Chapter 58: The Great Exam of Humanity

"Has Elder Zhong really made up his mind?"

"Even if it brings suffering to all living beings, he does not fear?"

"Being part of humanity myself, I still urge Elder Zhong to consider carefully."

Wei Le's voice was somewhat gloomy: "When the time comes, the Pantheon Sect may also need to correct certain misguided choices for the safety of humanity."

"Like... Jiangbei Province."

"Do you want the entire Jiangbei to completely fall?"

The threat was implicit.

This time, the Cult had mobilized nearly all of its forces in the north, and at the heart of this turmoil was... Zhong Yushu!

According to some special intelligence.

The pill, refined entirely from the blood of a Divine Beast, was just completed today and was about to be transported to the Veterans Camp in Mobei.

If Zhong Yushu were to emerge, the consequences would be unimaginable.

They had considered taking action earlier, but Zhong Yushu had hidden himself too well—no one knew exactly where this old man was hiding until recently, when they finally got a clue.

It seems clear now that he must be in Mobei.

Then, a mysterious phone call pinpointed his exact location.

During the national examination period... Mo Pavilion’s defenses are at their weakest.

Fortunately, they arrived just before Zhong Yushu could take the medicine.

Zhong Yushu, holding the crystal-clear pill in his hand, smiled with a corner of his mouth, gently caressing his goatee, squinting his eyes as he gazed at the young man across from him, lost in thought.

Pavilion Master Lin silently moved two steps forward, positioning himself in front of Zhong Yushu.

A series of turquoise wind blades enveloped his entire body.

Ready to strike at any moment.

Wei Le looked calm and confident, as if he believed that even if Zhong Yushu regained his full strength, he could still leave safely.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense and anxious.

…

A flash of white light, and for a brief moment, Yu Sheng experienced temporary blindness.

He could still hear breathing close by.

Almost instantly, a crossbow slid into his right hand, raised towards the breathing sound near his ear, ready to fire at any moment.

The entire sequence was fluid, without even a second's hesitation.

It was purely instinctive muscle memory.

...

"Classmate, could you please lower your hand first?"

A clearly bewildered voice rang out, middle-aged and female.

By now, Yu Sheng had regained his sight.

He glanced around and saw a group of students staring at him in shock and confusion.

Standing beside him was a middle-aged female teacher with glasses.

"Please believe me, you are in no danger to your life right now."

"Put down... your weapon."

The teacher hesitated as she looked at Yu Sheng's uniquely designed crossbow.

Yu Sheng remained silent and lowered his hand, but he still held the crossbow, showing no intention of putting it away. His forearm was tense, ready to raise and shoot again in a fraction of a second.

The teacher, observing this, pushed up her glasses and curiously examined Yu Sheng without saying anything more.

Time ticked by, second by second.

More and more people filled the space.

The area was spacious, and though it was an awakened item, the ground underfoot seemed as real as the earth itself, with a forest nearby lush with vegetation.

Zhao Zicheng and Du Xu were off in a distant spot, waving excitedly at Yu Sheng.

Then, a somewhat thin guy squeezed through the crowd, eyeing Yu Sheng intently.

"You... are you a student too?"

He swallowed hard, asking in disbelief.

Li Yihan.

Facing the 'World's Number One Assassin,' Yu Sheng nodded.

"Done for..."

"I was dreaming of starting by being the top in the province."

"Looks like I'll have to settle for second place now."

Li Yihan looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Why are you even taking the exam, you monster?"

Muttering to himself, Li Yihan quickly became serious and whispered, "I owe you a life. If there’s anyone here you don’t like, just say the word, and I’ll take care of him."

He wasn’t joking at all.

In fact, he seemed almost eager.

It was as if this burden had been weighing on him for a long time.

Paying debts is a matter of principle.

However, Yu Sheng seemed somewhat distracted at the moment, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. He did not respond but instead turned to a nearby teacher and asked, "What are the rules of the exam, and how soon does it start?"

"I am in a bit of a hurry..."

Yu Sheng fixed his gaze on the proctoring teacher as he posed the question.

"It will start soon, in three minutes," the teacher replied. "The test itself is quite simple. All you need to do is rush into the forest in front of you."

"There is a circle at the center of the forest."

"Ranking will be based on the speed of entering the circle."

"That circle is also a teleportation array. The moment you stand in it, you will be transported back to the outside world."

After checking the time and noticing no new students were coming in, the teacher began explaining the rules of the exam.

The group looked at each other, bewildered.

These rules... were indeed too simple.

It felt like something was amiss.

Surely the national annual exam, held only once a year, couldn't just be a test of speed, could it?

"How are the rankings for Jiangbei Province determined?"

"For instance, what would I need to achieve to be ranked first in the province?" Yu Sheng asked again.

Looking at the young man in front of her, dressed in a uniform that seemed like a walking billboard, the proctoring teacher felt somewhat helpless.

This kid... was overly confident.

Asking about being the best in the province right off the bat...

But recalling how this person had entered the barrier, she still explained, "This barrier is an awakened item created by a late elder of Mo Pavilion. There are seven entrances, covering all the cities in Jiangbei Province, divided into seven directions, all converging towards the center of the forest."

"So, as long as you are the first to enter the circle, you naturally become the first in the province."

Having been a proctor for several years, it was the first time she had encountered someone aiming straight for the top.

"Thank you, teacher," Yu Sheng nodded and stepped back, no longer speaking.

His gaze also gradually returned from a somewhat absentminded state to one of calm.

"Hey, you still haven't told me who to kill!"

"Come on, just pick someone, and I'll take care of him to settle my debt," Li Yihan approached again, but this time a bit louder, immediately attracting many curious glances.

Subconsciously, the crowd started to distance themselves from them.

These two guys must be crazy.

One comes in carrying a crossbow, and the other is yelling about killing someone.

It's just ridiculous.

It feels more like being on a battlefield than taking an exam.

"Two minutes until the exam begins."

The proctoring teacher glanced at the time again and announced.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent.

However, most eyes were filled with nervousness, their owners taking deep breaths.

Only those with agility-based awakened items had a hint of excitement in their eyes.