This was the first time that Peony Aoi had taken initiative to start a conversation.
Surprisingly, the other party hadn't responded at all!
She felt that this boy in a white collared shirt, and a refreshing two block cut had a completely different style to the frisky lowlife-types she usually encountered.
Rather than a proud, aloof air… He had a special aura and a strong sense of mystery around him that had caught Peony Aoi's eye at first glance.
"This classmate, are you also doing the interview in Grade One, Class Three?"
"Classmate! May I know your last name?"
Along the way, Peony Aoi tried her best to be friendlier towards Xero. However his poker face never changed, and he showed no intention of responding to her at all.
This was really embarrassing.
…
This was the first time Xero had given directions to another person. If he and Peony Aoi hadn't happened to share the same destination, he wouldn't even bother to raise his arm.
He really despised interacting with other people, especially once he had reached the Soul Formation Stage the year he turned 6.
He had mastered the ability to read minds, and was hearing other people's inner voices all the time. Since then, the boy's ears had never had a moment's peace break, especially at night; If he hadn't put in earplugs, he would probably lose his sanity.
Just like with Peony Aoi, who on the surface looked like she was trying her best to break the ice between, Xero could clearly hear what she was thinking.
Peony Aoi's reason for coming here was the complete opposite to Xero's.
Xero went out of his way to hide his status, and maintain a low profile, while Peony Aoi had rended her brain to emphasise her presence.
In a key high school, top students were a dime a dozen, and standing out wouldn't be simple. But in an environment like No. 70 High School, Peony Aoi felt that she could definitely showcase her presence.
She had never expected that just as she entered the school, there would actually be a boy who would turn a blind eye to her. Damn it! Does this blockhead like dicks or something?
Xero had never expected that just as he was entering the school, he would draw somebody's attention, especially a girl.
What a shitty situation!
At this moment, the two people walking abreast of each other could not help but sigh silently.
…
The enrolment interview was just like the placement test that had been used hundreds of years ago. It was aimed at determining each student's rank without prejudice amidst massive student numbers. Having said that, students who could enter No. 70 High School were all already at the Foundation Establishment Stage. But the stage was further divided into several levels.
While there seemed to be just a narrow gap between early and late Foundation Establishment, the difference in overall strength was very large, and students on both ends in the same class were bound to clash with another.
In a relatively small classroom, four examiners sat in a row.
There were also a number of teenagers already present who were all there for the interview.
Xero walked directly to the back of the classroom and slipped into the most unassuming seat there.
The instant Peony Aoi walked into the classroom, her movie star looks immediately caught the attention of the eye of all teens, and even that of the four examiners. The men in the classroom, young and old, blushed in spite of themselves. Even a few girls ducked their heads shyly.
"My name is Peony Aoi, we're going to be schoolmates from now on. I look forward to your guidance." Peony Aoi had always been both a man— and lady— killer, and enjoyed being in the spotlight. Bowing naturally and gracefully, she tossed back her silky, beautiful hair and gave an easy and confident smile.
The only thing that dissatisfied Peony Aoi was Xero's damn unchanging poker face!
In this world, how could there be a man unmoved by her?
Another examiner hurriedly flipped through the interview materials for the candidates that day, and couldn't help swearing in the end.
"Holy shit! The eldest grandchild of the Huaguo Water Veil Group… Peony Aoi?"
That was the Fortune 500 company that made its name selling pills!
In the other side, a silent Xero heard what the three examiners said, and frowned suddenly. He had already guessed that Peony Aoi's identity wasn't so simple, but he would not however expect that she would come from such a powerful family. His plan was to keep a low-key profile, which was why he chose a relatively ordinary high school. Who knew that before school officially started, he would encounter such a huge pain in the urethra.
Xero watched as Peony Aoi smilingly came over and took a seat next to him. He was speechless.
Why the hell would the eldest grandchild of a powerful family come running to such a mediocre high school?!
Xero closed his eyes, directly ignoring the way Peony Aoi was making eyes at him.
Anyway, as long as he was careful not to reveal much of his real strength, he should be able to get rid of this annoying person without a problem right?
Xero didn't want an obsessive lunatic staring at him non-stop in class the whole day.
A moment later, the voice from one of the examiners sounded from the dais.
"The interview is about to begin shortly. Everyone, please prepare yourselves."
For all senior high school students who were at the same Foundation Establishment stage, the enrolment interview wasn't as complex as they might've imagined, and was mainly about testing their strengths.
Scientific research had shown that it was not as difficult to reach the Foundation Establishment stage as one would imagine. As long as a person had adequate nutrition as a child, along with a bit of innate skill, it wasn't really that hard to achieve this stage.
Of course, there was also one extraordinary peculiar in particular who had advanced at a rate of one stage every year completely without the help of pills.
Unlike the Xero couple's generation, which had suffered from a lack of nutrition, almost every child in urban nowadays has access to all kinds of healthcare products from a young age. Things like "Emerald Partners" and "Brain Silver," popular brand-name healthcare products that enhanced a person's cultivation base, increased intellectual capacity, and built up the physique, were all produced by Huaguo Water Veil Group.
But the reliance on supplements to enhance one's foundation had also created the worst problem; as the common saying went, "Gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay on the inside."
The threshold for entering the Foundation Establishment was already low enough, yet the school couldn't be certain whether a student's true strength actually matched the stage.
This was the actual reason why high schools had set up an entrance test. Apart from obtaining clear assessment results, it was also for identifying a potential genius.
By the time Xero's batch graduated, the number of students who would be able to break out of the Foundation Establishment stage to become a master at the Golden Core stage (Golden Core Transformation Rate) would have a direct impact on the school's reputation. More importantly, it would be a critical evaluation criterion in the school's application to become a key high student at a later date.
On the dais, the middle-aged examiner with a sharp face said slowly, "Over the years in our No. 70 High School, the success rate of attaining Golden Core has been two in ten thousand. That is to say, out of the ten thousand students, there might be two in their graduating year who will be able to become what people in the modern age dream of — Golden Core Masters. They in turn can take their turns in reaching the Nascent Soul Stage to a better university. I hope that in the next three years, every student here will work hard, aim high, and strive towards becoming a qualified successor of cultivation principles…"
Two in ten thousand might sound a little embarrassing, but No. 70 High School recruited just under four hundred students each year, after all. Xero knew that this wasn't too terrible as statistic , since some of the worst schools couldn't achieve that.
"Next, we shall begin with the strength test. Everyone, please put on your VR glasses for phase one of the test."
With a roll book in his hand, one of the examiners cleared his throat slightly and called out a name. "First Candidate, Peony Aoi."