Li Yang reluctantly said goodbye to the senior brothers and sisters from the Department of Agronomy and ran back to the fourth-class dormitory.
If it weren’t for a few more days of free accommodation, she would have considered moving to the Department of Agronomy that very night!
As soon as she opened the door, Fang Chuyun came out from next door.
Li Yang: “You haven’t eaten yet?” At this time, she should be heading to the cafeteria.
“I’ve eaten…” Fang Chuyun asked her again, “Are you really going to the Department of Agronomy?”
Li Yang: “Mm.”
Fang Chuyun said, “I asked my sister about it during the day, and she doesn’t know much about the Department of Agronomy, but she said it’s not a good place for self-improvement…”
Li Yang felt touched.
She knew that Fang Chuyun was worried about her, so she had asked around.
Li Yang said, “The senior brothers and sisters in the Department of Agronomy are all very nice. Although their realm is a bit lower, I don’t have much ambition. I’ve always loved plants and flowers, so I chose Agronomy.”
Fang Chuyun found it hard to understand: “Choosing a department is very important. The resources in the three major departments are the most abundant. Not only cultivation resources but also many intangible assets, like the best mentors and many outstanding seniors. When we go to the Star Realm in the future, we’ll also have a foothold. Only in this way can we gradually climb to the top as grandmasters…”
Li Yang couldn’t explain her true reason for choosing the Department of Agronomy, but she didn’t want to dismiss Fang Chuyun’s kind concern.
After thinking for a moment, she said seriously, “Chuyun, not everyone wants to become a grandmaster. I’ve said it before; I don’t have big ambitions. As long as I can graduate smoothly and safely, that’s enough for me.”
“But your talent is so high…”
“High talent for a moment doesn’t mean anything,” Li Yang said.
“Every year, there are people with extraordinary physiques, but most of them get lost in the crowd. This is survivor bias. Everyone sees that grandmasters generally have a strong physique, but they don’t notice that many with 90 points or even extraordinary physiques were long buried in history. And those so-called ‘geniuses’ who got buried are invisible to others.”
Li Yang continued, “Chuyun, your family is well-off, and you have your father and sister as role models. Naturally, you’ll want to go higher and further, but I can’t think that far ahead. I just want to live well in the present. The Department of Agronomy has the exotic plants I love, and the senior brothers and sisters are kind. Rather than compromising in other departments, I’d rather be here, free and at ease.”
Fang Chuyun couldn’t help but lower her eyelids, her expression showing clear disappointment.
Li Yang blinked and said to her, “Besides, if I really had talent, I could still stand out in the Department of Agronomy.”
Fang Chuyun replied, “It’s hard in Agronomy…”
“Everyone comes from different backgrounds and circumstances, so our definitions of ‘difficult’ are different.”
Fang Chuyun felt confused, but she could tell that Li Yang had made this decision rationally.
As for her… she respected her friend’s choice.
“I’ll go to the Star Law Department.”
“Alright!”
“Then, in the future…”
“It’s just a different department, we’re still in the same school, right?” Li Yang said. “Once you open three star apertures, we can spar together.”
Fang Chuyun: “!”
Those words were more motivating than anything, instantly igniting Fang Chuyun’s fighting spirit. She stopped talking and said, “I’ll go back to cultivate.”
Li Yang: “Good luck!”
The two went back to their rooms.
Li Yang happily took a bath and checked her system panel.
Everything was the same except for her lifespan, which was still 300/500 years.
So comfortable.
Li Yang kept smiling as she looked at it.
“Hmm… I should raise both my physique and spirit points.”
Although she had opened the fourth star aperture, her physique and spirit points were stuck at 300 due to the insufficient lifespan.
“Consume ten years of lifespan to raise physique.”
Li Yang, now wealthy (in terms of life), was becoming more generous.
[You continued cultivating for ten years, but due to insufficient talent, you couldn’t match the current realm, so your physique was raised to 325 points.]
Li Yang: “…” Her good mood disappeared halfway.
She couldn’t help but think of Fang Chuyun’s words, sighed, and said, “I don’t have any talent!”
Forget about being a genius at Zhongdu Military Academy; without this longevity system, Li Yang probably wouldn’t even qualify to be a Star Practitioner.
Oh, and forget about being a Star Practitioner—she’s in terrible shape compared to regular people.
The four star apertures correspond to the realm of a high-level first rank.
Clearly, this realm was already beyond Li Yang’s capabilities, so increasing her physique value became increasingly difficult.
With her poor talent, even if there were no Department of Agronomy at Zhongdu Military Academy, Li Yang wouldn’t go to any of the popular departments.
She had many secrets, and going to crowded popular departments would be inviting trouble.
So, even if there were no Department of Agronomy at Zhongdu, she would still choose the least popular one.
Of course, right now, it was the best arrangement!
She chose the Department of Agronomy, and the senior brothers and sisters were very welcoming… everyone was happy!
“Not yet. Although I’ve only opened three star apertures, my physique value has already reached 290.”
“That’s not too far from opening the fourth star aperture!”
