Chapter 118: Matters of the 13th Middle School

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Matters of the 13th Middle School

Whether used for refining elixirs or as a supplementary material for crafting weapons, Snow Wood should be quite valuable.

There should be a market for Snow Wood, and Li Heng expected the price wouldn’t be low. After he got to university, he could sell some from time to time.

But selling it was just an idea. Li Heng would have to wait and see what the situation was like. If it turned out to be difficult to sell, he could always just use it himself.

The Cold Ice Python pet egg was likely even more valuable than the Snow Wood. After all, the prices for soul-qi pets had always been sky-high.

Sitting on this "treasure mountain," Li Heng wasn’t the least bit anxious. His medium-sized Space Stone still contained many medicinal herbs he hadn’t sold, and he wasn’t in urgent need of money. Choosing to play it safe, he simply turned in for the night.

Grinding Dungeons in moderation was good for one’s physical and mental health, and it also helped protect one’s hairline. Besides, he had to return to school the next day for the "award ceremony" being held in his honor.

Sleep, hairline, and dear life were what mattered most!

So, the next day, Li Heng woke up very early. After grinding two levels of Wolf King Mountain and running the Ice Jiao Lake Dungeon once, he headed to Thirteenth Middle School with his parents.

Thirteenth Middle School was especially festive and lively today. A large red banner hung over the main school gate.

"Congratulations to our student, Li Heng, on achieving an outstanding score of 4021 and placing in the top ten of the entire Alliance for the Secret Realm College Entrance Exam!"

Seeing the large banner, Li Guobin and his wife’s joy was plain to see. Li Heng, while also a little happy, felt more a sense of helplessness. ’Now I’m afraid every teacher and student in the school, and maybe even students from other schools, all know who I am...’

Since they had been in touch beforehand, the family of three saw his homeroom teacher and the principal waiting for them at the school gate.

Upon meeting them, the principal heaped all sorts of praise on Li Heng, lauding him to the skies. He also added that Li Guobin and his wife had done an excellent job raising him, offering many, many compliments.

His homeroom teacher, Huang Lingjing, had been successfully "promoted" thanks to Li Heng. She was now an honorary homeroom teacher at Thirteenth Middle School, and her monthly salary and bonuses had increased significantly.

While his homeroom teacher also praised Li Heng, she advised him to remain humble and to continue working hard without slacking off when he gets to university.

"Li Heng, only the first- and second-year students are on campus today. In a little while, we might need you to say a few words of encouragement to the underclassmen."

The principal guided the family into Thirteenth Middle School, showing them the utmost respect. He didn’t feel it was excessive in the slightest; after all, Li Heng had made history for Thirteenth Middle School! He had even made history for Maple City!

Tenth place in the entire Alliance was the best result Maple City had ever achieved in the Secret Realm College Entrance Exam!

Not only had it brought fame and fortune to him as the principal of Thirteenth Middle School, but it had also greatly increased the influence of Maple City Thirteenth Middle School throughout the Southwest Province.

The school had nurtured the student, and the student had brought glory back to the school. Thus, everyone in the group wore smiles on their faces.

Upon entering Thirteenth Middle School, they saw that some of the public notice boards had been turned into a "special feature" on Li Heng, displaying his academic history and his results from the recent Secret Realm College Entrance Exam.

For some reason, his results from the placement test and mock exams were not displayed. However, the score of 4021 was enlarged, bolded, and extremely eye-catching.

Upon Li Heng’s arrival, the school deliberately suspended classes and summoned the students to the training grounds, where a small, temporary stage had been erected.

They had originally only mentioned a cash prize, but upon his arrival, he found the school’s rewards to be extremely generous.

A cash prize of two hundred thousand Alliance Coins.

The title of Eternal Honorary Student of Thirteenth Middle School.

A custom-made, five-meter-tall statue commissioned by the school.

A house in the school district near Thirteenth Middle School, the kind with a commercial storefront.

Li Heng wasn’t particularly moved by this, but Li Guobin and his wife were overjoyed. One could say the rewards from Thirteenth Middle School this time truly hit home for the couple.

Besides presenting the awards, the principal also took advantage of the occasion to give a long, encouraging speech to the first- and second-year students.

"I know the main reason all of you are here today is to see your senior, Li Heng. So now, let’s have your senior, Li Heng, tell you all about his brave adventures inside the Secret Realm College Entrance Exam."

After his long speech, it was time for the main event of the day: Li Heng’s "address."

As per the "request" of the principal and his homeroom teacher, Li Heng didn’t need to say much; just a general overview of how he usually worked hard and applied himself would suffice.

And if possible, he should also talk about his experiences inside the secret realm.

Li Heng was a bit at a loss. ’My hard work and struggles can’t really be shared with anyone, nor can they be replicated. I only have this strength because of the system and the Dungeons.’

’I can’t just get up on stage and say, "I use cheats," can I?’

Li Heng had no experience speaking on stage, but after a moment’s thought, he walked up confidently. After all, if it was just a few words of encouragement, he could manage that.

"Fellow underclassmen, the secret realms hold many opportunities, but they are also filled with danger. Basic skills are extremely important, so I hope you all practice them diligently. Opportunity favors the prepared. I hope you all never forget why you started on this path!"

’That should be fine,’ Li Heng thought. ’As long as I stick to platitudes, it should be okay.’

But just as Li Heng began to speak, a girl’s loud voice suddenly called out from the crowd.

"Senior Li Heng! Have you ever felt scared when facing a secret realm?"

For the first- and second-year students who had yet to even take a secret realm placement test, the secret realms were their greatest concern. To them, the realms were a complete unknown.

Li Heng was a little caught off guard by the underclassman’s sudden question, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar. But a smile quickly formed on his lips, and he replied in a clear, strong voice, "No! To this day, I have never been afraid of any secret realm!"

"All of the exam secret realms so far have had the all-important Teleportation Talisman. Therefore, maximizing your resources within your capabilities is the key point you all must grasp for the future! Using the Teleportation Talisman is very important!"

Li Heng’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for every teacher and student present to hear. He had decided on this answer after a moment’s thought. ’Recommending the proper use of the Teleportation Talisman,’ he mused, ’is probably the most "sincere" advice I can give.’

Even though he had been so scared by that huge swarm of Cold Ice Pythons that his legs went weak, and was affected by the Rune Stone Block.

But generally speaking, he hadn’t truly panicked. After all, in every situation, he had taken out the Teleportation Talisman well in advance and was always ready to escape.

As Li Heng finished speaking, the students erupted into discussion, all of them marveling at his courage. No wonder he was number one in the city and tenth in the entire Alliance.

Most of the first- and second-year students felt they couldn’t compare to Senior Li Heng’s courage alone.

After Li Heng answered the girl’s question, other students began to ask their own. Li Heng answered them one by one. Someone even asked to spar with him, but the principal quickly shut them down with a sharp rebuke.

The "award ceremony" gradually turned into a Q&A session between Li Heng and the underclassmen.

From that day forward, this event would be remembered as a celebrated story at Maple City Thirteenth Middle School.

However, throughout the entire assembly, a girl stood at the very back of the crowd, tears welling in her eyes as she muttered, "So... you weren’t scared back then?"

Anyone who knew her would have been quite surprised, for this girl was none other than Xue Qing from Fifth Middle School. She stared blankly into the distance, watching Li Heng on the stage—confident, eloquent, and full of spirit as he interacted with the thousand-strong crowd of students.