Chapter 1319: Elite Class

With a flash of light, the final rankings and scores appeared. Rows of names, exactly five hundred, were densely packed.

Seeing the refreshed scores, everyone was astonished and then burst into an uproar.

"These scores must be a new record!"

"It's not quite a record, but it's definitely the highest level in the last thirty years!"

"Feng Ziyi, ranked first, with over 70,000 points... Even the Luo family's young princess didn't reach that score!"

"That's because the Luo family's young princess didn't use her full strength. If she had gone all out, I think 700,000 points might be possible, let alone 70,000!"

"That's true. Having refined the Tranquil Space Orb and mastered spatial control to such an extent, if she truly unleashed her full power, she would be unbeatable. The entire folded space might not even be able to withstand it."

"Indeed. With the legendary genius from the Zhang family not competing, it's no exaggeration to say the Luo family's young princess is unmatched in talent!"

Many master teachers couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. They were all welcoming envoys who greeted countless students each year. This group of students was undoubtedly among the top talents seen in decades!

Feng Ziyi's score of over 70,000 points was truly astonishing.

"Zhang Xu was also excellent, scoring over 69,000 points, just over a thousand points shy of first place!"

"I didn't expect Yuan Haiqing to move up a spot and secure third place in the final refresh!"

"Bai Qingxuan is also strong, making it to fourth place..."

As they looked at the many names at the top of the list, everyone was filled with emotion. These were all powerful individuals who had earned a place in the elite class, the most talented youths on the continent. In the coming centuries, their names would likely be heard everywhere.

"Bing Lingqing and Chen Leyao from the Ice Palace both entered the elite class. Bing Lingqing had consistently hovered around the top dozen, but Chen Leyao was quite lucky, as she had previously been ranked around seventy or eighty!"

"She must have completed some impressive trial at the very end for her score to suddenly explode like that! It must be said, her luck was truly excellent!"

"Yes, it's a shame about Zhang Qian. He was originally in the top fifty, but unfortunately, he dropped out at the last moment, missing his chance for the elite class!"

For the past three days, they had been observing the rankings and were generally familiar with everyone's positions. The changes in the final refresh, with such significant score improvements, were definitely a matter of luck.

"Hmm, everyone, look quickly! Zhang Xuan, ranked fiftieth... Where did he come from? His name never appeared before!"

Suddenly, someone shouted.

Everyone looked over in unison and, sure enough, saw an unfamiliar name at the fiftieth spot: Zhang Xuan!

"This... this name wasn't even in the top five hundred before. How did he suddenly jump to fiftieth?"

"Fiftieth place is 12,700 points... I checked the top five hundred in the previous refresh, and the lowest score was 2,400 points. That means, within this refresh interval, he gained at least over 10,000 points... How is that possible?"

"Over 10,000 points in two minutes... Even Feng Ziyi couldn't do that!"

"Could it be cheating?"

Soon, questions and doubts arose.

The score jade tablet refreshed every two minutes. This name hadn't been seen in the previous refresh; at that time, the lowest score in the top five hundred was 2,400 points. No name appearing meant he hadn't even reached that score! Two minutes later, upon refreshing again, he directly reached over 10,000 points... Was that even possible? Others couldn't earn this much in three days and three nights. What incredible feat did he accomplish to gain it in two minutes?

Unlike the others' confusion, Zhao Xingmo breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhang Xuan's name. He had been worried for three days; this guy truly didn't make things easy. He hadn't found him on the first day, and watching the progress, he had thought there was no hope left. Unexpectedly, at the very last moment, this guy gained over 10,000 points and successfully qualified, even becoming the final person to make it into the elite class. Just thinking about it was thrilling and tense. For the genius he had personally guided to enter the elite class, it was a great honor.

"Zhang Jiuxiao, Ma Minghai, Sun Qian... In total, seven people I brought in passed. That's not bad!" He nodded inwardly. Out of thirty-three people, seven passed. Although it didn't meet expectations, having one student in the elite class was quite good. With this achievement, he could definitely go to better places to recruit talented individuals and attract more powerful experts next time.

"This score is strange!"

Similar to the others' reactions, Elder Haoyu also frowned. As an elder for many years, he had seen countless geniuses, but he had never seen or even heard of anyone earning over 10,000 points in two minutes.

"Elder Hanzhu, go check it!" He hesitated for a moment, then gave the instruction.

"Yes!" The old man behind him nodded.

Elder Hanzhu stepped out and returned shortly, a very strange expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his expression, Elder Haoyu asked.

"Just now, I checked everyone's scores and their changes over time... This Zhang Xuan had no score at all before the last refresh. In other words, in the last two minutes... he earned 12,700 points!"

