Chapter 278: University Ranking

Chapter 278: University Rankings

An ordinary-looking young man walked in, neither tall in stature nor showing any trace of a magical skeleton.

Yet no one present dared to underestimate him, not only because of the Foundation Establishment aura emanating from him, but also because his entire body was enveloped in a bubble-like substance, shimmering with the brilliance of a magical artifact.

The next moment, his voice echoed directly in everyone’s ears: “I am Ji Yuanshu.”

Ji Yuanshu: I don’t want to come into contact with the air on the second floor, so I’ve used a Wind-Stabilizing Pearl to isolate the surrounding airflow. Please also avoid getting too close to me.

Ji Yuanshu: I can hear you speak and can also communicate with you directly through telepathy.

The crowd looked at Ji Yuanshu somewhat bewilderedly. In the end, Gongshu Jin stood up, took the initiative to welcome him, and introduced everyone to each other.

Gongshu Jin frowned inwardly: “A guy from the sixth floor… Why would he come to the Civil Engineering Department? Tch, with him here, he’s definitely going to be the top of the class.”

Meanwhile, Ji Yuanshu glanced around the room and thought to himself: “Aside from Gongshu Jin, there’s no one else worth paying attention to. These people won’t be in the same league as me in the future.”

“As for this Gongshu Jin… To avoid unnecessary complications, I’d better reach an understanding with him.”

Looking at Gongshu Jin, who was surrounded by the others, Ji Yuanshu directly transmitted his thoughts: “I’ll take the top spot in the Foundation Establishment class in the Civil Engineering Department for three years, then transfer to the Finance Department.”

Upon hearing this, Gongshu Jin smiled slightly and nodded.

He knew that once the other left, he would become the top of the class, monopolizing the annual rewards for first place.

As for the first three years…

Gongshu Jin thought to himself: “Losing three years isn’t a big deal. At least I’ll secure the rewards for the remaining seven years and avoid conflict with him.”

“And once this guy goes to the Finance Department, he might even be able to help me out…”

Ji Yuanshu for the first three years, Gongshu Jin for the next seven—with just one exchange, the two seemed to have already decided the distribution of the top rewards in the Foundation Establishment class for the next decade.

As for the rest of the class, they were naturally of no concern to either of them.

While Zhang Yu was observing the “sixth-floor elite,” he suddenly felt a pat on his shoulder. Yu Xinghan exclaimed in surprise, “Zhang Yu! Look, a Foundation Establishment student from the sixth floor just walked in!”

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes and whispered, “What the hell… How delayed are you? You’re only noticing now?”

On the other side, as the others gradually resumed their conversations, Li Xiao suggested, “After today’s class meeting, why don’t we all go out for a meal together?”

He genuinely wanted to build relationships with these upper-level students and integrate into their circle.

But Ying Xin merely scoffed and said, “At the Myriad Arts University, we don’t do things like group meals.”

Gongshu Jin smiled and took out a pill, saying, “Aside from taking my medicine, I only consume Fasting Pills every day.”

Ji Yuanshu said calmly, “I can control my digestive system and don’t require external assistance. I have no need for food.”

Feeling the mocking gazes of those around him, Li Xiao’s face flushed slightly. He knew he had made a fool of himself again and grew even more resentful of his identity as a first-floor resident.

Just then, accompanied by the arrival of a Golden Core aura, the teacher of the Foundation Establishment class entered.

Golden Core Elder Jiao Lei has entered within 10 meters of you. Please remain still to avoid accidental injury.

Like the Foundation Establishment auras of the previous individuals, this Golden Core Elder also voluntarily restrained the range of his Golden Core aura.

This was a humanoid figure entirely enveloped in electric light. The moment he flashed into the classroom, his gaze immediately locked onto Ji Yuanshu.

Instantly, their Eye Skeletons displayed their respective friend messages.

Jiao Lei: Yuanshu, long time no see. How is your master?

Ji Yuanshu: Master has recently extended his lifespan by another hundred years. He’s in a very good mood.

Through the connection of their Eye Skeletons, the two exchanged greetings in the blink of an eye, completely unbeknownst to the others.

Jiao Lei then turned his attention to the many students present and said, “I am Jiao Lei, your homeroom teacher from now on.”

