Translator: CinderTL
Countless eyes turned toward Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye bowed respectfully to Elder Bai, then turned to face the dozen or so teachers before him.
The teachers he glanced at smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
Jiang Ye was free to choose his own mentor.
The teachers refrained from interfering at this crucial moment.
After a moment's contemplation, Jiang Ye finally looked at the red-haired elder.
"Teacher Zhu," Jiang Ye said, bowing respectfully. "I wish to become your disciple."
The moment these words left his lips, everyone stared at him in astonishment.
Chen Yuntian turned to Zhu Honglie in disbelief. "Old Zhu, what did you offer him?"
"Hahaha!" Zhu Honglie roared with laughter, shaking his head. "What could I possibly offer him? The boy simply has good taste."
Chen Yuntian looked at Jiang Ye and asked, "Young man, are you sure you wouldn't like to reconsider?"
"Teacher Chen," Jiang Ye replied, bowing again. "Teacher Zhu has shown me great kindness. I had already planned to become his disciple before even entering Penglai University."
He knew Chen Yuntian wanted to take him as a disciple.
But Zhu Honglie had once saved his foster father's life.
During the Ancheng Shadow Calamity, Jiang Dahai would likely have died at the Shadow Hunting Bureau if not for Zhu Honglie's intervention.
Now, Jiang Ye finally understood.
Zhu Honglie had likely called him because he had already taken an interest in him and wanted to take him as a disciple.
Otherwise, how could he have contacted Jiang Ye so quickly after the Shadow Calamity erupted in Ancheng?
Therefore, after careful consideration, Jiang Ye ultimately chose Zhu Honglie.
"I see," Chen Yuntian said, offering no further comment.
He glanced sideways at Zhu Honglie, inwardly cursing, "No wonder this old geezer has been strutting around me lately! He's been planning this all along!"
Zhu Honglie beamed.
"Jiang Ye," he declared loudly, "since you wish to become my disciple, I accept you. From this day forward, anyone who dares bully Jiang Ye will have to answer to me!"
"I, Zhu Honglie, will be his protector!"
After Jiang Ye made his choice, the remaining students followed suit, selecting their teachers one by one.
Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao both chose Chen Yuntian.
Yun Qing'er and Xu Haoran, like Jiang Ye, also selected Zhu Honglie.
Time passed.
The top hundred students had all been assigned.
Zhu Honglie's group, including Jiang Ye, now numbered nine.
"You," Zhu Honglie said, turning to Jiang Ye and the others, "all return to your dorms first."
"Today, focus on individual cultivation."
"Starting tomorrow, I will provide each of you with personalized training plans," Zhu Honglie continued. "Now, go back."
"Yes, sir," the group responded in unison.
"Jiang Ye," Zhu Honglie suddenly called out, "stay behind."
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded.
"Jiang Ye, I'm heading back now," Xu Haoran, Zhao Qingli, and the others waved goodbye.
Jiang Ye nodded to them before hurrying after Zhu Honglie.
In an office.
"Teacher Zhu," Jiang Ye said solemnly, facing the red-haired elder, "I must thank you for your intervention a month ago."
"Ha ha, no need for formalities," Zhu Honglie chuckled heartily, settling into a sofa. "You were already a student I had my eye on. It was a mere gesture, nothing worth mentioning."
Despite his words, Jiang Ye maintained a formal bow.
A life-saving debt was no small matter.
Though it might seem like a trivial gesture to the other party, to Jiang Ye, it was an act of paramount importance.
Zhu Honglie watched the scene with a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
He might have dismissed it as trivial, but a grateful person was undeniably more likable.
"Let's not dwell on that," Zhu Honglie said. "Since you secured first place in the trials, the school has decided to upgrade your benefits to..." He paused, then smiled. "Upper A-tier!"
"Upper A-tier?" Jiang Ye gasped, his breath catching in his throat. A moment later, his face lit up with surprise and delight. This outcome far exceeded his expectations.
