The mission required signing a long-term contract, starting at a minimum of six months.
However, the schedule was very flexible.
You didnât have to be on call at all times; you only needed to participate in two tests per month, each lasting about five days.
Payment was in merit points, settled per test. The base compensation for each was 1,500 merit points, with additional bonuses for special tests or outstanding performance.
A line of small print was appended below: "This missionâs risk level is rated B+. The test Star Beasts are all live specimens, some possessing special abilities or attack patterns. Combat testers must be capable of handling unexpected situations."
Xu Wuyiâs eyes lit up.
âThis mission is perfect.â
âTwo tests a month, five days each, for a total of ten days. The time commitment is concentrated and wonât interfere with my other plans.â
âMore importantly, it involves real combat against new types of Star Beasts. Theyâre "test subjects" provided by the research institute, so their strength will definitely be high.â
âI can earn merit points while honing my skills in high-pressure combat, and hopefully find an opportunity to comprehend the True Intention of Earth.â
He continued to the second mission listing.
The issuer was the "Federation Military - Seventh Star Realm Defense Zone Command."
The mission was to head to the "Ironblood Line" in the Seventh Defense Zone of the Star Realm Battlefield to participate in a garrison rotation.
Each garrison rotation was fifteen days. It required being on duty for the entire period to respond to potential Star Beast attacks.
The base pay was settled daily at 100 merit points, totaling 1,500 for the fifteen-day period.
If combat occurred, there would be additional military merit rewards based on performance.
The risk was rated A-, with a note: "Possible attacks from Commander Level Star Beasts, with a small chance of probing attacks from Overlord Level Star Beasts."
Xu Wuyi quickly did the math in his head.
âIf I take both missions, I can stagger them perfectly.â
âEach month, I can start with fifteen days of garrison duty in the Star Realm. After a few days of rest, I can do the two tests for the research institute, five days each, with a possible break in between.â
âThat would mean Iâd be on missions for about twenty-five days each month, leaving five days for rest and cultivation.â
âThe pace would be tight and the pressure immense, but that kind of high intensity is exactly what I need right now.â
âBesides, while the garrison mission requires me to be on duty the entire time, as long as the line isnât under attack, I can use most of the time to cultivate on my own. It wonât interfere with my training.â
In terms of merit points, the base rewards from both missions would add up to 4,500.
With potential combat rewards and other bonuses, earning five or six thousand merit points a month was entirely possible.
That was more than ten times more efficient than doing patrol or gathering missions at the university.
The pay was incredibly high, but the requirements were correspondingly demanding. It was clear both missions were designed for top-tier Martial Artists.
However, there was another problem.
As a student at Star Martial University, he normally wouldnât even be qualified to accept such Federation-level missions.
The universityâs mission system had permissions that were too low, and while he could see these high-level missions on the Red Star Platform, accepting them also required identity verification.
Xu Wuyi pondered for a moment before making a decision.
Without hesitation, he logged out of the Red Star Network, his consciousness returning to reality.
In the Cultivation Room, he opened his eyes, stood up, and called for Anna.
Blue light coalesced, and Annaâs virtual projection appeared.
"Anna, schedule a meeting for me with Dean He of the East Courtyard," Xu Wuyi said. "Iâd like to meet with him on the Battle Network this afternoon. The location is âLingyun Peakâ, as before."
"Command received. Sending meeting request to the East Courtyard Deanâs office... Request sent. Awaiting response," Anna replied.
Xu Wuyi didnât just wait around. He took a shower and changed into a clean training uniform.
Just as he finished, Annaâs voice chimed in, "Xu Wuyi, Dean He Yifeng has accepted the meeting request. The time is set for three oâclock this afternoon in the âLingyun Peakâ scene on the Star Martial Battle Network."
"Good."
Xu Wuyi checked the time. It was 1:30 PM, so he had an hour and a half.
At two forty, he lay down in the Virtual Pod.
His consciousness connected, and he logged into the Star Martial Battle Network.
...
At the summit of Lingyun Peak, a sea of clouds churned.
He Yifeng was already waiting inside the octagonal stone pavilion.
He still wore his long, cyan robe, standing with his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the distant, rolling clouds. Hearing movement behind him, he turned, a gentle smile on his face.
"Dean," Xu Wuyi said, walking into the stone pavilion and bowing respectfully.
"No need for such formalities." He Yifeng waved a hand, gesturing for Xu Wuyi to sit. "Seeking me out so urgently... have you run into a problem with your cultivation?"
"Itâs not a cultivation problem. I came to ask for your help with something, Dean," Xu Wuyi said, getting straight to the point.
"Oh? Do tell." He Yifengâs interest was piqued.
Xu Wuyi explained in detail about the two missions he had seen on the Red Star Platform and how he wanted to accept both but was restricted by his student status.
When he finished, He Yifeng didnât answer immediately. He frowned slightly, his fingers tapping gently on the stone table.
"A combat tester for the Star Realm Research Institute... and a garrison post on the militaryâs Ironblood Line..." He repeated the names of the two missions, his gaze thoughtful.
After a moment, he looked at Xu Wuyi. "Are you sure you want to take on both of these missions? Youâd be on duty for twenty-five days a month, with only five days to rest. Even many veteran Martial Artists couldnât handle that kind of intensity."
"Iâm sure." Xu Wuyi nodded, his tone calm but firm. "I need high-intensity combat right now to find an opportunity to break through. The universityâs missions can no longer meet my needs."
He Yifeng looked at Xu Wuyi, a flash of admiration in his eyes.
âThis student always knows what he needs and has the courage to go after it.â
"The Star Realm Research Instituteâs combat tests are quite risky," He Yifeng said slowly. "Some of the test Star Beasts they deploy have been genetically modified, while others are new, unpublicized species."
"Their attack patterns and abilities may be beyond anything you know. And while the testing grounds have safety measures in place, accidents have still happened in the past."
"And thatâs to say nothing of the military garrison mission. The Ironblood Line is a frontline position in the Seventh Defense Zone, directly facing the Star Realmâs Beast Tides. Although itâs relatively calm most of the time, when a battle does break out, itâs a fight to the death."
He paused, his tone turning serious. "Youâre the youth tournament champion, a âGrandmaster prospectâ the Federation has its eye on. Logically speaking, the university should be cultivating you under protected conditions, keeping you from overly risky missions at this stage."
Xu Wuyi didnât argue, listening quietly.
He Yifengâs tone then shifted. "However, the path of Martial Arts is not one that can be walked from within a greenhouse. The truly strong are forged in blood and fire. Since you have this resolve, I have no reason to stand in your way as your dean."
He stood and walked to the edge of the pavilion, gazing out at the sea of clouds. "The founding principle of Star Martial University was to train Martial Artists for the Federation who can fight and kill on the Star Realm Battlefield, not to raise flowers in an ivory tower."
"In recent years, the universityâs training methods have indeed grown a bit too conservative. Weâre afraid of accidents, afraid of taking responsibility, and in turn, weâve shackled some of our most promising students."