The vast, gray clouds washed away, revealing a waning moon hanging high in the western sky, flickering in and out of sight.

A jet-black, steel armored vehicle suddenly emerged from the towering outer wall of Gao Yuan City, its engine humming as it sped toward the boundless plains. Yellow sand peppered its doors and windows.

"BEEP..."

Following a soft, crisp sound, Jiang Qiu, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced down. The silver screen of the Military Department Recording Ring he had just put on his right hand was flashing.

[April 16, 2125, 6:00 AM]

’I had only just gotten to school today—hadn’t even taken my bow off its rack—when I was rushed into this vehicle and sent speeding out of the city.’

’And the one driving me was none other than the temporary inspector from the Military Department who’d brought Liu Yong to Eighth Middle School.’

"Time is a bit tight. I trust you have everything you need prepared?" a resonant voice asked, accompanied by the rough sound of callused palms on the steering wheel.

Jiang Qiu glanced to the side. Liu Qi’s arms were as thick as a calf’s thighs, his hands holding the steering wheel steady. His chiseled cheeks were the sallow yellow of sun-tanned bronze, and a cross-shaped scar on his face looked as if it had been carved by a steel knife.

"Yes. My spear, bow, Blood Boiling Liquid, and clothes are in my Storage Ring. I also brought two hundred Conical Arrows."

Jiang Qiu’s tone was sincere as he casually touched his cool Purple Gold Patterned Storage Ring.

"You didn’t prepare an Ancient Armor Replica?" Liu Qi’s thick brows shot up. He glanced over at Jiang Qiu, his voice deepening. "There will definitely be casualties in this Military Department test. If your body isn’t tough enough, you’re bound to get injured without protective gear."

"..."

Jiang Qiu was silent for a moment.

’An Ancient Armor Replica... like that Silver Armor Li Juefeng wore. Armor made from Middle Tier Demon Beast materials is considered Middle Level Armor, and it costs five to six hundred thousand online.’

’A single whip-like strike from a Demon Plant on par with a High Tier Demon Beast could smash it to pieces. Five or six hundred thousand, gone just like that.’

’And Advanced Armor made from High Tier Demon Beast materials? The cheapest set starts at a million. That’s enough to buy a small house and settle down in the Outer City’s civilian district.’

’I need to save up to craft Advanced Su Fragrance right now; I really can’t afford to spend money on armor.’

’Besides, my Steel Bone Realm body is pretty tough. I could probably sleep in the mouth of a Red Armored Giant Lizard without even getting a scratch. My arms have the literal hardness of Steel Bone, after all...’

"I don’t have a suitable Ancient Armor Replica for you with me. We’ll see when we get to the temporary camp at the foot of the mountain. If there’s any spare Middle Level Armor, I can grab a set for you to use."

At this, Jiang Qiu quickly shook his head. "Don’t trouble yourself. I can manage without Middle Level Armor."

’A set of Middle Level Armor costs five or six hundred thousand. If it breaks, I’d have to pay for it. I’d rather just take the hits. I can always recover by eating a few hearty, meat-filled meals.’

"Ha! You’ve got guts. Director Zhao mentioned you hunted Demon Beasts without protection during your practical training. You’re as confident as he said." Liu Qi laughed heartily. "If you had joined the Celestial Pride Project earlier, you’d definitely be one of the Optimizers by now!"

"Mm," Jiang Qiu nodded, a bright glint in his eyes. "Director Zhao told me that if I can pass this Military Department test, I can also become an Optimizer?"

"Yes. If you pass this Military Department test, you’ll be granted special permission to join the Celestial Pride Project and receive the same treatment as the Optimizers." Liu Qi’s smile slowly faded, his expression turning serious. "However, it will be extremely difficult. The condition for you to pass is that you must take first place.

You should understand, with the college entrance exams just over a month away, joining the Celestial Pride Project at this point won’t have a massive impact. A little extra Wusu Fragrance won’t change the game.

Only by becoming an Optimizer within the project and gaining access to the Virtual Training Pods could you possibly make a tangible leap forward in your Martial Arts.

Frankly, with your talent, you’re more than qualified to be an Optimizer. But in the Military Department, the most important thing is earning everyone’s respect."

Liu Qi paused, his demeanor growing somber and his eyes holding a hint of melancholy. "Years ago, there was another genius who only emerged in high school and was granted special entry into the Celestial Pride Project. His physical talent was exceptional, and the old general in charge of the project at the time approved a massive amount of Martial Arts Resources for him.

The amount of Wusu Fragrance he consumed would have been enough for at least thirty other project students. His allocation of Bone Su Fragrance was equal to that of five Optimizers combined. And his time in the Virtual Training Pods was more than triple that of the other top geniuses.

