Translator: CinderTL
On Star Altar Plaza, a vast, ocean-like golden stellar river poured down upon over three hundred freshmen.
This was the reward for passing the first trial of the Penglai Heavenly Tower: the Heaven-Piercing Refinement!
It was also one of the key reasons why geniuses with Dao Bone Aptitude, such as Shen Changxi and Liu Wanxiao, chose Penglai University.
While Penglai's Gift couldn't compare to the Cosmic Blessing, it still offered immense benefits beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Improving strength was secondary.
The most crucial aspect was enhancing potential!
Anything related to boosting potential was incredibly precious.
The Blue Star Federation possessed treasures that could enhance potential, but these were priceless artifacts, often unobtainable even with vast wealth.
Therefore, even for geniuses with Dao Bone Aptitude, Penglai's Gift remained exceptionally alluring.
Boom!
The golden stellar river cascaded down from above Jiang Ye's head.
This feeling, Jiang Ye marveled inwardly, it's remarkably similar to when I received the Cosmic Blessing back then.
Bathed in the golden starlight, Jiang Ye's meridians glowed with a golden radiance, and the bloody wounds on his body began to heal rapidly.
Moreover, a genetic transformation was taking place within him.
If someone were to observe him closely under a microscope at that moment, they would be astonished to witness the subtle yet profound changes occurring in every strand of his DNA.
This was a metamorphosis at the very essence of life—a fundamental shift in his martial dao potential and foundation.
Jiang Ye's martial dao foundation was steadily ascending!
Time flowed by.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Half an hour later.
The golden starlight gradually dissipated.
"It's over."
"Damn, was it really that short?"
"Be grateful. If this half-hour could be measured in money, it would be worth tens of millions."
"Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions!" The three hundred students gathered in Star Altar Plaza exclaimed in awe.
Not everyone had experienced the Cosmic Divine Path's blessing.
For most, the benefits of Penglai's Gift were already astonishing.
"Jiang Ye."
"Can you feel it?" Zhao Qingli asked, her snow-white legs carrying her over. "I feel a huge change!"
"What kind of change?" Jiang Ye asked, turning to her.
"It feels... bigger," Zhao Qingli said, cupping her majestic, snow-capped peaks.
"Huh?" Jiang Ye blinked, his gaze drifting to her chest. "Bigger?"
They do seem bigger!
"Where are you looking?!" Zhao Qingli glared at him. "I meant my martial dao potential! It's increased."
Jiang Ye cleared his throat awkwardly. Don't leave me hanging like that! I thought you meant...
"My meridians, energy flow pathways, and many subtle aspects have all changed," Zhao Qingli mused. "This must be a sign of my potential improving."
She turned to Jiang Ye, her eyes curious. "What about you?"
Jiang Ye examined himself.
"It does feel a bit different," he admitted, a strange sensation washing over him.
Every pore on his body seemed to sense the slightest shifts in air currents, even variations in sound waves!
To put it plainly, Jiang Ye's five senses had become several times more acute than before.
His vision, hearing, taste, and other senses had all been amplified exponentially.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, Jiang Ye opened his status panel.
Physique: Profound Physique (Low C-tier)
"My physique has advanced?" Jiang Ye's spirit jolted, his heart pounding.
Until now, his physique had only improved through system upgrades. This was the first time it had advanced through external means.
"Is it because of Penglai's Gift?"
"No, it must be the combined effect of the Cosmic Blessing and Penglai's Gift," Jiang Ye instantly realized. "My physique was already at the peak of Upper D-tier."
"After two potential enhancements, it's only natural for it to advance to C-tier."
As he considered this, Jiang Ye felt even more astonished.
For him, a physique advancement might seem ordinary. But for others, it would likely be an incredibly rare occurrence.
"These Penglai Nine Refinements truly are a remarkable place," Jiang Ye marveled inwardly.
The Heaven-Piercing Refinement, just the first stage, had already bestowed such astonishing gifts. What would the later stages bring? It was beyond imagination.
Jiang Ye glanced at Zhao Qingli and saw two lines of text floating above her head:
Physique: Mortal Physique (Low A-tier)
Innate Talent: Nascent
"The class monitor's physique has advanced too."
"Advancing from B-tier Mortal Physique is indeed easier than advancing from Profound Physique," Jiang Ye observed, looking around.
