strokinit Chapter 59 Heavenly Soul Fruit! Dungeon settlement!
Chapter 59 Heavenly Soul Fruit! Dungeon settlement!
Under the pitch-black night.
On the highway outside Wutou Mountain.
The school bus bumped along through the mountains and forests.
Outside the car window, the distant city wall looked like a dazzling line of color.
Inside the car, most people were slumped in their seats.
This practical assessment was too intense; everyone was exhausted!
Middle section of the carriage.
Yang Fan turned to the side, half of his buttocks off the seat, his arm resting on the backrest, his whole body leaning towards Su Chen.
His face was still covered in black ash that hadn't been wiped off, and his clothes had several cuts from the rocks.
But there's light in his eyes!
"Brother Chen, this battle was fought so well. How many points do you think we can get in this practical assessment?"
His voice carried an barely suppressed excitement.
There's no way around it! Anyone who did something this awesome would be speechless.
Su Chen leaned back in his chair and chuckled upon hearing this.
Then I glanced at the school bus in front of me.
Guo Hao was on the school bus ahead, but he didn't dare to ride with them.
Otherwise... things might get interesting!
Su Chen gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn it! If it weren't for that idiot Guo Hao, I feel you could have gotten 150 points."
"Holy crap! One hundred and fifty? That's outrageous!?"
Yang Fan's eyes widened, but his face was filled with excitement.
He felt... there might actually be a chance!?
"For your performance this time, it's not necessarily an exaggeration."
Su Chen's tone became more serious: "After all, without your skill, we might not have been able to take down that lava golem even by the end of the assessment."
"His combat power is comparable to that of a general. Your strength is enough to inflict damage on a general, which is a huge advantage even with items!"
"If you didn't use any props, you'd be almost 190cm already, haha!"
Yang Fan paused for a moment, then scratched his head sheepishly.
He looked down at his right hand, which was holding the explosives.
A golem fused with the power of mythology... He still finds it a bit unreal!
I actually did it?
In that split second of the jump, attaching the explosives, and evacuation, if any step had been delayed by even a fraction of a second, the outcome would have been completely different.
But he did it!
"But this is my only highlight."
Yang Fan looked up, his excitement fading slightly, and said with a hint of worry, "The monster was killed by that idiot Guo Hao with Hellfire. I wonder if they'll cancel that part of the score."
"Guo Hao's an idiot, but is the teacher also an inflexible idiot?" Su Chen rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry!"
Yang Fan visibly breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
He took a breath, regained his excited expression, and looked at Su Chen with excited eyes: "Brother Chen, to be honest, you were really amazing this time!!!"
Hearing this, Liu Yongchao turned around and exclaimed, "Brother Chen, I was stunned by the sight of you rushing into the abyss swarm to save us. If I were a woman, I would have offered myself to you back then!"
"Hahaha~"
Su Chen tensed up and crossed his arms to protect his body.
He glanced at Liu Yongchao, who wore glasses and looked refined but was actually quite muscular, and said, "I'm not from Sichuan Province!"
Yang Fan began gesturing in the air, his face vividly portraying the scene: "We were on the hill when the demonic insects swarmed in from all directions. Then I saw a silver-white figure burst out of the mist, and in a flash, a person riding on the back of a pet beast, wielding a long sword, charged straight into the monster horde!"
As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, mimicking the state he was in at the time: "It was like a dragon knight descending to earth!"
In the back row, Zhang Yan leaned forward at some point, listening with great interest.
Hearing this, she couldn't help but chuckle and interjected, "So you're going to repay me with your body too?"
"Of course! If I were a woman, I'd marry Brother Chen, hehe~"
Yang Fan then stated confidently, "I told my teammates right then and there that this was my brother Chen! They didn't believe me!"
Su Chen's lips curled slightly, but he didn't reply.
Yang Fan continued, getting more and more excited: "In the cave too, Brother Chen, you were killing so fiercely! Watching from behind, it felt like those demonic insects were made of paper in front of you. One slash and one kill!"
"And that ghoul, it pounced down from the cave ceiling, Chen-ge, your dodging, I'm telling you, your reaction speed was amazing!"
"And another thing, later on you rode the Wind and Thunder Hound ahead, with dozens of monsters chasing behind. You kept turning around and firing as you ran, hitting your target every time. That was so cool!"
Su Chen was still very modest and couldn't accept too much praise.
He said repeatedly, "Alright, alright, if you keep bragging, I'll really get carried away."
But I felt pretty good about it!
It's not the kind of exhilarating feeling of being crushed by cheaters.
Instead, it's about... having one's performance recognized, remembered, and recounted, turning into a "legendary story" in other people's mouths.
This feeling... is wonderful! It's like the meaning and value of life have been recognized.
Although the recognition is currently limited to just one person, the future is bright!
Yang Fan chuckled twice and then asked, "Brother Chen, you must have scored at least 170 points, right?"
