Chapter 37: Expulsion Notice

Chapter 37: Expulsion Notice

"Main Post:

There should be no one in Star Horizon who doesn't know who that special invitee is, right?

Let me be blunt. During the enrollment season, wasn't he prominently featured in an interview live stream of a top university's top college? At that time, the homepage was flooded twice, and the strange posts caused by his influence are not worth mentioning. I just remember he openly challenged everyone during the interview! Not long after, it was revealed that his spiritual pool level was A, and he was a special invitee of a top college!

At that time, countless trolls and fans emerged, wildly praising him! I complained in the post that with such a level, he could still become a special invitee, and a group of people came to attack me!

They said I had a narrow vision and questioned the judgment of the top!

Ha, now it's karma, right?

I have someone in the military department, and I heard that Young Master Xu will be finalized within 2 months, and his current spiritual pool level is still A!

What does this mean? It means he will never become an E-type in his lifetime!

According to my cousin who works in the military academy, the higher-ups initially bet on Young Master Xu becoming an E-type, hence the special treatment! If he can't become an E-type, he will be kicked out of the academy! Anyway, this gossip post is here, and in a month or two, you'll know if what I'm saying is true!"

The poster rambled on in the main post, with a tone as if he had a grudge against Xu Qingran.

Posts related to Xu Qingran always mysteriously attract a lot of netizens' replies quickly.

"Front row!"

"Bringing my small stool to eat melons!"

"o.O Really or fake?"

"After reading, first I must admit that I also confronted the poster that day. Second, I want to clear my name! Get it straight, I'm a hater, please don't label me wrongly! Does that little lunatic Xu Qingran even deserve to have trolls and fans?"

"Agree with the above, I also scolded the poster, but if you say I'm a fan of Young Master Xu, I don't like it! What fans does that little trash have, he only has haters like me!"

"Ah? He was praised so exaggeratedly before, but now at best he's an S level?"

"What's wrong with S level? Only about 10% of the entire empire is S level and above, right? Not the best, but still much better than you who can only type passionately online! (First of all, I'm not a fan of the little lunatic, nor am I speaking for him, I just can't stand those who can't do it themselves but belittle others!)"

The post soon broke through ten thousand floors.

Whether it was a coincidence or premeditated, on the same afternoon, a post related to Xu Qingan also appeared on the forum.

It is said that he performed very well in medical school, even more stable than his 3S peers. Professor Lu Wennian also announced today that he would take him as his closed-door disciple. They plan to study a topic together, and the title is still being planned.

The rumors that Xu Qingan might not be accepted by the Lu family some time ago were self-defeating.

Two high-profile figures appeared at the same time, and they were half-brothers, so it was inevitable for netizens to mention each other in various posts.

Unlike the stormy situation of Xu Qingran, most of the posts about Xu Qingan were praises.

And there were also comparisons:

"1678L: What a turn of events! At the beginning of the semester, it was said that the second young master was slapped in the face, crushed and killed by the eldest young master, but now... tsk tsk, who would have thought that things would reverse after half a year?"

"2144L: Hahahaha if the eldest young master is expelled, I will really laugh to death."

"3011L: It would really be embarrassing, and Xu Qingan's future achievements are probably something he will never be able to match, right?"

However, in the current public opinion, there are also some different voices:

"7633L: Am I the only one who remembers this? Xu Qingan slandered the eldest young master, and there's speculation that he orchestrated his own kidnapping. Have everyone forgotten these things? Why are there still so many clueless fans in this thread?"

"7821L: I also want to say, Xu Qingan seems like such a manipulative person! If my boyfriend were seduced, I might react even more intensely than Young Master Xu!"

"8666L: It's all due to the Lu family's influence and Major General Lu's reputation that he's being exonerated."

"9001L: Upstairs, this is a thread praising the second young master; if you can't handle it, don't come in and stir up trouble!"

"9277L: Oh? You're the ones who started badmouthing the eldest young master! I can't stand people like you who have no moral compass, shamelessly fawning over Xu Qingan!"

The thread quickly turned into a heated argument again.

