Aside from the candidates who felt secure with their guaranteed baseline scores, those with lofty ambitions and clear goals—specifically aiming for Tiandu University—found themselves growing anxious. So far, not a single candidate had received an intended offer from Tiandu University. Just how many points would it take to secure a place at Tiandu University? Even a passing score of 62 wasn’t enough; would one need an excellent score of 80?
Huang Xiu’s mindset, however, differed from both groups; she remained perfectly calm and at ease. After all, her spot was already reserved. In fact, if she were to change her mind and not attend, Professor Yuan himself might come knocking, quite agitated. This, truly, was the fearless confidence of a top student!
‘So this is what it feels like to be valued?’ Huang Xiu subtly narrowed her eyes, a faint, private satisfaction stirring within her, alongside a touch of pride. This sensation of standing out, of being exceptional, was an entirely new experience for someone whose talents had always been rather ordinary.
The young woman was about to turn and retake her seat, when a sudden chill ran down her spine, as if an unseen gaze had settled upon her. Awakened individuals possessed extraordinarily keen senses, particularly when it came to detecting the scrutiny of others. Huang Xiu immediately halted, turning her head to follow the direction of the gaze.
It was Bai Baibai and Liu Lu’s group again. They were gathered together, openly scrutinizing her, seemingly whispering and discussing something amongst themselves.
‘How strange,’ Huang Xiu mused, a hint of suspicion on her face. She had been observing them since the broadcast began. Unlike the other candidates, this group had shown no surprise upon hearing the announcement. It was as if everything had unfolded precisely as they expected. Yet, she herself had only learned about this from Professor Yuan that very morning. The suspicion forming in Huang Xiu’s mind grew increasingly clear, verging on an undeniable conclusion. Bai Baibai and Liu Lu’s group, perhaps, were what one would call ‘second-generation Awakened individuals.’
The saying ‘dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat’s son can dig holes’ might be a generalization, but it held a grain of truth. While intelligence might not be passed down through bloodlines, wealth, power, and the talent for spiritual awakening certainly could be. Children born from the union of two Awakened individuals had a significantly higher probability of possessing talent than those born to ordinary parents or to an Awakened person and a mundane one. It was even possible for them to give birth to ‘powerfully talented individuals’ who were Awakened from birth.
Thus, over long stretches of time, Awakened families inevitably emerged. These families intermarried across generations, ensuring that each lineage produced at least one talented offspring. The Bai family and the Liu family were prime examples. Their family histories were not particularly long, spanning only four generations to date, yet they had already amassed considerable power and influence. They had even earned the titles of ‘Bai Family of Yunshang’ and ‘Liu Family of Yanghai.’
“How many points do you think an S-rank will get?!” Liu Lu hugged her chest, still brooding over the events of that night. It was the first time anyone had spoken to her with such veiled sarcasm, leaving her fuming and sleepless for half the night.
“What S-rank? Don’t talk nonsense. That was merely a measure of innate Void Energy concentration; it doesn’t count. Only after the re-examination, combining it with one’s awakened ability, will the final rank be determined.” A handsome young man, sporting a Patek Philippe watch and designer clothes, retorted coolly.
“Heh, is Young Master Li perhaps jealous?” A chubby young man patted his stomach and chuckled. “If it weren’t for her, with your A-rank Void Energy concentration, you surely would have easily become the top student in the entire province!” His words held a provocative edge, which Li Xiushen recognized, but he didn’t care. Instead, he simply went along with it, his face radiating confidence. ‘Regardless of her, or whether she existed, I would still be the one.’ He had always considered the top spot his for the taking, even with Huang Xiu’s sudden emergence.
“What does an S-rank Void Energy concentration matter? The true factor influencing combat power is one’s awakened ability!” He clenched his right hand into a fist against his chest. “Just you wait. In the third segment, I’ll choose to challenge her and show you all who the true top student is.”
“Don’t you dare try to snatch her from me!” Liu Lu turned to Li Xiushen, baring her canine teeth. “Don’t you understand the concept of first come, first served? Huang Xiu is my prey. You get in line.”
Li Xiushen was taken aback, a flicker of displeasure on his face, and he was about to retort. However, seeing Liu Lu’s slightly narrowed, threatening eyes, he ultimately just grunted, saying nothing more.
“Heh heh.” Bai Baibai watched them all with a smile, not joining the discussion. No one could tell what he was truly thinking.
“Candidates Number 38, 46, 129, and 250, please proceed to the examination hall immediately. Candidates Number 3, 4, 100, and 122, please prepare.” The broadcast echoed across the plaza once more, repeating three times before falling silent.
“It’s finally my turn!” Huang Xiu, who had been listening intently, heard her candidate number and instantly perked up. An hour and a half had passed since the re-examination began; it was now nearly ten-thirty. She had grown quite impatient with the wait. Each batch of candidates typically took about five minutes to examine, and by now, it was already the twentieth batch. The massive [Re-examination Score Ranking] board now displayed a full eighty entries.
The first-place position had changed from Candidate 24 to Candidate 18, though the last-place position remained stubbornly unchanged. No one knew how Candidate Number 1 had managed it, but they had watched their ranking steadily plummet from the top all the way to the very bottom. And, barring any unexpected turns, it would continue to fall. The initial disbelief on their face had slowly morphed into despair and numbness. Candidate Number 1 closed their eyes, praying to the heavens, “Please, let someone score even lower than me!” This was their final plea; to be at the absolute bottom among so many Awakened individuals—anything but that!
Huang Xiu’s gaze swept past Candidate Number 1, rising to the top of the leaderboard.
Candidate 18, Score: 98, Rank: S, Intended Admission Units: Jurisdiction Bureau, Conquest Bureau, Tiandu University, National Awakened Higher Vocational College. This was currently the highest score, the first candidate to break the 90-point ceiling, and the only one to receive expressions of admission intent from all four major institutions simultaneously.
Before this score appeared, no one had imagined that the upper limit for points wasn’t 100. ‘After all, 60 points for C-rank, then 70 for B-rank, and 80 for A-rank would seem like a reasonable grading system, wouldn’t it? Does this make sense? It makes perfect sense!’ Everyone, including Huang Xiu, had thought this.
But then, suddenly, the A-rank score jumped to 90, leaving everyone utterly astonished. “80 points is A-rank, 90 points is S-rank. There’s a full 10-point difference between them. Can the gap between Awakened individuals truly be so vast? And then, what’s the score difference between S-rank and S+rank?” This question lingered in the minds of the candidates present. They desperately wanted to know the true upper limit of the scores. Was it 100 points? Or 110? Or perhaps… 120 points?
They yearned to see an S+-rank Awakened individual emerge, to witness a new score that would truly astound everyone.