space-type Star Card Master, and have cultivated skills like Steel me Finger, Gray me Strike, and Elemental Maism Pressure, right?" "That''s right. Nether Wolf Summon and Hellfire Summon are just two powerful Summoning Cards I obtained unexpectedly." Yang Yifeng nodded and suddenly asked, "Then what are your ns for embedding your future skills?" Skill embedding nning... Hearing this topic, Su Yuan couldn''t help but think. In fact, Su Yuan had already considered this issue. If possible, of course, embedding all Space-rted skills would be the best. But Space-rted skills are not only rare but often of high quality. Su Yuan''s current luck only allowed him to obtain one [Space Cut] from the Soul Comforting Mysterious Burial Tablet. As for other Space-rted skills, there were no clues at all. At this moment, seeing Yang Yifeng bring up this issue, Su Yuan thought for a moment and said, "On the premise of embedding Space-rted skills in Soul Card Skills, I will select and embed ordinary skill slots based on my shorings and needs." Yang Yifeng seemed to have expected this answer and nodded, "For you, such a choice is indeed not wrong. Space-rted Star Cards are rare. Being a Space-rted Star Card Master, embedding other attribute Star Cards will not provide additional boosts. Therefore, regardless of attribute, only looking at the type and choosing the best is indeed fine. But in doing so, because of theck of talent boosts, your non-space-rted skills in ordinary skill slots will be inherently weaker than those of specialized Star Card Masters. Take a Burning Sun-Level Fire Star Card Master, for instance. Enhancement talents generally can boost the power of fire skills by 30% to 40%; consumption reduction talents can typically reduce the Star Power consumption of fire skills by nearly half. Using Gray me Strike, for example, a Fire Star Card Master with fire enhancement talents will be stronger than you. For now, it''s fine. Your skill level can directly overwhelm others, so this gap is not obvious. But when others'' skills are trained or when you face older enemies, your skill advantage will be significantly narrowed or even erased." Yang Yifeng earnestly said, "Soul Skills are important, but ordinary skills are also crucial. At the Lower Three Levels, Soul Skills are limited in number, and most battles still rely on ordinary skills. When reaching the Shining Star-Level or even King-Level, the focus will gradually shift to Soul Card battles." Hearing this, Su Yuan couldn''t help but smile bitterly, "Teacher, I understand what you are saying. But Space Star Cards are not as easy to find as Fire Star Cards. And if skill slots are left unused, after upgrading, the Star Power vortex for its stability will automatically close the unused slots. It can''t be left there for future embedding..." In fact, Su Yuan had already experienced what Yang Yifeng was talking about. A few days ago in the Practical Combat Hall, Xia Yue''s Fiery me Red Lotus was clearly only at the Skilled Level, but with the double boost of her fire talent and blue magic wand, its power was already equivalent to Burning Sun-level Hellfire! Yang Yifeng said, "Over countless years, both ancient and modern, there have been Space, Time, and Destiny Star Card Masters with such special attributes. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire Besides, among many no-attribute Star Card Masters, some also desperately needed to break the attribute barrier. It''s not just you who face this issue." Su Yuan understood immediately, "Teacher, do you mean there are other solutions?" Yang Yifeng smiled, "Indeed there are. But such methods mostly lie within Epic-level and above Star Cards. Only Epic-level and above Star Cards may carry some special effects, like fire enhancement. Although an Epic Purple Card may seem far away for you, you can start preparing now." Su Yuan thought and immediately stood up to salute, "Please guide me, Teacher." Su Yuan was different from noble family''s progeny. Apart from resource issues, noble family''s progeny had another major advantage: they had broad horizons and guidance from senior masters in the family. The cultivation direction and every stage''s details were guided by senior masters in the family. For instance, Xiang Dingqian''s Soul Card was the Heavenly Gang Star, awakening the Soul Card skill Heavenly Gang Energy. Therefore, the family arranged a highlypatible Ancient Soldier Soul for Xiang Dingqian as his first Soul Skill. But not everyone is from a noble family, and not everyone can afford expert guidance. Someone like Su Yuan, with no background, couldn''t ensure obtaining Epic Purple Cards in the future. Besides Soul Cards, there were many ordinary skill slots that couldn''t be reasonably prepared and nned. So, this is where the importance of the academy lies. The academy has mentors. And the stronger the mentor, the broader their horizon, the richer their resources, and the more guidance and help they can provide. Chapter 88 Flame Sky Fire Control Yang Yifeng gestured for Su Yuan to sit down and said slowly, "I have two directions for you to choose from." "First, from the academy. Currently, Demon Capital Academy has fourteen epic Purple Cards avable for exchange, three of which possess special passive enhancement effects. These three skills are Zhenyue Kaitai for fist technique enhancement, Gui Ming Swallowing Sea for water element enhancement, and Burning Sun Technique for fire element enhancement. Among them, Burning Sun Technique is supported by the Education Bureau, Zhenyue Kaitai is created by the dean and others, and Gui Ming Swallowing Sea is obtained from the secret realm of the Demon Capital. Of course, whether it''s man-made or produced in the secret realm, the number of these epic Purple Cards is extremely limited. To obtain them, you need arge amount of academic points." Just hearing the names of these epic skills made Su Yuan faintly excited.@@novelbin@@ Epic Purple Cards... although only one stage higher than Master Blue Cards, they are twopletely different concepts! Su Yuan couldn''t help but ask, "How many academic points are needed?" "ording to past experience, only students who reach the Shining Star Level within the fourth academic year can possibly exchange for an epic Purple Card." Graduate with the Shining Star Level? Su Yuan''s heart tightened; this meant that only a handful of people could exchange for an epic Purple Card! More than 99% of the students wouldn''t even have to consider it. Yang Yifeng seemed to read Su Yuan''s thoughts and said lightly, "The higher the level of resources, the more limited they are. To get them, you inevitably have topete. Using academic points to exchange for an epic Purple Card is at least one way to get a Star Card during your student years. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire Outside the academy, not to mention the difficulty of obtaining a Purple Star Card, even if you could buy one, the effort and cost would be at least five times higher than in the academy!" Su Yuan nodded in deep agreement. The higher the grade of a Star Card, the more exponentially its value increases. Just a blue-grade Star Card can already be worth anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions, and the preciousness of an epic Purple Card far exceeds that of a Blue Star Card! Many Shining Star Level Star Card Masters do not even possess a Purple Card. But the students of Demon Capital Academy even have the hope of exchanging for a Purple Card before graduation. "People with high skill talent often have strongerbat abilities due to higher skill levels. With your skill talent, as long as no idents ur, you should be able to umte enough academic points to exchange for an epic Purple Card." Su Yuan asked, "Can I exchange for more than one?" Yang Yifeng was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Of course, if you can earn enough academic points, the academy won''t limit the number of epic Purple Cards you can exchange. However, unless they have very high applicability, it''s not advisable to exchange for multiple Purple Cards with enhancement effects. For example, if you exchange both Zhenyue Kaitai and Burning Sun Technique, you can only fully enjoy the enhancement effects when practicing fire element fist techniques. But in this way, your choice of Star Skills is greatly limited, making it not worth the loss. It''s better to specialize in one." Su Yuan nodded, understanding. Yang Yifeng asked, "Well, do any of the three epic skills from Demon Capital Academy interest you?" Su Yuan pondered. Fire skills have immense power, and he currently had Steel me Finger, Gray me Strike, and Hellfire, three fire skills. If he really had to choose, it would be the Burning Sun Technique. Su Yuan thought for a moment and asked, "Teacher, what kind of skill is the Burning Sun Technique?" "The Burning Sun Technique? It''s a long-range attack magic with three styles: Burning Mountain, Sea Boiling, and Stealing Sun. Its power is immense but each has its own focus. Besides the basic fire element skill enhancement, it also has extra enhancements for long-range fire magic." Hearing this, Su Yuan shook his head. Overall, it was a magic-oriented skill, but he wanted to follow a moreprehensive warrior path to fully utilize his hexagonal talent. As for the other two skills, Zhenyue Kaitai and Gui Ming Swallowing Sea, they were even less suitable. He neither practiced fist techniques nor water element skills. Even if he could, it wasn''t his style. Su Yuan looked at Yang Yifeng and said, "Teacher, you haven''t finished yet. You mentioned there''s a second way." "The second way is from your mentor." Yang Yifeng smiled, "I happen to have an epic grade Fire Element Star Card called the me Sky Fire Control Technique. To cultivate it, you must first possess a type of Divine Fire. Based on the Divine Fire, you can derive a fire element skill." "Divine Fire?" Su Yuan looked puzzled. "Divine Water, Divine Fire, Divine Wood¡­ This world has many Heaven and Earth treasures with unpredictable great power. If you were fortunate enough to get one, it could elevate an ordinary Star Card Master to a powerful figure. If you obtain any Divine Fire, all your fire element skills will increase in power, even more than the fire element Star Card Master''s enhancement talent!" Su Yuan smiled bitterly, "Teacher, treasures like Divine Fire are probably hard to obtain. ording to you, the me Sky Fire Control Technique requires Divine Fire to cultivate¡­" Yang Yifeng nodded, "To conquer Divine Fire, strength, technique, and luck are all necessary. It''s already great luck if a person can get one Divine Fire in their lifetime. But the stronger the skill, the harsher the requirements. Although the threshold for the me Sky Fire Control Technique is high, its upper and lower limits far surpass general epic Purple Cards. If you just want to stand out among your peers, you don''t need to cultivate this me Sky Divine Fire Skill. With your amazing skill talent, you can easily choose a few Purple Cards to practice to perfection and crush over 99% of your peers. But if you want to be a true powerhouse, to confront the world''s top experts across age, species, and region boundaries, striving for the strongest, you must reach the extreme at every stage!" Yang Yifeng looked into Su Yuan''s eyes and firmly asked, "Tell me, what do you choose?" To stand out among peers or topete with the top experts on Blue Sea Star¡­ Reborn in another world with a system and the Azure Sky Phoenix as an extraordinary Soul Card. If he didn''t strive for the strongest and climb to the peak, what was the point of being reborn? Striving to be the strongest and exploring the ultimate realm of Star Card Masters seemed like a good goal! In that moment, Su Yuan made his decision. "Teacher, I want to be the strongest!" As these words were spoken, Su Yuan felt a sense of rity and change as his thoughts expanded. "ng!!" Seemingly sensing Su Yuan''s intention, the Azure Sky Phoenix in his chest let out a powerful, sonorous cry! "Good!" Yang Yifeng pped his hands andughed, "I knew you would choose this. A genius of your age should have the style of a young genius!" "Thank you for your guidance, teacher." Su Yuan solemnly thanked him, "For the next few years, apart from collecting Space Star Cards, I will focus on the me Sky Fire Control Technique." Yang Yifeng nodded, smiling, "Moreover, I can tell you that this Star Card was originally intended for myself. So years ago, I spent a lot of time searching for Divine Fire and had some few leads. But due to some unexpected events, I didn''t continue the search¡­ When you achieve the Shining Star Level and obtain the me Sky Fire Control Technique, I will share the Divine Fire information with you. To tell you frankly, the value of the Divine Fire information alone exceeds that of an epic Purple Card!" "Thank you, teacher!" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. With news of Divine Fire, it would be much easier than blindly searching on his own. "But¡­," Su Yuan looked puzzled, "from what I''ve learned at the academy, it seems you''re a Wind Element Star Card Master. Why did you want to cultivate the me Sky Fire Control Technique?" Yang Yifeng didn''t answer directly but smiled, "You''ll know when you master the me Sky Fire Control Technique." Su Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "That''s it. I called you here mainly for this. You can go back now and prepare well for the first day of the new semester tomorrow." "Yes, teacher." Su Yuan stood up, bowed, and left. Yang Yifeng sat by the railing, watching Su Yuan leave the first floor of the Book Tower, feeling a glimmer of hope in his heart. "Since the dean mentioned the potential changes in the Blue Sea Star''s future situation, it''s barely possible for me to hold on for another ten to twenty years. These two kids, one is the contemporary sessor of Mo Mei Valley, the other is a super genius with unparalleled Soul Card talent and skill talentparable to Huangfu Qi. If they are well nurtured, both have a chance to step into the Burning Sun Level within ten years. By then, they might even help me find a cure¡­" Chapter 89 The Homeroom Teacher At 8 PM, Su Yuan finished his cultivation for the day early. Tomorrow was the first official day of ss, a significant event, and he needed to maintain his best state. Su Yuan came down from the cultivation room on the second floor and took out his phone. As expected, the final results for the mentor preselection were out. His mentor was Yang Yifeng, no surprise there. Su Yuan then opened the Demon Capital Academy forum. These days, due to his obsession with cultivation, he hadn''t paid much attention to matters concerning the academy and the freshmen. To quickly grasp the information, the Demon Capital Academy forum was undoubtedly the best ce... Upon entering the forum, he immediately saw a few popr posts marked in red: "Preselection challenge ended, final mentor allocation results out,e and take a look!" "Top geniuses among the freshmen of Demon Capital Academy, aprehensive report on the 28 known Burning Disciples!" "Freshman guide: 10 tips that freshmen at Demon Capital Academy must know!" "Fire magic, ice saber, beast taming, summoning... rational discussion on who is the strongest freshman!" "The proud demon princess and the three-no white-haired loli, who''s your type?" ... At this time, freshmen almost dominated the Demon Capital Academy forum, with lively discussions heating up the forum. The senior students were used to this and mostly just watched the excitement without muchmenting. Only the second-year students asionally interacted to maintain their presence. Su Yuan clicked open these posts one by one and read them carefully. Besides frequently seeing his name, as well as familiar faces like Luo Bingtong and Xia Yue, he also got to know about other Burning Disciples. "Ye Qing, a current genius of the Ye Family, a Capitol Beast Taming Family, has contracted three Bronze Middle Stage Master Star Beasts: the Angry Wave Profound Turtle, the Storm Elf, and the Eight-Armed Demon Ape. His strength is astonishing, possibly capable of battling Su Yuan''s two Hellfires!" "Zhang Tai, from the Zhang Family of East Pole, has a fierce and bravebat style. It is estimated that his strength is approximately equivalent to 0.7 Hellfires." "Du Tao, with his Overturning Sea Staff method, defeated all the young talents in East Pole City. He might be able topete with a bare Hellfire."@@novelbin@@ "Mu Qingyu, a Wood Element Mage, is strong and also skilled in scouting and healing." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire "..." Su Yuan browsed through them one by one and felt more and more speechless as he read. Most of the Burning Disciples were evaluated withments like "might have half a Hellfire''s prowess" or "could rival a Hellfire." Even those in the top hundred before enrollment had evaluations ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 Hellfires. "My goodness, so now my Hellfire has be a reference unit ofbat power..." Su Yuan rubbed his temples. Suchparisons might not seem odd to most people, but for those beingpared, it could be quite annoying. For instance, Zhang Tai left a real-namement below: "I''m not even worth one lousy Hellfire? And not only that, but just a 0.7 Hellfire? Does it have to be so precise? Tower Owner,e out and exin this to me!" Without the Tower Owner having toe out, there were already over a hundredments below Zhang Tai''s post: "Zhang Tai, you must not have been there on the first day of the preselection challenge, right? 0.7 Hellfire is already very strong!" "Yeah, even Xiang Dingqian was beaten so badly. Why don''t you go to the Practical Combat Hall and see if you can request to watch the video?" "Or you can directly find Su Yuan and tell him you want to solo the Hellfire." "The person above is really hical, leading others into a trap..." Zhang Tai: "I will go and see how many noses and eyes this Hellfire has!" "..." Su Yuan read somements and couldn''t help but shake his head with a smile. This Zhang Tai was quite interesting. Once teased by others, he seemed to genuinely want to find Hellfire for a fight. Note, not a battle with Su Yuan, simply wanting to solo the Hellfire Su Yuan summoned... Su Yuan continued browsing through the posts when he suddenly received a message. Luo Bingtong: "Please take me to ss." Su Yuan looked at the message, feeling an unexpected yet reasonable sensation. The academy adopted a mentor + small ss + course selection hybrid system. Each person was assigned a mentor, andpulsory courses were arranged in sses of about thirty to forty people. Then, there were optional courses like Barrier and Artifact Refining. Naturally, Su Yuan and the other 28 Burning Disciples were ced in the same elite ss. Their fixed ssroom was in the first ssroom of the 4th teaching building. The entire teaching area was located in the central region of Demon Capital Academy, with many teaching buildings. Luo Bingtong got lost even going to the Practical Combat Hall, let alone to the more distant andplex teaching area. Considering her poor sense of direction, Su Yuan pondered briefly and replied, "Okay, but I''ll only take you three times." Although it was on his way, everyone had their schedules. Walking together was always inconvenient. Taking her three times should be enough for her to remember the way, right? For some reason, Su Yuan suddenly felt like he was "taking care of a child"... After sending the message, Luo Bingtong replied quickly. "Okay." ... Early the next morning, Su Yuan checked the time and felt it was about right. He finished his morning exercise, had a quick breakfast, and left. In the corridor in front of his door, Luo Bingtong was already standing there quietly. Wearing the smallest size of the ck uniform with purple edges, her silver-white short hair, and her t chest. "She really looks no different from a middle school student¡­" Su Yuan shook his head secretly and walked up to her in a few steps. "Been waiting long?" Su Yuan greeted, "When did you arrive?" Luo Bingtong thought for a moment and then took out her phone, pressing it repeatedly. After these days of contact, Luo Bingtong was clearly much more proficient in the skill of "using a phone" than before. Within a few seconds, with Luo Bingtong stopping, Su Yuan also received a message on his phone. Luo Bingtong: "Just arrived." "Then let''s go." Su Yuan nodded and then led Luo Bingtong towards the teaching area. ... The first ssroom of the 3rd teaching building was a very spaciousrge ssroom. Besides the seats, more than two-thirds of the space waspletely cleared, seemingly for demonstrations and training. Su Yuan arrived around 7:40, not toote. However, when he arrived, the ssroom was almost full. People like Xiang Dingqian, Shang Baiyu, and Xia Yue were already there. Some students sat alone, while more were chatting in groups of two or three. With Su Yuan''s arrival, the entire ssroom inevitably quieted down as everyone couldn''t help but focus and scrutinize the most famous freshman since the beginning of school. "So that''s Su Yuan. Doesn''t look particrly special, but quite delicate in appearance." "Qingyu, I''d advise you not to mess with him. He''s ruthless, treats girls no differently..." Sitting by the window, Zhang Tai looked at Su Yuan with eager eyes: "Is that Hellfire really as powerful as described on the forum? I''ll challenge him after ss!" Sitting towards the back with Ye Qing, Xiang Dingqian also noticed Su Yuan and unconsciously touched his reattached left ear, looking very displeased. "Su Yuan, you''re here?" Shang Baiyu, sitting in a front seat near the door, greeted enthusiastically. Su Yuan smiled and nodded. Seeing an empty seat next to Shang Baiyu, he directly sat there with Luo Bingtong. "Why are you here so early?" Su Yuan asked. "First day, a bit excited. It was always so quiet in the valley back then, not as many peers!" "Valley?" Su Yuan''s heart moved. He lowered his voice and asked, "Do you mean ''Mo Mei Valley'' that the teacher mentioned?" "That''s right." Shang Baiyu replied softly as well. Su Yuan nodded and didn''t ask any more. "By the way," Shang Baiyu asked, "Do you know who our homeroom teacher is?" "Seems like her name is He Yanan." Su Yuan thought for a moment. The name of their elite ss''s homeroom teacher was at the top of the ss list, "Judging by the name, it should be a female teacher. Come to think of it, I think I''ve seen it before..." "She''s Xia Yue''s teacher." Shang Baiyu reminded. "Oh right..." Su Yuan recalled seeing the name while browsing the forum yesterday. Su Yuan turned to look not far away. Xia Yue was sitting with her arms crossed, looking unapproachable. The surrounding students didn''t dare to talk to her... The clock at the front of the ssroom showed time ticking by. The few remaining students also arrived one after another. When it was less than half a minute before eight, a figure hurriedly rushed into the ssroom and stood firmly. "Haha, everyone''s already here early!" The person who entered was a bit over 1.6 meters tall, with long purple hair, dark healthy skin, and a mature figure even hidden under her clothing. With her hands resting on the lecture desk, He Yanan''s lips curled into a smile. Her bright golden eyes looked spiritedly at the students below. "Hello everyone, I am your homeroom teacher, He Yanan!" Chapter 90 Duties and Responsibilities "I am your ss teacher, He Yanan!" "Hello, teacher!" Influenced by He Yanan''s aura, everyone in the ssroom echoed in unison. Except for Luo Bingtong, who didn''t seem to speak. He Yanan looked at the youthful faces below, nodding in satisfaction. "There are nametes on your desks. Those of you who haven''t written your name yet, write it down so I can learn who you are." Su Yuan casually wrote his name. Looking aside, he saw that Luo Bingtong had also written hers. In Su Yuan''s eyes, Luo Bingtong found typing difficult; it would be good enough if she could draw out her name. However, to Su Yuan''s great surprise, contrary to his expectation of messy scrawls, Luo Bingtong''s handwriting was elegant and refined, much better than his own,parable to some calligraphy teachers! Luo Bingtong, seeing Su Yuan''s strange expression, blinked her blue eyes as if to ask, "What''s wrong?" Su Yuan shook his head and turned away.@@novelbin@@ Seeing everyone ce their nametes properly, He Yanan began, "Today is the first lesson of your enrollment. We won''t talk about study and cultivation yet. I want to ask you all first: How much do you know about our Great me Country?" The people below showed contemtive expressions, but no one volunteered to answer. