The First Class, and the Instructor's Show of Force

At five in the morning, a thin mist still shrouded the Training Ground.

Lin Fan arrived right on time. Chen Dahu was already there. The honest, good-natured boy was warming up with meticulous care, fine beads of sweat already gathering on his forehead.

"Brother Fan!" Chen Dahu grinned when he saw Lin Fan. "I got here at four-thirty and already ran ten laps."

Lin Fan nodded, skipping the small talk. "Let's begin."

The two stood side by side and began practicing Basic Fist Technique.

One punch, two punches, three punches...

Their movements were precise, their rhythm in sync. Lin Fan deliberately slowed down so Chen Dahu could see every detail.

"When you punch, twist your waist. The force starts from the ground, travels through your legs, waist, and back, and finally reaches your fist." Lin Fan explained as he punched. "That last punch of yours used only the strength of your arm."

Chen Dahu focused on the feeling, adjusted his stance, and punched again.

This time, the wind of his fist was noticeably sharper.

[Guiding another person deepens your understanding of a skill. Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +3]

A notification suddenly appeared on the Status Panel.

Lin Fan's heart stirred. So teaching others could earn proficiency too, and the increase came from a deeper understanding of the skill.

"Your footwork and punches need to work together." Lin Fan began demonstrating. "Look. I step forward and punch at the same time. That not only increases the force, but also closes the distance to the enemy."

He stepped forward, his punch like a cannonball.

The air gave a faint boom.

Chen Dahu's eyes lit up as he imitated him. His first few attempts were clumsy, but after several tries, he began to get the hang of it.

The two sweated buckets as they practiced on the Training Ground.

At five-thirty, other students began arriving at the Training Ground. Seeing Lin Fan and Chen Dahu already practicing, some looked surprised while others sneered.

"Putting on a show," a yellow-haired student muttered. "So what if he came first in the assessment? What's there to brag about?"

His voice wasn't loud, but Lin Fan heard every word.

Chen Dahu's expression darkened, and he was about to retort, but Lin Fan stopped him with a look.

"Keep practicing," Lin Fan said calmly. "Let your strength speak for itself."

Morning practice ended at six-thirty.

Lin Fan checked the Status Panel. After two hours of practice, his Basic Fist Technique Proficiency had increased by 42 points, while his Basic Footwork had increased by 38. Teaching Chen Dahu had brought him an additional 15 points of proficiency from deepened understanding.

More importantly, Chen Dahu's progress was plain to see.

"Brother Fan, I feel like I made more progress this morning than I did in the entire past month!" Chen Dahu said excitedly. "My dad's told me those same pointers, but he never explained them as clearly as you did."

"You're the one putting in the effort." Lin Fan wiped away his sweat. "Go eat. Our first class starts at eight."

At eight in the morning, the classroom of Regular Class Three.

It was a large classroom that could seat fifty people. Forty-eight students were seated inside. Lin Fan and Chen Dahu sat near the front, in the middle rows.

The atmosphere in the classroom was a little tense.

As the top scorer in the assessment, Lin Fan naturally drew everyone's attention, but most of the looks directed his way were scrutinizing or challenging. Everyone who had made it into Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy had been a genius in their hometown. None of them was willing to bow to another.

"I heard someone took on three Wind Wolves alone yesterday?" A bespectacled boy in the front row turned around and asked. It was hard to tell whether he sounded impressed or sarcastic.

Lin Fan glanced at him but didn't answer.

"Putting on airs," the boy muttered.

Just then, the classroom door opened.

A young man in a gray martial arts uniform and Gold-rimmed Glasses walked in. He looked about twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a well-proportioned build, steady steps, and an expressionless face.

"I'm Zhang Qiming, your homeroom teacher." He stood at the lectern, his voice steady yet clear enough to reach every student. "For the next three years, I'll be responsible for guiding your martial arts training."

The classroom fell quiet.

Zhang Qiming surveyed the room. His gaze lingered on Lin Fan for a moment, then moved on.

"First, congratulations on passing the assessment and becoming students of Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy." He continued, "But passing the assessment only got you through the door. Over the next three years, most of you will be eliminated."

A faint stir went through the classroom.

"Eliminated?" A girl couldn't help asking. "Teacher Zhang, doesn't the Academy guarantee that we'll qualify as Martial Artists when we graduate?"

"It guarantees that you'll qualify if you graduate." Zhang Qiming pushed up his glasses. "It doesn't guarantee that all of you will graduate."

He turned and wrote two large characters on the blackboard: resources.

"In martial arts training, resources reign supreme. Pills, cultivation methods, martial skills, instruction from renowned teachers, training grounds... Every one of them requires resources." Zhang Qiming turned back around. "The Academy can provide them, but it won't distribute them equally."

