Chapter 41: First Person to Clear the Dungeon! Did Lin Qingyu Lose?
"What?!"
"Four buff skills?! To think he was hiding this many all along?!"
"Just how high must this light and these stats be stacked?!"
"Oh my god! Four-fold buffs! Is this really a level 13 Paladin?!"
"..."
The playground erupted into an uproar, with gasps ringing out one after another.
Director Qin Lan abruptly stood up from her seat, her cold and alluring face filled with shock and wild joy.
Even she didn't know that Lu Li was hiding so many tricks!
The composed smile on Vice Principal Zhou Chong's face stiffened slightly.
The other leaders and teachers from No. 7 High Schoolwere even more dumbfounded.
Those students who had originally held absolute confidence in Lin Qingyu—
At this moment, their hearts skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition quietly spread.
...
Inside the dungeon, the Zombie King seemed to have been infuriated by this sudden, surging holy light.
"Roar—!!!"
It let out a deafening roar, its deep blue soul fire burning frantically.
Ceasing its nonsense, its massive body burst forth with a terrifying speed that defied its size.
Dragging a giant sword, it charged fiercely toward Lu Lilike a runaway chariot!
Swinging its giant sword, it whipped up a shrill black gale and slashed straight down at Lu Li's head!
The momentum was so fierce that it felt as if it would split the entire hall in two!
"Well timed!"
Brilliant light flashed in Lu Li's eyes, and he neither dodged nor evaded.
Instead, he took a step forward and fiercely met the attack, the battle axe in his hand blazing with golden light as it swept from bottom to top!
"Clang—!!!!!"
The moment the axe and sword intersected, it erupted into a metal-on-metal screech far more terrifying than any previous collision!
A visible shockwave erupted and spread outward with the two of them at the center,
shaking the hall's dome and causing even more rubble to fall!
The black deathly aura and the golden holy light clashed frantically!
The black aura on the Zombie King's giant sword vibrated violently.
For the first time, its crimson eyes revealed an anthropomorphic shock.
Because it felt that the rebound force transmitted from the giant sword actually made its arm go numb!
As for Lu Li, his body merely sank slightly, the rocks beneath his feet shattering, before he stood firmly in place!
"Not bad strength, but that's all!" Lu Li grinned.
Under the blessing of the four-fold buffs, his original 80 points of strength stat had skyrocketed to a terrifying 160 points!
Naturally, he wasn't afraid of any direct clash.
Taking advantage of the fleeting moment when the Zombie King's old force was spent and its new force had yet to be born—
Lu Li pushed his battle axe fiercely upward along the blade of the giant sword!
"Screech—!" Amidst the screeching friction, sparks flew everywhere!
The Zombie King's center of gravity was pulled slightly off-balance by this clever force.
Lu Li seized this fleeting opportunity.
His figure slid sideways like a ghost, instantly closing in on the left side of the Zombie King's ribs!
"Sky Strike!"
The battle axe, carrying an unstoppable holy light, fiercely slashed upward from below!
"Bang!" A heavy, muffled sound rang out.
A deep wound was cleaved into the withered muscles full of Resilience on the Zombie King's ribs.
Cyan-black rotting blood splattered out, but it was scorched by the holy light with a sizzling sound, turning into blue smoke.
"Aah—!"
Feeling the pain, the Zombie King let out an angry roar.
Its left arm swept across like a steel whip, whipping up a howling wind.
Lu Li had already withdrawn and retreated, while his left hand reached out like lightning:
"Pure White Blade!"
The cross light blade erupted at close range,
accurately slamming into the joint of the Zombie King's sweeping arm!
"Crack!"
A teeth-gritting sound of bone fracture rang out, and the Zombie King's arm bent at a bizarre angle.
"It's not over yet!"
Lu Li pressed his advantage relentlessly.
His footwork changed in a continuous sequence as he rapidly circled around the Zombie King, whose movements were slightly sluggish due to the injury.
The battle axe turned into streams of golden afterimages, slashing, hacking, lifting, and smashing.
Every attack landed on relatively vulnerable spots such as the Zombie King's joints, neck, and eye sockets.
The restraining effect of the holy light on the undead was pushed to the absolute limit!
The Zombie King roared with fury, swinging its giant sword frantically as black aura spewed forth,
yet it was always dodged by Lu Li by a hair's breadth, or skillfully blocked and deflected by his battle axe.
In Lu Li's eyes, its movements were full of flaws.
"Too slow. Although its strength is strong, it's not condensed enough, and its combat skills are crude."
Lu Li calmly evaluated while attacking.
Possessing the combat experience of his past life, he completely crushed this Zombie King—which relied purely on instinct and brute force—at the level of skill.
"It's time to end this." Seeing that the Zombie King's aura was beginning to disorder due to its injuries and the erosion of the holy light,
a fierce look flashed in Lu Li's eyes as he abruptly retreated a few steps, widening the distance.