The Military Department was in an uproar. They held meeting after meeting, dragging things out until that year’s college entrance exams were over. The old general requested a transfer to Tianshan City, and in the end, General Mo took full control of the Celestial Pride Project..."

Jiang Qiu froze. A news story from a few years ago surfaced in his mind: Yang Zheng, the head of Gao Yuan City’s top ten prodigies. He was a Jade Sinew Realm genius who focused solely on the Spear Dao, and both his spearmanship and his physical prowess completely outclassed his peers—a once-in-a-century phenomenon.

’But then he was found to have used forbidden means to acquire a Demon Race bloodline, wasting a massive amount of the Celestial Pride Project’s resources. The overall quality of that generation’s participants hit an all-time low because of it, and the project had to drastically cut its numbers in the years that followed...’

"Ever since then, the criteria for obtaining Military Department resources have become much stricter. They’re even wary of students who try to join the Celestial Pride Project later in high school," Liu Qi sighed softly. "If Director Zhao hadn’t pleaded on your behalf, General Mo would have certainly rejected your application.

In fact, just by participating in this test, you’re already considered a quasi-member of the Celestial Pride Project. You can earn the Military Department’s rewards just like the others, and you’re also competing for a spot as an Optimizer..."

"So, this Military Department test was supposed to be only for students in the Celestial Pride Project. But because Director Zhao put in an application for me, it’s also serving as my personal trial.

As long as I earn first place on my own merit, I can officially join the Celestial Pride Project and become an Optimizer."

Jiang Qiu slowly clenched his fists, his eyes glinting with determination.

’I have two goals for this Military Department test: join the Celestial Pride Project to get resources, and kill Demon Beasts to earn money for crafting Advanced Su Fragrance.’

’According to Liu Qi, I have to earn their respect, which means I need to prove myself by taking first place against dozens of other geniuses. Killing Demon Beasts has to be the best way to do that!’

"Of course. General Mo promised it himself." A sharp glint flashed in Liu Qi’s eyes, but then he shook his head. "However, the beasts you’ll be hunting this time are mostly Iron Feather Birds and Cyan Feathered Birds, and there might even be a few High Tier Demon Beast One-eyed Owls. If your Bow Technique isn’t proficient, just hitting them will be a challenge.

Besides, there’s a genius from the Inner City who is the clear favorite. For the past few years, she’s been just one step shy of the Optimizer title. Now, she’s achieved Mastery in both Spear Dao and Archery Dao, and her body has reached the Steel Bone Realm. She’s fully expected to become an Optimizer.

Below her, all the other geniuses, whether from the Inner City or the Outer City, are just aiming for the top-ten rewards. No one is even thinking about coveting first place."

Hearing this, Jiang Qiu’s brow furrowed slightly.

[Ancient Martial Arrow (Proficient)]

[Features: Sustained Qi Blood, Long-range Sniper Kill]

[905/1000]

’I’m still 95 arrows short of reaching Mastery. There’s definitely a gap between me and that Sister Yu.’

’The geniuses in the Celestial Pride Project are on another level. Her dual Mastery of spear and bow puts her way above Eighth Middle School’s top genius, Liu Yong—and she’s in the Steel Bone Realm on top of that.’

’It’s a shame time is so short. My Bow Technique hasn’t reached Mastery yet, so my initial kill rate will definitely be lower than hers.’

’I’ll have to put everything I have into every shot, aiming to break through to Mastery in the midst of combat. Then I can start catching up!’

At this thought, a fire ignited in Jiang Qiu’s chest, and his blood began to boil with passion.

Liu Qi suddenly seemed to think of something else. He clicked his tongue and sighed. "One more thing I should mention. Her name is Yang Yu. That genius I mentioned earlier, the one who was given all those resources? His name is Yang Zheng. You’ve probably seen his name in the news. He’s her older brother.

Unlike her brother, who became the head of the top ten prodigies, when Yang Yu was first selected for the Celestial Pride Project in middle school, she was completely unremarkable in the Celestial Pride Camp. Among geniuses, her talent was considered mid-tier, and she received the most basic allocation of resources.

Right when her brother’s scandal broke, her own situation became precarious. For years, she was on the verge of being kicked out. It was General Mo who protected her and kept her resources from being reallocated.

After that, she fought desperately every year in the various Military Department tests, vying for an Optimizer spot. All of her strength was forged through real combat. One time, she was nearly eaten by a High Tier Demon Beast, having fought to the point of utter exhaustion...

Now, many students speculate that if you put her in a beast-killing competition against a supposedly stronger Optimizer, when all is said and done, she’s the one who would probably come out with the higher kill count."