One year later, Tengger Desert, Night.
A commercial airliner from the Imperial Capital was cruising through the airspace above the vast desert, bound for Gansu.
"Tower, Tower, this is flight Y2111, do you copy?"
"Tower copies, Y2111, please report your status."
"We are currently flying over the Tengger Desert. We expect to arrive at the airport in fifteen minutes. Requesting runway clearance."
"Tower copies. Runway 3 will be cleared in ten minutes. You are cleared for landing there."
"Y2111 copies."
After finishing the report, the middle-aged captain hung up the comms, a relaxed smile spreading across his face. Seeing this, the co-pilot began lowering the aircraft's altitude while teasingly asking, "Old Wang, you look pretty happy. What's the good news? Share it so I can celebrate with you."
"Hehe, no harm in telling you. Once we touch down this time, I can finally retire in peace." Thinking of his retirement, the man named Wang grew even more cheerful. A look of longing appeared in his eyes, as if a beautiful life was already waving at him from the horizon.
"Is that so? Then congratulations in advance." Hearing about the retirement, the co-pilot offered his well-wishes. In their line of work, the benefits after retirement were quite substantial. The thought of living a relaxed life with a handsome pension every year was enough to make anyone envious.
As they chatted about the future, the plane drifted slowly toward the heart of the Tengger Desert.
At the very center of the desert lay a concave basin roughly one kilometer in diameter. At this moment, the sands were behaving abnormally. The dunes began to bulge upward, as if something was tunneling out from deep underground. Suddenly, two sharp, jagged antennae pierced through the surface.
Imperial Academy, 10:00 AM, Training Ground No. 3.
The training area was spacious, about the size of two football fields. In the center stood a square elevated platform resembling a boxing ring, roughly twenty meters in diameter. Around the ring stood fifty or sixty young men and women, aged nineteen to twenty, their eyes fixed on the center of the stage. Regardless of gender, their expressions were filled with the hope that their respective side would win.
Three people stood on the platform. The man in the middle was clearly an instructor. Flanking him were a young man and a young woman—the combatants for this session.
The man wore a blue martial arts uniform. His calm, indifferent expression gave him the aura of a grandmaster. Opposite him, the woman wore a form-fitting white combat suit that outlined a perfect silhouette, giving her the sleek look of a movie superspy. Despite their different attire, both bore the same insignia on their backs: a triangular logo emblazoned with the letters "TPC."
Seeing both parties ready, the instructor raised his hand and barked, "Begin!"
WHAM!
The woman in the combat suit moved first. She was as fast as a cheetah, lunging toward the man in an attempt to decide the match with a single strike.
Unfazed, the man assumed a Tai Chi-like starting stance. He stepped aside to dodge the punch, seized her arm the moment an opening appeared, and pinned it down. Just as he was about to counter, the woman's leg swept toward him.
His pupils dilated. He exerted force to push her away, raising his arms to block the kick. The sheer power of the impact forced him back a step or two. The fallen woman seized the opportunity to spring up and launch a sharp whip-kick.
However, the man was prepared. His hands were already in position, and he caught her calf mid-air. The woman's face paled. She tried to pull back, but a surge of immense strength sent her stumbling backward until she hit the floor again.
Despite pushing her back, the man did not press the attack. He simply stood his ground and smiled faintly. "Want to keep going?"
"Who's afraid of you!"
The woman scrambled up and charged again with cheetah-like speed. What followed was a fascinating display. The man blocked every single punch she threw, but he never initiated a follow-up strike. He would simply push her away and wait for her next move.
His nonchalant attitude clearly frustrated her, and her punches grew progressively fiercer. The man remained calm, meeting every move with a counter; for every attack she sent, he offered a perfect defense.
The female students watching from below were growing anxious, their expressions so frantic they looked ready to jump into the ring themselves. But that thought vanished within a second because they knew they weren't his match. The girl on the stage was already the strongest in their class. Even though they knew they couldn't beat the man, they were still annoyed.
'You're a man! Why are you dodging and weaving like a sissy? Have the guts to fight for real for once!'
'And Qin Yuxin, please move faster! Just make it so Ye Feng can't keep up his defense!'
Indeed, the two fighting on the stage were Qin Yuxin and Ye Feng, who had both entered the Imperial Academy after the Awakening Day.
A year had passed, and their appearances had changed significantly. Qin Yuxin's figure had become even more refined; she stood at about 173cm, possessing the presence of an A-list star. At first glance, she still looked like a delicate woman who needed protection, but her performance in the ring suggested that "delicate" was the last word anyone should use to describe her.
Her opponent, Ye Feng, now stood at 178cm, just a bit taller than her. While his looks weren't breathtaking, he was handsome in a very enduring, pleasant way. His constant, gentle smile made him feel like a "little sun" to those around him.
"Tsk tsk, I wonder where Ye Feng learned that fighting style. All defense and no offense, yet nobody can touch him."
"All defense is the real 'bug' here, okay? He looks soft, but you only realize how disgusting his style is once you actually fight him."
"Exactly! I'm clearly the one punching him, but somehow I'm the one who ends up getting hurt. It's like fighting a ghost."
From the chatter among the male students, it was clear that Ye Feng had left a deep impression on everyone during his first year at the Imperial Academy.
At the edge of the ring, the instructor watched them with great satisfaction. He had been their teacher for a year, providing hands-on guidance. Seeing his students reach this level filled him with pride.
Ten minutes passed. Finding an opening, Ye Feng seized her hands. Qin Yuxin's expression shifted instantly. In the next moment, the ceiling spun in her vision, and she felt a dull pain in her back as she hit the mat.
She reacted immediately to get up, but Ye Feng flipped her over and sat on her legs. Her hands were somehow pinned behind her by his grip, leaving her unable to move.
"Alright, the spar is over. Ye Feng wins."
She was about to try a headbutt when the instructor's voice made her give up the struggle. Her eyes flashed, and she shot a fierce glare at Ye Feng. "Are you going to let me go, or are you planning to take advantage of me forever?"
"Ahem! No, no! Don't talk nonsense." Letting go of her hands, Ye Feng scrambled up and hurried to the edge of the ring to show he had no such intentions.
"Hmph. You better not dare."
After shooting him a look of disdain, Qin Yuxin greeted the instructor and returned to the group of girls to hydrate.
'Damn, what's with that look? You really think I wouldn't dare?' Ye Feng grumbled internally. He nodded to the instructor and hopped down to grab some water.
As they left the stage, the instructor pressed a button. The guardrails around the ring dissolved into light particles, and the entire platform sank until it was flush with the floor. He turned to address his students, but stopped when his phone vibrated.
He checked the message, and his face shifted slightly. However, after reading the follow-up text, he sighed and deflated a bit. Putting his phone away, he called out, "Everyone, gather around! I have something to tell you."
Ye Feng and the others, who were chatting with their roommates, quickly assembled to hear the lecture.
"You've all been here for a year. It is time to test the fruits of your labor."
At those words, everyone knew what was coming. It was the equivalent of a final exam. The instructor didn't elaborate, merely adding mysteriously: "I'm giving you half a day. Prepare your equipment for a desert expedition. I will inspect everything tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM. We'll see if your gear is up to code."
With that, the class was dismissed.
Ye Feng swung his backpack over his shoulder. Hearing Qin Yuxin call his name, he waved goodbye to his roommates and walked over to the girls, much to the envious and jealous glares of the other men.