"Why not?" someone asked.

"Because resources are limited." Zhang Qiming's voice turned colder. "Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy admits two thousand students each year. If the resources were divided equally, each person would get only enough to maintain basic training. That would produce nothing but mediocre Martial Artists."

He paused, then continued. "And what we need are the strong. The strong who can survive in the Wilderness, hunt Demonic Beasts, and protect the city."

The atmosphere in the classroom grew heavy.

"So the Academy uses a competitive system." Zhang Qiming wrote a few more words on the blackboard: monthly class competition.

"At the end of every month, each class will hold an internal competition. Your ranking will determine your resource allocation for the following month." He explained in detail. "The top ten will receive double the basic resources. The top three will receive additional rewards, such as martial skills or pills. The bottom ten will have their resources cut in half. Anyone who ranks last for three consecutive months will..."

Zhang Qiming paused, then slowly uttered four words: "Be asked to leave."

Whoosh—

The classroom erupted.

"Asked to leave? What gives you the right?"

"That's unfair! Some people are more talented than others. How can you judge us all by the same standard?"

"Exactly! Those of us from the Slum District already have fewer resources. This is just piling on!"

Zhang Qiming listened to the students' protests without expression.

Only when the noise gradually died down did he speak. "Unfair? This world has never been fair."

His gaze swept across the classroom. "You can go look at the Genius Class. They live in detached villas, train with a Spirit Gathering Array, and eat pills like meals. Why? Because their Lineages have contributed to the Alliance, and because their talent is worth investing in."

"The Academy is already being kind to the Regular Class." Zhang Qiming's tone didn't waver in the slightest. "At least it gave you a chance. Outside the Academy, out in the Wilderness, those without strength don't even have the right to complain."

His words doused every student like a bucket of cold water.

Lin Fan listened quietly, but in his heart, he agreed with Zhang Qiming.

In his previous life on Earth, society had been just as unfair. Some people were born in Rome, while others could strive for their entire lives and never reach it. But at least here, ordinary people had a path to climb.

Cruel, but real.

"Of course, the Academy isn't entirely inflexible." Zhang Qiming changed tack. "Besides the monthly class competition, you can obtain resources in other ways."

He listed several options on the blackboard:

One, complete Academy Missions and earn Academic Credits to exchange for resources.

Two, achieve a high ranking in the annual competition and receive special rewards.

Three, catch a mentor's eye and become their personal disciple.

Four, make a special contribution to the Academy.

"There's more than one path, but you'll have to fight for every one of them with your own strength." Zhang Qiming said, "My duty is to guide your training and answer your questions. How far you go, however, depends on you."

He stepped down from the lectern and slowly walked along the aisle.

"I know some of you come from the Slum District, some from minor Lineages, and some have only ordinary talent." Zhang Qiming's tone softened slightly. "But talent isn't everything in martial arts. Perseverance, intelligence, courage... These matter just as much."

He stopped beside Lin Fan.

"Lin Fan." Zhang Qiming suddenly called on him.

"Here." Lin Fan stood.

"You came first in the assessment." Zhang Qiming looked at him. "But I want you to understand that being first in the assessment means nothing at the Academy. Your past glory is wiped clean here. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Lin Fan replied calmly.

"Good." Zhang Qiming nodded. "Sit down."

He returned to the lectern and began explaining the Academy's rules and regulations.

The Academic Credits system, the Task System, the opening hours of the training grounds, disciplinary penalties... He went through each rule in detail, strict and thorough.

Lin Fan listened attentively, committing every detail to memory.

He knew that to grow quickly at the Academy, he had to make full use of the rules.

"Lastly, I have one more announcement." After finishing the rules, Zhang Qiming suddenly spoke. "In three days, the Academy will hold a joint freshman field exercise. It will take place on the outskirts of Qingmu Forest, which is under the Academy's control. Your objectives will be to clear out 1st Tier Demonic Beasts and gather designated medicinal herbs."

The classroom filled with discussion once more.

"We're going into actual combat so soon?"

"Qingmu Forest? I heard there are 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts in there!"

"Quiet." Zhang Qiming tapped the desk. "The field exercise will be done in groups of four. You may choose your own teammates. Any team that completes the mission will receive 200 Academic Credits, and outstanding performers will receive additional rewards."

He paused, then added, "This will also be an important reference for the monthly class competition. So prepare well."

The bell rang.

Zhang Qiming gathered up his lesson notes. Just before leaving, he said one more thing: "Remember, martial arts isn't a dinner party. If you want resources, if you want to grow stronger, then you have to fight for them, snatch them, and struggle for them."

"This world won't pity the weak."

With that, he left the classroom.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a clamor.

The students gathered in groups of three or five, discussing their teams.

