Rewards Arrive, Undercurrents Surge

Apart from Ye Lingxiao, who was unable to attend due to severe injuries and ongoing treatment, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yun Jing, and the four contestants from the Dao Heart and Magic Power tracks were all present.

Zhang Yu briefly observed the four contestants on the two tracks and could immediately tell that two of them were extremely excited, practically with the words "Foundation Establishment Certificate" written on their foreheads.

As for why Zhang Yu knew this, it's because he now shares the same thought as the other person—he couldn't wait to tag everyone he knew and show off his achievement of passing the Foundation Establishment Certificate exam.

In contrast, the other two looked dejected, like dead dogs, making it obvious who had won and who had lost.

Zhang Yu's gaze lingered briefly on the two winners. In his memory, the man and woman ranked 3rd and 5th respectively in the First Round Foundation Establishment Exam.

Their strength was extraordinary, allowing them to stand out among so many students from the Immortal Capital. However, Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing's performances were so outstanding at the beginning that they overshadowed everyone else's abilities.

Later, because of the different academic tracks, Zhang Yu didn't pay much attention to the other top students in Immortal Capital.

Seeing that these two had obtained Foundation Establishment Certificate, Zhang Yu estimated that even if the man and woman were not as strong as Ye Lingxiao, they should still be among the top high school students in the Kunxu First Layer.

"Of course, compared to me and A-Zhen, they're definitely much worse off."

After their initial excitement, the two students quickly noticed that one person was missing.

One of the male students walked up to Yun Jing and asked curiously, "Where's Ye Lingxiao? Did he already take the Foundation Establishment Certificate and run away?"

The male student who spoke had a well-proportioned figure and a head of light blue hair that rippled like water; he was clearly also some kind of Dharma Skeleton.

His Saint Jay, and he is the one who obtained the Foundation Establishment Certificate in this Magical Power Competition.

Yun Jing glanced at Saint Jay with a gloomy expression and said coldly, "How would I know where he went?"

"But you can ask him."

Yun Jing glanced at Zhang Yu and said calmly, "He should be in the same group as Ye Lingxiao, right? It seems he beat Ye Lingxiao."

"Winning Ye Lingxiao? How is that possible?!" Saint Jay looked shocked upon hearing this and turned to look at Zhang Yu's location.

As a top student on the Layer 5 of the Immortal Capital, Saint Jay knew all too well how terrifying Ye Lingxiao was and how powerful his Perfect Bloodline was.

After all, as classmates in the same high school, Saint Jay has been suppressed by Ye Lingxiao since entering the school, which can be described as a shadow in his life.

Moreover, from the moment he registered, Saint Jay could tell at a glance that Zhang Yu was from out of town.

This is utterly Heavenly Gang! Outsiders actually came and stole the Foundation Establishment Certificate from Immortal Capital Master?

Saint Jay looked at Zhang Yu and asked, "This... you defeated Ye Lingxiao?"

Sensing the other person's shocked gaze, Zhang Yu tried hard to keep his lips from curling up, and said with a calm expression, "Hmm."

Bai Zhenzhen glanced at him sideways, thinking to herself, "Yu Zi, Yu Zi, your desire to show off is practically written all over your face. You really can't hold your tongue at all."

Upon seeing Zhang Yu nod slightly, Saint Jay gasped and asked, "Where is he now?"

Recalling Ye Lingxiao's treatment, Zhang Yu said calmly, "It seems his injuries are too severe and he won't recover in a short time, so he can't attend the awards ceremony."

If Saint Jay's gaze was already filled with admiration when he heard Zhang Yu admit to defeating Ye Lingxiao, then at this moment, he looked at Zhang Yu as if he were looking at a monster.

He was shocked and thought, "That Ye Lingxiao... not only did he lose, but he was also so badly injured that even Orthodox God couldn't heal him in a short time?!"

At the same time, the other contestants also looked over upon hearing this. As fellow Immortal Capital People, they were also incredulous upon hearing Zhang Yu's words.

After all, which high school student in Immortal Capital is unaware of Ye Lingxiao's strength?

They couldn't even imagine what kind of high school student would be strong enough to defeat Ye Lingxiao, or even to seriously injure Ye Lingxiao in the match to the point that he couldn't be healed in a short time.

At this moment, Zhang Yu was no longer an ordinary outsider in their eyes, but a super outsider, a wealthy outsider with unfathomable wealth.

Meanwhile, another female student who had obtained the Foundation Establishment Certificate on the Dao Heart Track had noticed Yun Jing's gloomy expression and poor condition. She asked, "Yun Jing, you... didn't lose too, did you?"

Yun Jing glanced at the woman who had asked the question.

