Forty millenniums of cul.., p.55
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 55
"How can that be? First and foremost, our students were able to get such a good score because of the collective support of every trustee. Credit also needs to be given to the hard-working teacher who had put a lot of effort into each student. Finally, it is also because of the hard work of our students. How could it be related to this Zhao? Hahahaha!"
Zhao Shude laughed very jovially. Over the past these months, Li Yao's matter had been stuck in his throat. He always felt as if there was a thorn in his heart; it was very uncomfortable.
Today, all the troubles had vanished in a puff of smoke. He felt as if all the dark clouds shrouding his heart had vanished; he felt as calm and clear as the clear sky and as boundless as the sea and sky. He was relaxed to the extreme. Even if he were granted the freedom and everlasting life of an immortal, he would not change!
"Beep Beep Beep!"
Someone had sent him a spiritual crane message. It was Elder Zhou Yin, who was the person in charge of education in the Crimson Nimbus Sect.
In the hologram, a smile that was as bright and as beautiful as a spring was hung on Zhou Yin’s face, as if hundreds of flowers were in full bloom.
"Principal Zhao, this time, the performance of the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School is very good; two of the top three are students of Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School. Even Sect Master came to me for advice. Hahahaha. It is all due to your meritorious service. After discussing with the Sect Master, we have decided it will be better to let you, Principal Zhao, personally speak in the Sect's General Assembly. What do you think?"
Zhao Shude was so excited that he was about to have a heart attack; his face was flushed red to the ears. "It is all due to Elder Zhou's care, it is all due to Elder Zhou's care!"
Zhou Yin waved his arm.
"Fostering begets fostering, and hard work is paid with hard work. In short, this time, we got a big win and those who had done meritorious service will be rewarded! Ha, even the stocks of our Crimson Nimbus Sect are beginning to fluctuate. It seems they have already received the news. Our stock prices are going to soar! First, let's not talk about you. I still have to discuss with Sect Master about how we’re going to disseminate the news to the public — we are going to completely spread the good news! So you must be prepared to do several press releases. In a short while, we are certainly going to hold a press conference. Later, there will be a celebration party which will span over a few days. You and Helian Lie are going to be the main guests, so you can not be careless!"
"Yes! Elder Zhou, don't worry. I will ardently promote the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School!" Zhao Shude was radiating in happiness; his entire face was flushed red like a completely ripe persimmon.
Soon after, from the sky came deafening whistles. A dozen or so flying shuttles were approaching at very high speed.
"It's the reporters! The reporters from all the major news channels have arrived!" Several parents with good eyesight immediately recognized the flying shuttles.
Sure enough, the flying shuttle had yet to land, but several impatient journalists jumped out from the flying shuttle. With a murderous look on their faces, they plunged into the crowd and started shouting at the top of their lungs.
"Student Helian Lie? Where is Student Helian Lie?"
"Student Helian Lie, you are the Floating Spear City's Champion of this year’s college entrance examination. Please tell us how you are feeling."
"Student Helian Lie, may I ask how do you usually train? Can you share some of your training experience with the other students?"
"Principal Zhao, Principal Zhao Shude! Since the sudden appearance of the cultivation genius 'Fiend Blade Peng Hai' a few years back, your Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School has been completely silent. In Floating Spear City, which is one of the important cultivation city in the federation, you have been continuously suppressed by the Phoenix Ridge Second High School. But why has two geniuses suddenly appeared this year in Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School? Please tell us about your thoughts, Principal Zhao!"
"There is no need to hurry; you don't need to be so anxious. Friends from the media, please be patient. I will answer all your questions, but it’ll be in the press conference which will be held very soon. If you have any questions, please wait till then. I promise I will speak without any reservation — I'll tell you all I know!"
Zhao Shude's face was radiating happiness, grinning from ear to ear.
Helian Ba also squeezed to his son's side and patted Helian Lie's shoulder with force. He could not hide his joy. "Atta boy, you have saved your father's face. Well done, you did well!"
"Are you Helian Lie? I am a reporter from Floating Spear Morning Post. First. Please reveal a bit of your experiences in private with us!" A few reporters recognized Helian Lie and desperately squeezed over.
After the excitement at the start, Helian Lie became very calm. He swept over the hologram, shook his head, and said, "Wait! Only 80% of the scores of Floating Spear City’s examinees have been calculated; there are still some districts where the scores of their examinees have yet to be calculated. This is not the final ranking."
Because there were too many examinees, the amount of data was too much, thus all the data was divided into batches, calculated one by one, and fed into the database.
Until now, there were several slum districts where the examinees' scores had not yet been uploaded and calculated.
However, in light of the results from previous years, these examinees from the slum district would not raise any big storm. After all, they didn't have enough money to put food on their table, so how were they going to train? How could they score within the top one thousand of Floating Spear City’s College Entrance Examination?
Even if they somehow made their way into the top one thousand list, it would be near impossible for them to create any big effect on top hundred. At least, in the last few decades, it was unheard of for any high school within the slum districts to have an examinee who paved a road to the city’s top one hundred.
