Opening Ceremony, Commendations by Name

At the sight of the old man, the first thought that flashed through everyone's mind was his realm.

Within Magic Martial University, he was currently the person with the highest cultivation—a renowned powerhouse even on the global stage.

Everyone held their breath, afraid of making the slightest sound.

Shi Yan, too, focused intently, afraid of missing anything. After all, Senior Sister had said the opening ceremony came with benefits.

"Students! Look at the vitality and blood values on your watches."

The moment the principal spoke, everyone sensed something different. This was completely unlike the speech they had imagined from the head of a university.

Still, they opened their watches, where the vitality and blood values recorded during their martial artist certification were stored.

Many did not understand why, and they looked up at the principal, waiting for his next words.

"Just moments ago, your recently graduated Senior, Jiao Qianlong, had his spine bitten apart by Canglong on the East Sea front line. He died a heroic death."

That single sentence plunged the entire venue into dead silence.

Wasn't this supposed to be an opening ceremony? Why start by talking about something so terrible?

But on second thought, their Senior had actually died in the jaws of a beast. Anger surged through most of them. The demon beasts had killed again—and this time, it had been someone from their own school.

"Just three hours ago, three base cities in Sichuan Province were simultaneously attacked by small Beast Tides. So far, more than ten thousand people have died."

Without pausing, Bai Xuanling dropped another bombshell.

Those from Sichuan Province could not help clenching their fists, their breathing growing rapid.

"Last night, the demon beasts of the Sixty Thousand Mountains in Lingnan rioted. Not one of the more than one hundred students who entered to carry out missions survived. The military and the Monster Suppression Bureau suffered over a thousand casualties."

Another cruel piece of news came from the kindly old man's mouth.

This time, more than half the students felt their vitality and blood rush to their heads. They wanted nothing more than to draw their weapons and slaughter demon beasts at once.

"There are many more such devastating disasters that happened within a single day. I could talk all morning and still not finish."

The principal's face remained expressionless as he looked down at the freshmen below.

"Students, I am telling you these things to remind you that we still live in a world brimming with danger. Do you think your current vitality and blood are enough to handle it? If you truly encounter danger, can you survive?"

"Perhaps the examples I gave feel somewhat distant to you. Then let me give you one closer to home. Every year during the enrollment season, in order to ensure that so many students safely reach Shanghai, more than a thousand people die along the various routes. Remember—it happens every year!"

By this point, many people wore stunned expressions. Tears had already rolled down some faces, while their fingers nearly dug into their palms.

"There is something else you may not know. After you left your high school campuses, most of your teachers went to take summer jobs. Their work was fighting demon beasts. As of now, one hundred and nine teachers have died, while the number injured is beyond counting."

Bai Xuanling's words continued to shatter the defenses of many freshmen.

"Now, do you remember why you wanted to enter Magic Martial University in the first place?"

"Why were there no classes during the first three days of the semester? Did you truly think it was merely to let you familiarize yourselves with the school?"

"No. It was to help you steel your hearts, and it was also the school's time to observe you."

"Regrettably, after arriving here, many students began treating Magic Martial University as a place to relax."

"Martial artists should bear the duty of protecting Huaxia. Yet you indulge yourselves in the peaceful rear, a peace bought with the lives and blood of frontline soldiers. Do you deserve to be called martial artists? Answer me!"

Bai Xuanling's tone suddenly turned stern. As his words rang out, the sky abruptly darkened, clouds gathering thickly overhead as though a furious storm were about to pour down.

Every freshman breathed heavily, the pressure in their hearts multiplying.

Just as someone was about to buckle beneath it, Bai Xuanling abruptly changed his tone.

"The main reason I say all this is not to criticize you, but to make you deeply remember the original purpose that brought you here."

"Only by holding fast to that original heart can you endure hardship and become sharp blades that cut through every obstacle ahead."

"Only then can you become sharp spears that pierce the heavens hanging over you!"

As he spoke, light broke through the darkened sky and pierced the clouds, gradually driving away the darkness.

The freshmen raised their heads to the sky, feeling as though they were the protagonists between heaven and earth, shattering darkness and shackles through their own strength.

A feeling of sudden clarity rose within them. Many questions they had never been able to understand were now effortlessly resolved.

Martial Arts that had once seemed obscure and difficult instantly became clear.

"This..."

Shi Yan came back to himself and discovered that the Spirit on his panel had actually risen from 36 Hz to 37 Hz.

A few words could actually increase a person's Spirit!

Looking around, he found that the students around him wore much the same expressions—surprise, and the openness that came after finally understanding something.

The principal onstage no longer spoke. Instead, he watched those below with a kindly smile.

It was as though the students' enlightenment had long been within his expectations, and also as though he had done this countless times before.

Senior Sister Zhang Yunya's words surfaced in his mind: "You'll gain benefits from the opening ceremony. You must attend."

So this was the benefit she had meant.

The principal had single-handedly brought three thousand students into a state of enlightenment.

For a martial artist, unless one was exceptionally gifted, it was hard to achieve even a single moment of enlightenment in a lifetime. Yet one such moment was enough to shape the rest of one's life.

This was no ordinary opening ceremony—it was a grand gift from the principal to the new students!

"Thank you, Principal!"

Several minutes later, a student broke the silence and bowed deeply to the principal, tears brimming in his eyes.

The others came to their senses and voiced their thanks as well. In an instant, the place became lively.

"Good, good, good." Bai Xuanling was deeply gratified. His gentle voice spread throughout the venue, suppressing the students' voices.

"A thousand words, ten thousand words—they are all worth less than your own efforts and actions. Once the opening ceremony ends, I hope all of you will immediately throw yourselves into becoming stronger."

"Here, I would also like to especially commend several students who took action early. I hope everyone will take them as examples."

"The first is Qi Ziyue from Class Three of the Combat Branch."

As soon as Bai Xuanling finished speaking, the new students turned toward Class Three.

Qi Ziyue—what a familiar name!

Not everyone knew Qi Ziyue well, but upon hearing the name, many felt it rang a bell. In any case, it was associated with being beautiful and having excellent grades.

Could she be receiving praise because of her College Entrance Examination results?

Unfortunately, no one guessed correctly.

"Not long after the Martial Arts Examination, she set off alone from Kyoto for Shanghai, without taking any form of transportation."

Bai Xuanling's brief words left all the new students dumbstruck.

Alone, from Kyoto to Shanghai!?

Without transportation, that meant she had faced countless dangers. How had she made it here alive?

Many could not fathom it. They only knew that if it were them, they most likely would not dare travel so far alone.

There were simply too many cases of people dying alone in the wilderness, devoured by demonic beasts. No one dared treat their own lives as a joke.

Qi Ziyue... you really were something.

Even Shi Yan was somewhat astonished at this moment.

If the principal had not mentioned it, he would never have known that this girl had such a side to her.

"The second is Lei Gang from Class One of the Combat Branch."

After a pause, Bai Xuanling's gaze fell upon the rear of Class One.

"He came to Shanghai on the very day he received his admission notice. Every day, he was either taking on missions or on his way to take on missions. As of today, three hundred demonic beasts have died by his hands. Even at six o'clock this morning, he was still killing demonic beasts."

Like Qi Ziyue, Lei Gang likewise became the center of everyone's attention.

They were also shocked by the number of demonic beasts he had killed. To slaughter so many in just over two months—calling him an iron man would not be an exaggeration.

"There is also Lu Xingzhou from Class One of the Tactical Branch. He entered the mountains and forests alone, matching wits and courage with demonic beasts, and only arrived at the school to register yesterday."

"The last one is Shi Yan from Class One of the Combat Branch!"

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