Thinking that his opponent was exhausted, the Zombie King roared and was about to pursue,
however, he saw Lu Li stand still, his left hand's five fingers spread open and aimed straight at it.
In the palm of his hand, an unprecedentedly violent golden lightning began to gather frantically!
The crackling electric arcs illuminated his stern profile.
"Taste this, big guy! Chain Lightning!"
"Crackling—!!!"
No longer scattered electric snakes, but a pillar of golden thunder condensed to the absolute limit,
with a speed that surpassed visual capture, it fiercely slammed into the Zombie King's wide chest!
"Awoo—!!!!" A shrieking scream of ultimate agony resounded through the hall!
The Zombie King's massive body was completely engulfed by the thunder light.
The dazzling light made the audience in front of the light screen couldn't help but squint their eyes.
The holy thunder frantically destroyed the deathly aura within its body, scorching its torso.
That rusted iron helmet melted instantly, revealing the hideous and rotting head beneath.
The thunder light lasted for a full three seconds before slowly dissipating.
"Clatter!" The shattered giant sword fell to the ground.
The Zombie King's cyan-white body stood stiffly in place.
A huge, charred hole in its chest was transparent from front to back, with golden electric snakes still darting around its edges.
The light in its crimson eyes rapidly dimmed.
"Bang..."
Finally, this massive body fell backward like a collapsing gold mountain and a toppling jade pillar,
smashing heavily onto the ground, kicking up clouds of dust all over the sky.
The dust settled.
Inside the hall, there was only Lu Li left, standing with his axe, the golden light around his body slowly receding,
as well as the Zombie King's corpse on the ground that was rapidly turning into black smoke and dissipating.
[Congratulations on clearing the Nightmare-level dungeon 'Dark Thunder Ruins' with the speed of the first person.]
[Calculating score rewards...]
The dungeon prompt sounded in Lu Li's mind.
"First person to clear the dungeon?"
Lu Li's lips curved upward.
The entire Sichuan Province used the same dungeon.
The first person to clear it meant that he had already booked the provincial top scorer spot in advance!
...
Outside, on the playground, the light screen belonging to Lu Li—
the image froze on his figure standing alone in the shattered hall.
Silence.
Then, an uproar suddenly erupted!
"Cleared?!"
"The Zombie King was one-shot?!"
"Four-fold buffs, super-strong thunder magic—is this fucking a Paladin? This is a magic tank disguised as a Paladin!"
"He won! Lu Li won! He was even faster than Senior Sister Lin!!"
"Is the provincial top scorer title changing hands?!"
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Senior Sister has an S-rank talent, and she's even a rare Sword Princess class! How could she lose?!"
"..."
Incredulous gasps erupted from every corner.
Many students of No. 7 High School had flushed faces and agitated emotions.
In their hearts, Lin Qingyu was the undisputed king of Rongcheng No. 7 High School for this year's cohort,
and the most powerful contender for the Sichuan Provincetop scorer!
She represented the glory of No. 7 High School and the peak of Chengdu's education!
But now, an unknown Paladin from another city had actually cleared the dungeon first with a crushing posture right under everyone's eyes?
This was simply a fierce slap to their faces!
In contrast, Director Qin Lan's pretty face flushed with excitement.
She looked at that tall and upright figure in the light screen, her eyes filled with pride and surprise.
Chapter 42: Generous Rewards! Welcome Back!
Quiet!"
Vice Principal Zhou Chong's voice rang out.
As a second-transition professional, he didn't need a loudspeaker for his voice to spread across the entire venue.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the restless crowd, a calm smile still lingering on his face:
"Students, calm down."
"There is a time delay mechanism for the 'Vision Livestream' of the college entrance examination dungeon."
"Everyone's delay duration is different; it could be a difference of tens of seconds, or even a few minutes."
"The images currently displayed on the light screen are not in real-time."
"Lin Qingyu might have already cleared it, it's just that the screen has a delay."
"As for who is actually first, we will have to wait until the provincial rankings are officially announced in three days to find out."
As his words fell, many of the restless students finally reacted.
"That's right! There's still a delay!"
"I knew it, how could Senior Sister Lin possibly lose?"
"I was almost scared to death; it turns out the time wasn't synchronized."
"Just wait and see, once Senior Sister Lin clears it, her time might just surpass his!"
"..."
The atmosphere eased slightly, and many students rekindled their hope, locking their gazes tightly onto Lin Qingyu's screen.
Director Qin Lan sat in the guest seats, her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed.
She naturally knew about the delay mechanism Vice Principal Zhou Chong mentioned.
But Lu Li's destructive and unstoppable battle process couldn't be faked.
"Regardless of the final ranking,"
her red lips curved up slightly, a brilliant light shimmering in her eyes,
"this time, Lu Li has at least secured a spot in the top five of the province."
For Mian City, this was already a historic breakthrough!
...
