Chapter 19: Pure Spirit

On the overall leaderboard.

At the very top.

Jiang Jian, Level 3 “Art,” Pure Spirit True Flame.

Around his name, brilliant golden light encircled it!

Countless eyes fixed upon it!

For hundreds of years.

Guangling City has never had a Level 3 “Art”!

Although Level 3 talents appear once or twice every dozen years.

But a Level 3 “Art” is an unprecedented first!

“Did I misread…?”

“Jiang Jian, Level 3 ‘Art’…”

“Total score: 100, perfect…”

At the edge of Feiguang Stage, Zhou Yu stared upward, his face filled with disbelief.

Beside him.

Teachers from Guangling No. 1 High School had already gathered nearby, faces alight with ecstatic joy.

“Teacher Zhou Yu!”

“Teaching Jiang Jian—you’re made!”

“Guangling No. 1 High School is made!”

Boom!

The next moment, a luxurious flying shuttle landed heavily.

Two elaborately dressed individuals stepped down and asked: “Who is Teacher Zhou Yu?”

Zhou Yu forced himself back to awareness, shock still lingering in his eyes: “I’m Zhou Yu. Who are you?”

The lead man handed him an envelope, smiling.

“Teacher Zhou Yu, a small token of goodwill, insufficient to express our respect.”

Zhou Yu unconsciously took it and opened the envelope.

“Ten thousand Alliance Coins!”

Zhou Yu gasped, nearly dropping the check.

This check was issued by Linjiang Prefecture.

Simply scan it with an identity device, and you receive the exact amount in Alliance Coins.

“This is just a trifle.”

The man glanced around, stepped closer, “Teacher Zhou Yu, I’m from Luoying Academy’s Admissions Office.”

“If you can persuade Jiang Jian to apply to Luoying Academy, I’ll add another thirty thousand Alliance Coins!”

Upon hearing this,

Zhou Yu’s fingers holding the check trembled even more.

His face showed hesitation.

A few seconds later,

The hesitation vanished from Zhou Yu’s face. He returned the check, his gaze now resolute.

“Jiang Jian is my student! Which school he applies to should be his own decision! I won’t interfere!”

The admissions officer’s expression darkened: “Don’t you want all that cash?”

Zhou Yu smiled and said: “Of course I do!”

His voice rose, drawing the attention of nearby Guangling No. 1 High School teachers.

“But I, Zhou Yu, act with integrity!”

“If Luoying Academy truly has merit, and offers Jiang Jian sufficient resource allocation…”

“Then even without a single coin, I will urge Jiang Jian to apply to Luoying Academy!”

Zhou Yu’s expression was stern: “My only concern has always been my student!”

The admissions officer, sharp as they were, quickly changed expression, snatching back the check.

“Teacher Zhou Yu, rest assured—Luoying Academy will allocate massive resources to a Level 3 ‘Art’ talent!”

He raised his identity device, displaying a document, his face proud.

“Luoying Academy will apply to Linjiang Prefecture’s government for special resource subsidies for Jiang Jian!”

“With Luoying Academy’s endorsement, this resource package can reach Level 3!”

Zhou Yu, merely a teacher from Guangling City, clearly didn’t understand these things: “What’s in a Level 3 resource package?”

The admissions officer smiled: “The cultivation materials in a Level 3 package are unimaginable!”

“First, a cultivation quota worth two hundred thousand Alliance Coins on the Linjiang Prefecture platform!”

“Second, ten units each of cultivation materials, array materials, weapon-casting materials, and spirit herbs!”

“Most importantly, a Level 3 talent orb worth one million Alliance Coins!”

The admissions officer opened the Linjiang Prefecture trading platform and pointed at the screen.

“Teacher Zhou Yu, look for yourself! The cheapest Level 3 talent orb for ‘Body’ costs one million Alliance Coins!”

Zhou Yu’s face showed hesitation; he hadn’t spoken yet.

Then a scornful voice came: “Don’t lie! A Level 3 ‘Art’ can get a Level 3 resource package at any Divine Gift university!”

Hearing this,

The admissions officer’s face changed instantly.

Several flying shuttles landed in succession.

Admissions officers from other Divine Gift universities were all approaching Zhou Yu!

Zhou Yu was overwhelmed.

On the ceremony platform,

The lingering light around Jiang Jian had just faded.

“Level 3, Art, Pure Spirit True Flame.”

Jiang Jian lowered his gaze, staring at his pale palm.

With a thought,

Thin strands of blood-red flame flickered between his fingers.

