World Check-In/C21 I Am Going to Heaven!
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World Check-In/C21 I Am Going to Heaven!
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C21 I Am Going to Heaven!

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lee Yu, on the verge of dozing off in the center of his cage, noticed a row of iron cages being hauled away.

He quickly cleared his waterlogged ears and made his way to sit in the middle of the now-vacant space.

Despite positioning himself at the very center, he couldn't escape the gorilla-like creature's spit assaults. Curiosity piqued, Lee Yu wondered if the beast ever got thirsty, especially since he was soaked to the bone, reminiscent of a stroll in the rain.

"Damn, is this really how they conduct inspections?" Lee Yu was jolted awake by the unfolding scene. "Why didn't anyone give me a heads up?"

In front of him, soldiers were busy securing the iron cages onto a raised platform. Beyond the platform lay a sea of helmeted heads—a throng of armored soldiers.

He had assumed the inspection would involve someone verifying the creatures in the cages against a registry, but this was entirely different. The cages were paraded onto a platform, and the details of the beasts and their cultivation levels were announced loudly.

"Is this not a recipe for public humiliation?" Lee Yu muttered to himself, shivering at the thought.

Surrounded by the beasts earlier, their roars had drowned out all else. He couldn't make out any human voices, only intermittent applause, leaving him clueless about the inspection process. Now, it was all too clear.

"Qing Yangde, captured an Eighth Grade aphrodisiac python, scoring three points."

"Qing Yangde, hunted an Eighth Grade honey deer, scoring two points."

"Qing Yangde's total score: seventy-five points."

"Next up, Third Young Master, Qing Zhong."

"Qing Zhong, hunted a Ninth Grade mountain wolf, scoring one point."

As Lee Yu listened, the rules of the hunting competition became clear to him.

'Hunting' referred to the killing of exotic beasts, with a Ninth Grade beast worth one point, and each additional grade above that adding another point. Beasts without a grade didn't count. 'Capturing' meant taking exotic beasts alive, with an extra point awarded for each grade calculated.

The classification of exotic beasts was much like that of humans, with nine grades in total—the Ninth Grade being the lowest and the First Grade the highest. Qing Yangde? He was that strikingly handsome guy. Lee Yu couldn't help but shiver as he recalled Qing Yangde's scholarly demeanor, and how effortlessly he rolled up his sleeves to capture those exotic beasts alive. He was indeed formidable.

Names were called out one after another, and finally, Lee Yu heard a name he recognized.

"Next up, the County Princess, Qing Anqi!"

The announcement was met with a surge of applause that seemed to last forever.

Qing Anqi, the beloved only daughter of the County Duke of Qingshan, was adored by all. Within the Qingshan Army, she was everyone's princess.

Thus, when Qing Anqi's name was called, the crowd erupted into the most prolonged and intense applause, despite knowing she might not have scored a single point.

As the applause continued, two soldiers approached and began to pull the iron cage containing Lee Yu toward the stage.

Lee Yu glanced around, puzzled. "Hey, is there a mistake? Why aren't there any other cages?"

The soldiers cast a brief, complex look at him but remained silent. "No mistake," they said. "Your name is the only one on the list."

Lee Yu was dumbfounded. The kid looked tough, but it seemed he hadn't caught a single one.

The applause diminished slightly as the iron cage was hoisted onto the stage. But when the audience saw a human sitting cross-legged inside, the clapping came to an abrupt halt.

"Hello, everyone," Lee Yu called out. He couldn't let the moment pass in silence—otherwise, people might think he was less capable than those exotic beasts!

Was it truly a human?

Many soldiers exchanged bewildered glances, having initially thought it was some exotic beast with a human-like appearance.

On the stage, the host approached the iron cage, eyeing the young man inside with curiosity. He then heard the youth whisper, "Just read from the information you have and wrap this up so I can get out."

The host nodded in understanding. It all made sense now. This young man must be the Princess's friend, stepping in to spare her any potential embarrassment.

