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Academy Hero List.

Just ten names, yet behind them lies a history of immense weight.

On the list, they are merely names, but these names represent figures who once dominated their era with brilliance.

Even the tenth name on this list eventually became a top figure capable of stirring the times, never to be underestimated.

Each of their stories could be woven into a thrilling, legendary tale. Combined, they form a grand epic.

The weight of history is unmistakably revealed at this moment.

"Ancestor Grandfather." Princess Huari sidled over, reaching out her small hand to tug at Wang Shouzhe's hand, shaking it slightly with a hopeful inquiry, "If I were Wu Panpan, the third on the Hero List, what would you think?"

Wang Shouzhe affectionately ruffled her hair, "Don't worry, Ancestor Grandfather won't mind who you were in your past life. In this life, you're a child of our lineage. Don't dwell on past matters; in this life, Ancestor Grandfather will protect you from harm."

"Ancestor Grandfather, that's not what I meant. I... I am a True Immortal reincarnation..." Princess Huari widened her eyes, almost on the verge of tears.

She was just thinking that with such a formidable identity as a "True Immortal reincarnation," she might get special treatment, like not having to take exams. Whether she truly was a reincarnation didn't concern her much.

But what did Ancestor Grandfather mean by "won't mind"?

"Sigh~ I know the identity of a True Immortal reincarnation is somewhat aggrieving for you. After all, being forced to reincarnate and retrain, your bloodline has dropped a major level, not to mention the difficulties in returning to the True Immortal path." Wang Shouzhe looked at her with pity, "But don't worry, with Ancestor Grandfather here, I'll find a way to help you. But you also need to work hard and study well."

"Yes, Ancestor Grandfather, I will work hard." Princess Huari nodded with tears, feeling her heart breaking.

It's said that such an identity as a "True Immortal reincarnation" would be cherished in other families, held dear and protected.

But in the Wang Clan, it seemed to be nothing special.

"Ancestor Grandfather." Wang Ningxi approached Wang Shouzhe, presenting a test plan, "To ensure the plan's success, we should first take the opportunity to test the actual assessment, to see the real difficulty and specific content."

Wang Shouzhe glanced at the plan, then looked at the people behind him, "We need a great prodigy A-grade or B-grade, a cultivator in the later stages of the Celestial Realm to act as the assessment tester. Who's willing to try first?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several clan members immediately stood up to volunteer.

Wang Shouzhe scanned the group and his gaze fell on his great-grandson Wang Anrui, "Anrui, you lead the charge."

"Yes, Great-Grandfather."

After saluting, Wang Anrui calmly walked towards the central test chamber.

Wang Anrui ranked tenth among the "An" generation, a few years younger than Wang Anye.

However, because his father, Wang Shihai, was unreliable, always off on adventures at sea and rarely home, Anrui had to take care of his mother and siblings from a young age. This made him more mature and steady than his peers, and he handled matters with much more diligence and thoroughness.

After graduating from the Clan School, he rotated through various important family industries, achieving outstanding results. Now, at just over 120 years old, he was already the chief manager of the Qingluo Garrison.

Under his management, the Qingluo Garrison had flourished over the years.

Due to his steady and thoughtful nature, reminiscent of his grandfather Wang Zong'an, he was well-respected within the family, loved by elders, and admired by the younger generation.

In fact, for the now vast Wang Clan, talents like him were the backbone. With capable individuals like him managing various areas, Wang Shouzhe could sit back and relax.

Wang Anrui's appearance combined the best features of his father Wang Shihai and his mother from the Yuwen Clan. He had handsome features, deep eyes, and an air of calm and composure. Despite being only in his early 120s, he already exuded the authority of a leader.

"Husband, be careful." In the crowd, a gentle-looking woman nervously reminded him.

This was Wang Anrui's wife from the Chen Clan, named Chen Zhihe, a direct descendant of the third-grade Chen Clan of the Great Qian.

Since the seventh "An" generation member, Wang Anye, married two princesses, the old families of Guilong City in the Great Qian began actively seeking alliances with the Wang Clan.

