Facing Xiang Yong’s hand-blade, Xu Wuyi subtly sidestepped with *Instant Shadow Step* as the long spear in his hand thrust straight for Xiang Yong’s wrist, devoid of any flashy flourish.

This thrust wasn’t exceptionally fast, but its tip held a point of extremely condensed Spiritual Cold Radiance, locked onto the pivotal point in Xiang Yong’s shifting aura.

"Huh?" Xiang Yong grunted softly, clearly not expecting Xu Wuyi’s counterattack to be so cunningly precise.

He changed his move in a flash, his hand-blade shifting into a palm that sent a wave of Soft Force slapping at the spear shaft, trying to knock it aside.

However, just as his palm was about to make contact with the spear shaft—

A sharp glint erupted in Xu Wuyi’s eyes!

’Shocking God!’

With a silent roar, the Spiritual Cold Radiance held within his Spear Momentum suddenly erupted!

This was no tangible Energy blast, but a sharp Intention that pierced directly into one’s Heart and Spirit!

It was like an invisible ice pick viciously stabbing at Xiang Yong’s will!

Xiang Yong trembled violently, and the movement of his palm as it slapped at the spear shaft froze for an instant. He felt as if an unseen predator had him in its sights, and for a moment, his Heart and Spirit went completely blank!

For Martial Artists of their caliber, a momentary opening is all it takes to determine victory!

’Round one,’ Xu Wuyi counted calmly in his mind.

The long spear shadowed his every move. Seizing the instant Xiang Yong’s Heart and Spirit were suppressed and his movements had frozen, the spear’s tip darted toward his throat like a ghost.

Xiang Yong was a Level 35 Martial Artist, after all, and his combat instincts were incredibly sharp. At the critical moment, he forcefully twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to his throat, but the spear tip still tore the fabric on his shoulder.

Before Xiang Yong could recover, Xu Wuyi’s second strike was already on its way!

This time, the Spear Momentum was heavier and more focused. Though the Spirit Shock wasn’t as sudden as the first, it clung to him like a deep-seated poison, constantly interfering with Xiang Yong’s judgment.

Xiang Yong tried to use his powerful Qi and Blood to forcibly disperse the interference, but he found the effect was minimal.

’Round two.’

The spear’s shaft spun, sweeping across like an iron whip and smashing heavily against Xiang Yong’s hastily raised arm. The immense force sent him staggering.

The third strike!

Pressing his advantage, Xu Wuyi pushed his *Instant Shadow Step* to its limit. He moved as one with his spear, a perfect fusion of man and weapon!

A dark golden Undying Flame quietly coated the tip of the spear. Although he didn’t detonate it with Splitting God, its nature—the ability to incinerate Qi and Blood—already made Xiang Yong’s skin prickle with pain.

The spear tip stopped abruptly, a mere inch from the space between Xiang Yong’s eyebrows. The resulting gust of wind ruffled his hair.

The dark golden flame flickered gently, reflecting the lingering shock and disbelief in Xiang Yong’s eyes.

"Three rounds," Xu Wuyi said, retracting his spear and stepping back, his breathing perfectly even.

The training grounds fell silent.

The other three unsuccessful Martial Artist candidates, including the Female Martial Artist who had performed quite well, stared at the scene, dumbfounded.

Three rounds!

In just three rounds, a young Martial Artist barely over Level 30 had forced Xiang Yong, a veteran Level 35 Martial Artist with a suppressive level advantage, into such a sorry state!

If Xiang Yong hadn’t been so experienced, he might have been "killed" in the very first round!

Xiang Yong stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the torn fabric on his shoulder. He then touched his arm where the spear shaft had struck; it still throbbed with a dull ache.

Suddenly, he snapped his head up, his gaze burning as he stared at Xu Wuyi. His earlier placid and unimpressed expression had vanished, replaced by sheer, delighted surprise.

"Excellent! What a fierce Spear Technique! And such powerful Spiritual Will!" Xiang Yong couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. "You’re Xu Wuyi, correct? Star Martial University truly lives up to its name! With strength like yours, you’re more than qualified. Consider yourself on the team for this mission!"

