As the Dao Heart test concluded, Deng Bingding promptly reported the results.

While Zhang Yu’s valuation remained unknown, Deng Bingding attributed this primarily to the simplicity of the Dao Heart test. The inflated results of other students were similar in nature.

“In reality, under true coercion and temptation, they wouldn’t fetch such high prices,” she mused. “But after all, it’s just a test to weed out the weaklings and focus on students with potential. It’s sufficient for that purpose.”

In her report, besides the outstanding performances of Zhang Yu, Ye Lingxiao, and Yun Jing, Bai Zhenzhen’s unique showing was also highlighted. Some students with subpar base stats and poor Dao Heart test results were also flagged for potential elimination.

Soon after, the assembled gods received a reply from above: A thumbs-up.

This signaled approval of their work, instantly relieving the slight tension among them. They then received more detailed feedback, including commendations for Zhang Yu, Ye Lingxiao, Yun Jing, and Bai Zhenzhen, to encourage them.

Deng Bingding was slightly surprised by Bai Zhenzhen’s commendation, as she felt her performance, while unique, fell short of the other three. “Could it be that someone above… admires Bai Zhenzhen’s performance?”

Deng Bingding continued reading the reply: “Hmm, there are also a few students to be eliminated?”

When Zhang Yu opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the registration office. The middle-aged woman who had registered him was seated behind her desk, watching him.

“You remember the Dao Heart test, right?” Deng Bingding asked.

Nowadays, the Eight Divine Bureaus emphasized keeping records for future review. All data from the Foundation Building Exam and Dao Heart Test, even the students’ experiences in the illusion, were preserved.

Zhang Yu nodded, finally confirming his suspicion: “So, everything I just experienced was some kind of illusion?”

Deng Bingding regarded Zhang Yu with admiration, saying, “You performed very well on the Dao Heart test. Your devotion to the Immortal Path, your lofty goals, and unwavering resolve are admirable to both me and the higher-ups. Therefore, they have approved a special bonus to encourage you.”

Upon hearing the word “bonus,” Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up. Money was precisely what he lacked most on his current path to immortality. But when Deng Bingding flicked out a red packet talisman, Zhang Yu’s expression instantly changed.

“Are these bonuses just high-interest loans?” he silently cursed. “Are these bastards screwing over students from the start?”

Deng Bingding continued, “This is a 300,000 spirit stone, no-interest loan. You’ll receive it and repay 5,000 per month for 60 months.”

Seeing the incoming red packet talisman, Zhang Yu immediately felt his earlier thoughts were shortsighted. He respectfully accepted the packet. “Thank you, examiner. May I ask your name?”

Deng Bingding replied casually, “Call me Deng Youshen. I am one of the examiners for this year’s Foundation Building Exam. Your performance caught the attention of the higher-ups. Cultivate diligently this year and aim to pass the Foundation Building Qualification next time. Entering the second realm will undoubtedly lead to a bright future.”

Clearly, Deng Bingding’s assessment of Zhang Yu’s mana, physique, and martial arts data didn’t lead her to believe he could pass this year’s Foundation Building Qualification. In fact, this was true for most high school students, and Zhang Yu didn’t bother arguing.

Zhang Yu respectfully said, “Thank you for your guidance, Deng Youshen.”

Deng Bingding nodded. “You may go.”

In the next moment, Zhang Yu felt a large hole open beneath him, and he fell through. When he regained his senses, he was back in the restroom stall at the train station.

Carefully opening the stall door, he stepped out and surveyed the bustling crowd. Zhang Yu thought to himself, “This is truly over, right?”

A moment later, Bai Zhenzhen emerged from the women’s restroom. After a brief exchange, they confirmed that the Dao Heart test was indeed over. Bai Zhenzhen had also received a bonus: a 150,000 spirit stone, no-interest loan.

Bai Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief. “I didn’t expect there to be a bonus. This exam reform is a good thing.”

The bonus greatly relieved both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, whose savings were dwindling. However, they didn’t dare linger in the expensive Immortal City and boarded the train home.

While Bai Zhenzhen went to the restroom, Zhang Yu squeezed the bead around his neck. The voice of Fuhime, as if waking from a dream, echoed in his mind: “Hmm? Is it over?”

Before coming to Immortal City for the Foundation Building Exam, Zhang Yu had been hesitant about bringing Fuhime along. On one hand, while she seemed harmless, Zhang Yu remembered her identity as an evil god and the original wishing process, so he dared not let her out of his sight, giving her a chance to escape control.

On the other hand, participating in a competition watched by the gods, he had to worry about Fuhime being discovered, or even the ritual power within him being exposed.