By the end of the argument, the discussion turned to Xu Qingran's ultimate classification. Most people believed that if he couldn't become an E, he would most likely just be an ordinary N. A small portion thought that since he had good artistic achievements before, he might be an I like Xu Qingan.

Someone summarized in a follow-up post:

"Looking at it this way, the only way for Young Master Xu to hold his head high is to become a D, right?"

If E is something everyone looks up to, something that can only be admired from afar and not approached, then D, which is even rarer than E, is a national treasure! A D-type, known for their good nature and gentle demeanor, a D that can benefit the masses, a D that doesn't go crazy easily and can even stop E from going crazy, who wouldn't like that!

In the medical school, Xu Qingan couldn't help but curl his lips into a slight sneer.

He thought, someone as weak as Xu Qingran, even if he rises up and changes, how high can he go? Not even reaching E, and still dreaming of the rarest and most difficult D? That's just too fanciful.

Xu Qingan's friends in the military department have been leaking Xu Qingran's recent situation to him. They are all seniors he met in elementary school. Back then, they saw him as pitiful and took extra care of him, and he has kept in touch with them over the years.

Thinking about how Xu Qingran has been steadily advancing as if he had an unfair advantage over the past six months, he was very worried. What's even more infuriating is that he heard that Lu Cheng was sent by the third prince to specifically try to pull him up!

Fortunately, Xu Qingran has disappointed everyone, hasn't he?

It proves that even with the best tools, rotten wood is still uncarvable.

This time, he wants to see how he can turn things around.

The day the Star Horizon gossip post blew up was also the day when military academy students could access entertainment electronics again. Everyone in the academy was quietly following the gossip, and very few replied under pseudonyms because replying would reveal their IP on Azure Star and expose their identities.

Of course, there were a few bold ones who took the opportunity to promote some recent anecdotes about Xu Qingran in the academy.

Xu Qingran got his phone and joined everyone in reading the posts.

He wasn't particularly affected, but his classmates at Linglong Base were afraid of angering him and were very cautious those two days. Even the 3S-ranked classmates asked him things with great respect.

Xu Qingran really wanted to tell them that he wasn't a tyrant and it wasn't necessary to be like this. But thinking that explaining would be troublesome, and he was a bit lazy, he simply didn't correct them.

Anyway, it was nice to have some peace and quiet.

After reading the fermented public opinion online, the only change in Xu Qingran was that he trained harder and more seriously. He arrived at 6 a.m. every morning and never left before midnight. When the person in charge of the control console got off work, he would ask in advance how to use it and give himself extra training.

He could practice the same type of alien repeatedly for several days, striving to thoroughly understand their characteristics, habits, reactions, and weaknesses.

He was truly a role model for our generation, a hardworking and motivated top student.

Seeing this, the students in his class group felt somewhat sorry for him.

"Ah, except for his spiritual rank, Xu is quite excellent in all aspects. If he is ordered to drop out just because he didn't reach E, isn't it too pitiful..."

"Yes, even an excellent A-level can be admitted."

Ni Xiaoyuan overheard and chuckled, saying, "The students in that academy class were all selected through rigorous open auditions. The royal family employs such tactics, akin to a gambler's strategy—offering benefits upfront and revoking them if expectations aren't met, thereby reinforcing their authority."

"How can you expect those in power to show any empathy?"

The classmates were at a loss for words.

But lacking Ni Xiaoyuan's family background, they had no choice but to stay silent and drop the subject.

A new month began.

It marked the final training period for the students' current project and the last month of study before the holiday break.

After a delay of over ten days, the main team responsible for alien species research in the Kayan Empire began their live broadcast program in Linglong City.

Several guests joined the program, including hosts from official educational platforms, journalists with years of experience covering the starry battlefield, movie stars known for related themes, and underage children representing learners.

"Hello, viewers! The 15th episode of 'Into the Star Sea World' is officially starting!"

In front of the camera, a beautiful host in military uniform opened the show actively.