'Rewards calculated. Congratulations on clearing the Dark Thunder Ruins dungeon with a final evaluation of SSS-rank!'
'Congratulations on acquiring experience points: 15,000 points!'
'Obtained clear reward: Gold-grade equipment "Meditator's Necklace"!'
'Obtained special reward: Talent "Resilience Will" (C-grade)!'
Inside the dungeon, within the shattered temple hall.
As the Zombie King's corpse completely dissipated, pleasant dungeon notification sounds rang out one after another.
His experience bar visibly grew by a small section.
It was roughly around one-tenth.
"The experience is not bad."
He nodded slightly and looked at the newly appeared equipment in his hand.
That was a necklace woven from dark golden thin metal rings.
Dangling from it was a rhombus-shaped deep blue sapphire, within which nebulas seemed to circulate.
[Meditator's Necklace]
[Quality: Gold ☆]
[Level: Level 10]
[Attributes: Intelligence +12, Spirit +10]
[Special Effect: Tranquil Echo (Recovers 1% of maximum mana every 5 seconds)]
[Remarks: An accessory containing tranquil magic that allows the wearer to maintain clear thinking and continuous mana recovery in battle.]
"A mana-regen necklace?"
Lu Li's eyes lit up.
Paladin skills had a high mana consumption.
Especially when frequently using buffs and Chain Lightning, the mana pressure was immense.
This necklace's sustained recovery effect could truly be called a timely help!
He equipped it directly, and a cool, gentle aura immediately lingered around his spirit.
His perception, which had been slightly fatigued due to continuous spellcasting, became much clearer.
Besides the equipment, the other reward was a talent!
[Steadfast Will (C-grade): Your endurance and willpower are slightly enhanced, stamina consumption is reduced, and abnormal status resistance is increased.]
"A talent!"
Lu Li took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the wild joy in his heart.
Talents were one of the core components of a professional's potential and combat power!
The vast majority of people only had a single initial talent throughout their entire lives.
Only a tiny minority with heaven-defying fortune could—
obtain a second one, or even more, through special means!
And clearing high-difficulty dungeons was precisely recognized as one of the most reliable methods!
"I didn't expect to run into this probability on my very first college entrance examination..."
Lu Li clenched his fists, feeling the rock-solid, heavy sense of power within his body.
Reduced stamina consumption meant he could fight more persistently.
Increased abnormal status resistance.
Higher fault-tolerance rate when facing effects like poison, stun, and curses.
Although it was C-grade, the value of a talent was far beyond what ordinary equipment could compare to!
"Equipment, experience, talent—this college entrance examination dungeon harvest was extremely abundant!"
He calmed his mood, but then frowned slightly. "However, the system's college entrance examination achievement quest hasn't been settled yet."
After pondering slightly, he understood the reason.
The final ranking of the college entrance examination was undecided, so the quest naturally couldn't be considered complete.
"But it won't take long either; the rankings will be released in three days."
Lu Li delayed no longer, communicating with the dungeon via his thoughts, and chose to teleport back.
...
Real world, the playground of Rongcheng No. 7 High School.
The bronze giant door in the center flashed with light.
An upright figure stepped out, and it was none other than Lu Li.
He was still wearing that black fitted outfit, carrying a battle axe on his back.
His expression was calm, as if he had just completed an ordinary training session.
However, what greeted him was a brief silence.
All the students of No. 7 High School cast complex gazes over.
Mian City had actually produced a prodigy who might compete with them for the provincial top scorer position!
"A qilin born from the fields!
I didn't expect Student Lu to be so formidable in strength.
Congratulations, Student Lu Li, for booking a spot in the provincial top five in advance."
Vice Principal Zhou Chong took the lead in standing up, applauding and welcoming him.
As the Vice Principal of No. 7 High School, he still had this bit of composure.
"Welcome back!"
"You've worked hard, Senior Lu Li!"
"Senior Lu Li, your performance just now was so cool!"
"..."
With Vice Principal Zhou Chong taking the lead,
quite a few students from No. 7 High School also offered their own blessings.
Although some students of No. 7 High School still insisted that Lin Qingyu was number one,
Lu Li used his concrete performance to conquer many people at the scene.
The strong would win respect anywhere.
At this moment,
Director Qin Lan had long since stood up, stepping in high heels and walking over quickly with her full, slender legs.
A bright smile bloomed on her cold, glamorous face as she spoke:
"You've worked hard! Lu Li, well done!"
The pride and joy in her tone were almost overflowing.
At this time, Vice Principal Zhou Chong also walked over with several school leaders.
A warm smile hung on Vice Principal Zhou Chong's face as he took the lead in extending his hand:
"Student Lu Li, congratulations on successfully completing the college entrance examination!
Your performance was exceptionally brilliant! It really opened all of our eyes!"
"Principal Zhou flatters me."
Lu Li shook hands with him, his etiquette thorough.
