Translator: CinderTL
After a brief silence, the hall erupted in a clamor.
"Did I just see that right?"
"Instructor Tang was sent flying by that rookie's punch?"
"Is that even possible?!" The strong onlookers stared at the arena in disbelief.
None of them had anticipated Jiang Ye's astonishing strength.
Even more shocking was Tang Huochang being knocked back with a single blow.
After all, Tang Huochang's transfer to this position was proof of her undeniable combat prowess.
In the arena, Jiang Ye rushed forward, concern etched on his face. "Sister Tang! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Tang Huochang replied, pushing herself up from the ground, her bangs slightly disheveled.
But she had no time to fix her appearance.
"Jiang Ye," she said, her beautiful eyes flashing with suspicion as she gazed at the young man before her. "What realm are you at now?"
"Late Stage Fourth Breakthrough," Jiang Ye answered honestly.
"Late Stage Fourth Breakthrough?" Tang Huochang froze in place.
She had sensed his aura earlier, but she couldn't believe it.
Just a year ago, Jiang Ye was only at the peak-second breakthrough realm.
How could he have advanced from peak-second breakthrough to late-stage fourth breakthrough in just one year?
What kind of joke was this?!
Even with an accelerator, such rapid progress was impossible!
"Sister Tang, what realm are you at?" Jiang Ye asked curiously.
"Me? Fifth breakthrough," Tang Huochang replied.
Reaching the fifth breakthrough at her age was already considered exceptionally genius.
But Jiang Ye was visibly stunned by her words.
"Fifth breakthrough?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Then how did that happen just now?"
"It was my mistake," Tang Huochang admitted. "I assumed you were at most at the peak of the third breakthrough, so I only mobilized that level of power."
"I never expected..."
Her expression was complex.
Peak third breakthrough? Jiang Ye was nearly at the peak of the fourth breakthrough!
"It's my fault," Jiang Ye said with a wry smile. "I should have told you beforehand, Sister Tang."
"Let's not dwell on that."
Tang Huochang's tone turned serious. "Jiang Ye, your strength is already sufficient to be promoted to a star practitioner. You don't need to take any further tests."
"No further tests?" Jiang Ye asked in surprise.
"Mm-hmm. Come with me." Tang Huochang turned and headed outside.
Jiang Ye immediately followed.
Under Tang Huochang's guidance, Jiang Ye arrived at a waiting room.
"Jiang Ye, wait here for a moment," Tang Huochang instructed.
"Alright."
Tang Huochang turned and walked toward an office.
Watching her retreating figure, Jiang Ye couldn't help but feel curious.
Is she going to evaluate my rank?
I wonder what tier I'll be promoted to. A hint of anticipation stirred within him.
Inside the office...
Tang Huochang pushed open the door and entered.
In the center of the office sat a middle-aged man with a square face, his expression dignified and his aura both powerful and restrained.
"Director Deng," Tang Huochang said respectfully.
"Ah, Xiao Tang," the man replied with a faint smile. "What brings you here?"
"A Reserve Star Professional Cadre has come to apply for promotion," Tang Huochang said. "I'd like to recommend him for second-tier star practitioner status."
"Oh?" Director Deng raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about him."
"Yes, sir."
Tang Huochang immediately activated her wristband's projection, displaying Jiang Ye's information. She then explained Jiang Ye's current realm and strength.
After a brief pause, Director Deng nodded slightly. "White Dragon University, Jiang Ye? Late Stage Fourth Breakthrough?" He paused. "Not bad, but still below the standard for second-tier star practitioner status."
"Xiao Tang, you must understand," Director Deng continued, shaking his head. "Second-tier star practitioners require not only strength but also significant contributions. Jiang Ye's past contributions haven't been substantial enough."
Tang Huochang frowned slightly.
Indeed, Jiang Ye hadn't undertaken many star practitioner missions, and his contributions fell short of the required standard.
But soon...
"Director Deng," Tang Huochang said earnestly, "you may not fully understand Jiang Ye. As his instructor, I've witnessed his growth firsthand."
"Just over a year ago, he hadn't even reached the first breakthrough."
"In less than two years," Tang Huochang continued, "Jiang Ye has progressed from below the first breakthrough to his current level. Can you believe it?"
"What are you saying?" Director Deng was stunned. "Less than two years to advance from an ordinary person to the Late Stage Fourth Breakthrough?"
Seeing his reaction, Tang Huochang immediately produced Jiang Ye's detailed records.
The documents clearly showed Jiang Ye's "resume" from his time in Qingyang City.
After reviewing the records, Director Deng could no longer remain seated.
Less than two years to advance nearly five realms?
What kind of prodigy is this?
"Second-tier star practitioner?"
"No," Director Deng shook his head. "Bring him in now. I'll speak with him myself."
"Huh?" Tang Huochang exclaimed in surprise. "Director Deng, you want to meet him personally?"
"Yes, go get him quickly," Director Deng said.
"Understood," Tang Huochang replied.
Tang Huochang swiftly left the office.
Moments later, Tang Huochang returned, leading Jiang Ye into the office.
"Director Deng, this is Jiang Ye," Tang Huochang introduced.
"Greetings, Director Deng," Jiang Ye said, offering a slight bow.
"Welcome," Director Deng replied.
"You're quite impressive, young man," Director Deng said, smiling warmly at Jiang Ye. "You truly embody the spirit of a Blue Star genius."
"Director Deng, you flatter me," Jiang Ye replied with a modest smile.
Director Deng's words were no mere flattery.
Jiang Ye had always possessed striking good looks, but after breaking through to the fourth breakthrough and opening his sea of consciousness, his entire demeanor had undergone a transformative metamorphosis.
