Translator: CinderTL
"Wan Yaoyang?" Lin Yushu frowned at the name.
Before he could speak, Jiang Ye shook his heads. "Don't know him."
Lin Yushu glanced at Jiang Ye in surprise, then, realizing the implications, he nodded and echoed, "Don't know him."
They were newcomers to Qingyang City, after all. If word spread about their involvement in sending Wan Yaoyang to the police, it could easily draw unwanted attention. After all, Wan Yaoyang was a student at Qingyang High School.
"Don't know him?" Disappointment flickered in Su Tong'er's eyes as she muttered, "I heard he got beaten up in Ancheng and sent to the police. So it wasn't you guys after all."
Her words sent a ripple of shock through the hall.
"Wan Yaoyang got beaten up? And sent to the police?"
"Unbelievable! That guy's always in the top ten at Qingyang High School. How could he have such a dark history?"
As the crowd buzzed with speculation, several figures entered through the hall's entrance.
A faint voice drifted through the air:
"Who's spreading rumors about me?"
A strikingly handsome young man with an otherworldly aura slowly entered the hall, a sword case strapped to his back.
Several young men and women followed behind him, their attire and bearing equally extraordinary.
Instantly, the hall fell silent once more.
Wan Yaoyang! The main event had arrived.
The figures behind him were all among the top ten students in their year at Qingyang High School.
As the group entered, a palpable qi prowess enveloped the entire hall.
Wan Yaoyang, leading the way, exuded an even more overwhelming presence. His mere appearance brought an intense sense of pressure, his gaze piercing and scrutinizing every person present.
The hall was deathly still.
"So, how do you plan to settle this?" Su Tong'er asked casually. "Want to fight me?"
Despite her soft, adorable appearance in a purple dress and white stockings, she radiated an entirely different aura—like a razor-sharp blade slicing through the oppressive atmosphere that had blanketed the hall.
"Demoness Tong?" Wan Yaoyang's pupils constricted.
Demoness Tong was Su Tong'er's nickname at Qingyang High School, a name that inspired both awe and fear.
Even Wan Yaoyang, one of the top ten students in their year, kept his distance.
Soon, Wan Yaoyang's eyes landed on Jiang Ye and Lin Yushu standing nearby, and a vein throbbed visibly on his forehead.
At that moment, Jiang Ye couldn't afford to react. He had no choice but to pretend he didn't recognize Wan Yaoyang.
"Wan Yaoyang? I've heard so much about you," Jiang Ye said with a smile, also feigning ignorance.
He glanced at the group behind Wan Yaoyang.
"All Nascent Aptitude, Upper A-Grade Mortal Physique?"
Jiang Ye nodded inwardly. It seemed even at Qingyang High School, the province's top-ranked school, Dao Bone Aptitude was still rare.
Only Su Tong'er and Wan Yaoyang possessed Dao Bone Aptitude.
Just then, Su Tong'er suddenly turned to Jiang Ye.
"Hey, you two from Ancheng, team up with me!" she said with a grin, revealing her cute little fangs. Her adorable expression carried a hint of mischievousness.
Jiang Ye shook his head. "Sorry, we don't team up with others."
He could tell that Su Tong'er was someone everyone at Qingyang High School avoided. Teaming up with her would likely make them targets for others immediately.
Unexpectedly, Su Tong'er leaned closer to Jiang Ye and whispered, "I can help you take down Wan Yaoyang, you know."
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat.
Does she know about our feud with Wan Yaoyang? Jiang Ye's mind raced.
A moment later, he nodded. "Alright, let's team up."
Nearby, Wan Yaoyang frowned as he watched this unfold. "Demoness Tong, why are you teaming up with these country bumpkins?"
"Su Tong'er acts as she pleases, and owes you no explanation," Su Tong'er retorted haughtily. "Wan Yaoyang, do you want to be trampled again?"
"You—!"
A vein throbbed on Wan Yaoyang's forehead.
It was true. Su Tong'er had once stomped her foot on his face.
He considered this his greatest humiliation.
"Hmph!" Wan Yaoyang finally snorted coldly and fell silent.
The hall fell quiet once more.