Therefore, once the top hundred students were determined, it was 100% certain that the ranking would not change!
Very soon, at the bottom of the hologram, the progress had jumped to "90%". Citywide 90% of the examinees’ scores had been uploaded to the database and had been calculated.
"Now, the examinees' scores from the three districts had been uploaded. There has been no change in the top thousand rankings. First place is still Helian Lie — are you now ready for the interview?"
"Wait a minute!" Helian Lie gaze still didn’t leave the hologram. On the back his hand, blue veins were bulging.
"93%! This time, even the scores of examinees who had personally registered for the college entrance examination have been calculated. You are still first. Student Helian Lie, please tell us about your experiences. You absolutely can not hide it! Student Helian Lie, the majority of viewers are now anxiously waiting for your interview!"
"Wait a minute!"
"97%! In the entire Floating Spear City, only the scores of the examinees from the Limestone District have yet to be calculated. The Limestone District is a famous slum district. The few high schools it has are all rotten to the extreme. Even last year, not a single student from the Limestone District could enter the top ten thousand in the entire city! Student Helian Lie, now can you give us an interview!"
Several journalists shouted at the top of their voice. They had almost plugged Helian Lie’s mouth with their crystal mic.
"Only the Limestone District is left?"
Helian Lie heaved a sigh of relief. His entire body seemed to be brimming with energy and vitality, radiating with cheerfulness.
He nodded his head at the several journalists, took the crystal mic, and started speaking with fervor and confidence, "Respected viewers, parents, students, and teachers, hello! I am Floating Spear City's champion of the college entrance examination, Helian Lie. A reporter had asked me if I have any tips to give — Of course, I do! I have three tips: first is hard work, second is hard work, and the third is work hard like a madman! I believe as long as you have worked hard enough, everyone can create miracles..."
He was prepared to speak some more when he noticed all the journalists, parents, and students were all dumbfounded. As if they had seen some ghost, they were all firmly staring at the huge hologram behind him.
Helian Lie felt as if his heart had been ruthlessly clutched by an invisible hand. He immediately turned his head and noticed that the hologram, which had been entirely still till now, was beginning to fluctuate. At the bottom of the ranking, there were some changes happening.
"Wow, breaking news!"
"Impossible, it is absolutely impossible!"
"An examinee from the Limestone District has actually made his way into the top thousand of the Floating Spear City — Rank 998!"
"That’s incredible! Student Ge Qiang from Limestone High School is truly incredible. He has actually subverted so many competitors from high-quality high schools and paved his way into the top thousand. Amazing, this is truly amazing!"
One by one, several journalists started talking about him. All of them were talking of going to the Limestone High School to interview Student Ge Qiang after interviewing the college entrance examination champion, Helian Lie.
Helian Lie once again took a long deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, glanced at the progress rate at the bottom of the hologram, and found that 99.9% of the examinees' scores had been fed into the database.
Only the waste school, the "Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School" that was at the bottom of the ranking in last year’s college entrance examination, had not entered the database.
Helian Lie collected himself. On his face appeared a smile once again.
"As everyone can see, as I have said before, as long as you work hard enough, it is possible for everyone to create miracles! At the moment, behind me, nothing less than a miracle has occurred. An examinee from the Limestone High School has actually made his way into the top thousand of the Floating Spear City's college entrance examination rankings. You can imagine how hard it must have been! In fact, you should not be interviewing me, you should go to Limestone High School and interview Fellow Student Ge Qiang. It's not strange for me to get the title of college entrance examination champion. Fellow Student Ge Qiang is truly worthy..."
Helian Lie's voice once again abruptly came to a stop.
He discovered that everyone in front of him, regardless of whether it was the reporters, parents, students, teachers, head instructor, trustees, and even his own father, Helian Ba —
Everyone was staring with their mouth agape, as if they have all lost their wits — they were all extremely horrified!
This time, the expression on their faces was completely different from a moment ago.
A moment ago, it was like they had seen a ghost.
But at this moment, as if they had become a ghost, as if they had become a wandering ghost, as if they had become a zombie… or as if some spirit glyph had been pasted onto their forehead, suppressing their bodies — their bodies had become completely rigid!
In an instant, the large campus became dead silent, much like an abandoned cemetery.
Thousands of people stood upright like the thousands of weed growing by a tombstone!
Helian Lie's breath became extremely rapid. Every one of his joints was as if it had been covered in rust, even turning his neck had become extremely difficult for him.
"Look, you, you quickly take look, quickly look..."
A reported stammered. His gaze was as if it had been stuck on something behind Helian Lie; he was unable to move.
Helian Lie's mind went blank. With all his strength, he turned his head inch by inch, forcing his own gaze to fall upon the hologram.
At the top of the hologram, just above his name, appeared a brand new name.
The name was like a ghost — from the abyss of the large amount of data, it silently made its way to the top, suddenly climbing above Helian Lie!
"Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School's Student Li Yao, college entrance examination total score 781, Spiritual Root Development Quotient 92%, final score 718.52, citywide first!"
