Golden starlight poured down, halting mid-air and instantly weaving into countless golden threads.
As these threads interlaced, a slender silhouette began to take shape at the center of the light curtain.
Initially vague, like a figure shrouded in gauze, the outline quickly sharpened into clarity.
“Is that… a staff?!” Lin Mingxi exclaimed, recognizing it instantly.
The staff?
It had to be the legendary weapon of the Great Sage, the Ruyi Jingu Bang!
Before the Ruyi Jingu Bang fully materialized, the ground beneath it began to crack and sink, as if under immense pressure.
The scattered bronze remnants on the ground were crushed into dust under this gravitational force.
Soon, the divine artifact revealed its final form within the light curtain.
A long staff?
No, not just any staff.
The staff was entirely gilded, with dense Sanskrit inscriptions etched on the golden rings at both ends.
In the center, the ancient characters “Ruyi Jingu Bang” were engraved, with the faint outline of “thirteen thousand five hundred pounds” visible between the strokes, as if containing the cosmos within.
Dragon patterns and phoenix scripts intertwined, resembling countless stars aligned in a dazzling display.
“Boom——!”
The Ruyi Jingu Bang began to slowly descend.
Wherever it passed, space shattered, and the thunderous roar caused the ground to crack and spread towards the edge of the examination area.
Many candidates were forced to stumble backward, and some shouted in horror:
“This………………this………………”
Their voices abruptly stopped.
Because the tail of the Ruyi Jingu Bang had already touched the ground.
“Boom!!!”
The ground violently trembled, sinking several meters instantly, forming a massive circular pit.
Countless rocks splashed into the air and were crushed into dust under the fierce pressure.
When the dust settled, the Ruyi Jingu Bang finally fully materialized.
This divine artifact was none other than the “Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Ruyi Jingu Bang!”
One candidate exclaimed in surprise:
“It’s Su Fu’s weapon! This Ruyi Jingu Bang is the same one Su Fu used to smash ZongZheng Wujiao!”
“And the one that shattered the palace illusion!”
Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to wake up from a dream.
Indeed!
They recognized it—it was the very same gleaming Ruyi Jingu Bang!
Previously, Su Fu had wreaked havoc with it, crushing the defending forces to smithereens and smashing the so-called Heavenly Prison!
Seeing this scene, everyone was utterly stunned.
Jiang Qingyu’s eyes were filled with amazement, and her voice trembled slightly:
“The Chinese mythological Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, has personally bestowed a divine artifact!”
She couldn’t help but murmur, “It’s simply inconceivable.”
Everyone knows that obtaining a divine artifact directly bestowed by a deity is extremely difficult.
Some deities require prolonged prayers, others demand arduous trials, and some even necessitate the payment of blood as a price.
Only then might one gain the deity’s recognition and the favor of the divine artifact.
But now……
“The Great Sage has directly bestowed a blessing?!” Klaus felt as if his worldview had been completely overturned.
In the heavenly pantheon, to obtain the Angelic Sword artifact, one had to undergo three years of rigorous training in the church, praying daily and fasting nightly, enduring the scorching of holy light and the test of faith.
And even then, success was not guaranteed; it all depended on the angelic deity’s will.
“But Su Fu…” he muttered to himself, “She didn’t even need to undergo any trial?”
Everyone was filled with envy and jealousy.
Su Fu didn’t have to do anything, and the deity had bestowed the blessing upon her directly?
She was just too favored by the divine!
Su Fu’s heart was pounding with excitement.
That was the Great Sage’s Ruyi Jingu Bang!
Just a short while ago, she had held it in her hands, sweeping everything aside.
But back then, the Ruyi Jingu Bang was merely a manifestation of divine power.
And now……
It was real!
A divine artifact of the Ruyi Jingu Bang bestowed by the Great Sage himself!
“Boss!” Lin Mingxi was so excited that he could hardly speak coherently, “Go, go quickly! This is the Great Sage personally delivering a divine artifact to you!”
After her initial shock, Su Fu also realized what was happening.
She couldn’t help but scream inwardly, “Ah! Great Sage, I’m coming!”
But just as she stood up to run over, the scene before her eyes suddenly changed.
Golden threads floated out from the Ruyi Jingu Bang, as light as strings but incredibly fast, scattering towards Su Fu like celestial maidens spreading flowers.
In an instant, the golden threads had arrived.
They seemed to have finally found their target, interlacing and wrapping around in mid-air, quickly weaving into a small, cylindrical shadow in front of her.
“What is this………………?” Su Fu’s eyebrows slightly raised.
A miniature version of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, only palm-sized, with the scaled-down patterns of the original staff visible on its surface.
A coiling dragon roamed on it, undulating and darting in the light.
When its whiskers brushed against the shadow’s surface, they actually splashed tiny golden flames.
Su Fu: “!!!”
So adorable!
So beautiful!
Top-notch!
A breathtakingly beautiful divine artifact!
Su Fu instinctively reached out her hand.
