Top Ten!

Le Mulan's forehead was beaded with dense sweat.

She had already completed her fourth Magical Power oscillation. That repeatedly battered clump of Magical Power had turned into a hazy white mist, bobbing and sinking within her dantian, drifting unstably and becoming harder and harder to control.

"Three more. Just three more, and I'll succeed."

Song Hailong's breathing grew heavier and heavier.

A vast surge of Magical Power rose from his dantian like layer upon layer of white clouds, gradually forming a vortex.

"The final Magical Power oscillation."

"As expected, I'm still the one who'll win in the end..."

Boom!

Boom!

A burst of thunderous noise suddenly came from afar.

Song Hailong's expression changed sharply.

Someone had actually succeeded before him?

No... that wasn't it... He quickly realized something, surprise appearing in his eyes. "Two people. Two people were actually faster than me?"

In the distance, Xiong Bufan pressed his palms together. Wisps of white, cloud-like Magical Power poured from his paws and gathered into a ball, making it seem as though he were holding a lively little cloud. Yet the cloud began to disperse almost immediately, clearly unable to last.

But he did not look at it. Instead, he turned toward the direction from which the rumbling had come.

"Only one step slower than me? Someone from White Dragon High School, or Ziyun High School?"

Xiong Bufan stared at that pillar-like stream of white air soaring upwards and refusing to disperse, surprise filling his eyes. "What's going on? It's only a competition. We're competing over speed, and everyone is trying to be fast. Why did he train that Body Protecting Qi so well?"

"He's showing off way too hard!"

At Songyang High School's competition grounds,

Zhang Yu spread his palms. Streams of white air surged wildly from his hands and drifted straight upward above his head, like white wolf-smoke soaring into the sky, drawing more and more attention in the blink of an eye.

After Zhang Yu had speed-trained the Limitless Cloud Hand once in the most cursory, gulp-it-down-whole fashion possible, and naturally failed to convert even the slightest bit of Qi...

...he felt that he had already mastered the technique.

With a thought, Qi followed his will. Wave after wave of Magical Power completed seven oscillations in succession, transforming into vigorous Qi that erupted from his palms and ultimately formed the sight before them.

At the sight, Teacher Yan excitedly clenched her fist, then hurriedly pulled out her phone and snapped a flurry of pictures in Zhang Yu's direction.

Zhang Yu's talent for controlling Magical Power is actually this astonishing? It seems the previous Magical Power exams simply couldn't reveal this at all, Teacher Yan thought.

Thinking back to Zhang Yu's recent improvement in Magical Power, she inwardly sighed. It was likely this very improvement that had greatly increased the efficiency of his Breath Circulation.

Bai Zhenzhen watched the scene as well, her face touched with emotion as she said with the satisfaction of an old parent, "The child has grown up."

A moment later, the results for the third stage of the Magic Competition appeared one after another.

Xiong Bufan of Red Pagoda High School ranked first.

Zhang Yu of Songyang High School ranked second.

Song Hailong followed close behind, taking third place.

Le Mulan of Ziyun High School had been squeezed down into fourth.

As the third stage gradually came to an end, the students' total Magic Competition scores were released one after another as well.

The many students looked at the final overall rankings, each wearing a different expression.

First place: Song Hailong, White Dragon High School. Total score: 290.

Second place: Le Mulan, Ziyun High School. Total score: 287.

Third place: Xiong Bufan, Red Pagoda High School. Total score: 285.

The Three Great Famous Schools still monopolized the top three overall rankings, opening an enormous gap between themselves and every competitor behind them.

But at this moment, the eyes of most students in the venue were not on the top three. They were focused on fourth place.

Fourth place: Zhang Yu, Songyang High School. Total score: 273.

Songyang High School was also a Key High School, but seeing it appear among the top ten, surrounded by the names of the Three Great Famous Schools, felt so jarring.

It was like a seam being forcibly ripped open in clouds that had once been airtight.

"Fourth place... how much was the prize money again?"

Zhang Yu looked at the final rankings, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curving up as he began wondering about the prize money for fourth place in the Magic Competition.

He was already extremely satisfied with this ranking.

After all, while he was confident that he would certainly surpass these opponents in the future,

when it came to actual strength at the present moment, he was indeed still temporarily inferior to the top students of the Three Great Famous Schools.

He still needed more time to develop.

Being able to squeeze into fourth place this time, he had to sigh that A-Zhen had shown her divine favor, Feather Scroll had done its filial duty, and of course, most importantly, he himself had persisted without fail.

Qian Shen stared fixedly at Zhang Yu. He clearly remembered that Zhang Yu's Monthly Exam score had only been 620. It had been six points lower than his own.

Yet this very existence with a score of 620 was actually ranked alongside those figures from the Three Great High Schools who scored above 650—the High Caste, ultimate monsters—in the Magic Competition?!

"It's this again... It was the same at the art exhibition last time. This Zhang Yu always manages to display abilities beyond what his score should allow."

Clutching his head, his eyes still filled with disbelief, he said, "It's as if the evaluation system of 700 points across six subjects can no longer perfectly express the degree of his evolution."

"This man..." Qian Shen stared at Zhang Yu, a thought suddenly rising in his heart that even surprised himself.

"This man who cannot be perfectly expressed through scores may, in the future, trigger another reform of the high school scoring system and make this evaluation system even more perfect."

Beside him, He Dayou glanced at Qian Shen, who was clutching his head and muttering to himself, and inwardly thought, What kind of fit is this idiot throwing now?

He turned his head, and the surging emotions in his heart were impossible to suppress as he looked at Zhang Yu.

Envy, jealousy... It would have been impossible to say he felt none of those things, especially when everything before him was happening to the poor person he had looked down upon most.

