[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-35":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},2280585,4461,"Chapter 35: White Frost Falls","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>The proctor’s eyes filled with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and looked at Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression still held disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You actually killed the hanger ghost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor sighed, reached out to help Jiang Jian up, and pulled a box of medicine from his chest. “Quick, take this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a capsule box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The label read: “Hemostatic and Bruise-Relief Oral Tablets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian forced himself to stand, sharp pain throbbing in his ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor opened the box and took out one tablet: “Chew it directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian took the tablet and said, “Thank you, teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tablet was small and white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It emitted a pleasant, fragrant scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian had seen this medicine before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One box of “Hemostatic and Bruise-Relief Oral Tablets” contained nine tablets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official price was 180 Alliance Coins per box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one tablet was worth 20 Alliance Coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After swallowing it, a cool sensation spread through his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bruised blood in his fractured ribs slowly dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the cracked bones began to heal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor looked at him with concern: “Feeling better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s face was pale, but he had regained some strength. “Much better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor nodded and turned his gaze to Jiang Jian’s wooden sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though you have a Level-3 Divine-Gifted weapon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This hanger ghost was actually very strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shi Xuan’s Moon-Chasing Blade is also Level-3, yet it couldn’t survive two seconds against the hanger ghost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet you, in a desperate situation, used yourself as bait and killed it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your strategy, courage, and combat awareness are all top-tier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, he paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor grew excited. “Jiang Jian, your divisional exam is over. Let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated his identity device and tapped a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shuttle glowed brilliant blue, slicing through the darkness and landing outside the shopping mall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian wrapped up Han Guang Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed the proctor onto the shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor mistook Han Guang Sword for a Level-3 Divine-Gifted weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally gifted weapons are exceedingly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the Four Spheres of Earth and Moon, there are one hundred and thirty prefectures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fewer than thirty cases of “Naturally Gifted” weapons have ever been recorded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exist only in textbooks and legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reveal it openly invites unknown fortune or disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under any circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its true origin must never be known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even his sister Jiang Zhao knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, your exam score is very high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the shuttle sped through darkness, the proctor smiled at Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Based on my estimate, your score rivals that of a Level-4 innate talent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, these three items are your spoils.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, he lowered his voice and pulled out a plastic hanger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the hanger, Jiang Jian’s gaze shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plastic hanger looked utterly ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian had studied cultivation materials—he knew it was the hanger ghost’s true form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left hung a palm-sized octopus toy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the right hung a plastic mannequin head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The hanger ghost’s true form isn’t valuable, but it can sell for around 1,500 Alliance Coins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor wrapped the items and placed them in Jiang Jian’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The octopus toy can fetch 300 Alliance Coins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The plastic head is worth 180 Alliance Coins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to exam rules, these are all your spoils.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the proctor deliberately omitted the piece of refined iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian thanked him but said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stuffed the hanger into his black cloth bag, beside Han Guang Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shuttle moved swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had passed through the first layer of Jiangcheng and descended toward the massive fleet yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having passed through one layer of Jiangcheng, they descended toward the vast fleet yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of new students, having finished their exams, had gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After enduring the divisional exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many new students bore wounds, large or small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many more were critically injured, unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the care of staff, they lay on stretchers, barely clinging to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, you’re lucky your injuries aren’t severe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shuttle stopped. The proctor handed Jiang Jian the entire box of medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take your medicine on schedule these next few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It shouldn’t interfere with your early cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One box of “Hemostatic and Bruise-Relief Oral Tablets” cost 180 Alliance Coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary people,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the fifth layer of Jiangcheng, at Linjiang Academy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who wished to cultivate spent coins like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian did not refuse the kindness—he took the medicine box directly. “Thank you, teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proctor’s smile deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Wu Hai, a first-year instructor at the academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I look forward to seeing you in my class.