The moment her fingertips lightly touched the shadow, the coiling dragon suddenly raised its head, and the shadow actively adhered to her palm, affectionately rubbing against it.
A warm current flowed from her fingers into her heart.
She instinctively curled her fingers and gently hooked it.
The shadow then rotated around her wrist like a docile pet, with the golden flames trailing behind in a fine light tail.
And the Ruyi Jingu Bang also rotated freely according to Su Fu’s will, incredibly agile!
At the same time——
People!
Come.
“Boom——!”
The huge Ruyi Jingu Bang stuck in the pit suddenly let out a deafening hum!
The Ruyi Jingu Bang shadow in front of her eyes connected with the original staff in the pit.
With Su Fu’s touch, it finally found its master.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang rose from the pit, drawing a blazing arc in the air, trailing a long golden light tail, and flew towards Su Fu.
Everyone retreated in terror, afraid of being affected by the devastating power of the giant staff.
However, as the huge Ruyi Jingu Bang approached Su Fu, it suddenly shrank.
The colossal object began to rapidly decrease in size!
Ten zhang, five zhang, one zhang………………………….
Ling?!
It eventually transformed into a three-foot-long staff (about one meter), landing gently into her palm.
At this very moment, a golden ripple spread out from beneath her feet.
The scorched earth surged like waves, and the broken bronze armor floated up in the golden light, only to be instantly reduced to dust.
Su Fu stood at the center of the storm, her long hair lifted by the gust, and her robe flapping like a flag.
Only the Ruyi Jingu Bang in her hand was entirely gilded, with the coiling dragons on the golden rings flowing, as if sealing boiling blood and fire.
Everyone: “!!!”
Holy crap!!!
Ruyi Jingu Bang, you……………
Just now, you made such a grand and terrifying display, as if you were going to destroy the heavens and the earth, but now you’ve become so gentle, cute, and small!
In this moment, the air directly solidified.
Lin Mingxi’s voice became ethereal:
“Jiang, pinch me, am I dreaming? I’ve never heard of a divine artifact being like this………………”
Not just him, but everyone present was stunned.
They had heard of divine artifacts being bestowed and recognized by their masters, but they had never heard of a divine artifact being so……………… considerate?
Some even began to question their own existence:
“It’s one thing to bestow a divine artifact, but now this action……………… is it because the artifact is too heavy for Su Fu to wield, so it shrinks itself?”
“Not just that…… you forgot, it even flew over by itself……………”
Everyone immediately turned into envious onlookers, unable to contain their jealousy.
This Great Sage was just too favoring Su Fu!
This divine artifact first transformed into a small shadow, then the coiling dragon on it affectionately rubbed against Su Fu’s hand.
Next, the original Ruyi Jingu Bang flew over by itself and even knew to shrink to a size convenient for Su Fu to use!
In comparison, they, the favored ones of the divine, felt like stray dogs—no divine artifacts for them, no favor either!
“I can’t take it anymore! This favoritism is just too blatant, wailing!”
“……This isn’t favoritism, it’s outright pampering!”
Lin Mingxi was so envious that he couldn’t speak.
Back in the day, his Jade Serpent Fang had to be trained for several months before he could use it freely.
It wasn’t that the divine artifact was difficult to use, but rather its power was too strong, and a mortal’s body needed time to adjust.
But look at Su Fu’s Ruyi Jingu Bang—
The Ruyi Jingu Bang spun in Su Fu’s hand, and as the dragon patterns flowed, a gentle divine power slowly seeped into Su Fu’s body.
It was clear that the divine artifact was actively adjusting to help its master adapt to its power.
“I can’t watch anymore, or my resolve will collapse, wailing!”
How could there be such a gentle deity, such a considerate divine artifact?
Su Fu was completely oblivious to the commotion around her.
She looked down at the Ruyi Jingu Bang in her hand and suddenly felt a slight itch in her palm.
The coiling dragon pattern actually glided up her forearm, its mouth gently holding her fingertip, and a thread of divine consciousness entered her mind:
“Little girl, the Ruyi Jingu Bang is yours now.”
The Great Sage’s shadow in her mind laughed heartily while holding the staff, “From now on, when you fight, pick the big ones to smash. If you smash the sky——
“I, Old Sun, will take responsibility!”
The voice gradually faded, and the figure disappeared.
Su Fu suddenly let out a soft laugh and casually slung the Ruyi Jingu Bang over her shoulder.
“Lin Mingxi,” she called out.
“Hey! Boss! I’m here!”
“Stand back.”
Lin Mingxi immediately moved aside.
Before everyone could react, she spun around and swung the staff!
The three-foot-long staff stretched into a hundred-zhang pillar in an instant, sweeping across the sky with the force of wind and fire.
“Boom——!!!”
The earth trembled, and dust rose into the sky, forming a massive rift across the land.
Su Fu stood there, leaning on the staff with one hand, and tilted her head to look at the scene in front of her, feeling satisfied.
“This feeling is truly great! I love you, Great Sage!”
***
Meanwhile, beyond the exam papers.
