Translator: CinderTL
Qingyang City.
Amidst the towering skyscrapers that pierced the sky, stood a peculiar octagonal building, its entire structure a deep, obsidian black.
The building's apex was enveloped by a vibrant, multicolored dome that shimmered under the sunlight, its myriad hues sparkling like a cosmic sea.
This was the Cosmic Divine Path, Qingyang City's trial site!
"We're here," Zhang Jianwu announced as he pulled the car to the roadside.
Jiang Ye stepped out and gazed up at the strange octagonal structure.
"Is this the entrance to the Cosmic Divine Path?" he murmured to himself.
It bore no resemblance whatsoever to the golden palace he had seen in his dreams.
In his dream, the palace had been incomparably magnificent, bathed in golden light.
But this structure in Qingyang City, entirely black, exuded a more restrained aura.
"Jiang Ye."
As Jiang Ye continued to observe the building, Zhang Jianwu got out of the car and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck! May everything go smoothly."
"Mm!"
Jiang Ye turned back with a smile. "Director, wait for my good news."
"Alright! I'll be waiting for you," Zhang Jianwu waved. "Go on."
Jiang Ye turned and strode toward the octagonal building.
Watching the young man walk away, Zhang Jianwu took a deep breath.
"Little guy, I hope you can pass this smoothly," he murmured. "Otherwise, Miss Chen..." Zhang Jianwu sighed inwardly.
Chen Zilu had recommended Jiang Ye to Penglai University, and the university had offered him a C-Grade Contract. But what if Jiang Ye failed to even meet the minimum score for a D-grade contract on the College Entrance Examination?
That would be a major embarrassment for Chen Zilu.
That's why Zhang Jianwu hadn't informed Chen Zilu about Jiang Ye's recent coma. If Jiang Ye ultimately failed to get in, at least this could serve as a plausible excuse.
"Still, there's no need to be overly pessimistic," Zhang Jianwu thought to himself. "Maybe this kid really can pull off a miracle?"
He gazed at the octagonal building, his eyes filled with both anxiety and a flicker of hope.
Inside the octagonal building, after submitting his identification at the entrance, Jiang Ye strode into an enormous crystal hall.
He approached the front desk and completed the check-in process.
Beep!
"Identity confirmed!"
"Certifier Jiang Ye, your number is 15. Please wait patiently."
A mechanical voice announced.
Immediately, a line of text appeared on the large silver screen hanging directly ahead:
No. 15 Strength Certifier: Jiang Ye (First Breakthrough)
Jiang Ye glanced up and noticed several people ahead of him in line.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar name on the queue list:
No. 14 Strength Certifier: Su Tong'er (First Breakthrough)
"Demoness Tong?" Jiang Ye murmured in surprise, staring at the name.
"Hey!"
"Who are you calling a demoness?"
A sweet voice suddenly rang out.
A pure and adorable girl appeared before Jiang Ye, wearing a pale purple dress, sheer white stockings, and small leather shoes.
"Demoness? Is that what you call me?" Su Tong'er poked Jiang Ye's arm with a delicate, fair finger.
A hint of displeasure lingered on her charming, delicate face.
Jiang Ye silently avoided her gaze, shifting his attention to the figure behind Su Tong'er.
There stood another gentle girl, dressed in a black bunny girl outfit with sheer stockings, clutching Su Tong'er's arm with a bashful expression.
Noticing his gaze, Su Tong'er introduced her friend generously, "This is Yun Qing'er, the top student at Ningcheng High School."
"Ningcheng High School?" Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
Ningcheng was a major city adjacent to Qingyang City.
Ningcheng High School was also a provincial key high school, nearly on par with Qingyang High School.
He glanced at Yun Qing'er's head.
[Physique: Profound Physique (Low-Tier C)]
[Innate Talent: Dao Bone]
It was perfectly normal for the top student at Ningcheng High School to possess the Dao Bone Aptitude.
"This is Jiang Ye," Su Tong'er introduced her friend. "He's from Ancheng, and we tied for first place in the Reserve Star Professional Assessment."
"H-hello," Yun Qing'er greeted Jiang Ye shyly, her cheeks flushed.
Jiang Ye nodded slightly, his wariness growing.
Su Tong'er had a peculiar fetish: she enjoyed stomping on people's faces.
What kind of normal person could associate with a demoness like her?
Yun Qing'er was clearly no ordinary girl.
"Jiang Ye," Su Tong'er said, looking at him, "you've only just achieved your first breakthrough, right? Why are you here for certification already?"
"Just trying my luck," Jiang Ye replied with a grin. "I'm not even sure I'm ready."
"Not sure?" Su Tong'er tilted her head. "You're not going to say it was just luck again, are you?"
Jiang Ye fell silent. You've already said my line. What am I supposed to say now?
He cleared his throat and asked, "What about you guys? Are you here for certification too?"