With this thought, the host lifted his head and declared with conviction, "You may have doubts, you may wonder why the Qing's, renowned for their paternal love for their people, would allow their kin to treat humans as hunting trophies. Let me reveal to you the complex truth behind this!"

"The County Princess, during her hunt, encountered survivors of a village tormented by mountain bandits. Acting with compassion, she rescued two individuals who had managed to flee, including the young man now in the cage."

A wave of realization swept through the crowd.

That explains why the County Princess returned with only one 'prize'—she had been delayed by a rescue!

"Adding to the twist, the other severely wounded survivor is the granddaughter of a former Green Mountain Army soldier. Enraged upon hearing this, the County Duke has dispatched a squad with a solemn vow to eradicate these ruthless bandits and honor the fallen brothers of the Green Mountain Army!"

The soldiers, stirred by the host's proclamation, began to chant 'County Duke' with fervor.

"Quite the stirring speech, isn't it? But it certainly does wonders for unity and public morale," Lee Yu mused to himself, his respect for the host growing.

The host truly had a mastery of his craft!

"And the young man? After his rescue, he learned of the County Princess's participation in the hunt and requested to be considered prey, offering his unique Thunder Bloodline as a token of gratitude for her aid!"

Lee Yu was speechless...

Such a distortion of truth! If not for his claim to possess the Thunder Bloodline, Lee Yu might now be forced to flee and survive alone on Blue Star.

But the reaction among the Qingshan Army soldiers was quite different—they were all chanting Qing Anqi's name in adoration.

The host, pleased with the response, made his final call to action, "Now, let us tally the score for our lady."

"For the County Princess, capturing the Thunder Bloodline, a full one hundred points!"

"The County Princess's total score: one hundred points!"

The venue fell into a hushed silence before erupting into a thunderous roar. Some shouted 'Thunder Bloodline,' others called out Qing Anqi's name, and still others cried out 'County Duke' with impassioned voices.

The voices gradually merged into a harmonious chorus, everyone shouting in unison:

"May the heavens bless Qingshan County!"

The spectacle was seared into Lee Yu's memory. Sure, celebrity concerts might draw massive crowds, but none could rival the electrifying impact of an armored army's fervent cries.

It was a sound that resonated with the soul, a sight no one could easily forget.

Lee Yu was caught up in the moment, yet his mind was racing with the thought: I've really done it now, I might not be able to get out of this one!

As expected, when Lee Yu was lowered from the cage, Qing Anqi did indeed arrive as promised, but she wasn't alone. Accompanying her was a group led by a middle-aged man with a square face, dressed in fine clothes, and a small beard that lent him an air of authority.

"County Duke," greeted the two soldiers, their left fists pressed against their right chests.

The man nodded, then turned to Lee Yu, emerging from the cage. "Would you care to join me on a visit to the Qing Residence?"

"I will follow the County Duke's lead."

Lee Yu nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. This wasn't a question, but a request—one that couldn't be declined.

"Let's be on our way," said Qing Heng, nodding. He took Lee Yu's hand, and suddenly, they were surrounded by a surge of energy and rocketed skyward!

"Holy smokes!"

Lee Yu watched as the landscape below him shrank, then vanished into the distance.

"Is this... am I ascending to the heavens?" Lee Yu's mind struggled to keep up, yet the view was undeniably breathtaking.

It didn't take long for Lee Yu to come to grips with his reality—he was in a world where cultivation was possible. If he played his cards right with the system, perhaps he too could one day take flight.

After all, he had an ace up his sleeve—the system.

With this in mind, Lee Yu's nerves settled, and he began to compare this new, exhilarating experience to flying in an airplane.

Observing from the shadows, Qing Heng nodded in approval. "Excellent, he's fearless."

As they continued their swift flight, Qing Heng's thoughts raced until he reached a firm decision: "Whether it's true or not, I must treat it as such. The Qing family needs a pillar to lean on."

The cry of "Heaven's blessing to Qingshan Prefecture" that recently echoed from the ranks of the Qingshan Army was, in fact, orchestrated by him upon his arrival. Without his covert directive, such a deliberate chant would never have spontaneously arisen.

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