Translator: CinderTL
Taoyang Community, Building 12, Apartment 606.
Jiang Ye sat on the sofa, unusually not cultivating.
The little girl clung to his waist, her legs curled up on the sofa as she watched TV.
In the kitchen, Jiang Dahai and his wife were busy preparing dinner.
"Brother," Jiang Ting whispered, hugging him tightly. "Are you nervous?"
"Nervous about what?" Jiang Ye asked, looking down at her.
"The scores are coming out soon." Xiao Jiang Ting shrank back slightly, her neck tensing.
She seemed to be remembering the anxiety of waiting for her own exam results.
She knew the College Entrance Examination was extremely important.
Just imagining her brother's situation made her feel incredibly anxious.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Jiang Ye shook his head with a smile, gently massaging her small, fair feet.
Nervous? He wasn't nervous.
But he was certainly curious about his College Entrance Examination score.
Unlike the monthly exams, the College Entrance Examination scores weren't updated in real-time.
The official scores would be released three days after the examination concluded.
They would be published only after multiple reviews by the Unified Examination Bureau, the Education Bureau, and other relevant authorities.
Moreover, Jiang Ye hadn't undergone a formal strength assessment since his first breakthrough, so he had no clear idea of what score he might achieve.
I have a 20-point bonus for being a Reserve Star Practitioner, Jiang Ye thought to himself. I only need to score 870 to meet Penglai University's minimum requirement.
Could he reach 870?
Jiang Ye was confident, but he couldn't be entirely certain.
After all, he didn't know exactly how much strength was required to achieve that score.
Time ticked by as he waited.
Ding!
The grandfather clock in the living room chimed.
"Ten o'clock!" Jiang Ting immediately sat up, her voice tight with tension. "Brother, we can check the scores now!"
"The scores are out?"
Li Anping rushed out of the kitchen, still wiping her hands, and sat beside Jiang Ye.
"Xiao Ye," Jiang Dahai called out, his face filled with anticipation as he approached.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Ye suddenly recalled the illusionary realm he had experienced during the Cosmic Divine Path Certification.
The resemblance to the present moment was uncanny.
In that illusion, he had scored only 690 points, leaving him utterly despondent.
But in reality, he was certain he had done far better.
Jiang Ye shook his head, dismissing the thought.
He activated the wristband projection.
Beep! The projection materialized.
He opened the score page.
He entered his student ID, national ID number, and examination number.
Candidate Jiang Ye, retrieving results...
A small, spinning circle appeared on the screen, rotating endlessly.
Beep!
The page refreshed.
Name: Jiang Ye
National ID Number: XXXXXX
Examination Number: XXXXXX
Cultural Score: 100
Martial Arts Four Disciplines Total Score: 915 (Base Score: 895)
West Mountain Province Ranking: 199th
Minimum Admission Score for Martial Dao Universities: 360 (Cultural Score must be at least 60)
"915 points?!"
Jiang Dahai instinctively gasped when he saw the score.
Li Anping covered her mouth in shock. "199th in the entire province? Oh my god!"
What did 199th in the province even mean?
West Mountain Province had millions of examinees each year.
This meant Jiang Ye had ranked within the top two hundred out of millions of candidates!
Admittedly, West Mountain Province was a relatively underdeveloped region, but such a ranking was beyond anything the couple had ever dared to dream of.
"Xiao Ye," Jiang Dahai said in disbelief, "refresh the page again. Are you sure there's no mistake?"
"How could there be a mistake?" Jiang Ye shook his head with a smile, but he refreshed the page anyway.
"915 points!"
Jiang Ye finally smiled with relief as he looked at the score on the screen.
His raw score was 895 points.
This was even higher than he had anticipated.
Just two weeks ago, he had scored only 839 points.
In just half a month, he had improved by a full 50 points!
At scores above 800, even the wealthiest families couldn't guarantee such a dramatic improvement, no matter how much money they spent.
"Good!"
Jiang Dahai's face lit up with joy as he clapped Jiang Ye on the shoulder, clenching his fist and declaring, "That's my boy!"
Li Anping's eyes also welled up, her rims reddening.
The couple understood the significance of this score all too well.
Jiang Ye was destined for greatness, no longer bound to follow their ordinary path!
