Translator: CinderTL
Upon hearing Zhang Jianwu's question, Jiang Ye replied without hesitation, "Director, my goal has always been Penglai University."
He hadn't wavered from his ambition, even after receiving A-Grade contracts from other universities.
While the C-Grade Contract from Penglai University had caused a flicker of disappointment, he harbored no resentment.
Jiang Ye understood the situation clearly.
His most recent monthly exam score was 690 points, still far below Penglai University's admission threshold.
The university's willingness to offer an early contract was already a sign of their utmost sincerity.
The rest now depended on his performance in the College Entrance Examination.
"If my College Entrance Examination score meets a higher standard," Jiang Ye said in a low voice, "I'll naturally be eligible for a higher-tier contract."
Zhang Jianwu was momentarily taken aback by this statement.
He had been worried about Jiang Ye even meeting the minimum requirements, yet the boy was already aiming for a higher-tier contract?
"You little rascal," Zhang Jianwu chuckled, shaking his head. "You certainly have a big mouth."
"Since you have such lofty goals, you must achieve your first breakthrough as soon as possible."
"Do your utmost to pass the Cosmic Divine Path certification."
Zhang Jianwu said sternly, "Only then will your strength meet the requirements for the College Entrance Examination."
Jiang Ye nodded.
From the very beginning, he had set his sights on this.
To raise his score to nearly 900 points in just over three months?
The Cosmic Divine Path certification was the key.
Zhang Jianwu reminded him, "Once you've made your decision, reply promptly."
"Alright, I'll fill out the contract right away," Jiang Ye agreed.
He glanced back at the wristband projection.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.
"Among the top-tier universities in the twenty-five school alliance, the ones slightly inferior to Penglai University haven't sent me contracts."
"Yet Penglai University, the most prestigious of them all, has extended an invitation?"
Jiang Ye frowned. "Is this just a coincidence?"
Hearing this, Zhang Jianwu confessed, "Chen Zilu helped you."
"Chen Zilu?" Jiang Ye exclaimed in surprise.
No wonder.
If even the top-tier universities didn't consider him qualified for early signing, Penglai University was out of the question.
His only chance lay in someone pulling strings to get his detailed information noticed by Penglai University.
"It's her again," Jiang Ye thought, recalling the cold, beautiful girl. He couldn't help but feel helpless.
How many times had she helped him now?
"Thank you, Director," Jiang Ye said solemnly.
He knew Zhang Jianwu had likely made the connection.
"Don't thank me," Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "I just mentioned it casually. She offered to help on her own."
"If you really want to thank someone, find a way to properly repay that girl when the opportunity arises."
"I understand, sir," Jiang Ye replied earnestly.
After hanging up, Jiang Ye sat motionless for a moment, lost in thought.
He picked up his communicator watch and dialed Chen Zilu's number.
Beep
Jiang Ye waited, but the call went unanswered.
He hung up, opened his messaging app, and sent her a thank-you text.
A moment later, Jiang Ye sat cross-legged on the floor.
"This is the only way I can express my gratitude for now," he said, shaking his head with a wry smile.
With the other party tens of thousands of miles away, Jiang Ye could only offer verbal thanks.
Even if they were truly in trouble, he was powerless to help in his current state.
The vast gap in their strength and status felt like an insurmountable chasm.
Jiang Ye still remembered the day they parted, when the other party had boarded an incredibly advanced private spacecraft and departed.
"Only by becoming stronger," Jiang Ye muttered, clenching his fist, his gaze hardening with resolve.
He opened the projection screen and began filling out the C-Grade Contract.
Meanwhile, in a small villa, Zhang Jianwu sat on the sofa, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Penglai University actually sent a letter."
As the grade director, Zhang Jianwu understood Penglai University's unique status even better than Jiang Ye did.
Students who received early contracts from Penglai University were typically those with one foot already in the door of the ten great schools.
Jiang Ye, however, definitely didn't belong in that category.
"This time, we really owe Miss Chen a great deal."