"Don't get too excited yet," Zhu Honglie cautioned. "While your benefits will be upgraded to Upper A-tier, your contract level will remain unchanged for now."
"Keep the same contract?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled. "What does that mean?"
"Your College Entrance Examination scores are still too far below the Upper A-tier threshold, and you have a Primitive aptitude," Zhu Honglie explained. "Many teachers believe it's inappropriate to upgrade you to an Upper A-tier contract based solely on one trial."
"If you achieve outstanding results in the Freshman Competition in three months," Zhu Honglie continued, "the school will then upgrade you to an Upper A-tier contract."
Jiang Ye nodded in understanding. It made perfect sense. If he were in a position of authority, he probably wouldn't grant an Upper A-tier contract outright either.
Primitive aptitudes were inherently unpredictable.
Jiang Ye's progress had been rapid, but what would happen after his second breakthrough? No one could know except Jiang Ye himself.
The school had granted him Upper A-tier status in advance, but without a signed contract, likely to observe his performance. If he didn't excel in the Freshman Competition, they might withdraw the Upper A-tier status.
"Freshman Competition?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask. "Is that a school-wide event?"
"Exactly. It's a competition among you thousand freshmen," Zhu Honglie chuckled. "It's scheduled for three months from now."
"Your goal is to reach the top ten in the school."
"Top ten?" Jiang Ye's eyes flickered slightly.
"Although you secured first place in the Entrance Trials," Zhu Honglie continued with a smile, "your life level is actually lower than that of the top hundred students. If we were to truly assess combat strength, reaching the top ten would be quite challenging for you."
Jiang Ye nodded slightly, maintaining a calm exterior while his mind stirred with unease. He knew that for a powerhouse like Zhu Honglie, discerning his life level was effortless. In terms of raw strength, he might not even rank among the top hundred freshmen. The Class A students alone were already at the mid-to-late stages of their first breakthrough.
Given Jiang Ye's life level, securing first place in the Entrance Trials was somewhat illogical. Yet Zhu Honglie seemed unconcerned by this discrepancy.
"The reason we're selecting the top ten," Zhu Honglie said with a smile, "is because the ten finalists from this competition will represent our school in the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup next semester."
"The Twenty-Five School Genius Cup?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled. "Is that a competition among the strongest freshmen from the twenty-five school alliance?"
"Exactly." Zhu Honglie nodded. "Among those twenty-five schools, two are on par with us: Nanyang University and Donghai University. Their freshmen are just as formidable as ours."
"Of course, our school is undoubtedly the strongest. It would be a disgrace if we didn't secure at least the top three spots."
"In short, the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup is a competition we take extremely seriously."
"The school will also provide exceptionally generous rewards for this event," Zhu Honglie said with a grin. "The minimum prize money is ten million yuan."
Jiang Ye held his breath.
Ten million yuan as the minimum prize?
What about the top prize? It must be unimaginable.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye remembered something and asked curiously, "Teacher, White Dragon University is right next to us. Don't we ever have exchanges with them?"
"White Dragon University?" Zhu Honglie looked momentarily surprised before shaking his head with a smile. "They're one of the Top Ten Elite Schools. They have their own circles."
"Students from schools like White Dragon University typically participate in the 'Great Stellar War,' which is a battlefield reserved for the most exceptional geniuses."
Jiang Ye's expression shifted slightly.
"Is this the Great Stellar War that Teacher Chen Yuntian mentioned earlier?"
"Exactly."
"Our school also has participants, but they rarely place high," Zhu Honglie said. "Usually, they rank around 500th."
Jiang Ye looked puzzled.
He remembered Teacher Chen Yuntian saying his students had made a name for themselves in the Great Stellar War.
500th place? Was that considered making a name for oneself?
"Haha, don't underestimate that ranking," Zhu Honglie chuckled, sensing Jiang Ye's thoughts.
"The Great Stellar War—officially the Cosmic Martial Arts Great Stellar War—brings together the most dazzling geniuses from Blue Star Civilization."