"Director Qin, it seems your Mian City is really going to soar straight into the skies this time!"
After the handshake, Vice Principal Zhou Chong turned to Director Qin Lan, his tone emotional:
"To be able to cultivate a genius like Student Lu Li, the Municipal Education Bureau is without a doubt immensely meritorious!
In this year's education achievement evaluation, Director Qin is going to take first place."
The provincial education achievement evaluation didn't just look at rankings; it also looked at progress!
For Chengdu to win the provincial top scorer position was only natural!
If Mian City could cultivate someone in the provincial top ten, that would be the most astonishing progress!
Not to mention, Lu Li's final score had a high probability of being more than just the provincial top ten.
"Principal Zhou exaggerates, congratulations to you too."
Director Qin Lan responded with a smile, her tone relaxed:
"No. 7 High School has a profound foundation, and Student Lin Qingyu is even a favored daughter of heaven.
The college entrance examination has not yet ended, and as for what the final result will be, we still have to look at the rankings.
However, regardless of the ranking,
being able to participate in this Dragon Gate Project and exchange pointers with various prodigies is already a rare experience and growth for Lu Li."
Her words were airtight, expressing confidence while also giving plenty of face to No. 7 High School.
"Haha, Director Qin is too modest."
Vice Principal Zhou Chong laughed, then checked the time:
"The college entrance examination is still ongoing, and the other students haven't come out yet.
Are Director Qin and Student Lu Li planning to leave first, or take a brief rest here and watch the students' performances together?"
Chapter 43: Director Qin Lan's Investment! The Three Top Universities!
"I won't disturb you any further."
Director Qin Lan politely declined, "Lu Li just went through a major battle and needs to rest and recover.
We should also head back to prepare for the subsequent matters. Thank you for No. 7 High School's invitation and hospitality this time."
"Since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer.
I look forward to the good news when the rankings are announced in three days!"
Vice Principal Zhou Chong didn't force them to stay and politely saw them off.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Director Qin Lan and Lu Li left the playground side by side.
Wherever they passed, the crowd naturally parted to create a path.
The discussions did not stop, but the meaning in their gazes was already different.
Until they got into that red sports car and drove away from No. 7 High School campus.
Director Qin Lan let out a long sigh of relief.
She turned her head to look at Lu Li, who was resting with his eyes closed in the passenger seat, her eyes sparkling brilliantly.
"Lu Li!"
Her voice carried uncontainable excitement:
"Your performance today far exceeded my expectations!
Clearing a Nightmare-tier dungeon with an SSS rating!
I have a hunch that this time, our Mian City is truly going to make history!"
"Yeah, it should be pretty much about right."
Lu Li opened his eyes.
Looking at the street view rapidly retreating outside the window, the corners of his mouth ticked up slightly.
He had already confirmed through the dungeon prompt tone that he was the first person to clear it.
To him, the provincial top scorer was just a matter of waiting for the final announcement of the rankings.
...
On the way back to Mian City.
The low roar of the sports car's engine flowed smoothly on the highway.
Leaving Chengdu's prosperity and hustle far behind.
Soothing light music flowed inside the car, but the atmosphere still retained a hint of subtle agitation due to the shocking performance just now.
With the smart driving system enabled, Director Qin Landidn't need to hold the steering wheel at all and leaned back comfortably in her seat.
After the excitement passed, her spatial ring flashed with a faint light, and an item appeared in her hand.
Without even looking, she casually tossed it toward the passenger seat.
"Here, catch it."
Lu Li instinctively caught it. It felt slightly cool and heavy in his hand—a simple-looking silver key.
Hanging on the keychain was also an exquisite little metal tag engraved with an address and house number.
Isn't this just a room key?
"This is...?"
Lu Li was slightly stunned, then said righteously:
"Director Qin, although I am very handsome,
I need to emphasize that I do not accept any form of unspoken rules."
"Cough, cough."
Director Qin Lan almost choked, rolled her pretty eyes, and said:
"What are you thinking!
This is a large flat in downtown Mian City. The area isn't small, around two hundred square meters.
As for the market price, it's a little over three million yanlong coins.
Now, it belongs to you."
"So it's not an unspoken rule."
Lu Li blinked, then looked at the key and said:
"A reward from the Education Bureau? So generous?"
Three million could be considered a huge sum in both his past and present lives.
And right now, the college entrance examination results haven't even been officially announced yet.
"Hehe."
Director Qin Lan chuckled softly, turned her head to glance at him:
"The Education Bureau isn't that generous, and the procedures aren't that fast.
Before seeing the college entrance exam score sheet and rankings in black and white with a red seal,
I can't mobilize too many resources from the bureau to issue you substantive rewards."
She slightly adjusted her sitting posture.
Her slender, beautiful legs wrapped in black silk were crossed, and the tips of her high heels gently tapped the car mat.
"This is given to you by me personally. Well... consider it a sponsorship for your future."
