An electronic contract was projected in front of Qin Feng.
Qin Feng quickly scanned it, and after confirming its contents matched the admission notice, he signed his name.
"All set."
The upperclassman handed him a black metal card. "This is your student ID. It's also your pass for all campus facilities and your proof of identity. You've been assigned to Year 1, Class 3. The academic building is Building 7 in Zone C. The dormitories are in Zone F, and your room is 402 in Building 18. Off you go."
Qin Feng took the student ID, said his thanks, and turned to merge into the stream of people heading toward the academic zone.
...
The classroom for Year 1, Class 3 was located on the top floor of Building 7 in Zone C.
When Qin Feng pushed the door open, he found it wasn't the traditional classroom he had imagined, but a massive, fully equipped Martial Arts Room over two thousand square meters in area.
The floor was paved with high-strength, sound-absorbent material. One side featured floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked most of the campus.
The other side was neatly lined with various pieces of equipment for auxiliary training.
The back half of the Martial Arts Room was where the students' seating area was.
Each seat was equipped with an independent holographic projector and a data port.
By now, most of the students had already arrived.
They were gathered in small groups of two and three, talking in low voices, each one exuding the confidence and arrogance unique to geniuses.
Qin Feng didn't try to talk to anyone. He walked straight to the last row and found a seat by the window.
The murmurs of the students around him drifted over intermittently.
"Did you hear? We've got a real powerhouse in our class this time. Ranked in the top one hundred on Planet Qiming for the middle school entrance exams!"
"Top one hundred? For real? Who is it?"
"That guy, the one sitting in the front row in the white training uniform. His name is Shi Potian. I heard his vitality index was already close to 10 before he even enrolled, putting him on the verge of becoming a Second Level Martial Artist. Several top Martial Arts High Schools were fighting over him, but in the end, he chose our Qi Yi High School."
"My God... doesn't that mean we're in the same class as him? The pressure is immense."
"It's not just Shi Potian. I just looked at the class list. Our class has six people who ranked in the top one thousand on the entrance exam, and nearly twenty who ranked in the top ten thousand. The rest are basically all within the top fifty thousand."
"Our class only has fifty-eight students in total. Isn't the proportion of top students way too high...?"
Qin Feng listened quietly, committing all this information to memory.
'Fifty-eight people in the class, and those in the top ten thousand make up close to half of them.'
'At rank sixty-seven thousand something, I'm definitely in the bottom tier of the class.'
Just then, the classroom door was pushed open.
A tall middle-aged man with a stern, chiseled face walked in.
He wore a tight-fitting black Combat Suit that clearly defined his muscles. As he walked, he carried an air of iron-blooded slaughter.
His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's. As he swept it across the room, the entire noisy classroom fell silent in an instant.
He walked to the front of the podium, placed his hands on the desktop, and leaned forward slightly.
"My name is Wu Shangfeng. Starting today, I am the homeroom teacher for Year 1, Class 3."
His voice was deep and powerful, each word landing like a steel bearing dropped on the floor.
"Welcome to Qiming First Martial High School."
He scanned the room and continued, "First, I'll explain the most basic rules of the school."
"First, Qi Yi High School doesn't use a traditional grade system. It uses a level-based system."
"All students whose vitality index has not reached 10 and who have not broken through to the Second Level Martial Artist threshold are considered 'First Years.' When your strength breaks through and you become a Second Level Martial Artist, you will automatically be promoted to 'Second Year.' And so on. Once your strength reaches the level of a Level 4 Martial Artist, you can apply for graduation. After graduation, whether you choose to apply for Starry University or enlist directly in the military, the school will provide you with the highest level of recommendation based on your performance during your time here."
"Remember, you cannot graduate until you have reached the level of a Level 4 Martial Artist."
Wu Shangfeng's words caused a suppressed stir in the classroom.
"I've heard about this! There was a monster of a senior last year named Lin Xuan. He got an S-rank contract within half a year of enrolling, broke through to Level 4 Martial Artist in less than a year, and graduated to go straight to Starry Sky Martial Arts University!"
"Yeah, but there are also people who are still stuck as First Years in their second year, unable to break through."
Qin Feng listened to the surrounding discussion, a great interest growing in him for this promotion system based solely on strength.
'If I want to raise my strength quickly and keep improving, I have to fight for higher-level resource contracts.'
"Quiet."
Wu Shangfeng's voice wasn't loud, but it easily suppressed all the chatter.
"Second, regarding the advancement of resource contracts. Every one of you currently holds a D-rank contract. To raise its level, you need to earn 'merit points'. Merit points are the sole standard for measuring your value during your time at this school. Your ranking in final exams, completing tasks issued by the school, winning campus challenge matches, representing the school in interstellar competitions, achieving a high rank in the Subspace Network arena... all of these can earn you merit points."
"The more merit points you have, the more resources you can redeem, and the faster your contract level will increase."
Wu Shangfeng paused and pulled up the course schedule.
"Third, regarding your courses. The school's instruction is mainly divided into three parts: cultural studies, Martial Dao classes, and combat classes."
"Cultural studies will mainly cover subjects like *Comprehensive History of the Empire*, *Advanced Alien Race Linguistics*, and *The Theory of Interstellar War*. Don't think for a second that cultural studies are unimportant. Ignorance is the most common reason for the downfall of the strong."
"For Martial Dao classes, the school will systematically teach the Intermediate Body Refining Technique and the Advanced Body Refining Method, as well as various basic Meditation techniques and cold weapon killing techniques. What you learned in middle school was just scratching the surface. Here, you will learn how to truly fight."
"As for combat class, it's simple."
A cold, hard smile touched the corners of Wu Shangfeng's lips. "You will form small squads and use the Subspace Network to accept low-intensity missions officially posted by the Empire. For example, clearing out Star Thieves from an abandoned mining area, or hunting some low-level mutated Exotic Beasts. People can die in actual combat, so be mentally prepared."
Qin Feng committed all this to memory, his heart filled with hope for the next three years of school life.
'This is my first step toward the Star Sea, the beginning of my journey to becoming one of the strong!'
Wu Shangfeng's gaze swept over every student present.
"Finally, one last thing to tally up. Anyone who already has a Subspace Network Pass, raise your hand."
As his voice fell, the twenty-some students in the front rows, including Shi Potian, all raised their hands in unison.
In the back row, Qin Feng also calmly raised his hand.
Wu Shangfeng's gaze lingered on him for a moment, but he didn't ask any questions.
"Very good."
He nodded. "For those students without a pass, don't worry. The school can provide you with an interest-free 'student loan' to help you acquire one. You can pay this money back to the school in the future when you're able. Now, those of you who don't have one, come up here to register."