Translator: CinderTL
Class Nine's martial dao classroom.
At the back of the room, an electronic whiteboard displayed the final scores for the four martial dao disciplines in the end-of-term assessment.
First Place: Li Zhichao - 355 points
Second Place: Jiang Ye - 330 points
Third Place: Xu Sisi - 315 points
...
"Congratulations, Brother Jiang!"
Tao Xiaogang, Xia Qing, and others rushed over to congratulate him. "You took second place in the whole class!"
Jiang Ye smiled at them. "Congratulations to you all too. You all made it into the top thirty."
There were a hundred students in the class.
The top thirty were considered to be in the upper-middle tier.
Tao Xiaogang scratched his head and grinned. "I have to thank you, Brother Jiang. If you hadn't led us in the fourth assessment, I never would have gotten such a high score."
In regular virtual assessments, he usually scored only 20 or 30 points.
This time, he scored a full 50 points.
Xia Qing and the others also scored over 40 points.
Though the difference was only 20 points, it was enough to jump over a dozen places in the rankings.
In the College Entrance Examination, a 20-point difference could eliminate hundreds of thousands of candidates.
"Then you all need to work even harder," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "Don't let your rankings slip when the next semester starts."
"Haha, definitely."
As they chatted idly, Chen Zilu entered the classroom, wearing a simple white dress and white lace-trimmed socks.
"You've all seen the results of the final exams," she said calmly from the podium, her demeanor cool and composed as she summarized the assessment.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Without wasting words, Chen Zilu concluded her remarks and announced, "Jiang Ye, Li Zhichao, please come to my office."
With that, she strode out of the classroom on her long, slender legs.
Everyone knew the semester was over and began packing up to go home.
"A'Ye, what do you think the teacher wants with you two?" Wen Yuehui asked Jiang Ye, looking puzzled.
"Probably about our grades," Jiang Ye replied, also puzzled, though he had his own suspicions.
A few minutes later, in Chen Zilu's office:
"I have something to tell you both," Chen Zilu said, smiling at the two boys. "In a month, the school will hold a trial. Would you like to participate?"
"In a month? During summer break?" Jiang Ye asked, surprised.
He had guessed it was about the trial, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.
Li Zhichao frowned. "Doesn't the regular class only get one spot for the trial? Can both of us really participate?"
Chen Zilu replied calmly, "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. If you're exceptional enough, the school might make an exception."
Hearing this, Jiang Ye's heart stirred. He suspected Chen Zilu had specifically requested an extra spot for him from the school.
Chen Zilu continued, "This trial is the lowest-level one. Anyone who has achieved Major Success in the Star Martial Cultivation Method can participate, and it will be conducted right here at the school."
"However, simply achieving Major Success in the cultivation method gives you a very low chance of passing the trial."
"Failure in the trial also carries risks. While it won't be life-threatening, it could negatively impact your future cultivation progress."
After her explanation, Jiang Ye and Li Zhichao fell silent.
A trial with actual danger!
They weren't surprised, though.
Any true trial would inevitably involve risks; otherwise, what would be the point?
Chen Zilu said, "This is a one-time opportunity. If you've decided to participate, tell me now."
Before she could finish, Jiang Ye and Li Zhichao both declared in unison, "I'll participate."
Chen Zilu nodded, unsurprised.
"Li Zhichao, you can go now. Jiang Ye, stay behind."
"Yes, ma'am."
Li Zhichao glanced at Jiang Ye before turning to leave.
Jiang Ye looked at Chen Zilu. "Teacher, is there something else?"
Chen Zilu waved her hand, tossing a disc-shaped device against the wall.
With a hiss, the device adhered to the wall.
It was a soundproofing device.
Only after setting it up did Chen Zilu turn her attention to Jiang Ye.
"Impressive! You've risen from 25th to 2nd place in just one semester." Her eyes curved into a radiant smile, utterly captivating.
Chen Zilu's beauty was undeniable—a striking blend of cool elegance and vibrant charm that far surpassed any other woman Jiang Ye had ever met. Even Zhao Qingli, the class beauty, paled in comparison.
