Trial Ends, Outstanding Results!

Ding! The novice trial period has ended. Entering the cooldown period before the Haotian Pagoda can be opened. Countdown: 71 hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds!

Ding! The novice trial has ended. The Haotian Pagoda's Grand Reckoning is about to begin. Calculating the number of people from each race to be reckoned with...

Ding! At the end of this novice trial, the human race you belong to has obtained immunity from the Grand Reckoning and will be exempt from this reckoning!

The long-unheard notification sounded, interrupting Xu Kun's tireless studies!

Xu Kun hurriedly put away the books he had yet to finish reading. Then, just as on that night when the bright moon hung overhead, moonlight fell upon him. Xu Kun slowly closed his eyes, feeling as if his entire body had been enveloped by clouds and mist.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Kun slowly opened his eyes and found himself standing on the athletic field where he had left before!

Around him, students gradually opened their eyes with bewildered expressions. The next moment, they immediately began searching for familiar friends, checking whether anyone had fallen during the novice trial!

On the reviewing stand, all the teachers of No. 1 Middle School, including the Principal, had gathered together. Several teachers were counting the number of students who had returned!

Very quickly, while the students were still discussing things among themselves, the powerful teachers had already finished counting the returned students from each class!

"Class One... 57 expected, 55 present, two fallen!"

The homeroom teacher of Class One's voice trembled slightly. He was quite surprised by this result—the casualty rate was only 3.5%!

This was the best result among all the graduating classes he had ever taught!

Yet the Principal and the other higher-ups showed no change in expression upon hearing the report, merely gesturing for the next homeroom teacher to continue.

"Class Two, 56 expected, 52 present, four fallen!"

"Class Three... two fallen!"

"Class Four... five fallen!"

As they listened to each homeroom teacher report their numbers, even the higher-ups, who had remained Immovable as a Mountain, could no longer sit still. Only the Principal at the center remained calm, though the flickering in his eyes seemed to reflect the unrest in his heart!

There were twenty-three graduating classes at No. 1 Middle School in total, and Xu Kun belonged to Class Twenty-Three!

After all the other homeroom teachers had reported their class numbers, only Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher remained standing there foolishly.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for? The Principal and the others are waiting!"

The homeroom teacher of Class Twenty-Two beside him reminded him.

Only then did Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher snap back to his senses. Facing the questioning gazes of the school leaders, he finally opened his mouth with difficulty. "Class Twenty-Three, 59 expected, 59 present, not a single student fallen!"

"Whoa!"

This time, even the Principal's face filled with deep shock, while the other school leaders began whispering among themselves!

Not a single student had fallen—this was an achievement Jiangnan No. 1 Middle School had never seen since its founding. The best result in its history had been a graduating class personally taught by the current Principal, in which only one student had fallen. That was also the reason the Principal now held such a high position!

"Silence!" the Principal shouted, and the reviewing stand instantly fell quiet. Yet every teacher wore an expression of delight, while the homeroom teachers around Class Twenty-Three's teacher looked at him with envy!

In this era, as homeroom teachers of graduating classes, all their reward systems were issued by the higher-ups according to standardized regulations. Beyond the usual bonuses, the more important rewards were all kinds of resources that could help them climb the Haotian Pagoda!

The minimum requirement for a homeroom teacher's evaluation was to keep casualties below 10%. Once more than 10% of a class's students fell in the novice trial, not only would the teachers receive no bonus, they would instead be punished. It represented the irresponsibility of that class's homeroom teacher and subject teachers in educating their students!

To put it bluntly, it meant a lack of respect for life!

For every 1% decrease in the casualty rate, the rewards kept stacking up. For homeroom teachers like them, there was only one ultimate goal—zero casualties!

If every student in a class returned safely, that homeroom teacher would receive rewards enough to make anyone green with envy!

Just one of those rewards was enough to make people jealous—a complete set of A-rank gear matching their level!

This was not the level 10 Zenith Flame Spirit Set Xu Kun had obtained at the very beginning. It was a complete set of A-rank equipment personally tailored to each homeroom teacher's current level and forged by a master craftsman!

And for the homeroom teachers of No. 1 Middle School, their personal Haotian Pagoda levels could be said to surpass those of all the middle schools in Jiangnan Base City. Most were experts above level 100, with some even nearing level 200!

For people at that level, an A-rank set was enough to let them break through their shackles and climb to the twentieth floor of the Haotian Pagoda. From then on, they would no longer have to worry over the slightest cultivation resource, and could rise in a single step from ordinary teachers to local education leaders!

The other rewards were also enormous enough to make one's liver and gallbladder tremble, so Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher was a little dumbfounded as well!

After the Principal shouted, his burning gaze landed on Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher. "Are you sure you didn't count wrong?"

