Chapter 217: Decrees and Confinement


    Trantor: 549690339


    As time passed, students began to return to the ssroom after passing the tests set by older students.


    For some it was joy; for others, sorrow. The vast majority of students had significantly improved their abilities after a month of hard work. Even if some still couldn’t match the older students, they usually passed as long as they ttered the older brothers and sisters with sweet words.


    Still, there was a small fraction of students whose abilities fell too short to gain the recognition of the seniors.


    After all, the teachers were watching everyone closely. Mild ckers might slip through without raising eyebrows, but the seniors couldn’t be too lenient without the teacher noticing if the gap was toorge.


    So…


    “Ji An, ancestor, Shang Keluo…”


    With each name that instructor Zhu Hong read, those students with already dejected expressions lifted their heads, revealing an even uglier look of distress.


    “Unfortunately, you have failed to meet the grade requirements twice in a row and, ording to the regtions, will be demoted to Elite ss 2.”


    Even though they had anticipated this, when it was officially announced by the teacher, these dozen or so students still wore looks of utter sadness.


    Being demoted from Elite ss 1 to Elite ss 2 might seem insignificant since both are elite sses, but the reality couldn’t be more different in terms of status, treatment, and how the school’s top echelons viewed them.


    With ten sses in total for the second-year students, each ss holding between one hundred to one hundred and fifty students, including two elite sses, only the first ss embodied true elitism. The second ss was merely a reserve for the first, and in terms of attention and resources, it couldn’t hold a candle to the first.


    Although they both sounded like elite sses, the vast majority of top resources were reserved for the first ss andpletely out of reach for the second ss.


    Thus, demotion from Elite ss 1 to Elite ss 2 meant being expelled from the core circle of the school, and your status and ess to resources plummet. The remaining students reacted differently to their departing ssmates. Those with lower rankings were anxious, knowing that based on past major ss evaluations, their position was always at risk of elimination.


    However, those with higher rankings were much more rxed. No matter how the cuts were made, it wouldn’t be their turn, especially the dozen or so who, like Lin Xiao, sat upon the Crystal Disc – these elites among elites had no fear of elimination and felt naturally different.


    With a wave of the instructor’s hand, these dozen students vanished from the ssroom. Now only eighty-eight students remained.


    “This serves as a reminder. Staying in Elite ss 1 means greater attention and resources but also steeperpetition. Fall behind, and you’ll be left out.” As Zhu Hong spoke these words, ss teacher Jin Sisi suddenly softened her tone and said:


    Of course, being eliminated now doesn’t mean you’re without a future. Each year, during the mid-term and final exams, outstanding students from Elite ss 2 and other sses will be selected to advance to Elite ss 1. These eliminated students can return if they meet the growth requirements in the future.”


    Lin Xiao…


    He snorted. Already struggling to keep up, being demoted to the second ss would mean even fewer resources and less attention than the first ss – making aeback would be extremely difficult.


    “Alright, now let’s hand out the rewards.”


    The ss teacher waved her hand and a holographic screen popped up in front of everyone, disying three glittering gold Cards.


    “The top ten students with the highest evaluations will receive a standard blueprint for the construction of a Lightning Spire. Additionally, two students who have received exceptional evaluations from Senior sister Xiong Chu Mo and Cao Yichen will receive two fully constructed Lightning Spires.” After the teacher finished speaking, a youth with lightning twining around him to form a pair of lightning wings, resembling Thor, Yun Shaoning quickly scanned his dozen or so rivals and looked expectantly at the ss teacher with eager eyes.


    Most of the other students sitting on the Crystal Disc lifted their heads to size up their peers, seeming very interested in the announcement.


    Jin Sisi ignored them and scanned the students in the central circle before calling out two names:


    “Gu Xiaoming and Lin Xiao, please stay back. The rest of you are dismissed.” As her words fell, everyone’s gaze turned to Lin Xiao and the other boy. Yun Shaoning’s face began to show signs of irritation after the names were called, clearly annoyed.


    He had no qualms about Gu Xiaoming, as the innocently faced, mild-tempered boy came from a far more prestigious background than his own and was stronger than him; there was nothing he could do about Gu getting one of the spots.


    But this Lin Xiao…


    He remembered the boy as a special admissions student from the Super Neer Summer Camp, someone from the countryside without any significant background. Yun Shaoning stepped forward and raised his hand to speak up:


    “Teacher, I have a question!”


    Jin Sisi nced at him, understanding his intentions, and nodded:


    “Please, Ning Shaoyun, go ahead.”


    Ning Shaoyun said loudly:


    “I would like to know if Lin Xiao received an exceptionally outstanding evaluation?”


    As Jm Sisi saw that the rest of the ss also took an interest in the question, she nodded and replied:


    “That’s correct. This is Senior sister Xiong Chu Mo’s evaluation; there’s no mistake in it.”


    At this, the majority of students sighed in resignation, including several top- ranked students, as it seemed that Senior sister Xiong Chu Mo held a high level of credibility among them.


    But Ning Shaoyun was not satisfied, or rather, he was unwilling to relinquish the spot.


