0111 The School-Level Enforcer (Votes, Votes, Votes)

From start to finish, Jiang Feng’s consciousness remained in a state between waking and dreaming. He was aware of what was happening, but everything was being carried out by the automatic reactions of his slightly damaged Heavenly Heart Seed.

Finally, the Heavenly Heart Seed reluctantly "withdrew." Jiang Feng opened his eyes to meet the weary gaze of the silver-haired woman.

She gave a bitter smile. "You brat, you are truly greedy." There was a hint of alarm on her face as she added, "I had no idea that repairing a damaged Mind-Clearing Seed and Elemental Branch would require so much Bright Energy!"

Jiang Feng felt his body brimming with Bright Energy, his minor wounds completely healed; he felt as energetic as if he had just finished a cultivation session.

He had never lost consciousness; he knew exactly what was happening. If these two hadn't stepped in to save him, he might have been in real trouble. The Heavenly Heart Seed had started acting recklessly after being injured; had it absorbed that demonic-tainted Bright Energy, there was no telling what might have occurred.

He scrambled to his feet and bowed solemnly. "My deepest thanks to you both for saving me!"

The man in black let out a long sigh of relief. "If it weren't for you earlier, we would have fallen to this female demon. I suppose this makes us even." He pointed forward and asked, "What is going on here?"

Jiang Feng looked up just in time to see the female demon brandishing her twin blades, instantly shattering three Sergeant-level demons. With a shrill shriek, seven or eight lesser demons collapsed to the ground in response!

"What is happening?" Jiang Feng asked in astonishment.

The man and woman exchanged a look and asked in unison, "You don't know either?"

Jiang Feng shook his head, vaguely recalling his previous actions. Earlier, the female demon had pressed close to him and exhaled a puff of demonic energy. That energy carried a faint, sweet scent that instantly sent his heart racing and his blood surging through his veins.

It wasn't the result of temptation, but a natural bodily response. Jiang Feng immediately recalled the incident in the back streets of Taicang. Gritting his teeth, he had channeled his golden blood essence through his fingertips and into the female demon's body!

He had no memory of what happened afterward. Looking at the scene now, had the female demon switched sides under the influence of his golden blood essence?

The man in black scrutinized him for a moment but found no clues. He shook his head. "We just noticed that she seems to be protecting you. Why don't you try giving her an order?"

Jiang Feng nodded and commanded, "Come here!"

Before the thought had fully formed or the words had finished echoing, the female demon flashed and appeared by his side!

Not just the man and woman, but even Jiang Feng himself was stunned. He felt no surge of joy, only growing confusion.

The bloodline beneath the Heavenly Heart Seed that produced the golden blood—that mere thread of power could not only sprout the Heavenly Heart Seed but also possess such miraculous effects...

What exactly was it? What kind of ancestors did Jiang Feng have?

He took a few deep breaths to steady his emotions and ordered, "Continue the fight! Kill every demon that attacks!"

The female demon answered with action. She vanished, and more demons fell beneath her curved blades.

The messengers of Wanqi Yu and Wang Xuandi finally arrived. Upon seeing the man and woman, they immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Master Shuang, Master Xue!"

Only then did Jiang Feng realize that the battle had progressed so quickly that he still didn't know their names.

In truth, those at the Body-Bright Realm were known as Martial Venerables. In a place like the Nine Heavens Continent, they were rare powerhouses, and these two had been sent as temporary reinforcements. Under normal circumstances, they would have no connection to a Dawn Realm examinee like Jiang Feng, let alone be notified of his status.

But now, the guidance they had received during the battle was enough to make them view Jiang Feng in a new light. Combined with these strange events, the name "Jiang Feng" had certainly made a profound impression on them.

The two were named Ning Yueshuang and Jiang Xue, a married couple. They were not part of the Taicang City Defense Guard; they had been reassigned temporarily.

The messengers stared blankly at the demons killing each other and asked in shock, "What is going on here?"

Ning Yueshuang frowned. "Why are you here?"

They explained the situation at the Heaven-Reaching List, and one of them asked urgently, "Who is Jiang Feng?"

The gazes of Ning Yueshuang and Jiang Xue revealed the truth. The messenger looked at Jiang Feng, his expression stern. "You are at the Dawn Realm?"

Jiang Feng nodded.

"How did you suddenly obtain two thousand points?" the man demanded. "You’re just a Dawn Realm examinee! Could it be... that you cheated?"

