Translator: CinderTL
Inside the hotel room, Jiang Ye's eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly.
He was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.
"Another nightmare," Jiang Ye muttered, clutching his head, his face pale.
For the past half-year, he hadn't slept a wink, spending every night climbing the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder. This time, utterly exhausted, he had collapsed into a deep slumber the moment he boarded the vehicle.
But even in sleep, Jiang Ye was haunted by the recurring dream: a man who resembled his father, carrying him toward a magnificent golden palace. The palace's plaque bore the inscription "Cosmic Divine Path."
The scene shifted, and the young Jiang Ye was abandoned at the palace gates, swallowed by endless darkness.
"Why does this dream always return whenever I sleep?" Jiang Ye gradually calmed down, pondering, "Cosmic Divine Path... what exactly is that place?"
Could something have happened to his father there?
Deep within his memories, a persistent obsession seemed to guide him, urging him to uncover the truth in that place.
Soon, Jiang Ye pushed these thoughts aside.
He stood up and checked the time on his watch.
Eleven PM.
"I slept for twenty-three hours straight," Jiang Ye chuckled.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, his expression shifted as he glanced at his system panel.
A system notification had appeared:
[Congratulations! You have achieved a new Low Martial Achievement: Slay over two thousand demonic path practitioners, vanquish evil, and spread your renown far and wide!]
[Unlocked Title: Demon-Slaying Champion]
[Reward: Acquired Level 1 Flourishing Fortune. Vanquishing evil aligns with the Heavenly Dao, granting you a minor boost to your Luck.]
"Flourishing Fortune? Increased Luck?"
Jiang Ye stared at the reward with a peculiar expression.
"Level 1 Flourishing Fortune?" He pondered, gazing at the panel. "Does this mean my Luck will continue to increase if I keep slaying Shadow Clan members?"
However, Luck was even more elusive than Martial Dao Will.
Jiang Ye glanced at himself, sensing little change.
Looking in the mirror, he seemed only slightly more handsome.
"Better than nothing, I suppose," Jiang Ye murmured, shaking his head dismissively.
He went to the bathroom for a relaxing shower, then headed downstairs for a hearty meal before returning to his room to cultivate the Star Martial Advancement Method.
"Hmm?" A flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Ye's eyes. "Nearly ten thousand strands of stellar energy have been completely depleted."
Five days of relentless combat had drained every last strand of stellar energy stored in his Guanyuan Acupoint.
"I'll have to replenish it during the next cosmic tempering," Jiang Ye mused, shaking his head slightly.
He wasn't particularly concerned.
The absence of stellar energy wouldn't hinder his cultivation of the Advancement Method.
"Getting into the top three in the upcoming specialized assessment will be quite a challenge," Jiang Ye acknowledged, his self-awareness sharp.
Both Su Tong'er and Wan Yaoyang possessed innate talent and strength far surpassing his own.
And the university students nearing their second breakthrough? Their combat experience undoubtedly exceeded his.
Defeating such opponents? A daunting task.
Even with his numerous buffs, Jiang Ye still felt the situation was precarious.
Moreover...
"Tomorrow, the Unified Examination Bureau will suppress everyone to the same level."
I wonder if Tilting at Windmills will still work then? Jiang Ye mused.
Tilting at Windmills granted him extraordinary combat power when facing stronger opponents, his trump card for overcoming the weak against the strong.
Without this effect? Jiang Ye might struggle to gain any advantage.
He quickly shook his head. "No use worrying about it."
He dared to face his opponents' strength squarely, but he refused to underestimate himself.
Only by acknowledging the gap and striving to close it could one truly become strong.
This was the path of the strong.
Jiang Ye closed his eyes, immersing himself in cultivation.
Time flowed slowly.
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Entry (45% → 46%)]
A notification quietly flashed across the Low Martial Achievement panel.
The next day, Jiang Ye arrived early at the Unified Examination Bureau's main hall to wait.
By 8:00 AM, all the remaining candidates had gathered.
Jiang Ye scanned the vast hall and realized that fewer than two hundred candidates remained.
"Out of a thousand candidates, over eight hundred have been eliminated," Jiang Ye observed, looking around.
Clearly, not everyone had found killing Shadow Clan members as easy as slicing through melons and vegetables, as he had.
Eliminating a thousand Shadow Clan members within five days was undoubtedly a formidable challenge.
Without a doubt, those who had completed the task and gathered here were the true elites.
"Brother Jiang," Lin Yushu, his face pockmarked and large-headed, approached.
