21: Chapter 21 The Welcoming Ceremony for the Prodigies

The heavy alloy door was pushed open by Jiang Xun; inside and outside the door were two completely different worlds.

If the outside was filled with the clamor and passion belonging to tens of thousands of common students, then the inside was a silent temple built from endless resources, prepared solely for the few dozen people at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

Hum...

A surge of Divine Power, more than ten times denser than the outside, rushed toward him, almost solidifying into substance.

Inside the classroom, nearly thirty gazes, like thirty sharp arrows ready to be fired, shot toward him in unison.

Shock, jealousy, curiosity, and... undisguised contempt and disdain.

These top Prodigies of Jiang City, like a pride of lions whose territory had been encroached upon, scrutinized the "Intruder" stepping into their domain.

No one spoke; the air seemed to solidify, and every speck of dust was filled with the scent of gunpowder.

Jiang Xun's gaze swept calmly across the room. He saw Xu Qingran sitting in the front row, who merely glanced at him coldly, her eyes filled with scrutiny and confusion.

He also saw the young man sitting in the center, surrounded by others like stars orbiting the moon.

The young man was tall and handsome, wearing well-tailored designer clothing, with an aura of his Divine Kingdom as imposing as a mountain. He was none other than the owner of the A-Rank Thunder Colossus civilization, and the monitor of this year's Key Class... Monitor Zhou Yi.

At this moment, Monitor Zhou Yi was looking at Jiang Xun with the gaze one might use for a bedbug, a playful arc hanging at the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Xun turned a blind eye to all of this.

Holding his admission notice, he took a step and walked toward the only remaining empty seat in the classroom, located in the corner.

The furnishings inside the classroom fully displayed the luxury of the elite class.

Each seat was extraordinary, an independent "Micro Divine Power Convergence Array" constructed from Divine Power crystals and mithril runes; practicing on one for a day was equivalent to ten days of effort in a normal classroom.

The walls were not covered in ordinary wallpaper, but two huge Divine Power light screens; the left one scrolled in real-time with "Frontline Battle Reports of the Heavens" and "Analysis of Abyss Rift Anomalies."

The right one continuously evolved complex "Higher Civilization Model Simulations," with countless data streams cascading down like waterfalls. Every detail here highlighted the chasm-like gap between ordinary students and them.

Jiang Xun needed to pass by Monitor Zhou Yi's seat, and just as he reached in front of Monitor Zhou Yi—

Monitor Zhou Yi seemingly casually extended his long leg, clad in a limited-edition combat boot, blocking Jiang Xun's path precisely.

The few scions of noble families beside him instantly wore smiles, ready to watch a show.

"Oh, Young Master Zhou, be careful. Don't let the stench of poverty from some mud-legged peasant dirty your 'Windwalker' combat boots, worth 300,000 Faith Points."

"Haha, a piece of trash with an E-Rank Talent who snuck in using some unknown dirty tricks—does he really think he can stand on equal footing with us?"

The contemptuous mockery was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire classroom. Everyone was waiting to see Jiang Xun tripped to the ground, looking miserable as he made a fool of himself in public.

However, Jiang Xun's expression did not change in the slightest. He didn't even lift an eyelid. At the very last moment before he was about to be tripped, his foot made a tiny shift—seemingly unintentional, yet precisely avoiding Monitor Zhou Yi's ankle.

The next second, the sole of his shoe landed firmly on that brand-new, pure white, limited-edition combat boot.

"Click."

A soft sound.

Jiang Xun's body did not pause in the slightest; he walked straight past.

And on Monitor Zhou Yi's expensive combat boot, a clear footprint, stained with a bit of dust, was incredibly glaring.

The entire classroom went silent instantly. The smiles on the faces of all the Prodigies preparing to watch the show froze, and the playfulness on Monitor Zhou Yi's face also solidified instantly, before turning into an ashen pallor.

He slowly retracted his leg, looking at the conspicuous footprint on the shoe's surface, his eye twitching uncontrollably. This was even more humiliating to him than being slapped directly in the face!

Jiang Xun had already walked to the empty seat in the corner. He put down his schoolbag, pulled out the chair, and sat down calmly. The entire process was smooth and fluid, as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

He ignored the murderous gaze from behind, nor did he care about the complex gazes around him; he simply pulled out a tattered ancient book with yellowed covers and fragile pages from his schoolbag.

It was the "fragment of civilizational history" that Old Baitou had given him.

He opened the pages and began to study, as if all the disturbances of the outside world had nothing to do with him. This thorough, bone-deep indifference was like an invisible slap, fiercely striking the faces of all the Prodigies led by Monitor Zhou Yi.

The intimidation tactic they had meticulously prepared, those self-righteous provocations, now seemed like a ridiculous clown performance.

Monitor Zhou Yi's fists clenched tightly under the table.

He whispered to the lackey beside him, his voice suppressing rage: "Just a clown who rose to power by plundering others' civilizations—does he really think he's someone? My uncle Zhou Jianming is the Vice Principal of Taichu Academy; what kind of Genius hasn't he seen? Someone like him isn't even fit to carry my uncle's shoes!"

"Wait until the monthly assessment in a week; I will make him crawl out of this classroom on his knees!"

Just then, a middle-aged man wearing an instructor's uniform walked in. When he saw Jiang Xun, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.

"Alright, everyone be quiet."

The instructor's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

The classroom instantly fell silent.

"Today is the first class of the new semester for our Key Class. Welcome our new student, Jiang Xun." The instructor said a formulaic sentence and then went straight to the topic.

"I assume everyone is clear on the rules, but I will emphasize them once more."

His gaze became sharp, sweeping over everyone present.

"The resources of the Key Class are only provided to true powerhouses and Geniuses. Starting next week, we will hold monthly assessments, and the assessment results will be directly linked to each of your Divine Kingdom resource allocations."

"This includes the share of Divine Power crystals, borrowing privileges for high-level Cultivation Techniques, and priority usage rights for the Divine Kingdom martial arts arena."

The instructor's words made everyone's breath hitch; these were the core elements that allowed them to pull ahead of other students!

"The most important point."

The instructor's tone suddenly deepened.

"The last place in every monthly assessment will be 'invited' to leave the Key Class and return to the ordinary class."

"The rules are just that cruel."

After finishing, the instructor's gaze lingered on Jiang Xun for a second, seemingly intentional yet subtle.

Everyone understood the subtext of this sentence.

Monitor Zhou Yi's gaze, cold as a viper, locked tightly onto the figure in the corner who was still reading with his head down.

A cruelly extreme smile slowly curled at the corner of his mouth.

The prey has entered the cage.

Now, it is time to consider how to tear him to shreds.