Chapter 68: Promoted to an Honors Student

"Boom!"

At this moment, in the academy square, nearly three thousand students stared wide-eyed at the final, bizarre battle unfolding within the crystal projection. They had not expected Nangong Yuchen to actually dare to fire, and with that single blast, all three girls were eliminated simultaneously!

"Good, good, very good! Nangong Yuchen, I never thought you'd have a day like this, hahaha!"

Tuoba Lin, Tuoba Feng, Lu Ling, and the others, who had been eliminated earlier, stood together watching the scene within the crystal. They couldn't hide their excitement. Now, Nangong Yuchen was the only special student left, and those two bitches, Angel and Nangong Kexin, had failed to make the cut! For them, this was the best possible outcome.

As for Xiao Quan and his group, their faces remained grim. They hadn't accomplished what Cheng Shiyu had arranged; despite this bizarre twist, Nangong Yuchen had still advanced!

Just as everyone was in shock, Angel, Nangong Kexin, and Gao Xingyu appeared together on the energy-shielded platform. Their uniforms were neat, without a single wound; everything they had experienced on Illusion Island felt like a dream.

"Huh? Where is Nangong Yuchen?" Nangong Kexin realized that the person beside her wasn't Nangong Yuchen, but a strange girl. She was filled with confusion, unsure of what had happened.

Angel furrowed her brows, looking at the discussing students in the square below, and shook her head. She didn't know what had transpired either, as both girls had been unconscious at the time.

Just then, Nangong Kexin suddenly pointed to the crystal suspended in mid-air and exclaimed, "Why is Nangong Yuchen still inside?"

"Hmm?" Angel was also feeling dizzy, unable to grasp the situation.

"He actually fired!" Gao Xingyu kept muttering to herself. Her mind went blank. Without the status of a special student, what would happen to her mother’s illness?

"Sizzle!"

At that moment, the nine crystals in the air suddenly turned ethereal and began to fade. When they vanished completely, Nangong Yuchen was also teleported out.

"Nangong Yuchen, what is going on? Why did she and we come out, but you were the last one to exit Illusion Island?" Nangong Kexin, impatient, grabbed him and asked in confusion as soon as he appeared.

"Uh... this is... this..." Faced with her question, Nangong Yuchen looked at the sky guiltily, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He didn't dare say that he had blasted the two girls out of the game; otherwise... would he be skinned alive by his sister?

"Hmph, tell us what happened, now!" Nangong Kexin persisted, refusing to let it go. Angel also looked at Nangong Yuchen, equally curious about what had transpired.

"Boom, boom!"

The black gate on the platform began to retract, and the surrounding energy barriers started to fade until it became an ordinary platform. The four of them stood on the square.

At this moment, Yang Long and the other instructors were too preoccupied to pay attention to the four of them, seemingly in deep discussion. Clearly, they were left speechless by Nangong Yuchen’s final shot. Three special students, and only one remained—what was to be done?

Previously, the energy barrier had blocked outside sound, but now that it was gone, the chatter of the students below drifted over.

"Wow, this Nangong Yuchen is truly something!"

"Isn't he? One shot and he took out his own teammates along with the rest!"

"Hahaha..."

Hearing the whispers below, Angel and Nangong Kexin finally understood. They had been eliminated by Nangong Yuchen, which was why they had appeared together.

"Nangong Yuchen, what is the meaning of this!" The two girls glared with beautiful eyes, furious. They had struggled so hard on the island only to be eliminated by Nangong Yuchen at the very end!

"Kexin, Angel, I had no choice!" Nangong Yuchen panicked and began to explain. Finally, under the girls' completely distrustful gazes, he gritted his teeth and said, "I won't be a special student either. Let the three of us just be ordinary students together..."

In the special student seating area below, Yi An watched Nangong Yuchen’s agonizing explanation on stage and found it increasingly amusing. Finally, he chuckled, "What an interesting guy. I, Yi An, have decided to make him my friend!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a heavy fist struck the top of his head, slamming him into the ground.

"Ouch! Mu Ling, what are you doing?"

"Shut your mouth!" Mu Ling adjusted her glasses and told him to be quiet again.

Yi An turned indignantly to see the grim expressions of Lu Shijie and Cheng Shiyu nearby, realizing he had spoken out of turn again. He hurriedly shut his mouth in embarrassment. However, he found it strange that Lu Shijie’s fiancée, Mu Lingxue, actually looked quite happy.

"Hmph, Yi An, you want to be friends with Nangong Yuchen, is that right?" Shangguan Yueling, who had been brooding for a long time, finally couldn't help but speak up upon hearing this.

"Uh..."

"Then that makes you my enemy too! I'll start by settling the debt Nangong Yuchen owes Sister Lingling through you!" Thinking back to that night when she was almost thrown off the sixth floor by Nangong Yuchen, Shangguan Yueling felt her teeth itch with anger. If she hadn't run away early that morning, she would have definitely shot him a few times.

"Don't, my lady, we aren't even friends yet, are we?" Yi An hurriedly raised his hands in surrender. He couldn't afford to provoke this young lady who carried a rocket launcher everywhere she went!

Just as the entire square was buzzing with discussion, Yang Long and the teachers finally seemed to have reached a conclusion. They walked onto the platform, looked at the noisy crowd below, and said sternly, "Quiet!"

His resonant voice carried across the square, and the entire area fell silent; even the special student section became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

"All four of you performed very well, especially Nangong Yuchen and Angel!" Yang Long paused here before continuing, "According to the competition rules, the student advancing to special status this year is Nangong Yuchen!"

As he said this, enthusiastic applause erupted from below. After all, everyone had witnessed Nangong Yuchen’s monstrous performance on Illusion Island! However, the crowd felt a tinge of regret for Angel and Nangong Kexin. If not for Gao Xingyu’s sudden interference, they might have been the most dazzling special students among the ordinary cohort. Especially Angel; her brilliance was not a whit inferior to Nangong Yuchen's!

At this moment, Nangong Yuchen seized the opportunity during the applause to speak up: "Principal Yang, I..."

Yang Long knew what he was going to say and raised a hand to stop him, then announced loudly, "However, this competition was quite unique. After consulting with the faculty, we have reached a joint decision: the special students for this year are Nangong Yuchen, Angel, Nangong Kexin, and Gao Xingyu!"

Once the result was announced, the square boiled over. Four special students in one year? Whether they were students who hadn't competed or those who had entered Illusion Island, everyone was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Especially Gao Xingyu, who had hit the jackpot!

"Damn it... all the good things go to Nangong Yuchen!" The smug, gloating faces of Tuoba Lin and the others twisted, and they were so angry they nearly vomited blood. They couldn't fathom the school's decision.

"All of us promoted?" Nangong Yuchen and the other three on stage were also stunned, followed by a surge of wild joy. None of them had expected such an outcome.

"Quiet!" Yang Long’s voice was stern. Only when silence returned did he continue, "Gao Xingyu, from today on, you are assigned to the special student class and will join Shangguan Youran’s team. As for Nangong Yuchen, Angel, and Nangong Kexin, you are also assigned to the special student class. Since there are three of you, starting today, you will form the fifth special team of Luo'an!"

He paused for a moment and added, "Furthermore, as special students of this academy, you will be granted the military rank of Sergeant. I hope you will continue to work hard and become First-Class Mecha Warriors as soon as possible! To all the students below, you must also strive for excellence. The peace you enjoy is bought at a price; when that peace eventually shatters, survival will depend on yourselves!"

The entire venue fell into a solemn silence. After a moment of quiet, Yang Long said, "Finally, let each of you four state the conditions for your victory. As long as they are reasonable, the academy will grant them."