Translator: CinderTL
Seven o'clock in the evening.
After finishing dinner, Jiang Ye went to his room, ready to begin his nightly cultivation session.
Buzz!
Suddenly, his wristband vibrated.
"Director Zhang sent a document?" Jiang Ye's expression flickered as he opened the wristband's projection.
Beep!
The document opened.
"Reserve Star Profession Assessment Plan?"
The title jolted Jiang Ye awake, and he began reading carefully.
He quickly skimmed through the document.
"The assessment will last seven days."
"For the first five days, participants must travel to designated areas and hunt Shadow Clan members."
"Within these five days, each participant must kill 1,000 Shadow Clan members. Those who fail to meet the quota will be eliminated."
"The sixth day is a rest day."
"On the seventh day, all remaining participants will gather at the Unified Examination Bureau for the Reserve Star Practitioner specialized assessment."
As he finished reading, a look of shock spread across Jiang Ye's face.
"Kill over 1,000 Shadow Clan members in five days?"
This...
Even chopping vegetables wouldn't be this fast, right?
Buzz! Buzz!
His communicator vibrated.
Jiang Ye answered the call.
Zhang Jianwu's voice came through the line: "Have you seen the assessment plan?"
"Yes," Jiang Ye replied, surprised. "Director, are we really required to kill 1,000 Shadow Clan members in five days?"
"Indeed, I was surprised too," Zhang Jianwu sighed. "Normally, for a first-tier shadow calamity in the Reserve Star Professional Assessment, 500 kills would suffice."
"500 kills?" Jiang Ye frowned.
That was still a considerable number, but significantly less daunting than 1,000.
"Why is the standard so much stricter this time?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Jianwu explained, "I looked into it. Apparently, starting this year, the Federation has further increased the benefits for Reserve Star Practitioners and Star Practitioners."
"Consequently, the assessment standards have been raised considerably."
Jiang Ye's expression shifted. This could also be interpreted the other way around: because the assessment standards were raised, the benefits were increased.
After all, being a Star Practitioner was inherently dangerous. The Federation likely needed more elites, not just average candidates.
"Jiang Ye, this might not be a bad thing for you," Zhang Jianwu added.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "Didn't you want to get into a university in the Eastern Ten Provinces? Originally, those universities only offered a maximum of 10 bonus points on the College Entrance Examination."
"But now, you might be able to get 20 points or more, maybe even more than that."
Jiang Ye nodded.
In the College Entrance Examination, an extra ten points could potentially place you ahead of tens of thousands of other candidates.
"Of course, all of this depends on successfully passing the assessment," Zhang Jianwu added. "Killing 1,000 Shadow Clan members within five days will be quite challenging for you."
"It will be quite challenging," Jiang Ye agreed.
Zhang Jianwu said, "Don't be discouraged. Tomorrow, I'll give you something that will dramatically enhance your combat power."
"A dramatic enhancement?!" Jiang Ye was slightly taken aback.
What could it be that would warrant such a description from the director?
"You'll find out tomorrow," Zhang Jianwu said with a smile. "You've probably finished refining all the stellar energy in your body by now, right?"
"Completely refined," Jiang Ye confirmed.
He had already refined nearly ten thousand strands of stellar energy during his cosmic tempering.
Zhang Jianwu, however, was unaware of this.
Zhang Jianwu had assumed Jiang Ye, like ordinary people, would need more than half a month to refine the energy.
"As long as you've finished refining it, that's all that matters," Zhang Jianwu continued. "Once I give you that item, you'll have a reliable means of self-preservation."
"Self-preservation?" A faint suspicion arose in Jiang Ye's mind, though he couldn't be certain.
"By the way, Director, what exactly does this specialized assessment entail?"
According to the assessment plan, on the seventh day, those who hadn't been eliminated were to gather at the Unified Examination Bureau for the specialized assessment.
"It's likely related to Star Professions," Zhang Jianwu explained. "Typically, it consists of two to three assessment categories."
