5: Entry Assessment

The entry assessment for professionals began.

From the dome of the Awakening Hall, endless starlight suddenly cascaded down, transforming into a portal adorned with stars and various runes.

Excluding most students with lifestyle professions who voluntarily gave up, the thousands of professionals present would enter the assessment dungeon together.

"It's quite beautiful."

Shen Pan turned to glance at the nervous and uneasy crowd before stepping through without hesitation.

"The professional entry assessment has begun. Participants will receive corresponding score rewards after completing specified objectives!"

"This assessment is: Kill Count! Time: 2 hours!"

5 for D-rank, 20 for C-rank, 100 for B-rank, 300 for A-rank, and 1000 for an s-rank score.

Teams or individuals who kill the final boss of the trial can directly obtain an s-rank score. In the case of identical ratings, the ranking order will be determined by the time of completion.

"Note: The Entry Assessment Dungeon is a minimum-level non-drop dungeon. Do not believe in any rhetoric from unfamiliar candidates regarding top-tier equipment or prize pools."

The dungeon's built-in explanation ended, and random teleportation began.

Shen Pan immediately cast four basic defensive spells from the cultivation system on himself: "Golden Armor Art," "Vajra Seal," "Spiritual Power Shield," and "Water Curtain Sky-Flower."

The greatest enemy of geniuses is often not external harm, but their own arrogant and inflated selves!

To prevent being teleported directly in front of the boss at the start...

...and suffering a massive blow, Shen Pan directly stacked his defenses and acted cautiously!

"Squeak, squeak?"

Two giant squirrels stacked on top of each other looked over curiously.

"Wind Shear."

Shen Pan waved his right hand in the air.

A blurry, cyan-green slash flew out, instantly killing the two dungeon monsters!

With the enhancement of his Mythical Rank Profession, the power of the free spells had been raised to another level!

[Level: 1 (Unranked)] [Experience: 0% → 5%]

"Golden Needle Art."

Three slender golden phantoms instantly sank into the heads of three boars covered in barbs, helping them complete their sleep aid.

[Experience: 5% → 11%]

As expected, at Level 1, everything fought is a higher level, so experience gain is very fast.

After understanding his current true combat power...

...Shen Pan only kept the Golden Armor Art active to save more spiritual power for combat.

Unfortunately, the panel didn't show how much experience each monster gave; it all depended on the professional's own calculations based on the growth of the experience bar.

But his super-intelligence and invincible brain told him: Why bother calculating? Just kill them all!

One hour later.

Shen Pan, who had long since secured an A-rank score, casually finished off a Rock Bear with a Fireball spell.

Looking around, the monsters here had been cleared out by him again.

The monster respawn rate couldn't keep up with his killing speed at all, requiring him to constantly change locations to find more.

"Didn't they say there are enough monsters in the entry assessment that they can never be finished?"

This system even said he was in big trouble; it was probably just baiting him on purpose!

However, Shen Pan continuously adjusted his route, heading toward the central area based on environmental landmarks; he wasn't far from the dungeon boss now.

As if receiving his resentment, the system began to proactively show filial respect to its host.

[You descended the mountain to exorcise demons with your junior brothers and sisters who had accepted the mission. As the Eldest Senior Brother, the process of hunting demon beasts was very easy for you. You soon left your fellow disciples behind and ventured alone deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.]

[Unfortunately, members of the Demonic Cult have infiltrated and are preparing to trigger a beast tide, intending to attack the righteous cultivators in the safe zone.]

[Having long lost the location of your fellow disciples, you have no time to provide support.]

[Other than watching them die in the mouths of demon beasts with a face full of self-reproach and pain, there is nothing you can do!]

[Mission: Save your junior brothers and sisters. (Countdown: 10 minutes)]

Reward: 1 Class Point, Low-grade Storage Pouch

(Perhaps you could ask that Green Tea Little Junior Sister who is currently tailing you?)

(Multiple missions can exist simultaneously without affecting reward distribution.)

[Class Point: Can directly skip rank-up missions!]

Shen Pan: "???"

