"Alright, is there anything you’re not satisfied with? If so, I can still make changes."
Ouyang Ye’s voice rang out. He looked at Lin Ye, his gaze completely genuine, as if he would reforge the spear on the spot if Lin Ye had any complaints.
"I’m very satisfied."
Lin Ye turned, bowing to the old man in sincere gratitude. "Thank you very much, Mr. Ouyang."
"Mm."
Ouyang Ye nodded, clearly pleased.
"That just leaves one last thing."
"This spear... it truly will be my last creation."
"I poured my heart and soul into it, but I haven’t thought of a good na for it."
Ouyang Ye looked at Lin Ye.
"Since it’s your spear, and it feels right in your hands, you should be the one to na it."
Lin Ye stroked the spear shaft, which was cold yet seed to possess a life of its own, and pondered for a mont.
His gaze seed to pierce through the workshop, all the way to the boundless river of stars in the cosmos.
"Let’s call it... Star-Piercing."
’To pierce the very stars!’
The na made both Chen ng and Ouyang Ye pause for a mont to savor its aning.
’What incredible spirit!’
"Star-Piercing..."
"Not bad. A fine na! You youngsters should have this kind of spirit, one that dares to pierce the heavens!"
"This spear still needs to go through the final process, Edge Opening and Spirit Storage. It won’t take long, just a few hours."
"After it’s done, I’ll have soone deliver it to you personally."
"You can head back for now."
Lin Ye nodded and returned the Star-Piercing Spear to Ouyang Ye.
Just then, the personal terminal on Chen ng’s wrist suddenly vibrated.
It was a ssage from Principal Wang Zhengguo.
After Chen ng finished reading, his expression beca serious. He said to Lin Ye, "Lin Ye, there’s news about this year’s Qiming General Star Training Camp! Mr. Wang wants us in his office imdiately to discuss the details."
...
「Half an hour later. Dongjiang First Middle School, the principal’s office.」
Wang Zhengguo took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He leaned back in his large chair, his expression grave and worried.
"The situation is more complicated than I imagined."
"This year has seen a nationwide explosion of talent. In Yanjing and Shangjing alone, three or four peerless prodigies have erged, the kind you only see once in several decades."
"On top of that, our own Ninghai Province has seen a surge of incredibly promising young talents. As a result, the competition for the official spots in this year’s Qiming General Star Training Camp is fiercer than ever."
"All fifty spots were carved up and claid a week ago."
"Initially, Dongjiang didn’t receive a single spot."
"But, as luck would have it, this very explosion of talent caused many of the martial arts families to be dissatisfied with the allocation of spots. They jointly appealed to the Ninghai Navy Departnt, and as a result, the military made an exception and decided to add a final selection round to determine the final candidates."
As he spoke, he pushed a docunt with a bright red letterhead in front of Lin Ye.
Lin Ye took the docunt.
[Urgent Notice on the Final Selection Assessnt for the 167th Annual Ninghai Province "Qiming General Star" Martial Arts Training Camp]
Lin Ye scanned the page, his eyes flying over the lines before finally settling on the location and content of the assessnt.
He saw a term—Level 4 Fallen Area.
Since the dawn of the Martial Arts Era, the war between humanity and the Celestial Abyss Race has been at a stalemate. However, during the initial stages of the war, large swathes of territory were invaded by the alien race. So of these areas have yet to be fully reclaid.
These regions are collectively known as "Fallen Areas."
Level 1 Fallen Areas: regions completely controlled by the Celestial Abyss Race. They are equivalent to war fronts the aliens have established on the Earth Plane. Reclaiming them would be impossible without launching a massive, nation-ending war.
Level 2 Fallen Areas: the front-line battlefields where both sides are still fiercely fighting. The Seventh War Zone, where Lin Ye’s father is stationed, is essentially a Level 2 Fallen Area.
Level 3 Fallen Areas: regions where the main alien forces have been cleared out, but small pockets of resistance remain, using the complex terrain to mount a desperate defense. Reclaiming them in a short ti would also require significant effort and troops.
As for Level 4 Fallen Areas, these are regions from which the aliens have been almost completely driven out and which have been mostly reclaid. However, due to long-term contamination from Celestial Abyss energy and Source Crystals, they have spawned large numbers of powerful mutated beasts. A very small number of alien stragglers may also still be present.
"Nearly all Level 4 Fallen Areas share one characteristic: while the environnt is harsh, the threat level is relatively manageable. Before conducting a final sweep, the military often cordons them off to use as live combat training grounds for prospective or newly-advanced Martial Artists."
Wang Zhengguo spoke up, filling in the details Lin Ye wasn’t aware of.
Lin Ye now understood.
The docunt stated clearly.
The ten people with the lowest composite scores from the initial fifty finalists would join twenty-seven additional top talents recomnded by various cities throughout the province. All thirty-seven of them would enter the Linchuan Level 4 Fallen Area.
There, they would all participate in a week-long wilderness survival and combat trial!
In the end, only those who survived and ranked in the top ten based on points would earn a final spot in the province’s Qiming General Star Training Camp for the year.
"I really can’t understand what the higher-ups are thinking!"
"Sending a group of high school students directly into a true kill-or-be-killed wilderness! Even if it’s the lowest-threat Level 4 Fallen Area, it’s far too risky!"
"I’ve heard about that place, Linchuan. Many of the high-concentration Source Crystal Veins inside have yet to be cleared. The harsh environntal radiation alone places an imnse strain on a Martial Artist’s body and can cause significant harm!"
For a mont, an oppressive atmosphere filled the office.
Only Lin Ye, after hearing all this, showed no trace of worry. On the contrary, his eyes shone with an unprecedented light.
’Large quantities of uncleared Source Crystals?’
’Powerful mutated beasts everywhere?’
’And even the chance of finding a few alien stragglers?’
Lin Ye had already cleared the Ruined City and was just wondering where he could go to level up. He could feel his heart begin to race.
’How is this a hell-difficulty trial?’
’This is clearly a perfect Leveling Area, tailor-made for !’
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