"Wang Yu?! He’s one of the top five Unity Realm students from First Middle School!"

"He was insta-killed just like that? With a single slash?!"

"What... what was that?! A flash of white light?"

"The Black and White Dual Forms! They’re the Ultimate Hunters!"

Fear spread in an instant!

As if to confirm everyone’s speculation...

In another area of the battlefield, Jiang Lingyun, who had been fighting fiercely on a high tower platform, suddenly froze.

He spun around, the usual composure gone from his handsome face for the first time.

In front of him and to his rear, two figures as solid as shadows slowly materialized.

One was entirely jet-black, like the deepest night; the other was pure, flawless white, like the coldest moonlight.

They made no sound, but an aura even more powerful than before descended like a tangible iceberg.

"Hah!" As expected of the genius who had signed a B-rank contract with the Fire Hall, Jiang Lingyun roared under the terrifying pressure. The vital energy throughout his body erupted like a volcano, and the longsword in his hand instantly transformed into a sky full of starlight!

[Splitting Light and Fleeting Shadow Sword: Zenith]!

He used his full strength, trying to break free from the invisible shackles.

CLANG—!

A piercing shriek of grinding metal rang out.

Jiang Lingyun’s sword light collided with the black blade flash that struck first.

The tremendous impact split the webbing of his hand, nearly knocking the longsword from his grasp. As if struck by a heavy hammer, he staggered backward violently.

"Pfft!" He coughed up a spray of virtual blood.

The other bone-chillingly cold, white blade flash had already arrived silently, sealing off his retreat.

Jiang Lingyun’s eyes widened in fury. He forcibly twisted his body, pouring the last of his vital energy into his left arm to block.

BANG! The terrifying Blade Intent tore his left arm and most of his armor to shreds in an instant, sending a splash of data flying.

Immediately after, the black and white figures clung to him like a festering disease, moving with impossible speed.

A third blade flash, carrying an aura of total annihilation, swept across Jiang Lingyun’s neck...

[Eliminated!]

Three slashes!

It was another devastatingly easy victory!

The publicly acknowledged number one genius of Bluestone County had fallen!

The Black and White Dual Forms moved like the Grim Reaper’s harvesters, reaping their way across the battlefield without mercy.

Every target they locked onto, no matter how close to perfecting the Unity Realm, couldn’t last more than three moves before being instantly killed.

The number of figures still fighting on the field was diminishing at an astonishing rate.

...

「Outside the battlefield, in the real world.」

「Bluestone County, Main Viewing Platform.」

On the massive light screen, the camera was locked onto Li Wen, who was nimbly weaving through the ruins, his name hanging high at the top of the leaderboard.

The other, smaller windows were steadily disappearing as flashes of white light signaled one elimination after another.

The entire viewing area had long since fallen silent, holding its breath. All eyes were focused on this incredible young man from Third Middle School.

"This student, Li Wen... he’s from Bluestone Third Middle School?"

The representative from the Fire Hall, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, a solemn gaze, and an insignia of three golden flames on his epaulets, spoke for the first time as he watched Li Wen once again use the terrain and his exquisite Body Technique to evade several purple virtual pursuers.

The principal of Bluestone Third Middle School nodded. "That’s right, Director Sun. He’s a student in our school’s Flying Star Class."

"His Body Technique, blade skills, decisiveness, and his ability to read the battlefield... none of it seems as simple as someone who has just entered the Unity Realm."

The representative from the Virtual Company, a sharp-looking woman with short hair and gold-rimmed glasses, adjusted her frames. The analytical charts on her data pad flickered continuously. "His level of control is definitely far beyond his peers."

The representative from the Mercenary Alliance, a bald, burly man with a faint scar on his face, rubbed his chin.

"Interesting. The kid’s combat instincts are like those of a seasoned lone wolf. What’s his background file?"

Just as the county magistrate and the education bureau director were about to send someone to fetch it, a gentle yet firm voice with an undeniable penetrating quality sounded from behind them.

"I have it. He’s a student in my class." Everyone turned, slightly startled.

Fang Chengwu had, at some point, quietly slipped past security and was now standing a step behind the influential figures.

He was still dressed in the same simple gray suit, a composed smile on his face. His gaze passed over the group and settled on Li Wen on the light screen.

The county leaders and the director looked surprised, clearly not expecting to see Teacher Fang here.

But even more surprising was the reaction of the representatives from the four major powers.

The representatives, who had been sitting casually, all unconsciously straightened their postures the moment they saw Fang Chengwu.

An imperceptible glint flashed in the eyes of Director Sun from the Fire Hall, which quickly turned into a look of understanding mixed with surprise.

"Teacher Fang!" The female representative from Galaxy Bank was the first to react, her smile becoming much more sincere and enthusiastic.

"So he’s one of your prized students! No wonder he’s so extraordinary."

"Yes, yes," the bald Mercenary representative’s gruff tone softened with a trace of courtesy. "A great teacher produces a brilliant student! Teacher Fang, you have a keen eye. It seems Bluestone is about to produce another remarkable talent."

The short-haired woman from the Virtual Company also smiled faintly.

"No wonder he has such incredible Insight at this stage. Is Li Wen... an Awakened?"

Fang Chengwu nodded calmly, his eyes sweeping over the representatives.

"Correct. A technique-based Awakening, skewing toward combat insight and physical control."

