Chapter 142: College Entrance Exam Evaluation
After agreeing on a time with Teacher Zhao, Chen Beiwu strode toward the third-year teaching building, immediately drawing the attention of nearby students.
“He’s the legendary Senior Chen Beiwu?” a petite girl asked curiously.
“Yeah.” After saying so, the tall girl quickly pulled her companion back. “Wait, what are you doing?”
“I just want to ask Senior for his contact information, why are you overreacting?” The petite girl rolled her eyes.
“Don’t drag me into your death wish. Look carefully at the people beside him.” The tall girl whispered.
The petite girl raised her head, only to find that two beautiful senior sisters had suddenly appeared on either side of Chen Beiwu.
One had delicate features and long curled lashes, dressed in a frost-colored cross-collared skirt that hugged her petite figure, giving off a fresh, sweet, natural charm.
The other wore a crimson, chest-high skirt that accentuated her curvaceous figure. With every step, the sway of her skirt along her hips carried such graceful allure that even the petite girl found herself staring.
“See the difference now?” The tall girl’s eyes glimmered with envy.
The petite girl swallowed her saliva but stubbornly muttered, “Maybe Senior prefers my type.”
“I told you, stop watching those ‘Domineering True Sovereign Falls for a Mortal Qi Refining Girl’ dramas.” The tall girl retorted.
……
“How does it feel to be admired by junior sisters?” Xu Ziqing said with a soft laugh.
After advancing to the Eighth Level of Qi Refining, her senses had heightened tremendously. Naturally, the whispers of the students around them could not escape her ears.
“You’ll get used to it.” Chen Beiwu remained calm.
“Strange, it’s only been half a year, yet you seem different.”
Xu Lingling frowned. “If it were before, you would’ve at least boasted a little while pretending to be humble.”
Chen Beiwu coughed lightly, glanced at Xu Lingling, and said, “What’s strange is you. Why has your cultivation fallen to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining?”
She shook her head and feigned mystery. “Hehe, not telling you.”
Chen Beiwu did not press further.
The Immortal Alliance had countless cultivation secret arts, strange and varied.
Since Xu Lingling was the daughter of a Golden Core cultivator, it was most likely that she had practiced some secret art with extremely high requirements, which caused her realm to drop from the Sixth Level to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining.
Seeing that Chen Beiwu truly did not pry, Xu Lingling was slightly taken aback.
Fortunately, her close friend Xu Ziqing spoke up at the critical moment: “Lingling, did you cultivate the Nourishing Yang Method that can enhance fire spiritual roots?”
“That’s right. I spent a year in seclusion and finally cultivated the Nourishing Yang Method to minor completion, transforming my root into the Heavenly Fire Root.” Xu Lingling raised her head proudly, her chest swelling with confidence.
Having been suppressed by Chen Beiwu and Xu Ziqing for so many years, she finally had her turn to shine.
Chen Beiwu asked with interest, “Is the Nourishing Yang Method like the Tai Xuan Guarding the One, where you can increase your root’s purity upon entry?”
Xu Lingling’s expression stiffened slightly, her voice a little guilty. “Not nearly that exaggerated. The Nourishing Yang Method requires reaching minor completion before it can raise the fire root’s purity.”
In truth, if not for her father’s full support, she would still be stuck at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, let alone cultivating the Nourishing Yang Method to minor completion.
At that moment, two banners hanging in the teaching building’s corridor caught Chen Beiwu’s eye.
“After years of hard study, dreams are fulfilled, ambitions soar high to unveil grand plans!”
“Warm congratulations to our student Lin Yi for admission into the Seven-Nine Upper Sect, Yunhe Sect!”
Following Chen Beiwu’s gaze, Xu Ziqing chuckled.
“This year, among all the fifth-year examinees, only Senior Lin Yi was admitted into the Seven-Nine Upper Sect. The rest mostly entered the Ninety-Nine Orthodox Clans.”
