The principal paused.
"In this assessment, Jiangcheng No. 1 High School has witnessed a miracle!"
"A miracle worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Federation!"
Hearing this, everyone perked up their ears.
The principal paused again, a supremely proud smile curling at his lips, and his voice suddenly rose, booming like a great bell, echoing through the skies.
"Lu Fang's dungeon clearance count: 15!"
"Evaluation: SSS!!!!"
"His final time is!!!!!"
The principal raised the score sheet in his hand, shouting with all his might.
"1 minute and 17 seconds!!!"
Boom!!!
If the previous SSS-rank evaluation was a nuclear bomb, then the announcement of this time was a cosmic explosion!
The gymnasium, already on the brink of boiling over, completely erupted.
"1 minute and 17 seconds?!!!"
"Damn! Did I hear that right? Am I hallucinating?"
"Clearing 15 levels in 1 minute and 17 seconds? Averaging 5 seconds per level? Is he fighting monsters or sprinting a hundred meters?"
"Even just running without fighting wouldn't be this fast, unless... unless it was all instant kills! And full-screen instant kills at that!"
Cheers, screams, and roars erupted like a tsunami, almost lifting the roof off the gymnasium.
In the resting area.
With a slap.
The bottle of mineral water in Jiang Xia's hand fell to the ground again, spilling water everywhere.
His mouth was open wider than before, staring at Lu Fang in a daze, as if looking at an alien.
"Brother Fang..."
Jiang Xia's voice was trembling, as if his soul had flown away.
"1 minute and 17 seconds... what you said earlier was actually true?"
Lu Fang bent down to pick up the bottle for him, patted the dust off it, and smiled lightly, speaking with a calm demeanor.
"When have I ever joked with you?"
Meanwhile.
The Thunder Sword in Wang Yixing's hand clattered to the ground.
That crisp sound was particularly jarring amidst the noisy cheers.
He seemed to have all the backbone drained from him in an instant, his eyes vacant, his face as pale as paper, his body swaying.
That number, like a sharp knife, mercilessly sliced through all his pride, shredding his dignity to pieces.
His proud 2 hours and 8 minutes was a complete joke in the face of this number.
An unprecedented sense of despair welled up in his heart.
What Thunder Swordsman.
What unparalleled genius.
What record-breaking.
In front of that 1 minute and 17 seconds and SSS-rank evaluation, it was all a mirage.
"I... lost..."
Wang Yixing muttered to himself, his body swayed, and he collapsed onto the cold floor.
At that moment, it was as if something inside him shattered completely.
That was his arrogance.
On the high platform, the principal, his face glowing with pride, solemnly handed the black canister sealed with wax to Lu Fang.
"Lu Fang, this is your honor, and the school's hope for you."
The principal's voice echoed through the microphone across the entire venue.
"I hope this exclusive equipment can help you achieve even greater success in the college entrance examination a month from now!"
Lu Fang accepted the blind canister, feeling its cool touch and substantial weight.
He nodded politely, said nothing more, and turned to step down from the platform.
Back in the class lineup, Jiang Xia immediately came over, eyes fixed on the canister, swallowing hard.
"Brother Fang, open it quickly! It's an exclusive equipment blind canister, the first I've seen in my life."
Lu Fang was also a bit curious at this moment.
He didn't perform any rituals like others do before opening a blind box, such as burning incense or praying. Instead, he discreetly pulled the tab of the canister while the principal continued to commend other outstanding students and the crowd's attention was slightly diverted.
"Click."
A soft sound.
The black canister instantly dissolved into countless points of light, and then a not-so-dazzling but extremely solid beam of light flashed by.
A ring with an ancient design quietly fell into Lu Fang's palm.
The ring was dark gold in color, with no flashy gemstones on the face, only a pattern resembling a coin, exuding a faintly heavy aura.
With a thought, Lu Fang's attribute panel appeared instantly.
[Item: Ring of Monetary Barrier (Gold)]
[Slot: Finger]
[Active Skill: Spend Gold Like Water]
[Effect: Consume 10,000 gold coins to instantly generate an absolute shield lasting 1 second, with a defense value equal to the number of gold coins consumed * 100.]
[Cooldown: 24 hours]
Seeing the attributes, Lu Fang's heart skipped a beat.
Consume ten thousand gold coins to generate a shield.
Shield value equals gold coins times one hundred.
Ten thousand times one hundred, that's... a million shield points!
To know, that Level 50 Hell Demon General just now had only two million health.
This one million shield value is almost equivalent to half a boss's health hardness!
And it's an instantly generated shield.
Although it only lasts for a brief second, it's not meant for tanking monsters, but for blocking a fatal blow in that life-or-death moment!
"An absolute life-saving divine skill."
Lu Fang's heart was secretly shaken, his fingers tightened slightly, and he slipped the seemingly unremarkable ring onto his left index finger.
The ring fit perfectly, and the moment it was worn, it lost a bit of its luster, looking just like an ordinary piece of jewelry.
The surrounding students were also secretly watching Lu Fang's movements, witnessing him open the ring and put it on, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.
The award ceremony continued, with students going up one by one.
But perhaps because Lu Fang's "15-level clearance" and "SSS-rank evaluation" results were too terrifying, the invisible pressure made everyone present feel suffocated.
The atmosphere on site carried a strange sense of oppression.
Finally, the award segment on stage concluded.
The principal composed himself, stood before the microphone, and delivered the final summary speech.
"Students, the Awakening Ceremony may be over, but this is just the beginning of your lives."
"I hope no one gets discouraged, nor becomes complacent. Everyone must settle down and prepare for the college entrance examination a month from now!"
The principal's passionate voice echoed within the gymnasium.
"Now, I declare the senior year Awakening Ceremony officially concluded!"
As soon as the words fell.
Boom!!!
A violent crash suddenly exploded above the gymnasium.
Everyone looked up in confusion, only to see the transparent protective shield that usually covered the gymnasium, seemingly indestructible, now shaking violently like glass struck by a heavy hammer, emitting a series of teeth-gritting creaks.
The bright sunlight that usually streamed through the dome vanished in an instant.
It was as if a massive black curtain had been forcibly pulled over, swallowing all the light in an instant.