The first eight students to take the stage were handpicked by Principal Lü.
They were all fifth graders, relatively motivated, and had persisted in training even during the holidays, feeling that they had finally touched the threshold of advancement.
Now, standing on the stage under the guidance of their teachers, they were attempting to break through that last barrier.
Unfortunately.
“One First Rank Peak.”
“You are a First Rank Peak.”
“Just a little off. Be careful not to release your Spirit Power carelessly like it’s nothing—that’s the sign of failure.”
“Too bad, try harder next semester.”
Out of the eight, only the last male student succeeded in projecting his Spirit Power.
Excitedly, he jumped on the stage, his iron fists pounding with fierce energy.
“Chen Ru Shan, a student from Class XX, youth doesn’t betray sweat—your hard work is finally paying off.”
The fifth-grade Class Teacher held the microphone and said, “From now on, you are officially a Second Rank Spirit Power User.”
A modest round of applause echoed both on and off the stage.
Principal Lü gave the fifth-grade teacher a knowing look and signaled him to take the excited Chen Ru Shan off the stage.
The warm-up was complete; it was time to move on to the main event.
“Thank you to all the diligent students. Every bit of your growth adds strength to humanity’s survival and contributes to the safety of our city and society.”
He held the microphone and said, “Next, we have a lower-grade student who will also participate in this Evaluation Ceremony.”
Unlike just briefly announcing names earlier, this time Principal Lü spoke at length:
“This is a girl from Class One, Third Grade. Although young, she has long had a certain reputation in the school. In recent months, she has continuously refreshed everyone’s impression and recognition of her. Despite her young age, she has faced responsibilities without retreat and has made significant contributions to eliminating the Clown Gang. Though young, her heart to grow stronger has never cooled. Let us welcome Shen Ning!”
The audience was no longer as calm as before.
Putting everything else aside, just hearing Principal Lü’s lengthy introduction sharply contrasted with the earlier eight students and made it clear that this girl was the real focus of the Evaluation Ceremony.
The previous ones were appetizers; she was the main course. But why?
Many students at Shengling Academy had some impression of this white-haired girl named Shen Ning.
She had once been called the Miner Girl. Later, she was dubbed the Murder Demon King because during the Clown Gang’s first attack, she had driven them into a panicked retreat.
This matched perfectly with what Principal Lü had just said.
Later, she was called the Pure-hearted Little Sister because during a concert livestream, she was kissed on the cheek by the school flower, leaving her blushing and stunned.
In short, what kind of “whimper” was she going to make during her evaluation?
People inside the Academy had some understanding; those outside knew nothing at all.
However, most of today’s invitees were sharp.
The son of the city’s largest healthcare enterprise had come at Mayor He’s invitation as the company representative.
He immediately understood the special treatment Principal Lü was giving Shen Ning.
“This girl has quite a background,” he asked his assistant.
The assistant shook his head cluelessly.
“No idea. Never heard of her before.”
“No matter, when we interview her later, she’ll definitely thank her parents, and then we’ll find out.”
He truly saw through it.
Principal Lü had not had Shen Ning test directly. Instead, someone handed her a microphone and conducted a brief on-the-spot interview.
“Shen Ning, what drives you to keep moving forward without ever stopping?”
“It’s my oath.”
The girl, having rehearsed long ago, answered without hesitation.
“And the people I treasure now.”
A few days ago, after hearing from her girlfriend about the Evaluation Ceremony, Shen Ning had some subconscious resistance.
But standing on the stage now, looking at the bustling crowd below, she felt something similar to when she gave a speech at True Spirit Academy—it seemed kind of interesting.
“Not much.”
The healthcare enterprise’s heir scratched his head, clearly uninterested.
“Being a Second Rank Spirit Power User at such a young age is impressive, but it doesn’t say much. Some people develop physically faster and reach the Second Rank earlier, but that doesn’t correlate with Spirit Power talent. I’ve seen plenty of young Second Ranks who only ever remain Second Rank their entire lives.”
He was more curious about which noble family Shen Ning came from, to command such respect from both Principal Lü and Mayor He.
Unfortunately, during the following interview, when asked whom she most wanted to thank for her achievements, the girl only named one person.
“My girlfriend, Xu Chuyao.”
Students at Shengling Academy quietly cheered.
Thunder Girl and school flower Xu Chuyao was quite famous at school.
Principal Lü chuckled and took the microphone:
“Love is the sweetest thing in youth. But Shen Ning must have gained more than just love here at school.”
Having rehearsed earlier, Shen Ning nodded cooperatively:
“There are also my comrades who fight alongside me and the teachers who help me improve.”
The large screen lit up, and several interview clips started playing.
