Chapter 19: System Activation

The middle-aged man set his phone aside, his brows slightly furrowed. “Sun Qingshu has turned off his phone.”

Someone nearby spoke up, “Then you should go in person.”

The man paused, unsure. “Is that really necessary?” He glanced at the surveillance footage, watching Fang Qingyun struggling to hold on. “The kid is impressive, but is he worth such an effort from us?”

If they were to personally seek out the principal of First High School, it would mean lowering themselves. With Sun Qingshu’s temperament, he would certainly demand terms.

The person next to him stared at Fang Qingyun on the screen. Despite the harsh conditions, the boy remained radiant and spirited. His young face brimmed with confidence and pride, impossible to conceal. He had his own convictions, and undoubtedly, hidden cards to play.

“I like this child!”

“Alright.” The middle-aged man was startled, then quickly said, “I’ll go see that old fox Sun Qingshu. Should I stick to the previous terms, or add more?”

“We can double them!”

The man’s face went blank. Double? That would cost a fortune! Just how highly did they rate this boy?

...

A similar scene played out in other admissions offices. Some were preparing to visit the principal of First High School themselves, while others still hesitated. Interests were entangled, making decisions far from easy. At least, Fang Qingyun’s current performance was not enough to convince them completely.

Fang Qingyun was unaware of any of this. Gritting his teeth, he fired another shot.

Bang!

A giant wolf was hit, but not killed. It howled in pain, fixing its fierce and fearful gaze on Fang Qingyun. If it had the choice, it would have rushed up and torn him apart. But in the secret realm, their movement was too slow.

“It’s definitely harder now!” Fang Qingyun was relaxed, simply sitting on the ground with his sniper rifle propped up on his legs. This made things much easier.

Bang!

With the shot, a giant wolf collapsed.

Spiritual Power +1
Spiritual Power: 16
Spiritual Power +1
Spiritual Power: 17

With each wolf hunted, the secret realm automatically rewarded Fang Qingyun with one point of spiritual power. Now with two points gained, he finally couldn’t hold on any longer. He tossed aside his gun and leaned against a tree, licking his lips as he eyed the four remaining wolves.

“I’ll let you go for now, but soon enough you’ll die by my hand. Don’t rush things.”

Out of sight from others, the system finally activated.

Origin +1
Origin +1

Excellent! Now all he had to do was maintain this state. As long as he stayed alive, he could keep getting stronger!

Holding his breath, Fang Qingyun was ready to allocate points at any moment.

...

Phew!

In the monitoring room, the school staff finally relaxed. Fang Qingyun had stopped at last. The principal smiled faintly, “Spiritual Power seventeen—this kid is truly mad. If he holds out, he’ll have a bright future, perhaps even a chance to become a General.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Old Li stared at Fang Qingyun for a long moment before quietly exhaling. The boy’s condition was poor, but his spirits were high. Moreover, Fang Qingyun seemed to have everything under control, which inspired confidence.

Old Li turned his gaze to other screens. One in particular—Zhao Junhong—caught his attention. Though not as outstanding as Fang Qingyun, Zhao Junhong had slain several half-demonic beasts in the secret realm. As a noble, he likely knew more about the secret realm.

Yet from their actions, Old Li deduced that their knowledge was incomplete, so he dared not speculate. Human nobility was ranked in six tiers; Zhao Junhong’s family belonged to the fifth—Viscount. To truly understand the secret realm, one needed to reach the fourth tier—Count. The gap between these stages was as vast as that between ordinary people and warriors.

Thus, Zhao Junhong’s repeated attempts to hunt half-demons seemed to be tests of his hypotheses. However, he had suffered serious injuries. Now, facing the immense pressure of the secret realm, could he hold out?

“His constitution is much weaker than Fang Qingyun’s,” Old Li worried inwardly.

Zhao Junhong must possess some secret medicines, but he was clearly trying to last until the second tidal shift. “Let’s hope nothing goes wrong,” Old Li sighed to himself. How many geniuses overestimated themselves, only to meet disaster? Old Li agreed with Wang Fatty’s assessment—the pressure in the secret realm was lethal.

Time crept by.

The monitors flashed with images of student after student. This was the moment of leaping through the dragon gate. Anyone who endured the first tidal shift would be one step closer to becoming a warrior. Of course, many would fail. Already, over forty percent had been forced out of the secret realm, and that number was rising fast.

Yet the school leaders barely spared a glance for these students.

Their attention was focused on how many survived the first tidal shift, and ultimately, how many would become warriors.

At last, the first tidal shift ended.

In the monitoring room, everyone exhaled in relief. Several teachers noticed their clothes were drenched in sweat. Three hours, three checkpoints—this was as much a trial for the schools as for the students.

The principal’s voice betrayed his excitement, “How many of our students made it? And how many reached the standard for warriors?”

Anyone who survived the first tidal shift had a much better chance at the second, thanks to increased adaptability. Moreover, several highly talented students were now eligible to become warriors. Once they exited the secret realm and learned the cultivation methods, they would truly be warriors.

The person in charge of statistics immediately reported, “This year, our school had 2,468 students take the exam. There are now 980 still in the secret realm, and 54 have reached the warrior standard!”

A collective gasp.

Far more than expected. Originally, with less than a five percent chance, twenty qualified students would have been considered excellent. Now, the number had jumped to seventy-four. And with 980 still remaining, how many more would qualify?

The normally stern principal was so pleased his eyes squinted with joy. This was his first year as principal of First High School, and the first round had produced eighty percent more warriors than last year. How could he not be delighted?

Suppressing his smile, he asked, “How did the other schools do?”

“Second High School, thirty-four qualified.”

“Third High School, eleven qualified.”

“Yuhua High School, nine qualified.”

...

The principal’s grin nearly reached his ears. These schools had more candidates, but fewer warriors—a testament to his own leadership.

Ahem!

Principal Sun cleared his throat and proclaimed, “Today, Flower City will see the birth of over a thousand warriors. Congratulations to Flower City, and to humanity!”

Damn it, must we congratulate you too? The others in the monitoring room grumbled inwardly, but outwardly they enthusiastically echoed Principal Sun. None of the old men dared contradict him now. Whatever the reason, the results came under his tenure—it was his achievement.

Henceforth, the higher-ups in Flower City would look at Principal Sun with new respect.

If Fang Qingyun was the brightest star within the secret realm, Principal Sun was the brightest star outside—the old star.

Beep beep beep!

Nearby, the secretary responsible for statistics received a call. He answered and said to Principal Sun, “Sir, the City Administration requests your presence. All the principals are there, along with the city lord.”

Principal Sun smacked his forehead. “Haha, that’s right—I should be with the other principals at the City Administration. How could I forget?”

“I’ll go right away.”

He took a few steps, then turned to look back at the monitors, especially Fang Qingyun’s feed. “That child, you must… must… Haha, they’re coming after all!”

He couldn’t help but burst out laughing as he finished.