56: Heavenly Ladder

Xiao Weiqing returned to Villa 98, feeling quite pleased, with the Red Dragon in hand.

He put down the Red Dragon and, without resting, hurried to the Spiritual Energy Tower.

Most of the Spiritual Qi in his body had been consumed and needed recovery; this state was perfect for cultivating Spiritual Qi.

Four hours later.

Xiao Weiqing opened his eyes in the Spiritual Energy Cultivation Room.

His Spiritual Qi had recovered to its Peak state and had even improved slightly, leaving him feeling indescribably refreshed.

"Gurgle..."

"I'm hungry, time to go back and eat."

He opened his Wristband to check his messages.

As expected, Wei Lan had left some.

"Brother Qing, where did you go? Why aren't you back yet?"

"Brother Qing, I'm going to the Spiritual Energy Tower to Cultivate."

"Brother Qing, I'm heading to eat first; I won't wait for you."

Xiao Weiqing replied to Wei Lan, "Just got out of the Spiritual Energy Tower, heading to eat now."

Wei Lan replied instantly, "Oh, then I'll wait for you at the cafeteria. Let me tell you, I just played the ladder system and got an eight-game winning streak!"

"Impressive, I'll be there in a moment."

Ziwei Courtyard, cafeteria.

In the Upper Academy, the cafeteria provides food 24 hours a day.

It is supplied for free, with a wide variety of cuisines and dishes available.

At this moment.

There were a dozen or so scattered Trainees in the cafeteria, and Xiao Weiqing also saw Zhuang Yu and Fei Xiaobao.

"Brother Qing, over here!"

Xiao Weiqing sat down; there were already two dishes and a bowl of white rice on the table.

"Brother Qing, I ordered blanched broccoli and stir-fried spring chicken for you. See how they taste?"

Xiao Weiqing glanced at the two dishes, then looked up at Wei Lan and said softly:

"How did you know I like these?"

Wei Lan giggled, "Da Wei told me."

"Thank you."

Wei Lan smiled with squinted eyes, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

"Hey, are you going to let us eat or not?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"Let's go, let's go. It's late at night, I haven't even finished my meal and I've already eaten a mouthful of dog food. Hey, fatso, when can you order food for me after I finish cultivating?"

Zhuang Yu, who was nearby, picked up his rice bowl and walked away.

"Old Zhuang, if I were to order food for you, you'd better be careful."

Zhuang Yu: "..."

Xiao Weiqing shook his head with a smile and began to eat.

"Mmm, delicious."

"Right? I also think the chefs here are skilled, and they can make any kind of cuisine."

"I heard that the head chefs here all possess the 'Delicacy' Extraordinary Talent, and they can even cook various Yao Beasts."

Xiao Weiqing nodded slightly.

Then he said, "You just said you went to play the ladder system, how was it?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Lan perked up, "It's just like playing a game: you get matched with opponents, the scenes are random, and you gain points if you win."

"I had an eight-game winning streak. My Mental Energy and Spiritual Qi were quite depleted, so I didn't continue, otherwise, I feel like I could have kept winning."

Wei Lan tilted her head slightly, looking proud and adorable.

"Impressive."

Xiao Weiqing asked again, "In the virtual world, does Spiritual Qi get depleted?"

"Yes, it completely simulates a real-life situation; it's very realistic. If your Spiritual Qi is depleted, you can stay inside without leaving to recover it and then fight again, but it's too much of a waste of time, so I just came out."

"Brother Qing, let me tell you, I've already entered the top 10,000. The opponents I've encountered aren't very strong. I estimate that if I win a few more matches, I can enter the top 5,000."

Everyone had learned about the ladder system.

All Supernatural University Trainees of the same grade across Great Xia battle within the same System.

In the class of 2122, there are about 1.2 million Supernatural University Trainees in Great Xia.

Excluding those who aren't good at fighting, there are still a million Trainees who will enter the ladder system.

Currently, only 64 academies have started, but even so, there are over 300,000 people, and they are all geniuses among geniuses.

"Mmm, I'm planning to go check out the ladder system after I finish eating."

"Great! I believe Brother Qing can definitely get a lot of winning streaks. The higher the ladder ranking, the more rewards you get. There's only half a month left this month, so we need to seize the time."

"Well said."

