After ending the call, Shen Moru put away his terminal and instructed the assistant waiting beside him, "Go prepare a detailed joint training proposal, along with tomorrow's itinerary for Han University. Also, retrieve the foundational volume of the first director's Omnidimensional Cultivation Notes ahead of time and make a photocopy to keep on hand."
The assistant looked astonished. "Professor, you think that highly of him? Those notes are..."
"A Qi Refining Realm student who has reached Foundation Establishment in all seventeen categories deserves them." Shen Moru gazed at the sea of clouds outside the window, his eyes deep. "After all these years, the all-round system has finally produced another truly promising seedling. Perhaps he can reach heights none of us can attain."
He paused, then added, "And look into this Chen Fan's enrollment records. The more detailed, the better. I want to know exactly what he's been through these past two months to charge all the way from a false spirit root to omnidimensional foundation establishment."
"Understood. I'll get right on it." The assistant acknowledged his orders and withdrew.
Shen Moru tapped his fingertips lightly against the desk, already planning the next stages of Chen Fan's training.
He knew perfectly well what spirit roots actually were. To put it plainly, they were created by the Immortal Palace modifying innate spirit roots from the outside world and possessed some capacity to evolve. Thus, he had no doubts whatsoever about the change in Chen Fan's spirit root, attributing it entirely to extraordinary talent!
Full-dimensional foundation establishment was only the starting point. Next came the Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, and Nascent Soul Realm. Every step had to be taken steadily; this talent could not be wasted.
Meanwhile, at Handong University, Zhou Zhengyuan immediately sent a message to Dean Lü of the Sword Dao Theory College, asking him to speak with Chen Fan first, get a feel for him, find out what the boy himself thought, and arrange resources within the university in the meantime.
"Whether or not the joint training arrangement works out, he's a student at our Handong right now. He mustn't miss out on any of the resources he's entitled to," Zhou Zhengyuan specifically emphasized in his message.
When Dean Lü received the message, he was grinning over Chen Fan's test results.
Upon seeing the president's instructions, he immediately thumped his chest and promised to speak with Chen Fan first thing tomorrow morning and make absolutely sure he stayed.
The professors' group chat was still arguing. Zhou Zhengyuan casually sent a message: "Stop arguing. Jingfu just contacted me about joint training. He'll spend his four undergraduate years at Han University, then go to Jingfu for graduate studies, with Shen Moru personally supervising him. We'll settle the details at next week's academic summit."
The group fell silent for three seconds, then erupted even more fiercely.
"Holy shit! Jingfu moved that fast? Shen Moru's personally supervising him? That's one hell of a reception!"
"Joint training is great! He'll get resources from both sides. It's the best outcome for Chen Fan."
"We're just letting Jingfu off easy. We do all the hard work laying his foundation during his undergraduate years, and they pluck the peaches."
"You can't put it that way. If we really nurture someone great, our Han University will share the glory. Besides, he'll spend four undergraduate years here. His roots will be at Han University."
"True enough. Shen Moru personally supervising him-that's a grade-four professor, an authority on the Immortal Palace's all-round practical module. We really can't compare."
For all their arguing, the professors knew full well that this was an enormously good thing for Chen Fan.
Being accepted as Shen Moru's disciple was an opportunity even Jingfu's geniuses couldn't get by scrambling until their heads split, let alone students from Handong.
At that very moment, Chen Fan, still in the testing room, knew nothing of the undercurrents swirling among the big shots of the two universities.
He was crouching in a corner of the rest area, looking at the hundred thousand high-grade Spirit Stones that had just landed in his account, grinning like a fox that had stolen a chicken.
I'm rich!
Absolutely filthy rich!
Fatty Wang came over and saw his grin nearly reaching his ears. Puzzled, he asked, "Brother Fan, what are you doing? That happy about finishing your tests? Your results are good enough for a national scholarship. You definitely should be happy."
"Not bad, not bad." Chen Fan put away his terminal, feigning composure. "Just my normal performance."
"Your normal performance, he says." Fatty Wang rolled his eyes. "If that's your normal performance, the rest of us haven't performed at all. Anyway, once your results get reported, the college leadership will probably want to see you soon. They might even alert the president."
Chen Fan waved a hand. "No way. It's just a few results meeting the standards. Handong has so many geniuses. How could that possibly alert the president?"
He genuinely thought it wouldn't. Having lived in the mortal world for seventeen years, his understanding of the immortal cultivation world was still stuck at the stage of thinking geniuses were everywhere. After all, his teachers had harped on about it all day long back then.
As a top-tier Immortal Palace, Handong had geniuses by the dozen. These little achievements of his would, at most, catch his college's instructors' attention. How could they possibly alert the president?
He had barely finished speaking when the administrator, Auntie Zhang, hurried out of the duty room and immediately fixed her eyes on Chen Fan, her smile warm enough to melt dark iron.
"Chen Fan! Wait a moment!"
Chen Fan froze. "Auntie, what's wrong? I haven't gone over my time. I've still got ten minutes."
"It's not about your time!" Auntie Zhang came up to him, a hint of excitement in her voice. "The university leadership just sent word. They want you to go to the president's office right now. They said there's something very important they need to discuss with you!"
"The president's office?"
"Wait..." Chen Fan looked bewildered. "What does the president want with me? I haven't broken any rules."
"Oh, this is good news!" Auntie Zhang said with a chuckle. "Your results are so outstanding, the university must be planning to make you a priority for training! Hurry along. Don't keep the leadership waiting! From now on, you'll be our university's precious treasure!"
Chen Fan scratched his head, still a little dazed. After all, he had only enrolled a few days ago, and his idea of what constituted a genius was still rather vague!
After all, hearing "You're the worst class I've ever taught" all day long had made Chen Fan think this was the normal standard!
Beside him, Fatty Wang kept jabbing his arm and said excitedly in a low voice, "Brother Fan! You're really taking off! The president's personally summoning you! Hardly anyone in our entire first year gets that treatment! Go on, hurry! Remember to tell me what happened afterward!"
Chen Fan collected himself and nodded. "All right, I'll go take a look."
Holding his identity jade token, he followed Auntie Zhang outside. The setting sun streamed through the testing room's glass curtain wall and fell on the young man's shoulders, gilding them with a faint golden edge.
He still had no idea that the first act of a battle to recruit him, spanning two of the Divine Land's top Immortal Palaces, had already drawn to a close, or that his report card of "well-rounded development and overwhelming strength across the board" would soon stir up a considerable storm throughout the entire Immortal Palace university community.
The president's office was on the top floor of the administration building. Standing at its door, one could overlook half the campus. Chen Fan took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock.
"Come in."
A steady voice came from inside.
Chen Fan pushed open the door and walked in, immediately spotting Zhou Zhengyuan seated behind the desk.
The president of Handong University, a mighty Mahayana Realm cultivator, was now looking at him with a smile, undisguised appreciation in his eyes.
"Chen Fan, have a seat." Zhou Zhengyuan pointed to the chair opposite him. "I asked you here because there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Chen Fan sat as instructed, feeling rather at sea. Still, judging by the president's expression, it probably wasn't anything bad.