At that thought, even a trace of regret welled up in He Dayou's heart.

"He's ultimately just a poor bastard."

"Good thing... he's only a poor bastard."

In Ziyun High School's rest area,

the competition coach looked at Le Mulan, Lian Tianji, and the others before suddenly saying, "What do you think? How about we recruit that Zhang Yu?"

Clearly, after seeing Zhang Yu's performance, this coach wanted to bring Zhang Yu into the fold.

Lian Tianji said from the side, "Although Zhang Yu doesn't have the bloodline of our Ziyun High School, he has indeed performed outstandingly. I think it would be pretty good to bring him over."

This so-called lack of bloodline was part of an internal hierarchy of contempt that circulated within Ziyun High School.

It generally referred to one's background at Ziyun Nursery, Ziyun Kindergarten, Ziyun Primary School, and Ziyun Junior High School.

From left to right, each additional Ziyun credential was considered to make one's "bloodline" purer.

Le Mulan asked, "Where were his first and second academic credentials from?"

"I actually asked him about that," Lian Tianji said, naming Zhang Yu's former primary school and junior high school.

A trace of barely restrained disgust immediately appeared on Le Mulan's face. Those two schools reeked too strongly of poor people.

Seeing the change in Le Mulan's expression, Lian Tianji knew there was no chance. He inwardly thought, Then the next time I meet Zhang Yu, it'll probably be to settle things in the Martial Arts Competition.

At that thought, a trace of anticipation surfaced in his heart.

Outside the restroom,

the moment Zhang Yu came out, he was stopped by a man. The newcomer was Han Xingye, the competition coach from White Dragon High School.

"Zhang Yu, come to White Dragon High School." Han Xingye extended a hand toward Zhang Yu. "A talent like yours would be wasted staying in Songyang."

"Although you did well in this competition, the gap between you and us will only grow larger in the future."

Han Xingye was speaking the truth.

Although the Three Great Famous Schools divided up nearly all of Songyang City's best students, over time... there would always be a few left behind at other Key High Schools, or even ordinary high schools.

Han Xingye had seen a few students from other schools who stood out from the crowd in the Magical Power Competition during their first year of high school.

But he had never seen students from other high schools who performed outstandingly in the Magical Power Competition during their second or third year.

"If you come to White Dragon High School, I'll definitely help you apply for a contract with good enough terms."

Zhang Yu suddenly asked, "If I go to White Dragon High School, can I get into the Top Ten?"

Han Xingye froze slightly, as though he had not expected Zhang Yu to ask such a question, and was caught off guard.

The real answer was naturally no. Even if Zhang Yu came to White Dragon High School, he would merely become one of White Dragon High School's investment projects.

Forget the Top Ten. They wanted to poach Zhang Yu precisely to stop him from participating in the remaining first-year competitions. After all, these achievements related to Gaokao scores and university interviews were gilding projects for the rich. Poor people should not be allowed to take up the slots.

As for university, he would certainly be able to get into a decent one in the future, but it would definitely not be among the Top Ten.

After all, White Dragon High School's conditions would certainly be better than Songyang High School's, and Zhang Yu would receive better development here.

But Top Ten slots... had never been prepared for poor people.

Just then, Teacher Yan walked over and stepped in front of Zhang Yu. She eyed Han Xingye warily. "Teacher Han, what are you saying to my student?"

Whether Zhang Yu had money or not, as far as Teacher Yan was concerned, as long as he could place, it was her teaching achievement.

Han Xingye smiled helplessly. They both brought students to competitions every year, so he and Teacher Yan could be considered acquainted.

Now that he had been caught trying to poach her student, Han Xingye felt somewhat awkward. He immediately said to Zhang Yu, "No matter what, it's still better than continuing to stay at Songyang High School... that place, right?"

Teacher Yan was furious at his words.

What did he mean, "that place"? Don't think that just because he had not said it aloud, she could not guess all those insulting words he wanted to use for Songyang High School!

But thinking of the gap between her own school and White Dragon High School, Teacher Yan was genuinely afraid he would continue stating facts she could not refute. She had no choice but to interrupt, "Enough. If this teacher has anything to discuss, you may speak with me. Please do not harass our student."

Watching Teacher Yan and Zhang Yu leave, Han Xingye shrugged. If he's truly clearheaded enough, he should choose this side.

"Even if he still can't get into the Top Ten."

"Did you see it?"

"Fourth place! Zhang Yu got fourth place overall! Fourth place, do you understand?"

"Just tell me how much you plan to invest."

Listening to the noise coming from Bai Zhenzhen's side, Mo Tianyi said helplessly, "Zhenzhen, you don't need to be so excited. I can see it..."

Bai Zhenzhen said, "Then hurry up and send the money! Your boss wasn't even this impressive during his first year of high school, was he?"

Mo Tianyi said, "Boss had also placed in competitions before..."

After some back-and-forth, Mo Tianyi concluded, "Zhang Yu's results are indeed extremely outstanding."

"I admit that I gave you too little money before."

"I'll report the situation to Boss and the other senior students, and do my best to secure more investment for you."

Bai Zhenzhen had long understood this and urged, "Remember to approve the money quickly."

After ending the call, Mo Tianyi looked at Zhang Yu's fourth-place ranking on the screen. His chest, which should have long since cooled, seemed to warm slightly once more.

"You did a truly beautiful job."

"To actually break through the suppression of so many rich people and reach this ranking."

"What a pity. It's too late..."

A trace of helplessness and gloom flashed through Mo Tianyi's heart. If it had been two years earlier, I would definitely have chosen you.

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen inwardly thought, He's placed in the Martial Arts Competition before? I'd like to see exactly which one you are.