Chapter 2: I Must Get into a Prestigious University

Now, in truth, a full century had passed since the dawn of the Divine Body Era. Over this hundred years, humanity had advanced ever further on the path of cultivation, progressing at a remarkable pace and giving rise to countless peerless experts. Sixty years prior, with the invention of the nuclear bomb, humans finally turned the tide, successfully constructing a defensive line at the entrance of the spatial rift to repel the rampaging beasts of the Primeval World. Yet those nations that had been laid waste by the monsters were lost to history, their restoration forever impossible.

At present, Chen Meng resided in Jiangzhou City, Yangzhou Province, Huaguo. Moreover, following the appearance of the spatial rift, Earth's surface area began to increase ceaselessly. After a hundred years of expansion, the planet had grown tenfold. Experts speculated that Earth's size swelled because it continually devoured matter and energy from the Primeval World. There were many conflicting opinions, but none yet solidly proven. With the planet's growth, countries encouraged population increase, and today, Earth's population had soared to twelve billion, of which nearly seven billion were citizens of Huaguo.

Additionally, as Earth underwent assimilation by the Primeval World, some of its native animals gained intelligence, transforming into demon beasts. At the location where the spatial rift once existed, an entire continent had since emerged.

Another matter of great importance was the college entrance examination. This was the most pressing concern facing Chen Meng at present, for in this world, the entrance exam was far more merciless than the one on his previous Earth.

Why was that? Chen Meng only understood after studying the examination policies. The content of the exam was utterly different from before. Though four subjects were tested, these had become Runes, Alchemy, Forging, and General Studies. Runes, Alchemy, and Forging were taught in theory only—students were not required to inscribe runes, concoct potions, or craft artifacts themselves.

Except for General Studies, which was worth three hundred points, each of the other three subjects had a maximum score of one hundred and fifty. Notably, a perfect score in any subject earned an additional thirty bonus points. Yet, achieving perfection was a nearly impossible feat.

Just like before, there were three admission thresholds: first-tier, second-tier, and vocational. In theory, anyone could attend university, but the quality of the institution determined the resources and benefits one might receive. This difference was pivotal, as it directly affected the allocation of cultivation resources.

For divine body cultivation, there were nine ranks, with the first being the lowest. Ordinary people required an Ascension Potion to obtain even a first-rank divine body—a liquid concocted by alchemists to enhance physical capabilities. Even the most basic first-rank potion cost over one hundred thousand credits, and that was if one could even find it for sale.

However, gaining admission to a top-tier university guaranteed the distribution of a first-rank Ascension Potion. At a second-tier university, half of the outstanding students would receive one. For vocational colleges, students were on their own; the school merely provided a purchasing channel and nothing more.

And this was only the beginning. Once formal divine body cultivation commenced, the resources available at elite universities far surpassed those at ordinary institutions. Most of Earth's divine body experts were alumni of these nine top universities. Yangzhou Province, where Chen Meng lived, hosted one such elite school: Jiangdu University.

Chen Meng understood his family’s situation well. To afford even vocational college, they would have to sell their home—otherwise, scraping together the money for an Ascension Potion was impossible.

“I must get into a top university,” Chen Meng swore, clenching his fists. This decision would determine his fate, and in this world, there was no chance to repeat the exam. Every student began school at six and took the entrance exam at eighteen, for that age was optimal for using the Ascension Potion.

The bell rang, crisp and clear. The classroom erupted into noise as everyone packed up for the day. Chen Meng, thinking of his parents, felt an eager longing to return home.

Ma Yiqun, who lived in the same complex as Chen Meng, usually walked home with him. Just as they left the school gate, they saw a luxury car waiting outside. A man in a suit and bow tie opened the door, and their classmate Tang Wenjing slipped in with practiced ease. The suited man gently closed the door after her, returned to the driver’s seat, and the car sped off.

“Rich folks,” Ma Yiqun said enviously. “That car alone costs at least three hundred thousand—enough to buy a nice three-bedroom apartment in JJ City.”

Chen Meng clapped Ma Yiqun on the shoulder. “Then work hard and marry Tang Wenjing; you’ll have everything.”

Ma Yiqun gave an awkward laugh. He might wish for it, but it was clearly impossible.

...

Lanshan Community, Apartment 403.

