Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"Your opponents are the previous class of the Human World program."

The previous class of the Human World program?

A slight commotion arose among the trainees.

The classes at Shenwu Academy are numbered using the five characters "Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, Human". Among the students in the same year, Heavenly Pivot is the best, while Human World is at the bottom.

Even so, the students in the Human Realm Class are all seasoned veterans who have actually completed a year and a half of training.

Whether it's their cultivation level, experience, familiarity with the academy's rules, or their teamwork, they are far superior to the freshmen who have only been enrolled for less than half a year.

"Although the Human Realm Class is the Human Character Class, they are still your senior brothers and sisters. Even the one with the lowest cultivation level has stabilized the Primordial Induction stage, and several others have reached the mid-stage or even late-stage Primordial Induction stage."

"Furthermore, they have undergone a trial period, and their practical experience and teamwork are far superior to yours."

Liu Hongyan's voice was calm, yet every word struck a chord in everyone's hearts: "In this battle, you are the challengers. If you win, everyone will receive academic credits; if you lose..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood that if the Tian Shu Class lost to the bottom-ranked Ren Huan Class, it would be an immense disgrace and would also affect the academy's allocation of resources to them.

The pressure was instantly placed on the Tian Shu class.

Sure enough, in the days that followed, everyone was like a wound-up toy.

In the training grounds, practice rooms, and even the open space outside Tingzhu Pavilion, one can see the students of the Tian Shu Class diligently practicing.

They practiced diligently, exchanged ideas, and studied teamwork. Everyone was determined to do their best, afraid of being the one who would hold the team back.

Even Chu Yunhe, who was usually the most carefree, became much more serious during practice.

Shen Lian even used the training room as his bedroom, and except for necessary rest, he almost never let go of his knife.

The day before the assessment.

In the evening, Yu Ling'er quietly found Li Yuan, who had just finished his cultivation, and also pulled Chu Yunhe, who was wiping his longsword, along with her.

The three of them avoided others and spoke in hushed tones deep in the bamboo forest for about half an hour.

When they came out, Li Yuan looked calm, Chu Yunhe had a playful smile on his lips, and Yu Ling'er's eyes were bright, as if she already had a plan.

Subsequently, Yu Ling'er, in her capacity as class monitor, convened a meeting of the entire class in the open space next to Tingzhuxuan.

Yu Ling'er cleared her throat, her little face serious.

"Everyone, tomorrow's battle concerns the honor of our Tian Shu class, and even more so, our future."

"Teacher Liu's decision to leave things to her is both a test and an opportunity. We need to come up with a plan. Li Yuan, Chu Yunhe, and I have discussed it and have some ideas. Let's hear them."

The meeting lasted for nearly an hour.

Ultimately, a preliminary action framework was established.

Everyone understood their position, and their previously somewhat confused hearts calmed down considerably, their fighting spirit rekindled in their eyes.

Liu Hongyan stood at the window of the pavilion in the distance, watching the group of young men and women having a heated discussion by the bamboo forest. A smile appeared on her beautiful face, and then she turned and left.

Just as she said, she completely let go and let them do whatever they wanted.

On the day of the assessment, the sky was clear and bright, but it couldn't hide the biting cold.

The assessment was held in a large grove of trees on the hill behind the college.

This forest has been modified by the academy's array, with complex terrain, dense trees, and a light mist that lingers year-round, resulting in low visibility. It is an ideal place for covert tracking and combat-type assessments.

In the clearing outside the woods, two groups of people stood facing each other.

On one side were twenty students from the previous Human Realm Class. Most of them were dressed casually, relaxed, and even a little excited, sizing up the slightly green and talented junior brothers and sisters opposite them.

For these students, who are of average talent and at the bottom of the academy, being able to legitimately teach this year's most popular genius class is undoubtedly a pleasant thing.

Therefore, many people are eager to try it out.

