Seven Star Divine Curse

The old instructor's voice was somewhat hypnotic. Xian Wu pinched his thigh hard to stay awake, jotting down anything he didn't understand on a piece of paper.

"The Soul Force range for a Bronze One Star Spirit Master is one hundred to one hundred and ninety-nine, for a Bronze Two Star Spirit Master it's two hundred to two hundred and ninety-nine... for a Bronze Five Star Spirit Master, it's five hundred to nine hundred and ninety-nine."

"Have you noticed? The major rank promotion from Bronze Five Star to Silver One Star requires five times the Soul Force needed for minor star rank promotions."

"By convention, we call Spirit Masters with over six hundred Soul Force 'Peak Bronze Spirit Masters'."

"It's the same for other major ranks; Spirit Masters with Soul Force six times that of a One Star are called Peak Spirit Masters."

"There's a huge difference in strength between Peak Spirit Masters. Even though they are both Peak Spirit Masters, a real fight could result in an instant kill."

The old instructor lectured at length on a pile of basic knowledge. It wasn't until after class that he remembered to teach the students the method for cultivating Soul Force.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm getting old and a bit forgetful," the old instructor scratched his head and began writing the cultivation mantra on the blackboard.

Sunrise in the east, a brilliant light. Spirit gods protect me, blessings establish the way. Lu Cun bestows grace, not merely strength. Hold the completed, guide the great...

According to the old instructor, this was Sacred Orchid Academy's basic Soul Force cultivation technique—the Seven Star Divine Curse.

Under the resentful gaze of the Demonic Beast class instructor, the old instructor chuckled awkwardly and told the students to try and comprehend it themselves.

He would formally explain the specific cultivation methods of the Seven Star Divine Curse tomorrow afternoon.

Xian Wu touched his nose and thought to himself, This old guy is something else. He droned on for a whole class of nonsense, not a single useful word.

After seeing off the endearingly clumsy old instructor, the Demonic Beast class instructor cleared his throat, "Quiet down, class is now in session."

During class, the instructor detailed a Bronze Rank Demonic Beast called the 'Horned Sheep,' including its habits, attack methods, and valuable parts.

"You need to pay special attention to the Horned Sheep's berserk state. Once you see its eyes turn red, leave immediately. Don't engage, or your life could be in danger."

"A berserk Bronze One Star Horned Sheep has strength comparable to a Bronze Two Star Demonic Beast. It's very dangerous."

"However, don't worry too much. The Horned Sheep's berserk state lasts for a very short time. As long as you survive that period, it will enter a weakened state, at which point even you, who haven't reached Bronze Warrior rank yet, can kill it."

"Although the Horned Sheep has this weakness, your instructor still doesn't recommend you provoke them in the Trial Grounds right now."

"Firstly, Horned Sheep are pack beasts. Secondly, you can't run as fast as them. A slight misstep could result in a serious collision and severe injury."

"Getting injured isn't the main concern, but falling behind in your studies is. Don't forget, the bottom three will be expelled."

"Alright, that's all for today's class. Remember what your instructor said: if you don't court death, you won't die."

The next two history and geography classes were relatively boring, covering knowledge about the Dark Era.

During the Dark Era, humanity suffered countless attacks from Demonic Beasts, major empires fell one after another, and humans were nearly wiped out.

Now, only a small number of human strongholds barely survived.

Demonic Beasts grew stronger and stronger, while humanity grew weaker and weaker. Without the birth of great individuals to lead humanity in a counter-attack against the Demonic Beasts, humanity's extinction was only a matter of time.

The sun set, and the rosy glow faded.

The day's studies were finally over.

After a hearty dinner, Xian Wu and Zhu Jun Xiang headed to the bathhouse.

As usual, there were hardly any people left in the bathhouse, and not much hot water in the boiler.

Using the Demon Left Hand to heat two large buckets of water, the two jumped into the water with a "plop."

"Big Brother, you're amazing! You became class representative on the very first day. We'll be counting on you from now on," Zhu Jun Xiang flattered. If I had changed my name to Zhu Jun Wu, would the class representative position have gone to me?

What made him even more envious was that Big Brother could stand face-to-face with the goddess Ning'er.

You know, familiarity breeds affection!

Sigh, I'll have to change how I address her from now on. Not goddess Ning'er, but Sister-in-law!

Seeing Xian Wu not respond, Zhu Jun Xiang felt a bit disappointed.

His Big Brother was good in every way, except for his eccentric personality.

As Zhu Jun Xiang scrubbed his back, he vaguely heard a low mumbling nearby.

"Sunrise in the east... a brilliant light... Spirit gods protect me... blessings establish the way..."

Zhu Jun Xiang understood. No wonder he wasn't responding; Big Brother was concentrating on memorizing the Seven Star Divine Curse.

Big Brother is Big Brother. He doesn't forget to study even while bathing. No wonder he's the class representative.

He probably didn't go back to the dorm at noon either, but found a quiet place to practice on his own?

The path to knowledge is steep, and diligence is the way. I need to learn from Big Brother.

After a comfortable hot bath, Xian Wu and Zhu Jun Xiang left the bathhouse together.

The old man tending the boiler watched them leave, utterly bewildered.

These young people have such strong bodies. They took such a long bath in cold water.

Without lingering in the dorm, Xian Wu pocketed his student ID and prepared to head to the Trial Grounds.

Students spent most of their days in class, leaving them with almost no time to hunt in the Trial Grounds. Therefore, the Trial Grounds were also open at night.

"Xian Wu, where are you going so late at night? Don't tell me you're going on a date?" Zhang Ming asked, propped up on his bed under the covers, chin resting on his hand, eyes wide open.

"A date? That's right!" Xian Wu nodded. "A female student from the next class asked me to go to the night market. I won't be joining you guys."

With that, Xian Wu gently closed the door.

Is that true or not? Zhang Ming blinked his large, expressive eyes.

After verifying his student ID with the guard, Xian Wu entered the Trial Grounds, signal flare in hand.

The bright moon shone its clear light.

The jungle at night was even darker than during the day.

Xian Wu, mustering his courage, ventured deeper into the Trial Grounds, guided by the faint moonlight.

Suddenly, the nearby bushes rustled.

Xian Wu immediately became alert, shielding himself with his Left Hand while raising his right hand, holding a wooden stick to scare off any potential threats.

Several senior students pushed through the bushes and approached. They sized up Xian Wu, who was unarmed, and left disappointed.

Xian Wu breathed a sigh of relief and continued deeper into the jungle, hoping to find a quiet place to cultivate.

Along the way, he encountered several more groups of people.

There were an unusual number of people in the jungle.

Xian Wu left the jungle and arrived at a rocky area, its strange stones jagged and the interior like a maze.

Furthermore, there seemed to be no roars of Demonic Beasts here, making it very quiet and secluded.

Walking further into the piles of rocks, Xian Wu discovered a bonfire, though it had long since gone out.

Picking up some dry firewood left nearby, he piled it into the bonfire and used some dry grass as kindling. Xian Wu then took out his flint and steel to light the fire.

This must have been a campsite abandoned by some student, but now it belonged to him.