Chapter 210: Chapter 86: Holy Ascension Selection Test

The Holy Ascension Selection Test was set to begin on June 10th. The standard academic subjects would last for two days, followed by a third day for the Spiritual Qi practical test, open to those who passed the physical examination.

For high school students aspiring to become Extraordinary, this meant three consecutive days of exams: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

June 6th, 2015. A Saturday.

After the last class of the evening, Hongcheng First High School officially began its break. The remaining days were for the students to rest and mentally prepare for the exams.

The weather was perfect that day. Not a cloud in the sky. The deep blue expanse, bathed in the orange-red glow of sunset, created a mysterious, profound scene, like an ocean in the heavens. Faintly, a few planes could be seen streaking across the upper atmosphere, their long contrails pointing toward the far horizon.

In the now-dimming classrooms, some students silently packed away the textbooks and exam papers on their desks. Others remained seated, staring blankly at the densely-filled electronic blackboard. It might have only been at this moment that they truly realized this was their last day on their quiet campus.

Soon, they would step onto what was quite possibly the most important battlefield of their lives, where they would unleash the fruits of twelve years of diligent study.

Outside on the athletic field, students gathered in small groups, taking selfies and photos together. Inside the classroom, some sought out their homeroom teacher for one last picture. Seven or eight years ago, they might have been passing around yearbooks for signatures. But now, with the convenience of phones, QQ, and WeChat, the internet had closed the distance between people, making the farewells feel a little less sentimental.

’It’s only at this moment that I’m reminded I’m an eighteen-year-old high school student, not some fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid.’

After grabbing a bowl of hearty meat noodles from the cafeteria with Shao Qiming for one last taste, Su Zhou watched the scenes unfold across campus and couldn’t help but sigh, "I’m getting old."

"Shouldn’t you be getting sentimental about your youth? You know, ’My youth is officially over,’ or something like that. What’s this ’I’m getting old’ nonsense?"

Shao Qiming gave Su Zhou an indescribable look, as if staring at some bizarre creature. "Besides, by that logic, does that mean your mental age is actually only fourteen or fifteen?"

"To be honest, the scene just stirred up some memories. The last time I saw something like this was three years ago, when I graduated from middle school. Before that was elementary school, but twelve is just too young. Even I’m not shameless enough to go back that far."

Su Zhou’s gaze grew distant. "I wonder what the food at the Academy’s cafeteria will be like. Man, it’s got me worried."

"Is that *really* what you’re worried about?" Shao Qiming deadpanned.

"You bet," Su Zhou said with a grand wave of his hand. "Hongcheng First High’s cafeteria food is really oily and salty. For someone with perception as sensitive as mine, it’s actually pretty gross. But I just have to adjust my taste threshold, and then I can easily appreciate the deliciousness of any food. It’s a new way to use my Extraordinary Power that I just recently figured out."

"You should really use your Extraordinary Power for something serious—wait, is this... actually pretty serious?"

Bantering back and forth like a comedy duo, the two of them took a lap around campus, commemorating the three years they’d spent there.

They both had friends and acquaintances around, but they’d already said their goodbyes and chatted earlier. A few of the girls in their class had even boldly confessed their feelings to Shao Qiming before turning and walking away coolly, as if trying to relieve all their pre-exam stress so it wouldn’t affect their performance.

At the time, Su Zhou had been completely baffled. "I’m handsome too, you know. How come no one’s confessing to me?"

"They probably think you’re just a handsome face, and if they were to slice you open, they’d find you’re made of nothing but food."

The one who said this was Xu Ming, a friend of Su Zhou and Shao Qiming’s. He had a baby face and was the first person to greet Su Zhou back in the silent auditorium.

His Spirit Talent was 45%. While not genius-level, it was still excellent. On top of that, like Shao Qiming, he was a renowned top student. So he was confident enough to make a pact with Su Zhou and Shao Qiming to meet again at the Extraordinary Academy. That being the case, there was no need for goodbyes. Why not just meet up and celebrate after the exams were over?

Before he left, he even took one last jab at Su Zhou. "No girl is going to fall for a guy who can eat enough for twenty people at the grade-wide dinner. The most you’ll get is their fearful respect!"

Xu Ming was referring to an incident three months prior, during the grade-wide dinner for the Holy Ascension Selection Test’s 100-day pledge rally. Su Zhou had performed the valiant feat of clearing an entire table by himself. And this wasn’t just any round table; it was a long, rectangular table piled high with all kinds of dishes. Su Zhou had swept through from one end to the other, emptying every plate—he didn’t even spit out the bones. The feat shocked the entire school, so much so that some people still thought he had awakened a Taotie bloodline.

Even Su Zhou, who loved to argue, couldn’t refute this... Back then, he had only just finished Gathering his second Spiritual Power Organ, the "Eye." It was a period when he was easily famished, and he’d accidentally eaten just a little bit more than usual.

Choosing the "Eye" as his second Spiritual Power Organ was a decision Su Zhou made after deep consideration, and only after asking Yara for some relevant information.

The "Skin" and "Lungs," which enhance Spiritual Qi absorption, weren’t an urgent priority thanks to his Celestial Human Cycle.

The "Heart" and "Kidneys," which boost one’s Burst, were also a lower priority since he didn’t anticipate any battles in the near future.

As for the liver and gallbladder, which improve recovery and resistance, or even the muscles, bones, and marrow that form the very foundation of physical strength—because of his Perfect Body, the relative gains from enhancing them wouldn’t be significant.

Enhancing his Observation Ability, on the other hand—his sight, smell, and hearing—would allow him to perceive a great deal of information he otherwise would have missed.