Chen Meng pressed his finger to the door’s biometric lock, and it swung open. His mother, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen. “You’re home! Go wash up. I made your favorite crucian carp soup.”

His father set down the remote in the living room. “Dad! Mom!” Chen Meng greeted them, relief flooding his heart at the familiar sight. The world might have changed, but his parents remained the same—some things, it seemed, were unaltered.

Resolving to accept this new reality, he settled onto the couch to watch the evening news with his father.

“The thirty-third Intercollegiate Alchemy Competition concluded, with Li Sanyi of Jiangdu University winning the championship with an average score of 98.2.”

“Renowned Rune Professor Wang Li has introduced a revolutionary optimization for flight runes, earning a national special-grade patent!”

“Big Q Corporation fined one hundred million for unauthorized construction of a rune array.”

...

At the table, his mother, Xu Xiu, ladled out a large bowl of fish soup for him. “Drink more soup and be smart.”

Chen Meng grinned, unreserved in his praise. “Thanks, Mom! Your soup is the best in the world!”

“You always know what to say,” his mother laughed, clearly pleased.

His father, Chen Jianghe, suddenly recalled something. “Son, I heard you had another mock exam. How did it go?”

“Uh...” Chen Meng hesitated, wishing the subject would drop. His total score just barely exceeded four hundred, ranking seventy-second out of eighty-one in his class—good only for vocational college.

“Son, I have to say this,” his mother admonished. “There are only three months until the entrance exam. I don’t expect you to match your cousin Zhang Yi and get into Jiangdu University, the best in Yangzhou Province, but you must try for a second-tier university. Otherwise, you’ll end up like your father and me—just ordinary engineers and cultivators, regular folks, nothing special.”

“Knowledge changes fate,” his father added earnestly. “Study hard at the academy. The more you know, the better your prospects, even if you remain an ordinary person.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best,” Chen Meng replied, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.

...

After dinner, Chen Meng was chased into his room to study, leaving dishwashing to his parents. He gazed at the textbooks before him, feeling utterly lost.

Unlike his previous world’s high school, where textbooks were many, here all three years of high school amounted to just nine books: High School Runes, High School Alchemy, High School Forging, High School Literature, Mathematics, History, Science, Biology, and Primeval Language.

The last six comprised the General Studies section, worth a combined total of three hundred points. Chen Meng flipped through them but found that only General Studies made any sense; Runes, Alchemy, and Forging were like arcane scripts to him.

“Three months isn’t enough. If I had three years, maybe I could grind my way into a top university. As it is, I’ll be lucky to make vocational college,” he thought with a sigh. Perhaps he’d chosen the wrong moment for rebirth—this divine-level starting point was a killer.

No matter how he racked his brain, no solution presented itself. In the end, he drifted off to sleep, weary and resigned.

The next morning, after breakfast, his mother, Xu Xiu, handed him five hundred credits. “Here, son. You said your meal card was running low—top it up at lunch.”

He accepted the money absentmindedly. High schoolers usually ate breakfast at home, lunch at school, and dinner at home unless there were special arrangements. With the higher cost of living in this world, just his meals cost around four hundred credits per month.

At school, the morning passed in a fog. “This runes class is impossibly hard,” he muttered after a look at the teacher’s incomprehensible symbols and arcane formulas. Math and science seemed trivial by comparison.

...

“Chen Meng, let’s eat!” Ma Yiqun called, as the other students filed out. Remembering his card needed recharging, Chen Meng nodded and joined him in the canteen.

At the recharge window, he queued behind twenty or thirty students. After ten minutes, it was finally his turn.

“Five hundred, please,” he said, passing over his meal card and cash. The heavyset woman behind the window took them, placed his card on the device, and with a beep, his balance jumped from forty-nine to five hundred forty-nine.

Recharge successful.

Returning his card, the woman tossed it onto the counter, but Chen Meng froze, his outstretched hand hanging in the air.

He shook his head vigorously, eyes wide in disbelief. Had he just seen the impossible?

“Did I imagine that?” he asked, nudging the student behind him. “Did you see something just now?”

“See what?” the other student replied, puzzled.

“A line of text... it said ‘Knowledge Points: 5’,” Chen Meng ventured.

“You’re crazy,” the student snorted. “Hurry up and move, don’t hold up the line.”

“Next!” the woman at the window barked, tossing his card onto the counter.