GXI3 Advanced Tester

Zhang Miaoran's reaction was quite normal. Her little face flushed red like an apple, her ear tips felt hot, and she lowered her head, unconsciously fiddling with her fingers.

Her best friend standing beside her, however, looked as if she had seen a ghost after hearing those words, her face full of question marks.

"Are those words something Lord Zhe would say?"

"Why is he so skilled at it?"

"Who's been corrupting him?"

"That's impossible!"

"I'm a true, decade-long fan of Lord Zhe!"

Zhou Zhe's gaze shifted, landing on her. "You must be Miaoran's best friend, right?!"

This girl gave Zhou Zhe a very strange feeling.

It wasn't the usual sense of goodwill or malice, but a kind of fervent devotion, like a believer seeing a deity or a superfan seeing their idol.

That's right!

It was fervor!

Zhou Zhe shook his head, not wanting to dwell on the issue. "Time is precious, so let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point."

"To control supernatural powers, besides a certain amount of talent, you also need to work hard enough."

"You must discover your strongest inner driving force, the mental strength that supports your cultivation!"

With that, Zhou Zhe called for an assistant. "Take them to get a comprehensive test and fill out an apprentice information form."

Actually, neither of these were necessary steps.

The comprehensive testing instrument was something Mentor Lin Ye had acquired from somewhere; it had a sci-fi feel and could be used to test cultivation aptitude, but it wasn't comprehensive, and its accuracy wasn't very high.

As for filling out the apprentice information form…

It was purely because Zhou Zhe couldn't remember Zhang Miaoran's best friend's name at all.

"Her surname is Hu, right?"

"No, it should be Fu!"

After all, they were classmates. Asking someone their name right to their face was a bit awkward!

The female assistant, like an emotionless task-execution machine, immediately accepted the order and, without any hesitation, led the two away for testing.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhe activated his Self-Configuration in a dual-tasking mode. He held the book "Elementary Planar Cryptography" and slowly read through it, while also searching for other suitable exchanges.

He still had 25 Gladiator Points left!

For the vast majority of ordinary Cosmic Gladiators, these were points earned through almost life-or-death combat.

If used wisely, they would undoubtedly lead to a significant improvement in his overall strength!

Swift Wind Pavilion, Comprehensive Testing Room.

Zhang Miaoran and Chang Hanshan successively entered the sci-fi-like silver-white metal cabin. Rays imperceptible to the naked eye penetrated their cells, and data flowed rapidly across the external display screen.

"The two young ladies are quite lucky."

The female assistant said in a gentle tone, "The GXI3 Advanced Tester."

"There's only one of these in the entire country. Many powerful and influential people have to queue up for appointments; slots are hard to come by."

"You know, when Pavilion Master Zhou tested his aptitude, he used the ordinary ZIE9 Model."

"Originally, it was housed at the Beijing headquarters and was only transported here a few hours ago."

She had initially thought that Zhou Zhe's order to have a dedicated person transport this testing instrument was to cooperate with the alliance plan between the Swift Wind Pavilion and the Supernatural Affairs Department. Now, it seemed she had been mistaken.

It was mainly for that girl named Zhang Miaoran.

"The results are out."

The female assistant directly transferred the electronic file to Zhou Zhe's office computer. A paper copy was printed and handed to Zhang Miaoran and Chang Hanshan.

[Zhang Miaoran: Spirit B+, Stamina C+, Strength B-, Agility B. Elemental Affinity: Wood B, Wind C.]

[Overall Rating: B]

[Evaluation: Possesses some potential for cultivation, but investing too many resources is not recommended.]

"I really am... very mediocre."

The girl in the grey dress looked at the document in her hand, her expression dejected.

Her best friend, Chang Hanshan, who stood beside her, decisively pinched her cheek and shoved her own aptitude analysis report in front of her, looking heartbroken. "Can you have a little ambition?"

"Do you think a B-grade talent is very low?"

"See? I only have a D- grade aptitude!"

"My elemental affinity is only Water D-grade, and I'm still alive and kicking, aren't I?"

Zhang Miaoran looked up.

[Chang Hanshan: Spirit A, Stamina E, Strength E-, Agility E. Elemental Affinity: Water D]

[Overall Rating: D-]

[Evaluation: Extremely low extraordinary potential. Useless except for strong spirit. A stiff, weak Muggle. Recommend direct abandonment.]

"In this world, miracles are the least rare thing!"

Her Muggle best friend, undeterred, patted her own large, melon-like bosom and said energetically, "As long as we believe in ourselves, as long as we work hard and persevere, we might not be worse than those S-class chosen ones in the future!"

"We're sisters who've been through thick and thin!"

"Even if you don't believe in yourself, you have to believe in me who believes in you!"

The talkative Muggle best friend's words made Zhang Miaoran suddenly enlightened.

Compared to her sunny and optimistic best friend, she immediately felt a bit inferior.

The gap in mindset was too vast!

Could someone like her really end up with Zhou Zhe?

Chang Hanshan was like Zhang Miaoran's mind-reader. Seeing her expression, she immediately knew what she was thinking: "Are you stupid! You have to be proactive in relationships; miss this village, and you won't find this shop again!"

"You're lucky to have a super good best friend like me!"

"If it were any other plastic sister, she probably wouldn't say this to you. Nine times out of ten, she'd be secretly trying to poach Zhe Dian!"

???

Zhe Dian?

Zhang Miaoran was completely confused.

Chang Hanshan's expression was a bit strange, and she changed the subject as quickly as the wind: "Ah! Let's not talk about this. Let's go find 'Teacher Zhou' first!"

"The nearest water tower gets the moonlight! We should learn as much as we can!"

"Let me tell you, no matter the world, extraordinary knowledge is the most precious thing!"

"Not all strong individuals have Zhe Dian... Zhou Zhe's magnanimity, willing to impart this knowledge selflessly!"

Zhang Miaoran nodded blankly, feeling a bit muddled.

All along, her best friend had been relatively introverted, and she had always been the dominant one in their interactions.

At some point, the other's personality had drastically changed. She was more lively and cheerful than before, exuding confidence and radiance.

The female assistant, who had been waiting quietly, received a message on her phone at this moment.

After reading the text, she said, "You both know the way back. Pavilion Master Zhou has arranged other work for me."

"If you have any questions, you can contact me directly on the Myriad Heavens Forum."

The message she received was naturally from Zhou Zhe.

Zhou Zhe felt that the female assistant was responsible for too many things. He arranged for Coach Li Shanhe to handle the testing of new apprentices in the future.

As for her, she was to start handling the business dealings with the information company.

The Myriad Heavens Forum, casually created by the Dao, was convenient and fast. It required no external hardware, had no signal issues, and no possibility of secret information being stolen.

People could communicate and share intelligence on the Myriad Heavens Forum anytime, anywhere. The chat and group-building functions were also fully equipped.

With the launch of the Myriad Heavens Forum, not only Earth but also the information industry giants of many other civilizations would likely face immense impact!

They would either have to transform to produce other products or go bankrupt. There was no third option.

"Okay!"

Chang Hanshan responded cheerfully and, pulling Zhang Miaoran's small hand, ran towards Zhou Zhe's office.

Halfway there, she seemed to think of something and said a bit sheepishly, "Ranran, I have a friend who's a decade-long fan of Zhe Dian... ah, Zhou Zhe. She really admires Zhou Zhe and wants his autograph..."

Zhang Miaoran gazed at her with beautiful, narrowed eyes, guardedly like a cat protecting its food, "Is this friend you're talking about... you yourself?"