[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-39":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},2280589,4461,"Chapter 39: Plain Skirt","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-39",39,"\u003Cp>Jiang Jian swiped across the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He read the talent description carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze settled on “Dark Scent,” “Spirit Vein Deepening,” and “Meridian Unblocking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dark Scent is a relatively rare enhancement divine gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strengthens spellcraft, weapons, and martial arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And carries an irresistible soul attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While cultivating, it also increases spiritual energy reserves and raises the upper limit of spiritual essence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s eyes moved downward, focusing on the other two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit Vein Deepening comprehensively enhances spiritual energy cultivation speed and recovery speed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meridian Unblocking also boosts spiritual essence, but its primary focus is on increasing physical stamina and strengthening meridians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swiped away “Spirit Vein Deepening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dark Scent, when cultivated deeply, provides the highest increase in cultivation speed and spiritual affinity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Spirit Vein Deepening’s effects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They can be partially compensated for with spirit herbs or divine gift weapons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian swiped away “Spirit Vein Deepening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the self-selection page, only “Dark Scent” remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Level 3 Talent Orb: Yi, Dark Scent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please confirm once more whether you wish to claim the Talent Orb.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the semi-transparent screen, a button appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s finger swept across and tapped “Confirm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations! You have successfully claimed the Talent Orb!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fu Ya  warehouse has been confirmed; dedicated personnel are preparing shipment. Please await further notice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned off his identity device.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stood up and checked the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>8:30.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour remained until the academy gates opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, how was your rest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan walked over, holding two cups of mocha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian took the coffee and took a sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deeply bitter sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t rest much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just reading through those emails took up plenty of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, Jiang Jian walked to the porthole and gazed out at the dockyard. “There are more people now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dockyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the Whale-Ray craft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people in work uniforms gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some operated machinery carts, others held various tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They bustled beneath the Whale-Ray craft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every Whale-Ray craft requires complex daily maintenance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These workers rely on this for their livelihood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan smiled. “The first-year campus has only a few thousand faculty and students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the population in the academy’s outer zones reaches a million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The academy area is nearly equivalent to a small city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The livelihood of these million people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is intimately tied to Linjiang Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put simply,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Survive by serving the campus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time reached 8:50.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end of the dockyard,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive academy gate, silently standing, slowly opened!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two colossal gates towered dozens of meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with just a narrow crack opened,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could accommodate three floating vehicles side by side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cabin, blue light flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please disembark!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mechanical voice echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Whale-Ray cabin door rotated open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stepped onto the gangway: “Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan followed behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several others also emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the academy gate, on the dockyard,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three hundred incoming freshmen gradually disembarked from the Whale-Ray crafts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to their departments,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They naturally divided into seventeen groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan scanned the surroundings, then suddenly spoke: “Jiang Jian, I noticed something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow: “Go on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan said: “All other departments have team leaders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But our First Department seems to have none.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On this massive Whale-Ray craft,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only the few of us are here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s not a trace of a team leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he finished speaking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three nodded: “It really does seem that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I noticed it already on the Whale-Ray craft.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be that our First Department has so few incoming freshmen that the team leader didn’t bother coming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian pointed toward the partially opened academy gate: “Isn’t that them coming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a hundred teachers emerged from the gate and arrived on the dockyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These teachers wore custom-tailored academy robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The garments were luxurious, exquisitely crafted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threads along the seams shimmered, made of the finest materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a thousand students formed orderly lines and walked out of the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These students wore equally splendid academy uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the chest of each uniform was embroidered the Linjiang Academy emblem:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surging, roaring river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could almost hear the water churning, roaring, and bellowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bell’s chime echoed across the dockyard!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vast open space before the academy gate fell instantly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Identity device time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointed to 9:00 sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the year 3227, the First-Year Zone’s entrance examination has been completed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A calm voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All faculty and students on the fleet yard looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above dozens of whale-ray vessels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure clad in a teacher’s robe descended through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this person,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan’s pupils instantly contracted, and he muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First-Year Zone, Deputy Head of Campus, Zhang Tianzhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His realm is very high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slender figure had already landed on the fleet yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless eyes turned toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tianzhi surveyed the surroundings and said, “Linjiang Academy embraces all rivers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only cultivation progress and examination results matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is no discrimination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three hundred incoming students from other continents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On behalf of the academy, I welcome you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tianzhi clapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other teachers clapped as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a thousand students clapped too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s expression remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he sensed clearly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the local students\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subtly revealed superiority—and exclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there’s no discrimination, why emphasize it so much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan, too, noticed this, and sneered, “It’s like hiding silver while claiming it’s not there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the local students,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Student representatives had already been dispatched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking toward the incoming newcomers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five classmates, welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl with a ponytail smiled, “I’m Mu Ying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her hands, she held five brand-new, luxurious uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome to the First Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These uniforms were tailor-made according to your measurements.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Ying stepped before Jiang Jian, paused, then said, “Jiang Jian, welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s examination score was 97.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranked second among all new students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of what Mu Ying truly thought,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least for now,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She showed clear goodwill toward Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian took the uniform: “Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Ying smiled sweetly: “Jiang Jian, you’re too polite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked to Shi Xuan’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Ying’s smile faded, yet she remained polite: “Shi Xuan, welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing such obvious favoritism,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Xuan’s eye twitched; he snatched the uniform and gritted out, “Mu Ying, welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After distributing all five uniforms,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Ying exhaled and said, “Follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and walked ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian and Shi Xuan exchanged a glance, then followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Academy had few people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only fifty students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place where these students stood\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the closest to the academy’s main gate among all academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Mu Ying lead them over,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students slightly parted, their gazes turning toward the newcomers—with scrutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many glanced over Shi Xuan and the others in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they looked at Jiang Jian, their expressions grew noticeably more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1175,"2026-06-20T01:21:34.271Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a543f3eaca68d382b7fd49eccc548c942bae2fb6c54e5a395dd5553ef3cc2e4b","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-40","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-38",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]