Just then, Dai Xingzhi heard Ye Lingxiao, who was standing next to him, say, “Your estimated value in the last Dao Heart test was actually ‘unknown’?”

Dai Xingzhi paused for a moment, then looked in the direction of Ye Lingxiao’s gaze, realizing he was looking at Zhang Yu, who was standing behind him and whose number was 55.

Hearing Ye Lingxiao’s question, Zhang Yu fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Dai Xingzhi then interjected, “An ‘unknown’ valuation? Did you not give up until the very end, perhaps even pushing the illusion to its limits… so they couldn’t assign a value?”

Zhang Yu replied, a hint of helplessness in his voice, “Yes… something like that.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Lingxiao’s eyes narrowed, and he now looked at Zhang Yu with a trace of seriousness.

*This person was able to completely break out of the illusion?* Ye Lingxiao thought to himself. *How strong is his willpower? And how wealthy is he, really? Is he even richer than Yun Jing, or me?*

Meanwhile, Dai Xingzhi’s mind was also racing: *Who exactly is this guy? Is he the descendant of a corporate director? Or the heir to some powerful local clan?*

Simultaneously, an increasing number of people noticed the number 55 on Zhang Yu, realizing that this student from outside the city was the top scorer in the previous Dao Heart test.

Given the unique nature of this Dao Heart test, they also understood that the top scorer must be incredibly wealthy, possessing astonishing riches.

As wealth is the most direct indicator of immortal potential, the affluent Number 55 must also be powerful, a strong contender for the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.

Ye Lingxiao looked at Zhang Yu, thinking: *Based on how he was picking up those red packet talismans and what he said, I initially thought he was poor.* *I never would have guessed he was so hidden. Could it be that he’s so rich, he can afford to casually pick up any red packet on the ground?* *And he seemed genuinely concerned about what poor people should do if they found red packet talismans… Is he one of those wealthy people who’s simply naive about the world?*

Lost in thought, Ye Lingxiao turned fully towards Zhang Yu, his eyes growing more serious. “I look forward to our competition later,” he stated.

In that moment, Zhang Yu, with his mysterious identity and unfathomable wealth, became one of Ye Lingxiao’s primary future rivals.

Dai Xingzhi and the other students watched the two standing opposite each other, feeling as though they were witnessing two colossal beasts, each exuding immense wealth, poised for a momentous clash.

Witnessing this, Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu with a pang of anxiety. “Yu Zi! You’re building yourself up so much now. When the actual competition starts and your true abilities are revealed, you’ll become the kind of clown Old Zhao always talks about!”

Bai Zhenzhen was confident that both she and Zhang Yu had made significant progress over the past two months, certainly reaching the standard of a third-year high school student.

However, she also knew that despite their improvements, she and Zhang Yu still lagged behind the top-tier “Immortal City Masters.”

For the first round of exams, Bai Zhenzhen merely aimed to pass.

As for catching up to or even surpassing the top Immortal City Masters, that would be a goal for the coming months, during the second and third rounds of exams.

Zhang Yu was well aware of all this, but once his number was displayed as the top scorer in the Dao Heart test, he knew there was no way for him to explain himself.

He couldn’t very well admit that he had endured the illusion until the very end only because of the ritual’s influence.

Nor could he reveal that he was actually broke, still figuring out how to pay next month’s loan interest.

So, facing Ye Lingxiao’s intense stare and feeling the curious, scrutinizing, or hostile gazes of every contestant in the hall, Zhang Yu felt as if he were being eyed by a pack of hungry tigers. Yet, he could only grit his teeth and push through.

*Damn it, shouldn’t I be slowly catching up to these Immortal City Masters while they dismiss or even ignore me, eventually seizing the Foundation Establishment Certificate? Why are they all staring at me right from the start?* *I knew they shouldn’t have done these rankings! Why expose the contestants’ privacy like this?*

The thought of competing head-on with this group next filled Zhang Yu with dread; he felt as though the “clown” role Zhao Tianhang had spoken of was beckoning him.

*Is there any way I can avoid making too much of a fool of myself later?* *No, forget it. If I have to lose a bit of face, then so be it. It’s my own fault for not being strong enough yet.*

Not far away, Yu Xinghan had just arrived and witnessed this astonishing scene unfold.

*That kid, Zhang Yu…* Yu Xinghan thought, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and surprise. *How on earth did he manage that?*

He racked his brain trying to understand how someone supposedly poor could have endured the illusion to achieve an “unknown” valuation. It made no sense to him.

He even felt an impulse to ask Zhang Yu directly but knew that such a secret would never be revealed.

A few moments later, once all the contestants had arrived, Deng Bingding, the chief examiner, began to announce the examination procedures.

In essence, the exam embodied the spirit of the Foundation Establishment reforms. This time, besides the Dao Heart, it would sequentially test students’ mana, physical prowess, and martial arts.

As for why the Dao Heart wouldn’t be tested again, it was reportedly because all unqualified candidates had already been eliminated in the previous Dao Heart test, making further testing unnecessary.

Of course, the minor deity Huang Zichou, standing to the side, knew that this decision was made by the higher-ups to save on budget.

After all, compared to the other three subjects, the Dao Heart test involved the spiritual realm environment and consumed the most money and resources.

