In the surveillance room.
Chen Yuan's voice was hoarse with urgency.
"Hurry! Check if examinee Liu Yuan is in our designated area!"
His fingers flew across the control panel, beads of sweat forming at his temples.
Multiple screens flickered rapidly, zooming in and scanning before finally settling on a relatively intact edge of the jungle.
On the screen, Liu Yuan frowned as she observed the strange phenomenon in the distant sky, along with the flames and thick smoke rising in the distance.
Standing before her was the unforgettable Black Knight card—a towering figure wielding a menacing greatsword, its metallic body radiating an eerie, cold sheen, utterly motionless.
Chen Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the screen, sharp as an eagle's.
"Zoom in on the Black Knight's movements!"
The image adjusted again, revealing every minute detail of the Black Knight.
Unlike the frenzied and uncontrollable behavior of the previously rogue cards, it appeared unnervingly calm.
Just then, from the shadows at the jungle's edge, a lurking Claw-Tiger Beast suddenly lunged, its target the seemingly distracted Liu Yuan.
Though not massive in size, the beast moved with terrifying speed, its fangs glinting ominously in the dappled light—clearly a peak sixth-tier threat.
Liu Yuan seemed to sense something, barely starting to react—
When the Black Knight moved.
No unnecessary buildup, no flashy techniques.
With an almost instinctive fluidity, it simply swung its greatsword like a battering ram.
"Boom!"
The Claw-Tiger Beast was instantly crushed, its bones screaming as fractures spiderwebbed through its body in a single moment.
Patches of crimson bloomed across its hide.
Then, it felt confusion.
Why was its vision suddenly clouded in blood?
Only afterward did agony sear through its entire being, a furious roar rising in its throat—
But before the sound could escape,
Its right eye registered a damp sensation as blood sprayed from the socket.
No—more accurately, its entire body was rupturing.
Its bones shattered under unimaginable force,
And the section directly struck by the greatsword exploded into a mist of gore.
The remaining mass of flesh was sent flying, slamming into the ground as a pulpy mess.
The entire sequence was over in a flash—so fast that Liu Yuan had only just turned her head slightly.
The Black Knight slowly sheathed its sword, returning to its silent vigil beside Liu Yuan.
The greatsword plunged back into the earth.
A single drop of beast blood slid down the blade, vanishing into the soil.
The surveillance room was dead silent.
"...It didn’t go rogue?" someone muttered under their breath.
"Not only that, it’s... fiercely protective of its master."
"And that reaction speed and attack power—it was holding back during the arena matches, wasn’t it?"
A sharp-eyed proctor analyzed quietly, "That strike just now—instantly killing a peak sixth-tier beast with zero hesitation—it’s at least peak seventh-tier, maybe higher."
"How did Jiangxia have someone like this flying under the radar all this time?"
Chen Yuan didn’t respond, his frown deepening instead.
Liu Yuan’s card hadn’t turned rogue—that was good news.
Was it because her card was special?
Or was there something unique about her?
Or maybe this "rogue" effect only worked on cards below the seventh tier?
At least this was the only silver lining right now.
For now, no creatures or cards exceeding the seventh tier had appeared in this area.
The examinees’ lives were still within manageable limits.
"Where’s Su Muxue now?" Chen Yuan asked gravely.
"Report—Su Muxue and her squad have entered the southeastern perimeter and are advancing rapidly toward Liu Yuan’s coordinates. Should we... continue with the interception order?" a communications officer inquired.
Intercepting a non-rogue, highly powerful allied card sounded absurd.
Chen Yuan drummed his fingers absently on the desk, thoughts racing.
"Notify Su Muxue’s squad to switch to evacuation support. If there’s any unusual activity, she has discretion—her authority surpasses mine!"
"Understood!"
"Then assign two people to monitor the Black Knight. Alert me immediately if anything seems off."
For now, the Black Knight was behaving normally—even exceptionally. But that didn’t eliminate the risk of it going rogue the next second.
Especially after displaying strength potentially beyond the seventh tier—if it turned, the devastation would be catastrophic.
"Old Wang, what’s the situation in your sector?" Chen Yuan shifted his gaze from Liu Yuan’s screen to the other zone supervisor.
"My sector hasn’t seen large-scale rogue card incidents, but the frequency of Source Realm creature activity is abnormally high! Multiple examinees are being actively ambushed by groups of them!"
Chen Yuan’s heart sank.
This wasn’t just his problem.
Though higher-ups had warned that the Descendants might disrupt this year’s martial exam and bolstered security accordingly,
Humans, being humans, always clung to hope.
We’ve prepared so thoroughly—would they really dare to throw their lives away?
Yet the worst-case scenario had unfolded anyway.
Those lunatics from the Descendants operated without logic—of course they’d dare.
Old Wang hesitated before adding, "Chen, why not just terminate the exam? A rebellion of this scale should be handled by the First Unit."
Why hold the exam knowing the Descendants might attack?
Wasn’t that foolish?
Simple—you didn’t stop eating for fear of choking.
In summer, did you swelter in thick clothes just to avoid mosquito bites?
No, you found ways to kill the mosquitoes.
If you canceled the exam over a few veiled threats this time, what about next time?
Would future exams all be scrapped too?
And if other events were threatened?
Would all of Jiangxia’s operations grind to a halt because of the Descendants’ provocations?
"Deploying our combatants now would leave us exposed.
The enemy’s hidden; we’re in plain sight—they’ve already seen our setup."
Chen Yuan shot back, "Are you suggesting I use these kids as bait?"
"What else? You’ve spent your whole life holding back—what’s a little longer?"
Chen Yuan’s brows knitted. "If I recall, your child’s taking the exam next year. Would you be fine with them being bait?"
"Show some empathy. These are the futures countless families have pinned their hopes on."
Old Wang stood firm. "And our fighters’ lives don’t matter? They’re the breadwinners for their families too.
This year’s exam already has a 5% mortality quota."
"You’re heartless! Treating people as expendable."
"You’re spineless! Running at the first sign of trouble."
Su Qi watched the argument unfold in silence.
Logically,
As regional supervisors, how could they afford to bicker like this at such a critical moment?
If so, the Empire’s personnel selection standards must be abysmal.
See? He was perfectly composed.
Except for the sudden urge to spar with his sister...
Wait—
Why was he thinking that?
Well, breakfast had been... complicated.
He should’ve been utterly calm.
Unless, of course, he’d been "provoked."
Like when a pet wrecked the house unnoticed.
The little fox turned its back to him and leaped onto the coffee table, sweeping the tissue box onto the floor with its tail.
No, no!
Even though he wasn’t the most reliable person…
He shouldn’t be having thoughts like this right now.
Su Qi then glanced around.
Not a single one of the thirty-plus surveillance staff spoke up to stop it.
Instead, their faces were all plastered with expressions that screamed, "I live for the drama!"
So…
It wasn’t just the cards that had "rebelled"?
It seemed like the "id" deep in their hearts had been amplified several times over…
Wait a minute—
That couldn’t be right.
How could his "id" possibly be… that kind of thing?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
