UPDATED Chapter 59: Only Half the Points? Request to Lift the Kill Restriction!

Outside the Sand City,

The moaning sounds emanating from the projector startled Zheng Mu, causing the popcorn in his lap to scatter all over the floor.

"Damn it, Ji Kun, what the hell did you download when I asked you to get some movies?!"

Zheng Mu scrambled to shut off the projector with the help of Tifa, not minding the popcorn mess. He rushed to the connected computer in three strides, and when he saw the list of explosive movies, each more provocative than the last, he felt a murderous rage towards Cai Sheng Kun.

Thankfully, he was alone; otherwise...

"Young friend,"

A voice came from not far behind him. Zheng Mu's body tensed as he turned towards the source of the sound, only to see an elder in a purple Taoist robe, standing on a flying sword... holding a man in military attire.

"Uh, did you see that?"

Zheng Mu asked solemnly, not waiting for the elder to respond before hurriedly continuing,

"If I say I didn't download these movies and have no interest in them, would you believe me?"

Faced with Zheng Mu's question, both the Taoist elder Zi Yun and General Qi felt awkward.

Honestly, they hadn't noticed at first, but the strange moaning sounds had startled them as they approached.

Good heavens, was this guy really watching such movies out in the open, all by himself?

The two exchanged awkward smiles, neither nodding nor shaking their heads.

Eventually, Elder Zi Yun chuckled and said,

"Young friend, there's no need to be nervous. General Qi and I were young once too. We're all men here; there's nothing to hide. We won't spread rumors about this, right?"

Hearing this, Zheng Mu nodded, instructing Tifa to clean up and take the items to his room.

Hmm, to correct Cai Sheng Kun's bad habits, one must first understand them to provide the right remedy, Zheng Mu thought, but outwardly he calmly waved at the two, signaling they could land.

Under Hong Hou's surveillance, it was clear the two meant no harm; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to approach without being detected by Zheng Mu.

"Esteemed seniors, are you the defenders of Sand City?"

Facing the obviously high-ranking and possibly more powerful duo than He Guang he knew, Zheng Mu felt no restraint. He calmly had Tifa and Mary Rose prepare tea for them.

Seeing Tifa's proficient tea-making skills, Elder Zi Yun's eyes brightened.

He examined Tifa, who was quietly making tea, and when he looked back at Zheng Mu, his eyes were filled with undisguised admiration.

"I am Elder Qing Yun, one of the defenders of Sand City. As you can see, I am a Taoist. And this is General Qi Tai, the military defender of Sand City."

Zheng Mu didn't react to the casual mention of 'Taoist'. A regular Taoist of C-level couldn't possibly reach this height.

"I wonder why you sought me out? If I recall correctly, it's the assessment period, and outsiders aren't allowed to interact with the examinees."

Saying this, Zheng Mu even made a "you're jeopardizing me" expression.

Hearing this, Elder Qing Yun chuckled, raising an eyebrow as he pointed towards Sand City in the distance, then to the base where Zheng Mu stood.

"Hehe, unfortunately, we haven't made a mistake. Your current location happens to be within the patrol range of Sand City's defenders. We're merely on our routine patrol."

"You're still in the assessment, not out of bounds, and we're on patrol, also not out of bounds..."

Seeing their smiling faces, Zheng Mu realized the coincidence.

His current location was precisely at the intersection between the Bone-Swallowing Desert assessment area and Sand City.

Zheng Mu nodded in relief, "May I know why you sought me out?"

Elder Qing Yun and General Qi exchanged glances. The elder chuckled and pointed to the base below,

"Young friend, I am quite curious. What level is this mechanical creation of yours? Of course, we won't press if you prefer not to say. It's just personal curiosity, especially considering... the profession of a mechanic."

The elder didn't finish, but Zheng Mu understood.

He nodded but smiled slightly, "Elder, are you probing for my trump card? Asking directly like this, isn't it a bit bullying to the junior?"

Saying this, Zheng Mu winked, his eyes flickering with complex light.

"Uh, is there anything you'd like to know from us?"

