Sure enough...
Annexation and plunder are the fastest ways for a civilization to grow.
Jiang Hao thought to himself.
After all, if he had relied solely on Planet Vegeta's own resources, he had no idea how many years it would have taken to develop to its current level.
Even if he accelerated the flow of time on the planet using World Origin...
It still would have been impossible to achieve such rapid growth.
However...
If the Saiyan civilization wanted to develop even further...
Then next time, a first-level planet would no longer be enough.
With Jiang Hao's current strength...
Conquering Planet Zhaka would now be effortless.
Even without transforming into a Great Ape...
His civilization could still crush it with ease.
Although Jiang Hao wanted to launch another Star War immediately...
The problem before him now was the upcoming Final Assessment.
This examination...
Wasn't limited to Jiangbei City alone.
It was a unified examination for all ten satellite cities, including Huaicheng.
Since all ten cities belonged to District Nine...
They participated in the same assessment.
So far...
Jiang Hao had obtained more than three times the World Origin of an ordinary student.
Most of it had been invested directly into strengthening his civilization.
Because of that...
His overall combat strength was already among the top tier of this year's examinees.
Even if some students had wealthy families and purchased additional World Origin Fluid...
Jiang Hao still possessed the Saiyans' overwhelming racial advantage.
He had nothing to fear.
However...
He wasn't arrogant enough to believe his civilization was invincible.
The universe was vast.
This was an era filled with countless brilliant civilizations.
Although Jiang Hao wasn't certain he could become number one right now...
He had complete confidence that...
In the not-too-distant future...
The Saiyan civilization would become one that made the entire universe tremble.
Time passed quickly.
Soon...
The day of the Final Assessment arrived.
The final assessment adopted an elimination format.
However...
This wasn't a traditional knockout tournament.
Instead...
The competition would take place through Star Wars.
After an entire month of preparation...
Nearly every student's civilization had undergone its initial development.
Each had formed at least a certain level of combat capability.
Those who failed to establish any meaningful fighting force had already been eliminated during the preliminary assessment.
That was precisely why the preliminary assessment existed.
However...
Before entering the Star Wars phase...
Every student still had to pass one final qualification test.
Those who couldn't even clear this test...
Would lose the right to participate.
Simply put...
It was an admission ticket.
Civilizations with combat power that was too weak would become nothing more than cannon fodder in interstellar warfare.
Sending them in would only hinder their future development.
This screening process existed as a form of protection.
"So, how far has your civilization developed?"
"I've only awakened a few Black Iron-rank warriors. Nothing worth mentioning."
Although the boy spoke modestly...
Anyone could hear the pride in his voice.
"Seriously? You're so lucky! You awakened Black Iron combat units in only a month. My civilization is based on knights. I only have a dozen ordinary knights right now. I don't even know if I'll pass."
"Then you'd better think carefully. If all your soldiers die in Star Wars, you'll have to start over from scratch. Buying enough World Origin Fluid to recover would cost a fortune."
"Sigh... I only have a few ordinary soldiers. Even though they're carrying firearms, their combat power is still pretty limited."
"Luckily, my civilization is based on orcs. Orcs are naturally strong in the early stages, so I should be able to pass."
Students all around the venue excitedly discussed the development of their civilizations.
Jiang Hao...
Remained silent.
For this qualification test...
He felt no pressure whatsoever.
At that moment...
A burst of excited voices caught his attention.
"Look! Look over there!"
"Who are you talking about?"
"Liu Ruyan! The genius girl from Huaicheng No. 1 High School!"
"I heard she's already awakened Spiritual Qi. I wonder how far her civilization has developed."
"Spiritual Qi? That's high-level extraordinary energy. She may already have a Silver-rank combat unit."
"Maybe even more than that. She might already have refined magical artifacts. At this stage, there probably aren't many people who can compete with her."
"You're only paying attention to her civilization."
"Have you noticed how beautiful she is? Combined with the elegance brought by Spiritual Qi, she looks almost ethereal."
"You're right..."
"And with a name like Liu Ruyan, it suits her perfectly."
"If I could just speak to her once in my life..."
"It would all be worth it."
"Forget it. Just looking at her makes me feel inferior. How could I possibly have the courage to talk to her?"
"True... someone like her lives in a completely different world from people like us."
...
Following everyone's gaze...
Jiang Hao also looked over.
Among the crowd...
A young girl slowly walked forward.
Wherever she passed...
People instinctively stepped aside to make way.
Countless eyes were filled with admiration.
Yet...
She ignored every gaze directed at her.
Instead...
She walked straight toward Jiang Hao.
Only when she reached him did she stop.
"This classmate..."
"Could you please let me pass?"
Liu Ruyan spoke politely in a clear, gentle voice.
Only then did Jiang Hao realize what had happened.
Lost in thought...
He had unknowingly stopped in the middle of a narrow passage.
Coincidentally...
Liu Ruyan's destination was the lineup for Huaicheng No. 1 High School, just beyond him.
A sign identifying the school stood beside the waiting area.
Realizing the situation...
Jiang Hao nodded calmly.
"Of course."
He stepped aside.
After Liu Ruyan walked away...
The surrounding crowd immediately burst into discussion again.
"Damn it!"
"Why didn't I think of standing there?"
"If I'd blocked the path too, I could've talked to Liu Ruyan."
"I wonder if that guy did it on purpose, or if he was just lucky."
"He actually got to speak with Liu Ruyan."
"So annoying..."
"He wasted such a perfect opportunity."
"Judging from his uniform, he's from Jiangbei No. 3 High School."
"Sigh... Jiangbei No. 3 hasn't even made the Top 50 rankings for years."
"I wonder how they'll do this time."
"It'll probably be the same as always."
"Their strongest student should be Li Shuibao."
"But I heard his awakened planet is only 47 kilometers in diameter."
"As for the other notable student..."
"I heard he awakened some kind of abandoned planet."
"My teacher said it has almost no development potential."
"It can only reach Silver Rank at best."
"Sure, that's still better than ordinary people..."
"But that's about all."
...
Because this was a District Nine-wide examination...
Awakeners from all ten satellite cities had gathered together.
The final assessment was held in the regional capital—
Jincheng.
As time passed...
More and more examinees arrived.
When the clock finally struck 9:00 a.m.
An elderly man stepped onto the podium.
"Welcome to Jincheng."
"You will all take your final assessment here."
"However..."
"Before the official examination begins, we must first conduct a preliminary test of your civilization's current combat strength."
"Any student who fails this test..."
"Will lose the qualification to participate in Star Wars."
"To save time..."
"The assessment will be conducted in groups of ten."
"So stop wasting time talking."
"I now declare..."
"The assessment officially begins."