GAMMT - Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Rankings
At East Guan Academy, with S-class students and people like Zhao Ranxue holding things down, resources were allocated based on authority. But at Sage Medical Hall, Fu Chuan and her two senior sisters had exclusive access.
Her two seniors had already passed the stage of peak resource absorption efficiency and had established their own routines, so there was no need for them to come over. Of course, they might also have been yielding the resources to Fu Chuan, allowing her to save time and maximize her growth during this golden period.
"It's good to be young."
During a break, the Vice Dean came to the study to bring Fu Chuan some snacks Big Bear had bought, and also to retrieve some branded clothes that had been delivered to the medical hall. Fu Chuan had ordered them all.
"Why is a large portion of this for me and Big Bear?"
Fu Chuan was currently wrestling with the second layer of Arcane Truth comprehension, pressing a pen to her temple. "If I said I just picked randomly, but didn't want to be too perfunctory in case they turned out ugly, so I made sure you'd look ugly with me… would you think I'm despicable, Senior Sister?" she asked helplessly.
The Vice Dean had reached a certain age. She looked at the young woman before her, her clear and beautiful face framed by dark hair held back by a simple elastic band. A stray lock of hair kept falling and brushing against her lips, which she would occasionally tuck away, and occasionally ignore. She also noted the loose white shirt Fu Chuan had been wearing daily during her recent confinement in the study, with two buttons undone, revealing a hint of her collarbone and a sliver of the white tank top underneath. Her skin was so delicate it seemed a single touch would leave a fragile red mark. Then she looked at her rolled-up sleeves, revealing her wrists and the five slender fingers gripping the pen.
The red-barreled fountain pen, in her grasp, somehow took on a seductive, playful quality.
Despicable?
It seemed this little junior sister of hers was the type of little treasure that made one want to be despicably criminal.
Thinking of the recent surge in "sick" people visiting the medical hall, the Vice Dean pondered for a moment before saying, "I think what you're wearing now is quite nice."
Fu Chuan lowered her hand and continued practicing arcane combinations with her pen. "Right? Everyone's so busy, who has the time to dress up? It's better to be comfortable at home," she said casually.
The Vice Dean replied, "No, I mean, younger people might not feel so… comfortable seeing you like this."
Not… comfortable?
If Fu Chuan weren't essentially an old auntie nearing thirty, she truly wouldn't have understood. But here, she was only eighteen, so she could only pretend not to get it.
After consulting the Vice Dean on some difficult arcane problems and seeing her off, she silently buttoned up the two buttons she had undone in a moment of frustration.
Both the Infinite Control Flow and the Light Potential Controller class required a great deal of accumulation and breakthroughs to master. Fu Chuan knew she needed time.
For now, she had already obtained the most difficult item, the Species Conversion Equation. The rest could be prepared slowly. After all, she had a million points, half of which she intended to give to Fu Ye, but the latter had refused.
She could also use the pet egg Fu Ye had given her later on.
Just as Fu Chuan was about to continue her comprehension, she noticed her communicator had automatically pushed a private news alert.
Zhou Linlang, the Economic Department official who had been missing for a long time, had been found.
She paused, picked up her communicator, and read the news for a moment. After some thought, she disabled the push notification she had previously set up and returned to her studies.
At the same time, Xie Keli's communicator received a message.
[I might be under a review period recently. Let's reschedule the meal I owe you. By the way, have you been in contact with Fu Chuan lately?]
Honestly, it was a bit sudden.
Fu Chuan didn't let her focus waver, but Xie Keli put down his pen, resting his cheek on his palm as he sank into deep thought.
This simple sentence actually contained a lot of information.
1. A review period wasn't strange. Someone who disappeared for a while after a secret, important mission and then suddenly returned would definitely have their identity verified to prevent an enemy from impersonating Zhou Linlang to infiltrate the Economic Department.
2. Since her identity was being verified, all her external communications would be thoroughly investigated, including this message.
3. Since the message would be investigated, why contact her specifically? If it was to report her safety, why deliberately mention the meal and Fu Chuan? First, the meal was a private invitation between her and Zhou Linlang, which theoretically only they knew about. This seemed to confirm the sender's identity. Furthermore, besides Liu Wuxiang, who had stumbled upon the scene that night by sheer coincidence, only Zhou Linlang and Xie Siyi knew Fu Chuan's secret. These two points seemed to prove this was the real Zhou Linlang, but the motive was a bit strange.
No matter which world she was in, Fu Chuan was always sensitive to others' character. Although she rejected this world and was consciously controlling her involvement in its affairs, deep down, she considered Zhou Linlang a friend to some extent. If someone like her existed in the real world, she would have willingly befriended them.
So, what was Zhou Linlang's character like? Other things aside, Fu Chuan felt that she wouldn't put her at risk just to prove her own identity.
4. So, was this Zhou Linlang a fake? Fu Chuan thought about the places they had met for meals before. The person seemed to have a preference for private kitchens, mostly intimate places that required advance reservations. This was likely due to her profession, which valued discretion. So, was it possible that this person had also made a reservation for this meal in advance? If so, there would be a trail. The TK Group had agents everywhere; could they have already learned about their planned meal? As for Fu Chuan, given Zhou Linlang's situation and the recent movements within the Economic Department, it was safe to assume there was a high-ranking mole with significant authority inside. It wouldn't be difficult for them to find out about this. It would be even easier to discover that Zhou Linlang had pulled Fu Chuan's file while handling the Li Family case on Planet X5. This could be uncovered through the Li Family or members of Zhou Linlang's team at the time. The leader of TK was said to be an extremely cunning figure. It wouldn't be surprising for them to deduce a connection between her, Fu Chuan, and Zhou Linlang, though they likely wouldn't guess that the two were the same person. This was something the Economic Department had probably discovered, especially Zhou Linlang's teacher, the Minister. That's why the message asked, "have you been in contact with Fu Chuan lately?" The real Zhou Linlang knew they were a dual body from a devouring scroll, their minds linked as one; they didn't need separate contact.
