Chapter 8: Close, But Not Quite Touching…

On the first floor of Teaching Building Three, dozens of machines were placed to record check-in times.

Due to mealtime, many of the machines in the hall were still idle.

Lin Mo randomly picked one machine and opened the student management system on the desktop.

Entered student ID, loading interface…

Soon, Lin Mo’s personal information appeared on the screen.

It recorded his daily check-ins to the cultivation chambers through all four seasons, as well as his scores from every exam during his three years of high school.

The exam scores were divided into two categories: [Literary Exam] and [Immortal Exam].

These corresponded respectively to the ordinary university track and the immortal cultivation track, both with a total score of one thousand points.

Notably, whether aiming for an ordinary university or an immortal academy, both Literary and Immortal Exams were required.

However, if entering an ordinary university, the Immortal Exam score served as a bonus.

If entering a Dao Academy, the Literary Exam score would also serve as a bonus.

Lin Mo casually opened his last mock exam results:

[Student Name]: Lin Mo

[Literary Exam Score]: 902/1000

[Immortal Exam Score]: 198.5/1000

[Literary Ranking]: 3rd in the school

[Immortal Ranking]: 668th in the school

…

There was a stark contrast between his Literary and Immortal scores.

His Literary score was not only top-ranked in school, but could easily place him in the top 100 province-wide.

But his Immortal score…

Lin Mo opened the detailed breakdown of his Immortal Exam:

[Cultivation Base Score]: 121.5/500

[Spiritual Root Score]: 35/200

[Spellcraft Score]: 42/300

…

Forget it, no need to look.

As Zhang Da used to say, it was a classic case of “high score, low ability.”

Of course, with his current scores, his cultivation base could at least rise by 30 points, and his spiritual root by at least 5.

Though still low, Lin Mo calculated that his school ranking could climb nearly two hundred places.

If he could advance to Qi Refining Level 4, he’d firmly enter the top two hundred of Nanshan High’s senior class.

The notion that one point could separate a thousand ranks didn’t hold true for the Immortal Exam.

More accurately, the gap between Qi Refining Level 3 and Level 4 was like a heavenly chasm—just crossing it could boost one’s ranking by tens of thousands.

According to past records, the total number of examinees in Xichuan Province was roughly one million.

Yet only about ten thousand students reached Qi Refining Level 4 and qualified for admission to Dao Academies.

Calling it one in a hundred was no exaggeration.

“Wait. Raise my spiritual root purity ratio, and I’ll level up!”

Lin Mo muttered inwardly.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out in the otherwise quiet first-floor hall, followed by a hushed but loud voice reaching his ears:

“Look! Look! Miss Chu is here!”

Lin Mo instinctively looked up and saw a figure in red entering through the door, drawing countless stares.

She was a girl his age, dressed in a red Daoist robe, yet utterly free of any vulgar aura.

A standard wooden practice sword hung at her waist; her stride was swift and graceful, her single braid falling straight down her shoulders, giving off a clean, crisp impression.

But her most striking feature was the natural martial spirit in her eyes and brows, drawing attention to her effortlessly.

The moment Lin Mo saw the red robe, he recognized her: Chu Wange, the school’s universally acknowledged beauty.

Yet her most impressive title wasn't "school beauty," nor her rumored status as a second-generation immortal, but rather Nanshan High's top scorer on the Immortal Exam.

According to reliable rumors, her Immortal Exam score in the last mock test was absurdly high—Dao Academy recruiters had already contacted her in advance.

Yet no one knew why she was still at school.

Had she failed the direct admission review?

Lin Mo speculated inwardly.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

The male students in the hall were already broadcasting their male pheromones—especially those with empty seats beside them, who coughed like they had phlegm stuck in their throats, desperate for Chu Wange to notice them.

Some even stared directly at her, not moving an inch.

Pfft! Do you even like her? You’re just lusting after her body—pathetic!

Lin Mo looked down at the male students around him with disdain, then raised his eyes again to glance at Chu Wange’s figure, which even her Daoist robe couldn’t conceal.

“Ugh—cough! Cough!”

He covered his mouth with one hand and coughed twice; his throat suddenly felt odd…

Whether because of his cough or not, Chu Wange paused briefly after entering and actually walked toward his direction.

To Lin Mo’s slight surprise, the red-robed girl sat down in the empty seat beside him.

A faint, elusive fragrance drifted into his nostrils; he frowned.

…Could fate be at work?

Before he could think further, Chu Wange, now seated, sensed his gaze and turned her head, fixing him with her beautiful phoenix eyes, her voice cool and clear:

“Is this seat taken?”

Lin Mo snapped back to reality and shook his head. “No, go ahead.”

Chu Wange said, “Oh, thanks.”

Quite polite… Lin Mo thought inwardly, glancing around.

Indeed, those two brief exchanges drew countless envious stares—jealousy nearly written on every face.

Especially the two guys beside him—their whispers were clearly audible.

“Tch. Even the school beauty’s taste is bad. I’m handsomer than him.”

“Exactly!”

Hey guys, have you checked my charm stat? It’s 95!

First, squeeze your acne!

Lin Mo chuckled, unaffected—then deliberately glanced at the two boys and slid his chair closer to Chu Wange.

“Holy shit! Thief! How bold!”

The male students all widened their eyes, jaws dropped in shock.

Some had dared to pursue Chu Wange before—but their fates were never good.

As Nanshan High’s most promising Immortal seed, she received comprehensive protection from school leadership.

It was said the principal’s best cultivation chamber—the one with the densest spiritual energy in the entire school—was permanently open to her without restriction.

Under these conditions, a little brat like them had virtually no chance of getting close.

Even if they did, she personally sent them to the hospital.

Don’t underestimate the strength of Nanshan High’s top Immortal Exam scorer—even ordinary class teachers weren’t her match.

As proven, the boys’ fantasies never materialized.

Chu Wange seemed entirely focused on the machine before her, ignoring Lin Mo’s small maneuver.

Nor did Lin Mo push further—he stopped his movement, fixing his seat at a distance of less than half an arm’s length from her.

The distance was close… but not quite touching…

Enough to enjoy his friends’ envious, jealous glares, yet still safe enough to walk out of the building alive.

Heehee!

Lin Mo smiled inwardly, preparing to show Chu Wange his most handsome profile, hoping to earn some soft meals, when his peripheral vision caught her screen’s personal data—

A label in special font: “Qi Refining Level 9” expanded infinitely in his pupils.

“…”

Lin Mo’s smile slowly vanished from his face.

Wait, sister, why are you even still at school with this cultivation level?!