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire Seeing this, He Yanan said sternly, "In my ss, if you have questions or things you want to say, don''t raise your hand. Just ask or say them directly. If you have doubts, I will try to rify them. If you''re wrong, I or your ssmates here will point it out. The academy is different from high school; there''s no teacher to push you forward. In the academy, self-drive is the most important! If you don''t ask, you might never learn some things. If you don''t speak, you might never realize some mistakes!" As soon as He Yanan finished speaking, Zhang Tai, sitting by the window, stood up first. "Our Great me Country is located on the East Continent of Blue Sea Star, with a poption close to two billion and tens of millions of Star Card Masters. The national power is strong, martial arts are prosperous, and it''s one of the two major powers on the East Continent!" He Yanan nodded, indicating for Zhang Tai to sit down. "Anything else?" On the other side, Mu Qingyu stood up and answered, "The Great me is in the southernmost part of the East Continent, with the Ancient Forbidden Zone to the east, the sea to the south, and vastnds to the north, filled with various countries, organizations, and factions." "Correct," He Yanan looked at Mu Qingyu''s namete, nodding, "Just like Mu Qingyu said, the East Continent is vast, and Blue Sea Star is even bigger. Let me ask, has anyone among you been outside the Great me, even a single step?" With this question, the ssroom immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, but no one stood up. He Yanan waited for a while. Seeing no one was answering, she said, "It seems not, but that''s normal because the outside world is not safe. Your families naturally wouldn''t let you go. The existence of Star Power makes a Star Card Master''s destructive power exceedingly great. Any Bronze-level Star Card Master can easily massacre hundreds of ordinary people until their Star Power runs out, making many ces unsafe. The cost of maintaining order far exceeds the cost of destruction. Within the Great me, with the protection of a powerful nation, you hardly feel any danger. But in some small countries with limited national power, extremely vile incidents frequently ur. In such chaos, ordinary people find survival exceptionally difficult. Although all countries strictly prohibit Star Card Masters from unjustifiably killing ordinary people, there are always some who ughter the innocent and flee. Even when they are wanted, it''s hard to catch them. So, if you''re not a Star Card Master, don''t even think about leaving the Great me for other countries. Even if you are a Star Card Master, without basic self-preservation abilities, it''s best not to leave the country." At this point, He Yanan changed her tone, "This is the danger to you. For the Great me, the current situation isn''t good, either. Although we have agreements with the Ancient Forbidden Zone to the east, it has be increasingly restless over the past few decades. The southern sea is vast, with countless deep-sea Star Beasts lurking in the depths, unfathomable and filled with uncertainties. The northern powers are numerous andplex. In recent years, chaos has arisen frequently, often leading to conflicts that sometimes affect us. Who knows when such conflicts might escte and destabilize the entire East Continent? Within the Great me itself, there are considerable hidden dangers. Fugitives, heretics, Evil Card Masters, foreign spies... These cancers create chaos, assassinate domestic talents, spread words that undermine social stability, and carry out countless evil acts! So, the Great me isn''t as invincible and prosperous as it appears. It faces both internal and external threats." Hearing He Yanan''s words, some in the ss looked grave; some were indifferent, believing that the Great me, having stood firm in the south of East Continent for countless years, couldn''t have so many problems; others were skeptical, thinking He Yanan might be exaggerating to stress the freshmen. But Su Yuan knew that regarding domestic hidden dangers, He Yanan wasn''t exaggerating at all. Because he had personally in three Evil Card Masters who saw human lives as mere grass and killed without blinking an eye in the Molten Lava Cave! If he hadn''t killed those three, who knows how many would have been killed by them, including the dozen Corpse Servants controlled by Mo Wenwen, among which Zhuang Xun would have been hard to save... He Yanan ignored whether the students believed her or not. She said sternly, "To handle these internal and external threats, the solution is simple: to have more and stronger Star Card Masters! That''s why the Great me implements numerous policies and spends massive resources to continuously cultivate Star Card Masters. Not to let you be powerful only to look down on everyone from a high position, enjoying the privileges and respect of the powerful, but to let you grow quickly and bring more protection to the country and the people of the Great me! This isn''t a mandatory responsibility; it''s a duty and the responsibility that a Star Card Master of the Great me should bear!" Not a responsibility, but a duty and responsibility! Although He Yanan was a woman, her speech was powerful and sonorous, striking heavily at everyone''s heart! Everyone was shaken and began to ponder deeply. Even Su Yuan, who had never thought about contributing to his country before, only wanted to be stronger. Seeing this, He Yanan secretly nodded. In the past, before the academy system was widespread, many Star Card Masters were extremely self-centered. Growing under the country''s protection, they didn''t give back but created much chaos. When the academy system became widespread, not only did the quality of Star Card Masters improve, but it also became easier to guide the new generation of Star Card Masters psychologically. These young people were like raw jade, much to be carved but also easily corrupted. A slight misstep could lead them astray, so appropriate psychological construction was very important. After letting everyone ponder for a while, He Yanan continued, "For now, you don''t need to think too much. Just focus on growing quickly. During your future academy life, you''ll receive various tasks. For example, assisting in capturing fugitives and investigating heinous incidents. These are both to train you and to maintain stability across the country. When you see it with your own eyes, you''ll know that what I said today is true." Chapter 91 Star Mist Pool "Having covered the obligations of being a Star Card Master, next, I will introduce the core ''Credit System'' that is closely rted to all of you and every academy." He Yanan looked at the crowd below and said, "In order to promote student growth, all Star Power Academies within the Great me Country have a reward and punishment system centered around academic points. With academic points, you can redeem various cultivation resources owned by the academy, including but not limited to Star Cards, Star Devices, intelligence, materials, and so on... Apart from these, the most important thing is the Star Mist Pool!" "Star Mist Pool?" Upon hearing this term, the crowd showed some confusion, but people like Ye Qing and Xia Yue had their eyes lit up, indicating that they seemed to understand. He Yanan continued, "You all live in the Southern First Garden, so you must have experienced the effect of the Soul-binding Divine Tree to some extent, right? The Soul-binding Divine Tree, as an extremely rare Fourth-level Spirit nt, just growing there can gather Heaven and Earth Star Power, increasing the surrounding Star Power concentration. The function of the Star Mist Pool is simr to the Soul-binding Divine Tree, but it is much more powerful. It is created with rare materials, driven by multipleyered Gathering Spirit Barriers, and uses Star Stones as the energy core to form a cultivation environment with ultra-high Star Power concentration." An ultra-high Star Power concentration cultivation environment? The eyes of the crowd brightened upon hearing this. Over the past few days, everyone had cultivated beside the Soul-binding Divine Tree and noticed a visible increase in cultivation speed even with just three to four times the usual concentration. And this Star Mist Pool is actually even more powerful than the Soul-binding Divine Tree? "Teacher He, do you know how much the Star Power concentration of the Star Mist Pool can be increased by?" Zhang Tai asked impatiently. He Yanan slowly extended three fingers. "Three times?" Everyone was slightly surprised. To increase the Star Power concentration by three times; wouldn''t that make cultivation take off directly? "No." He Yanan''s lips curved into a smile. "Not three times, thirty times!" "Thirty times?!" The crowd was all shocked beyond belief. Thirty times the Star Power concentration?! What kind of concept is that? That''s not taking off; that''s like sitting in a rocket! Sitting near He Yanan, Du Tao swallowed his saliva and asked with a trembling voice, "Teacher He, are you sure you aren''t mistaken?" "Of course not." He Yanan, as if anticipating this reaction, began to exin, "ording to the standards set by the Education Bureau, the upper limit for the Star Mist Pool in a general second-tier academy is ten times the Star Power concentration. For first-tier academies in the Twelve States, the upper limit is twenty times the Star Power concentration.@@novelbin@@ In the Four Extremes Academies to the east, west, south, and north, the upper limit is twenty-four times the Star Power concentration. Only at our Three Capitals Academy can the Star Mist Pool reach the highest specification of thirty times. Not only is it sufficient for the lower three levels, but it''s also more than adequate for levels like the Sun-Moon Star Level!" Seeing that He Yanan didn''t seem to be joking, everyone couldn''t help but take a deep breath. "Of course, that''s only the theoretical upper limit. There are actually some restrictions on using the Star Mist Pool for cultivation. First, to enhance students'' cultivation effects and avoid wasting Star Stones, the Star Mist Pool subjects students'' physical bodies to considerable additional pressure to help them absorb and refine the high-concentration Star Power in the pool. Therefore, in the Star Mist Pool, a Bronze Level student can generally only open up to three times the Star Power concentration, a Silver Stage student up to six times, and a Gold Level student up to ten times. This is why the upper limit for the Star Mist Pool in second-tier Spiritual Institutes is only designed to be ten times because the resources needed to build a Star Mist Pool are extraordinarily significant. From the materials to the barrier setup alone, raising the Star Mist Pool by one level requires several times the resources and effort! A ten-times Star Mist Pool is enough for Gold Level use, making it the most cost-effective for second-tier academy staff and students. If they want to create a higher-grade Star Mist Pool, they have to pay extra money, which general academies are unwilling to do." Su Yuan thought of something and asked, "Teacher He, if the Star Mist Pool imposes extra pressure on students'' bodies, does that mean if the physical constitution is stronger, one could open higher levels?" "That''s correct, and the primary stress is on the ''constitution.''" He Yanan smiled and nodded while ncing at Su Yuan''s standing card. "If your constitution is strong enough, the maximum Star Power concentration you can withstand in the Star Mist Pool will indeed be higher. For a Bronze Level, it could be one to two times higher." One to two times! Su Yuan, Xiang Dingqian, and Zhang Tai, who had C-level constitution talents, all had their eyes shine. If it truly could be boosted to two times, wouldn''t that be close to the Silver Stage limit! He Yanan smiled, knowing that saying it could be at most two times, actually, even with C-level talent, an extra one-time boost would be excellent. But He Yanan did not borate. When these students try it themselvester, they''ll find out. "Additionally, besides the restriction on physical constitution, there''s another critical restriction on cultivating in the Star Mist Pool... and that is academic points." The crowd was stunned and then awakened from the amazing effects of the Star Mist Pool. Right, He Yanan was talking about the credit system now. A Star Mist Pool with such terrifying cultivation aid can''t be casually used, can it? He Yanan didn''t keep them in suspense and directly said, "The Star Mist Pool charges by the hour. The venue fee is 10 academic points per hour. Beyond that, each additional multiple concentration consumes an extra 10 academic points." The crowd was dumbfounded, "There''s even a venue fee?" "First, the number of Star Mist Pools is limited. To encourage students to use higher-concentration Star Mist Pools and avoid students frequently using low-multiple Star Mist Pools for extended periods, causing a shortage. Second... for the sake of rounding up numbers for easier calction." He Yanan grinned, showing her white teeth. "So, a two-time Star Power concentration costs 20 academic points per hour, three times costs 30 academic points per hour, and so on." The crowd: ... "How many academic points do we have now?" Zhang Tai asked in confusion. "At the start of the term, our top hundred students seem to have 50 academic points..." A shy round-faced girl near Zhang Tai muttered softly. Zhang Tai''s eyes widened, "Only 50 points?!" Zhang Tai, who was naturally burly and round-faced, appeared quite fierce. Speaking loudly startled the round-faced girl named Lu Yingying. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire "Se-seems so...!" Lu Yingying hurriedly added, seemingly confirming. Mu Qingyu frowned, "Zhang Tai, lower your voice, don''t frighten others." Zhang Tai nced at Lu Yingying, who had been staring at her desk, evidently scared, and scratched his head awkwardly. But not only Zhang Tai, but everyone in the ssroom frowned. The beginning academic points were indeed 50, only enough for less than two hours in a three-times concentration Star Mist Pool! They thought it might not be cheap, but not this expensive! Could it be that the purchasing power of academic points is low and 50 points are not actually a lot? Chapter 92 Academic Points Shang Baiyu asked: "Teacher He, how many academic points can we get in one semester?" He Yanan replied: "If you follow the rules and attend sses on time without any penalties, each student can receive 10 academic points per month, which adds up to over 100 points in a semester." "Only 10 points a month?" "An entire semester just to spend over an hour cultivating in the Star Mist Pool at triple concentration?" "Isn''t that a bit exaggerated? Who can afford that?" "..." Xia Yue saw how surprised everyone was and sneered disdainfully. "It''s just the Bronze Level. You can get an hour in the Star Mist Pool for free just by lying down for a semester, and you still think it''s expensive? Such ignorance!" "The Star Mist Pool consumes Star Stones. It''s already good enough that you can exchange academic points for cultivation time. Do you really think the academy does charity?" Although Xia Yue''s words were harsh, she made a valid point. Moreover, everyone noticed the term "Star Stone" once again. Mu Qingyu asked: "Xia Yue, what are these Star Stones you''re talking about?" "Let me exin." Before Xia Yue could respond, He Yanan directly exined to everyone. "Star Stones are crystallized forms of high-density Star Power. Theye from two sources. One is Natural Star Stones from star veins. The other is artificial Star Stones made from the star cores of Star Beasts." "Star veins are national-level resources. Except for a few privately owned by individuals or families, almost all star veins in the Great me are controlled and distributed by the country." "Even though plenty of Star Stones are produced each year, the demand is enormous. The military, city defense, education... just the internal consumption takes up most of it, leaving only a small portion for the market." "Although artificially made Star Stones by major enterprises are of lower grade than Natural Star Stones, their manufacturing costs are high, so the price remains steep." "Given the high cost of Star Stones, being able to cultivate in the Star Mist Pool using academic points is thanks to the Education Bureau''s resource support for various academies." "Based on the performance of the academies, the Education Bureau allocates arge amount of resources, including Star Stones, each year." "This ensures that most items you can exchange for academic points in the academy often have huge discounts." "In theory, the standard for 1 academic point is 10,000 coins, but with these discounts, the prices of Star Cards, Star Devices, etc., might be only half or even a third of what you''d pay outside. The Star Mist Pool costs only one-fifth of the outside price!" "I see..." Upon hearing this, everyone understood why the Star Mist Pool was so costly, and they deeply felt the support for Star Card Masters in the academy that He Yanan mentioned. No wonder there were hardly any loose cultivators among Star Card Masters in the Great me. Anyone wanting to be a Star Card Master had to join a Star Power Academy. The support for the academies was immense. Not to mention other benefits, just the Star Mist Pool alone was enough to attract all new-generation Star Card Masters to enroll. In fact, Xia Yue had previously broken through to the Bronze Middle Stage quickly because she had used the Star Mist Pool twice. Outside, the Star Mist Pool was very expensive, costing over a million per hour at triple concentration. Seven to eight hours would cost nearly ten million! Even though Xia Yue''s family was wealthy, they couldn''t use the Star Mist Pool regrly. Moreover, Xia Yue didn''t want to use her family''s money anymore because a certain woman hadn''t spent a penny from home since entering Demon Academy! "Teacher He, apart frompleting our studies, is there any other way to earn academic points?" Immediately after learning about the discounts academic points provided, someone excitedly asked. "Of course!" He Yanan smiled. "The academic points you receive each month are just to ensure your basic needs." "If you want to earn academic points quickly, there are only other ways. Mainly, there are two methods." "The first is through the tasks we''ve mentioned before. Eachpleted task rewards academic points. The second is from the academy''s rewards." Task rewards and academy rewards? "Tasks we understand. What are these academy rewards?" "Simply put, every teacher at Demon Capital Academy, including myself, has a certain amount of academic points to allocate. If you perform excellently, we will reward you as we see fit." "And if you make contributions to the academy, the leaders might reward you with more academic points." Su Yuan and the others nodded understandingly. That made sense. Good performance gets rewarded. He Yanan then talked about many other things unrted to specific cultivation but essential for understanding life at Demon Capital Academy. Unknowingly, it was almost 12 o''clock. "Alright, I''ve covered almost everything. Let''s call it a day." He Yanan exhaled deeply. They say being a head teacher at Demon Capital Academy is the hardest job, especially during the first year, with the first day being the most exhausting due to the amount of information to cover. "By the way, I asked Xia Yue to set up a group chat. Everyone should join itter. From now on, if there''s anything, I''ll have Xia Yue notify you in the group." "At Demon Capital Academy, individual sses are few. Most of your time will be managed by yourself and your mentor. Whether it''s cultivation, tasks, or searching for Star Cards, you have the flexibility." "If you need to take leave or leave the academy, remember to notify both your mentor and me in advance. Understand?" "Understood!" everyone responded in unison. He Yanan nodded, then thought of something and continued: "Also, don''t call me Teacher He anymore, just call me Teacher Xiao He. Compared to the other Burning Sun teachers, I should be much younger." Huh... Everyone didn''t know how to react to this. With a slight smile, He Yanan left the ssroom and quickly disappeared. "Come and join the group chat," Xia Yue ced her phone on the desk as everyone gathered around to scan the code. Originally, Xia Yue didn''t want to deal with this, but she couldn''t refuse her mentor''s request. As a popr genius with millions of followers, normally, her social ounts weren''t easy to add. But now she had to give them to so many people... Everyone lined up to scan the code. "Hey there. Are you Luo Bingtong?" Lu Yingying, who was previously scared by Zhang Tai, approached Luo Bingtong after joining the group and introduced herself. "I am Lu Yingying!" Su Yuan reminded Lu Yingying: "She doesn''t really like to talk." "No worries, no worries. I just want to look at her!" Lu Yingying stared at Luo Bingtong with admiration in her eyes. White hair! So cute and dazed, I want to touch it... Lu Yingying unconsciously moved closer, her face almost touching Luo Bingtong''s. Luo Bingtong quietly observed Lu Yingying, a sh of confusion in her eyes as she didn''t understand why this human was staring at her so closely. Seeing this, Su Yuan asked Lu Yingying: "Are you heading back to the dormitoryter?" "Yes, why?" "Perfect. She still isn''t familiar with the way. Can you take her back?" Su Yuan had other nster, intending to ask Shang Baiyu to take care of Luo Bingtong. But since Lu Yingying was so enthusiastic, it was even better as they were both girls. "Sure!" Luo Bingtong hadn''t nodded yet when Lu Yingying responded with delight, "Let''s go back together!" Luo Bingtong turned to look at Su Yuan, thought for a moment, and then nodded. Shang Baiyu asked in confusion: "Su Yuan, where are you going?" "I''m nning to check out the Star Mist Pool." "Really?" Shang Baiyu seemed surprised. "You don''t have many academic points, so spend them wisely." Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire "I know." Everyone lined up to scan the code quickly. Looking up, Xia Yue saw that Xiang Dingqian and Ye Qing were still sitting steadily at the back. "Hey, you two at the back, speed it up! What are you waiting for?" Xia Yue shouted impatiently. Xiang Dingqian, seeing Su Yuan still in front, initially wanted to wait, but then recalled what his mentor Zhang Heng had said a few days ago: "You were in the wrong initially, and there''s nothing I can say in your defense." "Luckily, you were fortunate to have Teacher Lan Xin treat you personally. You only need to rest for three to four days, just in time for the first lesson." "In the future, you''ll be in the same ss as Su Yuan, often seeing each other. Don''t hold any grudges." "I discussed this with Teacher Yang Yifeng. Given your severe injuries, the feud between you and Su Yuan should end here." "As for your defeat... No one is invincible. Fights between Star Card Masters have victories and losses." "Losing doesn''t matter. Stand up and fight again!" "Fight again and again, until you win!" "If you lose heart just because of this defeat, I''ll regret selecting you!" At this moment, Xiang Dingqian''s eyes sharpened. He stood up and walked straight toward Su Yuan, who was scanning the code. Ye Qing followed. "Su Yuan." Xiang Dingqian stood before Su Yuan. "I admit my wrongs from before!" "But I won''t be satisfied losing to you. I will defeat you in the future!" "Do you want a beating? Thene... But scan the QR code first," Su Yuan casually replied to Xiang Dingqian while scanning the QR code on Xia Yue''s phone. "You...!" Xiang Dingqian felt like he was punching into a pillow. After theirst fight, his days were agonizing, but the opponent seemed to have forgotten about it. It was as if the fight meant nothing.@@novelbin@@ Feeling miserable, Xiang Dingqian didn''t know what else to say as Su Yuan finished scanning the code and left with Shang Baiyu and the others. "Hurry up and scan, you slowpokes!" Xia Yue urged again. Xiang Dingqian frowned, took out his phone, and scanned the code. Xia Yue looked at Xiang Dingqian standing forlornly and sneered. "If you can''t win, go practice. If you can, then you''ve got everything. Words mean nothing!" Xiang Dingqian was momentarily stunned but then seemed to wake up. His previously dazed eyes became resolute. "Thank you!" Xiang Dingqian nodded heavily to Xia Yue and turned to Ye Qing. "I''m going back to cultivate. You can go to the Book Tower if you want." With that, Xiang Dingqian rushed towards the dormitory to cultivate. Leaving behind a confused and disoriented Xia Yue. "What''s with this guy... I scolded him, and he thanked me?" "Could he be a masochist?" ... Chapter 93 The Teacher Who Guards the Star Mist Pool ``` Su Yuan walked out of the ssroom, briefly checked the electronic map, and then headed towards the Star Mist Hall located in the northern part of the teaching area. The Star Mist Hall was a square building, with a small open za and a registration window in the center of the first floor. Surrounding it were eight sealed rooms arranged in a grid pattern. These eight sealed rooms were the Star Mist Pools. At this moment, at the registration window sat a refined middle-aged male teacher, wearing gold-rimmed sses and looking handsome. The male teacher leaned back slightly, holding a brown book and reading it intently, with a highly focused expression. Apart from this refined male teacher, Su Yuan didn''t see anyone else after entering. He didn''t hear a single sound either. Therge Star Mist Hall was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. It was even quieter than the Book Tower. There were two reasons for this. First, the Star Mist Pools were very expensive, so not many people came to cultivate here. Second, the eight Star Mist Pool rooms were extremely well-sealed. With the dual istion of materials and barriers, all sounds and star power fluctuations were blocked. If someone was cultivating in the Star Mist Pool, Su Yuan certainly couldn''t sense it. Seeing the teacher immersed in his book, Su Yuan lightened his steps slightly and walked over to a square table in the small za to sit and wait. At this distance, Su Yuan was able to clearly see the cover of the brown book in the teacher''s hand... "Deep Exploration of Multiple Barriers, Volume Eight." "Seems to be a teacher specializing in barriers..." Su Yuan thought to himself. In the field of Star Card Masters, Barrier Masters, like Artifact Refiners, who were skilled in setting up barriers, were quite popr professions. As long as there was a Star Core, a Barrier Master could set up barriers with various functions. And because barriers were durable, could operate autonomously, and coveredrge areas, in certain situations, the role of barriers couldn''t be reced by skills. However, barriers were not like skills which could be mastered directly through Star Card embedding, making entry for Barrier Masters more difficult. Generally, for Star Card Skills, one could get started just by embedding and then continually practice and improve. But Barrier Masters needed to master arge range of professional knowledge and skills to possibly get started. Of course, nheless, this offered another choice for Star Card Masters with low cultivation talents. Indeed, amongst many Star Card Masters with low cultivation talents, some had astounding barrier talents. Once bing an official Level One Barrier Master, their status would be much higher than that of a Bronze-level Star Card Master! "Bronze Early Stage... A freshman?" After about ten minutes of waiting, the refined male teacher finally put down the book on barriers, straightened up, and asked. Su Yuan stepped forward and nodded, "Hello, sir. I am a first-year student, Su Yuan." The male teacher murmured, "If I remember correctly, today is the first day of sses, right? Normally, teachers wouldn''t discuss the Star Mist Pool with the students. You must be from one of the earlier sses..." Su Yuan thought to himself, so it turned out that not every ss teacher talked about the Star Mist Pool. The refined male teacher tapped on the book cover on the table and asked, "So, have you just started sses and you''re already nning to cultivate in the Star Mist Pool?" Su Yuan nodded, "I want to try out the effects of the Star Mist Pool." The reason Su Yuan hade was to experience firsthand what effects the Star Mist Pool had. After all, with his current strength, he had almost no opponents at the Bronze level. He wasn''t even afraid of most Silver stages. Earning academic points would certainly be faster than others. If the effects of the Star Mist Pool were exceptionally prominent, he could promptly start tasks to earn academic points. The teacher had mentioned that the Star Mist Pool''s details were only shared with certain sses at the beginning of the term. This was likely because the academy thought these sses'' students could utilize the Star Mist Pool more effectively and sooner. The refined male teacher sized up Su Yuan and slowly said, "For freshmen, academic points should prioritize Star Cards and Star Devices. Quickly exchanging for suitable Star Cards and Star Devices will improve your strength in a short time, making earning academic points more efficient. Entering the Star Mist Pool for a few hours won''t substantially enhance your abilities, but it will consume a considerable amount of academic points. If you''re on the verge of breaking through a major realm, the Star Mist Pool indeed has exceptional effects. The high concentration of star power makes breakthroughs easier. But for regr cultivation, the Star Mist Pool merely saves some time. For freshmen without many academic points, it isn''t cost-effective. I see you''re not far from Bronze Middle Stage, but there''s still some distance. It''s not the right time for you to cultivate in the Star Mist Pool. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire Go back and train for another two months. Gather at least four hours of triple-concentration Star Mist Pool time and thene back." After saying this, the refined male teacher picked up the brown book on the table and resumed reading at the spot where he left off.