Translator: CinderTL
"Because you're handsome," Su Tong'er said, blinking innocently.
Jiang Ye remained expressionless, clearly unconvinced.
Su Tong'er covered her mouth and giggled, then clasped her hands behind her back. "Fine, I'll be honest. I was just trying to annoy Wan Yaoyang."
"As for teaming up... do whatever you want. I don't want to drag around two deadweights anyway."
Yawning, Su Tong'er added, "Though I might join Wan Yaoyang's team. If I do, I might just eat you first, you know?"
What a true demoness! Jiang Ye cursed inwardly.
Lin Yushu, standing beside him, wore a peculiar expression. This little demoness's temperament was truly capricious.
"That's all. I'm leaving now."
Su Tong'er clapped her hands and strode out of the hall, her silk-clad legs flashing.
"Brother Jiang," Lin Yushu whispered, "should we... maybe not team up with her after all?"
He sensed this woman was far too dangerous.
"You actually believed her?" Jiang Ye chuckled. "She never genuinely intended to team up with us. She didn't even mention a meeting point."
Lin Yushu's eyes widened in realization.
Qingyang City had over a hundred Stellar Void Passages.
Su Tong'er hadn't mentioned a rendezvous point, clearly never intending to team up from the start.
Lin Yushu sighed in relief. "Then where should we meet at dawn?"
"Passage 21," Jiang Ye said, opening the map on his wristband and randomly selecting a red X.
"Alright," Lin Yushu nodded. "See you at dawn. I'm heading back to the hotel to rest."
"See you at dawn."
A moment later, Jiang Ye left the building and returned to the passenger seat of Zhang Jianwu's car.
"We'll move out at dawn," Jiang Ye reported, outlining their plan. "I'll head to Stellar Void Passage 21."
Zhang Jianwu nodded. "When do you plan to rest?"
Jiang Ye considered for a moment. "I'll fight until I'm exhausted."
To kill the required 1,000 Shadow Clan members, Jiang Ye had scheduled his time meticulously. He planned to fight non-stop for the next five days.
"Let's grab some food first," Zhang Jianwu said. "Then rest until dawn. I'll wake you."
"Sounds good."
The car pulled onto the road.
Jiang Ye wasn't alone in this. Nearly all the thousand-plus examinees were scrambling to find places to rest and recuperate.
Conserve energy and gather strength.
Everyone knew the next five days would be a grueling battle of endurance.
As all the examinees simultaneously fell into a deep slumber,
at the Unified Examination Bureau headquarters,
in a high-level conference room, several individuals of extraordinary bearing sat together.
Among them was a woman in a black qipao, her figure striking, none other than Tang Huochang, whom Zhang Jianwu had contacted earlier.
"This Reserve Star Professional Assessment has a total of 1,001 examinees," the silver-haired man at the head of the table stated calmly. "Ignore the university students. Your primary focus should be on observing the high school students with potential."
"Those who demonstrate exceptional performance during the upcoming Shadow Hunt Mission may be granted early admission."
"Understood," the group responded in unison.
Tang Huochang opened her work tablet and received the examinee data files.
After a brief search, she quickly found a student's profile.
"Jiang Ye," Tang Huochang murmured, gazing at the tablet.
She felt a flicker of curiosity about this student recommended by Zhang Jianwu.
"Hmm?" Tang Huochang frowned almost immediately.
"A Primitive?"
Tang Huochang frowned, completely taken aback.
Star Practitioners had always rejected Primitives.
While the Reserve Star Practitioner program didn't explicitly prohibit Primitives, they rarely participated in the Reserve Star Professional Assessment.
This assessment was traditionally a battleground for geniuses.
For Zhang Jianwu to recommend a student with Primitive innate talent? It was absurd.
Tang Huochang scrutinized the data. Soon, a glint flashed in her bright eyes.
"So that's it."
"Nearly a 500-point improvement in just one year?"
"An abnormally rapid rate of progress."
"Suspected martial bone awakening?"
As she reviewed the information on the tablet, Tang Huochang nodded slightly, finally understanding the reason behind the student's progress.
"Xiao Tang," the silver-haired man seated at the head of the table noticed her expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Tang Huochang replied with a gentle shake of her head.
She decided to observe Jiang Ye further.
Although the student's progress was remarkable, based on the current data, his chances of passing the assessment remained extremely low.
Early admission? Even more impossible.
Of course, she still held onto a sliver of hope.
If Jiang Ye could truly demonstrate strength far beyond his current capabilities, even if he still fell short of the others, she would propose prioritizing his admission.
This would be her chance to shine before her superiors.
As an examiner, her most crucial performance metric was her ability to identify and select exceptional talents.
Time slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, it was midnight.
In a hotel room, Jiang Ye awoke precisely on time from the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
He dressed, gathered his equipment, and called out to Zhang Jianwu before leaving, "Director, I'm heading out."
He stepped outside.
The night was dark and windy.
Jiang Ye glanced at the time, his figure blurring into a phantom as he darted toward Stellar Void Passage 21.
Shortly after he left the hotel, a figure appeared on the rooftop, silently watching Jiang Ye disappear into the distance.
Simultaneously, across every corner of Qingyang City, figures emerged, streaking toward the nearest Stellar Void Passages.
Clang—
The midnight chimes, originating from an unknown source, reverberated throughout the city.
This signaled the official commencement of the Shadow Hunt Mission!
Stellar Void Passage 21.
Located near a bustling market in Qingyang City.
The market was now completely sealed off, with a group of powerful individuals in Shadow Hunting Bureau uniforms guarding the entrance.
When Jiang Ye arrived, four female examinees were already waiting at the gate.
"Brother Jiang," Lin Yushu greeted him, arriving shortly after.
"Brother Lin," Jiang Ye nodded in acknowledgment.
The four girls glanced at them briefly before quickly averting their gazes.
"Those are the two from Ancheng."
"Ignore them."
The four formed a small team and completely disregarded Jiang Ye and Lin Yushu, who hailed from Ancheng.
Unfazed, Lin Yushu cheerfully greeted them, "Ladies, we'll be comrades-in-arms once we're inside. Let's look out for each other!"
Silence.
The girls didn't even glance at him.
Finally, the white-robed, sword-wielding girl who seemed to be their leader said coolly, "We're competitors, not comrades."
Her eyes betrayed undisguised contempt.
Even Ancheng No. 1 High School, the best in the city, wouldn't rank among the top fifty in West Mountain Province.
To them, these two hicks from Ancheng weren't even worthy to be their comrades.
Lin Yushu chuckled, unfazed.
He was long accustomed to being disliked by beautiful women.
Jiang Ye, equally indifferent to the opinions of such insignificant people, waited calmly.
A minute later, two more male students arrived.
Seeing that the appointed time had come, the Shadow Hunting Bureau guards at the market entrance immediately pressed a nearby button.
Rumble~!
The sealed gate slowly creaked open.
Wooo! Woo!
An alarm blared as a bone-chilling gust of wind howled through the opening.
(End of the Chapter)
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