The classroom could wait. Chief Instructor Di Shitian had other plans for Xiao Ke, leading him instead into the stark silence of his private office.
"Have a seat," Di Shitian said, gesturing vaguely at a plush leather sofa. "Want something to drink? Coffee, tea?"
Xiao Ke felt a flicker of surprise, of flattery, that was quickly replaced by suspicion. He knew Di Shitian's reputation. The man was a storm, unpredictable and violent, with a legendary disdain for his students. While Xiao Ke's raw strength was undeniable, Di Shitian only cared about one thing: Origin Power. By that metric, Xiao Ke was nothing special. If the Chief Instructor had seen any real potential in him, he would've been in the elite class from day one. So, what was this?
"I'm fine, thank you," Xiao Ke said, his voice tight with formal respect.
"I'll choose for you, then," Di Shitian declared, already moving to a sleek machine. "Kopi Luwak. The best. I only break this out for… special guests."
Apprehensively, Xiao Ke perched on the very edge of the sofa, a subconscious gesture of humility. He watched as Di Shitian, the academy's most feared instructor, personally ground the beans and brewed two cups. He handed one to Xiao Ke before settling into the massive chair behind his desk, stirring his own coffee with a lazy clink of silver on ceramic.
"At the entrance trial, you shattered a solid bluestone with one punch," Di Shitian began, his voice deceptively casual. "And I gave you a D-rank. Threw you in with the rejects. You must have been pretty pissed about that."
Xiao Ke chose his words carefully. "I believe that when one path is closed, it's because destiny has another in mind."
A dry laugh escaped Di Shitian. "You're young, but you talk like a seasoned politician. Smooth. But let's be clear: destiny didn't have another plan for you. I did."
Xiao Ke's eyes shot up, confusion warring with caution. He said nothing, knowing the instructor wasn't finished.
Di Shitian continued, his gaze analytical, as if he were reading from a file. "You were a civilian. A Centurion named Qin Bing mistook you for a deserter, but the front lines were desperate, so you were thrown into the fight. In one month—just one month—you slaughtered zombies, climbed the ranks from grunt to Centurion, and awakened your Origin Power. You're only a Level 2 War Soldier, but your actual combat strength? It's on par with a Level 5 War General."
He leaned forward, a predatory smile playing on his lips. "A civilian becomes a soldier and, in thirty days, has the power of a War General. If that's not a prodigy, a true child of destiny, then what is?"
A jolt of pride, hot and sharp, went through Xiao Ke. To be recognized, to have his struggle and power acknowledged by the man at the top—it was intoxicating. But a warning bell clanged in his mind. This is too much, too fast. Why the sudden praise after weeks of utter neglect?
"You're too kind, Chief Instructor," Xiao Ke said, his voice steady. "I'm just a rookie. There's nothing to praise."
"Don't be modest. Excellence is excellence," Di Shitian countered, shaking his head. "I put you in the trash class to put you under pressure. To forge your will in the fire of neglect. I think you've been tempered enough. It's time to move you to the elite class. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
Xiao Ke nodded instinctively. "I understand."
"What do you understand?" The question was a whipcrack.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew thick, heavy, like trying to breathe underwater. An immense wave of Origin Power rolled off Di Shitian, pressing down on Xiao Ke. It felt like a mountain was collapsing on him, like a stampede was thundering toward him. His breath caught in his throat; the pressure was suffocating.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought to simply remain upright.
"What," Di Shitian repeated, his voice a low growl, "do you understand?"
"I…" Xiao Ke gasped, his mind blank with panic.
Di Shitian's voice dropped even lower, becoming a hypnotic, powerful cadence. "Greatness is never given. It is earned through suffering. Through hunger, through toil, through absolute desolation. My pressure on you was a force. It was a test. So tell me you understand now. You are a prodigy. Say it. Tell me you're a prodigy!"
The words were a command, bypassing thought and reason. "Yes," Xiao Ke heard himself say. "I am a prodigy."
And just like that, the pressure vanished. The air was light again. Xiao Ke gasped, his lungs burning.
Di Shitian was smiling again, a warm, encouraging smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Good. That's the mindset you need. Welcome to the elite class, Xiao Ke. The training is brief but intense. I expect you to become the brightest star we have. I expect you to take the top spot."
Xiao Ke, still reeling, could only nod. That was, after all, why he had come. "Yes."
The conversation softened. Di Shitian asked about his family, his past. Xiao Ke found himself telling the whole grim story: the mother who ran off, the father who abandoned him and his sister, the years of scavenging through garbage just to survive. And finally, his greatest failure—his inability to protect his little sister, who had simply starved to death. Guilt, raw and familiar, clawed at his throat.
Di Shitian placed a hand on his shoulder. "Like I said. Heaven forges its greatest weapons in the cruelest fires. All that hardship was a test. Keep fighting, keep pushing, and you will find your pride."
This time, the encouragement felt real, and a wave of gratitude washed over Xiao Ke. "Yes, sir!" he said, his voice firm.
Di Shitian glanced at his watch. "Alright. Let's go introduce you to the class."
Class 01, the elite class, trained in a cavernous indoor facility that hummed with energy. A full ten thousand square meters of gleaming equipment surrounded a massive central combat arena. A hundred cadets moved with deadly grace, practicing forms or sparring with live opponents.
Di Shitian clapped his hands sharply. The sound cut through the noise, and a hundred heads snapped in his direction. Every eye landed on him, and then on the unfamiliar figure beside him: Xiao Ke. A murmur rippled through the room. Isn't that the brute-force kid from the trials? The elite class is full. What's he doing here?
