Celebrating with Flowers, an Eagle Striking the Vast Sky

Scattering Flowers in Celebration, Eagle Soaring Through the Sky

Scattering Flowers in Celebration, Eagle Soaring Through the Sky

Zhou Leng screenshotted his exam scores and sent them to Hu Yi.

After a moment, Hu Yi sent back three words.

You old bastard!

I wasted my breath worrying about you for nothing. No way, when you make money, you have to treat me to a huge feast! I'm posting this in the group chat and letting everyone roast you good, don't blame me!

Zhou Leng immediately tried to stop him.

Too late, everyone's going to find out tomorrow anyway.

Zhou Leng opened the Class Three chat, and the group had blown up.

For the past half year, I walked on thin ice around Zhou Leng, not daring to say a single harsh word for fear of hurting him! But as soon as the scores dropped, he stood firm, and smack, I slipped flat on the ice. Face! First! Ground!

Every time I saw his green wristband, my heart would tighten. Now he's using his transcript to keep squeezing my heart. It hurts, so much pain!

Advancing sixty thousand spots... I can't even walk sixty thousand steps in a day. That improvement is bigger than Hu Yi's face.

Hu Yi retorted: I'm a victim too, stop twisting the knife.

Jokes aside, I still admire Zhou Leng's perseverance. If it were you guys, lying in a hospital bed for a month before the college entrance exams, could you not break down? I know I couldn't.

Yeah, the pressure Zhou Leng was under these past few months was truly bigger than a mountain. Thank goodness he made it through.

Congratulations, Zhou Leng! Scatter the flowers!

As soon as Xu Qingjin finished speaking, she posted an image of a little white cat throwing flowers. At first it tossed them one by one, but later, like magic, they formed a fountain of blossoms.

My mom is extremely, extremely happy! Xu Qingjin added, appending a smiling emoji.

Classmates offered their congratulations one after another.

Even classmates who rarely spoke on ordinary days came out to congratulate him.

For the past half year, the whole class showed partiality to one person.

Zhou Leng felt a stinging in his nose.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Seeing that it was internal martial arts teacher Sun Xiong, Zhou Leng hurriedly took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and answered the call.

"Hello, Teacher Sun."

"It's me, Principal Lu."

"Hello, Principal Lu."

"I have too many things to say, but to keep it brief and not delay you, come to my office to collect your medicinal pill voucher before filling out your university applications. Also, anyone else can skip the commendation ceremony, but you cannot! All right, celebrate at home."

Hanging up, Zhou Leng checked the time and walked downstairs at a brisk pace.

Today, Zhang Xinglie was heading to the capital, Xiong City.

Zhou Leng stood at the entrance of Zhang Xinglie's apartment building playing on his phone. Before long, sounds drifted from the stairwell.

Zhou Leng put away his phone and stepped into the building.

Zhang Xinglie and Zhang Meiqin walked down carrying their luggage.

"I'll take that." Zhou Leng reached out and took the luggage from Zhang Meiqin's hands.

"What rank did you get?" Zhou Leng looked at Zhang Xinglie.

Zhang Xinglie sighed and said, "Second. First place is Wu Qiong, you should have heard of him."

"Is that the Wu Qiong who spent at least a hundred million on martial cultivation? Losing to him is normal."

"Have you ever heard his nickname?" Zhang Xinglie asked.

Zhou Leng shook his head.

"Wu Three Hundred Million."

Zhou Leng was left speechless.

Zhang Meiqin said, "Xiao Leng, how did you... fare?"

Zhang Meiqin's tone was exceptionally soft.

"Can't compare to Zhang Xinglie, a little over twelfth thousand. I can get into a martial university through supplementary admissions."

"Twelfth thousand is pretty good too..." Zhang Meiqin's eyes suddenly widened as she grabbed Zhou Leng's arm. "Really?"

"Really."

"That's wonderful, simply wonderful... You child, you worried me to death..." Zhang Meiqin said.

"What's your Martial Examination score?" Zhang Xinglie asked.

"276."

Zhang Xinglie said, "I got 291. If you hadn't been hurt by the fiend, your Martial Examination score might have been higher than mine."

"My situation was a blessing in disguise. Without the fiend's stimulation, I couldn't have reached this high. How many people have a Martial Examination score higher than yours?" Zhou Leng asked.

"Martial Examination single subject, I ranked eleventh."

