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The days passed in this manner, and regarding Lu Fei Fan's final evaluation results for the recent assessment, they had already appeared on the desk of the Unified Examination Committee responsible for Fu Tong Kao. After repeated discussions among the committee members, along with verification and investigation assistance from the Military Headquarters, most references had corresponding results based on their previous exam scores.
The final results list was placed before Thunder Jun, a young Major General. He rubbed his somewhat stiff stubble and glanced at the deputy commander, Wu Xiu Luo, who stood with his arms crossed nearby. The man, wearing a half Black Mask, seemed to show no reaction.
Thunder Jun could only give up and turned to look at the other three individuals seated in the conference room. One of them was an elderly man with a bald head, continuously stroking his Bai Xu while sitting with a cane.
"Mu Jiuber, do you have any opinions on this list?" Thunder Jun inquired of the old man.
"My eyesight isn't what it used to be; you can decide everything," he replied. Stopping his hand from stroking Hu Xu, he shook his wide-sleeved robe and picked up an exquisite teacup beside him, enjoying a sip of fragrant strong tea.
"Come on, Jiu Bo, as one of the heads of this Fu Tong Kao's Disciplinary Committee, you should at least give Thunder Jun some advice," said a middle-aged man with a kind face and slightly plump figure named Zhong Nian.
"Youth needs experience to grow. Back in the day, we built up the Free Federation ourselves. Now that we old fellows are aging, it's time for young people to step up and take on these responsibilities. Lian Chuang, don't worry about it; let these youngsters take their chances," Mu Jiuber said as he set down his teacup and continued to ramble.
"That's true; sooner or later, the management of the Free Federation will fall to us younger generations. There's no need for old-timers like Mu Jiuber to be hands-on; just leave it to us young folks," chimed in a woman dressed in a Free Federation general's uniform—Major General Shangguan Biluo—who was browsing through documents while showing respect towards Mu Jiuber. Her competent demeanor added an alluring charm to her spirited appearance.
"Hehe." Mu Jiuber smiled appreciatively. "Shangguan Biluo understands me best. Lian Chuang, you should learn from this girl."
Zhong Nian tapped the armrest of his chair and laughed, "Alright then, since Major General Shangguan thinks so, I won't interfere with the grading of this list as its nominal supervisor; I'll leave it entirely to you two."
Thunder Jun rubbed his stubble and sighed inwardly; he had anticipated this outcome and had no choice but to reopen those documents to reassess the candidates on the list.
"Hmm? This time Fu Tong Kao has produced quite a few promising candidates. Take Bai Xu Chang for example; I heard Ferry also encountered a Beast Tide but managed to clear it all by himself," Shangguan Biluo commented while reviewing the documents.
"Bai Xu Chang?" Lian Chuang suddenly halted his fingers that were tapping on the armrest. "Could it be that Bai Xu Chang from the Bai Family? Why is he participating in this kind of open Unified Examination?"
“Who else could it be?” Mu Jiuber, leaning on his cane, didn’t even lift his eyelids.
“There might be some significance to it…” Lian Chuang didn’t press further and continued tapping his fingers.
It was Shangguan Biluo, flipping through the list, who suddenly paused. “Hmm? Chu Wei Lan from the Chu Family is also participating in this reference?”
“Oh, that Fellow! I heard about him, haha. He lost a bet to his two older siblings and ended up being thrown into the preliminary rounds as a result,” Lian Chuang laughed heartily.
Mu Jiuber nodded in agreement, feeling pleased. “Yes, the Chu Family has been prominent for three generations, but their talent has become mediocre. However, this generation has produced several astonishing Fellows.”
“Compared to his older siblings, Chu Wei Lan is still a bit lacking,” Lian Chuang acknowledged. “But this Fellow is quite arrogant. I met him once, and he doesn’t seem to care much for others.”
“Indeed, youthful arrogance is unavoidable,” Mu Jiuber remarked while savoring the fine tea brewed from high-quality leaves, nodding contentedly as if commenting on the state of affairs.
“However…” Shangguan Biluo hesitated.
“What is it?” Thunder Jun, across from them, didn’t look up and continued to review the documents seriously.
“It’s just that I’m curious about a young man named Lu Fei Fan who managed to withstand the Ancient Behemoth's powerful attack without collapsing. That was quite unexpected. He and Chu Wei Lan were both rated as top candidates by the strategists. This Lu Fei Fan had previously participated in Fu Tong Kao several times but was only mediocre. How did he manage this time…” Shangguan Biluo couldn’t help but ponder further.
“Do you think this person cheated?” Lian Chuang asked with curiosity.
At that moment, Wu Xiu Luo, who had been silent beside Thunder Jun, leaned down and whispered something in his ear. Thunder Jun paused for a moment before looking up and said, “I have an impression of this young man. His aptitude seems decent; there’s no possibility of cheating. Moreover, all these evaluation materials have been verified with the soldiers on the Ferry during the Unified Examination; there shouldn’t be any mistakes.”
