"What is the essence of awakening a profession?"
Chai Hongxi wrote a second word on the blackboard:
[Bloodline]
"Research has found that awakened professions are related to bloodlines. Most families whose members can awaken S-Grade professions had high-ranking cultivators among their ancestors. Their bloodlines carry the imprints of ancient inheritances."
Whispers began to ripple through the classroom.
Lin Yun leaned back in his chair, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
He came from the Thunder Arts Clan and had a pure bloodline. He'd known that since he was a child.
Su Muyun stared at Chai Hongxi at the front of the room.
She said nothing, seeming to be thinking about something.
Chai Hongxi continued:
"But there are exceptions. A very small number of people have ordinary bloodlines yet awaken high-level professions. They're known as 'mutants,' and they're one in ten thousand."
He paused.
"There's another kind of person: someone with an ordinary bloodline who awakens an ordinary profession. For example... a Martialist."
The moment those three words left his mouth, the classroom fell silent.
Then someone laughed.
The laughter spread like an infectious disease.
Some students turned to look at the corner of the last row, their eyes filled with mockery, curiosity, and pity.
Ye Xiao lowered his head and looked at his fists.
Chai Hongxi didn't stop the laughter. He simply continued lecturing:
"The Martialist is the most unusual of all professions. It doesn't rely on bloodlines, spiritual energy, or any external aid. It relies only on... tempering the body."
He opened his notes and read:
"According to General History of Professions, the way of cultivating as a Martialist is to throw punches day after day and temper one's muscles and bones day after day. There are no shortcuts, no pills, no sudden insights. There is only... enduring hardship."
A few more chuckles came from the students.
"What is the Martialist's limit?" Chai Hongxi closed his notes. "Historical records say that the strongest Martialist in history once reached... the Intent Gathering Realm. That was equivalent to the Seventh Realm of professional cultivation. At the time, he was a Transcendentalist's bodyguard."
The laughter stopped.
Someone asked, "The Intent Gathering Realm? Isn't that pretty impressive?"
Chai Hongxi looked at him and said slowly:
"That was three thousand years ago. In all the years since, no Martialist has managed to reach the Intent Gathering Realm again. Because... the bloodline inheritance disappeared."
He looked toward the last row.
"Today, reaching the Gall-Condensing Realm is already the limit for a Martialist. The Gall-Condensing Realm is the Sixth Realm of professional cultivation. And most of you sitting here will probably reach the Sixth Realm after graduating from university, barring any surprises."
Just then, Lin Yun laughed smugly. "Teacher, barring any surprises, I'll reach the Sixth Realm before my third year!"
"But it's different for certain people's Martialist professions."
"They might not even reach the Second Realm by the time they graduate!"
The entire classroom burst into laughter.
Everyone knew who they were laughing at.
The students instinctively turned around.
They looked at Ye Xiao, sitting in the last row.
Just then,
Lin Yun revealed an even bigger secret, looking pleased with himself.
"Teacher, you left out a secret about that Martialist who reached the Seventh Realm!"
Chai Hongxi asked, "What secret?"
Lin Yun's lips curled into a smug smile.
"That Martialist who reached the Seventh Realm was an ancestor of the Lin Family's bodyguard!"
The moment he said that,
the whole classroom erupted.
The students were astonished.
"I had no idea Lin Yun came from such a wealthy family, with such powerful ancestors. No wonder he awakened an SS-Grade profession."
"This is getting interesting. The strongest Martialist in three thousand years was only a bodyguard for the Lin Family."
"Now there's another Martialist in our class. It feels like fate brought them together!"
"How long do you think it'll take Ye Xiao to become Lin Yun's bodyguard?"
"..."
The lively scene stood in stark contrast to Ye Xiao's cold silence.
Fatty Wang tried to comfort him.
"Ye Xiao, don't listen to those people's nonsense."
Meanwhile, Su Muyun sat in the front row.
For once, at that moment,
she turned around specifically to look at Ye Xiao.
It was worth noting that
until then,
she hadn't looked at anyone of her own accord.
Not even Lin Yun.
This gesture
didn't escape the notice of many students.
Lin Yun saw it, too.
A displeased look immediately crossed his face.
After all, she was the girl he liked.
Now Ye Xiao had drawn her attention away.
It made him feel jealous,
even though Su Muyun had never once looked him in the eye.
Chai Hongxi spoke from the podium.
"Enough, everyone. Quiet down!"
"I'm sure the theory alone won't make things clear, so I'll ask some questions now."
Chai Hongxi's gaze swept across the room before finally settling on the corner of the last row.
"Ye Xiao."
The classroom fell silent.
Ye Xiao raised his head.
Out of respect for his teacher, Ye Xiao chose to stand and answer Chai Hongxi's question.
"You're the only Martialist this year, right?"
Ye Xiao nodded.
"Then let me ask you something." Chai Hongxi pushed up his glasses. "A Martialist cultivates by throwing punches day after day. But throwing punches doesn't produce spiritual energy. What do you think is the biggest disadvantage Martialists have compared to other professions?"
The question seemed objective, but it was actually a trap.
Ye Xiao was silent for two seconds.
Then he said:
"There's no disadvantage."
The entire class froze, then erupted in an uproar.
Chai Hongxi was stunned, too. "What did you say?"
He thought Ye Xiao had answered emotionally.
Chai Hongxi added,
"Ye Xiao, I'm not singling you out. I want to hear what you truly think."
Ye Xiao repeated himself:
"There's no disadvantage!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, someone stood up.
Lin Yun.
He turned around to face Ye Xiao in the last row, his smile bright.
"No disadvantage? Then tell me, how far can your punch reach? Ten meters? Twenty? I can kill you with one Thunder Method attack from a hundred meters away. How are you going to fight me?"
Lin Yun looked at him, but said nothing.
Another voice chimed in. It was a girl from the Genius Class.
"Martialists need to temper their bodies, but that takes time. You can throw ten thousand punches a day, while someone else can take a pill every day. How can you compete?"
Someone else added:
"Martialists don't have spells, magical treasures, or contracted beasts. They fight monsters with their bare hands? Isn't that just asking to die?"
Lin Yun's smile grew even wider.
"Most importantly, Martialists have no future. The strongest Martialist in history only reached the Seventh Realm."
"Meanwhile, Thunder Method cultivators have reached the Twelfth Realm and Thirteenth Realm throughout history. There are countless of them, and some have even gone further! The long-lived ones can reach a thousand years. How can a little Martialist like you compete?"
He paused, enunciating each word:
"So, Martialists are useless professions!"
"And you, Ye Xiao, are useless too!"
Before you continue