First Lesson Upon Enrollment

Who can rise above the rules? Everyone knows the answer in their hearts; this rule is universal across the cosmos.

Chen Nan wanted to become a Transcendent. He also knew that among Transcenders, if one's strength was merely average, they would still be at the mercy of others. Therefore, he harbored a desire to ascend to the very pinnacle of Transcenders.

Not every Transcendent would entertain such a dream. Many preferred to blend in with the rules, using the regulations established by the powerful to live comfortably.

"You can't change society, so you can only adapt to it."

What a familiar saying. It's like a maggot, which could theoretically live a life as pure as jade, but alas, it cannot change its environment of living in filth and decay. Thus, it can only adapt.

And so, the maggot grows dirtier, and people become more...

Of course, each of us can say: "Life forced me to!"

Rules, in a sense, are like excrement. Chen Nan's ambition was to be the one sitting on the toilet.

But for now, he could only mingle here, following the other students as they headed to the dormitories.

Since only one parent was allowed in, Jiang Lili accompanied Chen Nan to help him unpack and make his bed, looking quite pleased.

After everything was settled, Chen Nan said to Jiang Lili, "Alright, I'm all set here. You should head back and rest."

Jiang Lili put on a stern face and said, "Can't I stay a little longer? We normally don't get to come to a place like this.

Oh, right! We've decided on a name for our Mala Tang stall. It'll be called 'Chen Nan Mala Tang.' We'll borrow some of your auspicious energy.

You must cultivate diligently here and become a world-renowned Transcender. Then, our 'Chen Nan Mala Tang' will also become famous worldwide!"

Chen Nan smiled and said, "You, be more practical. Running a restaurant depends on quality, not fame. You must ensure the ingredients you serve to customers are good in both quality and quantity. That's how you'll make money and last long."

Jiang Lili scoffed, "Alright, alright, do I need a child like you to teach me this?"

Gradually, the parents began to leave, and the dormitory administrator started ushering people out. Jiang Lili finally departed with reluctance.

Once the dawdling adults were gone, the four children in the dorm room looked at each other and began chatting with smiles.

They introduced themselves one by one. The first was Shen Congyun, twelve years old, with a smiling face that made him seem quite likable. The next was Lu Butong, ten years old, but half a head taller than Shen Congyun. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth, giving him a somewhat simple and honest appearance.

The bed next to Chen Nan's belonged to Shi Lei, who was thirteen years old. His head could swivel 360 degrees like a spinning top. He had narrow eyes, and despite his young age, a mustache had already begun to grow on his upper lip.

These three introduced themselves, and Chen Nan, unable to avoid it, simply smiled and said, "Hello everyone, my name is Chen Nan."

"Wow, it really is you!" Shen Congyun exclaimed in surprise. "You're that legendary guy, only ten years old, and you took down a criminal family. And, you've killed quite a few people, is it really you?"

Lu Butong looked at Chen Nan, his eyes shining with fervor. Shi Lei, meanwhile, stroked his upper lip as if his mustache had already grown in, his eyes darting around within his narrow eye slits.

Chen Nan said humbly, "It's not that exaggerated. It was all just a coincidence."

Shi Lei drawled, "Not everyone gets to experience such coincidences."

Chen Nan glanced at him and smiled, saying nothing more.

Shen Congyun and Lu Butong seemed very interested in Chen Nan's heroic deeds and pestered him with questions. Seeing that Chen Nan wasn't saying much, they returned to their beds, somewhat disappointed.

However, children can't stay still for long. After a while, they suggested going out for a walk.

Chen Nan naturally went with them. At the very least, he needed to familiarize himself with the layout of the place. That way, when classes and meals started, he wouldn't get lost.

As for hanging out with these three kids, if Chen Nan had any interest in that, he would truly have understood life.

The first day was naturally uneventful, mainly for getting acquainted with the environment. Classes wouldn't officially begin until the second day.

In the blink of an eye, it was the morning of the second day. After breakfast, at eight o'clock, the first class at the Preparatory Academy began.

With only nineteen students entering the academy, one classroom was more than enough.

On the first day of class, all the students sat upright, exhibiting a student-like demeanor, awaiting the teacher's arrival.

The classroom door opened, and a rather young male teacher entered. He was of medium build, slightly overweight, and looked utterly ordinary.

"Hello everyone, I am your first-year instructor. My name is Li Guodong," he said, writing his name on the blackboard behind him.

