Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 60

Thump, thump, thump…

The two of them were so close to each other that they could even hear each other’s heartbeat. And this rhythmic pulsing had become the last sound in the world.

Ling Xiao stared blankly at the person in front of him, not understanding why suddenly the world around him changed.

Even the other candidates were confused. Just a moment ago, Ling Xiao was on another screen, with monsters rushing towards him for a final attack. However, just before the impending crisis, Ling Xiao suddenly disappeared and reappeared beside Ying Feng. The moment they touched each other, the enemies that had been flying towards them one after another burst into smoke and vanished, and the countdown timer permanently stopped at 00:00.

The candidates had no idea about this, but fortunately, there were many senior students on the scene who were very familiar with such situations.

“Qizi Summoning. It’s an intermediate skill of the Qizhu which allows them to summon their Qizi within a certain distance. Usually, this skill is mastered about six months after enrollment. However, seeing it in a candidate is indeed surprising.”

So that’s what happened. Everyone finally understood. But did using this method to find the Qizi mean passing the exam? Or not?

All eyes, including Ling Xiao and Ying Feng’s, focused on the indicator light that would determine their fate. The light hadn’t lit up yet, and it felt as if it would be pierced by the intense stares.

Whether it was the participants in the center of the exam area or the audience in the seats, everyone was anxiously waiting for the verdict. Even the judgment system felt the pressure. After a while, a yellow light lit up in the arena.

Murmurs of confusion arose. What does the yellow light mean?

It wasn’t the green for passing, nor the red for failing, but a puzzling yellow. Ling Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. Was it still not good enough?

At the invigilator’s desk, several instructors looked at each other.

“Among all the candidates over the years, very few Qizhus have mastered the skill of instant teleportation. Knowing he had this skill, I specifically added a teleportation barrier to the space where the Qizi was,” the staff responsible for setting up the arena explained.

“But this barrier only prevents entry, not exit. Who could have expected that he suddenly mastered Qizi Summoning?”

“Not to mention that the ‘Qizi Summoning’ requires a mental power of at least 40 to activate, and emotionally, it also requires at least four stars. But they clearly only achieved this yesterday…”

Everyone looked at each other. With mental strength far surpassing their peers and rapidly growing emotional connections, how much potential did these two have? What surprises could they bring?

“Since it was an oversight in the rules, the candidates shouldn’t bear the consequences,” Fu Yao’s voice timely interjected. “They didn’t break any rules and achieved the required outcome; thus, this result should be considered valid.”

“The yellow light represents a vote by the invigilation committee. As a member of the committee, I vote to pass.” After saying this, he pressed the green button in front of him.

The second person pondered for a moment. “Even with four stars, their emotional value is still too low. It doesn’t meet the consistent requirements of our Joint Combat Department. I’m sorry, but I object.” He then pressed the red button.

“These two examinees are exceptional talents. It would be such a pity to simply eliminate them like this. I think we should give them a chance to be manually selected. I vote to pass.”

“Talent is indeed rare, but what our department values the most is mutual understanding and collaboration. It’s hard to accept such personal strength. I’m sorry.”

Two for, two against. All eyes then turned to the last instructor. He cautiously glanced at Fu Yao. The inscrutable smile on Fu Yao’s face made him feel like his personal safety was threatened.

“Um.” He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Emotions can be nurtured, right? They were at three stars yesterday and reached four today. Given this rate, maybe by the start of school, they will be inseparable… right? So, I vote to pass.”

As the last person pressed the green button, the indicator on the field changed from yellow to green. A cheer erupted, and Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

The wait just now was even more nerve-wracking than the actual examination. Only when he finally relaxed did he realize that his palms were sweaty, unsure if it was his own, Ying Feng’s, or both.

No, how could a T-Rex sweat? He immediately dismissed the thought. Before he could think further, he was dragged by Ying Feng out of the arena. His mind, in semi-shutdown mode, didn’t notice anything unusual.

Red Head and Bing Can were waiting for them at the exit.

“Congratulations.” Bing Can smiled. “Your performance was fantastic—absolutely commendable.”

“Ling Xiao’s confession was even more touching. I was almost moved to tears,” Red Head teasingly added.