Seeing that he didn't refuse outright, Zheng Mu's heart leapt. He had been worried about how to handle the subsequent matters, but now the two had delivered themselves to his door.

Zheng Mu lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard,

"I wonder if you could reveal this year's cutoff score for the Southwest Military Academy? I..."

Before Zheng Mu could finish, both men shook their heads without hesitation.

General Qi was stern, "Zheng Mu, we indeed wish to befriend you. Being a mechanic and achieving what you have is unique on Blue Star. However, there are rules that cannot be crossed."

Elder Qing Yun nodded in agreement.

Seeing them ready to leave, Zheng Mu hurriedly stopped them,

"Could you at least reveal last year's cutoff score for the top-tier universities? I have no background, and there's no way for me to know this information."

This question made them pause. After exchanging glances, they sat back down.

"If it's last year's assessment standards, it's not really a secret. Those with some connections can find out."

General Qi gestured,

"9,900."

He nodded,

Elder Zi Yun added softly, "Last year's assessment was held on Quiet Sea Skull Island. The difficulty level was probably similar to this year's." Hearing this, Zheng Mu had a rough idea.

He bowed in thanks to the two, and seeing their curious gaze, he leaned in slightly,

He slowly uttered a few words,

"SS."

"Really? But you're just a Level 19, a newbie mechanic!"

Hearing Zheng Mu's answer regarding the level of the base vehicle below,

Elder Qing Yun accidentally yanked out a tuft of his beard.

General Qi was so shocked that he jumped on the spot.

Seeing their ghostly expressions, Zheng Mu smiled normally and bowed again,

"I hope you two can keep this a secret. Creating a mechanical entity of this level is indeed rare for me. It took a lot of effort to achieve this result."

Elder Qing Yun and General Qi: "...."

How did this guy manage to create a Red Hero level mechanical entity in less than two months? And he talks about it as if it took him half a lifetime.

If it weren't for the fact that you're a newly awakened individual...

They actually believed that nonsense. The news was so intimidating that the two were stunned for a moment. After a long silence, Qingyun Lao Dao finally sighed deeply.

"Hahaha, this year's assessment seems to have some highlights indeed."

While the three were chatting, the communicator on Qi Tai's waist suddenly rang. After answering and chatting with the person on the other end for a moment, his face darkened before he hung up.

"Zheng Mu, it seems you're in trouble," he said.

Zheng Mu, who was sipping his coffee, retorted, "Is drinking coffee a crime now?"

Qi Tai sighed, realizing Zheng Mu hadn't grasped the situation. "May I see your point card?"

Zheng Mu slid it across to them. Under their watchful eyes, the numbers on the point card were rapidly changing. Initially, it showed 217. But within two breaths, it jumped to 220, then surged again to 231...

The trio watched silently as the numbers climbed. In just five minutes, the points had increased by over fifty. Fifty points in the Bone Swallowing Desert central area could only be earned through fierce battles, perhaps even requiring a team to take down a monster above level 20.

"Uh, can someone tell me what trouble I'm in?" Zheng Mu asked, still clueless.

Qi Tai sighed, understanding that unlike those privileged family heirs who had been briefed about the assessment beforehand, Zheng Mu was in the dark.

"Zheng Mu, your point growth rate is unprecedented in the decades-long history of Dragon Nation's top university assessments. Hence... Sheng Qing University, along with others, have accused you of cheating," Qi Tai explained.

"What? Cheating?" Zheng Mu was dumbfounded. "In my previous life, I was reported for cheating just because I was headshotting everyone in a game. Now, in this world of professionals, just because I show a bit of prowess, I'm accused of cheating?"

His face darkened. "So, what's the decision? Are they nullifying my scores or disqualifying me?"

Qi Tai hurriedly waved his hands, "It's not that severe. You've acted within the rules, using mechanical creations recognized by Tian Dao. It's just that no mechanic has ever reached this point before, so they decided to impose some restrictions on you."

