Translator: CinderTL
After completing the class transfer procedures with Zhang Jianwu, Jiang Ye returned to Chen Zilu's office, only to find it empty.
Buzz! Buzz!
His wristwatch vibrated.
Jiang Ye checked the notification: a message from Chen Zilu.
Chen Zilu: Jiang Ye, come to the school gate. I need to talk to you.
A few minutes later.
At the entrance of Ancheng Third High School, Jiang Ye spotted a strikingly beautiful woman standing alone by the gate.
Though she was referred to as a "woman," she looked more like a young girl.
Chen Zilu wore a simple white dress, her complexion as pale as snow. Her face was pure and lovely, her thick, raven-black hair cascading down to her slender waist.
Her figure was exquisite, with a full, high bust and long, graceful legs.
Without her teacher's attire, she looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, radiating youthful vitality.
"Teacher," Jiang Ye greeted, guessing she was about to leave.
"You're here?" Chen Zilu's voice was sweet as she smiled radiantly at him.
She then retrieved an intricately crafted metal bottle from her suitcase.
"Here."
Chen Zilu handed the metal bottle to Jiang Ye, saying, "This will help you absorb stellar energy. Save it for your cosmic tempering."
Jiang Ye was slightly taken aback.
Something that helps absorb stellar energy?
He had never heard of such a thing. It must be incredibly valuable.
Chen Zilu smiled brightly. "Don't open it here. You can wait until you get back."
Her words only confirmed Jiang Ye's suspicions about the bottle's worth.
"Teacher, I can't possibly accept this," Jiang Ye said, reluctantly taking the metal bottle.
He hadn't even repaid the thirty thousand yuan yet, and now she was giving him another treasure.
This debt will never be repaid.
Chen Zilu chuckled softly. "I told you before that I'd help you speed up your cosmic tempering."
"But it seems we won't have to wait that long."
She shook her head with a smile, sighing wistfully. "Originally, I planned to return to school after your College Entrance Examination. But plans change."
Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
He had always been curious about why she had come to Ancheng to teach.
Logically, she had only just started her freshman year at White Dragon University when she arrived. It seemed strange for her to leave so soon.
"Why did you..." Jiang Ye couldn't help but voice his curiosity.
Chen Zilu's fair, delicate face took on a wistful expression.
After a moment, she shook her head. "The reasons are complicated. It mainly stems from a failed trial that damaged my strength. Then, a series of unfortunate events followed."
"Coming to Ancheng was partly because it's my mother's hometown."
"But more importantly, it was to adjust my mindset," Chen Zilu murmured softly.
Jiang Ye was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected her to have such a history.
But since she had now decided to leave, she must have finally adjusted her mindset.
"I wish you every success at White Dragon University," Jiang Ye said solemnly.
Chen Zilu smiled radiantly, her beauty breathtaking.
She patted Jiang Ye's arm, her eyes twinkling. "And I wish you the best in getting into the twenty-five school alliance."
Buzz!
Just then, a small black dot appeared in the sky, accompanied by a faint rumbling sound.
In an instant—
Whoosh!
A massive shadow suddenly loomed overhead.
Jiang Ye looked up and held his breath.
It was a small, futuristic spacecraft shaped like a 'V', painted a deep, abyssal black. Its surface was covered in countless diamond-shaped nanoscopic scales that pulsed rhythmically, as if breathing.
"A private spacecraft?" Jiang Ye murmured, inwardly astonished.
The ship clearly employed cutting-edge technology, having traversed dozens of kilometers in mere seconds.
Boom!
A massive hatch at the rear of the ship opened, releasing a burst of white vapor.
A man in a suit, resembling a butler, stood at the hatch.
"I'm leaving," Chen Zilu said, glancing at Jiang Ye. She waved. "Jiang Ye, until we meet again."
With that, she stepped forward.
In the next instant, she had materialized at the spacecraft, now hovering over a hundred meters in the air.
"Miss," the suited man at the hatch bowed respectfully.
"I told you not to pick me up," Chen Zilu said, looking at the ship with a hint of displeasure. "Coming was one thing, but this ostentatious display?"
The man paused, then chuckled helplessly. "Miss, I chose the most discreet vehicle available."
Chen Zilu shook her head. This spaceship belonged to her father.
Ever since that incident in her childhood, she had harbored a deep aversion to anything associated with him.
After starting university, she had never asked her family for a single penny.
"Let's go back," Chen Zilu said coolly as she stepped into the spaceship. The hatch behind her slowly closed.
She cast one last glance at the tiny figure of the boy on the ground, knowing this would likely be their final meeting.
Behind her, the man in the suit cautiously asked, "Miss, who was that young man just now?"
"He's my student," Chen Zilu replied coldly.
The man nodded, the flicker of worry in his eyes fading away.
Earlier, when he had seen the boy saying goodbye to Chen Zilu alone, his mind had raced with possibilities.
But in truth, there was nothing to worry about.
Just a poor kid from some mountain village.
What right did he have to catch the eye of someone like Miss Chen?
Not just in Ancheng, but across the entire West Mountain Province, such a person would be hard to find.
"By the way, Miss," the man in the suit suddenly said, "your father hasn't received a reply from you in six months. He wants to know how you're doing and if you have enough money."
