Li Yang had already made his plans. Once he passed the assessment in the morning, he would go buy a wedding ring that afternoon and propose to Jiang Xue. He had not told Jiang Xue over the phone last night, because he had decided to give her a surprise today.
After breakfast, Li Yang loosened up a little, then entered the base.
"Li Yang, you're here too. In our group this time, you and Hei Yan have the best chances. We're all counting on you two!" The moment Li Yang entered the base, Tan Jin, who had already arrived, walked over with a broad smile.
"Heh heh, Brother Tan, you already have several hundred crystals of energy. As long as you put in some effort, even if you can't get in this year, you'll be able to next year. Besides, even if I join Security Bureau Group 11, I'll apply to be permanently stationed in Shanghai!" Li Yang said with a smile.
He had decided that once he passed the assessment, he would propose to Jiang Xue, then settle down in Shanghai. After all, Jiang Xue's parents were here.
"That'd be great. Then us brothers can see each other often in the future. But I'm afraid I have no hope this year. The assessment is simply too strict, and they recruit far too few people!" Tan Jin shook his head helplessly.
Every year, Security Bureau Group 11 recruited very few people. Unless one possessed astonishing strength, one would not be admitted. Tan Jin and the others did not hold much hope either.
Soon, all nine people from Star Luo Base taking the assessment had arrived.
At the other end of the base corridor, Captain Meng Tian came over chatting and laughing with two middle-aged men. Li Yang and the other nine immediately understood that the other two middle-aged men had to be assessment judges.
After Meng Tian saw his team members, he said something to the two middle-aged men and headed toward Li Yang's group first.
Meng Tian looked at his subordinates with an encouraging smile. "Everyone, give it your best today. The two people who came to conduct the assessment are top experts from Security Bureau Group 11. Both have reached the Xiantian Great Accomplishment Stage."
"Xiantian Great Accomplishment? Doesn't that make them Level Five Masters?" Tian Lin cried out in shock. Everyone else was stunned as well. The last time, the assessors had only been two Level Four Masters, yet Security Bureau Group 11 had actually sent two Level Five Masters this time.
The higher one went in energy levels, the greater the gap became. The increase came tenfold upon tenfold!
Even in the international underground world, Level Five Masters were super experts. There were not many Xiantian Great Accomplishment Stage experts in all of Security Bureau Group 9, yet two had arrived at once. How could Li Yang and the others not be shocked?
"You little brats, the two assessors from last time reported back that two members of our group might be able to enter Security Bureau Group 11 this year. And Li Yang's throwing knives left a deep impression on them last time. Last year, even after that Level Four Master knew Li Yang's throwing knives could change direction in an instant, he still nearly lost. Li Yang's energy is much higher this year. Ordinary Level Four Masters from the Security Bureau probably aren't even worth mentioning anymore!" Meng Tian said with a chuckle.
The two middle-aged men behind him also came over. Upon hearing that, one of them immediately laughed and scolded, "Well, Meng Tian, the Li Yang you trained is indeed not bad, but don't get so arrogant. After this assessment, Li Yang will belong to our Security Bureau Group 11!"
Meng Tian shot back, "Heh heh, you damned Zhang Yu, when I willingly entered Security Bureau Group 9 to become a mere squad captain back then, what did you say?"
Back then, Meng Tian and these two middle-aged men had both been members of Security Bureau Group 11. Generally, members of Security Bureau Group 11 would establish families and careers, hiding their greatness in the common world. Yet Meng Tian had dedicated everything to his country. He had never married, willingly coming to Shanghai—China's economic center—to stand guard and lead a group of youngsters whose internal energy had only reached the Postnatal Stage.
Li Yang and the others had spent so long with Meng Tian, yet they had never known his true strength. In terms of power, Meng Tian was absolutely no weaker than Zhang Yu and the other man. Zhang Yu was the middle-aged man Meng Tian called Damned Zhang Yu.
"Haha, enough talk. Testing, testing!" Zhang Yu laughed it off, then headed toward the testing area with his brother Zhang Shan.
Zhang Yu walked at the front, a profound and unfathomable smile playing at the corner of his lips. Worried that Level Four Masters wouldn't be Li Yang's match, so they sent the two of us? Meng Tian, you guessed wrong this time. Zhang Yu still remembered what the chief director of Security Bureau Group 11 had told him before he came.
"Zhang Yu, you must bring this Li Yang into Security Bureau Group 11, regardless of whether his energy is low or not. Those two idiots failed to bring Li Yang in last time. They truly were fools. The force behind Li Yang is one that even the entirety of Security Bureau Group 11 could not contend with! Once he enters Security Bureau Group 11, our group will certainly be able to look down upon the underground world!"
"Chief, could it be the legendary...?"
The chief director said calmly, "You have already reached the Xiantian Great Accomplishment Stage. As long as you take one more step, you will be able to form a Golden Core. There is no harm in letting you know. Behind him stands a cultivation sect, and one of the upper sects from the legendary Kunlun Immortal Realm at that!"
Zhang Yu had been dumbstruck at the time. He understood perfectly well what an upper sect of the Kunlun Immortal Realm represented!
The Security Bureau's true super experts, such as its guest elders, stood at the same level as the chief director. They were all members of cultivation lineages, practicing ordinary cultivation arts passed down through their families. Although guest elders and the like were absolutely stronger than ninjas and samurai, compared with people from the Kunlun Immortal Realm, the gap was so vast it surpassed imagination.
The Kunlun Immortal Realm was the sacred land of cultivators! If Li Yang truly came from there, then the force he represented would be terrifying.
"Li Yang, you're guaranteed to enter Security Bureau Group 11 this time. But what rank should I give you?" Zhang Yu was already considering what rank to assign Li Yang after the assessment. Suddenly, he came to a decision. Li Yang is fairly strong, but there are many in Security Bureau Group 11 stronger than him. What matters most is the force he represents. In that case, I'll rate him as possessing the attacking power of a Xiantian Great Accomplishment Stage expert, then make him an inspector. Wouldn't that settle it?
Zhang Yu did not dare send Li Yang on any dangerous missions. If Li Yang were to die, it would not be worth it. Inspector was both the safest and one of the most powerful positions.
As Zhang Yu pondered this, he arrived at the testing area.
"The old rules. First, each person will test the energy inside their body. Turn on the testing apparatus!" Meng Tian casually had Tian Lin activate the tester. Tian Lin went over with a grin to switch it on. He had no hopes at all for the assessment, so he was among the most relaxed.
"One at a time!" Meng Tian ordered.
The first to step forward was the confident Hei Yan. The moment he entered the testing apparatus's range, a testing beam shot toward him. In an instant, the beam went out.
"1,350 crystals!" an electronic voice announced.
Zhang Yu's eyes immediately lit up, and a smile appeared on his face. "Oh, an unexpected delight!"
Before you continue