Not only the middle-aged man before her, but also the four or five government staff members around them were stunned. They truly hadn’t expected this young student to possess such a high level of ideological awareness. Thinking back to the previously selected candidates, each one had required extensive persuasion before finally agreeing.
After all, this wasn’t ordinary study abroad—it meant leaving Blue Star for a completely unfamiliar place. Not only would the culture and customs be different, but even the species might vary. No one knew what might happen, and Blue Star could offer no assistance. As government personnel, they were well aware that in the eyes of various civilizations across the star domain, Blue Star was nothing more than a minor player. Any random visitor could bring about their utter destruction.
Their current ability to join the alliance was merely under the pretext of “divine beings.”
It was clear that once they truly reached an alien world, even if it was an academy, their journey would be fraught with difficulties.
Thus, in recent days, those who had drawn the lottery had initially been unwilling to study abroad. Each required exhaustive persuasion, with pros and cons laid out clearly, before they showed even the slightest hint of hesitation. Only Su Xi had agreed immediately.
“Excellent! Truly excellent!” The oldest among them stood up, quickly took two steps forward, and excitedly grasped Su Xi’s hand, shaking it firmly several times. “Good comrade! What a fine comrade! The future of Blue Star rests on young people like you. On behalf of Blue Star, I thank you!”
“Hehe, it’s only what I should do,” Su Xi replied, her face slightly flushed. After all, she couldn’t very well say that she actually wanted to go out there to find someone.
The others exchanged glances, their admiration for her growing even more.
“Since that’s the case, it’s time to tell you certain things,” the middle-aged man continued. “You may not be aware, but being selected for this study abroad opportunity wasn’t a matter of luck—it was an inevitable outcome.”
“What do you mean?” Su Xi was taken aback.
“This nationwide lottery wasn’t actually a selection process but rather a test,” the man explained seriously. “Student Su Xi, you should be aware that the divine being of Blue Star has awakened, correct?”
“I know,” she replied. She knew all too well.
“Although Blue Star managed to avoid this crisis of annihilation thanks to the divine being, we know nothing about our own deity,” the middle-aged man frowned. “In fact, throughout thousands of years of human civilization, we were unaware of the existence of such a divine being. Meanwhile, other civilizations within the Star Alliance have long established deep connections with their deities. If Blue Star wishes to continue developing, we must keep pace with these other civilizations.”
“…” What did that have to do with studying abroad?
“Based on the information we’ve gathered so far, the success of a civilization is closely tied to the deity it worships. We must understand our own divine being,” the middle-aged man said with a grave expression. “Even if we can’t catch up to other civilizations, we must at least be able to communicate with our deity.”
“Uh…” Could she say she was already communicating?
“All research related to deities is conducted within the major Academies of Divinity across the Star Alliance. Therefore, we must send people to these academies to learn how to communicate with deities and better protect our planet.”
“But what does this have to do with the lottery?” Su Xi still didn’t fully understand. If this matter was so important, shouldn’t they send the most exceptional talents? She was just an ordinary university student, and from a second-tier institution at that—hardly what one would call top-tier talent.
“Because what the Academy of Divinity requires is not academic performance, but Divine Affinity,” he stated directly.
“Huh?”
“So-called Divine Affinity refers to the affinity between a deity and their followers,” the middle-aged man explained seriously. “The more favored one is by the deity, the higher their Divine Affinity. Such individuals are exceedingly rare—one in ten thousand—and they are known as the God-Blessed. Only those blessed by the deity can join the Academy of Divinity.”
Su Xi was taken aback for a moment before suddenly realizing, “So… that device in the community wasn’t for a lottery draw but for testing the God-Blessed.”
“Yes,” the middle-aged man nodded. “That’s also why I said it was inevitable for you to be selected. Although the Star Alliance has given fifteen spots, so far, only six individuals favored by the deity have been found across the entire Blue Planet. You are one of them.”
“…” So that’s how it was. No wonder she was chosen. God-blessed indeed—she herself was the deity, of course she would be favored.
“The God-Blessed are extremely rare. Only the six of you can successfully enroll, so it has to be you,” he stood up and declared, word by word, “Student Su Xi, it’s no exaggeration to say that the six of you are the future of Blue Planet. The planet’s development depends entirely on you.”
“…”
“Of course, you don’t need to feel too much pressure. After all, Blue Planet is a God-Blessed Land. As long as our deity remains, Blue Planet will be safe,” he shifted the topic. “Once you successfully enroll, the United Government will also provide you with all possible support.”
“…”
“This matter concerns Blue Planet. We are very glad you agreed to this study abroad opportunity. To prevent any mishaps, we will arrange special accommodations for you in the coming days. In five days, the Alliance’s spacecraft will arrive on Blue Planet to escort you to the Eternal Star for enrollment.”
After discussing a few more matters, they had someone escort her to the specially arranged resting area. Su Xi was also curious about who the other five individuals were, as they would be her only companions for the next few years.
She had assumed the United Government would arrange a meeting for them soon, but unexpectedly, she waited five full days. It wasn’t until the day of their official departure from Blue Planet that a staff member pointed to a group of people nearby and introduced, “Those are the individuals who will be studying abroad with you.”
Su Xi turned to look and saw five people gathered ahead—three men and two women. While the three men were unfamiliar, the two women looked somewhat familiar, especially the one on the right who was lowering her head and playing with her fingers, seemingly trying hard to blend into the background. She looked so familiar… as if she had been seen for four years.
“Niuniu!” she exclaimed instinctively. Wasn’t this her best friend and roommate from four years of university?
The person who had been fidgeting with her head suddenly turned around. The panic on her face instantly turned to overwhelming joy as she dropped her luggage and rushed over excitedly. “Mibao, it’s you!”
“You too…”
“You as well?!” The two instantly understood.
“So our entire dorm got swept up, all of us were selected,” Su Xi never expected to see her here.
Niuniu was her nickname. Her roommate’s real name was Lin Rou, usually a shy and introverted girl with a touch of social anxiety, blushing after just a few words with others. Yet she topped the academic charts year after year, dominating all the school’s honor lists, a favorite among teachers and professors. Anyone who saw her would say, “She’s amazing.”
After graduation, the two went their separate ways. She thought it would be hard to meet again, but unexpectedly, they ran into each other here and were about to become classmates once more.
“It’s so good to see you,” Niuniu exclaimed excitedly, bouncing a little and clinging tightly to her arm, clearly uncomfortable with the earlier social setting.