Chapter 53 (continued)

But as Li Yang has come this far, she has become increasingly determined to get first place in the monthly exam.

Star Ash Soil became secondary.

She wanted to prove to everyone that the Agronomy Department was very strong.

If we lose now, all the groundwork will be for nothing, and those who were considering switching departments will reconsider and firmly believe that the three major departments are stronger.

Li Yang not only wanted to expand the Agronomy Department, but also to save his own life.

Only by bringing these scions of top aristocratic families into the fold can the mastermind behind the scenes refrain from making any rash moves.

Imagine if Li Yang led Ying Qi and Lin Zhaoqin to raid a cult stronghold; would they still need Shen Binghua's protection?

There's absolutely no need for that.

The Ying Family and Lin Family must have sent people to follow her. Even the person who wanted to assassinate her would have to find another opportunity.

Therefore, she must win this time.

When Li Yang stood up, she felt her blood boiling. After experiencing the doubled "Frenzy" effect, she gained a deeper understanding of Star Aperture, Star Skill, and Power of Starlight.

Don't limit yourself to the results suggested by the system.

The possibilities for Star Skill are far greater than those for fixed patterns.

Just then, a stream of emerald green suddenly welled up in her mind and flowed into her heart.

This is...

The system actually spoke up, saying: [Congratulations, host, you have gained a slight increase in your understanding of the "Sparse Words, Natural Heart Sutra".]

Li Yang quickly opened the system panel.

Oh...

It's just a tiny bit.

In the section on cultivation methods, the progress of the "Sparse Words, Natural Heart Sutra" (a Buddhist text) which was originally 0%, has changed to 0.00001%.

"You've had it tough too, having to record even the smallest details."

System:"..."

Li Yang was used to Tongzi ignoring her; if Tongzi ever actually responded to her, she would probably be terrified.

But why did the price of the "Sparse Words, Natural Heart Sutra" (Heart Sutra of Rare Words) increase?

He had relied on burning his life force to cultivate diligently, but it had only damaged his spirit. Now, he had only gained a little insight and had actually grasped a tiny bit of it.

This realization came very "naturally"...

Hmm, Li Yang had a vague feeling in her heart.

It seems that simply pushing yourself too hard won't improve this skill.

Gain "experience," and only through experience can one gain insights, which naturally elevates one's mental approach.

"!"

That's the characteristic of the Nature Department!

No wonder the teacher said she couldn't be taught and had to figure it out herself.

Because everyone's experiences are different, and everyone's insights are different, but as long as there are experiences and insights, the "Sparse Words, Natural Heart Sutra" will grow accordingly!

How incredibly tolerant!

After comprehending the "Sparse Words, Natural Heart Sutra," Li Yang felt even more confident.

She's not afraid that once she's lured people in, she won't be able to keep them.

Nature Department suits everyone!

Once you can grasp this mental technique, you will naturally become a "natural person"!

The medical teacher from the Star Support Department asked, "Li Yang, is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Li Yang got up and stretched, then exclaimed, "I feel even better than before I was injured."

The medic from the Star Support Department smiled and said, "Moderate injury followed by recovery inherently means a second growth of the body... You can come visit the Star Support Department sometime; it's quite interesting here."

Li Yang was indeed interested. The abilities of the Star Support Department were far superior to those of the Pill Department, though their limitations were also much greater. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay!"

At this moment, Lin Zhaoxia walked towards her.

Lin Zhaoxia tied her short hair halfway back, revealing her smooth forehead. She no longer had the gentle and quiet demeanor she had before; instead, she was the domineering and forceful person she was when she wiped out the cult's hideout.

She silently handed Li Yang a small bottle.

Li Yang: "?"

The medical instructor recognized it immediately and said, "Fast-Acting Star Recovery Pill."

Li Yang asked, "Restore the Power of Starlight?"

"That's right, one pill is enough to fully restore your five Star Aperture." The medical instructor clicked his tongue again and whispered, "As expected of the Lin Family, they're really generous."

Upon hearing the word "generous," Li Yang couldn't help but ask, "Is it very expensive?"

The medical instructor lowered his voice and said to her, "This will cost 200 merit points."

Li Yang: "!"

Lin Zhaoxia spoke up, saying, "Ordinary Star Recovery Pill are too ineffective; they can't fully restore your health."

So this person didn't want to win unfairly.

Li Yang had long heard that people from the Star Combat Department were particularly honest.

Now I've truly witnessed it firsthand.

Who would eagerly send blue potions back to the "enemy"?

Well, if she doesn't accept it, it would make her seem incredibly tactless.

Li Yang happily took the medicine bottle and said, "If I beat you, don't regret it!"

Lin Zhaoxia said confidently, "You can't win."

After taking the expensive Star Recovery Pill, Li Yang smiled brightly at her, "Zhong Qian thinks so too."

Lin Zhaoxia: "..."

The Zhong Family brothers in the audience. "..."

Lin Zhaoqin slapped his thigh and laughed, "Li Yang, if you beat her, I'll give you another bottle of Third Grade Star Recovery Pill."