“Zhong Qian from Donghua Province is also quite impressive; his physique value has reached 280!”
Li Yang heard a familiar name and silently nodded in her heart: “Impressive, Brother Zhong Kun.”
She truly admired these people.
Indeed, the resources of noble families are excellent, but one still has to put in the effort.
To open three or four star apertures in just a few months is truly remarkable—those are the true prodigies among prodigies.
To think that Li Yang… has spent one to two hundred years on this.
Just then, the student who had been chatting added, “You can’t compare people, it’s impossible!”
Li Yang felt a pang in her heart and nodded along.
Since the classmates hadn’t yet opened any star apertures, they couldn’t see Li Yang’s star apertures.
Plus, with her plain attire, which lacked the style of a noble family, they treated her like an ordinary student.
“Hey, which province are you from?”
“Donghua Province.”
“Oh, Donghua Province is quite popular now! A dark horse came out of nowhere and crushed Zhong Qian to take the provincial top spot!”
That person then asked her, “What’s your name? I think it’s Li… or maybe Pear…?”
Li Yang awkwardly smiled and stopped chatting with them, deciding to move to another spot.
The freshmen were all gathered together, gossiping.
A few names kept popping up; they were the outstanding students in this batch.
Lin Zhaoxia from the Lin family in Zhongdu was an extreme physique practitioner, currently at the first-tier high-level.
Shen Shangchi from the Shen family in Zhongdu was also an extreme physique practitioner, currently at the first-tier mid-level, and soon to break into the high-level.
Then there was Zhong Qian from Donghua Province, Ying Qi from Beishi Province, Sun Mairan from Nanyi Province… All of them had opened three star apertures.
Li Yang roughly summarized: the only person who might have opened four star apertures was Lin Zhaoxia from the Lin family, while those who had opened three star apertures were more common.
Almost every province had one or two.
There was another name that stood out:
Ning Shaoyu, from an ordinary family in Xihua Province.
He was an extreme physique practitioner and had entered Zhongdu Military Academy by ranking second in Xihua Province.
Whenever someone mentioned Ning Shaoyu, they would also bring up Li Yang.
Both were from commoner backgrounds, extreme physique practitioners, and one was from the East, the other from the West.
It was easy to compare the two.
Since Li Yang had only overheard a little gossip, the entire place suddenly became quiet.
The Sun Plaza was enormous, with all the freshmen gathered there.
Everyone stood orderly, waiting for the vice principal’s speech.
The vice principal was a middle-aged woman.
She wasn’t very tall but had a straight posture. She looked about 30 to 40 years old, but those familiar with the school’s history knew… she was actually over a hundred years old.
The vice principal’s speech was short and powerful, full of charm.
At first, Li Yang didn’t take it seriously, but as she listened, she found herself drawn in.
She was particularly moved when the vice principal said, “Welcome to Zhongdu Military Academy.
I hope we can live harmoniously and progress together in the future!”
Then came loud applause, as everyone genuinely liked this approachable vice principal.
“Is she from the Spirit Department…” Li Yang vaguely sensed something.
Although it was faint, her intuition told her that the vice principal specialized in the Spirit Department.
Next, the deans of the various departments took the stage to speak.
The dean of the Star Warfare Department was a tall, cool woman.
She wore a neat light armor and exuded a strong sense of pressure just by standing there. Her speech was powerful, full of the aura of a battlefield warrior.
Finally, she said, “Those who enter the Star Warfare Department must prioritize bravery!”
The crowd cheered, and Li Yang felt her blood boil.
She couldn’t help but think, “Hmm, the Star Warfare Department seems pretty good. I wonder if I can take it as a minor?”
The dean of the Star Magic Department was an elegant and beautiful woman, dressed in a snow-white robe, with faint starlight shimmering around her.
A staff, embedded with unknown gemstones, floated beside her.
“Those who enter the Star Magic Department must prioritize intelligence.”
Just one short speech radiated a faint scent of gunpowder.
The Star Warfare and Star Magic Departments had always been at odds, and even the deans began the rivalry.
Then came the dean of the Spirit Department, another young and handsome man, though his eyes revealed endless years of hardship.
His voice was soothing and pleasant, every word seemed to strike at the hearts of listeners, making them feel like they were enveloped in a gentle spring breeze.
Everyone almost wanted to head straight to the Spirit Department.
“Those who enter the Spirit Department must prioritize kindness.”
Next were the deans of the Star Support, Medicine, Weapon Forging, and Beast Control Departments…
Each dean had a unique style. Li Yang was most impressed by the deans of the Medicine and Weapon Forging Departments, as these two completely defied everyone’s expectations.
The dean of the Medicine Department was a muscular man—one punch from him could smash a skull.
The dean of the Weapon Forging Department, however, was a delicate woman who, with a single finger, effortlessly lifted a metal piece weighing at least half a ton.
The dean of the Beast Control Department shocked everyone. She… or rather, should it be “it”? Yes, at least in the eyes of the students, it wasn’t quite human!
The dean of the Beast Control Department had the head of a beautiful woman, but her limbs were eagle claws.
