Entrance Exam

Yang Rong's death stirred no small commotion in the camp.

The entire process.

Luo Yan ate in silence, watching quietly.

Like an outsider.

In the end, the matter was ruled an 'accident'.

Next, Luo Yan prepared himself for the possibility of Di Zheng's suspicion.

When he slept, he also set up some 'alarms' in his tent.

Ready to flee at any moment.

But.

All was calm.

A night passed.

The next day, the convoy continued its journey.

That day, they encountered a Giant Beast and a tide of parasites.

But both were repelled by Commander Di Zheng and another pilot piloting mechs.

Luo Yan witnessed the entire battle.

Commander Di Zheng's mech, with red and blue as its main colors, called 'Blue Edge', moved with great agility.

Sometimes it performed high-speed movements beyond imagination.

Luo Yan heard a soldier beside him exclaim that this was the manifestation of Commander Di Zheng's 'Divine Treasure: Windwalk'.

What was Divine Treasure?

Luo Yan didn't know.

He didn't ask either.

If he successfully entered the Undercity, he would learn everything he needed to know.

No need to rush.

The battle ended.

Some personnel from the convoy, wearing Protective Suits, busily dissected the beast carcasses, collected blood, harvested organs, and stripped scales or claws.

They stored these items in separate categories.

Luo Yan remembered that two days ago in 'Flower City', they had also dissected the corpses of 'Taotie' and 'Lili'.

He wondered whether collecting the organs and blood of these Giant Beasts was for research or some other purpose.

Over the next few days.

The convoy encountered Giant Beasts almost daily.

This confirmed what the survivors had said back then.

The world outside the city was even harder to survive.

The land had become a paradise for Giant Beasts.

After a few days, Luo Yan observed a strange phenomenon.

The Giant Beasts that attacked the convoy all seemed to be targeting one particular truck.

That truck carried the mysterious items hauled from the 'Taotie's' lair.

Could it be that the 'Taotie' never left the city center because it was also attracted by that mysterious item?

This idea was confirmed that day.

That day, the convoy was traveling on a broken highway when they were suddenly attacked by a Giant Beast.

A Giant Bird called 'Quru' descended from the sky.

This beast had a white head, three legs, and a human face.

It stirred up a storm, overturning the truck and spilling the items from under the tarpaulin.

Luo Yan saw for the first time that it was a seven- or eight-meter-long Deep Black Crystal, like a rockery.

Something inside it seemed to pulse with breath, occasionally coalescing into strange, ferocious beast faces.

The 'Quru' flapped its giant wings and used its three crimson claws to try to grab the strange stone and fly away.

But it was intercepted by 'Blue Edge' and another all-black mech.

During the battle.

The strange stone was caught in the crossfire, blasted in half.

Luo Yan saw it clearly.

When the Deep Black Crystal shattered, fragments flew everywhere, and among them, a White Rainbow arced over his head, carrying a trace of sacred aura, landing in the distant wilderness.

Luo Yan found it strange—that bizarre stone looked so sinister, how could something so holy emerge from it?

Seeing that the battle was still ongoing.

Luo Yan seized the chance to dash toward where the white rainbow had landed, intending to get a closer look.

When he left the road and arrived nearby.

He saw a patch of grass rapidly growing, wildflowers blooming in a rush to outdo each other.

As if infused with boundless vitality.

This scene of 'Flower Cluster' stood in stark contrast to the withered yellow plants around it.

Luo Yan's eyes lit up as he plunged into the newly grown grass, searching thoroughly.

In the end, he found a white diamond-shaped object.

Luo Yan picked it up, feeling its warmth like White Marble, carrying a faint coolness.

He toyed with it for a moment.

Just as he was about to put it away for closer study.

Suddenly, the object released a hazy clear light from within.

Then a pattern resembling the 'Tai-Chi Eight Trigrams' emerged.

The Diamond White Jade instantly became ethereal, losing its texture and form.

Only a mass of clear light remained, wrapping around that strange symbol.

Then, with a whoosh, it imprinted itself between Luo Yan's brows.

Luo Yan froze.

Then his heart skipped a beat.

This thing had flown out of that Black Strange Stone—who knew what it really was.

For it to just fly into his body like that, he had no idea if it would cause any harm.

