Chapter 4: Probationary Knight Assessment (Part 1)
“Yes.” The two young knights dared not offer even the slightest objection and replied with utmost respect.
The young girl extended her right hand toward Long Haochen and said, “Little brother, my name is Li Xin. Come, I’ll take you to meet Uncle Nalan.”
Overjoyed, Long Haochen took Li Xin’s hand and replied, “Thank you, big sister. My name is Long Haochen.”
Li Xin’s hand was long and strong, yet the skin on her palm was noticeably rough, clearly from frequent sword practice. In contrast, when Long Haochen’s hand rested in hers, it felt entirely different. Among children his age, Long Haochen’s hands were also slender, but Li Xin found his touch remarkably soft and comfortable to hold.
Upon entering the Haoyue Branch Hall, the first thing Long Haochen noticed was an aura of ancient grandeur washing over him. The floor was paved with bluish-gray stone slabs, and twelve massive stone pillars lined both sides, supporting the entire hall. At the front of the hall stood six enormous stone thrones, each towering ten feet high, adorned with intricate carvings of patterns Long Haochen had never seen before.
“Big sister, what are those?” Long Haochen asked curiously, pointing at the six stone chairs.
Li Xin’s expression immediately turned solemn. “Those are the Divine Throne Seats, symbols of the highest honor within our Knight Temple. Only a Divine Throne Knight may occupy one of them. Little brother, have you heard of Divine Throne Knights? They represent the pinnacle of our order, the ninth rank. Every Divine Throne Knight is a legendary figure. It is said that each possesses the strength to challenge individually one of the top ten demons among the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars.”
This was the first time Long Haochen had ever heard the title ‘Divine Throne Knight’; Starry Sky had never told him anything about them.
“Big sister, just how powerful are Divine Throne Knights? And why are they called Divine Throne Knights?”
Li Xin said, “It is precisely because they possess the Divine Throne and have gained its approval that they can become Divine Throne Knights! Do not think these are merely chairs; each Divine Throne is a true divine artifact, bearing the imprint left by a god. My goal is to one day become a Divine Throne Knight myself.”
Long Haochen asked in confusion, “But there are only six Divine Thrones. What happens if that’s not enough?”
Li Xin giggled softly. “Silly boy, it’s not that easy! Do you have any idea what a Divine Throne Knight truly is? Let me put it this way: our Knight Temple currently has only three Divine Throne Knights. Becoming one is exceedingly, exceedingly difficult.”
As she spoke, Li Xin led Long Haochen up to the second floor. From the outside, the Haoyue Branch Hall appeared very tall, but in reality, because each internal floor was exceptionally high, the building had only three stories in total.
The two entered a spacious room on the second floor. Li Xin said, “This is where Uncle Nalan handles his affairs. It’s still a bit early; he hasn’t arrived at the branch temple yet, but he should be here soon.”
While speaking, Li Xin lowered her voice, a hint of mystery playing on her face as she whispered into Long Haochen’s ear, “Long Haochen, should I call you little brother, or little sister?”
“Huh?” Long Haochen was startled, looking at her in complete bewilderment.
Li Xin giggled and said, “Stop pretending. I once disguised myself as a man to sneak into the Knight Temple from home; otherwise, they wouldn’t have so easily accepted us girls. You’re just like my sister, right? How could any man be as beautiful as you? But in a few years, when you develop too and your chest swells up like my sister’s, it’ll be much harder to hide.”
As she spoke, she even took Long Haochen’s hand and pressed it against her full bosom.
Though she wore soft armor, the soft, springy sensation beneath it instantly transmitted to Long Haochen’s palm. The rebuttal he had intended to make immediately died on his lips, his small face flushing crimson.
Since he could remember, he had never been this close to anyone, not even his own mother! Although he didn’t yet understand what it meant for a man to touch a woman’s breast, an instinctive shyness surged within him, making his face seem as though it might drip blood.
“Oh my, so shy! Little sister, you’re adorable. Don’t worry; from now on in our Haoyue Branch Temple, big sister will take good care of you.” While speaking, Li Xin giggled softly and pinched Long Haochen’s cheek.
Only then did Long Haochen realize what was happening. “Big sister, I’m a boy, not a little sister…” At this moment, his hand was still pressed by Li Xin against her chest, and the rush of blood to his head made his voice barely audible.
