The Start of the School Year

The sweltering summer days had mostly passed, and the season for starting school was fast approaching.

Chen Shouyi parked his bicycle and locked it securely. He then met up with his usual group of friends, and as they walked towards the school, they bantered and boasted.

"I enrolled in a Martial Arts Cram Class this summer, and I feel like I've made a lot of progress. I'm pretty sure I can pass the Martial Apprentice test next year in my final year of high school," said the scrawny Chen Shouyi, patting his flat chest loudly.

Zhao Yifeng, who was short and stout, chuckled beside him. "Stop bragging. We all know each other! Didn't you call me last time saying your mom signed you up for Mathematics tutoring and it was making your head explode?"

Sun Xin, standing nearby, chimed in, "People like us shouldn't even dream of passing the Martial Apprentice assessment. We'd be better off just getting into a decent junior college."

Chen Shouyi's face flushed slightly, and he retorted with a hint of annoyance, "Who only signs up for one cram class these days? My schedule this summer has been packed every single day. Of course, Martial Arts isn't being neglected."

As if to emphasize his point, he continued, "In short, I'm determined to become a Martial Artist."

It had been nearly twenty years since the Otherworld and Earth merged. In those two decades, both sides had launched several large-scale wars in an attempt to conquer each other, but each attempt ended in a crushing defeat.

The reason for this was the vastly different rules governing the two worlds. Electronic devices and explosives would malfunction upon entering the Otherworld, and the gravity, which was three times higher, struck fear into the hearts of the armies.

Similarly, Deities and their sacrificial rituals from that world quickly dissipated their divine powers and sorcery upon entering Earth.

To date, several powerful Deities had already fallen on Earth.

Only pure Martial Arts strength could prevail everywhere.

From then on, Martial Arts on Earth began to develop rapidly, changing with each passing day. Becoming a Martial Artist and exploring the Otherworld had become a societal trend, and Chen Shouyi was naturally influenced by this wave.

Unfortunately, he was born with a weak constitution and had been sickly since childhood. Even with all his effort, he couldn't compare to others.

Chen Shouyi inwardly resented his friends, but he didn't want to fall out with them. He wasn't academically gifted, nor was he skilled in Martial Arts. His looks and family background were also lacking, leaving him with no presence in class. These two were his only friends.

Perhaps it was a shared sense of misfortune, but these three individuals, who lacked any real presence, always found a rare sense of camaraderie.

After paying his tuition fees, Chen Shouyi quietly took a seat in the third row from the back, his eyes subtly searching for the attractive girls.

The summer break had just ended, and the weather was still quite hot. Most of the girls in the class were dressed in light, revealing clothing.

They gathered in groups of three or five, leaning against each other, chattering excitedly as if they had endless things to talk about, occasionally jumping up and down with enthusiasm.

"Did you finish your summer homework?" Sun Xin asked, dropping his schoolbag.

"Of course!" Chen Shouyi said, discreetly looking away.

"Let me see it, I need to copy it!"

"Three meals!"

"Just one meal, or I'll find someone else to copy from," Sun Xin huffed.

"Alright, just one meal. I want potato and beef stew!" Chen Shouyi, knowing when to stop, took out his summer homework from his bag.

Watching Sun Xin bury his head in copying the homework, a sense of superiority welled up within him.

Then, his expression turned somber again. He could only find a sliver of superiority when facing his deskmate, who always struggled at the bottom of the class.

His own grades were just below average. In this ordinary, third-rate high school, in this ordinary class, these grades would only be enough to get him into a junior college.

The future, for him, was likely bleak.

Although in countless wild dreams, he often dreamt of himself in a luxury car, surrounded by bodyguards, with a crowd of beautiful and alluring women fighting to die for him, yet he remained indifferent, discarding them like worn-out shoes.

Or perhaps, he became a powerful Martial Artist, appearing before crowds of reporters, with countless microphones thrust into his mouth, yet he remained calm, his eyes shining, speaking eloquently.