Right now, she had shed a bit of her official dignity as a director.
Her coiled bun was a bit loose, and a few strands of jet-black hair fell against her neck, making her skin look even fairer and like jade.
The well-tailored suit outlined a breathtaking waist-to-hip curve.
Beneath the tight hip skirt, that pair of long legs tightly wrapped in black silk emitted a hazy luster under the slightly dim light inside the car.
The charm and lazy aura of a mature woman silently permeated the air.
"Sponsorship?" Lu Li raised an eyebrow.
"That's right, a sponsorship for your future potential."
Director Qin Lan explained with a smile:
"With the S-rank talent you've displayed, plus your performance in this college entrance examination,
Even if you don't end up as the provincial top scorer, a top-five spot in the entire province can't run away, right?
Such a score, placed in previous years, could get you into all three top universities.
Soaring straight into the sky is already a settled matter."
She paused, her tone becoming a bit more serious:
"I am optimistic about your future, very optimistic.
I think this investment is well worth it.
It's just a house; consider it a welcome gift from me to a future powerhouse."
"Oh? Since that's the case, I'll accept it."
Lu Li nodded and accepted it directly.
Now it was Director Qin Lan's turn to be somewhat surprised.
She had thought the young man would at least politely decline for a bit.
"You're quite straightforward."
Director Qin Lan turned her head and said with some surprise:
"Aren't you afraid that by owing me a favor this time, I might ask you to do something excessive in the future?"
"Not afraid."
Lu Li leaned back in his seat with a relaxed demeanor:
"I originally had nothing at all; even this set of equipment on my body was given by the Training Camp.
As for future matters, we'll talk about them in the future.
Besides, if you really ask me to do something excessive, couldn't I just refuse?"
"Pfft—"
Director Qin Lan couldn't help laughing out loud, her crisp laughter echoing inside the car:
"You, you look young, but your mind is quite lucid.
You also live open-mindedly. Not bad, I like this temperament of yours."
After laughing, she casually changed the topic:
"Now that the college entrance examination is over, have you figured out which university you want to go to?"
"Not yet." Lu Li shook his head.
For the past month, he had been training frantically and simply had no time to consider schools.
He pondered slightly and asked in return: "Director Qin, you are knowledgeable and experienced.
Given my current situation, do you have any recommended schools?"
"Don't call me Director Qin, just call me Sister Qin."
Director Qin Lan waved her hand casually, "I'm 26 this year, only a few years older than you."
"26?" Lu Li was truly a bit surprised this time.
Before, he saw that Director Qin Lan had a powerful aura and was sophisticated in handling matters.
And being the head of the Education Bureau, he thought she was at least over thirty.
He didn't expect her to be so young.
"What, do you think I look old?"
Director Qin Lan raised an eyebrow, her tone dangerous.
Her makeup was just a bit mature, but her actual age really wasn't that big.
"No."
Lu Li quickly shook his head, "I just think it's amazing that Sister Qin could become the head of the Education Bureauat such a young age."
"Sister Qin is truly promising and talented at a young age." This compliment came from the bottom of his heart.
"Mhm, good boy."
Director Qin Lan was finally satisfied, the corners of her lips curling into a smile again:
"In the future, if there's anything you can't handle in Mian City, just come find your Sister."
Getting back to business, she restrained her casualness a bit and said with a serious expression:
"As for university recommendations, our Yanlong Countryhas numerous professional universities.
But there are only three that truly stand at the pinnacle of the pyramid and possess the country's top resources.
I suppose you know them too.
They are respectively Modu Professional University, Jiangnan Professional University, and Imperial Capital Professional University."
"Mhm, their reputation precedes them." Lu Li nodded.
This was just like the 'Tsinghua-Peking dream' in the hearts of students from his past life.
Even if it was out of reach, no one didn't know their great names.
"Then do you know
why these three schools can dominate the top position year after year and make countless geniuses flock to them?"
Director Qin Lan threw out the question.
"Is it because of the strongest faculty?
I heard that the teachers who can teach inside are at least Third-transition professionals with a level exceeding 50.
There is even no lack of higher-level existences."
Lu Li pondered and said.
Level 10 First-transition, Level 30 Second-transition, Level 50 Third-transition.
Third-transition professionals were more freakish than the last, with extremely strong power!
Even Second-transition professionals were rare in Mian City.
Yet in these top universities, a Level 50 Third-transition powerhouse was merely the basic condition for teaching.
Chapter 44: Trending across the entire internet, yet completely ignored!
"Powerful faculty is indeed one of the important reasons, but it is not the most core one."
Director Qin Lan stretched out her slender fingers and gently shook them:
"The most crucial and irreplaceable thing is the 'educational resources' they control!"
Her tone became solemn:
"These three top universities possess the country's most dungeon secret realms, skill libraries, and attribute allocation roadmaps!"
"Putting everything else aside, you should be very clear about the importance of dungeons."