He had originally been concerned about Xu Wuyi’s Energy Level, but now he was just thankful.

This level of combat prowess was far beyond that of an ordinary Level 31 Martial Artist; it was even more astonishing than the performance of the Level 33 Female Martial Artist from earlier!

Xu Wuyi gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Martial Artist Xiang."

The outcome of the tryout was a foregone conclusion.

Xiang Yong announced on the spot that Xu Wuyi and the dual-blade-wielding Female Martial Artist, Liu Qing from the Wind Shadow Martial Arts Dojo, had both qualified for the escort position.

...

After the tryouts, Xiang Yong had Xu Wuyi and Liu Qing stay behind to go over the mission details.

Departure was set for the following day. The meeting point was the Federation Space Transmission Hub Station, located in the suburbs of Xingjing City.

The Social Sciences Academy would provide basic supplies and some specialized equipment for the environment of the Celestial Spirit Star Realm.

During the mission, all personnel were to follow Xiang Yong’s command. The primary objective was to ensure the safety of the research staff, with the secondary objective being to assist in specimen collection.

"The environment of the Celestial Spirit Star Realm is completely different from Earth’s. Gravity is approximately 1.5 times stronger, and the air contains a special type of active energy particle. It’s harmless to humans but acts as a stimulant to certain Star Beasts. The vegetation is dense, and the terrain is complex, full of mountain ranges and marshes."

Xiang Yong explained the basic situation.

"The area we’ll be operating in has been designated a relatively safe, preliminarily explored zone, but we cannot let our guard down for a second. Those Star Beasts are incredibly elusive, and... those pups from the Werewolf Race might make an appearance as well."

At the mention of the Werewolf Race, Xiang Yong’s eyes grew cold.

As a Martial Artist who frequented the Star Realm Battlefield, he clearly had no love for these Alien Races.

"What do we do if we encounter the Werewolf Race?" Liu Qing asked, her voice cool and crisp.

"As a rule, we avoid unnecessary conflict. But if they attack first or obstruct the mission..." Xiang Yong’s voice turned grim. "Kill on sight!"

Xu Wuyi nodded. ’That suits me just fine.’

After logging out of the Battle Network, Xu Wuyi immediately started his preparations.

He inspected his Meteor Iron Long Spear, making sure it was in perfect condition.

He then went to the resource depot and used what few points he had left to redeem some high-quality Healing Potions and some Elixirs for rapidly restoring Qi and Blood.

Although the Social Sciences Academy would be providing some supplies, it was always better to have extra for peace of mind.

It was a necessary expense. Even if he didn’t need them this time, he could take them on future missions. It was like buying an insurance policy.

He also told his teacher, Han Mo, and his teammates that he would be heading to a brand-new Star Realm for a mission.

Han Mo simply reminded him to "be careful and treat it as a training experience," but his teammates were excited and envious, chattering away and asking him to bring back some souvenirs from the Star Realm.

Venturing into an outer Star Realm wasn’t a privilege exclusive to those of the Martial Master Level, but one generally had to be at least that powerful to be assigned such a mission.

On the morning of his departure, Xu Wuyi first took a flyer to Xingjing City, arriving on time near the Space Transmission Hub Station on the outskirts of the city.

The area was under heavy guard. A massive complex of silver-white buildings towered over the landscape, with personnel in assorted uniforms and squads of well-equipped Martial Artists constantly moving in and out.

At the designated meeting point, he found Xiang Yong, Liu Qing, and the VIPs for this mission: three researchers from the Social Sciences Academy.

They were two men and one woman, all wearing specialized protective suits and glasses. They had a delicate, scholarly air about them and were carrying numerous pieces of precision equipment.

Xiang Yong made brief introductions. The three researchers were very polite toward Xu Wuyi and Liu Qing, obviously aware that their safety depended on these two.

"Everyone’s here. Check your gear. Prepare for departure!" Xiang Yong commanded.