Ranked 8th province-wide, golden notification.

There are five major realms of divine power cultivation. Grade E is the first, known as the Dao-Entry Realm. This realm signifies that a candidate has established a connection with a deity, can perceive the existence of divine power, and is capable of summoning divine manifestations. Simply put, it is the threshold of entry. In this realm, she is limited to basic divine power perception, minor physical enhancement, and the use of elementary divine techniques—provided she has enough "battery" to fuel them.

The next realm up is Grade D: the God-Communion Realm. The greatest distinction of this level is the ability to master more divine techniques. But most enticing of all is the chance to obtain a Divine Ability. Divine techniques and Divine Abilities are two entirely different concepts. A divine technique is a fundamental application of a deity's power; her current [Buddha’s Light Illuminating All] is a divine technique, as are the [Ruyi Jingu Bang] and the [Nine-Toothed Rake]. But a Divine Ability... that is the true, signature secret skill of a deity! It occurs when a god is willing to share their [Divine Authority] with a believer. The effects are immensely powerful, and the most notable difference from a divine technique is that it is said the moment one gains a Divine Ability, the deity personally appears to bestow a blessing. This is why Grade D is called the "God-Communion Realm"—it represents the ability to truly communicate with a deity and earn their recognition and blessing.

Furthermore, these differences in realms are manifested through the color of one's divine power. The Dao-Entry Realm is white, while the God-Communion Realm is cyan, with deeper shades indicating stronger power.

Su Fu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt the divine power flowing within her. The abundant strength she possessed during the exam paper had vanished, replaced by a sense of effortless control.

"Ruyi Jingu Bang," she whispered.

In an instant, a white radiance coalesced in her hand. Compared to the dazzling golden light from the exam, the current glow was significantly dimmer. This was because, now detached from the exam paper, she had to rely solely on her own divine power to drive the technique. However, within the white flow of divine power, a faint trace of cyan seemed to be swirling. This meant she had already touched the threshold of Grade D.

Indeed, the fastest way to cultivate divine power is through these divine exam papers. Candidates do not work for free when dealing with anomalies; depending on their performance in and after the exams, they receive varying degrees of divine power. For instance, by taking first place, she had reached the threshold of Grade D in just one exam!

[Ding!]

A crisp notification interrupted her thoughts.

[Ranking System Updated]

Su Fu’s heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Steady, don't panic."

Real strength rankings... these were far more important than exam scores. After all, the exam ranking only reflected a single event, while the strength ranking was a comprehensive evaluation of her true capabilities. She opened her eyes and accessed the system.

[Xinghui District First-Year Strength Ranking]
Rank: 285/325
Divine Power Level: Grade E (Dao-Entry Realm)
Overall Rating: E-

"..."

Su Fu looked at the ranking, finding it expected. Despite placing first in the exam, her strength ranking was... well, there was no helping it. Starting so late, it was unrealistic to close a year’s worth of gap with others in a single exam.

"Huh? Why is there another ranking below this?"

Curious, Su Fu clicked on it and discovered it was the ranking for all candidates in the entire Lingxiao Province! It turned out that every candidate could unlock not only their academy's ranking but also the next level up. For her, that meant the Lingxiao Province ranking. It was clear that the Divine Academy was a pyramid structure; levels, permissions, resources, and information were all clearly demarcated and strictly arranged. One enjoyed only the privileges of the level they occupied.

[Lingxiao Province First-Year Strength Ranking]
Rank: 2980/3000
Divine Power Level: Grade E (Dao-Entry Realm)
Overall Rating: E-

"..."

This ranking was even worse. It was evident that the Xinghui District was quite far behind in the Lingxiao Province.

However! Su Fu thought to herself, she was already quite satisfied. She had passed the exam, avoided expulsion, broken a record, and taken first place. As expected, the Chinese deities were the most powerful! As for her strength ranking? She would climb it slowly.

With this in mind, she immediately opened the cultivation reservation system.

[Cultivation Room Reservation]
[Fee: 100 Credit Points/Hour]
[Special Note: Based on citizen level, you may receive free usage time daily.]
[Currently Available: 1 Hour/Day (Grade E Citizen Benefit)]

Su Fu did not hesitate to reserve tomorrow's free slot. She remembered clearly that when she saw Shen Yunling unleash his divine power last time, the glow was entirely cyan. Scions of noble families like him started at least as Grade C citizens, granting them at least three hours of free training daily—not to mention the private training grounds owned by their families.

Fortunately, she had managed to stall for time at the end of the exam. The [Buddha’s Light Illuminating All] ultimate skill of the Tang Monk was indeed powerful, but its "wind-up" was incredibly long, requiring the chanting of a lengthy scripture. If she hadn't utilized the standoff with Jiang Qingyu to intimidate the others, she would have been done for.

However, Su Fu noticed something strange. The "Too late" remark Jiang Qingyu made at the end clearly showed she had seen through her plan. When did she figure it out? And why didn't she intervene? Su Fu recalled Jiang Qingyu's expression at the time—it was unreadable. She still knew far too little about her.

As for Shen Yunling... Su Fu’s expression turned cold. They had completely crossed paths this time. But she had no choice. With Shen Yunling watching like a tiger, if she continued to hide her strength, she would surely be discarded. She had to display her prowess during the exam to force the Divine Derivation AI to raise her evaluation. Only then could she seize every opportunity to climb higher in this world of survival of the fittest.

[Ding!]

A new message suddenly popped up in the void. Su Fu froze. The icon for this message... was it gold?

[From: Lingxiao Province Divine Academy]
[Type: Invitation Notice]
[Priority: Extremely High]

...See, the opportunity had arrived.