The star domain where Lingxiao Province was located suddenly brightened, with the stars of the North Star Cluster shining all at once.
Countless galaxies seemed to be summoned, converging into dazzling ribbons of light that interwove in the sky, eventually forming a golden canopy.
This canopy was so vast that it spanned the entire galaxy, making the Milky Way itself appear resplendent and dazzling.
As divine power gathered, a colossal figure emerged within the golden canopy.
It was the projection of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!
His eyes blazed like torches, clad in golden armor, standing on a seven-colored auspicious cloud, with the Ruyi Jingu Bang slicing through the void, leaving a trail of scorch marks.
The Shen Yan DI was triggered and went online, with all terminals connected to the Shen Yan network lighting up simultaneously.
Countless holographic screens blossomed in succession.
The holographic projection on every planetary screen switched to the same image.
[Shen Yan DI Lingxiao Province and North Star Cluster System Announcement:]
Golden text appeared on every screen, with countless people looking up in awe.
[The starry sea bears witness, the nine heavens listen.]
[Today, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from the Chinese mythological pantheon, Sun Wukong, bestows divine favor upon the mortal Su Fu.]
[You, with your mortal body, have carried my fighting spirit, shaking the heavenly prison and shattering illusions with your solitary bravery.]
[I bestow upon you my own divine artifact, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the pillar that calms the seas and supports the sky.]
[From now on, in the vastness of the starry sea, you will never walk alone. Wherever you go, it is my sacred place. Whenever you call, I will come.]
[May you henceforth]
[As you wish, as you command!]
Beneath the announcement, the figure of the Great Sage emerged, clearly a divine decree descending from the heavens.
The crowd was in an uproar!
In the examination hall, everyone received the prompt from the Shen Yan DI.
They all looked up at the sky, watching the golden words turn into a shower of light.
The incredible shock left them stunned and unable to recover for a long time. \
The Chinese deity had actually made a public announcement about Su Fu to the world!
They had just been marveling at how the divine artifact’s proactive approach was an extraordinary favor, but now they realized that was nothing.
Look at what was happening now!
The Great Sage himself had intervened!
He had personally bestowed the divine artifact!
He had personally issued the divine decree!
He had personally announced it to the world!
“Divine favor…” Jiang Qingyu whispered the title, realizing that it was a declaration to everyone that from now on, Su Fu was under the Great Sage’s protection.
Everyone’s minds were buzzing.
They felt for the first time like they were unsophisticated country bumpkins.
How could they be so naive?
Everyone believed in deities, but why was hers so different?
It turned out… that deities could love mortals so much.
They could be so open and blatant about it.
Every word, every line, was filled with care.
Some people couldn’t help but repeat the phrase, “Wherever you go, it is my sacred place. Whenever you call, I will come.”
“Doesn’t that mean that if anyone bullies Su Fu in the future, she just has to shout, and the Great Sage will come?”
“…………”
Everyone was moved to tears, filled with envy and jealousy.
Someone suddenly shouted at the top of their lungs, “Su Fu! Let me live your good life for a few days!”
Su Fu:”…..”
Sorry, not interested.
She looked up at the Great Sage’s shadow in the sky, feeling her heart soften at the sight of the familiar figure.
Great Sage——
What an incredibly gentle, considerate, and heartwarming handsome monkey you are!
You have a clear sense of right and wrong, and you are kind and just.
Afraid that she would be bullied while traveling alone through the vast starry sea, you bestowed a divine artifact upon her and answered her call.
You understood her worries, protected her difficulties, and stood up for her!
She knew the Great Sage was the best!
Watching the announcement about to disappear, the figure gradually dissipated, turning into a shower of starlight.
The light rain fell, landing on her eyelashes, shattering into tiny points of light, decorating her reddened eyes.
But she didn’t want to blink, for fear of missing the last glimpse of the Great Sage.
“Then——”
“Great Sage,”
“See you next time.”
At that moment, the prompt from the Shen Yan AI also sounded in her ear.
[Abnormality clearance progress: 100%]
[Time taken: 15 hours, 37 minutes, 50 seconds]
[This exam is over.]
[The assessment space is about to close……………]
[Your score will be synchronized to your personal terminal after the assessment space is closed.]
[3.2……1……]
***
Meanwhile, in the examination room.
“Click——”
Someone’s cup fell onto the table, making a crisp sound.
Everyone suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at the closing assessment space and………… the divine decree above their heads with complex expressions!
Too outrageous, there were only two words left in their minds: outrageous!
“Twelve District candidate, Chinese mythological pantheon, divine favor Su Fu, only met twice, the deity Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong, bestowed a divine artifact………”
When combined, everyone felt their scalp tingle, no, it was absurd!
“Is this…… Is this really a high school freshman?” someone muttered.
“Not just a high school freshman, but a high school freshman from District Twelve……………”
But what did she do?
First, she single-handedly defeated ZongZheng Wujiao, shattering the myth of the number one in the provincial academy.
This should have been enough to shock the entire academy, but now it seemed like the most insignificant thing.