Central Tower!

"Since we both have the scrolls, there's no need for us to fight until our heads are broken. It's better for Konoha ninjas to be friendly and help each other out, don't you think?" Qingyun asked.

Hyuga Xinghuo shook her head and said, "What you say is correct, but I still prefer to act alone. Regardless, you are still considered an enemy of my Hyuga Clan."

"An enemy? Isn't that a bit much? I only taught a few brats from the Hyuga Clan a lesson when I was younger; there's no need to moralize me like that." Qingyun shook his head, feeling surprised by Hyuga Xinghuo's logic.

This Hyuga Xinghuo ultimately chose to leave alone; she clearly did not want to act with Qingyun.

Qingyun did not take this female ninja to heart.

"We should get going too. There is a time limit for entering the Central Tower." Qingyun then rushed toward the direction of the Central Tower with Minato and Yoshihime.

This time, they didn't encounter any enemies. There were only so many people participating in the Chunin Selection Exam, and the idea that they were all disguised Jonin was too exaggerated.

Over the past few days, Qingyun had grown accustomed to this life of traveling. Seeing that the time was nearly up, he immediately said to his teammates, "We have already obtained the scrolls, and there must still be many ninjas near the Central Tower who haven't. They are lying in wait for 'newbies' like us."

"There's no need to get tangled up with them. We just need to reach the Central Tower at top speed. However, if anyone tries to intercept us, we must make them taste our strength," Qingyun said.

"Isn't that statement a bit contradictory?" Yoshihime couldn't help but retort.

"Byakugan!" Qingyun whispered in his heart, immediately relaying the situation around the Central Tower to Minato and Yoshihime.

"There are about three groups of people here, blocking ninjas from entering the Central Tower from different directions."

"I don't think they've discovered us yet, so we can make use of Shadow Clones." Qingyun then explained his plan, and both Minato and Yoshihime couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

Following this, the three of them used Shadow Clones to rush into the enemies' line of sight to draw aggro, ultimately leading the three teams of ninjas who were lying in wait to collide with one another.

Once the three factions met, they naturally began to fight fiercely.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qingyun said directly, "Quick! While they're busy dog-fighting, let's get inside!"

"Right!" Yoshihime and Minato agreed, and then they rushed into the Central Tower with Qingyun at maximum speed.

The moment they rushed inside, Qingyun felt a sense of physical and mental relief. Living in the ninja world with high alert and constant anxiety every day was truly exhausting.

At this moment, Ikkaku was already there waiting for the Qingyun Squad.

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

"Indeed, I am responsible for receiving the three of you. As expected, you three arrived safely! You certainly didn't disappoint me."

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

"Here." Qingyun handed the scrolls to Ikkaku, who opened them directly. Upon opening them, the four of them were instantly transported to the venue for the next stage of the exam.

"What is the function of this scroll?" Qingyun asked, feeling a bit curious.

"It can transport the person who opens it and those nearby to this location. If you open the scroll privately without a proctor present, you will be transported to the proctor of the second stage, and you will fail the exam."

"You three are truly impressive; you are the third team to advance in this exam." Instructor Ikkaku's words left Qingyun feeling somewhat incredulous. His team had been traveling every day, and he hadn't expected they wouldn't be the first to arrive.

"The first group arrived quite early, and they were lucky enough to obtain the scrolls, so they sprinted all the way to the Central Tower. Their luck was simply too good."

"As for the other group, they relied on astonishing strength! You three should have noticed them."

"Since the exam deadline hasn't arrived yet, more successful candidates should be arriving. Until then, you can rest in the Common Lounge," Instructor Ikkaku instructed. After he left, Qingyun, Minato, and Yoshihime finally relaxed completely, quickly recovering their physical and mental energy in the Common Lounge.

Qingyun even brought out a homemade deck of cards, and the three of them began to play to pass the time.

"I wonder if that girl named Hyuga Xinghuo passed," Qingyun asked.

"I don't know. She doesn't have teammates, so it should be dangerous," Yoshihime said.

"With the Byakugan, she should be able to avoid danger, but the burden on her will be heavier. There is still one more match to go," Minato said.

The three of them killed time together. Qingyun, feeling bored, began to practice his Observation Haki.

I don't know how much time passed, but the three of them received a notification from Instructor Ikkaku saying that the time for the exam had ended and they were to go to the Duel Arena for a meeting.

After arriving, Qingyun discovered that his teacher, the Third Hokage, was already standing there with an imposing air.

In front of him were the contestants who had passed the previous stage, and among them, Qingyun noticed a group of students with very strong strength.

If I'm not mistaken, these three are the team that arrived even faster than us. Qingyun then searched the crowd and quickly found the girl, Hyuga Xinghuo.

This person's chakra is a bit insufficient. Was it really from overusing the Byakugan?

Before Qingyun could continue observing, the Third Hokage began to explain the mission for the next match.

"You have passed the previous Ninja Survival Exam; congratulations. However, we will now proceed to one-on-one combat."

"We will match you randomly to determine the final winner. The winner will become a Chunin, though those who perform exceptionally well will also be promoted," the Third Hokage said. "The Feudal Lord and important officials have also arrived and taken their seats. They are all looking forward to your performance. I hope you can show your strongest side, not just for yourselves, but for your village."

Qingyun knew that this match wasn't just about selecting Chunin; showing the strength of each nation and competing for mission commissions was the most important thing.

However, that said, as long as he could become the final winner or demonstrate Chunin-level judgment and tactics, he would naturally become a Chunin.

Furthermore, this duel was a direct duel, not a preliminary round. In other words, once you pass this match, the competition is over!

Qingyun immediately set a small goal for himself! That was to become number one! To take home a small championship! And to make his name as a genius even more widely known!

However, he didn't think this way because he was a snob who cared about fame and fortune.

Qingyun was paving the way for his future self! Of course, he was also doing it to claim the system's rewards!

After all, only by becoming stronger would he have the ability to do what he wanted to do.