"That's too much!" Su Chen shook his head, his smile fading, and his tone became more serious.
"Normally, the scoring for practical assessments is based on overall performance, ranking, and then determining the score. 191-200 points is usually achieved by five people. 181-190 points, around twenty. 171-180 points, around forty. 161-170 points, around sixty."
"170 is equivalent to being in the top 60! Look at our team, there are at least five or six people who are higher than me. Looking at the whole grade, there are quite a few talented people. What's more, I also used Beast Taming, so the scoring standard is definitely very high."
"If I were to estimate, it would be around 155-160."
Yang Fan asked doubtfully, "Impossible, right? It should be over 160cm!"
"Beast Taming is a new rule, so the scoring criteria are hard to predict."
Yang Fan didn't dwell on it, but said, "Hehe~ That's still forty points higher than the ten-school joint exam! Brother Chen is awesome! The nine super universities are just around the corner!"
Su Chen was a little embarrassed by his shout and was about to tell him to keep a low profile.
杨凡已经开始掰手指头算了：「对了，晨哥，你五千米不是13分34秒吗？我看姜薇是11分02秒33。感觉满分线最高也就是11分30秒。十秒一分的话，你至少可以拿到三十七分！」
"In terms of strength, Brother Chen, you should be ranked 350 or higher, so you should definitely be able to get over 30 points."
"With your current performance, Brother Chen, even if your scores in academic subjects and Spirit Pearl theory remain the same, I feel you could easily score over 580, maybe even close to 600!"
"Wow! That's way above the first-tier university cutoff! I feel like I could get into a top-tier university in one of the top 100 cities."
Su Chen reached out and pressed on his shoulder, tugging him back into his seat: "Alright, alright, I prefer to keep a low profile."
Yang Fan nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand!"
Su Chen was inwardly sighing: 580!
Two weeks ago, he wouldn't have even dared to imagine such a number.
The ten-school joint exam only scored 534! And compared to before, that's a huge improvement.
Now, it has increased by nearly fifty points! It's absolutely insane.
But Su Chen knew in his heart that compared to the actual college entrance examination, this estimated score was greatly inflated!
The on-campus scoring for practical assessments is based on the school's own students.
Although Wutoushan visited three schools this time, the main force was still No. 1 Middle School.
His demonstrated ability places him in a fairly good position within the pool of talent at No. 1 High School.
But the college entrance exam is different!
The college entrance examination compares scores across the entire province or even the whole country.
Jiang Wei almost always scored full marks in the practical assessments at No. 1 High School, but she would be grateful if she could score 180 in the college entrance examination.
His current estimate of 155-160 would likely be significantly lower in the actual college entrance examination, probably only reaching 80 or 90.
Su Chen took a deep breath and suppressed the feeling of euphoria.
Seeing that Su Chen didn't speak, Yang Fan added, "Don't worry, Brother Chen, with this rate of progress, you'll definitely be a sensation in the college entrance exam!"
Su Chen snapped out of his daze and nodded with a smile.
Instead of continuing the conversation about grades, he changed the subject: "You did well this time too, I feel like you could easily get into the top 300 in the grade!"
Yang Fan waved his hands repeatedly, his expression changing from excitement to embarrassment: "No, no. I was 37 points behind the 300th in the grade in the ten-school joint exam. I only performed well in the practical assessment this time... Without this battle, I'm afraid I would have had a hard time even getting a hundred points."
His tone was sincere, without any deliberate attempt to be modest.
Su Chen looked at the panel above his head.
Affection level: lv8.
Nothing has changed!
However, judging from the indicator of self-esteem, Yang Fan is probably the highest at present.
Although he didn't want to continue talking about grades, Su Chen kept thinking about the two exams he had left tomorrow morning, especially since the results would be released before evening self-study!
My heart started racing.
"Wow~ the speed at which the score improved looks incredible."
"But every point after that is several times more difficult than the previous ones!"
He had excellent grades in his previous life and was admitted to a top-tier university, so he was very clear about this.
Those who score two or three hundred points, or three or four hundred points, simply haven't studied the material. They can easily improve their scores by spending a little time on it.
But once you reach the 600-point mark, it's as if your talent is locked in; trying to improve by even one more point is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
......
The lights inside the car were dim, and the night outside the window was deepening.
The colorful band of light on the distant city wall was getting closer and closer.
The school bus began to slow down, and the roar of the engine subsided.
Yang Fan was still talking to Su Chen, a smile on his face and a light tone in his voice.
As Su Chen responded, his consciousness sank into the pet space.
The instance interface is still lit up!
[Sixth level settlement in progress...]
Su Chen stared at the line of text, his heart skipped a beat.
I waited for about two seconds...
[Difficulty: Six stars]
[Battle Rating: Excellent+]
[Comment: You demonstrated excellent battlefield judgment and teamwork skills in the sixth level.]
