"Quiet!" Old Sixth shouted, and everyone quickly fell silent.
Zhang Qingyuan continued, "Tianyang Martial Dao Academy will spare no effort in nurturing you, doing everything possible to turn you into martial experts and talents of the martial world.
"Next, I'll explain the academy's various policies.
"You will practice martial arts under the guidance of your respective class teachers.
"They will use their skills and experience to help you enter the ranks as soon as possible.
"Everyone will spend three months building their foundations. After three months, we will distribute a basic internal cultivation method and teach you to attempt internal cultivation.
"While practicing internal cultivation, you must still work on your martial techniques and moves.
"Once your techniques and moves meet the standard, you sense Qi in your dantian, and your teacher's assessment confirms that you have entered the eighth rank and met the requirements, you will automatically advance to the second year and begin systematic internal cultivation.
"The same principle applies after that: enter the seventh rank, and you become a third-year student.
"After reaching the seventh-rank realm and becoming a third-year student, you can apply to graduate once you pass the assessment. We will arrange employment for you so that you can earn money."
The children from poor families instantly brightened at this.
Wasn't earning money the very reason they were learning martial arts?
"Some might ask, 'What if my talent is poor and I can't reach the seventh-rank realm?'
"We will assess such students. If they truly cannot enter the seventh-rank realm, those who pass the assessment may apply to graduate at the eighth-grade realm. We will recommend jobs for you as well."
Most of the students immediately felt reassured.
"Of course, a small number of students are born with blocked meridians and dantians incapable of cultivation, leaving them unable to produce internal power.
"Such people are very rare, and you needn't worry either. Later, we will also establish a vocational training academy, teaching skills such as papermaking, carpentry, smithing, masonry, weaving, and embroidery, ensuring that these students also have a skill to their name."
"Wow!"
The dean had even thought of that. He was being far too considerate of them!
Many students from farming families even shed tears.
In this era, nobody took them seriously. Human lives were worth no more than grass, and even cannibalism was nothing unusual in times of war.
For the first time, someone cared about them; for the first time, an important person paid attention to them. That feeling was enough that they would even dare to die for Zhang Qingyuan!
Because this was not a society where everyone was equal. Here, people were divided into scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants; here, martial heroes used their strength to flout the law.
Yet Zhang Qingyuan truly treated them as human beings.
What Zhang Qingyuan was doing amounted to the same thing as that scenario he had seen on Douyin in his previous life: traveling back to ancient times and providing soldiers with unlimited instant noodles.
Although Zhang Qingyuan emphasized that the academy was the academy and the sect was the sect.
Once they grew up, they would surely defend the Tianyang Sect with their lives!
The people Zhang Qingyuan mentioned, whose dantians were completely useless from birth, were only a tiny minority-an extremely, extremely small one.
He had compiled statistics. In a high-martial world like this, where martial cultivation flourished, ninety-eight percent of people could actually practice internal cultivation.
It was like being on Earth: those who could practice internal cultivation were normal people, while those who couldn't were born with a slight disability.
Some might ask, since everyone could practice internal cultivation, why couldn't everyone learn martial arts?
That was the same as asking why most people here were illiterate when ninety-nine percent of them weren't fools.
Learning martial arts took money, connections, and someone to teach you!
Ninety-nine percent of people could develop internal power, but most could produce only a meager amount. Those who could convert it into True Qi were fewer still, and those who could enter the middle three ranks were an exceedingly small minority.
This, too, was like Zhang Qingyuan's previous life, where most people received nine years of compulsory education and could go on to university.
Those who could get into a 985 or 211 university were a minority. Those who could get into somewhere on the level of Tsinghua or Peking University were an exceedingly small minority, and those who became top talents were the rarest of that rare minority.
Zhang Qingyuan continued, "As long as you work hard, most of you can actually develop internal power.
"The question is simply how quickly or slowly, how early or late.
"Those with great talent might develop a sense of Qi in a day, half a day, or even two hours after the three-month foundation period ends.