But this person needed to convey this information to the Minister of the Economic Department, to make him believe this was his disciple.
5. Based on the above, this Zhou Linlang was a fake.
Fu Chuan couldn't help but pull out a cigarette. She walked to the window and smoked quietly, watching the smoke cloud the glass with a faint, hazy gray. She frowned and tapped the window. A small gap opened automatically, letting in the cold night air, which dispersed some of the smoke.
The window began to clear again.
Fu Chuan suddenly stubbed out the cigarette, because a thought flashed through her mind. If this Zhou Linlang was a fake, she shouldn't have asked about Fu Chuan. Asking meant she would have to reply. The more information they exchanged, the more likely it was that something only she and the real Zhou Linlang had discussed in person would come up—something TK couldn't possibly know. This would expose the deception to the Economic Department during their chat. Since the people from TK were bold enough to go this far, would they be so careless as to create trouble for themselves? If they wanted to use Fu Chuan as a secret loophole, they should have phrased it differently. For example, a warning, followed by an explicit request not to reply, perhaps citing fear of causing her trouble. This would provide a reasonable excuse to cut off contact and reduce the risk of exposure.
But if this Zhou Linlang was real…
That seemed even stranger.
"Overly elaborate, and shooting herself in the foot."
"That doesn't sound like her either."
Fu Chuan fell into deep thought, but she quickly turned around, having heard a slight disturbance downstairs.
It wasn't a sound, but rather that the person downstairs had specifically set up an isolation barrier.
It had been set up suddenly.
Fu Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking it was probably just Fu Ye needing some privacy from her, an "outside male."
But two hours later, Fu Chuan put down her pen and left her room.
On the first floor, to accommodate the pregnant woman's convenience—though they were Arcanists, not ordinary people who would fuss over such minor inconveniences—Fu Ye had been given a room on the ground floor.
The single room was fully equipped with a small kitchen and all necessary private facilities.
Fu Chuan went downstairs and knocked, but there was no response from within.
She frowned and immediately dispelled the barrier.
Dispelling it was an intrusion, but it was a test. If the person inside was fine, they would surely react. As long as she didn't enter, she wouldn't be violating their privacy.
But if there was still no response…
Half a minute passed.
No response from inside.
Fu Chuan decisively used a sliver of light to slip through and undo the lock. With a click, the door opened.
Pushing the door open, Fu Chuan saw a dark living room. The noise was coming from the bedroom.
Fu Chuan went straight in. At a glance, she saw Fu Ye on the bed, seemingly trapped in a nightmare… drenched in a cold sweat, in unbearable agony.
Fu Chuan stood there observing for a few seconds and realized the woman wasn't just having a simple nightmare. It was as if she had lost her reason and couldn't escape, yet she was biting her lower lip to suppress any sound. The crimson lips that made men stare during the day were now bleeding, staining the pillow.
To endure like this even after losing her senses could only mean it was a long-standing habit.
Such a fine young woman, why was she like this? You couldn't tell at all from her usual demeanor.
Fu Chuan wasn't a proper physician, after all, and she couldn't quite understand Fu Ye's current condition, so she didn't dare to act rashly. She was pregnant, and any action could have serious consequences.
She had no choice but to use Fu Chuan's communicator to contact Liu Wuxiang and ask about these symptoms.
"Seeing patients this late?" Liu Wuxiang's reply came quickly.
Fu Chuan said, "Not at the medical hall. I was at home studying some arcane truths related to medical conditions and came across this case. It's a bit strange, and I was wondering if it's a soul-related illness."
Liu Wuxiang replied, "Based on your description, this man is powerful and has a good background, yet he suffers from these long-term nightmares. He's aware of his condition but endures it. It's highly likely not because he can't afford treatment, but because treatment is useless, or it's a rather obscure illness. With that filtered down, you should have your own suspicions."
Why was this man quizzing her in the middle of the night?
Fu Chuan sighed. "Teacher, you know I'm a latecomer to this field and not very good at it. I was thinking it might be a Dream Obstruction, but while that's a hidden soul-illness, this person should be able to resolve it. If he can't, it means it's not a Dream Obstruction. But I've heard of something called a Deep Dream Obstruction. Is it that?"
Some smacking sounds could be heard from Liu Wuxiang's end, but he answered quickly. "Check if his Mental Power or elements are fluctuating."
Fu Chuan observed for a moment. "No."
"If not, then it's not that. Since the body's functions aren't in a state of active defense, it's almost certainly a psychological state of suffering. Because his own Mental Power is too strong, it has transformed an irresolvable psychological issue into a long-term state of pain, and he'll be repeatedly dragged back into it. This is no small illness, and it's hard to cure. Over time, he'll either go insane or his own Mental Power will collapse, and he'll never wake up."
"Is there any way to solve it?"
"Press your five fingers together."
Fu Chuan thought this great master of the medical world was about to impart some secret technique and immediately said with reverence, "Okay, and then?"
"Give him a punch to the head."
Fu Chuan: "???"
Wait, did she mishear?
Liu Wuxiang: "What, you don't believe me? The psychological level is a matter of the soul and disposition. Sometimes, you have to rely on physical methods to solve it. As long as you knock him out directly, his thoughts will cease, and the problem will be solved. Do it now, or there will be trouble."
Teacher, please tell me you're not a quack or a veterinarian first…
Fu Chuan said, "Teacher is naturally correct. Unfortunately, I only saw this in a case file and haven't actually encountered such a person, so I can't try it."
Liu Wuxiang: "Such a quick response. Little girl, you seem to get more energetic the later it gets. You're going to die from overwork."
Fu Chuan pretended not to hear the old senior's teasing. "Aren't you also working late, Teacher?"
"No, I was sleeping. You disturbed me."
"I heard noises."