Zhang Jianwu thought to himself, "I never expected her to agree to this."
He hadn't actively pleaded, leaving the decision entirely in Chen Zilu's hands.
She could have easily ignored his request.
After all, if Jiang Ye performed poorly later, it would reflect badly on her too.
At the end of the day, Jiang Ye was just one of her students, a chance encounter that had lasted only a year.
Why would she risk so much to do him such a great favor?
"Miss Chen really has a soft spot for Jiang Ye," Zhang Jianwu mused.
"Is it because the kid's got looks?" He shook his head with a smile, dismissing the idea as absurd. "More likely, it's because of his miraculous rise."
When Chen Zilu first came to the school, she hadn't shown Jiang Ye any special attention.
It was Jiang Ye's own relentless effort and astonishing progress that earned Chen Zilu's admiration.
As for any other reasons? There couldn't possibly be any other reasons.
Could Chen Zilu harbor special feelings for Jiang Ye?
Impossible.
Zhang Jianwu was acutely aware of the vast gulf separating Chen Zilu and Jiang Ye.
"Miss Chen's family background is so powerful that even a flick of her finger could suffocate all of Ancheng," Zhang Jianwu mused inwardly.
With such status, even the offspring of the provincial capital's elite families would struggle to measure up.
Jiang Ye remained completely unaware of Zhang Jianwu's thoughts.
After completing the contract and sending a reply to Penglai University, he put the matter out of his mind.
The bonus points for the Reserve Star Practitioner position were secured.
Now, his focus shifted to continuous improvement.
Continuous improvement!
Until he reached that almost unattainable score, allowing him to enter Penglai University with even greater prestige!
This became Jiang Ye's next goal.
"Xiao Ye, dinner's ready!" Li Anping's voice called from outside the door.
"Coming!"
Jiang Ye stood up. Perfect timing—he had something to tell his parents too.
In the living room, Jiang Dahai, Li Anping, and Jiang Ting were already seated at the table.
"Brother, I've served your rice," Jiang Ting said, her big, round eyes sparkling. "I did it myself!"
"Why are you being so good?" Jiang Ye pinched her delicate cheek.
A year had passed, and the little girl had grown considerably, now reaching almost to his chest.
Her skin was as white as snow, and she stood tall and graceful, possessing a delicate beauty that could captivate even the most discerning eyes.
"I've always been a good girl, you know," Jiang Ting pouted, her adorable cheeks puffing out slightly as her brother's teasing made her blush.
Li Anping chuckled, scolding, "Xiao Ye, stop teasing your sister and come sit down to eat."
"Okay."
After Jiang Ye settled into his seat, he spoke up, "Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you. You might want to brace yourselves."
Jiang Dahai and his wife exchanged a glance.
"Go on," Jiang Dahai said with a smile. "We've weathered so many storms. What could possibly shock us now?"
Jiang Ye nodded slowly. "I just received three hundred thousand yuan."
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Jiang Dahai choked violently on his food.
His eyes widened as he stared at Jiang Ye. "What did you say?"
"How much money?!"
Jiang Ye cleared his throat and repeated, "Three hundred thousand. Now that I've qualified for the Second-Tier Reserve Star Professional Position, the Unified Examination Bureau will provide a monthly stipend of one hundred thousand yuan."
"The remaining two hundred thousand is a reward from the principal and the city lord."
Silence.
A stunned silence filled the room.
Jiang Dahai and his wife were speechless.
"T-three hundred thousand?" Jiang Ting's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. To the little girl, even ten thousand yuan was an unimaginable fortune.
Three hundred thousand—that's enough to buy so much good food!
"Dad, we can finally live comfortably now," Jiang Ye said with a smile.
After the initial shock, Jiang Dahai quickly regained his composure.
"Xiao Ye, you should use all three hundred thousand to improve yourself," Jiang Dahai immediately refused. "We can tighten our belts if we have to, but you must get into a good university."