But after a while.

Luo Yan found nothing unusual.

Only then did he relax slightly.

By then, the battle on the road had ended.

That 'Quru' had been wounded and fled, and on the scene, Commander Di Zheng was directing the soldiers to recover the strange stone and all its fragments.

From the words of soldiers passing nearby, Luo Yan caught the term 'Abyssal Vein,' apparently referring to the strange stone.

It seemed this convoy had known what that thing was all along.

And, very likely, they had come specifically for this 'Abyssal Vein.'

Luo Yan watched 'Blue Edge' walk toward the transport vehicle, wondering if he should go ask Di Zheng about the white jade.

But he worried that if the Undercity found out he'd absorbed that jade, they might take him as a test subject.

In the end, he abandoned the idea.

The convoy continued north.

A week after leaving 'Flower City,' the convoy arrived at a large lake region.

When they reached the shore, the lake water rumbled loudly, and a tunnel rose from the lake, connecting to the bank.

Luo Yan watched in awe.

Who would have thought the entrance to the Undercity was actually in the lake?

The convoy drove into the tunnel, going deeper and deeper.

About half an hour later, Luo Yan looked out the window and saw a massive underground space.

In that enormous space, nearly large enough to hold a city, Luo Yan saw trains shuttling between buildings, stopping beside high-rises.

Huge pipe-like objects connected the floor and ceiling of the space, possibly extending to the surface, their purpose unknown.

As the convoy descended along an elevated road, Luo Yan gradually realized this city wasn't much different from surface cities before the 'Giant Beast Calamity.'

Except that on the rooftops of the tall buildings, turrets were arranged; on the roads, three or five tanks or Armored Vehicles occasionally passed by.

"This is 'Guangling' City, one of the Eighteen Northern Cities. New Undercities are still being built, but because of the 'Giant Beast Calamity,' the construction timeline will far exceed that of these pre-built cities."

Di Zheng, who had arrived at some unknown time, stood beside Luo Yan and gave a brief introduction.

Then he added, "You're in luck—today just happens to be the recruitment day for the Mech Training Academy."

"I've already signed you up."

"But signing up doesn't guarantee admission."

"The Academy's recruitment is very strict, with an entrance exam, the Academy Exam."

"Whether you pass the Academy Exam and enter the Academy depends on your own ability."

"If you're not accepted, you'll be sent back to the surface."

Luo Yan nodded.

Di Zheng glanced at him and said, "I'll have Little Li take you to the academy later."

"If you're lucky enough to get in, I suggest you don't exchange credits directly for the 'Red Poison' antidote."

"You can redeem some suppressants on a schedule. They'll ease your condition, let you participate in training, and keep it from worsening."

"The credits you save, use them to exchange for cultivation resources. Improve your strength as fast as possible, so you can unlock more authority and resources."

Credits? Cultivation resources?

Luo Yan listened in confusion, but he committed Di Zheng's words to memory.

Di Zheng shot him another look. "Also, the academy—or rather, the Undercity—is different from the surface."

"There's still order here. So you need to rein in your 'wildness.'"

"Simply put, you can't kill people at will like you did on the surface."

Luo Yan rasped, "And if someone tries to kill me?"

"Normally, that situation won't arise."

Di Zheng said firmly. "But if it does, you have my permission to strike first and report later!"

"I'll grant you some protection. But if you abuse that protection and run wild, then I'll be the first to kill you."

With a meaningful look at Luo Yan, the cold-faced commander left.

Soon.

The convoy reached the surface.

One of Di Zheng's guards drove, taking Luo Yan to the academy.

Before long.

They arrived.

At the main gate of the 'Hundred Battles Mecha Training Academy,' quite a few new students were gathered.

They were lining up to register for entry.

But Luo Yan's car drove straight in.

Once through the gate, Luo Yan saw a stone tablet with four bold, powerful characters.

The words: Sword Points to the South!

A murderous aura seeped out from the characters.

Finally, the car stopped outside a hall.

Warrior Little Li said, "Go on in. I'll take Commander Di's recommendation letter to the Academic Affairs Office and be right back."

"Alright." Luo Yan nodded, got out alone, and entered the hall.

Inside, there were already many people.

