35: Chapter 35 Daka, Kotowa Road!

The mace in Zhao Dahai's hand nearly dropped to the floor.

Lin Xiao's pupils contracted sharply.

"Sigh, I told him!" Zhao Dahai said, sounding frustrated and disappointed. "I had already warned Su Bai about the issue that this card couldn't be tested, but Su Bai didn't listen at all. Sigh! E-! What are we going to do? Isn't this completely ruined?"

"This isn't fair..." Lin Xiao murmured. "We all received decent evaluations, how could Su Bai..."

In the spectator stands, Lin Weiwei stood up abruptly, her mouth wide open.

This guy actually made that ridiculous Kyubey Card?

Making it was one thing, but he even openly admitted the flaws of his own card... This kid is too honest!

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu stood in the teacher's area, veins throbbing on his graying temples. Thousands of words were stuck in his throat, turning into a sigh so hoarse it was extreme. He buried his face in his broad palms, his shoulders slumping.

Meanwhile, Li Haoran— Li Haoran's composure returned. He even shook his head slightly, as if he had long expected this result.

The livestream chat went wild again.

[E-!! Hahahaha, dying of laughter!!]

[Odds of one to five hundred, truly well-deserved.]

[Getting an E- on a nationwide livestream, is this going to be a disgrace carved into school history?]

[Wait, wait, wait!! Master Li isn't finished yet!! Look at her expression!!]

The chat was right, because Li Qingyue indeed hadn't finished speaking.

"Your card is off-topic, no one can test it, E-, that is one thing."

She paused.

"Your Spatial Circuit—that is another matter."

The entire venue went quiet because Li Qingyue's voice had changed.

It was no longer the business-like coldness from when she announced the E-. Instead, it carried a heat that even she couldn't control.

"The completeness, mana conductivity, and innovation of the Spatial Circuit—each one exceeds all the works I have seen before."

"Lin Xiao's Transition Arrow, Zhao Dahai's Compressed Explosion, Lin Weiwei's paper—they all stood on the shoulders of your circuit and saw a direction further than what I have walked in thirty years. And this—"

She raised her hand, pointing at Su Bai.

"—is the source."

She took a deep breath.

"Therefore."

The golden light of the universal balance descended once again. This time, the radiance was more dazzling than all previous appraisals.

[Final Rating (Revised)—]

[A+.]

[Evaluation (Spatial Circuit Specialization): Ultimate innovation. The seven-axis rotation structure opens up a brand new direction for the modern spatial magic card system. The circuit itself possesses independent high-level academic value and tactical development potential.]

A+.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

No practical test needed.

An A+ landed out of nowhere.

The theoretical highest score of this Monthly Exam—no, it exceeded the highest score, because Li Haoran only obtained an A- appraisal value using Rank 9 materials, while Su Bai only used a ragdoll cat that no one dared to test, and he got an A+!

The chat exploded completely.

[A+!! An A+ out of nowhere!!!]

[Direct A+ without needing a test!!!]

[Holy crap!! Everyone who laughed at him just now, come out and kneel down!!!]

[Master Li Qingyue personally said it's the source!! Zhao Dahai's B+ and Lin Xiao's A were both learned from this card!!!]

[Odds of one to five hundred!! Where are the people who bought him now!! Let me see your tears!!]

In the teacher's area, Deputy Commander Zhou Mu moved his hand away from his face.

He looked at Su Bai, then at the card, then back at Su Bai, his expression jumping back and forth three times between "Am I dreaming?" and "This stubborn mule is actually a genius."

Lin Xiao exhaled.

Zhao Dahai's mace clattered to the floor; this time it really dropped to the floor. He didn't notice at all.

Meanwhile, Li Haoran— Li Haoran's fingers crushed the mithril trim of his card case.

Li Qingyue ignored any reaction from those around her. Her gaze was locked solely on Su Bai.

"Su Bai."

Her voice regained some of its coldness, but those eyes were still frighteningly bright.

"I am willing to offer a reasonable price you cannot refuse to acquire this card of yours."

The entire venue went silent again.

A 9th-tier Supreme.

The founder of time-space theory.

Li Qingyue.

Taking the initiative to speak—to buy a cat made by a second-year student.

In the outer spectator stands, the principal sprang up from his seat. Vice President Wu Molin's voice came through the spatial laws, his voice cracking: "Her Excellency Qingyue! This isn't, this isn't very compliant with the rules—the ownership of the Monthly Exam cards—and the academy's—"

"I decide the rules."

Li Qingyue didn't even lift her eyelids.

Vice President Wu Molin shut up.

The principal shut up too.

Everyone shut up.

Because in this examination hall, Li Qingyue was not just an examiner. She was the rules themselves.

Su Bai stood where he was.

Everyone's gaze in the venue was focused on him. Envious. Jealous. Confused. Awestruck. Everyone was waiting for him to say one word.

"Okay."

But Su Bai hesitated.

In that instant, what flashed through his mind was—Critical Refund. System task. SSS rating.

The A+ given by Li Qingyue. An A+ out of nowhere. But—

[Critical Refund directional settlement—must complete the Monthly Exam and obtain an SSS evaluation to receive.]

SSS.

It must be SSS to count as completing the task...

Su Bai's mind was racing. The system task required SSS. If he accepted the A+ and sold it to Li Qingyue now, the task would fail. The side-effect-free Magical Girl transformation, causality contract qualification, and derivative card creation permissions would all go down the drain.

But if he didn't accept—

He glanced at Li Qingyue.

Those red eyes were sizing him up, as if she were appraising an object waiting to be sold.

"I refuse."

Su Bai said. Three words.

It was even quieter than when the two words "E-" were dropped earlier. Because "E-" was given by someone else. But "I refuse" was said by himself.

Zhao Dahai jerked his head up. Lin Xiao's ice bow nearly slipped from her hand. Lin Weiwei covered her mouth in the spectator stands.

"—What did you say?" Li Qingyue thought she had misheard.

"I refuse to sell."

Su Bai's voice was so calm, it didn't sound like he was refusing an offer from a 9th-tier Supreme.

"Also."

He took a deep breath.

"I request to re-test the combat power."

Still, still requesting a re-test?

"—Because."

The entire venue was deathly silent.

"—The true quality of this card of mine is SSS grade!"

He was crazy. Absolutely crazy!

A+ was already the unshakable theoretical upper limit for the first rank this year. An off-topic toy card that no one dared to test, actually refusing an A+, and even fantasizing about sprinting for the legendary SSS?