@@novelbin@@ Listening to the refined male teacher''s words, Su Yuan initially didn''t take "exchanging Star Cards and Star Devices" to heart. After all, individual circumstances varied. He was currently notcking in either Star Cards or Star Devices. However, what the teacher said next slightly surprised Su Yuan. Being able to see through his star power realm wasn''t a big deal. Su Yuan hadn''t mastered Concealing Breath, easily revealing himself to those with higher realms. What astonished Su Yuan was the teacher''s urate assessment that another two months of training would bring him to the peak of the Bronze Early Stage. Su Yuan himself estimated he''d reach the peak in about fifty days. If not for the Azure Sky Phoenix absorbing star power slightly faster than regr blue Soul Cards, it would take approximately two months. It matched exactly what the teacher said! This made Su Yuan ponder seriously. Since the teacher suggested gathering at least four hours of Star Mist Pool time, it was likely intentional guidance. Breaking through the Bronze Middle Stage bottleneck required four hours of triple-concentration Star Mist Pool, focusing academic points on the breakthrough. In that case, there was no need to try now. Given the teacher''s perceptiveness and his role in overseeing the Star Mist Pool, the advice was likely very reliable. Four hours of triple-concentration Star Mist Pool needed 120 academic points. He currently had 50, so needed 70 more. Spending 30 points here would only increase the gap. Thinking this, Su Yuan decided to follow the advice. Compared to others, his cultivation progress was still a bit slow. Although he caught up thanks to the Heavenly Sweet Fruit, he was still two or three months behind talents like Shang Baiyu in officially entering the Bronze stage,gging even morepared to Xia Yue who was already at Bronze Middle Stage. If he could leverage the Star Mist Pool to break through the Middle Stage in two months, he might at least catch up with talents like Shang Baiyu, if not surpass them. Seeing the refined male teacher still engrossed in his book, Su Yuan did not disturb him further. He respectfully bowed and left quietly. The refined male teacher nced at the exit, shook his head with a smile, and continued reading. ``` Chapter 94 Task System Su Yuan returned to the dormitory. Since he needed to umte academic points to exchange for time in the Star Mist Pool, he would have to check how many points the academy tasks offered. Su Yuan turned on theputer and followed the guide to log into the academy''s intr task system. "What, I still have to register?" Seeing the registration page pop up, Su Yuan was a bit surprised. He thought the academy had already entered all the freshmen''s information. Su Yuan entered his name and student ID toplete the quick registration. Seeing the confidentiality agreement on the screen, he understood why he needed to register himself. Because the Demon Capital Academy''s task system was directly linked to the City Guard teams in various ces! After confirming the agreement, Su Yuan officially entered the task system. As soon as he got in, he saw numerous tasks listed on the homepage: "Level One Task: Administrator of the first floor of the Book Tower, 6 academic points per month, responsible for registration, maintenance, and cleaning. Three days a week required." "Level One Task: A Bronze Level wanted criminal has been active recently between Lanting and Hengzhou City. He has killed three Star Card Masters and is very powerful. One person is needed to assist the City Guard in hunting him down. Reward: 14 points." "Level One Task: The Purple Gold Building will hold a five-day jewelry convention soon. Five Bronze Level guards are needed. Basic points: 5, with additional rewards based on performance." "Level One Task: A citizen in the east of the city lost a Fifth Stage Snowke Mink pet. Finding it will be rewarded with 2 academic points." ... At a nce, there were various types of tasks such as patrol, wanted missions, guard duty, and searching. "The rewards for Level One Tasks are mostly under 10 points, with wanted tasks offering the highest rewards, generally above 10 points." Su Yuan browsed through the tasks and found that for Level One Tasks, those involving risk like wanted missions, assistance, and guard duty rewarded more points than administrative or maintenance tasks. The higher the risk, the greater the reward. This made sense. Tasks like being an administrator for the Book Tower had almost no risk but only offered 6 points per month. A wanted task, if the target''s location could be locked, could be resolved in two or three days, including travel time. Thus, the difference was quite obvious. Of course, this was assuming everything went smoothly. If not, it could take half a month or more to track the target, with the possibility of the target escaping in the end. Wanted tasks were not only unstable but also riskier. "Second Stage Tasks reward more points, mostly over 10 points. Unfortunately, I can''t take them." Su Yuan saw that the Second Stage wanted tasks rewarded more than 10 points, some even offering over 30 points, much higher than Level One Tasks. But the problem was, Su Yuan found he didn''t have the permission to take them. As for Level Three Tasks, he couldn''t even view them, let alone take them. So, he opened his information: Name: Su Yuan Points: 0 (Level One) ... Clearly, the Demon Capital Academy''s task system had a strict hierarchical system. Every time a Demon Capital studentpleted a task, besides academic points, they would also get equivalent points. When points reached 100, they could advance to the Second Stage. When points reached 1000, they could advance to the Third Stage. This system was also a form of protection for students, forcing freshmen to start with simpler tasks. Only after going through numerous low-stage tasks could they take on higher-stage tasks. This prevented some students, who might be reckless or overconfident, from taking on unexpectedly difficult tasks, leading to failure. If it were a regr task, failure would at most result in some dy. But for wanted or guard duties, task failure could mean injury or death, and might also endanger others, leading to severe consequences! In fact, because many simr incidents had urred in the past, many academiester adopted such hierarchical systems. Even so, the death rate among academy students on tasks was still significant. The Star Card Master was ultimately a transcendent force group. Withpetition, there would be battles; with battles, there could be life and death! "I need at least 70 academic points to use the Star Power Cultivation Room. For Level One wanted tasks, I would need about five..." "And if I want to ensure a breakthrough, it''s best to earn extra time in the Star Power Pool. That means doing two more wanted tasks." "Considering the tasks, cultivation, studying, and travel, two months'' time is not really sufficient." Su Yuan showed a thoughtful expression.@@novelbin@@ "But if I can advance to the Second Stage soon and take Second Stage Tasks, the speed of earning academic points would greatly increase. Going to the Star Mist Pool now and then wouldn''t be a dream anymore..." Just as Su Yuan was preparing to select one or two wanted tasks, his phone lit up, and a notification arrived in the ss group. Xia Yue: "Teacher said there''s a ss at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Please be on time." A ss so soon? Su Yuan was a bit surprised. He had learned from the forums that Demon Capital Academy''s small ss courses were roughly once a week. Today''s first ss had ended, and there was another ss the day after tomorrow, with only one day in between. But Su Yuan quickly understood. The first ss wasn''t about cultivation and didn''t need digestion, so there was no need for an interval. With Xia Yue''s notification, students in the advanced ss began to discuss. Shang Baiyu: "Is this ss about cultivation?" Mu Qingyu: "It should be. Do you know which aspect, Xia Yue? Did Teacher Xiao He say anything?" Xia Yue: "From what Teacher said, it seems to be about Star Power techniques." Du Tao: "Star Power techniques? Isn''t Star Power just for attaching skills?" Shang Baiyu: "Of course there are techniques, like Concealing Breath." Zhang Tai: "Concealing Breath? Is that why I couldn''t sense your and Xiang Dingqian''s Star Power fluctuations during ss this morning?" Xiang Dingqian: "That''s correct. My family taught me in high school." Zhang Tai: "Wow, being from a noble family does make a difference. But Shang Baiyu isn''t from a noble family, how does he know it too?" Shang Baiyu: "It was taught by an elder at home." Mu Qingyu: "Zhang Tai, mind your own business." ... No one had said a word in the group before, but now it was buzzing, quickly reaching "99+." Everyone was around eighteen years old, having just entered the academy with a lot of excitement and new experiences. Everyone had their own reservations, so without a topic, no one wanted to be the first to start a conversation. Now, with Xia Yue bringing up a topic, almost everyone actively and passionately participated in the chat. "Star Power techniques, huh?" Su Yuan looked at the messages in the group and felt some anticipation. He had witnessed Shang Baiyu and Xiang Dingqian''s ability to conceal their presence and Star Power fluctuations. Later, in the Book Tower, Yang Yifeng had used Star Power to iste sounds effortlessly. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire The potential and variability of Star Power was far greater than he had imagined. Just knowing how to attach skills seemed shallow and crude... "Let''s see what they teach the day after tomorrow, then focus on tasks. Within two months, I must break through to the Bronze Middle Stage!" Chapter 95 Demonstration Two dayster, early in the morning, Su Yuan once again took Luo Bingtong to therge ssroom. Just likest time, Teacher He Yanan only appeared when the clock in the ssroom was about to strike eight. "Hey, it seems everyone had a good couple of days!" He Yanan greeted with a smile, still full of vigor and energy! "Hello, Teacher Xiao He." Su Yuan and the others hurriedly paid their respects. He Yanan nodded, then took a few steps to the center of the podium. "Last time, I talked about a lot of things rted to the academy that had nothing to do with cultivation. Today, no more idle chatter, let''s start our first cultivation ss." Upon hearing this, the students immediately perked up. He Yanan''s gaze swept over everyone below, and a smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "Can one of the male studentse up and help me demonstrate?" Su Yuan had a bad feeling about this, but he kept quiet. "I will!" Zhang Tai nced around and saw that no one else was moving, so he directly got up and walked briskly towards the podium. "Teacher, why does it have to be a male student?" At that moment, a female student in the ssroom asked. He Yanan replied with a smile, "Because it might ''hurt'' a bit when cooperating, so we''re asking for male volunteers." Zhang Tai was only two or three steps away from He Yanan when he heard thisment and suddenly froze. Looking up at He Yanan, who was smiling, Zhang Tai, with his right foot already lifted, was unable to move forward or retreat, stuck in ce. "Pfft¡­" Du Tao, who was sitting near the front, saw Zhang Tai''s awkward stance and couldn''t help but burst intoughter. "Come on, Du Tao,e over and join the party." "What?!" Du Tao''s smile froze, and his face fell immediately. However, under He Yanan''s gaze, he begrudgingly stepped forward and stood next to Zhang Tai. At first, everyone didn''t think much of it, but Du Tao''s reaction really cracked everyone up in the ssroom. Considering the example set earlier, everyone held back theirughter. He Yanan stepped back a few steps, standing about seven or eight meters away from the two. "Next, I will shoot some Star Power Bullets at you. You can''t dodge or use skills, only your own Star Power to block. If you manage to block a Star Power Bullet, I''ll give you an academic point for each, okay?" Hearing about the academic points, both Zhang Tai and Du Tao''s faces lit up, and they quickly replied, "Okay!" "There''s actually an academic reward!" "Yeah, I should have volunteered." "¡­" Many in the ssroom regretted not stepping forward upon hearing about the academic points. Su Yuan looked at He Yanan''s slightly raised corner of his mouth and guessed that these points were probably not easy to earn... He Yanan stretched out his right hand, making a "handgun" gesture, and said to the two, "Are you ready? If you''re ready, then I''ll start!" Zhang Tai and Du Tao took a deep breath, and focused intently on He Yanan''s right hand. Seeing that the two were ready, golden light danced at He Yanan''s fingertips and strands of pale golden Star Power slowly surged up. "Here ites!" He Yanan shouted lowly, and immediately, a pale golden "bullet" flew out from his index finger. So fast! Zhang Tai was startled, about to stimte his Star Power to cover his body for defense, but the bullet was too fast. His Star Power hadn''t surged from the Star Power Vortex to the surface of his skin when his left arm was already hit. "Ah!" Zhang Tai, caught off guard, immediately let out a cry of pain, his left arm visibly swelling red at the point of impact, also leaving behind a faint golden "X" mark. Du Tao felt secretly relieved that it wasn''t him who was hit first and quickly covered his body with Star Power. However, the very next moment, Du Tao felt a pain in his chest. Looking down, a pale golden bullet had pierced through his Protective Star Power, leaving an "X" mark on his chest. He had been hit! "Double kill!" He Yanan grinned, revealing bright white teeth contrasting with his slightly dark skin. "What''s going on, why was Du Tao hit when he had his Star Power open!" Du Tao being hit immediately aroused everyone''s curiosity. "Yeah, it''s one thing for Zhang Tai to be hit, but why did Du Tao, who had his Star Power up for protection, also get marked?" Xia Yue pouted, "If simply using Star Power for defense could 100% block the teacher''s bullets, wouldn''t that be just handing out academic points? It''s not that simple!" "Xia Yue, do you know what''s going on?" someone beside her asked. "It must be because their Star Power Strength isn''t strong enough. The teacher''s bullets are highly powerful and can probably easily break through their Protective Star Power." "What can we do then? Aren''t we unable to block it at all?" Xia Yue thought for a moment, then said, "If we abandon full-body defense and concentrate the Star Power on a small area, maybe it would be able to block the bullets." "Right..." Upon hearing this, everyone around seemed to suddenly understand. In the arena, Zhang Tai and Du Tao, both having personally felt the impact of He Yanan''s Star Power Bullets, quickly figured out the reason. "Teacher Xiao He, another go!" Zhang Tai shouted. "Here Ie then," He Yanan slowly stretched out his left hand, grinning again, "just now was just a heads-up, things will get more intense now¡­"@@novelbin@@ His double index fingers surged with light, and the next moment, one after another, golden bullets were shot out at high speed from He Yanan''s hands! At first, Zhang Tai and Du Tao managed to concentrate their Star Power and caught two or three bullets, but soon, they could no longer catch a single one. One moment they were concentrating their Star Power on their abdomens, and the next, a bullet wasing at their right shoulders, leaving them no time to shift their Star Power there! "Uh ah, ah..." "Stop! Teacher He, stop!!" In just a short moment, the wails of Zhang Tai and Du Tao filled the entire ssroom, as multiple "X" marks uncontrobly appeared all over their bodies. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire But He Yanan seemed to be having the time of his life, his hands going "biubiubiu..." non-stop¡ªhis excited face a stark contrast to the pain-masked faces of Zhang Tai and Du Tao! After a good half minute, He Yanan finally stopped, satisfied, as if a Western gunfighter blowing on his index fingers mimicking pistols. Looking at Zhang Tai and Du Tao, they were grimacing in pain, standing still, their whole bodies visibly swollen everywhere except their faces¡­ Harsh, It was indeed harsh! The entire ssroom couldn''t help but subtly look away, not wanting to look at the two on stage, also feeling that their ss teacher seemed to have a bit of a sadistic streak... He Yanan turned around, pping his hands, "Shang Baiyu, heal them." "Sure thing!" When it came to healing, Shang Baiyu was suddenly not tired anymore and excitedly walked over, applying the White Plum Finger technique on Zhang Tai. "Hiss... gently, gently!" Shang Baiyu sheepishly smiled, but his touch was still as firm as ever. No choice, gentleness didn''t bring effects after all~ Chapter 96 Breathing After a while, as Shang Bai Yu stopped, arge number of White Plum blossoms bloomed one after another on Zhang Tai and Du Tao''s bodies. Suddenly, a fog-like white mist surged out, enveloping their bodies, warm and slightly cool. Not long after, once the mist had dispersed, the injuries on both of their bodies had rapidly healed to their original state. "It''s truly miraculous!" Although most people in the ssroom had already witnessed Shang Bai Yu''s White Plum Finger, they couldn''t help but click their tongues in wonder at this moment. "Teacher Xiao He, Zhang Tai and Du Tao each have 47 bullet marks on their bodies," Shang Bai Yu said to He Yanan, who had walked over. During the healing process for Zhang Tai, Shang Bai Yu had conveniently counted the bullet marks on both of their bodies. "Oh?" He Yanan looked at Shang Bai Yu, a sh of surprise in her eyes, before she smiled and said, "Not bad, it saves me counting." He Yanan walked over to Zhang Tai and started, "I fired a total of 100 ''Star Power Bullets'', 50 for each of you. So, does that mean each of you only caught 3 ''Star Power Bullets'', right?" "That''s... right..." Zhang Tai and Du Tao stammered in response. Although they no longer felt pain, their faces were flushed red with embarrassment. This time, they had really lost face big time! But indeed it wasn''t as simple as they thought. The ''Star Power Bullets'' Teacher Xiao He fired were almost as fast as real bullets. Even though they could barely sense where they would hit, the transfer of ''Star Power'' also took time and they simply couldn''t block it! "Alright," He Yanan didn''t mean to me them; she patted their shoulders with a smile, "Go on down first, I''ll settle the three academic points with youter." "Yes, Teacher." Zhang Tai and Du Tao left the stage with their heads hung low. At least it wasn''t all for nothing; they were beaten up but they did earn three academic points... Having finished healing the injured students, Shang Bai Yu was content and ready to step down from the stage, only to be suddenly stopped by He Yanan. "Shang Bai Yu, don''t go down yet; I haven''t had enough. Apany me for another round," she said. Shang Bai Yu was startled, a look of distress on her face, "Please, Teacher Xiao He..." "Come here when I tell you to!" With a ring look, He Yanan immediately raised her right hand in the shape of a gun. Frightened, Shang Bai Yu quickly increased the distance between him and He Yanan, forced a bitter smile, and then focused intensely on He Yanan''s right hand. "Here ites!" He Yanan warned. Suddenly, there was a sh of golden light! Golden bullets burst from He Yanan''s fingertips, each one fired swiftly at Shang Bai Yu! Thirty secondster, as the golden light faded, He Yanan stopped, a hint of surprise shing in her eyes. Shang Bai Yu was sweating and looked slightly disheveled, but upon closer inspection, there wasn''t a single bullet mark on his body! "Damn! How did he do that?" "Not even a single mark!" "Does Shang Bai Yu really possess such strength? I remember he''s just a healer, how does he know all these things!" ... All the students in the ssroom widened their eyes, astonished by Shang Bai Yu''s amazing performance. Ye Qing turned to ask, "Xiang Ding Qian, how many could you catch?" Xiang Ding Qian, his eyes filled with surprise, took a deep breath and said slowly, "If it were me, I''d probably only be able to catch half!" Upon hearing this, Ye Qing''s expression grew a little more solemn. Su Yuan watched Shang Bai Yu on the stage, thinking to himself that this guy was indeed no simple character... And, of course, the most astonished were Zhang Tai and Du Tao, who had just been soundly thrashed. "Holy crap, Shang Baiyu the Healer is actually this fierce? That''s not scientifically possible!" Zhang Tai couldn''t help but curse out loud. As a Healer, Shang Baiyu had not participated in the preliminary challenges a few days ago. Now, with this astonishing move, he had truly made everyone take notice! He Yanan nodded with satisfaction and said to Shang Baiyu, "Alright, you can step down now." At her words, Shang Baiyu hesitated, seeming to want to say something but unsure how to begin, a look of internal struggle on his face. He Yanan asked in confusion, "What''s wrong?" "Teacher Xiao He, I also cooperated with your demonstration, so... the Academic Points..." That... Everyone suddenly realized what he meant. Indeed, He Yanan had previously told Zhang Tai and the other student that catching one Golden Light bullet would earn one Academic Point, and now Shang Baiyu had caught them all... He Yanan paused. She had asked him to participate again because she knew he could catch quite a few, intending to provide a positive example for everyone. Granting Academic Points hadn''t been her intention. However, she had promised points to Zhang Tai and the other student, and now she hadn''t explicitly said she wouldn''t give them... He Yanan curled her lips into a smirk, staring intently at Shang Baiyu, "You caught them all, so that''s 50 Academic Points, right?" "Yes, it should be..." In reality, Shang Baiyu was well aware of He Yanan''s intention. But Academic Points were valuable, and one had to be thick-skinned when necessary! Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire Feeling overwhelmed under He Yanan''s kindly gaze, Shang Baiyu responded meekly before quickly lowering his head. In a few brief seconds that felt like ages, just as Shang Baiyu felt he couldn''t hold out any longer, He Yanan''s voice finally rang out beside him. "50 Academic Points, I''ll transfer them to you after ss!" Shang Baiyu was overjoyed and hastily thanked her, "Thank you, Teacher Xiao He!" After speaking, he didn''t dare to take another nce at He Yanan. He bowed his head, thanked her, and then ran off the stage as if he were fleeing. The ssroom erupted into a buzz of conversation at this turn of events. "50 Academic Points... wow!" "Shang Baiyu really hit the jackpot this time!" "..." Seeing Shang Baiyu return to his seat, Su Yuan said with a smile, "You really keep your cards close to your chest, don''t you?" Su Yuan too was envious of the 50 Academic Points. After all, having just looked at the Task System, Su Yuan was all too aware of what 50 Academic Points were worth. Yet, more astonishing than the 50 Academic Points was the fact that Shang Baiyu could perform so impressively. Shang Baiyu waved it off with augh, "Just a little trick of the trade, nothing to fuss over!" The students in the ss, aside from being astounded by Shang Baiyu, couldn''t help but all turn their attention to He Yanan. After witnessing the demonstrations by Zhang Tai, the other student, and Shang Baiyu, everyone became even more curious about what He Yanan was about to teach next.@@novelbin@@ He Yanan stood at the center of the podium and said, "You''ve all seen the two demonstrations just now. Faced with the same Star Power Bullets, Zhang Tai and Du Tao couldn''t dodge, but Shang Baiyu could evade them all. These Star Power Bullets had their strength limited by me. What if I hadn''t limited their strength?" Because she was their head teacher, the students hadn''t thought much of it before. But now, reflecting on it, if the Star Power Bullets hadn''t had their power limited, wouldn''t Zhang Tai and Shang Baiyu have been shot full of holes? Su Yuan estimated that even if he had been the one up there, it probably wouldn''t have been much different from Zhang Tai and Du Tao. "Of course, during realbat, you can dodge or use Defense Skills. However, what I want to discuss is not that. At the Bronze Early Stage, without using any Skills, Shang Baiyu could do it, but Zhang Tai and the other student could not. The reason for this..." He Yanan looked at the students'' curious gazes below and slowly began, "is ''breathing''!" Chapter 98 Opening Two Points in Succession! However, not everyone in the ssroom looked expectant. There were still two or three people who frowned slightly, seemingly troubled. One of the boys named Shi Jin couldn''t help but speak, "It seems like opening a Star Cave will take a lot of time... Teacher Xiao He, do we really need to learn Star Power Breathing?" He Yanan looked up at Shi Jin and couldn''t help but squint her eyes slightly. "Of course, you can choose not to practice." He Yanan''s voice became stern, her gaze sweeping across all the students in the ssroom. "Many might think that breathing practice is tough, troublesome, time-consuming, and seemingly useless. It only helps to conceal breath and makes Star Power bursts smoother. The academy is not like high school; teachers lead the way, but cultivation is up to the individual. Demon Capital Academy has always given students the autonomy in their cultivation. The methods are taught to you. Whether you learn or practice is your business. I won''t force you." Everyone could feel that He Yanan seemed to be genuinely angry. This was natural. Don''t think that just getting into Demon Capital Academy means everything is smooth sailing. Enjoying various benefits from the Education Bureau and the academy, getting 10 academic points each month just by lying down. The country and the academy have provided many resources, but these resources are not meant to be wasted on those afraid of hardship. At least this elite ss shouldn''t have such people! Su Yuan nced at Shi Jin and then looked away. Perhaps the other party wasn''t avoiding learning but felt that practicing "breathing" had too low of a yield and would slow down their other areas of cultivation. But if Star Power Breathing was arranged by Demon Capital Academy as the first cultivation ss for the elite ss, how could it be simple? Its significance and importance couldn''t be overstated! Although it now seemed that breathing only conceals breath and enhances the speed of Star Power bursts, this was just entry-level! What about the effectster at skilled, master, great sess, or even perfect levels? For Star Card Masters, having special passive abilities is extremely rare and precious! Although He Yanan didn''t explicitly state it, from the way breathing was practiced and the effects of entry-level breathing, mastering breathing seemed like it would bring a series of such passive abilities! He Yanan walked from the podium to arge practice area at the back of the ssroom, calling, "Everyone,e over." Su Yuan and the others got up and followed He Yanan to the back, sitting cross-legged. "Close your eyes and enter inner sight, gather Star Power, and start impacting the first Star Cave in the outermost four Star Caves, located near the left shoulder in the first Star Nest..." Under He Yanan''s guidance, the students closed their eyes one after another, entered inner sight, and began using their Star Power to impact the location of the first Star Cave in their minds! "Ugh..." "Ah!" "..." For a while, various responses echoed. Despite the Star Cave diagram He Yanan had projected into their minds earlier, more than a dozen people got the position wrong at this time. A golden light as bright as gold foil lit up in He Yanan''s eyes, as if she could see through the students'' bodies to directly check the Star Power operation within them, guiding each student individually. "Zhou Weimin, too high, move down 2 centimeters." "Yang Shuo, move 1.5 centimeters to the left." "..." In the inner sight state, Su Yuan manipted the Star Power flow,pressed to less than the width of a fingernail, recalling the position of the first Star Cave in his mind andunched an impact. Soon, Su Yuan felt an invisible shackle at the location of the first Star Cave. With a slight effort, a strong sense of swelling came quickly. The position was correct! Su Yuan''s heart moved, continuously using Star Power to impact the area. Thepressed and condensed Star Power began to consume like being thrown into a bottomless pit, but there was no change at the first Star Cave. However, Su Yuan wasn''t anxious. ording to He Yanan, the position was correct. It had just started. As long as the direction was right, there would be an effect sooner orter. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire He immediately concentrated fully, focusing all his energy on mobilizing the Star Power to impact the target position! ... After He Yanan''s guidance and correction, all the students in the ss had located the position of their first Star Cave and continuously impacted it with Star Power. He Yanan quietly observed the students. Hmm... Mu Qingyu, Xia Yue, Lu Yingying... these girls were all doing pretty well. Zhang Tai? Unexpectedly, this boy, who looked quite rough, was quite meticulous in his Star Power maniption. Shang Baiyu was already working on the 26th Star Cave in the fifth Star Nest, while Xiang Dingqian, though slightly slower, was also at the 19th Star Cave. Luo Bingtong... This little girl, though it''s unknown what kind of Star Beast she is, seemed to have a high talent in human form. She found the positions very urately and would probably break through soon. As expected of a talent with full Star Power potential, Su Yuan couldpress his Star Power so solidly even without training, and would likely make quick progress... This year''s freshmen seemed to be better than thest. Last year, Teacher Xu led the elite ss. ording to him, five students sessfully opened their first Star Cave during the first breathing ss. This time, apart from Shang Baiyu and Xiang Dingqian, who had already opened some Star Caves, who knew how many would open their first Star Cave... Time passed, He Yanan looked at the clock on the wall, it was almost eleven o''clock. "I wonder when the first student to break through the Star Cave will appear..." He Yanan thought. At this moment, a slight Star Power fluctuation suddenly spread through the room. He Yanan turned her head and saw Su Yuan slightly opened his eyes, with a hint of joy in them. Yes, Su Yuan had sessfully broken through the first Star Cave, more smoothly than he had anticipated. With powerful spiritual power control, he was quite adept at the micro-maniption of Star Power in the inner sight state. The impact on the first Star Cave was precise and quick. Soon, the first Star Cave showed signs of loosening. As the Star Power consumption continued, the first Star Cave was naturally breached. Su Yuan''s mind moved, controlling the Star Power to flow into the first Star Cave, and it indeed settled calmly within.@@novelbin@@ Su Yuan felt that his Star Power and spiritual power were still rtively sufficient, so he closed his eyes again and started impacting the second Star Cave... "As expected of a talent with full Star Power potential, the first one to break through the Star Cave..." He Yanan nodded appreciatively, "But to break through the second Star Cave, it might have to wait until they go back." As He Yanan was thinking, more Star Power fluctuations came one after another. Luo Bingtong, Xia Yue, and Ye Qing broke through the first Star Cave sessively before 11:10. After that, Zhang Tai broke through the first Star Cave at 11:30. Du Tao and Mu Qingyu broke through the first Star Cave before 11:50... At 11:50, Xiang Dingqian actually broke through his 19th Star Cave, which had already been somewhat loose! "Not bad at all!" He Yanan was increasingly satisfied. Excluding Xiang Dingqian, seven students had sessfully opened their first Star Cave, two more thanst year! He Yanan looked through the remaining students who hadn''t yet opened a Star Cave. Knowing there were less than ten minutes left, it seemed unlikely anyone else would open a new Star Cave. "A bit greedy, but seven is already good." He Yanan shook her head slightly, just about to look away when another Star Power fluctuation came from the front. "Is there someone else?" He Yanan was pleasantly surprised and looked up, but was momentarily stunned. "Su Yuan... actually opened the second Star Cave?" She saw Su Yuan open his eyes again, with silver pupils shing a brilliant light and a trace of Star Power fluctuation slowly sweeping from his body! The second Star Cave had opened! Chapter 99 Breathing on the Dashboard? Su Yuan''s eyes shed with intense joy. Just now, after opening the 1st Star Cave, he immediately began to impact the 2nd Star Cave. The time spent on the 1st Star Cave was already more than half. Su Yuan didn''t even think he could open the 2nd Star Cave before ss ended. However, just as he was about to stop, he unexpectedly noticed a new change on the system panel! "Su Yuan Level: Bronze Early Stage Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix ... Breathing: General Breathing Method, Progress: First Star Nest 2nd Star Cave (42/100)" Breathing¡­ it actually appeared on the system panel? And there was a progress of 42/100 next to it? Su Yuan''s heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively called on the system to use Star Dust to add points! Unexpectedly, it really worked! The system''s energy appeared out of nowhere within his body and collided with the 2nd Star Cave. The progress on the panel rapidly soared at a visible speed, 40, 50, 70¡­ 100! In just two seconds, the progress jumped to 100/100, and the 2nd Star Cave was fully opened! Surprised and delighted, Su Yuan looked up, only to find He Yanan staring at him in great shock. Su Yuan secretly thought, "Not good." He had been too surprised and excited by the system panel''s change and had used the system to add points directly in front of an expert like He Yanan. He wasn''t sure if anything had been noticed. Fortunately, He Yanan didn''t seem to have found anything. The shock on He Yanan''s face soon turned into joy as she walked up to Su Yuan in a few steps. "Su Yuan, have you already opened the 2nd Star Cave?" He Yanan''s pupil skill could only see the flow of Star Power but couldn''t directly see how many Star Caves Su Yuan had opened, so she immediately sought confirmation from Su Yuan. "It seems so!" Su Yuan''s face showed a timely excitement and disbelief. "Teacher Xiao He, I found that opening the Star Cave seems much easier than I thought!" Hearing their conversation, Shang Baiyu and Luo Bingtong, sitting nearby, all opened their eyes in surprise. "Su Yuan, have you really opened the 2nd Star Cave? So fast!" Shang Baiyu''s eyes were full of surprise. "When I opened the 2nd Star Cave on the second day, my family said the speed wasn''t slow. But you''re much more exaggerated than me!" Xia Yue also eximed, "Is it really that monstrous? My second Star Cave has only just loosened a bit..."@@novelbin@@ Luo Bingtong looked at Su Yuan and then checked her own progress for the 2nd Star Cave, which was not even a third done, and she couldn''t help but tilt her head in confusion. He Yanan, however, looked excited. "People''s constitutions are different. Besides the maniption of Star Power, some people''s Star Caves might be naturally transparent, not as stubborn as normal ones." As she spoke, He Yanan looked at Su Yuan and smiled. "It seems that you also have an extraordinary talent for Star Power Breathing!" As Su Yuan''s homeroom teacher, He Yanan was one of the few who had ess to Su Yuan''s Soul Card test report. In addition to the unparalleled Talent of his Soul Card, there was also a line in Su Yuan''s personal information stating "nearly demonic Skill Talent!" At this moment, the people around looked at Su Yuan with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Not far away, Xiang Dingqian, who had just been delighted by sessfully opening the 19th Star Cave, turned pale upon hearing the news. "Why is he so extraordinary even in cultivating Star Power Breathing?!" Xiang Dingqian was filled with mixed emotions. Originally, thanks to the guidance of family elders, he had been cultivating breathing and opening Star Caves early, which was his strong point. Yet, Su Yuan had an extraordinary talent in this area as well? Wasn''t this one of the few areas where he surpassed Su Yuan? Suddenly, Xiang Dingqian felt an unprecedented sense of urgency. No, he couldn''t let him catch up! To widen the gap, merely opening the 4th Star Nest wasn''t nearly enough!! ... Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire However, some people noticed that He Yanan mentioned "also extraordinary." "Is the teacher implying he has another incredible talent in some other area?" Xia Yue stared at Su Yuan, secretly wondering. The person clearly came from a normal background. Why did he always have such unexpected qualities¡­ Soon, it was twelve o''clock. "That''s all for the Star Power Breathing ss, dismissed! Practice well when you go back. We''ll notify you in the group for new courses." He Yanan was always on time for sses and dismissals, never running over, not even for a second! The crowd dispersed one after another. Su Yuan, with Luo Bingtong, returned to the Southern First Garden with Shang Baiyu. Shang Baiyuughed. "You open Star Caves so quickly. I need to work a bit harder!" "You should probably focus on breaking through to the Intermediate Stage first. It feels like you''ve reached your limit." "I''ve been stuck for several days. This kind of thing can''t be rushed. Maybe a night of sleep will do it, or it might take another month or more¡­" Su Yuan suggested, "Including the 50 points Teacher He gave, you''ve already got 100 academic points. Maybe you could consider the Star Mist Pool?" Shang Baiyu''s eyes lit up. "Yeah, didn''t you gost time? How was it?" The three of them had already walked to the door of Room 3 as they talked. "I didn''t go inst time," Su Yuan stopped and looked at Shang Baiyu with a more serious expression. "I n to save up enough points and soak for four hours in one go." Hearing this, Shang Baiyu''s eyes flickered. Su Yuan smiled. "Okay, see you around." "Alright, see you." Looking at the departing backs of Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong, Shang Baiyu felt that Su Yuan''s words indeed hinted at something. "Four hours in the Star Mist Pool¡­" Shang Baiyu pondered. "Only 20 academic points short, let''s give it a try!" Thinking of this, Shang Baiyu returned to his dormitory, turned on hisputer, and logged into the Task System¡­ Su Yuan returned to his dormitory and called up the system again: "Star Dust: 720" "Breathing: General Breathing Method, Progress: First Star Nest 3rd Star Cave (0/100)." The remaining few hundred points of Star Dust were what was left after upgrading Hellfire Summon and Hellfire to Perfectst time. To further upgrade these two skills to the Transformation Realm would require more than three thousand Star Dust each. Since that was still far away, it was better to add them to the Star Power Breathing first and see. "System, add points!" With a thought, Su Yuan directly began adding points! Star Dust was consumed in increments of 100. Within moments, six Star Caves in the First Star Nest near Su Yuan''s left shoulder were all opened! Su Yuan''s body shook slightly. Star Power from the vortex in his chest flowed out, passed through the six Star Caves one by one, and then returned to the vortex. With this flow of Star Power, Su Yuan immediately felt a significant difference in his left hand from before! "Gray me." Su Yuan whispered softly. As the Star Power surged, a bluish-gray me quickly formed and condensed on his left hand. "Not only is the casting almost non-dyed, but the charging time for the Gray me has also reduced by nearly 20%!" A hint of joy shed in Su Yuan''s eyes. Moreover, his own Star Power fluctuations had also be somewhat more restrained than before. The effect of this Breathing Method¡­ was indeed excellent! Su Yuan opened the system panel again. "Star Dust: 320" "Breathing: General Breathing Method, Progress: Second Star Nest 7th Star Cave (0/100)." "Teacher Xiao He said the Star Nests get harder to open as it progresses. But for now, opening the Star Caves in the Second Star Nest requires the same amount of Star Dust as the First Star Nest. Hence, it seems that the difficulty of opening the first four Star Nests, all being Entry-level, is the same. Thus, 24 Entry-level Star Caves need 2400 Star Dust, equivalent to practicing 2 green skills to the Transformation Realm! Breathing, as expected, isn''t easy to practice." "But regardless, as long as Star Dust can resolve this, it''s not a problem!" Su Yuan''s expression turned excited. In this way, as long as there was enough Star Dust, his progress in Breathing would be several times or even dozens of times faster than others! "Though I don''t know how much Star Dust the fifth and sixth Star Nests require, it doesn''t take much to open the second, third, and fourth Star Nests. Let''s focus on reaching Entry-level first!" Raising Breathing to Entry-level would not only provide an initial understanding of the Breathing''s effect but would also earn him 50 academic points from He Yanan! Su Yuan pondered, "Then next, I need to hunt for more Star Dust¡­" Chapter 100 First Task South Pole City, on the highway outside Pier No. 3. A young man with rare silver pupils, dressed in a ckbat uniform, alighted from a taxi on the roadside. "Young man, you seem to be a student from the academy outside. Be careful if you''re heading out to sea. Every year, there are still some Star Card Masters who meet with idents in the South Sea Inds." The driver, a slightly chubby middle-aged man, couldn''t help but kindly remind the youth upon seeing his unique demeanor. Su Yuan nodded with a smile, "Thank you for the reminder, sir." The driver chuckled, "You''re wee. It''s young, outstanding Star Card Masters like you that make us feel at ease about the future of Great me." After saying that, the driver waved his hand and drove off. Su Yuan retracted his gaze, turned around, and walked to the roadside. "The blue sea, it''s the first time I''ve seen it, it''s really beautiful..." Su Yuan looked into the distance. The sea met the sky, and the scorching sunlight sprinkled on the sea surface, making it shimmer brilliantly. At the edge of the coast, boats of various sizes floated on the sea. Some were departing, some docking, and some returning. From time to time, people passed by Su Yuan, descending the hundred-meter long white stone steps toward the pier and boarding the boats. These people almost always had some degree of Star Power fluctuation, and most of them were young, gathered in groups of three or five, clearly academy students. Besides them, there were also several Star Card Masters from society. Su Yuan nced at the time; it was already half past three in the afternoon. He then descended the hundred-meter steps, took out his ticket, and boarded one of the passenger ships numbered "NJ-014." "Wee aboard our Nanjie Group''s passenger ship. Your room is on the first floor, No. 038. Take a left after you enter." The attendant at the door, a round-faced girl with short brown hair, smiled and greeted him after taking his ticket. "Thank you." Su Yuan nodded, took back his ticket stub, and entered the ship. "Silver pupils, really rare..." The round-faced girl couldn''t help but turn her head and take another look. "A pretty clear face, and traveling in second ss. I wonder if he''s a genius student from South Pole Academy, maybe even my brother''s ssmate." ... Su Yuan returned to cabin No. 038, looking at the sea through the ss, his mind lost in thought. "If I can find more than 70 units of Red Fire Stone at once, then I don''t have toe out again before breaking through to the Intermediate Stage..." It had been almost a week since thest breathing lesson. The reason Su Yuan was here was because he had taken on a collection task on Red Sand me Ind, one of the inds in the southern seas. Red Sand me Ind, though just an ind, was filled with a substantial concentration of Fire Element. Although it was only a Low Stage Dangerous Zone, the ind was fairly famous among the Southern Inds because of a popr fire element mineral found there called the Red Fire Stone. The Red Fire Stone, like the me Crystal Stone that Zhuang Xun once sought in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, was a second-stage spiritual material. However, as a primary material for artifact refining, Red Fire Stone was much more in demand.@@novelbin@@ Due to the influence of the South Sea Ocean Current, the route to Red Sand me Ind was only open in September and October each year. Therefore, every year at this time, many low-stage Star Card Masters from academies and society would go to Red Sand me Ind to find Red Fire Stones to craft green Star Artifacts. Each academy had dedicated artifact refiners and students specializing in artifact refining. Compared to directly purchasing Star Artifacts, gathering materials yourself andmissioning a refiner to create it could save a substantial amount of costs. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire "Collect Red Fire Stones from Red Sand me Ind, 1 cubic decimeter equals 1 unit, each unit earns 1 academic point, up to a maximum of 100 academic points." This was a task that Su Yuan found after spending considerable time looking through numerous academy tasks, finding it was most suitable for himself. Firstly, although it was a Level One Task, its upper limit was high. As long as he could find enough Red Fire Stones, he could earn up to 100 academic points! Secondly, Red Sand me Ind, as a Low Stage Dangerous Zone, had a variety of Star Beasts. While searching for Red Fire Stones, he could also hunt Star Beasts to earn Star Dust. Not to mention the Hellfire and Hellfire Summon that hadn''t yet reached the Transformation Realm, the breathing method was also eagerly awaiting! ... Nanjie Group''s passenger ship itself was engraved with various barriers such as eleration, defense, toughness, and attack. Plus, a Shining Star-level expert from the group was on board. Although the tickets weren''t cheap, the safety was well ensured. The journey was smooth, and by around 8 o''clock the next morning, the passenger ship sessfully docked at a northern part of Red Sand me Ind. "Such a rich Fire Element..." Su Yuan looked up at the ind, observing the sunlight, the beach, the coastline... It seemed like a vacation spot, but, being a dangerous zone, it was obviously moreplicated. The sunlight: nearly forty degrees, The beach: Red Sand me Ind wasn''t called that for nothing. The sand here was all light red, the reason being it was soaked in a considerable concentration of Fire Element at all times. Fortunately, those who came here were mostly Bronze-level Star Card Masters and a few at the Silver Stage, so the environment wasn''t too harsh for them. Silver Stage Star Card Masters usually possessed one or two green Star Artifacts, so they rarely came, and those at the Gold Level typically wouldn''te at all... "Yixuan, Little Ting, should we head straight to the center of the ind?" "No hurry, the center of the ind isn''t the only ce with Red Fire Stone. Any location with a high concentration of Fire Element can potentially produce Red Fire Stone, like this valley surrounded by low hills..." ... "Old He, do you think we can find Red Fire Essence Gold this time?" "That depends on our luck. There''s been no Red Fire Essence Gold produced for five consecutive years, so it might show up this time. We just don''t know where it will be..." "Then let''s head to the central Three Peaks area and see!" ... Most teams of Star Card Masters were still discussing their ns of action, but Su Yuan, being alone, had it easy. He quickly nced at the map and headed deeper into Red Sand me Ind. The ces where Red Fire Stones appeared each year on Red Sand me Ind were unpredictable; they could be anywhere or concentrated in certain areas. But being Fire Element spiritual materials, they were more likely to appear in ces with a high concentration of Fire Element. Of course, these ces often also nurtured more and stronger Star Beasts... Su Yuan unfolded the Wind Walking technique, walking on sand and stones. After a few hours, Su Yuan entered a gorge between two mountains where he encountered a small group of Red Cloud Leopards, their bodies entirely red as if cloaked in red embroidered clouds. Seeing the sudden appearance of a human, the Red Cloud Leopards immediately became cautious and began growling to intimidate Su Yuan. Su Yuan chuckled softly, continuing to approach the leopard group step by step while raising his hands, forming seal techniques one after another. The Bronze High-stage Red Cloud Leopard leader seemed to sense something amiss and roared angrily, charging at the forefront with its group! At this moment, Su Yuanpleted his magic technique, shing forward, and a pitch-ck Gate of Hell opened horizontally, with sixrge Bone Wolves enveloped in ck me leaping out one after another. Having grown up on Red Sand me Ind, these Red Cloud Leopards had never seen such terrifying Bone Wolves before and were filled with fear and trepidation. Feeling the powerful aura of the six Bone Wolves, the leading Red Cloud Leopard hastily led the group in stopping their charge, seemingly thinking about retreating. But Su Yuan wouldn''t let them go. "Kill them all and bring back the Star Cores." Su Yuan ordered in a low voice, and the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves charged into the group of Red Cloud Leopards like tigers among sheep. The cold light of their Netherfire Steel ws shed as they ughtered savagely. These Ordinary-grade Red Cloud Leopards, even the strongest only at the Bronze High-stage, were no match for the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves. Without any suspense, after a while, all the Red Cloud Leopardsy dead. Su Yuan collected the Star Cores brought back by the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves and extracted and dposed them into Star Dust. "120 Star Dust acquired." Su Yuan looked at the increased Star Dust on the system panel and nodded in satisfaction. But that wasn''t the end. The Hell Chanting Ring on his hand emitted a faint ck glow. Su Yuan closed his eyes slightly, focusing his spiritual power to scan the surroundings carefully. Among the gradually flowing Fire Elements, one area seemed particrly dense... Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. He turned and pointed to a certain spot on a cliff wall a dozen meters away. The Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves beside him immediately opened their mouths, charging a Netherfire Cannon and firing it at the spot. "Boom!" With the explosion of the Netherfire Cannon, a crater was sted into the cliff wall in front. Inside the crater, a football-sized red mineral embedded in the wall was revealed. "Red Fire Stone!" Su Yuan''s eyes shone brightly. He immediately stepped forward and took out the Dragon Armor Saber, cutting it down. "About 1.5 units, not bad, pretty smooth!" Storing the Red Fire Stone in his ring, Su Yuan continued toward the depths... Chapter 101 Flame Bull Demon In a certain area on the west side of Red Sand me Ind, a small passenger ship capable of holding twenty people slowly approached and docked at the shore. A dozen people dressed in yellowish-brown robes disembarked one after another. At the forefront was a middle-aged man with a square face, his Star Power fluctuation was astonishing. Upon closer inspection, he was actually a Silver High Stage expert! Additionally, there were three others nearby whose auras were not weak either. Shockingly, they were all at the Silver Stage! "Skinny Ma, when did that girl arrive?" the square-faced middle-aged man asked without turning his head. The yellow-faced old man called Skinny Ma responded: "ording to the information, it should have been two days ago." The old man named Skinny Ma was actually named Ma Huaxiong. Due to his lean physique, he was known as Skinny Ma. Apart from the leading middle-aged man, Yan Song, he had the highest realm, being in the Silver Middle Stage. The other two Silver-ranked individuals were a man and a woman, both at the Silver Early Stage. The remaining twelve people ranged from the Bronze Middle Stage to the Bronze High Stage. Yan Song nodded: "Very well, then disperse and search. Remember, her target is Red Fire Essence Gold. You only need to look in ces with high Fire Element concentration, and you''ll find her. Although she is only at the Bronze Middle Stage, she is not someone that ordinary Bronze Level warriors can handle. Once you locate her, do not act rashly. Inform me immediately and keep an eye on her. I wille over immediately." "Yes, sir!" The two Silver Early Stage and twelve Bronze-ranked individuals responded, then dispersed to search the Red Sand me Ind. Yan Song sneered: "That girl is really interesting. Despite having such good resources, she insisted on gathering it herself. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have this opportunity today." Ma Huaxiong pondered for a moment and asked: "Master, are we really going to capture that little girl?" "Of course!" Yan Song''s eyes shed with a cold light. "That witch killed so many of our Quicksand Sect members, she must taste the pain of having her loved ones taken away!" For the future of Quicksand Sect, Ma Huaxiong still tried to persuade Yan Song. "But she wasn''t targeting just our Quicksand Sect. Since she haspleted her task and left, our sect cany low for a while and still regain its glory! If we take action against her sister now, we might be mortal enemies. She mighte back for revenge¡­" "No more words!" Yan Song turned to stare at Ma Huaxiong, his eyes cold as ice. "Even my brother died at her hands. It''s already a situation of life and death! Moreover, it''s said that the witch cares deeply for her sister. Maybe we can trade one life for another and avenge our loss!" Ma Huaxiong sighed deeply at these words. The arrow was already on the bowstring; there was no turning back. They could only proceed to the end. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire Perhaps, just as Yan Song said, they might be able to trade the girl for the witch''s life. And if they killed the witch, Quicksand Sect''s reputation would grow significantly among the sects. They might even seize the opportunity to consolidate the remnants of other sects, bing the leading faction. With this thought, Ma Huaxiong firmed his resolve. Yan Song said: "Let''s go. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can leave, preventing any unexpectedplications!" "Alright!" ... The day remained sunny and peaceful on Red Sand me Ind. Three days had passed since Su Yuan arrived on the ind. At this moment, Su Yuan was inside a massive, brilliantly illuminated cave. In front of Su Yuan, two Hellfires d in armor and wielding swords were fiercely battling a two-legged bull-like fierce beast. Surrounding the battlefield were three Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves, waiting for opportunities tounch Netherfire Cannon shots or initiate Skeleton Charges to sneak attack the bull-like beast from behind with their Netherfire Steel ws. As for the other three Netherfire Skeleton Wolves, they had already been shattered into scattered bones! The bull-like Star Beast was pitch ck with blood-red eyes and two crimson horns. Its muscles, resembling iron walls, shed equally with the two heavily armed Hellfires, disying incredible strength! This bull-like fierce beast was known as the me Bull Demon, also a rare Master Star Beast, at the Silver Early Stage! Thus, Su Yuan''s two Hellfires were struggling a bit to handle it. Though struggling, the me Bull Demon was gradually showing signs of fatigue in front of the two Hellfires with monstrous physical strength and fearlessness towards death. "If it wants to turn the tide, now would be the time¡­" Su Yuan stood nearby, closely monitoring the battle. Suddenly, Su Yuan seemed to sense something, his eyes discreetly nced toward the cave entrance. At that moment, apanied by an angry bull roar, the me Bull Demon unleashed its final big move! Crimson fire lines appeared on its ck demonic body, visibly turning its entire body red like an erupting volcano. Highly concentrated Fire Elements gathered in the me Bull Demon''s tightly clenched fists! Su Yuan''s expression tensed. He quicklymanded the two Hellfires with his thoughts to activate their formidable blue skill, Evil Power Shield. The Hellfires'' bodies, enveloped in green Evil Energy mes, suddenly intensified several times, forming a chaotic, evil aura-filled spherical shield around them! Just as the Evil Power Shield formed, the me Bull Demon''s killer move was ready! The fire exploded, and red steam surged!@@novelbin@@ The me Bull Demon swung its fists, causing bursts of fist power to rain down like meteors. In a matter of seconds, it unleashed thirty-six punches! st Bull Demon Fist¡¤Thirty-Six Strikes! This blue skill could perfectly utilize the me Bull Demon''s strength, agility, and Star Power. In fact, a Perfect Level st Bull Demon Fist could deliver seventy-two strikes, truly earth-shattering and all-destructive! However, this me Bull Demon had only mastered it to the Master Level, hence it could only deliver thirty-six strikes. Despite that, the barrage of explosive fist power quickly cracked the Evil Power Shield, while the three surrounding Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves were instantly shattered into bone fragments upon impact! "Crash!" After a moment of resistance, the Evil Power Shield on the two Hellfires shattered. Following that, the evil power armor,parable to a top green star device, on the Hellfires began to develop numerous cracks, breaking into pieces. A few secondster, the me Bull Demon''s fist power weakened significantly. The me Bull Demon panted heavily, looking ahead, but was left dumbfounded. The two Hellfires'' armor was half destroyed, but their bodies were nearly unscathed! Su Yuan smiled unsurprisedly. This was the fortification unit, Hellfire! Evil Power Shield, Evil Power Armor created by Rock Tools, and the inherent talent-based terrifying defensive power. With threeyers of defense, even facing the ultimate move of a Silver Early Stage Master Star Beast, they could emerge almost unscathed. Indeed, they had only suffered a minor injury. The situation left the me Bull Demon in despair! The two Hellfires, however, raised their Evil Power Greatswords and mercilessly shed down! The me Bull Demon tried to struggle in its final moments, but having just unleashed its ultimate move, its body was weakened, and its Star Power was depleted. It resisted for just a moment under the greatswords before being cut down, turning into a lifeless, shattered corpse. "Not bad¡­" Su Yuan nodded, preparing to collect the Star Core and Demon Bull Horns. At that moment, an exceptionally powerful and sharp fluctuation emanated from behind, near the cave entrance. Su Yuan''s eyes flickered as he turned to see three figures at the entrance. One was a middle-aged man in his thirties, and the other two were young men in their mid-twenties. At that moment, one of the ck-haired young men was drawing a bow aimed at Su Yuan, with a golden arrow shimmering on it. The powerful, sharp fluctuation wasing from it. Silver level! Chapter 102 Counter-killing the Yellow Sparrow Three people at the cave entrance were all in Silver Stage! Under the summoning contract, summonings would prioritize protecting their summoner. The two Hellfires deep in the cave rushed out upon seeing the situation. "Don''t move!" The ck-haired youth with a drawn bow shouted coldly. "Make your summonings stop, or I''ll shoot!" Although the two Hellfires were only at Bronze High Stage, the three had witnessed their terrifying strength while hiding earlier. Typical Silver Stage beings were no match for these Hellfires! Su Yuan willed the Hellfires to stop. Seeing this, the bow-wielding youth secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The leader of the three, a middle-aged man, took a few steps forward and smiled. "Bronze Level and already summoning creatures strong enough to defeat the me Bull Demon, truly a genius summoner¡­@@novelbin@@ But, as the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Young man, you''re still too naive. No matter how strong the summonings, the summoner''s body is always a weak point." Su Yuan nced at the drawn Golden Arrow and asked the middle-aged man, "So, you''re here to kill and loot?" The middle-aged man smiled. "No need to kill. We''re just after riches. As long as you stay put, we''ll let you go." Actually, the three didn''t immediately kill Su Yuan not out of a reluctance to murder. After all, this was the wilderness, a danger zone. Everything was for profit. Ordinary Star Card Masters wouldn''t care about such things in the face of significant interests. Although the summoner''s body was weak, they often had one or two powerful life-saving skills. For instance, distributing damage taken to all summons; or having a summoning take the fatal blow passively. Some summoners'' summons wouldn''t disappear after their master''s death; instead, they gained a revenge buff, drastically increasing in strength until they killed the enemy! The more genius a summoner, the more troublesome their self-preservation methods. So to be safe, it was best to subdue them first and take their treasures. At this moment, the middle-aged man signaled to the other brown-haired youth. The brown-haired youth nodded, took out a Fire Element detector, and carefully bypassed Su Yuan and the two Hellfires to the stone tform where the me Bull Demon had rested. "Here it is!" Seeing the soaring data on the detector, the brown-haired youth''s eyes lit up. He gathered Star Power in his right hand and smashed it down with great force! This brown-haired youth, like the ck-haired youth with the bow, was also at Silver Early Stage and quite strong. With a muffled sound, the stone tform cracked under the punch. Inside the cracked tform was a row of Red Fire Stones. In the center of these stones was a fist-sized metal piece, red outside and white inside. The white part inside the metal resembled a constantly flickering white me, bright and extraordinary. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire "Found it, Red Fire Essence Gold!" the brown-haired youth eximed! Seeing this, Su Yuan''s heart moved slightly. Red Fire Essence Gold, a precious Third-level Fire Element material, was the primary material for forging Blue Star Artifacts! "Good!" The middle-aged man was ecstatic. "When I discovered the master-quality Star Beast on the ind, I had a hunch. I didn''t expect the Red Fire Essence Gold to appear this year!" On Red Sand me Ind, it had been years since any Red Fire Essence Gold was born. This piece of Red Fire Essence Gold was sizable. Even if used on one''s Star Device, it could sell for nearly ten million! The middle-aged man nodded, looked at the Bull Demon''s body, and instructed, "Wang Ping, also take the Bull Demon''s Star Core and horns!" Although this me Bull Demon''s Level was low, its horns could barely count as Third-level Star Beast materials. And the master-grade Star Core needed no further mention, with the chance of yielding a Blue Skill! Wang Ping, the brown-haired youth, collected all the Red Fire Essence Gold and over ten units of Red Fire Stones, then turned to the tall, static Hellfires. He gulped nervously. But he mustered courage and broke off the me Bull Demon''s horns and extracted its Star Core in front of the two Hellfires. The middle-aged man and the ck-haired youth with the bow closely watched Su Yuan and the Hellfires. If Su Yuan made any move, they would strike without hesitation! However, the process went smoothly. The two Hellfires didn''t budge, letting the brown-haired youth take the me Bull Demon''s horns and Star Core. With the oriole in the rear, not only did they effortlessly acquire the Red Fire Essence Gold, but they also got the me Bull Demon''s horns and Star Core! Such smoothness made the middle-aged man somewhatcent. Satisfied with Su Yuan''s cooperation, the middle-aged man thought that the young genius summoner was indeed young andcked crisis awareness. Otherwise, the three wouldn''t have seeded so easily. Seeing Su Yuan''s cooperation, the middle-aged man felt less inclined to kill. When the brown-haired youth returned, the middle-aged man smiled at Su Yuan. "A capable man can bend and stretch. Young man, you''re worthy as a young genius, very good." As he spoke, the middle-aged man signaled with his left hand behind his back. The ck-haired youth understood and abruptly released the bowstring. In an instant, golden light surged! The fierce Golden Arrow pierced the air, shooting towards Su Yuan in a sh. "Your summonings are too strong, so you must die to eliminate future troubles¡­ Hmm?!" The four-foot-long Golden Arrow shot deep into the cave''s depths, embedding two-thirds into the stone wall without a trace of Su Yuan. Simultaneously, a wretched scream echoed from behind. "Ah!!" The middle-aged man''s heart jumped, he turned, and saw the young summoner''s right hand, interwoven with gold and fire, piercing the bow-wielding youth''s head! "Talent?!" The middle-aged and brown-haired youths turned pale with shock! The bow-wielding ck-haired youth only struggled briefly before copsing as a distorted corpse. "How did you do it?!" "For an archer, you''re quite careless¡­" Su Yuanughed softly, wiped his right hand on his clothes, and looked at the returning brown-haired youth. "Thanks for collecting the materials. Now, return them to me." Despite the brown-haired youth being at Silver Early Stage, facing a younger, Bronze Level student, an innate fear rose from his heart! "No, no!" ncing at his distorted-faced deadpanion, the brown-haired youth couldn''t resist his terror and unexpectedly fled! Su Yuan''s hand shed, and a silver-gray long knife appeared. He touched the knife''s de with his left hand, and ck light covered it, emitting chilling spatial waves. Feeling these waves, the middle-aged man''s face changed in horror. He shouted, "Wang Ping, be careful!!" The ck Boundary Breaking Line instantly cut through the brown-haired youth, unleashing dominant spatial power, slicing him in half! The middle-aged man looked at Su Yuan in terror, never expecting the summoner to have such horrifying strength. Despite being only Bronze Early Stage, he had effortlessly killed two Silver Stage beings! At that moment, a slight whistling sound arose, and the middle-aged man snapped out of his daze, looking back. Before him was a giant Hellfire, elerated by Evil Energy, its massive fist smashing down! Seeing this, the middle-aged man''s scalp tingled, and he frantically tried to flee, unleashing Silver Middle Stage Star Power. Su Yuan raised his hand. Gray light shed from his palm, and Elemental Maism Pressure bore down on the middle-aged man! Though their realms differed, making it impossible topletely suppress the Silver Middle Stage man, slowing him down was easy. For the middle-aged man, those moments were fatal. "No¡­" "Boom!!" Evil Energy eleration and Chaotic Heavy Strikended squarely on the fleeing middle-aged man. Silence followed. The Hellfire moved its massive hand aside. The ground was a bloody mess, a lump of flesh¡­ Chapter 103 Quicksand Sects Move Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire Looking at the three corpses on the ground, their deaths were varied but all rather tragic. Su Yuan retrieved the space rings from each of them one by one. Apart from the Red Fire Qingjin, the star core and bull horns of the Bull Demon, which he had just acquired, Su Yuan discovered arge number of Red Fire Stones in their rings. Including the dozen or so units of Red Fire Stones around the Red Fire Essence Gold, he counted meticulously, and there were over fifty units altogether! After all, they were three Silver Stage individuals. Their collection efficiency was much higher than that of Bronze Levels! But now, it all conveniently fell into his hands... "Indeed, killing and looting is the fastest way to get rich..." Su Yuan couldn''t help but sigh to himself. In the three days he had been here, he had only found twenty units of Red Fire Stones. Adding the fifty-some units here, it totaled over seventy units. Four hours at the Star Mist Pool were already enough! Initially, Su Yuan estimated that this trip, even without considering travel time, would take more than ten days on Red Sand me Ind. But now it was almost done... "Havinge all this way, it''s worth spending a few more days to gather some more Star Dust, and possibly umte a hundred units of Red Fire Stones..." After a bit of thought, Su Yuan manipted the Hellfire and continued his sweeping... A few dayster, at a location on Red Sand me Ind. Several young students from South Pole Academy used the Fireball Technique to start a fire and were roasting the Red Fire Lizards they had hunted on the ind. Three men and one woman, the four were eating while asionally ncing at a young man lying on a big rock basking in the sunlight not far away. The young man had red hair and red eyes, holding a crimson long knife, looking quite unapproachable. He was none other than Geng Qiuyi, who had previously lost his Hellfire in the Molten Lava Cave. Among the four, a girl with golden curly hair, who was mainly in charge of roasting the meat, handed the best piece of meat to a boy beside her. "Yang Yang, go give it to the senior." Yang Yang looked reluctant, but under the blonde girl''spelling gaze, he took the roasted meat and walked towards the young man lying on the big rock.@@novelbin@@ "Senior Brother Geng, this Red Fire Lizard was roasted by Little Ruan. It tastes pretty good. This piece was roasted especially for you. It''s very fragrant~" "No need." Geng Qiuyi didn''t even open his eyes, only felt the sun above him was slightly blocked by Yang Yang, and frowned. "Move aside a bit; don''t block my sunlight..." Yang Yang quickly stood aside to let the sunlight through and said resentfully, "Senior Brother Geng, I''ll just leave the meat here. Have it when you feel like it..." Seeing no response from Geng Qiuyi, Yang Yang ced the meat skewer on the ground beside the big rock, then turned and sat back with hispanions. "Senior Geng seems hard to get along with..." a rather thin boy whispered. Another boy with sses adjusted his sses and said, "Senior Geng is just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. The other day when Little Ruan was ambushed by the Red Poison Bee Queen, wasn''t he the first to take action? Otherwise, we might have had to end our trip here. My Healing Skill can''t dispel the poison of the Red Poison Bee Queen." Ruan Xingyun nodded with a bit of lingering fear, "Thanks to Senior Geng..." Listening to their conversation, Yang Yang thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I heard from the teacher that although Senior Brother Geng was originally somewhat irritable, he wasn''t like this. It seems something happened recently..." "An incident..." Everyone looked thoughtful. Although the students in the academy were still students, they were also Star Card Masters, and incidents were not umon. Ruan Xingyun said, "We''d better stop specting. Since we have almost enough Red Fire Stones, why don''t we return? Senior Geng can then go look for the Red Fire Essence Gold. It''s not convenient for him to look after us and search for the Red Fire Essence Gold at the same time." "Agreed." Yang Yang and the others nodded. The tall and thin boyughed, "Speaking of which, we really have to thank Yang Yang''s mentor. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have such a skilled senior escorting us on our first task." Yang Yang shook his head, "From what I know, although the teacher mentioned our trip to Senior Brother Geng, who was already nning toe to Red Sand me Ind for the Red Fire Essence Gold, he agreed without asking for anything extra and didn''t even request additional academic points." "No extra points?" Ruan Xingyun and the other three were surprised. They thought Senior Geng had extra points for this trip, but it turned out he was helping out of his goodwill? They didn''t expect this seemingly irritable and difficult-to-talk-to senior to be so kind-hearted! "What are you whispering about over here?" Suddenly, Geng Qiuyi''s voice came from behind them. Startled, the four turned around to find that Geng Qiuyi had arrived quietly, holding his knife in his right hand and biting down on the roasted meat in his left. "Ah, just chatting!" Yang Yangughed awkwardly. Seeing Geng Qiuyi finally eating the meat, Yang Yang and the others felt secretly d. Ruan Xingyun stood up and said, "Senior Geng, we are preparing to return. You can continue searching for the Red Fire Essence Gold..." Before he finished speaking, Geng Qiuyi suddenly became serious and covered Ruan Xingyun''s mouth with a hand. "Shh!" Geng Qiuyi made a gesture for silence. Ruan Xingyun was initially shocked, and then her face turned crimson. Geng Qiuyi slightly turned his head, looking at a spot not far away. Yang Yang and the others also became alert, following Geng Qiuyi''s gaze. After a few seconds, several figures in yellow-brown robes approached from the distance, passing by Geng Qiuyi and his group without stopping, and hurried straight ahead. "These people don''t look easy to deal with..." Once the yellow-robed individuals were out of sight, the thin boy couldn''t help but show some worry. Geng Qiuyi stared in the direction they went, his face expressionless. "One Silver Middle Stage, and the rest are at least Bronze Middle Stage." Yang Yang frowned tightly, "Senior Brother, those people seemed quite hostile..." Ruan Xingyun, having returned to normal, thought for a moment, "They''re numerous, and we''re limited in strength. If it doesn''t concern us, it''s better not to interfere." The tall and thin boy with sses also nodded gravely, "Indeed. And we should distance ourselves now to avoid involvements. This is a dangerous area; carelessness can be fatal..." Listening to their discussion, Geng Qiuyi suddenly spoke, "Didn''t you just say you''re nning to return?" Yang Yang responded, "Yeah, we''ve collected enough Red Fire Stones. Thank you, Senior Brother, for apanying us these days. You should go find the Red Fire Essence Gold." Geng Qiuyi nodded, "Alright, you should return right now." "Okay, Senior Brother, take care!" Geng Qiuyi nodded lightly. Efficient as always, they immediately rose and headed back without hesitation. Once they were gone, Geng Qiuyi turned back to the direction the yellow-robed group had disappeared. He narrowed his eyes. "No matter if you''re Evil Card Masters or not, since I''vee across you, don''t me me for intervening." Geng Qiuyi let out a cold snort, gripped his long knife, and dashed off... Nearby, in a valley not far from Geng Qiuyi and the others, two girls fiercely battled a Silver Middle Stage elite Sand Devouring Beast. One girl had a round face, stood about 1.6 meters tall, and wielded a water-colored long knife. The other girl wore her ck hair in twin ponytails, dressed in a crop top and shorts, with a red jacket over it. She held a magic wand embedded with a ruby. These two were Lu Yingying and Xia Yue. "Level Flow sh!" "Fiery st!" Although the two girls were only at the Bronze Early Stage and Bronze Middle Stage, their cooperation of water and fire, close and far, was quite coordinated. They held their own against the Silver Middle Stage Sand Devouring Beast! However, the Sand Devouring Beast, being an earth element Star Beast, could manipte sand and stone. Its attack power was limited, but its defense was strong. Despite Lu Yingying''s shes and Xia Yue''s bombardments, the Sand Devouring Beast, using its sand shield, only suffered superficial wounds, without significant damage. Xia Yue frowned, knowing the disparity in their realms was too great. Ordinary tactics wouldn''t defeat it. "Yingying, we can''t keep this up!" While restricting the Sand Devouring Beast''s movements with water magic, Lu Yingying asked, "Little Yue, do you have any ideas?" Xia Yue was about to speak when the Sand Devouring Beast, fed up with its inability to catch them, roared in fury. Its Silver Middle Stage star power surged out! Lu Yingying, in closebat, immediately sensed it. Shocked, she swiftly retreated. In the next moment, an overwhelming amount of sand exploded around the Sand Devouring Beast, forming a twenty-meter-high sand tsunami, rolling menacingly toward Lu Yingying and Xia Yue! It wasn''t a particrly powerful skill, but the beast intended to crush them with sheer strength of its Silver Middle Stage star power. Facing the advancing sand tsunami, Xia Yue''s face turned slightly pale. At her speed, she couldn''t escape. Her only option was to confront it head-on and create arge enough breach in the sand wave, but shecked suchrge-scale moves. "I''ll handle the sand!" At this moment, Lu Yingying stepped forward with her knife. "Little Yue, prepare your ultimate move to finish it off, okay?" Looking at Lu Yingying''s back, Xia Yue felt an unusual sense of calmness and reliability, contrasting with her usual soft demeanor. "No problem!" Xia Yue immediately stepped back, her star power fluctuating as she prepared her ultimate move with all her might. Seeing Xia Yue start her preparations, Lu Yingying also began her actions. Sealing with her left hand, arge amount of bi-colored star power surged from within, wrapping around her. In moments, it formed a majestic feather water armor. Blue soul skill: Sea God Feather Armor! Transformed, Lu Yingying''s strength surged. With a thought, waves rippled from her de. A rapid flow of water shot from the edge, extending forty meters long! Holding the forty-meter Raging de, Lu Yingying calmly faced the rapidly approaching sand tsunami. As the sand tsunami neared, Lu Yingying''s eyes gleamed sharply. She shed down fiercely toward the oing sand! Sea God Second Form: Sea Breaking! With the slice, the forty-meter water de dissipated, revealing her knife. In front of Lu Yingying, a blue ripple soared, slicing the overwhelming sand tsunami in half! Chapter 104 Mutation, Capture Alive "Bang bang bang..." The yellow sand tsunami, cut by the 40-meter Raging de, could no longer converge, exploding and disintegrating on both sides of Lu Yingying. However, at this moment, a strong sense of warning rose in Lu Yingying''s heart. Looking closely, she saw that the Sand Devouring Beast was using the sky full of yellow sands as a cover, rushing quietly towards her. Its right arm had somehow transformed into a more than two-meter-long ferocious Stone Spear, thrusting towards her with great force! In a critical moment, although shocked, Lu Yingying didn''t panic. She gripped her water-colored long knife tightly with both hands, precisely blocking the Stone Spear. The massive force from the Stone Spear pushed Lu Yingying back several steps. However, with the shock absorption of the Sea God Feather Armor, Lu Yingying did not feel difort. Tightening the grip on her long knife, she was ready to charge and restrain the Sand Devouring Beast again. At this moment, Lu Yingying suddenly felt the surrounding air growing a few degrees hotter. "Is it done?" Lu Yingying''s heart rejoiced. Resolutely, she stabbed her long knife into the ground. Forming seals with her hands, several Water Snakes shot out, entwining the charging Sand Devouring Beast. "Crack crack crack!" The Sand Devouring Beast roared, and in a brief moment, its star power surged, breaking free from the Water Snakes on its arms and legs. At this moment, it suddenly felt the ground beneath its feet bing scalding hot. Looking down, a scorching Fire Lotus mark had appeared unknowingly. Summer Yue held the Red Gemstone Wand, shouting loudly, "Fiery me Red Lotus!" The Fire Lotus mark suddenly zed brightly. The Sand Devouring Beast didn''t have time to react before a fiery Red Lotus, with nine petals, burst out from under its feet. The extremelypressed fiery burst roared, instantly engulfing the Sand Devouring Beast! "What terrifying power..." Seeing the roaring fiery elements ahead, Lu Yingying instinctively stepped back a few paces, pulling out the long knife at her side. After more than ten seconds, the residual effects of Fiery me Red Lotus gradually dissipated. At the explosion''s center, the rocky body of the Sand Devouring Beast was blown to pieces and charred ck. The dim light in its eyes struggled for a few more seconds before fading away,pletely silent. "We won!" Lu Yingying''s eyes brightened. She let out a long sigh of relief, withdrawing the Sea God Feather Armor. Turning to look at the slightly panting Xia Yue, Lu Yingying said in amazement, "How long has it been since the preliminary challenge, and you have already mastered the Fiery me Red Lotus to Great Sess? Amazing!" During the preliminary challenge, Xia Yue had also used the Fiery me Red Lotus, but it was only at the Skilled Level then, far less powerful than now! Although Xia Yue was also shocked by Lu Yingying''s Duan Hai cut, she couldn''t help but feel quite proud when she heard Lu Yingying say this. "Great Sess is an overstatement. I just reached Master right before leaving. Of course, during thest preliminary challenge against Lu Yi, I didn''t use my full strength either. Otherwise, she couldn''t have withstood my move..." Although she said this, Xia Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling quite grateful in her heart. It was fortunate that this time, the magic fluctuation happened to increase the power by an extra 30%... Xia Yue''s talent, "Mana Fluctuation," added 5%-30% power to her fire skills each time she used them. Although unstable, the upper limit was extremely high! During the battle with Lu Yi, it wasn''t that Xia Yue didn''t use her full strength. It was that the Fiery me Red Lotus, influenced by Mana Fluctuation, hit exactly 0%, with no addition or reduction. Naturally, it was far inferior to this time. Because of this, the fireballs Xia Yue released varied in size and power... Over the past few days, Lu Yingying had naturally noticed Xia Yue''s instability. She chuckled, switching the topic, "I''ll handle the Sand Devouring Beast''s corpse; you go dig for Red Fire Stones. Maybe we''ll be lucky this time and find the Red Fire Essence Gold you need!" "Alright!" Xia Yue''s eyes also lit up. The high concentration of fire elements in this valley, along with the presence of an Elite Star Beast at the Bronze Middle Stage, made finding Red Fire Essence Gold quite possible! In fact, the two of them took this task because Xia Yue approached Lu Yingying. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire Upon hearing the news of the Red Sand me Ind route opening, Xia Yue wanted to find Red Fire Essence Gold to create a blue star device for the fire element. However, it was a bit challenging for her, an Attack Mage, to go to Red Sand me Ind alone, so she sought a helper. Initially, Xia Yue thought of the best candidate, Luo Bingtong, who had demonstrated amazing strength, but she received a direct "no." No one had ever replied to her message with just a single word before, which angered the proud young miss of Demon City. Yet, there was nothing she could do. So, Xia Yue approached her neighbor, Lu Yingying. No one in the top ss was simple. Despite her cute demeanor, Lu Yingying had considerablebat power. Lu Yingying needed academic points and found the task of collecting Red Fire Stones suitable, so they teamed up. At this moment, Xia Yue sensed an area ahead with an unusually high concentration of fire elements! Excitedly, she raised her wand and sent a fireball flying ahead! However, upon reaching the explosion pit, she found nearly ten units of Red Fire Stones but no Red Fire Essence Gold. "Still nothing..." Disappointment shed in Xia Yue''s eyes. There was no Red Fire Essence Gold in the territory of this Sand Devouring Beast. Other ces with it might have stronger star beasts. Dealing with this Sand Devouring Beast was already challenging; facing stronger star beasts would likely be too difficult... Xia Yue felt a bit disheartened, looking at her Ruby Wand. Without family support, not to mention blue star devices, she couldn''t even find a third-level material to create one. That woman had already amazed everyone upon entering Demon Academy, earning respect from all. Yet, her first outing was so frustrating... "Little Yue?..." After collecting the star core from the Sand Devouring Beast, Lu Yingying saw Xia Yue looking down and approached tofort her. At that moment, Lu Yingying noticed the ground behind Xia Yue shifting and something moving rapidly toward her. "Watch out behind you!" Lu Yingying shouted in rm, leaping forward with her knife. Hearing Lu Yingying''s scream, Xia Yue quickly turned to look. But it was toote. A lean, yellow-faced old man emerged from the sand behind her, striking her back with a concentrated force palm. With no defenses up, Xia Yue was sent flying, spitting blood. Already exhausted from earlier, her body weakened further, and she couldn''t stand. "Little Yue!" Lu Yingying cried out, charging at Ma Huaxiong with her knife in full force. Ma Huaxiong, unfazed, gathered a thick mass of earth elements in his palm and met Lu Yingying''s swinging knife head-on. "Bang!" The collision reverberated, causing Lu Yingying to grunt and stagger back several steps, nearly dropping her long knife. "Silver Middle Stage!" Despite her shock, Lu Yingying wiped the blood from her lips, asking, "Who are you!" Ignoring her, Ma Huaxiong smirked, approaching the struggling Xia Yue, stomping viciously. "Mmm!..."@@novelbin@@ Xia Yue expelled more blood, her vision darkened, and she fainted. "Xia Yue?!" Lu Yingying eximed. "Fainting is convenient," Ma Huaxiong nodded in satisfaction, lifting Xia Yue onto his shoulder and turning to leave. After a deep breath, "Put her down!" Lu Yingying shouted urgently. Yet, Ma Huaxiong continued walking as if he hadn''t heard. "Damn it! Can''t let him take Xia Yue!" Gritting her teeth, Lu Yingying summoned the remaining star power, deploying the Sea God Feather Armor again and gripping her long knife to charge. She couldn''t allow Xia Yue to be taken by this malicious man. Given a moment of using the Sea God Feather Armor, she decided to fight. Against a regr Silver Middle Stage, she might have a chance! Just then, Ma Huaxiongughed, "You should worry about yourself." Lu Yingying''s heart raced; sensing something amiss, she looked around. On surrounding hills, several people in yellow-brown robes stood watching. Nearly ten in total, the weakest at Bronze Middle Stage, with three at Silver Level. At their center, a square-faced middle-aged man emanated a Silver High Stage star power fluctuation! "So... many..." Lu Yingying''s eyes widened in fear, stopping in her tracks. Ma Huaxiong, carrying the unconscious Xia Yue, approached Yan Song, "Got her." Yan Song grabbed Xia Yue''s hair,paring it to a photo. "It''s her." Ma Huaxiong''s eyes filled with hatred. He pped Xia Yue''s face hard! The crisp sound reverberated. Though still unconscious, Xia Yue''s nose and mouth bled, her left cheek visibly swelling and turning purple. "Let''s go." "What about the other one?" Yan Song nced coldly at Lu Yingying, "Kill her and clean up their traces. Don''t let them be discovered too quickly." "I understand." Ma Huaxiong handed Xia Yue to another Silver Early Stage man, "The ship''s here. You go first. I''ll finish up and return on the Nanjie Group''s ship." Yan Song trusted Ma Huaxiong''s work. Once his brother''s right-hand man, Ma Huaxiong had a top-grade green soul card, strong and efficient. "Okay, be careful." Yan Song nodded, leaving with his men. Chapter 105 Rescue Lu Yingying stood still with a slightly pale face, holding her saber, watching Yan Song and his group taking Xia Yue away, gradually disappearing from sight. She had no courage to swing her de forward. "The gap is too big!..." Lu Yingying gritted her teeth. With her current state, if it were just this old man with a yellow face, there might still be a sliver of chance. But now, besides this old man, there were three other Silver Stage individuals, including one at the Silver High Stage. She was no match for them! Seeing Ma Huaxiong turning around, Lu Yingying immediately pulled herself together. No, she had to escape first, then find someone to rescue Xia Yue; otherwise, she would die here too! Everyone else around had already left. If she were to escape, now was the best time! With this thought, Lu Yingying immediately turned around, transforming into a blue phantom, and fled quickly. "Trying to escape?" Ma Huaxiong sneered, his body shimmering with yellow light, once again diving into the ground, turning into quicksand, and chasing rapidly. The Sea God Feather Armor provided more enhancement to constitution and recovery effects, while the boost in strength and agility was rtively limited. How could a nearly exhausted Bronze Early Stage like Lu Yingying shake off the well-rested Ma Huaxiong? In just a few minutes, the rolling quicksand almost reached Lu Yingying''s heels. Just as Lu Yingying despaired and was about to fight to the death, a wave of heat approached, and a scorching wall of fire suddenly swept out, blocking her rear. Ma Huaxiong, caught off guard, crashed headfirst into the fire wall, immediately leaping high out of the ground, scalded! "Who is it?!" Ma Huaxiong''s face darkened. He turned his head and looked to the side. There, a young man with red hair and red eyes emerged from the side, holding a long saber. Geng Qiuyi said indifferently, "Where did this weasele from, chasing a girl relentlessly? Want to eat meat or something?" "It''s you!" Ma Huaxiong''s small eyes squinted slightly, recalling a student he had encountered earlier while passing by. He had seen him with a few other Bronze Level kids and thought he was Bronze Level too. Little did he expect him to be Silver Early Stage... Yes, not long aftering out of the Molten Lava Cave, Geng Qiuyi had broken through to the Silver Stage. Ma Huaxiong frowned and said in a deep voice, "Kid, I advise you not to meddle. She has nothing to do with you and isn''t from your academy either." "Oh? Then which academy is she from?" Geng Qiuyi asked with interest. "Demon Capital Academy." "Demon Capital Academy, huh?" Geng Qiuyi raised an eyebrow, "I really don''t like people from Demon Capital Academy. They''re all so arrogant, their noses in the air! Speaking of which,st time at the nationalpetition, it was Demon Capital Academy that eliminated our South Pole Academy!" Hearing this, Ma Huaxiong smiled, "In that case, that''s for the best." Geng Qiuyi snapped his fingers, and the wall of fire gradually dissipated. "Please help me, Senior!" Lu Yingying''s face changed. Rarely did someonee to her aid; seeing a glimmer of hope extinguished again, she couldn''t help but beg. However, Geng Qiuyi remained indifferent, standing still with his long saber, seemingly having no intention of intervening further. Seeing this, Ma Huaxiong grinned, his figure flickering as he caught up with Lu Yingying in a few steps, gathering strength in his palm for a powerful strike. But just as his right hand was about to hit Lu Yingying, Ma Huaxiong suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger. In a sh, without thinking, he stopped and retreated. Yet, though his figure managed to halt, his striking right palm couldn''t be pulled back in time. In a sh of fire, a Red me Fire Saber shot out from before him! Then, Ma Huaxiong''s right hand inexplicably flew into the air. Secret Sword¡¤Red Dragon Bead! "What''s happening!" Ma Huaxiong''s pupils contracted. Ignoring his fallen right arm, he quickly retreated, looking suspiciously at the empty-handed Geng Qiuyi from a distance. "Young man, you don''t have a sense of honor!" "Cheat! Sneak attack!" Ma Huaxiong''s face darkened, unable to hold back a curse! Even a small gang like the Quicksand Sect kept their word. For instance, if they said they''d kill your whole family, they''d kill your whole family! Geng Qiuyi, naturally not bothering with banter, moved with a thought, and a me Dragon Illusion emerged from his back. With the me Dragon embodying him, the fiery aura surged! Geng Qiuyi''s figure flickered, instantly closing in on Ma Huaxiong, raising his fists and unleashing a barrage of punches! Though Ma Huaxiong''s strength was not weakpared to an average Silver Middle Stage, having already lost his right hand, he stood no chance against the overbearing Geng Qiuyi with the me Dragon. With one sh, he was pushed back repeatedly, clearly outmatched! This was the strength difference between a top academy talent and amon Star Card Master! After a while, through a series of aggressive attacks, Geng Qiuyi seized the opportunity andnded a punch on Ma Huaxiong''s chest. Ma Huaxiong shuddered, feeling an intensely hot energy entering his body through Geng Qiuyi''s fist! In an instant, the scorching energy expanded violently! "No!!" Realizing what was happening, Ma Huaxiong stared wide-eyed at Geng Qiuyi. The next moment, a remarkably splendid red me exploded from his back! Red me Dragon Fist¡¤Back Flower! Amid the fiery explosion, in a brief second, Ma Huaxiong''s body was mostly incinerated, reduced to a charred corpse, dead beyond question. Geng Qiuyi withdrew his hand, retrieved his long saber from afar, then approached Lu Yingying, saying indifferently, "Hey, you okay?" "N-No... nothing..." Lu Yingying, amazed by Geng Qiuyi''s overwhelming strength, stuttered. Just now, as Geng Qiuyi and Ma Huaxiong fought, Lu Yingying had been recovering as much as possible. Yet Geng Qiuyi''s strength far exceeded her expectations. In no time, he dominantly concluded the battle. With such strength, he was likely a top talent in South Pole Academy, Lu Yingying thought, feeling a glimmer of hope. She wanted to ask Geng Qiuyi to rescue Xia Yue, but the words stuck in her throat. Even with such an impressive senior, rescuing Xia Yue from three Silver Stage enemies was extremely risky!@@novelbin@@ They barely knew each other. It was already good enough he saved her. How could she ask him to take such a big risk again... "What?" Geng Qiuyi, seeing Lu Yingying''s hesitant expression, frowned, "If you have something to say, just say it. Stop stammering!" Reprimanded, Lu Yingying mustered the courage to tell Geng Qiuyi about Xia Yue being taken by Yan Song and his men. After pondering for a moment, Geng Qiuyi asked, "Which way did they go?" "Mm, thank you, senior, for saving my life. I will quickly reach the ind and contact the outside through Nanjie Group..." Was this girl scared silly? Geng Qiuyi raised an eyebrow and interrupted loudly, "I asked you, which way did they go!" "Huh?!" Startled, Lu Yingying, who had assumed a refusal from his quick response, realized he agreed! Lu Yingying, recovering from her surprise, quickly pointed out the direction to Geng Qiuyi excitedly, "That way, towards the sea after the valley!" Nodding, Geng Qiuyi grabbed his long saber and prepared to set off. Seeing his straightforwardness, Lu Yingying felt a pang of guilt, "Senior..." "I am Geng Qiuyi." "Senior Geng... this has nothing to do with you. You don''t need to force yourself. We can go to the shore and use Nanjie Group''smunicator to send the message out." Although it was to save Xia Yue, Lu Yingying couldn''t bear the thought of Geng Qiuyi risking his life because of her. Geng Qiuyi paused, contemted briefly, then spoke, "Once, on a secret realm expedition, I encountered several Evil Card Masters. If someone hadn''t intervened to y those demons, I wouldn''t be standing here today. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire So, I decided that if I evere across a simr situation, I will never stand by idly." Lu Yingying eximed, "Senior Geng, with your strength, you needed saving?" "Back then, I hadn''t yet entered the Silver Stage. Besides, there''s always someone better out there." With that, Geng Qiuyi''s figure flickered and rapidly disappeared. Feeling the star power within herself, Lu Yingying didn''t hesitate and followed quickly... Chapter 106 Crossing the Sea On the shore of the ind, in a small cave excavated by someone, Su Yuan sat cross-legged and then opened the system panel. "Su Yuan Level: Bronze Early Stage Soul Card: Azure Sky Phoenix ... Star Dust: 8280" A full 8280 points of Star Dust! "Finally, I have enough points for Entry-level Breathing + Transformation Realm Hellfire Summon + Transformation Realm Hellfire!" Looking at the almost ten thousand Star Dust on the system panel, a trace of excitement shed in Su Yuan''s eyes. In about a week sincending on the ind, he had already found a full 144 units of Red Fire Stone. The reason he hadn''t left yet was to gather enough Star Dust to max out all skills. Finally today, it was almost enough. Although it would have been best to collect some more Star Dust as a reserve, time was limited. His primary task was to break through to the Intermediate Stage as soon as possible. On Red Sand me Ind, there was no support from the Soul-binding Divine Tree, and the cultivation time and environment were far from ideal. Efficiency naturally could notpare to being at the academy. "Now, it''s time to enjoy the thrill of power enhancement!" Suppressing his excitement, Su Yuan''s gaze fell on the "Breathing" section of the panel, and he called out: "System, open all Star Caves in the second Star Nest!" In an instant, 600 Star Dust was consumed. At the same time, six Star Caves near his right shoulder burst open one by one like popping beans! Su Yuan nced at it. As he had expected, the third Star Nest required 100 Star Dust per Star Cave. Without hesitation, he continued adding points. "Open all Star Caves in the third Star Nest!" "Open all Star Caves in the fourth Star Nest!" Another 1200 Star Dust was consumed in an instant, and all the Star Caves in the third and fourth Star Nests broke open within a few seconds! With the opening of the 24th Star Cave, Su Yuan immediately felt his body be incredibly clear. In his mind, he couldn''t help but recall the Star Power Flow trajectory that He Yanan had demonstrated. With a sudden realization, Su Yuan controlled the Star Power within his body to flow out from the Star Power Vortex, passing through the 24 Star Caves in the four Star Nests one after another, and finally returning to the Star Power Vortex, establishing a cycle smoothly! At this moment, Su Yuan''s whole body trembled. His breath and Star Power Fluctuation suddenly became silent, as if he were an ordinary person. Su Yuan could feel that with a mere thought, his Star Power could instantly burst out from any part of his body. His control over the flow of Star Power had reached an astonishing level. Su Yuan once again directed his gaze back to the system panel. "Breathing: General Breathing Method, Progress: Fifth Star Nest 25th Star Cave (0/1000) Effect 1: Concealing Breath: Hide one''s breath and Star Power Fluctuation through the Star Power Flow Cycle.@@novelbin@@ Effect 2: Overload: Significantly increase the speed of Star Power flow and burst, reducing the casting time of all skills by 30%." "Concealing Breath and Overload!" Su Yuan''s eyes lit up. Sure enough, it had these two effects. He didn''t need to exin Concealing Breath as he had already seen it. As for Overload, when Su Yuan broke through the first Star Nest, he felt that using the Gray me Strike with his left hand was about 20% faster than before. Now that the Breathing Method had officially reached Entry-level, all skill casting times were reduced by 30%! Don''t underestimate that 30%. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire It''s not just for skills like Gray me Strike that require charging; almost all skills have casting times, such as Steel me Finger, Hardened Iron Skin, Wind Walking... Since the process of forming skills through Star Cards under the rule of Star Power takes time, the lower the casting time, the more fluid the skill release in battles, enhancing practicalbat ability! For example, in a wave sh, if you finish charging earlier than your opponent, even if you don''t win immediately, you can suppress them. Another example, when exchanging skills, if the opponent can release four skills, you can release six or seven; the gap is evident. All sorts of benefits are numerous. Of course, the greater the casting time of a skill, the more beneficial Overload bes. Currently, among Su Yuan''s skills, the one with the smallest casting time is Transformation Realm Instant Movement, only 0.1 seconds. This speed was negligible in itself, and even improving it by 30% wouldn''t make much difference. But for some high-cost charging skills, sealing skills, transformation skills, and Outer Path Skills that might require several seconds or even minutes to prepare, Overload''s effect was extremely noticeable. "Even at Entry-level, it has these two highly practical effects. The Breathing Method truly has infinite uses..." "Unfortunately, starting from the fifth Star Nest, it takes 1000 Star Dust to open one Star Cave. To break through the fifth and sixth Star Nests and advance the Breathing Method to Skilled Level, it will take a full twelve thousand Star Dust. It''s not particrly hard to achieve. I''ll hunt for a wave of Star Dust after breaking through to the Intermediate Stage!" Su Yuan felt anticipation in his heart, wondering what effects the Skilled Level Breathing Method would bring! "Next, it''s Hellfire Summon and Hellfire..." Without hesitation, Su Yuanmanded the system to enhance Hellfire Summon to the Transformation Realm. After the enhancement, the entire Hellfire panel, including the Six Dimensions and skills, remained the same. The only change was in the skill details of Rock Creation: "Rock Creation (blue): A Creation Technique that only Hellfire with outstanding talent can master. It can temporarily create blue-grade Demon Great Sword and Demon Armor using Hellfire deep rock as the main body and Evil Green mes as energy!" Chapter 107 Rescue Over the western seas of Red Sand me Ind, a small passenger ship carrying a dozen people was sailing away in the distance. Aboard the ship, by the deck and railings, people dressed in the yellow-brown robes of the Quicksand Sect were chatting casually, appearing rxed. "This task went smoother than expected, especially when capturing the girl. Master Ma caught her with one move." "That girl was just at the Bronze Middle Stage. No matter how strong she is, how strong could she be? Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire Master Ma is at the Silver Middle Stage. It was a piece of cake for him to capture a Bronze Middle Stage girl! If you ask me, the risk of this task was in the infiltration and the escape. Fortunately, although the archipgos on the South Sea belong to the Great me Territory, there are no official personnel stationed there due to various reasons, so it was quite a smooth journey for us." "Anyways, now we just need the ship to reach the shores outside the western border of Great me. This task would be perfectlypleted. Hehe, the rewards that Master Yan Song promised are quite substantial this time!" In a dim storage room on the lower deck of the ship, with only a bit of light, Xia Yue slowly woke up. "Where am I..." Seeing her body tightly bound to a chair by a ck rope, after a moment of confusion, Xia Yue suddenly woke up. "I''ve been captured!" Xia Yue looked around. The dim storage room was filled with various maritime supplies, and the space beneath her seemed to be undting. Not far away, a young man with blond hair, responsible for guarding, was dozing off. His body faintly emitted Star Power Fluctuations at the Silver Early Stage! "I was captured from Red Sand me Ind and am now on a ship, unsure of where I''m being taken!" Xia Yue quickly understood her situation. Realizing this, Xia Yue couldn''t help but feel stunned. The scene of being captured kept reying in her mind, and she had no idea what awaited her next. Feeling the sharp pains from her face and back, Xia Yue suddenly had a growing sense of fear in her heart. Xia Yue instinctively wanted to cry out, but she forcibly swallowed the sound into her throat. "I can''t shout!" Looking at the dozing young man not far away, Xia Yue took several deep breaths, then secretly tried to mobilize her Star Power to destroy the ropes binding her. But at that moment, Xia Yue discovered she could hardly mobilize any Star Power from her Star Power Vortex. There was a kind of green energy within her, causing her Star Power to be dormant and unresponsive. Xia Yue''s heart sank, realizing she likely fell victim to some skill that sealed Star Power. In fact, it was almost as she thought. It was a form of magic known as the "Sleeping Curse." It not only made Star Power dormant but also had a continuous hypnotic effect. Xia Yue could wake up because her Spiritual Talent was high, temporarily waking up driven by her survival instinct. Realizing Star Power was useless, Xia Yue attempted to break free from the ck rope binding her. However, this ck rope was no ordinary rope; it was a Green Grade Star Device. A Bronze-Level Star Card Master, let alone a Silver Stage, couldn''t break it by sheer physical strength! After several futile attempts, Xia Yue gradually fell into despair. Sealed Star Power, a Green Grade Binding Rope, and a Silver Stage guard. How could she escape? Even if she managed to sneak out of the room, then what? She was on the sea, with nowhere to flee! Though a talented Star Card Master, Xia Yue was still an 18-year-old girl. Realizing this, her eyes inevitably turned red.@@novelbin@@ "No, I can''t give up!" Xia Yue slightly tilted her head, blinking back the tears that welled up, determined to rethink her escape n. At this moment, a scorpion-shaped green mark on her forehead suddenly glowed, signaling the Sleeping Curse''s effect reactivating. Xia Yue felt her head getting heavier, and she bit her tongue in a desperate attempt to stay awake. Unfortunately, it was useless. Her consciousness quickly blurred, and Xia Yue cked out again... High above the passenger ship. With a sh of silver light, a young figure in a ckbat uniform appeared. "Just in time..." After executing multiple long-distance teleports, Su Yuan felt quite fatigued. But he had to catch up soon. Otherwise, it would be more troublesome to return once the ship sailed further away. Su Yuan looked down at the passenger ship from above. His eyes glinted with silver light, quickly locating Xia Yue''s position through the Spatial Perspective trait brought by Instant Movement. "Luckily, it''s not that Silver High Stage personally guarding her..." Su Yuan nodded to himself, forming several seal techniques with his hands. A faint wave spread around him as Su Yuan closed his eyes, seeming tomunicate with something. Opening his eyes again, Su Yuan summoned the Dragon Armor Saber to his right hand. With a sh of silver light, he disappeared from the spot. In the dim storage room, a silver light suddenly lit up, revealing Su Yuan''s figure. Seeing the situation before him, Su Yuan couldn''t help but smile faintly. "Sleeping soundly, huh..." At this moment, only two people were in the storage room: the dozing blond young guard and the bound Xia Yue. Su Yuan quickly approached the blond guard. Dark light flowed on the Dragon Armor Saber as he swiftly shed at the guard. At the brink of death, the blond guard suddenly sensed danger, waking up with wide eyes. However, it was already toote. Before he could utter a word, he felt a cold sensation in his neck. As blood sprayed, Su Yuan''s saber decapitated the guard, whose head hit the floor with a few "thud" sounds. "Breathing Method is indeed useful..." Su Yuan couldn''t help but sigh. He had just achieved Entry-level Breathing Method. Under the Concealing Breath effect, even the Star Power Fluctuations from Instant Movement werergely masked. From entering the storage room to approaching with a saber, the blond guard hadn''t detected anything until struck by Space Cut. Of course, this oue partly resulted from the guard''s carelessness. Being on the sea, amidst numerous sect masters, the blond guard never imagined someone could quietly infiltrate the storage room. And with Xia Yue bound by the Iron Binding Rope and under the Sleeping Curse, how could there be any disturbance? To the guard, how could there be any mishap?... Su Yuan walked to Xia Yue, seeing her right cheek swollen significantly. He patted her left cheek gently and whispered, "Xia Yue?" But she didn''t respond. Su Yuan checked and realized she was under some magic. Meanwhile, footsteps approached the storage room door, likely a female, judging by the steps. Su Yuan swung the Dragon Armor Saber with the Space Cut Enchantment, slicing through the Iron Binding Rope, and reached out to lift Xia Yue. Simultaneously, the storage room door opened. "Zhou Hu, what are you..." Ding Lan stopped mid-sentence upon seeing a ck shadow rush towards her. A sh of ck light followed, and a long saber cleaved her way. Ding Lan gasped, instinctively crossing her arms to block with her Great Sess Stage Iron Sand Arm. Despite this, she was horrified to see the ck-glowing saber cut into her left arm as if slicing through tofu. "Damn it, who are you?!" Ding Lan screamed, terrified. Su Yuan remained expressionless, applying force, continuing to press down with the Dragon Armor Saber. In less than a second, Ding Lan''s arms were severed, and the saber shed down uninterrupted. Ding Lan''s body shuddered as blood spread from her forehead to her abdomen. Su Yuan retrieved the saber, swiftly passing by Ding Lan, leaving behind her split body. "Enemy attack!" "Enemy attack! Master Ding Lan is killed!" Ding Lan''s shout had alerted the other Quicksand Sect members on the ship. Yan Song leaped out from the luxury cabin on the second floor. Spotting Ding Lan''s body and Su Yuan fleeing with Xia Yue, he was furious! "Stop right there!" Yan Song formed several seal techniques, ready to release a skill to take down Su Yuan. But suddenly, the Quicksand Sect members were thrown into chaos. "Meteorite? There''s a meteorite!" "Not good, Master Yan Song, look at the sky!" "Run! Jump into the water!" "..." The people on the ship screamed in terror. Yan Song looked up, his pupils shrinking. Above, a huge boulder engulfed in billowing green mes was crashing down from the sky! The Quicksand Sect members had little time to react as the Hellfire-transformed meteorite trailed mes and smashed onto the ship! "Boom!!" mes exploded, green fire surged! Apanied by an incredibly bright sh, the entire ship was shattered to pieces in an instant! Chapter 108 Fierce Flame Burns the Dragon Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire "They should be almost dead by now." Su Yuan floated in midair with Xia Yue in his arms, turning to look at the passenger ship that had exploded into countless fragments. Before he had teleported onto the ship earlier, he had already initiated the Hellfire Summon and instructed the Hellfire to deploy Meteor Descent after one minute to obliterate everyone on board in one fell swoop. Even if some enemies survived the strike, they would be adrift in the water, unable to exert much strength, not even a Silver High Stage Star Card Master, unless... And with his mastery of Elemental Maism Pressure, being in midair meant he could advance and retreat at will. At this moment, a sudden squirming came from his embrace, as Xia Yue woke up due to the intensemotion. "Su Yuan?!" Xia Yue had just woken up and hadn''t grasped the current situation. Seeing Su Yuan holding her with one arm pressed against her chest, she instinctively tried to push him away. However, as a Magician, Xia Yue naturally couldn''t push away Su Yuan, who possessed C-level Strength Talent. Su Yuan said indifferently, "Don''t move, I won''t be responsible if you fall." This immediately brought Xia Yue to her senses. She found herself in midair above the sea and was so scared that she clutched Su Yuan''s left arm tightly. Feeling the indescribable softness from his left arm, Su Yuan''s heart couldn''t help but skip a beat. He hadn''t noticed before, but this girl was unexpectedly well-endowed... Xia Yue, still startled and uncertain, asked, "Did you save me?" Though Xia Yue couldn''t figure out the process entirely, it seemed that was the oue. "More or less..." Su Yuan replied casually. Before Xia Yue could ask for more details, Su Yuan''s eyes narrowed as he turned his head to look at the distant sea. Among the many floating passenger ship remnants, a somewhat disheveled figure was riding the waves toward them! "Not dead, huh? And a Water Element Star Card Master..." Su Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing the situation was a bit tricky. Su Yuan''s worst-case scenario had anticipated a Water Element Star Card Master capable of free movement in the water. Even without the ship, they could easily catch up with him. He couldn''t perform instant teleportation with another person. Otherwise, he would have taken Xia Yue and teleported away directly. Moreover, relying solely on Elemental Maism Pressure to outrun a Silver High Stage Water Element Star Card Master on the sea was clearly impossible. "Looks like a fight is inevitable." Since running was not an option, Su Yuan simply decided to stay. Su Yuan looked at Xia Yue, "How about I drop you somewhere safe first, thene back for you after handling him?" "No! Don''t leave me! I can''t swim!" Xia Yue''s face turned pale with fear, and she clung even tighter to Su Yuan, afraid he really would leave her. Su Yuan couldn''t help but find it amusing. Where was that proud, spoiled demeanor she usually had? Now, she really seemed like an ordinary girl. "A mere Bronze Early Stage, dares to destroy my ship and kill my people. Quite the method you''ve got!" Yan Song''s face was extremely dark as he yelled angrily from a hundred meters away! Despite avoiding the main attack just now, Yan Song was still significantly injured by the impact. Everyone else on his ship didn''t survive. Yan Song, consumed by rage, unleashed more Star Power and sped toward Su Yuan. Su Yuan''s expression remained unchanged. With a thought, a vast amount of dark Space Power surged onto the Dragon Armor Saber, rapidlypressing the ck light. As Yan Song stepped into the range of the Boundary Breaking Line, Su Yuan raised the long saber high and released a Boundary Breaking Line sh! Seeing a Bronze-level attack from such a distance, Yan Song instinctively initiated his Defense Skill without hesitation. Normally, Yan Song would scoff at such an attack. But facing someone who had summoned a meteor to destroy his ship, he couldn''t afford to underestimate him!