But dreams were just dreams. Upon waking, the harsh reality would set in. This summer, he had been working hard, but with little success.

Sometimes, the gap between geniuses and ordinary people was wider than the gap between apes and humans.

The class advisor, Cao Lili, had gained some weight after giving birth last year and had become even more talkative.

"This semester, you are all in your final year of high school. I won't say much more. Those who understand already do, and those who don't, should by now. The Gaokao is a crucial crossroads in life, largely determining your future.

If life is a marathon, the Gaokao is the starting line where you truly engage with society. If you have an advantage at the start, you will at least have an advantage for a period of time.

Of course, if you have a talent for martial arts, that's another matter, but that path is even more difficult.

Last year, including students who had completely given up on their studies and taken a year or two off, only twenty-one students managed to pass the Martial Apprentice assessment and successfully enter a Martial Arts Academy. That's fewer than the number of students who got into prestigious universities. Instead of investing a lot of energy in Martial Arts, it would be better to study hard and get into a good school. At least there's a decent chance."

The martial arts atmosphere at Dongning Fifth Middle School was not strong. Those with talent were scouted by other key schools as early as elementary school. After rigorous selection, those who ended up in this third-rate high school were basically the ones who had been eliminated.

Not only did the school not offer Martial Arts classes like Dongning First Middle School, but even the Martial Arts classes held every two days were often occupied by other subjects.

Listening to the class advisor's motivational speech about the Gaokao, Chen Shouyi felt a sense of confusion.

In fact, he was not firm in his decision about whether to go to university or a Martial Arts Academy. For him, passing the Martial Apprentice assessment or getting into university both seemed like slim hopes.

He spent the entire morning in a daze, completely unaware of what was taught in the morning classes.

As soon as the bell rang, Chen Shouyi immediately cast aside his melancholic thoughts. He, Sun Xin, and Zhao Yifeng dashed off together, heading straight for the small restaurant in the cafeteria.

Compared to the public cafeteria, this place was clearly more upscale. On the first day after the summer break, many people had some money in their pockets. Despite their mad dash, by the time they arrived, a long queue had already formed.

They waited for a good ten minutes before it was their turn.

"One potato and beef stew."

"Me too!"

"I'll have scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

Chen Shouyi stuffed food into his mouth, muttering criticisms, "They must have changed the chef this year. This beef stew is too tough, and the sauce isn't flavorful. It's not even as good as my dad's cooking!"

"I think so too!" Sun Xin agreed. "When are you going to invite us over for a meal at your place sometime?"

"It's like you've never eaten before. Tell me, how many times have I treated you? Five times already, right? Whenever you come over, you always stay for a meal." Chen Shouyi said dismissively.

"Last time I visited, I didn't see your sister. Why was that?" Zhao Yifeng chimed in.

As soon as his sister was mentioned, Chen Shouyi became highly alert. "She's out participating in the Ningzhou District High School Martial Arts Exchange Competition. Don't you dare get any ideas about my sister."

If Chen Shouyi was just an ordinary person, then his sister Chen Xingyue was a genius. She was now the top student in the martial arts class at the city's only key middle school. For her, being a Martial Apprentice was not a insurmountable obstacle; she could cross it with a light step.

His decision not to give up on Martial Arts was partly due to the motivation his sister provided.

At that moment, a commotion arose in the cafeteria.

"Ding Liang is here."

"So that's Ding Liang!"

"I heard he passed the Martial Apprentice assessment last semester. The school even put up a banner!"

"Such strong muscles, I really want to pinch them!"

Ding Liang strode into the cafeteria, not looking left or right. His powerful muscles strained his vest to its limit. Many girls' eyes lit up as they whispered and discussed.

Chen Shouyi watched, secretly envious.

What shallow women.

One day.

I...

"Stop looking. It's no use staring! That's talent, you can't envy it," Zhao Yifeng said softly, patting his bulging belly.

Zhao Yifeng's words were like a bucket of cold water, bringing Chen Shouyi back to reality.