Chen Zilu's expression turned icy.
"None of your concern."
On the ground, Jiang Ye watched the private spacecraft disappear into the distance, unable to suppress a long sigh.
"This spacecraft must be worth at least several hundred million, right?"
"Teacher Chen is actually so wealthy."
It made sense, though.
According to the inheritance of innate talent, the stronger a martial dao expert, the more likely they are to produce exceptional offspring.
Given Chen Zilu's extraordinary talent, her family background was likely a colossal force.
"When will I ever be this rich?" Jiang Ye murmured wistfully.
Suddenly, he froze.
A system notification popped up before him:
[You have achieved a new achievement: The Martial Dao Patriarch has gifted you a precious item!]
[Unlocked title: Patriarch's Feeding!]
[Reward: The value of the gifted item is increased by 200%!]
"???"
Jiang Ye stared in utter bewilderment.
No, seriously, what's going on?
Shouldn't this kind of behavior unlock a favorability rating or something?
What's with this "feeding" nonsense?!
But at that moment, Jiang Ye realized something: No wonder my gifts never worked before. It turns out I have to receive gifts from others for them to have an effect?
He examined the reward.
Value increased by 200%? That meant the gift Chen Zilu had given him was now several times more potent?
Jiang Ye stared at the metal bottle in his hand, almost bursting with curiosity to open it immediately.
But he restrained himself.
Don't flaunt your wealth. I'll check it out when I get home.
For now, I need to report to the Elite Class.
Jiang Ye turned and headed toward the school.
"This is Jiang Ye, a transfer student from the regular class."
In Class 1 of the third-year students, the homeroom teacher stood on the podium.
"Jiang Ye, please introduce yourself."
The teacher glanced at the handsome young man standing by the door.
"Yes."
Jiang Ye's gaze swept across the unfamiliar faces in the classroom as he began, "Hello everyone, my name is Jiang Ye—Jiang from 'mountains and rivers,' Ye from 'ambition.'"
"...On the most recent monthly exam, I ranked 89th in the grade."
He finished his introduction.
"Welcome."
A cold, aloof girl with snow-white legs was the first to applaud.
She was none other than Zhao Qingli, the Class Monitor of Class 1 and the top student in the entire grade.
Clap, clap, clap!
With the Class Monitor leading the way, the other students naturally followed suit, and the applause quickly swelled into a thunderous ovation.
After the welcome ceremony, the class director turned and left.
Jiang Ye stepped into the classroom.
A young man approached him with a cheerful smile. "Jiang Ye, let's get acquainted? I'm Wang Zi'ang."
Jiang Ye nodded. "Third in the grade, Brother Wang."
"Good eye," Wang Zi'ang said, pleased. He clapped Jiang Ye on the shoulder. "It's your first time in the Elite Class, right? You probably don't know the ropes yet. Let me show you around."
As he began explaining, Jiang Ye quickly learned that after entering the third year of high school, the Elite Class held a major exam every month.
Students ranking in the top fifty would receive ten thousand yuan.
Those in the top twenty would get twenty thousand yuan.
The higher the rank, the greater the reward.
However, there were also risks for those who ranked too low.
Any student who consistently ranked in the bottom ten for three consecutive months would be expelled from the Elite Class.
As a result, competition in the Elite Class was fierce.
"Our class releases monthly missions," Zhao Qingli said coolly as she approached. "Completing these missions earns substantial rewards, potentially exceeding fifty thousand yuan."
Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
These two seem to know I'm short on funds and are deliberately telling me ways to earn money.
"After achieving Perfection in your cultivation method, reaching the first breakthrough requires massive funding," Zhao Qingli continued. "Whether it's cosmic tempering or Martial Dao Dietary Supplements, both are extremely expensive. Therefore, high-value class missions, such as live combat assignments, are highly sought after and can generate significant income. Keep an eye out for them."
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded.
Live combat missions are lucrative? He made a mental note.
"Thank you both for the reminder," Jiang Ye said sincerely.
Zhao Qingli replied indifferently, "I'm merely concerned you might fall out of the top hundred in the grade. As Class Monitor, I can't allow that to happen."
For the Elite Class, dropping out of the top hundred was considered a disgrace.
Though Jiang Ye currently ranked 89th in the grade, some students in the Elite Class had yet to undergo cosmic tempering.
After all, cosmic tempering wasn't something you could just decide to do.
Each semester offered only three opportunities, and each attempt required a substantial fee.
Even students in the Elite Class wouldn't register until they were fully prepared and confident of success.
Once these students underwent cosmic tempering, they would immediately widen the gap between themselves and Jiang Ye.
At that point, Jiang Ye would quickly fall out of the top hundred in the grade.
Zhao Qingli looked at Jiang Ye with a hint of pity, as if she could already see his future: "There's a cosmic tempering session next month. If you're confident, you should register."
"Understood. Thank you for the reminder, Class Monitor," Jiang Ye nodded.
But inwardly, he felt a stirring.
Cosmic tempering?
He definitely needed to prepare for that.
Before that, however, he first needed to achieve Perfection in his cultivation method and then ascend the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
(End of the Chapter)
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