“Hmm?” Li Xin paused in surprise. “You’re really a boy?”
Long Haochen nodded frantically, pulling his hand back as he retreated several steps like a child caught doing something wrong.
Li Xin said with some distress, “But how can your hand be so soft? And you’re so good-looking too! Did I really make a mistake? What a loss, having been touched. Little brother, tell me, how are you going to compensate me?”
She had originally intended to go out, but happened to see Long Haochen right at the entrance. At first glance, she immediately recalled her own experience of sneaking into the Knight Temple back in her youth, and thus instantly felt greatly inclined toward Long Haochen, bringing him inside. Only now did she realize she had made a blunder; moreover, she had actively taken the little boy’s hand and let him touch her. Wasn’t this molesting a cute young boy? Li Xin’s frustration was beyond words. Fortunately, the youth before her appeared to be only about ten years old.
“I… I don’t know either,” Long Haochen replied honestly, while thinking to himself, “You were the one who pulled my hand to touch you; I never intended to touch you!”
Li Xin’s face flushed alternately red and pale. After a long pause, she finally said helplessly, “Alright, I’ll let you off easy this time, little one. However, you must keep this secret for me! Don’t let anyone else know. From now on, I am your older sister. An older sister letting her younger brother have a little touch doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”
Being able to sneak out from home on her own to become a knight speaks volumes about this girl’s personality. With her carefree nature, she quickly concocted a flimsy excuse for herself and stopped dwelling on the matter.
“Xin’er, what are you doing here?” Just then, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
Long Haochen and Li Xin simultaneously turned their heads to look, only to see a colossal figure walking in.
Indeed, it was a colossal figure. This man stood at least over two meters tall, and was undoubtedly a powerhouse whose waist circumference matched his height of eight chi. As he walked through the sturdy building of the Haoyue Branch Temple, one could almost feel the ground trembling beneath his steps.
“Uncle Nalan, you really should lose some weight, or perhaps move to the first floor. Otherwise, one of these days our Haoyue Branch Temple might just collapse from within,” Li Xin said irritably.
The “muscular man” who had arrived was, of course, Nalan Shu, the master of the Haoyue Branch Temple.
Nalan Shu wasn’t angered by her words; instead, he chuckled and replied, “I gain weight even from drinking water; what can I do about it? Hmm, is this little girl someone you brought along? A relative of yours?”
“I’m a man!” Being misunderstood by Li Xin was one thing—who could blame him for having touched her?—but when this fat uncle said the same, Long Haochen could no longer suppress his frustration and immediately shouted aloud.
“Hmm?” Nalan Shu paused in surprise. Li Xin, barely suppressing her laughter, recounted the purpose of Long Haochen’s visit.
“What letter? Hand it over so I can see.” Nalan Shu extended his hand toward Long Haochen.
Long Haochen took a deep breath, calming the frustration welling within him, before retrieving a letter from his robes and handing it to Nalan Shu.
Casually tearing open the envelope, Nalan Shu glanced at its contents with an air of nonchalance. Yet, after only a few lines, his expression changed dramatically. Even his posture straightened noticeably; with a grave and respectful demeanor, he finished reading the entire letter.

Squire Assessment (Part Two)
Li Xin, standing nearby, was equally curious. Nalan Shu, the master of the Haoyue Branch Temple, was a true Earth Knight, a fifth-rank professional and one of the rare powerhouses within the Temple Alliance. That a mere letter could make this usually carefree man so respectful surely indicated something unusual.
Yet just as she tried to get a closer look, Nalan Shu had already tucked the letter away. He then nodded toward Long Haochen and said, “Follow me.” With that, he turned and walked outward.
Long Haochen followed Nalan Shu all the way to the third floor, while the ever-curious Li Xin trailed behind them.
The first floor of the Haoyue Branch primarily serves for reception, the second floor houses offices for handling various affairs, while the third floor is dedicated to trials and assessments. The knights belonging exclusively to the Haoyue Branch reside in specialized quarters located behind the branch building.
The third floor rises above the dome of the first-floor hall. As soon as Long Haochen stepped inside, he immediately sensed something unusual in the air. The third floor consisted of an extremely spacious hall, at least five meters high, completely bare upon inspection. However, the surrounding walls were adorned with numerous symbols and patterns, through which faint light seemed to flow.
