Funds Received! Joy!

Funds Received! Joy!

Eight in the morning, Guanshan District No.1 High School.

Li Yuan frowned as he twirled his pen and worked through the math test before him. His head throbbed in waves—derivatives, limits, continuity, indefinite integrals, linear transformations... University material from over a century ago had now all become math questions on the college entrance exam.

People of this era had far stronger physical constitutions, higher learning efficiency, and naturally, more difficult exams.

"Math is really hard."

"Memorizing history and biology is much easier than this." Li Yuan muttered to himself, yet he still worked through the math problems with utmost seriousness.

Ever since his second year of high school, Li Yuan's mental strength had steadily increased, noticeably improving both the speed of his thoughts and his memory... Thus, even though he spent only four hours a day on academic subjects, his grades had not been left behind by his classmates.

In fact, his ranking in the year's academic results had even risen somewhat.

One had to know that Guanshan District No.1 High School was a key high school. Its average students would be considered top students at many ordinary high schools.

Still, this was nearly the limit of Li Yuan's ability in academic study.

His greatly enhanced memory had significantly raised his scores in subjects requiring vast amounts of rote memorization, such as language, history, and biology... But subjects like math and physics were much harder.

And in the current college entrance exam, math and physics accounted for the greatest share of the score.

"I still need to study seriously. In math, physics, and chemistry, I need to strive for full marks on the basic questions." Li Yuan silently made up his mind.

Just then.

Bzz~

Li Yuan's Smart Ring Watch vibrated faintly twice in succession.

"Hm?" Li Yuan glanced over from the corner of his eye, and his gaze lit up.

"Your account ending in 1486 has received 50,000.00 Blue Star Coins... Transferred from account ending in... Current balance: 83,124.64 Blue Star Coins."

"Your account ending in 1486 has received 50,000.00 Blue Star Coins... Transferred from account ending in... Current balance: 133,124.64 Blue Star Coins."

Of the two payments, one fifty thousand was the reward from Starry Sky Fighting Net.

The other fifty thousand was the second-class scholarship award.

"Good." Li Yuan could not help clenching his fist. If he had not been in class, he might have jumped up in excitement.

One hundred thousand Blue Star Coins!

From childhood until now, this was the first time Li Yuan had received such an enormous sum of money.

Most importantly, in a sense, this was a reward Li Yuan had earned through his own efforts.

It was fundamentally different from money given by his uncle and aunt.

It was like how many people, after growing up and starting work, remembered their first paycheck deeply. Even if they later gained ten or a hundred times that wealth... nothing could replace the meaning of that first paycheck.

First times were always special.

"Brother Yuan, what happened? Why are you so happy? Did you solve a big question?" Beside him, Yan Zhou stared at his own test paper and muttered softly, "Let me see."

"No."

Li Yuan calmed down and instinctively raised his head slightly to look toward the teacher, wanting to see whether the teacher had noticed him. "I only ever do the first question."

Suddenly.

"Some students shouldn't think the teacher can't see them just because I don't want to call them out." A cold voice rang out. "Do it yourselves! Will you still be able to peek at others during the college entrance exam?"

Li Yuan and Yan Zhou lowered their heads at the same time and shut up.

Nine in the morning, the principal's office.

Principal Tan Zhenlong, who was handling paperwork, suddenly lifted his head and looked at the flickering light-screen projection in the distance.

"Master, it is Director Wang from the Education Bureau." A gentle voice sounded.

"Number Nine, answer it." Principal Tan set down his pen. "Activate guest mode."

"Yes."

Whoosh~ Principal Tan's office immediately changed. Beams of light swept through it, visibly altering the entire office's style and making it more comfortable to the eye through the shifting light.

"Director Wang." Principal Tan smiled.

A young man in a jacket appeared in the projection. Judging from his appearance, he was around thirty.

"Principal Tan, sorry to disturb you." Director Wang smiled. "I need to trouble you with something. It concerns a student at your school."

"A student?" Principal Tan was immediately puzzled.

"Here's the situation. This morning, the City Martial Arts Bureau notified us and asked us to submit information on one of your students, Li Yuan. He should be a senior." Director Wang said. "He entered the Blue Star Youth Ranking yesterday..."

"Li Yuan? I know that student. He's a good prospect." Principal Tan nodded repeatedly. "I understand. I'll compile the information and send it to you immediately."

Having worked in education for several decades, he had encountered similar matters more than once.

Principal Tan already understood the cause and effect, and knew what he needed to do.

"Good. It's all routine business, so I won't disturb you any longer." Director Wang smiled. "Go ahead and get back to work."

The video call ended.

"Li Yuan?"

"The Blue Star Youth Ranking? He got onto it so quickly?" Principal Tan sat at his desk, secretly astonished.

Yesterday, he had been invited to watch Lin Lanyue and Li Yuan's duel, and had felt that Li Yuan might have a chance of entering the Blue Star Youth Ranking.

But he had not expected it to happen so fast.

After thinking for a moment.

"Number Nine, contact Teacher Xu Bo." Principal Tan spoke, and the call connected quickly.

"Old Tan, you were looking for me?" Xu Bo appeared in the video and smiled. "What is it? Hurry up and say it. Don't delay my cultivation."

"Cultivating during work hours?" Principal Tan glared at him.

"There aren't any martial arts classes in the morning, so what else am I supposed to do if not cultivate?" Xu Bo said with complete confidence. "I work hard at cultivation so I can do my job well."

