0118 One and a Half Days (Please Support with Your Votes!)

Faced with such absurd accusations, Jiang Feng was not the least bit nervous. Instead, he leaned forward with curiosity and asked, "I am curious, if I were colluding with the demons, how do you explain the fact that ever since I took control of her, I have been killing demons and defending the demon abyss?"

Shangguan Qing answered every question without hesitation: "That is obviously because the demons are cunning; they use this tactic to gain people's trust so they can infiltrate the human ranks."

Jiang Feng laughed again: "That makes sense. It seems I must come up with a better reason to defend myself."

Shangguan Qing shook his head and said, "There is no need for such trouble."

He threw two stacks of paper, one to the left and one to the right, in front of Jiang Feng. His voice remained gentle enough to make one's skin crawl: "I will give you one day to consider. It is your choice whether to write down the control method on the left or sign the confession on the right. You may choose as you please."

He turned to head back to the prison entrance, then suddenly stopped and tapped his forehead: "I almost forgot. Tomorrow afternoon, the provincial examination officially ends. All candidates will be required to depart from their respective combat zones and return to the provincial government office to report. Anyone who fails to reach the assembly point on time will be considered a deserter and disqualified."

He sighed and added, "Your current score would normally ensure you don't fail, but in this world, there are simply too many unforeseen accidents..."

He walked out of the prison. Behind him, Jiang Feng’s expression darkened. He picked up the stack of confessions, glanced at them, and tossed them aside. Then, he stared blankly at the stack of blank paper.

He could not accept either of these two conditions.

But... the grand examination!

...

Wanqi Yu sat by the window, holding a cup of tea, his brow furrowed: "I honestly didn't know he could have any connection to her... A boy with mixed blood, yet chosen and raised by her, even managing to fuse with the Mind-Clearing Seed and top the grand examination. Now, for reasons unknown, he has even gained control over a demon far stronger than himself... Don't you think there are just too many coincidences here?"

Shangguan Qing stood respectfully by his side and bowed: "Usually, among so many coincidences, there must be some sort of inevitability."

Wanqi Yu tapped his fingers on the table twice and chuckled: "Well said!" He stood up and commanded, "Then go and find this 'inevitability' for me!"

Shangguan Qing replied respectfully: "Yes!"

The corner of his lips curled, and the scent of blood radiating from him suddenly became more intense.

After Shangguan Qing left, a man hurried in and whispered two sentences into Wanqi Yu’s ear.

Wanqi Yu’s eyes lit up, and he laughed: "Oh? Have they finally lost their patience?"

He stood up, adjusted his attire, and strode out.

In the reception hall outside, a group of people sat waiting. Each of them was dressed impeccably, dignified and elegant, without a speck of dust on them. It was impossible to tell that they had just arrived from afar, traversing the city through the blockade of demonic energy.

Seeing Wanqi Yu enter, none of their expressions were pleasant, but when they stood to salute, their movements were precise—a grace that could only be forged through rigorous training.

Anyone could see at a glance that they were from influential clans, and specifically, the most prominent among them!

A flash of triumph crossed Wanqi Yu’s eyes, and he cupped his hands with a smile: "Master Zhou, everyone, a pleasure to meet you!"

...

The fifteenth day since the opening of the demon abyss, the sixth day of the Yushui provincial examination; the situation in Taicang City worsened once again.

The demon abyss suddenly became quiet.

The demonic energy that had been constantly venting outward grew calm. No new demons emerged, and the surroundings of the twelve demon abysses became eerily peaceful.

If this had happened when the abysses first appeared, people might have rejoiced. But after enduring so many days of battle, everyone felt their hearts sink the moment they saw this scene.

This was the calm before the storm. Such a situation could only mean one thing—the demon abyss was evolving!

This was the fourth evolution. After it, the scope of the abyss would expand again, and the demons emerging from it would rise another level in rank.

The number of Lieutenant-rank demons would increase, and Colonel-rank demons would officially appear!

Colonel-rank demons possessed strength equivalent to a Martial Venerable at the Mind-Manifestation Realm. Under normal circumstances, a Martial Practitioner at the Dawn Realm could not survive a single round against them.

As for the common soldiers of the city defense force, they were all between the Dawn and Daybreak realms. The captains of the hundred-man units were stronger, but usually no higher than the Yang-Manifestation Realm!

The city defense soldiers cut down the few remaining demons around them, then looked at the silent abyss, despair rising on their faces.

"We’re truly done for this time!"

One soldier stretched his aching muscles and sighed.

A soldier nearby paused for a moment, gripped his weapon, and smiled: "Maybe! But after killing so many demons these past few days, it’s worth it!"

The first soldier looked at him and suddenly noticed his uniform: "You aren't from Yushui, are you?"

The soldier nodded readily: "That’s right, I’m from Danyai, brought here by the provincial garrison to help!"

The Yushui soldier was stunned and scratched his head: "Danyai, huh? I’m sorry to have dragged you into this..."