The other person's name was Tan Shishan, and she was also from Immortal Capital People like him. Although her net worth and achievements were slightly inferior to his and Ye Lingxiao's, they were all in the same circle. However, she was closer to Ye Lingxiao and the Oasis Group.

But thinking that the guy who used to follow him around had actually obtained the Foundation Establishment Certificate this time, while he himself hadn't, Yun Jing felt a wave of helplessness.

He knew that from this moment on, one of them had Foundation Establishment Certificate Foundation Establishment Certificate the other did not, just like the top 10 and the top 30 in the grade might never be able to sit at the same table again.

Yun Jing took a deep breath, not bothering to hide anything since these people would find out soon enough. He simply said, "Yes, I lost."

Unlike Ye Lingxiao, who was ultimately overwhelmed by Zhang Yu's power and physique, Yun Jing, despite losing to Bai Zhenzhen, harbored a strong sense of Qi Ingestion and... regret.

Yun Jing could sense that, in terms of raw strength, that woman was definitely inferior to him.

"If only I had been more careful... if only I had used a different tactic..."

Every time Yun Jing reviewed his three battles with Bai Zhenzhen, he became angrier and more regretful. He was confident that if he could fight her again, he would definitely be able to defeat her.

Just like how he got the last question on the General Knowledge Exam wrong due to carelessness, Yun Jing now only regretted that he hadn't been careful enough, attentive enough, or taken his opponent seriously enough.

Upon hearing Yun Jing's words, the Immortal Capital People present were all taken aback. They hadn't expected that, besides Ye Lingxiao, even Yun Jing had lost.

You should know that when the groups were formed, everyone assumed that the group Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were in was definitely the group of death, and that everyone else would be eliminated except for the two of them.

Therefore, they all tried to avoid the tracks where Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing were located, and squeezed into the tracks of magic power and Dao Heart to compete for the Foundation Establishment Certificate. In the end, Saint Jay and Tan Shishan won the Foundation Establishment Certificate.

At this moment, the students from Immortal Capital looked at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen with increasingly different gazes. Their tattered outer clothes, strips of cloth-like sweatpants, and shoes that could barely be called trash all seemed to appear unfathomable at this moment.

Looking at Bai Zhenzhen's slightly flushed face, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "This A-Zhen, her face is almost red, but she's still pretending to be aloof. She really can't hold her tongue."

Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "Damn it, I really want to post this on my Moments!"

However, the students of Immortal Capital quickly recovered from their shock and began to consider the impact of this unexpected incident.

Saint Jay thought to himself, "But Ye Lingxiao's loss might be a good thing. Do I... have a chance to take his place and work for the Oasis Group?"

Like the Ye Family family, Saint Jay's Lineage also planned to cooperate with the Oasis Group to launch a revolution, so he also knew some inside information.

Ye Lingxiao, due to his superior academic performance, became the primary target of the planned publicity campaign.

But now Saint Jay sees an opportunity; he also wants to be the lackey of that Second Layer Masters from the Oasis Group who is about to descend to earth.

Being a dog has never been a burden for Saint Jay.

As long as the money is right, he'd do anything, even be a dog, and bankrupt the other party. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Unlike the pampered Immortal Capital Master of Xiandu who grew up in luxury, Saint Jay was born into a collateral branch of the Lineage and had lived in Immortal Capital since he was old enough to understand.

Because the sky was completely blocked by the Floating City, he had never seen daytime until he entered high school.

When outsiders come to Immortal Capital, they all like to say how wonderful Immortal Capital Master is, how many excellent cultivation conditions it has had since childhood.

Every time Saint Jay heard such remarks, he would scoff. Who said Immortal Capital People is rich?

In his view, there are more poor people in Immortal Capital than in any other city, because it is the most competitive place on the Kunxu First Layer, and also the place where the most people are eliminated every year.

To him, many people on the Layer 1 were nothing more than dogs on the Layer 5, and those on the 1.5th Layer 5 were, in turn, dogs of those on the Layer 2.

In his eyes, Kunxu was like an enormous dog farm, where you either treated others as dogs or were someone else's dog.

Only by learning to be a dog and training a dog can one climb up the ranks in Kunxu, just like he climbed from the Layer 1 to the 1.5th Layer 5.

"Wrong."

Saint Jay glanced at Zhang Yu, thinking to himself, "Will this guy also be recruited by the Oasis Group? Wouldn't that mean I'd be competing with him?"

Thinking of this, Saint Jay felt a surge of bitterness in his heart. How could he possibly compete with this monster who could suppress Ye Lingxiao?

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"But what if?"

Saint Jay knew Ye Lingxiao's temperament; in his eyes, he was too arrogant.

"Since this guy is stronger than Ye Lingxiao, then his family background and wealth must be far more impressive."

