Xinzhou Subway Station

A burst of noisy chatter came over the radio.

He waited a moment.

"I'm pursuing another monster on Feiwei Road. I'm about to leave the city. Please give me a clear route."

"Over."

Xu Yuan held the steering wheel with one hand and spoke into the radio with the other.

A few seconds passed.

A voice came over the radio:

"Take Shadi Road. At the end of Feiwei Road, turn right at the second intersection. Over."

"Copy that. Thanks."

Xu Yuan replied and set down the radio.

The siren wailed.

He floored the accelerator.

The police car tore through intersection after intersection like a gust of wind and a flash of lightning, leaving the other vehicles behind.

"Prepare to turn right."

The navigation system chimed.

But the car had already reached the end of the road. It swung right onto a new street and raced ahead like a wild horse freed from its reins.

The car was faster than the navigation!

The speed had Zhao Afei and Yang Xiaobing on edge.

"Buddy, I'm a first-level Qi Refining cultivator, and you're about to make me puke!"

Zhao Afei looked ready to cry.

"Can you drive? Take over, and I'll go shoot a few monsters." Xu Yuan glanced back, his face full of hope.

"Don't look back! Focus on driving, man! I don't have a license!"

Zhao Afei cried out in fright.

Xu Yuan flicked the steering wheel.

The speeding police car shot between two large trucks, then weaved like a snake, leaving seven or eight cars far behind.

"Xu Yuan, pay attention. If we crash at this speed, even protective talismans won't stop us from getting seriously hurt."

Yang Xiaobing was terrified too.

"Got it."

Xu Yuan eased off the accelerator, then stamped down again, making the surge of speed even fiercer.

So that stretch right after the exam began had been time for the candidates to adjust.

Now even a Flood Dragon had appeared.

That meant the massacre of the city had officially begun.

There was one strange thing Xu Yuan had told no one.

The Flood Dragon's presence was certainly shocking and oppressive.

But—

Compared with that woman at the start, the one with seven or eight long black legs, the Flood Dragon was nothing.

At least the Flood Dragon's strength was out in the open.

You knew you couldn't beat it.

But that woman—

He simply had no idea what she was.

It was a terrible feeling.

This was only an exam. Why could it simulate something so horrifying?

Faster.

Just a little faster.

I need to get out of here alive—

"Watch out! The Flood Dragon seems to be preparing a spell."

A cool female voice came from the roof of the car.

It was Jiang Xueyao.

She had been watching the Flood Dragon all along.

Xu Yuan's heart sank.

The very thing he feared was happening.

They were still far from the elevated bridge out of the city. They probably wouldn't make it out before the Flood Dragon attacked!

Zhao Afei shouted:

"Even every senior from all eight schools combined couldn't stop a Flood Dragon's spell!"

"No kidding!" Yang Xiaobing said. "But it can't destroy the whole city in one strike—look, the city's defensive array is activating."

They looked through the windshield.

Long lines glowing faint blue had appeared in the night sky.

The lines moved swiftly, joining and extending to form a defensive array as an even greater power began to awaken.

For a moment,

the entire sky was covered in this "spiderweb" brimming with spiritual energy.

It was as though a giant were slowly waking—

Hummm—

The defensive array enveloping the entire city gave off a deep, drawn-out roar.

Spiritual energy streamed toward the sky like waterfalls running backward, sending up beams of flowing light.

"What a sight..."

The dazzling light in the night sky reflected in Xu Yuan's eyes as he spoke with feeling.

If this were a game, the visual effects alone would cost a fortune, and they still might not feel this immersive.

Yet he was right in the middle of it, taking part in a real competition in a real world of cultivation!

He gripped the steering wheel tightly.

I've never been in a competition this intense.

Lose, and I die!

Would I really die?

No.

I have to live.

I have to survive.

I still want to keep climbing in this world, surpass countless cultivators, and see the boundless view from the summit!

Jiang Xueyao's voice rang out again:

"The Flood Dragon is climbing higher. I think it's about to strike!"

"Xu Yuan!" Yang Xiaobing and Zhao Afei shouted together.

"All right, we'll take cover," Xu Yuan said helplessly.

I don't know what spell it'll cast, or what the consequences will be.

But it's a Flood Dragon.

That alone was reason enough to take it seriously. They had to find cover.

