Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The former self lived in poverty, working arduous jobs to earn scraps of money, all wasted on insincere relationships, thus remaining ignorant of the prices of mutated biological products.

Only after searching now did Wang Chen realize just how exorbitantly priced such ingredients were.

To be fair, despite the Empire's strict hierarchical system, as long as the lowest-tier citizens are willing to work, they have no trouble meeting their basic needs for food and clothing.

In the market, a kilogram of genetically modified beef costs less than 5 Star Currency; pork and chicken are even cheaper. You could binge on meat every day without bankrupting yourself.

Even the organic meat produced by Green Planet Ranch is priced at just tens or hundreds of Star Currency per kilogram.

But Grey Armored Beetle meat, not even the tastiest or most energy-rich Blade Limb Meat, was priced at an unthinkable 3,800 Star Currency—leaving Wang Chen utterly speechless and acutely aware of his own poverty.

Looking at it another way, how many Star Currency did he devour on FT1205 Ecological Experimental Star?

Wang Chen couldn't even bear to calculate.

Had he known the value of mutated biological meat, he should've scouted out more Grey Armored Beetle nests and brought back larger quantities.

But regret came too late.

Only now did Wang Chen realize that the Advanced Martial Examination was actually a blessing bestowed by the Empire upon millions of examinees!

His current bank account balance wouldn't even cover the cost of 10 kilograms of frozen Grey Armored Beetle meat.

He simply couldn't afford it!

As for the notion of returning to the Ecological Experimental Star to hunt, the idea was beyond impractical, and Wang Chen dismissed it outright.

After some thought, he decided to identify a more sustainable way to earn money to support his cultivation needs.

Thus, over the next two days, Wang Chen immersed himself in the vast Star Sea network, exploring various avenues to make Star Currency.

On the fourth day after his return to Azure Star, this year's Advanced Martial Examination results were finally released!

Like countless other anxious examinees, Wang Chen immediately accessed the information on his personal terminal upon receiving the notification.

And he saw his score.

Lu Yuan, 17 years old, student of the Third Intermediate Academy of Long Sea City, three-year academic term overall score: 72 points; Advanced Martial Examination comprehensive score: 289 points; bonus points: 10.

Total score: 371 points!

The score required to apply to the Imperial High Academy consists of academic term scores, martial exam scores, and bonus points, with a maximum total of 450 points.

The original self's past three years at Long Sea Third Middle School were below average. Although he worked extremely hard, his natural talent and lack of resources limited him to 72 points, which was already considered an achievement.

As for Wang Chen taking over the original self and participating in the Advanced Martial Examination, his score of 289 points was undoubtedly outstanding and among the top-tier performances.

Unfortunately, his total score was dragged down by the other two components.

Especially bonus points—the original self was entitled only to the added 10 points as the orphan of a fallen soldier, with no other extras.

A total score of 371 was certainly decent, but to enter The Seven Great of Empire…

Wang Chen checked last year's admission scores for the Seven Great and found that even the lowest, Jiuyao University, required at least 380 points.

The best, Imperial College and Shenjing University, weren't even worth considering unless you had a score above 420 points!

This was entirely normal, considering that the Holy Light Empire encompasses 65 star clusters and billions of citizens. Among the candidates for the Advanced Martial Examination each year, gifted individuals abound, and the competition is self-evidently fierce.

With the original self's weak academic term score and bonus points dragging him down, it was clear he had no chance with The Seven Great of Empire.

Wang Chen wasn't bitter about this—after all, he had taken over the original self's body; there was no sense in resenting it.

Instead, he chose to aim lower and set his sights on the second-tier advanced universities.

The truth was, outside of the Seven Great, the Empire boasted a plethora of diverse advanced institutions, some of which were also highly reputable.

Using data analysis and filtering, Wang Chen gradually began to form an idea.

For most examinees, such a crucial decision would certainly involve seeking their parents' input.

Wang Chen had no one to turn to and could only rely on himself to make a choice.

He was well aware that within the Empire's current system, this decision was extremely critical.

Choosing poorly could squander several years of precious time and severely impact his path toward becoming stronger—he had to be carefully deliberate.

Thankfully, he had three days to fill out his application, giving him enough time to compare meticulously and avoid any errors in judgment.

However, to Wang Chen's surprise, he unexpectedly received a call from a stranger that evening.

"Hello, is this Lu Yuan?"

Seeing the holographic image displayed on his personal terminal, Wang Chen nodded in confusion: "I'm Lu Yuan. May I know what this is about?"

"My name is Zhou Jun."

The man was a resolute-looking middle-aged individual whose eyes held a mix of authority and confidence. "Are you free right now? I'm at Blue Right Cafe, directly across from your Long Sea Third Middle School's main entrance. I have something to discuss with you."

After hesitating briefly, Wang Chen replied, "Alright, I'll head over now."

His intuition told him that this middle-aged man, Zhou Jun, was very likely here concerning his academic application!

Wang Chen changed his clothes, left the dormitory in a hurry, and made his way to the cafe across from the academy.

Upon entering, his gaze immediately settled on Zhou Jun seated by the window.

Although the cafe was bustling with customers at the moment, this middle-aged man stood out starkly, like a flame burning brightly in the darkness, his presence unmistakably striking.

In truth, a few women in the cafe were sneaking glances at him.

Wang Chen walked over and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Zhou."

Standing and facing him, Zhou Jun showed a faint smile and extended his hand. "Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Zhou Jun, Major Commander of the Fifth Fleet from the Azure Star Cluster's Garrison Legion."

Wang Chen was stunned: "Major, sir!"

While he could tell that the man was no ordinary individual, he hadn't expected him to hold such a significant position.

The Imperial Army serves as the Holy Light Empire's most vital foundation, playing an irreplaceable role in safeguarding peace and stability within the star clusters during centuries of wars against the Alliance and Heterogenous entities.

A major commander's rank surpasses even that of Long Sea City's mayor or council chairperson!

"You can call me Captain."

Zhou Jun gestured for Wang Chen to sit and smiled. "A few days ago, during your participation in the Advanced Martial Examination, I was the captain of one of the escort ships—and I've reviewed your examination footage."

Wang Chen suddenly realized the context and couldn't help but ask, "Captain Zhou, what brings you to me?"

Unhurried, Zhou Jun took a sip of coffee from the cup on the table and asked, "What was your score this time?"

"371 points."

Wang Chen answered straightforwardly, "My academic term and bonus points were too low; I have no hopes for the Seven Great."

Zhou Jun displayed no reaction. "Martial exam score?"

"289."

"A bit low."

Zhou Jun commented bluntly, "Your performance deserved a higher score."

However, the scoring mechanism for the Advanced Martial Examination had undergone centuries of adjustments to maximize fairness—a matter beyond the influence of a "mere" major.

He didn't push the topic further, nor did he intend to advocate for Wang Chen. "Tell me, do you want to be part of the Seven Great?"