Zhou Leng was stunned for a moment, then sighed, "There really are a lot of rich people."

The three of them walked outward, and a Zeekr 009 was parked at the residential complex entrance.

"What are you going to do about your application?" Zhou Leng asked.

"I'm going straight to Yunhua to apply and fill out my choices online," Zhang Xinglie said.

"Just leaving like this?" Zhou Leng asked.

"I have a bit of attachment, but it's better to make a clean break of it. It's only because you live close by that I even let you send me off." Zhang Xinglie stood at the complex entrance, gazing at the place he had lived in for over a decade.

The three of them stopped, looking around.

"Let's go, don't miss your flight," Zhou Leng said.

The three of them put the luggage into the car, and Zhang Meiqin got in.

Zhang Xinglie stepped onto the car with one foot, turned to look at Zhou Leng, and a brilliant smile bloomed on his face.

"Don't forget the promise from when we were kids, work hard together, and then, meet at the peak. Though I don't know where we'll climb to the peak—Ten Realms Youth War? Grandmaster? Or Martial Saint? It doesn't matter, what matters is that we are climbing upward, forever!"

Zhang Xinglie waved his hand and ducked into the car.

"Goodbye." Zhou Leng stood in place, watching the car leave.

Until the vehicle disappeared from sight, Zhou Leng still stood in place.

A childhood companion who had lived together for more than ten years just like that left Ru City, heading toward the national capital, the center of the country, and even the center of the world.

Though he had long known that Zhang Xinglie would spread his wings and fly high, when he saw the eagle strike the vast sky with his own eyes, an indescribable sense of impact shook Zhou Leng.

It felt as though his entire student period had come to an abrupt halt.

Perhaps, I can try a bit harder.

Zhou Leng slowly took a deep breath, strode home, shouldered his backpack, and hurried toward Xiaoru Village.

Along the way, Zhou Leng told Uncle Li his scores.

On this day, some families rejoiced while others worried.

Zhou Leng, with one dog, walked beneath the Frost Giant Tree.

"Junior Zhou Leng pays respects to Tree Senior."

After finishing his routine greeting, Zhou Leng gazed toward the Divine Script Golden Page.

These divine scripts were perhaps an opportunity to touch higher powers; he would study for half an hour every day and must not give up.

After finishing his study of the Divine Script Golden Page, accompanied by a feeling of his brains being stirred, Zhou Leng went to sleep.

Upon waking, he sat in meditation, practiced fist techniques, sat in meditation again, and practiced fist techniques again...

He cultivated continuously for two days, finishing the last two Qi-Nourishing Pills.

Qi-Nourishing Period, Great Accomplishment Second Layer.

Early in the morning, Zhou Leng walked into the classroom, preparing to fill out his application form.

"You beast!" Hu Yi sprinted over, drawing the attention of the entire class.

Then came Hu Yi's public accusation while everyone watched and laughed uproariously, leaving only Zhou Leng crying and laughing.

Xu Qingjin smiled brightly from the side.

Suddenly, Martial Arts Committee Member Mo Hai exclaimed, "Zhou Leng, you've reached Qi-Nourishing Great Accomplishment?"

Everyone stared at Zhou Leng's nose wings, silently calculating the time.

Zhou Leng nodded.

"I..." Hu Yi was truly dumbfounded.

Feng Wenhao emotionlessly remarked, "A blessing in disguise, who knows if this isn't a good thing? Zhou Leng is finally tasting sweetness after hardship."

The classmates nodded one after another.

Reaching Qi-Nourishing Great Accomplishment at this time meant one was considered an outstanding talent even upon entering a martial arts university.

Zhou Leng returned to his seat, and the classroom returned to its bustling din as classmates clustered in groups of fours and fives to chat.

Those applying to martial arts universities gathered together, while those not pursuing the Martial Dao gathered together.

Hu Yi squeezed in beside Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao, listening with curiosity as everyone talked.

Feng Wenhao said, "I definitely can't reach a martial arts university, but an Affiliated Martial Academy should be about right. I'm planning to apply for the Ru City Martial University Affiliated Martial Academy. Ru City Martial University isn't considered famous nationwide, so the competition isn't as fierce."

"Why not try the West Sea Martial University Affiliated Martial Academy?"

"Too risky. The Affiliated Martial Academies of the Martial Arts Ten aren't actually much different from the martial universities themselves. People all over the country are staring at them, and I can't compete for a spot," Feng Wenhao said.