Jiang Ting nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Brother's cultivation is what matters most. I don't need candy."
"How much does candy even cost?" Jiang Ye chuckled, pinching her cheek again.
Jiang Dahai said sternly, "For now, your sole focus should be the College Entrance Examination."
"Dad, I also earned fifty thousand recently. We don't need to worry about money for a while, so don't worry."
"Alright," Jiang Ye agreed, saying no more.
"Brother, stop pinching my cheeks!" Jiang Ting mumbled, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not a little kid anymore."
"Hahaha," Jiang Ye finally released her.
Three days later, Jiang Ye joined a group of students from his school on their second cosmic tempering journey.
The location was the same as their first cosmic tempering session: the water-blue cubic structure.
What surprised Jiang Ye was...
During this cosmic tempering session, Zhao Qingli achieved a breakthrough on the spot, shattering her life's shackles and reaching the first breakthrough realm.
She had become a cosmic martial artist!
"Looks like surpassing the class monitor is going to be even harder now," Jiang Ye murmured, watching the scene with a sigh.
Zhao Qingli glanced at him and scoffed, "Think you can surpass me? Not before the College Entrance Examination."
"Then I'll surpass you in university," Jiang Ye replied confidently.
Zhao Qingli let out a cold, arrogant snort but said nothing more. She secretly acknowledged Jiang Ye's potential.
Zhao Qingli's breakthrough further motivated Jiang Ye.
He remained in the cosmic tempering chamber for a full five days.
Theoretically, he could have stayed longer.
However, this stellar envoy wasn't as lenient as Star Envoy Liu had been last time, and began urging people to leave after five days.
Even so, Jiang Ye refined a staggering thirty thousand strands of stellar energy.
Through this cosmic tempering, his physical strength had once again increased dramatically, bringing him one step closer to that elusive threshold of the first breakthrough realm.
Upon returning home, Jiang Ye retrieved a briefcase from the cabinet.
Click! He opened it.
Inside lay a golden-bronze fruit, shaped like a ginseng root.
High-grade yellow tier martial ginseng, Jiang Ye thought to himself. He had traded for it with Zhao Qingli using spoils from their previous mission.
He hadn't taken it yet.
"Let's see how effective it is," Jiang Ye said, taking out the ginseng, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Martial ginseng was incredibly expensive.
This small 500-gram piece alone was worth a hundred thousand federal currency!
Originally, he had planned to save it for when he hit a cultivation bottleneck.
But now, with three hundred thousand federal currency in his possession, he didn't need to be so frugal.
Crunch! Jiang Ye bit off a piece of the ginseng.
Instantly, a bitter taste flooded his mouth.
But within moments, the bitterness transformed into a strange sweetness that swept through his body, from head to toe.
At that moment, every muscle, blood vessel, and meridian in Jiang Ye's body seemed to develop a sense of taste, savoring the sweetness.
Forgetting his surprise, Jiang Ye immediately began circulating his cultivation technique, actively refining the ginseng's energy.
Hmm?
As soon as he started cultivating, he was immediately plunged into an indescribably wondrous sensation.
In Jiang Ye's mind's eye, he could clearly perceive his meridians and blood vessels.
As the cultivation technique circulated, he had a complete understanding of the changes occurring throughout his body.
"Internal visualization?" Jiang Ye exclaimed in astonishment. "And that's not all! The technique is flowing much more smoothly than before."
"This must be the effect of the martial ginseng! Truly miraculous!"
With this enhanced internal visualization, his cultivation speed would increase by severalfold!
Moreover, the martial ginseng itself accelerated the circulation of his cultivation technique.
Jiang Ye quickly immersed himself in cultivation, seizing every precious moment.
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Entry (50% → 54%)]
Unnoticed, a notification quietly flashed across his system panel.
Day after day, Jiang Ye's life followed a strict routine.
Once a week, he visited the Unified Examination Bureau for training as a Reserve Star Practitioner.
The rest of his time was spent traveling between school and home, diligently cultivating.
