C244 The Country Examination Set Off!

Without hesitation, Adams bit into his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto his end of the contract. Instantly, he felt as though something had vanished from deep within his heart. Adams recognized this as a manifestation of the soul contract taking effect, signifying that a fragment of his soul had now become part of the diminutive parchment.

Chu Yi, observing the soul contract in his grasp, allowed a slight smile to cross his face. In a flash, the contract transformed into a beam of light that shot into Chu Yi's body, disappearing entirely. Adams, who had been about to explain the contract's use, was left momentarily stunned. But his confusion quickly turned to excitement.

Adams was certain that Chu Yi had never encountered a soul contract before, yet he had understood how to activate it after merely glancing at it. This wasn't mere knowledge—it was power. Indeed, it was a form of strength. Adams's confidence in his decision was solidified.

...

Chu Yi didn't linger in the Stellar Fleet's healing pod for long, departing around midnight. While others remained to hasten their recovery, Chu Yi was in no rush to heal. Speedy recovery would only lead to difficult questions he wasn't ready to answer.

Staying any longer was becoming a struggle for Chu Yi; the immense power he wielded made it challenging to keep his body's natural healing in check. He knew that if he didn't leave soon, his wounds would fully mend.

After bidding farewell to War God Xu, the latter personally escorted Chu Yi home. The two had agreed to keep the day's events confidential. Chu Yi cited concern for his family's peace of mind as the reason, and War God Xu, without suspicion, agreed to maintain secrecy, though this pact was only meant for those outside the family.

War God Xu wouldn't keep secrets from Chu Yi's grandfather, Chu Tianfeng. And Chu Yi had no intention of deceiving his grandfather either. Nevertheless, he did intend to conceal the true extent of his strength for a while longer.

Chu Yi considered Adams's earlier fabrication to be quite convincing. Despite its flaws, with the demise of War God Luo and the Gold Horn King, there was no one left to investigate. Any evidence had been erased during Chu Yi's final showdown with them.

As long as Chu Yi, Lee Zi, and Adams were consistent in their story, even the most suspicious individuals wouldn't be able to uncover anything.

Upon arriving home, Chu Yi discovered his parents had already retired for the night. Their apparent lack of concern wasn't due to indifference; Chu Yi had made it clear that his grandfather would be with him at the banquet, so there was no need for them to worry.

Stealthily making his way to his room, Chu Yi wasted no time in opening his communicator to get in touch with his grandfather. And, as expected, the old man who had always spoiled Chu Yi was now livid. He had been informed of Chu Yi's recent incident, undoubtedly by War God Xu.

Feeling remorseful and not daring to argue, Chu Yi resigned himself to his grandfather's lecture, which lasted a full thirty minutes before coming to an end. It wasn't that Chu Tianfeng had run out of things to say; rather, considering that Chu Yi was to attend the national examination the following day and it was already past one in the morning, he ultimately decided to let Chu Yi rest.

Indeed, Chu Yi had been through a lot that day and had expended a significant amount of energy. The old man's assessment was accurate. The events of the night had taken their toll, and while the fight with Zhang Zhongqi didn't bother him much, the subsequent battles with the Gold Horn King and Sol War God had drained him considerably, leaving him with serious injuries.

Truly, he had expended a great deal of energy. To maintain his condition, Chu Yi chose not to practice his cultivation and instead went straight to sleep...

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

Awakened by the sound of his alarm, Chu Yi opened his eyes. It had been quite some time since he had enjoyed such a restful sleep. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only nine in the morning. The rendezvous was set for two in the afternoon, at which time they would head to the Fairmoor Airport in Redmarsh City to catch a flying ship to Fairmoor City, the venue for the national examination.

With plenty of time before the meeting, Chu Yi savored a lovingly prepared breakfast left by his parents. After reflecting on the previous day's battles, he found that Lee Zi had already arrived at his house.

"Chu Yi, let's get going."

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was already past one in the afternoon. We had planned to meet at two, and considering the time needed to travel to Fairmoor Airport, there was no room for hesitation. As I approached the entrance, the flying car the elder had dispatched was waiting quietly.

The events of yesterday had clearly made the old man more concerned about Chu Yi's safety. And rightly so—Chu Yi's prowess was nothing short of terrifying. Unbeatable among his peers and capable of overpowering those at the Diamond Level, Chu Tianfeng believed that not even a being close to the War God Level could pose a real threat to Chu Yi. Only the War God himself might stand a chance at suppressing him.