"There, you'll witness the ultimate Dao Bone Aptitude and the emergence of peerless prodigies with Transcendent Aptitude!"
"They are the strongest Heavenly Prides of their generation, each a brilliant, radiant star."
"Achieving any rank in such a competition is a great honor for every cosmic martial artist," Zhu Honglie said with a hint of awe.
Jiang Ye finally understood.
No wonder Teacher Chen Yuntian had spoken with such pride when mentioning it earlier.
The Great Stellar War was a stage for peerless prodigies.
Its prestige was undeniable.
"Someday, you might have the chance to stand on that stage," Zhu Honglie said with a smile. "To witness the peerless prodigies of your generation. But for now, your primary goal is the School Freshman Tournament in three months."
Jiang Ye nodded.
He knew that only exceptional performance in the Freshman Tournament would secure him an Upper A-Tier Contract.
"My minimum expectation for you is top ten."
"Of course, if you have ambition," Zhu Honglie added, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ye, "then aim for an even higher ranking."
"Higher?" Jiang Ye echoed.
"Not all the teachers believe in you," Zhu Honglie shook his head. "Some think you're only worth an A-grade."
"If you want to prove them wrong, then take first place and show them you deserve an Upper A-Tier Contract!"
"Let them see that even someone with Primitive Innate Talent can qualify for the Upper A-tier!"
Zhu Honglie's voice boomed like thunder.
Jiang Ye froze momentarily, stunned.
After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath.
Whoosh...
"Yes, Teacher," Jiang Ye said solemnly. "I will give it my all!"
"Good," Zhu Honglie said with a smile, waving his hand. "Go back now. Come tomorrow, and I'll create a personalized cultivation plan for you."
"To defeat Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, and the others, you still have a long way to go! You must give it your all," Zhu Honglie said sternly.
"Yes, Teacher," Jiang Ye replied with a solemn nod.
A surge of determination welled up within him.
If anyone with a Dao Bone Aptitude or even a Nascent Aptitude had secured first place in the Entrance Trials, they would have easily obtained an Upper A-Tier Contract.
But because he possessed a Primitive Aptitude, his contract was being held back.
Does having a Primitive Aptitude make me inferior to others?
Though Jiang Ye outwardly remained calm, his inner turmoil simmered beneath the surface.
As he stepped out of the office, Jiang Ye received a notification from the school.
Buzz! Buzz!
He opened his phone.
A document projection materialized:
Jiang Ye, your residential area has been adjusted to Heaven-Tier Zone, Unit 41.
"Upper A-Tier treatment? Here it comes," Jiang Ye exhaled, heading outside.
The Heaven-Tier Zone was a cluster of colossal structures suspended in mid-air.
Each floating structure spanned hundreds of thousands of square meters, resembling a luxurious estate reserved exclusively for an Upper A-tier student.
Jiang Ye's residence was one of these estates.
"Heaven-Tier," Jiang Ye said as he pushed open the main gate.
Inside the estate, the ground was paved with white jade stone, and various retro-style gardens and training grounds were scattered throughout.
Jiang Ye headed straight for the main villa.
"Hmm?" As soon as he entered, he noticed a deluxe virtual pod.
"Upper A-tier students get their own Virtual Cosmos Cockpit?" Jiang Ye chuckled.
This meant he could enter the Virtual Cosmos for live combat simulations at any time.
"There seems to be more to it than that."
Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Ye pulled out his phone and checked the Penglai University Encyclopedia.
"Penglai University students can access the Independent Cosmos, jointly established by the Ten Great Schools and the Twenty-Five School Alliance, to participate in the Cosmic Rank Challenge."
"D-grade students receive one challenge opportunity per day."
"C-grade students receive ten challenge opportunities per day."
"B-grade students receive fifty challenge opportunities per day."
"A-grade students receive one hundred challenge opportunities per day."
"Mid A-Tier and Upper A-tier students have unlimited attempts."
