Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Ye held his breath.
From within his Guanyuan Acupoint, a wisp of pale silver stellar energy emerged.
Following his meridians, it flowed to the palm of his hand.
Buzz!
Instantly, the golden dagger seemed to sense something, vibrating violently.
A wisp of pale silver stellar energy flowed from his palm into the dagger.
Buzz! The dagger's surface erupted in a brilliant golden light.
At that moment, the golden dagger seemed to come alive, a terrifying power brewing within it.
Hmm?!
Jiang Ye's eyes snapped open.
The moment the stellar energy merged with the dagger, a peculiar sensation arose within him—he felt as though he could control the dagger remotely!
Rise!
Jiang Ye extended his palm, focusing intently on the golden dagger.
Buzz~ The dagger trembled slightly, showing a faint tendency to float upward.
However, by the time his stellar energy was exhausted, the dagger had failed to levitate completely.
Huff~ With its stellar energy depleted, the dagger immediately lost its luster.
Nearby, Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "You want to control it remotely? You'll need to channel far more stellar energy."
"However, I wouldn't recommend doing that. It consumes far too much stellar energy," Zhang Jianwu cautioned.
"Every strand of stellar energy is precious," he continued. "Unless it's a life-or-death situation, manual control is always preferable."
Jiang Ye nodded in agreement.
Stellar energy was a non-renewable resource. Once depleted, it could only be replenished through cosmic tempering.
Now he understood why Wan Yaoyang had seemed so formidable during the previous encirclement operation. He hadn't even seen the man move before his enemies were instantly annihilated. It turned out the guy hadn't lifted a finger at all, relying instead on his ability to remotely control his sword.
"Cosmic energy is truly wondrous," Jiang Ye marveled inwardly. "Combined with a star weapon, it could unleash power far beyond my own capabilities."
He had felt it himself—the terrifying pressure that surged through the dagger when infused with stellar energy. The thought made his hands itch with anticipation, eager to test its full potential.
"Let's move out," Zhang Jianwu said, stepping on the accelerator. The car lurched onto the road, beginning its bumpy journey.
Three hours later, they reached the outskirts of Qingyang City.
In the distance, several skyscrapers towering over a kilometer high pierced the sky. This was the central business district of Qingyang City, constructed entirely from cosmic materials and radiating a futuristic technological aura.
Hovercars occasionally zipped through the city streets, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly through the air.
"Qingyang City is truly bustling," Jiang Ye murmured, gazing out the window.
Only major metropolises like Qingyang City hosted examination centers for Reserve Star Practitioner positions.
In small, remote towns like Ancheng, there wasn't even a unified examination venue.
Yet even Qingyang City's urban development was merely a product of the past two centuries. By Blue Star's standards, it was far from being considered a major global city.
Half an hour later, the car finally arrived at the Unified Examination Bureau, a towering 200-meter-tall building.
"Take these documents to register," Zhang Jianwu said, handing Jiang Ye a file. "I'll wait for you in the car."
"Alright."
Jiang Ye stepped out of the vehicle and walked toward the examination bureau.
The lobby was packed with people.
"So many people?" Jiang Ye exclaimed in surprise.
Anyone registering at this time was undoubtedly here to participate in the Reserve Star Professional Assessment.
Jiang Ye opened his status panel to check his stats:
[Physique: Mortal Body (A-Grade)]
[Innate Talent: Nascent]
[Physique: Mortal Body (Upper A-tier)]
[Innate Talent: Nascent]
[Physique: Mortal Body (Mid A-tier)]
[Innate Talent: Nascent]
As expected of a major city, every physique in sight was A-tier.
Back at Ancheng Third High School, only the top ten students in the grade had A-tier physiques, and even those were all Lower A-tier.
Just then, Jiang Ye spotted a familiar face.
A young man with an enormous head and a face as plain as a potato.
"Lin Yushu?" Jiang Ye stared at the homely youth.
"Jiang Ye!" Lin Yushu noticed him too, quickly approaching with a smile. "Brother Jiang, I didn't expect to see you here!"
