Su Fu frowned.
She had already completed her exam, but the Divine Artifact certification wasn’t done yet?
How could it take this long?
She immediately checked the certification progress at the Wanqi Institute, and sure enough, it was still under [Review].
Something’s not right.
The instrument testing was completed long ago, something that should take an hour at most, yet it’s been dragged out this long?
She suddenly recalled the dismissive attitude of the staff at the time, and now it all made sense…
Her intuition told her something was wrong.
She quickly searched online and found a possibility: someone was deliberately delaying the process, a tactic often used by certain aristocratic families to target commoners.
Why delay?
Because without this step completed, the competition qualification review cannot be passed.
This directly blocks her path to advancement.
Who could it be?
No need to think twice about the Zongzheng family!
Su Fu’s eyes instantly turned cold.
These aristocratic families are truly shameless.
Clearly, they can’t compete on skill, so they resort to these underhanded tactics.
How many commoners have they dealt with using this routine?
But the urgent matter now is to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
The registration period is only three days, and if she misses it, she won’t be able to sign up.
She immediately called Zhou Nanyuan, “Teacher Zhou.”
Her tone was urgent, and Zhou Nanyuan sensed something was wrong, “Su Fu? What’s going on? Did something happen?”
“My competition qualification review was rejected,” she briefly explained the situation.
“Wait, let me check.” Zhou Nanyuan quickly pulled up the relevant records.
In less than half a minute, he let out a cold laugh, “You probably figured it out too. It’s most likely the Zongzheng family’s doing. If I recall correctly, Zongzheng Wujiu’s cousin, Zongzheng Mingjing, is the deputy director of the Wanqi Institute.”
“To block it at the Divine Artifact certification stage, they really know how to exploit the rules.”
Zhou Nanyuan took a deep breath and said:
“These people are really getting more and more shameless.”
“Teacher,” Su Fu asked, “is there any way to remedy this?”
“An appeal is definitely possible, but…” Zhou Nanyuan paused, “following the procedure, it will take at least three days. And given the character of the Zongzheng family, they definitely won’t let any documents come out of the Wanqi Institute during these three days.”
In other words, Zongzheng Mingjing must have planned this carefully.
She was determined to block Su Fu’s path to registration.
“But don’t worry,” Zhou Nanyuan’s voice came through as he stood up, “I’ll go find Dean Zhang right away. He specializes in dealing with such shameless people.”
“Wait for my news.”
The call ended, but Su Fu’s expression didn’t relax.
She couldn’t place all her hopes on others.
She quickly identified the core issue, “So, the key is to bypass the Wanqi Institute’s review.”
Then the only option is to find a force stronger than the Zongzheng family.
Where to find it?
She looked at the group chat on her computer, the Fourth Star Ring ·
Central Court.
The group was currently buzzing with activity.
“Looking for a team: Heavenly Palace Divine Realm, 3 spots open, need R7 or above divine artifact, DM fast.”
“Buying: Purple Star Chart, price negotiable.”
“Bounty: Nine Heavens Sand, starting at 500w per gram.”
Su Fu: “…………”
What’s going on?
I can’t understand any of this!
The group is full of big shots, any one of them could easily solve her current predicament.
But at what cost?
Could she afford it?
She stared at the screen, lost in thought, when suddenly a new message popped up:
[Michael]: “@everyone Urgent help needed! Does anyone know about the anomaly ‘Hanba’? Does anyone know how to deal with it? There’s no relevant information in the database.”
The group instantly exploded.
“Hanba? What’s that?”
“Your star sector has this kind of anomaly too? I heard it’s particularly troublesome.”
“I also want to know how to counter it! Same request!”
Soon, many more messages flooded in, but they were all asking for help, none offering solutions.
Su Fu hesitated for a moment.
She actually knew how to counter it, but… should she post it?
Would these people be able to trace her information?
But if she did, she might gain a favor from a big shot!
And right now, that’s exactly what she needed most.
After some hesitation, she decided to post it.
Compared to the potential threats, gaining a favor from a big shot was more important.
If she kept hesitating and fearing this and that, she would never get anything done.
[Su Fu]: “Hanba is the source of great drought, carrying intense heat wherever it goes, turning the land barren for miles. But it is most afraid of the power of thunder, especially summer thunder.”