Zheng Mu narrowed his eyes. Qi Tai sighed, "From now on, killing monsters lower than your level won't earn you points. And... the points earned by your mechanical creations for killing monsters will be halved."

"Damn it!" Zheng Mu was furious, flipping the table as Qi Tai finished speaking.

Qi Tai and Qingyun Lao Dao watched the scattered teacups and tea sets on the floor but didn't get angry. They knew the decision was indeed unreasonable.

Zheng Mu clenched his fists, enraged for the first time. Even when he was rejected by Sheng Qing and other universities during registration, he wasn't as furious as now.

Back then, as a mediocre mechanic, he accepted the rejection, understanding his lack of value. But now, when he proved his strength, overshadowing other examinees from different schools with his points, he was being suppressed.

"Didn't Southwest Military Academy object?" Zheng Mu inquired.

Qi Tai gestured a ratio with his hands, "One to nine. Although Southwest Military Academy has a stronger foundation than Sheng Qing University and has some say, the number of people demanding restrictions on you was overwhelming. If it were three or four schools, we could have handled it, but now..."

Zheng Mu clenched his fists tighter.

Suddenly, he turned to Qi Tai, "General Qi, I need to speak with General Qin from Southwest Military Academy. Can you arrange that?"

Before Qi Tai could respond, a voice came from behind, "Oh, what do you need to discuss with me?"

Zheng Mu was startled, only to find General Qin had appeared behind him at some point.

Seeing Zheng Mu's angry face, General Qin sighed, shaking his head apologetically, "I'm sorry, we tried our best. Right now, the dean is unreachable. Out of the ten top-tier professional universities in Dragon Nation, nine demanded restrictions on you."

Zheng Mu interrupted him, "General Qin, since the restriction is already decided, I won't argue. But I can't swallow this loss. I have a request that I hope you can relay."

General Qin frowned, sensing an extreme danger from Zheng Mu's current state.

"Go on," he urged.

Zheng Mu stared at him, enunciating each word, "I request the lifting of the non-killing restriction."

"What?" Not only was General Qin stunned, but Qingyun Lao Dao and Qi Tai behind were also looking at Zheng Mu as if he were a madman.

Lifting the killing restriction would turn the Bone Swallowing Desert into a ruthless battleground for Dragon Nation's geniuses.

Zheng Mu kept his gaze on General Qin, "I know my request isn't excessive. Thirty years ago, participants in top university assessments had to sign a life-and-death agreement. It's just that the rules have changed now."

"If I'm restricted from earning points, I accept it. But if as a professional, as an examinee from Southwest Military Academy, I'm supposed to be a powerhouse in this assessment field, yet I'm humiliated due to your incompetence, then I must say..."

He paused, his voice cold, "If Southwest Military Academy is gone, then so be it."

Such rebellious words coming from Zheng Mu showed how furious he was.

General Qin, upon hearing the disdain for Southwest Military Academy in Zheng Mu's words, frowned but had nothing to say. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "You should know, if the killing restriction is lifted, you might not only become a hunter in this desert but also a prey, with the latter being more likely."

Zheng Mu smirked coldly, "Life and death are destined, wealth and honor are in heaven. That's the real reason why I love this world."

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, General Qin felt as if he was facing a ferocious beast struggling to break free from its shackles. He had a horrifying thought that the young man, whom He Guang had described as rational, might not be as he appeared. The rational individual was harboring a complete madman deep within.

After a long silence, under the anxious gaze of Qingyun Lao Dao and Qi Tai, General Qin finally nodded, "I'll use my connections at the top."

After General Qin left, Qi Tai and Qingyun Lao Dao didn't dare to linger either. Their minds were a mess, especially after learning about the level of Zheng Mu's base vehicle. They both realized that the upcoming top university assessment might turn into a bloodbath.

"Senior Qingyun, do you think you, with your S-level profession at below level 20, could withstand a Red Hero level mechanical creation?" Qi Tai asked as they landed in Huangsha City.

Qingyun Lao Dao sighed deeply after hearing the question, "General Qi, at this point, do you still believe that mechanic is an A-level profession?"