@@novelbin@@ Yan Song raised his hands, andrge amounts of seawater surged from his feet, encircling his body to form an exceptionally thick and solid hemispherical Water Prison centered around him in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, the nearly ten-meter-long Boundary Breaking Line shed through, splitting the newly formed Water Prison in half! As blood seeped into the sea, Yan Song looked down at the long gash on his abdomen, feeling an even deeper shock. "Space-rted skills?!" Yan Song stared at Su Yuan in amazement. "Impressive, possessing such a rare skill! Lucky I was cautious, or I''d have been in trouble!" With a thought, the part of the Water Prison cut by the Boundary Breaking Line immediately restored itself. Seeing this, Su Yuan''s eyes narrowed. It was clear that with the limitless seawater at his disposal, Yan Song''s strength was higher than Su Yuan had anticipated. Gazing up at Su Yuan in midair, Yan Song sneered. "On the sea, even space-rted skills might not be stronger than water element! Moreover, you, a tiny Bronze Early Stage, are five levels below me! Just wait; don''t think being in the air makes you untouchable!" Yan Song rapidly formed seals with his hands. Star Power surged from his body, and suddenly, a massive Water Element Barrier formed on the sea below him! The barrier glimmered briefly, then, centered on Yan Song, the seawater beneath him began to spin slowly outward. Meters, tens of meters... dozens of meters! Faster and faster! In mere moments, the water around Yan Song, within a radius of dozens of meters, was spinning rapidly! "What terrifying might!" Xia Yue was horrified. She hadn''t expected this Silver High Stage enemy to possess such powerful water element skills! Obviously, this had to be a blue skill; green skills didn''t have this level of power! "Su Yuan, what do we do now?!" Xia Yue turned to see Su Yuan in a daze, seemingly equally shocked by the move, causing a sinking feeling in her heart. After a moment of internal struggle, Xia Yue bit her lip and said, "Maybe you should run. With your instant teleportation, avoiding this attack shouldn''t be hard, right? He wants me, not you. If you leave, he might spare you!" Su Yuan''s eyes returned to focus. He looked down at Xia Yue and said, "Let me borrow your wand." "Huh?" Xia Yue was stunned. "Your warlock staff." "Oh!" Not knowing what Su Yuan intended, Xia Yue still summoned her Red Gemstone Wand and handed it to him. Su Yuan epted it, feeling the power within. His eyes lit up. "A fine blue wand!" Su Yuan hadn''t been frightened by Yan Song''s attack earlier; he had been allocating skill points. The 3200 Star Dust he intended to save was now spent. On the sea, Hellfire had no footing, rendering it useless. The summoned Hellfire that had destroyed the ship had already returned through the contract. The Boundary Breaking Line''s destructive power was immense but limited in scope, insufficient to kill an enemy augmented by endless seawater. To defeat the opponent, Su Yuan needed a more powerful, grander skill for a head-on confrontation! That skill was... Hellfire! With 3200 Star Dust, Hellfire had been upgraded from Perfect to Transformation Realm, significantly increasing its power. Su Yuan had heard Xia Yue''sment about escaping alone. It surprised him that she could say something like that in a life-or-death situation. Yet, the end was far from near. Shaking his head, Su Yuan took a deep breath, his Star Power surging within. The Red Gemstone on the wand red with dazzling red light, and a strong heat wave emanated from Su Yuan. By now, the swirling waters beneath Yan Song extended over a hundred meters in diameter. "Hidden Dragon Rivaling the Sky!" Yan Song stamped down, and the turbulent waters roared upwards! The spinning water beneath him formed a massive sea dragon, over ten meters long, which leapt toward Su Yuan and Xia Yue in the sky! The colossal sea dragon brought an unparalleled sense of pressure and dread. "Su Yuan?!..." Xia Yue, suspended in midair and unable to move, turned anxiously toward Su Yuan. Yet Su Yuan remained calm, his Star Power continually flowing into the Red Gemstone Wand. Maybe influenced by Su Yuan''sposure, Xia Yue felt a sudden inexplicable calm. At that moment, the Red Gemstone zed with blinding fiery light! Su Yuan''s eyes gleamed. He pointed the wand at the massive sea dragon under Yan Song''s control! The space trembled. Numerous pitch-ck Gates of Hell opened around Su Yuan in a circle, one after another, until there were eighteen in total! Chaotic and malevolent energy surged from the gates, enveloping the world in a hellish abyss. "Hellfire!" Su Yuan''s deep voicemanded. Instantly, towering pirs of devastated me burst from the Gates of Hell, converging into a single, towering, world-scorching me column that descended upon the iing sea dragon like divine retribution! "Boom!!" Water and fire shed, with light and energy colliding! The st''s force caused the surrounding sea to sink several meters! After a brief standstill, a mournful dragon''s roar echoed faintly. "No!... " Yan Song stared in horror and disbelief at the divine ming column above. The next moment, the mes exploded! The towering Hellfire pir, formed from eighteen Gates of Hell, pierced through the sea dragon, annihting its massive body in an instant. The sea dragon transformed into a giant, burning me creature, barely struggling before bursting into countless Water Elements. Yan Song, within it, was reduced to ashes by the Hellfire, vanishing from the world forever... Chapter 109 Xia Yues Sister "So...so powerful!!" Two kilometers away from the battle site, Lu Yingying sat on a dolphin transformed from a water element. She looked somewhat dazedly at the fiery pir that pierced through the sea dragon like divine retribution, almost too shocked to speak. "It''s much stronger than Xia Yue''s Fiery me Red Lotus! Is this Xia Yue''s hidden trump card, or...is it someone else''s skill?"@@novelbin@@ Lu Yingying swallowed, uncertain of what had happened on the battlefield. There was such a frightening fire element technique! Could it be that another Silver expert had joined the battlefield? But wasn''t Su Yuan the only one who went there? "Senior Geng, what do you think..." Lu Yingying was about to ask Geng Qiuyi, who was sitting on another dolphin nearby, for his opinion. When she turned her head, she saw Geng Qiuyi trembling, staring intently at the slowly dissipating fiery pir in the sky without blinking! Compared to Lu Yingying, who was simply shocked by the Hellfire''s power, Geng Qiuyi''s thoughts were more turbulent and restless like a raging storm! "This move, this chaotic, evil aura...there''s no mistake, it''s Hellfire!" Geng Qiuyi looked at the unparalleled fiery pir. With an inexplicable and strong intuition, he was certain that it was the Hellfire he had lost. And that memorable star power fluctuation. Earlier, when the opponent used Instant Movement, he wasn''t entirely sure. Now, it seemed identical to the star power fluctuation left behind by the person in the Molten Lava Cave! "So it''s him! I didn''t expect to meet here. Surprisingly, he''s only at the Bronze Early Stage!" Geng Qiuyi immediately understood. The young man just called Su Yuan by Lu Yingying was the one who had killed three Evil Card Masters in the Molten Lava Cave, saved him and hispanions, and took the Hellfire! Although he had almost guessed it earlier, seeing the Hellfire''s dragon-burning, sea-breaking, unparalleled power, Geng Qiuyi''s heart still felt somewhatplicated. If it weren''t for those three Evil Card Masters who, after he had just challenged the third level of the White Bone Hall and was in a poor state, threatened hispanions... Then the Hellfire would have been his Silver-level soul skill. As a result, his Silver-level soul skill slot was still empty without a good choice. Thinking of this, Geng Qiuyi''s mood, which had been self-adjusted over the past two months, couldn''t help but feel troubled again. ... On the sea surface,rge patches of red Hellfire continued to burn. Even though the Sea Dragon hadpletely disintegrated, the Hellfire wouldn''t easily extinguish until it was entirely consumed. "What...what kind of move is this?!" Only now did Xia Yue gradually recover from the shock of Su Yuan releasing the Transformation Realm Hellfire. Using a blue attack skill, a Bronze Early Stage managed to defeat a Silver High Stage''s skill in a duel? Moreover, it was against a Water Element Star Card Master on the sea? Was this possible? Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire At least she couldn''t do it right now! Even if she perfected Fiery me Red Lotus, it wouldn''t work. It had to be Perfect! Additionally, a 30% mana fluctuation boost was necessary for some certainty! Xia Yue turned to look at the fair-faced youth nearby. His face was pale, and his forehead was sweaty, clearly exhausted. Yet even in this state, he defeated a Silver High Stage with a blue skill at the Bronze Early Stage! Red, me-like pupils carefully examined Su Yuan. Xia Yue suddenly discovered that this seemingly ordinary ssmate was full of mysteries, difficult to decipher... Su Yuan sensed the state in his body and couldn''t help but shake his head secretly. This time, it seemed a bit too forced. The number ofyers summoned by Transformation Realm Hellfire increased to eighteen, exceeding Su Yuan''s expectations, and its power was indeed terrifying! However, the energy consumption required to fully unleash this move wasn''t something an ordinary Bronze-level Star Card Master could easily bear. Despite having the Azure Sky Phoenix''s perfect star power talent, his star power was almost drained after this. Inparison, the other two blue skills he possessed, Hellfire Summon and Space Cut: Boundary Line, consumed much less. Of course, pure star power attack skills usually had higher consumption than other types of skills. For most skills, increasing star power consumption naturally enhanced their power. However, summoning skills like Hellfire primarily consumed spiritual power. The strength of the summoning was determined more by the summoner''s realm than by star power. As for Boundary Breaking Line, a techniquebining physical and star power, its power was influenced by star power as well as the user''s physical condition and the quality of the weapon used. Only pure star power skills like Hellfire and Gray me Strike saw the most benefit from increased star power consumption. Su Yuan was deep in thought when he noticed Xia Yue staring at him and lowered his head. Xia Yue''s heart skipped a beat. On reflex, she was about to look away. But then she thought, how could she back down from someone''s gaze? So she continued to stare at Su Yuan with wide eyes. Su Yuan was puzzled at first, then quickly realized and promptly returned the Red Gemstone Wand to her. "Here, take it back. It''s really a great item..." Su Yuan genuinely marveled. A blue Star Device was considered a game-changer for Bronze and Silver Second Stage users. Chapter 127 110 Two dayster, Su Yuan and the others arrived at the academy and went together to the task office to submit their task materials. After Xia Yue and Lu Yingying handed in 53 and 38 units of Red Fire Stone respectively, Su Yuan took out 144 units of Red Fire Stone at once! "You, you actually have this many Red Fire Stones!" Xia Yue and Lu Yingying were both stunned. Su Yuan casually replied, "I found them on the ind. Maybe I was just lucky." The teacher at the task office looked at Su Yuan with interest and directly asked, "You want to convert all 144 units of Red Fire Stone into academic points?" Su Yuan was thrilled and immediately responded, "Yes, all of them!" ording to the task description, there was a regtion stating that a student could exchange a maximum of 100 academic points. However, considering this was a multi-person task, the academy''s need for Red Fire Stone was likely more than just 100 units. So, Su Yuan tried to bring out all the Red Fire Stones he had. It seemed to work. The teacher at the task office operated on theputer for a while, created an additional task temporarily, and then credited Su Yuan''s personal ount with 144 academic points. Su Yuan''s academic points skyrocketed from 50 points to 194 points in an instant! "Alright, that''s a total of 144 points, transferred to you," the teacher reminded. "Thank you, teacher." Lu Yingying, standing aside, said enviously, "144 academic points... Isn''t the task limit supposed to be 100?" The teacher nced at her without saying much and continued with her work. Su Yuan lowered his voice and said to Lu Yingying, "Rules are dead, but people are alive. The 100-unit limit is probably to prevent students from gaining too many points from one task at once. But if you really bring back more, the teacher might not refuse since it''s gathered through students'' efforts." "Oh..." Lu Yingying understood. After submitting their tasks, the three of them returned to their dormitories. "Shang Baiyu has broken through to the Bronze Middle Stage?" Su Yuan looked at the private message from Shang Baiyu, who expressed some gratitude in his words. Combining the timing of this breakthrough, Su Yuan thought about it and realized it was likely achieved in the Star Mist Pool. "It seems I need to hurry too. Now with 194 academic points, four hours in the Star Mist Pool is more than enough. Next is to cultivate to a bottleneck, then head to the Star Mist Pool for a breakthrough..." Su Yuan took a shower, changed into his training clothes, and then went to the cultivation room on the second floor.@@novelbin@@ Looking at the Soul-binding Divine Tree spreading its branches and leaves in front of him, Su Yuan took a deep breath and immersed himself in cultivation... Except for a few small ss lessons, Su Yuan didn''t leave the dormitory for days, always cultivating in the room on the second floor. Forty to fifty days passed in the blink of an eye. That day, early in the morning, Su Yuan pushed open the door and headed straight to the Star Mist Hall. This time, when Su Yuan arrived, he saw someone he was somewhat familiar with, Student Council President Qi Tian. At this moment, Qi Tian was talking to a cultured male teacher with gold-rimmed sses at the registration window. Whether noticing someone approaching or finishing their conversation, Qi Tian respectfully bowed and then turned toward the entrance. "Senior Qi," Su Yuan greeted. "Su Yuan?" Qi Tian was a bit surprised. "How long has it been, and you''re already here to cultivate in the Star Mist Pool? Have you saved enough academic points?" Su Yuan smiled, "I think I have enough." Qi Tian patted Su Yuan''s shoulder, slightly felt, and nodded, "Not bad, almost there." Clearly, Qi Tian also felt that Su Yuan had reached a small bottleneck, and it was time to use the Star Mist Pool to break through. "If you break through now, it''s really not bad." Qi Tian said suddenly, thinking of something. Su Yuan''s expression moved, and he asked, "What do you mean, Senior?" Qi Tian smiled, "You''ll find out in a few days." Having said that, Qi Tian headed straight for the exit. "It seems something might happen next..." Su Yuan thought briefly but didn''t think much more. Since Qi Tian said they''d know in a few days, there''s no need to figure it out now. A few steps to the registration window, Su Yuan greeted, "Hello, teacher." The cultured male teacher had already noticed Su Yuan, nodded, and said, "You came earlier than I expected." Su Yuan replied, "Recently, cultivation has been going smoothly." With the Azure Sky Phoenix''s speed of absorption and refinement of Heaven and Earth Star Power, dedicating himself to cultivation these days made for fast progress. "Cultivating faster is your skill," seeing Su Yuan had indeed reached a small bottleneck, Zhang Chengyun didn''t hesitate, extended his hand, and said, "Show me your student ID." Su Yuan hurriedly pulled out his student ID and handed it over. The cultured male teacher took it, swiped it on the device by the table. "Beep beep, student''s ID!" "Name: Su Yuan" "Student ID Number: ******220004" "Assigned Room: Room 7" The cultured male teacher handed the student ID back. "It''s registered. Head straight to Room 7." "Thank you, teacher." Su Yuan took his student card back, "May I know your name, teacher?" "My name is Zhang Chengyun." The cultured male teacher opened his Barrier Book and said casually, "I see your card has a lot of academic points. If you don''t mind spending more, extend another one or two hours after the breakthrough." Su Yuan was stunned. Extend another one or two hours after the breakthrough? Two extra hours in the Star Mist Pool with triple concentration meant 60 academic points. That would mean using all the points he had recently gained... But after thinking briefly, Su Yuan decided to follow the advice. If he trusted someone, he should trust thempletely. Su Yuan responded and then turned toward Room 7 in the Star Mist Pool. Swiped his card to enter, then inserted his card into the control panel to start the billing. It was a circr room within a square, the exterior being square, with the interior mostly upied by a half-meter-deep circr pool. Intricate barriers were inscribed at the bottom of the pool, with many profound runes on the walls. Su Yuan knew nothing about barriers and didn''t need to worry about them. After inserting his card, he sat in the center of the pool. In just a moment, the barrier on the ground glowed brightly. Then, a massive amount of star power surged from below, quickly filling the entire Star Mist Pool! "Such dense star power, this is the triple concentration!" Su Yuan felt his whole body being filled with this dense star power and quickly controlled his Star Power Vortex to start absorbing and refining! However, his body''s refining speed couldn''t match the absorption speed, something Su Yuan had never encountered before. At this moment, eight blue light ribbons shot out from the ground barrier, wrapping around Su Yuan. "Ugh!..." Su Yuan groaned, feeling a powerful pressure squeezing from all sides, as if trying to crush him. He instinctively resisted. In just a moment, Su Yuan''s exposed skin, including his face, hands, and neck, visibly reddened. Blood and energy surged violently, and his physical strength was constantly being consumed, seemingly under significant strain. However, at the same time, Su Yuan noticed that the high-concentration star power flooding into his body was more easily refined by the Star Power Vortex under this pressure. "This should be the auxiliary cultivation function of the Star Mist Pool''s barrier that Teacher Xiao He mentioned." Su Yuan realized. He immediately focused his mind, using the high-concentration star power in the Star Mist Pool to attack the realm bottleneck. An hour, two hours, three hours... Time passed little by little, and three and a half hours went by in a sh. Su Yuan sat in the center of the barrier with his eyes tightly closed, never moving since he started cultivating. At this moment, apanied by a faint muffled sound from within, the star power in the Star Mist Pool suddenly surged. "I''ve broken through!" Su Yuan was overjoyed. The Star Power Vortex within expanded slightly again, increasing his total star power by thirty to forty percent. And because of the recent breakthrough, the newly expanded Star Power Vortex''s hunger for star power rose again. Faced with the high-concentration star power in the Star Mist Pool, Su Yuan''s Star Power Vortex spun rapidly, greedily absorbing it like a whale. In just a few moments, a star power vortex formed around Su Yuan! And after breaking through to the Bronze Middle Stage, Su Yuan''s internal star power continued to grow... Nearly six hours passed, and the refining speed of the Star Power Vortex finally slowed down, gradually returning to normal. Before long, Su Yuan opened his eyes, silently feeling his internal state, and couldn''t help but smile with joy. "Ipleted the breakthrough in the third half-hour, and the following two and a half hours not only solidified the breakthrough but also gave my star power a significant boost. No wonder Teacher Zhang Chengyun told me to extend for another two hours after the breakthrough. This short time is almost equivalent to ten to twenty days of usual cultivation!" Though extending the Star Mist Pool for two hours cost 60 academic points. But for students, as their personal strength grows, time bes more valuable, and earning academic points bes easier. Su Yuan got up and retrieved his student ID. In just six short hours, his student ID only had 14 academic points left. But Su Yuan was quite satisfied. Personal strength was fundamental. Academic points should be converted into strength. This time, not only did he achieve the goal of breaking through to the Bronze Middle Stage, but he also made unexpected progress beyond that, making his trip to the South Sea Inds worthwhile! Su Yuan emerged from the Star Mist Pool. Zhang Chengyun immediately knew Su Yuan had broken through and stabilized his realm with solid star power. Zhang Chengyun nced at the time; it had been just six hours. Seeing Su Yuan indeed followed his advice, Zhang Chengyun nodded silently. Good, a teachable child! Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire Su Yuan stepped forward, respectfully thanked, "Thank you, Teacher Zhang, for the reminder. The two extended hours after the breakthrough were very fruitful." Zhang Chengyun kept reading his book and said without looking up, "If there''s nothing else, you''re free to leave." After bowing once more, Su Yuan turned and left. Chapter 111 Situ Family Aftering out of the Star Mist Hall, Su Yuan was not in a hurry to return to his dormitory. "Now that I''ve broken through to the Bronze Intermediate Stage, I should visit my teacher. Also, I might as well ask about crafting the fire-element longsword." Blue-grade weapons were extremely precious to Gold Level experts. Generally speaking, Bronze Level didn''t need to consider them. With Su Yuan''s current knowledge and insight, he only understood the grade of blue-grade weapons, but he was utterly clueless about the crafting details, materials used, and enhancement directions. For matters like this, it was best to get advice from Burning Sun experts. Not long after, Su Yuan arrived at the Book Tower. After waiting for a while at the "usual ce," Yang Yifeng walked over with great strides. "Broken through to the Bronze Intermediate Stage?" Yang Yifeng''s eyes lit up as he looked Su Yuan up and down. Su Yuan responded, "I just used the Star Mist Pool toplete the breakthrough." "Good! I didn''t expect Shang Baiyu to break through just over a month ago, and you''ve also broken through now. When I first met you two, I remember you had just broken through to the Bronze Level, and your Star Power Realm was quite behind his. To catch up so quickly, you''ve done well!" Yang Yifeng appeared very pleased with Su Yuan''s quick advancement to the Bronze Intermediate Stage. "What brings you here this time?" Su Yuan waved his hand, and a hefty piece of Red Fire Essence Goldnded on the table. "Is this... Red Fire Essence Gold?" Yang Yifeng recognized it at a nce, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Su Yuan nodded. "Teacher, I obtained this during myst trip to Red Sand me Ind." Yang Yifeng picked up the Red Fire Essence Gold and toyed with it. "So you want to gather materials to craft a blue-grade weapon yourself?" "That''s right, please guide me." "You''re quite smart, knowing toe to me." Yang Yifengughed heartily, cing the Red Fire Essence Gold back on the table. "With Red Fire Essence Gold as the main material, it''s barely enough to forge a blue-grade weapon." After a brief thought, Yang Yifeng stood up. "Alright then, I have nothing to do today. Why don''t youe with me to visit an old friend?" An old friend? Su Yuan''s teacher was a Burning Sun expert, and his friends were most likely high-level masters as well. Su Yuan''s eyes lit up, and he immediately followed Yang Yifeng. At first, Su Yuan thought his teacher''s friend was within the academy. But to his surprise, Yang Yifeng directly led him out of the academy gate and headed east. After a long while, they arrived in front of a mansion in the suburbs of the Demon Capital. The que in front of the mansion''s gate had the words "Situ Mansion" written on it. The calligraphy was vigorous and graceful, not overly refined but possessing a unique charm. From therge open gate, a massive garden was visible, with many Level One and Level Two Spirit nts nted. On both sides wererge Pearls of Reflection Moon Pines. The ce was ancient and serene, a clear indication of wealth. "Elder, may I know who you are..." A house servant came up to greet them just as they reached the mansion gate. "My name is Yang Yifeng, here to see Situ Bai." Seeing that Yang Yifeng directly addressed the family head by name, the servant seemed to realize he was not an ordinary person and cautiously replied, "Please wait a moment, I''ll inform him..." "Yifeng old man, the Situ Mansion isn''t far from the Demon Capital Academy. Yet, you haven''t visited in years." At this moment, a man emerged from the garden path and quickly reached Su Yuan and Yang Yifeng at the gate. This man, in his forties or fifties, looked younger than Yang Yifeng, donned a gray brocade robe, was sturdy in build, and had sharp, gleaming eyes. At his first sight, Su Yuan felt the surrounding air bing a bit hotter. "Family Head!" The servant beside bowed in respect immediately. Situ Bai waved a hand, and the servant quickly retreated. Yang Yifengughed. "Baid, it''s been ages." Situ Bai nced at Su Yuan beside him. "This is...?" "This is my student this year." Yang Yifeng introduced, "This is the renowned Artifact Refining Master of the Demon Capital, Situ Bai." Su Yuan hurriedly bowed respectfully, "Senior Situ!" "Good." Situ Bai nodded with a smile and asked Yang Yifeng, "You haven''t taken a student in ten years. What made you start again this year?" "Couldn''t bear the loneliness. Need tomunicate more with young people... Speaking of which, with such a big Situ Mansion, won''t you invite us in for some tea instead of chatting here?" "Hahaha," Situ Baiughed heartily. "I was so happy to see you after so long that I forgot. Come,e in!" Situ Bai led Su Yuan and Yang Yifeng into the mansion, following the garden path to the main hall. After sitting down, Situ Bai directly asked, "You don''t visit for no reason. Thest time you came, you wanted me to repair your Gentle Wind Thunder Saber. What is it this time?" "It''s not a big deal. Just want you to help my student forge a blue weapon." "A blue weapon?" Situ Bai nodded and mused, "That''s not too difficult..." As soon as he started speaking, Yang Yifeng immediately turned to Su Yuan. "Su Yuan, thank Senior right away." Su Yuan, understanding the signal, quickly took a step forward. "Thank you, Senior Situ!" Situ Bai chuckled at their antics. "Old Yi Feng, you haven''t changed a bit! It''s just a blue weapon; I won''t back down on that." Yang Yifeng folded his arms. "You, Situ Bai, rarely make a move. I wasn''t sure if repairing my saber exhausted our friendship." "You old fox..." Situ Baiughed, shaking his head. "You saved my life once. Not just repairing the Gentle Wind Thunder Saber, even making another one, I couldn''t refuse..." "Great!" Yang Yifeng chuckled. "But I don''t need it anymore. Just make one for my student. Su Yuan, remember this favor!" Su Yuan smiled wryly. How could he dare interrupt these two elders joking around? Situ Bai, though, detected something, sighing inwardly. Just then, a pretty young girl in a light yellow robe, her hair adorned with a red stone jade hairpin, walked in with a tea tray. She served tea to the three, then greeted Yang Yifeng, "Grandpa Yang." Yang Yifeng was stunned, surprised. "Is this... Little Qingyin?" Situ Baiughed. "Can''t recognize her?" "Grown so much in a few years! Last time, she was no taller than my chest, and now she''s taller than me! Little girl has grown up!" Yang Yifeng scrutinized Situ Qingyin, stroking his beard with a smile. "Not bad, very pretty!" Situ Baiughed. "Girls change a lot. You haven''t visited in years, of course she''s different." Situ Qingyin smiled. "Grandpa, Grandpa Yang, I''ll leave you to your talk." With that, she turned to leave. "Qingyin, wait a moment." Situ Bai called her back. "Grandpa, what else?" "Your Grandpa Yang''s student wants to craft a blue weapon, I''ll leave it to you." Grandpa Yang''s student? A blue weapon? Situ Qingyin looked at Su Yuan standing beside Yang Yifeng and nodded. "Okay." Both Yang Yifeng and Su Yuan were surprised. Yang Yifeng asked directly, "Situ Bai, what do you mean? Let Qingyin craft it? Even if you taught her artifact refining from a young age... she''s not even 20 yet, right?" Situ Bai crossed his arms. "So what if she''s not 20? Can''t she craft a blue weapon?" Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire@@novelbin@@ "Are you serious?" "Of course!" Situ Bai smirked. "Last year, Qingyin made a blue weapon. To date, she has crafted three!" "What?!" Yang Yifeng looked at Situ Qingyin anew. "Under 20 years old, three blue weapons? Truly a genius... Her refining talent might rival yours!" Situ Bai, proud of Yang Yifeng''s praise for his granddaughter, smiled smugly. "She''s even better than I was at her age!" Situ Qingyin approached, asking, "What kind of blue weapon do you want?" Yang Yifeng beckoned. "Su Yuan, tell Qingyin yourself." Su Yuan nodded, cing the Red Fire Essence Gold on the table. "Master Qingyin, I want to craft a fire-element longsword using this Red Fire Essence Gold as the main material." An Artifact Refiner able to craft blue weapons was already a master. Addressing her as such was appropriate. "Red Fire Essence Gold, quite a good material." Situ Qingyin nodded, then asked, "Besides the specs, do you have any other requirements for the longsword? Like elemental enhancement, burst enhancement, reduced consumption, or any special effects?" Su Yuan pondered. "Hardness, sharpness, normal fire-element enhancement will do. I don''t have any other special requirements." Chapter 112 Five Types of Materials "Situ Bai stood up and patted his granddaughter''s shoulder, ''Qingyin, you and Su Yuanmunicate on your own. Your Grandpa Yang and I will take a walk outside.'' ''Okay, Grandpa.'' Situ Qingyin obediently agreed. Yang Yifeng heard this and also stood up, saying to Su Yuan, ''If you have any requests, just tell Little Qingyin. But you must remember, the materials need to be provided by us; she is only helping you with the crafting.'' Su Yuan smiled and said, ''I understand, teacher.'' Being able to ask an Artifact Refining Master for help in custom crafting a Star Device was already quite fortunate. The fee alone for an Artifact Refining Master''s work would almost ount for one-third of the value of a Blue Star Artifact. Yang Yifeng nodded and then left with Situ Bai. In the vast hall, only Su Yuan and Situ Qingyin were left. ''Qingyin Master¡­'' ''Just call me Qingyin.'' Situ Qingyin chuckled softly, ''Grandpa Yang has been kind to our Situ Family. Since you are Grandpa Yang''s student, you don''t need to be so formal with me. Besides, being called ''Master'' sounds too formal and serious, making me seem old. Is that how you see me?'' Su Yuan immediately shook his head and said, ''Teacher said you were 20 years old, but you seem even younger than me.'' After Situ Bai and Yang Yifeng left, Situ Qingyin''s demeanor seemed to be more lively. However, since she was the one who would be crafting a Blue Star Artifact for him, Su Yuan knew he had to be on good terms with her no matter what. Situ Qingyin smiled and then said, ''The hardness, sharpness, and fire element enhancement you mentioned are the basic traits of a Blue Fire Element Star Device. Red Fire Essence Gold, as a third-level main material, naturally possesses these properties. However, relying on Red Fire Essence Gold alone is not enough to create a Blue Star Artifact.'' Of course, Su Yuan never thought that Red Fire Essence Gold alone could forge a Blue Star Artifact. Otherwise, Blue Star Artifacts wouldn''t be so rare. Su Yuan asked, ''What other materials are needed?'' For second-level materials, those are rtively easy toe by; they can be purchased. As for third-level materials¡­ Situ Qingyin stroked the Red Fire Essence Gold ced on the table, thought for a moment, and then said slowly, ''Toplement Red Fire Essence Gold, five types of third-level materials would be suitable: Meteor Star Sand, Phoenix Nirvana Stone, Sealing me Blood Jade, Earth Core ss Stone, and re Silver Branch.'' Meteor Star Sand, Phoenix Nirvana Stone, Sealing me Blood Jade, Earth Core ss Stone, re Silver Branch? As expected of third-level materials, Su Yuan hadn''t heard of any of these five... Situ Qingyin paced slowly in front of the table, ''These five materials can, on the basis of the fire element enhancement of Red Fire Essence Gold, further increase the damage of fire skills. Additionally, Star Devices made using these materials also possess unique effects. For instance, Meteor Star Sand can inflict a bone-burning fire poison on the enemy it strikes, which is difficult to dispel. Phoenix Nirvana Stone can not only increase fire element resistance but also absorb fire elements to repair the Star Device itself and heal the injuries of the Imperial Master using it. As for Sealing me Blood Jade, re Silver Branch, and Earth Core ss Stone, they each have their own unique wonders.'' ''Do these materials really possess such unique effects?'' Even though Su Yuan didn''t know much about the Path of Artifact Refining, listening to Situ Qingyin''s descriptions was an eye-opener. ''Qingyin, you are truly knowledgeable.'' Su Yuan couldn''t help but praise her. ''It''s nothing. I simply like to read a lot.'' Hearing someone''s genuine admiration made Situ Qingyin feel slightly embarrassed, and she folded her hands behind her back, ''I will write down the properties and possible locations of these five materials for youter.'' Su Yuan nodded, ''Thank you very much.'' ''You just need to find any one of these five materials, andbined with Red Fire Essence Gold and some second-level materials, I can start crafting for you. If you are fortunate enough to find two, I might be able to bring out the properties of both materials. As for three or more¡­'' Situ Qingyin shook her head, ''My Artifact Refining skills are limited. Too many third-level materials would be beyond my control and could lead to crafting failure. But if it were my grandfather, he could definitely handle it.'' Su Yuan smiled, ''I might not even be able to find one, so two is more than enough.'' Situ Qingyin smiled and nodded; indeed, third-level materials were not easy to obtain. Although she didn''t know how Su Yuan had managed to acquire this piece of Red Fire Essence Gold, generally speaking, gathering materials for a Blue Star Artifact at the Gold Level was no easy task... ''Now, Su Yuan, please tell me the specifications and dimensions of the long knife in detail so I can record them.'' ''Sure.'' ¡­ In a courtyard somewhere in the residence. ''How is your health now?'' Situ Bai asked. Yang Yifeng waved his hand dismissively, ''I won''t be dying anytime soon.'' Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire ''I doubt that,'' Situ Bai red at him, ''Your student has no Fire Star Power, yet you''re crafting a fire-element long knife for him. I suppose you intend to pass on the me Sky Fire Control Technique to him?'' Yang Yifeng''s expression stiffened, having forgotten how incredibly sensitive Situ Bai''s perception of the fire element was. Situ Bai slowly sighed, ''If it weren''t the end, why would you pass the me Sky Fire Control Technique to someone else? After all, me Sky Fire Control, Biluo Wind Control, Shenxiao Thunder Control¡­ if any of the three are missing, one can''t master that top-level method of the me Court Sky Patrol. Tell me honestly, how much longer do you have?'' ''Haha, I really can''t hide anything from you.'' Yang Yifeng, seeing he had been figured out, stroked his beard, ''Don''t worry, my old bones shouldst for another ten years!'' ''Only ten years!¡­'' Situ Bai fell silent. For most people, ten years was not a short time. But for Yang Yifeng, ten years wasn''t long. ¡­@@novelbin@@ Two dayster, in therge ssroom of the elite ss. He Yanan stood at the front of the room, looking at the neatly sitting students below, and asked with a smile, ''So, who wants to go first?'' ''Teacher Xiao He, I will!'' Zhang Tai patted his chest. ''Oh? Quite confident, aren''t we? Go ahead then!'' Today was the day to test their breathing cultivation. Everyone was quite excited. In the past two months of breathing cultivation, everyone in the ss had more or less opened up their second Star Nest. Some, progressing faster, had even started developing their third Star Nest. Seeing Zhang Tai''s nervous look, He Yanan smiled, ''This time, I won''t use golden bullets. Since it''s a test of your progress in opening Star Caves, I''ll use a more direct and precise method.'' Zhang Tai was taken aback and asked in confusion, ''What method¡­'' He Yanan instructed, ''Just circte your Star Power through all your Star Caves with full force.'' ''Oh.'' Zhang Tai responded and immediately did as instructed, not overthinking it. He Yanan took a few steps forward, sealed with one hand, and pressed on Zhang Tai''s chest. Immediately, a dazzling golden mark entered Zhang Tai''s body. He Yanan then stepped back. While Zhang Tai and the students below were puzzled, they saw the golden mark, along with the Star Power flow, slowly move out from the Star Power vortex in Zhang Tai''s chest, marking his Star Power flow trajectory like a golden brush. When the golden mark passed through a Star Cave, it deepened in color as a marker, making it clear at a nce. Just like that, the golden mark first reached the first Star Nest, marking six Star Caves, then entered the second Star Nest, and finally flowed into the third Star Nest. Once it marked all six Star Caves in the third Star Nest, the golden mark returned to the Star Power vortex. ''Eighteen Star Caves!'' Without requiring He Yanan''s exnation, the entire ss understood. ''Zhang Tai is amazing; he''s already opened 18 Star Caves. I''ve only opened 14!'' ''14 is good too. I''ve only opened 13¡­'' ¡­ Being able to open up 18 Star Caves within two months showed quite a decent talent. He Yanan smiled and patted Zhang Tai''s shoulder, ''Well done, Zhang Tai. Keep working hard and aim toplete the Entry-level this month!'' Receiving He Yanan''s praise, Zhang Tai grinned, ''Hehe, thank you, Teacher Xiao He!'' ''Next, let''s continue with the next one.'' Zhang Tai quickly asked, ''Teacher Xiao He, what about the academic points¡­?'' ''Although the method has changed, the academic points won''t be reduced.'' He Yanan smiled and then turned to look at the students below. ''Opening one Star Cave gives you two academic points. If anyone can open up 24 Star Caves to reach the Entry-level, they will receive an additional 2 academic points, making a total of 50 points.'' Hearing this reward, numerous students were delighted. ''This way, I can earn over 20 academic points. This is much easier than the previous test method. I can''t guarantee I''d withstand 20 golden bullets now!'' ''Exactly, I can earn 28 academic points!'' ''But the 2 additional points for reaching the Entry-level might be too generous. Who could possibly achieve the Entry-level in just two months?'' ''There is, Xiang Dingqian. He might have reached Entry-level since he practiced breathing before, just not as extensively as Shang Baiyu.'' ''This is the difference in background. While others were practicing breathing, we didn''t even know what it was.'' ¡­ Amidst the discussions, Zhang Tai stepped down from the tform with 36 academic points, feeling very pleased. Following that, one after another, the students in the ss went up to be tested: ''Du Tao: 17 Star Caves!'' ''Zhou Weimin: 16 Star Caves!'' ''Shi Jin: 13 Star Caves!'' ''Lu Yingying: 17 Star Caves!'' ¡­ ''Xia Yue: 20 Star Caves!'' He Yanan nodded with a smile, ''Xia Yue, well done.'' ''Thank you, teacher!'' Xia Yue''s lips curled up, quite satisfied with her performance. She nced slightly at Su Yuan sitting in the front row but noticed his expression remained unchanged, causing her to pout slightly. She was the first one in the test to open 20 Star Caves, yet that guy didn''t seem surprised at all? When Xia Yue returned to her seat, Lu Yingying beside her eximed, ''Little Yue, you''ve already reached the fourth Star Nest!'' ''Mm¡­'' Xia Yue casually responded, looking at a certain someone''s back in the front row and gave a light hum. I want to see how many Star Caves this guy has opened! Chapter 113 Astonishing Results After Xia Yue, the students in the ss continued to go up one by one for testing. "Mu Qingyu: 19 Star Caves!" "Ye Qing: 19 Star Caves!" Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire ... "Luo Bingtong: 22 Star Caves!" Luo Bingtong''s score of 22 Star Caves broke Xia Yue''s record, bing the highest in the ss, causing a small climax in the ss. Even He Yanan was quite surprised. Twenty-two Star Caves in two months. If given a few more days, she might directly reach the Entry-level! ... "Next, Xiang Dingqian..." Xiang Dingqian got up and walked to the podium, nced at Su Yuan below, and then fully activated the Star Power in his body. "Teacher Xiao He, I am ready." He Yanan nodded and injected a golden imprint into his body. Seeing Xiang Dingqian start the test, everyone couldn''t help but focus their attention. "I wonder, how many Star Caves can Xiang Dingqian ultimately break open?" "It is said that he should already be at the progress of the fourth Star Nest. The first four Star Nests of the Entry-level should be no problem. The question is whether he can open Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest after reaching the Entry-level!" Su Yuan asked Shang Baiyu, "How many Star Caves have you broken open in the past two months?" "Just two more. It might take one or two years to reach the Skilled Level." Shang Baiyu shook his head, then asked, "What about you, Su Yuan? I don''t feel any Star Power fluctuations from you. Could it be... you have already reached the Entry-level?" Su Yuan smiled mysteriously. "You''ll find out soon." "Could it be true!" Shang Baiyu was just saying it casually. Seeing Su Yuan''s response, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes in amazement and uncertainty. But Su Yuan only smiled and said no more. At this point, Xiang Dingqian''s test was alsoing to an end. The golden imprint, as everyone expected, quickly flowed into Xiang Dingqian''s fourth Star Nest, marking Star Caves from 19 to 24 in one go. Thereafter, the golden imprint did not return to the Star Power Vortex like others but continued rushing toward the fifth Star Nest. "It''s here!" Everyone focused their eyes. Inside Xiang Dingqian''s body, the golden imprint flowed slowly. In an instant, the 25th Star Cave lit up! The golden imprint did not stop but continued to break through the 26th Star Cave, then turned back to return to the Star Power Vortex! "Xiang Dingqian, 26 Star Caves!" "It doesn''t seem like much. Only broke through 2 Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest?" "Two Star Caves aren''t enough? You probably don''t understand the difficulty of breaking open the fifth Star Nest! I asked my teacher, the difficulty of the Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest is more than ten times that of the first four Star Nests! In other words, breaking one Star Cave in the fifth Star Nest is at least equivalent to breaking ten Star Caves in the first four Star Nests!" "So powerful!" "You think the genius of the Capitol City Xiang Family is a joke? Although he lost to Su Yuan''s Hellfire, he is still stronger than you and me." "Speaking of which, I wonder how many Star Caves Su Yuan can break open..." ... Xiang Dingqian broke through the 26th Star Cave, even He Yanan was a little surprised. However, noticing his exhausted look, as if he hadn''t slept well for a long time, He Yanan guessed that Xiang Dingqian had probably been cultivating tirelessly for the past two months... Moreover, he must have used some kind of spiritual power supplement; otherwise, without enough spiritual power, it would be impossible to continuously break open Star Caves with high intensity. Thinking about it, He Yanan reminded Xiang Dingqian, "Breaking open 26 Star Caves is very impressive! However, cultivation should still be bnced with rest. Overstressing your body for a long time will do more harm than good." "I understand." Xiang Dingqian responded casually, then looked up at Su Yuan, grinning. Even discounting the 18 Star Caves opened before school started, he had opened 6 in the fourth Star Nest and 2 in the fifth Star Nest in the past two months. Considering the difficulty, the 2 Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest were at least equivalent to 20 in the first four Star Nests, plus the 6 in the fourth Star Nest... Unless Su Yuan could directly reach the Entry-level, he couldn''t surpass him! "This time, I''ll win!" Xiang Dingqian came down from the stage, looking at Su Yuan with intense anticipation in his eyes. As if sensing Xiang Dingqian''s thoughts, He Yanan announced as soon as Xiang Dingqian sat back down, "Next, Su Yuan."@@novelbin@@ "Come on, let''s see how many Star Caves you have opened!" Shang Baiyu was very curious and urged. Su Yuan did not hesitate and walked onto the podium. Suddenly, not only Xiang Dingqian, Xia Yue, and others but all the students in the ss watched attentively. The most popr thread on the Demon Capital Academy forum recently was "Personal Spections: Top Ten New Students at Demon Capital Academy!" The top ten new students were ranked as follows: First: Su Yuan Second: Ye Qing Third: Xia Yue Fourth: Luo Bingtong Fifth: Xiang Dingqian Sixth: Zhang Tai Seventh: Mu Qingyu Eighth: Du Tao Ninth: Lu Yingying Tenth: Zhou Weimin Without an officialpetition, this ranking was based on the post author''s collection of information and personal analysis. While there was quite a bit of dispute regarding the lower ranks, almost no one refuted Su Yuan being ranked first. Because Su Yuan was the only one who had defeated all the top ten new students! The terrifying might of the two Armored Sword Hellfires during the preliminary challenge was still vivid. At this stage, he was almost unbeatable! In everyone''s opinion, perhaps only the other three in the top five¡ªYe Qing, Luo Bingtong, or Xia Yue¡ªcould possiblypete with Su Yuan. ... "Start when you are ready." He Yanan reminded. Su Yuan nodded, activated the Star Power in his body, He Yanan formed a seal, injecting a golden imprint into Su Yuan''s chest. Let me see how many Star Caves you have opened. He Yanan was slightly expectant. At this moment, the Star Power fluctuations from Su Yuan were extremely faint. While they couldn''t escape her detection, it was very likely he had reached the Entry-level and mastered Concealing Breath. But that seemed too exaggerated! In the history of Demon Capital Academy, it seemed that no one had opened Star Caves so quickly! However, during the Breathing Method ss, Su Yuan had opened two Star Caves right in ss, truly demonstrating extraordinary talent. Reaching Entry-level in two months... it wasn''t impossible! Under the watchful eyes of the ss, the golden imprint He Yanan ced burst forth from Su Yuan''s chest, unobstructed, reaching the fourth Star Nest in just moments. "As expected, Su Yuan is definitely in the fourth Star Nest. Let''s see where it stops!" The golden imprint moved slowly, lighting up the 19th Star Cave, then 20, 21... 24! "The 24th Star Cave! He actually broke through the fourth Star Nest!" As the 24th Star Cave lit up, all the top students in the ssroom were stunned. No one expected that someone could break through all Star Caves in the first four Star Nests in just two months, reaching the Entry-level of the Breathing Method! "Wait, it seems like it''s not over!" At this moment, someone realized that after passing the 24th Star Cave, the golden imprint did not return to Su Yuan''s Star Power Vortex, but instead, like Xiang Dingqian, went toward the fifth Star Nest! The 25th Star Cave! The 26th Star Cave! The 27th Star Cave! In everyone''s stunned silence, the golden imprint broke through three Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest in a row before dropping back to the Star Power Vortex. On Red Sand me Ind, Su Yuan had used Star Dust to directly break through the first four Star Nests, reaching the Entry-level. However, upon returning, Su Yuan did not neglect his breathing cultivation while practicing Star Power. Every day, when he was physically exhausted from training, he would use his spiritual power to open Star Caves. Therefore, in nearly fifty days after returning, Su Yuan had opened three Star Caves, resulting in the current oue. At this moment, therge ssroom of nearly thirty people suddenly fell silent, everyone''s eyes filled with overwhelming shock! He Yanan''s eyes shed with golden light as she couldn''t help but grab Su Yuan''s shoulder for a personal examination. A momentter, the golden light in He Yanan''s eyes dissipated, looking at Su Yuan with amazement and disbelief. This kid... actually had 27 Star Caves! "2, 27 Star Caves...?" Finally, Du Tao''s slightly uncertain voice broke the silence in the ssroom. Like a trigger, the whole ssroom instantly erupted! "27?!" "Su Yuan opened 27 Star Caves!" "My God, didn''t he start from the 1st Star Cave as well!" "It''s one thing to break through the first four Star Nests, but how did he open three Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest too? He''s a monster!" "Whoa..." Shang Baiyu was also shocked, knowing more than anyone else the difficulty of opening Star Caves in the fifth Star Nest. And opening 27 Star Caves in just two months from scratch... is that even humanly possible? "Little Yue... Su Yuan, he seems to have opened 27 Star Caves?!" Lu Yingying looked at Su Yuan on the podium in a daze. "I know!" Xia Yue stared at Su Yuan. Not only could he y a high-stage Silver Rank while at the Bronze Early Stage, but even practicing a breathing method now seemed so absurd! "He''s really... a freak!" Xia Yue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her shock. But thinking of her own 20 Star Caves score, she felt an inexplicable anxiety. Su Yuan''s score of 27 Star Caves shocked everyone in the ss. But other than the shock, the most distressed person was probably Xiang Dingqian sitting at the back... "He, he... How is this possible? How is this possible!" Xiang Dingqian stared at Su Yuan in a daze, his face full of disbelief. Wasn''t he cultivating from the 1st Star Cave? How could he not only reach the Entry-level in just two months but also break through to the 27th Star Cave? I had been relentlessly cultivating my breathing method, yet why didn''t I pull ahead and instead was overtaken? I lost in a fight, and now even in the breathing method? Why? Why! "Pfft!" Overwhelmed with frustration, Xiang Dingqian suddenly sprayed a mouthful of blood onto Zhang Tai''s back in front and then cked out. At this moment, his Dao heart shattered... The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!