"Brother, check Penglai University's cut-off score!" Jiang Ting urged, already knowing his target school.
Jiang Ye shook his head. "The College Entrance Examination scores were just released. Universities won't announce their admission standards so quickly."
He wasn't worried.
His raw score plus the 20-point bonus for being a Reserve Star Practitioner totaled 915 points.
Even if Penglai University's cut-off score soared above 900 this year, he was guaranteed admission!
"I'm in!" Jiang Ye exhaled in relief.
A year of unwavering dedication and relentless effort had finally paid off.
"I'll start cooking," Li Anping said, wiping away tears with a smile. "Today, we're celebrating properly!"
Jiang Ye watched his mother leave.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered slightly.
[New Achievement Unlocked: As a Martial Dao Great Grandmaster, you only achieved a top 200 ranking in the province-wide Martial Imperial Examination.]
[Title Unlocked: Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger]
[Reward: Instantly increases critical damage by 150% when underestimated by opponents.]
Jiang Ye couldn't help but gasp, even though he was used to the system's antics.
Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger?
Did the system really think he deliberately underperformed to secure a top 200 ranking?
"You never cease to surprise me with your antics!" Jiang Ye muttered, turning his attention to the reward.
Instantly increases critical damage by 150% when underestimated? His heart skipped a beat.
This was the most potent damage-boosting achievement he had unlocked so far.
"The word 'instantly' is the key here," Jiang Ye mused, stroking his chin. "Does that mean the effect disappears once my opponent stops underestimating me?"
He would need to test this in actual combat to confirm.
"I'll have to try it out when the opportunity arises."
Jiang Ye dismissed the thought and returned to his room.
Now that his College Entrance Examination scores were out, he planned to share the good news with a certain lady.
Meanwhile, as Jiang Ye checked his scores...
In a villa district of Ancheng, Zhang Jianwu sat at his computer.
As the grade director, the average and highest scores of the Third-Year High School students were crucial to his teaching record and his entire career.
"Log in to the system," Zhang Jianwu said, accessing the school's administrative system.
After the College Entrance Examination scores were released, the system had already compiled and ranked the scores for all students in the grade.
Ding! The page refreshed.
"Jiang Ye, 915 points?" Zhang Jianwu's eyes lit up. "First in the city?"
"Raw score: 895."
"Even with just the raw score, he's still third in the city. But we rank by total points, including bonus points."
"Jiang Ye is officially first in the city!"
Zhang Jianwu grinned.
That kid really came through.
First in the city! Ancheng Third High School hadn't achieved that in years.
Without hesitation, Zhang Jianwu immediately called Cao Feng to share the news.
After hanging up with Cao Feng, he promptly dialed Jiang Ye's number.
But this time, he got a busy signal.
"Busy?" Zhang Jianwu frowned slightly. The scores had just been released. Why wasn't the kid calling him to celebrate? Who could he be talking to?
Could it be...?
A sudden realization dawned on Zhang Jianwu, and a smile spread across his face. He stopped worrying.
Meanwhile, in a spacious training hall at White Dragon University in East Sea Province, one of the Eastern Ten Provinces:
"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Qiu," said a stunningly beautiful young woman in a plain white dress, bowing slightly to the black-robed elder before her.
"It's no trouble," Qiu Cang, the black-robed elder, replied with a smile. "Xiao Chen, your progress is remarkable. You should attempt your fourth breakthrough soon."
"Yes, I plan to in a while," Chen Zilu nodded.
Qiu Cang nodded in agreement and said no more.
"By the way, the College Entrance Examination scores have been released," he suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued. "Have you checked on the student you recommended last time?"
"Not yet," Chen Zilu shook her head, glancing at her phone.
It had been over half an hour since the scores were released. Jiang Ye must already know his results.
However, Chen Zilu hadn't reached out. She knew he was likely sharing the news with his parents and friends right now.
As for her?
She and Jiang Ye had only a regular teacher-student relationship. Why would he tell her so quickly?
Ring! Ring!
Just then, her phone rang.
Chen Zilu's sharp eyes glanced at the screen, her expression freezing slightly.
The caller ID read: Jiang Ye.
(End of the Chapter)