Chapter 36: The top freshman fell asleep at the awards ceremony?

The Starry Sky Auditorium of the Imperial Capital Martial Arts University was grand and solemn.

Thousands of night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the dome, simulating the vast starry sky, and soft light sprinkled onto everyone's Faces.

At this moment, the auditorium was packed. Besides the three thousand freshmen, there were many senior students, and even several vice-principals who were usually elusive were in attendance.

Today was the commendation ceremony for the freshman military training, and also the day the "Seed Plan" list would be announced.

The atmosphere was enthusiastic and solemn, with everyone looking forward to it with anticipation.

"The first place for this military training, without a doubt, is that Jiang Chen, right?"

"That's for sure. To be able to grind out such insane points while carrying two dead weights, he's simply not human."

"I heard even Wang Xiao from the Wang family was crippled by him and is still in the psychiatric hospital barking like a dog now. His audacity is truly unmatched."

Discussions rose and fell beneath the stage.

In the VIP seating area in the front row, a burly young man with a buzz cut was glaring at the podium with a gloomy expression. He was the second place on the points list, General Lei Hu's cousin, Lei Pojun.

"Hmph, what Sleep God. It's just good luck." Lei Pojun clenched his fists, his eyes full of unwillingness. "If I meet him, I will definitely break his legs!"

On the podium, the host instructor wearing formal attire cleared his throat, and his voice spread throughout the venue through the Formation.

"Quiet!"

The entire venue instantly fell silent.

"After three weeks of Hell-style tempering, you have proven your potential. Now, I announce the total points ranking for this year's freshman military training!"

"Third place, Elemental Department, Zhao Ling'er's group! Reward: ten bottles of Intermediate Qi and Blood Pills, 500 academic credits!"

"Second place, Weaponry Department, Lei Pojun's group! Reward: one Advanced alloy weapon, 800 academic credits!"

Lei Pojun walked onto the stage with a dark Face. When receiving the award, he didn't even look at the instructor, exuding an aura of "strangers keep away."

"First place..."

The instructor's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of passion.

"From the ordinary class, the dark horse combination! Jiang Chen, Su Qingyue, and Little Fatty Chen's group! Points: 15,800 points! Breaking the freshman record since the founding of Imperial Capital Martial Arts University!"

"Wow—!"

The whole place was in an uproar. 15,000 points? This was too exaggerated; the second place only had a little over 3,000 points!

This was a landslide victory!

"Please, representative of the first place, come on stage to receive the award! Reward: one portion of 'Millennium Earth Heart Marrow', one Medal of Honor, and... direct selection into the 'Seed Plan' S-level sequence!"

Thunderous applause rang out, lasting for a long time.

However, ten seconds passed, and no one came up.

Twenty seconds passed, and still no one.

Su Qingyue awkwardly nudged Jiang Chen beside her, only to find she pushed into empty air. She turned her head to look and immediately had black lines on her Face.

Jiang Chen was leaning against the soft chair back, his head tilted to one side, breathing evenly, with a trace of glistening liquid hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Wake up! Jiang Chen! They're calling you!" Su Qingyue was anxious and whispered, "The whole school is watching!"

"Hmm... don't bother me, add an egg for me..." Jiang Chen mumbled, even smacking his lips twice, clearly lost in a beautiful dream.

The surrounding freshmen were stunned.

In this kind of occasion! The vice-principal was sitting up there! You are actually dreaming about eating breakfast?

"Jiang Chen!"

Su Qingyue couldn't care about her image anymore and fiercely pinched Jiang Chen's arm.

[Ding! External pain stimulus detected.]

[Judgment: Acupoints stimulation similar to massage technique.]

[Comfort +10, deep sleep maintained.]

[System detected extremely cold high-energy object (Earth Heart Marrow) ahead.]

[Judgment: S-level cooling gel pillow.]

[Automatic pathfinding mode enabled: Acquire pillow.]

In everyone's astonished gazes, Jiang Chen stood up with his eyes closed.

He didn't open his eyes, but his body seemed to have radar installed, bypassing Su Qingyue, avoiding the steps in the aisle, and steadily walking towards the podium step by step.

His pace was unhurried, even carrying a unique sense of rhythm, as if he were sleepwalking in fairyland.

"This... this works too?"

The award-presenting instructor on stage was stunned, not knowing whether to hand over the trophy in his hand or not.

Jiang Chen walked up to the instructor. He didn't take the trophy but instinctively reached out and accurately grabbed the jade bottle containing the "Earth Heart Marrow".

