Chapter 71 - 70: Rookie Rankings! University Martial Arts Genius Competition! (Please follow)

"Xiao Shu, when you get to school, send Mom a message, okay?" 「Ji City North Station.」 Xu Lizhi kept straightening Jiang Shu’s collar, and for a moment, her eyes were somewhat moist. University wasn’t like high school. In high school, although it was also boarding, she could still see her son every week. But university... She might have to wait until the holidays to see him again. And considering how busy Xiao Shu was with his martial arts training, it was uncertain whether he could come back at all. A son’s journey always worries his mother. Would he get used to the food there? Would he be comfortable with the accommodation? Becoming a Martial Artist... would there be any risks? "Mom, Jiangnan City is so close. Just call me when you miss me, and I’ll come over whenever I have time." Jiang Shu smiled but didn’t push away his mother’s hands. Compared to other martial arts freshmen, he was actually the last to go to Jiangnan Academy. Other than initially going to meet his mentor Xie Feichen to authenticate as a Martial Artist, the rest of his time, he had been shuttling between home and Pingling County. Meanwhile, some other martial arts freshmen had already gone to the academy as early as July or August to begin their training. After all, the atmosphere and resources of the academy were far superior to those at home. Perhaps several of them had already become Martial Artists by now. "Don’t give me that, always trying to make me happy. You hardly have any time at home, and there will be even less when you’re at school." Xu Lizhi gently slapped Jiang Shu’s shoulder and scolded him teasingly. Then her voice grew a bit somber. "It’s about time, isn’t it? Call your mom when you get there. That... Blood Flower Pig meat, if it really is too expensive, it’s okay for Dad and me not to eat it. Give a bit more to Xiao Yan." "Mom." Jiang Shu wanted to say something, but after thinking it over, he swallowed his words and simply said, "Don’t worry." The journey was silent. The high-speed train from Ji City to Jiangnan City took only about ten minutes. Before his mother had even gotten home, Jiang Shu had already alighted from the station, taken the subway in Jiangnan City, and headed directly to Jiangnan Academy. Today was the first day of school. There were many freshmen in the academy. Jiang Shu made his way through the crowd and headed straight to the martial arts teaching building’s classroom. He had already received a message from his instructor Xie Feichen saying that the first class would take place here. By the time he arrived, about forty people were already seated in the classroom. The male-to-female ratio was roughly seven to three. He quickly glanced around and chose the most secluded seat. However, the next moment, a figure swiftly moved to his side. "Hehe, buddy, new here? Great minds think alike! I had my eye on this seat too. Didn’t expect you to beat me to it." "Let’s get acquainted. My name is Shou Junming, from Jiangnan City. I got lucky, managing to achieve major circulation of qi and blood throughout the body just before the college entrance exam," Shou Junming said with a chuckle.View the correct content at NovelFire Shou Junming chuckled. Taller than the average Southerner, he was quite burly, standing at about 1.85 meters or more. He wore a short-sleeved shirt with a cartoon print, and when he smiled, his face had a rather comical look. Being the forward type, he sat down next to Jiang Shu and began to introduce himself. "Jiang Shu. From Ji City." Jiang Shu responded with a smile, terse and to the point. "Aha, I knew it! I felt a kinship with you the moment I saw you. My grandpa is from Ji City, and I used to go there often as a kid. I couldn’t do much of that in high school with all the studying. Lucky for me, the new government directive came out. I was recognized for my innate Talent, which sure gave my family a shock." "But man, only after arriving at Jiangnan Academy did I realize there’s always someone better, a higher mountain beyond the one you’re on." Shou Junming lowered his voice. "You must have just arrived at the academy today; I haven’t seen you before. Such a pity! You should have come earlier. The instructors here have given us several special coaching sessions already. We’ve also exchanged for exotic beast meat. You wouldn’t believe it, but after eating that meat, my martial arts training speed at least doubled." "Still, I goofed off a bit too long and didn’t get here until early August. Some kids from families with insider information came in June or July. They’re Martial Artists already, see." He motioned with his chin, indicating for Jiang Shu to look at the front row of students. "The ones in the first row are already Bright-Energy Martial Artists. Each of them earns ten thousand a month. I’m so envious!" Shou Junming kept talking in a soft voice when suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded from outside the classroom. The door was pushed open. Xie Feichen entered, straight as a javelin, taking large strides to stand at the lectern. He turned on the classroom projector and clicked the wireless mouse. Instantly, the display changed, showing a page with a long list of names on a grand leaderboard. Seeing the somewhat puzzled looks from everyone, Xie Feichen said, "On October 1st this year, Xia Country will organize a collegiate martial arts talent competition for you new students to participate in. The minimum entry requirement is to be a Bright-Energy Martial Artist." "Specific competition details, rewards, and their form will be announced before the competition." "This is the Rookie Ranking, compiled from data uploaded by various academies. It’s sorted by the time each person was certified as a Bright-Energy Martial Artist. There are thirty-six names in total. You can use it as a reference. Take a look." After speaking, Xie Feichen moved to the side so as not to obstruct the students’ view. Rookie Ranking. First: Shang Jibei. Shengjing Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, April 23rd, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. Second: Zhu Qingyun. Shengjing Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, May 12th, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. Third: Wu Zhiming. Tianshu Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, May 15th, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. Fourth: Qiao Yingchu. Donghai Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, May 18th, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. ... Eighteenth: Lin Ping. Donghai Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, June 18th, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. Nineteenth: Jiang Shu. Jiangnan Academy. Xuanxing Calendar 2027, June 20th, certified Bright-Energy Martial Artist. The font on the projector wasn’t large. However, the new students below were, at the very least, martial arts practitioners who had achieved major circulation of qi and blood. Their vision was certainly better than an average person’s, so with full attention, they could still read each name clearly. "Jiang Shu, take a look! These are true geniuses. Those at the top hadn’t even taken the college entrance exam before reaching the Bright-Energy Martial Artist stage. The ones behind are no slouches either; they became Martial Artists right after the exams." "You know, those guys in our first row only reached the Bright-Energy stage at the end of July. They were swaggering about not too long ago, but now that this ranking is out, oh boy! They made it in July, but Shang Jibei did it in April! No comparison, no comparison." "Still, I can’t complain; I’m not even on their level. I’ve been training all this time, and I feel I’m just one step away. Martial arts practice is so tough!" "How about you, Jiang Shu?" Shou Junming spoke at lightning speed, and suddenly, as if realizing something, he turned to Jiang Shu with a stunned look. He spoke haltingly, pausing after a few words: "Wait... Dude, your name’s Jiang Shu? From our... Jiangnan Academy? The Jiang Shu who’s ranked nineteenth on the Rookie Ranking?"