Chapter 4

Under the watchful eyes of the vice principal, Li Yao darted through the slowly closing school gate, heaved a sigh of relief, and checked his watch: 7:29. Awesome!

Like all high schools in the Federation, Chixiao No. 2 High School had already entered the annual "Crazy College Entrance Exam Season." The campus was filled with a tense atmosphere, akin to a battlefield. As soon as one entered the school gate, a huge screen stood in the center, displaying in large letters:

"99 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes, and 57 seconds until the college entrance exam!"

Every second, the numbers on the screen would change, gradually decreasing, putting immense pressure on the students. On either side were several slogans:

"Study until you drop dead, and then study some more!"

"Improve by one point, surpass a thousand people!"

"Chixiao No. 2 High School dominates the Federation, and we will not rest until we conquer the college entrance exam!"

"Enter the 'Nine Elite Universities,' become a cultivator, and reach the pinnacle of life!"

The stirring march music echoed throughout the campus, and nearly a thousand students surged toward the main playground like a flood. Li Yao quickened his pace, blending into the crowd. Once on the playground, the crowd split into three distinct groups.

The first group consisted of about forty students, all of whom were tall and handsome, exuding an air of superiority. They wore school uniforms made of celestial silk, tailored to fit perfectly and refined by cultivators, giving them a dynamic and radiant appearance, further highlighting their extraordinary presence. These were the students of the "key classes," each one a rare talent with the potential to enter the "Nine Elite Universities."

The second group was the largest, with seven or eight hundred students. Their uniforms, also made of celestial silk, were not custom-made and had not been refined by cultivators, making them look somewhat dull and ordinary. They were the students of the "parallel classes," mostly children of wealthy families in Foguo City, but with average aptitude, their strength largely derived from resources.

The third group had over a hundred students, wearing low-grade school uniforms made of ordinary fabric, loose and baggy, looking somewhat unkempt, and lacking vitality. These were the students of the "ordinary classes," mostly from working-class families, considered the dregs in the private high school of Chixiao No. 2.

Li Yao found his place in the "ordinary class" lineup with ease. As soon as he stood still, someone patted his shoulder, and a somewhat slick voice said, "Little Demon, why are you so late? There's a big shot coming to our school today!"

Li Yao knew without turning around that it was his best friend, Meng Jiang. He glanced at the podium and indeed saw that the school's top brass, including the principal, vice principal, and vice principal in charge of discipline, were all present, a rare sight at the usual morning assembly.

"What big shot is so important that even Baldy Zhao came out to greet him?"

Baldy Zhao was the principal of Chixiao No. 2 High School, Zhao Shude, a core disciple of the Chixiao Sect and a high-level cultivator in the Qi Condensation stage. However, it was said that he had suffered a hidden injury while cultivating in the "Demon Beast Wasteland" in the northwest, and he often secluded himself for recuperation, rarely managing school affairs.

"It's Peng Hai, 'Demon Blade' Peng Hai!" Meng Jiang was so excited that his voice trembled.

The name made Li Yao's heart race.

Demon Blade Peng Hai was the greatest legend in the history of Chixiao No. 2 High School. Born in the slums, he displayed exceptional cultivation talent from a young age. At eleven, he was specially recruited by Chixiao No. 2 High School. By twelve, his "spirit root development" had reached 100%, awakening a top-grade spirit root, and he embarked on the path of cultivation. At thirteen, he was admitted to the "Great Wasteland Combat Academy" among the "Nine Elite Universities." By fifteen, he had reached the tenth stage of the Qi Condensation period and became a rising star in the Federation!

After graduating from the Great Wasteland Combat Academy, he rejected high-paying offers from over a dozen cultivation sects and joined the "Federation Army" without hesitation. He fought against a million demon beasts in the Demon Beast Wasteland, defending the Federation with his youth and blood, and built his reputation as "Demon Blade" through the mountains of demon beast corpses. At twenty-two, he became one of the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Federation!

After retiring from the army, Peng Hai returned to his hometown and joined the Chixiao Sect with an astronomical "joining fee." In just three years, he became the head of the new business department of the "Chixiao Transport Group," responsible for developing new transportation routes in demon beast-infested areas. Besides a substantial salary, it was rumored that he owned a large share of the "Chixiao Transport Group," earning him mountains of gold and silver in dividends every year!

