"The Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament starts in less than a month," Han Qian said with a smile. "It's time for you to leave."
Yue Shen paused, only then remembering that he was supposed to represent the Demon-Resisting Sub-Temple in this year's Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament.
Since he had broken through to the fifth tier, he could receive a bye for the first two elimination rounds of the tournament's preliminary stage.
But every contestant still had to earn the right to compete.
If he remembered correctly, that meant hunting demons.
"Am I going back to Demon-Resisting Town?" Yue Shen asked after a moment's thought. "That makes sense. If I don't go back, Uncle Han Shu will go mad."
"No." Han Qian shook his head slightly. "You aren't going to Demon-Resisting Town."
"Huh?" Yue Shen's expression turned rather odd. "That... doesn't seem right."
Han Qian gave a wry laugh. "You don't think I'm going back on my word, do you?"
Yue Shen said nothing, but his expression made it perfectly clear that he did.
"That was Han Shu's own decision," Han Qian explained. "You know that fifth-tier Earth Knights like you receive byes for the first two elimination rounds of the preliminaries, right?"
Yue Shen nodded slightly.
"That's to keep you from accidentally knocking out some capable contestants in the first two rounds." Han Qian pondered for a moment, privately noting that there were more fifth-tier contestants this year than in previous years.
Han Qian shook his head and resumed his explanation. "So naturally, earning the right to compete is much harder for you than for everyone else."
"The others have to hunt an average of five demons per person to qualify." Han Qian paused before continuing, "But those of you who have reached the fifth tier are required to hunt one fifth-tier demon."
"You should know what things are like at the Demon-Resisting Sub-Temple," Han Qian said somewhat somberly. "I'm not even sure whether they have any fourth-tier contestants this year besides you."
At that, Yue Shen finally began to understand.
Apparently, now that he had reached the fifth tier, his hometown no longer wanted him.
"Han Shu felt that having the Demon-Resisting Sub-Temple's contestants hunt a fifth-tier demon with you would be too dangerous. His original plan was for you to help his contestants out so they could all make it into the preliminaries." Han Qian couldn't help laughing. "Who knew you'd reach the fifth tier so quickly?"
Yue Shen was speechless.
Only after Han Qian had more or less finished laughing did Yue Shen slowly ask, "Then have you made any arrangements for me?"
"Of course, though they aren't my arrangements."
"They're your teacher's." Han Qian paused. "His original intention was for you to earn your qualification over in Haoyue City."
Yue Shen paused at that. After giving it some thought, he replied, "Wouldn't that mean the contestants from Haoyue City would have to hunt a fifth-tier demon with me too? They'd be in danger as well."
"Don't worry," Han Qian said with a chuckle. "Your results will be counted separately. You don't need to help them reach the preliminaries. You only need to complete your own task, and any extra demons you kill won't count toward their results."
"All right." Yue Shen agreed without much hesitation.
He only needed to kill one fifth-tier demon, after all. That task wasn't difficult for him.
Besides, he wasn't particularly keen on traveling with strangers from the Knight Temple right now, since that might expose his trump cards too early.
Over nearly half a year of training, he and Sol had developed quite a few interesting and practical moves.
The next morning, Yue Shen packed his luggage, said goodbye to Han Qian, and prepared to set off.
"Wait a moment," Han Qian instructed. "Sol is still in his juvenile stage. You can get a horse from the knight division's stables to ride."
"No need." Yue Shen waved a hand. "Riding would be too slow. Sol is enough."
Han Qian froze at that. Before he could ask anything, Yue Shen had already put on a black cloak and disappeared into the crowd...
"Seriously?"
Han Qian scratched his graying head, straining his somewhat limited imagination to picture how the tiny Sol could carry Yue Shen all the way to Haoyue Town by air.
Following the same familiar procedures, Yue Shen passed smoothly through the checkpoint at the Holy City's gates.
Only after leaving the city did Yue Shen teleport Sol, who had been staying in the quiet room, to his side.
Unlike others, who needed to cast a summoning spell to call their mount companions, Yue Shen didn't need a spell to summon Sol.
Sol could sense Yue Shen's location and teleport over on his own.
Of course, they could also teleport in the opposite direction, but only Sol could teleport Yue Shen to his side. In that sense, their roles as rider and mount were reversed.
Moreover, their Equal Contract linked Yue Shen's mind with Sol's. It only took a thought for him to ask Sol to teleport to his side.
"Time to go, Sol. Being cooped up in there for so long must have been rough on you." Yue Shen reached out and stroked the golden crown on Sol's head, then glanced at the map in his hand.
"Let's go." Yue Shen raised a hand and pointed in a direction.
As soon as he spoke, a pair of brilliant blue wings of light sprouted from his back. Yue Shen reached out and cradled Sol against his chest.
Whoosh.
As Yue Shen poured his light spiritual power into them, the brilliant blue wings of light on his back instantly turned into a pair of dazzling golden wings.
With a few gentle beats, the wings lifted Yue Shen into the air, and he sped toward Haoyue Town.
Several days later, outside Haoyue City on the Temple Alliance's southern border.
Once he spotted the outline of Haoyue City's walls nearby, Yue Shen landed and dispersed the wings of light behind him.
He would have to walk the rest of the way, since the wings on his back had looked far too much like Spirit Wings.
Flying into Haoyue City unannounced could also cause unnecessary misunderstandings, especially since he had no intention of revealing Sol's abilities.
After passing through Haoyue City's checkpoint, Yue Shen headed straight for the Haoyue Branch Hall.
He showed the Holy Knight Commander's written order to the two knights on duty and was invited into the main hall to rest.
Before long, Nalan Shu, the master of the Haoyue Branch Hall, heard the news and hurried into the main hall.
Watching the man's fat belly bounce as he ran, Yue Shen couldn't help wondering how much strength Hall Master Nalan, a fifth-tier Earth Knight, still retained.
"Greetings, Hall Master Nalan." Yue Shen gave a Knight's Salute, then handed him the Holy Knight Commander's written order.
"I understand," Nalan Shu said after reading the order. "But the assessment won't begin for another few days, so I'll arrange for you to stay at the Haoyue Branch Hall first."
"Sorry for the trouble," Yue Shen said with a bow.
"No trouble at all." Nalan Shu waved his hands repeatedly. "The accommodations here certainly can't compare to those in the Holy City, though. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Then I'd like..." Yue Shen hesitated. "A single room will be enough."
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