Stellar Profession Chapter 87: The Hundred Star Joint Exam Begins (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader for Roaming t - Novel Cool

Chapter 87: The Hundred Star Joint Exam Begins (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader for Roaming t

Chapter 87: The Hundred Star Joint Exam Begins (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader for Roaming the World for the Taoist Brother)

At dawn, a thin mist hung in the air.

A group of cultivators appeared at the edge of the market town. To avoid detection by demonic beasts, many had applied medicinal powder and used talismans to conceal their aura.

Leading the group was none other than Su Ye.

She gave one last sweeping glance at the majestic mountains and the market town before turning away without hesitation. "Let's go!"

As Xiao Rui's maid, Xiao Rui naturally followed closely behind.

In addition, there were the escorts from Qingdan Lane, as well as some unaffiliated cultivators they had gathered during this time.

These unaffiliated cultivators were not randomly assembled. Each of them had a unique skill, and they could be considered the last of the market town's elite.

Some carried bamboo baskets, while others shouldered poles or pushed wooden carts, resembling refugees fleeing a disaster.

In reality, their situation wasn't far from it...

"Grandpa... Are we really leaving?"

Ding Hongxiu carried a large bundle on her back, mostly filled with prepared dry rations. The spirit rice cakes emitted a tantalizing aroma.

"Yes, we must go!"

Ding Bushan carried two bamboo baskets, one containing brewed spirit wine and the other holding miscellaneous items.

Storage bags were rare in the cultivation world, and even cultivators at the peak of Qi Refinement stage might not possess one.

Moreover, their capacity was usually limited to a cubic meter or two. Unless one was transporting precious items, bulk goods transportation relied on caravans of spirit beasts for trade.

In the wild lands, the major chambers of commerce thrived, each with a well-established reputation and years of accumulated credibility, earning them substantial profits.

This group of refugees lacked sufficient storage bags, so they had to carry their belongings by hand or on their shoulders. Fortunately, they were all cultivators with physiques tempered by spiritual energy and nourished by various talismans and pills, so they wouldn't easily collapse from exhaustion.

Suddenly, there was some commotion at the back of the group.

"Are there demonic beasts?"

"No, those damned brats! There are demon-catchers attracting the beasts, intending to drag us all down with them..."

"Kill them!"

Amid the clamor, Ding Bushan, holding a pole in one hand and a gourd-shaped magical artifact in the other, reassured his granddaughter, "Don't be afraid. The escorts will handle it."

It's not the number that's the problem, but the uneven distribution!

Su Ye couldn't save everyone. The larger the group, the more likely they would attract powerful demonic beasts!

Thus, the refugee group she selected was already significantly trimmed down.

This naturally caused discontent among those left behind, leading to acts of sabotage.

In the past few days, they had suppressed and killed quite a few people, but there were still those who wanted to secretly follow them, and some had gone insane, ready to take everyone down with them.

"Die!"

Han Qingyun wielded a middle-grade flying sword artifact, his cultivation base surprisingly at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.

This was the result of a breakthrough after consuming a pill rewarded by Su Ye for their life-and-death struggle the last time.

Together with the other escorts, he flashed a green light from his flying sword, beheading a cultivator.

"Hmph, just a measly early Qi Refinement stage, and he dares to come seeking death!"

A cultivator beside them sneered.

Han Qingyun witnessed this scene and fell silent.

The other person just wanted to survive...

Before long, the group set off again.

He and Hua Feiyue lingered for a moment to take one last look at the market town.

"Sister Hua, are you thinking about that Fang friend?"

Han Qingyun suddenly asked.

"Yes... I went back to take a look. The place has already turned into ruins, and I don't know where that young master has gone... Forget it, this is the chaos of war. Life is like a drifting duckweed."

Hua Feiyue sighed, taking one last glance.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but she thought she saw a puppet bird perched on a treetop, silently seeing them off.

"Have they left?"

In the cave abode, Fang Xing manipulated the puppet bird mechanism and watched as the group gradually disappeared into the dense forest...

With the departure of this last elite group, Qinglin Market Town fell into a deathly silence, with only the occasional roars of beasts breaking the quiet.

"Even if there are some survivors left, without these skilled craftsmen, they probably won't be able to sustain their livelihoods for long..."

Fang Xing sighed.

He had taken advantage of the last bit of free time he had to trade his spirit stones with other cultivators, making ample preparations.

Not only that, but he had also set up several warehouses inside and outside the market town, ensuring that he could withstand the long wait ahead, complemented by the resources from Planet Ying Eagle.

After all, it was still uncertain whether the Nascent Soul experts from the major sects would come.

Moreover... they might even give up.

In that case, Fang Xing would bide his time, advancing to the Exterior Visualization stage and even the Nascent Soul stage in the future before attempting to cross the wild lands on his own.

"However... the number of demonic beasts in the market town will definitely increase from now on. After all, it's a place abundant in spiritual energy, which will naturally attract nearby beasts to gather, and some precious spiritual materials may even be born. Without cultivators to slay the beasts, their numbers will surely proliferate..."

"Staying here will become more troublesome, so let's head to the temporary camp. It's a pity to leave this cave abode with its abundant spiritual energy."

He was quite reluctant to leave the comfortable environment and the hot springs.

"But lately, I haven't had much time to spend here anyway... The Hundred Star Joint Exam is about to begin on Planet Ying Eagle. If I can make a name for myself, I'll attract even more attention, and it'll be harder for me to come back here in the future..."

...

Time flew by.

June arrived, bringing with it scorching heat.

At Yuctai High School...

