Chapter 235: Rewards Arrive, Undercurrents Surging

Chapter 235: Rewards Arrive, Undercurrents Stir

On the scene, aside from Ye Lingxiao, who was still undergoing treatment due to severe injuries and thus absent, all were gathered: Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yun Jing, and the four contestants from the two tracks of Dao Heart and Mana.

Zhang Yu took a brief look at the four contestants on those two tracks and could tell at a glance that two of them were brimming with excitement, as if they were about to tattoo the words "Foundation Establishment Certificate" on their foreheads.

As for why Zhang Yu knew this, it was because he shared the same thought as them, itching to @ everyone he knew and show off his success in passing the Foundation Establishment Qualification Exam.

In contrast, the other two looked dejected, like dead dogs, making the outcome clear at a glance.

So Zhang Yu’s gaze lingered briefly on the two victors; in his memory, this man and woman had ranked third and fifth in total score during the first round of the Foundation Establishment Exam.

Their ability to break out from the crowd of Xian Du students was naturally extraordinary, but at the start, Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing’s performances had been too dazzling, overshadowing everyone else’s brilliance.

Later, due to the different tracks, Zhang Yu hadn’t paid much attention to the other top students from Xian Du.

Now, seeing these two obtain the Foundation Establishment Certificate, Zhang Yu estimated that even if this man and woman weren’t as strong as Ye Lingxiao, they were likely at the top level among high school students in Kunxu Layer One.

“Of course, compared to me and A-Zhen, they’re definitely far behind.”

After a burst of excitement, these two students soon noticed that one person was missing from the scene.

The male student walked over to Yun Jing and asked curiously, “Where’s Ye Lingxiao? Did he already grab his Foundation Establishment Certificate and run off?”

This male student had a well-proportioned build, with water-blue hair rippling like waves, clearly some kind of dharma body.

His name was Sheng Jie, and he was the recipient of the Foundation Establishment Certificate on the Mana track.

Yun Jing glanced at Sheng Jie with a gloomy expression and said coldly, “How should I know where he went?”

“But you can ask him.”

Yun Jing looked at Zhang Yu and said flatly, “He was probably in the same group as Ye Lingxiao, right? Seems like he beat Ye Lingxiao.”

“Beat Ye Lingxiao? How is that possible?!” Sheng Jie’s face showed shock as he turned to look at Zhang Yu.

As a top student from Xian Du’s 1.5th layer, Sheng Jie knew well how terrifying Ye Lingxiao was, and how formidable his perfect bloodline was.

After all, as a classmate from the same high school, Sheng Jie had been suppressed by Ye Lingxiao since enrollment, making him the shadow of his life.

And from the moment of registration, Sheng Jie could tell at a glance that Zhang Yu was an outsider.

It was utterly upside down—an outsider had come to snatch the Foundation Establishment Certificate from a Xian Du lord?

Sheng Jie looked at Zhang Yu and asked, “This one… did you defeat Ye Lingxiao?”

Feeling the shock in the other’s gaze, Zhang Yu struggled to keep his lips from curling up and replied with as calm an expression as he could muster, “Mm.”

Beside him, Bai Zhenzhen shot him a sidelong glance, thinking, “Yu-zi, oh Yu-zi, your eagerness to show off is practically oozing from your face. You really can’t keep your cool.”

Upon seeing Zhang Yu’s slight nod, Sheng Jie gasped inwardly and asked, “Then where is he now?”

Zhang Yu recalled the process of Ye Lingxiao’s treatment and said lightly, “Seems like his injuries were too severe to recover in a short time, so he couldn’t make it to the award ceremony.”

If Sheng Jie’s gaze had been filled with admiration upon hearing Zhang Yu admit to defeating Ye Lingxiao, now his look at Zhang Yu was like staring at a monster.

He thought in shock, “That Ye Lingxiao… not only did he lose, but he’s so badly injured that even a true god can’t heal him quickly?!”

At the same time, the other contestants also turned to look, their faces equally incredulous as fellow Xian Du natives upon hearing Zhang Yu’s words.

After all, which high school student in Xian Du didn’t know Ye Lingxiao’s might?

They couldn’t even imagine how powerful a high schooler would have to be to defeat Ye Lingxiao, and even leave him so severely wounded in the match that he couldn’t recover in a short time.

At this moment, Zhang Yu was no longer just an ordinary outsider in their eyes; he was a super outsider, an outsider of unfathomable wealth.

Meanwhile, another female student who had secured the Foundation Establishment Certificate on the Dao Heart track noticed Yun Jing’s gloomy expression and poor state, and she spoke up, “Yun Jing, you… didn’t lose too, did you?”

Yun Jing glanced at the woman who had spoken.

