Direct Admission! School Rewards and a Request for Monthly Votes]

"My name isn't on the recommendation list, and it's not on the practical combat assessment list either?" Fang Yu's thoughts were in a bit of a mess.

If he had only been missing from the recommendation list, Fang Yu could have accepted it, since there were only ten spots and he was at an inherent disadvantage without the points for a Void Star Aspect.

But he hadn't even made it into the practical combat assessment? That wasn't normal.

"Wang Mo actually made the assessment list?"

"That rich kid made the list too? Sure enough, when rich people train in martial arts, they rise at every step. But that Fang Yu next to him didn't even make the practical combat assessment? Has he fallen behind that much?"

"I don't think he ever awakened a Void Star Aspect. It's normal that he wasn't selected. Having slightly better skills isn't much of an advantage at our stage."

"That's true."

"Zhang Tao is incredible. He actually made it to first place." The examinees chatted and discussed the results. Naturally, the one drawing the most attention was Zhang Tao, who ranked first on the recommendation list.

Being ranked first meant he had the highest assessment score as well.

Just then.

"Quiet." A female teacher in loose martial arts attire stepped forward. Her piercing gaze swept across the hall, quickly silencing everyone. "The lists are out and will be posted publicly for two days. If you have doubts about your results, you can apply for a review on the official website before midnight tomorrow."

"The seventy students taking part in the practical combat assessment should continue training at school as usual and make preparations. The detailed requirements for the assessment will be sent to your personal email addresses. Assemble on September 14."

"The ten recommended students, come upstairs with me now to sign your documents." The female teacher paused, then looked at Fang Yu. "Fang Yu, you've been given a direct admission spot. It doesn't count against the recommendation quota, so come with me as well. I'll take you to meet the teachers from Huguang Martial Arts University later."

A stir swept through the room.

An uproar broke out.

In an instant, almost every student's gaze converged on Fang Yu, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"A direct admission spot? Damn, Fang, you've really been hiding your abilities!" Wang Mo said excitedly.

Fang Yu was a little dazed himself.

A direct admission spot? This was completely beyond his expectations.

There were actually three paths for a martial arts junior college student seeking to enter an undergraduate program. One was recommendation, and another was selection through a practical combat assessment. Those were the two most common.

They had fixed schedules, fixed assessment events, and a fixed number of admissions.

There was another path: "direct admission."

There were no restrictions on timing or age... as long as a junior college student displayed sufficient martial arts talent, they could apply to take an assessment directly. Passing it meant admission to a martial arts undergraduate program. In theory, a student could advance in their first year.

It was just far too rare.

And there had never been a clear standard for what counted as "sufficient talent."

At least, in Fang Yu's three years at junior college, he had never heard of anyone at the school receiving direct admission. Over time, all the students had come to assume it simply didn't exist.

Today.

He had received a direct admission spot?

"Direct admission?" Zhang Tao, who had ranked first on the recommendation list in the assessment, couldn't help looking at Fang Yu, as if trying to see what qualified him for it.

"Okay."

"Fang Yu, the eleven of you, come with me. Everyone else is dismissed," the female teacher said, turning and heading upstairs. Fang Yu and the ten recommended students followed.

Without anyone saying a word, the ten recommended students all fell in behind Fang Yu.

They let Fang Yu go first.

"Fang, you're amazing. You're even more impressive than Wu Ya. You're the real number one this time," Wang Mo said quietly. "Come on, tell me. Did you awaken a Void Star Aspect? Or a Mid-Rank Star Aspect? Have you been hiding it all along?"

The other recommended students, Zhang Tao included, couldn't help pricking up their ears, curious.

How could they not be?

This was the first time they had seen a martial arts junior college student admitted directly to an undergraduate program.

"No." Fang Yu shook his head. He already had a vague idea: it was most likely because of his saber technique.

In an office on the second floor.

Dozens of teachers were already waiting.

As soon as Fang Yu and Wang Mo entered, they saw their homeroom teacher, Yan Fu. Before they could greet him, the female teacher leading them began the introductions. "Vice Principal Guo, this is Fang Yu, and these are the other ten recommended students."

"Students, this is Vice Principal Guo," the female teacher added, turning to the side.

"Hello, Principal," Fang Yu said first.

"Hello, Principal," the other students echoed.

"Haha, no need to stand on ceremony." Vice Principal Guo was slightly plump and had a kindly face. "Today is your graduation day, and a fine day on which you're entering an undergraduate program. On behalf of the school, I offer you my congratulations."

"To come out ahead among the five thousand students in your year and earn recommendation spots for an undergraduate program shows that you are all exceptionally outstanding junior college students."

"Especially Fang Yu." Vice Principal Guo looked at him. "Our school only produces one directly admitted student every three to five years. It's a rare achievement."

Fang Yu put on a "modest" expression.

"But whether it's Fang Yu or the rest of you, I hope you'll remember one thing. You've risen from junior college to become undergraduates, which shows that over these three years, you've improved more than many undergraduate students," Vice Principal Guo said. "As encouragement, each of you will receive a school award of one million star coins."