Fang Xing stood on the school field with the other Grade 11 students. They exuded youthful vigor, their bodies straight as pine trees, projecting a formidable aura.

On the podium, Principal Lu Guangming was rarely seen in formal attire, his expression solemn as he addressed the students. "Students, the Hundred Star Joint Exam will commence tomorrow. I hope you will rise to the challenge and prove yourselves..."

"As for the results, don't push yourselves too hard. I would be delighted if even one student makes it to the third round."

...

It had to be said that Principal Lu's words were not meant to boost morale but seemed more geared towards dampening their spirits.

"What does he mean by saying he'd be happy if just one student makes it to the third round?"

Fang Xing glanced at his classmates on either side, unsurprised that the principal was most likely referring to him.

"Don't you know? This Hundred Star Joint Exam consists of three rounds... The first round is a standardized test for academic subjects, the second round is a martial arts exam for our own planet... Only students who meet the comprehensive score requirements will be eligible to participate in the final round of assessments!"

Ou Yang Qianqian lowered her voice and said, "If we're unlucky, it's possible that not a single student from our entire grade will make it to the final assessment..."

Due to the presence of 'Infant Dragon Star,' a planet that clearly exceeded the standard specifications, more than half of the final round slots in the Hundred Star Joint Exam had traditionally gone to candidates from that planet.

If luck wasn't on their side, it was entirely possible to come away with nothing.

"It won't be that bad... How many people will they select in the third round this time?"

Fang Xing asked curiously.

"Always ten thousand!" Ou Yang Qianqian replied confidently.

"Even if Infant Dragon Star takes up five thousand slots, the remaining five thousand are distributed among ninety-nine planets... Oh, I forgot about the numerous schools on Eagle Hatchling Star."

Fang Xing couldn't bear to continue.

With so many candidates from a single planet, it was understandable if they failed to secure even fifty slots. For a high school to come away with nothing was, in fact, a common occurrence.

The principal's high hopes were most likely due to Fang Xing's presence.

With that thought, he couldn't help but remember Bai Lanyi and Liu Wei.

These two students, who had once held promising prospects for advancing to the third round, now had one turned to ashes by his hand, and the other had joined the resistance... Life truly took unexpected turns.

'Liu Wei probably doesn't know that Bai Lanyi was a Sect disciple...'

'This guy's love life is full of twists and turns. I wonder if there are any beautiful women in the resistance...'

Fang Xing's train of thought wandered off on a strange tangent, and he found himself thinking about it with a touch of amusement.

...

The next day.

In the classroom.

An unfamiliar proctor's projection paced back and forth, observing the students as they struggled with the challenging exam questions.

"The Hundred Star Joint Exam questions are indeed much harder than the usual tests..."

Fang Xing's pen flew across the page, a confident smile on his face.

After unlocking his Mud Pill Palace, he had undergone a transformative change.

His cognitive abilities, in particular, had improved significantly, turning him into a little genius.

With some extra effort before the exam, these humanities subjects were a breeze.

As for the martial arts assessment?

He was undoubtedly the top student in his grade, and there was no need to elaborate further.

Moreover, the practical assessment had been upgraded, and instead of sparring with an opponent, he underwent the evaluation independently.

Fang Xing entered the testing chamber, his expression calm and composed.

[Beep! Examinee Fang Xing, please enter your student ID!]

A beam of light scanned Fang Xing from head to toe.

Unfazed, he swiftly entered his student ID.

[Iris scan successful. Examinee Fang Xing... Evolution path: 'Martial Artist'! Fourth Realm of the Boundary - Courage!]

[Physical condition: Perfect, no hidden injuries. Evaluation: Excellent!]

...

[Comprehensive Evaluation: S!]

[Assessment complete. Please exit the testing chamber in an orderly manner...]

"That's it?"

Fang Xing was a little dazed as he left the examination room.

Xia Long was waiting outside and gave Fang Xing's shoulder a pat when he saw him. "How did it go?"

"It was fine. They just scanned me and then let me out."

Fang Xing replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh... That's normal. After all, you've broken through the fourth realm of martial arts... The most powerful puppet here is only at the rough gem level..."

Xia Long looked at his student, a mix of emotions in his eyes.

He had known that Fang Xing would eventually break through the fourth realm of martial arts, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly!

When the principal had first informed him, he had been shocked and amazed for a long time.

"Oh... I see. So, the martial arts realm is indeed difficult to simulate, and it's challenging to build fourth-realm robots, let alone use them for teaching..."

Fang Xing immediately understood.

In simple terms, his strength had exceeded that of the examiners...

"Mhm, with your abilities, you'll definitely make it to the third round of assessments. This is a valuable opportunity to experience competing against top geniuses, who will be your future rivals during the college entrance exam..."

Xia Long offered words of encouragement, his tone carrying a sense of weight and experience.

He felt that Fang Xing had already secured a spot at a first-class university.

And if luck was on their side, there was even a chance of making it into a super-elite university!

'Could it be that... my Golden Core path truly has a chance? Could it be that my hopes rest on this young man?'

Xia Long's eyes, as he looked at Fang Xing, held a complex mix of emotions.

Initially, he had only intended to show a little support, but he never expected such a tremendous return on his investment!

Fang Xing, however, remained oblivious.

To be honest, he felt a bit like he was taking advantage of the system by participating in this exam.

'But I love this feeling of having my power suppressed!'

'What's the point of constantly pushing myself against weak opponents? Crushing the competition is where the real thrill lies...'

'I wonder who the geniuses are in this Hundred Star Joint Exam...'

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

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