The One Standing in the Middle Was Called Jiang Qiu

Heavenly Prodigy Project.

A Plateau City Military Department program responsible for cultivating high-potential martial artists. Most slots were decided during middle school, some even earlier.

Every selected candidate displayed exceptional talent in the spear, body tempering, and considerable talent with the bow. After all, the college entrance examination also included aerial demon races and demon beasts. Without learning the bow, one would fall far behind, and the bow was difficult to pick up.

The first two were easy to assess, but bow talent could never be identified in a short time. At present, Jiang Qiu was already eighteen and had never even touched a bow.

The brief meeting hung over Zhao Gongzheng's mind like Dark Clouds. In his distant, murky eyes were reflected the downcast, frowning faces of the teachers.

"Director Zhao, the Heavenly Prodigy Project has never accepted high school students. Besides, Jiang Qiu only has two months until the college entrance examination. How could he possibly get started with the bow?"

"Exactly. If all of us teachers submit a request and the Military Department refuses it, neither the school nor you would be able to save face."

"Director Zhao, Jiang Qiu is gifted, and it's a pity he wasn't selected for the Heavenly Prodigy Project sooner. But he already missed it, and there's nothing we can do. If we direct more resources toward him, he'll still have a great chance of placing among Plateau City's top hundred in the college entrance examination."

Several teachers spoke hesitantly, their forced smiles difficult to conceal.

Applying for Jiang Qiu to enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project at this stage was like applying to enter the examination hall when the college entrance examination was almost over. How could that possibly work?

If they submitted the application, it would definitely be rejected.

After all, one test would reveal that Jiang Qiu had never touched a bow. He simply was not suited for the Heavenly Prodigy Project.

"I support applying for Jiang Qiu to enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project."

Suddenly, a full, powerful voice silenced the hoarse murmurs. The teachers pursed their lips and stared at Wu Shan's raised fist. As their mouths twitched, they saw fists rise one after another beside Zhao Gongzheng. "I support it."

The teachers from the Martial Inspection Department spoke up next. Several field supervisors clenched their fists and raised them over their heads as well. "Support."

In an instant, the room fell silent. Li Ang met Director Zhao's plain, unadorned gaze and slowly drew a breath. "In the name of the No.8 Middle School Resource Department director, I support Jiang Qiu."

The moment he raised his right fist, the remaining teachers who had spoken the most let out soft sighs and followed suit.

The dark clouds beneath the dome thinned in the wind. Black armored vehicles drove side by side, like a legless centipede crawling out of Qingmu Town and cutting through the wind and sand.

The convoy was more than three times longer than before, carrying No.8 Middle School's Outstanding Students, martial artist teachers, and a great number of demon beast corpses.

The steel vehicle bodies jolted along. A thick stench of blood brewed inside the airtight compartments, occasionally broken by bursts of laughter.

"More than two thousand demon beasts died during the Practical Training Hunt. This can go down in school history. Once the school recovers everything, we should be able to make several hundred thousand, right?"

"Of course! With Brother Jiang's record, Field No. 8 will definitely become an outstanding field. Even the recovery price will go up by ten percent!"

"Brother Jiang is practically my god!"

"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang, your kill count was so high, and you even got a Demonic Plant Fruit. You'll definitely get a lot of money. What are you planning to do with it?"

"Li Si, does Brother Jiang need to report his spending to you?"

"Fuck! What's it to you, Zhang Shan?!"

The noisy smell of sweat wafted over with waves of hot breath, crashing again and again against the back of Jiang Qiu's head. His dark eyes looked out the window as he gently exhaled. "We're at school."

Tap.

The shaking vehicle gradually came to a stop. The door swung open with a clack, and he was the first to jump out. Fresh air flooded his nose and lungs, while neatly arranged teaching buildings towered on both sides before his eyes.

The air inside the city walls really was better. You could even see people on the road.

With one glance, they saw rows upon rows of students held back behind brand-new caution tape. Their heights varied, and they stared in shock. "Is this for real? So many people from our school's Practical Training Hunt made it back alive?"

"Wait, there are so many armored vehicles behind them too?!"

"Holy shit, they're all carrying spoils! With this many armored vehicles, did they kill every demon beast in the entire Practical Training Hunt?!"