Chu Tianfeng had once been confident that Chu Yi's strength was sufficient, especially within the confines of Redmarsh City. But last night's incident had shattered that illusion. The Gold Horn King was a formidable force; even Chu Tianfeng might struggle to escape from such an entity, let alone defeat it.

The Gold Horn King's presence in Redmarsh meant that other dangerous top-tier demons might also target Chu Yi. If it weren't for the risk of drawing too much attention, Chu Tianfeng would have personally come to protect his treasured grandson.

"Young Master Chu, please enter the vehicle."

The driver, dressed sharply in a suit, seemed out of place to Chu Yi. It wasn't that the man posed any threat; rather, there was something peculiar about him. It was as if the suit didn't belong to him, creating an unsettling feeling. Regardless, Chu Tianfeng had sent him, and Chu Yi had verified his identity.

Chu Yi wasn't particularly concerned about danger, but he knew that avoiding unnecessary complications was always preferable. This time, his parents had chosen not to accompany him to the national examination. They claimed it was to avoid hassle, but Chu Yi understood that they simply didn't want to add to his pressure.

The details for this year's national examination were released ahead of schedule.

Diverging from the three previous stages, the fourth stage reinstated the traditional rules.

That is, it was a challenge.

Chu Yi understood that the goal of the national examination wasn't merely to vie for the title of the national martial examination's top scholar.

While that accolade was significant and came with a substantial reward, the real objective was to select individuals to represent the Adirang Region in the national war.

Hence, the challenge was undoubtedly the most effective method to demonstrate personal prowess.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

Chu Yi checked the message; it was from Adams.

Adams had returned to the government the previous night, severing ties with his past associations to devote himself to serving Chu Yi.

Naturally, this wasn't something to be voiced openly.

The official statement was that Chu Yi and Lee Zi had saved Adams's life, prompting him to forsake his former privileges to dedicate himself to safeguarding Chu Yi's development.

Any other justification would likely have been met with resistance, but repaying a debt of gratitude was a motive difficult to contest.

Thus, in just one night, Adams had managed to arrange everything.

Of course, this was partly because Adams had relinquished many benefits; otherwise, it might have taken weeks to finalize.

The message indicated that Adams had already taken a spaceship to Fairmoor to scout ahead on Chu Yi's behalf.

That was a smart move.

The hovercar was swift, yet it still took a full thirty minutes to reach the spaceship center in Redmarsh.

Upon disembarking, Chu Yi and Lee Zi headed straight for the agreed meeting point.

Fifteen figures were already there, awaiting their arrival.

Remarkably, Redmarsh had outdone itself this time, with seventeen candidates qualifying for the national examination.

With the recent modifications to the examination's rules, the number of participants had been capped at two hundred fifty-six.

From thirty-six regions, only two hundred fifty-six spots were allocated.

On average, each region had only about seven or eight people. Yet, Redmarsh boasted a staggering seventeen individuals, more than doubling that figure.

This underscored the formidable strength of Redmarsh.

"Alright, everyone has arrived. Let's set out."

In the past, the teacher leading the national exam was typically just an ordinary Diamond, and in less remarkable years, having a top-tier Gold as the leader was considered quite good.

But this time, there were more than ten Diamond powerhouses serving as escorts, and the team leader was a Half Step to War God.

Half Step to War God...

In Redmarsh, there are only three War Gods, making the Half Step to War Gods some of the most esteemed figures, second only to the War Gods themselves.

Yet, these Half Step to War Gods usually held little authority.

Reaching the Half Step to War God level meant setting aside any significant power they previously held to concentrate on advancing to the War God level.

Success would catapult them from a government heavyweight to a luminary among humanity.

And in case of failure...

There was no cause for concern; even a Half Step to War God who failed would still rank among the government's elite.

Chu Yi sensed that this Half Step to War God bore no trace of defeat, a clear indication that he was still in the throes of his challenge.

Nevertheless, he had been summoned to lead the team, a testament to the extraordinary emphasis Redmarsh placed on this year's national exam...

"Alright, let's depart now..."

At the Half Step to War God's command, seventeen candidates, escorted by over twenty guards, embarked on the Stellar Fleet's spaceship bound for Redmarsh.