"Subway station?"
"What a huge underground space, it looks a bit like a high-speed train platform."
"You can't tell from above that it's been hollowed out down here?" Most of the students were shocked as they walked down.
Li Yuan had watched a video introducing the 'Moon Demon Star Realm' and had many thoughts in his mind. He instinctively glanced at Lin Lanyue, who was not far away. She was also wearing black armor and protective gear, tall and impressive.
Seemingly sensing Li Yuan's gaze, Lin Lanyue turned to look at him and gently shook her head, signaling him not to say much.
"According to the order just now, board the train in sequence," said a base officer in a low voice.
Li Yuan boarded the train, his eyes scanning the distance. Professor Ming and the Source Martial Artist teachers and officers who had reached the second rank stood far away, seemingly not planning to board.
...
The train moved forward, completely sealed inside, with even the windows opaque. Li Yuan and the others couldn’t see the outside world at all. If it weren't for the slight vibrations of the train, they wouldn't even notice it was moving.
Each carriage had about 50 students standing in two rows, guarded by two martial artist officers, one in front and one behind.
Suddenly, "Wow~" Light gathered on the glass at the front, back, and sides of the carriage, forming a projection.
In the projection, the figure of the burly man in blue appeared. "Now, I will announce the rules for the combat assessment," the man said in a deep voice. "First, the assessment location is a special military base. After entering and leaving, you are not allowed to ask about or leak any information regarding the assessment area. Violators will be treated as committing 'espionage'."
Many students showed expressions of shock. Espionage?
"Second, self-harm is not allowed during the assessment; the entire assessment area is under surveillance," the burly man continued coldly. "Violators will face the death penalty."
The students looked even more alarmed. Li Yuan, however, felt a stir in his heart; the first two rules were all about 'punishment.' Were they laying down the law beforehand?
"Third, all star realm creatures are monitored at all times. Therefore, once you kill one, it will be counted in real-time on the score leaderboard. You do not need to collect tokens; you can check your ranking on the positioning wristbands at any time."
"Fourth, star realm creatures below level 10 are worth 1 point; level 10-11 creatures are worth 10 points; level 12 creatures are worth 50 points... If you encounter creatures above level 12, it is advised to escape immediately and seek help."
"Fifth, obtaining 5 points means you have passed the assessment."
"Sixth, in case of danger, you can choose to seek help. Attack drones will arrive within 30 seconds... but this also means the assessment ends, and your points will be halved, so act according to your ability."
"Seventh, the assessment officially starts at 9:00 AM and lasts until 4:00 PM, for a total of seven hours."
...
Once the rules were explained, the projection disappeared, and the train continued. Not long after, Li Yuan suddenly felt a slight pain in his head, as if being pricked by needles, making him grit his teeth. However, compared to the torment he experienced while practicing the Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra, this pain was nothing.
At the same time, a rumbling sound surrounded his body, as if an invisible force was squeezing him, making him feel as if he were submerged in water, facing resistance from all sides. It became increasingly uncomfortable.
"Ah!" Some students were already showing signs of pain, their faces flushed and veins bulging, as if they were experiencing excruciating suffering.
"Thud~"
"Bang~" Many students couldn't help but kneel down, trying to relieve the sudden pressure.
"Everyone relax," a martial artist officer's voice came through. "This is your first experience; it will pass in twenty seconds."
Ten seconds later.
"Boom!" It felt like his head was suddenly lifted from being submerged in water, and he gasped for fresh air.
Including Li Yuan, all the students felt an unprecedented lightness in their bodies and took deep breaths.
"Is it over? That must have been the transition between the Moon Demon Star Realm and Blue Star," Li Yuan thought calmly as he looked around, noticing that Lin Lanyue's face was only slightly pale.
"Whoa!" Other students were sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, some even struggling to hold their weapons.
"You two, what are your names?" the officer at the back of the train asked curiously. "Have you been here before?"
"Report, I haven't been here before," Li Yuan said seriously. "My name is Li Yuan."
"I haven't been here before," Lin Lanyue said lightly.
"Okay," the officer smiled. "You both seem like good prospects. Good luck to you."
A few minutes later.
"We have arrived; prepare to disembark," the officer at the front of the carriage announced, and the train slowly came to a stop.
The carriage doors opened. Li Yuan and the others stepped off one by one. As they looked around, the sky was dim, revealing a vast landing area that looked like a giant playground, with a ground made of metal. In the distance stood a massive war fortress over 200 meters tall.
Nearby, dozens of small flying vehicles were parked. Students from all the carriages were getting off.
"Look at the sky!"
"A red moon?"
"How strange!"
"We were just underground; how did we end up here in just a few minutes? Did we travel through space?"
