At dawn's first light, the sky blushed pale gold.
In the first-year classroom, every seat was filled.
No one dared miss—or be late for—the first lesson of the semester.
Fang Yang's group arrived early, settling into their assigned seats:
- Fang Yang sat center-front—upright as a bell
- Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan flanked him
- Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi followed in line—all eyes bright with anticipation.
Just before the bell—
Shen Yi appeared on the podium.
Today, she wore a jade-green gown, graceful yet commanding.
Her gaze swept over the sea of eager faces, nodding in approval.
"Excellent—no tardiness for the first lesson," her voice rang clear, echoing through the silent hall.
Wu Zhangkong was absent—today belonged to Shen Yi.
"Class begins now," she declared, no pleasantries.
"Lesson One: What is a Battle Armor Master?"
A collective spark ignited in the room.
Whispers rippled through the crowd, eyes blazing with ambition.
To become a Battle Armor Master was every soul master's ultimate dream—especially for these prodigies.
Each seated here was a once-in-a-lifetime talent from their former academies.
"You may wonder—why start with Battle Armor?" Shen Yi's voice turned steel.
"Simple. Your foundational training is complete—otherwise, you wouldn't have passed Shrek's entrance exam."
"Here, we skip the basics. Battle Armor mastery is your core focus—the heart of Outer Court training."
She paused, gravity thickening:
"Elder Cai mentioned the age limit: 35. If you fail to meet standards by then? Expulsion."
"And your graduation odds? Only 40%—barely over one-third."
Gasps echoed—the number far crueler than imagined.
"But there's hope," Shen Yi continued.
"Achieve One-Word Battle Armor status by 25? You qualify for Inner Court trials."
"Inner Court—that's where legends are forged!"
"There, you'll access unparalleled resources and direct mentorship from Title Douluos."
She leaned in, voice dropping: "Only 7% of Outer Court students ever enter. That's how hard it is."
Then—her tone shifted:
"Secondary professions."
"If yours is solid—congratulations. With talent, your path will be smooth."
"If not? Years of grinding await. Secondary professions are VITAL for crafting Battle Armor."
Urgency crackled in the air.
But Fang Yang's group remained calm—Wu Zhangkong had drilled this into them at Donghai Academy.
They'd already chosen Secondary professions—all ahead of their peers.
(Except for Fang Yang—he'd randomly picked Mecha Repair… then casually mastered nearly every Secondary profession out of boredom.)
---
"Now—what is a Battle Armor Master?"
Shen Yi's eyes scanned the room, meeting curious stares.
"Many think: 'Battle Armor Masters are just elite Mecha Pilots.' Right?"
Some students nodded unconsciously—after all, both used soul-guided gear.
"WRONG!" Shen Yi thundered.
"Mecha are weapons worn by people. Battle Armor is armor worn by martial souls. Fundamentally different!"
"Outsiders confuse them—they're both soul-guided devices—but the essence diverges!"
She activated a soul-guided projector.
Screens lit up with intricate Battle Armor schematics—
complex lines, genius designs—drawing awed murmurs.
"One-Word Battle Armor is merely a prototype—not true Battle Armor."
"Why? It remains external—unfused with your martial soul."
"Only at Two-Word status does everything change!"
"Two-Word Battle Armor earns a unique name. It fuses with your body, your martial soul—becoming part of your soul!"
Her voice turned solemn:
"When crafting, your martial soul must resonate DEEPLY with the armor—melding it into your life essence. Only then can you forge true power."
"Battle Armor has four tiers:
- One-Word
- Two-Word
- Three-Word
- Four-Word."
"Each tier unlocks greater power, functions, and synergy."
As the projector cycled through tiered examples, students scribbled notes furiously, eyes alight with revelation.
"Now—the armor's structure," Shen Yi announced, switching slides to a disassembled Battle Armor diagram.
"There are eleven components in total:
- Core: Belt (energy core), Helmet (control hub),
- Upper Body: Chestplate, Left/Right Pauldrons, Left/Right Gauntlets,
- Lower Body: Left/Right Greaves, Left/Right Boots.
"The recommended crafting order is: Core first, then upper body, finally lower body.
The core anchors everything—design it well, or the rest crumbles."
She detailed each component's function and forging nuances.
Students absorbed every word—this knowledge would shape their futures.
"That concludes today's Battle Armor fundamentals," Shen Yi said, closing the lesson.
She surveyed the focused faces, a flicker of pride in her eyes.
"Class dismissed."
Without another word, she turned and left—leaving a classroom buzzing with dreams of armor and glory.
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