Practical combat practice is one thing, and earning points is another; both can be achieved simultaneously.

Wei Lan then whispered, "Brother Qing, let me tell you, I heard from Fei Xiaobao that Qin Tian seems to have already achieved a winning streak of over 10 matches and has broken into the top 1,000."

Xiao Weiqing said, "Only top 1,000?"

"Are the other academies that strong?"

"No, Brother Qing, our Luo Jiang Academy had one of the longest evaluation periods for new Trainees. Other academies usually finish in three to five days, so they have all been playing for a day or two longer than us."

"I see."

Fifteen minutes.

Xiao Weiqing swept the dishes clean and finished several bowls of rice, feeling satisfied.

"Let's go back."

"Brother Qing, aren't you going to play the ladder system?"

"Yes, I'm going back to get my weapon; I obtained a blade this afternoon."

"And I'll walk you back on the way."

Wei Lan nodded, "Okay, I'll go back to Cultivate Spiritual Qi; every little bit adds up."

"Brother Qing, remember to tell me your ranking after you come out of the ladder system."

Xiao Weiqing smiled, "Okay."

The two returned to the Villa.

Xiao Weiqing did not linger; he grabbed the Red Dragon and hurried to Ziwei Pavilion.

He arrived on the fifth floor.

Many virtual cabins were already bound; it seemed that most of the people in the Upper Academy had entered the ladder system.

Through the window, he could still see some smart virtual cabins glowing.

"Oh?"

"Xiao Weiqing, here to play the ladder system?" The person speaking was none other than Ke Yingtian from Huaidong City.

"Yes, are you finished?"

Ke Yingtian nodded, "Yes, just finished. Basically all the Trainees in the Upper Academy have gone in, and everyone is waiting to see your performance."

"Oh?"

"Yes, this year in Great Xia, talent is emerging in droves; there are even over ten people with Level 6 Extraordinary Talent. You'll know once you go in and check the leaderboard."

"Okay."

"Alright, see you later."

"See you later."

Xiao Weiqing walked inside and found a virtual cabin that was not yet occupied.

He swiped his Wristband, and after binding it, Xiao Weiqing lay down in the virtual cabin.

"Initiate!"

The virtual cabin began scanning. Xiao Weiqing closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene had changed.

At this moment.

Xiao Weiqing was in a circular open arena.

The sky was blue, white clouds drifted by, and it was incredibly realistic; even the sun here felt slightly warm when it shone on his body.

"Truly amazing."

There was a holographic leaderboard nearby.

The board was densely packed with information.

Xiao Weiqing operated it a few times to make the leaderboard display only the top 1,000.

Rank 1: Great Xia Academy, Dongfang Xuan, Extraordinary Talent, Level 6, 100% win rate.

Great Xia Academy, the first Supernatural University in Great Xia, and also the universally recognized strongest academy.

Rank 2: Ziyun Academy, Xia Mo, Extraordinary Talent, Level 6, 100% win rate.

Ziyun Academy, which replaced Luo Jiang Academy a few years ago to become the third-ranked academy in Great Xia.

Rank 3...

Xiao Weiqing counted carefully; there were a total of 11 people with Level 6 Extraordinary Talent on the leaderboard, which meant the top 11, and their win rates were all 100%.

"I wonder what rank my strength can achieve."

The bottom line of the leaderboard showed his current ranking: 310,023rd, with 0 points.

Without thinking too much.

Xiao Weiqing drew the Red Dragon and familiarized himself with it briefly.

He read the rules of the ladder system; falling off the arena, conceding, or sustaining a fatal injury all counted as a loss.

points are awarded or deducted based on the strength of both parties and the difficulty of the battle.

There were also rules for winning streaks.

1-5 consecutive wins, the points reward cap is 50.

6-10 consecutive wins, the points reward cap is 100.

Over 10 consecutive wins, the points reward cap is 150.

Xiao Weiqing reached out and clicked "Match" in the bottom right corner of the screen.

"Matching..."

"Match successful."

There was almost no waiting time.

The scenery before Xiao Weiqing's eyes changed again.

He arrived at a square plaza.

One hundred meters away, another person appeared, holding a blade in their hand.

The ladder system provided the opponent's identity information.

"Canglan Academy, Li Jie, Extraordinary Talent, Level 5."

"Match start."

A mechanical voice sounded.