Chapter 296: Hurry, Get in the Car, The Door is About to be Welded Shut

"Damn the Weapon Forging Department... why are they reducing enrollment?!"

Zhang Yu never imagined that after entering university, he would encounter a situation similar to what his high school martial arts teacher, Lei Jun, had faced.

Only, Lei Jun had faced the reduction of Foundation Establishment qualification spots, while Zhang Yu was facing the reduction of graduate program admissions.

After spending some time, Zhang Yu found that he couldn't find the reason for the enrollment reduction on the Spirit Realm Network.

However, after school that day, while eating medicine in the dorm, Zhang Pianpian, listening to his questions, provided some answers.

Zhang Pianpian began, "It's said that several Weapon Forging Grandmasters of the Divine Transformation Realm are leading a protest, believing that the current educational resources of the Weapon Forging Departments in various universities are insufficient to match the number of students!"

As Zhang Pianpian's fingertip lightly traced across the seal script, countless pieces of information flashed in her eyes!

She continued, "Secondly, they believe that the current quality of Weapon Forging students is inadequate and that standards should be further raised!"

Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, "Damn it, they're welding the doors shut after getting on the bus, aren't they?"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head, "Those are just superficial excuses they're throwing out!"

"The real reason..."

Zhang Pianpian's fingertip drew a rune on the seal script that Zhang Yu couldn't understand. The next moment, a vast amount of information from the depths of the Spirit Realm flickered in her eyes!

Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly and said, "The real reason, I suspect, is that the top ten universities have joined forces to limit the number of Weapon Forging students in all universities, in order to consolidate their leading position!"

"Zhang Yu, if you want to take the entrance exam for the Weapon Forging graduate program, I'm afraid it will be even more difficult by then!"

Zhang Pianpian sighed, "I've checked the enrollment standards of recent years, and they've been increasing almost every year!"

"The requirements for transferring departments have also become higher, basically requiring a ranking in the top 50% of the entire department!"

"If it's the Civil Engineering Department, then it requires a ranking in the top 20% of the entire department!"

Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, "The requirements are so absurdly high!"

"Top 20% of the entire department? I'm already ranked in the top 20% of the entire Civil Engineering Department, regardless of year, and that's what it takes to transfer to Weapon Forging? Who set these standards?"

Zhang Pianpian said calmly, "That's just the registration standard for the department transfer exam!"

"According to the new standards, if you want to compete with other students, you also have to compete for additional points!"

"For example, having prior mastery of Weapon Forging, Alchemy, Medicine Refining, Array Formation... and other Immortal Dao techniques can earn you additional points and allow you to be admitted with priority!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu frowned even more. Those skills that earn additional points sounded increasingly expensive. Was this really selecting talent? Clearly, it was selecting wealthy students!

Zhang Pianpian continued, "Zhang Yu, if you still plan to follow the path of Weapon Forging, then you need to work even harder!"

"After all, by the time you reach that grade, I'm afraid the enrollment requirements will be even higher!"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head and sighed, "But there's nothing we can do about it. Reducing enrollment in popular majors is the current trend!"

"It's not just the Weapon Forging Department; all three of the Myriad Dharma University's trump card departments are reducing enrollment!"

"The enrollment requirements for the Finance Department have long soared into the sky!"

"After all, the table is only so big; for every person who gets on, someone else eats less!"

"As time passes, it will only become increasingly difficult to climb upwards in Kunxu!"

"For example, the entry requirements for the Ten Great Sects may cease to exist in a few years!"

Hearing the previous information about graduate programs and the changes in enrollment quotas for the Weapon Forging Department, Zhang Yu frowned repeatedly, but still maintained his composure, only thinking that he just needed to work harder next time!

But hearing Zhang Pianpian's last sentence, his eyes widened suddenly, and he said, "Sister... Senior Sister, what did you say?"

"The Ten Great Sects may stop recruiting people in a few years?"

At that moment, along with his non-stop studying and cultivation every day, the power of the ritual... which hadn't surfaced for a long time...

Zhang Yu seemed to recall that familiar chill!

Having originally thought that he could relax for a while after being admitted to one of the Ten Great Universities according to the path of his wish, Zhang Yu suddenly became nervous again!

He still remembered clearly the path he had made to realize his wish!

Getting into university, entering a sect, and ultimately relying on the sect's stipend to realize his wish of buying antiques.

"Damn it, if the Ten Great Sects stop accepting people, won't I be unable to fulfill the ritual wish? Then when I graduate... will I be devoured by the ritual?"

"Fuji, are you listening? Is there no way for you to stop this damn ritual?"

Fuji smiled awkwardly, "Alas, I didn't expect things to be so competitive now!"

Just as a stormy sea surged in Zhang Yu's heart, Zhang Pianpian glanced strangely at the changes in his expression and replied calmly, "Only after coming here did I realize that many situations are different from what we imagined before! Since the establishment of the college entrance examination system and the university system, almost every year there are peerless geniuses who climb up and are recruited into the Ten Great Sects from the Ten Great Universities!"

