A Hasty-Oh, No, Successful Conclusion

Star Ring Docking Port.

Dead silence.

As the transport ship carrying Chen Fan and his group of five slowly landed, they were greeted by the strange looks from the instructors from different Training Camps in the harbor.

Among them, there was also a malevolent gaze from Yang Feng.

Chen Fan simply ignored the guy's gaze.

All the participating teams had been waiting here for quite some time.

At the end of previous Exchange Tournament, this place was always filled with cheers of victory and sighs of defeat, a truly lively scene.

Today, the entire port hall is as quiet as a giant tomb.

They just stared intently at the cargo ship's hatch, watching the ten-year-old boy, along with his three teammates and a muscular man still curiously surveying his surroundings, leisurely walk down.

Tap, tap, tap...

The heavy thud of military boots came from the direction of the Command Center.

The Federation Envoy, expressionless and radiating a tense atmosphere, strode out of the passage.

"Cough."

The special envoy cleared his throat, picked up the megaphone, and his sharp, eagle-like eyes swept across the entire room before finally settling on Chen Fan's harmless face, his expression extremely complex.

"This Milky Way Star System Training Camp Exchange Tournament..." He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, and finally, almost clenching his teeth, he squeezed out the second half of the sentence, "... has come to a successful conclusion."

Silence reigned all around.

Perfect... perfect my foot!

Everyone in the Training Camp was "friendly-talked" to by Chen Fan, and you call that a successful conclusion?

Xiao Nanfeng from the Sirius Training Camp was completely thrashed by this brat.

Several Training Camp instructors couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

"Now, announce the results of the match."

"Champion - Blue Star Training Camp Team!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't wait for any cheers, but instead began to announce the reward that would drive everyone crazy.

"According to the joint agreement Federation Military Headquarters and the Seven Great Training Camps, all members of the champion team will be immediately recorded in the Federation Military Headquarters's files and directly awarded... [One-Star Military Rank]!"

The envoy explained succinctly, "This means that from this moment on, you are no longer cadets, but reserve officers of the Federation. You have skipped the stage where ordinary soldiers need to struggle through Corpse Mountain and Sea of Blood to accumulate experience, and now possess basic authorization to access some Classified Archives and mobilize non-combat units."

These words finally brought some sound to the previously deathly silence.

Military rank!

This is something that all cadets who aspire to join the army and embark on the Starry Battlefield dream of.

It is not only a symbol of status, but also the first step on the ladder to higher power!

However, this is just the beginning.

The Federation Envoy, expressionless, continued announcing, "The second reward: each member of the champion team will receive [one thousand Military Department Merits]!"

He seemed to think the number wasn't impactful enough, so he emphasized it, adding slowly and deliberately:

"Let me give you a reference. On the Starry Sky Frontline, to gain a thousand Merit Points, it usually means you need to independently kill... a thousand Cosmic Foreign Races Qi-Blood Realm!"

"Boom!"

These words, like a bombshell, exploded in the deathly silent crowd.

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Jealousy, resentment, envy... all sorts of emotions materialized into tangible gazes that seemed to pierce through Chen Fan and the other four on the awards stage.

One thousand Merit Points are enough to exchange for top-tier martial arts techniques and rare natural treasures that they wouldn't even dare to dream of at the Military Department logistics department!

On the awards stage, Chen Fan's Team members reacted in different ways.

Shen Xuan and Ling Jian's eyes gleamed with barely suppressed elation and excitement, their breathing becoming heavier. Even with their distinguished backgrounds, they knew all too well what these thousand Merit Points meant.

Only Tuo Bashan remained completely bewildered. He scratched his shiny bald head, leaned closer to Chen Fan in a muffled voice, and whispered:

"Chen Fan, what's Merit Points? Can I switch fighters? I want someone who can land more than ten punches."

Chen Fan didn't even lift his eyelids, completely ignoring this Martial Fool.

Just then, the Federation Envoy approached with five Custom Identity Chips that shimmered with a ghostly blue light.

He distributed the chips to Ling Jian, Shen Xuan, Su Qingyue, and Tuo Bashan one by one.

When he walked up to Chen Fan, he paused for a moment.

The battle-hardened Federation Major General stared intently at the ten-year-old child, who only reached his waist, with an extremely complex expression for a full three seconds.

Finally, he placed the last chip into Chen Fan's hand, leaned down, and said in a deep voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Kid, remember, talent is a double-edged sword. Don't let it cut you one day."

After saying that, he straightened up, stopped looking at anyone, turned around and left.

The awards ceremony ended abruptly.

"Let's go home."

Gu Ci appeared behind the five people at some point, a satisfied smile on his face.

He patted Tuo Bashan on the shoulder, who was still completely oblivious to what was happening, and led the four students who had made great progress onto the long-awaited Interstellar Assault Ship under the gaze of hundreds of envious, jealous, and even resentful eyes.

The spaceship passed through the Star Rings and entered the dark Warp Channel.

The Stars outside the window were stretched into dazzling ribbons of light, while the cabin remained perfectly still.

Shen Xuan and the others were still excitedly discussing how to use the thousand Merit Points, and even Ling Jian joined in.

"A thousand military merits! We're in! This time we're really in!"

Shen Xuan waved his arms excitedly, his face still flushed. He pointed to the dazzling array of exchange lists on the Light Screen, his voice trembling slightly. "Look, the follow-up cultivation method for this 'Great Sun Incinerates Heaven Scripture' only costs eight hundred military merits! I thought it would take forever to accumulate them!"

Ling Jian, standing to the side, maintained a calm expression, but his constantly heaving chest betrayed his inner excitement.

Only Tuo Bashan showed absolutely no interest in these martial arts manuals.

He picked at his fingers listlessly, then leaned closer to Chen Fan and asked in a muffled voice, "Chen Fan, do you think these thousand Merit Points can be exchanged for an Organ Refining Realm expert to fight me?"

Get out of my way!

Chen Fan couldn't be bothered with this idiot; all he ever did was fight, he was nothing but a coward.

Chen Fan shook his head, then suddenly paused slightly.

His gaze passed over his three excited companions and landed on the corner of the cabin.

Gu Ci sat there alone, his back to the others, staring motionlessly at the distorted streaks of light rushing past the porthole.

In the past, Gu Ci was indifferent, or like an old rogue, but Chen Fan had never felt such a profound loneliness from him as he did now.

And that faint yet chilling killing intent.

Chen Fan stood up and, amidst the surprised gazes of Shen Xuan and the others, walked straight over and sat down next to Gu Ci.

"Old Gu," Chen Fan said calmly, looking at Gu Ci's face reflected in the porthole, "You seem to have something on your mind."