Junior brothers and sisters? Descending the mountain to exorcise demons? Members of the Demonic Cult?

"The identities given by the system are getting wilder and wilder. Before, I was at least a person from Blue Star; this time, I'm directly a cultivator from an Otherworld."

And what the hell is up with that Green Tea Little Junior Sister? Does he even know someone like that?

Speaking of which, this system can actually have multiple missions at once. His mission to be first in the assessment wasn't even finished yet... wait!

He looked at the mission description again. Fellow disciples in danger?

Shen Pan's pupils dilated instantly as he looked behind him.

Although the system loved to pull stunts every time, some of the information did indeed match his current real situation.

In other words, some candidates were in danger. To be more precise, his own Classmates!

Thinking of this, Shen Pan fell silent for a moment before speaking decisively: "Jiang Ruolai, you're watching me, aren't you!"

*Rustle!*

The sound of branches swaying slightly came from a tree not far away.

As expected, the Green Tea Little Junior Sister was this future council member who loved to stalk people!

Shen Pan did not let this slip-up go.

He clapped his hands together and then pulled them apart, stretching two dazzling lightning snakes between them.

The lightning snakes hissed continuously, coiling into a lightning bow and an arrow!

This was the strongest offensive spell in the Encyclopedia of Basic Spells: Lightning Strike Technique!

However, he had changed its form using his professional traits; it just looked intimidating.

"Wait, don't shoot! It's me!"

Not understanding why she had been exposed, Jiang Ruolai jumped down from the tree dejectedly, then quickly put on a sweet smile and jogged over.

"Is Classmate Shen Pan planning to subjugate the boss?"

"If the two of us team up, we should be able to finish it quickly!"

Although they hadn't formed a party when they entered...

...during the process of subjugating the dungeon boss, as long as there were no more than three people and everyone dealt substantial damage...

...everyone could still obtain an s-rank score!

At the same time, Jiang Ruolai stole a glance at the lightning bow in Shen Pan's hand, her heart filled with shock.

This was already comparable to an ordinary Epic grade skill!

And those spells he threw while fighting monsters earlier... Had Shen Pan actually learned so many in just one night?

Why was it different from the miserable early stage of an Arcane Master described on the Blue Star internet?

Not only that, but he could even discover her while she used an item with a stealth effect. Could it be a Legendary grade scouting skill?

That's impossible; what level is Shen Pan anyway?

Her fake best friend from the Imperial Capital must have sent her the wrong item!

Pretending not to see her constantly changing expression, Shen Pan took a slow breath and asked seriously:

"Classmate Jiang, how long have you been tailing me? Did you encounter any teams from my class on your way here?"

"Uh... I ran into you by accident, I wasn't tailing you!"

"As for your Classmates, when I passed by ten minutes ago, a five-person team was arguing with people from the First High School at Resting Point No. 2."

Sensing the serious atmosphere, Jiang Ruolai answered subconsciously.

Resting Point No. 2? That must be the safe zone mentioned by the system!

"Thanks. People from an illegal organization have infiltrated the assessment and are preparing to trigger a monster riot in the dungeon."

"I'm going to support my Classmates. Take care of yourself."

Shen Pan thanked her seriously. Resting Point No. 2 wasn't far.

The ten minutes given by the system was enough for him to get there.

Furthermore, the system said two missions could exist simultaneously, so there was no need to hesitate.

As he spoke, he cast Light Body Art and Breath of Wind on himself.

"Eh?"

"Classmate Shen Pan, the dungeon boss is just a short distance ahead. Shouldn't we secure the s-rank score first?"

Jiang Ruolai looked confused.

She had specifically headed toward the boss from the start, only happening upon Shen Pan by chance!

The assessment only lasted two hours.

Without a party, it would be difficult to complete the 1,000 monster kills for an s-rank score in two hours.

After all, they would run away and were scattered everywhere.

Killing 1,000 monsters alone was an absolutely impossible achievement.

Therefore, the dungeon boss was specifically prepared for geniuses who soloed.

"I'm not the only day student in the class, but everyone is willing to let me be the one to bring them food."