Chapter 285: Chapter 249: Su Ze’s Final Exam

Seeing Su Ze’s stunned expression, Gu Chengguang laughed. "We can’t break the rules, so you’ll still have to use contribution points to exchange for it. But as for the price... how does 2.6 million contribution points sound?"

2.6 million contribution points were equivalent to 26 billion Lin Hua dollars. Compared to the "friendly price" of 30 million points from Evolutionary Technology, this wasn’t even a tenth of the cost!

A price like that was practically giving it away for free!

Moreover, Su Ze’s current account balance was exactly 2.6 million contribution points.

Clearly, Gu Chengguang had planned this all along.

"Thank you, Mr. Gu," Su Ze quickly accepted. He wasn’t about to play modest and refuse, or foolishly offer a higher price.

He could easily sell off a few of his things and scrape together twenty million contribution points, but there was no need for such formalities.

Gu Chengguang and the other Guardian Gods of Dongli simply wanted him to accept more benefits from Dongli, to owe them more favors, and to strengthen his ties to the kingdom. To put it bluntly, they were investing in his potential.

This was only human nature, and Su Ze didn’t mind. Besides, Dongli had already given him many opportunities. Without a spot from Dongli, he would never have been able to participate in the six-nation academy exchange competition or the Divine Dice event.

Su Ze immediately transferred the 2.6 million contribution points.

"Do you have any specific requirements for this tube of extract?" Gu Chengguang asked.

"No requirements. As long as it’s a Tier 4, S-rank extract, it’ll be fine. I plan to use it in conjunction with a Skill Suppression Potion."

"I see. That makes things a lot easier for us old-timers. Go home and wait for news. We’ll have the extract delivered to you within two weeks."

Su Ze then left the Limin Association Headquarters and returned to his residence.

Looking at the Bai Guishou Storage Ring, which was filled to the brim with all sorts of Evolution Items, Su Ze realized he had originally planned to trade these for a Tier 4, S-rank extract. He never expected that he wouldn’t need to.

’What should I do with all these resources?’

’My next goal is to charge straight for Saint-level. That means I’ll need to absorb a Tier 4, S-rank extract and a Tier 5, B-rank extract. To save time, absorption-aiding drugs are essential.’

So far, the best absorption aid Su Ze had ever used was the Acceleration Fruit. However, this fruit was rare and expensive; buying it in large quantities would cost a fortune.

Having gotten used to riding a high-speed train, Su Ze was no longer willing to go back to a slow, local one. He now looked down on any drugs that were less effective than the Acceleration Fruit.

’Isn’t money meant to be spent?!’

Su Ze decided to spare no expense in acquiring Acceleration Fruits, and even natural medicines that were more effective.

When his evolution level was low, Su Ze felt that the common currency of the Lin Hua Continent still had some use. But ever since he completed his second evolution, money had started to feel like just a number. For him, only the points from the major corporations and the Dongli Contribution Points were truly useful.

And as his evolution level neared the Saint-level, Su Ze was even starting to feel that points and contribution points were losing their utility.

Even the Tier 4, S-rank extract he currently needed was difficult to purchase...

He could imagine that after he became Saint-level and needed Tier 5 or even Tier 6 extracts, buying them with points would be even harder. Contribution points would be even more useless. The ceiling of Dongli’s power was the Saint-level Overlords. Su Ze estimated that once he became an Overlord himself, the number of items in the entire Dongli National Treasury that would be useful to him could be counted on one hand.

’Whether it’s points or contribution points, I should use them up as soon as possible and convert them into real strength. No point in saving them.’

Su Ze began to use every connection and channel at his disposal to go on a mad shopping spree...

The Dongli National Treasury, Evolutionary Technology, Life Pharmaceutical, the Oasis Commerce Association, Prince Atago of the Great Desert Kingdom, Chen Xuejiao from the Ministry of Education of Lin Hua State, Lin Luo of the Lin Family from Lin Hua Country...

Su Ze used every contact and channel he had, seeking to buy Acceleration Fruits and any evolution drugs more effective than them.

And his efforts were certainly fruitful.

From the Dongli National Treasury, Su Ze’s access level had been raised to A-rank. Many high-level Evolution Items that he previously didn’t have the clearance to exchange for were now available to him. Only a few of Dongli’s national treasures, like the Eye of Dream Weaving, remained beyond his current clearance level.

To Su Ze’s surprise, the Dongli National Treasury actually had a stock of natural medicines similar to the Acceleration Fruit. He had always been under the impression that Dongli was quite poor, considering that even its Saint-level Overlords had to go out and "work" to subsidize the empty national treasury.

They even had a Ten Thousand Miles Ginseng, a natural medicine even more effective than the Acceleration Fruit!

However, the price was astronomical.

Su Ze began to understand. The reason the Dongli National Treasury had these high-level evolution drugs in stock was that most of Dongli’s public officials couldn’t afford them.

They were simply too expensive. Anyone with that many contribution points would definitely prioritize exchanging them for the extracts they needed. As for these absorption-aiding drugs, there was no need to use such costly ones; the price-to-performance ratio just wasn’t very high.

It’s not like they were in a rush to get reincarnated, so what was wrong with spending a little more time absorbing an extract?

Only someone like Su Ze, with more money than he knew what to do with, would exchange for such outrageously priced drugs.

Su Ze didn’t hesitate. He directly converted all the extracts in the Bai Guishou Storage Ring into contribution points, including the Tier 4, A-rank one. Then, he spent all those points to buy out the entire stock of Ten Thousand Miles Ginseng, Acceleration Fruits, and other natural medicines from the Dongli National Treasury.