The Danyai soldier laughed: "What are you talking about? Danyai is right next door. If this place falls, how much better off will Danyai be? Every one we kill is one less demon killing our fellow countrymen. It’s worth it!"

"Right, worth it!"

The two looked at each other and laughed, saying in unison, "Kill one, earn one!"

A moment later, the silent abyss suddenly erupted. Countless demons swarmed out; those at the very front already possessed a distinct humanoid form—they were the Colonel-rank demons!

The two soldiers were long prepared. Without hesitation, they roared and charged toward the demons!

...

Under the current circumstances, even the most heroic sacrifice was just a sacrifice.

Fan Gensheng had long since lost his composure. He stood guard closely by the abyss, fighting in the blood and gore just like the common soldiers.

He had become the strongest combat force in the area. Whenever a demon appeared, regardless of its rank, it was instantly killed by him.

But there were simply too many demons; his individual strength was not enough to turn the tide of the battle.

Soldiers fell and died around him constantly. He could save one or two, but he could not save everyone.

Rage welled up in his heart, growing more intense by the second. He suddenly stopped, drifted into mid-air, aimed both palms at the ground, and struck with a heavy blow!

The sound shook the air, and a hurricane swept across the battlefield.

With him at the center, all the demons within a hundred yards were knocked down. The human soldiers shielded themselves from the raging wind, but just as they showed signs of joy, they saw even more demons pouring out of the abyss, surrounding Fan Gensheng!

...

Earlier than Fan Gensheng, three officials from the Mind-Clearing Society had thrown themselves into the battle.

For these fifteen days, they had barely retreated from the front lines except when absolutely necessary.

But today, Wang Xuandi received news and hurried back to the provincial government office.

The Mind-Clearing Society held a transcendent status, and Wang Xuandi himself was a Mind-Manifestation Martial Saint, allowing him to enter and exit the office freely without obstruction.

As soon as he entered, he released his mental energy, scanning the office. His expression darkened slightly. He found Wanqi Yu and asked directly: "Where are those people? Have they left?"

Wanqi Yu raised an eyebrow: "Master Wang, are you asking about..."

Wang Xuandi frowned and barked: "Do not try to divert the topic! I am obviously asking about the Zhou family! Didn't they enter Taicang City?"

Wanqi Yu said: "Master Wang is well-informed. Yes, they did send people."

Wang Xuandi looked pleased: "Oh? That’s great! What did they say? When are they sending reinforcements?"

Wanqi Yu shook his head with regret: "Unfortunately, they only came to apologize. They will send a private army to assist, but they cannot contact a Mind-Manifestation Martial Saint for the time being. They ask us to hold on for a while longer or find another way."

Wang Xuandi’s face grew grim. He stared fixedly at Wanqi Yu, who looked back with calm and composed regret.

Wang Xuandi asked slowly: "What about your people? The people of Lord Fuliu?"

Wanqi Yu shook his head regretfully: "His Lordship was severely wounded previously due to an incident and is currently recuperating. If he were to intervene now, his cultivation realm might become unstable. He is willing but unable, so we can only do our best to share his burdens."

Wang Xuandi’s voice sounded as if it were squeezed through his teeth: "Share his burdens? A fine way to share burdens! Can you tell me what you have actually done?"

Wanqi Yu crossed his hands over his fat belly and said leisurely: "I am at least at the Mind-Manifestation Realm. Does the fact that His Lordship transferred me here not represent our stance?"

Wang Xuandi sneered: "When it comes down to it, it’s just because you haven't finished negotiating the terms with the influential clans yet!"

Wanqi Yu smiled shamelessly: "The Zhutian Kingdom belongs to my senior apprentice-brother, and also to all the clans; naturally, everyone should contribute..."

"Hmph!" Wang Xuandi was overcome with fury. After clenching his fists three times, he finally flicked his sleeves and left.

He never imagined that even at such a critical juncture, these two sides would still be entangled in petty gains!

It was simply... simply a disgrace to humanity!

Hmph! He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. He would just have to leave his life here, then!

He strode outside, glanced casually at the military drill ground as he passed, and immediately turned back in confusion.

He stood there for a while, growing more puzzled.

The name at the top of the leaderboard was still Jiang Feng, unchanged. But for a long time now, the score behind his name had not moved at all; there wasn't the slightest change.

He was a good judge of character and could see at a glance that hidden beneath the youth’s calm exterior was a resilient heart. Compared to the child’s ability, he valued this willpower even more.

He had believed that the boy would never stop fighting until the very last moment, but what was happening now? If the score hadn't changed for so long, was he injured? Or was he resting?

Wang Xuandi stood before the Sky-Reaching Board in deep thought for a long time, then called someone over: "Go and find out what is happening with Jiang Feng, who is at the top of the leaderboard."

The man went to carry out the order. Wang Xuandi pulled himself together and felt the demonic energy in the air becoming increasingly dense.

His heart sank further and further.

If this continued, in two days... no, in a day and a half, the human defensive line would completely collapse, and the demons would entirely conquer this city!

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Curiously asking... where can I cast the 10 points! Why is the name red?