Reinforcements Arrive, Half-Step Fifth Realm

At 2:00 a.m. on October 7, Zi City time, at the All-School Alliance headquarters.

"Lady Fang, the repairs are essentially complete. The higher-ups have approved the formation of a temporary rescue team. Our people can't hold them off any longer."

A person hidden in the shadows quietly reported the situation to Fang Yulan.

"It's fine."

Fang Yulan continued brewing tea at an unhurried pace. Roses and honeysuckle steeped in the hot water, giving off a faint fragrance.

"It's been about a day and a half. The Yang Family sent a compass inside, enough for them to pull out the most conspicuous thorn."

"Understood."

"The rescue team will be limited to three Yellow Realm Fifth Realm experts and a group of Yellow Realm Fourth Realm experts."

"Plant one person among the Fifth Realm experts. Leave the rest to chance."

"Yes, we'll make the arrangements."

"Put a couple more Beastfolk in there. Make sure they aren't discovered. And make absolutely sure the children are safe."

"Yes."

The figure disappeared into the darkness. Silence returned to the room, leaving only the white noise of boiling water.

At 3:00 a.m., in the plaza outside the Zi City All-School Alliance headquarters.

Three hundred Fourth Realm human soldiers stood in neat formation before the spatial portal. They were some of the rescue personnel selected by the Human Race high command after consulting the All-School Alliance's Secret Realm Maintenance Team.

The Unified Exam Secret Realm and the spatial portal could only withstand a limited amount of energy. According to the readings, there were already quite a few Third and Fourth Realm beings inside the secret realm.

Sending in too much power could destabilize the spatial link that had only just been stabilized.

Three hundred human soldiers averaging the Mid Fourth Realm, plus two Fifth Realm Mid-Stage experts to hold the line and a Fifth Realm Peak expert as a safeguard: this was the most reasonable arrangement.

Because the Beastfolk were suspected to be involved in the incident, the Human Race high command had also sent Sixth and Seventh Realm stalwarts and a large number of medical personnel to each exam site to receive the examinees emerging from the secret realm.

"Old Cai, keep a close eye on that Yang Family kid later."

Ji Feijie, the rescue team's leader, walked over to Cai Bin and gave him the instruction in a low voice.

Without showing any reaction, Cai Bin glanced a short distance away, where the Fifth Realm Mid-Stage expert sent by the Zi City Yang Family stood. The man was looking down, idly fiddling with a compass.

Only after seeing that the man wasn't paying attention to them did Cai Bin ask quietly, "Boss, is there something wrong with him?"

Cai Bin was an awakener from a humble background. He was highly talented and had been born in Zi City, right under the higher-ups' noses, so he had been recruited early into a college directly under the Human Race high command.

He didn't know much about the factional disputes on the level below.

Ji Feijie had also come from a humble background, but he had since entered officialdom and clearly knew more. That was why he wanted to give his junior from the same school a warning.

Ji Feijie moved a finger slightly, forming a transparent soundproof barrier with a thread of Psychic Energy. Only then did he speak, betraying nothing on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with him now. Once we're inside, that might not be the case."

"That kid's a die-hard member of the Aristocratic Faction. He looks down equally on everyone who doesn't come from an aristocratic family."

"They say the Beastfolk invaded this time, and things have gotten this serious, yet the rescue team still took more than a day to form."

"The Aristocratic Faction dragging its feet was a big part of the reason."

"Once I enter the secret realm, I have to stabilize its space and repair the spatial link immediately. I won't have time to watch him. Keep an eye on him, understand?"

With that, Ji Feijie left before Cai Bin could answer, quickly returning to the front of the team.

Seeing this, Cai Bin said nothing and kept what he had heard to himself.

He had only just graduated and lacked experience in society, but he wasn't a fool.

Factional infighting within the Human Race was complicated to begin with. He had no right to comment; he only needed to make sure he stood on the right side.

"The spatial portal is stable. The secret realm's spatial coordinates are normal. We can depart."