"Fine, I was sculpting with clay. Your Senior Sister Big Bear's birthday is in a few days. I'll make one for you too, while I'm at it. Tell me, what do you want me to sculpt for you?"
Fu Chuan was a little surprised. She had seen the exquisite art in his residence and guessed he was skilled with his hands, perhaps as a hobby, but she hadn't expected him to personally make birthday gifts for his disciples.
She rarely saw Arcanists in the arcane world with such leisurely and peaceful hobbies.
"That's not necessary, I don't really want anything. How about you write me a prescription, Teacher? So I can handle it if I encounter someone with this illness in the future."
Liu Wuxiang wrote one and sent it over. It was handwritten on paper, and the calligraphy was beautiful.
Fu Chuan: "Thank you, Teacher. Sleep well."
On his end, Liu Wuxiang looked at the disconnected communication and muttered, "Casting me aside after using me. My little disciple is quite the rascal."
Meanwhile, Fu Chuan had hung up, and Xie Keli was now contemplating where on Fu Ye's head would be the best place to land a punch.
In the end, she controlled her strength and delivered a karate chop to the back of her neck.
After Fu Ye was physically knocked unconscious, Fu Chuan wiped her face with a towel but didn't touch anything else. Then she went to the alchemy room and used the medicinal herbs on hand to brew a pot of sleeping potion that wouldn't affect the baby.
Well… it exploded ten times.
"This dark period after my luck value was drained by the equation is really something else."
These herbs weren't cheap, but luckily she had made a fortune recently. Fu Chuan decided to just make several batches of the potion. Although it burned through herbs, she considered it burning resources to compensate for her lack of luck.
After burning through the resources, Fu Chuan took a vial of the potion and administered it to Fu Ye.
Eight hours later, Fu Ye woke up. She turned her head and saw the midday sun filtering through the gap in the curtains. How strange. It was the first time in so many years that she had slept so well.
She sat up and quietly looked around the bedroom, her gaze lingering on the door. Her fingers twisted together, her eyes sharp and cold, but her expression was numb.
Then, she belatedly noticed a note on the bedside table.
[It was me. I apologize for the intrusion. I saw you were trapped in a nightmare and had to resort to a special physical therapy technique to break you out of it. I brewed a few vials of sleeping potion for you, it won't harm the baby. Next time you feel it coming on, take a vial of this, and you'll sleep through it.]
[I need to be in the school's training rooms and other places frequently, so I might not see you around. If you need anything, have the mechanical butler do it.]
Fu Ye's expression didn't improve. Instead, she fell into a state of suspicion and unease, because she knew very well how clever the intruder was. It was highly likely they had figured something out.
But she was conflicted, because she knew the other person meant no harm. At the very least, she had truly had a rare, good night's sleep.
"So this is how comfortable it feels to sleep soundly…" Fu Ye murmured to herself, but she still got out of bed woodenly. After washing up, she saw the potions on the table outside. She didn't touch them, but she saw the robot in the kitchen cooking something.
Fu Ye went over, opened the robot's system, and checked all the commands inside. She found they had all been set while she was asleep. The 108 instructions were basically all tailored to the needs of a pregnant woman.
It was so professional, comparable to a top-tier maternity nurse and midwife combined.
"Master, are there any other commands you need to add?"
"No."
She stepped back a little and began to eat lunch.
She didn't lack care or protection from others, nor would such care and protection change her mindset in any way.
But this was a little different.
It was different.
Xie Keli was different from others.
For Fu Chuan, this was just an interlude. Given her suspicions about Zhou Linlang, the best approach was to minimize contact and let the Economic Department conduct its own investigation. Fu Ye's situation provided the perfect excuse to be busy with training.
But she estimated that this Zhou Linlang, whether real or fake, would eventually be cleared of suspicion. It was her intuition.
It remained to be seen if the person would appear before her.
Later, Fu Ye discovered that Xie Keli was truly busy, so busy that he was never around. In over two months, they only ran into each other three or four times. But every time they did, they made sure to go out to the courtyard to water the flowers and chat together, putting on a show for the people in the girls' dormitory opposite them.
Over time, the people at East Guan came to a stable understanding of their relationship.
It was harmonious, but not clingy. They interacted naturally, almost like an old married couple.
It was actually normal. A betrothed couple in an arranged marriage like theirs was unlikely to suddenly become inseparable, especially since neither Fu Ye nor Xie Keli seemed like the type to be swept up in romance.
They were just living their lives peacefully.
In the third month after the start of the school year, the assessment period for the four great academies arrived.
This time, many students from the four academies were rubbing their hands together, waiting to strive and rise. However, each academy had its own focus of attention, for both students and teachers.
Someone had compiled a list, which basically went as follows.
West Jin Academy: Flosius (Twin Body Race), Xie Fuyun, Yun Zhuzhu, Li Chen, Que Baicen, Shen Qixi, Yun Baobao, Zhang Doudou.
North Gai Academy: Modorola, Jing Juaner, Nangong Hupo, Langsis, Tom (Eaves Shadow Cat Race).
South Chen Academy: Wuxu, Jack (Flying Light Rat Race), Haimes, Chen Dao, Jiang Yousi.
East Guan: Zhao Ranxue, Carol Diel, Xiao Modi, Wei Mingtang, Xie Keli.
The top three on each list were generally figures who had dominated the academy trial point rankings for years. Those who followed were either contenders who were just behind the top three and had shown astonishing momentum in recent years, or newly emerged talents with great potential.
In any case, these individuals garnered the most attention. Among them, there were surprisingly four first-year students this year.
The reason was simple. First, Shen Qixi's personal popularity came entirely from her self-awakening and being the legitimate, sole direct-line daughter found by the Li Family. It was said that Li Jie valued her greatly and was pouring resources into her. The Li Family didn't reject her either and had high hopes for her. According to the resource absorption curve, this period was definitely her explosive growth phase. The Li Family's ancestral temple inheritance and the 15 years of accumulated authority in the gene pool alone were enough for her to digest, not to mention all the other resources.
