C30 They Had to Join Hands and Defeat Lu Chong.

As dawn's first light bathed the earth, the once deathly silent hunting ground stirred back to life. The Shadow Cats that had prowled the night mostly retreated to their dens for rest. They seldom roamed by day unless their territory was trespassed or they were provoked.

The vast expanse of the hunting ground meant it was impossible for the students to disturb every Shadow Cat. Their search for targets would have to be methodical and patient.

By now, most students had roused from sleep, gearing up for the day's hunt. Yet, the nocturnal hunt by the Shadow Cats had culled at least twenty percent of their ranks. Despite their best efforts to conceal themselves, some were inevitably discovered and, without aid, ousted from the competition, their practical exam scores frozen in time.

Upon waking, the students' first order of business was to check the updated score rankings. Even those with no illusions about making the Top 100 List were eager to measure the gap between themselves and the leaderboard.

"Who's this?"

"Lu Chong from Class 5 at No.1 High School. How did he shoot up to first place overnight? I don't recall seeing him before bed."

"He's at 680 points, over 300 ahead of second place!"

The students buzzed with disbelief, questioning the credibility of their own eyes. Lu Chong, an unknown the day before, had skyrocketed to the top. Was it even possible without rest?

The consensus was clear: night was fraught with peril, and the wise would seek refuge to recuperate. Even the elite seldom ventured out after dark, for isolation could spell swift elimination.

"Could Lu Chong, who fought so fiercely through the night, still be out there?" some wondered aloud.

"Efficient hunting at night is one thing, but it surely raises the odds of elimination. My bet? He's out," another speculated.

Meanwhile, outside the hunting ground, the camp swelled with over 6,700 students who had been eliminated, now under the care of medics.

Most of these students had fallen victim to bad luck last night, discovered and ousted by the Shadow Cats.

Chen Yufei and five of his classmates from Class 5 were among them.

"Mr. Chong is incredible!" Chen Yufei had, of course, seen the Top 100 List. He was now jubilantly celebrating as though he himself had clinched the top spot.

He hadn't been eliminated the previous evening; instead, he had strategically withdrawn during an afternoon encounter with two Stage 3 Shadow Cats, narrowly escaping injury.

His actual combat score stood at a mere 25 points.

Yet, Chen Yufei was unfazed. His focus remained fixed on the leaderboard, eagerly anticipating his good friend's ascent.

But last night, Chen Yufei had drifted off to sleep at eight, missing the moment Lu Chong made the list.

To his delight, he awoke today to an unexpected and thrilling surprise.

"Besides Mr. Chong, who else could skyrocket to first place overnight?" Chen Yufei exclaimed as he celebrated with his classmates.

"Mr. Chong has outstripped Hsiang Yueya by over 300 points. He's simply phenomenal," his classmates responded, their excitement palpable.

They reasoned that, despite their early elimination, having such a formidable peer was a source of pride.

"They're still questioning whether Mr. Chong was eliminated last night. How naive," Chen Yufei scoffed, spotting the speculation among the ousted students on the school forum.

He was now eager to witness Lu Chong continue to climb the ranks, ready to silence the skeptics with hard evidence.

Meanwhile, in a surveillance hall guarded by the military, Lee Chengjun wore a grim expression, dreading Wang Tong's smug look.

President Faang, seated at the center of the front row, also appeared grave.

He was well aware that Lu Chong, esteemed by Wai, was not only still in the game but was also comfortably ensconced in a basement, sound asleep.

His most accomplished student, Xue Cheng, who sat third in the rankings, had barely amassed over 300 points.

"Old Wei, your student sure has confidence, venturing out at night just like a Shadow Cat. Isn't he afraid of failing?" President Faang asked, casting an envious glance at Principal Wai, feigning sleep beside him.

Principal Wai, without even opening his eyes, spoke in a languid tone, "There's no need for you to fret over my student. Just focus on preparing your Tiger Roaring Arts."

President Faang found himself at a loss for words. He fixed his gaze on the large screen, seething with anger as he watched Lu Chong sleep soundly.

Senior Colonel Huang observed quietly, thinking to himself, 'His teacher seems to have a lot of confidence in him.'

Reflecting further, Senior Colonel Huang considered, 'Of all the students this year, only my junior brother has mastered both the Nine Shadow Step and the Monument Breaking Hand to perfection. He truly stands out.' With this in mind, he surmised that Lu Chong's abilities must extend beyond these skills. After all, both the Nine Shadow Step and Monument Breaking Hand are low-grade martial skills, and even at their peak, their power is finite. Should Lu Chong face an opponent wielding a middle-grade martial skill at an arcane level, he could be at a significant disadvantage. It's akin to the disparity between a handgun and a grenade; even an unexploded grenade packs a greater punch than a bullet.

'I'll keep watching him. If my teacher holds him in high regard, he surely hasn't shown us everything he's capable of yet.'

Deep within the hunting grounds, in the domain of the Stage 7 Shadow Cat, Hsiang Yueya, Zhao Loongfei, and Huang Junyan had convened.

They had actually already met up the previous afternoon.

The hunting grounds spanned a hundred miles. Without a way to contact each other, the students found that venturing deeper into the Shadow Cat territory naturally brought them closer together.

Thus, the trio had prearranged to meet as quickly as possible within the Stage 7 Shadow Cat's domain, enabling them to hunt as a team.

At that moment, Zhao Loongfei, with a dark look on his face, scrutinized the Top 100 List on his Help Caller.

"He's probably been eliminated by now, right?" Zhao Loongfei speculated with a hint of malice. "It's been half an hour, and his score hasn't budged."

Huang Junyan responded evenly, "That's not a given. He was busy all night; he might just be resting now."

Before Zhao Loongfei could counter, Hsiang Yueya interjected coolly, "If he hasn't been eliminated, he'll surely arrive here before long."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Loongfei's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Exactly! When the time comes, we'll take the offensive."

"I'd gladly lose 100 points if it means taking him out of the competition."

"I'm not interested in this," Hsiang Yueya said indifferently, turning to make her way toward the territory of the Stage 8 Shadow Cat.