366: The past is exposed, and the world is shocked by one person

A peaceful afternoon on a workday.

An official announcement completely shattered the silence.

It not only caused a stir and shock throughout the entire Great Xia but also created massive waves globally, like a giant rock thrown into a lake.

In a villa in the rebuilt South River City, Ji Feiyue was taking an afternoon nap on a reclining chair on the second-floor balcony.

She wore simple loungewear, her bright red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her long, fair, flawless legs were revealed by the high-slit skirt, captivating to the eye.

"President!"

"President!"

Rena's voice came from below, urgent and excited.

Ji Feiyue slowly opened her eyes, which sparkled like rubies.

This former Crimson Mage God of her previous life, now the President of Scarlet Rose in this life, her power had gradually returned with the passage of time, and she had unknowingly reached the level of an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster.

"Coming to me in such a hurry, what happened?"

Her cherry lips parted slightly.

Rena's petite body, accompanied by a flash of lightning, quickly appeared before her, breathing lightly, her face filled with excitement.

"President! Just as you said! Little Brother Jiang is indeed still alive!"

"He..."

"He's become an incredible big shot now!"

"He's a little monster!"

Rena, who had grown into a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist, was so excited she was jumping up and down.

"A General! A General under twenty years old! Unimaginable!"

"Quick, look online!"

When Ji Feiyue finished reading the official announcement online, she was also slightly stunned, then a captivating smile appeared on her lips.

"I really didn't misjudge him."

"That kid... he's even more Heaven-Defying than I imagined."

...

The official announcement read as follows:

"With the National War imminent, and considering the public's eager concern and the rules for fair and just selection, after discussion and decision by the Royal Court and the Ten Ministers Association, the personnel for this National War and the leader of the team are hereby announced. The National War participants are: Lin Qingyan, Sikong, Chen Xi, Yan Runan, An Tianzong."

"Team Leader: Jiang Yuan."

Following Jiang Yuan's name was a series of bolded black fonts, indicating his identity and honors.

These included:

"Recipient of the Great Xia's Highest Honor: the purple dragon badge."

"Newly appointed Professor of the Sword Dao Department at Shenwu Academy."

"Top Scorer of the 297th Martial Arts Examination."

"Youngest General of Great Xia."

"Hero who saved a City."

"Deputy Captain of Patrol Division Zero Team."

"Combat power comparable to a King-level giant, the National War team leader approved by a ten-vote unanimous decision from the Ten Ministers Association."

Each label was incredibly significant.

And when all these labels converged on one person, it wasn't just shocking; it was enough to scare people to death.

Some Martial Artists, after reading it, even had their brains crash, remaining dazed for more than ten seconds, wondering if the news was mistaken.

Was it really issued by the officials, or had the officials been hacked and released false information?

Because!

This announcement was too astonishing!

It was hard to believe.

It's like the top scorer of the previous college entrance examination and a King-level giant; how could these two labels possibly be linked together?

"Jiang Yuan is the hero of South River City! He's really not dead! Oh my god!"

"Impossible! Even if he's not dead, it's only been less than a year, how could he have reached such a height!"

"But the officials couldn't possibly release false information, could they?"

"I heard that when South River City underwent its anomaly last year, he had already achieved the title of the world's strongest Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, topped the Martial Artists Tower, and his strength fully erupted, comparable to a Ninth-Rank Grandmaster. Now that he has returned from Hell, it's not impossible for him to have become even stronger..."

"But that's comparable to a Quasi-King, a King-level under twenty years old... Hiss!"

"Heaven-Defying, too Heaven-Defying!"

"I wouldn't even dare to imagine it; I wouldn't even dream of it like this, would I?"

"Did he use a cheat code?!"

"I know this kid; his family used to live upstairs from me. His parents weren't around, and he lived with his aunt and uncle. Two years ago, he even bought steamed buns from my family's bun shop. He was just a handsome and cheerful big boy. How is it that after only two years, he's become a hero who saved a City, and a General?"

"Don't even mention it. My twenty-three-year-old is still just training his body and hasn't even obtained a Martial Practitioner certificate..."

"The gap between people is greater than the gap between people and demonic creatures!"

"Didn't you notice the introduction 'Professor of Shenwu Academy's Sword Dao Department'? Becoming a professor after one year of enrollment—that's unprecedented, isn't it?"

...

Gradually, as the official information about Jiang Yuan's identity was declassified, some of the things he had done in the past were also completely exposed to the world.

"A Lord-level demonic creature descends upon the academy, the young man stands in the sky, slicing a Hell Wyrm with his blade."

Within what must have been a video filmed by a student, a terrifying Hell Wyrm descended upon the City, charging towards the school. At the moment of despair when the principal and teachers were injured and repelled, a black-haired, black-clad young man holding a crimson long blade arrived from the sky, like a savior, blocking the fatal blow.

"This path is blocked; no entry ahead."

When they heard his words, billions of Great Xia citizens watching the video trembled and shivered, their hairs practically standing on end.

"That was an Eighth-Rank Lord-level demonic creature."

"What rank is he now?"

"It hasn't been long since the college entrance examination ended, has it?!"

"Damn it..."

"South River City's anomaly, a super-giant demonic creature descends, the young man erupts in despair, a ray of hope blossoms in the sky."

In the video, a super-large demonic creature formed by billions of river waters rampaged, and a bizarre demonic shadow descended. The young man, his entire body enveloped in surging flames, disregarded the strong experts' dissuasion and resolutely rushed into the demonic shadow's body, transforming into a golden star, dispelling the bizarre, and bringing hope.

In South River City, a mother with a two-year-old child stared blankly at the video, her thoughts returning to that day of despair, recalling that golden star that shattered the darkness like hope, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"So... it was you."

"It was you who saved us..."

"Thank you, thank you!"

...

"Above the City ruins, the young man Fuses with a mechanical construct, transforming into an Infernal Apostle, battling the Ninth-Rank Lord-level God of Destruction."

When they saw the scene in the video where the young man, transformed by Fusion into an Infernal Apostle, fought with all his might to kill the God of Destruction that was destroying the City, and was then swallowed by the giant Hell vortex that appeared in the sky.

Jiang Yuan's parents, aunt, uncle, and Mo Xixi all remembered that day of despair and couldn't help but shed tears.

Other Great Xia citizens who hadn't known any of this were even more greatly shocked.

They never expected that in that great anomaly, the one who contributed the most and sacrificed the most was just a young man who wasn't even eighteen years old.

It was he who, by himself, saved millions of innocent people.

"So South River City was facing such a desperate situation at that time, isolated and helpless, even a Quasi-King was powerless."

"It was too difficult, too bitter. In such despair, I think many people would choose to give up."

"He probably didn't expect to come back alive then, abandoning everything for his parents, relatives, and innocent people..."

"I just now realized the true value of the purple dragon badge."

"Who understands that Glancing back (glance back) of the Infernal Apostle? I'm crying my eyes out, boo hoo hoo hoo..."

"Who dares to say he's not worthy of a purple dragon badge again! Didn't someone say he wasn't worthy before? Come on, say it to my face!"

"God Jiang! From now on, I'll see who dares to slander God Jiang! I'll fight them to the death!"