Then there were Yun Baobao and the others. After learning about Xie Keli and Wei Mingtang's big move over two months ago, their motivation flared up. The two stopped gossiping and slacking off, and trained diligently. A month later, they joined forces to defeat two A-class mainstays, making a name for themselves in one fell swoop.
By the way, they had overcome the weakness that had allowed Xie Keli to instantly defeat them, and now they seemed even more formidable.
As for the others, there was nothing much. Oh, and there was Jiang Yousi, who was older than the high school admission standard but had entered Class E through the social entry route.
He was said to be a ruthless person, but not as dominant as Xie Keli and the others.
Normally, there were no dark horses who could soar to the top immediately after entering an academy, because to obtain resources from the academy system, one had to make a name for oneself in the Trial Tower.
These individuals had all earned impressive points in the Trial Tower during their first one or two months as new students, thus becoming famous.
The last few days of March were the busiest time for the school, as all the students who had been out clearing dungeons returned to rush the five Trial Towers.
Among them, the Arcane, Combat, and Control towers were the most popular. World Studies was last, but thanks to a certain someone, the world now knew that the Alchemy Tower was the true comeback tower—the only way to cross vast strength tiers and obtain a massive number of points.
For a time, alchemy became incredibly popular. The alchemy teachers were caught off guard. Damn it, a bunch of cauldron-exploders had shown up. They had to spend more resources on alchemy defenses. Did they really think alchemy didn't require talent?
In fact, alchemy required more talent than any other discipline; it was a synthesis of all disciplines!
Many people were afraid that Xie Keli would once again use alchemy to rack up over a hundred thousand points. Many students at East Guan repeatedly checked the Trial Tower scores and found that while his points had increased, the increase was slow.
This fit with many people's guess: Xie Keli had used a Lesser Heavenly Book before.
In a small path in West Jin Academy's West Sea Garden, amidst rockeries and colorful flowers, exuding an air of nobility, walked Xie Yiyuan. Beside him was a young man who was slightly taller and older. His appearance was unremarkable, looking like an ordinary youth. His clothes were also casual, unlike the opulent and well-bred air of disciples like Xie Yiyuan. In fact, if not for the clan emblem on his sleeve, no one would know he was a disciple of the Xie Clan.
"Cousin, are you confident you can deal with Flosius this time?"
Xie Fuyun's gaze was on the flowers and plants, a look of appreciation in his eyes. His mentality seemed peaceful, and he paid no mind to the competitive spirit in his cousin's words. "It's not about dealing with him or not. We're all in the same school. How many points you get depends on your own ability. Don't listen to the elders in the family and their gossip, learning to scheme against others. I've never seen anyone improve themselves by suppressing others."
Xie Yiyuan actually didn't like Xie Fuyun before, simply because this person's character didn't quite match the Xie Clan's hereditary acting skills and cunning.
An idle cloud, a wild crane; lazy and composed.
But his talent was exceptionally high, and he was steady and solid, a force to be reckoned with in both the family and West Jin Academy.
Xie Yiyuan knew that after entering the academy, although his family's resource authority had increased, he had entered a larger platform. The academy was full of powerful individuals, and as a new student, he naturally had to form alliances.
Xie Fuyun was an excellent choice.
"Cousin is right. But seeing Xie Keli, a mere branch disciple, latch onto Xie Siyi, and that woman, she's… I wonder if the master you acknowledged in the capital can suppress Xie Siyi."
Xie Fuyun suddenly turned to look at Xie Yiyuan.
The latter found his gaze a bit strange. "Cousin?"
Xie Fuyun smiled and turned his face away. He hooked a flower with his finger but didn't break it off, merely sniffing its fragrance. He said gently, "Some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface."
He said it, but not explicitly, leaving him hanging. It was out of the blue. Although Xie Yiyuan was also a cunning type, he really couldn't figure it out. Only one possibility flashed through his mind.
"You mean Xie Keli and Xie Siyi are having an affair? A—?"
Xie Yiyuan didn't know what he was thinking. After suffering many setbacks recently, his usually winding thoughts had suddenly become straight.
But it was too straight, and it stunned the other person.
Xie Fuyun: "?"
His expression was simply indescribable. His eyelid twitched, and it seemed he refrained from rolling his eyes out of good breeding. But he turned his face away, pursed his lips, and walked off on his own.
Xie Yiyuan really disliked this cousin, but he had no choice. He had lost influence in the high school entrance re-selection, and the family's internal situation had been stirred up by Xie Siyi. Currently, the power was divided into three factions. Xie Siyi was originally in a weak position; after all, her entire branch had died out. What did it matter if she brought in a Xie Keli? Although the latter was crafty, he was ultimately weak and alone—the two of them, a makeshift aunt and nephew, were all alone. But she was cunning, stirring up trouble from the middle, turning herself into a third-party bargaining chip, forcing the other two factions to stabilize the situation in order to compete for her support.
As a result, the family's internal affairs couldn't spare the effort to manage the younger generation's struggles.
Big matters, small matters, the family was well aware.
His and Xie Keli's issues were all small matters. After all, they weren't like Xie Moyao, a direct-line eldest son with both strength and status.
He vaguely felt that Xie Fuyun's expression just now had been very complicated, as if he had guessed half right.
Not long after Xie Yiyuan and the other left, a black shadow shot out from the ground, holding a box and scratching its head. It quickly ran to a residence, handed the box to Shen Qixi, and recounted the secret it had just overheard.
Shen Qixi opened the box, looked at the medicine inside, and took inventory. Hearing the incredible gossip, she was a little surprised and asked, "You can move through the earth now, and even Xie Fuyun can't detect you?"