In the underground dark river zone, you did not simply become a fighting machine, but instead commanded Little Purple to destroy hundreds of lesser demon incubators, weakening the continuous supply of abyssal energy.
Although you didn't directly participate in the main damage output against the golem, your tactical choices created a valuable window for the team to deal damage.
Meanwhile, your efficient clearing of the abyssal worms during the pursuit in the cave bought time for the subsequent regrouping.
Overall performance was stable and calm, demonstrating a competent understanding of the battlefield situation.
Su Chen was in a good mood after reading the comments.
Not "perfect", but "excellent+" is still acceptable!
After all, the golem was ultimately taken down by Hellfire, so it didn't participate in the main damage output.
The system's evaluation is already quite fair.
Score: 85
[Prize pool drawing in progress... Drawing complete...]
Reward for Level 6:
Pet Energy x250
Heavenly Soul Fruit x1
30㎡ Pet Space
Su Chen's gaze lingered on those few lines of text.
85 points! That's more than double the 40 points I got in the fifth level.
It's equivalent to combining the first five levels!
Level 1: 5 points; Level 2: 5 points; Level 3: 4 points; Level 4: 25 points; Level 5: 40 points; Level 6: 85 points.
In total...
164 points!
"One hundred and sixty-four..." Su Chen silently repeated the number in his mind.
Not low!
But what really mattered to him wasn't the score itself.
It's a reward!
The pet has 250 energy points, which, combined with the energy from the previous levels, brings it to over 500 points.
"In this practical assessment, I also completed Mission Two - Hundred Enemies Slaying, which rewarded me with 200 points. Including the surplus from the previous period, I now have a full 780 energy points!"
It's enough for a whole month.
Another point is the size of the pet's living space!
The six stages totaled 65m³, including the three training tasks completed in total.
It has now reached 195m³
"I wonder if reaching two hundred will allow me to add one more pet contract slot."
"If the standard is really 200, then we're only one task away from completing it!"
Su Chen turned his gaze to Xiao Zi's first task.
Task 1: Intensify Training
Task objective: Increase the cumulative proficiency of all skills of the Wind and Thunder Fierce Hound by 2500.
Progress: 947/2500
Rewards: Pet Energy x100, Wind and Thunder Pill x5, Skill Stone - Wind Wing
"In the practical assessment, I gained nearly four hundred experience points in just half a day!"
"Furthermore, I've obtained several Wind and Thunder Pills, so I don't need to worry about this mission at all."
Besides the pill rewards, Su Chen couldn't help but look at the only item in the sixth level's settlement rewards: the Heavenly Soul Fruit!
He had never heard of this baby's name before!
Su Chen's gaze fell on the fruit.
Heavenly Soul Fruit
Suitable realms: Acupoint Opening Realm, Qi Refining Realm, Spiritual Martial Realm
Quality: Top Grade
Description: It can greatly expand brain space and enhance soul power. After consumption, it can significantly enhance psionic affinity, making the mental connection between master and pet stronger and the transmission of commands more accurate.
At the same time, the Heavenly Soul Fruit can cleanse the mind and enhance comprehension, greatly increasing the user's efficiency in learning martial arts techniques and absorbing spiritual pearls for a period of time. It also has remarkable effects on cultivating techniques and breaking through bottlenecks.
Su Chen's pupils dilated slightly.
Developing brain space, enhancing soul power, increasing psychic affinity...
Enhance comprehension!?
This thing is just too outrageous!
Psionic Affinity, one of the six martial arts attributes, with a maximum score of 50 points.
Unlike speed and strength, which can be improved through hard work, this depends more on a person's "talent" and their ability to sense psychic energy.
The higher this value, the greater the chance of advancing to the Spirit Martial Realm!
The means to improve one's abilities after birth are extremely limited and costly.
"Of course, developing acupoints on the brain can also improve scores."
"However, compared to those who are naturally gifted in this area, simply relying on activating acupoints and practicing can never bridge the gap in talent!"
The Enlightenment Fruit given by the system accelerates the growth of martial arts proficiency.
The Water Spirit Fruit is used to cleanse the meridians and widen acupoints.
Both of these are present in at least one school.
And the Heavenly Soul Fruit...
"This thing is a bit too powerful!" Su Chen thought to himself.
"I've never heard of Jiangling City rewarding high school seniors with something like this. Maybe we'll have to wait until college?"
"That's true! It's not too late to eat it at university."
"It also saves everyone from having to eat Heavenly Soul Fruits, making the Spiritual Energy Compatibility subject in the college entrance examination a mere decoration."
He took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and continued reading.
At that moment, the instance interface flashed suddenly.
The first trial of the Abyss Challenge dungeon has ended.
[Instance settlement in progress...]
"Hmm? The dungeon can be cleared again? Are there any extra rewards?"
Su Chen suddenly felt hopeful.
Is there any chance of obtaining the special building or three skill stones from the prize pool?