"An Awakened! And a combat-related one at that!"

The smile on the Galaxy Bank representative’s face grew wider.

"Teacher Fang, about this young talent, would he be interested in joining our Galaxy Bank? We have the most top-tier..."

"Hey, Director Minnie, your bank may have deep pockets, but a combat-type talent like him is clearly better suited for the trials in the wild with our Mercenary Alliance," the bald man immediately interjected.

"Real-world combat experience is important, but systematic knowledge and data support are the cornerstones for reaching higher levels."

The short-haired woman from the Virtual Company calmly retorted, "Our Virtual Company can provide the most precise..."

"Alright, everyone," Director Sun from the Fire Hall raised his hand slightly. His tone was steady but held a commanding presence. His gaze shifted between Fang Chengwu and the light screen.

"Since he is Teacher Fang’s student and a technique-based Awakened who can achieve such a record in the Unity Realm, his potential is indeed considerable.

"By the standards of us four giants, signing him to a B+ rank contract shouldn’t be a problem. Teacher Fang, which of us do you think will be able to seize this opportunity?"

His eyes were probing, yet they also held a hint of apprehension toward the influence Fang Chengwu represented. Offering a relatively generous B+ rank contract was the safe choice.

The other three representatives immediately stopped their bickering and looked at Fang Chengwu in unison, all with pleasant smiles on their faces.

They expressed the same sentiment—we can offer a B+ rank. You say the word, and we’ll fight for him.

However, the smile on Fang Chengwu’s face didn’t change. He just shook his head gently, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

"B+ rank? I appreciate you all thinking so highly of Li Wen. However,"

He paused, his voice clear and steady. "I think this kid might just be worth fighting for an A-rank threshold. What do you all think?"

"A-rank?!"

The atmosphere instantly froze.

The faces of the county magistrate and the director changed; they didn’t dare to breathe.

The four representatives, who had just been enthusiastically bidding against each other, now wore smiles that seemed to have been frozen solid.

"Ahem," the short-haired woman from the Virtual Company pushed up her slightly slipping glasses, masking her awkwardness.

"Well... Teacher Fang, Li Wen’s performance is indeed stunning, and we acknowledge his potential with a B+ rank. But the A-rank standard... As you know, that’s for true provincial champion-level seeds. It requires a hard-won combat record, at the very least dominating all other students in the city, or even surviving a few more moves against the Ultimate Hunters... This is, after all, just a mock exam..."

"That’s right, Teacher Fang," the bald man from the Mercenary Alliance scratched the back of his smooth head, looking troubled.

"The assessment for an A-rank contract is extremely strict. We take on a liability when we sign one. If he fails to meet expectations later on..."

His meaning was clear: even if he was Fang Chengwu’s student, the A-rank standard couldn’t be bent easily for personal connections. If they signed him and he underperformed, they would face internal repercussions.

The smile on the Galaxy Bank representative’s face was a bit stiff. "Director Sun’s perspective is more comprehensive. Why don’t we..."

A sharp glint flashed in Director Sun’s eyes. Instead of rejecting the idea outright, he turned his gaze back to the light screen.

"I can understand your desire to look out for your disciple, Teacher Fang. How does Li Wen compare to Jiang Lingyun, who was just eliminated?"

He went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Jiang Lingyun has achieved grand completion of the Unity Realm, close to perfection, and has already signed a B-rank contract with our Fire Hall. Although Li Wen’s blade skills have reached the Unity Realm and he has the bonus of being an Awakened, his foundational control has not yet reached perfection. In terms of power output, he is also slightly inferior to Jiang Lingyun.

"The A-rank standard is the ability to suppress all the top talents in a city. With just the advantage of his Awakened Insight, he would, at most, just barely reach the upper limits of B+.

"If we were to force an A-rank contract and he later struggled to advance his aura, it would be a misfortune for the boy himself and for the reputations of our organizations. I hope you can understand, Teacher Fang."

His words were logical and reasonable. He simultaneously praised and downplayed Li Wen, blocking Fang Chengwu’s move while also subtly pointing out that signing an A-rank contract could backfire on Li Wen himself.

The other three representatives immediately found their lead and chimed in with support.

"Exactly! Director Sun’s analysis is spot-on!"

"His potential is immense, but B+ rank is indeed the fairest evaluation at present."

"We are all optimistic about Li Wen’s future, but A-rank... that requires more concrete achievements."

The gentle smile remained on Fang Chengwu’s face. How could he not understand that Director Sun’s words were those of a seasoned veteran? He knew Li Wen’s secret about his Primordial Spirit, but this was not the time to reveal it.

In his heart, he also admitted that perhaps his expectations for Li Wen were too high; an A-rank was indeed a stretch. He nodded, about to say something diplomatic.

In that subtle moment of silence...

On the light screen, the situation changed dramatically!

Li Wen was speeding through a complex network of metal pipes, using the intricate terrain to shake off the deep purple pursuers behind him.

Suddenly!

BOOM! BOOM!

Two figures, one black and one white, lunged out as if they had teleported. They appeared from two completely impossible blind spots—from behind a thick, broken wall on one side and from atop a giant pipe overhead.

The black blade flash carried a profound, deathly stillness that seemed to devour all light.

The white blade flash radiated an absolute, soul-freezing cold.

The diametrically opposed, yet perfectly coordinated, "Aura of Duality" instantly descended.