Among them, Wang Anrui, Wang Anxin, and others who had helped Wang Anye with his marriage in Guilong City, showcased their impressive abilities and character, naturally becoming the focus of attention.

Back then, Chen Zhihe was also in the bridal party, and over time, she and Wang Anrui grew close. With mutual affection, their marriage naturally came to fruition.

After marriage, the young couple was very loving, living a peaceful life. They had a daughter and two sons, all of whom were well-raised and accomplished, and they even had a grandson from the "Fu" generation.

"Rest assured, my dear." Wang Anrui turned back with a reassuring smile, "This is just an assessment test, there won't be any problems."

Wang Anrui's mother from the Yuwen Clan also comforted Chen Zhihe by holding her hand, "With the Ancestors here, you can be at ease."

As they spoke, Wang Anrui had already reached the simulation chamber.

The Spirit Artifact Ai Pan activated the simulation chamber.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the chamber lid slowly opened. Once Wang Anrui bent down and lay inside, the lid closed again.

From the outside, the simulation chamber looked similar to the war simulation equipment of Lingyun Holy Land, but in essence, its performance was worlds apart.

As Wang Anrui began the test, Wang Ningxi, Wang Fugui, and Wang Liyue formed a research group beside the simulation chamber, continuously analyzing various details and recording data.

"Buzz buzz~"

With a barely audible humming sound, the simulation chamber fully activated, and the crystal screen displayed an exhilarating opening scene.

Simultaneously, Wang Anrui opened his eyes.

Before him was a completely white room, with solid walls on all sides, above, and below, devoid of any extraneous items.

Wang Anrui moved his limbs, feeling almost no difference from reality. If he didn't clearly remember how he had entered the simulation chamber, he might have mistaken it for the real world.

"Our war with the outer region demons has lasted for three thousand years, and both sides have formed a deep-seated blood feud." As Wang Anrui adjusted to the situation, a deep male voice sounded in his ear, "Your name is Wang Anrui, and you are the commander of the 12th Battalion of the 4th Regiment of the Second Expeditionary Army Group, a captain-level officer, commanding a full battalion of 400 soldiers!"

"Next, you will undertake a series of combat missions. Please treat each task with caution, as it will affect your final assessment score."

"A friendly reminder: as a proud officer, please try to protect your soldiers. The war is intense, and reserve replenishment is slow. If all your soldiers perish, your assessment will fail."

"First mission: Breakthrough! While en route to the assembly point, your unit is intercepted by an enemy force three times its size. You must lead your troops to break through quickly, or face total annihilation."

With the prompt, the scene before Wang Anrui changed.

In an instant, he found himself in a marching battalion, a blood-red glow overhead, the environment cold and suffocating, clearly in the outer demon realm.

At this moment, a scout leader rushed to him, urgently reporting, "Commander, the enemy is closing in from all directions. We need to choose a direction to break through quickly."

From a young age, Wang Anrui often followed Wang Shouzhe and Wang Zong'an, developing a meticulous and calm mind, making decisions with great caution.

However, the current situation made him frown.

There was too little intelligence at hand. If he launched a blind assault and misjudged the situation, it could lead to significant casualties.

"Fool! How did you become a scout leader?" Wang Anrui scolded with a cold face, "Why are there suddenly so many enemies? If there's an intelligence error, I'll execute you first."

During normal troop movements, scouts are usually sent ahead. Experienced commanders often conduct multiple reconnaissance missions to ensure safety in ambush-prone areas.

Therefore, the probability of encountering an ambush in places like small forests during a regular march is quite low.

"Commander, I'm innocent." The scout leader hurriedly defended, "Our scout team has been repeatedly checking the front and flanks, and found no ambushes. The enemy's main force likely flanked us from the rear, possibly having detected our marching route. I suggest advancing forward... the demon soldiers ahead should be fewer, allowing us to quickly regroup with the main force."

"Impossible." Wang Anrui said gravely, "Since the enemy discovered our tracks first and mobilized several times our force to encircle us, they must have set up intercepting troops in our forward direction."