Nalan Shu walked straight to the center of this trial hall before stopping. A soft green light emanated from his right hand, causing a pillar-like structure to rise from the ground. It was entirely black, its material indiscernible.
Nalan Shu said to Long Haochen, “Do you know why your teacher sent you here?”
Long Haochen shook his head and said, “My teacher said you would tell me.”
Nalan Shu nodded and replied, “Lord Xingyu sent you here for the Probationary Knight assessment. Let’s begin now. Attack this black stone pillar with all your might; you may strike from any direction.”
Upon hearing the words “Probationary Knight assessment,” Li Xin, standing nearby, thought her ears had deceived her.
How old could Long Haochen possibly be? At most eleven or twelve? She herself, hailed as the greatest genius in the history of Haoyue Branch Temple, had only passed the Probationary Knight assessment at the age of thirteen. Judging by Nalan Shu’s demeanor, he was certainly not joking. Moreover, from his tone, could it be that this young Haochen’s teacher ranked even higher than Temple Master Nalan? Could he possibly be a sixth-rank Radiant Knight? Good heavens! A Radiant Knight could already serve as the master of a Knight Main Temple in any of the major cities under the Temple Alliance. Why then would such a person send their disciple to Haoyue Branch Temple merely for an assessment?
Li Xin was filled with doubts, while on the other side, Long Haochen had already taken action.
Black light flickered as Long Haochen drew a refined iron sword. The moment the longsword settled in his hand, his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation.
The once somewhat shy boy suddenly became stern, his gaze firm and resolute. His whole presence exuded a stability akin to solid rock, unconsciously radiating an aura of authority. Where was there even a trace of a ten-year-old child left?
A forward step followed by a cleaving strike—two of the simplest knight offensive maneuvers—completed his attack.
With a dull thud, the refined iron sword struck heavily against the black stone pillar.
With a hum, a soft blue halo suddenly illuminated the walls surrounding the trial hall, and immediately afterward, an exact number appeared above the black stone pillar.
“One hundred and seven.”
One hundred and seven points of spiritual energy—both Nalan Shu and Li Xin couldn’t help but widen their eyes in astonishment. Reaching one hundred points of spiritual energy meant breaking through to the second tier of profession; even though one hundred and seven points merely constituted the first level of the second tier, it was still the second tier! Moreover, one must not forget that Long Haochen had used no skills to amplify himself during the test. It was nothing more than a single, pure slash.
Not only them, but even Long Haochen himself was stunned. Has my spiritual energy really reached one hundred and seven? Since testing at twenty-five points in the Odin Sub-Temple, this was his first retest, yet he never expected such a result. In just one year, his spiritual energy had advanced to this level. A squire knight—I’ve actually become a squire knight.
A surge of excitement instantly spread through his entire body. At this moment, Long Haochen felt that all the efforts he had made over the past year were truly worthwhile.
In just one year, he elevated a child’s spiritual energy from twenty-five to over one hundred, breaking through to the second-rank profession. While this might not be entirely unprecedented on the Saint and Demon Continent, it could absolutely be described as a miracle.
Long Haochen’s own efforts are beyond doubt, yet the hot spring medicinal baths Starry Sky prepared for him daily, along with the earlier clearing of his meridians by that powerful expert from the Assassin Temple, also played an immensely significant role. Without those daily medicinal soaks, how could Long Haochen have possibly sustained his cultivation? A single instance of fainting alone would likely have required him to rest for over a week.
This single year has already laid a solid foundation for his physical development.
Nalan Shu gradually came to his senses, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Long Haochen underwent a dramatic change, as if he were beholding a rare treasure. A hint of obsequiousness even appeared on his chubby face. “Your name is Long Haochen, right? How old are you this year?”
Long Haochen instinctively replied, “Ten years old.”
Nalan Shu and Li Xin gasped in unison once more. A ten-year-old Squire Knight? The term “genius” no longer sufficed; “prodigy” was far more fitting.
“Lord Nalan, have I passed the assessment?” Long Haochen asked.
Nalan Shu replied, “Here is the situation. According to standard procedure, a Squire Knight assessment is passed once one’s spiritual energy reaches the required level. However, your master stated in his letter that you must challenge an actual Knight and withstand their attacks for at least fifteen minutes; otherwise, the assessment cannot be considered successful.”