Her name was Tan Shishan, also a Xian Du native like him. Though her status and grades were slightly inferior to his and Ye Lingxiao’s, they usually moved in the same circle, except she leaned more toward Ye Lingxiao and the Oasis Group.

But thinking that this person who used to trail behind him had now obtained the Foundation Establishment Certificate while he hadn’t, Yun Jing felt another wave of helplessness.

He knew that from this moment on, with one having the certificate and the other not, it would be like the difference between the top 10 and top 30 in grade—they might never sit at the same table again.

Yun Jing took a deep breath. He had no interest in hiding it, since these people would find out soon enough, so he said bluntly, “Mm, I lost.”

Unlike Ye Lingxiao, who was ultimately overwhelmed by Zhang Yu’s strength and physique, Yun Jing, though defeated by Bai Zhenzhen, felt a strong sense of unwillingness and… regret.

Because Yun Jing could sense that in terms of raw power, that woman was definitely inferior to him.

“If I had been a bit more careful… if I had used a different tactic back then…”

Every time he replayed the three battles with Bai Zhenzhen, Yun Jing grew angrier and more regretful. He was confident that if he could fight again, he would definitely win.

It was like making a careless mistake on the last question of a general knowledge exam; Yun Jing now only hated that he hadn’t been careful enough, meticulous enough, or attentive enough to his opponent.

Hearing Yun Jing’s words, the Xian Du natives were all taken aback again, never expecting that besides Ye Lingxiao, even Yun Jing had lost.

They had to remember that during the group division, they had all assumed the groups containing Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were death groups, where everyone else would inevitably be eliminated.

So they had done their best to avoid the tracks where Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were, crowding into the Mana and Dao Heart tracks to fight for the Foundation Establishment Certificates, which ultimately went to Sheng Jie and Tan Shishan.

At this moment, the Xian Du students’ gazes toward Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen grew increasingly different. Their shabby coats, rag-like sweatpants, and barely recognizable shoes seemed to take on an air of unfathomable mystery.

Zhang Yu watched Bai Zhenzhen’s slightly flushed face and thought, “A-Zhen, this guy’s face is about to turn red from holding it in, and he’s still pretending to be aloof? He really can’t keep his cool.”

Bai Zhenzhen thought to himself, “Damn it, I really want to post on Moments!”

But the Xian Du students soon snapped out of their shock and began to consider the implications of this unexpected turn.

Sheng Jie thought to himself, “But Ye Lingxiao losing might be a good thing. I… could I have a chance to take his place and serve the Oasis Group?”

Sheng Jie’s family, like the Ye family, planned to cooperate with the Oasis Group to stir up a revolution, so he knew some inside information.

And Ye Lingxiao, with his superior grades, had become the main figurehead in the plan.

But now Sheng Jie saw an opportunity; he too wanted to be the dog of that second-layer lord from the Oasis Group who was about to descend.

Being a dog had never been a burden to Sheng Jie.

As long as the money was enough, not only would he be a dog, but he would even let the dog do whatever it wanted until it went bankrupt—but unfortunately, there were no cheap deals in the world. Unlike the Xian Du lords around him, who had been pampered since childhood, Sheng Jie was born into a collateral branch of the family and had lived on the ground of Xian Du since he could remember.

Because the sky was completely blocked by the floating city, he had never seen daylight until he entered high school.

Outsiders coming to Xian Du always liked to say how good the Xian Du lords had it, with all the fine cultivation conditions from a young age.

Every time he heard such talk, Sheng Jie would sneer. Who said all Xian Du people were rich?

In his view, Xian Du had more poor people than any other city, because it was the most competitive place in Kunxu Layer One, and the place where the most people were eliminated each year.

To him, many people on Layer One were merely dogs of Layer 1.5, and Layer 1.5 was no different from being dogs of Layer Two.

In his eyes, Kunxu was like a massive dog kennel—either you treat others as dogs, or you become someone else’s dog.

And only by learning to be a dog and to train dogs could one climb up in Kunxu, just as he had climbed from Layer One to Layer 1.5.

“No.”

Sheng Jie looked at Zhang Yu and thought, “Will this guy also be recruited by the Oasis Group? Then I’d have to compete with him?”

At this thought, Sheng Jie felt another pang of bitterness. How could he compete with this monster who had put down Ye Lingxiao?

“But maybe?”

Sheng Jie knew Ye Lingxiao’s temperament; in his view, it was too arrogant.

“Since this guy is stronger than Ye Lingxiao, his family background and wealth must be even more formidable.”

