"Only Espers below the second tier can enter?"
"Why does that restriction fit us so perfectly?" Zhou Fan raised an eyebrow. It felt as though this Chaos Secret Realm had been tailor-made for them.
"But we're only first-tier, four-star Espers. Even if second-tier Espers can't enter, couldn't you find someone at first-tier, five-star?"
Wang Daochuan chuckled. "Where do you think we'd find a first-tier, five-star Esper in our school right now?"
Zhou Fan thought it over.
Among the students, the two of them seemed to have the highest levels.
"At this point in time, first-tier, five-star is a rather awkward level."
"Either someone from your newly awakened batch has reached first-tier, five-star through diligent cultivation..."
"Or an Esper who awakened last year, or even the year before, has reached first-tier, five-star."
"There's no need to discuss your batch. You've only just awakened, so you couldn't possibly have reached first-tier, five-star yet."
"As for the Espers who awakened last year or the year before..."
"If they're still stuck at first-tier, five-star after all this time, that means they're useless."
"Rather than recruit a bunch of useless people, I'd prefer to recruit you," Wang Daochuan explained.
Zhou Fan understood at once.
The first tier was a transitional stage that most people could get through quickly.
Take the batch of Espers who had awakened last year, for example.
Under normal circumstances, those with good talent could reach first-tier, five-star in two or three months.
Those with slightly less talent could break through in six months.
Even those a little worse than that would certainly manage it in eight months.
If someone was still at first-tier, five-star after an entire year...
It could only mean they wouldn't amount to much in this lifetime.
"When do we move out?" Lin Qianqian asked.
All she cared about was when they would move out.
"If there are no other issues, I'll take you to the rendezvous now."
Wang Daochuan stood up.
Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian followed him.
They arrived at the school parking lot.
Wang Daochuan's personal driver was already waiting for them.
His car was a Maybach with a sun painted on its body. It looked dazzling!
"Get in."
Once they were in the car, they headed straight out of Skysea City.
Half an hour later.
The car stopped at the foot of a mountain.
The three of them got out and continued on foot.
They were out in the wilderness now, where normally only mutant beasts roamed.
Today, however, the atmosphere was distinctly tense.
Zhou Fan saw quite a few Espers in matching uniforms standing at the foot of the mountain.
Those must be people from the Esper Bureau, right?
The three of them reached the mountaintop.
A camp had been set up there, with more than a dozen Espers from the Esper Bureau standing vigilant guard.
"Old Wang, you're here. It's been a while."
A middle-aged man in military uniform spotted Wang Daochuan and immediately walked over.
Jiang Canghai, director of the Southern District Esper Bureau, a fifth-tier Esper!
"Old Jiang, it's been a while."
The two greeted each other with warm smiles.
"Are these the two outstanding students from Tianhai No. 1 High School?"
Jiang Canghai's gaze fell on Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian behind Wang Daochuan.
"Yes. This is Lin Qianqian. Her S-rank superpower is the Divine Paper Technique."
"This is Zhou Fan. His C-rank superpower is the Spirit Eye System."
"Zhou Fan, Qianqian, this is Jiang Canghai, the director of our Southern District Esper Bureau-a fifth-tier Esper!"
"A fifth-tier Esper?" Zhou Fan was a little taken aback.
Esper ranks were divided from highest to lowest into the first tier, second tier...
The first and second tiers were transitional levels that the vast majority of Espers could reach.
The third tier was the first dividing line. Reaching it required a certain amount of talent.
The fourth tier was the second dividing line. Reaching it required considerable talent or enough hard work.
The fifth tier was the pinnacle for ordinary people! Once someone became a fifth-tier Esper, they could be considered a powerhouse in their own right!
As for the sixth tier, seventh tier, and beyond... those were insanely powerful beings, and there weren't many of them in all of Xia Country.
"A C-rank superpower?"
Jiang Canghai looked at Zhou Fan, his sharp brows furrowing slightly.
"Old Wang, did you bring the wrong person? I asked for people who could enter the Chaos Secret Realm. Why did you bring someone with a C-rank superpower?"
It wasn't that he looked down on Zhou Fan.
But the Chaos Secret Realm was fraught with danger. Wasn't bringing a student with a C-rank superpower just sending him to his death?
"Old Jiang, you can rest assured about that. Although he has a C-rank superpower, he's first-tier, four-star, just like Qianqian."
"He's fully capable of handling this mission," Wang Daochuan said.
"You're already first-tier, four-star?" Jiang Canghai was somewhat surprised.
[Surprise from Jiang Canghai +100]
A fifth-tier Esper really did provide a lot of emotion points.
"Your cultivation speed with a C-rank superpower can actually match someone with an S-rank superpower. Not bad, young man."
Jiang Canghai didn't question it further.
Wang Daochuan had brought Zhou Fan here.
He trusted that Wang Daochuan wouldn't treat his own students' lives as a joke.
"Thank you for the compliment, Director Jiang."
Lin Qianqian, however, felt a little displeased as she stood beside them.
Praising Zhou Fan was one thing.
But why did they have to compare him to her?
Although her system had also bound Zhou Fan as her comparison target...
That didn't mean Zhou Fan truly had the strength to stand alongside her.
In this Chaos Secret Realm... she would make Zhou Fan see the difference in their strength for himself!
"Back to business. What's the situation now?" Wang Daochuan asked.
"Come over here and take a look."
Jiang Canghai led them to the mouth of a valley.
Inside the valley stood a golden gate of mist, two meters tall and one meter wide.
"This is the entrance to the Chaos Secret Realm."
"According to our investigation, the Beast King inside is still in its incubation stage and hasn't fully developed."
"But the secret realm has special protections. Any Esper at the second tier or above will be restricted by its barrier upon entering."
"Forcing your way in could cause the secret realm to collapse, leaving you dead without even a body to bury," Jiang Canghai said.
"Director Jiang, why don't you go in yourself, then? With your strength, you should be able to force your way past the restrictions, right?" Zhou Fan asked in confusion.
So-called restrictions were rules the strong imposed on the weak.
But with enough strength, any rule could be broken.
Jiang Canghai said, "Of course I could force my way in. But if that triggered a spatial collapse, the Beast King inside would flee immediately."
"At that point, it would be very difficult for us to catch the Beast King."
"So we have to kill it in its cradle now, before it has fully developed!"
"I have a question," Lin Qianqian spoke up.
"If only first-tier Espers can enter the secret realm, are the mutant beasts inside all first-tier as well? Or are they above the first tier?"
This question was crucial.
If the mutant beasts inside were all second-tier or third-tier...
Wouldn't sending two first-tier Espers in be nothing more than delivering meals straight to their door?
Jiang Canghai said, "You can rest assured about that. The Beast King is the core of the Chaos Secret Realm. None of the mutant beasts inside can be higher-level than the Beast King."
"So none of the mutant beasts inside currently exceed the second tier."
Before you continue