Only 23 people scored 200 points or higher.
What was the point of the scores from the dungeon placement exam? This was the question on the minds of the 23 remaining students.
No one spoke. They all knew Wu Yunjiang wasn’t finished, and they didn’t have to wait long for him to continue.
"Due to this year’s exam reforms, I’ll keep it brief. The city’s fifteen middle schools have jointly petitioned the higher-ups and secured an additional Secret Realm. This will be for a simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam for our most outstanding students!"
Exam reforms!
An extra Secret Realm!
A simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam!
Normally, after the placement exam, students would focus on practicing basic skills and reinforcing their knowledge. Those with the resources or ability could find their own ways to explore Secret Realms.
But a simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam, with the school providing an additional Secret Realm, was an unprecedented event. The students were all rather surprised.
"Therefore, 200 of your points from the last placement exam can be exchanged for a Teleportation Talisman for this simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam! Any remaining points can be exchanged for new necessities and equipment specific to this new Secret Realm!"
So, 200 points was the price of admission and the minimum requirement, a way to filter for the so-called "outstanding students."
Li Heng would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about the new Secret Realm. Ever since he’d recorded the Wolf King Mountain Dungeon within the Wild Wolf Valley Secret Realm, he had been eager to see if he could record other dungeons in other Secret Realms.
In fact, everyone, Li Heng included, was curious and excited about this new Secret Realm. After all, a Secret Realm meant both opportunity and challenge.
Anyone who had scored over 200 points had reaped significant rewards from the Wild Wolf Valley Secret Realm; they lacked neither skill nor luck.
They were all eager for a chance to prove themselves, a small flame of ambition burning in each of their hearts.
"You will be led by teachers Wang Guodong and Yang Limeng to the City Combat Hall. Students, your simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam officially begins today! I wish you all great martial fortune!"
That concluded Teacher Wu Yunjiang’s speech. The Dean of Discipline for Thirteenth Middle School slowly walked out of sight, leaving the two supervising teachers in his place.
"Excluding the 200 points for the Teleportation Talisman, the limited Soul Energy Equipment and Soul Energy Items for the next Secret Realm are ten points apiece! We head to the City Combat Hall in one hour."
Teacher Yang Limeng was the first to speak. Then, the logistics staff from Thirteenth Middle School carried out a large table, which was covered with all sorts of items.
Once the items were brought out, a clear line was drawn between the happy and the sad. Those with 210 points or more were happy, as they could exchange their surplus for a piece of Soul Energy Equipment or a Soul Energy Item. The dejected students, however, could only stare at the items with wide eyes.
"Teaming up for the new Secret Realm?"
As the limited Soul Energy Equipment and Soul Energy Items were brought out, Bai Shasha didn’t make a move. Instead, she turned to Li Heng beside her and asked the question.
"Sure. But this time, let’s split Soul Energy Items fifty-fifty, and for Soul Energy Equipment, it’s finders keepers. If possible, I should be the one to land the final blow." Li Heng didn’t mind working with Bai Shasha; if possible, he’d even like to maintain a long-term partnership with her.
For one thing, they had a history of cooperation and a certain level of unspoken understanding.
For another, although Bai Shasha didn’t have much of a figure, she had a pretty face. In the middle of a tense Secret Realm exam, she was a rare and welcome sight.
Bai Shasha nodded in agreement to Li Heng’s "profit-sharing proposal" and said, "Let’s go get our gear."
Li Heng already had his Cyan Blade Longsword, but he planned to redeem a standard-issue longsword to use as a decoy. Other than that, he’d probably get a waterskin and some food.
The two of them walked to the long exchange table, gave their names, and chose their items.
Bai Shasha redeemed a waterskin, some food, and two bottles of limited-edition stamina-restoring pills.
Li Heng got the standard-issue longsword, a waterskin, and some food.
It was worth noting that when Li Heng went to redeem his items, both Yang Limeng and Wang Guodong praised him. Wang Guodong, in particular, seemed to have a very high opinion of him.
Li Heng guessed the reason for their praise. It was probably because they had seen through to his "Soul Disciple" realm. They hadn’t said anything explicitly, but if they hadn’t seen it, they wouldn’t have evaluated him so highly.
Li Heng didn’t feel much about it, his mind already elsewhere.
Thanks to his system, after Li Heng redeemed the waterskin, he discovered the name of the Secret Realm they were about to enter imprinted on it.
Fallen Jiao Icefield!
’Just from the name... the temperature there probably won’t be too high. And ’Fallen Jiao’... will there really be a Jiao dragon?’
The name of the Secret Realm alone was enough to send Li Heng’s imagination running wild, and he grew even more eager to enter.
Just as the two of them finished redeeming their items and were about to wait for the teachers to give the signal to depart, Huang Zhengyang, whom they had met before, walked up to them.
"Li Heng, Bai Shasha, hello. I’m Huang Zhengyang from Class 7. Want to team up for this simulated Secret Realm college entrance exam?" Huang Zhengyang, who had ranked third in the placement exam, now stood before them.
Li Heng remembered Huang Zhengyang, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced at Bai Shasha.
Bai Shasha replied with a deadpan expression, saying two words: "No, thanks."
"Alright then! Are you two a couple?" Huang Zhengyang didn’t seem too dejected by the rejection and asked with curiosity.
"No!" Bai Shasha’s voice was cold.
"My bad! By the way, did you hear? The first-place student this time, Wang Zhipeng from Class 9, advanced to the Soul Disciple realm, and the proctor gave him a flat 200 points for it!"
Huang Zhengyang noticed Bai Shasha’s expression turn even colder, while Li Heng remained impassive. He quickly added, "I’m not trying to stir up any rivalries. I just want to point out that the competition will be fierce. If we don’t team up in the new Secret Realm... we might not be able to compete for some of the resources."
This time, Bai Shasha didn’t argue. She turned her gaze to Li Heng, as if seeking his opinion.
Li Heng hadn’t had any strong opinions from the start. He had his system; compared to everyone else, he truly wasn’t afraid of anyone trying to steal resources. He just hoped to find a new dungeon in this Secret Realm.
Seeing Li Heng’s silence, Huang Zhengyang assumed he was considering the offer and decided to add more fuel to the fire. "And do you know about second place? Lin Tao from Class 1. He was barely ranked in the top ten, but he was blessed by Emperor Ouyang and actually managed to bring back a Soul Energy pet—a Blood Wolf pup!"
A Soul Energy pet? A Blood Wolf pup?!
Bai Shasha’s expression finally changed. She seemed tempted.
"Holy shit!" Li Heng blurted out, unable to stop himself.
Seeing Li Heng’s reaction, Huang Zhengyang felt confident that his proposal to team up would be accepted. Bai Shasha just lowered her head, saying nothing.
But Li Heng was thinking, ’Fucking Blood Wolves can drop pets? And a pup, no less? Looks like... I’ll have to grind more Blood Wolves in the future!’
And so, to Huang Zhengyang’s astonishment, Li Heng politely declined his invitation to team up.
Adhering to the principle of minimizing the risk of exposing his Golden Finger, Li Heng figured the fewer teammates he had, the better.
Meanwhile, watching Li Heng and Bai Shasha talking with Huang Zhengyang, the supervising teacher Yang Limeng remarked to Wang Guodong beside him, "This year’s cohort is the most outstanding one we’ve had in a decade."
Wang Guodong’s attention hadn’t strayed from Li Heng. Hearing his colleague’s comment, his eyes glinted. "Two Soul Disciples! Three more on the verge of breaking through! And none of them show any signs of having used pills... plus... a Blood Wolf pup! The younger generation is truly something to be reckoned with!"