Shengjie watched Zhang Yu, sensing the cool, faint aura about him, and thought to himself: "His temper is probably even worse than Ye Lingxiao's. I wonder how aloof and arrogant he is—maybe he won't even want to serve the Second Floor lords of Oasis Group, and then I'll have my chance."

"After all, once the Foundation Establishment Exam is over, the candidates' information will no longer be kept confidential."

"I'll go back and immediately inquire about his background, find out exactly where he comes from, and see if I have a chance."

Just then, accompanied by a ripple of divine light, the five True God examiners cast down their figures one after another.

Deng Bingding, as the chief examiner, first encouraged the many candidates present, delivered a string of platitudes, and then began to announce the results of this exam.

As the four recipients of the Foundation Establishment Certificate stepped forward one by one, Deng Bingding's gaze lingered a moment longer on Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, then she looked at the four and said with a slight smile: "The four of you have performed excellently, with tenacious will, exquisite skill, and fearless courage, showcasing the spirit of Kunxu First Layer high school students..."

"...Now I will present you with the Foundation Establishment Certificates."

After listening to her long speech, the awarding finally began. Zhang Yu's eyes widened abruptly, and under Huang Zichou's direction, he took a gold-embossed certificate with both hands.

Gazing at the five large characters for "Foundation Establishment Certificate" on it, Zhang Yu let out a long sigh of relief in his heart.

Meanwhile, Huang Zichou beside him reminded: "Keep the certificate safe at home; it's mainly for commemorative purposes. For daily use, the electronic version is primary."

Zhang Yu asked: "Does it have special effects? Like the kind that hovers over your head?"

Huang Zichou smiled slightly and said: "That's something you'll have to figure out on your own."

Nearby, Yunjing and the other two losers stared longingly at the Foundation Establishment Certificates in the hands of the four, their eyes filled with desire, envy, and jealousy that seemed almost tangible.

Next came an interest-free loan of three million, which all students present, regardless of victory or defeat, could receive.

Deng Bingding waved her hand, and a huge red envelope materialized above everyone's heads, with the number 3,000,000 written on it.

"Take it; inside is the three million interest-free loan."

For Yunjing, Shengjie, and the others, this was just pocket change, but for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, it was another substantial income, greatly alleviating their financial straits and filling their once-empty wallets.

The two happily accepted the red envelope, watching their account balances skyrocket, and began planning how to spend it.

As for using it to repay previous loans? That's not the style of us Kunxu people.

Next came the reward of an expert-level cultivation technique. Over the past few months, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had been selecting various techniques and had long planned what they needed next. Now they quickly submitted the techniques they requested, and would soon receive the usage rights and electronic version of the techniques.

Finally, there was the item of designated university instructors.

Deng Bingding looked at the four and said: "This reward will be distributed after you enter university."

"When you ascend to the Second Layer and enter the university city, the local True God will contact you and assign you an instructor."

"As for which specific instructor will be assigned, you'll need to find out for yourselves when the time comes."

She paused here, then added a reminder: "After entering university, choosing the right instructor is very important. If you find it difficult to decide at first, you can postpone the choice until you have enough understanding and confidence."

"Also, after this Foundation Establishment Exam, the information protection for candidates will cease. When you return, you may encounter early recruitment offers from various universities and companies."

"My advice to you is... don't agree to any conditions lightly."

As Zhang Yu listened to Deng Bingding's words, he felt that she had been looking at him and Bai Zhenzhen the whole time, as if these words were meant specifically for the two of them.

"But..." he reconsidered, the Xiandu gentlemen around them surely already knew about such matters; in comparison, he and Bai Zhenzhen were indeed the most ignorant of these things.

Recalling how she had added him as a friend and suppressed the Zhou family, Zhang Yu felt that this True God seemed to harbor a subtle goodwill toward him.

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "I didn't even slip her a favor charm..."

With the Foundation Establishment Exam completely concluded, the candidates left the examination hall one after another.

Deng Bingding looked at the now-empty examination hall, understanding in her heart that the results of this Foundation Establishment Exam would likely not go unnoticed like those of previous years.

After all, the Oasis Group and several families of Xiandu had decided to join forces to initiate a revolution, and this Foundation Establishment Exam was being used by them as a propaganda weapon.

"Even if Ye Lingxiao fails, at most they'll just switch to another propaganda target..."

Deng Bingding thought that the impact of this exam would soon spread, but what final outcome it would bring was something she did not know.

"The Divine Ministry has no reaction yet to the Oasis Group's large-scale interference in the First Layer, even their moves to consolidate the local powerful families across the layer? Are they wary of someone from the Nether Palace behind the Oasis Group?"

Suddenly, the figures of Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Zhang Pianpian flashed through Deng Bingding's mind.

"Or have the Great Gods already made their moves in this exam?"

(End of this chapter)