"Did you hear? Peng Hai just bought a sea-view villa on the 'Silver Beach,' worth about 70 to 80 million! And some paparazzi saw him often bringing a dozen women back to the villa for wild parties!" Meng Jiang drooled as he spoke, his envy and jealousy evident.

From a penniless boy in the slums to a high-ranking manager in a major sect, with a net worth of over a hundred million, luxury cars, beautiful women, and a sea-view villa—this was the dream of every slum boy, and Li Yao and Meng Jiang were no exception.

They all yearned to be the next Peng Hai!

"He's here!"

Li Yao's watch vibrated slightly, indicating something was approaching at high speed from the sky. Looking up, he saw a black streak of light shooting from the eastern horizon, moving incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it was hovering quietly above the playground—a black flying shuttle!

This flying shuttle was sleek and elongated, like a stretched water droplet, almost twice the length of an ordinary flying shuttle. Its crystal-clear surface had no seams or rivets, appearing seamless and natural. Though it didn't show any offensive magical artifacts on the outside, the hidden black glow emitted a heart-stopping danger, and the killing intent seemed to suffocate the thousands of middle school students.

"It's the 'Xuan Niao Combat Shuttle'! The most advanced armed flying shuttle in the Federation, with combat power comparable to a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator! With the 'Xuan Niao Combat Shuttle,' one can freely roam the Demon Beast Wasteland, fearless and unrestrained!" Li Yao's heart raced.

As a magical artifact enthusiast, the "Xuan Niao Combat Shuttle" was even more attractive to him than Peng Hai himself!

He also knew that the lowest configuration of a "Xuan Niao Combat Shuttle" cost nearly 100 million, which even ordinary wealthy families couldn't afford.

The next second, the chests of the thousands of middle school students relaxed, and they regained their ability to breathe. The Xuan Niao Combat Shuttle had disappeared, replaced by a tall, slender man in black combat armor, smiling handsomely.

However, the deep, dark eyes still had a glint of lightning and a hint of a demon blade.

Even the principal of Chixiao No. 2 High School, Li Shude, and the usually fierce vice principal in charge of discipline, "Black Face God," couldn't help but turn slightly, avoiding eye contact with Peng Hai.

"Cultivators are so rich, so powerful, so dominant!" Li Yao swallowed hard.

"I heard that Peng Hai was specially invited back by the school to tutor the 'key class' students! Little Demon, you know, although Chixiao No. 2 High School is a century-old prestigious school, its college entrance exam results in recent years have not been particularly outstanding. Few students have been admitted to the 'Nine Elite Universities,' which has tarnished the reputation of the Chixiao Sect. So this time, they specifically invited Peng Hai back for special training, hoping to reverse the trend and achieve glory again!" Meng Jiang's voice was filled with jealousy.

After all, the privilege of being personally tutored by Demon Blade Peng Hai was only available to the "key class" students, not to the poor boys in the "ordinary class."

Li Yao sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

The "Nine Elite Universities" were the nine most prestigious, resource-rich, and talent-abundant higher education institutions in the Federation, the ultimate dream of countless students.

Ordinary universities did not aim to cultivate cultivators. Even with exceptional talent, hard work, and good fortune, the chance of becoming a cultivator was less than one in ten thousand.

The Nine Elite Universities, however, had numerous cultivation sects as their backing, specifically aiming to cultivate cultivators. If one could be admitted to one of the Nine Elite Universities, there was a 30% chance of becoming a cultivator and reaching the pinnacle of life!

To become a master alchemist, one had to first become a cultivator, and to become a cultivator, one had to first be admitted to one of the Nine Elite Universities. Li Yao had always strived for this goal, but the inherent disadvantage had always been a barrier, making his dream seem increasingly distant...

Lost in thought, Li Yao was somewhat dispirited and didn't even hear what was being said on the stage. Time was precious for cultivators, and Demon Blade Peng Hai didn't waste much time. Principal Zhao Shude announced the end of the morning assembly.

Peng Hai was escorted away by the key class students, while the parallel class and ordinary class students lost their enthusiasm and walked toward the teaching building in small groups.

The day's studies officially began!