"This program is being broadcast live on the Kayan Bioresearch official website and the Nebula platform, as well as on the Empire's Alien Biology Channel. We invite everyone to join us with your children and family as we explore the creatures of the vast universe!"

Most people in this century have only encountered modern 'devils,' making this official science program appealing to all ages and drawing a large audience.

On the live broadcast platform, the comments kept pouring in.

"Huh, are we still in the East District this year? Or did they change locations? The environment looks different from last year."

The host smiled and explained: "This year's filming is still focused in the east; the west and south areas aren't ready to open yet!"

"But the species we're encountering this year are definitely different from last year!"

This episode focuses on 'Haina,' a species that invaded the Kayan Empire 300 years ago. Haina is an amphibious alien species with a python-like lizard head, saw-like teeth, sharp claws, and a spiked dorsal fin.

Its original habitat is believed to be in the Mermaid Galaxy Cluster, roughly ten million light-years away.

Their skin remains smooth and moist, helping them sense air flow changes. The combination of water vapor and spiritual energy on their bodies can neutralize long-range psychic attacks.

Thus, close combat became the primary strategy, though their traits made it challenging for soldiers.

After years of data collection, it was discovered that their skin's moisture evaporated quickly under the sun. This led to targeting them during peak sunlight hours, gradually wearing them down until they retreated.

"A small group of surviving Haina were captured by the Empire and sent to the Linglong City base for breeding and further study."

"They look terrifying in the pictures!"

"I heard they're incredibly destructive—one swipe of their claws can shred a flying machine twice their size."

The initial days of the broadcast focused on introducing the ecosystem and species.

The host led the camera and guests to the East 11 District.

This area replicates the Haina's ecosystem, divided into a large section and a smaller one. The larger section houses live Haina, while the smaller one serves as a training ground for students.

Across the wetland-themed field, students are scattered, training against simulated Haina. Some shyly avoided the camera, others glanced around curiously, and a few bold ones waved directly at it.

The comments section was buzzing with excitement.

"The standards of the military academy students this year are also very high!"

"Wow, so many handsome guys and beautiful girls! Will one of them be mine!" "Wuwu, the military students are really handsome, but unfortunately I don't have the ability, I can't even get into the small military academy here."

In a far corner, a small group of people had gathered.

The host couldn't resist zooming in with the camera and discovered a mid-level simulated Hainar, its venomous spines glinting with an eerie light under the illumination. Among the crowd, there was an agile figure wielding a blade, engaged in combat with the mid-level Hainar.

His movements were swift as the wind, and the massive Hainar was spun around by him. As the camera panned over, it caught him landing a frontal strike to the Hainar with his blade, then swiftly moving behind it during a brief pause, perfectly avoiding its venomous spine defense, and driving the blade into the vulnerable spot beneath the venomous dorsal fin.

The Hainar, having already endured numerous attacks, seemed to have reached the system's set damage threshold.

With a piercing cry, it crashed to the ground and dissolved into a mist of light.

The surrounding classmates heaped praise on him, and Feng Wei exclaimed, "Ah, so the weakest spot is beneath the venomous fin, no wonder the spines on the mid-level dorsal fin are all venomous!"

The host was equally excited: "This is a mid-level Hainar with a spiritual power on par with double S-class!"

"Although it's just a system-simulated training partner, the fact that the student was able to defeat it must mean he's at least a top-tier S-class student!"

The comment section exploded.

"Host, sis, I think that little brother's back looks really handsome!"

"Sister, sister, please show us his face!"

"Please, if I don't see what he looks like, I really won't be able to sleep tonight!"

"Quick, let me see who this dashing figure belongs to! (frantic excitement)"

The production team wouldn't let such rare footage slip by.

The camera drone navigated through the crowd, circling around the boy who happened to be looking down, adjusting his clothes and checking his blade, before finally stopping in front of him. At the same time, he looked up upon sensing the movement, and a perfectly handsome face entered the viewers' sight.

The comment section went silent for three seconds.

Then the familiar reactions began.

"?"

"Ah??"

"...How could it be?!"

"No! I don't believe it!"

"Wow, Young Master Xu has some serious skills, it seems he didn't just rely on connections to get into the academy!"