It seemed the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder had excellent taste.
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Teacher," Jiang Ye replied honestly.
"You're always so modest," Chen Zilu said, her gaze growing increasingly appreciative.
Jiang Ye's performance had exceeded her expectations.
When she introduced him to Zhang Jianwu, she had hoped he would at least crack the top ten, proving his potential.
Instead, he had surged straight into the top two.
This achievement brought her considerable pride.
Chen Zilu pulled a paper bag from her drawer. "Take this," she said. "Use it for nutritional supplements when you get home."
Jiang Ye accepted the bag and opened it, finding thirty thousand yuan inside.
"Teacher, what's this?" he asked, staring at Chen Zilu in astonishment.
The scholarship for second place was only ten thousand yuan, and it wouldn't be awarded until their senior year. Thirty thousand yuan? He hadn't even placed first—how could he possibly deserve such a large sum?
"I made a bet with Director Zhang," Chen Zilu said with a soft laugh. "I bet you would pass this trial. Don't disappoint me."
Jiang Ye's expression shifted to surprise. So, this thirty thousand yuan was a private 'sponsorship' from his teacher?
"Teacher, isn't thirty thousand too much? You need to cultivate too," Jiang Ye said. He never accepted help from others without good reason, especially when it came to money.
"I'm a teacher. I can afford it," Chen Zilu said, looking at him. "But you're different."
"For the next month, you need to push yourself to the limit if you want to pass the trial. During this time, you must consume martial dao ingredients daily to increase your chances of success." Her voice was clear and crisp.
Jiang Ye was secretly alarmed.
Based on what she said, the trial's difficulty might be far greater than he had imagined.
Chen Zilu crossed her right leg, revealing a glimpse of her slender, jade-like leg beneath her skirt—snow-white and delicate.
She spoke calmly, "Martial dao dietary supplements come in many varieties. To improve quickly, you need to choose high-quality ones, such as Tiger Gallbladder and Whale Eye."
"These are extremely expensive. The 30,000 yuan is for your dietary supplements."
"Finally, this money is a loan. You'll need to repay me later."
Chen Zilu smiled slightly at Jiang Ye, her crossed leg swaying gently with a hint of playfulness.
Jiang Ye replied, "I'll repay you when the senior year scholarship comes through, or after I earn money from the trial."
"Let's talk about it after you graduate high school. It's just 30,000 yuan—I'm not short on cash right now."
Chen Zilu waved her hand dismissively, emphasizing again that she wasn't lacking funds.
Jiang Ye felt a bit helpless.
How wealthy was she? Treating 30,000 yuan like pocket change?
Did her family own a mine or something?
After a moment of silence, he bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Teacher."
Jiang Ye understood perfectly well.
Whether it was Chen Zilu's talk about a bet or her deliberate emphasis on repayment, it was all to protect Jiang Ye's pride.
Some help is charity, looking down the other.
But some help is truly like holding an umbrella for someone.
Having lived two lives, Jiang Ye understood this perfectly and felt even more grateful.
Chen Zilu smiled faintly.
"By the way," she suddenly said, "Ancheng might not be very safe lately. Try to stay indoors during the holidays."
Not safe?
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat. Could this be related to the Shadow Calamity?
Chen Zilu continued, "If you need anything, just V-chat me. My V ID is czl23060901000."
Jiang Ye hesitated for a moment. "Teacher, do you have a phone number? I'll buy a communicator later to contact you. Smartphones are too expensive."
Chen Zilu glanced at him, then took a smartwatch from her drawer. "Take this communicator watch for now. You can reach me through it."
"Okay."
At this point, Jiang Ye didn't bother with false modesty and accepted the watch.
"Teacher, I'll head back now."
"Mm, go ahead."
Chen Zilu waved her hand.
Jiang Ye nodded, turned, and walked out of the office.
But just before leaving, he remembered something and glanced back at Chen Zilu.
The interface materialized.
When Jiang Ye saw the two lines floating above Chen Zilu's head, his heart jolted with shock.
(End of the Chapter)
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