Apart from Jiang Ye, Zhao Qingli, and a handful of Low A-Tier mortal bodies, the rest remained unchanged.
Of course, their martial dao potential had undoubtedly improved, but not enough to meet the criteria for a physique upgrade.
"Jiang Ye," Zhao Qingli suddenly asked, "do you think I can upgrade to a B-tier contract?"
"Absolutely," Jiang Ye replied without hesitation.
Zhao Qingli had also ranked within the top two hundred in this trial, easily meeting the standards for a B Class student.
This was the true value of a million-monthly sales! Even among those with Dao Bone Aptitude, only a select few could afford such resources.
"I wonder what contract level I'll be upgraded to this time?" Jiang Ye mused, feeling a surge of anticipation.
Inside the Penglai Heavenly Tower's internal space:
"I believe Jiang Ye, as the top performer, deserves an Upper A-tier contract," declared Zhu Honglie, the red-haired elder.
However, his proposal was met with resistance.
"Think carefully! Upper A-tier contracts are reserved for those with the potential for at least a fourth breakthrough!"
"Jiang Ye's innate talent is primitive. While his current performance is decent, who knows what the future holds?"
"College Entrance Examination scores remain the primary criterion for contract level. The Heaven-Piercing Refinement should only be a secondary consideration. Jumping directly from B-tier to Upper A-tier? That's inappropriate."
"I think an A-grade or Mid A-Tier would be more appropriate," the teachers argued fiercely.
Chen Yuntian sat silently, not uttering a word.
After a moment, Elder Bai suddenly asked, "Old Chen, what's your take on this?"
He knew Chen Yuntian valued innate talent highly, having only accepted students with exceptional Dao Bone Aptitude over the years. Yet, on matters of great importance, Chen Yuntian always maintained a balanced perspective. Elder Bai was eager to hear his opinion.
"I believe we should give him Upper A-tier," Chen Yuntian said in a raspy voice.
His words stunned all the teachers.
"Don't rush to object," Chen Yuntian continued calmly. "Jiang Ye's performance strongly suggests he has awakened a special martial bone."
"But as you all know, only those with Dao Bone Aptitude have ever awakened martial bones."
"And Primitive Aptitude? There's no precedent for that."
"This young man is unique and deserves our focused cultivation," Chen Yuntian concluded logically.
The teachers fell silent, pondering his words.
"You're right, but theoretically, awakening a martial bone only temporarily raises one's potential ceiling," a plump teacher pointed out. "Take Dao Bone Aptitude, for example. The theoretical limit is the seventh breakthrough. After awakening a martial bone, one might break through even higher."
"His Primitive talent's theoretical limit is between the second and third breakthroughs," the chubby teacher said, shaking his head. "Even if he awakens his martial bone, it likely won't be much higher unless he undergoes a second awakening."
Penglai University's training goals for Upper A-tier students extend far beyond the third breakthrough. Only those who reach the fourth breakthrough within their seven years of study are considered to have met the standard.
"In my opinion," the chubby teacher continued, "we should wait until the official start of the semester to test his martial bone. Let's see what level of awakening he's achieved before making a decision."
"Absolutely not," Zhu Honglie immediately countered. "Testing the martial bone before the second breakthrough can cause irreversible damage."
Innate talent is easily measured using the Federation's established methods. But martial bone? This requires a full-body assessment at the Martial Dao Gene level, not just a simple examination. It involves Cosmic Irradiation. Exposing a student to Cosmic Irradiation before the second breakthrough carries a high risk of inducing cancer and other severe complications.
"Then A-grade it is," the chubby teacher said.
"Giving the top freshman A-grade just doesn't seem right," Chen Yuntian said, shaking his head.
"In my opinion, we should give him Upper A-tier treatment for now, but without signing a contract."
"Let's wait until the Freshman Competition in October," Chen Yuntian suggested. "We'll see how he performs then and make a decision."
The teachers nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense."
"Agreed!"
"I concur."
Clearly, this proposal had won the majority's approval.
The chubby teacher nodded as well, saying nothing more.
Just then, Chen Yuntian added, "I can see you all underestimate Jiang Ye. In that case, I'll take him as my student."
His words sent a ripple of shock through the group.
"That's not true! Who said I underestimated him?"
"You sly old fox, Chen! No wonder you were so eager to give him Upper A-tier—you were trying to steal him!"
(End of the Chapter)
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