The Infuriating Ye Chen

While talking with Li Mo, Ye Chen learned a few things he hadn't known.

For instance, what exactly were the upper three realms? And who was the human race's current guardian?

Then there were the college entrance exam and the College Entrance Trial.

Once Ye Chen had heard it all, he fell into thought.

The Nine Awakening Realms represented breakthroughs in the body's nine major systems. The Mountain-Moving Realm and Sea-Overturning Realm together were known as the middle two realms!

And no, that wasn't "middle two" in the embarrassing sense.

The Mountain-Moving Realm was about breaking all techniques with sheer force.

The Sea-Overturning Realm was about commanding the world through techniques.

In plain language, Mountain-Moving trained strength, while Sea-Overturning trained techniques.

Next came the upper three realms: the Myriad Stars Realm, Bright Moon Realm, and Blazing Sun Realm.

Above them was the Saint Realm!

That was the realm of the human race's strongest people.

And in this world, the college entrance exam tested...

Knowledge, values, and strength.

Students whose talents fell short but whose grades were excellent had a chance to join the Human Race Research Institute.

The values portion examined how students viewed the human race, the world, and what mattered.

But that section was often the most dangerous. Anyone who knew how to score full marks also knew how to score zero.

As for strength, that was tested in the College Entrance Trial.

Of the three, strength was what mattered most right now.

The human race was desperately short of top-tier fighters.

Ye Chen took a deep breath. He would need time to digest everything he had learned today.

For now, raising his realm came first.

Ye Chen looked at the dozen or so Spirit Stones Li Mo had left on the table and scooped them up without hesitation.

"I've still got a long way to go. I wonder if this system really only gives out talents..."

"More than talent, what I need right now is resources. Wood Release has already given me what it takes to reach the top tier of fighters..."

Ye Chen's assessment of his situation was quite sound.

Wood Release and ordinary wood abilities were worlds apart.

Take the most shameless move, for example: Wood Clone...

An ordinary wood user couldn't pull that off, could they?

Cultivating with the breathing technique was extremely simple. Once he learned it, he would even cultivate in his sleep.

Of course, he wouldn't absorb as much spiritual energy as he would by actively practicing it.

That meant he could use Spirit Stones while he slept, too.

Ye Chen shook his head hard. Getting stronger was his priority; everything else could wait.

I'm here now, so I might as well make the best of it.

This world is far more interesting than I imagined.

A smile crept onto Ye Chen's lips, his eyes full of ambition.

With that feeling in his heart, Ye Chen drifted off to sleep.

When he woke the next day, he found a text from Li Mo.

"I got the director's approval. Once you're up, ask Old Zhang for the Spirit Stones."

Ye Chen glanced at the message and put away his phone.

He grabbed breakfast from a roadside stall and headed to school.

From that point on, Zanghai No. 1 High School would follow two different teaching tracks.

Students with sufficiently strong talents would train their abilities, while the others would continue their academic studies.

They were split into an Awakening Class and an Academic Class.

As a result, Ye Chen's original senior-year Class Three was broken up.

Although everyone saw Ye Chen's SSS-rank talent as a support ability,

he was still assigned to the elite Awakening Class.

Spirit Stones, instructors, benefits—he received the best treatment Zanghai No. 1 High School could offer.

The moment Ye Chen stepped into his new classroom, every eye turned toward him.

Zanghai No. 1 High School was, after all, in a small city. Apart from Lan Lengshuang and her SSS-rank offensive talent,

there were only two students with S-rank talents. There wasn't even anyone with SS-rank talent.

And given Lan Lengshuang's family background, she had no need for the school's instruction after awakening her talent.

Her only goal now was to prepare for the College Entrance Trial with everything she had.

That made Ye Chen the only person at school with an SSS-rank talent whom anyone could actually see.

Ye Chen froze as more than thirty pairs of eyes fixed on him.

Why are they all staring at me?

He couldn't help asking, "Am I... that handsome today? Why's everyone looking at me?"

I could understand attracting a few girls, but the guys? Why are they looking at me? I'm not into men!

"Was he so happy about awakening an SSS-rank talent that he went crazy?"

"Beats me. Maybe..."

"I think he just forgot to take his medicine..."

"Is it possible he took too much medicine today?"

Whispers rippled through the classroom, making things painfully awkward.

Just as Ye Chen was about to speak again, someone coughed behind him.

"Ahem. Please take your seat."

Ye Chen turned and saw an unfamiliar face.

He figured the man was a newly hired instructor. He nodded to him and quietly took his seat.

"Hello, everyone. I'm your instructor, Zhang Zilai."

"For the next two months, you'll undergo a series of physical training exercises under me. I hope you'll stick with it, earn good results in the College Entrance Trial, and bring honor to Zanghai No. 1 High School."

With that, Zhang Zilai took out a class roster and began calling names.

"Ye Chen."

"Here!"

Zhang Zilai looked up. "I won't be overseeing your training. The principal is waiting for you in his office."

The classroom erupted in gasps.

"Did the principal take Ye Chen as his disciple?"

"No way. Ye Chen's a support type!"

"Can you think of any other reason?"

"There's only one explanation! Ye Chen is the principal's illegitimate son!"

Zhang Zilai's eye twitched. "Quiet!"

My dad has an illegitimate son? How the hell did I not know?

When Ye Chen didn't move, Zhang Zilai said, "What are you waiting for? Do I need to carry you there in a sedan chair?"

Ye Chen shot to his feet and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's awfully generous of you. If you insist, I wouldn't mind."

Zhang Zilai was speechless. "Just get out!"

Does this kid have a talent for getting on people's nerves? Just looking at him makes me angry.

Ye Chen dashed off and soon reached Zhang Daosheng's office.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Um... Principal, sir, can I come in?"

Zhang Daosheng was at a loss for words. Principal, sir? What's that supposed to mean?

"Come in..." Before Zhang Daosheng could finish, Ye Chen had already walked in and plopped down on the sofa.

Zhang Daosheng stared at him, dumbfounded. You...

Were you born with a talent for getting on people's nerves? Just looking at you makes me angry.

Like father, like son. They had come to exactly the same conclusion.

"Hey, Principal, where are the Spirit Stones Old Li told you to give me?"

Zhang Daosheng took a deep breath, held back his anger, and asked calmly, "Before I give you the Spirit Stones, can I ask why I'm 'Principal, sir' while he's 'Old Li'? That old coot is two years older than me!"

"...My mistake, my mistake. Old Zhang, about those Spirit Stones..."