Even Nalan Shu found this requirement excessively harsh. Not even a Squire Knight of tier five or above could necessarily endure fifteen minutes under the assault of a true Knight, let alone a youth like Long Haochen who had only just entered the Squire Knight realm.
“Very well, then please designate a knight,” Long Haochen said, simultaneously drawing another refined iron sword with his left hand.
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” Li Xin almost without hesitation stepped forward; this handsome little boy before her had aroused far too much curiosity within her. A ten-year-old prospective knight—what did that even mean? She absolutely had to test just how much combat power this tiny prospective knight possessed.
Nalan Shu glanced at Li Xin, nodded, and said, “Mind your limits.”
Li Xin smiled. “Don’t worry, Uncle Nalan. I wouldn’t bear to hurt him either; he’s just become my adopted younger brother.”
As she spoke, Li Xin also drew the twin swords from her back. Compared to the simple refined iron sword in Long Haochen’s hand, her pair appeared far more magnificent; their blades emanated a pale golden luster, measured three feet and two inches in length, and the inscribed runes radiated an intense sacred aura.
Holding her twin swords, Li Xin fixed her gaze upon Long Haochen and was secretly startled. For the moment he gripped his weapon, his demeanor underwent a striking transformation; he was no longer the shy and bashful youth from before. Instead, an austere sharpness clung to him, and subtly, he even made her feel a hint of pressure.
Nalan Shu stepped back several paces and said in a deep voice, “Begin.” With him present as the referee, he was confident that neither side would inflict harm upon the other.
“Sister, be careful.”

Squire Assessment (Part 3)
“Sister, be careful.” Long Haochen whispered in a low voice as his feet began to move. Each step he took covered little ground, yet his pace was incredibly swift, executing a knight’s short-range charge in an instant. With one sword extended forward and the other held behind his back, he reached Li Xin almost in the blink of an eye.
A direct thrust, swift and powerful, aimed straight for Li Xin’s left shoulder, carrying the full momentum of his charge.
Li Xin smiled faintly. Her left-hand sword rose calmly to parry Long Haochen’s attack, while her right-hand sword remained poised, not yet striking. She wanted to see just how formidable this young lad could be when attacking.
Bang—Without any warning, Long Haochen suddenly stomped his right foot hard against the ground. The effect of that stomp was astonishing: his seemingly unstoppable charge halted instantly, his body jerking to a stop. Simultaneously, the refined iron sword he had thrust out rapidly retracted, perfectly evading Li Xin’s upward parry.
Nalan Shu’s eyes lit up. A skill interrupt?
At the very instant he withdrew his refined iron sword, its blade flashed brilliantly. Immediately afterward, it shot forward like lightning, moving at least twice as fast as before, still targeting Li Xin’s left shoulder.
White Blade and Thrust—two Knight skills were released in near-perfect fusion. Moreover, the timing coincided precisely with the moment Li Xin swept her weapon aside.
The Knight’s Thrust skill enhances attack speed while also concentrating spiritual energy. Combined with White Blade, which itself concentrates spiritual energy, this strike’s power far exceeded Long Haochen’s own spiritual energy of one hundred and seven points.
Li Xin was no squire; she was a true knight. The moment her sword sliced through empty air, she had already grown wary. Her right-hand blade snapped horizontally before her in the nick of time; even Long Haochen’s thrusting strike failed to outpace her defense.
Clang—
The two swords collided. Long Haochen’s thrust struck one-third of the way down Li Xin’s blade. The disparity between the force behind a horizontal block and a straight thrust was simply too great. Thus, even though Li Xin’s spiritual energy far surpassed Long Haochen’s, being forced into a passive block still caused her to stumble backward two steps.
Snap—Long Haochen’s right-hand sword was deflected, yet his movements didn’t hesitate for an instant. As his right arm lifted the refined iron sword, he took another step forward, launching yet another charge.
A second charge, and over such a short distance, following the deflection of his own attack.
Long Haochen’s supple right arm swept past his side. During this second charge, he took only three steps; just as his foot landed on the third, his body seemed slightly unsteady. Using the tip of his foot as a pivot, he swiftly spun around. His left-hand sword swung upward, its pure white blade glowing with a faint white light and radiating a sharp, fierce aura as it slashed directly toward Li Xin.
