About ten minutes later, a City Guard arrived to call Yang Jun, who had been waiting outside the Secret Realm.
"Director... Director Wang?!" Initially clueless about what had happened, Yang Jun was even more baffled to see his immediate superior, Director Wang Haiping of the Guangchuan Education Bureau, waiting for him, "Director Wang, Captain Xiao, may I know what this is about?"
Yang Jun wondered if something had happened to Chen Jiujun during the trial.
Xiao Yong said, "Teacher Yang, don't be nervous. Director Wang has a question for you about a student from your school named Su Yuan."
"Su Yuan?" Yang Jun was stunned—it wasn't about Chen Jiujun? Su Yuan had just awakened; how had he managed to attract the attention of these two?
True to his reputation as a Shining Star Card Master, Wang Haiping had already regained his composure in just a few minutes and calmly asked Yang Jun, "Teacher Yang Jun, what do you know about this Su Yuan from your Guangchuan Fourth Middle School? Apart from what's shown on the display, please tell me everything else you know about him!"
Yang Jun had also seen the information about Su Yuan displayed on the monitor. Although he still didn't understand why Director Wang suddenly took such an interest in Su Yuan, it didn't prevent him from responding to his questions.
Yang Jun respectfully spoke, "Director Wang, Su Yuan is actually a student in the class I teach. I am fairly familiar with him."
Wang Haiping's eyes brightened, and he eagerly urged, "Good! Let's hear it then!"
Yang Jun thought for a moment and then said, "Speaking of which, Su Yuan's experiences are quite challenging yet inspiring.
While Su Yuan's family circumstances are ordinary, he himself is extraordinarily diligent and studious in both his cultivation and studies.
Initially, by the second semester of the tenth grade, he had broken through to the Star Apprentice Sixth Stage, becoming the first person at Guangchuan Fourth Middle School to do so, drawing the attention of the entire school's staff and students. He was considered to be highly talented, and there was even a possibility that he might awaken a Master Soul Card, catapulting him into being a super genius."
At this point, Yang Jun shook his head and sighed.
"However, contrary to everyone's expectations, things took a sharp turn for the worse afterwards. Su Yuan failed to awaken using a Soul Awakening Card, and he was unable to awaken for a whole year, which also hindered his cultivation progress.
But fortune favors the persistent. During the recent winter break, he finally succeeded in awakening and made the breakthrough, just in time to participate in this joint trial..."
"You're saying he only succeeded in awakening during the winter break?!" Wang Haiping suddenly exclaimed at a high volume, his face filled with disbelief, and Captain Xiao wore the same expression.
Startled by their reaction, Yang Jun quickly added, "Yes, that's right. Although the boy was delayed in awakening, he is very diligent in his studies, consistently ranking in the top three in his grade for academic subjects. I've taken a special interest in him.
I was also happy for him that he could finally awaken at the last minute. According to him, he used a Soul Awakening Card at the beginning of the winter break to achieve his awakening."
As Yang Jun finished speaking, the command center fell silent for a moment, everyone too stunned to speak.
As everyone knows, before awakening, a Star Apprentice cannot embed or use any Star Cards except for the Soul Awakening Card, let alone practice to increase Skill Level.
So did Su Yuan actually manage to perfect the Steel Flame Finger in less than a month?
One month, Perfect Level? What an astonishing speed of skill cultivation! Although it's just a green skill, is this really achievable by a human?
Including Captain Xiao, all the City Guard members couldn't help but question the world itself, while Wang Haiping's face underwent transformations, shifting from shock to barely concealed ecstasy!
As a Shining Star Level powerhouse, Wang Haiping had seen and knew far more.
At that moment, feeling the uncertainty in the room, Wang Haiping tried his best to suppress the excitement within him and said:
"Everyone need not doubt themselves, as our Guangchuan City is merely a small Level Three city in the Great Flame Country without even a Star Power Academy. With the vastness of the Great Flame Country and the immense Blue Sea Star, there are too many geniuses in this world that we have not seen or cannot even imagine."
Xiao Yong and the others heard this and nodded slightly.
Indeed, the world is so vast, there are always some geniuses that ordinary people cannot comprehend.
For them to have encountered one could truly be considered extremely fortunate.
Wang Haiping took a deep breath and continued, "However, as far as I know, the only person who could bring a skill to Perfect Level within a month is..."
Before Wang Haiping could reveal the answer, Xiao Yong thought for a moment, then suddenly realized something, his expression changing dramatically, "Could it be... that person above you?!"
"Exactly," Wang Haiping said, his face showing a look of reverence, "Lord Huangfu!"
Director of the Education Bureau of Great Flame Country, profound and mystical, Huangfu Qi!
Known as the strongest genius in Great Flame Country for the past century, he possesses the strongest skill cultivation talent in all of Great Flame.
It is said that during his academy days, he managed to perfect a Green Skill within a week, which was far more astonishing than Su Yuan's performance.
Of course, Su Yuan is currently at the Star Apprentice Eighth Stage, while Huangfu Qi was a Silver Star Card Master when he perfected the Green Skill in a week.
No matter what, the skill cultivation talent displayed by Su Yuan could at least be considered on the level of "Little Huangfu Qi."
Wang Haiping and Xiao Yong had discussed so much, and while the City Guard members at the command post were shocked and doubting their life choices, they did understand.
Only Yang Jun still did not understand what was going on.
Yang Jun swallowed and tentatively asked, "Umm... Director Wang, Captain Xiao, what's going on? You asked about Su Yuan, did this young man cause some trouble?"
Wang Haiping laughed heartily without concern for his image and patted Yang Jun's shoulder, saying, "Your Fourth Middle has produced a genius, Captain Xiao, show him."
Xiao Yong complied, showing Yang Jun the video of Su Yuan using the Perfect Steel Flame Finger to instantly kill the Shadow Leopard, leaving Yang Jun... speechless in astonishment.
In the Secret Realm, Su Yuan was still unaware of how much attention he had attracted; after resting, he prepared to continue on to the next red zone.
The red zones are limited, with only seven in total. If one doesn't hurry, others may kill all the Bronze-level Star Beasts, and then even with the strength, there would be none left to kill.
Su Yuan moved forward while looking at the map on his locator.
"This time it's even further. The nearest red zone is now in the central area of the Secret Realm. It will probably take half a day to get there, and the sky is already getting dark. It's likely difficult to move a step at night in such a dense forest; at the earliest, I can only reach there by tomorrow.
Moreover, with three red zones distributed throughout the central area, students who want to rank up by killing Bronze-level Star Beasts will tend to converge towards the center, which very likely results in encounters during the hunt... It seems they intend to create competition for us?"
Su Yuan put away his locator with a usual expression, called upon the Clear Wind around his feet, and sped towards the next red zone with increased speed.
If there's a competition to be had, then let's compete; there's nothing to fear, it's all about demonstrating one's strength.
Besides, hunting Star Beasts alone isn't as interesting as competing against the talented students of Guangchuan City.