Chapter 240: Rewards Arrive, Undercurrents Stir

On the scene, aside from Ye Lingxiao, who was still undergoing treatment due to severe injuries and couldn't attend, everyone else was gathered here, including Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Yun Jing, as well as the four contestants from the Dao Heart and Dharma Power tracks.

Zhang Yu glanced briefly at the four contestants on those two tracks and could tell at a glance that two of them were so excited that they might as well have had the words "Foundation Establishment Certificate" written on their foreheads.

How did Zhang Yu know? Naturally, because he felt the same way they did right now—he wished he could @ everyone he knew and show off that he had passed the Foundation Establishment Qualification Exam.

The other two, on the other hand, looked dejected, like beaten dogs, making it clear who had won and who had lost.

So Zhang Yu lingered a moment on the two winners. As far as he could recall, this man and woman had ranked third and fifth overall in the first round of the Foundation Establishment exam.

Their strength, enough to stand out among the many students of Xiandu, was naturally extraordinary. It was just that Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing's performances had been too dazzling at first, overshadowing everyone else's brilliance.

Later, due to the different tracks, Zhang Yu hadn't paid much attention to the other top students in Xiandu.

Now, seeing these two obtain their Foundation Establishment Certificates, Zhang Yu figured that even if this man and woman weren't as strong as Ye Lingxiao, they were likely at the top tier among Kunxu first-level high school students.

"Of course, compared to me and Ah Zhen, they're definitely far behind."

After a burst of excitement, the two students soon noticed that one person was missing from the scene.

The male student walked over to Yun Jing and asked curiously, "Where's Ye Lingxiao? Did he grab his Foundation Establishment Certificate and run off?"

The male student speaking had a well-proportioned build and water-blue hair that rippled like waves—clearly some kind of Dharma Body.

His name was Sheng Jie, the winner of the Foundation Establishment Certificate on the Dharma Power track this time.

Yun Jing shot Sheng Jie a dark look and said coldly, "How should I know where he went?"

"But you can ask him."

Yun Jing glanced at Zhang Yu and said flatly, "He was probably in the same group as Ye Lingxiao, right? And it seems he beat Ye Lingxiao."

"Beat Ye Lingxiao? How is that possible?!" Sheng Jie showed a hint of shock, turning his head to look at Zhang Yu.

As a top student from Xiandu's 1.5th layer, Sheng Jie knew all too well how terrifying Ye Lingxiao was and how formidable his Perfect Bloodline was.

After all, as classmates in the same high school, Sheng Jie had been suppressed by Ye Lingxiao ever since enrollment, to the point that Ye Lingxiao was practically the shadow of his life.

Moreover, from the moment of registration, Sheng Jie could tell at a glance that Zhang Yu was an outsider.

It was almost a complete reversal of heaven and earth—an outsider coming here to snatch Xiandu's Foundation Establishment Certificate!

Sheng Jie looked at Zhang Yu and asked, "This… you defeated Ye Lingxiao?"

Feeling the shock in the other's gaze, Zhang Yu tried hard to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting, and said as calmly as possible, "Mm."

Bai Zhenzhen shot him a sideways glance, thinking to herself, "Yu Zi, Yu Zi, your eagerness to show off is practically written all over your face. You really can't stay composed."

Seeing Zhang Yu nod slightly, Sheng Jie drew in a cold breath and asked, "Then where is he now?"

Zhang Yu recalled the treatment Ye Lingxiao was undergoing and said flatly, "Seems like his injuries were too severe. He can't recover in a short time, so he probably can't make it to the award ceremony."

If just now, after hearing Zhang Yu admit to defeating Ye Lingxiao, Sheng Jie's gaze was filled with admiration, then at this moment, the way he looked at Zhang Yu was like looking at a monster.

He thought in shock, "That Ye Lingxiao… not only did he lose, but his injuries are so bad that even the main god can't heal them quickly?!"

At the same time, the other contestants all turned to look over as well. Being from Xiandu, they too found Zhang Yu's words utterly incredible.

After all, which Xiandu high school student didn't know how strong Ye Lingxiao was?

They simply couldn't imagine what kind of high school student would have to be so powerful as to defeat Ye Lingxiao, and even leave him severely injured in a match to the point where he couldn't be healed quickly.

At this moment, in their eyes, Zhang Yu was no longer just an ordinary outsider—he was a super outsider, a wealthy outsider of unfathomable status.

Meanwhile, the female student who had secured the Foundation Establishment Certificate on the Dao Heart track noticed Yun Jing's gloomy expression and poor state, and she spoke up: "Yun Jing, you… you didn't lose too, did you?"

Yun Jing glanced at the woman who had spoken.

Her name was Tan Shishan, also from Xiandu like him. Although her status and grades were a bit lower than his and Ye Lingxiao's, they normally moved in the same circles, except that she leaned more toward Ye Lingxiao and the Oasis Group.

