Because then——
“The Great Sage Equal to Heaven personally bestowed a divine artifact.”
“And it was his own divine artifact, the Ruyi Jingu Bang……”
“No, it’s not just about bestowing a divine artifact.”
“That divine decree….. is even more…………”
The person racked their brain but couldn’t find a suitable adjective.
Because no deity had ever said, “Wherever you go, it is my sacred place. Whenever you call, I will come.”
What an extraordinary favor it was, a protection, a promise, a safeguard.
“This is also the first person in Lingxiao Province to obtain a divine artifact in their freshman year of high school……”
“The key point is, it also triggered a star system announcement, which is at least a B-level start, right?”
“I’m a bit curious about the appraisal results from the Institute of Divine Artifacts.”
It’s not just curiosity, but also envy!
“Speaking of which, divine artifacts are not all the same,” an older proctor suddenly spoke.
As soon as he spoke, many young proctors pricked up their ears.
This was an experienced old divine favor, who surely knew more than they did.
“The current divine artifacts are mostly cast by the Institute of Divine Artifacts, one of the Four Ministries. Through special arrays, divine power is injected into objects, which is what we call casting divine artifacts.”
The old proctor said, “Of course, it’s not necessarily called an array. There are also other names, like spells, runes, and so on, depending on the pantheon.”
“But divine artifacts bestowed by deities are different. They are called divine gifts.”
“They have spirituality, can automatically recognize their master, and cannot be copied or taken away. They are not like the replicas of cast divine artifacts.”
He sighed, “Divine gifts, how many years has it been since we last saw one?”
Everyone thought about it, and indeed, they hadn’t heard much about them.
But, in fact, it’s rare for high school students to receive divine gifts in the first place.
Su Fu, she was a special case!
“Tsk, this luck…………………”
“Who can say otherwise, huh——”
Everyone was discussing, but someone was staring blankly at the surveillance playback.
In the scene, the Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magical staff) had shrunk to the size of a three-foot-long stick, rubbing against Su Fu’s palm.
The coiling dragon patterns were lively and seemed to crawl all the way up to the girl’s wrist, so gentle that it was almost dazzling.
“So this is how a divine weapon recognizes its master…”
He suddenly let out a self-mocking chuckle.
How many divine favor seekers spend their entire lives devoutly worshipping, yet never earn a glance from a deity?
But Su Fu?
“Chinese deities……………”
They seemed, well, different.
Just then, someone suddenly said, “This time, it should be Su Fu from District Twelve who gets the first place, right?”
The previously heated discussion among everyone came to an abrupt halt.
How to put it, it was a bit of a slap in the face.
Before this, District Twelve was seen by everyone as a mere also-ran.
But the truth was, Su Fu had completely dominated the field!
“Who said District Twelve couldn’t do it?”
Zhang Yuanhua, sitting in the chief examiner’s seat with his legs crossed and rocking his chair, couldn’t hide his smug expression.
He suddenly shouted, “Ah, getting old really messes with your hearing.”
No one responded to him, since they had all said that District Twelve wouldn’t amount to much.
“Ahem!”
He cleared his throat, “Oh, right, who said Su Fu was just a support? Who said she was suited to be a support for their young master?”
However, he muttered, “But from another perspective, eliminating all opponents is indeed a form of support.”
The sarcasm was off the charts!
But, Principal Zhang claimed not to know who said it, when in fact his eyes had already shifted towards Feng Guyang.
Feng Guyang’s face instantly turned red.
The old man was clearly being sarcastic!
But the problem was…
He couldn’t refute it at all.
Feng Guyuan in the examination hall was indeed beaten to the point of being defenseless.
But…………… thinking about it carefully, even ZongZheng Wujiao was defeated, so it seemed quite normal that his young master lost as well!
“Ah!” Zhang Yuanhua, as if remembering something, slapped his thigh, “I remember who said it! They said the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was a ‘specialist in transformation, a minor deity.’ “
Even Zhou Nanyuan couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
You old devil, you used to be so quiet that everyone thought you hadn’t heard, but in fact—
You remembered everything clearly!
“Tsk,” Zhang Yuanhua clicked his tongue, “One blow shattered the heavenly prison’s authority. It’s clearly top-tier offensive power, oh my, yet someone privately called him a transformation minor deity~”
Everyone:”….”
Please, just shut up already!
Stop talking!
We’ve all lost face here!
“Alright,” Shen Deyong finally couldn’t bear it anymore and frowned, saying, “Zhang Yuanhua, that’s enough”
He was already holding in his anger.
As a representative of the academy’s noble families, this exam had been a complete embarrassment.
All the noble children had been individually, crushed, and beaten by a commoner candidate!
It was simply shameful!
Seeing Zhang Yuanhua’s smug and arrogant demeanor made him even angrier.
“Huh, it’s just one exam,” Shen Deyong forced down his anger, “Don’t take it too seriously.”
“Take it seriously?” Zhang Yuanhua shrugged, feigning innocence, “I didn’t lose, so what do I have to worry about?”
Shen Deyong’s composure almost shattered.
This old man was indeed the best at hitting people where it hurt.