"And there's a war fortress? It feels like another world; the moon doesn't look like this."
"The mountains over there are so high, and there are plants I've never seen before." Li Yuan heard the whispers of other students filled with awe.
Li Yuan had expected this and quickly spotted the red moon in the sky. No, to be precise, it was something like a combination of a moon and a sun. In Li Yuan's view, it was twice the size of the sun but not as glaring, with a faint halo around its edges.
The entire world seemed to be shrouded in twilight, quite hazy. Strange red lights occasionally flickered and drifted across the sky.
"Is this the Moon Demon Star Realm?" Li Yuan silently felt the environment. He sensed that while there were slight differences from Blue Star, the gravity, air, and other important factors seemed quite similar.
In reality, apart from students like Li Yuan and Lin Lanyue, who had prior knowledge, the other students were not foolish and had begun to form their own guesses. However, due to the first two rules, they dared not ask too much.
"Board the flying vehicles in order," hundreds of officers stood around maintaining order and keeping an eye on every student.
In the sky, there were also combat drones. Not far away, teams of patrolling combat robots were present, very tightly organized.
"These officers," Li Yuan thought, scanning the area and using his Divine Palace Probe.
【Target life level: 18.8】
【Target life level: 16.2】
【Target life level: 17.1】
...
Li Yuan picked three high-ranking officers but found that none had a life level exceeding 20.0. There were no second-rank Source Martial Artists!
He also recalled that Professor Ming and the others seemed to have not boarded the train. "Could it be," Li Yuan suddenly had a bold idea, "that life forms above the second rank cannot enter the Moon Demon Star Realm? Is this the difference between level one and level two star realms?"
...
Every twenty students boarded a small flying vehicle, which then took off rapidly.
Boom~
Inside the flying vehicle, Li Yuan fastened his seatbelt, sitting across from Lin Lanyue, waiting for orders. Two officers maintained order, and after more than ten minutes...
"Buzz~" The flying vehicle door suddenly opened, and a strong wind rushed in.
"Li Yuan, jump!" a tall officer said in a deep voice.
The seatbelt was released, and Li Yuan exchanged a glance with Lin Lanyue. Holding a long spear, they approached the door and looked down; the flying vehicle was about three meters above the ground.
Whoosh! They jumped down lightly.
"Boom~" The flying vehicle's door closed, and it quickly ascended away.
On this hillside, only Li Yuan remained.
"Huh?" Li Yuan looked up and spotted a small black dot in the sky, a combat drone. It seemed to be there to protect him.
"It's now 8:45," Li Yuan glanced at his positioning wristband. "The official start is at 9:00?"
Li Yuan observed his surroundings; he was on the slope of a mountain, with rocky terrain and sparse trees, quite open.
"According to yesterday's information, the entire combat assessment area is 100 kilometers long and wide." Li Yuan's gaze swept across the area.
"My location..." Li Yuan finally saw the distant landmark, 'Blade Mountain,' and smiled slightly. "I'm in the southeast area, good."
"It's less than five kilometers from the gathering area of the 'Moon Demon Wolf Group 5.'"
"Waiting for orders..."
...
Fifteen minutes later.
"Combat assessment, start!" A reminder suddenly came from the positioning wristband.
"Let's go." Li Yuan, holding his long spear, immediately rushed toward his destination. He wanted to kill more Moon Demon creatures? Besides being strong enough, he also needed to find their gathering place!
...
At the highest point of the war fortress in the Moon Demon Star Realm, in a spacious conference room filled with countless surveillance screens.
"Activate 'Absolute Protection' for the 18 students above A-level," a burly officer said in a deep voice. "We must ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Ensure the safety of the other students as well."
"Yes!"
...
In a deep ravine, Li Yuan was walking.
"Roar~" "Howl~" Suddenly, three large Moon Demon creatures sprang out from around the corner.
They were pitch black, over a meter tall, at least two meters long, with tails nearly a meter long. They looked like wolves from Blue Star but were closer in size to tigers, with sparse fur and covered in dense scales.
What stood out most were their eyes, bright red and gleaming with intelligence, making one feel uneasy.
"After walking a few kilometers, I finally encountered three Moon Demon Wolves," Li Yuan stopped, holding his spear and staring at the three wolves.
There was no fear, only excitement.
"[Target creature, life level: 8.2, killing it can obtain spiritual nourishment]," Li Yuan used his Divine Palace Probe on one of them and couldn't help but smile. "Very good."
P.S. I was very touched by many of your comments, thank you for your support! Although it's still the free period, I'm adding an extra chapter, three chapters in total!!
Please support with your monthly votes!!
(End of chapter)