Translator: CinderTL
Over the next two days, the preliminary rounds of the Tiger Soul Concept Competition concluded.
As Feng Qi and the online community had predicted, the Human Body Deity Seeding cultivation concept advanced to the Preliminaries with overwhelming momentum.
However, nearly half of the participating concepts were eliminated during the preliminary stage, highlighting the fierce competition.
These eliminated concepts weren't entirely discarded. After all, online voting often prioritized personal preferences over professional expertise.
To ensure no hidden gems were overlooked, a panel of academy professors would review the eliminated concepts and decide whether to revive any.
Feng Qi stopped following the competition after this point.
Neither the Preliminaries nor the subsequent finals held any significance for him.
The Human Body Deity Seeding cultivation system concept had already secured victory. The rest was up to the students of Cultivation Class One to showcase their skills.
The Eight Million was already on its way, speeding toward his bank account.
Today marked the end of the freshmen's intensive training. In the morning, the academy's training grounds hosted a concluding ceremony.
During the ceremony, Bai Fusheng would bestow material and spiritual rewards upon students who had demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the training period.
He would also award the seemingly meaningless—and indeed, utterly meaningless—title of "Outstanding Freshmen of Intensive Training" as a form of encouragement.
After lunch, Feng Qi led Lin Ran and Mu Qing to the classroom for Combat Class Three.
The classroom was located on the fourth floor of Teaching Building 2, covering an area of approximately 200 square meters.
In addition to standard furnishings like desks and a lectern, the room was fully equipped with screens, projectors, air conditioning, and other modern amenities.
By the time they arrived, Liu Yue and the other eleven students were already present.
"Take your seats," Feng Qi said to Lin Ran and Mu Qing as he entered the classroom.
The two nodded and moved to their seats.
Once Lin Ran and Mu Qing were seated, Feng Qi stepped onto the lectern. He first wrote his name on the blackboard, then turned to face the students below, smiling warmly.
"My name is Feng Qi, and I'm the homeroom teacher for Combat Class Three. Let's all introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other."
The students who hadn't yet grasped the situation were visibly shocked to learn that Feng Qi was their teacher. When he first entered the room, they had assumed he was a classmate.
Lin Ran, ever cooperative, immediately stood up with a grin and introduced himself:
"I'm Lin Ran, an exchange student from Winterfrost Academy, and your new classmate..."
As soon as Lin Ran revealed his name and exchange student status, the expressions of the other students shifted again.
Xu Hongyun, the young tycoon, exclaimed in surprise:
"Are you the Lin Ran who got early admission to the Tiger Soul Research Institute?"
"The one and only," Lin Ran replied with a flamboyant bow.
After Lin Ran's introduction, Xu Hongyun, who was seated to his right, stood up, scratched his head, and grinned sheepishly.
"I'm Xu Hongyun, from the Void Shattering Conglomerate. Besides my family's wealth, there's nothing particularly special about me. I hope we can all be friends."
"The Void Shattering Conglomerate? One of the sponsors of the Academy Cafeteria?" Lin Ran exclaimed in surprise.
"Besides the Academy Cafeteria, they also sponsor some of the academy's public facilities," Xu Hongyun replied.
Upon hearing this, the group immediately labeled Xu Hongyun as a "capitalist."
After his introduction, Yang Xiaoxin, a petite and exceptionally cute girl, stood up and introduced herself:
"My name is Yang Xiaoxin, and I'm from the Star City Military Department..."
"I'm Xia Long (Xia Hu, Xia Bao), from the Hundred Beasts Domain Combat Team..."
"I'm Jia Yi, from the Eight Trigrams Talisman Array Research Institute. I came to Star City Academy specifically to 'gild my resume' and go through the motions of joining the Eight Trigrams Research Institute. I know you're all here for the same reason."
"I'm Cai Guo, from the Medical Research Institute. My goal is to get into the Medical Research Institute based on my own merits. I hope we can all become friends in the future."
"I'm Yan Fu, from the Mountain Crag Domain Combat Team. My future goal is to become an outstanding domain warrior..."
During the self-introduction session, the freshmen didn't hold back, openly revealing their backgrounds.
Next up was the monk. He stood up, surveyed the group, and said, "My name is Huixu. I'm just here to coast through. It's best if you don't bother me with anything, and even if you do, I might not help. But I still hope we can all be friends."
The others: ...
The monk's introduction was brutally honest, a perfect reflection of his true nature.
After he sat down, Liu Yue stood up. "Liu Yue. No background."
Liu Yue was no stranger to the group. His outstanding performance during the freshman Intensive Training had made him the talk of the town, earning him the title of the strongest combatant among the Class of '23 freshmen.
As he sat down, Le Ping'an, a mild-mannered young man with glasses, stood up. "My name is Le Ping'an. I'm from the technology research institute. If anyone needs help, feel free to ask. I'll do what I can..."
Just as Le Ping'an finished his introduction and was about to sit down, Feng Qi asked, "I saw your profile. You're also a Middle Stage Spirit Pharmacist, right?"
"Yes, I studied it in my spare time," Le Ping'an replied, looking slightly embarrassed.
