Inside the examination hall, the Sifang Wandering God Deng Bingding presided at the center, while minor gods like Huang Zichou patrolled the area, monitoring candidates and maintaining order.

Beyond the bar graphs flickering on the main light screen, the gods kept a close watch on the mana readings from each student.

Thanks to detection patches affixed to the candidates’ bodies, they could monitor the flow of mana in real time—understanding at a glance each student’s mana control and flagging any signs of cheating.

Though the Righteous Gods appeared stoic and silent, their minds were multitasking endlessly, each god juggling responsibilities while managing various background operations.

After all, for the Eight Divine Officials, remote work and multitasking were as natural as breathing.

And besides work, networking was another essential part of being a god.

Unlike mortals who needed phones and Wi-Fi, their divine minds were directly linked to the web. No calls missed, no texts left unread—communication was instant and seamless.

Even now, as they observed the exam hall, their divine thoughts were connecting and sharing updates in the digital ether.

Deng Bingding spoke, “...This is the first Foundation Establishment exam on the First Floor of Kunxu since the reforms. Let’s hold the line and fulfill our duties. Once the test concludes, I’ll personally file commendations for each of you.”

Huang Zichou replied first, “Master Deng, your words are inspiring. With you overseeing the test again, we all feel more at ease.”

While they conversed in shared thought, private messages from other minor gods flowed into Deng Bingding’s mind.

“Sigh, more Favor Charms. The bureaucracy among the Righteous Gods is really something…”

But when Deng Bingding noticed Huang Zichou had sent over a Favor Charm worth twenty thousand, she couldn’t help but glance at him. Finding him looking back, she nodded with a smile.

“Master Deng smiled at me?” Huang Zichou’s heart leapt. “So last time it was the amount that was off?”

He etched that number into his mind. “When gods bond, money matters most.”

“Pay first, talk later. I haven’t even decided what I want from her yet, but the money’s already on the way…”

At that moment, a minor god remarked, “Yun Jing and Ye Lingxiao are leaving the rest in the dust.”

“Judging by the mana readings, the flow within them is like the Yangtze in full flood—raging and unending. Their control and output are by far the most refined.”

Another chimed in, “The investment poured into these two alone could fund the entire senior class of some high schools.”

“In terms of strength... they’re beyond the usual Qi Refining level. This clash of dragons and tigers—who will prove to be the strongest high schooler on Kunxu’s First Floor?”

…

On the field.

With every breath, Yun Jing felt his mana surge wildly, flooding through his arms and into the detection patches on his palms.

But seeing Ye Lingxiao neck-and-neck with him on the light screen, Yun Jing roared inwardly, “Faster! Give me more!”

He forcibly squeezed his internal reserves, driving mana like a raging river through his meridians—paying no mind to the risk of injury as he pushed harder, and harder still!

After all, every single one of his meridians had once been extracted, processed under three hundred project plans, and cultivated repeatedly by dozens of university graduates—specially trained to endure the extreme mana flows of the Qi Refining Realm for extended periods.

Each meridian carried the effort of months of postgrad labor.

Collectively, his body represented over ten thousand workdays—equivalent to twenty or thirty years of traditional Qi Refining cultivation.

And beyond his meridians, nearly every aspect of Yun Jing’s training had been similarly projectized, assigned, and optimized by his clan’s planning system, then executed by elite graduates.

“Warm-up’s over.”

Feeling his mana swelling stronger by the second, Yun Jing muttered to himself, “Second Dantian—activate!”

Apart from his lower dantian, a new Qi Sea near his chest ignited like a furnace, instantly doubling his mana output. Streams of power burst forth like roaring dragons.

On the light screen, his bar shot up, eclipsing the others and locking in the number one spot.

Ye Lingxiao, however, remained composed, showing no trace of panic.

“How annoying,” he mused. “It’s not even the finals yet. Shouldn’t we be holding back a bit?”

He knew that second place was enough to pass the test. There was no need to waste energy or reveal his full strength just to snag first place.

But still...

“First place.”

To Ye Lingxiao, who had never once scored less than full marks or ranked below first, coming in first wasn’t ambition—it was habit. Like eating or drinking.

To inherit the perfect bloodline of the Ye clan in Xiandu, he hadn’t been born from a mother. He was grown in an immortal-grade artificial womb, conditioned by Immortal Dao technology from the embryonic stage.

When he first opened his eyes, his meridians were twice as wide as a normal person’s—and now, ten times wider than the high school average.

His nervous system was one hundred times denser than ordinary humans. From birth, his body could channel mana through every fiber.

The techniques other students had to master through grueling effort—he picked up effortlessly as a freshman.

He mastered every Technique at a glance, purchased licensing rights costing millions each month, and cruised through the Qi Refining Realm without ever encountering a bottleneck.

To others, he was no longer human, but something more—an embodiment of Immortal Dao blood.