Although the assessment tablet only displayed the top five hundred names, everyone's scores were still calculated; otherwise, it would be impossible to determine who passed. He had just checked the previous scores and was surprised to find that Zhang Xuan had no points two minutes before the end. Yet, just as the assessment was about to conclude, he suddenly surged into the top fifty... It was incredibly strange.

"He directly earned over 12,000 points? What kind of assessment within the formation could yield so many points?" Elder Haoyu asked.

"As you know, the Gate-Crashing assessment was left by Sage Kuai himself. Many of its contents, even we elders have no right to investigate or know. We're not entirely sure what the exact highest-scoring assessment is, but according to records from the past century, the most points were awarded for breaking an eight-star mid-grade illusion-killing formation, which yielded... 5,000 points!" Hesitating for a moment, Elder Hanzhu said, "This record was set twenty-five years ago by Zhang Chen from the Zhang family, and it caused a huge sensation at the time!"

"I know about that. Five thousand points was already astonishing, but this Zhang Xuan gained over 12,000 points in an instant. What did he go through to be so extraordinary?" Elder Haoyu still found it hard to believe. In the assessment, there were indeed ways to quickly earn points, but the corresponding trials were extremely difficult. Even under such circumstances, 5,000 points was already incredible. For someone to gain over 10,000 points instantly... Even he was completely bewildered.

"Here's what we'll do: first, announce the scores. Afterward, arrange a challenge match. Also, send a few people to verify if he truly achieved such a high score in the assessment. We'll know once we test him!" He paused, then Elder Haoyu said.

"Alright!" Elder Hanzhu responded.

After three consecutive days of assessment, everyone was normally exhausted. Usually, after the announcement, they would go straight to rest. But there were exceptions. For example, if someone's score seemed very strange, a challenge would be arranged. Those who didn't pass would challenge those who did; regular class students would challenge elite class students. Firstly, this allowed for firsthand observation of the students' abilities, enabling tailored teaching later. Secondly, it assured others that the previous assessment was fair and just, with no favoritism or cheating. As for Zhang Xuan, who suddenly surged into the top fifty, the news would certainly be strange once it spread. Such a challenge was necessary to convince everyone and to truly verify if he was capable.

"Let's go!"

Having finished their discussion, Elder Haoyu said no more. With a call, he flew out first. The others followed closely, soon arriving at the plaza.

By this time, all the students on the plaza had emerged from the mountain gate. Each of them looked up at the sky, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Congratulations, everyone, on successfully completing the three-day assessment! Now, I will announce the results for those entering the elite class..."

Along with the clear voice, Elder Haoyu made a grasping motion in the air. The sky seemed to transform into a crystalline jade, shining brightly, as names slowly emerged from it, one by one.

Feng Ziyi, Zhang Xu, Yuan Haiqing, Bai Qingxuan...

Each name shimmered into view, and each appearance was met with a cheer.

"I've heard of Feng Ziyi. He's a direct disciple of a Grand Elder from the Master Teacher Guild!"

"A direct disciple of a 9-star Master Teacher? No wonder he's so powerful. Such individuals receive the most precise guidance from a young age. Their true qi is pure, their strength abundant, and they are impeccable in every aspect. It's only natural for him to be first..."

"Indeed, but I originally thought Zhang Xu would be first!"

"The Zhang family is too large, with too many geniuses. Although Zhang Xu's talent isn't weak, he couldn't rank first because the resources he could utilize were limited!"

Many of the names were already well-known, shining like stars.

"Chen Leyao? She also made it into the elite class?" Looking at the shimmering name, Zhang Xuan nodded. This Chen Leyao was only at the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm. For her to surge into the top fifty, it seemed she also possessed some special methods.

"So many people named Zhang, are they all from the Zhang family?" As more names appeared, Zhang Xuan found it strange. Over forty names had already appeared, with ten of them being Zhang. Could it be... they were all from the Zhang family? The elite class had fifty members in total, and ten of them were from the Zhang family... The sheer number of powerful individuals was simply terrifying!

As he was wondering, wanting to ask if these people were from the Zhang family, he saw the light flash one last time, and his own name appeared as the last one on the list.

"Zhang Xuan? Is he also from the Zhang family?"

"No, I've seen the Saint Zhang family's list for this year, and this name wasn't on it..."

"He seems to be a minor figure from the Qingyuan Empire. As soon as he arrived, he offended Chen Leyao of the Ice Palace and even beat up Zhang Qian from the Zhang family..."

"He beat Zhang Qian? Quite arrogant, isn't he!"

"To enter the elite class, it's impossible not to have some arrogance!"

When Zhang Xuan's name appeared, the surroundings immediately erupted in chatter. For the previous forty-nine, their family backgrounds or impressive strength could almost all be identified. Only Zhang Xuan's appearance was too abrupt. At the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm, a minor figure from the Qingyuan Empire, without revealing his capabilities, suddenly entering the top fifty upon appearance... It was hard to believe.