Chapter 120: The Examination Concludes

Jiang Feng gritted his teeth as he wove through the mist. His rapid movements parted the clouds, which closed back up instantly, leaving no trace behind.

He had to get stronger—much stronger. He had to surpass Kazama Ruri; otherwise, how could he possibly protect her?

Jiang Feng had fallen for Kazama Ruri. If he had to pinpoint when, it was likely during that trip to hunt Calamities. She had slapped him, brought him to his senses, and offered words of encouragement. It was then that he realized he had feelings for her. It wasn't that he had awakened some bizarre trait; he simply found this girl, who was usually so sluggish, to be incredibly reliable when it mattered most. She was the person of his dreams.

Besides, she was truly adorable in her daily life—even cuter than Alice, who wore "cuteness" as her brand. Regardless of whether his feelings were genuine or a byproduct of the "suspension bridge effect" caused by extreme danger, Jiang Feng had made up his mind. He needed to become stronger, and these Calamities would serve as the proof of his growth.

Huo Ye did not hinder Jiang Feng. This guy had finally shown some ambition, and he needed this to build his confidence. To prevent others from interfering, Huo Ye moved with lightning speed, grabbing everyone nearby and hauling them out of the mist.

"What are you doing?" someone complained. "Our Calamities are still in there!"

"What do you mean 'your' Calamities? Did you write your names on them?" Huo Ye retorted.

"But we were fighting them! Those points should be ours!" another insisted.

Huo Ye chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous. Whoever kills the Calamity gets the points. Besides, in this situation, do you want to go back in there and die?" He pointed to the impenetrable mist behind him.

The crowd fell silent. Huo Ye had a point. Since the points went to whoever landed the killing blow, were all these Calamities being monopolized by the guy who unleashed the ability? That was a massive appetite!

Come to think of it, who was it that released the fog?

Suddenly, someone shouted in surprise, "Wait, I think I saw it—that ability was cast by Jiang Feng from the Starry Heavens group!"

The realization dawned on everyone. So that was it! This was blatant favoritism. They wanted to criticize Huo Ye’s actions, but before they could speak, Huo Ye cut in: "Yes, Jiang Feng cast it. If I don’t help him, should I help you? Stop making a scene. Understand this: I am not the school administration. I have no duty or obligation to be fair and impartial. My only mission is to protect you. Why are you stalling here instead of taking your exam?"

Huo Ye’s words were firm, logical, and well-founded. It was true—even though Huo Ye was the strongest among them, he wouldn't act with objective detachment; he was an examinee in this arena just like them. He had no obligation to help anyone except his friends. In fact, by removing them from danger just to keep them from interfering with Jiang Feng, he had essentially saved them. They had no grounds to complain.

Glaring at Huo Ye with resentment, the crowd turned and left without another word.

In the distance, Kazama Ruri witnessed the scene and shouted at Huo Ye, "Leader, that was cool!"

Huo Ye curled his lip and continued his patrol across the venue.

In Venue C, Dai Hua'an stood at the highest point of the spectator stands, directing all the examinees. While Tan Xiao was the strongest person here, Dai Hua'an was the most dazzling—a true master of tactics.

During the "Thirteen Seconds of Floating Execution" incident days ago, Dai Hua'an had been reduced to a mere foil, highlighting the ferocity and power of the Night Rain Cold Crow. However, that didn't diminish his tactical brilliance; it simply demonstrated that in the face of absolute power, even the best tactics can be helpless. Moreover, the Night Rain Cold Crow hadn't just charged in blindly; video analysis from a god's-eye view showed that even that entity had a strategy.

Dai Hua'an had his own biases. The tactics he employed always subtly allowed his own Windchime Valley members in Venue C to secure more points. Many noticed, but few complained; with Dai Hua'an’s command, their efficiency in killing Calamities was far higher than fighting solo.

The only thing giving Dai Hua'an a headache was why that notorious troublemaker from the academy was in his venue. He was referring to Lu Dingyuan, whose instability was legendary throughout the school. Dai Hua'an didn't want to command him at all, as Lu would surely do whatever he pleased regardless. His biggest issue wasn't his strength, but his wild, erratic focus. *Let him run wild,* Dai Hua'an thought, *I’ll just keep my tactical focus as far away from him as possible.*

In Venue A, Huo Xialan’s Hanfu sleeves fluttered in the wind. Her martial arts were exceptional, and she was truly capable of overseeing the entire battlefield alone. However, there were two others in this arena whose support was nothing short of perfect.

They never faced a Calamity head-on, but whenever a small skirmish showed signs of faltering, their fire support arrived instantly. Although they never changed their positions, the entire venue was already covered by their web of fire.

These two were Alice Halls and Rerimi Carey, descendants of the Reaper Hunting Group and members of the Starry Heavens.

Several teachers observing the three battlefields were struck by a realization: the members of Starry Heavens seemed to be stealing the spotlight in all three venues.

Jiang Feng slew the Calamities one by one within the mist. As the fog dissipated, he took a deep breath, watching the final Calamity dissolve into black smoke. A sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart. He had done this himself—he had taken down over a dozen Calamities single-handedly. Judging by the time, this was only the third wave of Calamities; surely, no one else had killed as many as he had! He was the star of the venue! He felt like putting his hands on his hips and gloating.

But before he could savor the moment, a massive elephant-like Calamity crashed to the ground at his feet, beginning to dissipate into black smoke. Kazama Ruri sat on the creature’s corpse, yawning. "Haa... Jiang Feng, not bad. It seems the leader’s training didn't go to waste."

Jiang Feng’s face darkened. What was he being proud of? He had only killed B-rank Calamities, while the one Kazama Ruri just took down was undeniably A-rank! And she was still acting so lethargic—just how strong was this girl?

He still had a long way to go. *I’ll catch up to Kazama Ruri first,* he resolved.

In the end, it was just an academy exam. Considering the students' stamina depletion and the need to preserve the energy of the S-rank students, the exam officially concluded after an hour and a half. Under the protection of the three S-ranks, there were no fatalities, only minor injuries.

Some were happy, others despondent. Although the results wouldn't be announced for a while, everyone knew how they had performed. As at least second-year students, they all had a sense of what the passing standard was. The most desperate were the fourth-years; after struggling for four years, failing now would be devastating. Many who knew they had failed fell to their knees and wept, but it was too late.

Huo Ye did not relax just because the exam was over, and neither did Tan Xiao or Huo Xialan. Their own tests hadn't even begun yet.

The three of them looked simultaneously toward the unopened metal gates in their respective venues. As the crowds of students slowly dispersed, only the three of them remained in the centers of their arenas.

With the interference of the other students' abilities gone, they could easily sense what lay inside: S-rank, Ultimate-form Calamities.