Chapter 20: Seeing Frost

Song Ling likewise tilted her ear, listening to Jiang Jian’s reply.

Jiang Jian shook his head and said, “I don’t know much about these Divine-Gifted Universities.”

Du Fang glanced at the proctors nearby and said, “I heard that many Divine-Gifted Universities are rushing to Linjiang Prefecture.”

“We all have Level 3 Talents; the news has already spread. There’s no need to rush choosing a school.”

Song Ling nodded and said, “Just now, my teacher sent me a message telling me not to choose a Divine-Gifted University yet!”

As they spoke.

Jiang Jian heard a notification sound and received a message as well.

He lowered his head and looked at his identity device.

He hadn’t noticed before.

Now, he counted carefully.

Among the unread messages, there were nearly a hundred messages—dense and countless!

Most of them.

Were congratulatory messages from classmates at Guangling No. 1 High School.

And kind reminders from school teachers.

“This is!”

“A message from the Zhao family!”

Suddenly.

Jiang Jian spotted a message with something unusual about it.

The sender’s name.

Was Zhao Chenshuang of the Zhao family.

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow and opened the message.

Zhao Chenshuang’s dull voice came through.

“Jiang Jian, your engagement to my sister was arranged by our elders; any private breach of that promise holds no weight.”

Further down.

There was a long string of words, as if reciting a script.

Clearly insincere flattery.

Jiang Jian didn’t bother reading further.

After a moment’s thought, he replied:

“Miss Zhao, you keep insisting I return your sister’s freedom.”

“As you wish—the Divine Proof Contract has been dissolved.”

“My debt to your Zhao family is settled. We owe each other nothing more.”

After sending the message,

Jiang Jian directly dumped Zhao Chenshuang’s message into the trash folder.

Guangling City, Shenzhao District, Zhao family.

In a lavish hall.

Dozens of properly dressed Zhao family members sat on either side of a long table, their faces grim beyond measure.

Zhao Chenshuang sat at the lower left end.

She lifted her head, gazing at the large screen showing Jiang Jian, her expression complex.

Dum!

The message alert rang!

Instantly,

All core Zhao family members turned their heads.

Fixed their burning gazes on Zhao Chenshuang!

Zhao Chenshuang glanced at her identity device and saw Jiang Jian’s reply.

Her eyes bulged with rage, her heart burning with fury.

“Miss Zhao, what did Jiang Jian reply?”

A family member beside her asked urgently, “Did he agree to renew the marriage contract with Miss Zhao Jianxue?”

Zhao Chenshuang coldly snapped, “Shut up!”

The family member’s face darkened but dared not speak further.

“Insolent!”

A roar erupted!

Hearing the reprimand,

Zhao Chenshuang immediately shrank back, fear flashing across her face.

The Zhao family patriarch, seated in the seat of honor, spoke coldly: “Why haven’t you published the message yet?!”

Zhao Chenshuang bit her lip and reluctantly revealed the message.

“Miss Zhao, you keep insisting I return your sister’s freedom.”

“As you wish—the Divine Proof Contract has been dissolved.”

“My debt to your Zhao family is settled. We owe each other nothing more.”

Jiang Jian’s voice echoed through the silent hall.

Boom!

The Zhao patriarch leapt to his feet and smashed the table before him with one palm!

“Zhao Chenshuang!”

His gaze was icy and lethal as he glared at her, “You stupid pig!”

“Nearly a million Alliance Coins wasted because of you!”

That’s not all!

Most importantly!

“A Level 3 ‘Art’ Talent—the top scorer of the entire exam, an unparalleled prodigy!”

“You let him slip away so easily!”

“Our Zhao family had a Divine Proof Contract with him!”

“That was an unbreakable Divine Covenant!”

“If you hadn’t been so clever and showy, raising the price to eighty thousand Alliance Coins to break the contract...”

“That Level 3 Talent, the perfect-scoring Jiang Jian, would already be ours!”

As he said this,

The Zhao patriarch pounded his knee in regret.

“I shouldn’t have given you forty thousand Alliance Coins to handle this!”

“Why so impatient? Why couldn’t you wait until after the Divine-Gifted Exam?”

“Why?!”

He bowed his head, muttering softly.

Seeing this,

The other Zhao family members exchanged glances, sighed, and gradually filed out of the hall.

A Level 3 Talent cannot be ignored, no matter where you are.

The reason is simple:

Someone with a Level 3 Talent has nearly a hundred percent chance of entering the next realm.

