Chapter 15: Only the Cold Moon and Warm Sun Are Seen

Jiang Jian stared at the screen.

His brow furrowed slightly.

He carefully recalled the talent combination data that Nie Zheng had provided.

“Time remaining: 50 minutes.”

Time passed slowly.

Jiang Jian finally picked up his pen and began answering.

Many candidates skipped questions.

If they encountered a difficult question and knew they couldn’t score, they skipped it outright.

Someone like Jiang Jian, answering question after question in order to the end—

Was extremely rare.

“Time remaining: 26 minutes.”

Jiang Jian put down his pen.

He looked at the screen filled with text.

He exhaled in relief.

The cultivation data Nie Zheng provided did mention basic talent combinations.

Though only the basics.

But this question only required listing at least three combat-appropriate combinations.

It wasn’t so difficult as to be unanswerable.

“Time remaining: 15 minutes.”

“Time remaining: 10 minutes.”

“Time remaining: 0 seconds.”

As the exam time fully expired,

The answer screens before every candidate grew increasingly transparent.

Eventually, they dissolved entirely into streams of light, weaving into the floor of the Feiguang Platform!

“Theoretical Exam Complete!”

“Feiguang Platform proctoring array: automatic grading in progress…”

“Time remaining: 100 seconds!”

The mechanical female voice echoed across the vast Feiguang Platform.

Twenty-four Feiguang Platform segments, 32,563 candidates total.

All now held their breath, raising their heads to gaze at the hundred-meter-wide luminous screen!

“Theoretical Score Overall Ranking!”

A semi-transparent screen floated in the sky, six grand characters glowing brilliantly!

On the list,

Tens of thousands of names flickered and surged wildly!

“Time remaining: 98 seconds!”

“Time remaining: 97 seconds!”

As grading time dwindled,

More and more names on the massive list ceased surging, finally locking in place!

“Rank 32563, Wang Liu, 1 point!”

“Rank 32562, Lin Feng, 1 point!”

“Rank 32561, Li Minghui, 1 point!”

…

One name after another appeared rapidly from bottom to top!

The lowest-ranked score was 1 point!

“Time remaining: 72 seconds!”

At this moment,

The rankings surged upward, now locked at rank 23562!

“Rank 23562, Yin Cheng, 19 points!”

“Rank 23561, Wang Jian, 19 points!”

…

The seat-side screens had vanished.

Countless candidates raised their heads, gazing at the massive screen, expressions ranging from sorrow to joy, vividly diverse.

“Time remaining: 20 seconds!”

At this moment,

The fixed rankings had climbed to the top 1000!

“Rank 1000, Liu Yu, 37 points!”

…

“Rank 765, Ji Ming, 42 points!”

…

“Rank 330, Zhang Lu, 43 points!”

…

“Rank 98, Yu Ning, 45 points!”

Seeing this,

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Lu had only 43 points—she must have underperformed.

Yet Yu Ning had entered the top hundred with 45 points.

“Rank 23, Jiang Zhao, 47 points!”

The moment Jiang Zhao’s name appeared,

The crowd of Chencang No.1 High’s supporters at the Feiguang Platform’s edge erupted in deafening cheers!

Jiang Zhao, with 47 points, crushed many students from the Shenzhao District, securing 23rd place in Guangling City!

As rankings entered the top 20, names appeared more slowly.

The brilliant glow radiating from each name grew even more dazzling.

“Rank 19, Wan Qi, 47 points!”

“Rank 18, Wen Ying, 47 points!”

…

“Rank 9, Wang Wu, 48 points!”

“Rank 8, Zhao Chen, 48 points!”

…

In Guangling City, whether from the Shenzhao District or the Shadow District,

At this moment,

Countless people watched the colossal screen spanning the sky through various broadcasts!

The grading countdown had ended.

Yet the top ten names still slowly emerged!

All eyes were fixed upon them!

“Did you see Jiang Jian’s name just now?”

At the edge of the Feiguang Platform, Zhou Yu asked nervously, turning to those beside him.

The teacher shook his head. “The names appeared too fast—I didn’t catch it.”

Another teacher, gazing upward, said: “Jiang Jian isn’t in the top hundred!”

Zhou Yu clenched his teeth. Seeing the seventh name appear, he cursed: “All of them are from the Shenzhao District!”

The teacher beside him smiled. “That Jiang Zhao at 23rd, with 47 points—she’s probably the top student from the Shadow District.”

Meanwhile,

On the theoretical score list,

“Rank 5, Gong Shuangshuang, 48 points!”

“Rank 4, Song Ling, 48 points!”

By now,

Every name on the list radiated blinding light!

Finally,

Within the glowing outlines, the third-place name slowly appeared!

“Rank 3, Du Fang, 49 points!”

Seeing the score appear,

On the Feiguang Stage, hundreds of thousands of people erupted in uproar!

“49 points!”

“How long has it been since Guangling City’s Divine Grant exam produced a 49?”

“Du Fang, a student from City No. 1 High!”

“The last time a 49 appeared in the theory exam was ten years ago!”

“He actually scored this high!”

Countless eyes gazed up at Du Fang’s name, hearts surging with emotion.

Someone suddenly realized and cried out: “Du Fang is only third!”

“Above him, there are two more 49s!”

“Three 49s!”

“How is this possible!”

“What on earth is happening in Guangling City!”

Li Huhai, director of the city office, leapt to his feet and roared with laughter: “49 points! My City No. 1 High has produced a student with 49 points! Du Fang, well done!”

Even the invigilators sent by the Divine Grant University brightened their gaze and murmured: “Coming to Guangling City was worth it!”

Countless gazes interwove.

Above Du Fang.

Another name, even more brilliant, slowly emerged!

“Second place, Zhao Jianxue, 49 points!”

On the massive scoreboard, the three characters “Zhao Jianxue” radiated dazzling light!

“Another 49!”

“Shenzhao Middle School, Zhao Jianxue!”

“Undisputed prodigy!”

“Even Du Fang in third place is overshadowed!”

“Her answering time was even shorter than Du Fang’s!”

“To score 49 on the theory exam—unimaginable!”

The overwhelming clamor had not yet subsided.

Above Zhao Jianxue’s name.

Brilliant light converged and surged.

Streams of radiant luminescence roared and thundered!

BOOM!

The hundred-meter-wide light screen trembled violently!

Blinding streams of light interwove and coalesced into a line of small characters!

“First place, Jiang Jian, 50 points!”

BOOM!

Even more dazzling light burst forth from the very top of the scoreboard, radiating myriad rays from the name “Jiang Jian”!

His name blazed with unmatched brilliance, fixed at the summit of the screen, dominating the tens of thousands of examinees below!

First place in Guangling City!

Perfect score: 50 points!

“This is impossible!”

Li Huhai smashed his table and leapt up, face filled with shock!

“How could a perfect score appear!”

At the same moment.

Countless shouts and exclamations surged like a tidal wave!

“How is this possible!?”

“Did I see that right!?”

“How could there be a student with a perfect score!”

“In hundreds of years of Guangling City’s history, no one has ever achieved a perfect score on the theory exam!”

“50 points!?”

“Am I seeing things!?”

Countless people leapt to their feet, faces filled with disbelief!

Staring fixedly at the very top of the scoreboard!

First place, Jiang Jian, 50 points!

Even the invigilators sent by the Divine Grant University now wore expressions of awe!

(End of Chapter)