Although Li Xin’s eyes were filled with astonishment, her innate talent as a knight prodigy manifested in that instant. She braced her right foot backward to stabilize her stance, simultaneously lowering her body slightly. Her right-hand sword swept upward once more, while her left-hand sword shot forward like lightning, transforming into dozens of sword shadows that enveloped Long Haochen’s body. Lightning Thrust—a third-tier Knight skill.
Defense and counterattack.
And then, a scene unfolded that left Nalan Shu beside him utterly stunned.
With a loud clang, the sword strike unleashed with full force by Long Haochen collided first with Li Xin’s upward slash. Although Long Haochen’s spiritual energy was at least a hundred points lower than Li Xin’s, his attack had been launched by leveraging a skill and the momentum of pressing an advantage. When the two swords met, neither gained the upper hand; in fact, it was Li Xin whose body wavered slightly.
But at that very moment, Li Xin’s Lightning Thrust had already reached before Long Haochen. In that instant, Nalan Shu nearly shouted to stop, and Li Xin herself had already prepared to halt her attack.
However, Long Haochen’s right hand, whose sword had been deflected earlier, suddenly moved.
The dreamlike sword shadows seemed to explode outward from before him; amidst a rapid succession of clanging metal, every single strike of the Lightning Thrust was blocked without exception.
Li Xin, fearing she might hurt Long Haochen, had naturally not unleashed her full power. Not only were her attacks blocked, but Long Haochen seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack.
Swinging both swords, one horizontally and one vertically, he instantly unleashed the knight’s signature technique: the Cross Slash.
The amusement that had previously lingered in Li Xin’s eyes vanished completely. Having just executed the Lightning Thrust, she was now in that critical moment when her old force had spent itself and new strength had yet to arise. Moreover, since she had never anticipated that Long Haochen could block that strike, she had prepared no follow-up moves to respond.
A faint golden light emanated from Li Xin as her right-hand sword instantly plunged into the ground, triggering a sudden burst of golden radiance that soared over two meters high.
With two sharp clangs, Long Haochen’s Cross Slash was blocked by a golden curtain of light and rebounded. Simultaneously, he quickly retreated several steps, assuming a defensive stance. The previous series of attacks had taken a considerable toll on him.
Li Xin looked somewhat frustrated at the retreating Long Haochen. “Not bad! Little one, you’ve actually forced your big sister to use the Ascension Formation just to neutralize your attack. Watch out now; big sister is going on the offensive.”
The Ascension Formation, a third-tier skill of the Punishment Knight, utilizes the unique holy attribute of light inherent to knights to create a luminous shield that provides omnidirectional defense equivalent to the user’s own spiritual energy.
With a quick step forward, Li Xin leaped into the air, her right-hand sword slashing straight down toward Long Haochen’s head. At this moment, she felt utterly frustrated; forced by this little nine-year-old quasi-knight of the first rank to resort shamelessly to using Ascension Formation, a sacred energy skill, just to neutralize his attack, her face burned with embarrassment. She had to regain some dignity.
This time, Long Haochen did not counterattack. Raising his right-hand sword, in that instant, he gave the impression of being a statue. Although this sensation lasted only a fleeting moment, it nearly made Nalan Shu, who was watching from the sidelines, pop his eyes out in astonishment.
With a sharp clang, Li Xin, utterly stunned, was actually knocked backward.
It should be noted that her spiritual energy was at least double that of Long Haochen’s, and she was attacking with a downward slash from mid-air. Even though she had held back, her offensive power was still considerable. In Li Xin’s view, she should have at least forced Long Haochen to retreat. Yet in reality, it was she who was repelled. Her sword-wielding hand went numb.
“Enough! What’s going on?” Li Xin landed on the ground in frustration, gazing perplexedly at Long Haochen, who still maintained his defensive stance.
Seeing Li Xin cease her attack, Long Haochen also sheathed his twin swords. He looked somewhat embarrassed at Li Xin’s frustrated expression, unsure of what to say.
“Uncle Nalan, please judge this for us. What exactly is happening? Does Haochen truly possess only the spiritual cultivation of a first-rank Knight Candidate? Then how could he force me back?”
As she spoke, Li Xin noticed Nalan Shu’s utterly shocked expression. This time, it was he who resembled a statue, standing there dumbfounded.
