Year 2318, Spirit Origin Era, Marsh City’s Qiling High School. 

Qiling High School was one of the most famous high schools in Marsh City, filled with many cultivation prodigies. Xiang Ning, who had just turned sixteen, had officially enrolled in the school today, but he wasn’t a prodigy. Instead, he was there as a part-time student. Xiang Ning was an orphan, and the orphanage head had taken a liking to him. He had been raised under the Federation’s public education system and should have been sent to one of the schools meant for orphans, but three orphans could be sent to one of the prestigious schools every year. Xiang Ning was fortunate enough to be one of them. 

He picked up his old communicator and read the message on it once again, still confused. He understood that this place was full of cultivation prodigies and it would be difficult to catch up to them—but that didn’t mean he had no future. 

With the advancement of technology, humankind had started venturing into space exploration. As long as he could get into a military school or become a technician after graduating from a regular university, his fate could still be changed. 

He followed the crowd out of the teaching area. He stuck out like a sore thumb because the rest of the students had parents with them and mostly wore luxurious clothes. However, he didn’t pay them any mind because he knew admiration would be useless. Very soon, he arrived at Class 8 of the upper secondary first-year classes.[1] At the beginning of the school year, students would randomly be allocated to the classes, other than the first and second classes.

Xiang Ning stood before the door of his classroom and found his seat on the list. He hadn’t been there long when a mocking voice sounded, “Hey hey hey, you’re in my way. Just sweep the floor and move along now.” 

Xiang Ning was being mistaken for the janitor. His eyes narrowed, but he ignored the voice. If they had been more polite, Xiang Ning would have immediately moved out of the way. After a quick look, he found his seat and left for it. 

The other person was stunned for a moment, then seemed infuriated. 

“Hahaha, Zhang Cheng! He’s a student here, who’d you think he was?” Loud laughter rang out in the classroom. 

Zhang Cheng’s face darkened. “None of your fucking business! He looks so dragged, how would I have known he was a student? I can’t believe the school takes in people like that!”

“Hmm, let me think. I remember the school takes in part-time students every year to help sweep the floors. He must be one of them.” 

Zhang Cheng curled his lips in disgust, then deviously remarked, “And I thought he was some rich man’s son out here trying to experience life as a peasant.” He didn’t try hiding his remark, either, so the entire class heard him. Many people had gathered around to watch and they looked at Xiang Ning. 

Some had no reaction, but while others didn’t say a word, neither did they hide the mocking look on their faces.

Xiang Ning sat at the last table in the fifth group of tables. There were thirty students in a class, divided into five groups of six students. He blankly looked outside the window. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a thing, but despite his frustration, he must endure it for a better future!

Very soon, the bell rang. 

The classroom door opened and a graceful silhouette entered. It was a devilish lady with a drop-dead gorgeous body roughly 1.7 meters tall, complete with voluptuous breasts and sexy curves. Almost every male student in the class couldn’t help but stare, their eyes greedily traveling up and down her figure. 

“Good morning everyone, I’m your class teacher, Su Muhan. I look forward to working with you all over the next three years.” Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. 

“Good morning, Miss Su!” the students politely replied in unison.

“Mm, we have a total of thirty students in this class, let’s begin with a self-introduction.” She stood at the rostrum, her eyes scanning the classroom. 

“Alright, let’s start with you.” Su Muhan pointed in the corner. Everyone turned to look. 

Xiang Ning paused for a second and wondered, Is she pointing at me? He looked around and saw everyone looking at him so he stood up and said, “Hi everyone, I’m Xiang Ning. Nice to meet you.”

Then, he sat down. Su Muhan could barely react; was that it? 

“Cough, he’s pretty cold,” scoffed Zhang Cheng, not too loudly but loud enough for the entire class to hear him. Xiang Ning ignored him. He didn’t have anything special and wasn’t a fan of socializing. He had grown up in an orphanage. 

Su Muhan quickly diffused the situation. “It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s probably just nerves from the first day of school! I hope everyone mingles with each other soon.” 

Thank goodness it was the start of the school year and not many students knew each other. The self-introductions quickly resumed. 

“Hello everyone, my name is Zhang Cheng, my cultivation is currently at Physical Tempering stage eight and I’ve achieved Assimilation in one martial skill.” Zhang Cheng smirked as everyone who understood gave him a complex look. A few girls even looked interested. 

“That’s awesome! Assimilation! It’s great you could achieve that level at such a young age!” 

“It’s impressive indeed.” 

Many turned to look at Zhang Cheng. 

Assimilation was one of the levels depicting mastery of a certain cultivator’s skill. The mastery levels went through Beginner, Intermediate, Assimilation, Awakened, and the last level, Peak Mastery. It was already difficult to attain the Assimilation level. Moving up to each level required a thousand times more effort than the last. 

The other students expressed similar praise, but Su Muhan merely gave a somewhat professional smile and said, “Zhang Cheng must have put a lot of effort into cultivation, everyone should learn from him.” 

The recognition gave Zhang Cheng an ego boost. 

“My name is Chen Da.…” The self-introductions resumed. 

Xiang Ning memorized every name and identified the person who previously laughed at him. His name was Zhang Tao. 

“Alright, that’s the end of our self-introductions. The teachers for the rest of your subjects will meet you tomorrow.” As Su Muhan spoke, she grabbed a stack of something on the rostrum and casually flicked her wrist. Xiang Ning saw some cards fly through the air. 

One of them flew toward him, so he reached out and it landed perfectly in his hand. This teacher must be at least a tier three martial artist, her control is impeccable. After a cultivator’s initial Physical Tempering phase, there would be a turning point. That turning point is similar to a complete molting of one’s previous state, and they will step out of a regular human’s status to enter the realm of the martial artist. 

Xiang Ning looked at the card in his hand and found that it was a student ID. 

On the stage, Su Muhan spoke after ensuring that everyone had gotten their cards, “This is your student ID, you’ll be able to get your school uniform and the book Advanced Breathing Techniques at the eastern block of the campus with it.”

Advanced Breathing Techniques. Xiang Ning’s eyes brightened upon hearing the title. The most important technique in cultivation was absorbing the spiritual qi of the heavens and earth to strengthen oneself, then proceed to a breakthrough. 

This book was much more advanced than Beginner Breathing Techniques from his lower secondary classes. It was also one of the benefits of being a Qiling High School student, because other schools only taught up to Intermediate Breathing Techniques.

“Alright, class is dismissed. You may go get your things and go home. See you tomorrow,” Su Muhan said with a smile. 

Xiang Ning excitedly shot up with a grin—his first since he had stepped into this school. Advanced Breathing Techniques, here I come! 

He had taken just one step before he was stopped by a voice. 

“Xiang Ning… right? Come with me to the office,” instructed Su Muhan. 

Xiang Ning paused. Su Muhan made no effort to explain and walked out of the classroom. The class stared at him again; who was this guy, and why was he so lucky to be able to be singled out by Teacher Su? 

Zhang Cheng was the most opinionated of them all. Zhang Tao noticed and came to pat Zhang Cheng on the shoulder. “Cool it, the guy’s a part-time student. It’s normal for him to get called to the office and be assigned work. Let’s go, we’ll get our stuff and check out the senior girls.” 

Zhang Cheng left, still fuming.

Meanwhile, Xiang Ning, now standing before this beautiful teacher, looked a little stiff. 

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1. The Asian education system has six years of primary school education, followed by three years of lower secondary (grade 7 to 9 in the west), then three years of upper secondary (grade 10 to 12 in the west) ☜