At night, he entered the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, enduring the trials of the illusionary realm and the agony of refinement.
"Martial dao cultivation is like rowing against the current," he reminded himself. "To stop is to fall behind."
Jiang Ye's understanding of the martial dao deepened with each passing day. "Even with the system, I can't become the strongest overnight," he mused.
"Only through unwavering persistence, making small improvements daily, will I eventually reach the other shore."
This was the essence of cosmic martial arts: one step at a time.
What set Jiang Ye apart from others was this:
Every drop of sweat he shed would never be wasted.
Especially now, with the financial support of hundreds of thousands of federal currency, Jiang Ye could feel himself progressing daily.
Time flowed relentlessly.
Before he knew it, late May had arrived.
For Third-Year High School students, the second half of each month was dominated by the monthly exam.
And the May monthly exam had become the focal point for everyone.
The reason was simple:
This would be the final major exam before the College Entrance Examination.
It would reveal everyone's approximate skill level, and these results were unlikely to fluctuate significantly by the time of the actual exam.
Martial dao universities would also be closely monitoring the May results.
Who would rise above the rest?
Who would fade into the crowd?
The answer would be revealed this month.
On May 25th, the monthly exam began.
That day, Jiang Ye arrived at school early, ready for the final major exam before the College Entrance Examination.
By the afternoon of May 25th, the monthly exam had concluded.
The grade rankings were updated once again.
First Place: Zhao Qingli, 888 points
Second Place: Jiang Ye, 839 points
Third Place: Wang Zi'ang, 831 points
As the rankings refreshed, countless eyes focused on the second-place finisher.
"Jiang Ye? Second place?"
"Wasn't he sixth last month?"
"What?!"
Teachers and students alike were stunned.
This was the final month before the College Entrance Examination, a time when major shifts in rankings were rare. Yet Jiang Ye had suddenly surged to second place.
"This guy's a beast! Only the class monitor can keep him in check."
"Do you think he can surpass the class monitor on the College Entrance Examination?"
"Probably not. She's still sixty points ahead of him."
"..."
The students buzzed with speculation.
Inside the Senior Class One classroom:
"Jiang Ye," Zhao Qingli said, her pale legs carrying her to stand before him. "Congratulations on second place."
Jiang Ye shook his head slightly. "I'm still far behind the class monitor."
Even after her first breakthrough, Zhao Qingli continued to improve at a rate of twenty points per month.
This was nothing short of astonishing.
To prepare for the College Entrance Examination, she must have consumed some extremely rare martial dao ingredients to achieve such rapid progress.
Zhao Qingli tilted her head. "Are you really trying to surpass me that badly?"
"I've always looked up to you, Class Monitor, as my role model and goal," Jiang Ye said earnestly.
The corners of Zhao Qingli's lips curled slightly, clearly pleased by the compliment.
However, her expression remained aloof as she hummed softly. "Which university are you planning to apply to?"
"Penglai University," Jiang Ye replied frankly.
Zhao Qingli's eyes flickered, a hint of surprise crossing her face.
"You want to apply to Penglai University?" she asked, looking at Jiang Ye. "The minimum score for Penglai University this year is likely to be above 890. You're still far short of that."
Even with the 20-point bonus for being a Reserve Star Practitioner, Jiang Ye would only reach 870 after his first breakthrough—still 20 points short.
With less than half a month until the College Entrance Examination, gaining those 20 points seemed almost impossible.
Jiang Ye hesitated for a moment before revealing his plan. "After my first breakthrough, I plan to try the Cosmic Divine Path."
"Cosmic Divine Path?" Zhao Qingli frowned slightly.
"You want to participate in the Cosmic Divine Path certification?" she asked. "You have to register for that, and there's a high chance your application will be rejected."
"Rejected?" Jiang Ye's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
(End of the Chapter)
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Translator's Corner
🛑LAST CHANCE! Massive Monthly/Yearly Discount Ends TOMORROW. 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦🔥