The following two days marked the conclusion of the preliminary round of the Tiger Soul Concept Competition.
As expected by Feng Qi and netizens alike, the "Planting Deities in the Body" cultivation concept advanced to the semifinals with an overwhelming advantage.
However, nearly half of the participating concepts were eliminated during the preliminary stage, demonstrating the fierce competition.
These eliminated concepts weren't necessarily discarded entirely. Given that online scoring often reflected preferences rather than solid expertise, a review panel comprised of instructors from various academies would reevaluate the rejected concepts to identify any overlooked gems worthy of revival.
Feng Qi, however, lost interest in the subsequent stages of the competition.
For him, neither the semifinals nor the final round mattered anymore. The championship for "Planting Deities in the Body" was essentially guaranteed. The rest was left to the students of Cultivation Techniques Class 1 to handle.
The 8 million reward, meanwhile, was as good as on its way to his bank account.
Today marked the conclusion of the freshman special training. In the morning, a summary session was held on the academy's sports field.
During the event, Bai Fusheng presented material and symbolic awards to students who had performed exceptionally well during training.
He also bestowed the admittedly meaningless "Outstanding Freshman Trainee" title as a token of encouragement.
After lunch, Feng Qi brought Lin Ran and Mu Qing to the classroom for Combat Class 3.
The classroom was located on the fourth floor of Teaching Building No. 2, occupying an area of approximately 200 square meters.
In addition to basic facilities like desks and podiums, the room was equipped with projectors, screens, air conditioning, and other amenities.
By the time they arrived, Lü Yue and the other 11 students were already seated.
"Find your seats first," Feng Qi said to Lin Ran and Mu Qing as they entered.
The two nodded and headed to their seats.
Once they were seated, Feng Qi walked up to the podium. He wrote his name on the blackboard before turning to face the students with a smile.
"My name is Feng Qi, and I'm your homeroom teacher for Combat Class 3. Let's begin by having everyone introduce themselves so we can get to know each other."
The students who hadn't been informed beforehand were visibly stunned.
They had assumed Feng Qi was a fellow student when he entered, not their instructor.
Lin Ran took the lead with a playful grin, standing up and saying, "My name is Lin Ran, an exchange student from Winterfell Academy, and your new classmate from here on out."
Hearing his name and status, the students' expressions changed again. Xu Hongyun, a well-known scion of industry, exclaimed in surprise:
"Are you the Lin Ran pre-admitted to the Tiger Soul Research Institute?"
"That's me," Lin Ran said, bowing theatrically with a smirk.
Following Lin Ran, Xu Hongyun stood up, scratching his head and laughing sheepishly.
"I'm Xu Hongyun from the Fractured Sky Group. Aside from having a bit of family money, I don't really have any other standout qualities. I hope we can all be friends."
"The Fractured Sky Group? One of the sponsors for the academy cafeteria?" Lin Ran interjected in surprise.
"We sponsor more than just the cafeteria; we also fund some of the academy's public facilities."
Hearing this, the other students immediately labeled Xu Hongyun as a "capitalist."
Next, the petite and adorable Yang Xiaoxin stood up.
"I'm Yang Xiaoxin from Star City's Military Department."
"I'm Xia Long (Xia Hu, Xia Bao), from the Hundred Beasts Domain Combat Squad."
"I'm Jia Yi, from the Eight Trigrams Formation Research Institute. I'm here at Star City Academy just to polish my resume so I can join the institute later. I'm sure many of you are doing the same."
"I'm Cai Guo, from the Medical Research Institute. My goal is to earn a place in the institute through my own abilities. I hope we can all become friends."
"I'm Yan Fu, from the Mountain Domain Combat Squad. My future goal is to become an outstanding domain warrior…"
During the self-introductions, the freshmen were surprisingly candid, openly sharing their backgrounds.
Then it was Hui Xu's turn. The monk stood up, swept his gaze around the room, and said bluntly:
"I'm Hui Xu. I'm just here to get by. Don't bother me unless it's really important. Even if you do, I might not help. But I still hope we can be friends."