"They say you can't rely on connections at Grandis Military Academy! You can't rely on connections!"

Xu Qingran tilted his head with an indifferent expression: "What's the matter?"

The hostess smiled and said, "Hello, classmate, we're from the *Into the Star Sea World* program! Was it you who just defeated that mid-level Hainar? Would you mind introducing yourself briefly to the audience in front of the camera?"

Xu Qingran looked down in thought.

When he raised his eyes again, there was a trace of a scornful smile in his gaze.

"Me?" He chuckled emotionlessly, deliberately emphasizing his tone, "Xu Qingran, A-class student."

With that, he walked away, his back exuding an aloof demeanor.

The comment section fell silent once more.

Then people started to lose it and speak up.

"Damn, I’m such a failed hater—I actually got charmed by the little lunatic!"

"Ugh, what do I do? He totally charmed me to the core!"

"I always thought the eldest son was just delicate and pretty, but today I realized... he can actually look so rugged and handsome, like a total tough guy!"

"The eldest son’s A-level is nothing like what I imagined..."

"Hey, we missed the beginning—maybe other students stepped up too?"

"As someone who’s trained before, I can vouch that the eldest son looks like a total pro!"

There were also netizens who rushed to the live stream to roast or question Xu Qingran about the stereotype.

But by the time they finished ranting, they realized he wasn’t even on camera anymore. They even got blacklisted for stirring up trouble in the official live stream.

The show’s live stream only runs for an hour a day.

As the crowd was leaving, Xu Qingran had just wrapped up another training session and was taking a water break when a long-haired girl ran towards him against the crowd. Her eyes lit up, and she excitedly called out, "Brother Qingran!"

Xu Qingran stared at her intently.

He thought she looked familiar but couldn’t quite place her.

Then the girl approached him, pointing at herself shyly and asking, "Do you remember me?"

"Back at the Tower of Evil, when I didn’t want to be separated from my brother, you helped us."

Xu Qingran remembered.

It was that crybaby sister.

After nearly a year, the girl who used to seem so timid and scared in the Tower of Evil had clearly grown a lot.

That’s when he learned her name was Lin Mumu.

Apparently, not long after, she and her brother managed to leave the Tower of Evil. After losing their parents, they were about to be sent to an orphanage when they ran into Duo Lili, who was there to make a donation.

Lin Mumu: "Sister Duo said she thinks I’ve got what it takes to make it in showbiz and wanted to take me under her wing, so she took us in. Now I’m learning from her, appearing on shows, and even earning money for me and my brother!"

Xu Qingran listened quietly, then asked, "Do you like this job?"

Lin Mumu thought seriously for a moment, then said, "I don’t mind it!"

"As long as I can make enough to support me and my brother!"

Her brother, Lin Muyao, is apparently a top student. Seeing how tough life had been for the siblings, Duo Lili couldn’t stand the thought of such a bright student missing out on school, so she also sponsored him to continue his education.

She told them they could repay her once they made it big in their careers.

Xu Qingran gave a slight nod: "Good."

Lin Mumu said obediently, "My brother told me you got into the military academy, and you will become a great soldier who protects us! I just saw, Brother Qingran is indeed amazing, you will definitely be more powerful than those generals and marshals in the future!"

Xu Qingran glanced at the shiny little bow in her hair accessory, showing a bit more patience than usual: "Hmm, you have good taste, and what you said is also right."

Lin Mumu smiled sweetly after hearing this, and after getting his contact information, she hurriedly left under the urging of her assistant.

Before they knew it, it was the final week of the project training.

The students' evaluations were also going smoothly. Xu Qingran, an A-level, outperformed a group of double S and 3S in evaluation scores, breaking into the top ranks.

Xu Qingran's six-month performance report was delivered to Third Prince Mu Ziyu.

At this moment, Mu Ziyu was on a spacecraft heading to Azure Star.

His advisor, standing nearby, looked troubled: "Ignoring his spiritual power level, he is quite competent in other areas."

