Chapter 57: Three Options  

Strivon / Ash Editor: Geoffrey / Lancent

Li Yao’s eyes bulged wide. “Entrusted Education?”

After Headmaster Zhao explained for a moment, Li Yao knew the gist of it. “Entrusted Education” is a special collaborative effort between the cultivator guilds and the universities.

Simply speaking, if Li Yao signs this contract, then he would be considered an official member of the Crimson Nimbus Guild upon graduation from high school. Then, the Crimson Nimbus Guild will entrust him to a university for his education.

The Crimson Nimbus Guild will assume all responsibility for tuition fees and living expenses during that time. And once he graduates from university, he’ll directly get a job with a corporation of the Crimson Nimbus Guild.

This kind of education process for talented students can be said to be streamlined. As long as Li Yao signs the contract, he would live a life without worries and walk a road full of future promise!

Zhao Shude smiled as he spoke, “Our Crimson Nimbus Guild just established a new company last year called the Crimson Nimbus Real Estate. They specialize in developing new towns and cities on the frontier of the Federation. Building a single new city generates several times in profit, up to 10 times!”

“But Demon Beasts run wild on the frontier. It’s not necessarily safe. And since the area is desolate, it’s hard to bring in supplies.

“Therefore, we need hybrid-type talented people who possess great battle prowess and understand how to craft and maintain artifacts to respond to safety issues during periods of construction.

If you sign this contract, when you graduate, you will get a high-ranking position in the Crimson Nimbus Real Estate. It won’t take years before you become the second ‘Peng Hai’!”

The second Fiend Blade Peng Hai!

Li Yao’s heart surged and he was in high spirits, feeling his mood floating past the highest clouds.

Zhao Shude chuckled and continued speaking, “You’re very lucky, Student Li Yao. Did you know that even Elder Zhou of the Crimson Nimbus Guild considers you of complete importance? It was precisely under his arrangement that you are able to receive this ‘Entrusted Education’ Contract.”

“He’s a real bigwig. If you enter the Crimson Nimbus Guild, you will become one of Elder Zhou’s men. Your future will be boundless!”

“However, there’s no need for you to answer in a rush. Your performance has already stimulated the interest of several universities. There should be more people looking to contact you later. You might as well weigh the offers so that you won’t blame me for not giving you any options. Hahahaha!”

Zhao Shude waved his hand without waiting for Li Yao to respond and said, “In a word, give a good performance in the finals. Elder Zhou and I will be watching you. If you have any other conditions, there’s no harm in bringing them up. Crimson Nimbus Second won’t treat any genius unfairly!”

After speaking, the image flashed and Zhao Shude’s translucent figure changed to a white glow, disappearing in a flash.

Li Yao then took a deep haggard breath.

Oh MAN! He never thought he would actually attract the interest of the major players of the Crimson Nimbus Guild. He had the chance to step into the skies!

Is he going to agree to them or not?

While he was still hesitating, Small Ji’s antenna started to sway lightly to form a second virtual image. And this second image caused Li Yao’s heart to beat even faster.

“Professor Xie!”

Li Yao bowed to the virtual image of the purple-clothed old man with the utmost respect… Opposite from him was the Artificing Expert of Deep Sea University, Xie Tingxian!

Xie Tingxian chuckled.

“Student Li Yao, congratulations. You may not have the highest point ranking in this year’s competition, but you are the one who attracted the most eyes. I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve already sent competition recordings of you to our admissions office of Deep Sea University. What I’ve requested from our Admissions Office is for you to be specially enrolled as long as you enter the top 50 rankings in the finals of the competition! If you enter the top 100, then I’ll give you a preferential score treatment of 20 points! If you enter the top 200, then I’ll give you a preferential score treatment of 10 points! How is it? Doesn’t this count as good faith?”

“Really, I’m far too grateful, Professor Xie. I will do my best and fight my way to the top 50!” Li Yao spoke loudly.

“Good. Right now’s the critical moment. I won’t bother your resting. Do your best to maintain a tranquil state of mind. Fight and bring out your best!” Xie Tingxian nodded towards him, chuckling as his figure faded in the hologram.

The instant Xie Tingxian faded away, another virtual image appeared with a jerk, seeming hotheaded and itching to get on with things. It forcefully squeezed into Li Yao’s line of sight.