Tu Tu scratched his head. "Didn't you ask me to go back to the Battle Earth Rat tribe a while ago? Although I didn't find my birth parents, they welcomed me there. They let me soak in the gene pool for a long time, and then I awakened three genetic talents. One of them is this, 'One with the Earth.'"
Shen Qixi looked at Tu Tu and couldn't help but marvel at how uniquely gifted these special races were.
"Perhaps your parents' bloodline is not low."
But Tu Tu shook his head. "I still remember a little. When I was very young, my parents abandoned me. They had too many children, and my constitution was the weakest at the time, so naturally I was abandoned. They were very ordinary, and I was very ordinary. I wandered around from a young age, often running through the sewers. It was later… the little girl who adopted me fed me something, and then I transformed. But I don't know who she is."
Everyone has their own story.
Shen Qixi: "That girl must have been very beautiful and gentle."
That's why Tu Tu had a special preference for pretty young ladies when looking for teammates. She had known this for a while.
"Eh, she was very pretty. I still remember her ice-blue eyes. And I think she had one of these too."
Tu Tu pointed at the badge on Shen Qixi's chest. "I've forgotten what the badge looked like, but I vaguely feel like it had a lightning bolt on it. I was ignorant back then, but now I feel like what she gave me must have been something good. So her family background wasn't bad, right? So, unless she really hated me back then, she wouldn't have just abandoned me. After all, it's not like she couldn't afford to feed me. Maybe something happened to her."
He sounded a little dejected as he spoke.
He had spent many years resenting that girl, wondering why she didn't just say so if she didn't want him, why she had to abandon him.
But he couldn't bring himself to hate her.
He wasn't stupid. As he grew up and saw more of the world, he began to think of some bad possibilities.
And that made him feel even worse.
Shen Qixi patted his head, changed the subject, and asked about how to use the medicine. After all, the groundhog was now working for Sage Medical Hall.
"Aren't you taking the assessment today?"
"I have to, I just need these medicines."
Shen Qixi was no longer short of money. After all, her unlucky father gave it to her. Her mother's opinion was that even if she didn't want it, she couldn't get rid of it, so she might as well make full use of it. Only by becoming strong would she have the power to choose. If she wasn't strong enough, she would only be manipulated by the Li Family in the future.
So she took it all, but she didn't fully trust the medicine from the Li Family. She always bought extra medicine from Sage Medical Hall at a high price, which also conveniently allowed her to establish a connection with Miss Fu Chuan.
"I'm going to grind in the tower. If you're bored, you can come and watch. By the way, was Sister Fu Chuan at the medical hall when you came?"
"She was. She personally picked out the medicine for you."
The groundhog loved excitement and had come for this very reason, so he hopped along with Shen Qixi.
Just as Shen Qixi was about to enter the tower, she made a point to check the rankings posted by the East Guan students. She found that Xie Keli's points were fluctuating, but not by much, and they had just stopped, as if he had run out of steam. Unlike others who were going all out at the end of the month, frantically racking up points.
East Guan's number one, Zhao Ranxue, already had 190,000 points, and it was still increasing.
What Shen Qixi cared about was that the fluctuating points proved the person himself was there, but Fu Chuan was also at the medical hall.
Shen Qixi didn't quite understand, but she didn't dwell on it. She noted Xie Keli's current rank and then entered the Arcane Trial Tower.
The groundhog, meanwhile, bought an ice cream from a nearby shop. He ate his ice cream while scrolling through the news and watching the rankings change, sitting there quietly and obediently, yet attracting the attention of many female students from West Jin Academy.
My god, he's so cute!
They probably hadn't seen this guy wielding a sniper rifle.
Fu Chuan didn't know what a stir Tu Tu was causing at West Jin. She was indeed grinding for points. After she was done, she teleported to the Alchemy Department building and entered one of the reserved alchemy rooms. As soon as she was inside, she began to practice the alchemy project she had just been repeatedly grinding in the tower.
It wasn't that she didn't want to do it in the Trial Tower, but the point deductions there were too severe. The price of gaining experience was repeated point deductions, to the point where she had to earn points from the Arcane Tower, Control Tower, and others to cover the deficit. This was the route she had figured out. That's why her points had been progressing so slowly over the past two months; everything she gained was used to cover deductions. It was her own fault for wanting to tackle a major alchemy project, so she had to use this smuggling method. And it seemed that grinding alchemy problems could also generate luck value.
"That Qin Minfeng didn't need to grind, his was permanently available. But when it comes to me, it's like this. It's purely treating me like a knock-off host, isn't it?"
The thought of being permanently weaker than Qin Minfeng in this regard frustrated Fu Chuan. But fortunately, after frantically burning through money, she had figured out this route. Although the failure rate for small projects was extremely high, after repeated grinding, the return of luck value, combined with the experience and correct answers from the Alchemy Tower, allowed her to use small projects to guarantee the success of large ones.
But this time, she wasn't doing this project in the Alchemy Tower mainly because she really couldn't afford the deductions anymore.
"Although success would probably add a hundred thousand points, another deduction would put me at the bottom again. It's the end of the month, I have to make a push for the ranking rewards."
Fu Chuan suppressed her impulses and decided it was better to do the alchemy in an external room.
So… Fu Chuan began to operate patiently. At the console in the room, one could see her shaking a triangular flask, carefully using a fire element to ignite the cloud-fire furnace. Her hair was a messy bird's nest, looking like it hadn't been washed in days. She muttered to herself, calculating the metal reaction micro-world, with draft papers scattered all over the floor.
The item she was crafting was nothing new: a Lesser Heavenly Book.
It could be sold or used by herself.
Most importantly, it could be used long-term. She needed to get the ability to craft it first, and then she would never be short of this item again.
The main problem was that she didn't know the contents of the Lesser Heavenly Book formula, nor could she buy it, so it wasn't as easy as the equation.
