Assembly

Seeing the two chatting so happily, Xue Hang, who was walking ahead, did not interrupt them.

Wasn't that how youth was meant to be? Fighting was just a normal little matter. For boys, fighting today and fooling around together tomorrow was perfectly ordinary.

Such unrestrained youth... Back then, he had had quite a few good friends too. Some had died, some had been crippled, and those left were either busy taking on missions or busy heading down into the Underground Cave.

He himself often went out on missions as well. Where would he find so much spare time to play around?

Listening to the two behind him talking and laughing, Xue Hang sighed inwardly. Cherish this time. Once they entered the Underground Cave, days this peaceful would become even fewer.

The dormitory district was located on the eastern side of the school. It housed not only the freshmen, but students from other years as well.

There were four zones of freshman dormitories, with 200 units in each zone.

Zone 1 had one person per unit. The first hundred units were ranked by strength, while the latter hundred were for those who had paid sponsorship fees.

Zone 2 had two people per unit, Zone 3 had three, and Zone 4 had four. Altogether, they could accommodate 2,000 people.

Each zone would leave some units vacant for later allocation.

Under normal circumstances, Magic Martial Academy admitted no more than 1,600 freshmen each year.

The dormitory district had been built around the Artificial Lake, all of it made up of two- or three-story row houses.

Before long, the group arrived at Freshman Zone 1 in the southeast corner.

After seeing Su Yi and Cheng Wen to the foot of their dormitory building, Xue Hang exchanged phone numbers with Su Yi, left behind two schedule sheets, and departed.

Su Yi and Cheng Wen's rooms were both on the second floor. The row houses in Freshman Zone 1 were all two stories high—the upper floor held rooms No. 1 through No. 100, while the lower floor held No. 101 through No. 200.

The two each entered their own room.

After opening the door, Su Yi set down his backpack and looked around at the room's facilities.

Bedroom, living room, Training Room, study, bathroom, kitchen—it had everything, and the furnishings were quite nice as well.

He had just sat down on the sofa when Cheng Wen, having already put away his luggage, came in.

"Su Yi, let's go to the supermarket and buy some daily necessities. We still have to gather at three this afternoon. If we're late, they'll deduct Credit Points!"

Cheng Wen had already asked about the schedule at home.

The freshmen would register in the morning, with time afterward to buy necessities and say goodbye to their parents.

At 3 p.m., they were to gather at No. 1 Playground.

At 8 a.m. tomorrow, they were to gather at the Training Building.

They would lose Credit Points for being late to either gathering. This was the annual custom.

Su Yi rose to his feet. "Let's go."

Before long, the two bought their daily necessities and some food from the school supermarket. After chatting for a while, they agreed to go to the afternoon gathering together.

After tidying up his room, Su Yi entered the Training Room and began cultivating.

Whenever he had free time, Su Yi would consciously begin cultivating. It was a habit he had developed over the past few months.

Afternoon.

Su Yi and Cheng Wen headed toward No. 1 Playground.

There were still more than ten minutes until the appointed time, but many people had already gathered on the field.

Quite a few people in the spectator stands above were chatting and laughing as well.

Su Yi looked toward the Rostrum. Huang Jing, Wu Kuishan...

Soon, it was exactly three o'clock. Huang Jing suddenly shouted from the Rostrum, "Line up!"

Hearing Huang Jing's words, Su Yi gestured to Cheng Wen beside him. "Let's line up."

The other freshmen were utterly confused. With no one guiding them, the field was a chaotic mess.

The lines were uneven, and some students were still standing outside them, chatting.

Three minutes passed before Huang Jing shouted again, "The gathering time has arrived. Those who are late and those not in formation will have 20 Credit Points deducted."

Gate Sealing!

At the cry of Gate Sealing, several students from the Martial Arts Club at the iron fence gate swiftly shut the entrance.

The freshmen outside looked panicked, while the students inside who were still outside the formation hurried to squeeze into the lines.

"Stay where you are!" Huang Jing barked coldly. His qi and blood erupted, its pressure bearing down on everyone across the entire field.

"Such powerful pressure. As expected of a Grandmaster!"

On the Rostrum, Huang Jing glanced at Su Yi. Such powerful qi and blood—at least 800 cal. Was this Mingjie's child? Truly a fine seedling.

"Students, let me introduce myself. My name is Huang Jing, Dean of the Weapon Academy! The first thing I want to teach you after entering Magic Martial Academy is to obey the rules! A gathering at three means three. There is no room for bargaining! Those absent, late, or not lined up according to the rules will all have 20 Credit Points deducted!"

"Without those 20 Credit Points, anyone without family backing will fall far behind ordinary people."

Cheng Wen muttered, "A moment of silence for them."

"They brought it on themselves." Su Yi had no sympathy for them. Without rules, there could be no order.

Huang Jing seemed to have heard him as well and said indifferently, "Perhaps some of you do not understand just how important Magic Martial Academy's Credit Points are. Let me put it simply. At Magic Martial Academy, 3 Credit Points can be exchanged for one Common Qi-Blood Pill. 10 Credit Points can be exchanged for one First Grade Qi-Blood Pill. You can treat 1 Credit Point as 10,000 in cash, or understand it as 30,000 in outside cash. Because Magic Martial Academy's exchange rate is roughly one-third of the market price."

"Magic Martial Academy promises: cultivation before First Grade is free!"

"But this free access isn't unlimited. Every new student has 50 Credit Points—meaning all the cultivation resources you'll have before reaching First Grade!"