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Wu Hai pointed to the fleet platform. “Scores are about to be announced. Go quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I look forward to seeing you in class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Wu Hai pointed to the fleet yard platform, \"The results are about to be announced—hurry over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped off the shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian immediately spotted Shi Xuan, dozens of meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, you’re out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan, his arm wrapped in bandages, waved at Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian walked over and said, “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan’s arm was wrapped in bandages; he saw Jiang Jian and waved him over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stepped forward and said, “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan gritted his teeth, voice filled with fury: “That hanger ghost was utterly disgusting—otherwise, our assessment scores could’ve been higher!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian smiled: “I happened to kill the hanger ghost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally processed it, pupils contracting sharply, whispering: “What did you say? You killed the hanger ghost?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian nodded: “The hanger ghost injured me, but when it let its guard down, I ambushed and killed it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan shook his head hard: “That was a hanger ghost! Even with an ambush, it’s nearly impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He widened his eyes, scanning Jiang Jian up and down. “I can’t imagine how high your assessment score must be!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Ling and Du Fang walked over from nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian waved his hand: “I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supervisor Zhang’s voice rang out clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All new recruits, be silent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 300 new recruits fell completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, they quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Zhang scanned the crowd, expression satisfied, and announced loudly: “Assessment scoring is now complete!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“the scores of these 300 external new recruits are merged into Linjiang Academy’s overall new recruit ranking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You will be ranked together with the 1,500 local new recruits from Linjiang Prefecture!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Zhang raised his identity device and pressed several buttons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chorus of notification chimes erupted among the hundreds of new recruits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve sent the overall ranking to everyone’s identity device!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After reviewing it,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“board the ship assigned to your respective college!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Zhang pressed his identity device again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventeen massive whale-ray vessels descended one after another!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The docking field outside Five Rivers City was enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even seventeen whale-ray vessels occupied only a fraction of the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’m not that nervous,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang opened his identity device, feigning calm. “Our assessment scores are definitely not low!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A semi-transparent screen unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overall ranking of 1,800 new recruits appeared before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each college had a clearly marked dividing line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that everyone\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could instantly locate their assigned college.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is only the Seventeenth College’s ranking visible?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang, brimming with excitement, looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he realized\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top sixteen colleges were blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My identity device shows the same,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Ling sneered, lifting her gaze to the edge of the docking field and pointing. “Look—many students have already boarded the Seventeenth College’s whale-ray vessel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following her gaze,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the side of the Seventeenth College’s whale-ray vessel were three large characters: “Anhe College.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seventeen colleges were named after their prefecture rankings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anhe College was the Seventeenth College.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that means Anhe Prefecture,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“is the poorest of Linjiang Prefecture’s seventeen prefectures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian lowered his gaze, expression odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan stood beside him, squinting: “Our batch of external new recruits is pretty weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seventeenth College has over seventy external new recruits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Seventeenth Academy has over seventy external new students.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than half of the 300 external new recruits had already left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang muttered bitterly: “To be honest, for external new recruits, this assessment was brutal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without Jiang Jian, we’d have been eliminated on the first floor of the Shang Mall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Ling nodded in agreement: “Those non-citizens are too cunning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We external new recruits have no divine weapons, haven’t begun cultivation, and don’t even know the assessment details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reliant only on innate talent, blind as bats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Getting our current scores is already lucky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Getting the current assessment score is already a stroke of luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventeen whale-ray vessels had already departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overall new recruit ranking had revealed the top 250 names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next will be the Third College’s new recruit names,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang stared at his device screen, excited. “My name still hasn’t appeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our scores really are high!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the docking field,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fewer than thirty external new recruits remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were familiar faces from Cabin 1 when Jiang Jian arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third College, new recruit list.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mechanical voice announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overall new recruit ranking\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From 151st to 250th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred names suddenly sharpened into clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang scanned quickly—still no sign of his name. He grew anxious: “Why isn’t it here?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so nervous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Ling sighed. “Our names are definitely higher up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang remained distracted, flipping through the lower rankings, terrified he’d missed his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Fang remained distracted, constantly flipping through the lower rankings, afraid he might miss his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1625,"2026-06-20T01:21:34.271Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","312fe176a55ca4dee00ccab72541cb2f06674b54c216b044cb2b6a49c0b7a202","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-36","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-34",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]