However, just as Zhang Yu was hesitating, Fuhime suggested that Zhang Yu take her with him, saying, “If I speak to you, or investigate the outside world, that might reveal my presence. But if I suppress my consciousness and actively abandon all exploration of the outside world, I’ll be like a dead object, easily fooling the Foundation Building Exam. We’re in the same boat now. If something happens to you, I’m done for too, so I definitely won’t lie to you. So-called righteous gods have talismans, but we evil gods have rituals. We may not be as good at making money as the righteous gods, but when it comes to hiding our tracks and evading detection, how can the righteous gods compare to us evil gods? If that weren’t the case, wouldn’t all the evil gods who infiltrated Kunxu have been caught long ago?”

The reason why Fuhime was willing to say this to Zhang Yu was because she knew that Zhang Yu, even now, hadn’t truly let his guard down, and persuading him to leave her outside would only increase Zhang Yu’s suspicion of her, damaging the bit of trust that had been built up over this period.

On the other hand, Fuhime now regarded Zhang Yu as a blue-chip stock with extremely high potential. “Based on my years of investment experience, trying to deal with Zhang Yu now, creating infighting, would be like buying a blue-chip stock and selling it before it has risen much, which is a major investment taboo. For this kind of blue-chip stock, you must be patient and hold on tight… Just like Zhang Yu, now is the time to help him, further gain his trust, and make the pie bigger together. Only when he has truly grown up will it be time to consider harvesting. Besides, he and I have already completed the ritual, giving us a dominant advantage in this regard, so why fight him early? There will be plenty of time later…”

At this moment, on the train, the awakened Fuhime said, “Although I wasn’t discovered this time, there was a period of time when I felt the sea of consciousness shaking, and divine power seemed to surge outside. The Foundation Building Exam you participated in was quite high-level. If you really get the Foundation Building Qualification, you’ll definitely attract even more attention from the righteous gods. To ensure safety and hide me and the ritual even deeper, you still have to help me hunt down my colleagues as soon as possible. When I recover some of my power, my concealment ability will be stronger, and your potential can be further stimulated. The boss behind Mo Tianyi must be related to my colleagues, so you can take him down first.”

This was Fuhime’s other goal, using this opportunity to once again urge Zhang Yu to hunt down evil gods.

Although Zhang Yu didn’t answer, he was already quite tempted. Of course, it wasn’t just because of Fuhime’s persuasion, but also because of the gap he felt between himself and those high school seniors in Immortal City.

“The strongest of those high school seniors in this year’s Foundation Building Exam are already close to the limit of Qi Refining. In another half a year, probably more students in this exam will cultivate their Dao Heart, mana, and physique to the limit of Qi Refining.”

Zhang Yu knew that in order to deal with these perfect high school students, he would have to push all his stats to the peak of Qi Refining.

“Stimulating potential, upgrading the Jade Tome… How could I not want to do such a thing?”

However, that poor boss is likely a high school senior from White Dragon, but with an evil god backing him and having won competition awards, his strength is probably already at the level of a high school senior. Zhang Yu would have to make sure his own strength reached the level of a high school senior before contacting him.

“Strength… It’s still about more strength. And if I want more strength, besides upgrading the Jade Tome, I’ll have to rely on money. Do I have to spend time earning money again?”

Zhang Yu hesitated. He had already devoted too much of his cultivation time to working to earn money. And although he had a 300,000 spirit stone, no-interest loan, it still wouldn’t last long compared to the various cultivation expenses.

Just then, Bai Zhenzhen, who had returned from the restroom, looked at Zhang Yu and asked curiously, “Yuzi, what are you staring at your phone for?”

Zhang Yu said, “A-Zhen, the more I work, the more I understand one thing: Working a job won’t make you rich. Especially if you want to pass the exam, relying on the money we earn from working is too slow.”

Bai Zhenzhen said, “That’s obvious. If working could make you rich, wouldn’t there be anyone to do the work?”

Zhang Yu continued, “If you want to make big money, you still have to rely on loans. Loans are the fastest way for young people in Kunxu to make money.”

If Zhang Yu had wanted to accumulate strength without relying on loans before, then after seeing the level of the Immortal City masters this time, he felt even more pressure. Especially with the urgency of hunting down evil gods. All of this required him to improve his strength even more in the next six months, requiring him to further accelerate his cultivation. And the first method he thought of, which was also the most common method in Kunxu, was to take out a loan.

Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu seriously and said, “Yuzi, you’ve spoken my mind. After seeing so many Immortal City masters in the examination hall this time, I realized that we haven’t been working hard enough before. If we continue to work and cultivate for 24 hours, if we continue to lie flat like this, how will we compete with the Immortal City masters? Let’s do it, Yuzi! Our credit rating must have increased in the past few months, and our limit should have increased a lot too.”

Bai Zhenzhen also took out her phone, opened the platform, and took a deep breath. “Let’s completely borrow out our Immortal Path potential in one go!”

In the next moment, as the two of them clicked on their phones, the numbers on their bank accounts suddenly changed. In that instant, Zhang Yu felt as if he saw rivers of money crossing over and pouring into his body, crazily driving his Immortal Path potential.