Your Mom Was Right

Jiang Ran calmly finished reading the announcement.

From the moment it was published,

it meant that the entire modern world had officially begun advancing into the transcendent era.

The cover-ups, probing, and limited disclosures of the past had all become history.

What came next was a stage of reshaping public understanding.

Not long after Jiang Ran finished reading, his screen lit up.

It was a message from the dean of studies.

"Teacher Jiang, the school will hold an awards ceremony first thing tomorrow morning. You must be there, and you can't be late."

Jiang Ran replied that he'd received the message, then put down his phone.

He sat alone at the table, his fingers tapping against its surface without conscious thought.

Xiaoyu had probably gone to bed by now, so Jiang Ran didn't message her. Instead, he planned to visit her at school in person the next day.

Then Jiang Ran pulled out a sheet of paper and picked up a pen.

He wrote down five terms.

Ancestral People, Deities, Exotic Beasts, humanity, Ancient Transcendents.

The pen paused on the page as he began to organize his thoughts.

After their trip to the Ancient Tomb, the situation inside the Abyssal Void had turned out to be far more complicated than he'd imagined.

Among them, the Ancestral People and the Exotic Beasts could be confirmed as completely hostile factions.

After all, their interests were fundamentally at odds.

Humans were both food and experience points to them, and vice versa.

That made it impossible for the three sides to coexist.

As for the Deities...

Judging from the murals in Qu Yuan's Tomb and what the elderly Shaman had said, they were probably hostile as well.

But Jiang Ran hadn't encountered any yet, and some of the Deities were gods worshipped throughout human history.

So, for now, he'd marked them as uncertain.

And the Ancient Transcendents...

Jiang Ran lightly tapped the tabletop with the end of his pen.

Judging from Zhou Yuan's reaction, the Federation had probably found some Ancient Transcendents... still alive in other Ancient Tombs.

And those people hadn't attacked the Federation's personnel.

So, since the Federation was currently developing Ancient Tombs on a large scale, they could tentatively be considered allies or neutral parties on humanity's side.

But even judging by the situation so far,

humanity's prospects looked grim.

Because the most numerous creatures known to exist in the Abyssal Void were the Exotic Beasts.

They were endless, spread throughout every region.

Whether humanity could stand against the Exotic Beasts alone was still an unanswered question. But one thing was certain: if the ancient Ancestral People were added to the equation...

humanity would be at a definite disadvantage.

Because they couldn't count on the Ancient Transcendents.

The reason was simple: there couldn't be many Ancient Transcendents.

Besides, if they were really that powerful,

the transcendent civilization wouldn't have collapsed in their era...

So the Ancient Transcendents might be able to provide some knowledge and teachings.

But they couldn't fundamentally change the balance of power between humanity and the Ancestral People and Exotic Beasts.

Overall...

In the end, it all came down to whether the so-called Deities really existed.

If they did, what was their attitude?

After thinking it over, Jiang Ran set down the paper.

That was his assessment of the current situation inside the Abyssal Void.

The outlook wasn't good, but everything had only just begun. No one could say what the future would bring.

All he could do now was plan each step carefully.

Jiang Ran looked at his several Profession Panels.

At the moment, only [Traditional Bow Shooting Lv.5 (210/500)], [Blade Arts Lv.7 (410/700)], and Chinese and mathematics had experience progress.

If he wanted to unlock the remaining Nuo Opera Master skills quickly,

he could only work on those skills.

Chinese and mathematics shouldn't be a problem.

He just needed to give Xiao Rou dedicated lessons in those two subjects.

As for Traditional Bow Shooting, if he asked Li Xintong to activate her supernatural ability and spar with him, that shouldn't be much of a problem either.

But Blade Arts...

"I wonder if Old Chen could take it if I hit him with a real blade?"

Jiang Ran rubbed his chin.

As long as he controlled his strength, it should... be fine, right?

That was what he thought.

The next day arrived.

After a night of public discussion,

the atmosphere across the Federation had clearly changed.

As Jiang Ran rode to school, he saw people everywhere discussing the news.

Every headline at the newspaper kiosks was about it.

The televisions in convenience stores were replaying the Federation spokesperson's speech, and even the billboards at the bus stops had been changed to read: "Explore Rationally, Safety First."

Jiang Ran also sent Xiaoyu a message.

"Focus on your studies for now. Don't worry about anything else. I'll come see you tonight."

She quickly replied:

"Got it."

Brief and to the point, just like Xiaoyu.

Jiang Ran smiled and put his phone away.

When he arrived at the teachers' office, he didn't even need to ask. The teachers inside had already started talking about the awards ceremony.

"I heard two students are being honored this time. They're both from our school."

"That's right. They're both capable of entering the Abyssal Void. That's incredible."

"My kid kept pestering me about it all last night. They want to go too..."

A female English teacher looked at Jiang Ran, undisguised envy in her eyes.

"Teacher Jiang, your students have really made you proud this time."

The remark caught Jiang Ran off guard, so he asked:

"What's going on?"

