Conflict (Please Read On)

After entering the interstellar era, the inhabited planets occupied by the Human Alliance numbered in the tens of thousands, yet there were only four Super First-Rate Universities.

Those four Super First-Rate Universities enrolled fewer than eight thousand students in total each year. This meant that some inhabited planets could not send even a single student to them.

Each year, those four Super First-Rate Universities had to reserve ten percent of their admissions for students from the planets where they were located, cutting another eight hundred spots. Furthermore, Martial Arts Grandmasters above the Golden Core Realm could secure substantial bonus points for their direct descendants on the college entrance examination, allowing them to enter the four Super First-Rate Universities. The descendants of the Human Alliance's top experts could naturally also be specially admitted without examinations.

Under such circumstances, the four Super First-Rate Universities generally had only around four thousand actual admission slots open to other planets.

After school started, Yang Lie would be a second-year high school student. Although he possessed Essence Solidification Realm Second Layer cultivation, he still lagged far behind those monstrous geniuses from countless planets.

Qian Ming said with a hint of pride, "With his talent, getting into a First-Rate University shouldn't be a problem!"

Zhao Feihe chuckled. "With your support, he should be able to get into a First-Rate University."

In the forest.

"This competition is highly practical! Forming teams tests social skills. Those with strong social skills can form stronger teams. Besides that, it tests beast-hunting ability and actual combat ability. By the way, do you know how to track vicious beasts?"

As she moved through the forest, Fang Lingxiu chatted casually with Yang Lie. She was also a rookie hunting beasts for the first time and knew nothing about tracking vicious beasts.

"I was going to say, leave it to me. But it seems there's no need for me to do anything at all!"

Yang Lie chuckled and drew his combat saber.

Four Black Fur Vicious Wolves, their bodies covered in jet-black fur and their eyes blood-red, sprang from the nearby undergrowth and pounced at Yang Lie and Fang Lingxiu.

"Leave them to me!"

Fang Lingxiu smiled brightly. Her figure flickered, and she rushed into the midst of the four Black Fur Vicious Wolves. Dazzling sword light erupted in an instant, and the four wolves were immediately chopped into pieces that fell to the ground.

Yang Lie praised, "Amazing! Just as expected of you, Lingxiu!"

Even many seasoned beast-hunting team hunters could not easily kill four Black Fur Vicious Wolves. Of course, beast-hunting team members below the Hundred Refinements Realm generally used 12.7-millimeter heavy rifles. Only martial artists at the Hundred Refinements Realm or above fought with cold weapons.

Naturally, those martial artists above the Hundred Refinements Realm also wanted to use war weapons such as powered armor, mechs, and combat implants to hunt vicious beasts, but they simply could not buy them.

Konghe Star was a developing colonial planet within the Human Alliance, so all kinds of advanced equipment had to be imported. At present, Konghe Star could only independently produce lower-tech equipment, such as large-caliber heavy rifles and large-caliber heavy artillery.

Regret flashed through Yang Lie's eyes. "These vicious beast corpses are the best nourishment for the Small World. Unfortunately, cameras are everywhere in this forest, so I can't collect them!"

The two continued through the forest. First-order vicious beasts kept appearing, only to be easily dealt with by them.

"Someone's there!!"

Yang Lie suddenly frowned slightly and looked toward a patch of brush.

Surprise flashed through Fang Lingxiu's eyes. She had noticed the anomaly a step later than Yang Lie, clearly showing that his senses were even sharper than hers.

Five tall, handsome youths dressed entirely in black openly emerged from the brush.

"I'm Liu Zifeng from Beiyun Base City No. 1 High School! These are my friends Ye Xiong, Zhang Xing, Liu Xinxin, and Zhou Da. May I ask what your names are?"

The leader, a tall youth with a crew cut, several pimples on his face, and a confident, sunny expression, spoke openly while holding a longsword. When his gaze fell on Fang Lingxiu, a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes.

Fang Lingxiu introduced them openly. "I'm Fang Lingxiu from Beihe Base City No. 1 High School, and this is my friend, Yang Lie!"

Liu Zifeng smiled confidently. "Fang Lingxiu, I don't like fighting girls. But this is a competition, and we're determined to take first place this time! The two of you should surrender!"

"Competitions don't distinguish between men and women! Make your move!"

A fiery battle intent flashed through Fang Lingxiu's eyes. With a light shout, she activated her true qi and unleashed the Earth Grade Martial Skill, Vermillion Bird Swordplay. The sword in her hand stabbed straight toward Liu Zifeng.

"What a fast sword!"

Liu Zifeng's expression changed abruptly. He unleashed the Clear Wind Swordplay, a Profound Grade sword art, as his sword light flowed with elegant ease and stabbed forward.

Clang!

The two swords collided. A wave of scorching true qi surged from the blades, and Liu Zifeng's face changed dramatically, as though he were gripping a red-hot iron. He nearly lost hold of his sword.

Seeing that things were going badly, Ye Xiong, who stood beside Liu Zifeng, raised his shield and blocked.

Fang Lingxiu's sword tip struck the shield, and an incomparably terrifying surge of Vermillion Bird True Qi erupted instantly. It passed through the shield and struck Ye Xiong's hands, scorching them red and making his expression change.

Zhang Xing and Liu Xinxin thrust their spears fiercely at Fang Lingxiu's flanks.

Fang Lingxiu had no choice but to withdraw her sword and defend, sending out sword light to block both attacks one after another.

Fang Lingxiu possessed the terrifying cultivation of Essence Solidification Realm Eighth Layer, and she cultivated the incomparably domineering Vermillion Bird Swordplay. Yet she was still forcibly held back by Liu Zifeng and the other three.

The reason beast-hunting teams in the wilderness were organized into squads of five was that five martial artists at Qi Blood Realm Ninth Layer could defeat one martial artist at Essence Solidification Realm First Layer. Five martial artists at Essence Solidification Realm Ninth Layer could contend with one martial artist at Hundred Refinements Realm First Layer. Five martial artists at Hundred Refinements Realm Ninth Layer were no match for a martial artist at Heaven and Human Realm First Layer, but they could still hold on for some time.

"Looks like the outcome will be decided by the two of us!! Lose!!"

A vicious glint flashed through Zhou Da's eyes. He roared and unleashed the Yellow Grade Tiger's Roar Saber Technique, becoming like a humanoid tiger as he hacked domineeringly at Yang Lie.

Yang Lie's expression turned grave. He frantically activated his true qi and executed a basic saber technique. His saber struck like lightning, moving later but arriving first as it slashed into Zhou Da's blade.

Clang!!

With a terrifying boom, Zhou Da's saber was sent flying. He himself staggered back several steps, disbelief filling his eyes. "How can your strength be so great?"

Yang Lie only knew basic saber techniques. His force application and saber skill naturally could not compare to Zhou Da's, but his strength was several times Zhou Da's. With brute force overcoming all technique, he had been able to knock Zhou Da's saber away in a single strike.

Yang Lie chuckled and stepped forward. Like a terrifying giant snake, he drove his right fist directly into Zhou Da's abdomen. Terrifying force erupted, blasting Zhou Da away and sending him crashing to the ground.

Zhou Da spat out a spray of blood and lay on the ground, convulsing in pain as he struggled to press the emergency button.

After defeating Zhou Da with a single punch, Yang Lie sprang up like a giant snake and threw a Snake Fist at Zhang Xing.