Ye Lingxiao didn’t care what others thought.

But one thing remained constant:

First place was his—and always would be.

Million-grade Martial Technique—Thunderquake True Body, Level 10—activate!

As the Technique triggered, thunderclaps exploded around him.

Lightning erupted from his body like he had transformed into a thunder god. Every strand of mana became living electricity.

Yet under his control, each arc of thunder struck with surgical precision—damaging neither environment nor equipment, and channeling flawlessly through his hands into the detection patch.

On the screen, the bar labeled Ye Lingxiao surged once again, closing the gap Yun Jing had just opened.

“Hmph.” Yun Jing scowled at the graph. “Trying to catch up? Then come try me. Let’s see which of us truly deserves the title of Kunxu’s strongest high schooler.”

As their duel intensified, the students behind them began to unleash their full strength as well, triggering a fierce scramble for rankings and driving the exam to a fever pitch.

…

Watching the rankings, Huang Zichou commented, “The chase among the next dozen students is tight.”

A fellow god added, “Well, they’re all from Xiandu’s elite schools. Even the ones ranked outside the top 10 are pushing over 90 units of mana.”

While the gods talked, Deng Bingding shifted her attention to contestants #55, #56, and #31—Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, and Yu Xinghan from Songyang.

After the last Dao Heart Test, she had taken a particular interest in these three and had looked into their profiles.

As she watched their readings, her mind recalled their files.

“#31, Yu Xinghan, a Gold Core Disciple. His mana isn’t quite at 90 yet, so he can’t keep up with the top ranks. But his control is solid—he’s holding 17th place right now.”

Yu Xinghan’s Third Eye had fully opened, helping him channel his mana. Yet no matter how he pushed, he remained stuck at 17th.

“The top 16 are accelerating too. Catching up is just too hard... and this is only 16th place.”

Despite training under Xinghuo Zhenren himself—clashing palms and honing control through sheer repetition—he still couldn’t break into the top tier. A bitter smile crept across his face.

“Looks like I’ll have to try again next time if I want that Foundation License.”

Next, Deng Bingding looked at Bai Zhenzhen.

“#56, Bai Zhenzhen. A genius from poverty. Once backed by investment, she soared straight to the top.”

“I asked the local Songyang gods... her investor’s name? Zhang Pianpian.”

“Same backer as Zhang Yu. Are these two poor kids... connected to higher-ups?”

She forced herself to think nothing more of it. Better to treat them like any other candidate.

Watching Bai Zhenzhen’s mana readings, she visualized her internal flow surging like crashing waves, flooding her meridians with torrential force.

Expert-Grade Breathing Technique—Ninefold Tidal Surge, Level 10—activate!

This Breathing Technique emphasized ceaseless motion. After nine circulations, it drew in even more mana—an exponential process that strengthened with time.

With the help of her Zhen Spirit Root, Bai Zhenzhen had added an extra twist: with each of the nine circulations, her mana accelerated, becoming ever fiercer—like an unstoppable tide.

Thanks to this evolved version of Ninefold Tidal Surge, Bai Zhenzhen barely clung to 19th place.

But at this stage, the flow had begun to exceed what her body could control. She felt like a lone boat caught in a storm, ready to capsize. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fıre·net

Yet the more danger she faced, the more the Frost Soul Iceheart Technique brought her mind into crystalline focus.

Oblivious to the outside world, she walked the razor’s edge of losing control—pouring her all into maintaining the Ninefold Tidal Surge.

Deng Bingding studied her data and mused, “If her mana surges out of control, she’ll be seriously injured. Another one who likes to gamble.”

Not that it surprised her.

In Kunxu, a student who didn’t take loans, didn’t get hurt, and didn’t fall sick?

That’d be more suspicious than anything.

Every top student had taken risks to get here.

Finally, Deng Bingding looked at Zhang Yu.

“Ranked 21st?” she thought. “Didn’t even crack the top 20?”

…

Zhang Yu was just as shocked.

Not even in the top 20?

True, only the bottom scorers were eliminated based on overall performance—not just this mana test—but being outside the top 20 was still a bad look.

“These Xiandu high schoolers... really are monsters.”

He remembered how he had maxed out the Zhou Tian Qi-Gathering Technique at level 10, achieving exceptional mana control.

And then, when he leveled up Limitless Cloud Hands to 10, he had felt his control could rival senior students.

But now, seeing his rank, a sobering truth hit him.

His mana control... hadn’t improved in a long time.

“These past months, I’ve focused almost entirely on Body Refining.”

“My control may be senior-level...”

“But without explosive bursts, that’s not enough to reach the top 20 in this test.”

Pressure and urgency crashed over him like a tidal wave.

In his mind, a Sacrificial Ox bellowed to the heavens, its roar shaking the skies—its unyielding will awakening.

“Heh... pressure and desperation, huh?”

“Still not enough.”