"Exactly," Su Tong'er replied, clasping her hands behind her back. "We've been preparing for a whole semester, pushing our strength to its peak, before daring to come here."
Jiang Ye nodded. No wonder.
With the College Entrance Examination just around the corner, they were here at the last possible moment.
No wonder we ran into each other.
"I have something to take care of. You guys chat," Jiang Ye said with a smile.
He walked away to wait at a distance.
As he left, Su Tong'er turned to the girl behind her, dressed in a bunny girl outfit with black stockings, and said with a grin, "Isn't he handsome? Do you like him?"
Yun Qing'er shook her head timidly. "I only like Sister Tong'er."
"Aww!"
Su Tong'er sighed, a hint of helplessness flashing across her lovely face.
"But I... I like handsome guys!"
"Like Jiang Ye just now..."
Su Tong'er shook her head and sighed softly.
Yun Qing'er whispered, "Is that really liking him? Or do you just want to step on his face?"
She lifted her beautiful eyes to gaze at Jiang Ye in the distance, a flicker of doubt crossing her gaze.
"From Ancheng? A poor kid." Yun Qing'er thought to herself as she watched Jiang Ye. "Sister Tong'er would never fall for him. Impossible."
Su Tong'er remained oblivious to her thoughts.
At that moment, she was also watching Jiang Ye.
"This guy probably just achieved his first breakthrough recently, right?" Su Tong'er mused. "To come for the Cosmic Certification so soon... is he really just testing the waters?"
With that thought, she turned to Yun Qing'er beside her and asked with a smile, "Qing'er, do you think he'll succeed?"
"No," Yun Qing'er replied, shaking her head.
"So certain?" Su Tong'er asked, studying her.
Yun Qing'er whispered, "The strongest high school student in Ancheng is Lin Yushu. If even he came, there might be a sliver of hope."
"Lin Yushu?" Su Tong'er recalled the ugly, big-headed youth.
"Him? He'd just be delivering his head on a platter," Su Tong'er sneered.
Yun Qing'er added, "If Lin Yushu couldn't do it, no one else from Ancheng stands a chance."
Su Tong'er didn't elaborate.
She had always been curious about Jiang Ye's strength. Logically, he shouldn't have been able to defeat Ye Xiuluo during the Reserve Star Professional Assessment.
Yet the fact remained: Jiang Ye had defeated Ye Xiuluo.
"Still, everyone was suppressed to the Perfection stage of their cultivation method back then," Su Tong'er mused. "This trial, however, tests their actual first breakthrough strength. He can't possibly rely on 'luck' again, can he?"
Su Tong'er glanced at Jiang Ye in the distance, her mind racing.
Time passed.
Jiang Ye sat in the waiting hall for over half an hour.
Finally, a voice announced:
"No. 13 Yun Qing'er, No. 14 Su Tong'er, and No. 15 Jiang Ye, please prepare to enter the Cosmic Divine Path!"
Three-person teams.
As the announcement ended, Jiang Ye, Su Tong'er, and Yun Qing'er rose simultaneously and walked forward.
At the front of the hall stood a massive, sealed metal door, emblazoned with a "Do Not Approach" warning symbol.
The trio arrived at the door and waited.
"I didn't expect us to be in the same group," Su Tong'er said, turning to Jiang Ye with a charming smile.
Jiang Ye sighed inwardly, "Why did I get grouped with her?"
"Hey, what's with that expression?" Su Tong'er demanded, her voice sharp. "Are you really that unhappy to be on a team with me?"
"You misunderstand," Jiang Ye replied, shaking his head. "I'm just confused. Shouldn't the Cosmic Divine Path's strength certification be testing individual ability? Why the need for teams?"
Beside them, Yun Qing'er whispered, "It's not really a team. We're just entering the trial simultaneously in groups of three."
"Ah, I see," Jiang Ye said, relieved.
Rumble~ Ahead, a massive iron gate slowly creaked open.
Jiang Ye strode through the gate without hesitation.
"That guy," Su Tong'er muttered, grinding her small, tiger-like teeth. "Why's he in such a hurry to die?"
"Sister Tong'er," Yun Qing'er whispered, "are you really that bothered by him? He seems so clueless."
Su Tong'er scoffed. "Who cares about him? I just want to crush him under my heel."
Her face twisted into a devilish grin as she stomped her white-stockinged foot, as if grinding someone's face into the ground.
Jiang Ye passed through the heavy iron gate.
Before him lay a circular metal platform, twenty meters in diameter.
At its center hovered a massive dodecahedral crystal, radiating countless shimmering, multicolored light points like brilliant starlight.
"No. 13, No. 14, and No. 15, immediately board the Energy Star Array and enter the Cosmic Divine Path!"
A majestic voice echoed through the air.
"Energy Star Array?" Jiang Ye gazed at the metallic platform ahead, his curiosity piqued. "Could this be some kind of teleportation array?"