“Moreover, although it is immensely powerful, it fears moisture. You can accumulate water in the city to dissipate its strength.”
Since Su Fu had decided to answer the question, she naturally went all out, not only providing the answer but also giving a detailed explanation.
The group fell silent for a few seconds.
[Michael]: “!!! This completely matches! No wonder it dries up the air every time it appears. Thank you so much!”
[Michael]: “This is a huge help! If you ever need assistance, just say the word. I, Michael, owe you one.”
“My god, I learned something new…”
“A newbie knows such obscure knowledge?”
“Wow, a favor from Michael, that’s worth a lot.”
“Michael should bring a water gun for a showdown, that would be hilarious!”
Su Fu ignored these jokers, but her heart stirred when she saw Michael’s message.
This was a promise from the big shot ranked 27th!
Moreover, judging by the group members’ attitudes, Michael seemed like a decent person.
No matter what he said, everyone was supportive…
Hmm, some even joked with him.
With such a guarantee, she no longer felt anxious.
However, Su Fu hesitated.
Using this precious favor on the Zongzheng family…
Wouldn’t that be a bit of a waste?
After all, this was a big shot with abundant resources from the Heavenly Court dungeons!
Just as she was torn, a notification from Shen Yan suddenly lit up.
[Your competition qualification review results have been updated.]
What the heck?
Su Fu was baffled.
She hadn’t done anything, so how could it have been updated?
She clicked on the message, and her pupils instantly constricted.
[Irregularities detected in the review process conducted by the Wanqi Academy, Lingxiao Province, North Star Cluster, Fourth Star Ring.]
[In accordance with Article 37 of the Kunlun Nine Chapters Law, their review authority has been revoked, and the previous decision has been nullified and restarted.]
[Latest status: Review approved.]
[Reviewing institution: Kunlun Academy.]
[Note 1: This review result is final and cannot be altered, rejected, or overturned by any institution for any reason.]
[Note 2: In accordance with the Kunlun-Nine Chapters Law, an individual causality chain has been automatically triggered. Please check the accountability results for further details. Be advised.]
Su Fu: “???”
She couldn’t make sense of it.
But the previous holdup was related to the divine artifact certification.
She immediately opened the certification interface for her current artifact, only to find-
[Divine Artifact Certified: Ruyi Jingu Bang (Grade B)]
[Certifying Organization: Kunlun Academy, Second Star Ring.]
Su Fu was stunned, her eyes fixated on two words:
“Kunlun?”
She blinked and read the message again, confirming she hadn’t misread.
Both interfaces mentioned Kunlun?!
Her divine artifact certification was approved by Kunlun, and her competition qualification review was also approved by Kunlun?!
Wait, Su Fu was shocked…
Does the Kunlun Academy actually exist in this universe?
Are you serious?
She had always thought the Kunlun Academy in her student records was just a placeholder, automatically assigned by the Shen Yan AI, and that it no longer existed in reality.
But now, it was telling her The Kunlun Academy had intervened on her behalf?!
Su Fu looked at the last line of the notification-
“Triggered an individual causality chain? Accountability?”
Could it be… tracing the responsibility of the violator?!
***
Tianqi Affiliated High School Competition Review Office.
Zhou Lu stretched lazily, feeling great after finishing the last application material in front of him.
This job is really great.
Even though it gets busy at times, it’s only for a short period, and during those busy times, there’s a lot of extra income.
He was even starting to feel reluctant to sign up for the competition.
It ended so quickly.
“Once I’m done with this, I’ll go on a trip,” he thought.
Spinning his office chair, he looked out at the sunlight streaming through the window.
“The hot spring planet in the Third Star Ring, I’ve heard it’s amazing.”
Just as he was happily preparing to book his tickets, a red warning suddenly popped up from Shen Yan.
[Law Enforcement Notice]
Zhou Lu frowned slightly.
Such notifications were usually targeted at those who had committed serious violations.
What did it have to do with him, a diligent and responsible reviewer?
Why would it pop up for him?
Could it be a mistake?
But when he opened the notice, he felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss-
[Subject of Enforcement: Zhou Lu]
[Reason for Penalty: Long-term abuse of position to benefit specific groups]
[Penalty Result: Permanent dismissal, inclusion in the law enforcement blacklist, and lifelong ban from employment. The penalty extends to three generations of direct descendants]
[Progress: Immediate initiation of trial proceedings]
“Impossible!” Zhou Lu stood up abruptly.