"Brother Lin," Jiang Ye nodded in greeting, about to speak when a purple figure suddenly flashed before him.
"Huh? You two actually made it this far?"
A charming young woman in a long purple dress and sheer white stockings gazed at Jiang Ye and Lin Yushu with surprise.
It was Su Tong'er.
Lin Yushu instinctively glanced at her white-stockinged legs, his gaze burning like a torch.
Jiang Ye chuckled, "Just luck."
"Luck?" Su Tong'er tilted her head curiously.
Suddenly, she giggled, stepped closer, and whispered, "I hope your luck continues... like when you meet me."
Su Tong'er licked her delicate tongue as she stared at Jiang Ye.
I really want to experience what it feels like to stomp that handsome face into the ground!
A mischievous grin flashed across her face before she abruptly turned to Lin Yushu and snapped, "What are you staring at?! Do you want me to really stomp you to death?!"
"My apologies," Lin Yushu replied with a faint smile, utterly unfazed.
"Hmph."
Su Tong'er huffed coldly, clasped her hands behind her back, and stalked away.
"What a witch," Jiang Ye muttered, shaking his head as he watched her leave.
He glanced at Lin Yushu beside him, thinking, It seems only someone like Lin Yushu can counter magic with magic.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a woman in a black qipao, her figure strikingly alluring, appeared on the rising platform ahead.
"Congratulations to the 190 candidates who have passed the shadow tide mission assessment," Tang Huochang announced, her voice magnetic.
"The Reserve Star Professional Special Assessment consists of two main components: the Primordial Trial Assessment and the Cosmic Melee."
Though her voice was soft, it resonated clearly throughout the arena. "The Primordial Trial Assessment will eliminate 100 candidates, leaving 90 to advance to the Cosmic Melee."
"These 90 candidates will enter the Virtual Cosmos, where their cultivation realms will be adjusted to Perfection in the Star Martial Cultivation Method."
"Divided into groups of 30, they will engage in intra-group melees to determine the three strongest individuals from each group."
"The final three victors will be the ultimate qualifiers!" Tang Huochang declared.
Whoosh!
Her words sparked an immediate uproar.
Many candidates wore expressions of shock.
"This year's assessment isn't a tiered elimination tournament?"
"In previous years, they gradually narrowed the field to the top 50, then the top 10, and finally the top 3. Why the change this year?"
The crowd buzzed with astonishment.
Hearing the murmurs around him, Jiang Ye was utterly astonished.
"They've changed the elimination system to a group melee?" Jiang Ye's eyes flickered.
This news might actually be good for him!
Under the elimination system, only those who defeated all opponents could reach the final stage.
But a group melee? That offered far more room for strategic maneuvering.
"Why the sudden rule change this year?" Jiang Ye listened to the surrounding chatter, his surprise growing.
Why would they make such a drastic change out of nowhere?
Suddenly, he remembered the 'Flourishing Fortune' he had recently acquired.
Jiang Ye shook his head slightly. "This probably has nothing to do with it."
Could such a minor boost to his Luck really influence the Federation's Unified Examination rules?
What a joke!
Meanwhile, Tang Huochang observed the uproar below without the slightest surprise.
The Federation had already changed the assessment rules several years ago and piloted them in major first-tier cities, she thought to herself.
Rule changes typically occur gradually, not simultaneously across all regions.
Qingyang City had been relatively late to adopt the new system.
But just last night, Director Li received orders from above to implement the new format in this specialized assessment.
The original arena elimination system had been replaced with a new group melee format.
Tang Huochang approved of the new rules.
"The three strongest candidates were already predetermined during the previous kill mission."
Five days of relentless slaughter.
Whose performance stood out the most? It was obvious.
The so-called group melee wasn't random either.
Instead, the three strongest candidates were placed into separate groups.
The purpose of this arrangement was to test whether these three could defeat the remaining 29 participants.
If they succeeded, their treatment would be improved.
If they failed, the higher-ups could still select the best candidates based on overall performance.
"I wonder how those three performed?" Tang Huochang mused, her anticipation growing.
Without further delay, she turned to the crowd below and announced in a clear, commanding voice: "I hereby declare the Reserve Star Professional Special Assessment open!"
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
🔴 [Conquering the World After Getting Reborn as a Dragon] is NOW LIVE! For More Details go to the site or visit 🅿🅰🆃🆁🅴🅾🅽.🅲🅾🅼/🅰🅽🆄🅱🅸🆂🆃🅻
💸 Read More FREE CHAPTERS on the SITE!
🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 14 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE