Chapter 87: 87. Chapter 87: The Hundred Stars Joint Examination Begins (In Honor of the Daoist Brother, New Leader of Chuang Tianxia

87. Chapter 87: The Hundred Stars Joint Examination Begins (In Honor of the Daoist Brother, New Leader of Chuang Tianxia)

Young Qilin Star

Morning Light High School

Behind the school, a peak jutted abruptly into the sky.

This was a specially approved training ground for the second-year student—Gu Jian Tong.

In the past, such an arrangement might have caused an uproar, but in this school, equivalent to a private elite high school, this minor privilege sparked not the slightest ripple.

Bathing Sun Cliff!

Gu Jian Tong had a tall, slender frame, long hair, and striking golden eyebrows.

At this moment, he lay sprawled on the ground in a starfish pose, lazily basking in the sun.

The "Light Transformation" ability, in its later stages, can turn the user into light; in its early stages, it allows the user to grow stronger merely by basking in starlight.

Gu Jian Tong’s daily sunbathing was equivalent to consuming high-grade nutritional supplements, with zero dan toxicity, making his progress speed enough to shame other martial arts prodigies to death.

Even under sunlight, his physical strength and recovery speed were enhanced across the board—he was hailed as a Superhuman Bloodline!

“Senior Gu…”

At that moment, a figure riding a flying skateboard arrived directly at Bathing Sun Cliff.

Her skin was pale and smooth, dressed in a school uniform skirt, her emerald eyes like tranquil lakes, naturally calming the mind.

“Ah, Ming Ruoshui… What brings you, Student Council President, to see me?”

Gu Jian Tong rolled over, his aura seeming to grow slightly stronger.

“The exam results are out—congratulations, you’re ranked first.”

Ming Ruoshui smiled sweetly.

“Isn’t that only natural?”

Gu Jian Tong didn’t even lift his eyelids.

“For the third round of practical exams, the school has prepared materials for you…”

Ming Ruoshui had a very patient temperament.

“The Hundred Stars Joint Examination? I have no rivals—not Li Wei, not Qi Lingzhen, not Zhong Yuxiu…”

Gu Jian Tong rose and stood, utterly dismissive: “If Zhong Yuxiu could enter wearing a military exosuit, I might give her some thought… but unfortunately, she can’t.”

According to exam rules, mech pilots may wear exosuits into the arena, but must design and build them themselves—personal contribution must exceed 50%!

If one could simply buy a high-grade exosuit to enter, past examinees would have zero sense of achievement…

"On Young Qilin Star, I'm invincible... no need to even consider other planets."

Gu Jian Tong waved his hand: “Don’t disturb me while I’m sunbathing…”

“Other planets have plenty of prodigies too—for example, Ross from Hundred Mech Star, who follows the ‘Mech Warrior’ path; though he has little future, he’s mastered the present and possesses extreme combat power… On Eagle Nest Star, Jin Gang Ti Song Jingang also did well, ranking second on his planet.”

“Jin Gang Ti—I remember him!”

Gu Jian Tong’s eyes flickered: “Jin Gang Ti may not surpass my Light Transformation in the later stages, but it’s decent early on… yet he’s only second on his planet? Clearly, even the best ability becomes worthless in the hands of a useless user! Who’s first?”

“A commoner martial artist named Fang Xing—he’s already reached Courage.”

Ming Ruoshui glanced at the data, a hint of surprise crossing her face.

Reaching the fourth stage of martial arts in second year means admission to a top-tier university is virtually guaranteed—even a shot at an elite university remains possible!

“Among commoners, occasional prodigies emerge, but even the cheapest martial evolution path demands increasingly rare and valuable resources as one advances…”

Gu Jian Tong smiled: “When we meet, I’ll show him what true genius means!”

Fourth stage of martial arts?

He’d reached that long ago!

…

Eagle Nest Star

Fang Xing had just woken up when he received a call from Xia Long.

“Haha… Axing, you’re amazing!”

Xia Long’s voice brimmed with unmistakable delight.

“Oh? Are the results out?”

Fang Xing could think of only this possibility.

“Yes—you’re top of your school, no surprise, but do you know… Song Jingang from Kejin High scored 0.5 points less than you? You’re now ranked first on Eagle Nest Star!”

Xia Long nearly shouted.

“Oh? Is Song Jingang that weak in liberal arts?”

Fang Xing was slightly surprised.

“His liberal arts score is nearly the same as yours, but his martial realm is only Jade Essence—he still fell behind you even with ability bonuses…”

Xia Long revealed the results.

“I see…”

Fang Xing calmly hung up, prepared a spiritual rice breakfast, then walked to school.

Planet first might once have been a dream beyond the original owner’s reach.

But to him, it meant nothing.

Eagle Nest Star is too small!

Not even mentioning true interstellar Qiangzhe , even among peers on the three planets—Dragon Qian , Phoenix Chu , and Young Qilin —there are still worthy rivals to chase.

Along the dam road, Fang Xing walked slowly toward school.

For some reason, since the incident last time, he had not seen Liu Gou again.

“Haha, our planet’s number one has arrived.”

At school, Lu Guangming himself waited at the gate, leaving Fang Xing slightly taken aback.

“Principal, good morning!”

He quickly greeted him.

“Hmm, it’s about time… This year, you’re the only one from the entire school entering the third round of the Hundred Stars Joint Examination. Xia Long will lead you—don’t let me down.” Lu Guangming gave two reminders.

“Huh? How is the third round even conducted?”

Fang Xing was puzzled.

“The third round’s exam site is beyond Eagle Nest Star,” Xia Long spoke, then looked up at the sky: “It’s about time.”

“What’s about time?”

Fang Xing looked up too—and fell silent in shock.

The morning sky was cloudless, blue as an ocean.

In that ocean, a single star gleamed brilliantly, expanding rapidly into a sleek, silver-white spaceship!

“A spaceship?!”

Fang Xing’s eyes widened.

Though he’d seen countless such vessels in virtual simulations, seeing one in person was another matter entirely.

“Yes, this ‘Biluo,’ is specially dispatched to pick up Eagle Nest Star candidates—you’re the last one.”

Xia Long grabbed Fang Xing’s arm and stepped into empty air, ascending steadily!

One hundred meters! Two hundred meters!

One thousand meters!

The lower scenery grew smaller with every meter climbed.

The Biluo grew ever larger, radiating majestic, overwhelming power, stirring primal awe deep within.

“We’ve arrived.”

Xia Long spoke into his phone at high altitude.

A white beam flashed from the Biluo, sweeping like a silken ribbon.

Fang Xing felt a blur—and found himself inside a vast banquet hall.

White tablecloths covered long tables; crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead; an array of delicacies stood arranged in orderly rows, clearly a buffet.

“The third round’s exam site is ‘Test Star 073.’ The Biluo will take about three hours to reach it. Eat something, prepare well, and adjust your state…”

Xia Long seemed very familiar with this: “By the way, don’t worry about cosmic gravity—this ship’s gravity constant matches Eagle Nest Star exactly…”

“Truly… unimaginable luxury.”

Fang Xing sighed, glancing around the banquet hall.

Most were middle-aged escort teachers, men and women alike.

Students in uniforms were few—only thirty-six in total…

“Five thousand slots divided among ninety-nine planets—forty-some is average. Looks like Eagle Nest Star’s second-year students didn’t do well this year…”

Fang Xing silently shook his head.

The moment he arrived, most students turned to stare at him—clearly curious about the planet’s top scorer.

He had little interest in these teachers or students, picked up a tray, and walked to a food station.

There, platters of meat chops lay arranged, their flesh translucent as crystal, exuding an irresistible aroma.

Even though he’d already eaten breakfast, his appetite surged.

“This juice is good too…”

After finishing the meat chops, Fang Xing picked up a cup of juice shimmering with seven-colored light, like a rainbow—and his face showed a flicker of surprise.

"Are you Fang Xing from Yucai High School?"

At that moment, a bearded man in casual attire approached: "Are you the top rookie of this year's Eagle Star?"

"It's me. May I ask who you are, teacher?"

Fang Xing replied politely, assuming he was just a team leader gathering intelligence.

The bearded man’s face flushed slightly: "I'm not a teacher—I'm a student. My name is Song Jingang!"

"You're Song Jingang?"

Fang Xing glanced at him again, surprised—he sensed abundant blood and qi, a massive frame, his clothes stretched as if about to tear.

Yet upon closer look, his skin revealed a healthy bronze hue, within which shimmered faint threads of golden light.

"Hah... you look more mature than I expected—I mistook you. My apologies!"

He quickly bowed in apology.

"Sigh... I'm used to it."

Song Jingang had intended to chat a bit and set a challenge for the third round, but now all his momentum drained away—he felt utterly deflated.

Without saying another word, he had already lost utterly in appearance...

"This guy... is strange..." Fang Xing narrowed his eyes as Song Jingang turned and walked off in silence.

Though Song Jingang seemed like a clown, his Puyu Realm strength was second only to his own.

And he had awakened the 'Jin Gang Ti' ability—his combat power was astonishing!

'Jin Gang Ti is a high-tier ability that greatly enhances physicality, especially defense... to the point of making peers feel hopeless...'

'Moreover, this ability has high potential—even at the Jin Gang Realm, it still grants benefits, aiding Golden Core transformation. Legend says it was named after the 'Great Jin Gang Realm'...'

Fang Xing took a sip of the seven-colored juice—his eyes lit up: "This taste is even better than spirit fruit... pity, it's only delicious..."

He didn't take Song Jingang seriously—after all, the other was a full realm below him.

Moreover, Jin Gang Ti is weak in spiritual defense at lower stages.

Song Jingang had long reached Puyu's peak, yet failed to ascend to the fourth realm—he clearly hadn't cultivated any spiritual realm, meaning his spiritual defense was utterly lagging...

If I moved against him, I'd defeat him within three strikes.