132: Chapter 132 A 30/70 split!

He was already forty-three years old and had spent over twenty years tempering himself in the world.

Only after countless life-and-death battles had he managed to hone his saber techniques to the high-level of the Third Stage.

In his circles, this was already considered quite impressive talent.

Yet the youth before him, who looked to be not even twenty, had condensed a fourth spear force!

That was the hallmark of stepping into the peak of the Third Stage!

It was a realm that many martial artists could never hope to reach in their entire lives!

However, Qin Yan gave him no time to process this terrifying information.

With a thunderous shout, he moved as one with his spear.

Transforming into a bolt of golden lightning, he thrust his spear straight at Wang Guang's heart!

This strike was fast, ruthless, and precise, carrying his absolute will to kill!

Wang Guang's pupils constricted as he hastily raised his saber to parry!

"Clang—Puchi!"

First came the deafening ring of clashing metal, followed immediately by the dull squelch of a sharp blade entering flesh!

The large saber in Wang Guang's hand was actually knocked flying by the sheer force of the strike!

And that spear tip, condensed with four layers of spear force and Spear Aura...

...pierced through his protective Copper Skin without resistance and impaled his heart!

Wang Guang's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes wide as he stared deathly at Qin Yan.

Finally, the light in his eyes faded completely, his head slumped to the side, and he went entirely silent.

Qin Yan slowly withdrew the long spear.

Watching Wang Guang's corpse slump to the ground, he finally exhaled a deep breath of turbid air.

This mission to destroy the cult stronghold...

...had gone much smoother than he had anticipated; one could even say it was a narrow but successful escape!

And the greatest contributor to all of this was Wen Ning's mysterious spirit perception ability!

It was by relying on her ability that they were able to infiltrate with such precision.

By implementing a decapitation tactic and taking down the strongest targets one by one, they avoided the worst-case scenario of being surrounded.

Carrying the still-dripping long spear, he turned and walked out of the room.

He prepared to support Wen Ning, who might still be fighting outside.

On the open ground outside the factory, Wen Ning held a longsword, engaged in a fierce battle with over a dozen cult members.

Seven or eight corpses already lay on the ground.

Seeing Qin Yan rush out of the leader's room with his spear...

...Wen Ning was first startled, then a wave of immense joy and relief washed over her.

She naturally knew what Qin Yan's appearance here meant—the greatest threat, the leader Wang Guang, had been dealt with!

"Qin Yan!"

She couldn't help but call out.

Qin Yan nodded to her and, without any nonsense, moved like a tiger among a flock of sheep.

The "ink trace" long spear in his hand turned into streaks of soul-reaping black lightning.

Carrying peerless and sharp spear force, he plunged into the fray!

His entry was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The cultists, whose morale was already low and who were already terrified by Wen Ning's killing...

...instantly collapsed upon seeing Qin Yan appear and realizing their leader was likely dead!

Screams of agony, the sound of weapons hitting the ground, and pleas for mercy rose one after another.

The battle ended very quickly.

The night was as dark as ink, and a heavy scent of blood permeated the abandoned industrial area.

The embers of battle had not yet fully dissipated.

Faint fluctuations from the eruption of vitality still lingered in the air.

To the side, Wen Ning leaned on her longsword, her chest heaving violently as she gasped for breath.

The color had drained from her pretty face, leaving it exceptionally pale.

Continuously using her spirit detection ability, combined with facing the frantic siege of over ten cultists alone...

...was a massive test of both her vitality and spirit.

In contrast, Qin Yan appeared much more composed.

He stood quietly to the side, his expression as calm as water.

Aside from his clothes being stained with some dust and blood splatter from the fierce battle with Wang Guang...

...his breathing remained long and steady.

After Wen Ning had meditated for about fifteen minutes and her breathing gradually stabilized...

...the two of them began to handle the aftermath of the battlefield.

They took out their respective smart bracelets and turned on the recording function.

They took multi-angled photos of the slain cultists' bodies, especially the heads of those few Second-Rank Martial Artists.

These images were the key evidence for submitting the mission and claiming academic credits upon their return.

Qin Yan couldn't help but recall his predicament when he first completed the Zhang Tu mission.

Back then, he lacked experience and had foolishly carried Zhang Tu's head all the way back to school to hand it in, as if parading it through the streets.

He still clearly remembered the surprised and somewhat helpless looks from the staff members at the time.

Only later did he understand that one only needed to use a smart bracelet for high-definition recording.

The Detective Bureau had its own vast intelligence network and undercover agents for cross-verification.

It was far safer and more efficient than parading around with a bloody head.

Qin Yan snapped back to reality and quickly calculated the spoils of this battle: a total of 17 First Grade Martial Artists killed, 3 early-stage Second-Rank Martial Artists, and 1 mid-stage second grade leader, Wang Guang.

The cumulative base academic credits were: 17 * 10 + 3 * 40 + 70 = 170 + 120 + 70 = 360 academic credits.

This was a quite substantial income.

"Wen Ning."

"According to what we discussed beforehand, the rewards for this operation will be split seventy-thirty.

You just submit the kill proofs for 11 of the First Grade Martial Artists.

I'll submit the ones for Wang Guang and the three early second rank core members."

This distribution plan meant Qin Yan would receive Wang Guang (70 base credits) + three early second ranks (3*40=120 base credits) + six first grades (6*10=60 base credits) = 250 base credits.

While Wen Ning would get the remaining 11 First Grade Martial Artists, which was 110 base credits.

"Okay, I have no objections."

Wen Ning agreed readily; though her voice still carried a hint of fatigue, her tone was light.

She was as clear as a mirror in her heart.

Qin Yan deserved the most credit for this operation going so smoothly.

Not only did he take on the most dangerous decapitation mission, but he also killed all the Second-Rank Martial Artists.

Being able to get a thirty percent share while remaining safe throughout was already thanks to his special abilities.

110 credits, plus Modu Jiaotong University's triple credit multiplier policy, meant she would eventually receive 330 academic credits!

To her, this was already a massive income that far exceeded her expectations.

It was enough for her to purchase a large amount of much-needed cultivation resources in the coming days...

...and steadily push for a higher ranking.

The two of them didn't delay any longer and immediately used their smart bracelets...

...to photograph and upload their respective kill proofs to the school's mission system one by one.

The visual data was transmitted back instantly through the network.

After a short while, the bracelets gave a slight vibration prompt; the academic credits had arrived.

Qin Yan looked down to check his account:

[academic credits Received: 250 points]

And on Wen Ning's side, she received an entry notification for 110 academic credits almost at the same time.

A nearly eight-fold difference!

However, not a hint of jealousy or regret showed in Wen Ning's eyes.

She knew very well the importance of platforms and opportunities.

If she had chosen Modu University of Martial Arts back then, with its terrifying competitive pressure...

...she likely wouldn't even have had the qualifications to enter a Key Class.