0101 The Twelve Disciples of the Hidden Current

"Muqi Yu? Why is it him?" Ning Changkong's long brows furrowed slightly as he muttered to himself.

Jiang Feng, sharp-eared and keen-eyed, immediately caught Ning Changkong’s words. He leaned over and whispered, "Brother Ning, do you know this man?"

Ning Changkong replied in a low voice, "Did you see the insignia on his lapel?"

"I did. Black water ripples—a disciple of the Underflow Sect."

Ning Changkong said, "He’s not just any disciple. He’s one of the twelve personal disciples of the Lord of Underflow, and, it’s said, the most favored among them."

The Twelve Disciples of Underflow were personally selected and taught by the Lord of Underflow. On the surface, that might not sound extraordinary, but everyone knew that the leader of these twelve was none other than Prince Zhuyang himself—a title personally bestowed by the prince.

When the decree was issued, the entire Empire of Zhu was stunned. This meant he acknowledged the other eleven as his fellow disciples—brothers in arms to the King of Zhu! In doing so, the Lord of Underflow’s status was elevated even further, as were the positions of the eleven others.

Now, these eleven each held high rank and together commanded half the power of the empire, standing shoulder to shoulder with the great noble houses, locked in mutual rivalry.

Muqi Yu was one of the eleven. To make him only a provincial governor was an understatement. More importantly, at this critical moment for Taicang City, why had he been dispatched here?

Jiang Feng quietly thanked him, his brow furrowed in thought.

Ning Changkong was not the only one who recognized Muqi Yu’s name—immediately, a small commotion broke out among the crowd.

Muqi Yu wore a genial smile, raising his hands to calm the gathering. In a clear voice, he announced, "You should all be aware that demonic spies have infiltrated Taicang City. With relentless malice, they have spent seven years opening twelve demonic lairs within and around the city, intent on our destruction."

He beckoned to his side, and an attendant handed him a disk-shaped object. Placing it on the table before him, he pointed at it, channeling a surge of luminous energy into it from afar.

The external release of this energy revealed Muqi Yu to be at least a Bright Sun-level martial artist. Judging by the strength of his power, he had surpassed even that, reaching the realm of Body Radiance.

Regardless of his character, this Underflow disciple was certainly formidable.

As the energy entered, countless beams of light shot forth from the disk. Soon, a massive projection appeared above the reviewing platform, visible to all examinees.

Most of the candidates were locals and immediately recognized the image—it was a detailed map of Taicang City. Every building was vividly depicted, with the Longchuan River running through and three bridges spanning it, the central one being the Thousand Lions Bridge.

On the map, twelve black circular patches stood out, as if the city had been scarred. It was clear without explanation—these were the twelve current demonic lairs.

Four were on the Longchuan River, two in each of the cardinal directions, one within the city, and one in the outskirts.

The demonic lair in Zitong Forest, where Jiang Feng and his companions had battled for six days, was marked on the eastern outskirts.

The map was stark, making the distribution of the lairs instantly apparent.

Jiang Feng’s heart grew heavy as he saw the four lairs within the city proper, all situated in residential and commercial districts. Even if the populace were evacuated in advance, countless homes would still be lost.

Muqi Yu pointed at the map. "It has been nine days since these twelve demonic lairs appeared. On the third day, the first lair opened and the demons emerged. The city garrison engaged them at once. Now, all twelve lairs are active, and demons are pouring out in droves. The city’s defenses are gravely strained."

His ever-present smile faded, replaced by a somber expression. "If the garrison cannot hold, the demons will overrun the city, and Taicang will fall completely."

He swept his gaze around and asked, "Aside from the city defenders, do we not have other martial practitioners?"

Spreading his arms wide, he proclaimed, "No! We still have you! Martial cultivators are born to fight. Now, young men and women, your time has come!"

Jiang Feng had always harbored suspicion and resentment toward Underflow disciples, but even he had to admit Muqi Yu's words brimmed with stirring power. He could see many examinees’ unease replaced by excitement and eager anticipation.

Muqi Yu continued, "The Academy has formally consulted with the Power of Heaven for guidance. The exalted Celestial Tree has granted us new instructions. Yushui Prefecture will proceed with the provincial exam as planned, but the exam rules have been revised. Now, I invite Academic Officer Wang Xuandi to explain the new rules!"

Wang Xuandi was tall and thin, resembling a bamboo stalk. The Academy’s long robe hung loosely from his frame, as if he might drift away at any moment. His face was long and solemn, every feature etched with gravity.

He strode to the center of the platform and, without a word, bowed to the heavens. "We invoke the Power of Heaven!"

As in the county exam, a colossal shadow of the Celestial Tree appeared behind the platform, towering as if it alone filled the world.

Jiang Feng gazed up at the tree’s image, a warm current welling in his heart, as though he glimpsed his distant homeland.