“Among you are returning students who have been here for several years, as well as freshmen who just graduated from high school.”

“I’ll treat everyone as newcomers and go over everything that needs to be said.”

“After classes start tomorrow, the next three months will consist of unified Foundation Establishment courses.”

“Once the three-month course ends, free course selection will begin.”

“During your ten years at the university, you can graduate as long as you meet the credit requirements…”

“But since you’ve all entered the Foundation Establishment class, I assume graduation is just your minimum goal. Preparing for postgraduate exams and certifications should be your primary objectives. The first year of Foundation Establishment is the most critical, so start planning for the future now…”

Zhang Yu listened carefully as Jiao Lei explained matters like credits and course selection.

Then, the teacher began discussing the university ranking system and its considerations.

“Rankings… reflect your academic achievements during your time here.”

“Rankings are determined by a combination of factors, including credits and grades from completed courses, as well as extracurricular competitions, projects, and more.”

“They are organized by different tiers, starting from the most basic… such as the class rankings in our Foundation Establishment class.”

“Next are the department-wide rankings for the entire Civil Engineering Department, regardless of grade level. This is generally the domain of upperclassmen, and it will be a few years before you can compete here.”

“Then come the overall rankings for the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, followed by cross-department university-wide rankings.”

“All rankings are updated daily, with final standings determined at the end of each academic year. Students at the top of the rankings are then rewarded…”

“Since you’re all in your first year of Foundation Establishment, don’t worry about the other rankings—they’re the domain of upperclassmen. Focus mainly on the class rankings.”

“The top-ranked student in the class each year will receive a scholarship of 3 spirit coins and a cultivation technique.”

“The technique is one of the Seven Ultimate Arts of Civil Engineering from our Myriad Arts University.” Jiao Lei said with pride, “The Seven Ultimate Arts of Civil Engineering are the exclusive techniques of our Civil Engineering Department. Each of the seven arts is a top-tier expert-level technique.”

“If you master three of them, they can merge into one, transforming into a technique close to military-grade.”

He spoke with encouragement, “And if you master all seven and obtain the Military Civil Engineering Certification, you can merge the seven energies into one, mastering the military-grade technique—Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Shifting Divine Power.”

Although Jiao Lei spoke with enthusiasm, his primary focus was on Ji Yuanshu and Gongshu Jin.

He thought to himself that Ji Yuanshu would likely take the rewards for the first three years, gather enough for the three-in-one merge, and then transfer departments.

In contrast, Gongshu Jin had a high probability of mastering the Seven Ultimate Arts of Civil Engineering in the remaining seven years.

“I just wonder if he’ll have the ability to obtain the Military Civil Engineering Certification in the future and ultimately merge the seven energies…”

In a corner unnoticed by Jiao Lei, Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up: “This Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Shifting Divine Power… sounds incredibly impressive.”

Fu Ji said, “But seven years is too long, isn’t it? Wouldn’t that delay your transfer? Unless you complete your undergraduate studies in civil engineering and then pursue a master’s in artifact refinement.”

“And to get this thing, you’d have to compete with someone from the sixth floor and someone from the fourth floor.”

Zhang Yu replied, “Since we’ve come to the Top Ten, aren’t we supposed to compete with these people anyway?”

He glanced at the black symbol on his palm, which was already half-charged, and thought to himself, “Give it your all, Yu Shu. Don’t let my talent go to waste.”

Jiao Lei then went on to explain some general matters to be mindful of within the university city.

“…Whether you know it or not, I must reiterate: cultivation of any kind is strictly prohibited in the university city.”

“In the past, students tried secretly growing plants in their dorm rooms using soilless cultivation. They were immediately expelled, permanently barred from the university, and no amount of spirit coins could save them.”

“So don’t let me find any leaves in your dorm rooms. If I do, no one will be able to protect you.”

“Also, for those eating cement mixed with medicine to save money, remember to only do so when your stomach energy is abundant. If you feel your digestive system is under too much strain, vomit it out. One piece of cement can be consumed and vomited repeatedly to maintain your digestive system for a month. Whatever you do, don’t just eat without vomiting, or you’ll end up excreting cement and injuring yourself internally.”

