Chapter 73 Released

Then Wei Tong began to announce the names of those who made it into the top thirty of this "Demon Hunting Trial". Many people became excited when they heard their names were among them.

"Twenty-seventh place, Chen Yun."

Upon hearing Wei Tong announce the name, Chen Yun's beautiful eyes sparkled, and her pretty face showed excitement. Entering the top thirty would allow her to enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp. After passing the assessment, she would become a formal Demon Suppression Envoy of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Such an opportunity is not something everyone can have.

There were hundreds of participants in this "Rising Star Competition," and making it into the top thirty was already an extremely difficult feat.

Chu Wen turned to look at Chen Yun and said, "Congratulations, Junior Sister Chen, on entering the top thirty. It is extremely difficult to enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp, but as long as you can get in, you will basically have one foot in the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division."

Chen Yun smiled and said, "It's mainly thanks to Senior Brother Shen. Without Senior Brother Shen, I'm afraid I would have been eliminated in Chu Chunqiu's clearing operation."

Chu Wen nodded slightly. Just as Chen Yun said, Chu Chunqiu was carrying out a clearing operation, intending to eliminate all the contestants. If it weren't for Shen Lian and many other contestants working together to deal with Chu Chunqiu, he would definitely have been able to clear the field.

"Twenty-seventh place..."

"Twenty-sixth place..."

On the platform, Wei Tong continued to announce that Lin Feng, Zhang Meng, Tang Xue, and others were among those who had made it into the top thirty.

Wang Lin looked at Lin Feng: "Congratulations."

Lin Feng nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Li Hu and Wang Lin exchanged a glance, a hint of disappointment creeping into their eyes. Of the five of them who came to participate, only Shen Lian, Chen Yun, and Lin Feng defeated their opponents and entered the second stage of the "Demon Hunting Trial." Chen Yun and Lin Feng made it into the top thirty and became members of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's reserve camp. Becoming a Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Envoy was only a matter of time.

On the other hand, the two of them didn't have that opportunity.

The Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County is still far inferior to that of the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, and the gap between them will only widen over time.

Shen Lian patted Li Hu on the shoulder and said, "Don't be discouraged. As long as you cultivate diligently, it's only a matter of time before you enter the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture."

Li Hu and Wang Lin nodded. They both knew that Shen Lian was trying to comfort them. The training provided by the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture would undoubtedly be much stronger, something they couldn't catch up to just by working hard.

Zhao Shan said, "Shen Lian is right. Each county has quotas every year. As long as you can pass the examination of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, you can also become members of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's reserve camp. It is not impossible for you to become a formal Demon Suppression Envoy of Qingzhou Prefecture."

Upon hearing Zhao Shan's words, Li Hu and Wang Lin were instantly energized, realizing that they still had a chance.

Li Hu clenched his fist and said, "Brother Lian, I will cultivate diligently and try to come to Qingzhou Prefecture as soon as possible. You must treat me to a drink then."

"Of course," Shen Lian said with a smile.

Soon, Wei Tong announced the rankings from eleventh to thirtieth, including Lin Feng, Chu Wen, and others.

Everyone looked at Wei Tong, knowing that he was about to announce the top ten, who would be able to directly enter the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Wei Tong smiled and said, "I believe you already know that the top ten in the 'New Talent Competition' means that you can become official Demon Suppression Envoys of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division and receive training from the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. Next, I will announce the top ten candidates."

Everyone present immediately tensed up, and even Shen Lian unconsciously clenched his hands, looking at Wei Tong on the high platform.

"Tenth place, Su Wan'er."

After Wei Tong made the announcement, everyone looked towards Dongping County, their gazes falling on Su Wan'er.

Su Wan'er, dressed in the flying fish robe of the Demon Suppression Division of Dongping County, gripped her long sword tightly in her hand. Upon hearing that she had broken into the top ten, she immediately became excited.

"Su Wan'er from Dongping County has broken into the top ten."

"That's not surprising. Su Wan'er is the number one person in the Demon Suppression Division of Dongping County. Her strength is not weak. Don't underestimate her."

Many people were surprised to learn that Su Wan'er from Dongping County had made it into the top ten.

"Ninth place, Tang Shu."

Wei Tong continued to announce that the ninth place was none other than Tang Shu from Xihe County.

Tang Shu breathed a sigh of relief. He had been somewhat worried, but now that he had achieved ninth place, it was already a good result for Xihe County.

"As expected of a key figure in this 'Rookie Showdown,' he's made it into the top ten," Li Hu said, licking his lips.

