Chapter 40: Flowing Petals

The entrance division assessment, though random and different for each student,

was supervised Quancheng by invigilators.

Cheating was utterly impossible.

The difficulty of the assessment was common knowledge.

Jiang Jian scored 97 on the assessment.

Among 1,800 new students, he ranked second.

He even tied with the top scorer, Liu Tiezhu!

Except for Shi Luohua, whose fourth-tier talent score was excluded from rankings.

Jiang Jian’s assessment result was more than enough to dominate this cohort of new students.

Many students from the First Division

knew it deep inside.

If Liu Tiezhu were not a native of Linjiang Prefecture,

then Jiang Jian

might well have been more than second place!

“Welcome!”

“Welcome, new students!”

The students of the First Division clapped enthusiastically.

Shi Xuan frowned and asked, “Does the First Division really have no teachers?”

Mu Ying cleared his throat and said, “The three theoretical subjects all have instructors.”

“But the division head teacher is away on business and hasn’t returned yet.”

Each division has four teachers.

The three theoretical subjects each have three instructors.

The division head teacher holds the highest rank and teaches cultivation.

Meanwhile,

the division head teacher is also the most important instructor in every Divine Gift University.

As they spoke,

the 300 incoming new students had been integrated into the local student groups.

Suddenly,

Shi Xuan’s body trembled.

He stared fixedly at one direction.

Jiang Jian noticed and followed his gaze.

In the corner,

stood a girl.

She was very beautiful.

Her black hair was tied into a neat ponytail, loosely hanging behind her.

She silently swiped her identity device, expressionless.

Around her,

no one was present.

All first-division new students stood two meters away, not daring to approach.

“My cousin.”

A few seconds later, Shi Xuan unclenched his fists, breathing heavily.

“Shi Luohua.”

Shi Luohua seemed to sense it.

She looked up at Shi Xuan.

Her calm gaze revealed no emotion.

The next second,

Shi Luohua lowered her eyes and continued swiping her identity device.

Jiang Jian frowned slightly.

He sensed within himself

an invisible aura surrounding Shi Luohua.

Her cultivation had already begun.

Jiang Jian looked at Shi Luohua.

Deep within his heart,

a faint but growing sense of urgency arose.

At that moment,

Zhang Tianzhi’s voice echoed again across the landing field.

“All incoming new students,”

“take your identity devices,”

“and proceed to your division’s dormitory building to register for accommodation.”

“First-year zone.”

“Year 3227, March 3rd.”

“That is, tomorrow.”

“The semester officially begins!”

Thunderous applause erupted!

The three theoretical instructors approached.

One of them smiled warmly and looked at Jiang Jian.

“Wei Teacher is absent.”

“I’ll send you the map.”

“Use your identity devices,”

“follow the map, and go to the First Division dormitory building to register.”

Hearing this,

Jiang Jian opened his identity device.

Sure enough, a detailed campus map appeared in his new messages.

The First Division dormitory building lay deep within the campus.

After entering the main gate, you still had to walk over ten kilometers.

“I’ll take you there.”

Mu Ying walked over, smiling faintly. “I’m the First Division student representative and have permission to use the division’s aerial shuttle.”

She extended her hand and tapped her identity device repeatedly.

A few seconds later,

a glowing aerial shuttle sped toward them from the edge of the landing field.

“Get on.”

Mu Ying stepped aboard first.

Jiang Jian hesitated briefly, then followed.

Shi Xuan and the others boarded as well.

The rest of the First Division students gradually dispersed.

In groups of two or three, they entered the campus gate and left.

Within the campus, the aerial shuttle sped swiftly.

“Jiang Jian, I know the local students of Linjiang Prefecture.”

“They look down on students from other prefectures.”

Shi Xuan sat in his seat, watching the dormitory buildings blur past the window, and said gravely.

Jiang Jian shook his head. “We applied to Divine Gift University for one reason only: our own cultivation.”

“If we waste our energy on such trivial matters,”

“delaying our cultivation progress,”

“wouldn’t that be foolish?”

Hearing this,

Shi Xuan froze.

The other three students also looked thoughtful.

One of them nodded in admiration: “Jiang Jian, I truly admire you.”

“I’m from Luoying Prefecture.”

“But in all the people I’ve ever met since childhood,”

“Never has there been one.”

“Someone like you.”

“Whose mind is solely on cultivation.”

The other two nodded in agreement.

The man continued: “The gods, moved by compassion for mortals, activated the Shenque acupoint and bestowed Tianfu .”

“So that everyone in the vast solar system could cultivate.”

“But that’s exactly the problem.”

“Cultivation became optional.”

“Most people now spend day and night struggling to make a living.”

“Earning Alliance coins just to survive.”

“They have almost no mental bandwidth left for cultivation.”

“Ninety-nine percent of people are trapped forever in the so-called Divine Gift Realm, unable to break through in their entire lives.”

Hearing this,

Shi Xuan shook his head and said: “Cultivation requires excellent innate talent—and it costs a fortune.”

“Many people aren’t unwilling to cultivate.”

“They simply lack the means to even aspire to it.”

“Don’t you understand this Daoli ?”

These words fell.

The other three exchanged glances.

They all slowly nodded in agreement.

Shi Xuan glanced at Jiang Jian and continued: “We’ve already passed the Linjiang Academy entrance exam and been assigned to the First Courtyard.”

“Such excellent cultivation conditions.”

“And yet I’m still worrying about being shunned by local students.”

“My mind is clouded, polluted by trivial distractions.”

“Jiang Jian, thank you.”

Shi Xuan’s expression turned solemn as he bowed deeply to Jiang Jian in sincere gratitude.

The other three felt their emotions stir, all turning to look at Jiang Jian.

Within the vast Linjiang Academy,

as newcomers from outside provinces,

they naturally felt a closeness to Jiang Jian here.

As they spoke,

the sky shuttle had come to a stop.

The pilot Cang door opened.

Mu Ying leapt down, tilted her face up, and smiled: “The dormitory building has arrived!”

The passenger door opened.

Jiang Jian and the others stepped down from the shuttle and looked up.

A towering building stood before them.

At its summit,

brilliant deep-blue currents swirled and churned, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Before the entrance,

students came and went, but in small numbers.

A quick glance revealed only a dozen or so.

“The building can house thousands.”

Mu Ying blinked. “But our First Courtyard has only fifty people.”

“Everyone else are staff.”

“Floor three is the cafeteria.”

“Floor five is the Simulation Exam Hall and Talent Test Hall.”

“Floor seven is the individual training rooms.”

“Floor nine is the Duel Arena and Simulation Combat Hall.”

“Floor ten and above are the First Courtyard dormitories.”

“Each person gets an apartment.”

“Your identity device is your key.”

“The apartment details are in the First Courtyard authentication email.”

As Mu Ying finished speaking,

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and checked his authentication email.

“13-8.”

“Thirteenth floor, apartment eight.”

Mu Ying smiled: “Go back to your apartment—I’m heading back too.”

“Tomorrow is the third. Classes start officially.”

“The schedule should be sent to your identity device tonight.”

With that said,

Mu Ying turned and walked toward the base of the building.

She extended her wrist; her identity device glowed faintly.

The main door opened.

Mu Ying walked straight inside.

“Jiang Jian, which floor are you on?”

Shi Xuan asked. “I’m 12-6.”

(End of Chapter)