He turned and looked at Xu Wuyi. "Your situation is special. With your current strength and potential, youâre more than qualified to accept Federation-level missions. I can help you apply for this special permission."
Xu Wuyiâs eyes lit up. "Thank you, Dean!"
"Donât thank me just yet." He Yifeng waved his hand. "The application has to go through the proper channels. Iâll need to explain the situation to the schoolâs upper management, and it might even require the principalâs signature. Still, with your current reputation and strength, it shouldnât be a problem."
He walked back to the stone table, sat down, and tapped his fingers in the air, summoning a light screen and quickly typing in information.
"Iâll draft the special permission request for you right now. Itâll be submitted directly to the Academic Affairs Office and the Principalâs Office for expedited processing."
Text scrolled rapidly across the light screen.
Xu Wuyi saw that He Yifeng had written in the reason for application field: "This studentâs strength has reached the level of a senior Martial Artist. His Heart Image Prototype is in its initial stage, and he possesses the ability to independently execute high-risk missions."
"Lingering on low-intensity school missions is detrimental to his growth and breakthroughs. It is recommended to grant him access to Federation missions to promote his cultivation through real combat, thereby nurturing a truly capable talent for the Federation."
Finally, He Yifeng signed his name in the applicant field, along with the Deanâs electronic seal.
"Alright, the application is submitted." He Yifeng closed the light screen and looked at Xu Wuyi. "We should have a result by tomorrow morning at the earliest. If itâs approved, Anna will update your mission permissions, and youâll be able to accept those two missions directly."
"Understood, sir." Xu Wuyi felt a sense of certainty.
He Yifeng looked at him and added, "However, there are a few things I need to remind you of."
"Please, go ahead, Dean."
"First, after accepting a mission, your personal safety is the top priority. If you encounter an irresistible danger, survival comes first, the mission second. Youâre still young with a long road ahead of you. Donât be reckless."
"Second, during the Research Instituteâs testing mission, if you discover any abnormalities with the test Star Beast, or any problems with the equipment or environment, report it immediately. Donât try to handle it yourself."
"Those scientists at the Institute can be a bit adventurous with their tests sometimes, all for the sake of data. You need to be aware of that."
"Third, for the military garrison mission, obeying orders is paramount. On the defense line, you are a soldier, and you follow the commanderâs arrangements. But at the same time, you must also maintain your independent judgment. Battlefield situations change in an instant; at critical moments, you have to be able to think for yourself."
He Yifeng spoke with great seriousness. Every point was born from experience.
Xu Wuyi committed these words to heart. "I will remember them, sir."
"Alright, you can go." He Yifeng waved his hand. "Once the permission comes through, prepare well."
"Yes, sir."
Xu Wuyi bowed, and his figure slowly faded from the Battle Network.
...
His consciousness returned to reality, and Xu Wuyi sat up in the Virtual Pod.
Outside, it was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the floor.
He didnât get up immediately, instead leaning against the wall of the pod, replaying his conversation with He Yifeng.
The Deanâs support had put his mind at ease.
âNow, all I have to do is wait for the permission to be approved.â
He called for Anna and asked about the applicationâs progress.
"Your special permission application has entered the review process. Current status: Preliminary review by the Academic Affairs Office passed. Submitted to the Principalâs Office for final review. Estimated approval time: before ten oâclock tomorrow," Anna reported.
âVery efficient.â
Xu Wuyi nodded, no longer dwelling on the matter.
He got up, walked to the center of the Cultivation Room, sat down cross-legged, and began to circulate the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace technique.
âNo matter when the permission comes, my cultivation canât stop.â
Qi and Blood surged through his body, and his Heart Fire burned fiercely. In his sea of consciousness, the Golden Crow soared, scattering golden light, while the phantasmal image of the Earth quietly supported it all.
Xu Wuyiâs consciousness sank into contemplation of the True Intention of "Earth".
âSenior Flame Venerable said that the Earth governs bearing, nurturing, and stillness.â
âBut how do I embody these traits in combat?â
âGolden Crow Sky Splitting is the ultimate expression of offense, a manifestation of "motion." The Earth, on the other hand, should be the foundation of "stillness"âthe core that endures attacks, dissolves force, and nurtures a counter-attack.â
âPerhaps... I should approach this from the perspective of defense and counter-attack.â Xu Wuyi felt a glimmer of understanding.
The night of cultivation passed without incident.
...
The next morning, just as Xu Wuyi finished his morning practice, Annaâs notification sounded.
"Student Xu Wuyi, your special permission to accept Federation missions has been approved. The relevant permissions have been synchronized with your personal identification information."
"Addendum to the approval document: Permitted to accept Federation missions up to A- Level. The duration of a single mission must not exceed two months. During the mission period, basic school course requirements must still be completed. Wishing you great success in your martial endeavors. âPrincipalâs Office."
âThe permission is mine.â
A sharp glint flashed in Xu Wuyiâs eyes.
Without delay, he immediately logged onto the Red Star Platform.
He went to the mission area and found the two missions he had been eyeing yesterday.
"Federation Star Realm Research Institute "Combat Data Collector" Long-Term Recruitment"
"Seventh Defense Zone of the Star Realm Battlefield "Iron Blood Defense Line" Short-Term Rotational Garrison"
He tapped his finger on the virtual light screen, selecting "Accept."
A system confirmation prompt popped up:
[Are you sure you want to accept this mission? After accepting, you must report to the designated location within the specified time. Failure to do so will affect your credit rating.]
"Confirm."
[Mission accepted. Details and reporting instructions have been sent to your encrypted email. Please check your inbox.]
He repeated the process and accepted the second mission.
After successfully accepting both missions, Xu Wuyi logged out of the Red Star Platform and opened his encrypted email.
As expected, there were two new emails inside.
Both missions required the acceptor to pass a qualification verification test first.
The militaryâs test was relatively simple. It had a standardized testing procedure and only required completing a challenge on the Battle Network.
The Research Instituteâs test, however, was more complex. It didnât just require combat power; it also involved an assessment of the testerâs all-around abilities.
It required Xu Wuyi to travel to Xingjing City in two days for a real-world test. The process was complicated, so it was no wonder the reward was so high.
...
The Battle Network connection pod slowly closed, and his consciousness sank into the Star Dome.
Xu Wuyiâs figure appeared in a familiar testing space.
This place wasnât as vast as the Star Dome Battlefield; it was just a standard virtual training groundâa square arena with a grayish-white alloy floor and soft, simulated skylight overhead.
[Identity verification successful. Test Mission: Iron Blood Defense Line Garrison Qualification.]
[Test Content: Defeat a High-Tier Martial Artist Illusion (Simulated Target: Senior Commissioned Officer of the Federationâs Seventh Star Realm Defense Zone, Life Energy Level 39.2).]
[Combat Rules: Unrestricted. Victory is achieved by defeating the opponent or rendering them incapable of combat.]
[Warning: The Illusion possesses the Qi and Blood Strength and basic combat instincts of a High-Tier Martial Artist. Please proceed with caution.]
As the notification sound echoed in his mind, a figure in a dark green military uniform slowly materialized thirty meters away on the opposite side of the training ground.