"Ethan Chen has already reached Martial Skill — (Tier 1) Mastery?"
"Yesterday afternoon, wasn't he still at Level — (Tier 1) Advanced?"
Seeing the usually composed Principal Luke show rare surprise, Ryan Ling felt a quiet satisfaction.
"That's right. I didn't expect it either—yesterday afternoon he was still at the (Tier 1) Advanced Stage, and by evening, he'd broken through!"
He then detailed how Ethan defeated Ben Harris in the seat challenge."Principal, this kid is absolutely a battle prodigy! That instinct to win—too precious."
Ryan Ling didn't hold back his praise."To be honest, in all my years of teaching, this is the first time I've met a student like him. He's only seventeen, but in combat he feels… seasoned—like he's survived countless life-and-death trials."
Principal Luke nodded, took a deep breath."A genius—an absolute martial arts genius. We must prioritize his training. For now, allocate resources to him at Seat No. 1 level."
"As for early special recruitment, I'll contact the local reps of Mount Everest Martial Arts University and Mount Tai Martial Arts University. In the Hundred Cities Championship a month from now, Ethan must aim for top three. With — (Tier 1) Mastery, it's possible; if he places, the early recruitment contract is almost guaranteed."
As principal, his top concern was yearly admits to the Eight Great Martial Arts Universities. In the Hongzhi Class, only the top ten seats usually had a real shot—adding Ethan would be ideal.Ryan Ling agreed and ended the call.
6:00 p.m., Ryan Ling's office
"Early special recruitment?" Ethan looked puzzled across the desk—his first time hearing it.
Sensing the information gap, Ryan explained,"In the normal college entrance track, to get into the Eight Great Martial Arts Universities, your Life Force Level must be at least 6.5."
Ethan nodded; every brochure said so.
"With your current Life Force Level, reaching that before the exam would be… very hard. But the special recruitment route waives that requirement."
Ethan's eyes lit up."There are two kinds," Ryan continued. "Regular special recruitment requires your Martial Skill to reach — (Tier 1) Limit one month before the exam. Early special recruitment is looser — (Tier 1) Mastery is enough."
He smiled. "Which you already meet. But that's only one condition. Professors from Mount Everest Martial Arts University and Mount Tai Martial Arts University will come evaluate you in person—likely after the Hundred Cities Championship."
"Only those two?" Ethan asked. "Shouldn't all eight join?"
"The schools and quotas aren't fixed—big data and talent demand decide."
Ethan kept calm but felt a twinge of disappointment. Both schools were outside the Seventh Ecological Zone. His long-time goal was Huangshan University of Martial Arts, which is in-zone. Still, his Life Force Level was 5.2, short by 1.3 with only 119 days left—tough.
"Teacher," Ethan asked suddenly, "if I pass early special recruitment with those two, can I still take the exam and attend a different martial arts university?"
Ryan blinked. "Do you have a target in mind?"
"Huangshan University of Martial Arts."
"Why? The Eight Greats provide similar resources."
"Six years ago, in Thundercloud District, Huxi City suffered a surprise attack by the Titan Civilization from Mars. Even with the Warrior Alliance – City Defense Corps from Huxi and nearby cities, numbers were limited—tens of thousands died."Ethan's eyes hardened. "I don't have grand dreams—just that my family stays safe. If Liang City ever faces crisis, I want to rush back and save them. Rescue teams won't prioritize my family—but I will. I may not be strong yet, but it's better than no one."
Ryan fell silent; his respect grew.
"You want those two as a safety net, and if you fail Huangshan, you'll choose one of them?"Ethan nodded.
"Sorry—no. Passing early special recruitment means signing a binding contract. Your first-choice after the exam must be the contracted school. It's not instant admission—you still take the exam—but you're exempt from some rules, like the minimum Life Force Level, and you get a score reduction."
"I ran the numbers: early special recruitment gives –100 points. If you place top ten in the Hundred Cities Championship, that's another –10. Choose one of those two schools and your effective cutoff is –110; with your grades, admission's safe."
He paused. "But if you insist on Huangshan University of Martial Arts, you must refuse the contract. That risk is huge—you'd only get –30 overall, and still need 6.5 Life Force Level. Odds are you'd end up at an ordinary university. Don't gamble with your future."
Ethan was quiet, then nodded. "Thank you, teacher. I'll think it through."
After covering a few more details, Ethan left school and headed to a pharmacy. Early special recruitment would be after the Hundred Cities Championship, in early March—over a month away. He wanted to see if he could accelerate his Life Force growth in the meantime.