Su Wan'er from Dongping County and Tang Shu from Xihe County are both very strong, and they were the focus of attention before the "New Talent Competition" began.

Wang Lin said, "Su Wan'er and Tang Shu are the top people in their respective Demon Suppression Divisions, so their strength is not to be underestimated. It's not surprising that they can break into the top ten."

Shen Lian looked at Su Wan'er and Tang Shu. He hadn't encountered either of them during the "Demon Hunting Trial," nor had they participated in the joint operation against Chu Chunqiu. Yet, they had managed to break into the top ten based on their own strength, which showed that they were no ordinary people. If he had the chance, he could befriend them.

Chen Yun asked, "Senior Brother Shen, what place do you think Chu Chunqiu will get?"

Shen Lian stroked his chin and said, "Although Chu Chunqiu lost half of his points, I estimate he's still in the top ten."

Chu Wen nodded and said, "Chu Chunqiu defeated many people and stole their points. With his remaining points, he does have a chance to break into the top ten."

"He's lucky!" Lin Feng sneered.

During the "Demon Hunting Trial," Chu Chunqiu was defeated by the combined efforts of the group, and Shen Lian stole half of his points. Even so, Chu Chunqiu still had nearly a thousand points, which was not a small number.

"Eighth place, Zao Wou-Ki!"

"Seventh place..."

Soon, Wei Tong announced several more names, all of whom were the top performers in their respective counties.

Everyone looked at Wei Tong. Now only the first four had not been announced, which made everyone present curious.

"Fourth place, Lin Qing'er!"

Lin Qing'er from Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy won fourth place, and many people from Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy were immediately excited when they heard the result.

The Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy has had decent results these past few days, but rarely has it managed to break into the top five. This time, Lin Qing'er's fourth-place finish undoubtedly surpasses previous achievements and proves the prestige of the Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy.

Congratulations!

Shen Lian looked at Lin Qing'er not far away and smiled.

Lin Qing'er nodded slightly: "Qing'er was just lucky. Without Senior Brother Shen's help, Qing'er wouldn't have achieved such results."

Lin Qing'er was well aware that Shen Lian was also a factor in her achieving such good results. If she hadn't joined forces with Shen Lian, she and Qin Lie alone would not have been a match for Chu Chunqiu and would have been eliminated.

Shen Lian smiled and said, "Miss Lin, you're too kind."

"Third place, Qin Lie!"

Just then, Wei Tong announced the third-place winner, Qin Lie from the Qin family of Qingzhou Prefecture. He crossed his arms and smiled.

really!

Everyone looked on with an air of self-righteousness. Whether it was Lin Qing'er or Qin Lie, they were both local prodigies of Qingzhou Prefecture. The strength of Qingzhou Martial Academy and the Qin family was naturally not to be underestimated, so it was not surprising that they could achieve such results.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Qin!" Lin Qing'er said with a smile.

Qin Lie laughed and said, "With our strength, breaking into the top ten is a sure thing. With the training from the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, we will become even stronger."

"Second place: Chu Chunqiu!"

Wei Tong announced that the second place winner was none other than Chu Chunqiu, one of the favorites to win the championship.

"What? Chu Chunqiu only came in second place?"

"This means someone has surpassed Chu Chunqiu? How is that possible?"

"Who exactly possesses such strength?"

When everyone present heard that Chu Chunqiu, who was considered a favorite to win the championship, was only in second place, they became curious about who could surpass Chu Chunqiu.

Li Hu and Wang Lin couldn't help but look at Shen Lian. They had already heard Shen Lian talk about what had happened before, but they still hadn't heard his name mentioned. Moreover, Chu Chunqiu, who was a favorite to win the championship, only managed to get second place. They immediately realized that the first place winner of this "Rookie Competition" was very likely to be Shen Lian.

Not far away, Chu Chunqiu clenched his fists, his face extremely grim. He turned his head and stared intently at Shen Lian. If it weren't for Shen Lian, winning first place in the "Newcomer Competition" would have been a piece of cake.

"First place: Shen Lian!"

Just as everyone was looking forward to it, Wei Tong on the high platform announced the winner: Shen Lian from Qinghe County.

"Shen Lian?"

"Who is this guy? He actually surpassed Chu Chunqiu and became the number one in the 'Rising Star Competition'."

"If I remember correctly, this Shen Lian seems to be from Qinghe County."

"You guys don't know yet, do you? Chu Chunqiu was defeated by Shen Lian in the 'Demon Hunting Trial,' which is why he only managed to get second place."