After their joint operation during the Shadow Clan raid, Lin Yushu had formed a favorable impression of Jiang Ye.
"Brother Lin," Jiang Ye replied with a smile.
Lin Yushu continued, "It's rare to meet an old friend in a foreign land. How about we team up to hunt Shadow Clan later?"
"Team up?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled. "Is that allowed?"
"Of course! Haven't you noticed everyone's forming groups of three to five?" Lin Yushu pointed out.
Jiang Ye glanced around and saw it was true.
Though the crowd in the hall appeared scattered, they were subtly organizing into small clusters.
Lin Yushu murmured, "When hunting the Shadow Clan, you have to be wary not only of the Shadow Clan itself, but also of others trying to sabotage you."
"Sabotage?" Jiang Ye's brow furrowed.
Does that mean someone might launch a sneak attack?
"Although the assessment rules strictly prohibit attacking other candidates," Lin Yushu said gravely, "some might collude to lure powerful Shadow Clan creatures toward their rivals."
"Using the Shadow Clan to eliminate competitors isn't unheard of."
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded slightly. "Thanks for the warning."
A chill ran through him.
I definitely need to be extra cautious about this.
"Let's team up," Lin Yushu suggested. "Looks like we're the only ones from Ancheng here."
Jiang Ye nodded in agreement.
The line moved quickly, and soon it was their turn.
After submitting his application materials and the 20,000 yuan registration fee, Jiang Ye completed his Reserve Star Practitioner application.
At the counter, a staff member handed him a wristband.
"This wristband will record your combat performance. Please keep it safe."
"Thank you," Jiang Ye replied, accepting the wristband.
After completing their registration, Jiang Ye and Lin Yushu returned to the main hall to wait.
Just then, a commotion erupted.
A young woman in a long purple dress entered through the main entrance.
As she stepped into the hall, the crowd quickly parted, clearing a path for her.
"Su Tong'er, the top student at Qingyang High School!"
"She's so beautiful."
"Back up! She's not someone you want to mess with."
The girl was strikingly beautiful, with a pure and adorable appearance. She wore cute pink-and-white glasses, sheer white stockings, and pink leather shoes.
Yet despite her seemingly harmless, soft, and adorable attire, many in the hall kept their distance, treating her with wary respect.
Intrigued by this scene, Jiang Ye couldn't resist opening his status panel.
[Physique: Profound Physique (Mid-Tier C)]
[Innate Talent: Dao Bone Aptitude]
"Dao Bone Aptitude and a Mid-Tier C Profound Physique?" Jiang Ye thought, secretly impressed. "No wonder she's the top student at Qingyang High School."
Beside him, Lin Yushu's eyes were fixed on the girl's legs, his gaze unwavering.
Just then, Su Tong'er seemed to notice his stare.
In the next moment, a demonic expression suddenly twisted the girl's adorable face.
"What are you staring at? Keep looking and I'll stomp you to death!" Su Tong'er snapped at Lin Yushu.
Lin Yushu froze, startled.
Simultaneously, a murmur of voices rose around them.
"I heard Su Tong'er has a devilish habit—she loves stomping on people's faces!"
"Anyone she defeats gets crushed under her feet, their dignity trampled mercilessly."
"Hiss! We'd better stay far away from her."
Hearing these whispers, a flicker of amusement crossed Lin Yushu's face. "Is there really such a good thing?"
Jiang Ye shot him a strange look and silently edged away.
Su Tong'er seemed to overhear his remark, a flicker of confusion crossing her small face. "Wants to be stomped on? What kind of weirdo is that?"
As she spoke, her bright, watery eyes suddenly darted toward Jiang Ye.
"Hey, handsome! Don't hide—I know you're with him." Su Tong'er flashed her cute tiger teeth, grinning. "Tell me, where are you from?"
"Ancheng," Jiang Ye sighed, resigned. He hadn't expected to be targeted by the local bully so soon after arriving.
If only I hadn't stuck with this idiot!
But Su Tong'er's expression shifted to surprise.
"From Ancheng?" she asked, curious. "Do you know Wan Yaoyang?"
(End of the Chapter)
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE