Opening Ceremony

Back in the classroom, Ling Yun found that most of his classmates had gone limp as if their bones had been pulled out, slumped over their desks to gather strength for the brief lunch break.

Ning City No. 1 High School had a rule: students were not allowed to go home or return to their dorms at noon, supposedly to "make full use of their time studying." They could only sleep sprawled over their hard desks.

Ling Yun tossed the iced cola to Zhou Da, who was gazing at it longingly from the desk behind him, then lay down himself. However, his fingers quietly slipped into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

The abundant energy brought by cultivation left him without the slightest bit of sleepiness. That hour-long lunch break had become his personal entertainment time.

He openly placed his phone at the edge of the desk compartment, his fingertips flying across the screen.

With the "regret medicine" of the Storage Space as backup, along with the extraordinary reaction speed granted by the Qi Cultivation Realm, he was confident that even if the dean of discipline flew in through the window, he could make his phone vanish without a trace before the man saw the screen.

The flickering light of short videos danced across his fingertips. An hour seemed to have been put on fast-forward, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The "ding-ding-ding" of the warning bell was like an invisible needle piercing the classroom's silence.

The students rubbed their eyes, yawned, and slowly straightened up.

Ling Yun lightly brushed his fingers beneath the desk, and his phone silently disappeared into the Storage Space.

Homeroom teacher Liu Shiguo strolled into the classroom with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth and concisely announced, "This afternoon, opening ceremony in the gymnasium. Once the broadcast starts, line up in the hallway."

After saying that, he ignored the still-dazed students who had just woken up. He simply ambled over to the hallway window, took out a lighter, and lit his cigarette.

Not long after, the grade director's booming voice came over the broadcast. "Attention, all classes! Immediately line up in an orderly fashion in the hallways! Homeroom teachers, lead your classes! Proceed to the gymnasium and assemble according to class order!"

Under the shouts of their homeroom teachers and the sharp scrutiny of the grade director, the classes were like herds of sheep being driven along. Jostling one another, they quickly formed lines in the hallway before filing out toward the gymnasium.

By the time they found their assigned seats, the gymnasium was already packed with people, and the stuffy air was mixed with the smell of the new rubber track.

On the stage, the principal cleared his throat and began his speech with a glowing face. "Students! Let us welcome the new first-year students with our warmest applause as they join the warm family of Ning City No. 1 High School!"

As soon as he finished speaking, scattered, listless applause sounded from below.

The directors seated on either side of the principal were much more supportive. Their clapping was loud and perfectly synchronized, their smiles so standard they looked welded onto their faces.

The second- and third-year students had long since become numb to this scene. If not for the piercing gazes of the homeroom teachers and grade directors sweeping over them like searchlights from behind, they would not even have bothered to raise their hands.

Ling Yun watched the "tacit cooperation" between the stage and the audience with great interest.

Next came the classic three-part formula of the principal's speech: first, an impassioned review of last year's brilliant college entrance exam results—admission rates to key universities had reached a new high! Then came a solemn reiteration of school rules—the three major red lines were hair, phones, and dating! Finally, there was a resounding promise to improve the cafeteria food—so students could eat their fill, eat well, and eat with peace of mind!

After that combination of blows, quite a few new first-year students wore expressions of anticipation and trust, as though they had truly entered an ideal school with rigorous academics and thoughtful care.

Only the third-year students seated in the back could not stop their mouths from twitching. They had heard the same words for three whole years, without even a change in punctuation.

Then came the speech from the teacher representative, full of inspirational platitudes and earnest expectations. Yet in the sweltering air and after such lengthy buildup, it was about as effective as a powerful lullaby.

Ling Yun looked around and saw many heads already beginning to bob like chickens pecking at grain.

"Students!"

The principal finally raised his voice for his concluding remarks. "May you wield your pens as swords and ride your dreams as steeds, writing your own magnificent chapters of youth and glory upon the fertile soil of Ning City No. 1 High School!"

At last, the ceremony came to an end amid another round of symbolic applause.

As everyone dispersed, the familiar "Athletes' March" echoed through the gymnasium. Granted a pardon, the students surged toward the exits like a tide.

Back in the classroom, everyone looked as if they had fought a hard battle. They collapsed into their seats one by one, not even wanting to move a finger.

However, the opening ceremony had taken up the entire afternoon, and it was already dinner time.

Ravenous and exhausted, most of the students still resigned themselves to getting up and dragging their heavy feet toward the cafeteria.

"Brother Yun, come on, let's eat!" Zhou Da called.

"Not going," Ling Yun said with a wave of his hand. "I'll just grab something outside after school."

"Damn! I'm so jealous of you day students!" Zhou Da wailed enviously before following the crowd out.

The classroom was soon more than half empty. Naturally, people like Jiang Yingqing, whose families were well-off and had someone deliver their meals, did not need to squeeze into the cafeteria.

Ling Yun noticed that she was sitting in her seat and seemed to glance in his direction. But when she saw that he was looking down at his phone, she did not get up. She simply sat quietly there, taking small sips from the thermos in her hands.

Ling Yun stopped paying attention to his surroundings as his mind became restless.

The lunch break had been too short. He had not had enough fun.

There was still some time before evening self-study, so it was the perfect chance to play a few matches in King's Canyon!

He took out his phone again and logged into the game with practiced ease.

At their age, seeing classmates playing on their phones was far too common. Very few people would do something as thankless as snitching—it would be no different from making oneself the enemy of the entire class.

Even if some idiot really did report him, his Storage Space was the best safe.

As for calling his parents? A faint curve appeared on Ling Yun's lips—that was even more absurd.

In his previous life, Ling Yun had been a fairly skilled Honor of Kings player. Through extensive practice and a bit of talent, he had reached 2100 points in the Peak Tournament as a clash lane player.

And it was now September 2019. Ma Chao, the new hero, had only recently entered King's Canyon. Most players were still figuring him out and had yet to discover his terrifying potential.

Without hesitation, Ling Yun locked in Ma Chao and chose Sprint. Once he entered the game, he felt as though he had merged with the hero.

Cultivation had brought him more than a massive increase in reaction speed. It had also given him a clear mind capable of reading the battlefield and controlling the overall situation.

He controlled Ma Chao like a silver bolt of lightning darting through the canyon, charging in and out time and again. Wherever the Cold Radiance Spear reached, enemies fell one after another.

After an exhilarating battle, he claimed two Pentakills!

The enemy Galo and Ming Shiyin flooded the public chat with question marks, clearly stunned senseless.

"Holy crap! Brother Yun! Your Ma Chao... you're using hacks, aren't you? That was insane!"

A boy beside him happened to glance over and couldn't help crying out.

"Awesome, Brother Yun! A Pentakill! And two of them!"

Another classmate also leaned over.

"Is this hero really that overpowered? Why do I get killed by jungle monsters whenever I play Ma Chao in the jungle?"

A boy who had tried Ma Chao voiced the question of his soul.

Before long, several boys had gathered around Ling Yun. Their eyes gleamed as they stared at his screen as if he were a great god, chattering excitedly as they marveled and asked for advice.

Though Ling Yun remained calm on the surface, the gaming passion he had never been able to fully unleash in his previous life was completely ignited. A hint of exhilarated amusement flashed through his eyes.

The feeling of controlling the whole match and slaughtering enemies in every direction, coupled with the admiring looks from his classmates, was indeed secretly satisfying.

He felt that his thinking was as clear as a hack and his reactions as swift as a script. In the current King's Canyon, this was practically a dimensionality-reduction strike.

His fingers danced over the screen as he climbed ranks as easily as drinking water.

[Ding!]

Just as he controlled Ma Chao to cleanly take down the enemy carry once more and the "Unstoppable" announcement lit up the screen, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind:

[System Mission triggered.]

[For unknown reasons, your consciousness has inadvertently connected to an extraterritorial battlefield known as King's Continent. There are many gifted talents here. Strive to enter the Genius Ranking.]

[Mission Reward: To be distributed based on your final ranking.]

King's Continent? Genius Ranking? Ling Yun's fingers paused, and Ma Chao stopped where he stood, nearly getting killed by the turret.

He immediately thought of the Peak Tournament, which became available once one reached King rank.

"Genius Ranking... could it mean the Peak Tournament rankings? The top ten thousand? Or even... first place?"

That goal was exactly what Ling Yun wanted.

Even without this mission, with gaming talent that could now be called a "superpower," he had already resolved to reach the height he had failed to attain in his previous life—the number one spot in the Peak Tournament!

That regret had to be made up for in this life!

His gaze sharpened as he silently declared without hesitation, Accept the mission!

With that thought settled, he no longer allowed himself to be distracted and threw himself back into the carnage of the canyon.

Before the preparatory bell for evening self-study rang, riding his blazing momentum and extraordinary mechanical awareness, he began a crazed winning streak.

Fifteen matches! A full fifteen victories! MVP in every single one! The dazzling King emblem appeared prominently on his profile page!

From Star IV to King in one go! The boys around him watched with their blood boiling, their admiration written all over their faces.

Zhou Da, who had just returned from dinner, squeezed into the crowd. The moment he saw the shining King emblem, his eyes went wide.

He lunged at Ling Yun's desk, pressed his hands together, and plastered an utterly fawning smile across his face. In a voice sweet enough to make people sick, he shouted, "Dad! Godfather! My real father! Please, take me with you! I've never even touched the threshold of King rank in my life! Please grant this Godfather's wish!"

His shameless display set off a burst of laughter among the surrounding classmates.

Ling Yun was amused. Laughing, he shoved away Zhou Da's chubby face, which was nearly pressed against his own. "All right, all right. Since you're this shameless, I'll take you to Glory when I have time."

The instant Zhou Da heard the word "Glory," the "grief and indignation" on his face vanished, replaced by wild delight. He nodded and bowed. "Got it! Thanks, Godfather! Godfather is generous! Godfather is mighty!"

He felt that this shameless move of his had earned him a huge profit.

Just as this "deal," in which both sides felt they had come out ahead, was struck, the preparatory bell for evening self-study rang on time.

The noisy classroom quickly fell silent. Liu Shiguo strolled into the classroom with his hands behind his back, swept his gaze around the room, and wore an expression that said, "You know what this means." Then he slowly said, "For evening self-study, the school has arranged—multimedia viewing."

He deliberately paused, watching the students' knowing yet slightly helpless expressions, before revealing the answer. "Everyone, sit properly and prepare to receive a spiritual cleansing: First Lesson of the School Year!"

(The author did not calculate the rank protection and bonus stars from Valor Points, because that would be too difficult to work out. Please forgive me, dear readers.)