"Yes."
Lu Li nodded solemnly, deeply agreeing.
Dungeons were the core pathway for professionals to acquire experience, equipment, skills, special materials, and even opportunities for talent awakening.
Stable, efficient, and yield-rich dungeon resources provided a decisive boost to a professional's growth.
The Tongzi dungeon in the Training Camp had benefited him immensely.
And the dungeons controlled by top-tier institutions were probably countless times more valuable than Tongzi's!
"The dungeons controlled by the Big Three not only have a quantity advantage, but also a quality advantage."
Director Qin Lan continued to explain, "They possess multiple Gold-grade dungeons, and it is even rumored that they have access channels to Diamond-grade dungeons.
These are simply incomparable to other universities."
The sports car drove out of the tunnel, and sunlight spilled back into the car.
Director Qin Lan's face was bright and moving under the light, but her tone was exceptionally serious.
"Lu Li, with your talent and achievements, you can definitely enter any of these three top universities.
In fact, if you win the provincial top scholar title, all three universities will fight to have you enroll!
But you must think clearly; which school you go to is related to your future development route."
She paused and added:
"Modu Professional University focuses heavily on practical combat, and many graduates enter major battle corps.
Jiangnan Professional University focuses on theoretical research and skill development, making it suitable for taking the scholar path.
Imperial Capital Professional University is the one with the most profound foundation.
Those wealthy families and professional clans of our Yanlong Country will all choose Imperial Capital Professional University."
Lu Li listened quietly, pondering inwardly.
"As for the final decision on which one to go to, it still depends on yourself.
Of course, no matter which of these three universities you go to, none of them are bad."
Director Qin Lan's tone relaxed.
"Understood." Lu Li nodded.
Indeed, no matter which of the three top universities one went to, their future would be boundless.
...
The speed of the sports car was extremely fast.
In just two hours, it returned from Chengdu to Mian City.
"Alright, the college entrance examination is over.
Rest well these few days, don't think about anything else, just wait for the results to be announced."
After dropping Lu Li off at the entrance of the residential community corresponding to the key,
Director Qin Lan stepped on the accelerator and drove away.
Lu Li withdrew his gaze and turned to walk into the community.
According to the house number on the key, he quickly found the corresponding room.
The moment he pushed the door open, even with his transmigrator mindset, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.
This was a large flat-floor apartment exceeding two hundred square meters.
The decoration was a modern minimalist style, with grey and white as the main tones, dotted with warm wood elements.
The living room was exaggeratedly large, with an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and the lighting conditions were nearly perfect.
At this moment, it was close to noon.
Golden sunlight poured in, dyeing the entire space warm and bright.
"As expected of a 3-million-worth house, the living and view experience can be called invincible."
Lu Li sat down heavily on the sofa, a smile involuntarily appearing on the corners of his mouth.
This was the first time he had lived in such a house, whether in his past life or the present.
The experience was indeed very good.
...
Over the next two days, external public opinion continued to ferment.
Lu Li's stunning performance in the college entrance examination live broadcast caused a huge uproar on the Sichuan Province internet.
"Shocking! Mian City's Dark Horse Paladin Suspected to Be the First to Clear a Nightmare-grade Dungeon!"
"Strength or Lag? The Biggest Suspense of the Dragon Gate Project!"
"Rise of the Paladin Class? In-depth Analysis of Lu Li's Combat Footage!"
The titles were more eye-catching than the last, and the click rates climbed crazily.
Lu Li's destructive performance in the dungeon—
especially the footage of him hard-shaking the Gold BOSS Zombie King under the blessing of fourfold buffs and blasting it to ashes—
was repeatedly edited, slow-motioned, and analyzed.
"This holy light! This power! This Chain Lightning! You're telling me this is a support?"
"What I practice is the Paladin, and now I suspect I'm playing a fake class!"
"Fourfold buff stacking! To what extent must attributes explode? Is this scientific?"
"The proud talents of Rongcheng No. 7 High School fell collectively silent. Although Lin Qingyu's swordsmanship is wonderful, the visual impact seems a bit lacking?"
"Is the provincial top scholar really going to change hands? Mian City is about to defy the heavens!"
"..."
Heated discussions were like a tide, wave higher than wave.
Lu Li's background was also quickly dug up by omnipotent netizens.
Qingyang County, No. 3 High School.
An unknown county-level middle school with crude teaching facilities and weak faculty.
The best result in previous college entrance exams was only within the top 100,000 of the province.
Now, it actually walked out such a freakish anomaly?
The official website of Qingyang No. 3 Middle School was once crowded to bursting by curious netizens.
The principal's hands went soft from answering phone calls, all of which were inquiring about Lu Li's situation.
The county Education Bureau was even overjoyed and prepared materials overnight.
Intending to properly publicize this 'once-in-an-eon' educational achievement.
However, this wave of heat came fast and went fast.