"Independent Cosmos? Cosmic Rank?" Jiang Ye read carefully.
He quickly understood.
The Independent Cosmos was a small space within the Virtual Cosmos World, created by the Top Ten Elite Schools.
In this space, students from the twenty-five school alliance, including those from the ten great schools, could compete against each other.
The system would match him with opponents of similar skill.
Winning would allow him to advance his Cosmic Rank.
"Cosmic Rank."
"From lowest to highest, there are five ranks," Jiang Ye noted, studying the projected document.
"Reaching Rank 1 earns a reward of 5 million federal currency?"
"Reaching Rank 2 earns 50 million federal currency."
"Reaching Rank 3 earns 500 million federal currency."
Jiang Ye took a deep breath.
The rewards for the Cosmic Ranks were truly substantial!
"Upper A-tier students have unlimited challenge attempts," Jiang Ye continued reading.
Having grasped the full implications, he now understood how invaluable this privilege was.
Unlimited attempts!
This meant that as long as his skill was sufficient, he could challenge the ranks at any time.
"Even now, my strength is only mid-tier among the freshmen," Jiang Ye said, shaking his head. "I probably won't even reach a decent rank."
With that thought, Jiang Ye couldn't help but glance at his system panel.
[Detected: You have joined a new sect!]
[System is currently processing...]
"Still processing," Jiang Ye murmured, shaking his head slightly.
He had a hunch: either the system was truly stuck, or it was building up to something big.
"When I have time, I'll try triggering some bugs to see if I can unlock any achievements," Jiang Ye thought to himself.
If he could trigger new achievements, it would mean the system wasn't stuck.
Instead, it was genuinely preparing for something massive!
Buzz! Buzz!
Suddenly, his phone vibrated several times.
Your account xxxxx5679 has received 900,000 federal currency.
Your student account has received 500,000 merit points.
"900,000 federal currency? 500,000 merit points?" Jiang Ye's eyes lit up.
The former was likely the monthly installment of the annual resource stipend for Upper A-tier students, which totaled ten million federal currency.
The latter was undoubtedly the reward for securing first place in the Entrance Heavenly Refinement.
"500,000 merit points is equivalent to 5 million federal currency."
"Plus, I still have nearly a million in savings," Jiang Ye calculated. "My total wealth is now approaching seven million."
Seven million!
Jiang Ye held his breath.
For the first time in his life, he felt truly wealthy.
"Satisfying," Jiang Ye grinned.
Who said wealth makes people feel empty?
For him, this wealth filled his heart with immense satisfaction and overflowing happiness.
It felt like his wallet had been stuffed to bursting, brimming with a sense of fulfillment.
At two in the afternoon, after lunch, Jiang Ye began his daily cultivation.
He knew that with his current strength, he stood little chance against rivals like Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao.
Fortunately,
"My physique has already advanced to C-tier," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "With this alone, I'm no longer inferior to geniuses like Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao, who possess Dao Bone Aptitude."
Of course, Jiang Ye's greatest advantage was his comprehension.
Through the system's repeated enhancements, his comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even those with Dao Bone Aptitude might struggle to match his level.
Jiang Ye's only concern was the vast gap between his current strength and that of Shen Changxi and the others.
They're probably already approaching the peak of the first breakthrough, Jiang Ye thought to himself. And I'm only around the mid-stage.
Catching up within three months will be extremely difficult.
In recent days, he had attempted to ascend the fourth level of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
But he still couldn't set foot on it.
It seemed he would have to wait until his second breakthrough to unlock the fourth level.
Teacher Zhu seems very confident, Jiang Ye mused. I wonder what his specific training plan for me entails.
He stopped thinking and closed his eyes.
The Freshman Competition was merely a short-term goal for Jiang Ye.
What he truly desired was to stand out in the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup and even the Great Stellar War.
To compete against the peerless prodigies of his generation!
This was Jiang Ye's ambition, his burning desire.
Therefore, he must and would win the Freshman Competition!
(End of the Chapter)
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