Xu Yuan turned the wheel and hit the brakes. The police car sped across a long, deserted crosswalk, mounted the steps, and stopped precisely beside a subway entrance.

"Out."

Xu Yuan gave the order.

All four got out at once and ran toward the subway entrance.

A sign hung above it:

"Xinzhou Subway Station."

But the steps leading down from the entrance were packed with people taking shelter.

"Strange. Why are they all sitting halfway down instead of going inside?"

Zhao Afei spoke quietly.

The four strode down and soon discovered why.

Barricades of sandbags, concrete, and wrecked vehicles had been piled up inside the station.

Behind them were students taking the exam.

Even from outside the barricades, they could feel an array's power at work.

"You're not coming in!"

A tall student at the front barked.

Xu Yuan was about to speak when he noticed something was off.

"Their uniforms are different from ours!"

Zhao Afei spoke up.

"They're from Nanshan City No. 1 High School," Jiang Xueyao said after a glance.

Nanshan City No. 1 High School was another of the schools in this eight-school joint exam. It was a top high school and had always performed well.

The four stopped on the steps.

There was no other suitable cover nearby.

If they stayed out in the open and took the backlash from a clash between the Flood Dragon and the defensive array head-on—

No one knew whether they would be ruled to have failed the exam on the spot.

Yang Xiaobing pressed a hand to her talismans.

Jiang Xueyao frowned slightly too.

The other side had already formed a battle array and built basic barricades.

They also outnumbered Xu Yuan's group.

A frontal assault had little hope of succeeding.

For a moment, the four were caught between advancing and retreating.

"You're from Jiangbei No. 5 High School, aren't you? We've claimed this place. Get lost, or you'll regret it!"

The tall boy at the front called out mockingly.

Zhao Afei tugged Xu Yuan's clothes and whispered:

"What do we do? Where can we go?"

Xu Yuan looked back.

The crowd had been shut out by the barricades.

That meant

if demons attacked, the people outside would inevitably cry out—

It would cost them their lives, but the students behind the barricades would be alerted at once.

The students would have ample time to handle the danger!

A fine calculation.

But—

Xu Yuan kept walking until he reached the barricade, then asked:

"Which agency are you with?"

The students behind the barricade froze.

We—

We're here for the exam, just like you.

The tall boy sneered:

"Are you blind? We're from Nanshan City No. 1 High School. That girl with the sword behind you is Jiang Xueyao, right? You can come in—by yourself."

Jiang Xueyao's gaze turned cold, and she put a hand on her sword.

Without looking back, Xu Yuan waved a hand at her, then said:

"So you're students. These barricades look pretty convincing."

With that, he picked up the radio.

"Bzzzt..."

"Reporting, sir. I'm at Xinzhou Subway Station, gathering civilians and organizing shelter. Requesting permission to proceed. Over."

He waited a beat.

An authoritative voice came over the radio:

"Permission granted. Do everything you can to prevent disorder, keep the situation under control, reassure the civilians, and await further orders. Over."

Xu Yuan gripped the radio. "Yes, sir!"

He put it away, took out his police badge, and waved it toward the barricade as he called out:

"Students, you've done a good job."

"The police have now authorized us to patrol this area on their behalf, and we're requisitioning your barricades."

"Clear a path immediately."

Silence fell on the other side.

...You can do that?

We're only here to take an exam.

And with a few words, you're requisitioning the barricades we worked so hard to build?

Xu Yuan saw that they remained silent and spoke again:

"If you insist on stopping people from entering the underground shelter to escape the demons—"

"Then we won't go in."

"But I'll report what you've done to the city police headquarters."

He picked up his police radio.

Switched it on.

"The demonic beast in the Fifth District has been killed. Over."

"Requesting support at People's Square. There are two Demonic Beasts here. Over."

"The two attackers at Nanshan Trade Market were shot dead at the scene. Over."

Voices kept coming through the radio.

Xu Yuan held it up, his eyes fixed on the man across from him.

One second.

Two seconds.

Xu Yuan raised the radio and began, "Xinzhou Road subway station—"

"Shut up! Get in here!" the tall young man opposite him roared.

If he still refused to let them in, Xu Yuan would report him, and a police squad might come to surround them—

Wouldn't they all become a laughingstock?

Xu Yuan lowered the radio and smiled.

"See? Was that so hard? In times of danger, we should help each other."