037: Ambush

The seed students selected from the entire class, including Liu Kun, were quite pessimistic when facing Wang Ba, Wu Chun, and others from Class 1 and 2, which left Tang Jian feeling rather speechless.

However, it wasn't a matter of being disappointed in their lack of competitiveness, because both Wu Chun and Wang Ba were already Three-Star Card Users, and their Card Energy values were reportedly over 120.

These two could be considered the strongest students at Xicheng No. 1 High School currently, with Card Energy exceeding 120, which also proved their Life Force was definitely above 12.

Tang Jian had just spoken casually about teaching Wang Ba and the others a lesson after entering the Interstellar Tower, but in truth, he wasn't entirely confident of victory.

Still, even with high Life Force and Card Energy, it would be quite impossible for these students alone to take on a Three-Star Card Master like him, someone who had been reborn.

However, Tang Jian didn't say these things to Yang Mao and the others again. Even if he did, they might not believe him and would think he was bragging instead.

This time at the Interstellar Tower, Tang Jian had no intention of keeping a low profile. He decided to achieve a dazzling record to completely capture the attention of the school's higher-ups, so they would fully nurture him.

In this era, being overly low-key was useless. One had to be high-profile to compete for various resources.

Soon, Vice Principal Zhou Dongbo appeared with some school leaders. After saying a few perfunctory words, he announced the opening of the Interstellar Tower.

Sun Yiying walked over, encouraged everyone for a few moments, and then led several people into an assigned large room.

This large room had no furnishings; it merely contained several large leather seats, and suspended above each seat was a helmet-like metal instrument.

Tang Jian was naturally familiar with this. It was a virtual biological seat. After sitting down and putting on the helmet, one would enter the virtual energy world constructed by the Interstellar Tower.

Similar equipment could be found in internet cafes in some large cities, provided for players to play highly immersive virtual games.

However, the Interstellar Tower was the Interstellar Tower, and virtual games were virtual games. The virtual environments in most virtual games were not composed of energy, making it difficult for people to improve their strength by cultivating within them.

Tang Jian casually picked a seat and sat down. A staff member came over and pressed a button.

Immediately, some neural connectors and wired attachments affixed themselves to Tang Jian's body, and the helmet above descended to completely envelop his head.

Tang Jian only felt a sharp pain in his tailbone, and a tingling, electric sensation spread throughout his body.

A strong sense of vibration came over him.

Many colorful hues appeared before his eyes, and his consciousness felt his body rapidly descending, experiencing a sense of weightlessness. Countless sounds and images flashed through his mind, making him dizzy and nauseous.

However, Tang Jian had experienced similar scenarios before and quickly adapted.

The next moment, a sensation of touching the ground struck him.

Tang Jian's feet jolted, his knees slightly bent, and he found himself in a vast wilderness. In the distance were Gobi hills, with eagles circling above.

A gust of yellow sand blew past, covering his face with dirt. Even the dry air and the smell of earth lingered around his nose.

At this moment, not only him, but many other students had already entered the virtual energy world constructed by the Interstellar Tower. In fact, when Tang Jian turned his head, he saw a student appear nearby.

At this point, lines of energy-formed text began to appear in the air, and Tang Jian heard Vice Principal Zhou Dongbo's voice.

"Students, you are now on the first level of the Interstellar Tower. The assessment is about to begin. The content of the first level's assessment is your practical combat ability.

You will engage in a fight on this vast wilderness. You can find trustworthy teammates to act with, or you can act alone.

Your task on this level is to use everything at your disposal to eliminate your enemies."

When the words "eliminate your enemies" came from Zhou Dongbo's mouth, Tang Jian even heard gasps from some students nearby.

He couldn't help but smile, thinking this assessment would be even easier for him.

Most of these students, living in their ivory tower, had never experienced a killing game. Even though this was just a game-like test, the vast majority had never experienced anything like it.

Perhaps some had experienced killing in virtual game worlds.

But the energy world constructed by the Interstellar Tower was far more realistic.

The more realistic it was, the more some novices felt resistant and repelled.

Tang Jian looked at a student not far away, who was facing away from him and standing still, listening to Zhou Dongbo explain the rules. A sinister smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Looking at the ground around him, he bent down, picked up an irregular stone about the size of a fist, and weighed it in his hand.

At this moment, Zhou Dongbo was still explaining the rules.

"...Note, once the assessment begins, you will each receive a meter, a One-Star Blank Energy Card, and a random Blank Card.

You can use the initial equipped cards to complete this battle, or you can use your learned combat techniques.

For each person you kill, you will earn one point. However, if you die, all your accumulated points, including all resources in your hand, will be obtained by the person who killed you.

These points will ultimately be recorded, and there will be mysterious rewards. The leaderboard will be displayed in the air shortly."

"Once the assessment begins, toxic gas will start to be released from the outermost edge of the wilderness.

Therefore, none of you should entertain the thought of escaping by chance. You must gather at the very center. At the very center, there will be more card resources waiting for you to pick up.

By picking up more resources, you will have the opportunity to exert stronger combat power, hunt other people, and achieve better performance.

Now, let the assessment begin!"

Almost the instant Zhou Dongbo finished his lengthy speech declaring the assessment started.

Tang Jian's stealthy steps immediately turned into a sprint. He raised the stone in his hand and smashed it directly onto the head of the student who was still facing away from him.

Thump—

He could feel the dull thud of the stone hitting bone, like a stone colliding with wood.

Tang Jian could even feel the recoil from the stone in his hand.

The blow was powerful.

The opponent cried out, fell to the ground, twitched twice, and then faded and disappeared.

A rectangular measuring device and two white cards appeared on the ground.

Not far away, several classmates who witnessed this scene stared at Tang Jian, who had secured the first kill, with horrified expressions. They instinctively began to back away, feeling intense apprehension and fear towards Tang Jian, who had acted so decisively and ruthlessly.

Just then, the points on the scoreboard in the air instantly updated.

First Place: Tang Jian: Points: 1.

Many students had barely finished hearing Zhou Dongbo's words when they instinctively looked up at the sky and immediately saw Tang Jian's newly displayed name. Many were stunned.

"Damn, who is that? He already took someone out right when the assessment started?"

"He must be cheating, right?"

"Tang Jian? Holy cow?"

Liu Kun, Yang Mao, and other classmates from the same class immediately saw Tang Jian's name and were completely dumbfounded.

Does he have to be that fierce?

Outside, in a large conference room, Vice Principal Zhou Dongbo was also stunned.

Sun Yiying, who had been closely observing her students' performance, now had a dark look on her face.

Just moments ago, she had personally witnessed Tang Jian, like a cautious hunting cat, quietly approach his prey and then decisively strike.

His actions looked completely shady; that kind of sneak attack seemed so practiced, as if it wasn't his first time.