1: Chapter 1 Transmigrating to a High-Level Martial Arts World, Awakening Center
PS: [This time, I'm switching tracks. I hope to write a wonderful story!]
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Xia Country, Jiang Province, Nanyue Awakening Center.
Zhou Bai's high school grades weren't ideal, but he wasn't panicked at all.
Because this was a high-martial world where strength reigned supreme and the weak were prey to the strong.
This world had peak martial arts experts who could fly through the sky, burrow into the earth, split mountains, and sever seas.
Top-tier Martial Saint experts could even shatter the void with a punch and traverse the starry sky with their physical bodies.
And the only standard that determined whether one could become a top-tier martial arts expert was talent.
In this world, everyone would go to an awakening center to awaken their talent after reaching the age of eighteen. The level of that talent determined their fate.
Those with high talent could be directly admitted to the Top Ten martial arts academies, enjoying the highest-tier cultivation resources and faculty.
Those with average talent could enter the Thirty-Six Upper Colleges and Seventy-Two Lower Colleges to receive meticulous training.
As for those with low talent, unless they had a special stroke of luck, they could only enter a Vocational College and struggle within it.
At this moment, in the Nanyue Awakening Center, hundreds of thousands of eligible youths from various high schools were either awakening their talents or waiting for their turn.
“Talent, martial arts, the starry sky, evil gods, ferocious beasts... this world truly is wonderful!”
In the queue for Awakening Zone C6, a handsome youth wearing a white T-shirt watched the teenagers on the awakening platform. A brilliant light flickered in his eyes.
The youth was none other than Zhou Bai from Jianglin No. 1 High School.
Two and a half years ago, Zhou Bai had transmigrated from Blue Star to this world. He had no parents, only an older sister whom he depended on for survival.
Although he had been in this world for two and a half years, Zhou Bai was still speechless at how absurd it was.
Talent deciding everything was truly messed up.
Once one was born with low talent, without a heaven-defying opportunity, they would never be able to turn their life around.
“Brother Zhou Bai, look! That annoying fellow Zhao Tianxing awakened an A-rank Talent, Blazing Fire Spreading Across the Plains. It's an A-rank offensive talent. He can get into the Thirty-Six Upper Colleges, maybe even the Top Ten!”
“To think even a guy like him could awaken an A-rank Talent. It's so unfair...”
A girl with delicate features and a pure, moving appearance spoke to Zhou Bai beside her.
The girl wore a white JK uniform. Her long legs beneath the pleated skirt were smooth and fair, extremely eye-catching.
Combined with her youthful and lively aura, she was brimming with the scent of youth.
The girl's name was Gu Qingyao. Like Zhou Bai, she was a student at Jianglin No. 1 High School.
Two years ago, Gu Qingyao had encountered a ferocious beast attack, and Zhou Bai had saved her life.
The two had developed feelings for each other since then. Although they hadn't fully 'merged' yet, they already knew each other inside and out.
“I see it. A-rank Talent, Blazing Fire Spreading Across the Plains. It is indeed quite strong...”
Zhou Bai looked toward the awakening platform at a youth surging with scorching flames, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.
Zhao Tianxing was also a student at Jianglin No. 1 High School. He usually acted like a tyrant, relying on his family's influence in Jianglin to cause trouble at school.
Because of Gu Qingyao, Zhao Tianxing had often tried to make things difficult for Zhou Bai.
On the platform, Zhao Tianxing let out a long howl. As his talent awakened, the scorching aura around him grew denser, as if it were about to ignite the air.
Talent levels were divided into F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.
An A-rank Talent was already considered very powerful with high potential. In the future, there was hope of reaching the Grandmaster Realm above the Ninth Grade.
Strength levels: First to Sixth Grade Martial Artist, Seventh Grade Golden Body Realm, Eighth Grade Sky Soaring Realm, Ninth Grade Grandmaster Realm. Above the Ninth Grade is the Martial Saint...
In particular, Zhao Tianxing's Blazing Fire Spreading Across the Plains was an offensive-type combat talent, which could be extremely effective on the ferocious beast battlefields.
The Top Ten martial arts academies were very likely to extend an olive branch to him.
“That Zhao Tianxing is really lucky to actually awaken an A-rank Talent...”
“Yeah, and it's an offensive talent. If only I could awaken an A-rank Talent too. Even a support type would let me enter the Thirty-Six Upper Colleges...”
“Sigh, my standards aren't high. A C-rank Talent is fine, as long as I can enter the Seventy-Two Lower Colleges...”
The other students from Jianglin No. 1 High School in Zone C6 were also looking at Zhao Tianxing on the platform with faces full of envy.
At the same time, the surrounding youths became even more expectant, hoping that they too could awaken a top-tier talent.
“Zhu Heng, E-rank Talent, Skin Hardening...”
A moment later, another student successfully awakened their talent on the platform.
“It's over. E-rank Talent. Finished. This guy can only go to a Vocational College...”
“Vocational College? What's wrong with Vocational College? It's also a martial arts university. Junior College Students are also Xia Country certified martial arts students. Besides, good Vocational Colleges aren't worse than the Top Ten. What right do you have to look down on Junior College Students...”
“Fine, fine, buddy. Then I wish you the best of luck getting into a Vocational College...”
“Get lost! Your whole damn family can go to a Vocational College!”
“It's too terrifying. I don't want to awaken a low-level talent. I don't want to go to a Vocational College!”
The appearance of an E-rank Talent immediately made the surrounding youths nervous.
Those with strong talents could go to the Thirty-Six Upper Colleges or even the Top Ten, but E-rank and F-rank talents could only go to Vocational Colleges.
Although they were all universities, the gap between the Top Ten academies and Vocational Colleges was like a vast chasm between heaven and earth.
If the Top Ten were heaven, then Vocational Colleges were the mortal world.
Going to a Vocational College meant not receiving a good education, making it difficult to become a true top-tier martial arts expert. Even if one successfully upgraded to a bachelor's degree, they could never escape the shadow of being a vocational student for the rest of their lives.
The awakening continued. More low-level talents appeared among the subsequent awakenings, casting a faint shadow over the hearts of the remaining youths.
“Brother Zhou Bai, it's almost your turn!”
Gu Qingyao watched the students ahead of them awaken their talents one by one and spoke to Zhou Bai.
Zhou Bai nodded, his heart filled with immense apprehension.
In this world, talent decided everything. Now that it was almost his turn to awaken, even as a transmigrator, Zhou Bai was quite nervous.
After all, he had tried countless methods before to obtain the standard equipment for transmigrators: a system.
But without exception, all had failed.
“Brother Zhou Bai, don't be nervous. Your sister Zhou Lingyun has an S-rank Talent and even got into Magic City Martial Arts University. You will definitely be able to awaken an S-rank Talent too!”
Gu Qingyao saw Zhou Bai's slight nervousness and continued to comfort him.
Zhou Bai wasn't an orphan; he had an extremely talented older sister. Three years ago, she had also awakened an S-rank Talent at this very center and was directly recruited by the Top Ten's Modu Martial Arts University.
Zhou Lingyun was the pride of the entire Jianglin No. 1 High School.
After all, among the hundreds of millions of eligible students in Xia Country every year, there were only a few hundred S-rank Talents. They were truly one in a million.
“Hmph, S-rank Talents aren't common cabbage. It was already a stroke of extreme luck for Zhou Bai's sister to awaken an S-rank. For Zhou Bai to think he can awaken an S-rank Talent too is simply wishful thinking.”
At this moment, Zhao Tianxing, who had just awakened an A-rank Talent, arrived at the Zone C6 rest area and looked down at Zhou Bai with utter disdain.
...