Hearing this, Feng Qi's mind began to formulate a plan.
In the days to come, Le Ping'an might prove to be a tremendous asset in saving money.
Of course, Feng Qi wouldn't let Le Ping'an's efforts go uncompensated. He would exchange his knowledge in return.
Finally, it was Mu Qing's turn to introduce herself.
Encouraged by Feng Qi's supportive gaze, she slowly stood up.
"My name is Mu Qing. I'm... I'm a scavenger from outside Star City."
The group's reaction to Mu Qing's introduction wasn't as strong as she had feared. Sensing her nervousness, Xia Long grinned.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Being a scavenger isn't shameful at all. In fact, scavengers contribute just as much as city dwellers in fighting against Domain Invasions. Your efforts deserve respect. My dad always says he loves working with domain combat teams made up of scavengers."
"Yeah, my father says the same," Yan Fu chimed in.
The Xia Family Brothers and Yan Fu all came from renowned domain combat teams, giving them a positive impression of scavengers. Unlike many city dwellers, they didn't harbor any prejudice against them.
Their words visibly eased the tension in Mu Qing's heart, and a sweet, slightly dazed smile bloomed on her face.
Once everyone had introduced themselves, Feng Qi stepped down from the podium and walked among the students, smiling warmly.
"No class today. Let's talk about our views on the future. Each of you will share your thoughts in turn."
"Monk, you go first," Feng Qi said, pointing at the monk.
The monk scratched his head. "I honestly have no idea what the future holds. But when the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. All I need to do is eat well, drink well, and not hold anyone back."
Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a pang of helplessness as he recalled the Future People's evaluation of Master Huixu and then looked at the monk's current carefree demeanor.
"Xu Hongyun, what about you?" Feng Qi turned to Xu Hongyun.
"I believe the future will definitely improve. Humanity is rising rapidly, and victory is only a matter of time."
"Liu Yue."
Hearing his name called, Liu Yue stood up. "I hope humanity will achieve ultimate victory, but I know our chances are slim."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the group as all eyes turned to Liu Yue.
Feng Qi, his face etched with confusion, asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Sometimes ignorance is a blessing for ordinary people. The more you know, the more you suffer. When everything you believe in is shattered, your heart can break in an instant."
Feng Qi froze, stunned by Liu Yue's words.
Wasn't this exactly what I experienced? he thought. I once believed the future of humanity was bright, but after gaining the ability to enter the Dream Realm, that hope was utterly shattered by reality.
Liu Yue's words rang true.
Sometimes ignorance is a form of protection, allowing people to maintain unwavering faith in the future and believe it will unfold as they wish. This belief fuels their relentless pursuit of an idealized future.
But once the truth is revealed, most people would simply give up, choosing to drift through life aimlessly.
"Riddler, I can't make heads or tails of what you're saying!" Xia Hu exclaimed, glaring at Liu Yue, clearly infuriated by his assertion that humanity's future was bleak.
Liu Yue ignored Xia Hu's outburst and turned to Feng Qi, asking, "Teacher Feng, if you learned that no matter how hard humanity struggles, we are destined to lose, would you still fight?"
Feng Qi remained silent for several seconds before nodding. "I would keep fighting," he said. "I would struggle forward through despair until I personally witness the apocalypse or a miracle occurs."
Hearing Feng Qi's answer, a smile spread across Liu Yue's face.
"That's my answer too. A girl once told me that someone who continues to believe in miracles even in the face of utter despair is as remarkable as a miracle itself."
"Who was she?" Feng Qi asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Someone who has lived for ages, tirelessly searching for miracles for humanity. Her repeated setbacks never broke her spirit. In my eyes, she is humanity's miracle."
Liu Yue's words immediately made Feng Qi think of Wei Wei.
Among the historical figures he had studied, only Wei Wei fit Liu Yue's description.
Yet he hesitated to conclude it was her.
Liu Yue had referred to her as having lived for ages, yet still called her a "girl." Wei Wei was clearly a beautiful young woman, a far cry from the term "girl."
As the conversation continued, the group's visions for the future converged.
They firmly believed that Human Civilization was in a phase of rapid advancement, that the threat posed by Domain Fields to humanity was gradually diminishing, and that one day this world would be free of Domain Fields and domain creatures.
Feng Qi didn't shatter their idealized vision of the future.
Hope was beautiful, keeping them full of confidence, while despair was agonizing.
Humanity needed to advance under the veil of lies, for only then could miracles emerge in the future.
Finally, it was Lin Ran's turn to speak. He stood up with a grin.
"My vision for the future aligns with yours, but I won't sit idly by. I'm determined to develop a groundbreaking Super Cultivation Technique that will propel Human Civilization closer to our ideal future."
Hearing Lin Ran's declaration, Feng Qi felt a pang of helplessness.
Lin Ran had indeed developed a "Super Cultivation Technique" in the future, but it hadn't advanced Human Civilization. Instead, it had become a stumbling block in its progress.
While claiming the lives of millions, it had also brought the development of cultivation studies to a standstill for a time.
Truly a world-shaking catastrophe.
(End of the Chapter)
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