"Listen up!" Di Shitian called out, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Everyone, let's give a warm welcome to our newest classmate, a future pillar of the empire, Xiao Ke!"
The cadets, all too familiar with their instructor's brand of cruel humor, understood immediately. Smirks appeared. A few clapped, the sound sparse and mocking.
Di Shitian turned to Xiao Ke. "Go on. Introduce yourself."
Something was definitely wrong, but Xiao Ke stepped forward as instructed. "I'm Xiao Ke," he said simply. "I look forward to learning from all of you."
"Oh, they'll teach you," Di Shitian said with a chilling smirk. "Now, a quick reminder of the rules. Your rank is your life here. Every weekend, I give out rewards based on that rank. The higher, the better. And the one at the very bottom, who shows no sign of improvement? They don't just get kicked out of the class. They get kicked out of Glory Academy entirely. We have no room for those who don't fight for honor."
A cold knot formed in Xiao Ke's stomach. "Yes, Chief Instructor."
"Good. Then let's see what you've got. We need to assign you a number. Chen Yan! Our current number is 100. Get up here and test our new student."
A tall, lanky cadet with a long face and dead eyes detached himself from the crowd. A powerful aura of combat readiness rolled off him. Xiao Ke's eyes widened in shock. This guy is a Level 5, maybe even a Level 6 War General. This is their lowest-ranked student?
The two faced each other in the arena, the tension palpable. For Chen Yan, this was about pride. Losing to a reject from the trash class was unthinkable. For Xiao Ke, this was his first impression. After Di Shitian's private praise, losing was not an option.
Di Shitian raised a hand. "Begin!"
Chen Yan exploded forward. A sliding step, a blur of motion, and a fist was driving for Xiao Ke's face. Xiao Ke met it with his own.
CRACK.
The impact sent a shockwave through both their bodies. They stumbled back two steps, dead even. Before the crowd could process it, they were on each other again. Xiao Ke, relying on his brawling instincts, managed a takedown, but Chen Yan was a serpent. As he fell, he locked his legs around Xiao Ke, using the momentum to flip him into the air and slam him back toward the mat.
The cadets gasped. Chen Yan, though ranked last, was fighting with the ferocity of a top-30 contender. But Xiao Ke was a survivor. Mid-fall, he twisted, turning the slam into a grapple, and the two were a tangled mess on the floor, trading brutal, efficient blows. It looked messy, but it was a razor's edge—one mistake from either of them would be the end.
But talent and training made a difference. The cadets here were the best of the best, groomed from noble families or forged on the battlefield. Xiao Ke's raw power was monstrous, but Chen Yan's technique was more refined. He saw an opening. A lightning-fast leg sweep caught Xiao Ke off-balance.
Xiao Ke hit the ground hard. Half his face was a mask of blood, but he was already pushing himself up, the fire in his eyes undimmed.
He never got the chance.
"The winner," Di Shitian's voice boomed, "is Chen Yan, number 100. Congratulations on keeping your spot. Fight like that again, and you'll crack the top thirty easily."
The instructor then swept his cold gaze over the entire class. "Do you see now? Do you know why I brought him here?"
Silence. Even Xiao Ke, wiping blood from his chin, held his breath.
"He is your new baseline!" Di Shitian roared. "He's the pressure! He's the boogeyman from the trash class! Any of you who lose to him can pack your bags and leave the elite class. And if I'm in a bad mood, you can leave Glory altogether. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"YES, INSTRUCTOR!" they thundered back in unison.
Finally, Di Shitian turned his gaze back to Xiao Ke. The warmth from the office was gone, replaced by a twisted, cruel sneer.
"And you," he spat, the words dripping with venom. "You, the worthless trash whose mother ran off, whose father abandoned him, who was too weak to even keep his own sister from starving to death. You, the coward who tried to pull a fast one at the trials and actually dared to believe you were a prodigy. You came here dreaming of being number one? You can't even beat the worst student I have. I'm honestly not sure you're even enough of a threat to motivate them."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a malevolent whisper. "So here's the deal. You have one week. Get into the top 80. If you can do that, you can stay. If not… get out of my sight."
This was his game. Build them up to the heavens, then cast them into the deepest pits of hell. He loved to watch them break. He'd seen cadets burst into tears under this exact psychological torture.
But Xiao Ke didn't cry. He didn't scream. He simply stood there, bleeding and defeated, and met the Chief Instructor's gaze with an almost frightening intensity.
"Top ten," he said, his voice quiet but clear.
Di Shitian blinked. "What did you say?"
Xiao Ke's eyes were like chips of ice. He spoke slowly, each word a carefully placed stone. "I said, top eighty is too low. Give me one week. I'll break into your top ten."
A collective gasp went through the room. It was an insane, impossible boast. Breaking into the top 80 might be doable. But the top ten? They were monsters.
Even Di Shitian looked genuinely surprised. "You think you can break the top ten in a single week?"
"Yes," Xiao Ke said. "And if I fail, I'll walk out of Glory myself and never look back. But if I succeed…" He took a step forward. "You will apologize to me. You can insult me all you want. But you don't get to use my dead sister to do it."
The cadets stared, aghast. He was challenging Di Shitian. Demanding an apology.
The Chief Instructor's eyes narrowed, his gaze boring into Xiao Ke's. The air crackled with tension. For a long moment, no one moved.
Then, slowly, a chilling smile spread across Di Shitian's face.
"Fine," he said. "You've got a deal. One week. Break the top ten, and I'll apologize. Fail… and you'll crawl out of here in disgrace."