50 Credit Points were worth 1.5 million.

Everyone on the field could not help casting sympathetic looks toward those who had not joined the formation and those standing outside the iron gates.

Huang Jing paid no attention to the students whose Credit Points had been deducted and continued in a ringing voice, "Magic Martial Academy has not been founded for long—only forty-six years to date. Over those forty-six years, countless students have left Magic Martial Academy. They cast away their heads and spilled their blood, and only then did Magic Martial Academy become what it is today—only then did you gain what you have today."

"Entering Magic Martial Academy is not for you to enjoy life, nor is it to make you superior to others!"

"At Magic Martial Academy, the first thing you must understand is this: only by giving as much as you want to gain can you reap as much as you desire!"

"What are martial artists? They are not those who use strength to bully the weak, not those who throw their weight around in the marketplace, not political brokers..."

"Martial artists are the guardians of this city, this nation, this world!"

"We are great, yet we are also small. You could even call us tragic..."

"You do not understand now, nor do you need to! But one day, you will understand. Entering Magic Martial Academy may not mark the beginning of the pinnacle of your life—it may mark the beginning of tragedy!"

"But since you are unwilling to be ordinary, unwilling to remain unknown, then prepare yourselves for this!"

"Since you have entered Martial University, learn to fight for it—to fight for the chance to become stronger, more outstanding!"

"Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared!"

"..."

Huang Jing's voice echoed across the entire field.

It also echoed in Su Yi's heart. Though he already knew what Huang Jing wanted to say, he still listened with utmost solemnity.

It was respect for a Grandmaster, and also respect for martial artists.

Though he did not know how the author of the original novel had written such a tragic and stirring world.

He kept reminding himself in his heart that this was not merely a book. This was reality—reality!

Books were written by people, and there would inevitably be errors and omissions.

They were all living, breathing people. They had emotions of their own, and their personalities could change as well.

To believe every word in a book was worse than having no book at all.

"Magic Martial Academy does not have too many cumbersome formalities, but that does not mean there are no rules at all. The rules that should be followed must be followed."

"Likewise, Magic Martial Academy will give everyone opportunities to prove themselves. When it is time to perform, learn to show yourselves!"

"The entrance ceremony is not complicated. It is very simple."

"Everyone will get to know one another. Mentors will get to know students, and students will get to know mentors. At Magic Martial Academy, the way we get acquainted is also very simple..."

As Huang Jing spoke, he turned slightly to the side. "On the stage, there are now twelve mentors from the Four Academies!"

"Please introduce yourselves to the students you will be taking!"

Once Huang Jing finished, a middle-aged man stepped out from behind him. Dense Blood Qi rose above his head, and amid the vast Blood Qi came a trace of mental pressure.

"Weapon Academy, new student mentor, Wu Kuishan!"

Immediately afterward, another person stepped forward and said blandly, "Weapon Academy, new student mentor, Yan Bo!"

"..."

"Tactical Guidance Academy, new student mentor, Qiu Wenhong!"

"..."

"Liberal Arts Academy, new student mentor, Xie Tinglian!"

"..."

The twelve mentors unleashed their Blood Qi without restraint. This was how they got to know the new students.

Su Yi glanced at Wu Kuishan, then immediately withdrew his gaze.

Below the stage, the new students' faces had all turned red. They found it difficult to breathe and retreated again and again under the pressure.

Meanwhile, Cheng Wen and the other new students who had reached First Grade or undergone the same Second Bone Tempering stood where they were with grave expressions, struggling to withstand the Blood Qi pressure from the mentors.

Su Yi did not feel much pressure. He patted Cheng Wen beside him. Understanding at once, Cheng Wen took several steps forward, erupted with Blood Qi, and walked out against the pressure. "Magic Martial Academy new student, Cheng Wen!"

Cheng Wen's appearance immediately drew many eyes.

In the spectator stands, a student dressed in martial arts attire chuckled at the person beside him. "The first high-quality new student has stepped out."

The older student beside him nodded and sighed. "His Blood Qi isn't low. A martial artist who has undergone Second Bone Tempering, with One Limb Bone tempered. But that White Clothes beside him is the truly terrifying one—the number one among the new students!"

Compared to everyone else's performance, Su Yi's ease could be summed up in just two words: vast gap.

"Ning Jiang, what number one new student? How come I didn't know about that?" The man who had spoken first was somewhat baffled.

The man called Ning Jiang curled his lip. "What the hell would you know? You disappear every other day. The news came out this morning—a Third Grade Mid Stage martial artist."

"Gasp! That's terrifying. Is he even human? A genius like that should be brought into the Martial Arts Club quickly."

"What's the rush? We'll talk tomorrow. For now, let's watch the other new students..."

Below the stage, one freshman after another stepped forward.

"Magic Martial Academy freshman, Wu Duoduo!"

"Magic Martial Academy freshman, Hong Yushu!"

"Magic Martial Academy freshman, Wang Yang!"

"Magic Martial Academy freshman, Bai Ruoxi!"

"..."

A string of self-introductions rang out. Su Yi smiled as he counted, "One, two... eight... sixteen. Including me, seventeen."

Not everyone could open their mouths under the pressure of twelve mentors.

By the end, only sixteen had truly stepped forward to introduce themselves.

After all sixteen had announced themselves, Su Yi finally erupted with Blood Qi. "Magic Martial Academy freshman, Su Yi."

The three girls were all surprisingly pretty.

The proportion of female students admitted to Magic Martial Academy was pitifully low to begin with, probably only around twenty percent, and beautiful ones were even rarer.

Unlike the girls' academy next door.