Most were young, around seventeen or eighteen.

More males than females, with relatively few girls.

Luo Yan scanned the room and, out of habit, looked for a corner to wait.

"Move it, don't block the way!"

Suddenly, wind stirred behind his head.

He instinctively sidestepped.

Dodging a large hand aimed at his head.

Luo Yan reflexively grabbed the hand, ready to twist it off.

But remembering Di Zheng's words, he changed the twist into a shove.

Sending a fat, burly figure crashing face-first to the ground.

Thud!

The sound drew attention.

One after another, gazes snapped over.

First landing on the person on the floor.

Then shifting to Luo Yan.

Followed by soft exclamations.

Every new student in this hall was dressed properly, clean and neat.

Luo Yan, though.

Still wore his own ragged, worn-out clothes.

At that moment, the man on the ground roared and stood up.

He was a head taller than Luo Yan, with thick, round arms, but he looked bloated and soft.

Blood was seeping from a gash on his forehead.

He was furious.

"Where did you crawl in from, you savage? How did you sneak in here?"

"And you dared to throw me? You're asking for death!"

Luo Yan remembered Di Zheng's words—he didn't want trouble.

So he spoke: "I'm a new student."

"You struck first, so I threw you."

Concise, sparing with words.

This reply made the burly young man feel utterly disdained.

First came rage, then he suddenly caught sight of Luo Yan's crimson pupils and stumbled back three steps.

His voice turned shrill as he cried out: "Red Poison! You've got Red Poison—don't come near me, stay away!"

The hall erupted into chaos.

New students scrambled backward, as if Luo Yan were a flood of beasts.

The fat man shouted again: "Guangling City has pushed vaccines for three years and wiped out 'Red Poison' long ago. You still dare to claim you're a new student? You're clearly a savage who snuck in!"

"Where are the security guards? The gatekeepers?"

"Where did they all go? Why hasn't this bastard been thrown out yet!"

Just then, a commanding voice rang out.

"Silence."

Everyone turned to look. A middle-aged man in teacher's attire was approaching, accompanied by a black-armored warrior.

The teacher glanced at Luo Yan and said calmly: "This is a new student recommended by Commander Di Zheng. Who wants to throw him out?"

The fat man immediately lowered his head.

The teacher added: "Furthermore, 'Red Poison' isn't transmitted between people. What are you afraid of?"

"If you're scared of 'Red Poison,' do you really expect to go up to the surface and fight Giant Beasts?"

"What a joke!"

At these words, everyone looked embarrassed.

Then he pulled out a magnetic card and handed it to Luo Yan: "This is your registration card. If you pass the exam, it becomes your student card."

He swept his gaze across the room and said: "Everyone, prepare yourselves. The exam starts in ten minutes."

"The task is to kill a single Wolf Tick. The principal will announce the specific rules later."

With that, the teacher left.

The hall immediately filled with complaints about how hard it was.

Only Luo Yan found it strange.

Just a single Wolf Tick—was that difficult?

As long as they weren't in a pack, a lone one wasn't hard to kill.

Warrior Little Li walked over with a smile: "I've got to head back first. Here, take this—it has my number."

"If anything comes up, find me."

He handed Luo Yan a phone.

Luo Yan was surprised.

Little Li grinned: "This thing only works inside the city. It's useless outside."

Then he lowered his voice: "I just saw the list of new students this year. There's someone named Luo Beichen on it—you need to watch out for him."

"His father is a sworn enemy of our Commander Di. That Luo kid, relying on his family's influence, looks down on everyone and will do anything."

"If he passes the Academy Exam, you'd better keep your guard up."

With that, he patted Luo Yan's shoulder in encouragement and left.

Luo Yan put away the phone and caught bits of gossip around him.

"Who is this guy? Getting a recommendation from Commander Di?"

"I'm so jealous. This year's written test was insanely hard—it alone eliminated nearly eighty percent of new students. And this kid just waltzes straight into the Academy Exam."

"Could he be Commander Di's illegitimate son?"

"Shh! Do you have a death wish?"

Luo Yan remained unmoved.

He looked around and spotted the fat guy.

He walked toward the fat guy.

The fat guy was just about to grab something to wipe off the blood when he saw Luo Yan approaching and was startled. "What do you want?"

