The chaos brought about by the monster siege had finally subsided, and order was being restored to the streets.
People in this era had long since grown accustomed to such crises. Even after witnessing destruction and bloodshed, their calm returned quickly, as if this rhythm of danger and recovery had become part of daily life.
When Liang Xiao returned home, he found his grandfather and younger brother waiting anxiously by the door.
"Brother, are you alright?"
"Ah Xiao, are you hurt?"
The two of them stood up in unison the moment he stepped inside, relief washing over their faces.
"I'm fine."
Liang Xiao smiled faintly, reaching out to ruffle Liang Yuan's hair. "Yuan, you didn't cause any trouble for Grandpa today, did you?"
"Brother, you're treating me like a kid again," Liang Yuan said, puffing out his cheeks in protest. "I won't cause trouble anymore — not for Grandpa or for you."
"That's good."
Liang Xiao chuckled softly. He didn't mention the Longevity Cult or what had happened that day. There was no need to worry them with such things.
But one thought pressed firmly in his mind — he needed to become stronger, and fast.
So he simply said, "You two should eat early. I'm going back to my room."
"Okay, brother, go study! Tomorrow's the last exam — good luck!" Liang Yuan said quickly, beaming.
"Ah Xiao…"
Grandpa Liang Wen's voice suddenly softened. "Do your best in tomorrow's test. It'd be even better if you could get into a university in another city. Don't worry about us. Grandpa's still healthy — I can work another ten years easily. Even if you leave, I can take good care of your brother."
The old man, experienced and sharp despite his age, could sense that Liang Xiao had something weighing on his mind. But he assumed it was simply worry about his future university prospects.
After all, Changlin City only had one military academy, and the resources and prestige of a small city's school couldn't compare to those in the great metropolitan regions.
"Alright, I understand," Liang Xiao said with a reassuring smile before heading to his room.
In the dimly lit space, Liang Xiao sat cross-legged on his bed. Within his body, he could sense the last three wisps of True Qi circulating inside his Special Golden Core — the remnants of power that had nearly run dry during yesterday's battle.
He exhaled slowly, recalling the near disaster.
The Longevity Cult… this world is far more dangerous than I ever imagined.
He clenched his fist. I have to get stronger — quickly.
Without hesitation, Liang Xiao took out the jade bottle Captain Huang had given him and unscrewed the cap.
A rich, medicinal fragrance filled the room — the scent of Qi Gathering Pills.
The second layer of the Golden Core must be completed within three days!
He swallowed one pill, closed his eyes, and began circulating the Refining Essence into Qi Technique.
The pill's essence melted almost instantly, transforming into abundant True Qi that streamed into his Special Golden Core. Under his precise control, that new energy wove itself into the existing strands of True Qi, strengthening and elongating them.
Then, carefully, he guided six strands into motion, intertwining them to continue weaving the second layer of the Golden Core.
When the first pill was spent, he swallowed a second.
Before long, dawn crept through the cracks in the curtains.
Liang Xiao slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
With the help of the Qi Gathering Pills, the second layer of the Golden Core was already 80% complete after just one night.
He had only refined two pills, yet each one had saved him nearly two months of effort.
So this is the true value of cultivation resources…
He sighed in awe. With this speed, I might finish weaving the second layer tonight!
Despite staying awake all night, Liang Xiao felt perfectly alert. For cultivators, sleepless nights were trivial matters.
Because the Special Golden Core had taken over the function of his original Dantian, the latter now served as a storage space.
He placed the remaining Qi Gathering Pills inside his Dantian to keep them safe — there was no room for carelessness.
After washing up, he left for school at a brisk pace.
Yesterday's ambush had made him more cautious. Every street corner, every alleyway was scanned carefully before he passed.
Fortunately, the morning was peaceful.
As usual, he stopped by the cafeteria for breakfast before heading to the exam hall for the final day of the college entrance examination.
That morning's subject was Basic Knowledge of Common Monsters, worth 100 points.
The afternoon exam would cover Common Medicinal Herbs and Basic Formations, worth 150 points in total.
Both were key cultural subjects — deeply connected to cultivation, and therefore extremely important.
Unfortunately, these were also Liang Xiao's weak points. The advantage of his "past life knowledge" no longer applied here. He wasn't confident he could achieve perfect marks.
After finishing the morning test, fatigue crept up on him. He grabbed lunch in the cafeteria, then asked Wu Jun to keep an eye on him while he took a quick nap.
When afternoon came, he stepped into the final exam with renewed focus.
To his surprise, the herbal knowledge section was almost entirely drawn from the textbook — easy enough. But the formation theory portion required deduction and logical reasoning.
It was essentially an open-ended bonus question meant to test creative application rather than memorization.
If earlier exams had tested knowledge accumulation, this one tested comprehension and insight — something only top students excelled at.
However, for Liang Xiao, this was an unexpected advantage.
Because in developing his own Golden Core Technique, he had already delved deeply into the theory of formations.
These questions felt almost effortless.
He breezed through them, finishing even faster than his previous exams.
Even with one or two uncertain answers, my total should be around 720… easily enough for a top-tier academy.
He reviewed his paper several times, ensuring there were no mistakes, then leaned back to wait for the bell.
When it finally rang, the exam hall erupted in noise.
"Damn it…"
"How did time go by so fast?"
"Is this question even humanly possible?!"
"I was fine until that last one — what kind of sadist designed that?"
Groans and complaints filled the room.
The college entrance exam in this world was truly a life-defining event — a single score could determine one's entire future.
Of course, a few students remained calm, their confidence showing.
Liang Xiao was among them.
"Quiet!"
A sharp voice cut through the chaos. The proctor entered — releasing a palpable aura that made the air heavy.
Instantly, the room fell silent.
The proctor was the same cultivator who had once intervened in Liang Xiao's conflict with Tan Weifeng.
"Everyone, stay seated while I collect the exam papers," the man instructed coldly.
The candidates complied immediately.
After gathering the papers, the proctor placed a mirror-like device on the podium.
With a flick of his wrist, the mirror activated — a beam of shimmering light swept across the room, coating everything in a faint, ethereal glow.
Then, a concentrated column of light suddenly fell upon Liang Xiao's desk, illuminating his seat and name.
None of the other students' seats reacted.
"Liang Xiao," the proctor read from the device, "near–Qi Refining Stage — bonus, 50 points."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Every head turned toward Liang Xiao, eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and awe.
Liang Xiao remained composed outwardly, but inside, he was elated.
So cultivation really does add bonus points!
Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. If I'd just had half a day more, I could've completed the second layer…
The second-layer Golden Core should equate to a full Qi Refining Stage cultivator.
Apparently, the detection instrument couldn't tell the difference between his Special Golden Core and a standard Dantian system — though he knew that as he advanced, the gap between himself and ordinary cultivators would only widen.
"Everyone, please proceed to the playground for the graduation ceremony," the proctor announced. "Exam results will be released in thirty minutes."
He packed away the device and strode out, leaving behind a room filled with sighs, chatter, and the faint electric thrill of anticipation.