Regarding this, when Gu Chengguang, Zhou Wenshan, and the others were chatting in the "Dongli Guardian Gods" group, they spammed celebratory "flower-tossing" emojis. A big spender had finally cleared out all that old inventory.

By getting rid of a batch of inventory with poor cost-effectiveness, the Dongli National Treasury gained a Tier 4, A-rank extract and several other high-level extracts. It was an absolute windfall!

After that, Su Ze went on a spending spree at Evolutionary Technology and Life Pharmaceutical. He eventually started to look down on even Acceleration Fruits, only seeking evolution drugs that were more effective.

Lin Luo of the Lin Family and Atago of the Great Desert Kingdom also came through, using their family channels to find him one or two high-level evolution drugs comparable to the Ten Thousand Miles Ginseng. Both of them warmly invited Su Ze to be a guest at their homes.

Having just survived the attacks from the Filth Earth Organization and the Pope, Su Ze had no plans to go out anytime soon. He’d reconsider after he reached Saint-level.

The Oasis Commerce Association went even further, selling him a batch of Yellow Millet Fragrance at a discount. This incense was made from the Tier 5 Spiritual Plant, Huangliang Wood. When lit and inhaled, it could speed up extract absorption at a rate no less effective than the Ten Thousand Miles Ginseng.

After this round of spending, Su Ze’s savings were completely wiped out!

Dongli Contribution Points: 0

Evolutionary Technology Points: 200,000

Even all the treasures from the Bai Guishou Storage Ring were sold off, including the three or four Wondrous Items inside and the Storage Ring itself.

The few Wondrous Items left by Bai Guishou were all Tier 3, with no Tier 4 items among them, so they weren’t very useful to Su Ze.

Not only that, but Su Ze even sold his own Tier 3 Wondrous Item, the Thorn Armor Leaf. This item, which specialized in physical defense, was no longer very practical after he acquired the Liquid Life skill.

He now only kept four Wondrous Items: the Hundred-Change Mask, the Desperate Flower, the Wind-Rolling Grass, and the Crystal Sword.

Over the next few days, Su Ze continuously received packages from the Oasis Commerce Association, Lin Hua Country, and the Great Desert Kingdom...

During this time, he took an Acceleration Fruit and performed the Swan Dance every day, finally succeeding in fully absorbing the remaining Liquid Turbellaria Extract in his body.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the next Tier 4, S-rank extract to arrive.

...

「June 15th.」

Su Ze received a message from Han Xiaoke.

Han Xiaoke: Senior Su Ze, how’s your studying going? Final exams are the day after tomorrow.

Su Ze: !!

’I totally forgot about that!’

Su Ze: I’m studying right now!

After replying, Su Ze pulled his review materials out of his Storage Pendant and began to study them earnestly.

He hadn’t been reading for even two minutes when his phone chimed again. This time, it was a message from his senior, Ye Jin, and it included a link.

Ye Jin: Junior Su Ze, I’ve finished perfecting the ’All Dao Return to One’ style! It’s been evaluated by experts at the Dongli Evolution Science Academy and deemed valuable for promotion. I’ve already written up all the data and research into a paper for publication, and I put your name on it!

Su Ze clicked the link and saw that Ye Jin really had credited him. She was the first author, and he was the second.

Su Ze: Senior, you’re too kind. I didn’t really do anything.

Ye Jin: You’re the one who came up with the name ’All Dao Return to One,’ and you gave me a lot of useful suggestions and encouragement.

Su Ze had once suggested that Ye Jin pair it with a skill similar to "Needle Strike." Ye Jin had followed his advice and found a skill even more suitable for "All Dao Return to One" than "Needle Strike"—the "Deep Red Poison Thorn." This skill was of great significance in perfecting the "All Dao Return to One" style.

Su Ze and Senior Ye Jin chatted back and forth endlessly, not stopping until it was dark.

As for studying... Su Ze had long since forgotten all about it.

Good things come in pairs. Liou Wenxin, inspired by Su Ze, had wanted to find accessible substitutes for the Thunder God Body and Eye of Truth skills for mass adoption within the Dongli Army. Now, she had finally made a breakthrough.

A substitute for the Thunder God Body skill was easy to find; similar skills could be found in electric ray and Electric Catfish-type beasts. And through Liou Wenxin’s unremitting efforts, a suitable substitute for the Eye of Truth skill had also finally been found.

The Dongli Military was now making preparations to create a "Lightning Army."

In the proposal Liou Wenxin submitted to the Dongli Military, Su Ze’s name was listed first. Clearly, he had once again received credit for something he didn’t work for.

This "evolutionary illiterate" had somehow become a rising star in Dongli’s evolution science community.

And very soon, this rising star of evolution science began his final exams for the first semester of his freshman year!

Storage items were forbidden inside the examination hall, which was also equipped with devices that shielded Spiritual Power. The use of any skills was prohibited during the exam to strictly prevent cheating.

When Su Ze entered the exam hall, he caused a commotion. The other students in the room were all very excited.

After the exam began, Su Ze stared at the test paper, and the test paper stared back. They were complete strangers.

He could only pick up his pen and follow the sacred guessing strategy: three long and one short, pick the shortest; three short and one long, pick the longest; mixed lengths means you pick B; and if they’re all the same, it must be D.

And for some reason, the girl sitting in front of him kept turning around to copy his answers.