Inside the campus of No. 11 High School in Hecheng, Ancient Huaxia.
The campus, which should have been filled with cheerful laughter and chatter, was unusually quiet at the moment. The playground was densely packed with students and school leaders at all levels, their gazes all focused on the awakening stage.
The school leaders on the stage sat upright, watching nervously as the impending ceremony was about to begin.
Moyuan stood in the crowd, wearing No. 11 High School's standard white uniform, his delicate facial features revealing a hint of speechlessness.
"It's just the third-year awakening ceremony for our abilities, do the school leaders really need to gather the whole school? It's like this every year, don't they ever get tired of it?" he muttered in complaint.
Despite the passing of many years, he still felt a sense of helplessness toward his school's formalism.
A third-year awakening is an awakening, what does it have to do with the first and second years? Given this time, wouldn't it be much better to let them go home and play video games?
On the playground, colorful flags fluttered and banners were hung high, bearing inspiring slogans.
The students stood in orderly ranks, but their expressions varied: some were excitedly whispering to each other, some were nervously twisting their fingers, and others appeared completely indifferent, looking down at their phones.
"Boss, that's where you don't understand. The school wants us to shine in front of people. Just think about it, if we awaken a high-star cultivation talent here at school, in front of so many junior schoolmates, won't they be envious? And take some of our classmates, for instance—this is a stepping stone to making a name for yourself in the world."
Just as Moyuan's voice trailed off, a slightly shorter Xiaopang sidled up next to Moyuan, speaking with a look of yearning.
"Besides, Boss, don't you want to awaken a high-star talent? I remember last year there was a senior with a seven-star fire attribute talent who was admitted on the spot by Wuya University in the Capital as a special exception. You have to know that Wuya University is one of the top universities in our Ancient Huaxia, and students who graduate from there go straight into the major military regions as officers. If I awaken a seven-star talent, wouldn't my old man be overjoyed to death?"
Watching Xiaopang's yearning expression, Moyuan shook his head and said nothing.
The Xiaopang who answered him was named Di Fei, his good friend since childhood.
As for the Capital's Wuya University that Di Fei mentioned, he had known about it for a long time; the students who managed to get into Wuya University were without exception geniuses from all over the country.
The threshold there was extremely high—a five-star talent was merely the doorstep, a six-star talent barely caught Wuya University's eye, and a seven-star would lead to a direct special admission just as Xiaopang described.
Yet in this world where people's average talent was one or two stars, let alone seven stars, even a five-star talent was a one-in-ten-thousand genius in Hecheng.
Leaving aside that seven-star talent from last year, the year before last had merely been a five-star qualification, and going further back not a single six-star had appeared.
If they could produce a six-star this year, the school leaders would burn high incense in gratitude.
"Humph, seven-star talent? The two of you would be lucky to awaken a three-star talent; smoke would be rising from your ancestors' graves if you did! Just a couple of commoners like you, wanting to awaken a seven-star talent—you're simply toads trying to eat swan meat."
Just as Moyuan was about to look over at the awakening progress of the other students, an arrogant voice pierced the ears of Moyuan and Di Fei.
Hearing the voice, Moyuan instinctively frowned; even after so many years, he still utterly despised this voice.
"Li Mie, what kind of barking are you doing? Is the iron chain of your Li family not sturdy enough to tie you up, letting you out to bite people at random?" Like Moyuan, the moment Di Fei heard the voice, he stared with utter displeasure at the one spewing trash.
Hearing Di Fei's words, the corners of Moyuan's mouth lifted slightly.
Di Fei's tongue was as venomous as ever! Truly living up to your name as the Venom Saint, Xiaopang.
"Damn fatty, what did you say? If you have the guts, don't leave after class!"
Upon hearing this, Di Fei first leaned slightly behind Moyuan, then tilted his head and looked at Li Mie with disdain.
"Li Mie, haven't you been taught enough of a lesson by my boss yet? Do you think my boss has no strength left, that his fists can't move anymore, or has your little self gotten so full of yourself that you dare pick a fight with me?"
