When Earth Awakened, I Became a Sword Saintess

Chapter 22 : The Unattainable Score Line

22: The Unattainable Score Line

As the sun set in the west, Liu Li, having finished the test with the second-highest total score in the women's heptathlon, stood with her hands behind her back in her usual capable stance. She looked at Yuyin in the distance, surrounded by a group of girls, her expression complex.

“Unexpectedly, this Xia Yuyin was hiding her abilities so deeply.” A short young man with fluffy, choppy hair walked up to Liu Li's side. He was not as tall as she was, but he seemed to exude an unusual aura, his eyes carrying a careless, dismissive look.

“It’s also that we saw her too simply, Long Xiaotian.” Liu Li turned to look at the young man, a hint of melancholy beyond her years in her eyes. “Did we think that big breasts and long legs meant she was just a pretty face? It seems we were the ones corrupted by worldly views. You must know, that top Grandmaster of our Huaxia Nation…”

“Oh, come on, don't make it so mystical. This Xia Yuyin, although her family has had a sudden change of fortune recently, in the past, her family was truly one of Lingdu's elite households. It's entirely possible they were secretly giving her cultivation pills. There was no need for it before, but now, with her family bankrupt and unable to support her, she naturally has to reveal her strength and rely on herself. To be honest, I quite admire her. If I encountered such a sudden change, I'm not sure I could be as cheerful as her,” Long Xiaotian said.

“Hmph, the heart of a woman, how can you ever see through it?”

“Never mind. I'm not interested in women anyway. But… that one guaranteed spot for admission to the Lingdu Military Martial Academy from our school now has one more competitor.” Long Xiaotian's eyes narrowed slightly. Although he claimed to have no interest in women, he couldn't help but breathe a little more heavily as he gazed at Yuyin from afar, at the youthful rhythm of her body wrapped in gym shorts.

“Hehe, you'd even consider a second-tier First Tier academy? With a genius like you, shouldn't you be aiming for the Lingdu Source Martial Academy?” Liu Li asked, glancing at him.

“Hehehehe! The Lingdu Source Martial Academy? Are you kidding me, Liu Li? I'm just a big fish in a small pond here. A genius? The geniuses applying for the Lingdu Source Martial Academy are more numerous than the fallen leaves on Weiming Road! I know my own limits.”

Long Xiaotian stared at Yuyin's back for a couple more moments, then turned his back to Liu Li and said, “Liu Li, you and I are both people who have seen the world. Let's face reality. When those self-proclaimed geniuses truly face the torrent of geniuses from all over the nation, who will stop at nothing, I'm afraid they won't even know how to write the word 'cry'.”

With that, Long Xiaotian turned and left, his words carrying a maturity beyond his years, with a touch of a master's demeanor.

After the test, Yingluo insisted on dragging Yuyin out for juice. Unable to refuse, Yuyin went along with them.

The four girls arrived at a quaint old-style house by the street. It was quiet and elegant, with a real sense of old Magic City. Yuyin actually quite liked places like this.

Surprisingly, besides Yuyin, Yingluo, and Weiwei, even Liu Li had come, brought along by Weiwei. Yuyin wasn't familiar with Liu Li, and because of the test, the atmosphere was a bit awkward at first.

However, after they ordered their juices and started chatting, Weiwei, who was good at livening things up, managed to ease the mood.

But it didn't take long for her to bring up a sensitive topic again.

“President, your results today were just too amazing. As the head of the Track and Field Team, I'm truly ashamed. You call yourself a 'young lady'? You have to have it all, beauty, grades, and strength. Isn't that a bit too much?” Weiwei said with a playful rebuke.

“Th… that's not true. You're very pretty too, Weiwei,” Yuyin replied, genuinely thinking she was good-looking sporty, sunny kind of girl.

“Huh? R, really?” Weiwei, who was usually so cheerful, suddenly clutched her skirt, her posture becoming a bit stiff and shy.

However, at the mention of the heptathlon, Liu Li, who was by the window, looked displeased.

She spoke with a half-smile, “Yuyin, your Primordial Energy value must be higher than mine now, right?”

In an instant, the atmosphere grew serious again.

“That's right, Yuyin. Your physical fitness has improved too fast. It's impossible through normal training. Your Primordial Energy value must be much higher than last time, right?” Yingluo also asked, her tone sharp.

Yuyin nodded. “Mm, it has improved quite a bit.”

After all, it would be announced during the college entrance exam, so there was no point in hiding it. She just didn't give the exact number to avoid unnecessary trouble.

“Yuyin, I think you should try for the Lingdu Source Martial Academy. Although only one person from our school has gotten in in the past few years, but… you're the top female student in the entire school. If you don't even try, wouldn't everyone else from our school have to give up on their dreams?” Weiwei said, gently patting Yuyin's hand. But the moment she touched it, she felt a slight, electric-like current and quickly pulled her hand back.

“Hmph.” Yuyin didn't answer, but Liu Li let out a cold snort.

“What's wrong?” Weiwei looked at Liu Li.

Liu Li shook her head and said, “Yuyin is outstanding, but you shouldn't lead her astray. You must know, if you fill out your first choice incorrectly and fail to get in, you'll be at a huge disadvantage in the admission tiers!”

“Do you know what the minimum admission score for female students was for the Lingdu Source Martial Academy last year?” Liu Li's eyes glowed as she spoke, as if it were a distant Penglai, a mythical paradise.

“Last year, the minimum Primordial Energy score for admission to the Lingdu Source Martial Academy was 150 for males and 150 for females.” Yingluo stated the data, which made the other girls' hearts tremble, with the emotionless expression of a female AI.

Yuyin was also stunned. The juice she had lifted wobbled, and she subconsciously put it back down.

“150?” Yuyin looked at Yingluo in disbelief.

Seeing Yuyin's reaction, Liu Li felt much better. She had come today looking for an opportunity to take her down a peg. Don't think you're so amazing just for showing off in this third-rate high school. Looking at all of Lingdu, no, looking at the entire Huaxia Nation, for one of the Two Supreme Academies that only the greatest of geniuses could hope to compete for, the Lingdu Source Martial Academy, you are still far, far behind.

Even though the academy was located in Lingdu, so what? Local Lingdu residents received no special treatment.

“This is what you call, so close yet so far away,” Liu Li thought smugly.

“Yingluo, why are the admission scores for the Lingdu Source Martial Academy the same for males and females?” Yuyin asked. Her current Primordial Energy value was 83, which was rapid progress, but it was still far, far from 150. Moreover, this wasn't a uniform growth curve; the further you progressed, the harder it became to increase. Many people might reach a certain value and never be able to improve again for the rest of their lives.

The minimum was 150…

Was this what a genius was?

“President, as one of the top academies in Huaxia, the Lingdu Source Martial Academy's way of looking at things is different from that of ordinary institutions. I'm afraid this is not something we can speculate on,” Yingluo said, her gaze calm.

“That's right. Don't think that being a girl gives you an advantage. The world of the strong, Yuyin, you probably haven't even touched upon it yet, have you? Others won't be merciful to you just because you're a girl. They won't,” Liu Li's tone grew heavier. She suddenly stood up and turned to leave without even saying goodbye.