A Terrible Prelude

"Identity verified: Qin Yan, freshman class of 2025, undeclared school, level: non-Martial Artist.

Insufficient clearance. Unable to enter the Public Martial Arts Hall."

A cold electronic prompt sounded.

At the same time, an invisible energy barrier seemed to rise at the entrance. No matter how Qin Yan tried, he could not pass through.

Some upperclassmen training inside noticed the scene, and quite a few let out good-natured laughs.

"Haha, another freshman kid stopped by the clearance wall!"

"Perfectly normal. Didn't we all get embarrassed like this back then?"

"Don't lose heart, junior. Once you're assigned to a school and break through to Martial Artist, you can train wherever you want!"

Qin Yan's face grew a little hot, but he said nothing and merely turned to leave in silence.

This small setback gave him an even deeper understanding of Dean Su Zhiming's words—at Magic Capital Martial University, privilege and respect were tied only to strength!

Back in his cramped dorm room, Qin Yan had no choice but to practice the most basic boxing techniques.

Again and again, he ran through the simplest stances, honing his fine control over his strength.

Sweat soaked through his training uniform, drop after drop striking the floor.

He practiced continuously for three hours before finally stopping, his entire body aching.

After a simple dinner, he continued training that night...

And so, amid dull yet fulfilling preparation, three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The day of the Freshman Trial had finally arrived.

Arena No. 1 resembled an ancient Roman coliseum and brimmed with a grim, murderous air.

Standing among the freshmen in the waiting area, Qin Yan looked around and found that fewer than three hundred freshmen had gathered here.

He understood at once: *It seems the other freshmen have been assigned to other arenas.

Makes sense. If nearly a thousand freshmen had to undergo trials here one by one, it would take days and nights to finish.*

He also keenly noticed that nearly every freshman in Arena No. 1 possessed condensed Blood Qi and sharp eyes.

They were clearly the students at the very top of the rankings, with an exceptionally high proportion already being martial artists.

Qin Yan privately dubbed this place the "No. 1 Elite Arena."

Quite a few upperclassmen were already seated in the distant circular stands.

They wore relaxed smiles and chatted quietly, as though they were watching a performance.

"Betting's open, betting's open! How many people do you think will take down a Murloc Warrior outright in Arena No. 1 this year?"

"I'm guessing seven at most!"

"Hehe, I'll be conservative and bet on five! Maybe this year's class will be a little more 'gentle'?"

"..."

On the podium, Su Zhiming and a group of instructors appeared once more, their gazes sweeping across the somewhat nervous freshmen below.

Then Su Zhiming's powerful voice rang out again.

"I trust you are all already clear on the Rules and contents of this trial.

Fighting Fishman Warriors is no child's play!

Injuries are commonplace, and there may even... be deaths!"

The word "deaths" struck many freshmen like a heavy hammer. Suppressed gasps and unrest immediately spread through the arena, and undisguised terror appeared in many eyes.

Even the air seemed to freeze.

"If anyone is afraid and wishes to withdraw, speak up now!"

"This is your last chance.

Once the trial officially begins, anyone who flees in the middle of battle will be treated as a deserter!

Magic Martial University has no room for cowards!"

The arena fell silent, broken only by the rise and fall of heavy breathing.

Yet not a single person stepped forward to withdraw.

Everyone standing here was a prodigy from their respective regions, and each of them possessed a pride that would not tolerate being trampled upon.

Seeing this, Su Zhiming nodded almost imperceptibly.

In truth, with an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster like him overseeing the trial, the possibility of death was practically nonexistent.

His earlier words had merely been a preliminary test of these freshmen's resolve.

The results were passable.

"Since no one is withdrawing, then I won't waste any more words. The Freshman Trial begins now!"

Su Zhiming's voice boomed as he waved a large hand. "Send in the Fishman Warrior!"

Rumble—

At the edge of the enormous circular arena below, a heavy metal gate covered in dark red rust slowly rose.

A gust carrying the stench of salt, fish, and rot blew out from the depths of the passageway.

Then, a tall, burly figure emerged step by step, dragging heavy alloy shackles behind it.

It was the Fishman Warrior they had seen in the projection!

It looked even more savage and terrifying than it had in the projection. Its gray-blue skin gleamed with an oily sheen beneath the lights, while its emotionless blue eyes swept across the stands with primitive brutality.

It gripped a rust-covered yet coldly gleaming Trident Halberd, letting out a low, drowning-like gurgle from its throat.

The atmosphere instantly turned grim and oppressive.

In midair, Su Zhiming flicked a finger. A faint streak of Golden Light shot out like lightning, precisely shattering the alloy shackles around the Murloc Warrior's ankles.

"Clang!"

The shackles hit the ground.

Freed from its restraints, the Murloc Warrior let out a hoarse roar, flexed its thick arms, and swept its bloodthirsty gaze around.

"The order of battle will follow student numbers, from lowest to highest! First up, Lin Dong!"

Within the group, a short-haired, slightly scrawny boy suddenly trembled.

He gritted his teeth and walked toward the passage leading to the arena, his legs feeling as though they had been filled with lead. He was practically dragging himself forward.

Before long, he appeared in the arena below with a standard-issue combat saber in hand, though the hand gripping it was trembling slightly.

"Begin!"

As the announcement fell, the gate to the passage behind Lin Dong slammed shut.

At the same time, blue light flared brightly in the Murloc Warrior's eyes. Its thick legs kicked off the ground, and it charged at Lin Dong with a fishy gust of wind, swinging its halberd at a speed utterly disproportionate to its size!

"Ah!" Lin Dong was completely terrified by its ferocious momentum. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground, his combat saber falling beside him with a clatter.

The Murloc Warrior arrived in an instant. Its raised halberd tore through the air as it smashed viciously toward Lin Dong's head!

"I surrender!" Lin Dong shouted.

At the critical moment, a soft yet resilient golden barrier instantly enveloped Lin Dong's entire body.

"Bang!"

The halberd struck the barrier with a dull boom. The barrier did not budge in the slightest; not even a ripple appeared.

Instead, the Murloc Warrior staggered backward from the recoil, then was pinned in place by an invisible force, unable to move.

"Lin Dong, defeated! Eliminated!" Su Zhiming's icy voice rang out.

Staff immediately stepped forward and helped the nearly collapsed Lin Dong away.

The mentors in the audience shook their heads, their faces full of disappointment.

With such a mentality, he was not even qualified to receive their evaluation.

It was as though this had opened a terrible prelude.

The following trials did not improve at once. Nearly a hundred students took the field in succession, and more than half of them performed little better than Lin Dong. Under the Murloc Warrior's ferocious assault, they made complete fools of themselves and were swiftly defeated.