Chapter 27: Unparalleled Welcome! The Three Top Ability Universities!

First place, Xu Jingming, score (Jiangcheng No. 2 High School)

Second place, Zhou Mingyang, 1233 points (Jiangcheng No. 1 High School)

Third place, Wu Hao, 1045 points (Jiangcheng No. 1 High School)

When the clock struck nine o’clock, the Wu Ke Gaokao rankings and scores were finalized.

Xu Jingming secured first place with a score nearly ten times higher than the second-place candidate.

The original favorite for first place, Zhou Mingyang, ended up with only second place.

As the Wu Ke Gaokao ended, candidates gradually emerged from the ruined town.

Besides discussing their experiences in the exam, their conversations all revolved around Xu Jingming.

“Over ten thousand points! That’s insane!”

“I was in the same class as Xu Jingming—would you believe me if I told you he only has an E-rank ability?”

“E-rank ability? Are you kidding? Could an E-rank ability crush Zhou Mingyang, a B-rank ability user, by a tenfold margin?”

“......”

Notably, when students from Xu Jingming’s class told others that he had only an E-rank ability,

every single response was disbelief.

Time passed slowly; most students had already returned to the open ground.

Only a few who had ventured deeper into the ruined town remained inside.

Of course, Xu Jingming was among them.

Yet the students who had exited the exam site did not immediately board the buses—they waited where they stood.

They wanted to see who this man, who had scored over ten thousand points, truly was.

During the wait, they inevitably speculated about Xu Jingming’s final ranking.

“Last year, the highest score in Jiangnan Province was only eight thousand—over ten thousand points? He’s definitely the provincial top scorer!”

“Who knows? Maybe another freak like Xu Jingming will emerge from another city?”

“True, but no matter what, he’s guaranteed a top-three spot in Jiangnan Province!”

“Top three in Jiangnan Province? That’s bringing honor to the entire Jiangcheng!”

“Yes! Jiangcheng has finally produced a true prodigy!”

“......”

Jiangcheng, ranked among the lowest in economic development among Jiangnan Province’s dozens of prefecture-level cities,

had always been invisible in the national Wu Ke Gaokao.

Each year, the provincial ranking list would only show a Jiangcheng candidate after the top hundred.

But this year was completely different!

Xu Jingming, with his staggering ten-thousand-point score, had the potential to claim the provincial top spot.

Even if he failed to take first, he was still guaranteed a top-three finish.

At that point, Jiangcheng would become famous because of Xu Jingming!

Because of this, the excited Education Bureau Director Zhang Wenshan, along with all the school principals and teachers,

had already left the spectator seats and stood at the exam exit, waiting for Xu Jingming’s arrival.

On the open ground, the students were excited and proud.

Some students from Class Five of No. 2 High School even boasted about how close they had once been to Xu Jingming.

Especially Liu Jie, who had always been on good terms with Xu Jingming—his pride was practically soaring to the heavens.

“Qiqi, is Xu Jingming really your cousin?”

Among the students from No. 1 High School, Xiao Ya—who had previously lost interest in Xu Jingming at the Lei Ting Martial Arts Gym—

now looked at Tang Qi with sparkling eyes.

“My dear, you’ve asked me three times already.”

Tang Qi, Xu Jingming’s cousin, rolled her eyes. “I can’t say for sure, but it’s highly likely.”

“Alright, I believe you!”

Xiao Ya nodded, then hugged Tang Qi’s arm and swayed playfully. “My bestie, can you give me your cousin’s contact info?”

“Why do you want his contact now? Yesterday you weren’t even interested.”

Seeing Xiao Ya’s pleading expression, Tang Qi teased.

“Times have changed. Yesterday he was just an E-rank ability awakener; today he’s Jiangcheng’s number one!

Status is different—treatment must be different too.”

Hearing Xiao Ya’s matter-of-fact tone, Tang Qi was momentarily speechless.

This change of heart was too fast!

Just as she was about to reply, a shout rang out:

“Xu Jingming is out of the exam site!”

At this shout, the entire open ground fell utterly silent!

Everyone—including Tang Qi and Xiao Ya—turned instinctively toward the exit of the ruined town.

A tall figure stepped out from the darkened ruins.

It was none other than Xu Jingming!

He wore a bloodstained black battle suit, his expression calm and steady, a black spear over two meters long slung across his back.

The battered, nearly destroyed spear seemed to recount the brutal battles he had endured to reach this point...

“Xu Jingming, welcome back.”

Education Bureau Director Zhang Wenshan, standing nearby, led the applause with the most enthusiastic clapping.

Then the school principals and teachers joined in.

But compared to the principals’ and directors’ welcome, the students’ response was far more fervent.

“Xu Jingming, congratulations!”

“Our cohort shines because of you!”

“......”

As fellow examinees, if the score gap had been only a few hundred points, they might have resented it, thinking their abilities were close.

But a gap of over ten thousand points was total, overwhelming domination.

Moreover, after this, Xu Jingming no longer represented only himself—he represented all of Jiangcheng!

So the students lavished him with cheers and applause without hesitation.

Even some bold girls openly declared their affection on the spot!

Facing this scene, with a deafening roar of voices he couldn’t make out, Xu Jingming was still dazed.

He had never imagined such a grand welcome after the Gaokao.

“Truly dazzling...”

Not far behind, Zhou Mingyang, who had just exited the exam site, watched the scene with envy.

But he knew that even if he had been first place, he could never have received such overwhelming cheers.

After all, he hadn’t scored over ten thousand points...

“All candidates, please prepare to board the buses. The buses will take you to the city center. Once you arrive in the city...”

The cheers lasted over a minute before gradually fading, and Commander Wang began organizing the evacuation.

As for Xu Jingming, he was directly assigned by the principal to a private car for his return home.

This disappointed the students from Class Five who had hoped to ride the same bus as him...

“Xu Jingming, have you decided which ability university you’ll attend?”

Outside the window, scenery rushed past. Xu Jingming sat in the back seat of the car, driven by Zhao Yao, principal of Jiangcheng No. 2 High School.

Normally, the principal had a dedicated driver.

Now, he was driving himself, smiling broadly, with not a trace of annoyance.

“No.” Xu Jingming shook his head.

He spoke the truth.

Since his reincarnation, he had only focused on quickly increasing his strength and scoring more points—he had never considered which ability university to attend.

“With your score, you can attend any university in the country!”

Principal Zhao Yao seemed even more excited than Xu Jingming. “Including the Three Top Ability Universities! By the way, do you know which three they are?”

Xu Jingming nodded.

The Great Xia Nation had a strong martial culture; the Wu Ke Gaokao was broadcast nationwide.

Likewise, thousands of ability universities held annual university leagues to determine their rankings.

Among these thousands, three universities consistently held the top three spots in the league.

They were Qingjing Ability University, Mocheng Ability University, and Jincheng Ability University.

All three were over two hundred years old.

They possessed abundant educational resources, and their instructors were all at least sixth-rank ability users!

Towering above all other universities in the nation, they were known as the Three Top Ability Universities.

They were the sacred campuses that every Gaokao candidate dreamed of entering.