Chapter 121 - 62: Scripture Profound Daoist, Class Change Prelude

Chapter 121: Chapter 62: Scripture Profound Daoist, Class Change Prelude

SPLASH—!

The moment Song Zhou’s voice fell, the entire classroom erupted into chaos, as if a thunderclap had struck.

Many students shot to their feet, faces flushed red and eyes filled with indignation. A desperate edge crept into their voices, and the resulting clamor quickly sent the scene spiraling out of control.

"Eighteen spots? That completely goes against the Daoist School’s rules!"

"Yeah! They promised the top ten from each class would be recognized. How can they just change the rules like that? It’s not fair!"

"Lecturer, please reconsider!"

Wave after wave of protests filled the lecture hall. Even Dong Hao, who had remained relatively calm until now, was getting restless.

He was eighty percent sure he could secure a spot in the top ten of his class. But with three Daoist Schools competing for only eighteen spots, his chances plummeted to less than thirty percent. How could he not be anxious?

"Hmph!"

The defiant murmurs of the crowd made Song Zhou’s expression darken. In the next instant, an immense and powerful aura erupted from his body, sweeping over the entire hall with the force of a collapsing mountain.

VMMMM—!

Under the crushing, mountain-like pressure, every student felt their breath catch in their throats. The once-impassioned protests died down in an instant.

After quashing all dissent and discussion, Song Zhou’s voice was ice-cold. "This is my decision. If any of you have a problem with it, feel free to report me to the Law Enforcement Hall."

"..."

Such harsh and unyielding words left every student staring in stunned disbelief.

Jiang Xuan was no exception. As he looked at Song Zhou’s cold, rigid expression on the platform, a question arose in his mind:

’A decision like this is bound to offend a lot of people. Isn’t he afraid they’ll hold a grudge and secretly retaliate against him later?’

Jiang Xuan’s gaze swept past Song Zhou and then slowly around the room. The answer to his question quickly became clear—Song Zhou truly had nothing to fear.

Song Zhou wasn’t embezzling resources; he was merely changing the rules for their allocation. While this move would certainly harm the interests of some students and earn their resentment, it would also benefit others.

For instance, as Jiang Xuan’s gaze swept across the front row, he noticed that Xie Hanyan, Qin Feng, and Fang Xiao—the Chen Daoist School’s most renowned Noble from the Lower Classes—didn’t look troubled at all by Lecturer Song Zhou’s words. On the contrary, their eyes flashed with eager anticipation, and their auras grew sharper and more intense.

Clearly, these top prodigies were the new rules’ greatest beneficiaries. Fewer ranks meant more concentrated resources. As those at the very top, they stood to gain even more.

As such, they would feel only gratitude and goodwill toward Song Zhou for pushing this rule, not resentment.

As for the rest, their protests simply meant their own Talent and strength were insufficient.

Earning the resentment of the mediocre in exchange for the gratitude of the top prodigies—in a world with such a vast disparity between the strong and the weak, where the gap between people could be as wide as that between the clouds and the mud, this was undoubtedly a trade with no downside.

’Besides, barring any surprises, the Sect is bound to offer generous rewards to any Daoist School that produces Upper Vein or Middle Vein Inner Sect Disciples. As for Lower Vein disciples, they’d most likely be ignored. Under these circumstances, the lecturers at every Daoist School would naturally pour all their limited resources into the top prodigies to secure those Sect rewards.’

Once he pieced it all together, Jiang Xuan understood perfectly. The new rule was set in stone; there was no changing it now.

However, for Jiang Xuan, who had recently experienced a major breakthrough, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. So, his expression remained calm. He didn’t say a word, simply sitting quietly in his seat and mentally planning his next steps in Cultivation.

Meanwhile, after forcing the room into submission with his aura, Song Zhou didn’t leave immediately. Instead, his gaze fell upon Xie Hanyan, Qin Feng, and Fang Xiao. His tone softened as he said, "The three of you, come with me."

...

The group soon arrived at a secluded corner. The moment they came to a stop, the ever-impatient Qin Feng was the first to speak. "Lecturer, I assume you wanted to see us about the joint exam between the three schools?"

Song Zhou nodded. He didn’t bother to hide anything, getting straight to the point. "This joint exam was initiated by the Yin Daoist School. The current lecturer at the Yin Daoist School is surnamed Chen, and he has a disciple from the Chen Family’s direct lineage."

Hearing this, Fang Xiao and Xie Hanyan still looked confused, clearly not making the connection. But Qin Feng’s pupils contracted as he instantly grasped the implications. "The Hundred Battles Chen Family?!"

"That’s right. The Chen Family, masters of the Hundred Battles Refining Form, who can continuously build their aura through combat and victory. They proposed this joint exam because their family has produced an exceptionally talented direct lineage disciple this generation—Chen Qianjun. He’s currently building his power to pave his way into the top eighteen of the Hundred-Day Exam. He wants to use a victory in this joint exam to condense even stronger Battle Qi."

At these words, the expressions of Fang Xiao, Xie Hanyan, and Qin Feng instantly soured, their faces filled with displeasure. All three of them felt like Song Zhou was using them as pawns, selling them out to be stepping stones for the Chen Family disciple.

To their relief, Song Zhou still knew where his loyalties lay. He said frankly, "Rest assured, I didn’t agree to this joint exam because I accepted favors from the Chen Family, and I’m certainly not sending you to be stepping stones for Chen Qianjun."

At this, Song Zhou’s tone grew serious, and a flicker of anticipation crossed his eyes. "To make this joint exam happen, and to motivate you to give it your absolute all, the Chen Family has put up an incredible stake. They’ve poured all of it into the prize pool for the exam’s final rankings. First place will receive a Treasure Level Treasure. Second place gets the embryo of a Top Grade Magical Artifact. Third place..."