[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-14":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to Divinity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280564,4461,"Chapter 14: The Mask","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>More air shuttles landed one after another along the edges of Feiguang Terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of examinees in Zone 9 kept growing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian opened his identity device, pulled up the screen, and checked his number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zone 9, Candidate 778, Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian looked up at the semi-transparent seating map on the massive signboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu suddenly walked over and glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no one nearby, he lowered his voice slightly: “Jiang Jian, one of my classmates is on the municipal examination board.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, his tone grew even softer: “After you receive your Divine Gift talent, when they assess your Divine Gift score, consider the circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may be granted an extra 1 to 3 points within the allowable range.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu slapped Jiang Jian’s shoulder hard, then turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the years, Zhou Yu had never seen a theoretical score as insane as Jiang Jian’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’d instinctively felt a pang of regret for such talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he’d gritted his teeth and called in a favor from his classmate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did his utmost to prevent Jiang Jian’s total score from being too low due to a poor Divine Gift talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian glanced at Zhou Yu’s back but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He memorized the location of seat 778 and walked forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a few steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another massive light screen, dozens of meters high, blocked his path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mechanical female voice sounded: “Present your identity device for candidate verification.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian raised his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the semi-transparent screen, streams of light surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Verification successful. Zone 9, Candidate 778, Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voice, Jiang Jian reached out and touched the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light screen before him softened instantly, allowing him to pass through unimpeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he passed through, the surroundings grew noticeably quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earlier bustle and noise were completely sealed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the footsteps of examinees moving about remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seat 778...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian walked over a hundred meters, turning left and right, until he finally found his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seat before him was extremely basic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from a chair and a wooden desk, there was nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the desk, a pale blue light screen also surrounded it, preventing entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To take the Divine Gift Examination, one must undergo rigorous, stringent verification at every stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian raised his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Verification successful. Candidate 778, Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mechanical female voice spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The azure light screen twisted briefly, then shattered apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian sat down on the chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light lines wove up from the ground, and a new ring of light screen reappeared around the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, complete silence enveloped Jiang Jian’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There—that’s the Ritual Platform...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian sat properly and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of Feiguang Terrace stood a massive Ritual Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above it hung a giant mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Positioned at the highest point of Guangling City, it seemed to touch the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At every moment, it absorbed the light of the star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below it was similarly divided into 24 sections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could accommodate 24 students simultaneously for the Divine Gift Ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either side of the Ritual Platform,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>two enormous light screens floated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first light screen hung high above, stretching nearly a hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its top, the six characters “Total Theoretical Score Ranking” glowed with blinding brilliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second light screen was even larger!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was entirely woven from azure light, stretching from Feiguang Terrace to fill the entire sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspended beneath the Ritual Platform’s mirror, it blazed brilliantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its very top, the same six characters: “Guangling City Total Ranking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this very moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>countless names flickered and surged wildly across both light screens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These densely packed names represented all 32,563 examinees in this year’s Guangling City Divine Gift Examination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty minutes remaining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian lowered his gaze to the desk before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light screen also floated above it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small characters glowed faintly: “Time until exam begins: 19 minutes 57 seconds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time continued to dwindle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian already knew the exam procedure perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The theoretical score was out of 50 points, with a three-hour time limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three hours,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the names of all 32,563 students would appear on the “Total Theoretical Score Ranking” list, ordered by score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Students with identical scores would be ranked by time taken—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the less time used, the higher the rank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second stage: the Divine Gift Ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on the theoretical score ranking list,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>students would begin the ritual in reverse order,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>starting from the lowest-ranked candidate,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ascending upward one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guangling City Examination Board would assign each student a Divine Gift score on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Gift score added to the theoretical score would be the candidate’s total score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the total score was calculated, the candidate’s name would immediately appear on the list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Guangling City Total Ranking” list updated in real time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the very last moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>no final ranking could be determined!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time until exam begins: 10 minutes 00 seconds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside his seat’s light screen, Jiang Jian gently closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled everything he had studied over the past seven years:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>every textbook, every memorized theoretical concept,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and every expanded interpretation he had made of the exam materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The theoretical exam was difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the actual Divine Gift Examination’s theoretical questions differed entirely from mock exams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It included “comprehension questions” of extreme difficulty—not found in any textbook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These “comprehension questions” were precisely why many candidates failed to raise their theoretical scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A candidate who scored 40 on mock exams\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>would typically lose at least five points on the real Divine Gift theoretical exam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time until exam begins: 5 minutes 00 seconds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time until exam begins: 3 minutes 00 seconds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time until exam begins: 50 seconds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"20 seconds until exam start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"0 seconds until exam start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guangling City Divine Grant Examination — Theory Section — now beginning!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time reached zero; the mechanical female voice echoed across Feiguang Terrace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The semi-transparent screen before Jiang Jian suddenly shimmered with interwoven light!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New luminous characters appeared upon it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Question One, 3 points.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"List as many races of the Jupiter Alliance as possible, and briefly describe each race’s characteristics.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correctness rate sixty percent: 1 point awarded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correctness rate ninety percent: 2 points awarded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correctness rate one hundred percent: 3 points awarded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This type of question was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The textbook mentioned only fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was entirely extracurricular knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For this first question, the vast majority of candidates will score only 1 point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian silenced his scattered thoughts and pondered carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had encountered this information in the book he had read: \"Miscellaneous Notes on Jupiter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several dozen seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s gaze sharpened; he picked up the light pen and swiftly wrote on the screen before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The semi-transparent screen was filled with small characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian reviewed it once more, verified his answers, then tapped the \"Next Question\" button in the lower-right corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left side of the screen, a prominent countdown floated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Allowing every candidate to clearly see the remaining time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remaining exam time: 175 minutes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian glanced at the time, then returned his focus to the screen and continued answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the light screens of other desks,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many candidates frowned deeply, their expressions grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some clever candidates, after securing their 1 point, chose to abandon the remaining 2 points of this question and moved directly to Question Two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes and seconds passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tens of thousands of candidates slowed their pace with each passing question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Jiang Jian’s writing speed grew faster and faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he encountered several difficult \"comprehension questions,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian still relied on seven years of relentless, daily study,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filling the screen with answers to every \"comprehension question\" he faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remaining exam time: 56 minutes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian set down his pen, gazed at the screen, and exhaled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer progress bar was now reduced to a tiny sliver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Question Twenty, 2 points.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Assume Candidate 'Jia' has obtained a Level 2 'Mind' talent: telekinesis.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"List at least three combat-appropriate second-talent combinations, and explain each in detail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the final question,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question was entirely beyond the syllabus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although \"telekinesis\" was not rare,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Information regarding second talents\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was knowledge revealed only after the Divine Grant Ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1401,"2026-06-20T01:21:34.271Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","160dd2ac3c02f60f092642cc34a4a1eab80f44b8185e7b29f33e0e65ee6ec1f1","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-15","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-13",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]