But thinking about how this person who used to chase after him had now obtained the Foundation Establishment Certificate while he hadn't, Yun Jing felt another wave of helplessness.

He knew that from this moment on, one side had the Foundation Establishment Certificate and the other didn't—like the difference between top 10 and top 30 in grade level, they might never sit at the same table for a meal again.

Yun Jing took a deep breath. He wasn't interested in covering it up anyway, since these people would find out soon enough, so he said bluntly, "Mm, I lost."

Unlike Ye Lingxiao, who was utterly overwhelmed by Zhang Yu's power and physique in the end, Yun Jing, though defeated by Bai Zhenzhen, felt a strong sense of unwillingness and… regret inside.

Because Yun Jing could tell that in terms of pure strength, that woman was definitely no match for him.

"If I had been a bit more careful… If I had used a different tactic back then…"

Every time he reviewed his three battles with Bai Zhenzhen, Yun Jing grew angrier and more regretful. He was confident that if he could fight again, he would definitely defeat her.

It was like making a careless mistake on the last question of a general knowledge exam—at this moment, Yun Jing could only hate himself for not being careful enough, not meticulous enough, and not taking the opponent seriously enough.

Hearing what Yun Jing said, the gathered Xiandu people were taken aback once again. They hadn't expected that besides Ye Lingxiao, even Yun Jing had lost.

They had to know that when the groups were initially divided, they had all assumed that the groups containing Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were destined to be groups of death, and everyone else besides those two would inevitably be eliminated.

Therefore, they had done their best to avoid the competition lanes that Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were in, crowding into the two lanes of Dharmic Power and Dao Heart to compete for Foundation Establishment qualification certificates. In the end, Sheng Jie and Tan Shishan seized the Foundation Establishment certificates.

At this moment, the gazes of several Xiandu students toward Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen grew increasingly different. Their shabby outer coats, rag-like sweatpants, and trash that barely qualified as shoes all seemed at this moment to become profoundly unfathomable.

Zhang Yu watched Bai Zhenzhen, whose face was slightly flushed, and thought to himself, "Ah Zhen, this guy—his face is almost red from holding back, and he’s still pretending to be aloof? He really can't keep his composure."

Bai Zhenzhen thought to himself, "Damn, I really want to post on my Moments!"

However, the Xiandu students quickly snapped out of their shock and began to consider the impact of this unexpected turn of events.

Sheng Jie thought to himself, "But Ye Lingxiao losing might be a good thing. I… could I have a chance to take his place and serve the Oasis Group?"

The family that Sheng Jie belonged to, like the Ye family, also intended to cooperate with the Oasis Group to launch a revolution, so he knew some inside information.

And Ye Lingxiao, due to his superior performance, had become the main promotional target of the plan.

But now Sheng Jie saw an opportunity; he too wanted to be the dog of the soon-to-descend Second Layer Master of the Oasis Group.

Being a dog had never been a burden to Sheng Jie.

As long as the money was enough, it wasn’t just being a dog—even if he had to be f***ed by a dog, he would f*** until the other party went bankrupt. Unfortunately, there were no good bargains in the world. Unlike these Xiandu gentlemen around him, who had lived in splendor since childhood, Sheng Jie was born into a collateral branch of a family. Since he could remember, he had lived on the ground of Xiandu.

Because the sky was completely blocked by the floating city, he had never seen daylight before entering high school.

Outsiders who came to Xiandu liked to say that Xiandu gentlemen were privileged in this or that way, and how many good cultivation conditions they had from a young age.

Every time he heard such talk, Sheng Jie would scoff. Who said all Xiandu people were rich?

In his view, the poor in Xiandu could only be more numerous than in any other city, because this was the most fiercely competitive place on the First Layer of Kunxu, and also the place where the most people were eliminated each year.

To him, many people on the First Layer were nothing but dogs of the One-Point-Five Layer, and those on the One-Point-Five Layer were likewise dogs of the Second Layer.

In his eyes, Kunxu was like an enormous dog kennel: either you treat others as dogs, or you become someone else's dog.

Only by learning to be a dog and to train dogs could you climb all the way up in Kunxu, just as he had climbed from the First Layer to the One-Point-Five Layer.

"No."

Sheng Jie looked at Zhang Yu and thought, "Will this guy also be recruited by the Oasis Group? That means I'll have to compete with him?"

Thinking of this, Sheng Jie felt a pang of frustration. How could he compete with this monster who had crushed Ye Lingxiao?

"!"

"But maybe…?"

Sheng Jie knew Ye Lingxiao's temper; in his opinion, he was too aloof and proud.

"Since this guy's strength is even greater than Ye Lingxiao's, his family background and status must be even more formidable."