Luo Yan ignored him.

Rip.

He tore off a strip of his own sleeve, pulled the fat guy over, and wiped the blood off the other's face with it.

The fat guy was stunned.

He didn't understand this turn of events.

After wiping the blood clean, Luo Yan turned and left.

A while later, the fat guy chuckled and said to the people beside him, "This kid's rough, but at least he knows he was wrong and took the initiative to wipe my blood."

Soon, a somewhat aged voice rang out in the hall.

"Greetings, all New Students."

"I am Principal Pan Renfeng."

"The Academy Exam is about to begin."

"I will now announce the rules."

"New Students participating in the Academy Exam may take the test alone or form teams."

"Teams must not exceed three people."

"Additionally, weapons will be available for selection at the exam site."

"During the exam, judges will score you. An average score above 80 is a pass."

"Those who pass will have their scores converted to credits at a 1:1 ratio, serving as your 'startup capital' upon entering the academy."

"Now, please follow the on-site teachers to the exam venue."

In a flash, they arrived at the exam venue.

There were ten minutes for students to decide what weapons to use and what format to take the exam in.

As Luo Yan looked at a row of weapon racks, a voice said.

"Hello, would you like to team up with me?"

Luo Yan turned around.

Before him was a youth of seventeen or eighteen.

Black hair, slightly thin build.

He wore a pair of rimless glasses, giving an overall clean and scholarly impression.

He extended his hand and smiled. "My name is Li Bohang."

Luo Yan glanced at him, shook his head, and walked toward the weapon rack.

He was used to acting alone.

Temporary teams would only get in the way.

Besides, it was just a Wolf Tick.

He picked a long spear from the weapon rack.

Very ordinary.

Its advantages were that it was long enough and sharp enough.

More people chose guns.

Luo Yan had only ever handled an automatic pistol and wasn't skilled with it.

Naturally, he didn't follow the trend and pick a firearm.

Besides, he already had a plan.

After registering, getting a number, and finishing all that, the exam began shortly after.

Students whose numbers were called entered a sealed venue.

There were no windows in the venue, so the students outside couldn't see what was happening inside.

Only the judges, or students who had finished the exam, could watch on a Large Screen in another hall.

One by one, the students entered.

When they came out, Some cheered, some wailed.

Others were carried out, covered in blood, and sent for emergency treatment.

Soon, it was Luo Yan's turn.

In the assembly hall behind the examination grounds, the fat man who had tripped Luo Yan earlier was resting.

When he saw Luo Yan appear on the Large Screen, he couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

Suddenly, he saw Luo Yan pull a torn piece of cloth from his pocket.

The fragment was stained with blood.

The fat man suddenly remembered—that was the half-sleeve Luo Yan had used to wipe his blood.

The fat man was baffled.

He couldn't understand Luo Yan's move.

On the field, Luo Yan tied the bloodstained sleeve to the tip of his spear, then nodded to the proctor.

Soon, a Wolf Tick was released.

The giant beast parasite, the size of a wolfhound, charged at Luo Yan like mad the moment it entered the field.

As it closed in, it lunged with all its might, leaping three feet off the ground, crashing into the spear tip.

The impact sent Luo Yan sliding backward on his feet, but he still held the spear steady against the force.

Yet the Wolf Tick had impaled itself through.

It struggled desperately.

But its movements gradually weakened.

Until it finally stopped breathing.

On the screen, Luo Yan lowered his spear and turned to leave.

The assembly hall fell silent.

The entire process.

Took no more than ten seconds.

And more than Luo Yan killing the Wolf Tick.

It was more like the thing had thrown itself onto the spear to die.

This...

"I see."

"Wolf Ticks go berserk at the sight of blood, losing all reason."

"He used the blood-soaked cloth as bait, luring the Wolf Tick to charge into his trap."

"Impressive."

"Brilliant."

The fat man turned his head. Beside him stood a tall, thin young man wearing rimless glasses.

He had revealed the secret behind Luo Yan's victory.

Resolving the doubt in the fat man's mind.

But...

The fat man's face twitched.

"Wait, that kid wiped my blood."

"He wasn't admitting fault at all."

"He was using my blood to fish for the Wolf Tick?"