Improving his Spiritual Vision would also enhance his tracking abilities, making it easier to find Evil People. Even in combat, he could identify an enemy’s weaknesses more quickly. It offered a wide range of benefits, and reshaping it didn’t consume much Spiritual Qi, so Su Zhou chose it as his second Spiritual Power Organ.

Just like now. With a single glance across the school, Su Zhou could clearly see through concrete walls and perceive every Spiritual Qi reaction within a building. As long as it wasn’t a material designed to block Spiritual Power, all cover and concealment were meaningless before his eyes.

"Alright, time to say goodbye to high school... It feels like it went by so fast. In the blink of an eye, it’s already been almost a year since that summer vacation."

Su Zhou was filled with emotion. "This has been one heck of a year." He was thinking of his adventures in the Divine Wood World. Saving an entire world was certainly magnificent. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Yeah," Shao Qiming agreed with a slight nod, his expression shifting. His thoughts, however, were on a different track than Su Zhou’s. ’A year ago, who could have imagined the world would suddenly change like this? Even the sun and moon are different. Who knows what the next change will be?’

The Spiritual Energy Revival wasn’t just happening on Earth. As Daoist Saint Zhang Qingyun had previously stated, it was an "astronomical phenomenon" on the scale of the entire Solar System.

Sunlight was no longer a mere source of light and heat, the provider of the negative entropy that fueled Earth’s ecosystem. Its rays now possessed an incredibly powerful Extreme Yang and a demon-quelling ability. Ordinary, low-level Evil Spirits and Demon Fiends would turn to ash at the slightest touch of sunlight. This had nothing to do with ultraviolet radiation; any electromagnetic wave isolated from sunlight showed a powerful Spiritual Power reaction.

The same was true for the Moon. When sunlight was filtered through the Moon, its fierce, evil-quelling power was transformed into a gentle, nourishing force. All living things, including humans, could safely absorb its benefits.

Rumor had it that deep-sea volcanoes had erupted several times, sending powerful Spiritual Qi fluctuations across the globe. Some long-haul ship captains even claimed to have heard a Dragon’s Roar.

In the world’s rainforests, giant trees were said to have risen. Su Zhou hadn’t seen them himself, but he imagined he would find a familiar presence there.

All that had once departed was now returning.

All that had once fallen silent was now reawakening.

By now, the two had reached the school gate. The Shao Family’s car was waiting nearby. Su Zhou mounted his bicycle, and after saying goodbye to his friend, he began his journey home.

When Su Zhou got home, dinner was mostly cooked. Ning Shiyu was still in the kitchen, and Su Beiluo was dozing on the sofa, snoring softly. His parents had taken a rare few days off to be with him. After calling out that he was home, Su Zhou expertly navigated to his room, picked up his Jenny Turtle Sprayer, and watered the Wisdom Tree, which was disguised as an ordinary potted apple tree.

Three small, nascent fruits could be seen hanging from its branches, looking plump and cute.

Lately, Su Zhou hadn’t had any time to hunt Evil Demons. Or more accurately, it wasn’t a lack of time, but a lack of opportunity.

Evil Demons were the kind of thing you stumbled upon by chance, not something you could actively seek out. Most of them appeared in uninhabited areas.

Even with his Qinggong, Su Zhou couldn’t hunt those demon fiends to fatten up his Wisdom Tree without being discovered. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t make the tree grow at all.

After the Demon Emperor’s death, Su Zhou had dug out twenty-four Wooden Pearls. Twelve were consumed communicating with the Immortal Banyan Tree. As for the remaining twelve, Su Zhou had originally planned to use them to coat his weapons with poison. However, at the Wisdom Tree’s own insistence, Su Zhou discovered that the remains of the King of Divine Wood, which contained an exquisite Wood Qi, were the perfect fertilizer for another Divine Wood.

Although the Demon Emperor Wood Pearls contained a highly concentrated, miasmic poison, the Wisdom Tree was able to break it down over time, converting it all into beneficial nutrients. Su Zhou ground all twelve Demon Pearls to powder, mixed them with Holy Water to use as fertilizer, and after five months of watering, the tree had finally absorbed all the power from the pearls, forming three nascent Wisdom Fruits.

’I wonder if this counts as growing a tree with someone’s ashes. Too bad I can’t get them to ripen before the Holy Ascension Selection Test. Where am I supposed to find Evil Demons or Evil People for me to kill?’

"If you insist on putting it that way, then I suppose it does."

Though he complained, Su Zhou was humming a little tune, clearly unbothered. Yara replied noncommittally, then added a warning. "Your world’s Spiritual Energy Revival is likely to experience a massive surge during your summer vacation. When that happens, it’s bound to spawn a great number of Evil Demons."

"That will likely be your chance. Not only can you justifiably harvest a new batch of Otherworld coordinates, but you can also cultivate your Wisdom Tree and accelerate your own growth."

"Is that right? Then I’d better start preparing."

Yara’s tips were always perfectly timed and impossible to ignore. Su Zhou committed this to memory, unable to stop himself from licking his lips. "It’s been a while since I’ve eaten an Evil Soul. I’m starting to miss the texture."

"Su Zhou, has anyone ever told you that you can be truly evil at times?"

"How can it be evil for a Demon Lord to eat an Evil Soul?! Th-this is just the circle of life!"

The room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Once Su Zhou finished watering the plant and the hungry cries of the Wisdom Tree Essence Soul in his own soul faded, he left his room to have dinner with his family.

「Four days passed in the blink of an eye.」

June 10th, 2015. Early morning.

Su Zhou opened his eyes.

Today was the first day of the Holy Ascension Selection Test.