Identity confirmed: Qin Yan, freshman class of 2025, academy unassigned, rank: non-martial artist. Insufficient clearance. Access to the Public Martial Arts Hall denied.
A cold electronic voice sounded.
At the same time, an invisible energy barrier seemed to rise at the entrance. No matter what Qin Yan tried, he could not pass through.
Some upperclassmen training inside noticed. Several let out good-natured laughs.
"Haha, another freshman caught by the clearance barrier!"
"Nothing unusual. Didn't we run into the same thing back then?"
"Don't lose heart, kid. Once you're assigned to an academy and become a martial artist, you can train wherever you want!"
Qin Yan's face grew hot, but he said nothing. He simply turned and left.
That small setback gave him a deeper understanding of Dean Su Zhiming's words: at Magic Capital Martial University, privilege and respect came only with strength!
Back in his cramped dorm room, Qin Yan had no choice but to practice the most basic boxing forms.
He went through the fundamental movements again and again, honing his control over every bit of force.
Sweat soaked his training clothes and dripped onto the floor.
He kept at it for three hours, stopping only when his whole body ached.
After a simple dinner, he resumed his practice that evening...
And so, three days passed in tedious but productive preparation.
The day of the Freshman Trial finally arrived.
Arena No. 1 resembled an ancient Roman arena and carried an air of grim menace.
Standing among the freshmen in the waiting area, Qin Yan looked around and found fewer than three hundred students gathered there.
He understood at once. The other freshmen must have been assigned to different arenas.
That made sense. If nearly a thousand freshmen took their trials here one by one, it would take days and nights to finish.
He also noticed that almost every freshman in Arena No. 1 had concentrated vitality and a sharp gaze.
They were clearly among the highest-ranked students by ID number, and a large proportion were already martial artists.
Qin Yan privately dubbed it "the elite arena."
Quite a few upperclassmen had already taken seats in the distant circular stands.
They chatted quietly with relaxed smiles, as though they had come to watch a show.
"Place your bets! How many freshmen in Arena No. 1 will take down a Fishman Warrior outright this year?"
"Seven at most, I'd say!"
"Heh, I'll play it safe and bet on five. Maybe this year's batch is a little more 'gentle'?"
"..."
Su Zhiming and the instructors appeared once more on the platform. Their gazes swept over the visibly nervous freshmen below.
Then Su Zhiming's powerful voice rang out again.
"I assume you all know the rules and what this trial entails.
"Fighting a Fishman Warrior is no game!
"Injuries are commonplace, and there is even... a chance of death!"
The word "death" struck many of the freshmen like a hammer. Suppressed cries and murmurs rippled through the crowd, and fear showed plainly in many eyes.
Even the air seemed to grow still.
"If anyone is afraid and wishes to withdraw, speak up now!"
"This is your last chance.
"Once the trial begins, anyone who flees will be treated as a deserter!
"Magic Martial University has no place for cowards!"
Silence fell over the arena, broken only by heavy breathing.
But not a single person stepped forward to withdraw.
Everyone standing there had been among the best in their home region. Each carried a pride that would not be trampled.
Su Zhiming gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
In truth, with an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster like him overseeing the trial, the chance of death was almost zero.
His warning had merely been an initial test of the freshmen's resolve.
The results were passable.
"Since no one is withdrawing, I'll waste no more words. The Freshman Trial begins now!"
Su Zhiming's voice boomed as he swept out a hand. "Bring out the Fishman Warrior!"
Rumble—
At the edge of the vast circular arena below, a heavy metal gate streaked with dark red rust slowly rose.
A wind carrying the stench of salt and rot blew from the dark passage beyond.
Then a tall, burly figure emerged, dragging heavy alloy shackles step by step.
It was the Fishman Warrior they had seen in the projection!
He was even more hideous in person. His gray-blue skin gleamed slickly under the lights, and the emotionless blue eyes in his fishlike head swept over the stands with primal savagery.
He gripped a rusty yet coldly gleaming Trident Halberd. A low, drowning gurgle sounded in his throat.
The atmosphere turned grim and oppressive in an instant.
Above the arena, Su Zhiming flicked a finger. A thin streak of Golden Light shot out like lightning, striking the alloy shackles around the Fishman Warrior's ankles and shattering them.
Clang!
The shackles hit the ground.
Freed from his restraints, the Fishman Warrior let out a hoarse roar. He flexed his thick arms and cast a bloodthirsty gaze around him.
"Combat order follows student ID numbers, from lowest to highest!
"First up, Lin Dong!"
In the queue, a slightly skinny young man with a buzz cut jolted.
He gritted his teeth and made his way into the passage leading to the arena, his legs so heavy he could barely move them.
A moment later, he appeared on the arena floor with a standard-issue saber in hand. But the hand gripping it trembled.
"The match begins!"
As soon as the announcement sounded, the gate behind Lin Dong slammed shut.
At the same moment, blue light flared in the Fishman Warrior's eyes. He kicked off with his powerful legs and charged at Lin Dong through a gust of fishy wind, swinging his Sea Halberd with speed that belied his size!
"Ah!" Lin Dong's nerve broke under the ferocious assault. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. His saber fell beside him with a clang.
The Fishman Warrior reached him in a flash. He raised his Sea Halberd high and brought it down toward Lin Dong's head with a vicious rush of air!
"I surrender!" Lin Dong shouted.
At the last possible instant, a soft yet resilient golden barrier enveloped Lin Dong.
Thud!
The Sea Halberd struck the barrier with a muffled impact. The barrier did not budge; not even a ripple crossed it.
Instead, the backlash sent the Fishman Warrior stumbling backward. An invisible force then pinned him in place, leaving him unable to move.
"Lin Dong loses. Eliminated!" Su Zhiming's cold voice rang out.
Staff members hurried forward and helped the nearly limp Lin Dong away.
The instructors in the stands shook their heads, disappointment written across their faces.
With resolve like that, he was not even worth evaluating.
It seemed to set a disastrous tone.
The trials that followed did not improve right away. Nearly a hundred students entered the arena in succession, and more than half fared little better than Lin Dong. Faced with the Fishman Warrior's savage charge, they panicked and quickly lost.