Chapter 51

Xie Tingxian's eyes bulged out, every wrinkle on his face trembled, and he drew a spiritual talisman with his right hand, a purple light enveloping the crystal brain.

Carefully savoring every trace of the maintainer's aura, after a long while, Xie Tingxian slowly nodded:

"When you put it that way, I can indeed discern a few less refined spots after a careful examination with my divine sense. A couple of connection points are still a bit rough, but for a high school student to achieve this level is already quite remarkable."

"I don't understand; he's just an ordinary high school student, with a spirit root development not exceeding 70%. Is he really that capable?" Si Jiaxue couldn't help but ask.

" precisely because his spirit root development doesn't exceed 70%, yet he can complete such a fine work, it makes him even more remarkable! What's your classmate's name? Has he participated in this competition?" Xie Tingxian asked with great interest.

"His name is Li Yao. I have some materials here; Grandpa Xie can take a look."

Si Jiaxue pulled up a few video clips from the crystal brain.

"Oh, it's this young man?"

Xie Tingxian was taken aback again, then broke into a heartfelt smile, nodding repeatedly, "A very interesting young man. I'll have to pay special attention to him in the competition."

...

The next morning, at 8:30 AM, three thousand candidates gathered on the aft deck of the Liaoyuan.

The spacious aft deck was packed, and the clamor of three thousand enthusiastic teenagers almost lifted the sturdy deck.

Through yesterday's exchange meeting, everyone had a better understanding of the strength and depth of the "Nine Greats" and had even stronger aspirations for the endless mysteries of the cultivation world.

"Kill, kill, kill! I must have a good time on Devil Dragon Island, stand out among the three thousand candidates, and gain the attention of the 'Federation's First Military Academy' to become a glorious military student!" A tall, pimply-faced teenager roared in the crowd.

"My specialty is alchemy. It's said that there are tens of thousands of different herbs and medicinal plants on Devil Dragon Island. I'll show the observers from Tiandu Medical College what I can do!" A pretty, slightly dark-skinned girl said confidently beside him.

"I've had ambitions since childhood, wanting to be a great general, commanding thousands of troops! If I make it to the finals, those on my team will be lucky. I'll definitely organize everyone like a real Federation army and crush the enemy!" A short but imposing third teenager said.

The three thousand young people, all chosen from several towns, were the pride of the heavens, regardless of their strength, their confidence was absolutely strong.

On both sides of the cabin, observers from the "Nine Greats," military representatives, and many teachers gathered, looking at the self-confident teenagers with smiles, feeling deeply moved.

"Year after year, time flies. Seeing these young people reminds me of the days when we participated in the Extreme Challenge Competition. We were so young back then!"

"Yes, it's precisely because of the influx of new blood every year that the Starlight Federation can become stronger amidst the beast attacks!"

"I wonder how many good seeds, qualified to walk the path of cultivation, will emerge from this year's students? I've already set my eyes on candidate number 2087, Zhang, don't you dare compete with me for him!"

"Haha, number 2087? I'll pay close attention to him too. If he's a good seed, we'll see who can offer the highest price!"

In a corner of the bustling aft deck, Li Yao stood quietly, a white puffball beast perched on his head, tilting its head as if dozing off.

He hadn't slept well all night, and had risen in the early hours to study the competition rules. His eyes were slightly red, but his spirit was good, even a bit "excited."

Because he had discovered what seemed to be a loophole in the competition rules, or rather, an "opportunity" that only he could exploit.

He just didn't know if the strategy he had devised around this "loophole" would work.

If it succeeded, he had a 90% chance of making it to the top fifty in the finals!

While he was pondering, the lights dimmed, and a tall figure suddenly appeared, looking down at him.

It was Helian Lie!

"Li Yao, Devil Dragon Island is vast, but sometimes it's small. I hope you withdraw from the competition early and don't meet me on Devil Dragon Island," Helian Lie said, his forced smile looking rather sinister.

Li Yao looked at him calmly, and after a while, he pulled out an earplug from his ear, from which came raging music.

"Ah? Helian Lie, what did you say? Sorry, I was listening to music and didn't hear clearly. Could you repeat that?" Li Yao said, somewhat confused.

Helian Lie's face turned red, he coldly snorted, and turned to walk away, disappearing into the crowd.

Watching his back, Li Yao smiled faintly, a hint of the "vulture" in his smile.

"Actually, I'm looking forward to meeting you on Devil Dragon Island, Helian Lie!"

At this moment, a large screen at the front of the deck lit up.

In the center of the screen was a weathered face, chiseled like it was carved by a knife, with deep-set eyes that seemed to contain the entire universe, sparkling with countless stars.

"It's Xu Haoran, the Federation Speaker Xu Haoran!" Many students exclaimed.

"Dear students, it's time for the annual Extreme Challenge Competition. Today, you are fledgling eagles yet to spread your wings, and you haven't embarked on the path of cultivation!"

"But in the near future, you will all become pillars of the nation, defending your homeland, the Federation, and the dignity and hope of human civilization!"

"So, strive hard, for yourselves, for the future of the Federation, and for the future of human civilization!"

"Remember, humans are the strongest fighting race in the boundless star sea, and cultivators... are the sharp blades of human civilization! Where the blade points, demons are slain, mountains are split, temples are razed, tribes are exterminated, and territories are expanded, until the entire universe is conquered!"

"I hope you all become such cultivators, become the sharp blades of human civilization! I wish you success!"

Federation Speaker Xu Haoran stood up from behind his desk, took a step back, and saluted the three thousand young people with a standard military salute, his face solemn and dignified.

In the Tianyuan world, where beast attacks are rampant, the Starlight Federation was founded on martial strength, and its highest leaders are all military personnel. The military salute is the highest form of respect, representing supreme reverence.

"The Federation Speaker Xu Haoran actually gave us high school students a military salute?"

"For the future of the Federation, for the future of human civilization? Do we have that much power?"

"Of course we do! Although we are just ordinary high school students now, think about those Core Formation cultivators and Nascent Soul elders. Didn't they all start as elementary school students, middle school students, and high school students? No one was born a Nascent Soul elder! They can do it, and so can we!"

"One day, I will also become a great cultivator, slaying beasts and defending the Federation!"

"Slain demons, split mountains, razed temples, exterminated tribes, expanded territories, and conquered the universe... That's great! This is the path I want to take, the destiny of a cultivator. I can't wait!"

Xu Haoran's military salute completely ignited the atmosphere, putting the three thousand young people into a state of frenzy.

The same scene was happening in other competition zones, with the blood of countless young people boiling to the extreme!

Seeing that the morale had been fully ignited, a black-clad officer with a beast skull emblem on his shoulder stood on the upper deck and announced loudly:

"The 137th Federation Youth Extreme Challenge Competition officially begins. All participants, prepare!"