Translator: CinderTL
At the same moment Jiang Ye received the school's notification, over a thousand freshmen from the Class of 2326 at Penglai University received the same message.
On the Campus Network:
"Reaching the top ten earns 100,000 merit points? The champion gets a million?"
"I'm definitely making it into the top ten!"
"The 100,000 merit points are secondary. The real prize is qualifying for the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup!"
"Our school's top ten will at least make it into the top fifty at the Genius Cup—that's a reward of over ten million!"
"Top ten! Top ten! Top ten!"
The Freshman Competition's popularity skyrocketed on the Campus Network forums.
Whether they were Class A students, Mid A-Tier, or Upper A-tier, all set their sights on the top ten.
Of course, a select few geniuses aimed even higher.
In the Heaven-Tier Zone, at Manor No. 42, Shen Changxi stood clad in crimson battle armor, a pair of magnificent gilded wings floating behind her.
The combination of this attire, her white hair, and crimson eyes made her look breathtakingly beautiful.
"Champion."
"It must be mine," Shen Changxi declared, her gaze unwavering as she stared at the projection before her.
During the Freshman Entrance Trial, Jiang Ye had unexpectedly surpassed her.
This time, she would reclaim her title as champion.
Manor 43.
"Aim for second, compete for first?"
A handsome young man clad in obsidian battle armor gazed at the reward list, his eyes gleaming with starlight.
"No, I'm going for the championship!"
Liu Wanxiao gripped the long saber behind him.
A terrifying Martial Dao Aura erupted from his body.
Boom! A radiant Star Ring rose behind him, unleashing an overwhelming pressure.
Any first breakthrough peak-level experts nearby would have been shaken by this oppressive force.
The Cosmic Battle Armor's special effects merely mimicked such phenomena; they emitted no actual energy.
This pressure genuinely originated from Liu Wanxiao himself.
"I'm stronger than ever now," Liu Wanxiao said with a smile. "Whether it's Shen Changxi, Yun Qing'er, or Jiang Ye, no one can stop me from claiming the championship!"
That day, ripples of excitement stirred across the campus.
But none of it concerned Jiang Ye.
The Freshman Competition wouldn't begin until tomorrow.
Today, Jiang Ye continued to follow the cultivation plan set by Teacher Zhu Honglie.
Without this plan, Jiang Ye would never have been able to advance from the mid-stage of his first breakthrough to the peak in just three months.
"Cosmic Battle Armor," Jiang Ye murmured, tapping the matte black wristband on his wrist.
Buzz~ A faint, high-pitched hum suddenly filled the air.
In an instant, liquid metal poured from the wristband's seams like a living thing, flowing along his arm to envelop his entire body. As it spread, the metal automatically conformed to his contours.
Within seconds, he was clad in a gray-black metallic battle armor.
This was the Cosmic Battle Armor Jiang Ye had custom-ordered earlier!
Since it was a free customization, it lacked any special visual effects.
However, the Cosmic Battle Armor possessed all the essential capabilities, including flight, enhanced combat strength, and laser weaponry.
"With this armor, my combat power is now approaching the second breakthrough," Jiang Ye thought to himself.
He walked over to a wall where a pitch-black, nine-foot-long spear hung.
Nine jet-black coiling dragons were etched along the spear's shaft, while the spearhead flashed with a blinding white light, like dawn tearing through the night.
"Black Dragon - Dawnbreaker," Jiang Ye said, gripping the long spear.
A profound tier star weapon!
Though only a low-grade profound, its power rivaled, if not surpassed, the golden dagger Zhang Jianwu had lent him earlier.
Jiang Ye slung the spear across his back and stepped out of the villa.
Boom! In the next instant, he transformed into a streak of light, soaring skyward toward the teaching building.
One of the Cosmic Battle Armor's most unique abilities was flight!
Originally a power reserved for those who had achieved at least the third breakthrough, the armor allowed even a first breakthrough practitioner to soar through the skies and traverse the earth.
Soon after, Jiang Ye arrived at the Cosmic Teaching Building. His battle armor retracted into his wristband like flowing water.
He headed straight to the training room on the second floor.
"Jiang Ye, you're finally here."
"We were just waiting for you," Xu Haoran, Deng Yunfei, and the others were already present.
"Teacher," Jiang Ye greeted Zhu Honglie with a cupped-fist salute. "I'm late."
"It's fine."
"Now that everyone's here," Zhu Honglie said, his hands clasped behind his back, "I've called you here today primarily to discuss tomorrow's competition."
At this, everyone, including Jiang Ye, perked up their ears.
"There are nine of you in total."
"My requirement for all of you is to reach the top 50," Zhu Honglie said calmly. "Xu Haoran and Deng Yunfei, strive for the top 10."
"Yun Qing'er, aim for the top 3."
"Jiang Ye..."
Zhu Honglie paused slightly, his gaze settling on Jiang Ye. In a deep voice, he declared, "Secure at least a top 10 finish, but aim to take first place!"
"Yes!" Jiang Ye replied solemnly.
The entire group perked up, turning to Jiang Ye in surprise.
Until now, they hadn't known Zhu Honglie's target for Jiang Ye.
"Jiang Ye is supposed to take first place?"
"That's going to be tough, isn't it?"
"I heard Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao reached the first breakthrough peak two months ago."
"The teacher has such high expectations for Jiang Ye?" The students present were all astonished.
First place in the Freshman Competition? That was a tall order!
But Zhu Honglie's words clearly showed his confidence in Jiang Ye.
This left Xu Haoran, Deng Yunfei, and the others even more stunned.
Yun Qing'er also glanced at Jiang Ye, puzzled. Logically, she should be the strongest among her fellow disciples.
Yet the teacher's target for her was lower than Jiang Ye's?
"What's his current strength?" Yun Qing'er couldn't help but speculate wildly.
Over the past three months, the group had rarely seen each other.
After all, they typically trained independently, and even when seeking guidance from Zhu Honglie, it was always in private, one-on-one sessions.
As a result, including Yun Qing'er herself, none of them knew Jiang Ye's true capabilities.
"After the competition, I'll assign you all practical missions," Zhu Honglie continued. "Completing them will also earn you substantial rewards."
"The difficulty of these missions will be determined by your performance in the Freshman Competition."
His expression was serious.
Everyone, including Jiang Ye, was intensely curious.
Practical missions? The teacher had mentioned them before.
"Alright, that's all for the competition."
Zhu Honglie offered no further explanation, simply stating, "Now, let's begin the teaching session. Jiang Ye, you're up first."
"Yes, sir," Jiang Ye replied, immediately rising to follow.
Time flowed like water.
A day passed quickly.
Before they knew it, it was October 31st.
On this day, every freshman at Penglai University fell into collective silence.
Over a thousand freshmen simultaneously entered the Virtual Cosmos World to participate in the competition.
The grand and spectacular Freshman Competition had begun.
In Manor No. 41 of the Heaven-Tier Zone, Jiang Ye immediately received a notification from the university:
Jiang Ye, the Freshman Competition has commenced. Please enter the Independent Cosmos to participate immediately!
"The Freshman Competition has started," Jiang Ye noted, glancing at the time—exactly 8:00 AM.
"Hopefully, I can finish by 9:00 AM."
Jiang Ye took a deep breath and settled into the virtual cockpit.
Beep. Consciousness connected.
Entering!
(End of the Chapter)
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