"You said it yourself, ignoring the spiritual power," Mu Ziyu glanced at the panel and pushed it away uninterested, "If he were a 3S, he would have topped his class group today! This proves that no matter how skilled he is, he can't compete across class levels!"

"And these are just his academy peers; what happens when he joins the military? Do you think the Silver Dragon Battalion would accept a new major who's only an A-level?"

"Forget A-level; even an S-level might face objections!"

Mu Ziyu rubbed his forehead and sighed lightly: "Never mind, let's focus on Ji Huaixiu and Ling Yuege's performance."

"Both are performing consistently well, each leading their respective class groups."

Mu Ziyu: "Hmm, impressive."

The advisor asked again: "And Xu Qingran...?"

Mu Ziyu, sitting on the spacious main seat, suddenly smirked, his eyes arrogant: "Of course, we'll have to let him go."

·

In a few days, the military academy students would enjoy their only vacation.

It's nearly a month long, and everyone is eagerly anticipating it.

The day before the main group was set to leave Linglong City for the academy's main base, Xu Qingran received a letter.

The paper was as fine as the special invitation he had received at the Tower of Evil.

As anticipated, it was a notice of expulsion.

'Dear Student Xu,

We regret to inform you that, based on our observations, you have not met the standards expected of a special invitee, and thus the academy has decided to revoke your special invitee status. However, you may reapply to the Grandis Military Academy through the official selection and assessment process in the future.'

Xu Qingran read it and chuckled.

After reading it, he promptly tore the letter to shreds and tossed it into the villa's trash can.

He murmured softly, 'Third Prince Mu Ziyu?'

It was said that he was the one who had sent the special invitation.

He was also the primary investor in the Linglong City base and the empire's extraterrestrial biological research team.

At this thought, Xu Qingran's eyes curved into a smile, chilling in its intensity.

By nightfall, nearly everyone in Linglong City was asleep. Since the students' training and evaluations had ended, the number of guarding staff in the base was also much less than usual, making it seem quite lifeless.

Xu Qingran came alone to a sparsely populated corner of the wild area. In the silence, he could still hear the howls of various creatures from the depths.

In front of him was a door with a 'No Entry' sign posted on it.

He stood in front of the door, staring at the smart security lock above, and asked his system without emotion, "Are you going to help or not?"

System: 「...」

「My dear ancestor, this isn't a matter of helping or not! If something goes wrong, I'll be punished by the management bureau!」

Xu Qingran remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "System, let me guess, have you messed up exactly two world missions before me?"

「...」

The system was horrified!

Indeed, it was exactly two.

But it had never mentioned this before. How did the host know?! Did it accidentally talk in its sleep due to a bug?!

Xu Qingran added softly, "What do you think, if I go back now and drag Shen Tingyu down to hell with me, can your mission still succeed?"

"If this world fails again, you'll really be destroyed, won't you?"

Actually, it wasn't hard to figure this out.

Under normal circumstances, a minor slip-up wouldn't lead to the risk of destruction. But his system seemed overly anxious about the mission, always mentioning failure and destruction, appearing extremely nervous.

With a little thought, the reason became clear.

System: 「...」

What kind of monster is this?! Why did it bind him for the mission in the first place?!

"So, are you going to help me solve the problem now, or shall we meet in hell together?" Xu Qingran asked coldly.

The system cried.

The system chose to compromise under the sheer dominance of its host.

Xu Qingran watched as the security door was unlocked by the system and grinned in satisfaction.

Dare to cross him?

Today, he would teach this prince a lesson—it's easier to invite a god than to send one away.

...

Mu Ziyu's starship successfully landed, arriving at Linglong City, where he held the greatest control.

At the same time, the crew of the show *Into the Starry Sea World* was still on air, a rare occurrence. It was the last day of the show, and the celebrity guests had already boarded their respective vehicles and left Linglong City.

They had originally planned to film the starry sky above Linglong City under the night sky, hoping for a flawless ending.

However, the weather had other plans, and a light drizzle began to fall. But since the schedule was set, they couldn't cancel the live broadcast, so they had no choice but to conclude near the base airport.

