At nine o'clock the next morning, Qin Feng returned to Seventh Junior High School right on time.
The campus was even livelier today than it had been on re-enrollment day.
The dust had settled on the middle school entrance exams, signaling the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one. The faces of all the test-takers were filled with dreams and plans for the future, and the air was brimming with a light and carefree atmosphere.
When Qin Feng walked into the classroom of Class 3-5, he immediately sensed that the atmosphere today was completely different from usual.
The moment he stepped into the room, nearly every eye turned to him in unison.
Those gazes no longer held any pity, compassion, or indifference.
Instead, they were filled with a complex mixture of shock, curiosity, awe, and even a hint of distance.
On the holographic bulletin board at the front of the classroom, a huge celebratory announcement with gold text on a red background was playing on a loop.
[Congratulations to our school's Class 3-5 student, Qin Feng, for achieving an outstanding result in the Secondary Education Placement Exam with a Life Force Index of 1.23 and a Qimingxing total ranking of 67,321! A new school record!]
Those lines of dazzling golden text were like a series of silent slaps to the faces of every classmate who had ever looked down on Qin Feng.
"Am... am I seeing things? Is that Qin Feng really *our* Qin Feng?"
"Top of the school? Are you kidding me? Weren't they trying to get him to drop out just a month ago because his life force index was too low?"
"Rank 67,000-something... My god, that's good enough to get into a top-tier Seventh High School!"
Whispers rose and fell throughout the classroom.
The classmates who had been on decent terms with Qin Feng wanted to go up and say hello, but they felt as if an invisible wall now stood between them, and they hesitated, not daring to approach.
Meanwhile, those who had once mocked him as a "sickly weakling" behind his back lowered their heads, wishing the ground would swallow them whole.
Just then, the classroom door was pushed open.
Li Weiguo walked in.
He looked a little haggard, his eyes were clearly bloodshot, but his spirits were exceptionally high.
He scanned the room, his gaze finally landing on Qin Feng, and a gentle, complex smile appeared on his face.
"Alright, students, quiet down."
He walked to the lectern and placed a thick stack of documents on it.
"Today, I'll be handing out the 'High School Application Guide' and giving you some final guidance on your choices. There's one guide for each of you. It contains detailed introductions to all the Martial Arts High Schools on Qimingxing, their admission rankings from previous years, and their specializations. Take them home and discuss them thoroughly with your parents."
He began handing out the guides.
When he reached Qin Feng, he personally handed him a guide that was noticeably thicker and had a more exquisite cover.
"Qin Feng, this one is the special recruitment guide for 'Qiming Seventh High School.' It has more detailed, internal information. Use it as a reference."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Qin Feng accepted it.
After the guides were all distributed, Li Weiguo cleared his throat.
"I know what everyone is most concerned about right now is how to fill out your applications. My advice is to look at your personal rank and aim for schools five to ten thousand ranks above you as your 'reach' schools. At the same time, you should also pick one or two schools that match your score as your 'safety' schools..."
He went on to explain the techniques and important points for filling out the applications in detail.
Half an hour later, the guidance session ended.
"Alright, that's all I have to say. You all have the guides now. The next three days are for you and your families to make a decision. I wish you all the best in getting into the schools of your choice."
After speaking, Li Weiguo paused, then added another sentence.
"Qin Feng, please stay behind. I have something to discuss with you privately."
As soon as he said this, the entire class's attention once again focused on Qin Feng.
The students left one after another, and the noisy classroom quickly emptied out.
Soon, only Qin Feng and Li Weiguo remained.
Li Weiguo didn't speak in the classroom, instead making a "please" gesture toward Qin Feng.
"Let's go for a walk."
One after the other, they walked out of the academic building and into the quiet grove on the hill behind the school.
The chirping of summer cicadas rose and fell around them.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Li Weiguo stopped and turned to look at the young man before him, who was already half a head taller than him.
"Qin Feng."
He began, his voice tinged with hoarseness and emotion. "As your teacher... I must first apologize to you."
He didn't wait for Qin Feng's response and continued on his own.