Time passed.
During this time, several older men and women with astonishing qi prowess entered the hall.
"University students from Qingyang University."
"Their strength is all at least at the first breakthrough, with a few approaching the second breakthrough."
Jiang Ye scanned them one by one, memorizing each face.
These would be his formidable opponents.
The more he observed, the more his heart pounded with apprehension.
Competing with these people for the top three spots!
Can I do it?
"I absolutely can, and easily!" Jiang Ye rallied his spirits.
The specialized assessment for Reserve Star Practitioner candidates would suppress everyone to the same level, disregarding cultivation realms and focusing solely on combat ability.
Combat ability? With his numerous buffs, Jiang Ye feared no one.
With this thought, Jiang Ye glanced at his buffs:
Beauty's Inquiry, Wind-Listening Ear, Swiftwind Step, Find Joy in Suffering, Finding Resolve in Suffering, Cheat Ear, Tilting at Windmills.
Jiang Ye immediately felt a surge of confidence.
By 5:00 PM, the official application period for Reserve Star Practitioner positions had ended.
The hall was now packed with over a thousand people.
"A thousand people competing for just three positions?" Jiang Ye observed the scene.
This was only for Reserve Star Practitioner roles. If it were for actual Star Practitioner positions, the competition would likely be even fiercer.
It wouldn't be unusual for tens of thousands of applicants to vie for a single position.
Just as Jiang Ye was mentally remarking on this,
Whoosh!
A towering figure clad in full armor suddenly appeared mid-air in the hall.
A silver medal bearing the words "Shadow Hunter" was pinned to the chest of the armored figure.
"A Silver Medal Shadow Hunter!"
The hall fell silent.
The silver medal represented a professional rank within the Shadow Hunting Bureau, typically held by team captains or experts who had achieved at least the third breakthrough.
"I am Chen Feng, Captain of the Second Division of the Shadow Hunting Bureau," the burly man announced in a deep voice. "The application period for Reserve Star Practitioners has concluded. From now on, I will oversee your Shadow Hunting duties!"
Jiang Ye listened intently.
"A week ago, multiple Stellar Void Passages appeared both inside and outside the city, unleashing a massive influx of Shadow Clan forces."
"We have classified this incident as a first-tier shadow calamity!"
Chen Feng's voice deepened. "Your mission for the next five days is to fight with all your might! Hunt down the Shadow Clan!"
"The locations of the Stellar Void Passages have already been transmitted to your wristbands."
Hearing this, many in the hall activated their wristbands to check.
Beep!
Jiang Ye also activated his wristband, and a holographic map projected into the air.
The map displayed the terrain of Qingyang City and could be zoomed in and out.
Marked across the map were numerous red "X" symbols, clearly indicating the locations of the Stellar Void Passages.
"Over a hundred?" Jiang Ye murmured, slightly startled.
More than a hundred Stellar Void Passages meant each passage would unleash a massive influx of Shadow Clan creatures.
The sheer manpower required to contain such a threat was staggering.
And this was only a first-tier Shadow Calamity. What would a second-tier calamity entail? The thought was terrifying.
"Operation begins at dawn tomorrow!" the burly man roared in a deep voice.
"Eliminate 1,000 Shadow Clan creatures within five days to complete the mission."
"Report back here on the seventh day for the Reserve Star Practitioner specialized assessment," Chen Feng's voice echoed across the hall.
As his words faded, shock rippled through the crowd.
Yet some remained unfazed, clearly having received prior notice like Jiang Ye.
But for most, this was the first they'd heard of it.
Five days to eliminate 1,000 Shadow Clan creatures? The challenge was daunting.
After Chen Feng issued further instructions, he declared the meeting adjourned.
The hall emptied as the thousand-strong crowd dispersed.
Many wore grave expressions, the mission's difficulty far exceeding their expectations.
Jiang Ye turned to the soft, white-silk-clad girl beside him, asking curiously, "Do you have a grudge against Wan Yaoyang?"
"No, not at all," Su Tong'er replied, shaking her head.
"Then why do you want to help us take him down?" Jiang Ye pressed, puzzled.
(End of the Chapter)
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