Amid the cries of astonishment from countless ordinary students, all the Outstanding Students led by Jiang Qiu gathered like whales returning to the sea. Following Zhao Gongzheng, Li Ang, Wu Shan, and the other teachers, they strode toward the Elite Training Hall.

Click.

As a phone camera flashed, it captured the front row of Outstanding Students. With fingers tapping rapidly, the image was uploaded to the school forum.

[Shocking! Our Practical Training Hunt team actually came back alive, and Li Juefeng doesn't seem to be standing in the center!]

The post seized the initiative and appeared on the school forum like a meteor crashing into Sky Lake, stirring up hundred-meter waves.

The library, Training Hall, cafeteria, classrooms.

Students browsing the forum tapped lightly with their index fingers, and phone screen after phone screen lit up. On the left side of the image, a deep-eyed youth strode forward, with Li Juefeng and the leading students from each field following behind him.

[1st Floor: I heard that even No.1 Middle School lost half their students despite having a secret realm expert stationed there. They actually survived? That's insane!]

[2nd Floor: Holy shit, Li Juefeng is willing to stand behind someone else?]

[3rd Floor: Not simple. The one in the middle is this year's top pick, seems like his name is...]

"Jiang Qiu." The two muffled words crawled from a pair of cracked lips. Qian Cheng held his phone in his left hand and supported himself against the doorframe of No. 8 Training Hall with his right. His eyes were dry and red. "Was the gap between people really destined to be this vast?"

A stream of students' backs was reflected in his bitter eyes as they walked beneath countless gazes toward the Elite Training Hall at the center of the school.

Ever since he had failed to compete for an Outstanding Student slot a month ago, his father had sold their home in the Commoner District to pay off debts, and they had moved to the Slum Area. No one in class spoke to him anymore.

Every morning, when he saw Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili pass by in black shirts symbolizing Outstanding Students, he could not help clenching his fists and cursing in secret.

He had always wanted to hear that Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili had been insulted, mocked, and looked down upon at Field No. 8. Yet in just one week, Jiang Qiu had become the leading student of Field No. 8 and the top pick for the Practical Training Hunt.

Why could he accomplish all that? Why?!

How he wished Jiang Qiu would never return, just like most of the Practical Training Hunt students from the other Outer City high schools.

He hated, he cursed, yet Jiang Qiu had still returned. He even walked ahead of Li Juefeng, the greatest genius among the eight fields.

"Outstanding Student, leading student of Field No. 8, top pick for the Practical Training Hunt, surpassed Li Juefeng..." Qian Cheng slowly closed his eyes, and the last knot of resentment in his chest dispersed with his breath. "Even if I had truly become an Outstanding Student back then, I could never have compared to even a fraction of Jiang Qiu.

Heh... was this fate? Did it have to make me meet him?"

He gave two bitter laughs and walked alone back into the empty Training Hall. Picking up the wooden spear damp with sweat, a glint appeared in his eyes like a spear tip. "I only lost one test. Even if I can't take the college entrance examination, I can still join the Military Department after graduation and fight my way up from the bottom!"

He casually set his phone on the bench.

Ding.

[Class Eight homeroom teacher Wu Shan: @All members, the Practical Training Hunt has ended. Next, I will spend half a month teaching you the Ancient Martial Spear and fulfill my duty.]

Half a month?

Qian Cheng's expression changed. Hadn't Wu Shan said seven days at the time? It had actually doubled?

[Class Eight homeroom teacher Wu Shan: Because Jiang Qiu killed a Demon Plant in the secret realm and successfully brought back most of the surviving students, martial arts resources from three schools involved in accidents may be transferred here over the next two months.]

[Class Eight homeroom teacher Wu Shan: And because of Jiang Qiu, Field No. 8 has also been selected as an outstanding field and will receive the largest allocation of Martial Spirit Incense resources.]

[Class Eight homeroom teacher Wu Shan: Therefore, I've decided to add one Outstanding Student slot to Field No. 8. Train hard from now on, understand?]

"An Outstanding Student slot!"

Qian Cheng's heart pounded. The two words "Jiang Qiu" flashing before his eyes were like a meteor in the night, instantly striking the bronze bell in his heart.

He gripped the wooden spear tightly, his blood burning hot.

Jiang Qiu gave me a chance to rise. This time, I absolutely cannot lose!