He shifted the conversation, his smile not reaching his eyes, “This time, District Twelve did indeed win, but I bet you didn’t expect Su Fu to beat ZongZheng Wujiao like that, did you?”
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the examination room changed abruptly.
Big trouble.
The Zong Zheng family was not an ordinary noble family in Lingxiao Province; they were one of the top families in the North Star Cluster, a colossal power at the top of the North Star Cluster.
Now, ZongZheng Wujiao, who was highly anticipated in Lingxiao Province, had been publicly crushed by a commoner candidate.
It was like slapping the Zong Zheng family’s face.
“Principal Zhang,” Shen Deyong said meaningfully, “Su Fu might not realize the trouble she’s caused, but you, Principal Zhang, are very clear, aren’t you?”
Principal Zhang raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Oh? Are you threatening me?”
Shen Deyong’s face changed instantly.
Not good!
Before he could say anything, Zhang Yuanhua had already taken out his communicator and swiftly dialed a number.
“Ah! Principal!”
“Help!”
“Principal Shen says the Zong Zheng family is going to kill me! Just because I pushed for the exam merger, which led to Su Fu’s brilliant performance and her receiving a divine gift, I’ve done a great service for the academy. I don’t know what I did wrong!”
Everyone:”…..”
Shen Deyong:”……”
Are you reporting or boasting about your own achievements?
You scoundrel!
You’ve been tricked again by this shameless old man!
Just then, the Shen Yan AI issued a province-wide notification:
[Notification: The Lingxiao Province final exam has ended]
[Here is the final admission list:]
[1. Su Fu, Starlight District Seventh High School]
[2. Jiang Qingyu, Starlight District Seventh High School]
[3. Lin Mingxi, Starlight District Seventh High School]
[…]
[Congratulations to all candidates who have successfully entered the provincial academy! May you inherit the will of your predecessors and shoulder the responsibility of protecting human civilization.]
[We also wish you all a bright future, with flowers along the way.]
[The starry sky is vast, and the road ahead is long.]
[May you become the lamps that illuminate the darkness.]
[Lingxiao Province Divine Academy Admissions Office]
Meanwhile, at the main residence of the Zong Zheng family in Lingxiao Province.
The room was dimly lit, with only the blue crystal lamps still on.
In the interplay of light and shadow, the Zong Zheng family crest, composed of the Milky Way and the North Star Cluster, was faintly visible on the wall.
ZongZheng Wujiao knelt in the center of the room, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles.
He had been kneeling for so long that his knees had gone numb.
“Get up.”
A cold voice came from the side door.
ZongZheng Wujiao slowly rose to his feet but kept his head down, not daring to look at his brother, Zong Zheng Xuanming, leaning against the door frame.
“Where did you lose this time? ZongZheng Xuanming walked over.
Zong Zheng Wujiao gritted his teeth, “I underestimated Su Fu. I didn’t expect her to………………”
“Wrong.”
Zong Zheng Xuanming coldly interrupted him, “Your mistake was in overvaluing the authority in the exam, leaving yourself no fallback.”
“Perhaps, I shouldn’t have let you know about that message in the first place. It was a case of losing the big picture over a small detail.”
“With your own divine abilities, you could have easily crushed Su Fu.”
Zong Zheng Wujiao shuddered.
That was authority, divine authority, and it was of the rule type.
How could he let it go?
If it weren’t for Su Fu………………
He said resentfully, “If I had just eliminated her from the start, none of this would have happened.”
“Enough,” Zong Zheng Xuanming interrupted him, “What you should be worried about now is not her. The special recruitment for the competition is your priority now. As long as you perform well in the competition, your admission to Tianqi Affiliated High School is secure.”
ZongZheng Wujiao was taken aback, “But Su Fu…… just let her go like that?”
Zong Zheng Xuanming chuckled lightly, “Su Fu? A commoner with no background or resources. As long as we block her path to the competition, she will never be able to rise to Tianqi Affiliated High School.”
“How can she compete with you then?”
“But,” ZongZheng Wujiao suddenly thought of something and frowned, “She is already a provincial academy candidate and has the qualifications to participate in the competition. How do we block her?”
“Isn’t the current education department’s reform faction quite powerful? If we tamper with things, it will be easily detected, right?”
“Brother, you must understand,” Zong Zheng Xuanming said meaningfully, ” The Ministry of Education’s ‘fairness’ only exists in the AI judgment phase.”
But those people, on the one hand, rely on AI, and on the other hand, they are afraid of it.
So the competition qualification review adopts a dual system of AI and human.
Ultimately, it still requires a human final review and stamp.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Qualification.
Zong Zheng Wujiao was taken aback, and then he suddenly realized.
Where there are people, there are loopholes, and that is a vulnerability.
Zong Zheng Xuanming casually said, “You don’t need to worry about these things. There will naturally be someone to handle them.”
“Moreover, this is only one aspect.
“Secondly, your cousin Zong Zheng Mingjing has just been promoted to the deputy director of the Institute of Divine Artifacts in Lingxiao Province.”
“Su Fu obtaining a divine artifact is a big deal, and of course, it needs to be carefully appraised. So it’s normal for the process to take longer, right?”