Principal Tan smiled helplessly. "Enough nonsense. I need to tell you something."

Swiftly.

Principal Tan explained the situation.

"The Blue Star Youth Ranking? The Martial Arts Bureau? It must be about special recruitment by the Five Great Prestigious Schools." Xu Bo lightly shook his head. "Based on my experience, he probably won't get the special recruitment qualification."

In this era, the Martial Arts Department, which was responsible for managing martial artists within Xia Country, held astonishing authority.

Its subordinate Martial Arts Halls and Martial Arts Bureaus were also extremely powerful.

"Mm, that's what I think too." Principal Tan sighed softly. "Not awakening Martial Arts Spirituality means he isn't compatible with any Advanced Cultivation Method. His future physical development will fall far behind other martial artists. It truly will be difficult for him to gain special recruitment and enter one of the Five Great Prestigious Schools directly."

Xu Bo nodded slightly and said no more.

He did suspect that Li Yuan's physical development was astonishing and that his actual talent was very high... But that was only his guess.

Over all these years, let alone across human civilization as a whole, even within Xia Country alone there had been quite a few students like Li Yuan: strong in Martial Arts Technique and decent in physical constitution, yet unable to awaken Martial Arts Spirituality...

In the end, very few could rise above the rest.

"We should still cultivate him well." After some thought, Principal Tan said, "Even if the special recruitment fails, with his grades, it won't be hard for him to get into a martial arts university. His future won't be bad."

"Perhaps someday, he might even catch up to you." Principal Tan suddenly smiled.

"Let's hope so." Xu Bo changed the subject. "By the way, Old Tan, since they're already screening for special recruitment, how about you first—"

Before Xu Bo could finish.

"Number Nine!" The smile vanished from Principal Tan's face, and he waved his hand repeatedly. "Hang up."

"Special recruitment?"

Xu Bo stood in his office in martial arts training clothes and thought for a moment. "Forget it. Nothing's certain, so I shouldn't tell Li Yuan. It would only make his heart restless."

Xu Bo resumed cultivating the Basic Cultivation Method.

"After losing my arm, the neurotoxins were never fully cleared. My Source Power circulation is obstructed, my dantian is damaged as well, and my physical constitution has dropped four levels in succession." Xu Bo silently reflected. "For all these years, I've only barely managed to remain at level nineteen."

"But at least I'm still alive."

"As long as I don't give up, there will always be a sliver of hope." Light shone in Xu Bo's eyes.

Li Yuan knew nothing about being selected for the Five Great Prestigious Schools' special recruitment screening.

After classes ended at noon.

"Old Zhou, you guys go to the cafeteria first. I have something to take care of." Li Yuan had Zhou Qi and the others leave ahead of him.

The students gradually filed out, leaving Li Yuan alone.

He came to the classroom door, looked down the corridor, and after confirming that there was no one in the classrooms to either side.

Li Yuan could no longer contain himself. He immediately activated his Smart Ring Watch. "Xiaoyu, connect me to Aunt."

"Beep—beep—"

A full six seconds passed.

Bzz~ A light-screen projection formed before Li Yuan. Only he could see this screen... an Anti-peeping Light Screen.

"Xiao Yuan, what happened? Why are you calling me so urgently?" His aunt, Chen Hui, looked at Li Yuan with slight anxiety. Judging from the background, she was in her office.

Chen Hui was a middle school teacher.

"Aunt, put on your earphones." Li Yuan smiled. "I have some good news for you."

"Good news?" Chen Hui was taken aback.

Very quickly, she put on her earphones.

"Aunt, it's about the scholarship and..." Li Yuan immediately explained the situation, emphasizing in the end, "Don't worry, Aunt. I'm not lying to you. Both payments have already arrived in my account."

As he spoke, Li Yuan sent his aunt screenshots of the account.

"One hundred thousand Blue Star Coins?" Chen Hui's mouth opened slightly in surprise.

That was about the same as her annual take-home salary.

"Good!"

"Good!" Chen Hui said the word twice in a row. Her eyes seemed faintly moist as she instructed, "Xiao Yuan, go eat first. Remember to call your uncle after you eat. Call before one o'clock. Your uncle and his people take their lunch break from one to two."

"He'll definitely be happy when he finds out."

Ever since her son and daughter entered middle school, with Li Yuan added to the household, Chen Hui had felt immense financial pressure over these past few years.

Especially this month, her husband Li Changzhou had gone to the war front in Beijiang Province for a high subsidy.

Chen Hui often worried so much that she could not sleep night after night, terrified that she would suddenly receive some news.

Yet she could not show it in front of the children.

Chen Hui knew that the one hundred thousand Blue Star Coins Li Yuan had just received could not solve the family's problems.

But at this moment, Chen Hui finally saw a glimmer of dawn.

...After ending the call with his aunt.

Li Yuan tried video calling his uncle, Li Changzhou, wanting to share the good news with him.

Beep—beep—

No one answered.

"He didn't answer?" Li Yuan was startled, and a thread of worry could not help rising in his heart. He then comforted himself. "Uncle and the others are probably still busy."

He left a message, explained everything in detail, and sent the savings screenshot to Li Changzhou as well.

After doing all that.

Li Yuan finally relaxed a little and walked out of the classroom.

Late September sunlight fell upon the corridor, and upon Li Yuan as well.

It was warm and cozy.

"The sunlight is really nice today." Li Yuan smiled and went downstairs toward the cafeteria.

(End of chapter)