Chapter 8

Traveling to the provincial capital together, Principal Sun was undoubtedly the happiest of them all.

How wonderful!

Because of Li Yang, Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan were actually getting along!

These three were the future stars of Huangcheng. Watching them, Principal Sun felt tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

Upon hearing the news, Ms. Yu Zhiying immediately swapped her son’s vehicle for a more spacious one, ensuring not only that the three of them could sit comfortably, but also that there was room to bring along Fang Chuyun’s coach.

Before they set off, Yu Zhiying gave her son a flick on the forehead and said, "Learn from Li Yang! I told you to get on good terms with Fang Chuyun, and you’ve messed it up for three whole years!"

Yu Hongyuan: "..."

Learn, learn, learn—learn what, for heaven's sake!

He cursed that neither of them would get into the Zhongdu Military Academy!

Of course, Yu Hongyuan only dared to grumble to himself; on the surface, he remained submissive and obedient.

It had to be said that Yu Hongyuan’s family background was truly impressive. Li Yang didn’t recognize the car brands in this world, but judging by the style, she knew it was worth a fortune.

From the outside, it looked like a business van, but inside, it was unexpectedly spacious. The seats could recline flat and even had a massage function. Directly ahead was a small television, and the air inside was fresh and pleasant.

Li Yang went to the back row, with Fang Chuyun next to her. Yu Hongyuan sat in the front with Fang Chuyun’s coach.

Once the car started, the "war" began.

Yu Hongyuan said, "Fang Chuyun, let’s exchange some intelligence."

Fang Chuyun replied, "You go first."

"Why should I!"

"Forget it then."

Li Yang was actually quite curious. Although she had read plenty of materials from previous years, every practical exam was different. There were over a dozen rotating modes, and each mode had different assessment criteria...

There were too many combinations; predicting the test questions was even harder than the college entrance exam.

Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan certainly had some inside information, and such intelligence required either connections or money—two things Li Yang possessed neither of.

Both of them fell silent, silently competing with each other.

Yu Hongyuan suddenly looked at Li Yang and said, "Li Yang, I’ll tell you this: this year’s practical assessment is in a Special Quarantine Zone!"

After saying this, he looked at Fang Chuyun provocatively, with an expression that said, "See? My intel is very valuable."

Li Yang, who had memorized the historical data, immediately grasped the key point and asked, "Does that mean we have to clear out mutated creatures?"

Yu Hongyuan: "Uh..."

Seeing him get stuck, Fang Chuyun looked at Li Yang and replied, "It’s not yet certain what level the quarantine zone is. If the level is high, it might be a survival mode; if it’s low, it will be clearing out mutated creatures."

Although Yu Hongyuan was sitting in the front row, he was also pricking up his ears to listen carefully.

At this moment, the Star-Bearer driving the car spoke up: "Don't worry. After all, none of you have channeled stars into your bodies yet. For the sake of the candidates' safety, the quarantine zone's level won't be too high."

A so-called "Special Quarantine Zone" refers to a gathering place for mutated creatures, usually found in the wilderness or forests outside the city.

The level of a quarantine zone is determined based on the creatures inside. The higher the grade of the mutated creatures, the higher the level, and the more dangerous it is.

The Star-Bearer driving was hired by Yu Hongyuan. Once he spoke, Yu Hongyuan felt his face light up, and he raised his chin again.

Just then, Fang Chuyun’s coach also spoke up: "This year’s chief examiner is a conservative. There’s a high probability it will be a survival mode."

The Star-Bearer in the front added, "That’s hard to say. Master Lin is only relatively conservative; the Lin family is definitely a pro-war faction."

"That was years ago. Since Master Lin took charge of the family, they haven't been so pro-war!"

"But in previous exams, survival mode was rare. This year, it’s still most likely clearing out mutated creatures."

Yu Hongyuan’s driver and Fang Chuyun’s coach didn’t squabble like the two teenagers, but it was clear they also disagreed on the content of the practical exam.

Li Yang listened carefully, and combined with the information she had checked in the past few days, she had a general idea in her mind.

The first batch of this year's practical exams would most likely take place in a Special Quarantine Zone.

As for what type of Special Quarantine Zone it was, that was uncertain. It was like a college entrance essay topic—once leaked, there would be accountability.

However, when Li Yang looked through the historical data, she generally knew what types of Special Quarantine Zones existed.

If only it were a plant-type one!

She really loved mutated plants. When the time came, she could harvest life force while taking the exam... Li Yang didn't dare to imagine how happy she would be!

The one-hour drive wasn't long, and it passed quickly amidst the group's "information exchange."

Upon arriving at the provincial capital, they were concentrated at the testing site.

Everyone had their own candidate number and had to go to the corresponding classroom to wait for the official assessment.

Li Yang was assigned to Group 8.

Fang Chuyun was in Group 1.

And Yu Hongyuan was in Group 20.

There were about 200 people in Donghua Province qualified to apply for top military academies this year, divided into 20 groups of 10 people each.

Li Yang was very satisfied with her "Group 8." What a lucky number! Maybe there really were mutated plants in that quarantine zone; then she would be "rich."

Fang Chuyun said with regret, "I didn't get assigned to your group."