"I hereby announce that the temporary rescue team for the Unified Exam examinees will depart immediately!"

At the front, Ji Feijie gave the order to depart. The three-hundred-strong rescue team obeyed at once, following their leader into the spatial portal with great speed but in an orderly formation.

The effort to mend the fold after the sheep were lost had begun.

"Crack, crack..."

Dawn had yet to break, and darkness covered the wreckage strewn across the ground. Trees stood sparsely here, while more lay broken in the crimson mud.

The chilling sound of shedding skin echoed through the lonely night. Twisted limbs waved and grew in the shadows.

Then a chill wind swept past, and the moon cautiously peeked out from the clouds. Moonlight fell, revealing a conspicuous white that stood out starkly amid the dark hues.

Lou Shisui broke out of his old shell, completing his final Metamorphosis below the Fifth Realm.

This shedding had been exceptionally long. The Psychic Energy he had accumulated seemed to bury tightly compressed springs throughout his body, building momentum for his breakthrough into the Fifth Realm.

"Half-Step Fifth Realm. Just one final step to go."

Shisui let out a stale breath. As he stretched and retracted his limbs and Kagune, his joints crackled one after another.

Having formally touched upon the Fifth Realm, Shisui had begun to evolve from a mortal body into a transcendent spirit.

Lower-level awakeners, who still belonged to the mortal world, could no longer provide nourishment for his evolution.

As he loosened his muscles and joints, he considered what to do next.

Originally, he had planned to obtain Psychic Energy from the two hundred thousand Unified Exam examinees and the numerous creatures of the secret realm.

Although they were indeed weak, they made up for it in numbers. Most importantly, he could slaughter them freely in the enclosed, safe space of the secret realm without worrying about some divine soldier descending from the heavens to slap him silly.

By accumulating a little at a time, he had been confident he could reach the Mid Fourth Realm, or even the Fourth-Realm Peak, within two days.

But then the Beastfolk had barged in. Since better prey had appeared, he had naturally changed targets.

Now, in just a day and a half, he had reached the threshold of the Fifth Realm. He could be said to have exceeded his goal.

So the best choice now was to cut through space and slip away before the Human Race's reinforcements arrived.

Shisui drove his Kagune into the ground and hooked out the corpses buried under soil churned up by the melee.

His tongue brushed against his sharp canines. He was somewhat reluctant to give up such a rare opportunity so soon.

A place that was enclosed, safe, and packed with prey wasn't easy to find.

Or should I wait and see how strong the rescue team is first?

Just as Shisui was torn over whether to leave, a familiar cracking sound came from the sky.

Space was being torn apart.

Shisui, who had already mastered the spatial attribute, instantly sensed the abnormal spatial fluctuations.

They're here!

He suddenly rushed deep into the forest, concealing himself in the darkness.

A spatial portal opened in the sky above the secret realm, and the rescue team members filed out.

"Damn! Why did the portal open here?"

"Quit complaining. We're lucky we could connect at all. There was no time to pick an entry point."

"All members, attention! Spread out evenly in groups of ten and search for survivors. Report any beast tide immediately. That is all. Dismissed!"

"Roger!"

The temporary rescue team quickly split into groups and scattered to carry out their orders in less than three seconds.

The discipline and ability to carry out orders of Fourth Realm soldiers selected from the regular human military were clear to see.

Twenty-five kilometers away, Shisui witnessed the scene through a nearby Radiant Feather.

Through the tiny spatial wormhole maintained by the Radiant Feather, he sensed the rescue team's strength.

Three hundred Fourth Realm soldiers, two Fifth Realm Mid-Stage experts, and one Fifth Realm Peak expert.

It was a reasonable arrangement. He just didn't know how many people were waiting on the other side of the spatial portal to support them.

They had to have a way to stay in contact. The moment he attacked, he would be exposed. It all came down to how many he could kill in a short time.

"The two Fifth Realm Mid-Stage experts have separated from the Fifth Realm Peak expert. Looks like I can take them on."

Shisui pushed off and flew in the direction the two Fifth Realm experts had gone.