Except for the media's bandwagon reporting and internal celebrations by the local education system in the first few days,
the follow-ups regarding Lu Li came to an abrupt stop.
There were no swarming university admissions office phone calls.
No sky-high scholarship invitations, no brand endorsements breaking down the threshold.
There were not even many decent in-depth interviews.
It was like a pebble thrown into the lake surface; after rippling, it quickly returned to calm.
Looking back at Rongcheng No. 7 High School, it was completely a different scene.
The school gate was surrounded every day by reporters with long guns and short cannons, scrambling to interview that cold and stunningly beautiful young girl sword master.
"Classmate Lin Qingyu, how would you evaluate your performance in this college entrance examination?"
"Senior Sister Qingyu, the deputy director of Jiangnan Professional University admissions office visited in person. Do you already have a favored institution?"
"Rumor has it that the Wind and Thunder Battle Corps has issued a probation invitation to you. Is it true?"
"..."
Lin Qingyu stood at the school gate of No. 7 High School.
Wearing a plain white long dress, her dark hair was like a waterfall.
Her cold and stunningly beautiful face wore a calm expression, as if all the clamor in this world had nothing to do with her.
Her facial features were so exquisite as if she had stepped out of a painting, and her figure was slender yet curvaceous.
Especially those slender and straight legs, shining white under the sunlight, causing countless camera lenses to involuntarily focus on them.
Not only was she pretty, but her answers were also concise and proper.
But every single sentence could trigger a new round of reporting.
Not only her, but the other eight No. 7 High Schoolstudents participating in the Dragon Gate Project, including Senior Zhang Hao,
also more or less received interviews, commercial endorsements, or olive branches from universities.
Senior Zhang Hao even took on an advertisement for a local energy drink, and the endorsement fee was said to be substantial.
As for Lu Li's side, apart from some congratulatory text messages inside the Education Bureau
and the condolence call personally made by Director Qin Lan, the outside world almost completely ignored him.
Two small companies actually came looking for him, wanting to ask Lu Li to endorse their products.
The offer?
A uniform price: 100,000 yanlong coins.
It couldn't even compare to a piece of equipment Lu Lipicked up from a dungeon.
To this, he naturally chose to refuse.
Chapter 45: Provincial Top Scholar! God-tier Reward!
"Lu Li, don't worry, and don't look at all that messy stuff online."
After all, Lin Qingyu and the others were the signboard of Rongcheng No. 7 High School, and their foundation and attention were high to begin with.
When the gaokao scores are officially announced later and the provincial ranking list comes out, your fame will definitely be greater than theirs!
By then, everything that should come will come."
Due to the huge gap, Director Qin Lan even made a special phone call to comfort him.
But in her words, her own confidence was somewhat lacking.
At the end of the day, it's just that the Paladin class is too weak.
After that wave of limelight passed, no one would think that Lu Li could win the provincial top scholar.
Even she faintly doubted whether Lu Li's first place during the gaokao live broadcast...
...was an illusion caused by the dungeon delay difference.
Regarding this, Lu Li just smiled: "Sister Qin, I'm not in a hurry."
He really wasn't in a hurry.
The dungeon prompt's 'First Person to Clear' wouldn't lie.
The provincial top scholar was already well within his grasp.
The current cold reception from the outside world was nothing more than a brief fog caused by information gaps and occupational prejudice.
Once the rankings are announced, the fog will naturally dissipate.
...
Three days quietly passed in peace.
Early this morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten.
Lu Li habitually changed into sportswear and went for a morning run in the 'Yunqifu' residential area where his new home was located.
When he was in Qingyang County, he also ran frequently.
But it was a completely different concept from now.
The environment here was serene, lined with green trees, and the running path was soft and professional.
There was not the slightest foot-grinding sensation of running in Qingyang County.
[Ding! Daily task (Run 100 km) completed, Free Attribute Points +5.]
After running for a while longer, the pleasant system prompt sounded in his mind.
"5 Free Attribute Points? Not bad."
Lu Li slowed his pace, his thoughts stirring slightly.
He evenly distributed the 5 Free Attribute Points among the four major attributes of Strength, Physique, Agility, and Wisdom.
Feeling the subtle reinforcement of his body, he let out a light breath.
The system's daily tasks had already become a part of his life.
Fortunately, these tasks were not too difficult.
Just at this moment, the mobile phone he was carrying vibrated gently.
It was an official push notification from the education system, with a concise and eye-catching title:
'The 2077 Yanlong Country Sichuan Province unified gaokao scores have been announced.
Candidates are requested to log in to the inquiry system to check their rankings and scores. Link:...'
"Gaokao scores are out?"
Lu Li's eyes lit up as he clicked on the link.
The page jumped and loaded.
A few seconds later, a clear golden ranking list came into view.
At the very top of the list, that name marked in bold font...
...appeared exceptionally dazzling under the rising sunlight.