If the raw materials were worth 100, it could be sold for 2000, which was pure profit. According to her method of using trashy small projects to secure a large one, the cost of the lost materials was another 100, meaning a net profit of 1800. A few rounds of this would be a huge profit, and then she could use a large amount of raw materials to make a large number of Lesser Heavenly Books… and finally use the Lesser Heavenly Books to ensure the completion of her other plans.
One steady step at a time.
Using profit to earn greater profit.
This was what she had been busy with for the past two months, besides comprehending Arcane Truths.
Now, it was time to reap the rewards.
Of course, how much money this batch of alchemy results would ultimately sell for depended on the reactor not exploding in the end.
Fu Chuan operated carefully and meticulously. Finally, the ice-blue core fire in the reactor and the crimson molten red copper mother substance began to react, and the powerful heat energy generated swept through all the raw materials.
Then… BOOM!!
The reactor exploded.
The moment it exploded, even with a triple defense + a turtle shell, Fu Chuan still dove under the table. Her face was pitch black, as if she had been digging coal. There were still sparks in her hair. She silently pinched out the sparks in her hair with her fingers and sighed softly.
It was a good thing Liu Wuxiang had run into Fu Chuan. If it had been Xie Keli… that aesthetically picky ghost would probably have annihilated Xie Keli in minutes.
After the explosion, she received a call on her communicator. It was from that old man, Leon.
"It exploded again? Have you been researching explosives lately?"
"No, Teacher, I was just experimenting."
"Experimenting my ass. I told you to be steady and not always go for advanced stuff, but you didn't listen. Now everyone outside is saying that your previous success was a fluke, and now your true colors are showing."
"They're not wrong."
Wasn't it all thanks to luck?
Fu Chuan even felt that these people had great insight, unintentionally stumbling upon the truth.
Leon was choked up by Fu Chuan's response. He rolled his eyes and said, "Anyway, it's the end of the month. Your rank is only 190th right now. This isn't good. Let me tell you, the rewards for the school's ranking are very good. It's only once every three months, an opportunity not to be missed. Don't be so reckless. At least climb into the top 100."
Fu Chuan wasn't ungrateful. She took his words to heart; otherwise, she wouldn't have come to the alchemy room.
It was a good thing she came. What a relief. Otherwise, with a hundred thousand point deduction, she would be in debt again.
After hanging up, Fu Chuan came out from under the table, activated the room's repair function, then picked up a draft paper and studied it for a long time. She modified a factor and then started again.
If it failed again this time, it would mean her previous method was completely wrong, and two months of effort would be down the drain. She couldn't just throw materials at it anymore; she would have to start from scratch.
Fifteen minutes later, the reactor once again reached its maximum heat energy effect…
Buzz… Explode?!
After the collision, a soft light emerged, emitting only a faint golden glow and mysterious arcane runes, which floated around a thin sheet of gold foil.
Fu Chuan's fingers, which had been digging into her palm, finally relaxed.
Success.
She had perfectly mastered the technique. In the future, as long as she could grind her luck value, she could steadily obtain a priceless resource like the Lesser Heavenly Book, an arcane bug, at a minimal material cost.
But now that she had the Lesser Heavenly Book, who would she sell it to?
Fu Chuan brushed the ash from her hair, went to the bathroom to take a shower, and while under the spray, she opened her communicator and dialed a number.
The other side didn't pick up quickly, but when they did, they asked, "You need something?"
It was Wei Mingtang.
This was the first time they had spoken since that assembly.
Fu Chuan had only one sentence: "One gold foil of a Lesser Heavenly Book, 5 million blue coins. Want it?"
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, probably in shock, but she quickly replied, "I believe the market price is 4 million blue coins."
Fu Chuan: "Then you go buy it. I'll buy it from you for 4.5 million, wholesale."
Although she didn't have the money, it didn't stop her from talking big, because she knew the other party couldn't buy it. Not only was this kind of resource priceless and market-less, but it was also the end of the month for the academy trial rankings. All the students were burning through resources, and prices were soaring.
"You seem certain I can afford it."
"Even if the Dean doesn't give you money, you can earn it. A trip to the fighting arenas in Beluke Province would be enough."
With Wei Mingtang's methods, very few could stand against her. Her win rate was extremely high. Actually, Fu Chuan also wanted to go to the fighting arenas, but she didn't have the time, unlike Wei Mingtang, whose arcane foundation was already solid.
"Alright, I'll buy it. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Just put in a good word for me with the Dean in the future." Fu Chuan didn't hesitate to perfect Xie Keli's persona.
Wei Mingtang's tone was calm. "Two days ago, she said that she and your aunt are mortal enemies, but she doesn't mind the latter joining East Guan Academy, because then she can mess with her attendance and deliberately dock her pay. Theoretically, we should also be mortal enemies."
Fu Chuan: "…"
Did she sell it to the wrong person? She had originally been thinking of winning over a powerful ally from the academic faction.
Xie Siyi had set up a powerful enemy for her from the very beginning, yet she had yet to fulfill any of her duties as a teacher.
She had suffered a huge loss.
"Why should our generation bear the burden of the older generation's affairs? What era is this? Your thinking needs to keep up with the times."
"Mm, what's that sound on your end? A water-type dungeon? Is it easy? What floor?"
Wei Mingtang also vaguely considered Xie Keli a rival, so she directly opened the point rankings and found no change, which she found strange.
Fu Chuan paused for a moment, then said seriously, "It's quite easy. Just turn on the faucet. I'm currently on the nineteenth floor. The water pressure is decent."
Showering? And so deadpan about it.
Wei Mingtang was silent for a moment, then hung up.
Although their relationship was so-so, the two completed the transaction directly through the school's express delivery service.
They didn't meet.
There was no need.
Having made a large sum of money, Fu Chuan cut off her burnt hair, changed into clean clothes, checked the time, and rushed to the Trial Tower. Under the watchful eyes of many, she entered like a gust of wind to pay the exam fee.