The moment the tree appeared, the lingering taint of demonic energy around them vanished instantly. Under that vast radiance, no demonic force could hope to remain.

All the examinees felt as though a great weight had been lifted from them, a gentle warmth seeping into their very skin.

Ning Changkong looked up at the spectral tree, whispering in awe, "Worthy indeed of the Celestial Divine Tree! I wish one day to see its true form."

The ritual continued; countless rays of light fell from the tree’s shadow, bathing each candidate and sinking into them.

A surge of spirit ran through the examinees—most of all, Jiang Feng.

As before, his luminous power leapt forward. In recent days, he had swiftly opened the third node of his second chain—a rare feat. Now, with the help of the Power of Heaven, his fourth node burst open, and he ascended another rank in an instant.

What was crucial was that this effect seemed unique to him; others experienced only a slight fullness or minor improvement.

A suspicion stirred in Jiang Feng’s heart.

The Heartseed, the Celestial Tree… Could there be some connection between them?

All the examinees produced their Celestial Orders, and light refracted from the tokens, projecting a golden roll in the air—the Celestial Prefecture Roll.

All names were listed, but unlike before, there were no separate categories—only a single blank space after each name.

In other words, this time, there would be only one score.

Wang Xuandi pointed upward and said succinctly, "In one hour, the exam will begin. This provincial exam will last seven days. You will be assigned to one of the twelve demonic lairs at random. Your task: to slay as many demons as possible!"

His eyes flashed, sweeping over the assembly. "Each demon you kill will be converted into points, which will appear next to your name. Lesser demons are one point, soldier-class demons ten, and warrior-class demons thirty. If a demon is slain by a group, the Power of Heaven will automatically assess and allocate points according to individual contribution."

He raised his voice so all could hear, "Remember: you are here to fight, not to compete for credit!"

When he said "compete for credit," Jiang Feng thought he detected a hint of irony, though he couldn’t be sure.

Without pause, Wang Xuandi continued, "Your total points will be subject to evaluation by your commanding officer. Useless—50% of points; Satisfactory—100%; Excellent—150%; Outstanding—200%; Astonishing—300%!"

This pronouncement immediately caused a stir below.

Jiang Feng understood the reason for this arrangement—as a military force, cooperation was paramount, not lone heroics. Yet, as a candidate, he couldn’t help but worry; such a system was too easily manipulated.

He glanced at Muqi Yu, who stood with his belly thrust out, smiling indulgently at the crowd. Muqi Yu raised a hand, saying, "Please remain calm. All our officers are elites—trust in their fairness!"

For the provincial exam, the authority of the Celestial Tree was absolute and unalterable.

The commotion gradually died down. Wang Xuandi nodded, his expression unreadable, before finally delivering a piece of good news: "Because of the increased difficulty and danger of this exam, special concessions have been granted."

Normally, with three hundred candidates from Yushui Prefecture—ten from each of thirty counties—the top thirty would pass, with the top ten qualifying for the Regional Examination.

This time, as both a reward and a comfort, fifty would pass and fifteen would qualify for the next stage.

The examinees, though uneasy, reluctantly accepted this. Jiang Feng studied the faces of Wang Xuandi and Muqi Yu, a sense of foreboding flickering through his mind.

He stepped back and gathered Ping Luanshan and the others, speaking in low tones: "We don’t know whose command we’ll fall under. If it’s a captain, that’s best. But if anything goes awry, keep your composure. Remember: Heaven sees all. Only the demons that fall to your blade count for certain!"

They all nodded. Ning Changkong, listening nearby, nodded pensively.

An hour remained to prepare.

In fact, due to the emergency, the exam had been brought forward by four days. The examinees had only come to hear about the rule changes, but the exam was to begin immediately. Some panicked, hurrying to notify family and teachers.

This hour was also used to assign candidates to their battlefields.

With three hundred examinees and twelve lairs, each lair would receive twenty-five candidates.

The assignments, already determined, were now announced.

Jiang Feng and his friends looked at the list and their faces darkened.

The four of them had been completely separated. Ping Luanshan, by coincidence, was sent back to the Zitong Forest lair in the east. Teng Zhi and Hong Cheng were dispatched to lairs on the Longchuan River.

Jiang Feng was assigned to the one in the very center of the western city, provisionally named "Shizi Street Lair."

The four exchanged glances. Jiang Feng whispered, "Be careful!"

The other three nodded solemnly, "You too!"

At that moment, Ning Changkong approached Jiang Feng with his own assignment slip, smiling faintly, "What a coincidence—we’re together!"

Then, with a hint of disdain, he glanced aside and said indifferently, "And that fellow is assigned here as well…"

As he spoke, Jiang Huai Ming looked over, meeting their gaze with a provocative glint in his eyes.

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