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As the exam wrapped, the challengers Su Mo had knocked out slunk away, heads low.
The clan heads and national leaders who'd shelled out big to get them in? Teeth grinding in fury.
To snag a shot at a God-rank disciple slot in Great Xia's exam, they'd paid a steep price—downright brutal, even.
If someone actually became Tu Hongwu's disciple, fine. But flopping? Pure bloodbath loss.
Those Silver and Gold dungeons they'd handed over—hard-earned through grueling clears.
Clearing a dungeon wasn't just beating the boss; it meant crushing every side quest, mainline, and seizing the core to truly own it.
These controlled dungeons were their fallback plans.
Each one churned out resources and had vast space—perfect for hiding their bloodlines if a real threat hit, sealing it shut.
Sure, survival odds were dicey, but it was a lifeline.
King-tier materials? Don't get started—King dungeons were rare as hell, and scoring King-grade loot from them was a nightmare.
Every King-tier material could push a King-rank to demi-god.
Demi-god—half a step to God-rank, but still packing that "god" punch.
Gods and humans weren't even in the same league. One god—even a demi—could lock a nation or clan into eternal stability.
A God-rank disciple? Godhood's a lock—only Gods snag God-tier materials.
That's why some nations, even dozens combined, couldn't scrape up a demi-god, while God-tier nations popped up like mushrooms after rain.
Even with garbage talent, a God-rank disciple could hit demi-god easy.
They'd paid a brutal price—only to get thrashed and sent packing. How could they not be pissed?
Meanwhile, Su Mo stood on the top scorer's award podium.
Below him, Chu Tian and Xiao Hongtu took second and third—mostly 'cause Su Mo soaked up the heat. Otherwise, he figured they'd have crumbled.
Not that he gave a damn.
Right now, he just wanted the scoop on the top scorer's haul.
And why Old Man Wang insisted he hit it before Level 10.
Everyone else drooling over being Tu Hongwu's disciple? Already a done deal for him—no hype needed.
Lost in thought, that motormouth host sidled up, jamming a mic in his face.
"Su Mo, as this year's top scorer, anything you wanna say to everyone?"
Su Mo blanked for a sec, then drawled, "Uh, study hard, aim high!"
"Hahaha, real down-to-earth advice! So, standing here now—what're you thinking?"
"What's the top scorer reward, and when do I get it?"
The host—chatty as hell—fumbled for a reply.
"Su Mo's keeping it real, huh? The reward'll hit your system space soon as a dungeon prize.
So, after becoming Tu Hongwu's disciple, you joining a university? Which one?"
Su Mo hadn't thought it over, but recruiters watching TV wanted to strangle the host.
Why'd you ask that?!
If Su Mo dodged it, fine—but if he named a school, how'd the others snag talent?
This was supposed to be a backroom bidding war for the top scorer.
Now it's out in the open—what kind of mess is this?!
They cursed inwardly, but every recruiter stared at Su Mo, praying their school's name would drop.
"Haven't decided—might chat with my teacher about it."
After a few more minutes of grilling, the host bounced back to his platform, facing the camera:
"Alright, thanks for tuning into this year's exam broadcast—it's a wrap!
Let's give our warmest applause to this year's top scorer, and here's hoping other students…
Big thanks to our international friends too…
That's all for today!"
A golden flash, and every student ditched the exam dungeon.
Su Mo blinked—still on the award podium, but not Tianfu High's field anymore—just the empty exam space.
He glanced around: nobody. A hundred arenas loomed in the vast dungeon, just him, nothing else.
[Exam Rewards Calculating…]
He'd been fretting about a glitch—system chime calmed him right down.
[Three-Eye Clan World: Killed Three-Eyes for 14,100 points]
[Ranking Exam: Held Arena 1 for 1,000 points, eliminated 280 challengers for 28,000 points]
[Top Scorer Bonus: All points x10]
[Total Points: 431,000! (Points usable as currency at major commerce hubs)]
[Congrats on becoming Top Scorer—awarded Top Scorer Title]
[Top Scorer Title: +30% Great Xia fame, +10% XP gain, +2% all attributes when equipped]
Seeing the system alerts, Su Mo nearly jumped out of his skin.
No wonder everyone chased this spot—the title alone was worth drooling over.
+2% all attributes , +10% XP gain—maybe meh for others, but for him? God-tier.
Perfect timing—he'd been plotting how to grind XP post-exam. Pillow delivered right as he dozed off.
[Congrats on reward: Blank Skill Book]
[Blank Skill Book: Guarantees a skill tied to your innate talent upon use (usable up to Level 20)]
[Congrats on reward: Bronze Skill Book]
[Bronze Skill Book: Guarantees a skill tied to your innate talent upon use (usable Levels 20-39)]
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