"Those a little slower can also pass in three to five days, seven to eight days, or ten days to half a month.
"The geniuses can reach eighth rank peak in six months and enter the seventh rank with ease.
"Those a little less talented can still cultivate to eighth rank peak within a year, or even enter the seventh rank.
"At the seventh-rank realm, internal power transforms into True Qi. This is a dividing line.
"At this stage, a large number of people will be screened out.
"Don't worry. Being screened out only means being unable to enter the sixth rank within a year. Anyone who enters the seventh rank within a year qualifies for a tuition waiver for the second year, and you can continue cultivating at Tianyang Martial Dao Academy.
"Of course, if you want to graduate and go out to earn money sooner, we will allow that too. In our Eastern Realm, especially here in Yu Province, someone at the seventh-rank realm counts as an expert. People will want to hire you.
"Those who enter the sixth-rank realm within a year will receive scholarships. Not only will tuition be free, but we will also give you money every month, which you can use to buy pills and other cultivation aids."
The students listened even more attentively. Nobody would be careless when money was involved.
"Of course, anyone who fails to reach the seventh-rank realm within a year will have to pay tuition. It isn't much: ten taels of silver a year.
"Students who receive a tuition waiver but still fail to advance to the sixth-rank realm during their second year will also have to pay if they want to continue cultivating at the academy. That will likewise be ten taels of silver a year.
"Of course, if you cannot afford tuition, we will have you graduate and recommend employment so that you have a job.
"Perhaps you'll say, 'After two years, I don't want to give up martial arts. We've only cultivated for two years. What if we can break through to the sixth rank later?' Right? Those who still want to pursue martial cultivation can also go to other schools, sects, or factions. They are free."
"We won't! We won't betray the Tianyang Sect!"
"That's right! We would never betray our sect!"
At once, many students spoke up, feeling misunderstood, wronged, and underestimated.
They were not traitors!
Zhang Qingyuan raised his hand and pressed it down. The students gradually quieted, staring stubbornly at the dean.
Zhang Qingyuan smiled and said, "This isn't betrayal. As I just said, the Tianyang Sect is the Tianyang Sect, and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy is Tianyang Martial Dao Academy. You are merely students of the academy, not disciples of the sect.
"Our purpose in establishing Tianyang Martial Dao Academy was simply to provide you with an opportunity to learn martial arts and set you on the martial path.
"Once we have set you on this path, how far you go in the future will still depend on you!
"It isn't that I'm hard-hearted or unfeeling. Our resources are limited, and we truly cannot afford to support so many people learning martial arts for free.
"But we aren't abandoning you. We want you to have a better future and a wider world!
"You may join any school and explore your own blue skies!
"Tianyang Martial Dao Academy is only your beginning. I don't want you trapped in Tianyang, with those two words restricting your future development.
"I hope the students who leave our academy will have a wider world, spreading to every corner of Great Zhou, becoming experts of the upper three ranks or even existences beyond first grade, seeking the ultimate destination of the martial path.
"Of course, if students who go elsewhere to study and cultivate achieve something there, I hope that when you suddenly look back, you will remember that this was the place that set you on the martial path.
"This is your alma mater. All I hope is that you won't forget the place where your dreams began!"
"Waaah..."
Zhang Qingyuan's words brought tears streaming down many disciples' faces.
"Rest assured, Dean! No matter where we go, I'll never forget that I came from Tianyang Martial Dao Academy!"
"That's right! No matter how much I achieve in the future, I'll always remember how Tianyang Martial Dao Academy nurtured us."
"I, Liu Sidao, swear that if anyone dares bite the hand that feeds them and repay kindness with ingratitude, I won't let them off!"
"Me too."
"Count me in! If anyone dares badmouth the Tianyang Sect, I'll fucking chop them to pieces!"
Even Di Yunjie's jaw dropped in disbelief, towering waves surging through his heart. Could there really be such a selfless sect?
They would painstakingly nurture disciples for a year or two, then hand them over to other schools for free?
What was he after?
