"The Golden Bell Shield and Golden Light Wave worked well together, merging and evolving into an Earth-Grade Mid-Tier Martial Skill."
As soon as Lu Chong accepted the Golden Light Wave bestowed upon him by Principal Wei, a pleasant notification rang out in his mind.
"This is..." Lu Chong was both surprised and delighted. "The Golden Bell Shield evolved again, jumping straight to Earth-Grade Mid-Tier!"
These two Earth-Grade Low-Tier Martial Skills, both related to the Golden Cicada Robe, hadn't conflicted. Instead, they had merged smoothly and evolved into an even rarer and more valuable Earth-Grade Mid-Tier skill.
If an ordinary Earth-Grade Low-Tier Martial Skill was worth a million, then an Earth-Grade Mid-Tier one was worth at least twice as much.
What's more, the Golden Bell Shield was an even rarer body-tempering Martial Skill. It stood out even among Earth-Grade Martial Skills and was worth at least five million.
Of course, Martial Skills couldn't be measured by money alone, and Lu Chong wasn't greedy.
Still, this was at least an indirect indication of the skill's power and potential.
He hurriedly checked his personal panel, unable to hold back another surge of delight.
Name: Lu Chong Level: Martial Artist Third Stage (10%) Martial Skills-- Human-Grade Low-Tier: Nine-Shadow Step Complete...Heart-Piercing Kick Complete Human-Grade Mid-Tier: Seven-Step Killing Fist Complete, Three-Inch Palm Complete Human-tier Top Grade: Tiger Roar Skill Complete Earth-Grade Low-Tier: Wind Blade Leg Microscopic (30%), Gale Shadowless Step Microscopic (30%) Earth-Grade Mid-Tier: Golden Bell Shield Great Accomplishment (26%) ...
His cultivation had reached Martial Artist Third Stage. That had been inevitable; Lu Chong had broken through three days ago.
What he was focused on now was the Golden Bell Shield, which had just evolved into an Earth-Grade Mid-Tier skill.
"Just as I thought. After the Golden Bell Shield evolved again, its potential increased, but its mastery dropped back to Great Accomplishment."
However, Lu Chong knew this was a good thing for him. As long as it had potential, he was confident he could improve it quickly.
Besides, the Golden Bell Shield at Great Accomplishment, now Earth-Grade Mid-Tier, was even more powerful than it had been at Microscopic.
He also had a clear sense that he could not only use the evolved Golden Bell Shield, but also break it back down into Golden Light Wave and the original Golden Bell Shield.
He could even break it down further, restoring the Golden Cicada Robe to Complete mastery. That, too, would be easy for him.
"All right, you should get some rest." Seeing Lu Chong lost in thought, Principal Wei reminded him.
"Today, let Teacher Wang help you move over the things you need."
"With the College Entrance Exam approaching, stop taking private tutoring jobs outside, too." Principal Wei added, "I know you earned quite a few military merits during special training and haven't used them. You even won a large sum of money, right?"
Lu Chong knew Principal Wei meant the military merits and five hundred thousand he'd won from Xue Cheng. He smiled sheepishly.
"That's nothing. Martial Artists should compete, and there's nothing shameful about supporting yourself through your own wits." Principal Wei smiled, showing no sign of blaming Lu Chong.
"But don't lose sight of what matters and let money blind you."
"In the month before the College Entrance Exam, you still need to devote all your time and energy to cultivation."
"If you need anything, just tell me." Principal Wei spoke earnestly.
For students, especially those from poor families like Lu Chong, the College Entrance Exam was the most important turning point in their lives.
"And you should know that the College Entrance Exam is also a chance to earn a great deal of resources."
Principal Wei gave Lu Chong a meaningful look. "If you seize the opportunity, you might not have to worry about money for all four years of college."
Lu Chong nodded, deeply agreeing.
In fact, as his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, his ambitions had grown, and his College Entrance Exam goals had become increasingly lofty.
If he took first place in Guanyun City, the city's Department of Education and his alma mater would both give him a substantial reward.
Some local businesses and martial arts schools would even take the opportunity to sponsor the city's top student. They could advertise their names while also building a good relationship with a promising young talent.
And if he took first place in Hedong Province's Survival Base in the College Entrance Exam, the city's rewards wouldn't just double—the province would also give him a major prize.
But none of that was really big money. It was clear that this wasn't what Principal Wei meant.
What could really earn Lu Chong a fortune was the chance to appear in the College Entrance Exam's live combat broadcasts.
Every year, during the combat stage of the College Entrance Exam, each student had their own individual livestream channel in addition to the official broadcast.
Both the official broadcast and the students' own livestreams reached more than a billion viewers across the country.
Were these broadcasts simply meant to provide comprehensive oversight of the exam, or to give students a chance to show what they could do?
Of course not. Livestreams drew traffic, and they also offered viewers a way to reward and encourage students.
Why?
The Huaxia government wasn't trying to draw attention for its own sake. It was using this moment of nationwide interest to promote the martial spirit among the people.
At the same time, when people saw how the students performed, they could choose to reward those who excelled—or the students they liked.
This wasn't an attempt to fleece the public; it was a policy meant to genuinely benefit students.
After the exam, the government would publicly disclose every payment made through a student's livestream channel and hand it all over to the students, without taking taxes.
The public generally supported these broadcasts. Everyone knew that only by sending wave after wave of outstanding students to the battlefield after graduation could Huaxia maintain its Survival Bases and keep its people safe.
Didn't these students deserve encouragement?
So how could Lu Chong not be tempted?
Wouldn't it be great to make a fortune from the College Entrance Exam livestreams using his own strength?
He'd even looked up records from past exams. Some students had earned more than ten million in rewards during just six days of the Combat Assessment.
Ten million might not mean much to the children of wealthy families, but to Lu Chong, it would be the capital he needed for cultivation.
If I can turn things around in a big way, I shouldn't have to worry about money for a while. Lu Chong thought excitedly.
That very day, he took his Head Teacher back to his somewhat shabby home, packed up a few things, and moved into the Teacher Apartment behind the school.
Principal Wei had left him a one-bedroom apartment, but it came with an underground Cultivation Room.
The room was nowhere near as impressive as the cultivation building at Lou Qingqing's home, but it still covered more than a hundred square meters and came equipped with plenty of training and testing equipment.
It had everything he needed, despite its modest size.
Lu Chong thought that once he had money, he'd get himself a private space like this, too, somewhere convenient for both living and cultivation.
"The College Entrance Exam!"
"Once I get past this hurdle, a truly vast world will open up before me." Lu Chong was full of fighting spirit, ready to face his first major exam since coming to this world.
This was an exam that could send him soaring to success.
Before you continue