Going to College? Me?

So that was why he couldn't find a single shred of useful transcendent knowledge online.

Thinking about it, it made sense. No one would selflessly sacrifice for others.

Even on the Transcendent Network, knowledge was locked behind paywalls, and benefits could only be obtained at a cost, like forming teams or acting as an assistant.

Bai Xiaodu made a mental note of this, and then asked about another important matter.

The rewards he had obtained from clearing this Secret Realm were somewhat beyond his imagination. He even began to calculate in his mind: if 【Myriad Worlds】 had many such maps of Secret Realms, and he cleared them one by one, wouldn't he be able to rake in a ton of rewards without taking any damage?

However, Lingxin's answer was very direct and concise.

“You can't.”

【Myriad Worlds】 involved the military. In the future, a separate version would be launched specifically for multi-terrain, multi-battlefield simulated combat training. The 【Ashes Library】 was merely a test for the Secret Realm. Releasing it for free to let ordinary players play was already a huge concession by the officials to attract traffic.

After understanding the situation, Bai Xiaodu only felt a little disappointed.

After all, the first thing most people did when they got into an elevator was close the door behind them.

He began to feel a bit lost. If just grasping this basic transcendent knowledge was already this difficult, what would he do in the future?

Director-General Shen was a decent option, but he hadn't forgotten Xin Hai'an's advice. She was a transcendent of the 【Autocracy】 Pathway. Her Pathway would, consciously or otherwise, compel her to control the people around her.

He hadn't raised his strength just to suffer. His immediate priority was to forget his humble roots and thoroughly enjoy himself.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Lingxin thought for a moment, then gently rubbed his ears with her fingers.

“Xiaobai, how old are you now?”

“Well, I've already reached the Federation's legal age of adulthood.”

“Your family situation isn't great. If you want more transcendent resources, you could try applying to a Federal university.”

“Go to college?” Bai Xiaodu scratched his head. To be honest, the concept of going to school felt a bit distant to him now. Because he had been running around doing part-time jobs and odd tasks, his grades when he graduated high school weren't very good. With how clueless he currently was, could he really pass the exams to get into college?

Lingxin didn't mind his awkwardness. In fact, she had expected it. She simply raised her slender, fair finger and began to analyze it for him.

“Tuition for the Federation's public universities isn't expensive. If you apply as an underprivileged candidate, as soon as you're admitted, you'll immediately enjoy full tuition waivers and priority consideration for scholarships. Besides, college is different from high school, so you don't have to worry about excessive schoolwork eating up your time. From my own experience, the better universities in the Federation are very accommodating. They aren't strict about theoretical knowledge, as long as you don't end up scoring ten or twenty percent on exams. What matters is actual combat. I've seen your talent for cultivation with my own eyes. I think that if you just follow the curriculum normally, it won't be a problem for you to get top grades and coast by on scholarships.”

“There are plenty of projects in college. Even if you work for upperclassmen, you can sell your labor for a very good price depending on your strength. Furthermore, graduating as a student of a Federal public university has benefits I don't even need to spell out, right? The most recent examples are the low-ranking officials you see in various regions of the Federation—many of them were just ordinary students who graduated only a few years ago.”

These words truly tempted Bai Xiaodu.

What was he lacking most right now? Money, resources, transcendent knowledge, and connections. If what Lingxin said was true, these difficulties would be greatly alleviated.

Seeing Bai Xiaodu perking up his ears and listening intently, Lingxin struck while the iron was hot.

“I know your biggest worry is whether you can pass the exams, but don't worry about that. As a fox-kin, as long as you can officially become a transcendent before you turn twenty, many universities will waive the written exams. They'll only test your practical combat, and once you pass, you can be directly admitted as a student with special talents. It's worth mentioning that if you've already completed the previous quest, and your Pathway is 【Emperor】's 【Domination】, 【Autocracy】, or the 【Mage Emperor】's 【Spellcasting】—if you have any of these three, you can basically take your pick of any university in the entire Federation.”

Bai Xiaodu nodded vigorously.

With the power of the Galgame System, becoming a transcendent was not a distant dream for him. His age also perfectly fit the criteria.

Lingxin's words really made a lot of sense. Perhaps he really should consider it. Going solo forever wasn't a long-term solution anyway. Staying here to be Director-General Shen's lapdog was only a last resort.

A look of joy flashed in his wine-red eyes, and Bai Xiaodu looked at her with deep appreciation. Before that, however, he needed some more precise information.

“Then which one would you recommend, Sister Lingxin?”

Lingxin pondered for a moment, then said with a hint of embarrassment, “If I'm recommending, then the higher their ranking in the Federation, the better, like the First Stellar University and the Federal Comprehensive Technology University. But I also have my own selfish preference. I graduated from the Tiannan Star Military University, which is ranked around eighth or ninth. To sum it up briefly: there's plenty of actual combat and many projects. The students who graduate from there are basically all very formidable fighters. If you get in, I'll count as your senior. Maybe we'll even be able to meet up.”

There was one more thing she didn't mention. The military base where she was stationed was right near this university. As a lieutenant, Lingxin could apply to be an assistant instructor at this university. It wouldn't just be "maybe meeting up"—they would definitely be hanging out together every single day.

Looking at Bai Xiaodu's thoughtful expression, she subconsciously pursed her thin lips in nervousness.

Bai Xiaodu simply tilted his head, a smile spreading across his cute face.

“Sure,” he said. “Xiaobai has always liked you, you know. I really, really want to see you in the real world too, Sister Lingxin.”