20: First in the country

The sky brightened; the Martial Examination had two hours left.

Candidates in Taian City stopped hunting fierce beasts in unison. After high-intensity combat and being in a state of constant mental tension, they were already exhausted physically and mentally.

Drinking the last drops of their remaining water and eating compressed rations, the candidates slumped in the temporary shelters they had found, raising their wrists to check their scores.

Some were happy, some were worried, but all were waiting for the Martial Examination to end.

"National ranking: second!"

Over three million residents of Tianhua City were focused, sitting at home watching the real-time live broadcast of Lu Yuan.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes unblinking.

On streets and alleys, in gardens and squares, people could be seen everywhere looking down quietly at their phones.

[National Number One: Chu Wushe, 920,000 points (Imperial Capital Thunder Alliance)]

[National Number Two: Lu Yuan, 780,000 points (Hailan Province, Tianhua City, Yunhai High School)]

[National Number Three: Jiang Tianxia, 650,000 points (Modu, Modu University Affiliated High School)]

...

Lu Yuan was constantly attracting the attention of Tianhua City residents. Most residents were strangers to Lu Yuan, but at this moment, Lu Yuan represented Tianhua City in the Martial Examination!

"That's enough, national second place is already good enough." Mayor said with a smile, yet his smile froze the next second.

"Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast!"

In the live broadcast, the Moon Polar Bear fighting Lu Yuan saw its power soar, slapping and killing several Blood Slaughter Soldiers that were besieging it with one paw!

"Why would a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast appear in the Martial Examination!" Mayor shouted, veins bulging.

Isn't this just trying to take Lu Yuan's life?!

"Mayor, calm down. That Moon Polar Bear happened to break through; it was originally at the Qi Refining Realm Peak." Principal of Yunhai High School looked at the furious Mayor.

The entire conference room was sweltering, everyone covered in sweat.

"How can you expect me to be calm? Lu Yuan, at Qi Refining Stage Seven Stars, cannot possibly be a match for a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast!"

Bang, bang, bang— Mayor pounded the table in anger.

In an instant, many thoughts raced through his mind, such as contacting the Patrol Team, but he and everyone present knew clearly.

By the time the Patrol Team arrived, it would be too late!

"Run, Lu Yuan, run quickly!" Mayor was sweating profusely with anxiety; he would rather have Lu Yuan give up his national second-place ranking than see him not make it out of Taian City alive!

Facing a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast, the barriers activated by the wristbands distributed to candidates were completely useless!

A fierce beast of this strength should never have appeared in the Martial Examination; it was far beyond the capability of the candidates!

The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy; the Mayor slumped in his chair, his face ashen.

"It's over, everything is over."

"Broke through?" Lu Yuan looked at the thunderously furious Moon Polar Bear before him, not expecting to encounter such a low-probability event.

There were many Qi Refining Realm fierce beasts in this Technology Park, but only this Moon Polar Bear had broken through.

Reincarnation is a technical skill, and the same goes for fierce beasts.

It was very likely that the Moon Polar Bear had a trace of high-level demon bloodline remaining in its body, allowing it to break through to the Xuan Gang Realm in a desperate situation; otherwise, it would have been stuck at the Qi Refining Realm for its entire life.

"You... are courting death!"

The snow-white Moon Polar Bear with sharp fangs spoke in human language; it wanted to tear Lu Yuan into ten thousand pieces!

A fierce beast that could speak—this sounded too bizarre.

Lu Yuan recalled what Teacher had said in class.

"There is an essential difference between fierce beasts and the demon race. Fierce beasts below the Xuan Gang Realm only have the instinct to kill; they are born hating the human race!"

"Fierce beasts at or above the Xuan Gang Realm are called the demon race. At this stage, the demon race is in a semi-enlightened state, while Divine Power Realm demon race are fully enlightened, with intelligence equal to us humans. Note: for naturally intelligent demon races like the wolf and fox clans, their IQ is already very high at the Xuan Gang Realm; you must be extra careful when fighting them!"

Clearly, the Moon Polar Bear before him was already in an enlightened state, hence it could speak in human language, even if it stuttered a bit.

"Die!"

The Moon Polar Bear fired a beam of white light toward Lu Yuan; if Lu Yuan died, these Guie would lose their ability to act!

"Quite smart, worthy of being a demon race." Lu Yuan said. Watching the white light shooting toward him, Lu Yuan decisively used a Spirit Skill to counter!

Puppet Master Profound-rank Spirit Skill: Thousand-Eye Guie!

A Guie covered in countless eyes, wearing an eerie smile, floated in the air.

The Moon Polar Bear's pupils dilated; its fired white beam bypassed Lu Yuan and blasted into the nearby technology building!

"Why?" The Moon Polar Bear spoke much more fluently, unable to understand why it hadn't hit Lu Yuan.

The question it asked was also what the people watching the live broadcast wanted to ask.

"Spirit Skill?" Red Flame Alliance Master Yan Fenyue frowned, guessing that Lu Yuan had used a Spirit Skill.

The Moon Polar Bear, having broken through to the Xuan Gang Realm and being semi-enlightened, was not a fool; on the contrary, it was very smart, knowing that if it killed Lu Yuan, the ghost puppet soldiers would lose control.

Since it hadn't hit Lu Yuan, it proved that Lu Yuan had used a Spirit Skill!

Puppet Masters were too rare; even as an Alliance Master, he didn't know the specific effects of this Spirit Skill.

Without answering the Moon Polar Bear, Lu Yuan successively used multiple exclusive Puppet Master Spirit Skills again!

Profound-rank Spirit Skill: Sorrowful Puppet

Profound-rank Spirit Skill: Cursed Puppet

Earth-rank Spirit Skill: Suppression Puppet

Watching Lu Yuan trading blows with the Moon Polar Bear, hope ignited in Mayor's heart!