Before Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher could answer, the dean beside the Principal immediately replied, "Principal, he didn't make a mistake. I counted Class Twenty-Three again as well. There are indeed fifty-nine students—none missing, none extra!"

"Good!" A flush of excitement appeared on the Principal's weathered cheeks.

Being able to produce a class with zero casualties was a source of pride not only for the homeroom teacher, but also for him as the Principal. This achievement alone would let him coast for a long time!

At this point, the other homeroom teachers could no longer suppress their emotions and offered their congratulations. In particular, the homeroom teacher of Class Four, whose class had suffered the most losses, was filled with both envy and bitterness. Five students from his class had fallen, making it the worst result among all the graduating classes in the school!

Though he had narrowly avoided reaching the 10% casualty threshold, the contrast with Class Twenty-Three's homeroom teacher was stark. Until the next novice trial, he would become synonymous with the school's worst homeroom teacher!

After the homeroom teachers finished celebrating among themselves, the Principal glanced at his communication wristband, and his expression changed.

He then cautiously looked around and saw that everyone was busy celebrating, with no one noticing his actions.

He hurriedly coughed twice to conceal his emotions. "Everyone, quiet down!"

Everyone fell silent.

"Old Pang, you did very well this time. Aside from the rewards you are entitled to under the education system, No. 1 Middle School will also award you one million as a reward!"

"Thank you, Principal!"

Xu Kun's homeroom teacher, the middle-aged man known as Old Pang, was moved to tears and hurriedly bowed deeply to the Principal.

"Don't thank me yet. You earned this. But now that everyone's here, I have two matters to address. Every one of you better carve them deep into your hearts!"

Hearing the Principal's grave tone, everyone put away their joking expressions.

"The first matter is offering condolences to the families of students who fell from each class. This is a process we go through every year. Especially you, Old Yuan—Class Four had the most losses this time. Five families. You'll have to visit each one personally!"

Old Yuan, Class Four's homeroom teacher, nodded bitterly. He understood there was no avoiding it.

At the thought of those parents waiting eagerly at home, only to receive news of their child's death instead of their child's return, everyone, including Old Yuan, lowered their heads heavily.

"This time, the school has also decided to compensate each fallen student's family with 100,000 Human Race Currency. That should make your work much easier!"

Upon hearing the Principal's words, the homeroom teachers froze for a moment before their expressions relaxed with relief.

People died in every cohort. There was no escaping it. When faced with grief-stricken parents who could not accept reality, these homeroom teachers had practically had to kneel and beg for their understanding!

But this was the first time the school had adopted a compensation policy for the families of fallen students. It might not be enough to count as blood money, but at least it gave them something to account for!

The vice principal in charge of the school's finances, however, wore a bitter expression. "Principal, that's a huge expense!"

The school's funding was limited. If it was given to the families of fallen students, then next semester's educational budget would naturally have to be reduced. The vice principal had to be responsible for the future students!

The Principal reassured him, "Don't worry. This was decided by those above. It isn't just our school—every school in the Human Race will be implementing this compensation policy. The compensation funds will naturally be allocated by the entire race, so we won't need to use the next cohort's budget!"

Hearing that, the vice principal's expression eased. So it was a unified decision across the entire Human Race!

"Do you understand why the higher-ups made this decision?"

"Why?" someone asked foolishly.

But someone more rational immediately grasped the key point. "Because of Kun!"

The Principal smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Kun's emergence spared our Human Race from the Great Reckoning this time, invisibly easing the burden on the entire Human Race. This was also an emergency decision by the higher-ups. When each of you delivers the compensation, make sure to explain this reason clearly. Understand?"

"Understood!" The homeroom teachers stood tall, inwardly grateful to "Kun" as well!

They just did not know which homeroom teacher had taught such an outstanding student. They truly wanted to learn from him!

Yet the vice principal beside the Principal wore a thoughtful expression, muttering, "Only Kun was mentioned, while that SSS-tier Princess Yaoyao didn't receive the same treatment... Could it be that the higher-ups are building momentum for Kun?"

"Hm? What did you say?" The Principal looked over.

The vice principal hurriedly shook his head. "Nothing. Principal, didn't you say there were two matters? What's the second?"

Everyone else also looked toward the Principal.

This time, the Principal's expression turned serious. "The second matter is that the battle-loss ratios of all classes this time must not be publicized. Old Pang, the same goes for you. You can't even tell your own family. All rewards will remain unchanged, and tell the students not to discuss this matter too much either!"

"For public announcements, we'll only state the battle-loss ratio of the entire school. Do not break it down by individual class. Is that clear?"

"Why?"

Someone asked in confusion.

For the homeroom teachers whose classes had suffered high battle-loss ratios, even if the Principal said nothing, they would have been too ashamed to speak of it publicly. But even Old Pang, a homeroom teacher who had made history, was being told to keep silent. No one could understand why!