“Uncle Nalan, what’s wrong with you?” Li Xin asked in confusion.
“Divine Obstruction? Little Haochen, tell me quickly, was that Divine Obstruction you just used?” Nalan Shu rushed to Long Haochen’s side in two or three strides, his eyes filled with urgency and awe.
Li Xin’s heroic and beautiful face instantly turned pale with shock. “Uncle Nalan, are you mistaken? That’s the Divine Obstruction, the signature of a Radiant Knight? Impossible, absolutely impossible. Isn’t it said that only Radiant Knights can learn Divine Obstruction?”
Radiant Knight is a sixth-rank knight title. Divine Obstruction is even more so the hallmark skill of Radiant Knights, also known as one of the most overpowered skills in the knight profession.

Squire Assessment (Part Four)
Long Haochen asked with some confusion, “I don’t know what Divine Defense Block is. My master only said it’s a blocking skill.”
Nalan Shu took a deep breath, calming his turbulent emotions, and murmured, “Yes, it must be Divine Defense Block. I’ve seen it more than once, Xin’er. Whether Guardian Knights or Punishment Knights, upon reaching the rank of Radiant Knight, this skill becomes mandatory. Without Divine Defense Block, Haochen could never have blocked your previous attack. No wonder Lord Xingyu allowed him to challenge a knight. With Divine Defense Block, enduring a knight’s assault for fifteen minutes is entirely possible.”
“While it’s true that the requirement to learn Divine Defense Block is reaching the rank of Radiant Knight within our Knight Temple, this restriction applies only to our temple, not to the skill itself. Anyone with sufficient talent, judgment, and reaction speed can cultivate it if taught by a knight of at least the sixth rank. The sole prerequisite is obtaining permission from our Knight Temple to transmit the skill. In the past, a Grand Knight was exceptionally granted this privilege due to extraordinary merits.”
As an Earth Knight, Nalan Shu understood the skill Divine Shield far better than Li Xin did. Yet precisely because of this, his shock was even more profound.
The effect of Divine Shield is simple enough to describe: in an instant, it consolidates one’s defense into a single, unified whole. To put it simply, if one’s defense were likened to an iron framework, then any attack exceeding the framework’s defensive strength could split it apart. However, if that same iron framework, with identical volume and hardness, were smelted into a solid iron block, the same attack would naturally be unable to break through it.
Divine Shield is precisely the process of transforming that iron framework into a solid iron block. While easy to describe, executing it is extremely difficult, as movement is impossible during the brief moment one maintains the Divine Shield state; thus, sufficient foresight is absolutely essential.
Moreover, when cultivated to a certain level, Divine Shield can even temporarily convert a portion of the opponent’s attacking force into one’s own power, to be unleashed in the next attack or defense. It is no wonder that Divine Shield perfected to its utmost limit is hailed as the Defense of the Gods.
To break through the defense of Divine Shield, one must possess at least three times the spiritual energy of the skill’s caster. Furthermore, it also depends on the caster’s mastery over the Divine Shield.
“Master Nalan, does this mean I’ve passed my assessment?” Long Haochen, unaware of what had astonished the two before him, asked aloud.
“Naturally, you have passed. Wait a moment; I’ll fetch what Master Xingyu instructed you to take back.” Saying this, Nalan Shu quickly turned and departed. Yet, the turbulent shock within his heart showed no sign of subsiding.
Li Xin stared at Long Haochen as if he were a monster. “Brother, tell me, what high-level Knight skill did you just use to block my Lightning Thrust?”
Long Haochen shook his head and said, “No! I just reacted to each move as it came.”
“You broke through my Lightning Thrust purely by reaction?” Li Xin’s voice rose slightly in surprise. She naturally did not know that Long Haochen’s defensive capabilities were far more extraordinary than his offensive ones. The year of torment he endured in the Scorpion Ant Cave had not been in vain. With the soaking in the hot spring medicinal liquid and the removal of impurities from his twelve primary meridians, his cultivation over this single year was at least equivalent to three years of arduous training for an ordinary person.
It was not long before Nalan Shu returned, handing two items to Long Haochen: a circular badge engraved with a shield and sword, and a golden-yellow gemstone about the size of an egg.
