Translator: CinderTL
A deep, authoritative voice echoed across the square.
Instantly, the thousand-plus freshmen surged toward the Penglai Heavenly Tower.
"Let's go, Class Monitor," Jiang Ye called out to Zhao Qingli.
"Mm!" Zhao Qingli nodded and followed him toward the tower.
"Has this guy already won Zhao Qingli over?" Lin Yushu muttered to himself, trailing behind.
Zhao Qingli's closeness to Jiang Ye made it impossible for Lin Yushu to stare at her openly as he used to.
This recent decline in his Martial Dao Will troubled him.
Penglai University was filled with students from prestigious families, and many of the female students possessed extraordinary grace.
Yet few could rival Zhao Qingli's beauty.
Lin Yushu sighed inwardly and hurried after them. "Brother Jiang, wait for me!"
Inside the Penglai Heavenly Tower, the scene transformed as if the stars had shifted.
They found themselves in a mysterious alternate dimension, its surroundings pitch-black, illuminated only by shimmering starlight, as if they were floating in the cosmos.
Beneath their feet stretched a massive platform capable of accommodating over a thousand people.
"You have entered the first tier of the Penglai Heavenly Tower."
"The Heaven-Piercing Refinement trial is about to begin. Prepare yourselves."
"Those wearing battle armor, retract it immediately," a majestic voice boomed.
The crowd stirred with renewed alertness.
Including Liu Wanxiao, all those clad in battle armor promptly retracted their gear.
Nearby, Shen Changxi, still in her crimson battle armor, folded her wings.
Beep! She tapped a button on her wristband, and her Cosmic Battle Armor instantly dissolved into countless nanites, which were absorbed back into the device.
In an instant, a stunningly beautiful girl with tall stature, white hair, and crimson eyes appeared among the crowd. Her aura was aloof and otherworldly, radiating a cold indifference.
"Whoa! She's gorgeous."
"No wonder she's from Nanyang Province—they're famous for their beauties. Her looks are off the charts." Whispers rippled through the crowd as gazes covertly turned toward her.
Lin Yushu had been staring openly from the start, his eyes sweeping over her repeatedly. "This young master's Martial Dao Will finally has a chance to advance!"
Beside him, Zhao Qingli quietly observed Jiang Ye. When she saw his lack of reaction, her heart leaped with joy.
In truth, Jiang Ye had glanced at her briefly before looking away.
She looks familiar... I think I've seen her somewhere before, Jiang Ye mused. Which night was it?
He couldn't quite recall.
Perhaps it was during a stormy, thunderous night.
"The Penglai University Entrance Heavenly Refinement begins now," the majestic voice announced once more.
Whoosh! A blinding white light erupted.
Jiang Ye seemed to lose consciousness instantly, plunging into complete darkness.
He opened his eyes.
Jiang Ye and over a thousand other freshmen found themselves standing together in a vast, boundless realm, their feet resting on clouds.
"Where are we?" Jiang Ye gazed around in astonishment.
Everyone, including himself, was uniformly clad in pitch-black battle armor.
"Look up," Zhao Qingli advised.
Jiang Ye tilted his head back and gasped.
Above them hung a celestial path, resembling a vast, shimmering galaxy stretching straight into the heavens.
"Is this a virtual world?" Jiang Ye was awestruck by the magnificent sight.
"No," Zhao Qingli replied. "This is the internal space of the Penglai Heavenly Tower. Legend has it that the tower was a treasure discovered by the founder of Penglai University, a supreme powerhouse, during his cosmic travels."
"It's somewhat similar to the Cosmic Divine Path," she continued. "By clearing its trials, you can earn substantial rewards, though they're not as miraculous as the Cosmic Blessing."
Jiang Ye was astonished.
The Cosmic Conglomerate had become the dominant interstellar giant of Blue Star Civilization precisely because of its control over the Cosmic Divine Path.
Could the Penglai Heavenly Tower truly possess a similar capability?
"Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao, among others," Zhao Qingli said, "scored over 930 points. Most of them came to Penglai Martial Arts University because of the Penglai Heavenly Tower."
"I see," Jiang Ye nodded with a smile. "Our class monitor is truly both talented and beautiful, knowing even this."
"Of course," Zhao Qingli pouted her rosy lips.
Just then, the authoritative voice boomed again.
"You have all been equipped with flight-capable battle armor. Activate flight mode now."
"Three minutes for adaptation."
"After three minutes, immediately embark on the Path to Heaven!" the voice commanded. "This path stretches fifty kilometers. The shorter your completion time, the higher your score!"
As the voice faded, the thousands of freshmen present tensed with anticipation.
Whoosh! Many immediately activated their flight functions, quickly adapting to the sensation.
"Flight mode!" Jiang Ye tried it himself.
Boom!
A powerful energy pulse erupted from the soles of his boots, launching him skyward.
Simultaneously, a holographic display appeared before his eyes, allowing him to adjust his flight speed.
For ordinary people, adapting to their first flight would be challenging.
But for Jiang Ye, who had already achieved his first breakthrough, adapting was swift.
He quickly familiarized himself with all the battle armor's functions.
Three minutes—just enough.
Three minutes later.
"The trial begins!" A deep, authoritative voice boomed across the arena.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The thousands of freshmen instantly transformed into streaks of light, soaring skyward like swarms of fireflies toward the vast, silvery Path to Heaven.
As the Entrance Heavenly Refinement commenced...
Within an isolated space in the Penglai Heavenly Tower, Elder Bai, Chen Yuntian, Zhu Honglie, and others stood suspended in mid-air, watching a projection materialize before them.
The projection showed the freshmen ascending the Path to Heaven.
"Currently leading is Shen Changxi from Nanyang Province. Even Liu Wanxiao is slightly behind her."
"It seems the top freshman spot will be contested between Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao."
All the freshmen's profiles were etched in the minds of those present.
Even without seeing the final results, they could predict the top three with reasonable accuracy.
After all, only a month had passed since the College Entrance Examination.
Even with improvements, the gaps between the top contenders wouldn't have widened significantly.
"We don't need to focus on the top three."
"You need to focus on students with the potential to upgrade their contracts," Elder Bai, with his silver hair, declared. "The candidates we previously identified should be given priority for observation."
"Yes," the teachers responded in unison.
"Jiang Ye," Chen Yuntian said, his gaze snapping to a figure projected on the screen.
He wasn't the only one. Many teachers in the room, including Zhu Honglie, instinctively turned to look at Jiang Ye's position.
This student was truly exceptional.
Primitive innate talent, Third-Tier Reserve Star Practitioner status, and a poverty-stricken family background—these factors combined created a miracle within a miracle.
Naturally, they were all eager to see how he would perform in the trial.
"Hmm?"
"He's already in the top tier among over a thousand freshmen?" Chen Yuntian paused, surprised. "And his speed is still increasing?"
Nearby, the red-haired Elder Zhu Honglie froze in shock. "This kid... he's actually surpassed many Class A students?"
This shouldn't be possible!
How could Jiang Ye be moving so fast?
Even based on Zhu Honglie's own assessment, Jiang Ye should only be in the second tier at this point.
But now? Jiang Ye had surged into the first tier, and his ranking was still climbing!
What was going on?!
(End of the Chapter)
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