At that, a male teacher beside her looked surprised.

"Teacher Jiang, didn't you watch the news last night?"

Jiang Ran nodded.

"Of course I did."

"Then you haven't heard?" the woman picked up. "Li Hao from your class and Zhou Ming, the top student—they both joined the Fire-Kindling Academy voluntarily. Their speeches even mentioned you, Teacher Jiang."

Jiang Ran couldn't help but pause in surprise.

He asked curiously:

"What did they say about me?"

The teachers exchanged knowing smiles and kept him in suspense.

"You'll find out soon."

Seeing that, Jiang Ran could only laugh helplessly.

Soon, it was time for morning exercises.

In other words, it was time for the awards ceremony.

The teachers and students lined up on the sports field.

A red banner with white lettering stretched across the platform: "Honoring Excellence, Embracing Our Mission: Ceremony for Our Students' Selection to the Federation's Fire-Kindling Academy."

The principal, dean of studies, and others were already seated.

Zhou Ming went up first.

He wore a neat school uniform, with a Fire-Kindling Academy badge pinned to his chest.

It showed a flame encircling an open book, symbolizing the fire of knowledge and the passing down of civilization.

His speech followed the usual format.

He thanked the school for its guidance and the Federation for the opportunity, then described how he'd entered the Abyssal Void by accident, his initial fear and confusion, and how he'd gradually adapted and grown.

Then he shifted gears.

"Here, I'd especially like to thank my former counselor, Teacher Jiang Ran."

Down among the teachers, Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

"When I was at my most anxious and afraid, Teacher Jiang said something to me."

Zhou Ming paused. His voice carried across the sports field through the microphone. "He said, whatever the truth may be, someone will find a way to deal with it."

"And that someone could be you."

"That made me realize that panicking wouldn't help, and neither would running away.

Our generation just happens to have reached a turning point in history.

Rather than complain, we should become the people who find a way forward."

Applause rang out from the crowd.

Listening from below, Jiang Ran felt a little moved.

He had to admit...

That approach worked well on teenagers in the prime of their youthful idealism.

It appealed to their heroic instincts.

At the same time, it strengthened their sense of responsibility and mission.

Public recognition and speeches like this could also inspire the other students.

If more young people entered the Abyssal Void in the future, they'd be more inclined to join the Fire-Kindling Academy and become the ones receiving recognition.

Jiang Ran didn't think that was a bad thing.

When individuals weren't yet capable of providing for themselves,

the Federation really was the best refuge these children could have.

It offered organization, training, and resources. At the very least, it was safer than stumbling blindly through the unknown on their own.

After Zhou Ming finished speaking, it was Li Hao's turn.

Li Hao's speech was much the same, with one key difference: Zhou Ming would go straight to the Fire-Kindling Academy for full-time training and would stop attending school for the time being, starting today.

Li Hao, however, had chosen to keep his enrollment and continue coming to school every day.

After his speech, Li Hao returned to his class's place in the crowd, not far from Jiang Ran.

Once he'd come down, he gave Jiang Ran a slightly bashful smile.

Jiang Ran walked over and asked quietly:

"Why not go to the Fire-Kindling Academy for training, like Zhou Ming?"

Li Hao thought for a moment, then answered seriously:

"My mom says martial skill must be grounded in virtue, and virtue comes before mastery. Supernatural abilities are a skill, but you still have to develop your character through everyday life.

"She thinks I still have a ways to go."

He paused and looked at Jiang Ran.

"And since you're here, Teacher Jiang, I feel like... I can learn a lot at school, too."

Jiang Ran listened, a little surprised, and glanced at him.

He hadn't expected his mother to consider that.

So he patted Li Hao on the shoulder and agreed.

"Your mom was right."

After the awards ceremony ended,

the students gradually returned to their classrooms.

Jiang Ran was just about to leave the sports field when the dean of studies called out to him.

"Teacher Jiang, come here a moment."

With a smile, the dean pulled him aside and lowered his voice.

"The Bureau of Education just called. One of their leaders specifically praised you.

"They said you've done a great job counseling students and guiding their values, especially at a time like this. You've helped keep the students calm."

As Jiang Ran listened, he understood.

This was probably another message the Federation wanted to send.

They were encouraging teachers to continue playing their role in educating students in this new era.

"Also..." The dean lowered his voice further. "If you're interested, we can recommend you for the Fire-Kindling Academy's teacher training program.

"Of course, it's not mandatory. It's entirely up to you."

Jiang Ran was taken aback. He thought it over, then nodded.

"Thank you, Director. I'll think about it."

Back in the office, Jiang Ran sat at his desk and organized his lesson plans.

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly.

Students were still excitedly discussing the Abyssal Void, the extraordinary, the Fire-Kindling Academy...

Their youthful faces were filled with longing for the unknown and eagerness to embrace the new era.

Jiang Ran turned his gaze away.

He thought of the five words he had written down last night.

Now, he probably had to add one more.

The times.