She was in such a hurry. The girl at the counter was the same one as before, and because they were so familiar, she gave her a look and said casually, "What's the rush? Rushing to a funeral?"
"There are only 36 hours left, how can I not be in a hurry?"
"I know, I know. Your hairstyle is ugly."
"None of your business."
With that, Fu Chuan rushed into the Trial Tower, and this news spread like a plague to many people's communicators and ears.
Bai Yumo, Qing Quanyu, Yelu, Zhao Ranxue, and others all received the news.
Zhao Ranxue glanced at it and then closed his communicator. He rested for a bit and then entered the 6th floor of the Arcane Tower.
Qing Quanyu and the others were all on the 5th floor.
However, they couldn't know which floor others were on in the Arcane Tower; they could only speculate based on the changes in points.
Calculation was also a strategy. Based on the fluctuation of Xie Keli's points in the past, they guessed he should be on the second floor.
They guessed right. Fu Chuan was indeed on the second floor. Recently, she had been using the other four towers to grind points to cover the deficit from the Alchemy Tower, so she hadn't climbed very high. She had been using the large number of elite monsters to practice her infinite control flow. She had checked the data; the third floor had very few monsters and wasn't suitable for practice, and at that time, she couldn't get to the fourth floor at all, as she wasn't strong enough.
But today, she had to climb. The Lesser Heavenly Book was complete, and her professional plan had advanced.
Buzz. Entering the second floor, Fu Chuan glanced at the twenty 20th-level Arcane Orbs. There were twenty of them, and she needed to use counter-arcanas to defeat them all within a certain time to complete the arcane test.
Fu Chuan directly released rays of light, simultaneously attaching counter-arcanas to them.
Bang, bang, bang!
Seventeen seconds later, cleared.
"Perfect Clear, 10-point comprehensive coefficient bonus, +10,000 perfect points."
Third floor!
A platform of fire. Fu Chuan saw three huge arcane manifestation monsters on a single triangular cliff platform, with boiling lava below.
A werewolf, an ape demon, and a bear ghost.
The three monsters, with an average height of 3.8 meters, roared in unison, then released three different energy fields.
Fu Chuan also released a gravity field and a light-based recovery field. The moment the five energy fields collided, Fu Chuan leaped into the gap where the fields clashed, manifested a handgun, and bang!!
The werewolf was shot in the chest, but it didn't explode. Instead, it flipped over, landed on the ground, and crouched, its four claws gripping the ground as its body swelled… Berserk Arcana!
Simultaneously, the ape demon leaped up, raising a giant axe in an arcane overhead chop that seemed to bring down a mountain… while the bear ghost beat its chest and unleashed a terrifying arcane sound attack…
The triple attack seemed to come at once, but Fu Chuan didn't release her Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine or other means to strip away elements, because she knew that the highest evaluation for each floor was always achieved when the purity of using arcane to defeat arcane was higher. The more points she would get. Conversely, using non-arcane powers to influence the assessment would result in a certain reduction in the points obtained.
Because this was an arcane exam.
So Fu Chuan was trying her best to use pure arcane to PK the three monsters.
At this moment, Fu Chuan summoned a double-sided mirror!
Two of them!
Two double-sided mirrors equaled four sides of perfect defense. Boom! All attacks were reflected… The three monsters collectively took a step back, but their bodies were suddenly caught in three vortexes.
"Heavy Metal Adhesion Arcana, activate!"
Fu Chuan instantly formed a hand seal. The Heavy Metal Adhesion Arcana hidden within the wind vortexes swept up, madly covering the three already massive bodies, instantly encasing them into terrifying metal behemoths.
Pressing her fingers together, Fu Chuan then made a casual swipe. As if a flower were blooming, the gravity space split into three petals of a gravity space lotus, dragging the three monsters' bodies down with a terrifying force of 100 times gravity.
With their frantic roars, the three monsters plunged into the boiling lava.
PASS!
"Perfect Clear, with a 10-point comprehensive coefficient bonus, +50,000 perfect points."
"Next level, fourth floor."
On the fourth floor, Fu Chuan saw a deep, cold cave. As she looked up, a field of glowing green eyes appeared. In the darkness, she saw a dense swarm of dark arcane bats.
She knew she couldn't get a perfect clear on this floor because their numbers were too vast, and there was also a Bat King among them.
Fu Chuan didn't hesitate. She directly released her tentacles, first stripping and absorbing the elements here, then expanding her gravity and recovery fields, and integrating the wind vortexes and mirrors into the dual fields.
Fusion, organization, compatibility, logic, constant regeneration, constant consumption, constant defense, constant attrition, constant enhancement—this was the essence of the infinite flow, and the meaning of what a controller must manipulate for every opportunity, every second of consumption and output.
And as Fu Chuan generated this setup, a thousand terrifying bats plus a huge blood-red bat BOSS swept in from a distance, all rushing into the energy field.
A bloody melee!
Fu Ye had already finished her run in the tower, but she had hidden her point ranking because she found it annoying. Too many people were trying to probe her, and she couldn't completely turn off her communicator, so she just hid all her points. The system would calculate it in the end anyway, and she didn't like looking at others' rankings.
The four great academies were located at the four corners of Beluke City's golden district, with Beluke University at the center. Outside the Beluke University plaza was the top shopping mall in Beluke Province, which housed extraordinary entertainment facilities and dining establishments.
At the end of the month, when the high school academies were ranking their results, after finishing their tower runs and being unable to achieve better scores than before, these students were like unbridled wild horses needing to release their pressure.
Eating, drinking, and playing were the best ways to relax.
Over time, this evolved into an academy festival. Capital's sense of smell was too keen, so this day became one of the liveliest festivals in the city, because nearly a hundred thousand students and even teachers from 100 high schools in the city and neighboring cities would come here to play and eat.
