A bolt of violet lightning shot out precisely.
Finally, Su Fu gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Golden staff instantly wrapped in violet lightning, crackling with energy.
She could feel the power doubling!
Su Fu couldn’t help but marvel—Thunder divine ability really was the perfect blend of defense, offense, and enhancement!
Watching the lightning jump at her fingertips, she fell into thought.
The difference between divine skills and divine abilities…
It was truly worlds apart.
Divine skills were fixed in form: defense like Flowing Sand Ferry Technique, offense like Nine-toothed Rake.
Like a carefully crafted key, every groove predetermined.
Divine power flowed through a set circuit, unlocking a specific lock to unleash a set effect.
Step by step, no room for error.
Divine abilities, though, were different.
They involved grasping the underlying concept.
It was like not only getting the key, but understanding the very idea of “unlocking”.
Once you understood the principle, you could improvise.
Use the key?
Sure.
A wire?
That works too.
Break in through the window?
Why not?
Open a wooden door, an iron door, a copper door—all possible.
That was the power of divine abilities.
Thunder – Resonant Thunder was the most basic mastery of the concept of “thunder and lightning”.
Want defense?
Lightning forms a shield.
Want offense?
Unleash a thunderous strike.
Want to enhance a weapon?
Wrap it in electricity.
All according to her will.
No wonder one needed a divine ability to reach B-rank.
It was a leap in level!
From tool user to concept master.
From following instructions to doing as one pleased.
This feeling…
It was like finally understanding a heavenly tome—no longer rote memorization, but truly comprehending the profound meaning within.
Her entire view of the world had changed.
Inspired, Su Fu suddenly had an idea.
She murmured, “So, a god’s strength depends on their understanding of a concept? The Sea God, for example—the deeper their understanding of the ocean, the stronger their power.”
A novice swimmer only understands water as something you can float in.
A pro knows how to leverage, turn, breathe.
What about a god who controls the ocean?
They understand the essence of tides, currents, storms!
And now, these gods had shared their understanding with her.
Su Fu’s mind flashed with a bold thought—if so, could she summon a River God?
After all, the Milky Way… was a river, right?
She shivered at her own idea.
That was the power of conceptual gods—the potential was terrifying.
Her gaze fell on her Divine Power Level—
[Divine Power Level: B]
[Realm: Peak of Manifestation Realm]
Unknowingly, she’d already reached the final stage of Manifestation Realm!
Su Fu couldn’t help but sigh,”It feels like a lifetime ago…”
She’d thought this realm was far off, but here she was.
Next was A-rank: Fruit-Bearing Realm, also called Manifestation Realm.
Official explanation: “Abilities mature, overflowing as fruit.”
In plain language: you can finally be useful, no longer just eating up Ministry of Education resources!
Most importantly, this realm let you choose your professional path.
And you could comprehend your own Manifestation!
But in Su Fu’s view, the A-rank core was choosing your Principal God’s path.
Like picking a career—if you’re good at fighting, choose a combat route, comprehend your Manifestation, and fight all the way.
If you’re good at support, go for healing, control, agility, transformation—specialize.
But her case was a bit special.
Staring at her list of fourteen gods, Su Fu fell into thought.
How to choose among so many?
It depended on the gods’ levels.
To be compatible with as many as possible, the Principal God should be a Founding God.
Only then could she be compatible with all, maximizing her potential.
For example, if she picked Black and White Impermanence as Principal Gods, how could she control the Emperor of Fengdu?
So, she needed a Founding God—
Nuwa, Goddess of Creation!
The one who patched the heavens, creator of all!
No problem at all.
“Alright! It’s decided!!”
Su Fu set herself a lofty goal, “Before I enter university, I must summon Nuwa!”
Just then, her Star Map suddenly burst with dazzling golden light, like the rays of dawn spreading from all directions.
A majestic, vast curtain of light unfurled, stretching into the infinite void.
Not just in Sen Yan’s space, but in every corner of the Fourth Star Ring, every active Sen Yan AI terminal—
Something changed.
Apocalypse Academy in the Southern Polar Star System, Sky Academy in the Western Polar Star System, Destiny Academy in the Eastern Polar Star System…
Countless families, officials, organizations…
[Sen Yan DI Fourth Star Ring Announcement:]
[Chinese Pantheon descends upon the Fourth Star Ring!]
[Divine Favored Su Fu, successful summoning!]
Beneath the announcement, the shadow of Judge Zhong Kui appeared in black judge’s robes.
And behind him, an even more shocking sight: four divine dragons, their phantoms coiling, awe-inspiring.
Azure Dragon, Vermilion Dragon, Black Dragon, White Dragon—the true forms of the Four Sea Dragon Kings revealed in the starsea, their roars shaking the cosmos.
An uproar!
Chinese Pantheon, five gods manifesting at once?!
Su Fu was stunned.
After the Lingxiao Province announcement, she’d unknowingly risen to the very top of the star system.
“Fourth Star Ring…”
She murmured, gazing into the boundless starry sky.