"Zhou Leng, what about you?"

"I'm applying to Ru City Martial University and its Affiliated Martial Academy."

"Ah? Your Martial Examination score is so high, why not try West Sea Martial University's supplemental enrollment? They're both in Ru City anyway."

Zhou Leng shook his head and said, "Feng Wenhao and I feel pretty much the same. The competition at West Sea Martial University is too fierce, the whole country has their eyes on it, and the last few years are a post-war baby boom—everyone online says it's tough. I watched Teacher Zhang Xueshan's video a few days ago; although he didn't say it outright, the meaning was very clear. In past years it might have been fine, but this year, if your family background isn't enough, you must absolutely not apply for the supplementary admissions of the Martial Arts Ten."

"That's such a pity."

The crowd chatted constantly, and Zhou Leng sent a message to internal arts teacher Sun Xiong to ask. After getting a reply, he headed toward the principal's office.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Come in."

"Hello, Principal Lu." Zhou Leng pushed the door open and entered.

Principal Lu, with his full head of white hair, sat behind the desk, took off his glasses, and smiled as he beckoned Zhou Leng over. "Come, sit down."

As soon as Zhou Leng took a seat, Principal Lu produced a file envelope with a receipt attached to the top.

"Inside the file envelope are elixir vouchers. You advanced by more than sixty thousand spots and became the progress champion; inside are a total of six Qi-Nourishing Pills and one Origin-Replenishing Pill, plus a military merit secret manual exchange voucher worth one thousand points. Just sign your name on the receipt. Of course, you have to guarantee you'll come to the commendation ceremony—don't take the items and run off when the time comes," Principal Lu said with a chuckle.

"I won't." Zhou Leng signed his name and took the file envelope.

"Which of the Martial Arts Ten are you planning to apply for? Local or out of town? With your level, apart from those Martial Arts Ten in Xiong City, you'll have no problem with any of them," Principal Lu said.

"Ru City Martial University," Zhou Leng said.

Principal Lu straightened his posture, put his glasses back on, and asked in confusion, "Why choose an ordinary martial university?"

"The competition at West Sea Martial University is too intense, and I don't have all those various extra points. My chances aren't high."

"You, you're underestimating your own strength. Do you think having the Education Bureau conduct a secondary assessment was just ordinary excellence? Your strength right here in our No. 8 High School—your overall Martial Dao level is fully sufficient to rank in the top ten."

Zhou Leng said, "I've seen quite a bit of news saying that the Ten are hard to test into this year. The key is that I've liked Ru City Martial University since I was a kid."

Principal Lu's expression turned serious as he said, "After all, you're still too young and don't understand the difference between the Ten and ordinary martial universities. The educational resources grasped by West Sea Martial University are nearly ten times those of Ru City Martial University."

"The administrative rank of the president of West Sea Martial University is a full grade higher than that of Ru City Martial University. Just because of this single grade, the resources that can be mobilized are vastly different. Two people: one is a Grandmaster, and one is an Innate Peak—this gap, do I even need to say more?"

"The teachers at the Innate Realm in West Sea Martial University are at least twice those of Ru City Martial University. The Martial Dao rewards for students at West Sea Martial University are also at least twice those of Ru City Martial University. Converted into money based on your ability, you could earn four to five hundred thousand more in a single year at West Sea Martial University!"

"Not to mention that you need to advance upward in the future. No matter which path you take, the starting point and finishing point of West Sea Martial University are far higher than those of Ru City Martial University. Tell me, what is your life's goal?"

Zhou Leng fell silent for a moment and said, "Enfeoffment is not my intent; I only wish for the sea waves to flatten."

"Fine. Suppose right now you have the power to decide—would you choose to charge into West Sea Demon City all alone, or mobilize more manpower and resources to slaughter your way into West Sea Demon City?"

Zhou Leng did not answer.

"You're a smart child, you know the answer very well. Only by mastering more cultivation resources and power resources can you better level West Sea Demon City. Choose West Sea Martial University; there is a much broader world there."

Zhou Leng fell silent.

Principal Lu stared into Zhou Leng's eyes and slowly said, "Zhang Xinglie has already flown up into the starry sky. You, Zhou Leng, can't fly up right now, but at the very least you must be a fish entering the great sea! Are you willing to be trapped in a small muddy pond?"

Zhou Leng was left speechless.