"Brother Fan, we're teaming up!" Chen Dahu said at once.

Lin Fan nodded and looked at Zhou Ming and Zhao Tie Zhu.

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses. "Count me in. I'm no good in a fight, but I know the theory. I can identify medicinal herbs and the weak points of Demonic Beasts."

Zhao Tie Zhu scratched his head. "I... I guess I can join too. My strength just isn't that great."

"Strength can be trained." Lin Fan said, "Starting this afternoon, the four of us will train together."

"Sounds good!" the three replied in unison.

Just then, someone walked up to Lin Fan's desk.

It was the bespectacled boy.

"Lin Fan, my name is Li Zhe." The boy pushed up his glasses. "I came seventh in the assessment. I'd like to invite you to join my team. If the strong join forces, we're sure to take first place."

Lin Fan looked at him. "I already have a team."

Li Zhe frowned. "You can reconsider. Chen Dahu came forty-second, Zhou Ming fifty-seventh, and Zhao Tie Zhu sixty-ninth. A team like that will only drag you down."

Chen Dahu's expression changed, and he was about to stand, but Lin Fan pressed him back down.

"Thanks for the invitation." Lin Fan said calmly. "But I choose to trust my roommates."

Li Zhe's eyes flickered. In the end, he sighed. "You'll regret it."

He turned and walked away.

"What a jerk!" Chen Dahu said indignantly. "So what if he came seventh?"

"Don't worry about him." Lin Fan packed his books. "Let's go to the Training Ground."

"Now?" Zhou Ming asked in surprise. "Shouldn't we look into Qingmu Forest first?"

"We can research while we train." Lin Fan stood. "We're short on time."

The four left the classroom and headed for the Training Ground.

As they walked, Lin Fan sorted through his thoughts.

The monthly class competition, the freshman field exercise... The Academy's competition was fiercer than he had expected, but it also suited his needs better.

Combat, missions, rewards.

All of them could be quickly turned into strength.

The team was still a problem, though.

Chen Dahu had a solid foundation but lacked Combat Experience. Zhou Ming was well versed in theory but weak in a fight. Zhao Tie Zhu was mediocre in every regard.

A team like theirs would have a hard time in Qingmu Forest.

I have to find a way to raise their strength quickly, Lin Fan thought.

Just then, the Status Panel flickered.

[Task System activation complete]

[First mission generated]

[Main Mission (Freshman Arc): Make a Name for Yourself]

[Mission Objective: Lead your team to a top-three finish in the freshman joint field exercise]

[Mission Rewards: Skill Points ×5, random Mortal Tier Top Grade Martial Skill ×1, Storage Space expanded to 2 cubic meters]

[Failure Penalty: None]

[Time Limit: Three days]

[Side Quest: Team Cohesion]

[Mission Objective: Before the field exercise begins, raise the average Combat Experience of your team members to 30 points]

[Current Progress: Lin Fan (53), Chen Dahu (8), Zhou Ming (2), Zhao Tie Zhu (1)]

[Average Combat Experience: 16]

[Mission Rewards: All team members' attributes temporarily increased by 10%, lasting until the end of the field exercise]

[Failure Penalty: None]

[Time Limit: Three days]

Two missions.

One main, one side quest.

Both offered generous rewards, especially the Skill Points and the expanded Storage Space.

But they wouldn't be easy.

Finishing in the top three of the field exercise meant beating at least twenty other teams. And raising the team's average Combat Experience to 30 points meant Chen Dahu, Zhou Ming, and Zhao Tie Zhu would all need plenty of combat practice.

Three days.

"We need to hurry." Determination flashed in Lin Fan's eyes.

He looked at his three teammates. "We're changing this afternoon's training plan. First, let's go to the Mission Hall and take a few simple missions to clear out 1st Tier Demonic Beasts."

"Huh?" Zhou Ming froze. "Weren't we going to the Training Ground?"

"Actual combat is the best training," Lin Fan said. "Besides, we need to learn how to work together."

Chen Dahu clenched his fists. "I'll follow Brother Fan!"

Zhao Tie Zhu was a little nervous, but when he saw the determination in Lin Fan's eyes, he nodded too. "O-okay..."

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses and finally agreed as well. "All right. I could use some real combat data for the Demonic Beast compendium."

The four changed course and headed for the Mission Hall.

Sunlight spilled across the academy's roads, stretching the four boys' shadows long behind them.

Ahead lay unknown challenges, life-and-death combat, and ruthless competition.

But Lin Fan knew this was the path of martial arts.

There was no turning back. They could only move forward.

Behind them, at one of the Teaching Building's windows, Zhang Qiming watched the four boys' departing figures in silence.

A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Lin Fan... Let's see how far you can go."