Translator: CinderTL
On the massive silver screen, the total scores for the Martial Arts Four Disciplines were continuously updating.
Since some candidates hadn't finished their assessments yet, the final rankings remained unannounced.
Suddenly, a name quietly appeared on the screen:
Jiang Ye: Total Score for Martial Arts Four Disciplines: 690 points
Buzz!
The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.
Dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward Jiang Ye, their gazes filled with shock and disbelief.
690 points—only 10 points short of the twenty-five school alliance's 700-point standard!
This meant that, barring any unforeseen circumstances during the College Entrance Examination, Jiang Ye would secure a spot in the twenty-five school alliance with ease.
"This guy... is just too absurd!" Li Zhichao muttered, staring at Jiang Ye with mixed feelings of shock and suspicion. Despite injecting himself with performance-enhancing drugs twice daily, he couldn't even match Jiang Ye's score?
Meanwhile, Zeng Xueqing, dressed in a crimson dress, was equally stunned.
"From 520 points to 690 points," she calculated. "He achieved this in just two months!"
Her own total score for this assessment was only 580 points—over a hundred points behind Jiang Ye!
Not long ago, she had been the one ahead of him.
"Terrifying beyond belief!"
The hundred-plus students in the hall were utterly stunned.
If Jiang Ye possessed a Nascent Aptitude, their surprise wouldn't have been so extreme.
But Jiang Ye clearly had only a low-grade aptitude and came from an impoverished background. How could he achieve such a result? It was simply unbelievable.
Meanwhile, inside the virtual cockpit, Jiang Ye slowly opened his eyes.
A lingering trace of fear flickered in his gaze.
"The Shadow Clan in the sixth level was far more formidable than I anticipated," Jiang Ye muttered, his face still slightly pale.
In this Virtual Cosmos Assessment, he had reached the sixth level.
This level contained a total of fifty Shadow Clan creatures.
Among them was a Juvenile Form towering three meters tall!
The remaining forty-nine were Infant Forms, each standing two meters tall.
The Juvenile Form was immensely powerful; with a single strike, it nearly tore half of Jiang Ye's body apart.
This forced Jiang Ye to halt at the sixth level.
"A Juvenile Form is equivalent to someone at the first breakthrough stage. With my current strength, unless every punch triggers 100% critical damage, I can't defeat it through brute force."
Jiang Ye's expression grew solemn. "The Shadow Calamity is truly terrifying beyond measure."
In reality, Shadow Calamities almost always manifest alongside Juvenile Forms.
For those who have yet to achieve their first breakthrough, this poses an insurmountable disaster.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Jiang Ye heard a commotion erupt around him.
Snapping out of his daze, he turned to look at the large silver screen.
"690 points?" Jiang Ye's eyes lit up at the score.
But then he sighed regretfully, "If I could have triggered 'Tilting at Windmills' a few more times, I might have broken 700."
By now, Jiang Ye had discerned a pattern.
In the Virtual Cosmos, perhaps due to its simulated nature, probability-based effects like "Beauty's Inquiry" and "Tilting at Windmills" had an extremely low trigger rate.
In reality, however, the odds were significantly higher.
Time continued to pass.
Another ten minutes or so elapsed.
The top ten students in the grade, including Wang Zi'ang and Lin Miaomiao, gradually awoke.
Zhao Qingli was the last to stir.
As soon as she opened her eyes, the large silver screen at the front of the hall immediately displayed the final rankings.
February Monthly Exam Rankings
First Place: Zhao Qingli, 845 points
Second Place: Wang Zi'ang, 780 points
Third Place: Lin Miaomiao
...
Tenth Place: Jiang Ye, 690 points
The official rankings were announced.
Many in the audience couldn't help but glance at Jiang Ye again.
Tenth in the entire grade!
This ranking meant Jiang Ye had surpassed the vast majority of students with Nascent Aptitude present.
"Finally made it into the top ten!" Jiang Ye thought, his heart brimming with joy. "That's thirty thousand yuan!"
The Elite Class's monthly exams always came with generous scholarships.
The top twenty students received twenty thousand yuan.
The top ten earned a staggering thirty thousand yuan!
"Jiang Ye, congratulations!" Li Zhichao approached, his expression complex. "You've broken into the top ten!"
