Chapter 7

"Hum... hum..."

The old examination pod slowly opened, and Li Yao stepped out, shaking his head. He felt a faint headache, a side effect of overexerting his mental energy in the virtual realm.

"My head hurts so much, damn it. Only we, the students in the 'mixed class,' are still using this junk. The students in the key classes and parallel classes have all been upgraded to the latest generation of psychic examination pods. No matter how much they overexert themselves, there won’t be any side effects!" Meng Jiang complained loudly beside him, then poked his waist. "Xiao Yao, this simulation exam was really difficult. I probably failed again. I’ll definitely get a ‘bamboo shoot stir-fry’ when I get home. How about you?"

"Average, I guess." Li Yao touched his nose. The difficulty of this exam was indeed quite high, but his foundation was solid, and his mindset was calm. He felt he had performed to the best of his ability.

"Quick, let’s check!" Meng Jiang moved to operate the examination pod next to Li Yao. Each pod was equipped with a super high-speed crystal brain that could calculate scores in real time. The results were available as soon as the exam ended.

"Wow, 525 points! That’s a high score, enough to get into a key university. You still say it’s average? Excessive modesty is pride, you little demon!" Meng Jiang exclaimed.

Li Yao glanced at the light screen and sighed inwardly. 525 points was indeed not a low score, barely enough to meet the admission criteria for some well-known key universities in the Federation. However, the number that followed was glaringly red.

"Spirit Root Development: 35%."

The Spirit Root is a mysterious organ located in the front of the human brain, in the pineal gland. It is called mysterious because, from an anatomical perspective, this organ does not exist. For thousands of years, no one has found a genuine "Spirit Root specimen."

However, in the world of cultivation, this organ is real and is the most important organ for cultivators. It is the key to connecting humans with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the cosmic spirit energy!

Only when the Spirit Root Development reaches 100%, and the "Spirit Root Awakens," can one embark on the path of cultivation!

Regular universities do not consider the Spirit Root Development when admitting students; even 1% is fine, as they mainly train ordinary people.

However, the "Nine Elite Universities," which specialize in training cultivators, multiply the exam scores by the Spirit Root Development to determine the final score. Naturally, the higher the Spirit Root Development, the more advantageous it is.

Li Yao’s Spirit Root Development was pitifully low. After multiplying 525 points by 35%, he was left with less than 200 points.

Moreover, the top students in the key classes generally had a Spirit Root Development of over 60%. This means that they only needed to score around 300 points to easily surpass Li Yao.

Furthermore, the higher the Spirit Root Development, the more agile the mind, the sharper the senses, and the better the control over the body. Their scores would never be worse than those of ordinary students in the mixed classes.

Li Yao had thought about working hard to improve his Spirit Root Development, but it was different from studying. Book knowledge can be memorized, and physical strength and martial skills can be trained intensively, but Spirit Root Development requires substantial resources.

For example, the top students in the key classes take various natural treasures and enhancement potions daily, and they have "Spirit Root Development Instruments" at home or go to specialized "Meditation Halls" for training. They spend tens of thousands to millions of dollars each month on Spirit Root Development, and even with such investment, it is difficult to increase the Spirit Root Development by just 1%.

Li Yao, who scavenges in the tomb of magical artifacts, earns at most ten thousand dollars a month. After paying rent, living expenses, and tuition, he has barely enough to fill his stomach, let alone have spare money to develop his Spirit Root.

In short, one word—poor!

Just as he was worrying, he heard Meng Jiang scream like a pig being slaughtered: "Wow, two 691 points! Si Jiaxue and Helian Lie are tied for first place in this simulation exam again!"

This simulation exam was held simultaneously for the entire senior year. The light screen at the front of the classroom quickly displayed the information of the top ten students in the school.

Among them, tied for first place were a cold and beautiful girl and a tall, handsome boy with a commanding presence.

Their scores did not impress Li Yao, but the Spirit Root Development that followed made his eyes burn with jealousy.

Si Jiaxue: 71% Spirit Root Development; Helian Lie: 72% Spirit Root Development!

Meng Jiang continued to chatter: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, truly worthy of being the stars of our Chixiao No. 2 High School, the school’s beauty and heartthrob, the cream of the crop in the key classes! Look, these two are not only handsome and beautiful, but they also come from wealthy families. It’s said that several cultivators have appeared in their families. They have excellent grades and high Spirit Root Development, making them the secret weapons for our school’s college entrance exam. It’s said that they are almost certain to be admitted to the Nine Elite Universities. The school has even specially invited Demon Blade Peng Hai to train them, partly to help them aim for the top of the college entrance exam in Fuguo City, at least in the top ten!"

As he spoke, Meng Jiang sighed dramatically: "Sigh, comparing goods is one thing, but comparing people can be deadly. We are all high school students, and we are all in the same school now, but after the college entrance exam, they will soar to the heavens and enter the world of cultivators, living a life of luxury and decadence. As for us poor boys, we will only be lifelong workers, salaried employees. Thinking about it really makes my heart cold!"

After talking for a while and getting no response, Meng Jiang turned his head and saw Li Yao staring straight at Si Jiaxue’s photo, his eyes deep and unfathomable, as if he was pondering something. He quickly tapped his friend’s head: "Hey, you’re not thinking about Si Jiaxue, are you? I’m just trying to help you. This woman is someone we can’t touch. She and Helian Lie are old family friends, and it’s said that their families have marriage intentions. Helian Lie is determined to win her over. Don’t think this guy is just tall and strong; he’s actually very petty and can’t stand anyone getting close to Si Jiaxue. Last time, a transfer student, not knowing the depth of the situation, said he wanted to pursue Si Jiaxue. He ended up with three broken bones in the ‘Martial Skills Class.’ As for us, a sneeze from Helian Lie could make us spit blood!"

"Rubbish."

Li Yao retracted his gaze, seemingly making a decision. "Let’s not talk about Helian Lie for now. As for Si Jiaxue, she always has that cold, deadpan face. She’s probably frigid. I wouldn’t like that type."

...

Most of the school’s resources were allocated to the key classes and parallel classes, and the management of the ordinary classes was very relaxed. After the simulation exam, the students in the ordinary classes focused on their individual weaknesses for specialized training. The day passed quickly, and it was already 4 PM, time to go home.

"Let’s go together. I just found a pancake stall. The owner’s third uncle is a fire tender for the 'Fire God Sect,' and the owner has indirectly learned the 'Fire Cloud Palm.' The 'Crimson Flame Handprint Egg Pancake' he makes is top-notch. I’ll treat you today, how about it?" Meng Jiang boasted, patting his chest.

"No, I have something to do today. I’ll treat you tomorrow!" Without waiting for his friend’s response, Li Yao quickly darted out of the classroom.

He looked around furtively, circled around the campus for a large part of it, passed through two canteens, and stopped in a small forest at the back of the campus for several minutes before returning. He then sneaked into a storage room on the ground floor of the old teaching building.

He gently closed the door and caught a faint, delicate fragrance, like that of a hidden orchid in a valley.

A pair of cold, clear eyes glared at him impatiently from the darkness. Below the eyes were a straight, sharp nose and tightly pressed thin lips.

If Meng Jiang were here, he would definitely scream: "You little demon, you actually hooked up with the 'Goddess of No. 2 High School,' Si Jiaxue! You, you’re really daring!"

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