Chapter 17: The Three Top Universities (Please keep reading)

A deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed throughout the martial arts classroom, silencing everyone.

A figure appeared at the doorway, his burly and powerful physique blocking the light from the entrance.

A massive black shadow was cast into the room.

He walked slowly into the classroom, an invisible aura radiating from his body.

Everyone turned to look at him.

He was a massive man with a powerful build, his muscles looking as if they were stacked boulders. A scar ran across his face, and his height exceeded two meters.

Li Zhou, the top student in the grade, looked small in comparison, like a mere recruit.

*This is a powerhouse who has stepped onto a battlefield,* the thought flashed through Lin Qi's mind.

The giant man strode with the gait of a dragon or a tiger toward the center of the crowd.

"Ring! Ring! Ring!"

In the next second, the class bell rang.

"This guy is strong!" Jiang Tao said, frowning.

Lin Qi nodded; it was obvious. The aura was too intense.

Even Wu Kang, a Third-Realm martial artist, did not possess such a powerful presence.

Those whose eyes met his felt their bodies stiffen, completely unable to move, utterly suppressed.

*Could he be a Fourth-Realm martial artist?*

The giant man scanned the room, taking everyone in.

"Hello, everyone!"

The man spoke, his voice like a booming bell, ringing in everyone's ears with a hum.

"I expect many of you have been guessing about my identity. That's right, I am your martial arts instructor for this senior year!"

At this point, the man grinned

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Cheng, and I will be your martial arts teacher from now on."

"I am different from other teachers because my teaching methods are somewhat unconventional."

"Prepare yourselves mentally!"

At these words, everyone felt a sense of foreboding.

Zhang Cheng continued with a grin

"You are the fifty most outstanding geniuses of No. 2 High School."

"Since you have entered the elite class, you will enjoy the best teaching resources."

"And I am the best martial arts teacher in No. 2 High School. You will understand that in time."

"Since this is an elite class, your university goals are the three top institutions in the Xia Kingdom."

"The three top institutions: Cangqiong University, Minghai University, and Yushan University."

Hearing the names of the three top institutions, the eyes of the fifty students in the classroom turned fervent.

As citizens of the Xia Kingdom, from the moment they stepped onto the path of martial arts and trained bitterly for ten years, who wouldn't want to enter one of the three top institutions?

The three top institutions were the preparatory camps for the top powerhouses of the country. The students who graduated from there would become the backbone of the Xia Kingdom and the main force in resisting the Calamity Beasts.

"Aside from top-tier geniuses with awakened special abilities who are granted direct admission, the three top institutions recruit fewer than ten thousand students every year. Spread across all the provinces of the Xia Kingdom, that is only a few hundred people per province."

"And among you, fewer than half will be able to enter the three top institutions!"

Zhang Cheng crossed his arms and grinned, revealing the cruel truth.

The crowd fell silent as a heavy pressure washed over them.

"Of course, my presence here is to increase your admission numbers."

"So, if you want to enter the three top institutions, it is best to listen to me."

"And for some students, if you want a better ranking, it is also best to listen to me," Zhang Cheng added, sensing the timing was right.

"Entering the elite class means you are no longer ordinary students."

"You have better teachers and better benefits."

"One of those benefits is having an independent martial arts room—a room that belongs only to you."

"A hundred-square-meter space, punching posts, free training weapons, a projector, a private bathroom, a washing machine..."

Many eyes lit up; these conditions were incredible.

"In any martial arts gym outside, a hundred-square-meter room costs 200 to 300 Xia Kingdom credits per hour," Jiang Tao said, both surprised and excited. "But it's actually free here at No. 2 High School. This treatment is amazing!"

Lin Qi was equally surprised. A free independent martial arts room was essentially like having a free house, and it was extremely convenient.

He even thought that he could take a nap in the room during lunch without anyone disturbing him.

The other benefits went without saying.

The crowd was ecstatic, but Zhang Cheng's next sentence dampened their spirits.

"However, I'm sorry to say that not everyone can have a martial arts room."

"Even though No. 2 High School expanded its facilities by ten rooms this year, we only have thirty martial arts rooms in total."

"Therefore, only the top 30 students will have an independent martial arts room."

"If you want one, then work hard and fight for it. As long as you break into the top 30, you can have one too."

As Zhang Cheng finished speaking, many students showed fervent gazes, their eyes turning determined.

An invisible atmosphere of competition was ignited. No one knew how many people intended to crush others in the next test to break into the top 30.

Lin Qi was the same; he wanted an independent martial arts room too.

He was currently ranked 45th, the sixth from the bottom of the class. He still had a long way to go.

"Very good, everyone is full of fighting spirit!"

Zhang Cheng smiled with satisfaction.

"Then we will leave it at that for today. Next is free practice."

"The top thirty students may go to their independent martial arts rooms according to their ranking. Your fingerprint information has been uploaded to the electronic locks; you can open them at any time."

"The rest of the students will stay in the martial arts classroom to train."

Zhang Cheng announced loudly.

"Oh, and students who haven't learned advanced secret manuals yet, come find me to learn them."

"Dismissed!"

As Zhang Cheng finished, everyone began to disperse. Some students couldn't wait to grab their things and head to their martial arts rooms.

Soon, only 21 people remained in the classroom, and only three of them stayed in place.

Zhang Cheng looked at the three before him, somewhat surprised.

"I didn't expect there to be three of you. I thought everyone had already gone to the martial arts rooms to learn their new manuals."

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao exchanged a glance. Lin Qi knew he was here because he lacked money.

Jiang Tao, on the other hand, was being stingy, wanting to get it for free.

According to him, even though he had a million Xia Kingdom credits, if he could learn it for free, he might as well.

Lin Qi looked at the third person, who was the boy who had entered the martial arts room even earlier than him.

"Let's begin then!"

Zhang Cheng cleared his throat and started.

"Humans are a high-level intelligent species with advantages incomparable to other animals."

"That advantage is that we humans know how to use tools."

"Since ancient times, to survive the incursions of wild beasts, we used metallic substances to create sharp weapons."

"The combat power of a human fighting barehanded versus one wielding a weapon is completely different."

"Therefore, when facing Calamity Beasts with massive bodies and sharp claws and teeth, if you are barehanded, you are food."

"If you hold a weapon, you are the hunter!"

"When facing Calamity Beasts, we martial artists must master a weapon," Zhang Cheng said with a serious expression.

"Your fist techniques have already reached mastery, and you have the basics of weaponry. Learning advanced weapon manuals will yield twice the result with half the effort."

"Tell me, what weapons do you practice?"

Zhang Cheng looked at Jiang Tao and asked.

"Saber!"

"Spear!"

"Saber!"

Lin Qi and the other two answered in turn.

"Two saber users and one spear user. You go first," Zhang Cheng said, pointing at Lin Qi.

"Me?"

Lin Qi was puzzled. This teacher wasn't following the script; shouldn't he be teaching Jiang Tao and the other boy saber techniques first?

He saw Zhang Cheng raise his right arm. A black electronic watch was on his wrist, and he tapped a few commands.

*Beep!*

In the next second, a green light shot out from the watch—a 3D projection. It projected three green human figures of different sizes.

The three of them stepped back to make space.

"Speak. What kind of spear technique do you want to learn?"

...

(End of Chapter)