Translator: CinderTL
High in the stands, a group of teachers watched the Trial rankings with astonishment.
Even Grade Director Zhang Jianwu shook his head in admiration, remarking, "Miss Chen's judgment is truly exceptional. It seems I misjudged him."
Previously, Zhang Jianwu had believed Jiang Ye had almost no chance of making the top three.
Yet Jiang Ye had secured second place overall, far exceeding his expectations.
Beside Zhang Jianwu, the cool, elegant woman in the white dress shook her head. "Director Zhang, you flatter me. To be honest, I never anticipated Jiang Ye achieving second place either."
Despite her words, she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips. Jiang Ye's performance had brought her immense pride.
A nearby teacher chuckled, "Teacher Chen, your efforts have truly paid off. It's remarkable to bring a student from an ordinary class to this level."
"Indeed, all thanks to Teacher Chen."
The assembled teachers nodded in agreement, their admiration evident.
Unexpectedly, Chen Zilu frowned and shook her head. "You misunderstand. This isn't entirely my credit."
"Jiang Ye's own hard work deserves far more recognition."
She explained earnestly, "Jiang Ye trains with extraordinary diligence."
"I've heard from his parents that he cultivates until one or two in the morning every night. He hasn't missed a single day of this routine in the past two years of high school."
"With such dedication, how can you say his success is solely due to me?"
A hint of stubbornness and displeasure flickered in Chen Zilu's eyes.
Jiang Ye was a student she had devoted countless hours to teaching. His achievements brought her a sense of satisfaction.
But she refused to accept the claim that all the credit belonged to her alone.
To attribute his hard-earned success to mere connections or someone else's help was deeply offensive to her.
Realizing his mistake upon seeing the young woman's expression, the teacher quickly backtracked, saying, "Teacher Chen is right. Hard work is also crucial."
Zhang Jianwu added, "This student's innate talent is undeniable, but his achievements far surpass what's expected. His dedication is extraordinary, and we can't overlook that."
Chen Zilu's expression softened slightly.
She turned to Zhang Jianwu and suddenly asked, "Director, I heard that the top three students in the first Trial..."
"...receive a free opportunity for cosmic tempering?"
Zhang Jianwu nodded. "That's correct. But they must first achieve Perfection in their cultivation method."
As he spoke, his gaze deepened.
"Jiang Ye seems promising for now, but we'll have to see how he performs during the cosmic tempering."
As grade director, Zhang Jianwu often considered matters from the school's perspective.
Each cosmic tempering session required a substantial investment of funds, naturally borne by the school.
Of course, not everyone could participate. Only the top three students in the Trial earned a free opportunity.
Even ranking in the top three during the final exams wouldn't suffice.
The Trial's prestige far surpassed that of ordinary assessments.
The school's policy aimed to cultivate true geniuses and improve the twenty-five school alliance's college admission rates.
Logically, Jiang Ye, having placed second in the recent Trial, deserved a free cosmic tempering session.
But...
"Primitive Aptitude," Zhang Jianwu murmured, shaking his head slightly.
A Primitive Aptitude might absorb less than 1% of cosmic energy, while a Nascent Aptitude could absorb over 10%. A Dao Bone Aptitude exceeded 50%, and a Transcendent Aptitude? Possibly 100%.
Ancheng Third High School lacked students with Dao Bone Aptitudes, but Newborn Aptitudes were relatively common.
To waste such a precious opportunity like cosmic tempering on a Primitive innate talent? That would be a terrible waste.
For a Primitive talent to achieve anything significant, mere effort wouldn't suffice. They'd need substantial financial support.
From the school's perspective, investing such resources in Nascent Aptitudes would yield far greater returns than investing in Primitive talents.
The teacher's earlier remark that Jiang Ye's performance today was entirely due to Chen Zilu wasn't mere flattery.
If I'm not mistaken, Miss Chen must have personally funded Jiang Ye quite a bit before the Trial, Zhang Jianwu thought to himself.
Without such support, Jiang Ye's rapid progress would have been impossible.
Ding-dong!
Just as Zhang Jianwu was pondering this, a phone notification chimed.
He pulled out his phone and his expression immediately turned grim.
"Xiao Chen," he said, handing the phone to Chen Zilu. "Take a look. Is this one of your students?"
Chen Zilu glanced at the screen, her delicate features darkening instantly.
Meanwhile, after resorting to every possible means of interrogation, Li Zhichao still couldn't pry out what kind of medicine Jiang Ye had taken.
Li Zhichao glared at Jiang Ye in the distance, gritting his teeth. "That guy! I even called him 'godfather,' and he still won't tell me!"
Could it be... he really didn't take any medicine?
Li Zhichao's pupils constricted sharply at the thought.
If Jiang Ye hadn't taken any medicine, it would make him feel even worse!
Forget it. I shouldn't compare myself to him. I just need to focus on becoming stronger myself.
Li Zhichao took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with resolve.
Nearby, Jiang Ye watched Li Zhichao and grinned. "So, you finally figured it out, buddy?"
Li Zhichao waved his hand. "Don't worry, I won't be competing with you anymore."
"Oh?" Jiang Ye chuckled. "That's good to hear." He felt genuinely relieved to see Li Zhichao's newfound clarity.
The next moment, Li Zhichao clenched his fist and declared, "My new goal is to challenge myself to take one injection every day!"
His eyes burned with pure determination, devoid of any competitive rivalry with his classmate—only an unadulterated thirst for strength.
Jiang Ye stared in silence for a long moment, shaking his head inwardly. This guy's completely addicted!
Ding-dong!
His communicator watch buzzed with an incoming notification.
Jiang Ye opened the message and saw it was from Teacher Chen.
"Teacher Chen wants us to go to the office," he told Li Zhichao.
Li Zhichao nodded.
The two quickly headed toward the office.
Inside Chen Zilu's office, they arrived before she did.
About ten minutes later, a tall, elegant woman with long legs and a cool demeanor entered the room, wearing a simple white dress.
"Congratulations, you both passed the Trial," Chen Zilu said with a smile, handing them two envelopes containing their rewards.
"Thank you, Teacher," Jiang Ye said, accepting his envelope with barely concealed joy.
This was the reward for passing the Trial—a full 30,000 yuan!
Chen Zilu's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Be careful when you return. The city hasn't been safe lately."
"The city isn't safe?" Jiang Ye asked, surprised. Chen Zilu had mentioned this before, but her bringing it up again now made him wonder if something had happened.
Chen Zilu lowered her voice. "One of our classmates has gone missing—Xia Qing. You both know her, right?"
"Xia Qing?"
Jiang Ye immediately remembered the girl who often brought him water.
"Xia Qing... is missing?" Jiang Ye's pupils constricted, disbelief flashing across his face.
(End of the Chapter)
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 6,100+ FREE