Ling Xiao was stunned. “Wh-What confession?”

“The words you said at the end, about being proud and all. Didn’t I talk about it just yesterday?”

Ling Xiao was flabbergasted. “You could hear what I said on the intercom?”

“Not just hear, but also see.” Red Head pointed to the overhead circular screen that provided a 360-degree view. Everything was crystal clear.

“No way!” Ling Xiao’s face flushed. He had thought that only Ying Feng, on the other end of the earpiece, could hear him. Why didn’t anyone tell him it was broadcast live?! It was only then that Ling Xiao realized that their hands were still held together.

He quickly let go. “It wasn’t a confession. Don’t get it wrong!”

He turned away, eager to escape the public’s gaze, regretting that he hadn’t just told Ying Feng privately yesterday.

“You’re all over the place,” Red Head yelled after him.

Bing Can tried not to laugh. “He’s going the wrong way. That leads to the examination hall.”

Ying Feng reached out and pulled Ling Xiao, who was already a dozen meters away, back to where they started. Confused by the sudden shift, his hand was grabbed once again.

Ling Xiao: “…”

This is all a dream, just a dream.

He hypnotized himself and chose a different direction to leave.

“Hey, that’s the direction to the invigilators’ seats,” Bing Can said amusedly.

Ling Xiao, who hadn’t walked more than a few steps, was once again pulled back.

“Have you had enough fun?” Ling Xiao couldn’t contain himself anymore. “Doesn’t that damn skill consume any mental power?”

“It’s okay.” The implication was that if Ling Xiao tried to leave again, he would be pulled back.

Ling Xiao gave up struggling and stood still.

Red Head looked envious. “My Qizhu will learn it soon, then we’ll play this game too.”

Reluctantly, Ling Xiao was led to the audience seats. However, not long after the next exam started, he had completely forgotten the embarrassing incident.

The examinees were really strong. Each showcased their skills against the enemies in the maze. When one punched a monster, immobilizing it, the entire arena went wild.

“Ah, they’re that two-star couple from yesterday!” Ling Xiao recognized.

The Qizhu’s door-opening success rate was even worse than Ying Feng’s. Still, relying on this technique, he successfully opened the correct door just in time, while his Qizi didn’t even see the shadow of a monster.

As for the Bing Can pair, with a 90% success rate and nine auxiliary stars, he easily reached Red Head’s room. When they found him, Red Head was still complaining about not having enough fun. The pair’s total score still led the rest.

The exams of the last day finally ended. Before leaving, Ling Xiao met Fu Yao.

“I was called for a mission and only returned yesterday. I didn’t abandon you on purpose,” Fu Yao explained briefly.

Ling Xiao was touched just to be remembered by someone he admired. He couldn’t blame him.

“The disposition rights were handed over to General Long Yin. I know there’s something involved that I shouldn’t be aware of, so I won’t ask difficult questions. Long Yin is a war enthusiast, but he’s fiercely loyal to the nation. I’m not worried he’ll misuse you, but I fear his actions might be harmful to you. I can’t intervene, so be careful.”

“We will,” Ying Feng said seriously.

“That’s good.” He turned to Ling Xiao. “I watched both days of the exams. You both performed excellently, not disappointing me. I hope to see you here next term.”

After the exams, Ling Xiao reported to the instructor who cared for them. Though the final results weren’t out yet, everyone was hopeful about the admissions.

“You should also say goodbye to Dr. Yao. You are her special students. I’m sure she’d like to see you one last time before you leave.”

“Say goodbye? Is Dr. Yao leaving? Where to?”

The principal smiled. “You’ll know when you find her.”

When the two arrived at the infirmary, Yao Tai was indeed packing up.

“Dr. Yao, where are you going?” Ling Xiao asked anxiously as soon as he entered.

Seeing him, Yao Tai couldn’t resist reaching out to pat his head, forgetting that he was no longer a fledgling and that he had grown taller than her.

Ling Xiao also noticed that Yao Tai was in a particularly good mood today; her face lit up with more smiles than usual.

“I’m going back to the base.”

“The base?”

“Yes. I didn’t tell you before, but I was originally stationed at the base. Due to certain circumstances, I became the school doctor, but I’ve always wanted to return.”

