77: Certification required

The wind on the rooftop was strong, making people's cheeks ache.

Lin Xiao stood on the edge of the rooftop, his clothes flapping in the wind. He watched as eighteen points of light in the night sky approached from a distance, finally transforming into eighteen Flying Swords that hovered above his head.

"You've arrived."

He said to the figure on the foremost Flying Sword.

Xie Wangsheng lightly leaped from the Flying Sword, landing steadily on the rooftop without making a sound.

"Mm."

He responded with a single word, then casually dropped the sack he was carrying on his shoulder.

"Bang."

The human-shaped object inside the sack hit the ground with a thud.

"The evil Cultivator of Qingxia Mountain, along with hundreds of demons, have all been annihilated."

Xie Wangsheng spoke concisely.

"This is the temple master, named Daoist name, and he's alive."

Lin Xiao nodded and gestured with his head towards two young team members behind him who were completely stunned.

"Take him down, lock him up, and interrogate him thoroughly."

"Ah? Oh! Yes!"

The two team members jolted, snapped back to reality, and clumsily ran forward. Each grabbed one of Daoist name's legs and dragged him towards the rooftop entrance like a dead dog.

Their hands were shaking.

Not from the cold, but from fear.

Downstairs, the temporary headquarters of the Special Affairs Bureau was brightly lit.

Two team members who had just finished their shift were huddling in a corner, smoking to relieve their exhaustion from the past few days.

"Damn it, what time is it? Team Leader Li told us to be on standby. Who are we waiting for? They're putting on too many airs."

"I heard it's Lin Xiao's accomplice—oh no, classmate. The Team Leader said it would be an eye-opener for us."

"An eye-opener? Heh, I'd like to see how much of an eye-opener it is."

The team member who spoke first scoffed. Just as he was about to take another drag from his cigarette, his movements froze.

He saw eighteen streaks of sword light appear out of thin air above the rooftop.

Then, eighteen young people, stepping on their swords, flew down.

"Holy crap!"

"UFO?!"

The cigarette butts in their hands dropped to the ground, burning their feet, but they didn't even notice.

Just as their worldview was collapsing, a steady voice sounded behind them.

"What are you looking at? Do your jobs!"

The two of them shivered in fright, turning their heads sharply to see their Team Leader Li Zhong.

"Team... Team Leader!"

Group Leader Li ignored them. He looked up at the group of young people slowly descending from the rooftop, forcefully suppressing the huge waves in his heart.

There was no mistake.

These were the students from Kunlun Cultivation Academy, whom the higher-ups had specifically instructed them about.

A group of true Cultivators...

Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Group Leader Li sat in the main seat, his back straight, his hands on the table, appearing somewhat reserved.

Opposite him were eighteen young people, with an average age of less than twenty.

Lin Xiao and Xie Wangsheng were relatively calm, sitting there with their eyes closed, resting.

But the others were not so well-behaved.

"Wow, this conference room is great! This chair is much more comfortable than the ones in our dorm."

Liu Lian twisted his body, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"Han Li, Han Li, look, this projector! It's the latest laser projector! Much more Advanced than the one you use for your live streams!"

Fang Yuan nudged Han Li next to him.

Han Li, holding his phone, although not live streaming, habitually took pictures everywhere, muttering to himself.

"family members (audience), look, this is an official conference room, emphasizing solemnity and dignity. I'll change my live stream background to this style later."

Group Leader Li felt his temples throbbing.

He cleared his throat, trying to draw the attention of these "masters" back.

"Students, please quiet down."

"First, on behalf of the Suzhou officials and millions of Suzhou citizens, I express our highest respect and most sincere gratitude for your righteous act of eradicating the evil Cultivator stronghold on Qingxia Mountain!"

After speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply to everyone.

The students exchanged glances, all feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Cough, cough, uh, Team Leader Li, right? There's no need to be so polite. Eliminating demons and devils is what we should do."

Fang Yuan scratched his head, saying in a simple and honest manner.

Group Leader Li straightened up and continued, "Additionally, I am formally conveying a decision from the highest level to you all."

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his words steady.

"After careful consideration, the state officially recognizes the legal status of Kunlun Cultivation Academy and has completed official registration."

"From this moment on, all enrolled students of Kunlun Cultivation Academy will automatically receive authorization equivalent to that of an A-level agent of our bureau!"

"A-level authorization?"

Han Li's eyes instantly lit up.

"What does that mean? Does it mean we'll be working with official licenses from now on?"

Group Leader Li nodded, "You can understand it that way. You will have the authority to mobilize all local resources in emergency situations. At the same time..."

He paused, emphasizing the weight of his words.

"It also includes the authority to act first and report later."

"Holy crap!"

Liu Lian was the first to blurt it out.

"Guaranteed job placement after graduation, and with an official position? A golden rice bowl!"

"Isn't this better than taking the civil service exam?"

"If anyone dares to provoke me in the future, I'll hit them with an official certification!"

The students instantly erupted, their faces flushed with excitement.

This feeling was too good.

One second they were students of a "diploma mill" that their parents thought was a scam organization, and the next they became official personnel with great power.

Watching these cheering young people, a wry smile also appeared at the corner of Group Leader Li's mouth.

He continued, "Of course, these authorizations were secured by the Principal for you all. At the same time, the Principal also has an instruction that I need to convey."

Upon hearing the words "Principal," the students immediately quieted down, each sitting up straight.

Li Heng's authority was already etched into their DNA.

"The Principal said that from today until the end of the holiday, all your joint actions in Suzhou will be considered official internships for the Academy and will count towards your academic credits."

"Furthermore, on the day before the holiday ends, the Academy will collaborate with our Suzhou officials to organize a large-scale joint eradication operation, which will serve as your... final assessment."

"Final... assessment?"

The smiles on the students' faces froze.

One second they were in Heaven, the next they plunged into Hell.

"Damn it! I knew the Principal wasn't that kind!"

"Capitalists! Evil capitalists! They won't even let us have peace during the holidays!"

"It's over, it's over, Lin Xiao and Xie Wangsheng, these two overachievers, are going to roll over us! They've already started racking up points!"

Amidst a chorus of wails, Xie Wangsheng slowly opened his eyes.

He ignored his companions' complaints and looked at Group Leader Li.

"Team Leader Li."

"Here!"

Group Leader Li immediately responded.

"Since it's a final assessment, we should get used to the difficulty in advance."

Xie Wangsheng said calmly.

"Are there any large-scale demon strongholds near Suzhou that need us to deal with?"

Group Leader Li was stunned.

These students, who were complaining a second ago, now wanted to actively seek out trouble?

He looked at Xie Wangsheng's young yet unusually composed face, confirming once again in his heart that these people could never be judged by ordinary standards.

His expression became solemn.

"Yes."

"We recently detected an suspected peripheral stronghold of 'the Company,' and we're currently short-handed and dare not act rashly."

"The Company?"

Upon hearing this term, the students who had been wailing instantly fell silent.

Lin Xiao suddenly opened his eyes.

Xie Wangsheng's face also showed a sharp expression for the first time.

The air in the conference room, at this moment, seemed to become heavy.

The main course was about to begin.