Chapter 304

"The Refining Department is… seriously reducing enrollment?"

Zhang Yu never expected that after entering university, he would encounter a situation similar to what he had faced back in high school with his martial arts teacher Lei Jun.

Except Lei Jun had run into the Foundation Establishment certificate reduction, while he was facing graduate student enrollment cuts.

After spending some time, Zhang Yu found that he couldn't find the reason for the enrollment reduction on the Spirit World Net.

However, when he was taking his medicine in the dormitory after class that day, Zhang Pianpian, hearing his doubts, offered some explanations.

Zhang Pianpian began, "It's said that several artifact refining masters at the Divine Transformation realm led a protest, claiming that the current educational resources in the Refining Departments of various universities are insufficient to match the student influx."

As Zhang Pianpian's fingertips lightly swiped across her tally book, countless pieces of information surged within her eyes.

She continued, "Secondly, they believe the current quality of artifact refining students is insufficient and that standards should be raised further…"

Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, "Damn it, so they got on the bus and then welded the door shut, huh?"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head and said, "What they've put forward are just superficial excuses."

"The real reason…"

Zhang Pianpian's fingertip traced a rune in the tally book that Zhang Yu couldn't understand, and in the next moment, vast amounts of information from deep within the Spirit World flickered in her eyes.

Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly and said, "The real reason is probably that the top ten universities are colluding to limit the number of artifact refining students across all universities, solidifying their leading positions."

"Zhang Yu, if you still plan to take the graduate entrance exam for the Refining Department, it's going to be even harder."

Zhang Pianpian sighed, "I checked the admissions standards for the past few years—they've been rising almost every year."

"As for transferring majors, the requirements have also become stricter, basically requiring a top-50 ranking in the entire department."

"If it's from the Civil Engineering Department, you need a top-20 ranking in the entire department."

Zhang Yu exclaimed, "That high? That's outrageous!"

"Top 20 in the entire department? I'd have to be ranked top 20 in Civil Engineering across all years just to transfer to Refining? Who set these standards?"

Zhang Pianpian replied indifferently, "That's just the registration requirement for the transfer exam."

"According to the new standards, if you want to compete with other students, you also have to compare bonus points."

"For example, having prior mastery of immortal arts like artifact refining, pill concocting, medicine making, formation laying… and so on, can earn you bonus points and give you priority admission."

Zhang Yu frowned even more tightly upon hearing this. Those bonus-point skills sounded more and more expensive—was this really a way to screen talent? It was clearly a way to screen wealthy students.

Zhang Pianpian continued, "Zhang Yu, if you still plan to go the artifact refining route, you'll need to work even harder."

"After all, by the time your year comes around, these admissions requirements will likely be even higher."

Zhang Pianpian shook her head and lamented, "But there's no helping it—hot majors reducing enrollment is the current big trend."

"It's not just the Refining Department; the three flagship departments of Ten Thousand Methods University are all cutting back."

"For example, the admissions requirements for the Finance Department have long since skyrocketed."

"After all, the table is only this big—if one more person comes up, everyone else gets a little less to eat."

"As time goes on, climbing the ladder in Kunxu will only get harder."

"Take the entry into the Ten Great Sects… in a few more years, they might not recruit at all."

Hearing the earlier changes in graduate and Refining Department enrollment figures, Zhang Yu frowned repeatedly but remained composed, thinking he would just have to work harder from now on.

But at Zhang Pianpian's last sentence, his eyes suddenly widened, and he said, "Sis… Senior Sister! What did you say?"

"The Ten Great Sects might not recruit in a few more years?"

At that moment, the ritual power that had not surfaced for a long time due to his ceaseless daily studying and cultivation… Zhang Yu seemed to recall that familiar chill.

Zhang Yu, who had originally thought he could breathe a temporary sigh of relief after getting into a top ten university following the wish path, immediately tensed up again.

He still clearly remembered the path he had wished for back then.

Get into university, join a sect, and ultimately use the sect's stipend to buy the antique—that was the wish…

"Damn it, if the Ten Great Sects stop taking people, won't I fail to fulfill the ritual wish? Then after I graduate… won't I be killed by the ritual backlash?"

"Fuji! Did you hear that? Can't you just stop this damn ritual?"

Fuji laughed awkwardly. "Sigh, I didn't expect things to be so competitive now."

Just as a storm was raging in Zhang Yu's heart, Zhang Pianpian cast a strange glance at his changing expression and replied calmly, "After coming up here, I realized that many situations are different from what we used to think. Ever since the college entrance exam system and university system were established, almost every year there have been peerless geniuses climbing up, admitted into the Ten Great Sects from the top ten elite universities."

"Under this system, the number of people in the Ten Great Sects grows every year, and extraordinary talents emerge in an endless stream."

"Each of these geniuses among geniuses is endowed with exceptional talent and brilliant aptitude."

"With so many people entering the sects, striving toward the peak of the Immortal Path… don't you think it will get more and more crowded up there?"