Seeing Di Fei pull off the most cowardly action while speaking the bravest words, Li Mie's expression turned somewhat ferocious.
His hands were clenched tightly inside his pockets, the veins on his fists bulging.
Because seeing Moyuan and Di Fei made him recall past humiliations.
After a long silence, Li Mie let out a long breath.
"Humph, Moyuan, you fat bastard, you'd better enjoy yourselves while you still can. Once I awaken my talent, I'll make you understand what a real gap is."
With that, without waiting for the two to react, Li Mie vanished straight from before them.
"Bah! What a piece of work. Just because his father is the Lord of Hecheng, what's with the grand airs and the high-and-mighty act?"
Moyuan ignored Di Fei; in his eyes, Li Mie was merely a clown making a spectacle of himself.
As for his own talent, he had long since understood it. Once his talent was measured, there was no telling how many universities would frantically fight over him.
Right now, all he wanted was to finish the awakening quickly, make money, and acquire Mystical Crystals.
After all, that menopause-ridden Old Man Jiang had laid down the law: if he wanted to use the supreme Divine Artifact, he had to bring Mystical Crystals.
Wanting to survive in this world infested with Monster Beasts required formidable strength.
The minor commotion down below could not possibly halt the operation of the awakening stage.
As a beam of green light descended, the guiding teacher glanced at the stars on the crystal ball.
"Zhang San, three-star wood attribute talent."
The moment the guiding teacher's voice fell, discussions broke out below.
"Zhang San from Class 3 is not bad at all, turning out to be a three-star talent. If he cultivates properly, getting into a Monster Hunting Guild will be a breeze."
"Getting into a guild is no problem, but it's a pity he's wood attribute. Among the five elements, wood attribute doesn't boast high attack power, so he definitely can't be a main combat force in the guild."
"What's so great about being a main combat force? It's better to join a guild and be in logistics, make some money, get married, and have kids. Coming home every day to a warm wife and children beats risking your life outside any day."
"It's not as breezy as you make it sound. Once you choose to become an Awakened, how could there be no danger?"
After Zhang San stepped off the stage, a crowd of social recruiters swarmed around him, and his head teacher beamed with gratification.
"Classmate, join our Skyfire Monster Hunting Guild! Our guild offers three types of insurance plus a housing fund, and holiday allowances."
"Don't listen to his nonsense, their guild is only a tier-two guild, completely incomparable to our tier-three guild. We offer five types of insurance plus a housing fund right upon hiring, doubled cultivation resources, and a Mystical Crystal every year."
"Classmate, join our guild. We offer six types of insurance plus a housing fund, a custom-made mid-grade Mortal Weapon upon hiring, and two Mystical Crystals a year."
"..."
Solicitations of this kind were countless around Zhang San.
"What is this? If I awaken my talent, it'll definitely be higher than Zhang San's, and the people trying to recruit me will definitely be even more numerous."
Seeing Zhang San, previously the bottom of their grade, suddenly being courted like this, Di Fei said with a hint of sourness.
"Alright, Xiaopang, what are you envious of? When you go out to social functions with Uncle, aren't the people trying to cozy up to you far more numerous than those trying to recruit Zhang San? Besides, a three-star talent might be alright in Hecheng, but look—have those admissions teachers who hurried over from universities all over the place stepped down from the stage yet?"
Hearing Di Fei's words, Moyuan laughed and scolded him half-angrily.
A three-star talent might pass muster in Hecheng.
Yet in the eyes of admissions teachers from those universities, it was entirely ordinary, because three stars was merely the lowest threshold in ordinary universities.
One- and two-star talents could only join guilds or return home to live as ordinary people.
Meanwhile, a three-star talent had the option to either join a guild or take the national joint examinations to enter a university.
As for talents of four stars and above, unless someone had water in their brain and chose not to go to university, who would ever join those trashy guilds?
"You don't understand, Boss, this feeling is completely different."
"Alright, watch properly, stop envying this and that."