But Old Pang, the person involved, had a high level of awareness and immediately agreed!

Seeing that the Principal had no intention of explaining, the others naturally had no reason to press further.

"Alright. Your final task is to collect the metal wristbands from every student. From now on, these students will enter higher-level academies for their studies. You should also prepare to welcome the next generation!"

Compared to everything happening on the command platform, more of the students below had narrowly escaped death. Many were embracing each other and weeping, celebrating their survival after the disaster!

Especially classes like Class Four—after looking around and realizing that so many familiar faces were missing, they were overwhelmed with grief!

Of course, there were exceptions. Class Twenty-Three was currently immersed in a sea of joy!

At the center stood a rather handsome young man, surrounded like stars around the moon as he vividly recounted something to the entire class.

Naturally, this person was not our protagonist, Xu Kun. Xu Kun stood in a corner at the moment like some minor lackey, not taking part in it at all!

"Kun Kun, why are you standing here? I searched everywhere for you. I thought you hadn't made it out!"

Seeing that familiar fat figure, Xu Kun smiled.

Sure enough, scourges lived for a thousand years. Even the Haotian Pagoda could not take in a bastard like Hao Jian!

"You made it out, so how could I possibly not make it out?" Xu Kun said with a grin.

The two brothers had reunited. Though they had only been apart for a week, it felt like a lifetime. Without any rehearsal, they gave each other a huge hug.

"Damn it, Jian Jian, you got fatter again! Your big belly rammed into me!"

"Fuck off. This is muscular, got it? How many times have I told you? I'm older than you, so call me Brother Jian!"

"Okay, you bastard!"

"You damn Kun-dick!"

The two brothers bickered for a while before finally throwing their arms around each other's shoulders and looking at the lively crowd gathered in the distance.

"Look at that Wang Teng. His tail's practically pointing at the heavens!" Hao Jian said disdainfully.

"What's with him? He's usually a bit smug, but not this smug!" Xu Kun asked curiously.

Hao Jian curled his lip. "What else could it be? He awakened an A-grade talent and got an A-grade evaluation during the newbie trial stage!"

"Oh..." Xu Kun replied flatly.

Hao Jian glanced at him. "Kun Kun, knowing you, Wang Teng has always treated you as his imaginary rival. You never really reacted to him, but now he's awakened an A-rank talent and taken your title as the number one genius. Shouldn't you be reacting differently?"

Xu Kun gave Hao Jian a look, as if he were a tapeworm in his stomach. "Then what reaction do you want from me?"

Hao Jian stroked his smooth chin, analyzing with a mysterious look on his face. "There's only one reason you can stay this calm: you don't think much of that little achievement of his!"

Xu Kun raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

Hao Jian spread his hands, wearing an expression that said, You know me.

The two exchanged a smile. Looking at Wang Teng in the distance, who was spraying saliva as he boasted and gestured grandly, they spat out the same two words in unison: "Despicable!"

From Hao Jian's reaction, Xu Kun could also guess that, whether in talent or in this trial's evaluation, Hao Jian was probably above Wang Teng, who was currently showing off!

People were realistic. Before taking part in the newbie trial, everyone focused on who had better academic grades and who had better looks and accomplishments. In that regard, Xu Kun had stood out like a crane among chickens throughout First High School!

Wang Teng had always regarded Xu Kun as an imaginary rival, but aside from his family background, he had been outclassed by Xu Kun in every aspect!

But things were different after the newbie trial ended. It was like a group of once-innocent classmates entering society: what mattered was no longer how good your grades had been, but how much you earned now!

Wang Teng's A-rank talent and A-rank trial rating proved that he had the potential to become a human expert!

How could those classmates who loved clinging to powerful people not curry favor with him at a time like this?

In fact, when everyone had first returned, many had directly or indirectly asked Xu Kun about his results. But Xu Kun had not answered them directly, merely smiling it off, leading many to believe that his performance had been average and that he was too embarrassed to say so!

And so, after Wang Teng started showing off, even the boys and girls who usually tried to get close to Xu Kun were now gathered around Wang Teng.

The two brothers had their arms around each other's shoulders, watching Wang Teng's performance as though they were watching a monkey show, when someone suddenly tugged at the corner of Xu Kun's clothes.

The two looked over. Hao Jian immediately let go of Xu Kun's shoulder and shot him a suggestive look. "Kun Kun, we'll talk about our business when we get home after this. For now, you should deal with your romantic affairs!"

Xu Kun's face darkened as he watched Hao Jian abandon him without a shred of loyalty.

Helplessly, he lowered his head and looked at the girl timidly tugging at his clothes. His voice was icy. "What is it?"

The girl's frail body trembled, yet she stubbornly refused to let go of Xu Kun's clothes. Gritting her teeth, she said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Xu Kun, which academy are you planning to apply to..."