Even his blood boiled as he listened, and he looked at Zhang Qingyuan as though he were looking at a saint.
No, surely even a saint couldn't be as selfless as him?
When he calmed down and listened to the students' heartfelt vows, cold sweat instantly poured down his body.
Holy shit!
By doing this, even if these disciples went to other schools, they would remain grateful to this place. They would never forget the early training Tianyang Martial Dao Academy had given them.
So, if these students eventually spread throughout the world, then...
My heavens!
Now, every one of them regarded Zhang Qingyuan as a parent who had given them a second life. All he would need to do was give the order, and then...
Looking again at Zhang Qingyuan's harmless face, he couldn't help swallowing.
Far too dangerous!
Should I join forces with the other schools and strike at the Tianyang Sect now?
That doesn't seem possible either.
Because their Tianyang Sect now has two thousand disciples from respectable families. Could we kill them all too?
Impossible. If we did that, we'd become the evil path!
These two thousand disciples from respectable families were Zhang Qingyuan's protective talisman. Unless someone dared brave universal condemnation, who would dare touch him?
And he also held the devastating weapon of the newspaper. It was practically a protective golden body.
Too terrifying.
This young man is too terrifying.
Old brother, congratulations indeed on taking in such an outstanding disciple.
Hopefully he really is a saint who only wants to give these commoners' children a way forward, with no other intentions.
Di Yunjie was a clever man. Otherwise, he could never have become the Bright Moon Sect's chief disciple or entered the third rank realm.
After analyzing all this, he immediately decided that he absolutely had to be on good terms with the Tianyang Sect and must never make an enemy of it.
Master, oh, Master. I can't help you beat him up, but your disciple can help you praise him.
At that moment, Di Yunjie felt as though he bore some earth-shattering secret.
He dared not speak of it, nor could he!
Only after a long while did the students gradually quiet down.
Zhang Qingyuan continued, "We just discussed graduation and cultivating elsewhere.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing I need to add.
"Our Tianyang Martial Dao Academy is short of people too. When you graduate, you can also choose to work within the Tianyang Sect, earning money while cultivating.
"The Security Department, the Logistics Department, teaching... and so on. Since we are short of people, and you are our first batch of students, a large number of you will stay on to work at the academy."
The students instantly erupted. They had truly arrived at the right time.
Later, when the staffing shortage wasn't so severe, opportunities to stay and work at the academy would become fewer and fewer.
They were especially glad they had arrived early yesterday. One step later, and they would have had to wait until next year.
If they came next year, would there still be so many opportunities?
Zhang Qingyuan continued, "Next, let's continue with those who enter the university division. Once you enter, the sixth rank and fifth-grade realm belong to the first university year, with three years of free study available. Entering the fourth-rank realm makes you a second-year university student.
"Of course, after entering the university division and cultivating for a year, you may apply to graduate at any time. Once your cultivation reaches the middle three ranks, you already count as a second-rate or first-rate expert in the martial world.
"Now comes the important part.
"Our Tianyang Sect will select outstanding students from the university division to join us and become formal disciples of the Tianyang Sect."
"Wow!!!"
The students looked around, excitement filling their hearts. They all wondered whether they could become disciples of the Tianyang Sect, or who would.
"Once you join the Tianyang Sect, you belong to the sect. You are part of its management and will be assigned positions.
"At that point, you will have the responsibility and obligation to strengthen and protect the sect, living and dying alongside it!"
The students felt immensely honored. Far from being frightened by the responsibility, every one of them brimmed with fighting spirit, ready at any moment!
"Next, the teachers will take their classes back and guide the disciples in cultivation. In the evening, there will be a large classroom on the west side. Disciples who cannot read should go there, and teachers will teach you to recognize characters."
Having them take the examinations to become the top scholar was unnecessary. It would only be the Thousand Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames; at the very least, they needed to be able to understand the contents of martial manuals later.
"Finally, I wish all of you great success in martial arts. May every one of you reach the upper three ranks!
"Our school motto is: the greatest heroes serve their country and its people!"