Li Yang hadn't expected this cool girl to be quite clingy, only to hear Fang Chuyun’s next sentence: "It's fine. There will be other opportunities. Li Yang, one day we will have a duel."

Li Yang: "..." Oh, not clingy, just wanting to fight her.

Yu Hongyuan was very satisfied with his Group 20; it was undoubtedly the group furthest away from Li Yang. This arrangement was perfect! He finally didn't have to be a lackey for anyone; he could go to a new patch of soil to recruit his own underlings!

The three of them parted ways just like that.

Li Yang felt that this grouping wasn't accidental; it should be intentional on the part of the examiners.

Separating students from the same city was likely setting the stage for subsequent assessments.

Could this practical exam be a confrontation mode?

Confrontation between students from the same city easily led to favoritism, so they were thoroughly scattered?

But regarding a Special Quarantine Zone, there was no precedent for confrontation in previous years.

Of course, it was also possible that Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan’s information was wrong.

Li Yang went to the Group 8 classroom. As soon as she walked in, she heard the candidates discussing:

"Huangcheng is so awesome this year! They actually have someone with 90 points in physique!"

"Whose student is it?"

"I heard it's an orphan who unexpectedly unleashed their potential after a close relative passed away..."

"Ah, that's amazing!"

"Sigh, small cities have it tough. This year, 20 people in our province broke the 90-point physique mark, and 10 of them are from the provincial capital."

Donghua Province had nearly twenty cities.

The provincial capital had more concentrated resources, and there were more students with high physique scores.

For example, among the 200 people applying this year, 30% were students from the provincial capital, and the proportion of those with 90 physique points was even more disproportionate.

"I found it! Her name is on the Huangcheng Daily. She’s called Li Yang!"

Li Yang: "..." I really thank you, Huangcheng Daily.

Taking advantage of the discussion, Li Yang quietly entered the classroom and found a seat in the corner.

Li Yang had originally wanted to get to know a few people and ask about the assessment, but now...

Forget it, she wasn't suited for self-introductions.

Fortunately, no one had the time to ask what everyone else in the group was called; they were too busy gossiping about the upcoming practical exam.

Everyone had their own guesses, but everyone was certain of one thing: this year’s assessment would be held in a Special Quarantine Zone.

As for the mode, no one could be sure.

Most leaned toward clearing out mutated creatures because "survival mode" was rare in previous exams.

When everyone had arrived, a middle-aged teacher with black-rimmed glasses walked in. He scanned everyone seriously and said, "Roll call. When your name is called, stand up and say 'here'."

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Sitting in the corner, Li Yang felt a bit like she was on pins and needles.

Why did they need a roll call? Hadn't they already registered when they arrived?

However, her inner grumbling didn't reach the teacher's ears. He had already begun calling names: "Chen Song."

"Here!" A boy as thin as a bamboo pole stood up.

"Xu Wenpei."

A girl with a round face stood up and said crisply, "Here!"

"Li Zhengrui."

A boy with messy hair and thick glasses stood up: "Here!"

After calling eight or nine names, the middle-aged teacher suddenly stopped. He stared at the name for a while before saying, "Li Yang."

As soon as the words fell, the candidates in the classroom began looking around.

Who?

Who is Li Yang?

Is this the prodigy from Huangcheng with the 90-point physique?

Li Yang sitting in the corner was no use; everyone stared at her because she was the only one who hadn't been called yet.

Li Yang could only ignore all the attention, stand up, and respond: "Here."

The middle-aged teacher pushed his glasses, looked at her carefully, nodded, and said, "Mhm, sit down."

Li Yang sat down, but several fiery gazes remained glued to her.

Someone even whispered, "Damn, she’s actually in our group!"

"Is she really Li Yang from Huangcheng? Does she really have 90 physique points?"

"Can't tell at all!"

The middle-aged teacher coughed lightly and said, "Quiet."

Everyone shut up, though they still turned their heads to steal glimpses of Li Yang from time to time.

The middle-aged teacher knocked on the desk again and said, "This year's assessment theme is—Survival."

As soon as those two words came out, they grabbed the attention of all the candidates. They stopped focusing on Li Yang and instead sat up straight, looking at the podium with serious expressions.

Was it really survival mode?

Was the level of this Special Quarantine Zone very high?

The middle-aged teacher played a slideshow and began explaining the rules for this practical assessment.

"In half an hour, candidates will enter the Special Quarantine Zone in groups of 10."

"The level of the Special Quarantine Zone is two-star."

"The requirement to pass the assessment is: persist for three days."

Seeing these points, some students already began to moan: "It’s a two-star quarantine zone! We haven't even become Star-Bearers yet!"

"A two-star quarantine zone is high-risk even for a first-rank Star-Bearer. Wouldn't going in there be suicide?"

The middle-aged teacher said coldly, "If you're afraid of death, please do not apply for military academies."

As soon as he finished, the student shut up.

The slideshow on the blackboard flickered, showing dense lines of small text. The middle-aged teacher continued, "For the next half hour, please read the entry instructions for the Special Quarantine Zone carefully. Once you are sure, sign and put your thumbprint on them."

"Please note: the Special Quarantine Zone is a high-risk area. Once you enter, you are responsible for your own life and death."