Yuan Kong County was small and remote, with scarce cultivation resources. It could not be compared to Yunlong Prefecture City.
Every five or six years, Shouhe No.2 High School would only have one student admitted into the Seven-Nine Upper Sect, so it was only natural for the school to celebrate on a grand scale.
“How was the exam difficulty this year?” Chen Beiwu asked the question he cared about most.
“A bit harder than last year.” Xu Ziqing smiled gently. “This year’s core test was not duels, beast fights, nor virtual reality cooperative combat, but survival in the Era of Decline.”
“What’s that?” Xu Lingling asked curiously.
Chen Beiwu also halted mid-step.
“In the Era of Decline, Heaven and Earth’s spiritual essence no longer existed, and insects and beasts ran rampant. Examinees entered such planets through the Divine Void Realm, where their divine sense was restricted and they couldn’t recover spiritual power. They had to use their Companion Beasts to slay the insects and survive for one month.”
At this, Xu Ziqing paused briefly. “During the exam, Senior Lin Yi commanded his Flower Spirit Butterfly, and with just the Eighth Level of Qi Refining, he leapt realms to kill a Bloodthirsty Insect comparable to the peak of Qi Refining. That’s why he caught the attention of Yunhe Sect’s admission teacher.”
“Senior Lin Yi is that strong?” Xu Lingling was astonished.
The gap between the Eighth Level and the peak of Qi Refining seemed only two small realms, but in reality it was vast.
A single peak Qi Refining insect beast could easily crush three Ninth-Level Qi Refining cultivators, or even ten at the Eighth Level.
“There must have been other factors. Otherwise, Senior Lin Yi’s exam evaluation wouldn’t have been B-Middle.” Xu Ziqing said bluntly.
The Immortal Alliance’s Unified Entrance Exam for higher cultivation schools was open to all qualified high school graduates on Sky Abyss Star.
Thus, while the core exam questions varied each year, the grading standards remained largely the same.
Those with results qualifying as Grade A usually entered the Thirteen Immortal Sects.
Grade B candidates generally entered the Seven-Nine Upper Sects.
Grade C candidates were admitted into the Ninety-Nine Orthodox Clans.
Those who failed to reach even Grade C could only attend vocational academies.
It was no exaggeration to say that the evaluation of the Immortal Alliance Exam carried immense weight. It almost entirely determined a cultivator’s aptitude, potential, and future, and was recognized by ninety-nine percent of sects on Sky Abyss Star—except for the lofty Five Great Grotto-Heavens.
After all, each year, there were always overconfident students with Double-A evaluations who applied to the Five Great Grotto-Heavens, only to discover they weren’t even qualified to trigger the entrance test.
Over time, the Five Great Grotto-Heavens set a rule: “Those without Double-A in the Immortal Alliance Exam have no right to apply!”
At this thought, Xu Ziqing turned her gaze toward Chen Beiwu. “Beiwu, which sect do you plan to apply for?”
Hearing this, Xu Lingling’s ears twitched slightly. Though her eyes appeared to look out the corridor, her heart was fully focused.
“Most likely Bixiao Immortal Sect, or perhaps Supreme Yin Grotto-Heaven.” Chen Beiwu pondered aloud.
“???”
Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing exchanged glances and decisively ignored the second half of Chen Beiwu’s claim.
The Five Great Grotto-Heavens were not sects one could simply apply to on a whim.
In fact, there was even a saying in Yunlong Prefecture: “If you still need to sit for the Immortal Alliance Exam, it means you’re not the kind of genius the Five Great Grotto-Heavens are looking for!”
“Bixiao Immortal Sect specializes in formations and water arts. It really does suit you.” Xu Ziqing agreed.
“I plan to apply for Tianyan Immortal Sect together with Ziqing. It’s located in Tianyan Commandery, not far from Shengyuan Prefecture. When the time comes, we can travel together for the Immortal Alliance Exam.” Xu Lingling suggested.