"Look, that's Li Yuan, who's at level nine. He doesn't look that impressive."

"Tsk tsk, there are two pretty junior sisters here too. I'll have to take good care of them later."

"Shen Lian? I've heard he's a good fighter? I wonder how many moves he can withstand?"

"Chu Yunhe... the son of Commander Chu, heh, it should be fun to beat him up."

Undisguised laughter came from the Human World class.

Their instructor, surnamed Yang, was a middle-aged man with a stern face. He stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, and did not stop the students' unruly words and actions.

On the other side were the thirteen members of the Tian Shu class.

Today, they changed into neat blue narrow-sleeved training uniforms, belted their waists, and tied their hair up tightly with matching blue hairbands, making them look exceptionally energetic.

The thirteen people stood in a row. Although they were of different heights, they all stood up straight, with sharp eyes, and had the fearless spirit of young calves.

Faced with the teasing of their senior brothers, most of them remained calm, but their eyes burned with a flame of defiance.

Shen Lian held the knife, his eyes as cold as ice.

Chu Yunhe yawned, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

Li Yuan stood in the middle of the line, his gaze calmly sweeping across the opposite side, silently noting down some characteristics.

"Quiet!"

A loud shout rang out.

A burly instructor strode over; it was Instructor Lu, who was in charge of judging this assessment.

Behind him were Liu Hongyan and Instructor Yang from the Human World Class.

"I'll only say the rules once."

Instructor Lu's eyes were sharp as lightning. "The assessment area is this forest behind us. The goal of the assessment is for all students in the Tian Shu class to successfully reach the safe area marked in the center of the forest within one hour."

"As hunters, the mission of the Human Realm Class students is to do everything in their power to stop, intercept, and defeat the Heavenly Pivot Class students within this one hour, preventing them from reaching the safe zone."

"The criteria for being knocked down are losing consciousness, surrendering voluntarily, or being deemed incapable of fighting."

"It is forbidden to intentionally cause serious injury or disability to others, and it is forbidden to use lethal means of attack. Weapons are limited to unsharpened training equipment."

"Did you understand everything?"

"Understood!" both sides replied in unison.

Instructor Lu nodded and continued, "To ensure fairness, the Human Realm Class, as the defending side, can enter the forest half an incense stick's time in advance to familiarize themselves with the environment and set up an interception."

"After half an incense stick's time, the Tian Shu class may enter. Instructors Liu and Yang, along with I, will patrol various parts of the forest to ensure safety and determine the winner."

"Now--"

He suddenly waved his hand: "Humanity Class, enter the forest!"

"yes!"

The twenty students of the Human World Class responded in unison, their faces beaming with excitement, and like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood, they quickly rushed into the dense forest.

Only the thirteen members of the Tian Shu class remained on the open ground.

Instructor Lu lit an incense stick and placed it in the incense burner next to him, and wisps of smoke rose up.

The waiting time always feels exceptionally long.

The cold wind whistled through the treetops, adding to the tense atmosphere.

The members of the Tian Shu class held their breath, their eyes fixed on the slowly burning incense stick.

Li Yuan's gaze quietly met that of Yu Ling'er, Chu Yunhe, Shen Lian, and the others, and they nodded slightly to each other.

The incense sticks finally burned out.

Instructor Lu's booming voice rang out again: "Tian Shu Class—Enter the Forest!"

"Walk!"

With a clear shout from Yu Ling'er, thirteen figures in cyan robes shot forth like arrows, rushing without hesitation into the unknown and dangerous jungle ahead.

The assessment has officially begun.

The moment we rushed into the forest, the light suddenly dimmed.

The towering ancient trees, with their lush foliage, blocked out most of the sunlight, and a faint grayish-white mist permeated the forest, reducing visibility to less than twenty feet.

The air was damp and chilly, and the surroundings were unusually quiet. Faint rustling sounds could be heard in the distance, adding to the eeriness of the place.