“Ding… Ding Lingdang?” Li Yao went blank. It was that female T-rex.

Ding Lingdang sized Li Yao up and down with utterly scorching eyes. She spoke sternly, “Student Li Yao, you appear to have somewhat of a misunderstanding about the Grand Desolate War Institution… It’s true. Our school’s Combat Department is the strongest in the Federation!”

“But, we don’t have just empty handed ‘Body Practitioners’ in our Combat Department. We also have experts in bladed weapons and melee artifacts — Sword Cultivators. You come from Crimson Nimbus Second so you ought to know of a famous senior ‘Peng Hai’. He entered our Grand Desolate War Institution after graduation from high school and specialized in training in the usage of various melee artifacts. Later, he even won the nickname ‘Fiend Blade’. It’s okay if you don’t want to become a Body Practitioner. It would also be great if you can come to our Grand Desolate War Institution’s Combat Department to become a Sword Cultivator!”

The two words “Peng Hai” caused Li Yao to be stupefied for a second. A flame ignited in his eyes.

Upon seeing that Li Yao hadn’t immediately refused, Ding Lingdang became more lively as she spoke, “In brief, I feel that it is in your nature to become a battle-type cultivator. You’re extremely suited for the Combat Department of our Grand Desolate War Institution. As long as you can fight your way into the top 300 of the finals, I can give you special enrollment. And, all tuition fees will be waived and you will receive a giant scholarship! What do you think? Consider it over then, Student Li Yao!”

…...

Even until after Ding Lingdang’s virtual image faded in the air, Li Yao was still dazed. His heart undulated with emotion. It took a long time before he could calm down.

Three gold-paved roads unfolded before his eyes, extending completely straight. Each road led to the supreme apex of the world of cultivators.

In the end, which school ought he choose?

Li Yao sat cross-legged and calmly thought over the pros and cons of each of the three options.

Of the three options, the invitation from Ding Lingdang was clearly the most sincere.

With Li Yao’s actual strength, as long as he brings out his normal strength, fighting his way into the top 300 of the finals shouldn’t be that difficult. And, Fiend Blade Peng Hai graduated from the Combat Department of this Grand Desolate War Institution. Obviously, they did not just specialize in educating Body Practitioners, but also in Sword Cultivators. It matched with his own strengths.

However, after careful consideration, Li Yao still eliminated Grand Desolate War Institution first from his choices.

He promised his long-passed Old Man that he would become a Refiner for sure. Becoming a simple battle-type cultivator would be deviating from his dream.

And Headmaster Zhao’s conditions better align with his ambitions.

Although Star Nebula University’s Artificing Department wasn’t ranked as high as Deep Sea University’s, they were still able to craft treasures like the Spiritual Energy Particle Collider. Clearly, they had their own originalities.

This quite suited Li Yao’s liking, and all expenses would be covered by the Crimson Nimbus Guild. After graduation, he would get a job in a large company controlled by the Crimson Nimbus Guild. After a certain number of years, he would be able to experience a life of new cars, beautiful women, and luxurious villas. It was simply a path of instant success.

However, everything has their negatives. After dinner comes the reckoning. Once he signed the contract with the Crimson Nimbus Guild, he would become an official member of the Crimson Nimbus Guild. Any cultivation courses he would take would be determined by the Crimson Nimbus Guild. His future path of development would also be limited. He would be unable to have his own characteristics.

Since the Crimson Nimbus Guild is paying for everything, he will certainly be educated to be a concentrated cultivator that’s specialized for a certain job. Like being a cog in a big artifact machine. He would always be on board the Crimson Nimbus Guild’s chariot.

This was something Li Yao could not stand.

After considering everything over, Li Yao still resolutely settled on his initial aspiration. He will bring forth everything in the finals to fight his way into the top 50. He will attain special enrollment into Deep Sea University!

Even if he was unable to fight his way into the top 50, at least he would fight for that 20 points of preferential treatment, so that he would have a big advantage in the Entrance Exams.

Deep Sea University is his only choice!

“Let the finals begin! I can’t wait to get started!”

He watched the muddy yellow clouds above get snatched up by the giant bird-like Distant Expanse. Li Yao licked his lips and punched hard to the sky with a fist.

“Just wait a moment, and I will let you experience just how fearsome a shameless Refiner can be!”