Opening Ceremony

For a moment, Wu Changkong and Shui Bing'er only belatedly reacted, and the atmosphere felt somewhat delicate.

Xue Wu took the lead in breaking the silence, walking forward and generously extending her hand toward Shui Bing'er. "You must be the eldest young miss of the Shui Family, Shui Bing'er, right? I am Xue Wu, and just like you, I'm a freshman in this year's cohort. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Shui Bing'er looked at that hand extended out before her, then also reached out and shook it.

"Mm, a pleasure to meet you."

The hands of the two met in a handshake.

Subsequently, the two withdrew their hands at the same time, their gazes crossing paths in the air once again.

Xue Wu said, "What I just said to Wu Changkong, I will say to you as well now: you and him, I am going to fight both of you."

"Mm, I'll accompany you to the very end."

Though it was the two's first meeting and they exchanged barely three or five sentences, an intangible scent of gunpowder was already permeating the air.

Shui Yue'er watched with great relish, her large eyes darting back and forth between her older sister and Xue Wu.

A moment later, Shui Yue'er clapped her hands. "It's getting late. I heard the academy has a welcome orientation today, and we still need to undergo class assignment. If we don't go to the square now, we won't make it in time."

"Then let's hurry along."

The four of them walked through the academy's shaded cedar path and arrived at the central plaza of the academy.

Right now, several hundred pretty girls had already gathered on the plaza, and Wu Changkong appeared exceptionally eye-catching as a male.

Countless gazes cast over, and hushed whispers began to surround them.

Walking by his side, Shui Bing'er naturally sensed those gazes as well.

She glanced at Wu Changkong. "You're quite popular."

"Yet I still prefer to keep a low profile."

"In this academy, you're hardly going to be able to keep a low profile."

"Besides, there's a high probability we'll be assigned to the same class."

"How are you so certain?"

"Because Skywater Academy's method of class assignment is based on strength."

Shui Bing'er explained, "Every year after freshmen enroll, the academy classifies students into three tiers of classes—elite, superior, and ordinary—based on the comprehensive results of their Martial Soul quality, Soul Power Level, and actual combat evaluations."

The Elite Class is the class with the highest talent tier, admitting only the most top-tier geniuses.

"Moreover, this class assignment is not unalterable. Every half year there will be a major examination, and if your evaluation results fail to make the cut, you'll be dropped to a lower class."

"You're at rank thirty-nine, and I'm at rank thirty-three. If nothing unexpected happens, both of us will enter the Elite Class."

"Good. Take care of me from now on, Classmate Bing'er."

"Mm, take care of you."

When Shui Qinghan stepped onto the stage, the entire plaza grew quiet.

After a brief moment of silence, her voice clearly entered into everyone's ears, augmented by Soul Power.

"Welcome to Skywater Academy. I am your Dean, Shui Qinghan."

"This year's freshmen total two hundred and thirty individuals, making it the most populous cohort of the past five years."

A low commotion sounded from beneath the stage, and not a few freshmen exchanged glances with one another in dismay. Two hundred and thirty people—this number could not be considered much when placed across academies throughout the entire Heaven Dou Empire, but to Skywater Academy, it was already a rarity.

Ignoring the hushed whispers below the stage, Shui Qinghan continued speaking, "I know that quite a few among you came here aiming for the reputation of Skywater Academy, while others were forced here by their parents, and some even just want to find a place to idle away their days."

"But I want to tell you in advance: here, idling away your days is impossible."

"Skywater Academy has stood for hundreds of years, and what it relies on is not a nice-sounding academy name, nor the interpersonal connections of successive deans, but solid, down-to-earth teaching quality."

The area beneath the stage was utterly silent, and several freshmen who had originally been whispering among themselves involuntarily straightened their backs.

Shui Qinghan slightly eased her tone. "Of course, the academy doesn't only have a stern side."

"Here, we have the best cultivation facilities in the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire, an experienced team of mentors, and... the scenery-rich Heavenwater Lake."

"I hope that while you cultivate diligently, you can also enjoy every single day at the academy. As for the subsequent specific arrangements, Vice Dean Lan will explain them to everyone."

Stepping back a step, Lan Xiaoyue slowly walked up onto the stage from its side.

A gentle smile hung on the corners of this vice dean's lips, forming a sharp contrast with the majesty of Shui Qinghan just a moment ago.

"Hello, students. I am Vice Dean Lan Xiaoyue."

"First of all, congratulations to all of you for passing through layer upon layer of selections to arrive here. Every single one of you is a source of pride."

"For the next six years, you will study, cultivate, and grow right here."

"I believe that on the day you graduate, when you look back upon today, you will thank the self who chose Skywater Academy back then."

Several freshmen beneath the stage were moved by her words and instinctively began to applaud.

Smiling, Lan Xiaoyue raised a hand to signal everyone to quiet down. "Before class assignment, there is still one small ceremony. Will the senior female students please step out..."

Just as her voice fell, over a hundred girls wearing senior-grade academy uniforms trooped out in a continuous stream from both sides of the plaza.

Their paces were neat and uniform, each holding an ordinary silver tray covered in blue silk velvet, upon which brand-new admission brooches were neatly arranged.

These brooches were crafted from silver metal, carved with the academy's relief sculpture on the front and the academy name and enrollment year on the back.

The senior female students walked sequentially into the freshman ranks, personally pinning the brooches onto every single freshman.

The one who walked up to Wu Changkong was a senior student wearing a ponytail, looking to be about fifteen or sixteen years old with swift and capable movements.

When she raised her head and clearly saw Wu Changkong's face, she was momentarily stunned, an expression of sudden realization immediately blooming across her face.

"You're that Wu Changkong?"

"Mm."

"Jia you, the sole male student of our academy."

"Understood, Senior."

Seeing that all the freshmen had finished pinning them on, Lan Xiaoyue said, "The admission brooch is the symbol of identity for a Skywater Academy student, and it is also a pledge between you and the academy."

"No matter where you go, as long as you wear it, Skywater Academy will forever be your home."

"Next, Dean Shui will explain the class assignments to everyone."

Shui Qinghan walked back to the center of the stage, an extra roster in her hands.

Opening the roster, she stated, "You should all have heard whispers of Skywater Academy's class assignment system."

"The academy categorizes according to Martial Soul quality..."

The area beneath the stage plunged into absolute stillness, every single freshman holding their breath as they listened.

"Let's talk about the rules for class assignment. They're very simple. Students with Soul Power below rank twenty, step out first."

One after another, upwards of a hundred and fifty freshmen walked out from the crowd and stood upon the open ground on the left side of the plaza.

"Students between rank twenty and rank twenty-five."

The number of people who walked out this time was obviously fewer—roughly fifty or sixty individuals—and they stood on the right side of the plaza.

"Students between rank twenty-five and rank thirty."

A dozen or so freshmen walked out from the ranks and stood in the central area.

Finally, Shui Qinghan raised her head, swept her gaze in a circle across below the stage, and let it land upon a certain spot.

"Students above rank thirty, step out."

Wu Changkong and Shui Bing'er turned their heads almost simultaneously, their gazes locking onto one another.

Both stepped forward at the same time, walking out from the ranks.