Translator: CinderTL
"The Shadow Calamity? From the cosmos?" Jiang Ye speculated.
Long ago, neither Blue Star nor the entire solar system had ever known the Shadow Calamity.
It was only after Blue Star's civilization connected with the cosmos, hundreds of years ago, that the Shadow Calamity began to appear across the world.
"Correct," Zhang Jianwu nodded. "To be more precise, the Shadow Clan originates from an extremely distant cosmic civilization."
"A cosmic civilization?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"Yes. After Blue Star connected with the cosmos, human explorers ventured throughout the solar system," Zhang Jianwu explained. "They soon discovered an ancient spacecraft on Europa."
"On that spacecraft..."
"They inadvertently activated a switch, causing the solar system's coordinates to be broadcast outward," Zhang Jianwu said.
Jiang Ye held his breath.
This was the first time he had ever heard these secrets.
"Although they took immediate countermeasures upon realizing their mistake, it was too late," Zhang Jianwu sighed. "The cosmos is filled with darkness."
"The Shadow Clan civilization, located a thousand light-years from the solar system, is the closest civilization to Blue Star and the first cosmic civilization to invade."
"Shortly after the coordinates were leaked, cosmic tunnels began to appear worldwide, from which swarms of Shadow Clan warriors emerged, launching a massacre against humanity."
"However, these tunnels typically only last for about half a month before disappearing on their own," Zhang Jianwu explained.
Jiang Ye was slightly startled.
Half a month?
Does that mean a continuous stream of Shadow Clan warriors will pour through these tunnels for the next two weeks?
But he quickly grew puzzled. "The Shadow Clan civilization is a thousand light-years away. How are these tunnels even formed?"
"I'm not sure either," Zhang Jianwu replied, shaking his head. "Some experts believe the Shadow Clan possesses technology similar to warp drives. Once they pinpoint the solar system's coordinates, they can directly open a tunnel connecting our system to their homeworld."
"But if the Shadow Clan truly had such power, destroying the solar system would be trivial."
"That's why I suspect there might be another explanation for these tunnels."
As he spoke, Zhang Jianwu turned back to Jiang Ye. "In any case, that's the origin of the Shadow Calamity."
Jiang Ye nodded, finally understanding.
Each Shadow Calamity meant the emergence of a cosmic tunnel.
"Will the Shadow Calamity in Qingyang City also last for half a month?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask.
"Roughly," Zhang Jianwu confirmed, nodding. "The Shadow Calamity in Qingyang City has already been ongoing for five days. This is only a Level 1 Shadow Calamity, which makes it perfect for you."
Jiang Ye nodded.
A Level 1 Shadow Calamity meant only Infant Form Shadow Clan members would appear.
A Level 2 Shadow Calamity, however, could bring Juvenile Form or even Young Adult Form Shadow Clan members.
"Then I'll leave tomorrow," Jiang Ye said decisively.
"Good," Zhang Jianwu nodded. "Remember to take that 20,000 yuan bonus with you to register for the Reserve Star Practitioner Assessment."
"Register? 20,000 yuan?" Jiang Ye asked, surprised.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "Don't worry about the money. If you pass the assessment, you'll earn at least tens of thousands of yuan per month. You'll make back the registration fee in just one month."
"Besides, for positions like Reserve Star Practitioner, the real money isn't in the base salary."
He gave Jiang Ye a meaningful look.
"I understand," Jiang Ye nodded immediately.
In the system, there are plenty of ways to make money.
One of the reasons he wanted to become a Reserve Star Practitioner was precisely for the financial benefits.
Over the past month, he had spent tens of thousands of yuan on nutritional supplements and medical treatments, drastically depleting his savings.
Becoming a Reserve Star Practitioner would significantly ease his financial burden.
A short while later, Jiang Ye went to Cao Feng's office to request a few days' leave.
Cao Feng, already aware of the situation, readily agreed.
"Here's the 30,000 yuan scholarship for being in the top ten of your grade," he said, handing Jiang Ye the money. "Be careful tomorrow. The College Entrance Examination is less than four months away."
"Thank you for the reminder, Teacher," Jiang Ye nodded, accepting the money.
He knew Cao Feng was worried about him getting injured during the assessment.
"Oh, right," Cao Feng suddenly remembered. "The next cosmic tempering is in half a month. Remember to bring the registration fee tomorrow."