What was even more terrifying was that she also had a fox tail…
“Those who enter the Beast Control Department must prioritize beasts.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd fell silent.
Any freshmen without priority selection rights were screaming inside, “Please, I can’t be assigned to the Beast Control Department!”
Li Yang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, feeling incredibly lucky that her practical exam results had been quite good.
Once all the deans had finished speaking, each department had its own “priority word,” and Li Yang couldn’t help but wonder:
What’s the priority word for the Agricultural Department?
Agriculture-first? Plant-first? Wheat-first? Bun-first?
Li Yang amused herself with the thought.
After the speeches, the school banquet began.
Yu Hongyuan finally found Li Yang and squeezed over. “So, what do you think? Shall we leave first?”
Li Yang, with only thoughts of the self-service banquet worth 10,000 yuan per person, was in no hurry to leave.
She confidently said, “We’ll leave after we eat.”
Before Yu Hongyuan could respond with, “After eating, you won’t want to leave…” someone else had already locked onto her as their target and quickly walked over.
“Li Yang, I’m a teaching assistant from the Star Warfare Department.
Are you interested in joining our department?”
“Hello, Li Yang. We’ve seen your practical exam, and we think you’re very intelligent. You’d be a perfect fit for the Star Magic Department. Would you consider joining us?”
“Li Yang, your mental value is very high, you’re a born student for the Spirit Department. Would you consider joining?”
“Li Yang, if you join the Star Support Department, we can help you apply for a top-tier scholarship. All the resources you consume before graduation will be covered by our department.”
“Ah, I’m just here to ask—Li Yang, would you be interested in the Medicine Department?”
“Li Yang, come join the Weapon Forging Department. This is the best way for commoners to turn things around!”
“The Beast Control Department is the way for common students to succeed. Come join the Beast Control family. You’ll love it here!”
Before the banquet had even started, all seven department assistants had rushed to Li Yang, each extending an olive branch.
The surrounding students were shocked and turned to look at Li Yang, whispering, “She’s Li Yang, the one who defeated Zhong Qian.”
She never expected that, as a new student, she would already be the center of attention. Wasn’t there a whole bunch of provincial top scorers?
Why was everyone crowding around her?
Each assistant had a very distinct style, making it easy to tell which department they were from.
The Star Warfare, Star Magic, and Spirit Departments were all near each other, nearly sparking friction. The Medicine and Weapon Forging Departments were also subtly competing.
The Spirit and Star Support Departments seemed more laid-back, but neither would give way.
The assistant from the Beast Control Department twitched its cat ears, its enchanting vertical pupils sending chills down everyone’s spine.
What Li Yang didn’t know was that while there were many provincial top scorers, not all of them applied to Zhongdu Military Academy.
At least 80% of the provincial top scorers came from star-user families.
And almost every star-user family had its own department specialty, like the Lin and Zhong families, who always specialized in Star Warfare, or the Shen and Ying families, who specialized in Star Magic.
The Spirit and Star Support Departments were vital, so almost all the prominent families had a foothold there.
Although the formal department selection would take place the day after tomorrow, most of the top students already had their departments predetermined, leaving only a few undecided.
Among the best were Li Yang and Ning Shaoyu.
Both were from commoner backgrounds, but Li Yang had higher priority, so the assistants from all seven departments rushed to her first.
The Star Warfare, Star Magic, and Spirit Departments were quite reserved.
They only invited her without offering any specific conditions.
The Star Support Department went all out, offering to cover all her resources until graduation.
The assistant from the Star Support Department added, “If you join our department, our vice dean will personally take you in.”
The vice dean of the Star Support Department was a seven-star master, and when these words were spoken, Yu Hongyuan nearly choked on his own bitterness.
His biggest dream was to join the six-star peak mentors of the Star Support Department, yet Li Yang was about to turn down a seven-star master!
The assistant from the Medicine Department was a charming young woman who smiled warmly.
“Li, come to the Medicine Department. We have plenty of resources, and we’ll give you a one-year second-tier dormitory.”
Although second-tier dorms weren’t as expensive as first-tier ones, they still cost 10,000 yuan per day.
That’s 3.56 million a year!
Li Yang:
The Weapon Forging Department snickered and stepped forward, saying, “Li Yang, come to our department. Our dean will take you as a direct disciple and make a custom growth-type star weapon for you, helping you use it from first-tier all the way to sixth-tier!”
At this, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Yu Hongyuan felt the urge to scream.
His own greatest dream was to join the six-star peak mentors, and yet Li Yang was about to turn down an offer like this.
Li Yang felt her heart pounding at the thought of a growth-type star weapon.
Just as the three major departments couldn’t hold back any longer and were about to speak up with their own special offers…
Li Yang suddenly couldn’t take it anymore.
She couldn’t listen—these rich people were throwing offers left and right, and it was shaking her “will.”
“Sorry, everyone,” Li Yang quickly interrupted.
Everyone looked at her.
Li Yang firmly said, “I’ve already chosen my department. I’m going to the Agricultural Department.”