It's crucial to know that for outer region demons to avoid scout detection and complete a flanking maneuver unnoticed is extremely difficult. Mobilizing so many demon soldiers and expending such effort to complete the encirclement, they wouldn't leave such an obvious flaw.

If he were the enemy commander, he wouldn't allow anyone to break through the encirclement from the front and regroup with the human main force. On the contrary, the front might be a trap, while the rear and flanks might be weaker.

Overall, the likelihood of weaker forces in the rear and flanks is much higher than in the front.

"Retreating is also not an option; there must be a blockade behind..." Wang Anrui quickly made a judgment, "Pass my order, immediately break through towards the right rear flank."

Meanwhile.

The crystal screen outside displayed all this.

At this moment, everyone was seated in the assessment hall.

Sitting not far from Wang Shouzhe, Wang Liyao nodded slightly, a hint of approval on her face, "Anrui's response is swift, and once he decides, he's very decisive. This breakthrough should result in minimal casualties."

Sure enough.

As Wang Anrui led his troops to break through, the actual battle situation proved his judgment correct; the enemy's encirclement on the right rear flank was indeed relatively weak.

Wang Anrui, already nearing the pinnacle of the Celestial Realm and a great prodigy, had his bloodline awakened to the fifth level and wielded a Divine Spirit Artifact, giving him overwhelming combat power.

With his formidable personal strength, he led his 400 soldiers through a bloody path, breaking the encirclement and fleeing far away.

This breakthrough cost him only twenty or so brothers.

"Mission completion score: 8 points, with 9 points for situational response, 7.5 points for personal martial prowess, and 6.5 points for leadership, totaling 7.75 points."

The mission completion sound appeared on the crystal screen.

"What a pity." Wang Yingxuan, recently dragged back from the outer region battlefield, showed a look of regret, "Anrui's response was good, but his martial strength and leadership were a bit lacking. He should have boosted morale to rally the troops, which would have sped up the breakthrough."

"Aunt Yingxuan, how can one boost morale?" Wang Anrui's eldest daughter, Wang Meiling, sitting not far behind her, eagerly asked, "I saw Father already cheering everyone on and leading by example."

"In battles involving hundreds, the general's martial prowess and personal charisma are crucial." Wang Yingxuan explained, "The more dominant the general's martial display, the better the effect, like single-handedly defeating hundreds. If martial prowess isn't enough, other means must be used to stir the soldiers' fervor. Boasting, making grand promises, all work, but it must be passionate. Ideally, use a brutal or humiliating method to kill enemy generals!"

Boasting, making grand promises?

Wang Meiling broke into a cold sweat.

She had heard that Aunt Yingxuan often shouted on the outer region battlefield, "Today we'll take a Demon King Fortress, tomorrow a Demon God Palace," with high morale.

So, was she actually boasting and making grand promises?

Wang Anrui's assessment was clearly not over.

As he led his troops out of the encirclement and regrouped with the main force, one task after another was assigned to him.

These tasks covered a wide range, including [Rescue], [Assault], [Duel], [Ambush], [Reconnaissance], [Defense], [Escort], [Capture the Commander], [Guerrilla], etc.

The transition between tasks was often very short, sometimes with a scene switch directly to the task location.

This led to a very fast task pace, requiring Wang Anrui to make the right decisions in a very short time, often quickly determining the task outcome.

The high frequency of operations and constantly changing task directions tested the "captain's" comprehensive qualities to the limit.

Wang Anrui's scores fluctuated, and after ten tasks, he totaled 71.5 points.

When he emerged from the virtual chamber, two hours had passed.

He appeared exhausted, drenched in sweat, looking quite disheveled.

This assessment was simply inhumane.

Several times, he wasn't entirely confident in his decisions, completely gambling, but fortunately, he mostly gambled correctly. And that [Capture the Commander] task was too difficult, requiring too high a personal martial prowess; he almost got riddled with holes.

At this difficulty level, it was just a regular graduation assessment.

This officer training academy was clearly not a place for ordinary people, no wonder only great prodigies and above could get a recommendation letter.

While Wang Anrui was filled with emotions, the Spirit Artifact Ai Pan was quite satisfied with his performance, praising him, "Not bad, not bad. You're just a Celestial Realm cultivator, and for your first assessment, scoring 71.5 points shows your comprehensive abilities are quite good. However, although passing the graduation assessment requires only 60 points, allowing you to graduate and receive a free ordinary Divine Spirit Artifact, you'll have to earn the Divine Realm inheritance on the battlefield."

"Thank you, Sister Ai Pan, for the praise." Wang Anrui breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his performance wasn't too bad, "How many points are needed for the Divine Realm inheritance?"

"In the official assessment, 80 points will earn you the Divine Realm inheritance, 90 points will grant an additional item from the primary prize pool, and a perfect score allows for another selection." Ai Pan boasted, "Don't underestimate the primary prize pool; it contains treasures like Divine Black Armor, top-grade bloodline enhancement liquid, pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm puppets, Legion Commander's Protection, and more. These are all valuable items, either improving bloodline quality or greatly increasing survival chances on the outer region battlefield, available only to the elite of the elite."

"Furthermore, if you score 80 points, you can participate in the elite-level assessment, with an even richer prize pool~"

Ai Pan habitually tempted these newcomers, painting grand visions for them.

She had always motivated newcomers this way. These future prospective officers and generals, driven to obtain the prize pool treasures, would train and study tirelessly, often resulting in the cultivation of many outstanding talents, who would shine brightly on the outer region battlefield.

It was precisely because of such generous rewards that talents like Panpan, the "grassroots elite," could be attracted, nurturing one hero after another.

In her view, this [Officer Training System] was undoubtedly one of His Majesty the Holy Emperor's greatest achievements.

"Yingxuan, you give it a try." Wang Shouzhe said according to the plan.

"Hehe, finally my turn." Wang Yingxuan eagerly stepped onto the assessment platform, her delicate face filled with arrogance, "Spirit Artifact, start the elite-level assessment directly."

"No way~ You need to score 80 points in the regular assessment to take the elite assessment..." Ai Pan directly refused.

"Then start quickly; this lady can't wait." Wang Yingxuan urged, then rolled into the virtual chamber.

The following story was predictable.

After inheriting the [War Manual], Wang Yingxuan's bloodline soared to the level of a peerless prodigy B-grade, and she was in the early stages of the Purple Mansion Realm. In terms of pure personal martial prowess, she could easily slap Wang Anrui away.

Moreover, she was extremely skilled in commanding troops, leading a few hundred was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

With just a few words, she had the soldiers roused and roaring.

Her explosive personal martial prowess combined with strong command ability allowed her to complete the ten tasks effortlessly. In the end, her total score reached an astonishing 99 points.

"Why only 99 points?" Wang Yingxuan was furious, "Your scoring is too arbitrary; the perfect score treasure is just bait."

"When you counterattacked, although you achieved excellent results, you lost quite a few soldiers!" Ai Pan retorted, "As a mid-to-high-level officer, you need to obey, obey, and obey."

"Anyway, it's just a simulation test, start the elite assessment mode." Wang Yingxuan immediately said.

The elite mode assessment was similar to the regular exam in terms of assessment methods, but each task's difficulty increased exponentially. The opponents encountered, whether in command level or combat power, were worlds apart from the regular mode. If Wang Anrui were to take it, passing might be a problem.

Only a powerhouse like Wang Yingxuan could still perform with ease.

"99 points!"

Even the elite mode couldn't stop Wang Yingxuan.

"Why is it 99 points again?" Wang Yingxuan was displeased, angry and embarrassed, "I remember scoring full marks on every task."

"Deducted one point to keep you humble." Ai Pan said matter-of-factly.

Wang Yingxuan was immediately infuriated, ready to roll up her sleeves and have a good talk with Ai Pan.

Wang Ningxi quickly stepped in to stop her, "Aunt Yingxuan, it's just a simulation test, hurry and try the hero mode."

The rewards for the first two modes were decent, but compared to the hero mode's prizes, they were insignificant.

"Fine, I'll deal with you later." Wang Yingxuan lay back in the simulation chamber, applying to start hero mode.

