"I desire to trade the Imperial Jade Seal for the mind of the Emperor Emeritus."
Hongwu First Academy, Training Grounds.
Five hundred students stood below the vocation altar, their expressions varied—some excited, some disheartened, some hopeful.
Today was the day they would become professionals.
"How can I be assigned a Swordsman with such high spiritual power? I wanted to be a Mage!"
"A Swordsman isn't bad! Most of us didn't even succeed in getting a vocation. From now on, we'll have to call you 'bro'!"
"He's just showing off! If he doesn't want to be a Swordsman, he can come work the assembly line with me!"
"Go work the assembly line yourself! You're a non-professional, and you dare mock me? Do you think we're still classmates?"
The vocations were still being assigned, but the crowd below had already grown lively.
Most of the students had completed the ritual. Those who had just become professionals couldn't contain their urge to share and show off.
"This world is a bit cruel," Qin Yang mused as he listened to the discussions, falling into deep thought.
Having just awakened to his past-life memories, his worldview had shattered.
In this life, he was reborn into a world resembling an online game.
Five hundred years ago, the Celestial Heavens invaded. The Blue Star expanded, and countless spatial rifts tore open! Since then, monsters had ravaged the globe, and order had completely collapsed!
Crisis and opportunity coexisted.
On the brink of racial extinction, humanity had also gained extraordinary abilities. They could become Warriors, Mages, Archers, and other vocations, gaining experience by slaying monsters and continuously strengthening themselves.
Thus, the era of universal vocations began.
Professionals were the only masters of this age. All non-professionals were their servants.
At this moment, the students who had failed to awaken wore expressions of despair, and those with poor resilience were wailing loudly.
This made the students who had yet to step onto the altar even more nervous.
Qin Yang, however, remained calm.
In this life, he was a second-generation rich heir.
His family owned vast fertile lands and a top-tier guild. In such a family, he could either pursue fame and success or live a life of wealth and leisure.
Qin Yang, who had transmigrated here, leaned toward the latter.
Professionals might have high status, but their mortality rate was also high.
According to statistics, only 40% of professionals died of natural causes. In other words, out of ten professionals, six met an untimely death.
Those who frequented secret realms often faced life-and-death crises.
In his past life, Qin Yang had died from overwork.
He had struggled all his life but never lived a single day for himself.
In this life, he just wanted to live well and experience the life of a rich heir.
As Qin Yang was lost in thought, a sudden exclamation erupted among his classmates!
"Wow! A Gale Swordsman!"
Qin Yang looked up toward the awakening altar.
A tall, slender youth stood at the center of the vocation altar. He was Qin Yang's class monitor, Su Chenxing.
At that moment, a strong wind swirled around him!
Above the vocation altar, a line of text appeared:
[Vocation: Gale Swordsman.]
Seeing these words, the crowd below erupted in excitement.
"This is one of the most popular vocations in the past five years!"
"Yeah! Agile and elegant, among the excellent vocations, the Gale Swordsman is the most powerful!"
"As expected of our school's heartthrob! He lives up to everyone's expectations!"
"Where's that guy who was showing off about being a Swordsman? Come and kowtow to our Su Shen!"
The area in front of the vocation altar was in an uproar.
Over five hundred years, the vocation system had developed into a mature structure. Most vocations had been tested in battle, and their strengths had been standardized.
Su Chenxing's Gale Swordsman was an excellent vocation, surpassing ordinary ones.
"The strength of a vocation is determined by the person!"
"The Gale Swordsman will become a transcendent vocation under my development!"
On the altar, Su Chenxing delivered his acceptance speech.
Below, the students listened with fervor.
The dean on the vocation altar also wore a proud smile.
In this world, there were no such things as high schools or universities.
After three years at a vocational academy, students had to enter society. Geniuses like Su Chenxing could join top-tier guilds for internships immediately after graduation—such as the Longge Guild of the Qin family.
"Young man, work hard. I have high hopes for you."
Qin Yang gave Su Chenxing an encouraging look as the latter stood proudly after awakening as a Gale Swordsman.
After Su Chenxing's awakening, it was as if the academy's fortune had been exhausted—over fifty students in a row failed to awaken any vocation.
Qin Yang remained unmoved.
Heroes were always few and far between. If he failed to awaken, he could simply be part of the ordinary majority, living off his family's wealth. If he ran out of money... well, that was another matter.
"Next, Qin Yang!"
Suddenly, the instructor called Qin Yang's name.
Qin Yang stepped out of the line and ascended the stairs of the vocation altar.
An elder on the altar slightly opened his eyes.
"Is this Qin Chuan's son?"
"Yes, Elder Zhong," Dean Wang replied respectfully.
Elder Zhong appraised Qin Yang and said indifferently, "He does have a striking appearance."
"Do you think he can awaken a vocation?" Dean Wang asked, hopeful. He had received favors from the Qin family in the past.
Elder Zhong was a level 60 Qi Men Master, skilled in array formations. The array for this vocation ceremony had been set up by him. He had witnessed countless vocation ceremonies and was highly accurate in predicting vocations. Earlier, before Su Chenxing even stepped onto the altar, he had predicted that the student might awaken a remarkable vocation.
Elder Zhong shook his head slightly. "Qin Yang's constitution is too weak. He clearly hasn't built a solid foundation. The probability of awakening is low."
Dean Wang sighed.
If Qin Yang failed to awaken, the academy would lose a significant investment.
At that moment, Qin Yang was already standing at the center of the vocation altar.
The vocation array activated, emitting waves of energy.
Suddenly—
The clear sky darkened.
A fierce wind swept across the training grounds. The leaves rustled, and sparrows took flight in panic, as if fleeing disaster.
"Is the weather changing?"
"The wind today is unusually fierce."
"Something's not right! There's elemental energy in this wind!"
The students were afraid.
Unusual celestial phenomena often signaled a monster invasion!
Dean Wang had never seen such a phenomenon before. His heart pounded as he looked at Elder Zhong.
Elder Zhong narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "It's nothing. Just an omen."
"An omen!"
Dean Wang was startled, then his face lit up with wild joy!
An omen meant Qin Yang had awakened an extremely powerful vocation!
Was it a Necromancer King? Or a Skywrath Mage?
Dean Wang trembled with excitement!
Only transcendent or higher-level vocations could produce omens!
He was happy for Qin Yang, but even happier for himself!
If Qin Yang awakened a transcendent vocation under his watch, the Qin family would surely reward him handsomely!
But what vocation was this?
Judging by the omen's momentum, it was even more domineering than a Necromancer King!
BOOM!
A deafening thunderclap exploded.
Above the darkened sky, an enormous scroll unfurled.
On the scroll, scenes of grandeur, bloodshed, and decadence unfolded:
First scene: The Purple Star descends, and when my flower blooms, all others perish!
Second scene: The dragon rises in rebellion, and the streets of heaven are paved with the bones of nobles!
Third scene: Ascending the throne, all civil and military officials are heroes!
Fourth scene: Leading the army in person, the nine clans of foreign lands are left without men!
Fifth scene: Indulging in luxury, all beauties are hidden in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace!
Sixth scene: Distinguishing right from wrong, burning books and burying scholars to establish divine authority!
The scroll depicted scenes that were grand, bloody, and absurd.
Anyone with keen insight could tell—
This was the life of an ancient emperor!