“This is absolutely impossible!”
He instinctively denied it.
“Every document I’ve handled has been in accordance with the rules! There’s no violation at all! Shen Yan, I want to appeal!”
“This is my right!”
He couldn’t believe that he had been caught, because he and those aristocratic families had covered their tracks perfectly, everything was within the bounds of compliance.
Every approval or rejection had a flawless justification.
How could it have been discovered?
Shen Yan paused for a moment, and then new content appeared on the screen:
[Appeal in progress…]
Zhou Lu breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he was given the chance to explain, he could definitely—
[Appeal rejected]
[Reason: Evidence is conclusive]
“What?!”
Shen Yan immediately displayed all the evidence:
[Causal Chain Archive Record – Number: 4050909]
A series of data appeared on the screen-
[September 4050] Received 5 million star coins from the Zongzheng family, promised to prioritize their applications, and simultaneously rejected the competition qualification of civilian candidate Li Mingzhi, citing “incomplete materials.”
[October 4050] Received 3 million star coins from the Fenggu family, promised to suppress their competitors, and simultaneously rejected the competition qualification of civilian candidate Wang Hao, citing “insufficient information.”
“And so on, totaling 1,534 records.”
“If you require detailed evidence, all records include clear transaction receipts, communication logs, operation logs, and…”
“Audio and message records.”
“Would you like to retrieve them?”
Zhou Lu’s face turned pale in an instant.
Even the conversation records were there!
He was finished!
But he couldn’t understand.
These transactions had all been conducted through encrypted communications, and the transfers had been routed through multiple layers of obfuscation, making it impossible to trace the source.
So why had everything been uncovered now?
All the evidence was laid out clearly before his eyes, with precise timestamps down to the second!
Before he could figure it out, Shen Yan’s cold voice rang out!
“Appeal rejected. You have officially entered the trial process. Please await the final verdict.”
Before the words had even finished, the door to the office was suddenly pushed open.
“Zhou Lu?” A stern voice called out.
“Education Ministry’s Discipline Inspection Commission. Please come with us.”
Several uniformed law enforcement officers entered and took Zhou Lu away.
In the core area of the Wanqi Institute, inside Zongzheng Mingjing’s private lounge.
“Cousin,” Zongzheng Wujiu raised his glass, his smile radiant.
“Thank you for your help with this matter.”
Zongzheng Mingjing clinked her glass against his.
“It’s nothing. We’re family; helping each other is only natural. You have a bright future ahead, and I’m counting on you to take us to even greater heights.”
The two shared a knowing smile, their tacit understanding evident.
Just then, Zongzheng Mingjing’s communicator vibrated abruptly.
“Wait a moment.”
She glanced down at the message, and her expression changed drastically.
[Zhou Lu has been arrested!!!]
Her hand holding the glass trembled slightly.
How could this be?
How could Zhou Lu suddenly be investigated?
And right after he had just helped her reject Su Fu’s application?
Could it be Su Fu’s doing?
No, it couldn’t be Su Fu.
A commoner wouldn’t have that kind of influence.
Could it be that Zhou Lu had stepped on someone’s toes while doing favors for others?
“Useless!” she cursed inwardly, but then a wave of panic hit her.
If Zhou Lu was being investigated, would she be implicated?
At that moment, a red warning from Shen Yan popped up.
[Enforcement Notice]
[Target: Zongzheng Mingjing]
[Violations: 1. Abuse of authority, unauthorized use of strategic resources.]
[Violations: 2. Falsifying loss records to cover up unauthorized usage]
[Detailed list: 139 units of Tianxuan Gold privately used, 242 units of Jiuxiao Mica privately used…]
Zongzheng Mingjing’s face turned deathly pale.
She had meticulously disguised these records as normal losses, even internal audits couldn’t detect them.
How could they all be exposed now?!
Shen Yan, ever considerate, prompted:
“Would you like to review the evidence of the violations?”
Her lips trembling, Zongzheng Mingjing stammered, “……!”
She couldn’t believe she had been caught.
She had to see the evidence to understand what had happened!