Li Yang looked at her and said, "No."

"Why?"

Li Yang looked at her and said meaningfully, "You came to the Agronomy Department, and I'll tell you why."

Lin Zhaoqin: "???"

The Xiao Li was keeping her in suspense.

After the halftime break, the freshmen monthly exams finally came to a final round.

This is the final match; there's no possibility of a tiebreaker.

Lin Zhaoxia won one match, and Li Yang also won one match. Regardless of who wins this match, they will be the champions.

The number of viewers in the live stream reached a new high. Apart from not daring to openly engage in betting, the Academic Affairs Office launched various gift-giving activities.

For example, a gift exclusively for Lin Zhaoxia — the Lunar Eclipse.

For example, a gift made especially for Li Yang — Golden Wheat.

At first glance, the Lunar Eclipse seems more sophisticated, but the Golden Wheat effect is particularly festive. Once you send 99 Golden Wheat, it will rain "golden rain," a scene that everyone will love.

The key point is that the price of 99 wheat grains is not high, only 9.9 merit points.

Yu Hongyuan was itching to send some. "I really want to send a few bouquets."

However, his senior sister forbade him from giving gifts.

Fortunately, people kept sending Golden Wheat to the live stream, and the golden rain kept falling. With such a grand display, it seemed that Li Yang was the seeded player of the three major systems, while Lin Zhaoxia was just an unknown newcomer.

The Star Combat Department students protested to the academic affairs office. "Why didn't our 'Lunar Eclipse' have special effects!"

The Academic Affairs Office responded, "Yes, there are 99 'Lunar Eclipse,' and the live stream will feature a blood moon."

But the so-called "blood moon hanging high" is nothing compared to the golden wheat rain. If no one is using the wheat rain, the blood moon is quite noticeable. But once the screen is full of golden light, who can see the dim Moon?

The Star Combat Department students felt something was off, but they couldn't quite figure it out. Finally, they could only angrily shout in the chat, "Hey, you guys from the Spirit Department, don't you have any connections? Why are you giving so much attention to the Agronomy Department students?!"

The cheerful voice from the Spirit Department said, "We didn't have many players, but you guys had so many, and you still lost miserably."

The Star Combat Department students. "..." burst into tears in front of their phones.

That's not right!

They belatedly realized, "We haven't lost yet! Our Xia God could never lose!"

It was too late; the live stream had already changed the topic, and they couldn't retaliate.

The Star Combat Department freshmen at the scene were undisturbed, but they weren't as confident as the upperclassmen.

"Li Yang has five Star Skills, while Lin Zhaoxia only has three. That's a huge disadvantage!"

"Our Xia God's Star Skill are even more powerful..."

"Not necessarily! Look at Li Yang's substitute, it even had a special effect and defeated our Strong Attack combo. Zhong Qian is no weakling; his matches with Lin Zhaoxia are usually evenly matched."

A freshman from an ordinary background asked curiously, "Why does Lin Zhaoxia only have three Star Skills? Aren't scions of aristocratic families supposed to have no shortage of Star Skill?"

Another student glanced over and, noticing that the other student hadn't yet channeled star energy into their body, patiently explained, "Our Star Combat Department's Star Skill are growth-oriented. Don't be fooled by the fact that you're only occupying three Star Aperture now; once you advance to purple quality at the Third Grade, you'll be occupying ten Star Aperture."

"But advancing in Star Skill is very difficult... and reaching the Third Grade is still a long way off... by then, I'll have forgotten it..."

"Wake up, kid. The hard part is for us. For Lin Zhaoxia, she'll be firmly in the Third Grade Realm in a year or two at most. As for Star Skill advancement... hehe, she doesn't need to collect materials like we do."

A commoner newcomer. "..."The background of scions of aristocratic families is truly terrifying!

Even if ordinary people had cheat codes, they might not be able to compare to them.

The host on stage began the countdown, and the students in the audience and the live broadcast room all quieted down, staring intently at the stage.

Yu Hongyuan regained his composure and confidence. "Senior sister, you've got it!"

Feng Yiqiao and her two companions. "..."

Sometimes, they really envy Taro Ball, that innocent, carefree, and mindless person.

Zhong Kun was still sitting in the Agronomy Department, stubbornly refusing to accept defeat, gritting his teeth and saying, "This time, Lin Zhaoxia will definitely win!"

Yu Hongyuan was overjoyed and said, "Thank you for your kind words."

"Are you deaf? I said Lin Zhaoxia will definitely win!"

"Yeah, thanks for your incredibly jinxed prediction."

Zhong Kun: "..."

He panicked.

Could he have really "cursed" the Star Combat Department to death?

As the countdown ended, the two players unleashed Burst-Speed Combo and simultaneously activated "Frenzy." A fiery red mist erupted around them. They wore similar combat uniforms, had similar body types, and even wielded dual blades.

To a layperson, they look almost like twins.

However, as they charged toward each other, "Lunar Eclipse" displayed a powerful sense of oppression, while "Shadow Moon" in Li Yang's hand could not even emit a faint blue light.