At exactly 8:00 a.m., Greg Xu, the Martial Arts teacher and homeroom teacher, stood promptly at the podium."Class, before we start today's lesson, I have an announcement.""Unfortunately, today's Martial Arts class will be Ethan Chen's last session in Class 3!""What?!""Is Ethan being expelled or transferring?""Don't be ridiculous, probably just changing classes. Old Xu loves starting lessons this way!"The class erupted in chatter. Toby Ray in the back row nudged Ethan."Dude, you're looking terrible today. You're not really getting kicked out, are you?"A few dark thoughts flashed across Ethan's mind. His poor mood was all because of that Ruins Immortal Visualization Technique!In the early morning hours, Ethan had endured that super giant's spiritual torment, pushing his Mental Strength from level 6 to 6.3. Though effective, the pain was worse than death! No wonder this technique is only recommended for Martial Artists who already have strong mental power — without extraordinary willpower and endurance, it's just pure suffering.
"Quiet!" Greg Xu, who liked to keep classes lively, used this phrase to regain order.Unfortunately... last night... shocking... was mostly trivial gossip.As the classroom quieted, Greg Xu took out a document from his briefcase:"Congratulations to Ethan Chen, who has officially transferred from Senior 3 Class 3 to Senior 3 Class 1!"
A brief silence followed before the class erupted in excitement."Damn! Ethan made it into the Hongzhi Class!""I guessed this might happen — his Martial Skill level is just too high!"Toby Ray gave a knowing thumbs-up to Ethan."Quiet!" Greg Xu controlled the room again, looking at Ethan seated mid-row."Although you placed second in yesterday's test, your Martial Skill level has reached 89% at Beginner Level.""After much consideration, the principal decided to make an exception and admitted you as the 31st member of Hongzhi Class."
Ethan thought to himself, So it really happened. When Ryan Ling called his father, Jack Chen, yesterday, Ethan already had a hunch."Ethan, after class, go to the principal's office. You don't have to attend the last three classes today.""You'll report to Hongzhi Class this afternoon," Greg Xu smiled.
Principal? Ethan nodded, not asking more since the last three classes were academic and would not affect him much.
After class, Ethan received congratulations from most classmates. As someone who earned results through effort, he had good relations with many in the class.
At 9:17 a.m., guided by his smart wristband, Ethan arrived at the principal's office — his first time here since enrolling.After knocking, a voice said, "Come in."Entering, Ethan saw not only the principal but two other students, one of whom he recognized — Moret, the number one student of Hongzhi Class and the strongest senior in Liang City overall.The other wore a Liang City No. 2 High School uniform, and Ethan had no idea why he was here. Neither seemed to recognize Ethan."Good morning, Principal Luke," Ethan greeted respectfully.Principal Luke nodded and briefly introduced the three students before revealing the reason for their meeting:"The district plans to hold a Hundred Cities Championship, but I don't have the exact rules yet.""I'll take you to meet the mayor shortly, and you'll understand everything then."
Mayor? Hundred Cities Championship? Ethan felt a faint stirring in his mind.Apparently, his entry into the Blue Star Youth Ranking's top 10,000 had far more influence than he imagined.He had thought it was just a ranking, but clearly underestimated its importance.His admission to the Hongzhi Class and this upcoming meeting with the mayor were both connected to the ranking.
At 10:00 a.m., the four stepped out of the principal's Maybach and entered the mayor's office.Mayor William Anquan first praised Principal Luke and the three students for their efforts and abilities. Then he began the main topic:"Our jurisdiction covers 100 cities. We're organizing a competition for senior students.""Each city will send its top three senior students based on their Martial Skill ranking as of 6 p.m. yesterday.""Each team must be led by a Martial Artist with level 15 or above.""The competition will last three days, held at Harbor City No. 1 High School, from March 17th to 19th.""The winner receives 30 extra points added to their college entrance exam and a prize of one million yuan.""Second place gets 25 points and 500,000 yuan, third place 20 points and 200,000 yuan.""Fourth through tenth places earn 10 points and 100,000 yuan each.""Are you willing to participate?" Mayor Anquan smiled.
"Mayor, may I ask a question first?" Moret, confident or perhaps used to high-profile events, boldly spoke up.Seeing the mayor nod, he continued, "Since rankings are based on Martial Skill, why isn't this competition a virtual battle?"Ethan and Liu Bo had wondered the same but were too timid to ask during their first meeting with the mayor.
"This is a decision made by the district," Mayor Anquan replied."But don't worry about safety — Martial Artists will ensure your protection.""You won't be in any real danger.""During the matches, you'll wear special suits and fight with the same life strength."Sipping tea, he added, "Compared to virtual battles, the leadership here agrees that real combat provides better results.""First, your life strength is still low; if anything goes wrong, we can intervene immediately.""Second, with only 300 participants, it's easier to organize.""Finally, it allows Harbor City No. 1 High School students to watch live and get inspired.""For these reasons, the Hundred Cities Championship will be fought in real combat."
He paused, then said, "Don't be discouraged — even if you don't place in the top ten, you'll gain valuable insight into your peers' level."
The three nodded in agreement, no one refused to participate.Only Ethan quietly pondered if he could make the top three.His ranking was seventh in Ziyun District, which involved some luck, but even with some error, he believed his Martial Skill was among the district's top twenty.Given his rapid improvement, the top three was not impossible.
Bonus points and prize money might not matter much to Moret, but for Ethan, they were crucial — both would significantly help his chances to get into a top-eight university.
After lunch with the mayor, Ethan returned to school.Usually, he napped in class, but now with access to the Martial Arts Room, he no longer needed to nap crammed among classmates.Following his wristband's navigation, he entered Martial Arts Room 001.