Soon, everyone realized the extraordinary nature of hero mode.

Unlike the previous times commanding a 400-man battalion, this time, from the start, Wang Yingxuan led a formal regiment of over 5,000 people, with the target opponent being a demon realm lord with strength comparable to the Divine Realm!

She needed to lead this regiment through a series of challenging tasks.

But the female war god lived up to her name, the more difficult the task, the more it fueled her fighting spirit and confidence. Retreat and fear seemed nonexistent in her vocabulary.

In task after task, she cut through obstacles, slaughtering enemies, even successfully killing the opposing demon lord with tactical cooperation.

After completing ten tasks, Ai Pan's voice was filled with excitement, "Total score: 83 points, this score is terrifying, ranked ninth in history~~! Congratulations, Lieutenant Yingxuan, no, Captain! If this were an official assessment, you'd be on the Hero List!"

In her long career as a Spirit Artifact, she had rarely encountered new recruits with such outstanding aptitude. This "Wang Yingxuan" was undoubtedly the [Rookie King] of this cohort!

"Only 83 points? Only ranked ninth?" Wang Yingxuan pouted, clearly dissatisfied.

She felt she performed perfectly this time, even if not a perfect score, at least a ninety. 83 points were far below her expectations.

"No, no, no, this score is already very good." Ai Pan explained, "Although the Hero List only shows ten names, in reality, fourteen of the top sixteen eventually became True Immortal Realm Grand Marshals, and two, if not for their untimely demise, would have surely reached the True Immortal level."

"Miss Ai Pan." Wang Ningxi continued recording various data, "With 83 points, can one select two items from the advanced prize pool? Items like semi-immortal artifacts, semi-immortal plants, early-stage Void Realm puppets, or mid-tier manuals, immortal-grade bloodline enhancement liquid, etc.?"

"Not quite, you can select three items, 60 points for one, 80 points for an additional one, and entering the top ten on the Hero List grants another selection." Ai Pan explained honestly.

"Great, let me confirm the ultimate rewards." Wang Ningxi inquired again, "Each ultimate reward is unique, right?"

"Correct, items like immortal artifacts, high-tier manuals, etc., are unique rewards. Moreover, to obtain them, one must replace the first position on the Hero List." Ai Pan said.

"Let me ask, if one gets first place and receives a record-breaking reward, can they still claim the top ten rewards?"

"Young man, don't be too ambitious." Ai Pan sighed, "Do you think getting first is easy? Currently, the first place is held by [Gui Wushuang], who is considered the most promising successor to the Holy Emperor in the history of the Divine Dynasty, famously known as the [Little Holy Emperor]."

"Moreover, [Little Holy Emperor] originally had a bloodline close to Heavenly Son C-grade, and after taking first place, he received the unique reward 'Immortal-grade Bloodline Enhancement Liquid Essence Version,' with the Holy Emperor personally expending great power to protect him, helping his bloodline breakthrough to close to Heavenly Son A-grade, qualifying him to inherit His Majesty the Holy Emperor's [Green Emperor Sacred Diagram]."

"Wait." Wang Ningxi interrupted her boast, noticing a point, "I just have two questions. First, why is there still [Immortal-grade Bloodline Enhancement Liquid Essence Version] available after Gui Wushuang took it?"

"After the unique reward was taken, His Majesty the Holy Emperor found a way to add another." Ai Pan answered.

"Second, let me confirm, when Little Holy Emperor Gui Wushuang took the actual assessment, his bloodline talent was [Heavenly Son D-grade, close to C-grade], and his cultivation was just a year into the Purple Mansion Realm, right?"

"Correct." Ai Pan was curious, "Why are you asking so specifically?"

"Nothing, just asking casually, thank you, Miss Ai Pan." Wang Ningxi retreated, quietly transmitting to Wang Shouzhe, "Ancestor Grandfather, I think our plan to take turns breaking the first place is highly feasible."

"Alright, then it's up to your specific arrangements." Wang Shouzhe nodded in satisfaction.

With such clever children around, he saved countless brain cells.

Indeed, his years of emphasizing education for the children were the right choice.

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