Chapter 159: The Golden Age! Is It Returning Again? (Request Full Subscription)

"The Abyss difficulty has been opened?! No wonder there were strange flames burning at the base of the Mijingda Sect's gate!"

"Insane—I remember the Abyss difficulty being over ten times more terrifying than Nightmare difficulty."

"Abyss difficulty hasn't been opened in the Freshman Competition for decades, has it?"

"......"

On the spectator seats, many upperclassmen were also whispering among themselves.

Their words carried clear astonishment.

"To be precise, Abyss difficulty hasn't appeared in the Freshman Competition for a full eighty years."

A slender young man spoke slowly.

He had short hair, deep eyes, and a unique aura.

"It's Lin Haoran!"

Someone recognized the man's identity and gasped softly.

At Suzhou-Hangzhou University, there were two power ranking lists.

One was the Earth List, exclusive to First-Transformation cultivators.

The other was the Heaven List, exclusive to Second-Transformation cultivators.

And this Lin Haoran ranked 34th on the Heaven List for Second-Transformation cultivators—a formidable figure!

"Didn't he take a mission to the front lines? Why is he back now?"

Someone was surprised by Lin Haoran's timing.

Others continued discussing the previous topic:

"Eighty years ago? That would be around 2544, then, when SU's Freshman Competition last had Abyss difficulty."

"2544... whoa! Isn't that the Golden Age?!!"

At the mention of the year 2544, those around them widened their eyes.

The Golden Age!!

It was a special term for the year 2544.

That year saw the emergence of many prodigiously talented cultivators!!

"The Wind Blade Saint Cang Pinghai and the Storm Law God Li Shaoyang—they both arose from the Golden Age and remain powerful to this day!!"

"Now that Abyss difficulty has reopened, could it be... that the Golden Age is about to return?!"

Someone murmured softly, his expression filled with awe.

"Lin Ge, when did you get back?"

At that moment, Li Dongsheng of the Aurora Society also spotted Lin Haoran.

He hurried over, asking with slight surprise.

Lin Haoran was also a member of the Aurora Society.

And likewise, a department-head-level official.

But...

Lin Haoran had a cold, detached personality; he rarely managed club affairs, merely holding a nominal title.

Of course, even as a nominal figure, no one doubted his abilities.

After all, 34th on the Heaven List carried immense prestige.

As one of his few close friends, Li Dongsheng knew.

He had been assigned a mission to travel to neighboring Huizheng Province to eliminate invading beast legions—so why was he here now?

"The mission was canceled. I just got back."

Lin Haoran replied.

"The mission was canceled?"

Li Dongsheng frowned.

As one of the nation's top universities, Suzhou-Hangzhou University.

Besides possessing an elite teaching faculty,

It also placed great emphasis on practical combat training for students.

Within the school's mission system, there were often dangerous tasks such as hunting beasts or capturing fugitive cultivators.

War missions were the most perilous—and highest-rewarding—type of practical mission.

Of course, such missions were always pre-scheduled.

Unless an extremely critical change occurred, they would never be canceled.

"I heard it was ordered from above."

Lin Haoran said helplessly.