The jade bottle was made of ten-thousand-year cold jade, emitting bone-chilling cold air.

But for Jiang Chen, this was the best cooling Divine Artifact.

He hugged the jade bottle in his arms, rubbed his cheek affectionately against the cool bottle body, and a satisfied smile like a fanatic appeared on his Face.

"So cool... Teacher Mu's scent..."

Because Mu Qingxue was also an ice-type user, Jiang Chen, in his daze, actually mistook this bottle for that beautiful professor.

The whole venue was deathly silent.

Immediately after, a burst of screams and discussions that could overturn the roof erupted.

"Wow! So cute! The way he hugs the bottle is so adorable!" This was the girls' screaming.

"Damn! What is he doing? That's Earth Heart Marrow! It's not a pillow!" This was the boys' jealousy.

"Teacher Mu? Did he just call out Teacher Mu?" This was the gossipers' keenness.

A white-haired vice-principal sitting in the center of the podium frowned, his expression somewhat strained.

"Simply absurd! What kind of behavior is this!" The vice-principal was about to start scolding this indecent behavior.

"Ahem."

Chief Instructor Shen Yan, sitting next to him, suddenly coughed twice, stood up, and said with a straight Face: "Vice-Principal Zhang, please calm down. This kid just experienced a high-intensity mental battle in the Dark Forest and is over-exhausted."

"Over-exhausted?" The vice-principal pointed at Jiang Chen, who was still rubbing the bottle, "This is what over-exhaustion looks like? He's still drooling!"

"That is detoxification."

Chief Instructor Shen Yan talked nonsense seriously, without blushing or heart beating, "This is an ancient Cultivation Technique called 'Sleepy Arhat Divine Skill'. This kid is naturally gifted and is currently in a deep Epiphany, digesting what he gained from actual combat. That drool is the turbid Qi being expelled from his body. If you interrupt him now, it might lead to Qi Deviation and ruin a peerless Genius."

The whole audience: "..."

You are the Chief Instructor, whatever you say goes. This excuse was made up so well that we almost believed it.

The vice-principal was stunned for a moment. Looking at Chief Instructor Shen Yan's serious expression, and then looking at Jiang Chen's state, which did indeed look somewhat "extraordinary" (actually System light effects), he finally nodded for the sake of the school's Face.

"So that's how it is. Since he is in an Epiphany, let him... finish receiving the award and go down."

With Chief Instructor Shen Yan's official endorsement, this farce turned into a "Genius's quirk."

Jiang Chen held the prize (pillow) just like that, under the watchful eyes of all the teachers and students of the school, finished receiving the award with his eyes closed, and walked back to his seat with his eyes closed, never opening them once the whole time.

After returning to his seat, he tilted his head and continued his dream from just now.

"Rich lady Su, remember to help me get that medal back, that looks quite valuable..."

Su Qingyue held the heavy medal in her hand, looking at Jiang Chen, who was sleeping soundly beside her, feeling both angry and amused.

This man always plays everyone in the palm of his hand inadvertently, yet makes people unable to hate him.

And in a dark corner of the auditorium.

An old man in a gray robe with a sinister Face was staring intently at Jiang Chen, the pair of polished steel walnuts in his hand being crushed into powder by him at this moment.

Crack!

"Is this the brat who crippled Young Master Wang Xiao and humiliated the Wang family in public?"

The old man was the Wang family's butler, Wang Xiaotian's trusted aide, Wang Hai.

"Yes, Butler." A follower who looked like a student whispered beside him, "Chief Instructor Shen Yan is protecting him. You saw it just now; even the vice-principal gave him Face. It's not easy for us to take action openly."

"Hmph, so what if he entered the 'Seed Plan'? The tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind."

Wang Hai patted the iron powder on his hands, a cold light like a poisonous snake flashing in his eyes.

"Since the school is protecting him, let him die in an 'accident'. Tonight, let 'Black Snake' go to the student dormitory. Black Snake is best at shadow lurking. If this kid sleeps too soundly at night... hehe, then let him never wake up again."

"Understood." A hint of excitement flashed in the follower's eyes, "Black Snake has never missed a target. Tonight is his death date."

The scent of conspiracy quietly bred under the cover of warm applause.

And Jiang Chen, who knew nothing about this, was currently hugging that cool jade bottle, having a sweet dream about "Empress Sister giving me a lap pillow," completely unaware that a fatal assassination targeting him was about to arrive with the coming of night.