Saint Jay looked at Zhang Yu, sensing the other's aloof and indifferent temperament, and thought to himself, "His temper is probably even worse than Ye Lingxiao's. I wonder how arrogant and aloof he is, and whether he even wants to serve the Second Layer Masters of the Oasis Group. That would give me a chance."

"Anyway, after the Foundation Establishment Exam is over, the candidates' information will no longer be kept secret."

"Once I get back, I'll immediately find out his background, see what his connections are, and see if I have a chance."

Just then, accompanied by ripples of Divine Light, the five Orthodox God examiners cast their shadows.

As the chief examiner, Deng Bingding first encouraged the many candidates present, and after saying a lot of platitudes, he began to announce the results of the examination.

As the four Foundation Establishment Certificate holders stepped forward one by one, Deng Bingding's gaze lingered on Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen for a moment longer before he looked at the four of them with a slight smile and said, "You four performed very well. With your tenacious will, superb skills, and fearless courage, you demonstrated the spirit of high school students from the Kunxu First Layer..."

"... You will now be awarded Foundation Establishment Certificate."

After listening to the other party's long speech, the awards ceremony finally began. Zhang Yu's eyes widened suddenly, and under Huang Zichou's guidance, he accepted a gold-embossed certificate with both hands.

Looking at the five large characters "Foundation Establishment Certificate" on it, Zhang Yu breathed a long sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Huang Zichou reminded him, "Keep the certificate at home; it's mainly for commemorative purposes. Use the electronic version most often."

Zhang Yu asked, "Does it have special effects? Like, something that's suspended overhead?"

Huang Zichou smiled slightly and said, "You'll have to figure that out for yourself."

Beside them, Yun Jing and the other two losers stared longingly at the Foundation Establishment Certificate held in the hands of the four, their desire, envy, and jealousy almost tangible.

Next was a three-million-dollar interest-free loan, which all the students present would receive regardless of whether they won or lost.

Deng Bingding simply reached out and made a gesture, and a huge red envelope appeared above everyone's heads, with the number 3 million written on it.

"Here you are, a three million interest-free loan."

This was just a small amount of money for Yun Jing, Saint Jay, and the others, but for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen it was a huge windfall, greatly alleviating their financial difficulties and filling their already empty wallets.

The two happily accepted the red envelopes, and as they watched their account balances skyrocket, they began planning how to spend them.

As for using it to pay off previous loans? That's not the style of Kunxu Person.

Next came the reward of an Expert-level Cultivation Method. Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen had been selecting various Cultivation Method over the past few months and had already planned what they needed next. At this moment, they quickly submitted the Cultivation Method they requested, and soon they would receive the Copyright and electronic version of the Cultivation Method.

Finally, there's the option of having a designated university professor.

Deng Bingding looked at the four of them and said, "This reward will be given to you after you enter university."

"Once you ascend to the Second Layer and enter the University City, the local Orthodox God will contact you and assign you a teacher."

"You'll have to find out which teacher will be assigned to you later."

She paused for a moment, then added, "After entering university, choosing the right professor is very important. If you're having trouble deciding right away, you can hold off until you have a better understanding and confidence in your choice."

"Also, after this Foundation Establishment Exam is over, the protection of candidates' information will no longer continue. After you go back, you will likely encounter various universities and companies that try to recruit you in advance."

My advice to you is... don't agree to any conditions too easily.

Zhang Yu listened to Deng Bingding's words, he felt that the other person was looking at him and Bai Zhenzhen the whole time, as if he was speaking specifically to them.

"However..." He thought for a moment, realizing that the Immortal Capital Master must already know about this, while he and Bai Zhenzhen were indeed the least aware of it.

Recalling the other party adding him as a friend and the suppression of the Zhou Family, Zhang Yu felt that this Orthodox God seemed to harbor some kind of goodwill towards him.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "I didn't use any Goodwill Talisman either..."

With the Foundation Establishment Exam completely over, the candidates left the examination hall one after another.

Looking at the empty examination hall before him, Deng Bingding knew in his heart that the results of this Foundation Establishment Exam would probably not be as unnoticed as in previous years.

After all, the Oasis Group and several Lineage in Immortal Capital decided to join forces to launch a revolution, and they used the Foundation Establishment Exam as a propaganda weapon.

"Even if Ye Lingxiao fails, at most he'll just find another target audience for his publicity..."

Deng Bingding thought to herself that the impact of this exam would soon spread, but she didn't know what the final result would be.

"Is the God Department still not reacting to the Oasis Group's large-scale interference in the First Layer, and even its efforts to integrate the powerful clans across the First Layer? Are they worried about someone in the Nether Palace behind the Oasis Group?"

Suddenly, the images of Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Zhang Pianpian flashed through Deng Bingding's mind.

"Or have the experts already made their moves in this test?"

(End of this chapter)