Chapter One: The Guardian’s Qualification

The endless land shrouded in twilight, the ancient, somber sky, the withered grass and splintered giant trees—this was a wilderness without end. Across from Xia Yan stood a young woman whose former identity was that of last year’s eleventh-ranked institution member. She had challenged the ranks, succeeded, joined the management, and then graduated. Now, she had left the institution and joined another “organization.”

The pureblood demon—Amelia—had made a pact with Xia Yan: in a year’s time, she would face off against Ai You, the former director of the institution. Was such a thing possible? Perhaps, but the odds were less than one percent. She understood that aimless fumbling would never achieve this, but still, someone existed who could help Xia Yan accomplish it. In this regard, that person might surpass even her own abilities. If Xia Yan failed, it would mean she had misjudged, and he would be left to die.

This was the conversation Xia Yan had days ago with Gong Kui.

“To defeat the director in a year? Impossible, Xia Yan,” Gong Kui’s tone was grave.

“Why?” Xia Yan asked.

“If there is any hope, it’s less than one percent, because it’s far too difficult,” Gong Kui sighed softly.

Xia Yan waited for her to elaborate.

“At the very least, three major conditions must be met. Of these, two—though minuscule—remain within reach. But the third is almost hopeless,” Gong Kui spoke earnestly.

“No way at all?” Yi Ling didn’t ask about the specifics; he trusted Gong Kui, knowing she would never lie on this matter.

“There is a possibility—so faint as to be nearly impossible,” Gong Kui nodded. “But Xia Yan, this isn’t up to me. If you wish to fulfill this condition, you must meet someone. Unless they agree to recognize you as a Guardian, you won’t even have that sliver of ephemeral hope.”

“Who?” Xia Yan inquired.

“I’ll arrange it,” Gong Kui replied tersely.

And so, Xia Yan applied for graduation from the institution and met with the young woman, all for the sake of that most daunting condition.

This young woman had hair as white as snow, vibrant and youthful, swirling in the wind of dusk. Her appearance evoked only one impression: icy cold, as if nothing could move her, even if the heavens and earth crumbled. She was nothing like Tao Lu’s cold exterior but warm heart.

Now, she stood before Xia Yan, sword in hand, and spoke but a single sentence.

“Endure for one minute under my hand, and we’ll discuss the rest.”

“Agreed,” Xia Yan nodded.

The girl moved, swift as a hurricane. Her speed surpassed anyone Xia Yan had encountered—even Tang Yun, who possessed the “Gale” ability. Yet, she was still not faster than Xia Yan. His body’s development had reached twenty-two percent.

The girl’s eyes showed surprise—she could hardly believe Xia Yan’s physical development was so advanced.

Xia Yan seized the initiative, attacking with his versatile blade that flickered like a chain, covering every angle of her body.

Her gaze remained steady. She gripped the sword’s scabbard and struck.

“Netherlight Flash.”

This was a sword-draw technique, leveraging the friction between blade and scabbard for a lightning-quick strike—far faster than normal.

Xia Yan felt as if a bolt of lightning crashed before him; he could only shift to defense, his versatile blade weaving an impenetrable barrier to barely withstand the sword’s radiance.

A tremendous force numbed his palm, and disbelief flashed in his eyes. Her physical development was clearly less than his, yet the power unleashed by this strike was almost unbearable.

The girl, too, showed slight surprise. With a single step, she retreated ten meters, light as the wind.

In an instant, she surged forward like a raging thunderstorm, her sword weaving a dizzying dance—each strike swifter than the last.

“Chaotic Butterfly!”

Her sword moved like mountain streams, ceaseless and flowing, each blow compounding the pressure until it felt like the weight of endless mountains. Worse still, her swordplay was inscrutable, its depth unfathomable.

Xia Yan faced this relentless assault, unable to counter, forced to defend. Though his blade blocked many strikes, he could not hold back the entirety of her technique. Pressed to his limit, he unleashed his ability.

From his left shoulder, flames condensed into solid form, blocking a strike.

The girl’s sword swept sideways, its edge slashing fiercely toward him.

Xia Yan retreated, his versatile blade parrying the onslaught.

Suddenly, her sword twisted like a drill, aiming for Xia Yan’s chest.

Fighting her, Xia Yan felt unending pressure—her attacks were inexhaustible, her technique ever-changing. Even though her physical strength was inferior, in combat she utterly dominated him.

Like Tang Yun? No—she far surpassed Tang Yun, not even in the same league.

Even with fire element abilities, Xia Yan struggled desperately, always on the verge of defeat.

“Qi Slash.”

The girl gripped her sword tightly, seeming to gather power, then unleashed a strike like an avalanche—impossible to block.

But block he must. Xia Yan clenched his teeth, holding his versatile blade before his chest to intercept the blow.

He was thrown backward, regaining his balance in midair, but his right hand was numbed, unable to wield his blade for the moment.

“Darklight.”

The girl shifted instantly, appearing behind Xia Yan, stabbing at him from an impossibly sharp angle.

