Qualification Secured

"Damn Sacred Dragon!"

Facing that terrifying dragon's might, the Bear Demon's face turned ashen.

The dense sacred aura made it increasingly uncomfortable, and the ferocious air around it had vanished at some point.

At that moment, the Bear Demon began to think of retreating.

However, Ye Tian gave it no such chance!

"Ling'er, finish it. But remember to leave the body intact. A sixth-tier Bear Demon is worth quite a bit!"

"Okay, Master!"

A sweet, clear female voice rang out in Ye Tian's mind.

Ling'er gave a soft roar, beat her wings, and flew toward the Bear Demon.

The Bear Demon knew it could not escape either. It opened its mouth and roared furiously, then charged forward instead of retreating.

The two sides collided violently.

Without any surprise, the Bear Demon was instantly knocked to the ground, its savage expression immediately twisting into one of pain.

No matter how strong it was, how could it compare to a dragon?

Not to mention that Ling'er was a Sacred Dragon, the natural nemesis of demons.

Her dragon claws swept swiftly across it, effortlessly leaving several claw marks so deep that bone was visible.

Sacred energy lingered in the wounds, continuously burning the Bear Demon's body.

"Roar—"

The Bear Demon howled in agony and rammed at Ling'er like a mad beast.

But what greeted it was a blast of dragon breath.

Sacred flames surged forth, instantly swallowing the Bear Demon whole. Its chilling wails immediately echoed across the wilderness.

"That sounds awful!"

Ling'er gave a light snort and drove a claw through the Bear Demon's throat.

Boom!

As the flames faded, the Bear Demon's massive body lost all support and crashed heavily onto the ground.

"Done! Master, wasn't I amazing?"

Ling'er returned to Ye Tian's side, lowered herself, and wore an expression that practically begged for praise.

Ye Tian smiled faintly and reached out to stroke Ling'er's head.

"Ling'er is the best!"

Though it was only a simple compliment, Ling'er's eyes narrowed slightly in delight. She clearly loved hearing it.

The battle had ended in an instant, yet everyone else still felt as if they were dreaming.

Chen Si and Chen Chen in particular stared fixedly at Ling'er, still unable to believe their eyes.

A dragon capable of instantly killing a sixth-tier Bear Demon was actually Ye Tian's mount and companion.

That alone would have been one thing.

But most importantly, such a being was younger than them and was participating in the same Demon Hunter Squad selection competition.

They had been full of confidence before, but now they were beginning to wonder whether they were truly qualified.

"Kid, is she your mount companion?"

The elderly inspector stepped forward, looking at Ling'er with undisguised envy.

"That's right." Ye Tian nodded.

Although he had already known, hearing Ye Tian admit it personally still left a bitter feeling in the old man's heart.

He had worked himself to the bone and endured countless dangers before finally reaching the sixth tier.

Yet this kid had so easily earned the recognition of such a powerful magical beast. It truly was hard to accept.

But the elderly inspector quickly composed himself.

"If I'm not mistaken, she should be a Sacred Dragon, correct?"

Ye Tian nodded again. "Inspector, you have a sharp eye. Ling'er is indeed a Sacred Dragon."

"Good, good, good! I never expected the Sacred Dragons, absent for so long, to appear once more. This is truly a blessing for the Alliance!"

"I owe you an apology. I was too self-righteous before."

The elderly inspector suddenly took the initiative to perform a mage's salute toward Ye Tian.

Though the youth before him was young, he possessed exceptional talent and such a powerful companion.

So long as nothing happened to him along the way, he was destined to become a powerful knight.

To be precise, he was already a powerful knight.

Therefore, apologizing to Ye Tian was nothing shameful.

Yet Ye Tian smiled and waved his hand. "You are too polite, Inspector. I failed to explain things clearly beforehand, which led to a small misunderstanding."

"Besides, you were willing to stay behind and face the Bear Demon for our safety. Such noble character deserves our respect!"

Courtesy begets courtesy.

What he had said truly came from the heart.

Taking the initiative to remain behind and cover everyone's retreat in the face of danger was not something just anyone could do, much less for a group of strangers.

The elderly inspector smiled and shook his head.

"This old man has already reached the end of his road. You are the future of the Alliance and humanity. Even if it costs me my life, I would make sure you survive."

Still, he had indeed considered taking the two most talented youngsters and fleeing at the time.

Thinking back on it now, he truly felt somewhat ashamed.

"Alright, now that the crisis has been resolved, we should withdraw quickly. This is still Demon territory, after all, and it remains unsafe."

Everyone nodded at once, and the elderly inspector vanished again.

"Ling'er, go back for now. I'll call you out later."

Ye Tian spoke gently to soothe her.

Ling'er nodded obediently and returned to her own space.

Ye Tian stepped forward and stored the Bear Demon's corpse in his storage ring before hurrying toward the border with the group.

"Brother Ye, thank you so much. If it hadn't been for you, we might not have made it back alive this time, much less earned the qualifications for the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition."

Chen Si scratched his head and thanked him somewhat awkwardly.

Ye Tian merely smiled indifferently. "No need to be so formal. We're a group now, so naturally we should help each other."

"No matter what, you've done us brothers a great favor. We'll find a chance to repay you in the future!"

As they said this, both Chen Si and Chen Chen wore solemn expressions.

Ye Tian smiled in response but did not take it too seriously.

They encountered no further danger on the rest of the journey.

The group of six safely crossed the border and returned to the Holy Temple Alliance's garrison.

They were received by a battalion from the local garrison. Its commander was exceptionally welcoming and specifically arranged a large tent for them to rest in.

After only a few days, they truly felt as though a lifetime had passed.

Once they relaxed, everyone felt as if their bodies were falling apart.

Even Li Xin and Lin Jialu abandoned all concern for appearances, leaning against the inside of the tent and lightly pounding their bodies with their fists.

Long Haochen had even fallen into a deep sleep.

Everyone was utterly exhausted!

Two hours later, the group woke up ravenous.

After eating the food prepared by the garrison, the tent flap was suddenly lifted, and the elderly inspector entered with a staff in hand.

"Inspector!"

Everyone hurriedly rose and saluted him.

"Sit," the old man said casually, waving his hand. "It seems you've all rested well. Then I'll announce the results."

"Congratulations. You completed the assessment superbly, even exceeding its requirements, and have earned the qualifications to participate in the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition."

"To be honest, you have truly surprised me!"

The old man's attitude was exceedingly gentle, and his gaze lingered on Ye Tian and Long Haochen for a long while.

The Knight Holy Temple would gain two more promising talents this year.

"Now, let me introduce myself. My name is Feng Yangmu. You may call me Teacher Feng. I will be responsible for all matters concerning this Demon Hunter Squad selection competition."

At last, the old man revealed his name.