Mu Ziyu was their big boss. When the crew saw him emerging from his opulent starship from a distance, they suddenly spotted an opportunity and hurried over with their cameras, eager to flatter him.

Viewers were ecstatic to catch a glimpse of Mu Ziyu.

"Wow! What a fortunate day, we actually got to see the real third prince!"

"The third prince looks as dashing as ever!"

"Your Highness is the greatest representative of the Silver Dragon!"

"Ahhhh, long live the Silver Dragon!"

Mu Ziyu glanced at the flood of admiring and praising comments, feeling quite pleased, and didn't mind fielding a few more questions from the host.

The host said, "The Third Prince is currently the greatest supporter of Linglong City and our team. Thanks to his support, all our research can proceed without a hitch! This includes the current popularization and education programs, all of which were proposed by the Third Prince."

"May I ask, Your Highness, why are you so committed to supporting research on alien creatures? What significance does Linglong City hold for you?"

Mu Ziyu, maintaining his dignified demeanor, responded earnestly, "I've always believed that to defeat an enemy, we must first understand their habits, identify their weaknesses, and then..."

The rare interview had just started when a loud explosion suddenly erupted from the distant wild area base behind them. Through the camera feed, they saw several bursts of firelight in the forest as the explosion went off.

Both the program team and the Third Prince were momentarily stunned.

As they turned to investigate, the city-wide alarm of Linglong City began to wail, its sound heavy in the dark night.

Mu Ziyu frowned and asked those around him, "What’s happening?"

The soldiers accompanying him quickly rushed off to gather information.

When they returned, their faces were pale: "It’s bad! The defense system in the eastern wild area malfunctioned, and the gates isolating the alien creatures opened on their own. It's said that many mid-to-high-level alien creatures have crossed the warning line and are running loose!"

Mu Ziyu’s face darkened: "What are you saying?!"

"Not only that, but the system in the underground base also failed, releasing the insect race from the research lab! The researchers have already evacuated, but if not contained quickly, this could lead to even greater trouble and losses!"

Hearing this, Mu Ziyu lost all interest in continuing the interview. He immediately turned and led his team to address the situation.

The program team was left dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.

The live broadcast audience was equally baffled, flooding the chat with questions.

"Is this for real?!"

"So dramatic? What just happened?!"

"Isn’t this some scripted stunt by the program team and the Third Prince to boost ratings?"

"Don’t be ridiculous—why would the imperial team need to do something like this?"

The chat quickly exploded with comments, filling the screen.

This was certainly not arranged by the program team, but it was definitely a heaven-sent hot topic and material!

Seeing such a big scoop, the program team activated all the remaining cameras, cutting out several live broadcast room screens, preparing to broadcast the sudden incident and the handling results in all directions. The host instantly transformed into a 'war correspondent', following the rest of the program team to the disaster scene.

Thus, in the middle of the night, the words "Linglong City" rushed to the top of the hot search.

In the forested wild area.

The controllers on the alien creatures also malfunctioned, and they, regaining their freedom, excitedly rushed out. The guarding soldiers were caught off guard, but fortunately, they were all qualified soldiers with some training experience, and soon took out their weapons to attack and control.

Xu Qingran stood on a very tall tree in the forest.

From his position, he could almost see all the areas of Linglong City that were in trouble. Clusters of firelight, like stars, exploded in his eyes, illuminating the cold smile in his eyes.

Bombing the entire eastern area was already his greatest mercy.

Of course, if that foolish third prince still insists on using such methods to make him leave, he promises to stir up trouble in every direction, delivering a knockout blow.

From the deepest part of the wetland area, a Haina, as tall as a building, lumbered out heavily.

Its skin was aqua blue, with two fierce eyes like those of a beast. It let out a loud roar, revealing sharp, terrifying teeth. The rain fell on its body, and it seemed to enjoy the feeling of being moistened by water, its spiritual energy surging stronger.

The Hainas in the wetlands had all been released.

Xu Qingran gazed at the man in the distance, draped in a cloak and dressed luxuriously, leading people towards the base, and chuckled softly.