Ning Yueshuang looked at the female demon and mused, "So, you mean the Heaven-Reaching Demon recognizes this female demon as having been defeated?"

"Evidently so," Jiang Xue replied.

Ning Yueshuang smiled slightly. "Interesting." He turned to the messenger and said solemnly, "Although we don't know the details, we can testify that he did not cheat. With him in the lead and us assisting, we did indeed take down a School-level demon!"

Jiang Xue nodded in agreement.

The guarantee of two Body-Bright Martial Venerables carried immense weight. The messengers no longer dared to question Jiang Feng's score. However, they remained deeply unsettled—a Dawn Realm cultivator taking down a School-level demon? With Martial Venerables only assisting? If this got out, it would sound like a joke!

At that moment, two more messengers arrived, shouting, "Who is Jiang Feng?!"

Upon hearing the news they brought, Ning Yueshuang was taken aback, then burst into laughter. He shook his head at Jiang Feng. "I never expected such a stroke of luck! It seems the title of top scorer for this provincial exam is yours!"

The four messengers asked in unison, "Do you both believe this score is legitimate?"

Ning Yueshuang replied firmly, "What, do you doubt the judgment of the Heaven-Reaching List?"

Indeed, even if they couldn't believe it, what did it matter? The Heaven-Reaching List was protected by Heaven-Reaching power and held supreme authority over the exams. The list had confirmed Jiang Feng's score!

Two of the messengers were subordinates of Wang Xuandi, from the Mind-Clearing Society. They relaxed and smiled. "Indeed, the Heaven-Reaching List is the final authority!" They bowed to congratulate Jiang Feng. "We don't know how you did it, but congratulations on being the new top scorer!"

With a School-level demon as an assistant, it would be hard for Jiang Feng not to take the top spot.

"We don't know if he's the top scorer yet!" Unlike the Mind-Clearing Society, Wanqi Yu’s people did not have such blind faith in the Heaven-Reaching List.

They looked Jiang Feng up and down, and the latter messenger added, "Master Wanqi has ordered that if there is indeed an anomaly at the front line, Master Jiang must return to explain the situation in person."

Ning Yueshuang frowned. "That is unreasonable, isn't it? This is the most critical stage of the exam; how can you pull an examinee out?"

The two messengers from the Mind-Clearing Society were also displeased, but the man remained insistent. "Master Wanqi gave specific instructions. Please cooperate, Martial Practitioner Jiang."

Jiang Feng pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No, I cannot go."

The messenger, shocked by his boldness, threatened in a low voice, "This is an order from the Prefectural Governor!"

Jiang Feng pointed at the female demon. "None of us know why she has become like this. We only know she is currently protecting me and obeying my commands. Who can guarantee this will last? If I leave and she changes, who among you can take responsibility if something goes wrong?"

The logic was sound. Ning Yueshuang nodded. "Right, Jiang Feng cannot leave!"

The messenger, never having been refused by a Dawn Realm cultivator, looked grim. After a moment of silence, he said coldly, "I will report your words to Master Wanqi!"

Jiang Feng smiled slightly. "The facts are as they are; the Master will surely understand."

The two messengers glared at him before turning to leave. The two from the Mind-Clearing Society offered some gentle advice, looking at the female demon with concern. "With the situation being unclear, you must be careful and not let your guard down."

Suddenly, Jiang Feng’s expression changed. The others tensed. "What is it?"

Jiang Feng pressed his forehead, feeling a mix of confusion and relief. "I can feel the connection between me and the female demon!"

A subtle realization had just struck him. He could feel a distinct thread of connection between them. It wasn't that the link had strengthened; rather, it was fading.

He could clearly perceive that after this period, the blood essence he had injected into the female demon was slowly diminishing, and his control over her was gradually slipping away.

At this rate, in about five days, she would break free from his control entirely and return to her original state.

For him, this wasn't a bad thing.

A bomb with a countdown was certainly more reliable than one that might explode at any moment. At the very least, he could fully utilize her for these five days to maximize his results!

Hearing his explanation, Ning Yueshuang and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Ning Yueshuang made a quick decision. "Very well. In five days, we will return, and together, we shall eliminate her!"

The men from the Mind-Clearing Society laughed. "Five days is more than enough to cement Martial Practitioner Jiang's position as the top scorer!"

Jiang Feng said solemnly, "At the very least, for these five days, not a single demon will break through this line!"