Many students immediately felt a sense of disappointment. In their eyes, Transcenders should be heroic and radiating an ethereal aura.

This Teacher Li Guodong, both in appearance and name, was no different from an ordinary person. Based on his presence alone, they had already underestimated him.

Thus, slowly, the students below began to do their own things.

The instructor teacher didn't pay any attention to these students. His mouth moved like a wound-up clock, mechanically following its track. He wouldn't even say an extra word to maintain classroom discipline.

One could imagine this teacher must be a model husband, at least, he would never "stray."

Listening to such a teacher lecture, understanding the material became secondary. The main challenge was to remain conscious under the onslaught of his "sleep spell."

It's understandable why counting sheep aids sleep; it creates a void and monotony in the mind, and sleep comes as naturally as water flowing downhill.

Fortunately, Chen Nan's willpower was still strong enough. On the very first class, he experienced firsthand what it meant to study like rowing against the current. Therefore, he managed to grasp about seventy to eighty percent of Teacher Li Guodong's lecture.

In fact, the content wasn't particularly important. It was the kind of knowledge one would naturally acquire after spending a long time in the world of Transcenders. Here's a brief introduction, hoping Teacher Li's lecture skills don't affect the esteemed readers and put them to sleep, which would be a sin.

He primarily lectured on two major aspects: first, the Transcender system.

Transcenders are divided into two major factions, which have already been introduced. One faction is Transcenders, and the other is Nature Masters.

Transcenders are the mainstream in the current world, accounting for over ninety percent of the total Transcender population. They have four major branches and eight minor branches, namely:

Power Transcenders, divided into Basic Power Users and Magic Power Users;

Agility Transcenders, divided into Basic Agility Users and Magic Agility Users;

Technique Transcendent, which is divided into Rune Master and Summoner;

Magic Transcendent, which is divided into Mage and Saint.

They have clear hierarchical levels based on strength, with a total of ninety levels, and every ten levels constitute a tier.

In important situations, the introduction would typically be: "Basic Power User of Tier 3, Level 9, [Name]..."

This way, one can immediately understand the nature of the person's abilities and their strength.

The Nature Master faction, however, does not have such detailed divisions. They only have classifications based on the degree of strength, which are: Clear Heart, Object Study, Mystic Understanding, Path Entry, and Unity.

Each of these level stages is further divided into early, mid, and late phases.

In reality, this faction also has another level or realm: Void. People call it the ultimate realm for Transcendent cultivation. It is said that reaching this realm allows one to communicate with gods, be unbound by the rules of the universe, and become like a deity, capable of creation and controlling destiny.

However, even during the peak of the Nature Master's prosperity, few could reach this realm, let alone during such an extremely fallen era. Therefore, Nature Masters rarely talk about this realm, and other Transcenders have even less interest in it.

Regarding this realm, the general perception among Transcenders is similar to their view of Nature Masters: vague and lacking practical application, even more unrealistic than fantasy.

The above is the first part of Teacher Li's general introduction.

The second part he spoke about concerned some of the academy's rules and important notices.

Chen Nan was most interested in the acquisition of cultivation resources.

To obtain top-tier cultivation resources, one must pass certain assessments. There are two ways: first, if one's talent reaches a certain level, and the academy recognizes them as a key talent to be nurtured; second, if talent is insufficient but resilience is strong, one can obtain top-tier resources through a Diligence Ranking.

Those whose talent level is not enough to attract the academy's attention can aim for the Diligence Ranking. As long as they achieve a top ten position on the list, they will receive the same treatment as the geniuses selected by the academy.

What has been said above refers to the ways to obtain top-tier cultivation resources without spending money.

If one has money, then naturally, there is no need for such trouble. It's evident that rich people can truly do whatever they want.

In addition to this rule, Teacher Li also explained other rules, such as the rules for duels.

Among Transcenders, duels are a very common phenomenon and are also considered a symbol of bravery.

However, to prevent duels from being as unsightly as fights between ordinary people, one cannot engage in a duel without mastering a Transcendent ability.

Afterward, Teacher Li began to introduce the students' daily schedules, upcoming course arrangements, and a series of other trivial matters.

Chen Nan knew that this first class today was just a general introduction. If he wanted to learn the core knowledge of how Transcenders cultivate and become stronger, he would have to wait for the formal lectures tomorrow.

He only hoped that when they taught the formal Transcender knowledge, especially the crucial subjects, it wouldn't be this Teacher Li lecturing.