Zilaa!

Even the air hissed as it burned!

“Such power…”

At this moment,

Jiang Jian already knew the cultivation method accompanying Pure Spirit True Flame.

The Pure Spirit True Method.

This flame glowed a blinding blood-red.

Once it burned a living being, it rapidly spread across the body, consuming its soul.

In mere seconds,

It could burn a living being’s soul to ash.

The Pure Spirit True Method was the basic cultivation technique.

Each person’s Divine Gift talent differs, and so does the cultivation method used.

Some Divine Gift talents come with their own cultivation method.

Others come with nothing at all.

They must rely on a second talent’s method to accelerate cultivation.

“Art” talents always come with a cultivation method.

Even a Level 1 “Art” does.

“The qi cultivated by the Pure Spirit True Method.”

“Is called spirit qi.”

Jiang Jian calmed his mind and carefully visualized the Pure Spirit True Method.

“Pure Spirit True Flame is my innate talent.”

“To activate it,”

“I need only a small amount of spirit qi, and it lasts a long time.”

“But my Shenque Point is already open—I can insert a second talent orb to gain a second talent.”

“Activating a second talent requires vast amounts of spirit qi!”

“Spirit qi has an upper limit.”

“Raising the spirit qi limit is extremely slow!”

“I must cultivate my spirit qi limit until it fills my Shenque Point.”

“Only then can I enter the next realm!”

Jiang Jian frowned slightly.

Because he had just visualized the Shenque Point.

To fully cultivate the Shenque Point requires a full ten units of Qi capacity.

Compared to that, his current Qi capacity.

Is less than one percent!

The innate Pure Spirit Flame requires only a trace of Qi to activate.

But to activate the second innate ability, these Qi reserves will be exhausted in minutes!

Cultivation is too difficult.

Merely cultivating the “Shenque Point.”

Has trapped ninety-nine percent of the world’s people.

This is also why cultivation materials are so exorbitantly expensive.

Arrays can accelerate cultivation.

Spirit herbs can improve cultivation efficiency.

Personally refining materials and forging weapons enhances mastery over Qi usage and the precision of Qi control.

All of these aid in increasing Qi capacity.

But all of these also require massive amounts of Alliance Coins!

“In 3227, the Guangling City Divine Gift Examination final rankings are set!”

The chief examiner’s voice echoed across Feiguang Terrace!

The massive ranking list spanning the sky suddenly trembled!

Tens of thousands of names on it vanished at an terrifying speed!

Less than half a minute.

Those tens of thousands of names faded completely.

Turned into scattered streams of light, merging into the Feiguang Terrace array!

In the end.

On the final ranking list.

Only 46 brilliant, blazing names remained, swirling with radiant light!

“Number 1, Jiang Jian, 100 points!”

“Number 2, Du Fang, 99 points!”

“Number 3, Song Ling, 98 points!”

“Number 4, Gong Shuangshuang, 95 points!”

“Number 5, Xu Mu, 93 points!”

“Number 6, Zhao Chen, 88 points!”

……

“Number 31, Wang Wu, 82 points!”

“Number 32, Jiang Zhao, 82 points!”

“Number 33, Wen Ying, 81 points!”

……

“Number 46, Ji Ming, 76 points!”

……

“Guangling City’s 46 slots for Divine Gift University are now fixed!”

As the array’s voice boomed forth.

The chief examiners and several Divine Gift University proctors descended onto the ceremony platform!

Ji Ming pushed through the crowd to the base of the ceremony platform, wiped sweat from his brow, and trembled.

“Damn close!”

“Last place—barely scraped into Divine Gift University!”

This Level 2 'Body' innate ability really saved my life!

Ji Ming was immensely relieved, his limbs weak, yet he forced himself up onto the platform.

Meanwhile.

The 46 students gradually returned to the ceremony platform!

Except for Jiang Jian, Du Fang, and Song Ling.

The other 43 students mostly had Level 2 innate abilities.

On the Anhezhou Forum.

The live broadcast of the Guangling Divine Gift Examination was still ongoing!

Because the crucial phase—choosing a school—was about to begin!

“Jiang Jian, which school are you going to?”

At the brightest spot on the ceremony platform, Du Fang stepped forward and asked softly.

Unconsciously.

Song Ling also drew near.

The three stood together, subtly forming a group.

The other 43 students deliberately stayed well away.

A small circle had already formed.

Level 3 innate abilities carry too much weight behind them.

(End of Chapter)