“Perhaps this young man recently awakened his potential,” Mu Jiuber nodded in agreement with Thunder Jun's assessment.
“Isn’t it a bit late to awaken your talent at this age?” Lian Chuang remarked from the side.
“Indeed, awakening at eighteen is somewhat late. Even with an extraordinary cultivation speed, it will be difficult to surpass Chu Wei Lan in the future,” Shangguan Biluo added.
“The talent isn’t the issue, and age is certainly not a barrier,” Thunder Jun said. “As long as he is a part of the Free Federation, there is always hope for the future. Who knows? He might unexpectedly transform from an overlooked seed into a towering tree.”
“Oh, Thunder Jun, your words carry quite a bit of Yun Shuai’s spirit! Haha!” Lian Chuang laughed heartily, glancing at Mu Jiuber beside him, clearly optimistic.
Thunder Jun appeared somewhat embarrassed and waved his hand. “Yun Shuai is a pillar of the Free Federation, dedicating himself tirelessly for the country and its people. I am worlds apart from him; how could I dare to compare myself? Let’s leave it at that.”
Lian Chuang chuckled awkwardly and didn’t press further, as he could tell from Thunder Jun’s tone that he held great respect for Yun Shuai. Mu Jiuber nodded in approval, feeling reassured that with more individuals like them in the Free Federation, there would be no worries about expanding their territory.
At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
“Come in,” Wu Xiu Luo called out loudly.
The door opened to reveal an elderly-looking colonel. He saluted Thunder Jun and Shangguan Biluo in the office before standing straight to report, “Report: The Military Headquarters has sent an urgent telegram.”
“Read it,” Thunder Jun replied without hesitation, knowing that everyone present was trustworthy.
“Yes.” The major lowered his head and opened the folder he had tucked under his arm, reading aloud, “Due to unforeseen circumstances arising from the giant beast invasion affecting the Unified Examination, it has been decided by the National Defense Advisor, Military Headquarters, and Federal Gifted Committee to add a Practical Assessment as part of the final evaluation. That is all.”
The people in the room exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting a sense of inevitability.
“Understood.”
Thunder Jun waved his hand, signaling the Communications Soldier to step down, allowing him to continue poring over the performance evaluations of the list.
...
Lu Fei Fan had already adapted to the training intensity set by the Dog Tooth Club Captain.
In the evenings, he occasionally sparred with Chu Wei Lan, but neither could gain the upper hand in their fights. Perhaps they had both figured each other out, and neither could exploit any significant advantage.
The only noticeable difference was that Chu Wei Lan seemed much more agreeable now. She was no longer as arrogant and infuriating as when they first met. Aside from their occasional banter, a certain camaraderie had formed between them; after all, they had spent so much time cleaning the restrooms together that it would have been strange if they hadn’t developed some understanding.
Thus, in order to survive in this training camp and earn their keep, they fought hard to accumulate star points; otherwise, the last two would end up going hungry.
Lu Fei Fan thought about how it had been nearly a month since the Unified Awakeners Examination results were due to be announced. That morning, everyone was gathered together. Instead of physical training, the Dog Tooth Club Captain stood at the front with a report in hand, raising it before them.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked.
No one spoke up; no one dared to say a word. After spending so much time together, they were all too familiar with the temperamental nature of the Dog Tooth Club Captain. He could turn hostile faster than one could flip a page in a book—who would dare to take that risk?
“This is the list of those who will advance to the next round of Fu Tong Kao.” With that, the Dog Tooth Club Captain lowered his head and opened the folder. “Now I will begin calling names.”
“Zhou Erfu.”
“Present.”
“Liu Youcai, Wu Sanqiang, Tang Buniann, Huang Zixun…”
A long list of names began to be called out, but after more than a dozen names, neither Lu Fei Fan, Niu Dali, nor A Teng had been mentioned. Lu Fei Fan even paid attention and noticed that Chu Wei Lan and several others from the team were also absent from the list.
“Those whose names are called should stay and await further instructions. Those not called, step forward and leave,” announced the Dog Tooth Club Captain. With that, he casually walked away, whistling and holding a folder, showing no regard for the confused fellows left behind.
The Lieutenant responsible for organizing the team immediately shouted slogans, instructing those whose names were not called to step forward. They were then arranged into two lines and led in the direction of the Dog Tooth Club Captain. Meanwhile, those whose names had been called remained in place, with Lu Fei Fan even waving goodbye at them.
“Pfft, what’s there to be smug about? You might just be taken away to pack your bags and head home,” someone among those left behind grumbled irritably.
“Yeah, take care now, we won’t see you off,” others chimed in mockingly.
In contrast, Lu Fei Fan and the others who were being taken away remained calm and did not respond. Once they had left, those who stayed behind could no longer contain their curiosity.
“Instructor, did we advance? Hurry up and tell us, don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Yeah, this isn’t a joke; it concerns our future.”
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