89: Chapter 89 Preferential Treatment for Grade A Ranks

Lu Ming's expression grew even uglier.

His first battle was Grade B, and his team suffered zero casualties; among ordinary freshmen, this was definitely something to be proud of.

But Wang Pingan didn't have to do anything; starting today, he would receive one hundred Divine Power points every month.

This gap could no longer be bridged by just one or two missions.

The Grey-Robed Deacon continued, "Every three months, the school provides a free coordinate for an alien Divine Kingdom adapted to your current Realm. It can be cleared solo or in a team, with earnings settled according to mission rules."

This sentence made many freshmen's eyes turn red again.

Coordinates for alien Divine Kingdoms were not things one could easily buy, especially those adapted to one's own Realm and screened by the school; they could be directly converted into opportunities for the expansion of one's Divine Kingdom.

If ordinary freshmen wanted to get coordinates, they either had to spend Divine Power points to buy them or take high-risk missions and try their luck.

Yet Wang Pingan could get one for free every three months.

The Grey-Robed Deacon continued, "The Grade A Sequence mall allows you to skip the queue, and you have priority exchange rights for certain strategic resources. When encountering limited-purchase resources, the Grade A Sequence is prioritized before the Grade B Sequence and ordinary freshmen."

A freshman couldn't help but curse, "How is anyone supposed to catch up with that?"

The people next to him didn't refute it.

With resources in hand first, combat power improves first; with combat power improved first, it becomes easier to get high ratings on the next mission.

This is the snowballing method of core cultivation at Xinghe University.

The Grey-Robed Deacon looked at Wang Pingan, his tone much softer than before.

"You also possess the right to apply for a one-on-one guidance session from a high-level mentor. After applying, the school will match you with a mentor based on your civilization system and battle record."

"After a failure in a real battlefield mission, as long as the Divine Core is undamaged, the school can provide a low-interest repair loan to prevent a Genius from completely losing their path due to a single setback."

With these benefits laid out, even some of the freshmen who were originally extremely jealous fell silent.

They finally understood that the Grade A Sequence was not just a fancy title, but a resource channel paved by the school.

The teammate beside Lu Ming moved his lips, but eventually spoke in a low voice.

"Brother Lu, he is no longer on the same competitive level as us."

Lu Ming didn't reply.

These words were harsh, but they were the truth.

After viewing the permission interface, Wang Pingan didn't show any signs of wild joy; instead, he looked up at the Grey-Robed Deacon.

"Does the Grade A Sequence have an elimination mechanism?"

The surrounding freshmen heard this and fell silent once again.

Many people had only been staring at the benefits just now and hadn't had time to think about the pressure behind them.

A hint of approval appeared in the Grey-Robed Deacon's eyes.

"Of course it does. Xinghe University does not raise trash, nor will it let resources be poured long-term into those who are stagnant."

Wang Pingan nodded, signaling him to continue.

The Grey-Robed Deacon said, "The Grade A Sequence is reviewed every six months. The review content includes real battlefield records, the growth rate of the Divine Kingdom, achievements in civilization evolution, and changes in legion combat power."

"If you are consistently at the bottom, or fail the review consecutively, you will be demoted back to the Grade B Sequence, and all Grade A benefits will be canceled simultaneously."

As soon as this was said, some of the freshmen who had been envious just moments ago felt more balanced in their hearts.

One hundred Divine Power points per month was sweet, but a review every six months was also very harsh.

If you take the school's resources, you must pay them back with battle records.

The Grey-Robed Deacon continued, "If you enter the top ten three consecutive times while in the Grade A Sequence, you can trigger the observation list for the higher-level Seed Sequence."

"That is the list where the school truly watches the future high-level gods of the Federation; whether you can get in depends entirely on yourself."

When the words 'Seed Sequence' fell, the eyes of many freshmen around changed again.

The Grade A Sequence was already far enough, and the Seed Sequence was something they didn't even dare to think about right now.

Wang Pingan noted these rules down, and his heart felt even steadier.

The existence of elimination meant that resources weren't just given away for free.

The existence of a higher sequence meant there was still a path to follow ahead.

He put away the permission interface and bowed slightly to the Grey-Robed Deacon.

"Thank you for the reminder, Deacon."

The Grey-Robed Deacon looked at him and nodded.

"The battle at the Black Swamp Scale Nest was fought well, but don't think that the Grade A Sequence means you can rest easy."

"This is Xinghe University; not a single person who has entered the Grade A Sequence has survived until now by relying on luck."

Wang Pingan replied calmly, "I understand."

He did not raise his badge to show off to the crowd, nor did he turn around to look at Lu Ming.

He simply put the Grade A Sequence badge into his Divine Core space and turned to walk out of the teleportation zone.

This reaction actually made many freshmen feel even more uncomfortable.

They had originally wanted to see Wang Pingan show off a bit, so they could find a reason to be snide.

But Wang Pingan did nothing, not even leaving a harsh word behind.

This kind of calmness was even more stifling than being slapped in the face in public.

Lu Ming stood in the crowd, watching Wang Pingan leave the teleportation zone; no one around him mentioned his Grade B first battle anymore.

The corners of his mouth twitched, but in the end, he didn't utter a single polite phrase.

This time, he didn't even have the qualification to speak up and provoke him.

After Wang Pingan had walked far away, Lu Ming finally led his team out of the teleportation zone.

Along the way, none of his teammates flattered him, nor did anyone proactively bring up his zero-casualty battle record.

Lu Ming felt extremely irritated inside, but he didn't lose his temper.

He returned to his residence, closed the door, and for the first time, proactively opened the Grade A Sequence list.

At the very bottom of the list, Wang Pingan's name had just refreshed.

[ Grade A Freshman 97th Place: Wang Pingan. ]

[ Special Annotation: Cleared Black Swamp Scale Nest with zero casualties, Grade A review complete. ]

Lu Ming stared at that line of special annotation, his gaze not moving away for a long time.

He knew very well that this line of text would be seen by all resource merchants, intelligence dealers, mentor teams, and aristocratic forces.

The Black Swamp Scale Nest was not an ordinary mission, and zero casualties was certainly not an ordinary battle record.

Wang Pingan had already obtained the core status recognized by Xinghe University, while he was still struggling over face within the circle of freshmen.

Lu Ming sat in his chair, the embarrassment on his face gradually subsiding.

He finally realized that if he kept setting his goal on staying ahead of Wang Pingan, he would only be left further and further behind.

But this realization was not easy.

He had been accustomed to standing in front of others since he was a child; this was the first time he had been rendered speechless by someone else's battle record, and the fire in his chest just wouldn't dissipate.

Lu Ming opened his Divine Kingdom panel and looked at the six Divine Power points awarded for his Grade B first battle; suddenly, he felt this number was very glaring.

"Wang Pingan, even if I can't catch up to you, I must first catch up to myself."

After these words were spoken, the room went quiet.

The commotion in the teleportation zone continued to ferment on the campus network, and the words 'Grade A Sequence' had already overshadowed all other post titles.

As for Wang Pingan himself, he had already left the crowd and sent a message to Wang Cang.

"Grade A Sequence confirmed, preparing to seclude myself in the secret chamber; I will not be accepting visitors."