45: Chapter 45 The Blood Demon Alliance's Plan

West of the city, slums.

In an abandoned basement, the lighting was dim.

A dozen people in black robes sat in a circle, exuding a cold, cruel aura.

Their faces were hidden by hoods, expressions unclear, but their occasional glances were as cold as if they weren't human.

The leader was a tall man sitting in the innermost chair, fingers tapping the armrest rhythmically, making a dull sound.

"Is everything arranged?" His voice was hoarse and deep, like sandpaper rubbing.

"It has been arranged."

A thin figure in a black robe stood up and said respectfully, "We have activated several moles planted in the Jiangbei City Education Bureau. They have become proctors for this year's Martial Exam and can destroy the monitoring nodes in the Secret Realm at any time."

"Good. Once the monitoring nodes are destroyed, those proctors will lose the location information of all students. At that time, the Secret Realm will be our hunting ground."

The leader of the black-robed men nodded in satisfaction, speaking in a cold tone.

"Brilliant, my lord!"

The thin black-robed man flattered him quickly.

"However, I didn't expect a Martial Emperor to be sent to sit in command this time. It seems the higher-ups of the Great Xia Alliance have guessed our plan. Let those wastes die if they must. You all pay attention to hiding your identities. Disperse now!"

The leader of the black-robed men arranged other action plans, stood up, looked around at everyone, and said sternly.

"Yes!"

All the black-robed men stood up respectfully and dispersed.

Although they were members of the Blood Demon Alliance, they usually hid and were no different from normal people.

Some might be taxi drivers, some might be martial arts gym owners, and some might even be Family Old Ancestors.

Many who had no hope of a Breakthrough, or whose Lifespan was coming to an end, unwilling to die, would consider joining the Blood Demon Alliance to Cultivate the method of Fusion with exotic beasts.

But, once they joined, there was no turning back; they were destined to be enemies with the Alliance to the bitter end, and they could only walk this path to the dark.

The next day, early morning.

Before dawn, the entire Jiangbei Base City woke up from its slumber. The air was filled with tension and excitement; today was the day of the Martial Exam.

On the playground of the Third Martial Arts High School, the examinees were ready, waiting for the order to depart.

Han Ming stood in the line, wearing a black training suit, his expression calm.

For him, who was already an Eight-Star Martial Master, he didn't take the Martial Exam seriously at all.

In a Secret Realm with only First and Second-Order exotic beasts, it was no different from strolling through his own backyard.

However, he didn't want to show off too much. If it weren't for going to a better Martial Arts University to find seeds with good Aptitude to bind, he wouldn't need to attend any Martial Arts University at all.

Going to a Martial Arts University was an opportunity to change one's fate and get ahead for others, but for him, it was just to find students with better Aptitude to bind a master-disciple relationship.

Li Xuewei stood in the girls' line, occasionally sneaking glances at Han Ming's direction.

She was wearing a white training suit today, her long hair tied into a ponytail, with a hint of nervousness on her delicate face.

With the support Han Ming gave her, her strength had broken through to a Five-Star Martial Apprentice. This result could rank in the top three in Class 3.

"Xuewei, are you looking at your little lover again?"

Her desk mate, Lin Lin, leaned over and whispered with a raised eyebrow toward Han Ming's direction.

"No... no!"

Li Xuewei quickly retracted her gaze, her face slightly red.

"Everyone, assemble!"

Teacher Li Jian's voice rang out, and the students of Class 3 quickly lined up.

In the center of the playground, Principal Wang Yang stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over more than four hundred students, his voice loud:

"Students, three years of hard work, it all comes down to today! Set off!"

"Yes!"

More than four hundred students responded in unison and marched out of the school gate.

At the same time, the teams from the First Martial Arts High School and the Second Martial Arts High School also set off. The three teams met outside the North City Square, and nearly two thousand students lined up neatly, a dark mass, the scene was magnificent.

Around the square, the City Guard and the law enforcement team of the Martial Arts Alliance were stationed every three steps, with guards every five steps, heavily guarded.

Dozens of Martial Artists with thick auras stood on high ground, vigilantly scanning everything around them.

In the center of the square, a ten-meter-high stone arch stood, the door frame carved with dense runes, faintly exuding spatial fluctuations. This was the entrance to the Martial Exam Secret Realm.

On both sides of the arch stood two middle-aged men with terrifying auras. One was Xue Chengwu, a Peak Martial King; the other was Lin Junfeng, a Late Stage Martial King. The two stood on the left and right, their eyes like eagles, scanning everyone entering the square.