Sheng Jie looked at Zhang Yu, sensing the cool, faint aura about him, and thought, "His temper is probably even worse than Ye Lingxiao's. I wonder how proud and aloof he is. Maybe he won't even want to serve the Second Layer Master of the Oasis Group. Then I'll have my chance."

"Anyway, after the Foundation Establishment exam, the examinees' information will no longer be confidential."

"When I get back, I'll immediately investigate his background, find out what his origin is, and see if I have a chance."

At that moment, as divine radiance rippled, the five Principal God Examiners each cast down their projections.

Deng Bingding, as the chief examiner, first gave some words of encouragement to the many examinees present. After a bunch of platitudes, he began to announce the results of this exam.

As the four winners of Foundation Establishment qualification certificates stepped forward one by one, Deng Bingding's gaze lingered on Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen for an extra moment, then he looked at the four of them and said with a smile, "You four performed very well. With tenacious will, exquisite skill, and fearless courage, you have displayed the demeanor of First-Layer Kunxu high school students…"

"…Now, the Foundation Establishment qualification certificates will be awarded to you."

After listening to his long speech, the award ceremony finally began. Zhang Yu's eyes widened as, under Huang Zichou's direction, he took a gilded certificate with both hands.

Looking at the five large characters reading "Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate," Zhang Yu let out a long sigh of relief.

At the same time, Huang Zichou beside him reminded, "Keep the certificate safe at home. It's mainly a souvenir. For daily use, the electronic version will be the primary."

Zhang Yu asked, “Does it have special effects? Like the kind that hangs above the head?”

Huang Zichou gave a slight smile and said, “You’ll have to figure that out on your own.”

On the side, Yun Jing and the other two losers stared hungrily at the Foundation Establishment certificates in the four people’s hands, their longing, envy, and jealousy almost taking tangible form.

Next came a three-million interest-free loan, which all students—victors and losers alike—received on the spot.

They saw Deng Bingding wave her hand, and a massive red envelope materialized above everyone’s heads, with the number 3,000,000 written on it.

“Take it; inside is a three-million interest-free loan.”

This was pocket change to people like Yun Jing and Sheng Jie, but for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, it was another substantial windfall, greatly relieving their financial straits and filling their once-empty wallets.

The two cheerfully accepted the red envelope, watching their account balances skyrocket as they began planning how to spend it.

As for using it to pay off previous loans? That wasn’t the style of us Kunxu people.

Next came the reward of an expert-level cultivation method. Over the past few months, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had browsed various techniques and already had a clear idea of what they needed next. Now they quickly submitted their requests for the specific methods, and would soon receive the usage rights and electronic versions.

Last on the list was the assigned university mentor.

Deng Bingding looked at the four of them and said, “This reward will be distributed after you enter university.”

“When you ascend to the second level and enter the university city, the local righteous god there will contact you and assign you a mentor.”

“As for which mentor is assigned, you’ll need to find out on your own when the time comes.”

She paused at this point and then added a reminder, “Once you enter university, choosing the right mentor is very important. If you find it hard to decide, you can hold off and make your choice only after you have enough understanding and confidence.”

“Also, after this Foundation Establishment exam concludes, the information protection for examinees will cease. When you return, you’ll likely encounter early recruitment offers from various universities and companies.”

“My advice to you is… don’t agree to any conditions lightly.”

As Zhang Yu listened to Deng Bingding, he felt that she kept looking at him and Bai Zhenzhen while speaking, as if this advice was meant specifically for the two of them.

“But then…” he thought, such matters were surely well-known to all the immortal lords around them; in comparison, he and Bai Zhenzhen were indeed the least knowledgeable about this kind of situation.

Recalling how she had added him as a friend and suppressed the Zhou family, Zhang Yu felt that this righteous god seemed to harbor some obscure goodwill toward him.

Zhang Yu muttered inwardly, “I didn’t even use a goodwill charm…”

With the Foundation Establishment exam completely over, the examinees left the examination hall one after another.

Deng Bingding looked at the now-empty examination hall, knowing in her heart that the results of this exam would likely not go unnoticed like those of previous years.

After all, the Oasis Group and several families in Xiandu had decided to join forces to launch a reform, and they had used this Foundation Establishment exam as a propaganda weapon.

“Even if Ye Lingxiao fails, they’ll just switch to another propaganda target…”

Deng Bingding thought to herself that the impact of this exam would soon spread, but what the final outcome would be, she did not know.

“The Divine Ministry has not yet reacted to the Oasis Group’s large-scale interference on the first level, even integrating the powerful families of various regions… Are they holding back out of fear of someone behind the Oasis Group, someone from the Netherworld Palace?”

Deng Bingding’s mind suddenly flashed images of Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Zhang Pianpian.

“Or have the great gods already made their moves in this exam?”