“This is the rank badge of a Provisional Knight; the single star on it represents your status as a First-Rank Provisional Knight. You may undergo reassessment anytime once you achieve a breakthrough. This Awakening Stone was given by Lord Xingyu for you to take back. Be sure to keep it safe.”
“Thank you.” Tucking the two items into his robe, Long Haochen bowed respectfully to Nalan Shu.
Nalan Shu said, “Shall I have Xin’er show you around our Haoyue Branch Temple?”
Long Haochen shook his head and replied, “No need. My teacher has assigned me a task to complete. I must depart immediately.”
Nalan Shu made no attempt to detain him, accompanying Li Xin as they escorted Long Haochen all the way to the entrance.
“Sister Xin’er, how do I get to the Adventurers’ Guild?” Long Haochen asked Li Xin as they were about to part ways.
Li Xin replied, “The Adventurers’ Guild isn’t far from here. See that street corner ahead? Turn right there, walk for about a kilometer, then turn left, and you’ll arrive.”
“Thank you, Sister Xin’er. It was a pleasure meeting you. I must be going now. Farewell, Hall Master Nalan.”
After bidding farewell to the two, Long Haochen hurried off along the path Li Xin had indicated.
Watching his retreating figure, Li Xin could hardly contain her eagerness as she asked Nalan Shu, “Uncle Nalan, where does this little one come from? At his age, he couldn’t possibly have made outstanding contributions to our Knight Temple, so how could he have learned Divine Shield Block? And who is his teacher?”
Nalan Shu sighed lightly, shook his head, and replied, “I cannot tell you that. You only need to know that his acquisition of Divine Shield Block fully complies with our Temple’s regulations. In the near future, I’m afraid our Haoyue Branch will become famous whether we like it or not. Xin’er, you’ve seen it now; you’re not the only genius in this world! You must train diligently, otherwise, when the Alliance selects Demon Hunter Teams in four years, you’ll return empty-handed.”
Li Xin nodded silently and murmured, “I wonder when I’ll get to see that handsome little brother again.”
Nalan Shu smiled and said, “That I can tell you: he will return in two years, and he will stay at least until the time when the Alliance selects its Demon Hunter Teams.”
Following Li Xin’s directions, Long Haochen quickly found the location of his second mission: the Adventurers’ Guild.
In contrast to the tranquility near the Haoyue Branch of the Knight Temple, the area surrounding the Adventurers’ Guild was far more chaotic, with crowds of people constantly coming and going, dressed in all manner of attire.
His eyes lit up as he spotted his destination: a task acceptance marker hanging on a counter not far to his left. He immediately quickened his pace toward it.
Fortunately, no one was there at the moment. Long Haochen approached and addressed a young woman in her twenties behind the counter, “Sister, I’d like to accept a mission.”
“Huh?” The young woman behind the counter paused, momentarily stunned by Long Haochen, whose handsome face peeked just one head’s height above the counter.
“Oh my, our Adventurers’ Guild truly accepts everyone these days! Even a little runt like this comes to take on missions; it’s absolutely hilarious,” a somewhat exaggerated, rough voice chimed in from nearby.
Long Haochen turned his head to look, only to see a burly warrior with a full beard glaring at him disdainfully and bursting into loud laughter.
Long Haochen frowned but ignored him, turning once again to the young woman behind the counter. “Sister, I’d like to take on a mission.”
The young woman behind the counter grew curious as well. “Little brother, what kind of mission do you want to take?”
Before Long Haochen could speak, that rough voice rang out again. “What little brother? She’s clearly a little sister! Little sister, how about Uncle takes you to buy some lollipops? Haha—” The burly man’s words provoked several nearby adventurers into bursts of laughter.
“I’d like to take a Tier-2 mission. Preferably one involving hunting magical beasts.” Long Haochen’s brows furrowed even deeper, yet he still addressed the young woman behind the counter.
The young woman replied with some difficulty, “Little brother, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Missions above Tier-2 require a practitioner of at least the second rank to accept them.”
“Exactly. Hurry up and scurry back home to suckle on your mother’s milk. Though I wonder if your mother still has any milk left for you. If she does, how about letting me have a couple of tastes as well? Judging by your pretty looks, your mother must be quite something too. It would be even more perfect if you happened to have an older sister or something.”
It was that same voice again. Upon hearing it once more, Long Haochen’s gaze turned cold.