Chapter 54 (continued)

Although Si Kui still had a stern face, her heart had already softened completely. However, when she thought of Li Yang covered in blood, the rope of self-blame tightened around her insides.

Get promoted.

Even if one remains at the Early Ninth Grade for their entire life, it's still quite good.

Ultimately, this will allow us to protect her and let her grow up in peace.

Si Kui said, "Alright, I'll be out of seclusion in half a month at most."

Li Yang finally felt relieved and said, "Alright then, teacher, you can focus on your seclusion. I'll take good care of my senior brothers and sisters... oh, and my junior brother too!"

-

Li Yang did not return to the training ground.

The monthly exams are over, and I've secured my entry to the Star Ash Mystic Realm. That's about it.

As for when the Star Ash Mystic Realm will open, Li Yang can only wait for further notice.

The process for opening this secret realm is very complicated, and the time varies from year to year, but it generally falls within this month.

The school's internal app has already released the rankings for this month's exam.

Only three people made the list.

First place: Li Yang, Agronomy Department.

Second place: Star Combat Department - Lin Zhaoxia.

Third place: Star Combat Department - Zhong Qian.

In this freshman monthly exam, the Star Magic Department suffered a complete defeat. Not only the freshmen, but even the upperclassmen felt ashamed.

However, Shen Shangchi and Ying Qi were of such high status that the senior students dared not say anything.

The so-called "old students" are those who lack talent and find it difficult to quickly advance to the Third Grade Realm.

The speed of advancement for scions of aristocratic families is astonishing; they often graduate before new students even enroll.

Therefore, most of the true Heavenly Chosen are among the new students.

Once someone becomes a "veteran," they are often no longer considered Heavenly Chosen.

Children from aristocratic families generally do not stay at the school to teach; they go to the Astral Realm to train, challenge various races in the Astral Realm, and constantly improve their cultivation level.

The price that scions of powerful families pay for enjoying the ultimate resources is the burden of their family's honor.

They wanted to protect their families, but even more so, they wanted to defend Huaxia.

Since no one dared to criticize Shen Shangchi and Ying Qi, they turned their attention to the others.

Logically speaking, Ning Shaoyu should be the one who deserves the most criticism.

He was the first person to lose to Li Yang.

But Li Yang unexpectedly defeated Shen Shangchi and even took first place in the monthly exam. In comparison, Ning Shaoyu's loss was reasonable, justifiable, and flawless.

So many aristocratic Heavenly Chosen have lost, what's wrong with him, a commoner prodigy without a teacher who is not Half-Step Supreme Heavenly Chosen, losing a little?

When Ning Shaoyu watched the game, he stood up straighter and straighter.

He was initially somewhat resentful.

After seeing Li Yang win against Lin Zhaoxia, the resentment in his heart had long since vanished!

Ning Shaoyu couldn't resist and anonymously bought a set of Golden Wheat.

As for the other one who was defeated by Ying Qi, there's not much to criticize, so... the focus shifted to Fang Chuyun.

Fang Chuyun lost to someone from another department.

Fang Chuyun stood up for Li Yang when they were at the Tree Tower.

Fang Chuyun didn't care about the reputation of the Star Magic Department at all, and kept cheering for their public enemy.

Fang Chuyun didn't care about any of this. She was never one to fit in with others, and her sister had told her, "Focus on your cultivation. As long as you advance to the Third Grade, you can graduate even if you only study for one year."

It's only a year; just bear with it and it'll pass.

She was simply ostracized and neglected by a few fellow disciples; the teachers in the Star Magic Department wouldn't mistreat her.

Just as Fang Chuyun was thinking this, she received a message from Li Yang.

Li Yang: "Chuyun, do you want to the Agronomy Department?"

Fang Chuyun: "!"

Li Yang added, "No rush. My teacher is in seclusion and won't be out for half a month. You can make a decision then."

Fang Chuyun was stunned for a while before asking her, "I heard that the Agronomy Department is no longer accepting students..."

"The teacher entrusted me with the entire enrollment process. I can make the decisions. If you want to come, you definitely can!"

At this moment, two more students from the Star Magic Department walked away from Fang Chuyun, as if avoiding a plague. Fang Chuyun originally thought it was nothing, and that he could simply ignore it.

Looking at the messages on her phone, she felt a sudden pang of sadness, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"I... I'll ask my sister."

"Hmm! You can ask Sister Fang to inquire about it. Over in the Astral Realm, the Agronomy Department is called the Nature Department, and it's really impressive!"

Fang Chuyun typed out a single word with difficulty. "Okay."

-

Star Combat Department.

Lin Zhaoqin paced back and forth in the first-class dormitory, checking his phone every now and then.

Sun Mairan, "Has Li Yang not replied to your message yet?"

Lin Zhaoqin: "No!"

Sun Mairan said, "Why don't you go find her in the Agronomy Department?"

Lin Zhaoqin suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes blazing with fury, her voice trembling slightly. "Maizi, I want to transfer to the Agronomy Department!"

Faced with Lin Zhaoqin's crazy decision, anyone else would have said, "Are you insane? The Lin Family members are all from the Star Combat Department, how could they go to another faction! You'll be abandoned by the family! Once you lose the family's resources, you won't be able to go anywhere!"

