The night was quiet.
Li Xianghua and Lu Guoping were so excited that they could not sleep all night. Lu Chenzhou told them not to tell their relatives and friends for now, to wait until he was certain he had entered Wuda before showing off.
Otherwise, if they boasted too soon and he failed the exam in the end, it would be awkward.
In a residential complex far away in the Inner City.
Shi Ruyu was also sharing her joy with her family.
But hers was a single-parent household. She had only her mother, with whom she had depended on each other for survival.
On the night of her third birthday, her father encountered a Void Calamity on his way home from work. Man and car plunged into the river together, and he drowned alive. His corpse had swollen badly; when the forensic examiner cut open his stomach, it was full of rotting waterweed.
Before her father's portrait, she stroked the Voidbreaker Glove.
"Ruyu, go to sleep."
"Okay, Mom."
"If your father were still alive, he would definitely be happy for you. He loved watching the All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament. Back then, he believed the Azure Heaven Dragon King would one day win the championship."
Early the next morning.
Class Nine of Grade One, Wanhua High School.
During morning reading, some students bent over their desks doing problems, while others stood and read. Qin Zheng, meanwhile, stared boredly at the empty seat in the front row.
"Where did Lu Chenzhou go? He even skipped morning reading? That guy has completely given up on cultural classes. What if he doesn't pass Pingjiang Martial University's special admissions exam?"
"Wait, why am I, a slacker, worrying about him?"
Qin Zheng picked up his textbook and began reciting classical prose.
Meanwhile, in the homeroom teacher's office.
The math teacher suspected he had misheard.
He looked at Lu Chenzhou standing before him and confirmed it again.
"Chenzhou? You want to transfer schools?"
Lu Chenzhou nodded and solemnly took out a notice.
The math teacher opened it.
Lu Chenzhou of your school has passed the Dragon City University Insight Assessment Committee's test. The Committee has determined that he possesses greater martial arts potential. In order not to delay his martial arts cultivation, and in accordance with relevant national laws, Lu Chenzhou is hereby permitted to transfer from a Culture High School to the Su City Branch Campus of Dragon City University Affiliated High School. We hope your school will actively cooperate with the transfer procedures.
------Dragon City University Insight Assessment Committee (Official Seal)
The math teacher read it over three times.
"Dragon City University? It really is Dragon City University?"
That official seal could not be forged. As the most important institutions for cultivating martial arts talent, Wuda held an exalted status. The presidents of top-tier Wuda stood at the pinnacle of society's pyramid, often holding concurrent posts as senior officials in various Great Xia departments. They were true big shots!
Lu Chenzhou looked at the math teacher, who seemed at a loss.
"Teacher, I'd like to complete the transfer procedures these next few days."
The math teacher came back to his senses.
"Alright! I'll go find the principal right away... Oh, right. I need to make a copy of this notice as proof for your Hidden Dragon Scholarship application."
"Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Teacher."
Leaving the office, Lu Chenzhou entered the classroom feeling light as a feather. To be honest, there were some girls in the class with such little presence that he still did not know their names. Perhaps those girls did not know him either, only knowing that there was a "martial arts fanatic" in class.
Before I even got to know everyone, I'm already leaving.
Thinking that, he sat down in his seat. After turning it over and over in his mind, he decided not to make a formal farewell. He would simply leave quietly, without taking anything away.
He did not need to show off in front of others to gain a sense of accomplishment.
Martial arts were his highest pursuit, not a tool for seeking fame.
Lowering his head, Lu Chenzhou continued working on his final math problems.
Attention, attention! The Academic Affairs Office was interrupting with a morning announcement: Student Lu Chenzhou of Class Nine of Grade One has been admitted to Dragon City University Affiliated High School! Let us congratulate Lu Chenzhou, an outstanding alumnus of Wanhua High School! May his future be bright as brocade, and may he achieve success in martial arts!
The sudden campus broadcast left Lu Chenzhou stunned.
"..."
Fine. It seemed he still had to formally say goodbye to everyone.
He had still underestimated the influence and prestige of a top-tier Wuda. Even if Wanhua High School was a culture school, even if its teachers did everything possible to squeeze martial arts classes for time... once a student established ties with a top-tier Wuda, they had to publicize it. How many students from Su City got into Dragon City University each year? This honor was no worse than getting into one of the top two Imperial Capital Culture Universities—perhaps even greater!
The noisy morning reading session fell silent in an instant.