“But if we use the reason of ‘incomplete divine artifact certification’ and according to Article 7.12 of the Competition Charter, we will….”
“Brother, there are too many ways.”
“The game hasn’t even started, and it’s already over.”
“Temporarily freeze the controversial party.”
“I’m telling you this so that you don’t do those things that only the weak and discontented would do. Seeking revenge in private? That would only waste your energy.”
“The Zong Zheng family has cultivated you for so many years, not for you to waste your thoughts on such people.”
“You must remember, the Zong Zheng family is not limited to Lingxiao Province as an option.”
ZongZheng Xuanming warned, “The peers in other provinces are all difficult to deal with. If you don’t work harder, you won’t be able to return to the main family.”
Zong Zheng Wujiao immediately became obedient, “I will definitely prepare for the competition with all my might!”
He paused for a moment, lowering his voice a bit, “Thank you, brother……………”
Yes, why did he have to compete for victory on the exam?
Why did he have to talk about fairness with a commoner?
Block her way forward, cut off her hope, and keep her forever trapped in the provincial academy.
How simple.
Zong Zheng Xuanming glanced at him, his tone slightly softened:
“You’ve also heard about that commoner’s divine artifact, right?”
He waved his hand, “No need to worry. Letting my cousin Mingjing help you forge a better one will do.”
Hearing this, Zong Zheng Wujiao finally felt completely relieved.
Behind him was the Zong Zheng family, which had been strategically positioned in the North Star Cluster for many years, with family members spread throughout important departments such as the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Divine Artifacts.
Su Fu, all by herself, how could she possibly compete with him?
With the prompt from the Shen Yan AI, the scene in front of Su Fu had rapidly blurred like a fading ink wash painting.
The warmth of the Ruyi Jingu Bang was still in her palm, but the scorched earth, rifts, and bronze dust around her began to warp and collapse.
It was as if someone had splashed a bucket of water on this painting, and all the colors were quickly fading, turning into a blurry grayish-white.
[The assessment space has been closed]
The final sound of the Shen Yan was stretched into a harsh hum.
Su Fu felt a tremendous pull dragging her into the boundless data stream.
But soon, she began to feel comfortable.
The star rivers hung upside down, with each streak of light carrying a rich divine power, like a gentle stream enveloping her entire body.
She let herself immerse in this ocean of divine power, couldn’t help but marvel, it’s still the Shen Yan, the divine power used for repair seems to be free, so generous!
If she could keep practicing here, she couldn’t even imagine how fast her divine power would grow.
Just then, the space rippled with a faint golden hue, and countless star patterns emerged from the void, seemingly forming a vast star river map.
Suddenly, the voice of the Shen Yan sounded, different from usual, with a kind of vast and serene quality. Su Fu immediately perked up; the Shen Yan DI was here again!
[Detected the injection of divine authority, switching to the Divine Intelligence module]
[The main brain of the Shen Yan DI has gone online!]
Golden text flowed in the void:
[Congratulations to the divine favor Su Fu]
[You have received the divine blessing: Ruyi Jingu Bang]
[Your status has been promoted to: Mandate of Heaven·Divine Favor]
[Opening the Mandate of Heaven module……………]
[Connecting to the Fourth Ring Star System………………]
In an instant, the light points of the entire star field began to flicker, as if countless distant stars were waving at her, rippling outwards in circles.
[The Mandate of Heaven module has been activated]
[The Fourth Ring Star System has been connected]
[Mandate of Heaven·Divine Favor permission confirmed]
[The group chat permission for Mandate of Heaven bearers has been opened: Fourth Star Ring·Central Court]
[You have automatically joined the group chat]
[Synchronizing the group chat information of the Fourth Star Ring·Central Court……]
[Synchronization complete]
A golden gate slowly unfolded in front of her, as if welcoming her:
[Welcome, Chinese Divine Favor·Su Fu]
[Your current sequence is 97]
[The Fourth Star Ring·Central Court welcomes the new civilization pioneer!]
Su Fu: “!!!”
Holy crap!
She had been promoted from a divine favor to a Mandate of Heaven bearer directly!
So-called divine favors are humans who, through invoking the divine name and reciting their titles, gain the deity’s recognition and are granted divine skills.
Mandate of Heaven bearers go a step further, needing to receive divine blessings, whether it be a divine artifact or a divine ability.
To put it more simply and straightforwardly, Mandate of Heaven bearers are the deity’s favored children.
Su Fu was puzzled.
What was this so-called group chat?
She wondered this in her heart and asked Shen Yan with her mouth.
The unfazed voice of the Shen Yan replied:
[The Fourth Star Ring·Central Court is the gathering place of all Mandate of Heaven divine favors in the Fourth Ring Star System]
[Establishment time: Star Calendar 3642]
[Since the establishment of this ring star system, there have been a total of 1,270 Mandate of Heaven divine favors]
[Current survivors: 31]
The last line of numbers flickered in the void, like a dim light, illuminating the lonely star sea.
The star sea is vast, yet… so lonely.
Su Fu lowered her eyes, speechless for a long time.
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