Chapter 268: Chapter 262: Super Grand Promises

Ling Jun looked at the competition’s scoring leaderboard. Gu Ming and Lu You’s names were high up, occupying the top two spots.

Although the other students from Qing Lake High School had all been eliminated, failing to advance past the first round, having two students on the board was still a symbol of the school’s strength.

Teacher Ling would have something to talk about when she returned, not just go back empty-handed.

"Gu Ming, Lu You, come over here for a moment. Some university teachers want to talk to you."

As she spoke, two unfamiliar teachers appeared beside Teacher Ling. Their Cultivation-star Levels were both Six-star, and their auras were immensely powerful.

Without a second thought, Gu Ming shook his head and said,

"Teacher, I want to wait until after the international competition to consider any offers."

Hearing this, one of the teachers behind her couldn’t help but speak up.

"Young man, aren’t you even going to hear which academy I’m from?"

"And you are?"

Gu Ming looked at the man’s attire. He was dressed luxuriously, exuding an air of profound Daoist Skill, making it impossible to identify his academy.

But his arrogance was so pungent you could smell it from a dozen meters away.

"My surname is Zhou. I’m a teacher from the Great Zhou Royal Beastmaster Academy," Teacher Zhou said with a chuckle. "Heh, you should know that getting an admission offer with an entrance exam waiver from the Royal Academy is a privilege countless people can only dream of."

When Gu Ming heard the academy’s name, his expression shifted slightly, showing a hint of surprise.

’People from the Royal Academy are already knocking on my door?’

The Royal Academy was a household name in Great Zhou, a public institution where tuition was essentially free.

If the academy’s name had no regional prefix and started directly with the two words "Great Zhou," only the top university located at the foot of the Great Zhou Emperor could use that title.

In other words, he was from the nation’s number one, top-tier academy—the cradle of the country’s elite and a place fiercely contested by the great powers.

If you wanted to become an official, work for the government, or become a general, the Royal Academy was a mandatory stop.

Gu Ming had heard his family talk about the Royal Academy’s various exploits before; they had made it sound legendary.

For a moment, Gu Ming’s resolve wavered.

Seeing Gu Ming’s hesitation, Teacher Zhou revealed a look of pride and said with a smile,

"With your Pet Beast’s potential, even a small mistake in the national competition or encountering an unfavorable event could prevent you from even making the top 100."

"Why not sign a contract with the university first? With the Royal Academy’s connections backing you, the national competition will be a walk in the park. We can guarantee you a spot in the international competition for experience."

"I can even introduce you to the Thirteenth Prince, giving you access to preferential resources from the Royal Family."

He maintained an attitude of looking out for Gu Ming’s best interests. After speaking, he stared at him quietly, waiting for Gu Ming to make a decision.

Listening to the first part, Gu Ming was indeed tempted. From the man’s tone, it sounded like he could even get the exam questions leaked to him.

With connections to the Royal Family, it would be normal to get inside information on the questions.

But when he heard about the Prince’s faction, Gu Ming’s heart suddenly sank.

Keywords like political schemes, power struggles for the throne, and bloodshed flashed through his mind.

’It’s too soon to decide,’ he thought. ’This isn’t good.’

The Royal Academy was indeed number one in the nation, the cradle of Great Zhou’s core political circle, and the starting line for a meteoric rise.

But with his system, he had far more options. It wasn’t like he had no other choice.

He shook his head, sticking to his original decision.

He would finish the competition first, then make his choice.

By then, the resources offered would be many times greater than what was on the table today. He believed he could go all the way and secure a good ranking.

When Teacher Zhou saw Gu Ming shake his head, his face immediately turned cold, and the air around him seemed to freeze.

Teacher Ling secretly wiped away her cold sweat. She knew Gu Ming was holding out for a better offer, confident he could achieve a high rank.

Agreeing too early now would definitely be a loss for him.

Teacher Zhou stared at Gu Ming for a few seconds. Seeing his expression remain unchanged and feeling the faint ripple of Sword Qi Divine Sense that shook off his spiritual pressure, he...

...immediately laughed.

"Fine, fine, fine. Then we’ll see each other at the national competition!"

He turned and walked away. He figured that since Gu Ming had rejected him, he would surely reject offers from other academies as well. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He’d just wait and see what rank Gu Ming could get after the national competition was over.

By then, however, he wouldn’t be the only one competing for Gu Ming; people from the other Princes’ factions would also get involved.

It was a bit of a hassle, but geniuses were always like this.

If one could be so easily recruited, they would just be an ordinary genius.

A genius with insufficient Willpower would just be another workhorse in the Thirteenth Prince’s ranks.

Only a genius who knew how to refuse him had some real value.

Gu Ming watched him turn and leave, looking quite dissatisfied, which left him a little confused.

This was his first time interacting with a teacher from the Royal Academy.

His first impression wasn’t particularly good. That bone-deep arrogance, that air of superiority, made Gu Ming uncomfortable even though it wasn’t intentionally displayed.

’Based on my experience working part-time at a small community shop, it shouldn’t be like this.’

’Are all the teachers from the Royal Academy’s admissions office this arrogant?’

’I’m the one who gets to choose, aren’t I?’

’Or is it that the social circles I’ve moved in before were just too low-level?’

Gu Ming glanced around and saw many eager eyes in the crowd.

They also wanted to extend an olive branch to him, but they wouldn’t all approach at once, to prevent Gu Ming from driving up the price on the spot.

Even if they wanted to negotiate, they had to do it one by one.

The one who had come first was clearly the person with the highest status and most power among this group of academies.

Recalling the man’s words, they too were delivered with a superior attitude.

And look, Gu Ming saw that over by Lu You, another teacher was talking to her. The teacher’s expression was neutral, but their words carried an undertone of, "I’m giving you this admission spot out of charity."