—Enjoy the chaos tonight, Mu Ziyu.

Before dealing with Mu Ziyu, Xu Qingran had other things to do.

He slipped unnoticed through a detour and successfully blended into a group of students who had been awakened by the commotion. The instructors were handing out guns and knives to those who had just woken up, urgently instructing, "You've been learning for so long, now is the perfect time to test your combat training!"

A half-asleep classmate asked, "...What happens if we fail?"

The instructor didn't even look at him and replied, "Nothing much."

"At worst, we'll be hosting a few days of mourning feasts."

The classmate: "..."

He snapped awake instantly.

"So all of you, take this seriously! This is not a drill. The base is in deep trouble right now. The defense system malfunctioned, causing many alien species to break free, and even the control rings on them are useless! Reinforcements from other areas won't arrive soon, so we need you to help stabilize the chaos in the eastern district!"

"Those rampaging alien creatures, avoid killing them if you can. We'll hand out special sedatives later. Weaken them in combat, then sedate them."

The instructor spoke with heartfelt pain: "After all, they are rare biological samples. If they all die, who knows when we'll get more."

Xu Qingran followed the others in receiving weapons and sedatives.

Before setting off, the instructor solemnly instructed: "In the wild area, the most important thing to watch out for is one of the species you've recently practiced fighting against—Haina! It's raining now, and their strength and perception are at their peak. If your level is similar or not higher than theirs, don't think about sneaking up on them!"

The students, though nervous, clenched their teeth and bravely moved out in groups.

Some went to the wild area, others headed to the underground base.

Xu Qingran glanced at the entrance to the underground base and, after seeing a few armed soldiers enter, followed behind them.

Non-combatant researchers had already evacuated.

Those remaining were mostly soldiers tasked with damage control. Xu Qingran used sedatives to knock out a few alien creatures and followed the people he was paying attention to, arriving at a certain research room.

The room's power was out, with only the flickering red alarm lights casting an eerie glow.

The flickering lights created a horror movie-like atmosphere.

In the room, there was a long, tentacled insectoid with formidable combat skills. Xu Qingran, along with a few others, managed to subdue and sedate it.

"Damn, just our luck to run into this mess!" After relaxing, one of the more hot-tempered individuals couldn't help but complain.

Another companion chimed in: "Exactly, we were doing fine at the main base until we got roped into that team project. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be stuck in this mess."

"Wasn't Linglong Base supposed to have the empire's best defense system? How could this disaster just happen out of the blue?"

"Who knows? It's above our pay grade to judge!"

"Forget it, this place isn't safe to stay in. Let's quickly handle the situation outside!"

As they chatted and prepared to leave, arranging for someone to remove the insect race from the room, they noticed an outsider standing there. The person stood before the only exit, and the door had closed without them realizing it.

His cold expression and chilling gaze were unnerving, especially under the flickering red light.

Taking a closer look, they recognized him: "...Xu Qingran?!"

Xu Qingran gripped the psychic blade he'd used against the insect race, his dark, steady gaze fixed on them as he spoke in a calm, measured tone: "I've been watching for months, and now I have a simple question for you."

"Do you happen to know Xu Qingan?"

The people in the room hesitated before responding.

They did know Xu Qingan—in fact, they were the ones who had been reporting Xu Qingran's activities to him. They were also the ones spreading the rumors about him online.

But they had no plans to inform Xu Qingran.

They were his seniors, after all. What was Xu Qingran trying to prove with this attitude?

One of them stepped up to Xu Qingran, glaring fiercely, and spat out, "None of your damn business!"

"Move it, don't block my—" Before he could finish saying "path," Xu Qingran suddenly grabbed him.

Xu Qingran seized him, spun him around in one swift motion, and forced him to face his companions.

Then, as he widened his eyes in shock, the psychic blade sliced across his neck, effortlessly cutting through his psychic defenses of the same level, silencing him forever.

After killing the man with a single swift motion, Xu Qingran tossed him aside without a second glance and, in the same calm and polite tone, repeated to the others—

"Now, do you know Xu Qingan?"