The Central Tower!

"Since we already have the scrolls, there's no need to fight tooth and nail over them. Konoha Ninjas should be friendlier and help one another more. Don't you think?" Qingyun asked.

Hyuga Xinghuo shook her head. "You're right, but I still want to act alone. However you look at it, you're an enemy of the Hyuga Clan."

"An enemy? That's a bit much, isn't it? I only taught a few brats from the Hyuga Clan a lesson when I was little. There's no need to guilt-trip me over it." Qingyun shook his head, astonished by Hyuga Xinghuo's logic.

Hyuga Xinghuo ultimately chose to leave on her own. She didn't seem to want to work with Qingyun.

Qingyun didn't take the female ninja to heart.

"We should get going too. There's a time limit for entering the Central Tower." Qingyun then headed toward the Central Tower with Minato and Yoshihime.

This time, they didn't encounter any enemies. There were only so many participants in the Chunin Selection Exam, and it was ridiculous that so many of them were Jonin in disguise.

By now, Qingyun had gotten used to traveling like this. When he figured they'd spent enough time on the road, he immediately told his teammates, "We already have the scrolls, but there must still be plenty of ninjas near the Central Tower who haven't gotten theirs. They're waiting to ambush us so-called rookies."

"We don't need to get tangled up with them. We just need to reach the Central Tower as fast as we can. But if anyone gets in our way, we'll make sure they regret it," Qingyun said.

"Isn't that a little contradictory?" Yoshihime couldn't help pointing out.

Byakugan! Qingyun thought to himself, then immediately told Minato and Yoshihime what was happening around the Central Tower.

"There are about three groups here, blocking the ninjas trying to reach the Central Tower from different directions."

"I don't think they've spotted us yet, so we can use Shadow Clones." Qingyun then explained his plan, and Minato and Yoshihime couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.

The three of them used Shadow Clones and sent them into the enemies' line of sight to draw their attention. In the end, they lured all three groups of ambushers together.

When the three sides met, a fierce fight broke out.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Qingyun said, "Quick! While they're busy fighting among themselves, let's get inside!"

"Okay!" Yoshihime and Minato answered, then dashed into the Central Tower with Qingyun as fast as they could.

The moment he rushed inside, Qingyun felt his whole body relax. Living on high alert every day in the ninja world was exhausting.

Ikkaku-sensei was already waiting there for the Qingyun Squad.

"Principal Ikkaku, I didn't expect it to be you." Qingyun was taken aback.

"That's right. I was assigned to meet the three of you. And sure enough, you all made it here safely! You haven't let me down."

"By the way, do you have the scroll?" Ikkaku asked.

"Here." Qingyun handed the scroll to Ikkaku, who immediately opened it. The four of them were instantly transported to the venue for the next exam.

"What does this scroll do?" Qingyun asked curiously.

"It transports whoever opens it and anyone nearby to this place. If you open it on your own without an examiner present, you'll be sent to the second exam's chief examiner, and you'll fail the exam."

"You three did very well. You're the third team to pass the exam so far." Ikkaku-sensei's words were hard for Qingyun to believe. His team had spent every day on the road, but they still hadn't been the first to arrive.

"One team got in early and was lucky enough to find a scroll, so they ran straight to the Central Tower. They really were lucky."

"As for another team, they made it through on the strength of their incredible abilities! You three should keep an eye out for them."

"The exam hasn't reached its deadline yet, so more successful candidates may arrive. Until then, go rest in the Common Lounge." After Ikkaku-sensei gave his instructions, Qingyun, Minato, and Yoshihime were finally able to relax. They quickly replenished their physical and mental energy in the Common Lounge.

Qingyun had brought a homemade deck of playing cards, so the three of them played together to pass the time.

"I wonder if that girl, Hyuga Xinghuo, made it through," Qingyun said.

"I don't know. She's on her own without any teammates, so she must be in danger," Yoshihime said.

"With the Byakugan, she should be able to avoid danger, but it'll put even more strain on her. There's still another match afterward," Minato said.

The three of them passed the time together. Qingyun was so bored that he started practicing Observation Haki.

After who knew how long, Ikkaku-sensei informed them that the exam period had ended and they needed to go to the Duel Arena for a meeting.

When they arrived, Qingyun saw his teacher, the Third Hokage, standing there with an imposing air.

Before him stood the participants who had passed the previous round. Qingyun spotted one team whose members were very strong.

"If I'm not mistaken, those three are the team that got here before us," Qingyun thought. He then searched the crowd and quickly found Hyuga Xinghuo.

Her chakra seems a little low. Did she overuse her Byakugan?

Before Qingyun could observe any further, the Third Hokage began explaining the next round.

"Congratulations on passing the Ninja Survival Exam. Next, you'll face one-on-one battles."

"We'll pair you up at random, and the winner will be chosen in the end. The winner will become a Chunin. Of course, anyone who performs exceptionally well may also become a Chunin," the Third Hokage said. "The Feudal Lord and other important officials have already arrived and taken their seats. They're all looking forward to seeing you compete. I hope you'll show them your very best—not only for yourselves, but also for your villages."

Qingyun knew that becoming a Chunin wasn't the most important part of this exam. What mattered most was showcasing each country's strength and competing for mission assignments.

That said, as long as he became the ultimate winner or displayed the judgment and tactics of a Chunin, he would naturally be promoted.

Besides, this was a direct tournament, not a preliminary round. In other words, once this match was over, the competition would be finished!

Qingyun immediately set himself a small goal: to come in first and win the championship, so that his reputation as a genius would spread even further!

But he wasn't thinking this way because he was an ambitious person who cared about fame and fortune.

Qingyun was laying the groundwork for his future! And, of course, he wanted to claim the system's reward too!

After all, only by becoming stronger could he do what he wanted.