"Lu Yuan, at Qi Refining Stage Seven Stars, is evenly matched with the one-star Xuan Gang Realm Moon Polar Bear, or even... even has the advantage?"

"There's a chance; don't forget Lu Yuan hasn't even controlled those monsters yet!"

The Principal of Xinghui High School said excitedly.

"Go, Lu Yuan!"

In the square outside the municipal government hall, residents watching the live broadcast on the big screen raised their arms and shouted loudly.

"Go, Lu Yuan!"

The shouting was deafening, causing the glass of the municipal government hall to hum!

Guie Descend!

The Suppression Puppet danced gracefully in the air, the Moon Polar Bear's eyes turned crimson, and it dropped from one-star Xuan Gang Realm to Qi Refining Eighth Star!

It turned back into a brainless fierce beast that only knew how to kill!

The Cursed Puppet emitted a piercing, eerie laugh. The Moon Polar Bear's expression was pained, its bear paws clutching its head as it fell into the three inner demons of greed, anger, and ignorance, its spirit nearly collapsing!

Bang, bang, bang—

Explosions rang out; the Sorrowful Puppet, split into seven, trapped the Moon Polar Bear from different directions and self-destructed!

"Nothing special." Lu Yuan shook his head.

The four great calamities and the Puppet Corps hadn't even exerted their power; he had taken down a Xuan Gang Realm Moon Polar Bear just by using Spirit Skills!

The Moon Polar Bear collapsed with a crash, blood flowing from multiple parts of its body as it stopped breathing!

Lu Yuan scanned the Moon Polar Bear with the wristband he was wearing, yet the score was slow to appear.

The wristband displayed it as a hunted Qi Refining Realm Peak fierce beast, then as Qi Refining Eighth Star, and finally confirmed it as a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast!

"900,000 points!" Lu Yuan didn't expect the score for a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast to be so high; it gave him 120,000 points directly!

Multiple powerful auras descended; six fully armed Divine Power Realm Practitioners arrived at the Technology Park.

"Where is that Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast?"

Xing Chongyi asked; he was the captain of this Patrol Team.

Upon receiving news that a fierce beast had broken through to the Xuan Gang Realm, they immediately rushed to rescue the candidates, taking less than two minutes from departure to appearing at the Technology Park!

Lu Yuan, national second place—if such a candidate were to die in the Martial Examination due to an accident...

Not only would their official positions be at risk, but Huaxia would also become a laughingstock!

"Isn't it right there?" Lu Yuan glanced at the Moon Polar Bear's corpse on the ground.

Xing Chongyi: "???"

Patrol Team members: "???"

"You... you killed it?" Xing Chongyi was somewhat uncertain, suspecting that a nearby Patrol Team had arrived a step ahead of them, dealt with the Moon Polar Bear, and left quickly.

After all, the Martial Examination was still ongoing, and they couldn't delay Lu Yuan from hunting fierce beasts.

"Yeah."

Getting confirmation from Lu Yuan, Xing Chongyi's mouth twitched.

"Is there anything else?" Lu Yuan asked.

"No, we'll be leaving now."

Xing Chongyi and the Patrol Team vanished, hiding in the shadows to observe Lu Yuan's every move.

Just in case Lu Yuan encountered another breakthrough fierce beast, they could intervene in time.

Facts proved it was an accidental situation; except for that Moon Polar Bear, all fierce beasts in the Technology Park were at the Qi Refining Realm.

"Captain, how many points does a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast give?" A team member asked curiously.

"Not sure. Lu Yuan is the first candidate in the Martial Examination to hunt a Xuan Gang Realm fierce beast; there has never been such a case before."

Xing Chongyi said; he was also very curious.

"Damn, Lu Yuan still has spiritual power to control monsters; this guy isn't going to overtake Chu Wushe, is he!" The team member's expression was animated.

If he remembered correctly, Lu Yuan had been fighting continuously for two days and one night. Not to mention whether his body was tired or not, this spiritual power reserve was too exaggerated!

Even as a Patrol Team, they did not know the specific scores of the candidates.

"Securing second place and fighting for first—it just depends on whether Lu Yuan can win that first place." Xing Chongyi speculated.

Imperial Capital, Heavenly Sword Alliance headquarters.

Watching Lu Yuan's score instantly rise from 780,000 to 900,000, and seeing him still hunting fierce beasts without stopping, Red Flame Alliance Master Yan Fenyue leaned back in his chair.

"Alliance Master Chu, it seems Wu She has lost the national number one spot."

Yan Fenyue looked at the Alliance Master of the Thunder Alliance.

Although Chu Wushe was working as hard as Lu Yuan to hunt fierce beasts, the gap in speed between the two was too great; at this moment, Lu Yuan had completely overtaken him!

"Hmph, he won't amount to anything in this life!" Chu Yongsheng, with a cold expression, flicked his sleeves and left.

Chu Wushe was his most valued son. As the Alliance Master of the Thunder Alliance, Chu Yongsheng could not possibly harbor resentment because Lu Yuan had taken away his son's national number one spot.

"Alliance Master Chu is too harsh on Wu She," a middle-aged noblewoman in a white dress said.

In reality, Chu Wushe was very hardworking; he had not rested for the entire seven days and six nights of the Martial Examination, always in a state of combat.

Who could have thought that in the last few hours, Lu Yuan would suddenly rise!

950,000 points, 1,000,000 points, 1,100,000 points...

Lu Yuan squeezed his spiritual power dry, and while hunting the last fierce beast, he felt his wristband vibrate violently.

This meant the Martial Examination was officially declared over!