C20 The Promise of Two Years!

"This..."

Lin Yi was taken aback during his first assessment of a plant's attribute.

The primary distinction between plants and other spirit animals lay in their spiritual wisdom. Typically, when spirit animals reach the gold stage, their spiritual wisdom advances to a human level. Plants, however, fall short. At best, the gold stage energy allows them to begin developing spiritual wisdom.

Furthermore, there's no detailed classification of their levels, only a vague hierarchical structure.

Lastly, their skills tend to be passive, with very low offensive capabilities. Their quality and evolution are also minimal, almost to the point of non-existence.

"Hai Dafu! Do you understand why you're here?"

Jiang Yuxin set aside her textbook, addressing the three individuals before her.

Fatty nodded hesitantly, "I suppose... I do."

Jiang Yuxin's expression hardened. "You suppose? What exactly do you know?"

"Ah! What? Know what?" Fatty was flustered. "I only spoke up in class, right?"

"Go and stand in the corner!" Jiang Yuxin directed him to the wall.

"Oh..." Fatty's face drooped as he trudged away, looking pitiful.

Turning to the girl in front of her, Jiang Yuxin asked, "Zhong Qin, do you know why I've called you here?"

"Yes," Zhong Qin answered earnestly. "I shouldn't have spoken during class and disrupted the order."

"Alright, share your thoughts," Jiang Yuxin said, her expression softening.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong," Zhong Qin admitted, her head bowed.

Pleased with Zhong Qin's sincere apology, Jiang Yuxin's voice grew gentler.

"I understand that you grasp the material I teach... but does that mean you can afford not to pay attention?"

"I'm sorry, I was wrong."

"Your humanities are strong, and you're adept at Familiar cultivation, but you need to work on your physical fitness and combat skills!"

Jiang Yuxin then sifted through a stack of papers on her desk and handed a few to Zhong Qin.

Standing next to Zhong Qin, Lin Yi stole a glance at the paper she held. It appeared to be the scoring rubric and subjects for the exam.

"This year's assessment will undoubtedly be tougher than in previous years," Jiang Yuxin said, paying no mind to Lin Yi's furtive looks or the eager fatty. "Given the recent skirmishes between the Alliance Army and the Otherkin forces on the frontier, the weight given to actual combat and competitive elements in the exam will likely be increased."

She paused to take a sip of tea before adding, "Plus, the progeny of some venerable figures have entered the fray, intensifying this year's competition even further."

"But don't we have policies for score deductions and guaranteed spots for those of us from smaller regions?" Lin Yi pondered aloud.

Jiang Yuxin gave Lin Yi a surprised look. "Well, someone's been doing their homework."

Lin Yi chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head.

Jiang Yuxin took another sip of tea and continued, "Lin Yi, you truly have a gift. Barring any unforeseen issues, you should ace the literacy test, combat, and physical fitness. Securing a spot at a reputable school should be a breeze for you."

Then she shifted gears. "However, your Familiar has only just hatched, right? With just two months until the college entrance exams, how much can you really improve? To the peak of the bronze period?"

Lin Yi shook his head. "It's unlikely."

With a sigh, Jiang Yuxin took another sip of tea and handed Lin Yi and Zhong Qin each a document. "Take a look."

The fatty in the corner piped up, "What about mine?"

Name: Yao Wan

Background: A scion of the Yao family. Brilliant and ranked among the top ten at the Imperial College.

Strength: Early silver two period.

Familiar: Eagle of the Void.

Name: Gao Baizhan

Background: Apprentice to a platinum-level expert.

Strength: Unknown

Familiar: Unknown

...

Name: Lu Lu

Background: Commoner

Strength: Early silver one period. (Unique physique)

Familiar: Unknown

Lin Yi was taken aback. "This is..."

This small slip of paper was covered with the names of over a dozen individuals. Their identities and statuses may have varied, but uniformly, their strength was at the silver level.

And Lin Yi? Merely a bronze.

In that moment, Lin Yi felt dazed, finally grasping the reason Jiang Yuxin had summoned them to her office.

"What does it matter if you're geniuses here? The world is vast; do you think it lacks just two more?"

Jiang Yuxin's words jolted Lin Yi back to reality.

Indeed.

Since acquiring the plug-in, Lin Yi had grown increasingly conceited, gradually dismissing the abilities of his peers. He had convinced himself that with the plug-in, a bit of practice would easily put him ahead of the rest.

But now, he realized his naivety. The world was never short on geniuses.

True geniuses are those who grow and mature into their potential!

Jiang Yuxin watched the two lost in thought and silently nodded in approval.

A student willing to learn!

"Teacher, I believe I can become stronger than them!"

Lin Yi suddenly looked up, his eyes shining with a confident glow.

Jiang Yuxin: "..."

"...Actually, this information is six months old. By now, they might have grown even stronger," Jiang Yuxin said with a hint of hesitation.

The data she had shown Lin Yi and the others was accurate, albeit outdated.

Jiang Yuxin didn't want them resting on their laurels due to a smidge of talent. Today's lesson was meant to be a wake-up call, to make them realize there's always someone better out there.

But she couldn't crush their spirits entirely; too harsh a blow could backfire. So she deliberately omitted the dates from the data, aiming to inspire them to strive harder instead of lounging around in complacency.

Yet Lin Yi's sudden burst of confidence caught her off guard.

This was totally unexpected.

"Yes, exactly the same," Lin Yi affirmed with assurance.

"Two months, you're certain?" Jiang Yuxin was taken aback.

Two months to surpass what others have strived for over a decade—could that be possible?

"I'm not sure!"

Watching Jiang Yuxin's naively sweet expression, Lin Yi couldn't help but roll his eyes and clarify, "I never claimed I'd surpass them in two months."

"Ah! So I misunderstood," Jiang Yuxin exclaimed, patting her chest in relief.

That was a close one. It was merely a phrase meant to encourage oneself. And yet, why did she feel a tinge of disappointment?

"But within two years, I will definitely be stronger than all of them!"

Jiang Yuxin was stunned.

"But as you grow stronger, so do others. How can you be so sure that you'll definitely be stronger than them?" Zhong Qin, who had been quiet until now, suddenly chimed in.

Lin Yi paused, reflecting on the myriad of experiences from his two lifetimes, as well as the auxiliary system that had instilled him with such confidence.

"Because I am born to stand out! Because my vision will always reach farther than others!"

"Wow! Yi, you're so cool!" Fatty, huddled in the corner, was brought to tears by Lin Yi's brimming confidence.