"Exactly," Su Tong'er replied, pulling Yun Qing'er forward. "This Energy Star Array is controlled by the Cosmic Conglomerate and connects to the space where the Cosmic Divine Path is located."
"Years ago, the Cosmic Conglomerate discovered the existence of this Energy Star Array on a remote, desolate planet."
"Cosmic Conglomerate?" Jiang Ye's heart stirred slightly.
No wonder the Cosmic Divine Path is controlled by the conglomerate. They were the ones who discovered it in the first place.
"The teleportation technique involved is extremely advanced and profound," Su Tong'er explained. "Even Blue Star hasn't been able to replicate it yet."
"Therefore, the number of Energy Star Arrays is limited. In the entire West Mountain Province, only the provincial capital and Qingyang City have them."
Jiang Ye nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing.
The trial location from my dream wasn't here. Could it be in Yuncheng, the provincial capital?
It couldn't possibly be in another province, could it?
Each of the Western Ten Provinces was vast beyond imagination, roughly equivalent to a quarter of China's territory in his previous life.
Even Yuncheng, the provincial capital, was thousands of kilometers away from Ancheng.
So... how did he get to Ancheng? Jiang Ye couldn't help but feel curious.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for? Get up here!" Su Tong'er had already pulled Yun Qing'er onto the Star Array.
Jiang Ye snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped onto the platform.
"Certifiers No. 13, No. 14, and No. 15 are ready. Activating the Energy Star Array!" a majestic voice announced.
Buzz!
In the next moment, the energy crystal core at the center of the platform erupted with a blinding light.
"Jiang Ye," Su Tong'er suddenly warned, "the Cosmic Certification has multiple stages. Don't reveal all your cards in the early rounds. Save your trump cards for the final stage."
Jiang Ye's heart stirred. He nodded. "Thank you for the reminder."
Su Tong'er flashed a charming smile and waved her small hand. "Good luck with your certification!"
"Good luck to you both as well," Jiang Ye replied.
"Hehe, got it!" Su Tong'er struck a playful pose.
Jiang Ye nodded slightly. If not for that Demoness Tong-like eccentric personality, this white-silk-clad girl would be quite adorable.
Beside Su Tong'er, Yun Qing'er watched this exchange, a hint of jealousy flickering in her eyes.
This blockhead will probably fail the certification anyway, she thought, shaking her head inwardly.
Boom!
At that moment, the energy crystal within the Star Array erupted in a dazzling pillar of light.
The radiant beam, resembling a shimmering celestial river, shot straight toward the vaulted ceiling.
In an instant, Jiang Ye and his companions were enveloped in the blinding light.
As the light gradually faded, the trio had vanished without a trace.
Simultaneously, within an office on the top floor of the octagonal Cosmic Group headquarters in Qingyang City, a group of uniformed staff members sat around a conference table.
These were the Cosmic Group employees stationed at the Qingyang City trial site.
"We need to keep a close eye on today's trial participants," a muscular, black-haired man at the head of the table declared authoritatively. "Especially Su Tong'er and Yun Qing'er—their backgrounds are impeccable. If they pass the strength certification, we should recruit them as reserve employees."
"Yes, sir," the staff replied in unison.
The Cosmic Group was always seeking fresh talent, and the Cosmic Divine Path strength certification served as the perfect recruitment tool.
"Director Liu," a sharp-featured woman with short hair suddenly raised her hand. "I've identified the candidate recommended by Old Chen!"
She was the same short-haired female executive who had previously reviewed Jiang Ye's application.
"Old Chen?" the burly man frowned. "Which Old Chen?"
The short-haired female office worker replied, "Senior Chen Yuntian."
"Old Chen?" Director Liu's expression shifted slightly.
Senior Chen Yuntian was a core figure in the Cosmic Conglomerate and a distinguished professor at Penglai University.
Director Liu quickly asked, "Who did Old Chen recommend?"
"Jiang Ye," the office worker said, displaying the information on the screen.
"Jiang Ye?" Director Liu glanced at the screen.
"Primitive innate talent? Recent monthly exam score: 839?" Director Liu frowned. "He just broke through his first breakthrough and is already participating in the Cosmic Certification?"
He found it hard to believe.
Based on the data, the student recommended by Old Chen had virtually no chance of passing.
"It seems Old Chen didn't personally recommend him," Director Liu said, shaking his head regretfully. "He must have transferred the spot."
The short-haired office worker looked puzzled. "Old Chen has never sold his recommendation spots before."
"This Jiang Ye is also a Second-Tier Reserve Star Professional," she speculated. "Could that be why?"
"I see," Director Liu nodded. "This is quite unusual. Let's keep an eye on him and see how he performs."
In his eyes,
Achieving a Second-Tier Reserve Star Professional Position isn't considered particularly genius.
However, for someone with a Primitive innate talent to reach this level holds special significance and warrants attention.
(End of the Chapter)