Pairs of eyes fixed on Lu Chenzhou.
Astonishment, shock, jealousy, envy, incomprehension, delight... all sorts of emotions intertwined and lingered around Lu Chenzhou. At that moment, he was the protagonist.
The protagonist of Class Nine, and the protagonist of Wanhua High School.
After the silence, Qin Zheng's booming voice rang out.
"Holy shit, Chenzhou, when did you get into Dragon City University?!"
He was the most shocked of all.
The other students did not pursue martial arts, so their understanding of top-tier Wuda was nowhere near as deep as his. He knew best just how incredible this classmate he saw every day was!
The problem was, he had not known a thing about it.
Lu Chenzhou explained.
"Not yet. I'm only transferring to Dragon City University Affiliated High School."
"That's still awesome!"
Qin Zheng ran over. The other students also ignored morning reading discipline and gathered around Lu Chenzhou. Whether they were familiar with him or not, they all started chatting at once.
The math teacher entered and did not stop them.
Today was Lu Chenzhou's final day with his classmates.
No matter what, they had shared a classroom. It was only right to celebrate!
He silently walked out, hands clasped behind his back and head held high.
The homeroom teacher from next door passed by, his eyes full of surprise.
"That's right, my student's going to Dragon City."
"Not bad, Old Cui. They had you teaching math, and you produced a martial arts champion?"
The senior year.
Li Linling's eyelashes trembled as she worked on problems.
"Junior Brother Lu... this practically counts as guaranteed admission to Dragon City University."
She recalled the latter half of last year. Back then, her Second Stage junior brother had not even reached the Entry Stage. Time had changed everything; he was already Third Stage, had become a true disciple, and entered a martial arts school.
An indescribably complicated emotion filled her heart.
"Heaven will not let down anyone who stubbornly pursues their dreams."
She knew that in this life, she was destined not to have much affinity with martial arts.
Then she would study hard and distinguish herself in another field.
Congratulations, Junior Brother Lu!
She took out her phone. After sending the message, she continued studying.
That day.
Wherever Lu Chenzhou went, he was the school's focal point. Even the vice principal came to the math teacher's office, summoned him over, and spoke earnestly to him.
"Chenzhou, no matter how well you do in the future, don't forget that you are also one of Wanhua High School's people. Come back sometime to see your classmates and Teacher Cui Yu. He has worried himself sick over you. He spent the entire day busy with your scholarship matters... On behalf of the school, I wish for you to become a Martial Artist as soon as possible!"
When the time came, he absolutely had to put Lu Chenzhou on the wall of honored alumni.
After speaking, the vice principal directly transferred fifty thousand yuan in scholarship funds to Lu Chenzhou's student aid account. The efficiency left Lu Chenzhou feeling somewhat unfamiliar with it.
Even the cafeteria aunties were discussing Lu Chenzhou.
"Eat more. You can't practice martial arts without filling your stomach."
The auntie's hand no longer shook as she piled large chunks of braised pork onto Lu Chenzhou's plate.
"Auntie, that's enough. I can't eat any more."
After silently studying martial arts for more than a decade, Lu Chenzhou deeply understood for the first time the importance of "fame." One did not need to pursue it, but one could not be without it!
He strolled alone through the campus, where the spring breeze rippled.
Since that was the case, he would work hard to become stronger.
The next day.
The Outer City.
At Fang Mountain Scenic Area beside Stone Lake, twenty-four small yet exquisite campuses lay scattered among the mountains and waters. Basically, one building was one school.
They appeared utterly unremarkable.
Yet every one of them was a branch campus of a top-tier Wuda's affiliated high school!
This was Su City's true land of elites. Generally speaking, only the outstanding among those with middling innate talent, or those with deep family backgrounds, could enter.
Dragon City University had only three classes in Su City.
Class One of Grade One, Class Two of Grade Two, and Class Three of Grade Three.
Thirty students in each class.
During the History of Martial Arts lesson in Class One of Grade One.
A male teacher in training clothes, broad-backed and bear-waisted, strode in with the force of a raging rainbow. He stood like an abyssal pool and a towering mountain. He was a Second Shackle Breakthrough practitioner.
A Martial Grandmaster, Shaking Mountain Bear Yu Zheng!
Thirty pairs of eyes, each carrying at least the presence of the Third Stage, examined the ordinary-looking short-haired youth standing beside Yu Zheng. Yu Zheng clapped his hands.
"Lu Chenzhou, introduce yourself."
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