In front of the square, on a temporarily built high platform, Teacher Xue Muhan stood with her hands behind her back. She wore a white robe, her long hair fluttering with the wind, her cold gaze sweeping over the nearly two thousand students below, her Divine Soul power silently spreading out, covering the entire square.

"Eh?"

Her eyebrows lifted slightly. Under the scan of her Divine Soul, she clearly perceived the circulation of Qi and blood in these students' bodies. The Aptitude varied, most were mediocre, but there were also a few good seeds.

There were seven or eight above the Five-star Martial Artist level, and she even discovered a student who was a Five-Star Martial Master, which surprised her.

You know, a student who breaks through to Martial Master at nineteen, in their third year of high school, is rare even in those top-tier Base Cities. She didn't expect such a small Base City to produce a Five-Star Martial Master student. How could she not be surprised?

She remembered that when she took the Martial Exam, she was only a Six-Star Martial Artist!

She couldn't help but look at Lin Fan curiously; she had decided that this student must go to Modu Martial Arts University.

That's right, it was Lin Fan.

The Concealment Technique given to him by President Zhou Zhenghe was only a Yellow Rank Low Grade; it was impossible to hide his strength in front of a Martial Emperor.

Moreover, he had only cultivated it to Minor Achievement, which generally couldn't escape the Divine Thought of a Martial King, let alone a Martial Emperor.

Lin Fan felt Teacher Xue Muhan's gaze, his heart trembled, and a trace of cold sweat oozed from his forehead.

What kind of powerhouse was this? In front of her, he felt as if he were naked, with no secrets at all.

Seeing that she just glanced at him twice and then moved her gaze away, Lin Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was terrified that his secret as a Rebirth person and his cultivation of a Divine-Grade Cultivation Technique would be seen through by this woman.

Han Ming also felt Teacher Xue Muhan's gaze sweep over, but he was not worried; the System's concealment could not be seen through by a Martial Emperor like her.

The strength he was showing now was only an Eight-Star Martial Apprentice, and although it was already considered the top tier, it was not enough to attract too much attention.

He scanned around simply, and the Martial Artists he saw, except for Lin Fan, were no fewer than five.

Among them was the S-rank Genius of the Zhang Family, Zhang Beiwang, with the strength of a Three-Star Martial Artist.

With his S-rank lightning attribute, even a Five-star Martial Artist was not his opponent.

The students below didn't know that they had already been "examined" by a Martial Emperor, and the discussions gradually increased.

"Who do you think will take first place this year?"

"It must be Zhang Beiwang from our First Martial Arts High School! S-rank lightning talent, Three-Star Martial Artist, who can beat this strength?"

"That's not necessarily true. I heard that Lin Fan from the Third Martial Arts High School has also broken through to a Three-Star Martial Artist, and both of his Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skills have been cultivated to Major Achievement, plus the Profound Rank High Grade 'Wind-Thunder Palm', his strength is not much weaker than Zhang Beiwang."

"What? Three-Star Martial Artist? Really?"

"It's true! I heard he was certified as a Three-Star Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Alliance half a month ago! Half a month has passed, maybe he has broken through again!"

"Hiss... This is too much of a Prodigy, right?"

"Xie Yunpeng is also good, a One-Star Martial Artist. I heard he has also cultivated the Xie Family's Profound Rank High Grade Martial Skill to Minor Achievement."

"And Liu Qingqing from the Second Martial Arts High School has also broken through to a One-Star Martial Artist, and she has also cultivated a Profound Rank High Grade Martial Skill."

"There is also Gong Shuting, from the First Martial Arts High School, a Two-Star Martial Artist! A whole star higher than Xie Yunpeng."

"Two-Star Martial Artist? Then why is she so low-key?"

"She is just low-key. I heard her Family is in business, very rich, and their influence in Jiangbei City is not small."

"Sigh... Which talented person with strength doesn't have some background? It's not something we ordinary students can compare with."

"Yeah! Do you know Zhao Yuting from the First Martial Arts High School? It is said that she is the daughter of Mayor Zhao Zhennan, and she is also a Two-Star Martial Artist! A-rank water attribute talent!"

"The Mayor's daughter? Doesn't that mean..."

"Shh, keep your voice down. She is very low-key, she has never mentioned it at school, and I heard it from others."

The discussions rose and fell, and everyone's eyes were turning to those "popular contestants".