Xia Yan was speechless—was she really trying to kill him?

Helpless, he drew his firearm at last, left hand gripping the D203 Fury pistol, firing at the sword’s radiance.

The girl changed tactics in a flash; her sword cut the bullet in two, then another strike flew at Xia Yan—this all happened in the blink of an eye, barely a second, astonishingly fast.

Xia Yan rolled aside, abandoning his versatile blade. His right hand conjured a fireball, hurling it, while his left continued firing three shots in rapid succession.

The girl was forced to retreat rapidly, her sword slashing three times to knock down the bullets.

Then, her gaze steadied—she used “Qi Slash” again, a sword light splitting the fireball.

“One minute’s up,” Xia Yan calculated the time and shouted, barely able to endure.

“Then I’ll use my ability,” the girl said coldly, her words few and icy. Her body flashed red, and she unleashed her power.

In that moment, Xia Yan realized something unbelievable—her speed now completely surpassed his.

She struck, her sword light flowing toward Xia Yan like water.

“So fast…”

He gritted his teeth, a red light shining before him as a shield of fire elements formed in defense.

Instantly, the shield shattered.

Xia Yan was astonished—this power far exceeded his own. Her ability increased all attributes?

He dodged, trying to retreat, but the sword followed like a shadow, its tip transforming into a sweep, knocking him to the ground.

He tried to fight back, but the sword’s point already hovered at his throat.

“You’re qualified,” the girl said, her expression completely unmoved. “Your brain development has reached thirty percent?”

“No,” Xia Yan frowned.

“Then you shouldn't join the Guardian squad,” she said, perplexed. “No one would entrust their back to someone like you. No one can be sure when you might betray them.”

“I must become a Guardian, join your squad,” Xia Yan insisted.

“You wish to join—your strength barely suffices,” she looked at him, “but please raise your brain development to thirty percent, undergo a full physical examination, and, if all is well, apply again.”

“I don’t have that much time,” Xia Yan stood, brushing dust from his clothes, his eyes urgent. “In a year, I must face the demons. If I don’t defeat Ai You, I’ll die.”

“Oh,” a ripple passed through her gaze, as if interested in his words. “You mean the former director, Ai You?”

“Yes,” Xia Yan nodded.

“If your brain development isn’t thirty percent, no one will trust you. Don’t you see? How could anyone entrust their future, their back, to you—a potential traitor? That’s absurd!” She could not comprehend. “Can you tell me, why does Miss Gong Kui do such things? Has she worked so long her mind’s not right?”

“I have no more time,” Xia Yan said, gritting his teeth.

“That kind of reasoning won’t convince me,” she shook her head, contemptuous. “I won’t even share my name with you, nor learn yours. I have no intention of associating with someone like you.”

“But…” Xia Yan tried to protest.

She cut him off, “Regrettably, as a member of the Third Human Guardian Squad, I refuse your application.”

“Even lasting a minute under your hand isn’t enough?” Xia Yan was helpless.

“No, your brain development must reach thirty percent. That’s the basic rule,” she frowned. “Only then does your endurance count.”

“No way at all?” Xia Yan refused to give up.

“A way?” She frowned, pondering. “If… you can convince me, perhaps I’ll reconsider. But I truly can’t imagine how someone whose brain development is below thirty, and whose identity is unknown, could possibly persuade me!”

Xia Yan grew serious, speaking word by word, “Humans betray as well.”

She laughed, biting with deep irony. “Your argument is to break my conviction with an even harsher law?”

“Yes, that’s the only reason that might persuade you,” Xia Yan nodded.

She fell silent… Time passed.

“I still don’t recognize your qualification to join the Third Squad, but I can give you a buffer period. If you gain my approval, I’ll reconsider. But you’re allowed only one mission—the next Guardian mission.”

“Agreed,” Xia Yan replied immediately.

“My name is Lan Xin,” she finally introduced herself.

“I am Xia Yan,” he responded.

Guardians were teams of empowered individuals from the six major races—including humans—established in Zones Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten. Their task, as their title implied, was to protect the people of this land.

Institution members usually dealt with level one or two monsters or mutants, rarely level three. But that didn’t mean there weren’t level three or even level four monsters or mutants lurking in the land.

Such threats were beyond the institution’s capacity, and only Guardian squads could handle them.

To join a Guardian squad, three requirements must be met. First, brain development must reach thirty percent, confirming their race presents no issues. Second, their strength must at least match the top three in institution management, or be even stronger. Third, they must gain the approval of most squad members.

Only by meeting all three can one qualify as a Guardian.

At present, Xia Yan’s strength barely suffices, but his brain development is below thirty percent, and he cannot even gain Lan Xin’s approval.

Two out of three requirements elude him.

So there is no need to even mention Gong Kui's three conditions, which are ten thousand times harder than becoming a Guardian. To be precise, those conditions require Xia Yan to surpass all Guardians, not merely reach the minimum threshold.