"Chu Chunqiu was actually defeated by Shen Lian? Is Shen Lian really that strong? Even Chu Chunqiu is no match for him?"

"Of course not. In a one-on-one fight, Shen Lian would naturally be no match for Chu Chunqiu. Chu Chunqiu was defeated by Shen Lian and Qin Lie working together."

Many people were quite surprised to learn that Shen Lian was the first place winner of the "Demon Hunting Trial". However, after learning that Chu Chunqiu was defeated by a joint effort, everyone understood what had happened.

"Brother Lian, you got first place!" Li Hu excitedly shook Shen Lian's arm. He was naturally very excited that Shen Lian had won first place in the "Demon Hunting Trial".

"Congratulations, Brother Shen!" Qin Lie said to Shen Lian.

Shen Lian nodded and said, "Brother Qin and Miss Lin put in a lot of effort to help me win first place."

Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er had put in a lot of effort in the previous attack on Chu Chunqiu; otherwise, with his strength, he would never have been able to defeat Chu Chunqiu.

Lin Qing'er smiled and said, "We have all witnessed Senior Brother Shen's strength. Without Senior Brother Shen, we would not have been able to defeat Chu Chunqiu."

"Well done." Zhao Shan glanced at Shen Lian and nodded approvingly. Since entering the Demon Suppression Division, Shen Lian had been very diligent, which enabled him to cultivate the 'Tiger Subduing Stake' and 'Demon Subduing Blade Technique' to a sufficiently strong level.

"This is all thanks to Commander Zhao," Shen Lian said with a smile.

Zhao Shan waved his hand: "I just did what I was supposed to do. How well I do it depends on my own efforts."

"The rankings for the 'Rising Star Competition' are out. The top ten will directly enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division and become Demon Suppression Envoys. The rest will enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp and, after passing the assessment, will become official Demon Suppression Envoys. You have one month to handle your own affairs. After one month, report to the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. Latecomers will not be accepted," Wei Tong announced loudly.

In the following time, Wei Tong explained some relevant matters, and then led everyone away.

"There's still a month left." Shen Lian couldn't help but clench his fist.

Li Hu looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Brother Lian, what are your plans next?"

"Of course, we're going back to Qinghe County," Shen Lian said with a smile. "It's a good opportunity to cultivate properly. The Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture is not like Qinghe County; there are quite a few geniuses there. If we slack off too much, we'll be left behind."

Wang Lin said, "It seems that this month will be the time we can spend together. We can't let you go during this time."

They entered the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County at the same time, but Shen Lian has now cultivated the 'Tiger Subduing Stake' and 'Demon Subduing Blade Technique' to perfection, gradually widening the gap between them, which makes them feel somewhat frustrated.

Shen Lian had previously guided them in cultivating the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique," which had been of great help to them, so they naturally couldn't miss the opportunity to receive guidance from Shen Lian.

Shen Lian nodded: "Of course."

Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er walked over, both looking at Shen Lian with smiles.

Lin Qing'er said, "We'll be reporting to the Demon Suppression Division in Qingzhou Prefecture in a month. I'm really looking forward to it."

Qin Lie said, "Your strength will probably be even greater in a month. We can spar then."

"Alright!" Shen Lian nodded and said, "I also want to see your Azure Dragon Blade Technique. You'd better give it your all then."

"I will absolutely not hold back," Qin Lie said, clenching his fist, his eyes blazing with intense fighting spirit.

Shen Lian said, "Then I'll wait and see."

After talking with Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er, the two left.

Zhao Shan patted Shen Lian on the shoulder: "You won first place in the 'New Talent Competition' this time, but don't be arrogant. There are many geniuses in the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture. They not only have outstanding talents, but also have the support of their families. No one should be underestimated. After entering the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, you must also cultivate diligently."

"I understand," Shen Lian nodded.

Zhao Shan looked at Shen Lian and the others: "It's time for us to return to Qinghe County."

"yes!"

Led by Zhao Shan, Shen Lian and the others returned to the guesthouse to pack their belongings. After packing everything, they immediately left Qingzhou Prefecture.

A few days later, Zhao Shan and his group arrived in Qinghe County.

Everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was utterly shocked to learn that Shen Lian had actually won first place in the "Rising Star Competition".

Qinghe County has consistently ranked quite low in the "New Talent Competition," but this time they unexpectedly achieved first place.

This had never happened before.

Sun Yan patted Shen Lian on the shoulder and laughed, "You're quite something, kid. You actually managed to win the 'Rookie Competition'."