Not only Su Yuan, but everyone in the Rainforest Secret Realm was seizing the time to hunt star beasts. Especially those ninth-stage students such as Fang Kun, Chen Jiujun, Lv Xinghen, and Jiang Jun, who aimed for weapon cards.
These people all had to hunt Bronze-level star beasts.
At this moment, in a certain part of the rainforest, Chen Jiujun was in a fierce battle with a two-meter-tall iron-backed ape. From its size and star power fluctuations, this iron-backed ape turned out to be at the Bronze Early Stage!
This iron-backed ape's hardened iron armor was likely at the Great Success Stage. More than seventy percent of its body had completed hardening. Combined with its agile posture and incredible strength, its combat power surpassed the Wind Beast that Su Yuan had encountered in the Great Barbarian Forest!
At this moment, the iron-backed ape was going all out in its battle mode, swinging its fists at high speed while screaming wildly.
"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh..."
Those hardened, sandbag-sized fists were enough to seriously hurt even a Bronze-level star card master, let alone star apprentice students who could not withstand a direct hit.
However, Chen Jiujun had a way to cope.
Two silver thunder snakes slithered around Chen Jiujun's body. His whole body glowed with thunder light, moving like silver lightning, flashing by!
It was the blue soul skill "Twin Thunder Snakes" carried by Chen Jiujun's soul card!
Chen Jiujun moved like white thunder, constantly flashing and dodging in the field. The iron-backed ape couldn't touch him at all, getting played around and gradually becoming furious, pounding the ground in a fit of impotent rage.
However, using a skill like Twin Thunder Snakes continuously consumed more than instant movement. Chen Jiujun was just a star apprentice. If this continued, he would soon run out of star power and be caught by the iron-backed ape.
But Chen Jiujun was not just evading. After a while, a light flashed in his eyes. He turned around to face the fiercely pursuing iron-backed ape and did not dodge anymore.
If Chen Jiujun's opponent were human, this sudden stop might have alerted them.
But the iron-backed ape, already seeing red, didn't care about such things. It swung its arms, ready to give Chen Jiujun's head a "Double Dragon Burst"!
Just as the iron-backed ape was about to pounce on Chen Jiujun, two thunder snakes entwined around Chen Jiujun suddenly flew out like lightning. Joining head and tail, they formed a silver electric magic chain, binding the iron-backed ape!
Twin Thunder Snakes wasn't just for speeding up. Its stronger feature was its ability to bind opponents!
"Zzz... zzz..."
The silver electric magic chain sparkled with thunder light, and electric currents surged.
The iron-backed ape tried to break free but found the chain extremely tough. It couldn't get out for a while.
Chen Jiujun sneered and made a seal with his hands: "Eight-layer Thunder Strike Array!"
As soon as the words fell, palm-sized thunder runes lit up on the ground all around.
Torrential thunder spiritual power shot out from the runes and gathered beneath the iron-backed ape bound by the silver electric magic chain in a short moment.
Chen Jiujun shouted: "Blast!"
"Boom!!"
Thunder burst and electric light surged!
The torrential thunder light exploded under the iron-backed ape's feet, illuminating the surrounding sky for a moment.
A few seconds later, the thunder element calmed down. The iron-backed ape, whose body was as tough as iron and steel, was now riddled with holes, its flesh and blood mangled, unable to be any more dead.
"Done!" Chen Jiujun let out a long breath. "Although the preparation time for the Thunder Strike Array is relatively long, once it's activated, its power is far superior to that of ordinary green skills of the same level."
Thunder Strike Array was Chen Jiujun's only master-level green skill. It worked by setting up thunder strike seals to store thunder, which were then activated together, unleashing the accumulated power of multiple seals in a super strong thunder element attack.
The more thunder seals set up, the greater the final thunder strike power.
Entry-level could set up to four thunder seals, skilled level up to eight, and master level up to sixteen!
Just an eight-seal Thunder Strike Array could kill a Bronze-level star beast. And sixteen seals...
During the special recruitment exam at Wanzhou Academy, Chen Jiujun had impressed the tutors and narrowly passed the exam by using a sixteen-seal Thunder Strike Array to blast a Bronze Middle Stage star beast to pieces.
"One is not enough, I need to hurry and kill a few more!"
Quickly cleaning up the battlefield, Chen Jiujun, with a slightly pale face, soon set off again.
It was different now. Chen Jiujun had to take first place.
Only first place, not top three!
It wasn't for the green weapon card, but something he, as a special recruit of Wanzhou Academy, must achieve.
In Chen Jiujun's view, the level of Guangchuan City students was far below the geniuses he had seen during the winter special recruitment exam.
Not to mention those who passed the exam; even those who didn't pass almost all came from Second Stage or higher cities.
Especially the one who ranked first in the last special recruitment exam, that super genius from Capitol City!
Coming from an aristocratic family, with a mid-grade blue soul card, astonishing talent, and just a step away from the Bronze level!
Such a person was the kind of competitor Chen Jiujun wanted to face. This trial was merely a small test before heading to Wanzhou Academy.
As a special recruit of Wanzhou Academy, if he couldn't even take first place in Guangchuan City, how could he compete with the geniuses in the academy?
Not to mention, there was only one person in this trial who posed a threat: fellow special recruit Fang Kun.
Determined, Chen Jiujun said, "I'll take first place in this trial, then compete with the students of Wanzhou Academy!"
In the command post of the secret realm camp, as Chen Jiujun forcefully killed the Bronze-level iron-backed ape, the team members began to whisper again.
"This Chen Jiujun is really something, to forcefully kill a Bronze-level iron-backed ape like that."
"I have to admit, the attack power of a thunder-based star card master is really strong!"
"That skill of his is also extraordinary. It's quite excellent among green skills."
Xiao Yong stared at the advancing Chen Jiujun, nodded slightly.
"Though the quality is uneven, some are really good-for-nothings, unable to even fight seventh-stage star beasts. But there are some promising talents. At least Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun are quite impressive."
Xiao Yong was thinking when he seemed to notice some commotion outside. He frowned.
"Outsiders coming in? Are those the teachers from before? What's going on?"
Xiao Yong turned to go outside to see who was so audacious to enter without reporting after the joint trial began.
At this time, a handsome middle-aged man in a black suit appeared at the door.
Xiao Yong saw him clearly, his face changed, and he quickly saluted: "Director Wang!"
The city guards who were working also hurriedly stood up in surprise and saluted.
The middle-aged man was none other than Wang Haiping, Director of Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau.
Of course, identity was secondary. The main reason for Xiao Yong and the guards' respect was that Wang Haiping was a powerful Shining Star-level star card master!
The City Guard belonged to the military, separate from the education department. But a powerful star card master received respect wherever they went, much more so a top-tier Shining Star-level star card master!
Xiao Yong didn't expect this senior to personally come to observe the trial. It was the first time in many years.