The next day, all the Lightning Element freshmen gathered in the classroom for their first class at Mingzhu Martial Arts University.
Standing on the podium was their mentor, Chen Ziyang, a middle-aged man with a strong scholarly aura, gentle and refined yet exuding a sharp edge.
"Welcome everyone to Mingzhu Martial Arts University. I am your mentor, Chen Ziyang."
"This Lightning Element class gathers Geniuses from 50 provinces across the country. All students have at least an A-Rank Lightning Element. Perhaps before, in high school, you were the pride of your respective schools, enjoying countless praises and expectations. However, here, please put aside your pride. The Martial Spirit Realm is only the beginning of the Martial Artist's path."
Chen Ziyang's words were unadorned, yet they carried a chilling severity that struck directly at the Heart-Nature.
"From this moment on, you will face an extremely perilous and brutal Martial Dao path. Previously, most of you were taught that only by becoming a Martial Artist could you become superior to others. In this world where the strong prey on the weak, that statement is not wrong, but it doesn't mean that becoming a Martial Artist makes everything perfect."
"Becoming a Martial Artist means facing fierce competition for resources, and it means confronting powerful individuals and facing life-and-death trials."
After speaking, Chen Ziyang introduced Mingzhu Martial Arts University's teaching policies.
The university primarily emphasizes self-study, requiring students to explore their own suitable paths. In the first year, there will be some general education courses that students need to attend on time, but all other time is freely managed. Students can consult materials, purchase Martial Skills to Cultivate to the best of their ability.
"Mingzhu Martial Arts University is the nation's top institution, possessing the highest quality mentor team and the most Advanced Cultivation resources. However, these resources will not be given away for free to anyone. To obtain them, you need credits, and credits also mean competition."
Shen Han also learned that at Mingzhu Martial Arts University, credits were the universal currency. With credits, one could purchase top-tier Martial Skills, high-quality Cultivation auxiliary resources, weapons, and so on; one could even exchange them for one-on-one guidance from Advanced Martial Artists and Super Martial Artists.
Of course, the prerequisite for all of this was having enough credits.
If one wanted to improve their strength and advance in the Martial Dao, everything required competition.
"Everyone's initial credits are 100 points. The list of resources that can be exchanged is on the table in front of you."
Chen Ziyang continued, "Additionally, the university has set up some challenge tasks for freshmen to earn points."
It turned out that Mingzhu Martial Arts University had a famous "Soul Forging Tower" that was well-known throughout the country. The Soul Forging Tower had a total of 100 floors and was a rare place for training Mental Energy.
Although the Soul Forging Tower could not directly increase Mental Energy values, it was a Divine Artifact used to condense and compress Mental Energy.
"What's the use of condensing and compressing Mental Energy if it can't directly improve Cultivation?" someone asked from the side.
"You don't understand, do you? Mental Energy also has different Ranks. Generally, there are Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, etc. Typically, newcomers like us, who have just had their Awakening, are at the Black Iron Rank," Chen Ziyang explained. "The higher the quality of Mental Energy, besides being able to accelerate affinity with Special Ability elements and speed up Cultivation, its most important function is to be immune to low-Rank Mental attacks."
"When Martial Artists use skills, they need to communicate with Special Ability Element stars using Mental Energy, but this process can be interrupted by Mental attacks. If you encounter a high-Rank Mental Special Ability Martial Artist, you won't even be able to release a single move. This is the terrifying aspect of high-Rank Mental Energy," Chen Ziyang continued to popularize the knowledge.
The freshmen then understood the immense utility of high-Rank Mental Energy.
"Freshmen can all challenge the Soul Forging Tower. If you break a record, there will be a 2000-credit reward. Of course, this is not very realistic. Freshmen will also have a leaderboard, and those who Rank in the top ten of the tower challenge will receive credit rewards from 100 to 100 points, in increments of 100 from 100 up to 900, then 1000."
Upon hearing this, many students in the classroom had their eyes light up, clearly looking forward to this opportunity. Shen Han also felt a surge of fighting spirit, secretly planning to seize this chance and challenge his limits.
Of course, everyone's first challenge was free. Afterwards, if they wanted to enter the Soul Forging Tower to Cultivate, they would need to pay corresponding credits.
Therefore, everyone wanted to take advantage of this free opportunity to achieve a good ranking as much as possible.
"Does anyone have any final questions?"
"Mentor, you just mentioned that high-Rank Mental Special Ability Martial Artists can interrupt the casting of skills. I'd like to know if Mental Special Ability can be guided to Awakening through artificial means? Also, can Mental Special Ability perform Spiritual Manipulation?" Shen Han raised his hand and asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Student, you really dare to think!" Many others were also very interested in this question.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ziyang's eyes flashed with approval, seemingly pleased with Shen Han's keenness.
"That's a very good question. Currently, most known Special Ability Elements can be directionally Awakened through special Awakening Stones, but it's a matter of probability and cannot guarantee 100% Awakening of the element you desire. Moreover, the price of directional Awakening Stones is in the hundreds of millions. As for whether Spiritual Manipulation can be performed, in addition to Mental Special Ability, one must also master the corresponding Martial Skills; otherwise, it is very difficult to achieve."
Finally, Chen Ziyang said solemnly, "I hope that in your upcoming studies, you will not only improve your Cultivation but also temper your Heart-Nature. Mingzhu Martial Arts University will not actively protect you; true growth comes from yourselves. The Martial Dao can only be forged by yourselves!"
...After class, Lu Yanlin approached with an unfriendly expression.
"You're Shen Han, the top scholar of Nanjiang Province?"
Shen Han raised an eyebrow, responding in a neither warm nor cold tone, "What, something wrong?"
Lu Yanlin snorted coldly, looking at him with displeasure. "Of course something's wrong. I heard you're from Yang City?" His voice was low, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. "Then do you know someone named Wang Gang?"
"I don't know him. If you have nothing else, please move aside," Shen Han didn't want to get entangled in this issue.
"Don't be so quick to deny it." Lu Yanlin's eyes grew even darker, staring coldly at Shen Han. "I've inquired about you. Your Lightning Element talent used to be A-Rank, but it suddenly became S-Rank during the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Don't tell me this has nothing to do with that Wang Gang."
Shen Han frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart: "What if I do? What if I don't?"
Lu Yanlin wore a cold sneer, his eyes filled with hatred. "I've been defeated by people from your Yang City twice in a row. Because of Wang Gang, I didn't get the heaven marrow fruit; because of you, I missed out on being the top scholar and lost the Cultivation resource rewards promised by my Family. Shen Han, remember, I will get all of this back." His tone was like a sharp blade, every word carrying intense resentment.
Shen Han did not back down, coldly retorting, "That's an issue with your strength, not my fault."
Lu Yanlin's fists clenched slightly, a sinister cold smile on his face: "We'll see."