Finally, Deng Bingding announced, “…This round of exams will only retain the top twenty contestants by total score; all others will be eliminated. To encourage the students, each of the top twenty contestants will be rewarded with an expert-level cultivation technique…”

At this, Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up slightly. “An expert-level cultivation technique for each person? That’s incredibly generous!”

Zhang Yu still remembered that the last “bonus” Deng Bingding had approved for him was an interest-free loan.

However, on second thought, he mused, *Behind the Eightfold Righteous Gods are the Heavenly Court and the Ten Great Sects.* *For us, an expert-level cultivation technique costs tens or even hundreds of thousands.* *But for them, it’s probably just a matter of granting access.* *After all, they just need to grant us usage rights and then send us the technique’s content…*

Soon, the mana examination officially commenced.

All students present lined up sequentially in the hall according to their assigned numbers.

Then, several examiners distributed a set of detection equipment and a box containing Spirit Roots to each person present.

Dai Xingzhi thought to himself: *This mana test evaluates control, burst output, and recovery of mana.* He picked up a detection patch and mused, *I need to channel as much mana into this as possible within 30 minutes.* *The faster and greater the mana output within 30 minutes, the higher the score.* *This requires both explosive power and precise control over mana, as well as the ability to absorb spiritual energy and restore mana simultaneously while channeling it.*

Dai Xingzhi knew that the ability to continuously exert mana over extended periods was an immortal cultivation technique typically taught in the third year of high school, according to the standard curriculum.

However, as this was the Foundation Establishment Exam for high schoolers, it naturally wouldn’t be confined by a simple curriculum.

Dai Xingzhi then opened a small box beside him containing an external Spirit Root. Inside, a circular ring constantly exuded wisps of spiritual energy, seemingly breathing like a living entity.

Dai Xingzhi thought, *An external Spirit Root, Qi Sea Boundless.* *A mid-tier brand of external Spirit Root?*

Dai Xingzhi recalled the examiner’s words, understanding that using a standardized Spirit Root was part of the reforms for this Foundation Establishment Exam.

Dai Xingzhi inwardly scoffed at this. Wealth was inherently a component of immortal potential; it was only right for the affluent to have more advantages. Why bother with a standardized Spirit Root?

Just then, Deng Bingding reminded them, “Before equipping the external Spirit Root, please remember to deactivate your internal Spirit Roots. Otherwise, you will be responsible for any consequences.”

As Dai Xingzhi was about to put on the Qi Sea Boundless external Spirit Root, he suddenly heard a male voice.

“How do you use this external Spirit Root?”

Dai Xingzhi turned his head and saw that it was Number 55 who had spoken.

*They’re actually providing standardized Spirit Roots?* Zhang Yu thought. *But this external Spirit Root doesn’t even come with instructions, who knows how to use it?* *And if I ask a question like this, all those Immortal City Masters around me will probably guess I’m not actually that wealthy, right?* *This could also serve as a preliminary setup for myself…*

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen heard this and secretly thought, *Good job, Yu Zi. If you ask, then I don’t have to.* *And it’s a good way to start setting up expectations for yourself, slowly revealing the fact that you’re not actually that rich. That way, even if your results aren’t as good as everyone expects, you’ll lose less face.*

Upon hearing this, Dai Xingzhi thought, *He hasn’t even used a Qi Sea Boundless before?* Considering Zhang Yu’s “unknown” top score in the Dao Heart test, Dai Xingzhi mused, *Is Qi Sea Boundless too low-tier for him?* *Damn it, for me, this is a standard Spirit Root for cultivation. Does this guy usually disdain to use it? What kind of Spirit Roots does he normally use?* *That damn rich guy,* Dai Xingzhi thought. *Good thing this exam uses standardized Spirit Roots!*

On the other side, Yun Jing, the strongest high school student, his eyes flashing, looked at Zhang Yu and thought, *Is this outsider showing off his wealth? Claiming he’s never used a Qi Sea Boundless?*

Yun Jing scoffed internally, then spoke up, “I don’t typically use this kind of Spirit Root either. Examiner, could you please show me how?”

*So, even rich people don’t really use this Spirit Root?* Zhang Yu thought. *Ugh, this is troublesome… Why do I feel like even more eyes are on me now?*

Following the examiners’ instructions, Zhang Yu channeled mana into the ring, expanding it before placing it over his hand. He immediately felt the external Spirit Root vibrate with his every breath, as if it had become an extension of his body, and the surrounding spiritual energy instantly converged around him.

Next, he put on the detection equipment and firmly grasped the detection patch.

As the countdown reached 3, 2, 1, all the contestants simultaneously began channeling mana into their respective detection patches.

A powerful hum seemed to fill the air as everyone’s mana circulated.

Simultaneously, on the large screen at the front of the hall, the individual mana output data lit up.

It displayed a series of bar graphs, with each contestant’s number beneath their respective bar and the mana value above it.

As everyone frantically channeled mana, each bar continuously grew, and they were sorted by the amount of mana output.

However, the growth of two particular bars was so aggressive that they not only immediately shot into first and second place but also made all the other contestants’ bars appear to shrink in comparison due to their sheer, exaggerated growth.

These two dominant bars belonged to Yun Jing, Number 11, and Ye Lingxiao, Number 23.

Their mana readings surged, and their bars, like two colossal dragons, intertwined for first and second place, constantly vying for the lead.

At the same time, Dai Xingzhi glanced at Number 55’s bar. “Hmm? Why is it ranked so far back?”