"I hope that after entering a higher-level institution, you'll continue working hard and go further in martial arts."

"I also hope that before long, your alma mater will be able to take pride in you," Vice Principal Guo said solemnly.

At once.

Fang Yu, Zhang Tao, and the others broke into heartfelt applause. Even Wang Mo was no exception... an award of one million star coins was enough to excite everyone present.

Soon.

Vice Principal Guo left, and Fang Yu, Wang Mo, and the others received their graduation certificates. The prize money would be deposited directly into their bank accounts a little later.

The homeroom teachers each led their students aside.

"Teacher Yan." Fang Yu and Wang Mo both came over to Yan Fu.

"Haha."

"You two have done me proud, especially you, Fang Yu. You actually got a direct admission spot," Yan Fu said with a beaming smile. He was overjoyed.

Although he had long been certain that Fang Yu would place first in this assessment.

He had never expected Fang Yu to get a direct admission spot... the students didn't understand, but he knew exactly why there were no specific assessment standards for direct admission.

Because.

A martial arts university had to agree before a student could be admitted directly... the universities controlled the assessments, and since these were admissions outside their planned quotas, they naturally didn't want to make the standards public.

"It's because you taught me well, Teacher. Without your devoted guidance these past few years, I wouldn't have improved so quickly," Fang Yu said.

It was flattery, but it was also true.

During his three years at junior college, Yan Fu, as his homeroom teacher, had given him no special help, but he had fulfilled his responsibilities and never held anything back when teaching or giving guidance.

"Haha, no need to flatter me. I couldn't have taught you to bring your saber technique to Subtlety," Yan Fu said with a smile.

"Subtlety in saber technique?" Wang Mo's eyes widened. "Fang, you reached Subtlety in saber technique and didn't tell me? No wonder you got direct admission."

"I told you, Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety." Fang Yu spread his hands.

"Damn, is Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety with your body the same thing as Subtlety in saber technique?" Wang Mo shook his head. "Fang, you haven't been straight with me."

"You reached Lesser Mastery of Minute Subtlety with your body, and you didn't tell me either, did you?" Fang Yu said with a smile.

"You knew?" Wang Mo stared at him in surprise. He had kept that hidden too.

"You ranked third on the recommendation list... if there hadn't been a fundamental breakthrough in your martial skills, your level-twenty life level alone would probably only have put you in sixth to eighth place," Fang Yu said with a grin.

Wang Mo promptly gave him a thumbs-up.

"Wang Mo, you've made a lot of progress too. I'll call your father again," Yan Fu said, looking at him with a smile. "Remember to invite me to the celebration banquet for your admission."

"Don't worry, Teacher. If you come, the seat of honor is yours," Wang Mo said, thumping his chest.

"All right."

"Now, to business." Yan Fu's smile faded a little. "Aside from the one million awarded by the school... around noon, I entered your assessment results into the basic information on your school accounts and checked them again against the requirements for the school's various scholarships. Fang Yu, I should be able to help you apply for another eight hundred thousand star coins. Wang Mo, I can help you apply for over two hundred thousand. Don't think it's too little."

"Teacher Yan, haven't we graduated? Can we still apply?" Wang Mo asked, puzzled.

Every martial arts university and junior college had various private scholarships in addition to national ones. Their requirements varied widely, and most were funded by donations from companies, corporate groups, or individuals.

Fang Yu and Wang Mo's assessment results had risen sharply this time.

They could certainly obtain some additional awards.

"You have indeed graduated, but the system won't update until tomorrow. In other words, you're still members of the school today," Yan Fu said with a smile. "I'll get your application forms processed today. It's just a matter of getting a few more stamps."

"If it goes quickly, the money will be paid out with the school award."

"Thank you, Teacher Yan," Fang Yu said.

It wouldn't be as easy as Teacher Yan made it sound. Normally, he didn't have to do this; after all, the two of them really had graduated... he was showing them goodwill.

Eight hundred thousand star coins.

That was a large sum for him.

"I'm just doing my duty." Yan Fu looked at Fang Yu again. "Fang Yu, since the teachers from Huguang Martial Arts University selected you for direct admission, you should be eligible to sign a special contract."

"I suspect it may require you to take part in actual combat on Primordial Star... actual combat and a practical combat assessment are two different things!"

"When the time comes, don't sign it lightly. Think it through first."

--

P.S. Because I'm trying to climb the new-book rankings, I'm now generally posting the first chapter of each day around midnight.

The new-book rankings run for thirty days, with a limit of 200,000 words.

Today is the ninth day since the book launched. In nine days, I've posted twenty-one chapters, totaling 62,000 Chinese characters, basically updating right up against the ranking limit... I hope you'll all keep supporting me! I'll try to keep up three chapters a day for the rest of this week.

I'd like to ask everyone for monthly votes!

Thank you!