Chapter 41: Unlocking Purgatory Difficulty! Reveal Your Abyss Title!

Qi Guoguang quickly identified Lin Yi's profession: a plain, unremarkable Mage. Just like his own. It was by no means a rare profession. In an instant, a sense of admiration for Lin Yi welled up within him. As an ordinary Mage himself, he knew all too well how much of a disadvantage it was compared to rare or even exotic professions, all of which came with innate advantages. Looking across the entire Blue Star, almost everyone who managed to reach the level of a Seventh-Turn powerhouse today possessed a rare or even legendary profession. Any success Qi Guoguang had achieved was entirely due to his own hard work and perseverance. While he had encountered his share of opportunities since becoming a professional, it was diligence that defined his path. For the past eighty years, there hadn't been a single day where he hadn't strived to improve himself.

"To reach level 42 in a mere thirty days, he must have stumbled upon some incredible stroke of luck," someone remarked.

Qi Guoguang, however, felt a sense of empathy for Lin Yi. He interjected, "Even if he had good fortune, we absolutely cannot deny his effort and diligence! Luck alone is never enough to reach such a level!"

Li Yunjing nodded in agreement. "This young man is impressive; he must have put in effort far beyond that of a normal person!"

In that moment, the top brass of the Dongjiang Provincial Education Department at the exam center, and even a small group of high-level members from the Professionals Alliance led by Qi Guoguang, began to look at Lin Yi with newfound respect. At the very least, they acknowledged that they themselves could not have reached such a level at Lin Yi's age. He was simply too industrious!

If Lin Yi knew what these people were imagining, he would likely be at a loss for words. *I'm not, I didn't, I'm just a lazy bum!*

Li Yunjing had not forgotten that Sun Liang was still waiting for his instructions on how to handle Lin Yi’s unique case. After a moment of contemplation, Li Yunjing spoke: "The last time we encountered such an exceptional candidate was decades ago. Since we’ve come across one again today, let’s make an exception. Reopen that difficulty setting we once had."

The others were visibly shocked. "Deputy Director Li, that difficulty level has caused too many accidents in the past! You yourself said back then that it was too difficult for these candidates and detrimental to their physical and mental growth!"

Li Yunjing shook his head. "The times have changed. For him, the Nightmare difficulty is a joke—it’s too simple. The difficulty levels we set were tailored for First-Turn professionals. Now that a Second-Turn professional has appeared, those tests have lost their significance. Of course, for the sake of fairness, notify all 22 examination halls across Tianhai to synchronize and open the Purgatory difficulty."

Li Yunjing’s subordinates felt their scalps tingle. They were well aware of what the so-called Purgatory difficulty entailed. Simply put, the final practical exam would shift from a standard dungeon to a special one tainted by abyssal energy. Much like the specialized trials for various professions, the difficulty would skyrocket, forcing these fledgling newcomers to come face-to-face with vicious abyssal monsters.

"Deputy Director, if we open the Purgatory difficulty, those without a special Abyssal Title won't be able to select it..."

Li Yunjing waved his hand. "Then tell them to display their Abyssal Titles; those without one simply won't have the option to choose Purgatory difficulty. Also, add one more restriction: they must hold at least a Gold-grade badge to choose it. If this 42-level kid hasn't cleared a special trial before and doesn't have a title, then he'll just have to settle for Nightmare difficulty; it can't be helped."

With the decision made, everyone had no choice but to comply. Sun Liang took the orders and rushed off. Upon returning to Entrance 1, he announced the addition of the Purgatory difficulty and the new rules.

"Everyone, because of the addition of the Purgatory difficulty, those who have already registered and chosen their difficulty will have one opportunity to change their selection! However, I must warn you: the Purgatory difficulty is extremely dangerous and could potentially lead to casualties! Choosing this difficulty requires signing a life-or-death waiver; you are responsible for your own fate! Furthermore, the final exam for this difficulty requires entry into a special dungeon tainted by abyssal energy. You must hold an Abyssal Title to enter; candidates without one cannot sign up! Those who wish to change their difficulty, please raise your hands!"

There were only about twenty candidates at Entrance 1. The process was not complicated, and there was plenty of time. Sun Liang followed the "first-come, first-served" rule, allowing the previously registered candidates to reselect.

The next moment, Sun Liang saw three hands go up. The young girl, Lan Ruoyi, raised her right hand with a calm expression. At the same time, Zhao Kai and his lackey, who had also reached level 29, raised their hands as well. Sun Liang was not surprised. These three were the highest-level candidates so far. Zhao Kai and the other boy were both rare-profession holders, and Lan Ruoyi possessed an even more exotic profession. They certainly had the confidence to challenge the Purgatory difficulty.

"The three of you, please equip your Abyssal Titles. Once I verify them, I will adjust your chosen difficulty to Purgatory level!"

A moment later, Lin Yi saw five dark, prominent characters appear above the heads of the trio, including Lan Ruoyi: "Abyssal Challenger"!

Most titles were obtained by completing special achievements or specific dungeons. They usually remained in a hidden state and were only displayed when a professional chose to equip them. Clearly, the "Abyssal Challenger" title was not particularly aesthetically pleasing, so no one wanted to wear it unless necessary. However, at this moment, possessing such a title was a sign of great prestige. It meant they had cleared a special professional trial and had already faced abyssal monsters. Compared to their peers, they were already starting from a different baseline.

Zhao Kai had been holding a grudge against Lin Yi. While there was no deep-seated hatred, Lin Yi’s previous remarks and his display of level 42 made him feel like a clown. It was particularly infuriating to lose face in front of the goddess he was trying to pursue. He stared at Lin Yi now with a malicious smile. *So what if your level is high? If you haven't passed a professional trial, you still can't choose Purgatory difficulty! Difficulty is directly linked to the score you can obtain. Even if you get a perfect score on Nightmare difficulty, it might not match a high score in Purgatory!*

Everyone turned their eyes toward Lin Yi, including Sun Liang. In truth, when Sun Liang mentioned equipping the title, Lin Yi had been completely bewildered. *Oh crap, this is awkward! Where do you even equip these titles?* He had never equipped a title in his life.

"Ahem, teacher, I'd like to ask, how does one equip this title?" Lin Yi asked, biting the bullet.

Beside him, Zhao Kai felt a surge of ecstatic triumph. *Heh! Pretend! Keep pretending! You clearly don't have one, don't try to act like you don't know how to equip it!*