A Level 3 Talent receives massive resource support from their Divine-Gifted University and the local prefectural government.

Combined with their innate Divine Gift,

Breaking through the “Divine-Gifted” realm is as certain as nails on a coffin.

The Divine-Gifted realm is the first cultivation stage.

Every adult is in the Divine-Gifted realm.

But the next realm—

Ninety-nine percent of people have never even heard its name.

In all of Guangling City,

Combined, Shenzhao District and Shadow District hold over a million people.

Among them,

Only dozens have broken through the “Divine-Gifted” realm’s barrier.

“The Zhao family...”

“The chance to flourish, right before our eyes, has slipped away...”

Zhao Chenshuang gazed at her father, her expression complex.

But more than anything,

She was grieving her lost Alliance Coins.

As a student of Anhe Academy.

Zhao Chenshuang’s annual cultivation resource expenses exceed 100,000 Alliance Coins!

But now.

She has not only spent all that money, but also carries over 100,000 in debt!

Although she secretly stole some funds from the Zhao family treasury.

But Zhao Chenshuang can already foresee.

The lean life she will face upon returning to Anhe Academy.

“It’s fine—my Zhao family has deep roots; we control the array business in Guangling City. A little money like this will be earned back soon…”

Zhao Chenshuang kept comforting herself inwardly.

Yet on the grand screen in the hall.

On the famed Feiguang Stage.

That massive leaderboard never stopped.

Reminding Zhao Chenshuang.

Jiang Jian has a Level 3 talent.

In the end.

Zhao Chenshuang abandoned all self-delusion, completely giving up, and slumped into her chair.

Her mind was filled with only four words, looping endlessly.

“Level 3 talent…”

“Level 3 talent…”

“Fuck you!”

…

On the Feiguang Stage.

Jiang Jian picked up his identity device.

He looked at the latest message from Zhou Yu.

“Jiang Jian, don’t accept any university’s invitation for now!”

Zhou Yu’s tone was firm—he clearly knew something.

“Whether it’s Anhe Academy or Luoying Academy, they’re ordinary Divine-Granted universities!”

“They have almost no experience nurturing Level 3 talents!”

“Level 3 talents should attend better Divine-Granted universities!”

Seeing this,

Jiang Jian paused to think, then replied: “Understood, Teacher Zhou.”

He put down his identity device.

The chief examiners had already stepped onto the ceremony podium.

“Student Jiang Jian!”

Li Huanghai strode forward, his expression excited. “I’m Li Huanghai, Director of Education Management for Guangling City!”

“On behalf of the Guangling City government, I thank you!”

“You not only achieved a perfect score, but also earned a rare Level 3 ‘Art’!”

“You, Song Ling, and Du Fang have brought great honor to Guangling City!”

Li Huanghai stepped beside Jiang Jian. “Starting next year, Guangling City will receive countless resource allocations!”

“Thank you, three of you!”

As he said this,

He actually bent down.

And bowed deeply to Jiang Jian, Du Fang, and Song Ling.

“Director Li!”

Du Fang hurried forward to support him.

Suddenly,

The Feiguang Stage array roared to life, slowly activating!

“Spots are finalized!”

“Qualified students, begin selecting your universities!”

“Number 46, Ji Ming!”

A cold mechanical voice echoed across the Feiguang Stage!

“Starting with me?”

Ji Ming, called by name, opened his mouth wide, pointing at himself.

The chief examiners looked over and nodded.

On the ground, array patterns glowed and interwove.

Gradually revealing three massive university silhouettes.

Each Divine-Granted university’s architecture was majestic, splendid, and imposing.

“Anhezhou, Anhe Academy!”

“Linchuanzhou, Linchuan University!”

“Luoyingzhou, Luoying Academy!”

Beneath each colossal architectural silhouette was a lengthy description of the school.

Ji Ming looked up, his gaze dazed.

After a moment,

He remembered the message he had received on his identity device.

It had promised him abundant resources.

Ji Ming gritted his teeth and said: “I choose Luoying Academy!”

The Feiguang Stage array trembled.

A stream of light interwove and flowed into Ji Ming’s identity device!

“Luoying Academy’s admission letter has been sent to your identity device!”

“Congratulations, Student Ji Ming, on being admitted to the Divine-Granted University, Luoying Academy!”

Hearing this,

The Luoying Academy proctor nodded in satisfaction.

To him,

Every qualified student was his own achievement.

(End of Chapter)