After defeating Li Hao, Gu Zhen continued his winning streak and swiftly advanced to the final round. Unlike last time, he didn't face Zhou Xin early, which he found a bit disappointing.
The students on the sidelines were surprised by Gu Zhen strength, but most still didn't believe he stood a chance against Zhou Xin.
"Last time was just luck," they murmured. "Zhou Xin underestimated him and held back for the final round. But this time? There's no way Gu Zhen will win."
Soon, the final match began.
Zhou Xin stood opposite Gu Zhen, not daring to show the slightest carelessness. That punch from last time had left a deep impression on him—not to mention the scolding he'd received from his master afterward. The punishment had lasted for days, and the humiliation still lingered in his memory.
Without hesitation, Zhou Xin activated his full-body transformation. His frame grew taller, stretching from 1.8 meters to 2.3 meters. His body bulked up, and thick yellow scales covered him entirely, glistening with an aura of impenetrable defense.
Even a thick tail emerged behind him, swaying threateningly.
Planting his hands on the ground, he activated his star skill.
Gu Zhen thought Zhou Xin was about to repeat the "Earth Trap" move. But to his surprise, Zhou Xin slowly sank into the ground.
"Star skill: Earth Escape!"
"No way! He knows that skill?"
"I heard it's a C-rank star skill—super hard to learn. He didn't even use it last time," another said.
"So jealous…his master must really value him. If only I had a teacher like that."
"It's broad daylight—how are you already dreaming?" another quipped.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're daydreaming."
"…"
Facing Zhou Xin, who could attack from below at any moment, Gu Zhen stayed hyper-vigilant.
He was a high-attack, low-defense, medium-agility glass cannon. If Zhou Xin seized an opening, he could be taken out in one combo.
Still, with his newly developed Iron Leg, Gu Zhen had a shot at turning the tide. He just needed the right opportunity.
Zhou Xin couldn't stay hidden underground for long—it consumed too much star power. As long as he waited patiently, Zhou Xin would eventually have to come out.
Sure enough, not long after, a massive claw shot up from the dirt near Gu Zhen foot, slashing at his lower leg.
Gu Zhen reacted swiftly, leaping backward—only to have both legs sink into a trap Zhou Xin had set earlier.
His legs were completely restrained.
Gu Zhen struggled slightly and found he could break free. But he didn't—this was a perfect setup.
Zhou Xin, still cautious after last time, didn't drop his guard. Despite the heavy star power drain, he activated his Stone Scales to cover the front of his body in an extra layer of armor, just in case Gu Zhen tried something similar to before.
He then silently emerged behind Gu Zhen, both hands clenched into a hammerfist, aiming straight for Gu Zhen skull.
But Gu Zhen had been prepared.
Crossing his arms above his head, he blocked the blow. With his remaining free hand, he activated Iron Fist, just managing to withstand the hit.
The two locked in a power struggle, their arms trembling from the force. But Gu Zhen had already begun to gather star force.
"What?!"
Zhou Xin was stunned. He raised his fists again, preparing to launch another crushing blow—
—but Gu Zhen didn't give him the chance.
With a sudden twist, Gu Zhen yanked his leg free from the dirt, turned his body 90 degrees, and unleashed a brutal back kick straight into Zhou Xin abdomen.
BOOM!
The sheer force sent Zhou Xin flying several meters back. He skidded uncontrollably across the ground and was thrown off the battle platform entirely.
"Match over! Winner: Gu Yi!"
Beside the arena, Xie Yanwen calmly summoned a water membrane to catch Zhou Xin mid-air and gently lower him to the ground before announcing the end of the match.
Seeing the result confirmed, Gu Zhen didn't linger. After briefly receiving treatment from Wang Qinghe, he quietly left.
The match was over
There was no reason to stay
Back at his dorm, Gu Zhen resumed cultivating star power using Star Gathering skill.
Despite his relentless training, his advancement remained slow—he was still stuck at Star power Realm 1, Level 2.
At this pace, even with Star Gathering skill, reaching Realm 1 Level 3 would take two weeks. Without it, it would've taken a months of hard grinding.
To level up faster, aside from star power potions, there were special star artifacts designed to aid cultivation.
However, those artifacts were prohibitively expensive—each one worth tens of thousands of star crystals. Even the Gu family only had a handful, and they were all low-grade.
Gu Zhen sighed in frustration and continued training. Without resources, even geniuses like Gu Lingling wouldn't be able to grow.
The next morning, Gu Zhen received a message from his teacher, Xie Yanwen, asking him to come and collect his reward.
Arriving, he found himself alone, except for a refined-looking middle-aged man in a suit and black-rimmed glasses.
"Good morning, teacher," Gu Zhen greeted politely, trying to recall where he'd seen this man before.
Before he could figure it out, Xie Yanwen made the introduction.
This is Dean Li Qin
He's here to deliver a subsidy for students with special-type superpower.
Gu Zhen was baffled.
He'd never heard of subsidies for special-types, though he knew about ones for other types
"Ahem…well, here's the thing," Li Qin explained, smiling. "Each branch of superpowers originally had subsidies, but since special-types are extremely rare, so academy stopped issuing them years ago."
"Now that you've awakened a special-type superpower, it's only right that we restore your entitlement."
In reality, the special-type subsidy had long been scrapped. Gu Zhen superpower was only F-rank, and the academy had no intention of reinstating the benefit just for him.
But ever since receiving orders from his organization, Li Qin saw an opportunity to help Gu Zhen grow stronger—and meet the threshold required for the research project.
"I understand. Thank you, Director Li—but I don't think it's necessary. Maybe this subsidy should go to a student who really needs it."
Gu Zhen tested the waters, feeling something was off and wanting to gauge Li Qin reaction.
"No need to be modest. This subsidy is rightfully yours."
Li Qin smiled warmly, not the slightest bit flustered, and insisted on handing over the reward.
"Well…alright. Thank you, Director Li."
Why refuse free benefits?
Especially now, when he couldn't safely leave the academy and desperately needed resources.
The subsidy was a godsend.
After all, it was free resources—and right now, he needed them.
More importantly, he had no real choice. From the look in Li Qin eyes, there was no room for negotiation.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
He wasn't naive.
He knew this sudden kindness came with hidden strings.
This guy…what's he really after?