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Chapter 29 - The Champion Emerges
It wasn't long before Su Mu and the others heard a soft buzzing sound. Abruptly, a light screen materialized out of thin air, enveloping the space above the sports field.
This light screen was visible not just to the examinees within the stadium but also to the anxious parents, teachers, and journalists outside. All they had to do was look up to see it.
"It's starting!"
Inside, the examinees grew more tense, fixating on the light screen without blinking.
Outside, the hearts of parents and teachers were similarly gripped by anticipation, holding their breath and waiting for the scores to appear.
Only the journalists were bustling with excitement, directing each other:
"Quick, they're about to announce the scores, aim the cameras at the light screen, make sure the shot is clear."
"After the results are released, don't forget to capture the reactions of the people around."
The annual examination for cultivation was always a major event, drawing widespread attention. Any news related to it dominated the headlines for days, and journalists certainly wouldn't miss out.
Even people in nearby shops, regardless of whether they had relatives or friends participating in the examination, came out to stand on the streets, looking up at the light screen in the sky, eager to witness this significant moment.
Those who were far away stayed glued to their TVs or online streams, following the live broadcast of the event.
Amidst the anticipation of the masses, golden names began to appear within the light screen above the sports field.
The first name to emerge was Su Mu.
His spiritual qi value was an astonishing 1042.5, a full 46 points ahead of the second place—a score unmatched by any other examinee in Yongfang City this year!
And this number had shocked everyone who was following the results of the examination.
"Wow, 1042.5! Such a high spiritual qi value must rank in the top ten in the history of our city's examinations, right? Where did this Su Mu, this academic deity, spring from?"
"He's nearly 50 points ahead of the second place, truly awesome!"
"Last year, the highest spiritual qi value in our city was just over 980 points, right? This year, that score might not even make it into the top three."
People outside were buzzing with conversation, and journalists began to inquire about Su Mu's background and identity. Inside, the examinees were enviously looking at the new city's top scholar, whose brilliance was undeniable.
The students from No.7 High School all turned their heads in unison to look at where Su Mu stood.
Many of them had purchased the special effect qi refining pills from Su Mu. Even those who hadn't bought them knew him because of it, and now they were all inwardly exclaiming, "Could this monstrous talent with a spiritual qi value of 1042.5 be him?"
Outside, a group of teachers from No.7 High School were also discussing the matter.
"Mr. Liu, isn't this Su Mu in your class?"
"This... I'm not sure myself."
Meanwhile, Su Ye, who was watching the live broadcast on TV at home, had already started cheering excitedly: "That's my brother, it has to be my brother, hooray, my brother is truly amazing!"
At the same time, a notification sounded in Su Mu's ear: "Congratulations on passing the spiritual qi value assessment. Please arrive at Qingcheng Mountain Cultivation University before nine o'clock in the morning the day after tomorrow to participate in the specialized subject examination. Any tardiness or absence will be considered a forfeiture..."
Surveying his surroundings, Su Mu realized that only he could hear the voice—it was clearly a spell for secret communication.
It seemed to have been recorded in advance and carried an official tone.
After the voice conveyed a few instructions, it ceased.
But then, another voice reached Su Mu's ear: "Student Su, your spiritual qi value is quite impressive. Are you interested in joining our Heming Mountain Cultivation University?"
"Our university boasts beautiful scenery, a long history, and has produced many renowned cultivators. In recent years, we've grown rapidly and boast a strong faculty, especially in the Spiritual Plants major. The head of the department is none other than a living saint, a direct disciple of Elder Yuan, the revered Shennong figure in the cultivation world!"
"Under his leadership, our Spiritual Plants Department excels in teaching, research, and other areas, maintaining a world-class standard! Plus, we have a considerable number of female cultivators at our school..."
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Su Mu paused for a moment before realizing that this was likely one of the invigilators secretly transmitting the message to him.
No wonder he had arrived at the examination hall by flying on a flower petal, not by sword controlling or other methods. It turned out to be a cultivator from the Spiritual Plants Department.
Su Mu couldn't help feeling a bit smug. An invitation transmitted directly from a cultivator was something to boast about.
Regardless of whether he would ultimately choose to go to Heming Mountain or not, he respectfully and quietly replied, "Thank you for the honor, elder. I will seriously consider your suggestion."
The invigilator did not press him for an immediate response but hummed in acknowledgment and fell silent.
Meanwhile, name after name, along with their scores, continued to appear on the light screen in the sky.
The other examinees lacked Su Mu's composure, erupting into cheers and shouts. Even those who were confident before the examination were no exception.
Before the examination for cultivation, they had all faced tremendous pressure. Now that they had passed the spiritual qi value passing threshold, they naturally wanted to vent their emotions.
And those who hadn't seen their names flashed envious glances at the successful ones while anxiously watching the light screen.
After about forty names had appeared, the list stopped.
The last examinee on the list had a spiritual qi value of 940.2.
There was a moment of silence in the stadium, followed by a volcanic eruption of astonishment and uproar.
"Why did it stop?"
"Is that it? What's the spiritual qi value passing threshold for this year?"
"Could it be 940? No way, that's 40 points higher than last year!"
Questions, doubts, and discussions were rampant and unending.
The spiritual qi value passing threshold for the year was announced at that moment.
It was indeed 940!
Cries of despair filled the air.
Especially for those examinees with spiritual qi values around 930 who thought they had passed with certainty, only to find that while their scores were high, the passing threshold was even higher!
Who could they even appeal to for this?
Out of the more than twenty thousand examinees in Yongfang City, only a little over forty met the standard... The passing rate was merely 0.2 percent. And in the upcoming specialized subject examination, another group would be eliminated. The final number of students who would actually be admitted to a cultivation university was one in ten thousand.
Such is the examination for cultivation, its cruelty beyond imagination!
Regardless of their emotions, the examinees had to leave the stadium in an orderly fashion, prompted by the announcements over the loudspeakers.
Most of the examinees left with their heads hung low, especially those who missed the passing mark by just a few points. They were in tears, and some were so dejected they didn't even have the strength to walk out on their own and had to be supported by their classmates.
As soon as Su Mu stepped out of the stadium, someone called out to him: "Su Mu! Over here!"
A group of his classmates from No.7 High School approached him with beaming smiles, as if they had just won the lottery, accompanied by their parents.
Upon reaching Su Mu, they immediately began to express their gratitude with tears of joy: "Su Mu, thank you for giving us the special effect qi refining pills. Without them, we definitely wouldn't have made it past the threshold."
"Yes, absolutely. It's unbelievable that this year's spiritual qi value passing threshold was raised by 40 points! If it weren't for the special effect qi refining pills, my spiritual qi would have barely reached 935, and I would have been done for!"
Their parents also eagerly grasped Su Mu's hands, showering him with words of thanks.
Su Mu wanted to suggest that instead of just verbal thanks, perhaps they could show their gratitude in a more tangible way, perhaps with money...
Before he could voice this thought, his class teacher hurried over and grabbed him, asking excitedly, "Su Mu, is that you with a spiritual qi value of 1042.5?"