“When I first met her, I felt she was different from the cold rumors—she’s actually very easy to get along with.”
“She’s amazing. Not the usual type. Despite her small stature, she’s really powerful.”
“Quiet but very reliable.”
The backstage Crisis Response Team was stunned.
The footage they had been separately interviewed for was actually being used here.
“You’re up next,” the director pulled aside the curtain and reminded, “Follow the order of the clips—one by one.”
There was a strange sense of ceremony, and even now they didn’t fully understand why, but they obediently walked on stage, smiling and shaking hands with the girl as instructed.
No matter what, Shen Ning had carried them through several battles; she deserved it.
A few minutes later, only Thunder Girl remained backstage.
“Xu Chuyao, you’re next.”
The director reminded, “When the music starts, go on.”
“Okay.”
As soon as the words fell, a clear, ethereal melody began to play, accompanied by the students’ countless cheers from below.
Xu Chuyao blushed and gave a sweet smile, then walked onto the stage.
The music and cheers grew louder.
She tilted her head and noticed the screen was replaying the slow-motion clip of the concert where she kissed Shen Ning.
“Because of love, sadness doesn’t come easily, so everything looks like happiness~”
Shen Ning spread her arms in time to embrace her.
“I know you like old songs from the Spirit Power era,” the girl whispered in her girlfriend’s ear, “so I specially chose this one.”
Actually, the idea came from Broken Shadow.
Xu Chuyao tugged at the corner of her mouth and smiled helplessly.
She could tell Shen Ning enjoyed these lively moments.
Well, the child was so happy—let her enjoy it.
Finally, the whole team stood on either side, with Principal Lü standing tall behind the two girls, facing the TV cameras for a commemorative photo.
“All right, now please welcome Shen Ning to proceed with the Evaluation Ceremony.”
After all this buildup, many had forgotten why she was even here.
“Which noble family does this Shen girl belong to?”
The TV cameraman whispered, “Even the principal had to come over and take a photo with her.”
They had been called directly by Mayor He, instructed to treat this live broadcast as a political task, something very important.
Originally, they expected a big event, but watching up to now, nothing seemed all that extraordinary.
Was this all just showy theatrics?
Many thought so, even a school official was slightly concerned.
After Principal Lü stepped down, he approached and asked, “Aren’t we overdoing it a bit?”
Principal Lü blew on his beard and said, “Shut up, Old Lin. Watch the historical footage closely—I suggest you record it on your phone.”
“Historical footage?”
Realizing his old comrade was a bit slow, Principal Lü gave a hint: “Do you know how old Shen Ning is now? 18 years and 10 months.”
“And?” Old Lin scratched his head.
“Do you know when Marshal Wen Shengqing ascended to Third Rank?”
“Of course I know. Who wouldn’t? Marshal Wen Shengqing advanced at 19 years and 4 months, setting the record for fastest advancement.”
“But what does Shen Ning have to do with Marshal Wen Shengqing… holy crap!”
Old Lin cursed loudly, no time to say more as he pulled out his phone and quickly searched for the recording function.
On stage, Yu Jing stepped forward and stood on Shen Ning’s left while Shen Ning stood on the right.
“Begin.”
As the class teacher, she looked at her proud student, “I’ll help you suppress any loss of control of your Spirit Power.”
Shen Ning nodded, then closed her eyes.
“Shouting like this really adds to the effect.”
The healthcare heir laughed, “Which noble family is she from? Neither Mayor He nor Principal Lü says. They’re making it so mysterious.”
Bored, he took a sip of tea and pretended to browse online.
Just as he lifted the cup and was about to scold his assistant for pulling him, he looked up at the stage—and sprayed his tea out.
“Pft… holy crap!”
The white mist of a winter morning swirled, dead leaves falling from the trees drifting beside the girl, growing faster and faster, until they became a spiraling stream.
It wasn’t a Spirit Power wind—it was real wind, elemental in nature.
This was definitely not Second Rank!
The healthcare heir wasn’t the first to realize this.
As the roaring wind grew louder, the visually slow-to-understand crowd gradually caught on.
“She’s Third Rank!”
A boy who loved to shout loudly yelled, and the audience erupted in countless cries.
“Holy crap, is this for real?”
“No doubt, she’s definitely unlocked it.”
“Uh, can this really happen in the real world? I ask, can it?”
“She’s so amazing… I…”
Even the excited Chen Ru Shan, who had just been thrilled about becoming Second Rank, calmed down at this moment, his Second Rank certificate suddenly feeling meaningless.
In the corner of the VIP seats, Sveina applauded.
“Incredible.”
He put his phone to his ear: “Yes, I’m on site at Aihua Technology. Did you see the TV broadcast?”
“Good, understood. We will definitely deliver.”