    It may have seemed like just a highly outstanding evaluation, but in reality, it involved ess to the rare top-tier resources and very important opportunities held by the ss teacher.


    This was no secret; anyone enrolled in Glorious Middle School Elite ss 1 had an extraordinary background—at least descendants of a True God lineage—and most were aware of these stakes. However, most students understood that with simr family backgrounds, theycked the strength topete for such opportunities.


    Ning Shaoyun, however, believed he had a chance. His own strength was top five in the ss, and there wasn’t a significant gap between the top five. No one could overpower the others decisively, which meant everyone had a shot.


    Had it been another acquaintance who grabbed the spot, he wouldn’t have been able to object given the simr family backgrounds. But Lin Xiao…


    But if it were Lin Xiao and another specially recruited contestant, he had an idea.


    He mustered his courage and said:


    I won t ept it, I want to challenge him one-on-one!”


    After finishing, he looked at Lin Xiao with an unconvinced expression and added:


    “I won’t ept it. If you dare, let’s fight one-on-one.”


    All the ssmates looked on with interest, and the homeroom teacher did not stop him, also looking on with great interest. In the school, teachers would never stop all kinds of one-on-one challenges but instead were keen on seeing various challenges andpetitions.


    Of course, the premise is not the malicious bullying type.


    Under the stare of dozens of gazes, Lin Xiao smiled slightly, looked up at the homeroom teacher, and asked:


    “Teacher, do I have to ept this challenge? If I refuse, will it affect my grade for this major ss?”


    Ning Shaoyun’s face slightly changed.


    The homeroom teacher, Jin Sisi, shook her head and said:


    “No, you can refuse, and it won’t affect your grade for this major ss, but it


    will affect other students’ opinions of you.”


    “Oh!”


    Lin Xiao understood and, smiling at Ning Shaoyun, said:


    “In that case, I won’t ept your challenge.”


    In his mixture of anger and depression, Lin Xiao added:


    “But don’t hurry; after I get that reward, if you’re still interested, we can have a one-on-one challenge then.”


    He looked sincere as he spoke, but in his heart, he was thinking:


    “Idiot, you think I’ll just ept a challenge because you said so? Who do you think you are!”


    Since the challenge wasn’t mandatory, Lin Xiao certainly wouldn’t ept it; he wasn’t a fool. epting the challenge would mean giving up the approval of the teacher and Senior Chumo, and fighting again for the opportunity.


    Although he was always low-profile, with a character traditionally humble and refined in the Ancient HuaXia style, and very clever, not liking to show off, He wasn’t foolish, nor was he modest without reason; when it was time topete, he wouldn’t hesitate.


    From the moment Ning Shaoyun suddenly stood up to contest for the opportunity, Lin Xiao, with his sharp wit, quickly sensed that there was something special about it. It wasn’t just about getting two more Lightning Spires; those, despite their value, wouldn’t make Ning Shaoyun take the risk of offending Senior Chumo, especially after obtaining the blueprints. Coupling this with the reminder from Senior Chumo, he was sure there was more to this opportunity than meets the eye.


    So…


    He decisively refused.


    The homeroom teacher, Jin Sisi, looked at him approvingly. She wouldn’t look down on his cowardice like the other students; she appreciated his flexibility and cleverness, nodding and saying:


    “Since Lin Xiao doesn’t wish to fight one-on-one, let this matter rest. Gu Xiaoming and Lin Xiao, stay back. The rest of the ss is dismissed.”


    Her voice carried a touch of influential pressure that made the still resentful Ning Shaoyun’s face turn pale; he knew it was a warning from the teacher.


    He didn’t dare to object to the teacher, but…


    He red fiercely at Lin Xiao before vanishing with a sh.


    This threat…


    Lin Xiao took no notice of it at all.


    Within Radiant Academy, apart from the superpower Radiance’s true top-level figures, no one could tamper openly within the academy.


    And the real top-level figures certainly wouldn’t trouble themselves over such a trivial matter with him.


    Without needing to investigate, he was certain that none of Ning Shaoyun’s ancestors, going back a hundred and eight generations, included such a powerful figure.


    If there had been such a high-level person, he would be at First Middle School, not Second Middle School.


    With no spectacle to watch, the other students gradually left, soon leaving him with another teenager who had a baby face.


    The homeroom teacher first issued the reward: two Lightning Spires sealed inside a silver scroll with a vast internal space, ready to be taken out and ced at any time.


    Unfortunately, the spatial scroll that could amodate two Lightning Spires was one-time use, and it would be destroyed once the items were taken out, which he found quite regrettable.


    After handing out the reward, the homeroom teacher then spoke to both of them:


    “I believe you’re aware that these two spots offer more than just the advantage of two Magic Towers. Gu Xiaoming should already know, and Lin Xiao, you may not be aware, so let me exin to you.”


    Lin Xiao perked up, knowing the important part wasing, and listened attentively.


    Jin Sisi then told him:


    “In Glorious Middle School Department, starting from the second year of high school, there are divisions for elite sses. As the homeroom teacher of an elite ss, I hold many resources allocated by the school, as well as most of the top resources and opportunities at Radiance’s high school stage. Additionally, I have resources of my own, which include several unique and significant opportunities.”