Lu Li (Qingyang County No. 3 High School)
Total Score: 998
Dungeon Evaluation: SSS
Clearance Time: 9 minutes 47 seconds
Difficulty: Nightmare
Ranking: 1
And in second place——
Lin Qingyu (Rongcheng No. 7 High School)
Total Score: 923
Dungeon Evaluation: SSS
Clearance Time: 10 minutes 54 seconds
Difficulty: Nightmare
Ranking: 2
"As expected, first place! Provincial top scholar!"
Even though he had long known his scores.
The moment he actually saw the rankings announced, Lu Listill couldn't help feeling wild joy in his heart.
Almost at the same time, the system prompt in his mind arrived as promised:
[Ding! Gaokao scores detected to be announced, ranking confirmed.]
[Gaokao achievement task completed! Settling rewards...]
[In view of your final ranking, congratulations on obtaining the highest reward!]
[Your universal skill 'Appraisal' has been upgraded to the exclusive 'Divine Appraisal'!]
[Congratulations on obtaining: S-tier Divine Skill'Sanctuary'!]
Boom!
Two completely different torrents of information surged into his consciousness like a breached dike.
The first was cool and transparent, as if countless tiny runes were disassembling and reorganizing before his eyes.
The second was scorching and sacred, like a domain forged from holy light suddenly unfolding within his spiritual world!
"Two skills! One auxiliary! One buff!"
Lu Li's eyes flashed with a surge of brilliant light.
Forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he concentrated to perceive it.
[Divine Appraisal (LV1): You are the prying eye of truth, and all things have nowhere to hide in your eyes.]
[Effect 1: Can probe the target's detailed attributes, skill list, current status, and potential weaknesses.]
[Effect 2: Probing cannot be detected.]
[Effect 3: Probing effects are additionally enhanced against dark, undead, and curse-type units.]
[Sanctuary (S-tier, LV1): With faith as the foundation and holy light as the guidance, unfold your own sacred domain.]
[Effect 1: After the domain is deployed, the four-dimensional attributes of all friendly units designated by you within a 10-meter radius are greatly increased (self-effects are doubled).]
[Effect 2: Domain duration is 60 seconds, cooldown time is 24 hours;]
[Remarks: Domain range, attribute boost ratio, and duration increase with skill level.]
"Hiss—"
Even with prior mental preparation, Lu Li still drew in a sharp breath.
How was this a skill upgrade? It was clearly a complete rebirth!
He couldn't wait to test it, shifting his gaze to a middle-aged neighbor who was doing morning exercises not far away.
With a thought, Divine Appraisal activated silently.
In an instant, a translucent light screen visible only to him appeared beside the neighbor.
[Name]: Wang Zhen
[Level]: 23
[Class]: Warrior
[Talent]: Boiling Blood (C-tier, strength increases when injured)
[Current Status]: Mildly exhausted, old injury in left leg relapsed (dungeon fracture from 3 years ago not fully healed), in a pleasant mood.
[Mastered Skills]: Heavy Strike (C- Grade, LV9), Whirlwind Slash (D Grade, LV6), Blood Qi Burst (C Grade, LV3)... (7 items in total, expandable)
"This is Divine Appraisal?!"
Looking at the newly appeared information, Lu Li's heart was shocked.
You must know that the original Appraisal was a universal skill.
It could only see the level and class, and the information was very limited.
Moreover, once used on someone with a higher level than oneself, it was extremely easy to be detected by the other party.
In the circle of professionals, this was almost a blatant provocation!
Therefore, he almost rarely used Appraisal on others.
But now, the other party's level was a full 10 levels higher than his own.
After he used Divine Appraisal, the other party unexpectedly showed no reaction at all and continued jogging away!
"This is going to defy the heavens!"
Lu Li was secretly pleasantly surprised.
The role of intelligence goes without saying, naturally.
Whether in dungeons or in the wild.
Being able to see more information from monsters...
...makes it easier to make judgments and reduce danger to the minimum!!
"And this Sanctuary..."
He focused his attention on the other skill.
Although the 24-hour cooldown time in the skill description seemed harsh.
But as an S-tier divine skill, the strength of this skill would definitely not be low!
"Great, great, great! It gave me a huge surprise right off the bat!"
Just as he was immersed in wild joy, his phone suddenly vibrated wildly.
Glancing at the screen, it was Director Qin Lan.
Connecting——
"Lu Li! Did you see it!
Provincial top scholar! You are the provincial top scholar!!"
Director Qin Lan's excited voice almost broke through the earpiece.
In the background, there were noisy human voices and faint cheers.
"This is great, the whole province knows!
Just now, the call from the Provincial Education Department came directly to me.
Teachers from the admissions offices of the three top institutions will probably come to find you in person today!
Soaring into the sky, you've really soared into the sky this time!"
Even across the phone, one could imagine her glowing appearance at this moment.
"Sister Qin, calm down." Lu Li's mouth curled up.