167: Examination System Instructions

The reconstruction of Old Ghost Hall, the integration of the underground network, the manipulation of public opinion, the capitalistic games... these tedious and mentally exhausting tasks were all meticulously arranged by Li Mo.

Lin Yu only needed to provide a “yes” or “no” answer at critical junctures.

This greatly freed up Lin Yu’s time and energy.

It allowed him to single-mindedly delve into the ultimate formulas of power that could truly determine the future.

However... everything has two sides.

Li Mo’s capabilities were too strong.

So strong that Lin Yu could almost foresee that in the near future, all the power, big and small, of this underground kingdom, which he had built himself, would naturally fall into Li Mo’s hands.

He would become the only person in this kingdom, besides Lin Yu himself, who could issue orders.

This wasn’t a question of trust or distrust.

This was a structural inevitability.

What if one day Li Mo’s ambition grew too large?

Of course, Lin Yu could easily crush him.

But that would be a great pity.

Such a useful tool; if one were destroyed, it would be difficult to find another.

Therefore, a check and balance was needed.

Someone equally capable, but absolutely loyal, who could decentralize Li Mo’s power.

Someone... who could allow him to continue being a hands-off boss, a “second-in-command.”

This thought flashed through Lin Yu’s mind.

A suitable candidate almost instantly appeared.

Wang Han.

His father’s close friend, Uncle Wang.

Although he was not a professional, his long experience in business meant his understanding of human relations and resource integration far surpassed ordinary people.

More importantly, he was reliable enough.

That friendship, which instinctively protected Lin Yu amidst the chaos of Old Ghost Hall, could not be faked.

If he were brought in to manage the overt industries, complementing and checking Li Mo’s underground network... it seemed like a good choice.

Lin Yu’s thoughts had already drifted to how to construct a more stable power structure.

“Brother!”

Lin Yao’s displeased voice pulled him back from his contemplation.

“You’ve been staring at your phone for ages! Are we going or not?!”

His sister was pouting, glaring at him angrily.

Around them, countless students were pouring into the school gate, the air filled with a tense yet excited atmosphere.

He had indeed been standing there for too long.

“Let’s go.”

Lin Yu took Lin Yao’s hand, pushed through the crowded people, and stepped into the separately cordoned-off area.

This was the examination hall for combat professionals.

Compared to the bustling crowds outside, it was much emptier here.

Looking around, throughout Linzhou No. 1 High School, only a little over two hundred students had awakened combat professions this year.

These individuals gathered in small groups, their expressions distinctly different from ordinary examinees.

It was a complex mix of pride, vigilance, and ambition mixed with confusion about the future.

They were the favored ones.

And also the reserves about to embark on a path of blood and fire.

Lin Yu’s appearance did not cause much of a stir.

He had been too low-key these past few years, almost transparent in school, and very few people knew him.

But Lin Yao was different.

Mythical-grade profession [Omniscient Sage].

In front of everyone, she rejected all the top companies’ exorbitant contracts.

As soon as she appeared, she immediately attracted the attention of most people present.

Those gazes contained admiration, jealousy, curiosity, and undisguised scrutiny.

Lin Yao clutched Lin Yu’s arm uncomfortably.

Just then, a huge shadow enveloped them.

Zhao Tianyang.

The five-meter-tall giant had silently walked behind them at some point, like a silent mountain, blocking all malevolent, probing glances.

He just stood there, doing nothing.

The surrounding air automatically solidified.

Several students who had intended to approach and talk instantly froze, silently retreating.

“Brother,” Lin Yao whispered, her tense body relaxing.

“Mm.”

Lin Yu’s response was bland.

His attention wasn’t on these so-called “geniuses” around him at all.

His old homeroom teacher was now the vice principal, but he had been so busy these past few days that Lin Yu hadn’t seen him once.

That was fine too.

It saved a lot of unnecessary pleasantries.

He just waited quietly, waiting for the “game” to begin.

Not long after, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and gold-rimmed glasses walked onto the makeshift platform.

He wasn't the principal or a director; he was just a teacher responsible for making announcements.

“Students, quiet down!”

The teacher held a megaphone, his voice echoing across the empty grounds.

The noisy crowd quickly quieted down.

“First, congratulations to all of you for being able to stand here; you have already proven yourselves to be the best among your peers!”

The teacher’s opening remarks were impassioned, filled with formulaic encouragement.

“I believe that after this period of adaptation, everyone has a basic understanding and grasp of their professional characteristics. The path ahead is bright, but also full of challenges...”

This teacher didn't seem old enough, yet he spouted so many of these phrases without stopping.

Two hours passed.

Lin Yu was so bored he was almost falling asleep.

Not even Vitality Nourishment could save him.

These correct platitudes were more effective than a lullaby for him.

Until he started examining the texture of Zhao Tianyang’s school uniform, contemplating the tensile limits of this special fabric, and whether this manufacturing process could somehow be utilized in Card Creation formulas.

Lin Yao, on the other hand, listened very attentively, her small face taut, like a diligent student.

The teacher’s speech continued for a full ten minutes.

Finally, just before Lin Yu’s patience ran out, he heard the main point.

“...Next, I will announce the specific rules for the non-theoretical part of this assessment, which is the practical combat evaluation!”

Here it comes.

The spirits of all the students present instantly lifted.

“This assessment will be conducted using a mission-point system.”

The teacher pushed up his glasses, and the large screen behind him lit up.

“The examination will issue a total of nine missions of different difficulties, ranging from one-star to nine-star. Each star fundamentally represents one hundred points. The final score will be evaluated based on a series of comprehensive indicators such as your mission completion time, efficiency, resource consumption, etc., with a maximum of 99 points for that star level. That is to say, a nine-star mission theoretically has a maximum score of 999 points.”

On the screen, the detailed scoring rules were clearly listed.

A low murmur rippled through the crowd.

A nine-star mission, nine hundred ninety-nine points.

This score would be enough to crush any theoretical course grade.

“However!” the teacher emphasized, “High rewards also mean high risks.”

“In this assessment, each examinee, or rather each team, has three chances to fail. For each mission failure, you can restart, or apply for new resources, treatment, and continue the mission, but the mission star level will automatically decrease by one star, meaning a deduction of one hundred base points.”

“If you fail three times consecutively, that mission will be directly recorded as zero points! The examinee will be directly eliminated!”