The four great academies even had a fixed entertainment fund. After finishing the tower and confirming their results, students could collect it and come here to play. The fund included VIP privileges in major top venues, free high-end cuisine, and so on. As long as you were a student of the four great academies, whatever you wanted to play or eat here was free—the academy paid for it.
So damn generous!
This once made people from other academies in the province drip with jealousy.
However, this didn't mean everyone loved this kind of excitement. Fu Ye was invited by the teachers of East Guan. The reason was simple: the teachers knew her results. After this round of assessment, she would have to enter the S-class. It was normal social etiquette to get in touch with the S-class people in advance to show her affiliation with East Guan, so she didn't refuse. At this moment, she was walking into a high-end buffet restaurant full of East Guan teachers and students, but before she could see her future classmates and teachers… she first saw the screen on the wall.
The power of capital was truly invincible. They had actually obtained the point ranking lists of the four great academies, and even broadcasted live combat scenes from the Combat Trial Tower.
She knew that this mall had shares from the four great academies, so thinking about it, it wasn't strange.
Glancing over, she saw that her cheap fiancé's name was still far down the list…
She didn't pay much attention and walked directly towards the hall where the East Guan teachers and students were gathered. There were too many people for a private room to accommodate, and the lively atmosphere was quite nice. The people from East Guan were more down-to-earth than those from West Jin.
Zhao Ranxue and the others had already seen Fu Ye enter.
Compared to her former peerless elegance at West Jin, Fu Ye seemed much more low-key since coming to East Guan, dressing simply. But she seemed even more breathtakingly beautiful than before.
Her seaweed-like brown hair was slightly curled. She was as vibrant as a frost-kissed peach and plum, as cold as melting plum frost, with the colors of spring and summer flowers and the desolation of autumn and winter.
As she walked over, the high-pressure lighting in the entire restaurant seemed to be drawn to her.
People from other academies couldn't help but look at her.
Several people from West Jin Academy stood up to greet her.
Although Fu Ye was cold, and her reputation was mixed, she was truly beautiful and powerful, powerful and unconquerable, always accompanied by disputes. Some disliked her, some were infatuated.
Then she was blocked.
Someone came down from the second floor, probably specifically to block her. In a flash, he was sitting at a table on the side, stretching out a long leg to block the aisle.
Like a hooligan, but with a casual, untamed air, and the unique wildness and aggression of a predator.
He had long red hair and a scar across half his face, and he smiled at Fu Ye.
"Fu Ye, long time no see."
On the East Guan Academy side, Zhao Ranxue and the others recognized him.
Que Baicen of West Jin, a former suitor of Fu Ye. Unfortunately, she wasn't interested in him and had ignored him for all three years at West Jin Academy. It was said that Que Baicen had been out clearing dungeons for a while and had only recently returned for the trial assessment.
Blocking Fu Ye was equivalent to disrespecting East Guan, but the one they most wanted to humiliate was probably…
"Xie Keli." Que Baicen said the name. "After all your careful selection, you chose a 190th? And a 190th from East Guan, at that."
Excellent, a double humiliation. The people from East Guan's S-class silently spat out what was in their mouths and stood up.
But Fu Ye thought of how Xie Keli had been so busy lately that his feet barely touched the ground, not even eating properly, and of the 108 instructions he had set for the robot.
She lowered her eyes and said faintly, "It wasn't a careful selection. It was only him from the start."
"Is that so? How come I heard that a few months ago there was also a younger brother with the surname Xie? I never knew your taste in brothers was so consistent."
At this moment, the people from East Guan seemed to understand a little why Wei Mingtang had been so ruthless as to want to kill those three classmates. Because there weren't just three of them, people like this.
So this is what jealousy and unwillingness can turn into when you can't have what you want: something so hideous.
Although Fu Ye had indeed killed a younger brother, this matter couldn't be mentioned, at least not by outsiders.
"If I were to really choose a man, if I say there's only one, then there can only be one. The others are irrelevant."
Fu Ye didn't care at all about the humiliating fantasy of husband-selection in his words. After speaking, she was about to leave, but Que Baicen continued to block her way with a cold face.
At this moment, Zhao Ranxue and the others were about to come over, but they quickly froze in place, because Fu Qiang had arrived. The man entered with a smile and hooked his arm around Que Baicen's neck.
"Aiya, little brother Que, long time no see… I've been busy doing gemstone resource business with your West Jin Academy recently. Damn, twelve blue-grade mines have exhausted me. Do I look like a coal miner to you?"
Que Baicen frowned. Fu Qiang continued to smile and say, "My teacher was just promoted to the president of the Provincial Business Association, you know. He's always asking me to help with business, it's so annoying… So, are you going to make me even more annoyed? If I get too annoyed, I won't be able to do business, you know. The deal will fall through."
"I really envy you arcane geniuses. Unlike me, I can only study business. So useless."
Que Baicen's lips tightened.
Fu Qiang smiled and patted his shoulder again, as if they were good buddies. Que Baicen weighed his options and could only back down with a dark face.
A crisis was resolved just like that.
And the long-standing discord between East Guan and West Jin was not directly ignited. It also gave people a glimpse of the skill of the Fu Clan's slacker young master. But…
"Um, I don't think it's 190th anymore."
Someone said with a trembling voice. Everyone turned to look.
Someone's points had skyrocketed by 60,000, jumping directly to 140th.
A jump of 50 places.
But was this the end?
Fu Ye walked over, took three small plates of condiments from the buffet area, and placed them on the table for the S-class.
She didn't say a word, but her actions spoke louder than words, conveying two meanings.
1. Xie Keli would be here soon, and she was sure he was qualified to sit at the S-class table.
2. The already-arrived young master of the Fu Clan had connected with the Provincial Business Association. The Fu Clan now had a stronger background support, holding the gemstone mine business, and was qualified to negotiate with East Guan, even with the Vice Dean and other high-level officials.
Well, the second point was certain. What about the first?
Just based on sixty thousand points?
Everyone looked at the screen.
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