“Don’t laugh. Do you think no one has ever bankrupted themselves by excreting cement? Even Qi Refinement students from the first floor—though you’ve now reached Foundation Establishment—should take this as a warning and avoid such foolish mistakes.”

After covering various precautions, Jiao Lei added, “Oh, and the freshman scholarship for high school Foundation Establishment students will be deposited today or tomorrow. Besides that, there’s one more reward…”

Zhang Yu's heart stirred. Back when he was negotiating admission terms with the representative from Wanfa University, one of the conditions had been a scholarship of 2.5 spirit coins.

Master Jiao Lei read out several names: Ji Yuanshu, Gongshu Jin, Ying Xin, Li Xiao, and Yu Xinghan were all among them.

These five, along with Zhang Yu, made up all the high school Foundation Establishment students in this class.

Master Jiao Lei continued, "You all passed the Foundation Establishment exam in high school, so in this class, you'll enjoy discounts on cultivation techniques: 40% off for basic techniques, 60% off for advanced techniques, and 80% off for expert-level techniques."

"And then... Zhang Yu."

Master Jiao Lei only mentioned this one name: "You've done very well. You took the Foundation Establishment exam in your first year of high school and obtained your Foundation Establishment qualification certificate in your second year. You're the first person to succeed on their first attempt at the high school Foundation Establishment exam."

"If you go to the Great Library to exchange for techniques, you'll get 20% off for basic techniques, 40% off for advanced techniques, and 60% off for expert-level techniques."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself that all his hard work for the Foundation Establishment exam had truly paid off.

After all, all the Foundation Establishment techniques at Wanfa University were sold for spirit coins. Every additional discount meant significant savings.

Upon hearing Master Jiao Lei's words, the students in the room all turned to look at Zhang Yu, their faces showing a hint of surprise.

Even Gongshu Jin, who hadn't paid much attention to Zhang Yu before, raised an eyebrow. "He obtained his Foundation Establishment qualification certificate in his second year of high school? That means he defeated third-year students while still in his second year?"

"But judging from his basic stats, he doesn't show the advantage of having established his foundation a year earlier than me... Is it because the cultivation conditions in the first layer are too poor?"

"In that case, it seems buying his life should be quite cheap."

People from the first layer... In Gongshu Jin's impression, they were the kind who could be bought with just a few spirit coins, grateful enough to risk their lives for him.

On the other side, Ji Yuanshu also took a closer look at Zhang Yu this time. His gaze swept over the other's body, revealing the model of the Temporal Remnant Demon Pupil.

"He established his foundation a year earlier than me, but his basic stats are about 30% lower than mine."

"That means his cultivation conditions were insufficient, yet he's equipped with a top-tier eye artifact?"

"What a strange guy."

Thinking this, Ji Yuanshu quickly searched for Zhang Yu's information on the Spirit Realm network. Moments later, he found a historical record of a delisted product on an Oasis Group shopping platform.

Master Jiao Lei then pointed at Ji Yuanshu and said, "Ji Yuanshu, you'll be the class monitor from now on. Create a group later and add everyone to it."

Master Jiao Lei thought to himself, "After all, Ji Yuanshu is from the sixth layer. He's steady and reliable, and capable of commanding respect. He won't be as unreliable as people from the first or second layers."

He added, "We won't hold class meetings in the future. Any issues will be resolved through the Spirit Realm network."

With that, Master Jiao Lei transformed into a flash of lightning and vanished into the air, coming and going in a hurry. In total, he had spoken to the students for just over ten minutes.

After the teacher left, the students in the room were quickly added to the group created by Ji Yuanshu.

Gongshu Jin suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Li Xiao, asking, "You're from the first layer, right? Are you familiar with Zhang Yu? He must be quite famous there, right?"

Seeing Gongshu Jin's apparent interest in Zhang Yu, Li Xiao felt a twinge of jealousy and quickly replied, "He's from a small place, and he is indeed quite famous there. He beat up his boss—the same boss who gave him hundreds of millions in funding..."

Li Xiao embellished the story of Wang Yin, making it sound even more dramatic. Gongshu Jin frowned slightly and said, "So ungrateful?"

Li Xiao hurriedly added, "Wang Yin's fight with him was livestreamed to the upper layers. You might still be able to find it if you look it up."

(End of Chapter)