Chapter 91: Where is the Champion of the College Entrance Examination? |
"No——"
Helian Lie let out a heartrending cry as thick red blood from his neck spread everywhere, instantly swallowing his entire face. As his face alternated between pale and flushed in turns, his facial features completely twisted together as if it had been smashed like a broken drum!
He felt as if stars were dancing before his eyes, as if someone was playing the drums next to his ears, as if everyone was laughing at him! His temples were throbbing as if two midgets were about to drill out of his temples. His entire body was shuddering, barely able to remain standing.
"Li Yao! Li Yao! Where did you come from!? A Spiritual Root Development Quotient of 92%? A full hundred points higher than me? It's impossible! It is absolutely impossible! There must be a mistake!"
Helian Lie gasped for breath. In his heart, he was screaming in madness. Deep down his throat, it was flooding with an unstoppable tide.
Not far away from him, Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School's Principal Zhao Shude, Disciplinary Head Hei Mianshen, and the thousand other trustees were all in a trance. They were all on the verge of collapse. The look on their faces could be described in one sentence — as if they were bereaved of both parents!
"How is this possible? How could a student from the Mining Clan High School actually defeat our student and make his way to the top, seizing the title of Floating Spear City's Champion of the College Entrance Examination?"
"Li Yao? Yes — Li Yao!"
With foreheads completely drenched in sweat, Zhao Shude and Hei Mianshen glanced at each other before stealing a glance at Helian Ba. The all-smiling Helian Ba who was like a peach flower in blossom just a moment ago has now wilted; his complexion was completely pale. He turned into an ice statue.
The quickest to react were the reporters; shortly after the silence, they started bouncing one by one as if they had been shot with a stimulant.
"Breaking news, super breaking news! The college entrance examination champion actually appeared in the worst high school in Floating Spear City! Today's ratings are going to go through the roof!"
"Wait! Li Yao… Li Yao... Why does this name sound familiar!?"
"Hey, isn't Li Yao that 'Fleeting Fiend Star'? He had actually recovered? Isn't he a lot stronger than before?"
"Something must have happened — I am sure something must have happened here! Wasn't Li Yao a student of Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School? Why did a student who was able to win the title of Floating Spear City's champion of the college entrance examination take the college entrance examination at the Mining Clan High School?"
"Principal Zhao, please explain it to us. Why did Student Li Yao's name appear alongside Mining Clan High School?"
"Yea, Principal Zhao, what actually happened? Why has Student Li Yao left the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School? How can you bear to let such a cultivation genius leave your school?"
Under the questioning of numerous reporters, Zhao Shude wanted to cry but had no tears. His complexion turned pale, his lips started shivering, he continuously shook his head and said, "No comments, no comments!"
"Brothers, what are we waiting for? Let's quickly go to the Mining Clan High School and interview Student Li Yao!"
Noticing the deathly expression as if he was devoid of all life on Zhao Shude's face, a few reporters with quick wits instantly reacted and shouted within their heart, ‘Why should we waste our time talking to this guy? Someone with authority has yet to arrive!’
Suddenly, the situation took a complete turn. A moment ago, several dozen reporters were swarming around Helian Lie and Zhao Shude, while in the next moment, they were all completely scattered. One by one, the flying shuttles impatiently soared into the sky and sprang towards the Limestone District.
"You, all of you come back to me!"
Helian Lie's pair of eyes were blood-red. Unable to contain his fury, he tightly grabbed the sleeve of a journalist and madly shouted, "It must be a mistake made by the crystal processor! I am the Floating Spear City's champion of the college entrance examination, it can only be me! Quickly interview me, quickly interview me! You bunch of bastards are as blind as a bat!"
"Don’t waste my time!"
The reporter exerted his strength to hurl him but was unable to. Suddenly, he flared up with fury as he ruthlessly shoved at Helian Lie's stomach.
With Helian lie's strength, it would simply be impossible for him to get knocked down by a reporter, but at this moment, his body was as though all the bones in his body had been removed. From this shove alone, he softly fell onto the ground, landing on his ass.
The reporter did not even spare him a single glance. He hurled his sleeve and quickly left.
Helian Lie sat on the ground for a while with a sluggish look and a forced smile. Suddenly, he felt his stomach churn as if lightning and clouds were billowing.
"Poof"
He vomited out everything inside.
—— This was the sequelae that remained after he had suffered Li Yao's "Heart Piercing Hammer". Every time his tension reached the extreme, he would be unable to contain his vomit.
In the contest between him and Li Yao, Helian Lie had been thoroughly crushed. He was so miserable that one could not bear to look at him!
…
Limestone District, Mining Clan High School.
Compared to Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School where the scene was seething with enthusiasm, the atmosphere at the Mining Clan High School was significantly relaxed. Here, they simply didn't set any big hologram. Every examinee was querying their own results and rankings through their mini crystal processors.
Here, the examinees all knew their own limitations. They never thought they would be able to get into those big universities. They were all completely satisfied with getting into some technical schools.