"From the perspective of the Ten Great Sects, the pool of immortal-path talents may already be overflowing."

"And since the vehicle is getting more and more crowded, naturally the standards for boarding have to be raised."

"Based on the data I've seen so far, judging by the trends of the past few years, there may already be no mortals within the Ten Great Sects. The birth rate might have dropped to zero for quite some time. None of the people who went up to work have been able to keep their household registration; after working for a certain period, they still have to come back down…" Zhang Pianpian sighed.

"I think… in just a few more years, it will be close to that tipping point."

"By then, the Ten Great Sects may never accept disciples again, and the sect cave heavens above the tenth level may never open downward again."

"Above the sects and below the sects will become two completely separate worlds."

Listening to Zhang Pianpian's words, Zhang Yu cursed inwardly: "Why did things have to get stuck right at this time for me?"

"If I had been born twenty or forty years earlier, wouldn't the difficulty of taking the college entrance exam and entering a sect be several levels lower?"

"Now the difficulty is high enough, and on top of that, it might even be suspended for me?"

Zhang Pianpian looked at Zhang Yu's changing expression and asked with curiosity, "Zhang Yu, do you really want to join the Ten Great Sects?"

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "Do you think I still have a chance?"

Zhang Pianpian checked the data and said, "Last year, the number of Artifact Refining students recruited by the sects was… 5."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's expression shifted: "Recruited by the Ten Thousand Methods Sect?"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head: "The Ten Great Sects recruited a total of 5 people from all the PhDs in Artifact Refining across all universities—4 at the Nascent Soul stage and 1 at the Golden Core stage."

"If you want to join the Ten Great Sects, you'll probably have to at least reach the PhD level."

Zhang Yu felt his heart grow cold when he heard this.

Then he recalled the expanded enrollment of graduate students in Civil Engineering and asked with a hint of hope: "What about Civil Engineering? Are they recruiting particularly many…"

"Zero," Zhang Pianpian said calmly. "Last year… the Ten Great Sects recruited not a single disciple from Civil Engineering."

"It's already tacitly accepted that the Ten Great Sects may have stopped recruiting from Civil Engineering."

"I've looked into it. If you really want to enter the Ten Great Sects, the Artifact Refining department has a relatively higher probability. The other departments either have even lower chances or are about the same…"

Zhang Yu asked, "Then… how many more years do you think it will be before the Ten Great Sects stop recruiting altogether?"

"Five years? Ten years? Twenty years?" Zhang Pianpian shook her head and sighed, "Hard to say, you know? For immortals, ten or thirty years might be about the same."

Zhang Yu asked again, "Have you never thought about joining the Ten Great Sects?"

Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly. "The Eight Righteous Gods are my ultimate destination."

With that, she sighed softly, "After entering university, I've come to feel more and more… we were ultimately born a little too late."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn't help clenching his fists, thinking to himself: "No, this won't do. If things continue like this, it's too dangerous."

Seeing Zhang Yu's furrowed brow, Zhang Pianpian said, "If you really want to seize the last chance, you'll have to finish your credits ahead of time and then apply for graduation."

"But that means… you'll have to complete your cultivation in a shorter time, then compete with elites who have been cultivating for ten years for a graduate spot, and then use an even shorter time to finish graduate school and compete for a PhD spot…"

Thinking of this, Zhang Pianpian couldn't help shaking her head. "First, focus on what's right in front of you."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Graduate early?"

Zhang Pianpian reminded him again: "Remember, don't rush."

"Haste makes waste—whatever you do, don't lose your composure and expose yourself."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this, trying to calm his emotions.

Since entering university, relying on his deep past accumulation, Zhang Yu had been like a fish in water—whether it was his cultivation level, strength, grades, or ranking, everything had been steadily improving.

Not long ago, after joining the construction site, even his spirit coins had shown a clear upward trend.

Originally he thought that as long as he steadily improved step by step, progressed through school and exams, and ultimately entered one of the Ten Great Sects, everything would be fine.

But he never expected that the situation in Kunxu was far worse than he had imagined.

However, Zhang Yu was powerless to influence the policies of the Ten Great Sects. The only thing he could do now was to work and cultivate even harder and more desperately, in order to increase his chances of success by even a tiny bit.

Thinking this, Zhang Yu quickly pondered in his mind: "To achieve this without exposing my special talent, I have to earn more money."

Zhang Yu understood that the more money he earned, the faster he could improve, and it would also serve as good cover for his rapid progress, capable of concealing his astonishingly shocking talent.

"It just so happens that I now have a job at the construction site, so I don't have to worry about my spending exceeding my income."

With that thought, Zhang Yu already had a plan in mind: "Next… I'll spend money to improve my strength, using it as the basis for increasing my efficiency at the construction site, then earn more spirit coins, spend more spirit coins to improve my strength…"

So a moment later, various products and services flashed back and forth in Zhang Yu's eye display, and he had already begun selecting what to buy next.