‘Did this mean everyone in all Four Great Star Systems was watching this moment?’
Watching the Chinese Pantheon descend!
Watching the imposing Judge Zhong Kui, watching the divine dragons of China!
Whether virtual or real, whatever they were doing, she was telling everyone:
Chinese gods are here!
No longer just legend—they had arrived!
The star network exploded.
[“This is crazy! My god! The second Golden Announcement today!” ]
Apocalypse Academy students in the Southern Polar Star System spammed the feed.
[“The first was Northern Polar Star System’s Ministry of Education announcing a genius, the second is the Chinese Pantheon’s descent? What’s going on?!”]
[“Are they talking about the same person? What’s happening in Northern Polar Star System this year? Anyone know?!”]
[“I’m a local, but I’m just as confused! Don’t ask us—we have no idea! Suddenly, everything’s so high-profile!”]
[“Can anyone tell me what’s happening? I left home this morning and everything was normal!”]
[“Dare I say, is the Northern Polar Star System about to make a comeback?”]
[“Heh… How do you losers at the bottom even have the nerve to say that?”]
As the star network buzzed, Su Fu finally noticed something odd.
Wait, she had an unread Golden Announcement?
‘A golden one?’
She paused, checked the timestamp—she must have missed it during the exam.
‘What was it?’
She clicked to see.
The next second, her expression froze.
She blinked, then blinked again, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Wait… who made this announcement?!”
[Northern Polar Star System Genius Emerges! Welcome all to challenge the Starsea College Entrance Exam!]
Su Fu’s vision went black—she nearly fainted.
It was over!
‘Who sent this? This was way too high-profile!’
It was practically inviting hatred from all directions—she was going to get ganged up on!
She looked at the signature… Northern Polar Star System Ministry of Education?
No, Su Fu was furious—what grudge did she have against them?
Why were they inviting challengers from other star systems to fight her?
This was the college entrance exam—she wanted to run away!
Just then, she noticed a number on her Star Map skyrocketing.
‘Hmm?’
She looked closer—her reputation points were soaring.
Rising by the second!
Wait.
She realized—so…
The first Golden Announcement: Northern Polar Star System’s bold challenge, inviting the starsea’s geniuses.
The second: Chinese Pantheon descends, five gods appear.
Two announcements, one after the other—
Perfectly coordinated.
The first’s provocation drew attention, and at the height of scrutiny,
The second announcement’s descent of the Chinese Pantheon shifted all eyes onto her.
She was thrust into the spotlight!
Even without checking the star network, she could imagine the frenzy.
Her reputation points shot past a critical threshold.
“Aahhhhh!”
Brilliant virtual fireworks burst before her eyes, weaving a dazzling nebula of light.
Sen Yan’s voice sounded:
“Congratulations, examinee Su Fu! Your reputation has reached 10,000 points!
“You have automatically received the Star Glory Medal!
“Special permissions unlocked, Fourth Star Ring Mall now open.”
The fireworks scattered into starlight, and the projection of the medal floated before her:
A silver badge set with starlight, a ship riding the waves at its center.
Su Fu realized—so this was the benefit of reputation?
Gaining medals and unlocking special privileges?
She checked the medal’s perks: discounts on divine crystals, artifacts and materials from the Myriad Artifacts Institute, sanctum access, and even interstellar teleportation reductions.
She rubbed her chin in thought—this medal was a real money-saver!
‘What about the special mall?’
She eagerly opened the mall interface and immediately spotted something familiar—
[Pass · C-rank]
[Price: 100,000 Human Credit Points]
[Effect: Skip any B-rank or lower exam]
[Requirement: Starsea-level medal or above]
Wasn’t this the pass Elai and Zongzheng Ye used to skip B-level exams and go straight to C-level?
And the requirement was steep—at least Starsea-level medals.
She glanced over the medals—Star Glory, Stellar River, Starsea…
Su Fu understood—so this was the benefit of reputation!
The Ministry of Education’s move was to hype her up, creating explosive news to boost her reputation points.
Su Fu immediately felt that it was not a problem!
So what if everyone was watching?
These rare resources were worth far more!
A little attention was nothing compared to the beautiful Star Glory Medal.
She looked at the dazzling resources in the mall—
Demeter’s golden wheat, boosting constitution; Idun’s eternal apples, preserving youth; Ra’s winged boots, walking on wind; Shiva’s Amrita,boosting wisdom…
Even Odin’s Magic Runes, Athena’s Helmet of Wisdom, Hermes’ Boots of Swiftness…
It was a treasure trove of the gods!
All produced by professional Divine Summoners, quality guaranteed.
But the prices—
[Golden Wheat]
[Price: 8,000 contribution points]
Su Fu: “….”
Fine, she could only afford one wheat stalk.
Looking at other prices—Boots of Swiftness, 15,000 points; Helmet of Wisdom, 20,000 points; Eternal Apple… 50,000 points.
Su Fu grimaced, “This is way too expensive!”
She decided: she had to reach A-rank as soon as possible and start making a living.