"You'll need to outperform most participants and secure a top-three ranking to pass."
Jiang Ye listened intently.
"This Reserve Star Professional Assessment will include students from Qingyang High School, Qingyang Martial Arts University, and high schools from surrounding smaller cities," Zhang Jianwu revealed, sharing the information he had gathered.
"University students are participating too?" Jiang Ye asked, his surprise evident.
Qingyang University was a martial dao university located in Qingyang City. Though not part of the twenty-five school alliance, it ranked among the top half of the hundred ordinary martial universities.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled lightly. "For the Reserve Star Professional Assessment, anyone below the second breakthrough can participate, so university students are naturally eligible."
"But don't worry," he added. "The Unified Examination Bureau will suppress everyone to the same level during the assessment."
Jiang Ye nodded.
Fairness and impartiality were the Unified Examination Bureau's top priorities, so there was no need to worry about that.
"Thank you for the reminder, Director," Jiang Ye said gratefully.
He knew that Zhang Jianwu had gathered this information through various channels. Even if it wasn't classified, it was certainly not something ordinary people could access.
Having so much information about such a crucial exam beforehand gave him a significant advantage over other candidates.
"No need to thank me," Zhang Jianwu said with a sigh. "I only have one recommendation slot, and if you truly become a Reserve Star Practitioner, it will benefit me as well."
"Jiang Ye, give it your all!"
"Yes, I will!" Jiang Ye nodded firmly.
After ending the call, Jiang Ye walked to the center of his room.
He briefly reviewed the information he had gathered.
"Kill 1,000 Shadow Clan members within five days. Then compete against students from Qingyang High School and Qingyang University for the top three spots?"
Jiang Ye took a deep breath. "Is this the difficulty of the Reserve Star Professional Assessment?"
This is tough!
As expected, the path to becoming an official is incredibly challenging, no matter the world.
But Jiang Ye had always known that good fortune doesn't fall from the sky.
Only through arduous effort can one reap substantial rewards.
"Cultivate."
Jiang Ye assumed a boxing stance and began practicing the Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist.
Whoosh~
A wisp of qi flowed through his body with each breath.
This advanced art technique was now nearing Major Success.
Of the massive amount of qi he inhaled, thirty to forty percent could now enter his meridians.
Initially, only one percent had been able to do so.
This meant his control over qi had increased thirty to forty times.
Such a leap in progress had made him increasingly proficient with the art technique.
Whoosh! Bang!
Jiang Ye continued practicing relentlessly, each movement blending strength with fluidity, and fluidity with strength, his technique growing ever more refined.
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Small Success (80% → 81%)]
Unbeknownst to him, this advanced art technique had made another significant advancement.
At one in the morning, Jiang Ye once again entered the second level of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, subjecting himself to grueling training.
For the past month, he had never ceased his training in both the illusionary realm and the painful tempering.
Though his Martial Dao Will was already formidable, the martial dao knew no limits, and his Martial Dao Will had no ceiling.
Jiang Ye had heard tales of martial dao powerhouses who stood among the stars, their Martial Dao Will so potent it could be seen with the naked eye.
This was the path he relentlessly pursued.
At half past seven in the morning, Jiang Ye rose and went to the living room.
Li Anping and Jiang Ting were already seated at the table, eating breakfast.
"Brother, you're finally awake!" Jiang Ting exclaimed, jumping down from her chair to greet him.
"Hey, little one," Jiang Ye said with a smile, ruffling her hair before lifting her back onto her chair.
"Mom, why hasn't Dad been around these past few days?" Jiang Ye asked, turning to Li Anping with a puzzled look.
Although Jiang Dahai worked the night shift at the Shadow Hunting Bureau, he usually returned home for breakfast. Yet Jiang Ye hadn't seen his adoptive father for several days.
Li Anping chuckled. "Your dad went on a business trip to Qingyang City a few days ago. Didn't he tell you?"
"Qingyang City?" Jiang Ye's expression froze.
(End of the Chapter)