I Cultivate in a Government Office

After a few more moments of idle chat, Yang Wenqing ended the call. He then rose, pushed open the door, and stepped out of the Quiet Chamber. Outside, Tang Yuan, Gao Zhen, and Yang Wenjian immediately came forward to greet him, their eyes full of questions.

“Junior Brother, how did it go?” Tang Yuan asked. He wouldn’t dare use his Divine Sense to probe Yang Wenqing’s Cultivation.

Yang Wenqing smiled faintly and replied, “It was a success!”

Tang Yuan was overjoyed. He clapped Yang Wenqing firmly on the shoulder. “Excellent! Let’s go! Time to show those folks at the Provincial Hall what you’re made of!”

At that moment, Lan Ying tilted her head up. Sensing her feelings, Yang Wenqing added, “It was all thanks to Lan Ying’s help this time.”

The moment Yang Wenqing finished speaking, Yang Wenjian, who was standing nearby, had a look of pure excitement and adoration on his face.

Gao Zhen was also happy for Yang Wenqing, but mixed in with this happiness was a complex, indescribable emotion.

He looked at the radiant Yang Wenqing before him, and his thoughts drifted back thirteen years to when he first met him at the Qianjiao County City Defense Bureau. Back then, Yang Wenqing had just entered the Qi Cultivation Stage.

‘Who would have thought that in just thirteen short years, the young officer who once needed my guidance would already be about to catch up to me!’

This wasn’t jealousy, but rather the dazed and emotional feeling of witnessing a legend being born and rapidly rising right beside him.

Thinking of this, Gao Zhen couldn’t help but say, “Wenqing, at this rate, I’m afraid you’ll succeed in your Foundation Establishment before I do.”

Tang Yuan chimed in, “Junior Brother Gao is right. With this kind of momentum, Junior Brother Yang, there are few in the younger generation of our Three Sects who can match you.”

Yang Wenqing quickly waved his hands in dismissal. “You two senior brothers flatter me,” he said humbly. “I, Wenqing, owe my current achievements to the support of my master and all my senior brothers. The path of Cultivation is long, and I will still need to ask for your guidance in the future.”

His smile was sincere, showing not a hint of arrogance despite his advancement in Cultivation.

Laughing and talking, the group walked out of the small courtyard. It was already one o’clock in the afternoon, leaving only an hour before the official drawing ceremony at two.

…

The Provincial City Defense Headquarters was located in a meticulously planned government district on the slopes of Dragon Ridge Mountain.

Its main structure was a massive nine-story tower that reflected a cold, imposing light under the sun. Surrounding the tower were several smaller, yet functionally distinct, annex buildings connected to the main tower by skybridges, forming a vast and efficient administrative and command Central Hub.

Yang Wenqing and his group landed their Flying Shuttle on a designated landing pad.

Led by Tang Yuan, they crossed a wide plaza and entered the main building. The interior was incredibly spacious, with a high-ceilinged hall dominated by cool tones. The floor, polished to a mirror-like sheen, reflected the complex runic arrays on the ceiling above.

Following the signs, they arrived at a small auditorium on the third floor of the main building.

At this moment, the heavy double doors of the auditorium were already open. Two sergeants with steady auras stood guard at the entrance, meticulously checking the credentials of everyone who entered.

A long table was set up to the side, where an administrative specialist from the general affairs department was quickly registering the arriving contestants and their companions.

Even before entering, they could hear the faint murmur of voices from inside.

Tang Yuan gestured for Yang Wenqing to go forward and register.

Yang Wenqing straightened his collar and then stepped forward.

The administrative specialist behind the registration desk looked up. As expected, a flash of envy crossed his eyes when he saw the Blue-feathered Night Owl on Yang Wenqing’s shoulder, but he quickly regained his professional demeanor and asked politely, “Name, unit, and contestant number.”

“Yang Wenqing, Lingshan County City Defense Bureau, Coral City. Number Alpha-Wei-03,” Yang Wenqing replied calmly, handing over his badge.

The specialist confirmed the details, quickly made a note in the register, and handed back the badge. “Director Yang, please go in. Your companions also need to register.”

Tang Yuan, Gao Zhen, and Yang Wenjian stepped forward to register one by one. Once the formalities were complete, the two sergeants guarding the door stepped aside to let them pass.

The auditorium, normally used for large conferences and ceremonies, had been temporarily converted.

The floor of the central area had been reinforced and raised by about three feet, forming a square arena with sides approximately twenty zhang long. The surface was paved with special dark silver metal plates, its edges engraved with complex defensive and energy-monitoring runes.

Around the arena, the original fixed seating had been removed and replaced with tiers of temporary spectator stands. Many seats were already filled, mostly with the masters, sect-mates, friends, and family of the various contestants, as well as colleagues from the Provincial Hall who had come to watch. They spoke in low voices, the atmosphere a mixture of anticipation and tension.

Directly above the arena, four massive projection screens were suspended, currently cycling between the Provincial Hall’s emblem, the rules of the grand competition, and the words “Awaiting the Draw.”

Yang Wenqing’s gaze swept over the spectator stands before quickly landing on a relatively separate area to the side of the arena. Five individual chairs were set up there, clearly intended for the five contestants. Four of them were already occupied.

His eyes passed over the four individuals one by one:

The first person from the left was handsome, with an unconcealable arrogance and sharpness in his features. With his arms crossed, he occasionally glanced toward the entrance or the arena, his gaze both scrutinizing and eager. This was Zhao Yan from the operations department of the Provincial Government’s East City branch, a Second Transformation of the Marrow Cleansing Realm who cultivated the True Yang Secret Technique.

The second from the left was a man with a more reserved temperament. Dressed in simple grey casual clothes, he sat with his eyes closed in meditation, as if everything around him was of no concern. He was Sun Yan from the Provincial Hall’s Second Patrol Department, also a Second Transformation of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and he too cultivated the True Yang Secret Technique.

The third from the left was the only female cultivator. Her looks were not particularly striking. She wore a police-issue training uniform and was also an officer from the Second Patrol Department. Her name was Han Xue, and she also cultivated the True Yang Secret Technique, a Third Transformation of the Marrow Cleansing Realm,