However, Sun Mairan no ordinary person; she smiled sweetly and said, "Okay."

Lin Zhaoqin laughed too, and said, "I knew you understood me! Anyway, I can't beat Lin Zhaoxia, so rather than being a supporting character in the Lin Family, I'd rather forge a new path for myself!"

In another first-class dormitory not far away.

Zhong Kun was also pacing frantically.

"Heavens above! Yangzi is definitely the Heavenly Fortune Bearer, while I am perhaps the legendary 'unlucky one'?"

"I'm so unlucky! During the provincial civil service exam in Donghua Province, I cursed my brother to come in second, but after coming to the Zhongdu Military Academy, he didn't even get second place anymore, he became third!"

"Holy crap, even Lin Zhaoxia can't withstand my 'poisonous milk' (a term used to describe a powerful, albeit unlucky, prediction), what am I going to do?!"

"Hey!" Zhong Kun suddenly stopped in his tracks, a sudden idea striking him. "Instead of messing with my brother, why not mess with Yangzi? Yangzi has incredible Heavenly Fortune; maybe she can ward off my bad luck!"

Zhong Kun wasn't as competitive as Lin Zhaoqin. He was a typical spoiled brat who just wanted to cling to his older brother and live a carefree life.

The problem is, it seems his older brother has been dragged down by him.

Dude, you need to step up!

If the Zhong Family falls into decline, who will give him 10 million yuan a month in pocket money?

Zhong Kun ran home as soon as he left the dormitory, calling out in his Spirit Sea, "Great-grandfather, great-grandfather!"

The retired patriarch of the Zhong Family was at the perfect age to enjoy his grandchildren, especially his lively and adorable great-grandson Zhong Kun.

"What's the matter?"

I want to switch to the Nature Department!

With a thud, the Zhong Family patriarch's pipe fell to the ground.

Zhong Kun rattled off his bizarre theories, leaving the Zhong Family patriarch completely bewildered.

After a moment's thought, the Zhong Family patriarch asked, "Who would accept you?"

Zhong Kun's eyes darted around, and he said, "Yangzi is my best friend (if all else fails, I'll buy her out of it). With her talking to me, it shouldn't be a problem!"

"It's a good thing, isn't it?" The Zhong Family patriarch had lived a long and insightful life, and he wasn't inflexible.

The Zhong Family has already identified Zhong Qian as a key talent to be cultivated in this generation, while Zhong Kun is being left to his own devices.

It's a good thing that he wants to seize an opportunity for himself.

"Alright!" said the Zhong Family patriarch. "Leave your parents to me. As long as that person from the Nature Department is willing to take you in, everything is negotiable!"

Seeing how easily the patriarch agreed, Zhong Kun became even more determined in his heart.

For my brother's sake, I'm going to join Yangzi.

Yangzi, you absolutely have to ward off this curse of bad luck!

Brother, you absolutely must make your business strong and successful, don't let down my good intentions in leaving home to cultivate myself!

Endure hardship now, and you'll be a couch potato later.

Zhong Kun: Plan is in place!

-

The next day, Li Yang received an email from the Academic Affairs Office.

Ding! You've received a congratulatory gift from your lovely classmates for the monthly exam!

Total gifts received: 12333 merit points.

Gift income after split: 6144.5 merit points.

Upon seeing the number, Li Yang's eyes widened in disbelief, and she gasped softly, "Can this monthly exam... be changed to a daily exam?"

However, the first monthly exam for freshmen is the most important one.

The next monthly exam, and even the midterm and final exams, will only be used to rate students' skill levels; there's no need to hold a tournament for students to fight tooth and nail.

With this unexpected windfall, Li Yang was able to pay off the debt she owed Li Yaowan.

"Teacher Li, let's clear out the IOU."

Li Yaowan's little abacus clicked rapidly. "The gift income is quite substantial."

"It's alright, barely enough to pay off the debt, so it's basically a waste of time."

"How could that be? You still have at least 1144.5 merit points left."

Li Yang: "..." You're really something, Professor Pill. You're so good at calculations, why don't you go into finance!

However, considering the system and regulations of the Pill Department, it's not much different from running a financial institution.

Li Yaowan then asked her, "You only have a little over 1300 merit points, isn't that enough? Do you want to borrow some more?"

Li Yang couldn't take it anymore and said, "Professor Li! Personal finances are very private matters. Your behavior is like stripping me naked and forcing me to run around naked. I'm going to report you for harassing a student!"

Li Yaowan: "..." This brat really doesn't suffer any loss, she's truly a promising talent in the Pill Department (for making money).

"However..." Li Yang changed the subject, adding, "If you could lend me 100,000 merit points interest-free, then we'd..."

Beep beep beep.

Li Yaowan hung up the phone.

Li Yang pouted and said, "Stingy!"

The following week was quite peaceful. The Academic Affairs Office issued a notice: Dean Si was in seclusion, the Agronomy Department had suspended the transfer process, and students were asked to come back for consultation in two weeks.

Lin Zhaoqin and Zhong Kun also saw the announcement, and they both sent messages to Li Yang to inquire.

Li Yang said, "At most half a month, maybe ten days."