"A month ago, I was blind and nearly ruined your future. I saw you as deadwood, never realizing you were a future pillar of our society. This is a mistake I'll never forget for the rest of my life. Every time I think about it, it feels like a thorn in my back."
He looked at Qin Feng, his expression exceptionally sincere.
"I'm not a person of any great ability, just an ordinary junior high school teacher. I've been teaching for half my life, and my greatest wish has always been to personally foster a true genius."
"I thought Zhou Heyuan was that genius, but now I know I was wrong. Terribly wrong. You are the only one to come out of our Seventh Middle School in decades who has a real hope of one day reaching for the sea of stars."
Qin Feng listened quietly, saying nothing.
Li Weiguo took a palm-sized card made of an unknown black metal from his pocket.
In the center of the card was a slowly rotating silver vortex pattern, formed from countless intricate runes.
"This is a 'Subspace Network Pass'."
Li Weiguo placed the card in Qin Feng's hand. It felt cool and heavy to the touch.
"Martial Dao cultivation isn't just about burying your head and training hard. Vision, combat experience, and resources—not a single one can be lacking. Once you get into a Martial Arts High School, you'll discover that for true geniuses, the battlefield is no longer confined to the real world."
"This pass is the key to that wider battlefield."
He pointed at the card and explained to Qin Feng.
"The Subspace Network is a special spiritual network built within the Subspace Dimension by the Empire, using supreme Spiritual Technology—the culmination of the efforts of countless generations. It can link the spiritual Will of all humans within the Empire's territory, pulling us into a virtual world that is infinitely close to reality."
"In this world, you can ignore the physical distance of billions of light-years to communicate and battle with experts from any star system. It is the foundation of our Empire's rule over its vast territory and a cradle for cultivating the strong."
A pained expression flickered across Li Weiguo's face.
"I took the 200,000 Imperial Coin bonus the school gave me, applied for some subsidies, and used it to unlock the three most important modules for you right now."
He held up his fingers and gestured in the air.
"First, the 'Imperial Arena.' Here, the system can 100% simulate your real physical data. You can engage in virtual combat with geniuses from across the Empire to hone your fighting skills. In the arena, there is no penalty for death, so you can fight, challenge, and accumulate the kind of life-or-death combat experience that's hard to gain in the real world."
"Second, the 'Subspace Transmission Network.' Through this network, your spiritual Will can teleport instantaneously over vast distances between transmission nodes scattered throughout the Empire. When you become powerful enough in the future, you can use this to roam the Star Sea."
"Third, the 'Imperial Trading House.' This is a completely secure online trading platform operated by the Imperial government. From the most basic Spiritual Energy Potions to legendary Divine Weapons, you can buy almost anything you want here—as long as you have the money. And you can sell things, too, of course."
Li Weiguo let out a long breath.
"This pass, plus the fees to unlock these three modules, cost a total of five hundred thousand Imperial Coins. Consider it a small compensation from me, your teacher, for the grievances you've suffered in the past."
Five hundred thousand.
Qin Feng clutched the card, feeling it was as heavy as a mountain.
That was almost the total income of an average middle-class family for several years.
"Teacher, this is too valuable."
He opened his mouth, wanting to refuse.
"Take it!" Li Weiguo's tone became unquestionable. "This isn't for you, it's an investment! An investment in the future of our Seventh Middle School, in the future of our human Empire!"
He looked at Qin Feng, his eyes filled with expectation.
"This is all I can do for you. The road ahead is one you must walk yourself. I only hope that one day in the future, when you've become a great expert whose name shakes the Star Sea, you'll still remember that your Martial Dao path began here, at Qimingxing Seventh Middle School."
"Perhaps one day, like Sun Chan Hall, you might occasionally return to your alma mater and give a lecture to some disheartened youths, changing their lives."
Qin Feng fell silent.
He put away the pass, which carried the earnest hopes of a teacher, and gave Li Weiguo a deep bow.
"Thank you, Teacher. I will remember this kindness."
"Good, good."
Li Weiguo nodded in gratification, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
He clapped Qin Feng on the shoulder, just as he had three years ago when he first welcomed the young man to the school.
"Go on. Go fill out your application. Go and begin your era."
"As your teacher, I wish you great fortune on your martial path and a boundless future!"