Xiao Wu: I want to recite poetry too! It's ignited, but I don't know what to ignite next!

"Ahem, let me just say a few brief words."

"Youth is fleeting, learning is hard to master; an inch of time should not be taken lightly. Before the dream of spring grass in the pond fades, the phoenix tree leaves before the steps already sound of autumn."

"Everyone must cherish their time and study hard!"

"Otherwise, when you grow old—when you reach fifty years of age and are still only level thirty—it will be too late for regrets."

Qin Qi coughed a few more times before reciting the speech he had prepared, even including a poem.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

The Principal of Notting stood up immediately and began to applaud, feeling that what Qin Qi had said was truly excellent.

"This child... his speech is quite good!"

"This poem is also excellent. 'Youth is fleeting, learning is hard to master; an inch of time should not be taken lightly'—isn't this the very portrait of us Spirit Masters?"

"Did this child write this himself?"

The other three principals couldn't help but savor the lines Qin Qi had recited, and after a long while, they asked.

"Believe me, this really isn't a speech I wrote for him."

"This really was written by the child himself."

The Principal of Notting replied.

"We believe that."

The three principals nodded in unison.

"Phew, it seems I still have some credibility after all."

Watching them nod, the Principal of Notting breathed a sigh of relief; Qin Qi had performed exceptionally well this time.

If he had been misunderstood because of his own reputation, he would have committed a grave error.

"No, it's not because you have credibility, but because we all know how much ink you have in your belly; you couldn't possibly write poetry like that."

The principal who had been anxious earlier spoke with undisguised sarcasm.

"..."

The Principal of Notting's face immediately darkened. He prided himself on being a man of culture and had written quite a few poems in the past.

But they were always dismissed as trash or doggerel, especially his masterpiece, "Counting Leaves."

"One leaf, two leaves, three or four leaves; five leaves, six leaves, seven leaves." What a wonderful poem, yet they stubbornly insisted it was complete nonsense.

They were truly people who didn't know how to appreciate art.

"Although the principal isn't a good person, this student is truly excellent... how about you let me have him?"

"Let him come to our academy; I will certainly cultivate him with all my might."

The academy principals felt that not only was Qin Qi talented, but his character was also sound; he was destined for greatness!

"In your dreams..."

The Principal of Notting retorted.

Meanwhile, the students.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap!"

"Hey buddy, what does that poem mean?"

"I don't know. I usually rank second to last in my cultural classes."

"And you're still clapping so hard even though you don't know!"

"Didn't you see the principal and the teachers clapping? We can't go wrong if we follow their lead."

"Holy crap! You're right. Brother, you're a genius. By the way, what's the guy in last place like? Where is he?"

"The guy in last place has a stomach ache and didn't come. Before this, I was always the one in last place."

The students didn't understand the meaning of Qin Qi's speech at all, but it didn't matter; they just had to follow the others and clap.

After all, if you understand the applause, then clapping means you understood the speech.

After Qin Qi finished his speech and stepped off the podium, it was time for the second-place student, Xiao Wu, to go up and speak.

Xiao Wu walked onto the podium, looked at the people around her, and finally looked at Qin Qi.

"Do I have to recite a poem too?"

Xiao Wu asked with her eyes.

"Yes."

Qin Qi nodded.

"Help me! I don't know how!"

Xiao Wu usually slept through her cultural classes; she hadn't even learned all the characters yet.

Qin Qi did not respond to Xiao Wu; he had already found a secluded spot to begin reviewing his system information.

[Ding! Congratulations on unlocking the Academy Series Quests. Unprecedented and unrepeatable—the first person in the history of Notting Academy!]

System, what is this Academy Series Quest? Qin Qi asked in his mind.

[Life is like an exam with no turning back, and this quest is your first test!]

[The Academy Series Quest is divided into six stages, one for each grade. Upon completing each stage, rewards will be settled based on your performance.]

