When Shen Xingyue walked over, Tang Xing, who had been hoping to sit with Xu Ziming, left in disappointment.
Shen Xingyue lifted her chin proudly and walked straight over to Xu Ziming, sitting down right beside him.
A hint of orange drifted from the tips of the girl's hair beside him, but Xu Ziming had no mind to appreciate it. He only felt as though ants were crawling all over him.
The question from earlier still lingered in his mind: Could Shen Xingyue have come to give me trouble?
He knew that the gap in Martial Way strength was very real. If you weren't strong enough, you could only let others control you.
He'd seen it just now, when Xu Ziming killed Zhao Yong with a single sword strike. Shen Xingyue was definitely far stronger than him. If he ended up provoking her...
But things were different from what he'd imagined. Shen Xingyue didn't seem to care about him at all. After sitting down, she didn't say a word to him.
But what he thought was happening couldn't have been further from the truth. Ever since she sat down, all Shen Xingyue could think about was, What should I eat for lunch today? Everything in the cafeteria has been so awful lately.
"Knock, knock!" Seeing that everyone had settled into their seats, Ma Mingyu immediately tapped the desk in front of him and looked at everyone warmly.
He had none of the stern air of someone about to swallow them whole.
"Everyone sitting here is a gifted talent from Third High School. Every one of you has what it takes to make it into one of the Five Great Spirit Academies."
"Ever since the alien invasion seventy years ago, when high-level martial arts rose to prominence, our human race's Martial Way has weathered countless hardships and developed for a full seventy years."
Just as Ma Mingyu had said, the human race's Martial Way had been developing for a long time. Martial Way universities had first been established in the fifth year after the rise of high-level martial arts.
That year, Sun Yuan, the strongest human, broke through in the midst of battle and underwent his fifth Life Evolution. He successfully repelled the aliens and protected Blue Star's territory.
By now, the strongest among the human race had undergone seven Life Evolutions.
Each Life Evolution greatly improved the body, and even extended one's lifespan.
An ordinary Martial Artist who underwent their first Life Evolution could easily live to 150 years old. Hospitals had obtained these figures by testing cell activity.
"Do you all know what it means to enter a Martial Way university?"
Ma Mingyu changed tack. His face filled with hope as he looked at the students.
"If you get into a good university, you can find a good job and live a better life," someone shouted from below.
"To resist the aliens and protect our people's territory," someone else said.
Ma Mingyu only smiled. He neither said they were right nor told them they were wrong.
Hearing the question, Xu Ziming also began to think about why he wanted to get into university.
At first, like everyone else, he'd only wanted to become strong enough to protect his family, earn more money, and live a better life.
But now, with the Equipment Slot, he was no longer the same. Even reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Way no longer seemed so far beyond his reach.
That's it—the pinnacle of the Martial Way. I want to reach the pinnacle.
Just as he thought this, he heard a soft, grumbling voice beside him.
"So boring. Even after joining the Sprint Class, all he does is lecture us with feel-good nonsense."
The excitement vanished from Xu Ziming's face, leaving only a trace of helplessness.
The young lady beside him seemed to have been born at the very top. She had no ambition to get into university at all.
Perhaps she just wanted to make an already perfect life a little more interesting.
"The aliens invade everywhere. Even though our strength has continued to grow over the years, the Spatial Wormholes connecting us to them have also become more and more numerous."
The first alien invasion had begun when a Spatial Wormhole suddenly appeared outside Blue Star. Before anyone could survey it, a horde of strangely shaped extraterrestrials had poured out.
The moment they emerged, they began killing indiscriminately.
"Whatever our reasons, we all have one goal: to ensure the human race has a future."
Ma Mingyu's voice rang with fervor. As he spoke, he seemed to recall his own years in the military.
"Starting today, we'll begin the Sprint Class's special training. The first step is for you to see the killing and darkness you've never encountered before."
"Shen Xingyue, Tang Xing, Xu Ziming—you three will form a team. Starting tomorrow, you'll follow me. I'll show you what the world is really like."
After finishing, Ma Mingyu swept his gaze across the class. "Once you enter the Sprint Class, each of you will receive a great deal of resources. But whether you can seize this opportunity is up to you."
"If you want me to personally train you, challenge those three. Just like the first-place scholarship, if you win, you can take their places."
"Class dismissed."
At Ma Mingyu's words, the students scattered in every direction.
Just as Ma Mingyu had said, cultivation depended on the individual. At this stage, training didn't really have anything to do with the homeroom teacher anymore.
The school had formed this class simply to concentrate resources and make the most of them.
Once everyone had left, only Xu Ziming, Tang Xing, Shen Xingyue, and Ma Mingyu remained in the classroom.
Shen Xingyue was unquestionably the strongest student in Third High School's senior year. Tang Xing was the perennial runner-up, always crushed by the top student.
As for Xu Ziming... a cheat.
Ma Mingyu glanced over them, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"Training resources are the most important thing. I have a job that pays very well, but it's extremely dangerous. Do you want to take part?"
His voice was enticing, but he wasn't trying to force them.
"Sure." The moment Shen Xingyue heard it was dangerous, she decided to join. At last, she'd get to experience something interesting.
Xu Ziming nodded too. He was short on money—desperately short.
Seeing this, Tang Xing had no choice but to nod as well.
What could he do? Both his teammates were willing to participate. As the universe's most perfect high school student, he had no reason to sit it out.
Fortunately, Xu Ziming didn't know Tang Xing very well yet. Everyone in their year who knew Tang Xing knew he'd reached a height ordinary people couldn't hope to attain.
The very pinnacle: Supreme Freedom Hero.
"Since you've all agreed, I'll explain the details of the job..." Ma Mingyu left them hanging for a moment, then paused for a few seconds.
"It's underground fighting!"
"Underground fighting?" Tang Xing's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Shen Xingyue, however, was unexpectedly excited.
As the name suggested, underground fighting meant going to an unregulated fight club and competing anonymously for other people's entertainment.
High schoolers showing up at a place like that would undoubtedly bring the club a huge surge of attention.
And attention meant money, but the lack of regulation also meant risking your life.
"If you agree, come find me after school tomorrow afternoon. Dismissed. Xu Ziming, come with me for a moment."
Ma Mingyu lightly tapped the desk, announcing the first meeting of their small team was over.
Before leaving, Shen Xingyue glanced at Xu Ziming again, seeming eager to know why he had been asked to stay.
Once everyone else had left, Ma Mingyu finally spoke.
"Do you remember what I promised you?"
"Of course. You said you'd teach me a new sword technique."