Jiang Ye smiled. "Congratulations to you too, Li Zhichao. You jumped straight into the top eighty this time."
Li Zhichao shook his head slightly, saying nothing.
Eightieth in the grade? That was far from his goal.
Should I try three injections a day? Li Zhichao wrestled with the thought. Theoretically, it's possible, but practically, it seems impossible.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Ye vaguely guessed what he was thinking.
"Don't increase the dosage anymore," Jiang Ye urged, having been classmates with Li Zhichao for three years and not wanting to see him get into real trouble.
To his surprise, Li Zhichao shook his head confidently. "I've got Chrysanthemum Liver-Protecting Tablets and Osmanthus Kidney-Nourishing Pills. Don't worry about me."
Jiang Ye sighed helplessly and shook his head, saying nothing more.
"Jiang Ye."
A cold, clear voice sounded from behind him.
Jiang Ye turned to see a tall, aloof girl standing proudly.
"Class Monitor," Jiang Ye greeted with a smile, walking over to congratulate her. "First place again."
Her improvement had been remarkable.
From 810 points two months ago to 845 this time, she had increased her score by a full 35 points.
"Is that so strange?" Zhao Qingli asked dismissively, then her expression turned curious. "Why are you only tenth place?"
In her eyes, Jiang Ye's abilities should have easily placed him in the top three.
Jiang Ye sighed and admitted, "This is my true strength."
Zhao Qingli gave him an odd look and murmured, "During that encirclement mission... did you take performance-enhancing drugs?"
She had been puzzled by this for some time.
Jiang Ye's combat prowess that day had surpassed even hers, which seemed utterly illogical.
Now, seeing his true abilities, she realized his strength wasn't as exaggerated as she had initially thought.
Jiang Ye chuckled, "Don't underestimate me, Class Monitor. I get even fiercer in real combat."
"Really?" Zhao Qingli blinked her beautiful eyes, feeling an immediate urge to spar with him.
But she had come with a message. "Director Zhang wants to see you."
"Director Zhang?"
Jiang Ye nodded and glanced up at the second-floor stands.
He had already noticed Zhang Jianwu watching from above.
Without hesitation, Jiang Ye turned and headed upstairs.
Zhao Qingli watched his retreating figure, curiosity flickering in her dark eyes. "Could this guy actually score 750 on the College Entrance Examination?"
"He's definitely hiding something."
In her eyes, Jiang Ye had just been branded with a new set of labels:
Extremely handsome Incredibly hardworking mysterious partner
Second-tier grandstand.
Jiang Ye entered the room and bowed to the figure standing with his back to him. "Director."
Zhang Jianwu turned around, smiling warmly. "Ah, you're here. Sit down." He gestured to the sofa beside him.
Jiang Ye waited for Zhang Jianwu to settle before taking a seat. "Director, what's this about?"
Zhang Jianwu smiled. "First, I must commend you. You've surged into the top 10 in the grade."
"According to the Elite Class monthly exam scholarship, the top 10 students receive 30,000 credits."
Jiang Ye nodded, already aware of this. He knew the director hadn't summoned him solely for this.
Zhang Jianwu continued, "Secondly, registration for the Reserve Star Professional Assessment has officially opened. We'll be departing tomorrow."
"Departing? Where to?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled.
For the past month, he had been diligently training specifically for the Reserve Star Professional Assessment.
However, he didn't know the specific content of the assessment.
After all, it was a Federation-wide standardized exam, and its details were confidential.
"We're going to Qingyang City," Zhang Jianwu said gravely. "Another Shadow Calamity has erupted there, so the Reserve Star Professional Assessments for surrounding cities will be held there."
Jiang Ye held his breath.
Another Shadow Calamity in Qingyang City?
He remembered that Qingyang City had already experienced a Level 2 Shadow Calamity a year ago.
"How can they be happening so frequently?" Jiang Ye asked, his expression darkening.
Qingyang City was too close to Ancheng.
"Frequently?" Zhang Jianwu shook his head, sighing. "Once a year is hardly frequent. In some regions, Shadow Calamities occur every few months."
"The reason you perceive them as rare is simply because they're uncommon in Ancheng."
He paused, then glanced at Jiang Ye. "Do you know the origin of Shadow Calamities?"
(End of the Chapter)
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE