23: Opening Ceremony

September, the scorching sun blazed.

On the sports field, tens of thousands of students gathered for the opening ceremony.

On the stage, more than a dozen figures sat, chatting and laughing.

"Oh, a rare guest, Old Yang, why aren't you holed up in your broken research lab? How do you have time to attend the opening ceremony?" A fierce-looking, rugged middle-aged man laughed as he looked at Yang Chen, who was sitting not far away, and teased him.

"Last year, you took on two new students, but they don't seem to have made much progress. If you're not good at teaching students, you can always apply to the school. Although I'm from the Fire Department, I can still help teach basic Martial Dao."

Yang Chen was in a good mood, rarely participating in such a large event. He had come to see his new apprentices. Hearing that voice, he suddenly felt annoyed.

Suddenly remembering something that happened a while ago, he laughed:

"Heh heh, I did take on a new student, I just came to see him. Yan Tianhao, I heard you took on several students at once. You're really lucky; you can encounter students with Fire-element talent just by stepping out. Unlike our Ice Department, we don't recruit many new students in a year."

Yan Tianhao smiled and didn't retort. It was a fact that Fire-element ability users were far more numerous than Ice-element ones.

"But you don't need to bother with my students. You have so many students, I won't waste your time. I heard, and this is just what I heard, that Jiangnan Martial Arts University produced a Fire-element Genius, seemingly named Li-something-yang. A few of your students seemed to have challenged him a while ago, heh heh, I heard their legs were broken by him. How are they, are they better now?"

The smile on Yan Tianhao's face froze. He gave Yang Chen a cold look.

"Yang Chen, you only know how to use your tongue! If my students can't defeat others, it's due to my inadequate guidance. But if your students can't even defeat mine, then what?"

"Why don't we give it a try? It's been many years since I fought with you!"

The verbal sparring between the two gave the surrounding teachers a headache.

These two guys had always been at odds, but they hadn't argued in a long time. Why were they arguing again now?

"Gentlemen, if you want to fight, you can go to the Space Battlefield! This is a school, and the new students are watching! How old are you, acting like children."

A white-haired old woman glanced at the two and spoke indifferently.

The two immediately fell silent, bowing and smiling apologetically to Elder Chen.

She was one of the founders of Jinling Martial Arts University, and in her eyes, they were both just juniors.

"Principal, everyone is here, we can begin!" A teacher walked to the center of the stage and said.

In the center, a middle-aged man in a formal suit stood up and scanned the sparsely standing students below the stage.

"It's Principal Xu Jingzhong! He looks so young!"

"Rumor has it that our Principal already entered the 9th Realm and is one of the top combat forces in the Federation!"

"I've also heard that the Principal hasn't made a move in many years, always lying low. I wonder what Realm he is in now."

... "Silence!" Xu Jingzhong's authoritative voice spread throughout the venue, and everyone fell silent.

"Today is the opening ceremony, and it is also the day you become members of the Martial Arts University! A Martial Artist must act like a Martial Artist! I don't ask you to be absolutely obedient, but at least have strict discipline! You will all be going to the battlefield in the future, not here to laugh and play."

He looked down at his watch and said, "It's 9:07 AM now. My requirement was for all students to be present by 9 AM, yet 32 students arrived after 9 AM! Some people are late for the first assembly of the school year. Do you think a Martial Arts University is an ordinary college that you can just muddle through? Now, those 32 people, please step forward voluntarily! Jinling Martial Arts University does not want such students!"

Below the stage, the students dared not speak, and some looked around, wanting to see who was so bold.

Soon, about 20-odd people stepped forward, standing at the very front of the crowd.

Some stood respectfully, looking directly at Xu Jingzhong, while others lowered their heads, not daring to look.

Someone explained loudly, "Principal, I was Cultivating this morning, which delayed me a bit..."

Before he could finish, Xu Jingzhong sternly said, "You are expelled!"

The person tried to continue speaking but found he couldn't make a sound. He could only turn and leave in resentment.

No one beside him sympathized; instead, some sneered.

Idiot, when can't you Cultivate? Of all times, it had to be now, and he dared to openly contradict the Principal.

"I said 32 people, but only 23 stepped out. What? Do you think I can't count?"

A few more people struggled to step out from the crowd. They didn't want to leave Jinling Martial Arts University like this. Their families had worked so hard to support their arduous Cultivation until now, only for it to all be ruined by their single mistake.

Soon, all the latecomers had stepped forward.

"Those who stepped out later are all expelled! As for the rest, I'm giving you one chance: make it onto the Top 100 Freshmen list within a month, otherwise, get out!"

Upon hearing this, some of the thirty-odd people who had stepped forward were happy, while others were worried. Among them, many had already achieved a Breakthrough to become a Martial Artist, and making it onto the Top 100 list was something they intended to do anyway.

Xu Jingzhong ignored them and continued to look at everyone, proclaiming loudly, "This is the reality of a Martial Artist! The world of a Martial Artist is only more brutal than you imagine or see! On the Space Battlefield, the bones of our Human Race are almost too many to bury!"

"Jinling Martial Arts University was founded less than a century ago, yet it has produced countless powerful predecessors who led Jinling Martial Arts University to surpass many other Martial Arts Universities and join the ranks of the four famous universities!"

"But honestly, do we have no gap with the other 3 famous universities? I tell you clearly, we do!"

"All three of those Martial Arts Universities were established over two hundred years ago! Their accumulated heritage is far beyond what we can compare to! How can we be on par with them?"

"We rely on our predecessors who dared to fight, dared to strive, and dared to contend with the heavens!"

"In a hundred years, Jinling Martial Arts University is the Martial Arts University that has participated in the most battles on the Space Battlefield and various large and small battlefields among all Martial Arts Universities, and it is also the Martial Arts University with the largest number of casualties! I believe you all heard this information before enrolling. Daring to enter Jinling means you are all brave heroes!"

"I don't want to say much else. Jinling's teachers will give you their best conditions, and the school will provide you with the maximum support! Go fight, the future of Jinling is in your hands, and the future of humanity is also in your hands."

"Many years from now, I hope to see some invincible powerhouses among you! Beings who can truly lead humanity to break through the Space Battlefield and stand at the pinnacle of the stars!"

Xu Jingzhong scanned the crowd, seeing the students' burning eyes, all pumped up. He nodded in satisfaction.

"The Principal is still so good at fooling people!" An untimely mumble sounded.

Xu Jingzhong frowned, glanced at Yang Chen, who was sitting lazily not far away, and subtly transmitted his voice: "Yang Chen, your Ice Department's subsidy for the next year is gone. Go earn it yourselves."

Yang Chen's face alternated between green and pale. Oh, his mouth was really cheap!