"Under this system, the number of people in the Ten Great Sects has been increasing every year, and peerless geniuses have been emerging in droves!"

"Each of these geniuses among geniuses is talented and brilliant!"

"With so many people joining the sect and climbing towards the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao... don't you think it's getting more and more crowded up there?"

"For the Ten Great Sects, Immortal Dao talent may have already overflowed!"

"And as the carriage becomes more and more crowded, naturally the standards for getting on will be raised."

Zhang Pianpian sighed, "From the data I've gathered so far, judging from the trends of recent years, there may no longer be any mortals in the Ten Great Sects, and the birth rate may have been reduced to 0 for quite some time. None of the people who go up to work can leave their household registration, and they still have to come down after working for a certain period..."

"I think... we're almost reaching that critical point in a few years!"

"By then, the Ten Great Sects may never recruit disciples again, and the sect grotto heavens above the tenth level may never be opened downwards again!"

"Those above and below the sect will completely become two different worlds!"

Listening to what Zhang Pianpian said, Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, "Why am I stuck at this time?"

"If I had been born twenty or forty years earlier, wouldn't the difficulty of entering university and joining a sect be several levels lower?"

"Now, not only is the difficulty high, but it might even be stopped for me!"

Zhang Pianpian looked at Zhang Yu's unpredictable expression and asked doubtfully, "Zhang Yu, do you really want to join the Ten Great Sects that much?"

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "Do you think I still have hope?"

Zhang Pianpian checked the data and said, "Last year, the sect recruited... 5 Weapon Forging Department students!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's expression shifted, "From the Myriad Dharma Sect?"

Zhang Pianpian shook her head, "The Ten Great Sects recruited a total of 5 people from the PhD programs of all university Weapon Forging Departments: 4 Nascent Soul Realm and 1 Golden Core Realm!"

"If you want to join the Ten Great Sects, you probably need to at least advance to a PhD!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu only felt his heart turn cold!

Then he remembered the Civil Engineering graduate programs that were expanding their enrollment and asked with a hint of expectation, "What about the Civil Engineering Department?"

"Does the Civil Engineering Department recruit a lot?"

"0," Zhang Pianpian said calmly, "Last year... the Ten Great Sects didn't recruit a single Civil Engineering Department disciple!"

"It's currently understood that the Ten Great Sects may have stopped recruiting from the Civil Engineering Department!"

"I've looked at it, and if you really want to join the Ten Great Sects, the probability for the Weapon Forging Department is already relatively high. The other departments are either lower than the Weapon Forging Department, or about the same..."

Zhang Yu asked, "Then... how many more years do you think the Ten Great Sects will completely stop recruiting?"

"Five years? Ten years? Twenty years?" Zhang Pianpian shook her head and sighed, "It's hard to say. You know, for immortals, ten or thirty years may not be much!"

Zhang Yu asked again, "Have you never thought about joining the Ten Great Sects?"

Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly and said, "The Eight Divisions of Righteous Gods are my destination!"

Saying that, she sighed slightly, "After entering university, I increasingly feel that... we were ultimately born a little too late!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn't help but clench his fists, muttering inwardly, "No, this won't do. This is too dangerous!"

Looking at Zhang Yu's furrowed brow, Zhang Pianpian said, "If you really want to seize the last opportunity, you need to finish your credits early and then apply for graduation!"

"But that means... you need to complete your cultivation in a shorter time and then compete with those elites who have been cultivating for ten years for the graduate program spots. Then, you need to complete your graduate program in an even shorter time and then compete for the PhD spots!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Pianpian couldn't help but shake her head. "Just focus on the present for now!"

Zhang Yu thought, "Graduate early?"

Zhang Pianpian reminded him again, "Remember, don't rush!"

"So-called haste makes waste. Don't lose your composure and expose yourself!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu nodded slightly, trying to calm his emotions!

Since entering university, Zhang Yu had been like a fish in water, relying on his profound accumulation from the past. Whether it was cultivation, strength, or grades and rankings, they were all increasing steadily!

After joining the construction site recently, even his spirit coins had a clear upward trend!

He had originally thought that he could just gradually improve in this step-by-step manner, advancing through school, taking exams, and ultimately joining the Ten Great Sects!

But he never expected that the situation in Kunxu was far more severe than he had imagined!

He couldn't influence the policies of the Ten Great Sects. The only thing he could do now was to work harder and more desperately to increase his chances of success, even if only by a little!

Thinking of this, Zhang Yu rapidly thought in his mind, "To do this without exposing my special talent, I need to earn more money!"

Zhang Yu understood that the more money he earned, the faster he would improve, and it would also be a good cover for his rapid improvement, able to conceal his astonishing talent!

"Fortunately, I now have a job at the construction site, so I don't have to worry about spending money and not having enough income!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Yu had a plan in mind: "Then next, I'll spend money to improve my strength, use that as the basis for improving my efficiency at the construction site, and then earn more spirit coins, and spend more spirit coins to improve my strength!"

So, a moment later, various products and services flashed back and forth in Zhang Yu's eyes. He had already begun to select the things he would buy next!