This made Jiang Ye appear even more extraordinary.
"Show me your aura," Director Deng requested. "Let me see."
"Understood," Jiang Ye immediately released his Martial Dao Aura.
Boom!
A formidable aura instantly swept through the entire office.
"Late Stage Fourth Breakthrough, indeed," Director Deng's eyes lit up. "Alright, you can withdraw it now."
As Jiang Ye withdrew his aura, Director Deng looked at him and said, "Jiang Ye, with your current strength, you're already qualified to become a star practitioner. Are you familiar with the star practitioner ranking system?"
"No," Jiang Ye replied, shaking his head.
"The star practitioner ranks," Director Deng explained, "are divided into four tiers, from lowest to highest: Novice-grade, Common-grade, Elite-grade, and Master-grade."
Jiang Ye listened attentively. He admittedly knew little about star practitioners.
"So, I should be a Novice-grade star practitioner right now?" Jiang Ye asked curiously.
"Theoretically, yes."
"But I plan to promote you to Elite-grade star practitioner," Director Deng said with a smile, "which is the third-tier."
"Third-tier?" Jiang Ye was immediately stunned.
He wasn't the only one. Tang Huochang, who was standing nearby, also looked surprised.
"Director Deng, are you sure?" Tang Huochang quickly interjected. "Third-tier star practitioners are usually experts with at least a sixth breakthrough."
The star practitioner ranks clearly correlate with strength.
Normally, first-tier star practitioners are those with a third or fourth breakthrough.
Second-tier star practitioners are typically appointed from among fourth and fifth breakthrough experts.
Third-tier star professionals are usually selected from sixth and seventh breakthrough experts.
Fourth-tier star practitioners are generally chosen from seventh, eighth, or even ninth breakthrough experts.
"That's the standard procedure," Director Deng said with a smile. "But for top-tier geniuses, we naturally have special arrangements. Jiang Ye, becoming a third-tier star professional will grant you greater authority, better benefits, and higher status."
"However, your responsibilities will also increase accordingly."
Jiang Ye listened intently.
This hierarchical system was similar to the one used for reserve star practitioners.
However, the difference in benefits between the two tiers was undoubtedly vast.
"What specific authorities come with being a third-tier star professional?" Jiang Ye asked curiously.
"See for yourself," Director Deng said with a wave of his hand.
Whoosh! Countless beams of light converged, forming a holographic projection screen.
Characters materialized on the screen, displaying the benefits and authorities granted to third-tier star professionals.
Third-Tier Star Professional
- Annual access to one A-grade opportunity zone, three B-grade opportunity zones, and unlimited access to C-grade opportunity zones and below.
- Ownership of a small starship capable of navigating the solar system.
- Third-tier authority within the Blue Star Federation: direct investigative powers over village and town-grade positions; direct command authority over county-grade units and below; direct allocation of county-grade resources and funds; partial access to classified information.
- Voting rights on major policy decisions in the federal parliament.
- ...
A series of privileges materialized before Jiang Ye, who carefully reviewed each one.
Soon, he was astonished.
"So many privileges?" Jiang Ye thought, genuinely surprised.
The most significant among these was undoubtedly the third-tier authority within the Blue Star Federation. Even from the description alone, Jiang Ye could grasp the sheer magnitude of this authority.
Power!
This word carried far greater weight than mere wealth.
"I'm just a sophomore, and I'm being granted this kind of authority?" Jiang Ye felt a bit dizzy; it was truly overwhelming.
Aside from the third-tier authority, the remaining privileges and benefits were also remarkably generous.
In essence, once Jiang Ye became a third-tier star professional, his status and position would undergo a complete transformation.
So...
What's the price?
"Director Deng," Jiang Ye asked, turning his head, "what responsibilities are you referring to?"
"Right here," Director Deng said with a wave of his hand.
Whoosh! The projection refreshed, displaying new text.
Jiang Ye turned to read it again.
Third-tier star professionals must contribute stellar energy equivalent to one billion units of value annually, supplying 'Cosmic Tempering' energy to major cities.
In the event of high-grade Shadow Calamities on Blue Star, they must provide immediate assistance unless exceptional circumstances prevent it.
If Blue Star faces a major crisis, they must prioritize their own safety while exerting maximum effort to help resolve the crisis.
If...
A series of conditions appeared.
The most critical requirement was undoubtedly the first one.
"Contribute stellar energy equivalent to one billion units of value annually?" Jiang Ye stared in disbelief.
Where was he supposed to find that much stellar energy?
"Blue Star has numerous C-grade Opportunity Zones where stellar energy can be obtained," Director Deng said with a smile. "Reaching one billion units of equivalent value is just a matter of a few trips."
"With your current strength, you could easily make multiple trips to the C-grade Opportunity Zones," Director Deng said with a smile.
Jiang Ye nodded.
As a third-tier star professional, he had unlimited access to C-grade Opportunity Zones.
That part was certainly nothing to worry about.
"High-grade Shadow Calamities? A major crisis for Blue Star?" Jiang Ye asked. "With my current strength, I doubt I could be of much help."
"Don't worry about that," Director Deng replied.
"The evaluation for third-tier star professionals," Director Deng explained with a smile, "is typically conducted every five years."
"As long as you achieve at least the sixth breakthrough within those five years,"
"and complete one mission to assist with a high-grade Shadow Calamity, you'll meet the requirements," Director Deng clarified.
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded.
He continued studying the projection, carefully reviewing each requirement.
After a long moment, Director Deng asked with a smile, "Well? If you're prepared to shoulder these responsibilities,"
"then you can be promoted to third-tier star professional immediately."
Jiang Ye pondered for a moment.
Just a few seconds later, he made his decision.
(End of the Chapter)
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