Chapter 158: No Way! Be Honest—Did You Cheat?!
"So then, does this mean we've completed the mission?"
Jiang Chen handed the phoenix feather in his hand to Sima Jinchi.
As for the task of tracking down the phoenix—while it had piqued his curiosity, there was no real reason to waste time searching for it now.
After all, its location had already been confirmed: somewhere within Phoenix Mountain.
The Federation would never let the matter rest. Once they actually found the phoenix, Jiang Chen could simply go there to see it himself.
Why would he risk his life searching? Totally unnecessary.
Sima Jinchi accepted the feather almost automatically, falling into silence.
So it was true—this entire trial had been something of a farce.
The Federation had never truly expected them to locate the phoenix.
Finding it would be great, but failure was within acceptable margins.
They had, after all, been rewarded with enough credits to exchange for vast quantities of resources. It had been intended as a symbolic mission rather than a practical one.
Yet somehow… they'd actually found it.
The first phase of the freshman assessment had taken only three days to complete.
The second phase—just two.
A program meant to last three months, with three missions, and they had already finished two in barely five days.
At this rate, the third would likely be cleared just as absurdly fast.
"Uh… well…"
Sima Jinchi fell silent again, unsure what to even say.
What could he do about this?
He looked at the feather, still dazed, before Jiang Chen's sharp voice interrupted:
"What? You mean it doesn't count?"
Jiang Chen's expression darkened dangerously. Military training was never something he held fond memories of. He'd rather be back in class catching up on his sleep.
The mission was clearly accomplished—was this guy really going to try to deny it?
Sima Jinchi gave a furtive glance toward his "lord" and sighed softly.
He was just a field instructor; let the higher-ups worry about the details.
"With that," he said helplessly, "congratulations on completing the second phase of the freshman assessment."
This time, instead of immediately reporting it to the chief instructor, he carefully wrote a full, detailed report—not just a simple notice.
He included the entire process, point by point.
Then he submitted it to the departmental communication network.
Normally, the teachers' chat group was deathly quiet; each instructor was too busy monitoring their students.
The last message posted—by Sima Jinchi himself—had been two days earlier, summarizing the first mission.
Now came:
Sima Jinchi: [Completion Report—First-Year Class One, Second Phase of Assessment]
Everyone else: ???
Was this a joke?
It wasn't April Fool's Day, was it? Was he serious?
Chief Instructor Mo Zihong: ???
Mo Zihong: "Sima Jinchi, I know you're Di Tian's personal disciple, and it's fine to take care of the Spirit Transferring Tower's young master, Qian Gu Zhangting, but this? This is too blatant!"
It was almost a direct accusation.
In five days, they'd completed two phases of the freshman assessment.
Other classes were still struggling with the first mission, while Class One had already cleared two?
Did he take them all for fools?
Each trial had been tailored specifically by the Federation—especially for Class One, whose strongest member was Qian Gu Zhangting, the heir of the Spirit Transferring Tower.
Even for him, taking on tasks that involved ten-thousand-year soul beasts was supposed to be nearly impossible.
The Federation hadn't even been sure the class could finish.
They expected a long, tough fight—weeks of struggle, maybe failure altogether.
But they'd wrapped it up in just three days?
No—technically, in only one.
The first day had been the Douluo University opening ceremony.
The second, survival training in Phoenix Mountain.
The third day—they went directly into the Nether Mist Marsh and took down the Poison Dragon.
And now the second mission? Also done in an instant?
What kind of luck was this?
Even the Federation didn't know the phoenix's location. This mission had been designed on mere probability—to test whether anyone could stumble upon some news.
And these brats… found it immediately?
Are you kidding me?!
He'd just discussed assigning them the mission after the first phase—
and the following day it was complete?
They had to be joking.
It was too absurd. No one could believe it.
Luck this ridiculous?
Why did no other class ever draw that kind of fortune?
Oh, right—those other classes were still being mauled by ten-thousand-year beasts.
All they had to do was earn acknowledgment, not even slay the creature… yet not a single team had finished their first task.
This was beyond unbelievable.
Mo Zihong opened Sima Jinchi's report anyway, still skeptical.
But reading through the events—though only in text—he could feel something… off.
Could it be that the Spirit Transferring Tower had slipped them some inside information?
Had they relayed classified data through Sima Jinchi?
However, seeing that the entire operation had been carried out by only Jiang Chen, Gu Yue, and Di Xue'er—and not even involving the Spirit Tower's heir Qian Gu Zhangting—
Mo Zihong's thoughts stalled.
Wait… seriously?
They just picked a direction and went straight?
And happened to find the phoenix's trail?
"What?! A Titled Douluo-level Evil Soul Master? Were you in danger?!"
Mo Zihong's panic flared as he read further.
Sima Jinchi: "I took care of it."
That's right—the "lord" (Jiang Chen) hadn't lifted a finger.
Sima Jinchi had one-shotted a Titled Douluo-class Evil Soul Master himself.
Mo Zihong: …
"That opponent was a Titled Douluo! How did you even kill him!?"
Sima Jinchi: "Well, I am a Titled Douluo now."
Mo Zihong: …what?
Wait. That wasn't right.
He was… thirty, wasn't he?
Sure, not as monstrous as those who advanced at twenty-three, but still freakishly young.
This was the strength of being Di Tian's direct disciple?!
If Mo Zihong had known the truth—that Sima Jinchi was no longer merely a Titled Douluo but had advanced to Super Douluo—he would've choked on pure disbelief.
Then he played the attached video of Sima Jinchi's battle against the Evil Soul Master.
The ninth soul ring flashed—golden.
A dazzling, radiant gold! It was bright enough to sting one's eyes—and one's heart.
Red denoted a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Gold? That had to be… what? Two hundred thousand?
Had his master sacrificed for him?!
But that wasn't even the astonishing part.
The shocking part was how he killed the enemy.
One slash.
Just one.
And the Evil Soul Master, formidable enough to trouble any Titled Douluo, was gone.
Slain instantly.
Everyone who saw the footage was dumbfounded.
Was this real?
Mo Zihong compared the evil soul master's martial soul to his own, frowning—
Even he couldn't have defeated such an opponent so effortlessly.
"So… my subordinate, Sima Jinchi, might actually be stronger than me—the Chief Instructor himself?"
"…Then what does that make me? A clown?"
Alright, he admitted it—
Perhaps he'd spoken too harshly earlier.
Your Excellency, no offense meant.
This humble Mo will register your promotion immediately.
(END CHAPTER)
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