"Okay," Jiang Ye replied, turning to leave.
Watching him go, Cao Feng felt a surge of emotion. "This kid... he really didn't make the wrong choice when he chose the Advancement Method."
He was well aware that Jiang Ye's rapid progress was largely due to the Star Martial Advancement Method. Had Jiang Ye chosen the Body Tempering Method or the foundation establishment method instead, he would never have advanced so quickly in such a short time. After all, the cosmic tempering's upper limit determined that.
"Primitive innate talent, getting into the twenty-five school alliance?" Cao Feng chuckled and shook his head. "It's been ages since we've seen that."
Jiang Ye's current performance made scoring 700 points a certainty. The only question was how much he would exceed that score. 750? 800? Cao Feng found himself growing increasingly excited.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
Zhang Jianwu pondered for a moment, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Buzz!
A holographic projection quickly materialized in the air from his phone.
Before Zhang Jianwu stood a woman in a black qipao, her figure striking and alluring.
"Director Zhang, what brings you here so suddenly?" she asked with a smile.
"Class Monitor Tang," Zhang Jianwu replied with a grin. "You're still with the Unified Examination Bureau in Qingyang City, right? I have a candidate to recommend for the Reserve Star Practitioner program."
The woman, Tang Huochang, was his classmate from university.
"Oh? A promising young talent you've taken notice of?" Tang Huochang's tone carried a hint of surprise.
Zhang Jianwu had been the director of Ancheng Third High School for over a decade. This was the first time he had ever contacted her.
Tang Huochang's initial thought was that Zhang Jianwu was trying to pull strings through their connection to get someone in. Such attempts were not uncommon.
However, the Federal Unified Examination Bureau, as the Federation's primary talent screening agency, strictly cracked down on such practices.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "Don't worry, Class Monitor. I'm not trying to pull any strings."
"I've had a recommendation slot for years, but I've never used it. This time, I've genuinely found a suitable candidate."
Recommendation slots were highly valuable. If the recommended candidate performed poorly, future slots might be revoked.
Zhang Jianwu had been reluctant to use it until now.
"I see," the qipao-clad woman said, her tone softening slightly. "Director Zhang, please continue."
"His name is Jiang Ye," Zhang Jianwu explained. "He possesses exceptional combat skills and has killed multiple members of the Hidden God Organization who were nearing their first breakthrough."
"And at that time, he had only undergone a single cosmic tempering session."
Tang Huochang's eyes lit up slightly.
For Reserve Star Practitioners, practical combat ability was indeed the most crucial factor.
"What was his score on the most recent Monthly Exam?" Tang Huochang asked.
"690 points," Zhang Jianwu replied.
"690 points?" Tang Huochang's brow furrowed slightly. "For a third-year high school student, that's rather low."
Zhang Jianwu shook his head helplessly.
The score of the tenth-ranked student in the entire grade was being dismissed so casually.
But it was understandable.
Tang Huochang resided in Qingyang City. At Qingyang High School, a score like that might not even place him in the top fifty of his grade.
"Are you certain you want to recommend him?" Tang Huochang asked earnestly. "Based on my experience, his chances of passing the Reserve Star Professional Assessment are very slim."
"If his performance is poor, it will reflect poorly on you as well," she warned sternly.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "No harm in letting him try. This referral spot allows him to bypass the initial screening and go straight to the assessment, right?"
Tang Huochang nodded.
Every year, countless aspirants clamored for a spot in the Star Profession Assessment, creating a bottleneck like thousands of soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge.
Applying through the standard channels meant waiting indefinitely.
Referrals bypassed the queue, but the assessment itself remained unchanged.
"Alright then," Tang Huochang smiled. "Since Director Zhang is so confident, let's see what makes this kid special. Have him come tomorrow afternoon for the unified application process."
As she spoke, she sent Zhang Jianwu a file. "Here's the assessment plan. It's not strictly confidential, so I'm sharing it with you."
Zhang Jianwu's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Class Monitor Tang."
The referral was secondary; he could have secured that upon arrival anyway. The real prize was this "non-confidential" intelligence. Though Tang Huochang claimed it wasn't classified, such information remained inaccessible to ordinary citizens.
After disconnecting the comms, Zhang Jianwu swiftly opened the file and scanned the assessment details.
His expression shifted subtly.
(End of the Chapter)