The conference room was spacious and brightly lit. Holographic screens embedded in the walls displayed real-time enrollment data and charts assessing the potential of incoming students. At the center stood an oval floating conference table. The air was filled with a faint star-scent, a product of modern biopharmaceutical techniques using Star Beast corpses. It sharpened the mind while keeping everyone alert.
Sitting at the head of the table was Principal Ye Wanjun. Though his temples were graying, his eyes shone with startling brilliance. Flecks of lightning seemed to flicker in them whenever they opened and closed. He sat casually, yet a presence as weighty as a mountain and as explosive as a storm flowed around him. It was the mark of someone who had cultivated the core Wind-Thunder techniques to an exceptionally high level.
A Martial Dao master who had won great renown on the Astral Battlefield and now led a school, he had no need to flaunt his authority.
A dozen or so senior staff sat around the floating conference table: Xu Mingde, Director of the Admissions Office; Liu Lei, vice dean in charge of admissions; the head of the Combat Department; and representatives from the other departments.
"Let's begin." Ye Wanjun's voice was not loud, yet it reached every person in the room with an undeniable force. "Report on this year's recruitment results. Director Xu, you first."
Xu Mingde nodded and stood. A projection appeared in the center of the table, displaying a list. He cleared his throat. "Principal, everyone, we've had good results this time. After observing the candidates for a while, we've selected four for special admission."
He summoned the light screen in front of him and began his report.
The first projection showed a handsome young man with sharp brows and bright eyes, holding an ancient sword.
"First: Xiao Yun, from a sword-fighting lineage in Qiongyun Province. His Blood Qi had already surpassed 500 by the High School Entrance Exam, putting him in the Blood-Qi Realm. His Sword Momentum had also begun to take shape, and he received a perfect score for his combat performance. He has just one condition for enrolling here: once he breaks through to the Mortal Shedding Realm, he wants to enter our school's Wind-Thunder Secret Realm to comprehend Sword Momentum. The Wind-Thunder Secret Realm is saturated with the intent of wind and thunder, making it exceptionally effective for comprehending elemental Sword Momentum. That's why he chose us over the other schools."
At this, several department heads shifted their brows. The Wind-Thunder Secret Realm was one of Fenglei Martial University's core assets, and access was extremely precious. It was usually reserved for teachers and students who had made major contributions to the university, or for geniuses who achieved outstanding results in the University Cup.
The conference room fell silent for two seconds.
Ye Wanjun raised an eyebrow. "A promising talent from a sword-fighting lineage... The Wind-Thunder Secret Realm has limited spots, but his request isn't unreasonable. Any objections?"
The others exchanged glances, but no one spoke.
Fenglei Martial University was no longer what it had once been. Securing Xiao Yun was already an unexpected stroke of luck.
"Then it's approved," Ye Wanjun said, settling the matter.
Xu Mingde nodded and moved on to the second projection. It showed a sharp-eyed young man, faint lightning patterns visible in his palm.
"Second: Li Zhen, a direct descendant of the Li Family here in Ningchuan City. His Blood Qi was 480 in the High School Entrance Exam. His family's inherited art is the Wind-Thunder Palm, and the Li Family is a silent shareholder in our university. His ancestors helped build the Wind-Thunder Secret Realm. The family wants him to attend Fenglei, and he likewise requests entry to the secret realm to comprehend the intent of wind and thunder after reaching the Mortal Shedding Realm."
Ye Wanjun gave a quiet nod. "A direct descendant of the Li Family. We'll follow the usual rules. Approved."
The third projection showed a pretty young woman.
"Third: Su Wan, from an ordinary family. Her Blood Qi was 420 in the High School Entrance Exam. She made it to the seventh round of the Ranking Tournament, excels in both academics and martial arts, and specializes in Cloud Shadow Step and Butterfly Palm. She had planned to attend Nanming Martial University, but we snatched her away. After comprehensive discussions, the Admissions Office offered her these special admission terms: free access to D-Grade Martial Arts, her choice of Breathing Technique after reaching the Blood-Qi Realm, and use of the Grade B Star-Power Body Tempering Pool when she breaks through to the Mortal Shedding Realm."
The others considered it briefly and raised no objections.
Su Wan's offer wasn't top-tier, but her potential looked promising.
Ye Wanjun nodded. "Approved."
The final projection showed Lin Ye's profile. A still from the High School Entrance Exam footage appeared, the weight of his punch faintly visible.
Xu Mingde paused, then looked at Zhou Ting. "This one—Zhou Ting, you take it."
Zhou Ting nodded and stood, picking up where Xu Mingde had left off. As the one who had discovered Lin Ye and handled his recruitment, it was his responsibility to give a detailed account. "Lin Ye comes from an ordinary family and is a new student at Linjiang No. 3 High School. His Blood Qi was around 330 during the High School Entrance Exam, but he held his own against seed-level candidates from other schools in the sixth round of the Ranking Tournament. He also received a perfect score for his performance. In addition, like Xiao Yun and Li Zhen, his punches contain the beginnings of Momentum. So although his Blood Qi is low, I believe his potential is exceptionally high. I recommend offering him the same special admission terms as Su Wan, plus one Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pill per week during his first academic year to persuade him to enroll."
The conference room suddenly fell silent.
Xu Mingde was the first to voice his support. "I agree with Zhou Ting's proposal. The child's Blood Qi is clearly a weakness, and one Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pill a week could make up for it quickly. It's not a large allocation, but it's worth it."
Liu Lei, the vice dean in charge of admissions, nodded in agreement. He also thought Lin Ye deserved the offer. After all, talents who had formed the beginnings of Momentum were rare.
But as soon as Xu Mingde finished speaking, a department representative in charge of resources stood to object. "Director Xu, you should know that the quota for Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pills is always tight. You say it's not a large allocation, but one pill a week means four a month, and over an academic year, that comes to thirty-six."
"We only have around 400 Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pills for an entire academic year. That would take up a tenth of our new-student quota this year. Besides, if we give them to Lin Ye, what about everyone else? Xiao Yun and Li Zhen might not care, but what about the other ordinary-family geniuses? Take Su Wan, whom we just approved. Should we give her pills too?"
His words struck a chord with many of those present. Resources were always limited. Giving more to one person meant giving less to others. And the Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pills were a benefit for the new students as a whole. Reducing that benefit meant shrinking each department's allocation and lowering their chances of nurturing talent.
"That's right, Director Xu. Shouldn't we give this more thought? The beginnings of Momentum are only the beginnings. Whether he can condense True Momentum in the Mortal Shedding Realm is still unknown. Investing so heavily in pills carries no small risk."
"Why not bring Lin Ye's offer in line with Su Wan's and observe him for one semester? If he really does impress us, we can provide additional resources then."
Several department representatives put forward different proposals one after another, and the atmosphere in the conference room grew tense.
Zhou Ting's heart leaped into his throat. He knew how precious the Foundation-Building Blood-Qi Pills were. They gently and efficiently replenished the body and strengthened one's Blood Qi foundation, making them especially suitable for someone like Lin Ye, who had improved through grueling training and carried subtle physical weaknesses. He hadn't expected the opposition to be so direct.
But when he thought about it, it made sense. The pills were produced in limited quantities. If they gave them all to Lin Ye, what about everyone else?
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