“When you were your age, I aspired to become a researcher at the base. Later, when my dream came true, I didn’t cherish it. Zhi Shang has been trying to transfer me back all these years. Now that it’s been approved, I’ll certainly cherish the opportunity.”

“That’s great!” The joy brought by this news was as exhilarating as their passing the military academy exams.

Yao Tai couldn’t hide her happiness, but what she didn’t mention was that today was a day of double joy. After an investigation by the military, Zhi Shang was finally cleared of suspicion, and he formally resumed his duties this morning.

However, they couldn’t tell the two involved to avoid making them feel guilty.

“I’ve always felt guilty…” Ling Xiao suddenly said, causing Yao Tai to pause.

“I stole something from the base, which must have troubled the doctor, right? Maybe he even got implicated because of me. I’ve been wanting to apologize to him.”

Yao Tai sighed with a smile. “He doesn’t blame you. On the contrary, he felt guilty about… that incident.”

When old issues were brought up, the mood became slightly somber.

After a pause, Yao Tai rallied, “So when the military investigated, he vigorously defended you two, hoping to compensate for his debt to your friend. Since both of you feel the same way, why not just let bygones be bygones? No one needs to feel guilty anymore.”

“That’s easier said than done.” Ling Xiao scratched his head. “Dr. Yao, are you leaving soon? We have a vehicle. How about we drop you off? I want to apologize to him in person.”

Yao Tai thought for a moment. “Alright, but when did you buy a car?”

……

“Chief, you’re back?”

“Welcome back.”

Zhi Shang greeted those who greeted him along the way. After three weeks of suspension and investigation, he missed his job deeply.

But today, other than resuming his position, there was something else that made him even happier.

“By the way, Chief, when is Assistant Yao arriving? We’re planning a small welcome party for her.”

Zhi Shang replied with a smile, “She should be here soon. I just received her message that she’s on her way. Oh, her students are bringing her.”

“Then we’ll get ready quickly.”

“Thank you.”

As Zhi Shang moved forward, he suddenly spotted a suspicious figure lurking around a corner in broad daylight.

Curiously, he followed but lost sight of the person, who seemed to have entered an old storage room.

This room was filled with discarded files. Why would anyone come here?

He had a bad feeling and approached quietly. Suddenly, voices emerged from inside. One sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

“Yes, he’s back. The military will soon continue their investigations, and the situation isn’t in our favor.”

Another voice responded, one he’d never forget—his former mentor, the man he owed so much to, yet also the one who presented him with a painful dilemma between loyalty and justice.

Is Teacher still alive? Is he still in contact with the base? A sense of unease rose in Zhi Shang’s heart.

“Weren’t you told to erase all traces?” That was definitely Tai Yin’s voice.

“At first, you only asked them to copy the research data. Who knew they would take more, causing such a commotion and nearly exposing me? The military won’t let this go without a scapegoat.”

Shocked, Zhi Shang covered his mouth. There really was a mole in the base! The students were used! He must inform the military immediately!

As he took a step back, a sharp pain pierced through him from behind, and a cold sensation overtook his body.

The biggest vulnerability of the Tianxiu people: a strike to the heart was lethal.

The storage room door opened, and someone walked out as if expecting this to happen.

“It’s you…”

Struggling, Zhi Shang turned around and finally recognized the other attacker. He had been outmaneuvered by these two, and it was too late.

“You…”

“I’m sorry. There must be a scapegoat. If you had chosen to help your teacher back then, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

Zhi Shang’s spirit began to gather, preparing for reincarnation. With the last of his strength, he shook his head. “No, even if I had another chance, I wouldn’t…”

His eyes slowly closed, and his consciousness, now separated from his body, drifted towards someone he deeply cared about.

“A’Yao…”

Whispering the name of the love of his life, his body fell and eventually vanished into the unseen air.

Inside the aircraft, while listening to Ling Xiao’s cheerful conversation, Yao Tai, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly clutched her chest in pain, her face turning deathly pale. This sudden change alarmed the others.

“Dr. Yao, what’s wrong?”

Struggling, Yao Tai looked up with tears streaming down her face.

“Zhi Shang…”

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