Chapter 37: Gathering at Qingye

In the blink of an eye, a month and a half passed. It was now April 22.

Aside from the necessary literary classes, Su Yuan spent most of his time each day cultivating. With the blessing of his Soul Card, the speed of Star Power growth within his Star Power Vortex was quite satisfactory. He had made progress of over thirty percent towards the Ninth Stage.

One must know that, counting the breakthrough caused by the awakening of his Soul Card, it took Su Yuan nearly two years to advance from the Sixth Stage to the Eighth Stage.

Yet now, in less than three months, he had achieved over thirty percent progress. Without the assistance of auxiliary resources, this cultivation speed was already quite fast.

Every weekend, Su Yuan ventured into the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hunt Demon Beasts for Star Dust. Although the efficiency couldn't compare to the Rainforest Secret Realm, over several weekends, he had collected more than 2600 Star Dust.

Su Yuan directly elevated "Elemental Magnetism Pressure" and "Gray Flame Strike" to the Transformation Realm. The power of both skills surged!

At this point, all five embedded skills had reached the Transformation Realm!

Additionally, Su Yuan had elevated "Instant Movement" from Master to Great Success!

With the "Instant Movement" at Great Success, the casting time shortened to 0.3 seconds. The interval between casts reduced to four seconds. The maximum movement distance further increased, allowing Su Yuan to teleport to anywhere within an eighty-meter radius at his current Realm, with a reduced consumption of Star Power for the same distance!

The innate Soul Skill of the Azure Sky Phoenix was becoming increasingly terrifying.

That morning, the sky was clear, and the weather was perfect.

Su Yuan did not go to school. Dressed in casual attire and white sneakers, he greeted his family and walked out of the neighborhood.

At the entrance, a black sedan was already waiting, with a beautiful woman in a black suit standing beside it.

The woman had a faint smile, a slender figure, long legs wrapped in sheer black stockings, and her black hair was tied up at the back. She was both sexy and competent.

Hmm… Director Wang not only had an eye for talent but also had excellent taste in selecting secretaries…

Su Yuan silently praised and quickly walked over.

Seeing Su Yuan approaching, the woman greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Su, is it?"

"That's me."

The woman walked to the back seat and opened the car door for Su Yuan: "Please get in. Director Wang is already waiting for you at the airport."

"Okay, thank you."

…

Today was the day to head to Qingye City.

Upon arriving at the airport, Su Yuan flew together with Wang Haiping to Qingye City. Su Yuan was also able to experience a rare free first-class flight.

By noon, they had arrived at the Star Card Master Association located in the urban area of Qingye City.

The Star Card Master Association existed in every city of the Great Flame Country, including Guangchuan City.

It was a semi-official, semi-private organization involved in numerous businesses, including registration, transactions, tasks, intelligence, and more. All affairs related to Star Card Masters fell under its jurisdiction.

The basic rule was that all Star Card Masters in the Great Flame Country must register with the Star Card Master Association. Without registration, they were unrecognized and faced inconveniences everywhere.

Although Su Yuan was just a Star Apprentice, he was already registered with the Star Card Master Association, allowing him to carry weapons.

Becoming a Bronze-level Star Card Master only required updating his formal Star Card Master credentials.

The Star Card Master Association in Qingye City was a large complex, much larger than the one in Guangchuan City, and far more grand and imposing.

After all, it was a Second Stage City!

Inside one of the large halls of the Star Card Master Association, Su Yuan followed Wang Haiping in.

As for the beautiful female secretary, she stayed outside.

Su Yuan and Wang Haiping weren't early. Some distant attendees had arrived the night before, and many people were already present in the hall.

"Ha, Haiping, you're here!"

As the two entered, a tall middle-aged man with a square face walked over with a smile.

Wang Haiping bowed slightly with Su Yuan: "Director Yan."

Yan Chenfei, Director of the Qingye Municipal Education Bureau, was also Wang Haiping's superior.

"I figured you'd be here soon." Yan Chenfei laughed heartily, "This time, two elite students from Guangchuan City were admitted to first-rate academies. As the Director of the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau, you must be thrilled!

If this continues, you might get transferred to another Second Stage City, or even come over here to assist me."

Yan Chenfei was referring to the position of Deputy Director of Qingye Municipal Education Bureau. From the Director of the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau to Deputy Director of Qingye, it would certainly be a promotion.

Wang Haiping shook his head with a smile: "Director Yan, you're teasing me. Even Second Stage Cities may not have an elite student admitted every year, let alone a Third-level City like ours.

Moreover, even if we do have several elite students, it won't change much. You and I both know it's all about the students' hard work and talents. We can only provide minimal guidance."

Yan Chenfei smiled back, refraining from further comment, and his gaze fell upon Su Yuan behind Wang Haiping: "You requested a spot, bringing this student, correct? Is he one of those elite students?"

Wang Haiping turned to Su Yuan, who swiftly stepped forward and bowed: "Su Yuan from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School, greetings, Director Yan."

"Su Yuan?" Yan Chenfei looked puzzled, "I recall the elite students' names as Fang Kun and Chen Jiujun?"

Wang Haiping chuckled: "This child has great potential, so I brought him along."

"Great potential?" Yan Chenfei pondered before saying, "Alright, have a seat and wait a moment. I need to entertain someone else."

"Of course, go ahead."

…

On the side of the hall, among the Qingye students, Zhuang Xun was talking to three other Qingye geniuses when he turned and saw Su Yuan entering with Wang Haiping. He was taken aback.

"No way, he actually came!"

"Who?" asked a short-haired girl in a purple jacket next to him.

"The one I mentioned before, the student from Guangchuan Fourth Middle School I met in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, who later outperformed Fang Kun in a trial."

"Oh?" The short-haired girl, Xu Xin, raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Su Sheng. "He seems ordinary? Fang Kun is an elite student from Shuzhou and yet lost to him?"

"Do not underestimate him. He is not to be judged by normal standards," Zhuang Xun murmured, shaking his head.

Xu Xin, you still haven't grasped the gravity of the situation. His presence means four slots drop to three, significantly increasing the competition!

As Zhuang Xun pondered, Su Yuan looked over, and Zhuang Xun quickly waved.

Su Yuan nodded in acknowledgment before looking away.

"Zhuang Xun is here too…"

Though Su Yuan did not know Zhuang Xun was an elite student from Shuzhou, he knew he was from Qingye High School and quite strong, so his presence here made sense.

Suddenly, a notification interrupted him.

Su Yuan checked his phone. It was a message from Zhuang Xun. He glanced at Zhuang Xun, who smiled and winked.

Su Yuan opened the message, containing just four characters.

"Show mercy!"

"This guy…" Su Yuan chuckled.

Having once fought together against the Green Flame White Wolf, Su Yuan honestly didn't mind going easy if possible.