Then she could sell Taishang Laojun’s Golden Elixir, Queen Mother of the West’s Peaches of Immortality, Weaving Maiden’s Five-colored Cloud Robe…
She’d be rich!
Just thinking about it, she felt the road to riches was right in front of her—she had to clear exams and summon those gods!
For now, she opened her Star Glory Medal, the golden text floating before her:
[The cosmos as your crown, the universe as witness—congratulations, you have officially set foot on the vast interstellar stage.]
[In this boundless universe, countless prodigies shine. You are a new star, bursting forth with unstoppable force. Invincible, your name will echo across the starsea.]
[May your glory never end. May your future shine bright.]
Su Fu blushed at the praise—so over the top, even the description was this passionate?
‘Ahem, stay low-key.’
She was about to close the interface when she noticed a gold-flashing achievement icon.
‘Huh? An upgrading achievement?’
She checked.
Wait, she remembered her previous title was [Peach and Plum Begin], “The garden will one day be full; Chinese heritage begins today.”
Now, the title was evolving.
[Upgrading: Peach and Plum Spring Breeze]
[Current status: Under review in Ministry of Education’s official Galactic Education History, Volume 42]
[Recommended by: Northern Polar Star System Ministry of Education Minister Kong Ying]
[Reason: Triggered Authority of the Twelve Paths of the Four Sea Dragon Kings, awakened two divine abilities. Unprecedented in history!]
Su Fu froze.
‘Galactic Education… Volume 42… review list…’
Wait!
Galactic Education History recorded the most outstanding examinees of the entire galaxy for thousands of years.
And now, her name was about to be entered in Volume 42?
Su Fu sucked in a cold breath.
The key was, the recommender’s name… Kong Ying?
The Minister of Education!
Goodness, the Minister herself recommended her?
She couldn’t help but recall the Director of the Imperial Observatory, her beloved teacher.
Ahem, could the Minister also have high hopes for her?
Su Fu was moved—she’d wandered all her life without a famous teacher.
If the Minister of Education didn’t mind, she’d gladly become her disciple!
Just then, a third golden announcement arrived.
[Anomaly Management Bureau Northern Polar Star System Branch Important Notice]
[Regarding the special designation of ‘Chang’an: Strange Incursion’ exam: After research, this exam is confirmed as an S-rank Chinese Civilization Series instance.]
[Linked instances have been auto-classified as Chinese Civilization Sequence:]
[Luoyang/Kaifeng/Jinling…]
[Special thanks to examinee Su Fu for confirming the existence of the Chinese Civilization anomaly source within the instance. Her outstanding spirit of exploration has made a significant contribution to anomaly research. This discovery will open new research avenues and provide fresh ideas for combating anomaly incursions.]
[May you continue forward and be the one who lights the darkness.]
[Once the instance is fully deciphered, your name will be engraved upon the obelisk.]
[With the starsea, eternal and immortal.]
Below the notice, a series of scenes unfolded.
It was a silhouette of Chang’an.
On Zhuque Avenue, lanterns glowed one after another, resplendent.
On both sides of the street, ornate shops lined up, music drifting from tea houses and taverns.
Corridors and flying eaves, evening drums and morning bells.
The smoke of daily life curled in the mist.
Until thousands of Kongming lanterns rose, lights pouring down like the Milky Way.
The starsea cheered!
‘This was China?!’
[“My god! Is this Chang’an of Chinese civilization?!”]
[“This scenery is so beautiful, so full of charm! It’s my first time seeing this style! I’m itching to try!”]
[“So this is a Chinese instance—I love Chang’an! The lower-level instances are so fun, anyone want a guide? Hehe!”]
[“First, check out the storytelling at the tea house in the middle of Zhuque Avenue—the storyteller is amazing! The stories are fascinating—Dragon Gate Escort Agency, Yangzhou salt merchants, jianghu vendettas—I was mesmerized, dreaming about them even after!”]
[“I’ll add one! The Imperial College in the instance isn’t just for show—you can actually attend lectures! My brat hates studying, but I sent him in, and he came back respecting his teachers. I was shocked!”]
[“You’re all amateurs. Here’s a secret: the temples hide special storylines. I once met an Old Monk who lectured on Buddhist Doctrine for an hour—I nearly attained enlightenment and became a monk myself!”]
[“Ahem, no one’s mentioned food? Let me! You have to try the food! Yesterday I had a bowl of Saozi Noodles—the soup was amazing! The noodles were springy, the meat topping crispy, with vinegar and chili oil… Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!”]
[“That’s nothing—I had Lu Yu Kuai at the tavern yesterday, it was divine!”]
[“Wait! Are you missing the point? This is an S-rank instance! We’re here to level up, not just eat…”]
[“Hey, your id looks familiar, Zihan—is that you? You were posting about Hu Bing yesterday!”]
[“My god! What are all these hidden features?!”]
[“Are there more? Tell me, I’m writing everything down!”]
[“There’s so much! Listen—I met a poet.’Qujiang Waves Moon, white-robed, wine jug in hand, raising a toast to the moon…'”]