The seats in Yanghai Hall stood empty, stirred by the fierce winds that swept in through the corridors and windows.
Thud!
A water-based pen rolled off a table, only to be caught by a left hand.
The hand, though its skin was loose, had remarkably fine pores. On its ring finger, a brass-colored ‘ring’ with a pitted surface rested.
Calling it a ring would be inaccurate; it was, in fact, an old-fashioned thimble, once worn by women while sewing.
Such items were rarely seen nowadays.
“You are far too reckless!” exclaimed the owner of the hand, a plump and fashionably dressed old woman. “Sending freshmen, who know nothing, directly into battle.”
“If anything goes wrong, what will you do then?”
The Principal stood on the stage, his gaze unfocused, silent, with a guilty expression etched across his face.
“If he *didn’t* act recklessly, we’d be surprised,” a voice preceded its owner. “Don’t be so angry; it’s not like you just met him today.”
The Old Man with a Sword entered through the passage, his words arriving before him, followed by several other individuals.
They were all key administrative staff, or rather, the school’s primary combatants.
“Hmph.”
The old woman knew this to be true, yet her anger persisted.
As the Principal, he consistently failed to consult with the other school leaders before acting.
He had, on a sudden whim, sent the freshmen into battle.
“Relax,” the Principal said, smoothing his white hair. “I’ve already sent Xu Gaoxuan and his team.”
“With him overseeing, there won’t be any problems.”
“Where is Yuan Fei?” the old woman’s expression softened slightly. “Isn’t he the one with the most free time? Call him.”
Xu Gaoxuan, an outstanding graduate who had remained at the school in recent years, had already reached the nineties on the Hundred Sages List in terms of strength.
However, he was still far inferior to Yuan Fei.
“Yuan Fei and the Vice Principal have already gone to the Dragon’s Pool entrance to assess the situation,” the Old Man with a Sword explained. “The sudden appearance of this Dragon’s Pool Touchpoint likely signifies the awakening of an Emperor-grade Dragon Abomination.”
‘An Emperor-grade Dragon Abomination…’ The old woman’s face tightened slightly.
‘Why now, of all times?’
Emperor-grade Dragon Abominations, beings far above King-grade Dragon Abominations, served as the leaders of the great tribes within the Dragon’s Pool.
Their strength surpassed even that of ordinary Mercury Rank individuals.
“Currently, we suspect that the anomaly is likely connected to one of this year’s freshmen,” the Old Man with a Sword stated.
‘Is it that S-rank freshman, Huang Xiu?’
The stylish old woman twisted the brass thimble on her left ring finger.
Huang Xiu was the only S-rank student in recent years who had successfully demonstrated both talent and power.
Many were closely observing Huang Xiu, who had once been male but had since transitioned to female.
“There’s a high probability that her lineage or ability holds a fatal attraction for the Dragon Abominations within the Dragon’s Pool.”
No sooner had the Old Man with a Sword finished speaking than a young teacher behind him exclaimed in surprise, “Where’s the Principal?”
At his words, everyone looked towards the stage.
The spot where the old man had stood was now empty; no one knew when he had left.
‘That fellow.’
The old woman’s expression turned cold.
“He must have gone home already,” the Old Man with a Sword said with a sigh of helplessness. “The Principal is under immense pressure as well.”
“The Void Realm anomalies have been far too frequent this year. We’ve had two major Void Realm manifestations in just this month, events that are usually rare even over several years. Perhaps this is why the Principal felt compelled to push things forward, even if it meant taking risks!”
“Even so, this is simply too much.”
The old woman scoffed coldly.
In her position as Director of Student Affairs, her duty was to ensure the safety of the students.
“Alright, alright, let’s all try to be a bit more understanding of each other,” the Old Man with a Sword interjected, caught between the two, his face etched with helplessness.
“The Principal had a meeting with some members of the Global Council a few days ago, so it’s normal for him to be irritable and impatient, especially since there are rumors that…”
He paused, his voice trailing off.
“That particular bill might very well be re-introduced.”
‘That bill…’
Though its name remained unspoken, given the identities of those present, who among them wouldn’t know exactly what he meant?
After all, only that one bill had been proposed every year since the Global Council’s inception, only to be shelved every single time.
The bill, titled [Void Realm and Awakened Matters Disclosure], aimed to reveal the truth of the world to ordinary people globally.
It was like a cherished doll placed high on a shelf, visible but forever out of reach.
But this year, it seemed, there was a genuine chance for it to finally see the light of day?
The opinions of those present regarding this bill varied wildly; some anticipated it, while others feared it.
Yet, if this bill were truly enacted, there was no doubt that the entire world would be plunged into a new era.
****
Xidu City.
The city-within-a-city, segmented into densely packed districts, concealed an unknown number of monsters.
Many teams had been plunged into bitter struggles from the moment they entered the Touchpoint, forced to fight while simultaneously protecting the freshmen.
Despite the overwhelming odds, not a single person complained.
They had long since adapted to this mode of combat.
Entering a Touchpoint and safeguarding ordinary people from the clutches of monsters was a trial every Awakened individual in their organizations would face.
Compared to ordinary people, freshmen at least possessed some combat capability.
However, the students of Tiandu University were, after all, the most exceptional Awakened talents selected from across the Great Xia Nation.
After one or two years of study, their strength had already reached the mid-tier level of various Awakened organizations.
Soldier-grade Dragon Abominations, equivalent to Mercury Rank, often couldn’t withstand even a single exchange against them.
Thus, as time passed, the various teams found their battles becoming progressively easier, gradually establishing a firm foothold within the Touchpoint.
The team located in Sector D2 was, moreover, a standout among them.
Huang Xiu’s strength far surpassed that of other freshmen in her cohort. Her ability was versatile, allowing for reconnaissance, controlled manipulation, and offensive output.
She could advance to face ten foes alone or retreat to control the battlefield by herself.
Wen Erya, for her part, lived up to her reputation as a Senior Female Student.
Though only a sophomore, her rank was merely Mercury Rank.
Yet, having cultivated the Tempering Method, her Void Energy concentration was only slightly inferior to Huang Xiu’s.
Furthermore, having mastered several Void Arts and completed a preliminary combat system, she was practically a self-propelled killing machine.
Her wild, bloody fighting style and immense power utterly astonished Huang Xiu.
No Dragon Abomination could withstand her assaults.
As for Yun Ning, the team leader, his strength was naturally no less than that of Wen Erya, despite being in the same grade.
After nearly twenty days of continuous refinement, he had grown even stronger, his speed increasing and his power significantly enhanced.
Huang Xiu still didn’t know what his ability was, nor had she ever seen him use it.
Yet, relying solely on his physical prowess and the Void Art of Void Energy Attachment, he could effortlessly tear apart any Soldier-grade Dragon Abomination.
‘Could he possess a passive ability?’ Huang Xiu couldn’t help but wonder to herself.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed from a distance.
She refocused her mind, turning her gaze towards the sound.
At the end of the street, an eight-meter-tall Sophora tree giant was encircled by numerous Dragon Abominations, trapped in a fierce struggle.
It lifted its massive feet, stomping violently into the horde of Dragon Abominations.
Its two hands flailed desperately, tearing off and batting away the Dragon Abominations that clambered onto its trunk from all directions.
However, Soldier-grade Dragon Abominations were like cockroaches—numerous and incredibly tenacious.
One was swatted away, another torn off, only for yet another to appear.
Its bark was ripped by the Dragon Abominations’ claws, leaving deep gashes on its dark gray trunk.