[Upon graduation, if you manage to achieve the "unprecedented and unrepeatable" status as the number one student in Notting Academy's history, a special reward will be granted!]

Hmm... Qin Qi read the message and finally understood its meaning. Simply put, he had to be number one in every single grade.

First in academic classes, first in Martial Soul classes, and first in every other category—only then could he obtain the best rewards.

And it wasn't just once; he had to maintain that top spot from the first grade all the way to the sixth!

System, how do I achieve this "unprecedented and unrepeatable" feat? Is maintaining the top spot enough? Qin Qi asked, still feeling somewhat puzzled.

[Please do not cheat on your exam; please explore the answer for yourself.]

There's definitely a catch to this. Upon hearing the system's response, Qin Qi immediately made his judgment. Even if he maintained the top spot in every course for every grade, he likely still wouldn't achieve the "unprecedented and unrepeatable" feat. After all, someone else could potentially come along in the future and match his academic performance.

Qin Qi studied the system tasks for a while longer until night fell and the other students had returned. The principal then called Qin Qi into his office alone.

"Student Qin Qi, you performed very well this time. I am very proud of you."

"I..." The principal prepared to launch into a long-winded speech.

"Principal, you aren't planning to just give me a verbal commendation and then withhold my scholarship, are you?" Qin Qi looked at the principal suspiciously; he felt that this shameless old man was truly capable of such a thing.

"Ahem, how could that be! I am the principal, after all; how could I possibly withhold a student's scholarship?"

"Here are five hundred Gold Spirit Coins. Take them; this is the scholarship for winning the competition."

"And these five hundred are our academy's reward for an outstanding student. That makes one thousand Gold Spirit Coins in total." The principal produced a money bag, and when he opened it, it was filled with glittering Gold Spirit Coins.

"Gulp!" Looking at the shimmering coins, Qin Qi couldn't help but swallow hard, his heart racing uncontrollably.

He really couldn't be blamed for his lack of composure. Ever since he arrived on the Douluo Continent, he had never known a time when he wasn't short on money.

At the very beginning, he couldn't even afford to eat, and later, he had to slowly scrape together funds for his cultivation. The single Gold Spirit Coin he received upon becoming a Spirit Master was the largest sum of money he had ever seen!

Now, with one thousand Gold Spirit Coins... he felt as if he were swimming in an ocean of wealth!

"Ahem, Principal, I'll accept the five hundred, but I feel I don't deserve the five hundred as an academy reward." Qin Qi took a deep breath. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, let alone free breakfast, dinner, and snacks. The principal wouldn't give him extra scholarship money without a reason; there had to be a price to pay!

"Of course it isn't free. You must remain an outstanding student of our academy."

"You cannot transfer to another academy, and once you have achieved success in the future, you must return to the academy to give a speech." The principal didn't beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.

"Hmm... alright." Qin Qi thought it over and agreed. Although he might get more money if he went to a different academy, there was no such thing as a free lunch. If he took more money from someone else, he would have to do more for them. Instead of that, it was better to accept this offer; at the very least, it meant less trouble.

"Principal, although you are shameless, I have to say you really are a qualified and good principal!" Qin Qi looked at the man. Even though he liked to put on airs and had no shame, he was truly a good principal. To develop Notting Academy and expand its reputation, he was working hard to seize every opportunity!

"Who are you calling shameless? Do you believe I'll kick you?"

The principal felt like Qin Qi was complimenting him, though it would have been better if he hadn't added that bit about being shameless.

"I believe you. To avoid getting a beating, I'll be heading off now."

Qin Qi walked away with a smile after taking the money, pausing at the door to say, "Principal, rest assured, since I've taken your money, I'll definitely get the job done."

"Once I've made something of myself, I'll be sure to come back and give a speech!"

"..."

The principal watched Qin Qi's retreating figure, feeling a sudden surge of inspiration, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly was so inspiring.

After all that talk and all that hype, it turned out it was just about a speech after all!