Everyone: …
Hui Xu's straightforward introduction perfectly encapsulated his personality.
After he sat down, Lü Yue stood up and said simply, "Lü Yue. No background."
The class was already familiar with Lü Yue. His performance during the freshman training had been extraordinary, earning him the title of the strongest freshman combatant of the 23rd cohort.
Next, the bespectacled and scholarly-looking Le Ping'an stood up.
"I'm Le Ping'an, from the Institute of Technological Research. If anyone needs help, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to assist."
As Le Ping'an was about to sit down, Feng Qi looked at him and asked, "I read your file. You're a certified Intermediate Spiritual Apothecary, right?"
"Yes, I studied it in my free time," Le Ping'an replied modestly.
Hearing this, Feng Qi's mind began to turn.
Le Ping'an could potentially save him a lot of money in the future. Of course, he wouldn't ask for Le Ping'an's help for free; he planned to exchange knowledge in return.
Finally, it was Mu Qing's turn to introduce herself.
Under Feng Qi's encouraging gaze, Mu Qing slowly stood up and said, "My name is Mu Qing, and… I'm a scavenger from outside Star City."
Hearing her introduction, the others didn't react too strongly. Perhaps sensing Mu Qing's unease, Xia Long grinned and said, "There's nothing to feel embarrassed about. Being a scavenger isn't shameful. When it comes to resisting domain invasions, scavengers contribute just as much as city dwellers, if not more. Your efforts deserve respect. My father always says he loves working with domain combat squads formed by scavengers."
"Same here. My father says the same thing," Yan Fu chimed in.
Coming from renowned domain combat squads, the Xia family brothers and Yan Fu had a positive impression of scavengers. Unlike many city dwellers who looked down on scavengers, they genuinely respected them.
Their remarks noticeably eased Mu Qing's tension. A shy, innocent smile spread across her face.
After everyone finished introducing themselves, Feng Qi stepped down from the podium and joined the students, speaking warmly. "We won't have a formal lesson today. Instead, let's talk about your visions for the future. Everyone, take turns sharing your thoughts."
"Hui Xu, you go first," Feng Qi said, pointing at the monk.
Hui Xu scratched his head and replied, "I honestly don't know what the future holds. But if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. All I need to do is eat well, drink well, and not drag anyone down."
Hearing Hui Xu's response, Feng Qi felt a wave of helplessness. He couldn't reconcile the image of this laid-back monk with the wise Hui Xu Master described by future records.
"What about you, Xu Hongyun?" Feng Qi asked, shifting his attention.
"I think the future will definitely be brighter," Xu Hongyun replied confidently. "Humanity is rising quickly. Victory is just a matter of time."
"Lü Yue," Feng Qi prompted.
Lü Yue stood up at the mention of his name. "I hope humanity achieves ultimate victory, but I know the odds of that happening are slim."
His words sent ripples through the room. All eyes turned toward Lü Yue.
Feng Qi, his expression puzzled, asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Sometimes, ignorance protects ordinary people," Lü Yue explained. "The more you know, the more painful it becomes. When everything you believe in is overturned, the collapse of your faith happens in an instant."
Feng Qi was stunned.
Lü Yue's words echoed his own experience. He had once believed humanity's future was bright, but after gaining the ability to enter the Dream Realm, that hope had been utterly shattered by reality.
Ignorance, at times, was indeed a shield. It allowed people to hold unwavering confidence in the future and fight tirelessly for their ideal vision of it. But once the truth was revealed, many chose to give up, living aimlessly and without purpose.
"Stop speaking in riddles! I don't understand a word you're saying," Xia Hu interjected, glaring. He was clearly unhappy with Lü Yue's suggestion that humanity's future was bleak.
Instead of answering Xia Hu, Lü Yue turned to Feng Qi and asked, "Teacher Feng, if one day you found out that no matter how hard you struggled, humanity was doomed to fail, would you still keep trying?"
Feng Qi fell silent for a few moments before nodding resolutely. "I'd keep fighting. I'd struggle against despair until I either witnessed the end of the world or saw a miracle unfold."
Lü Yue smiled at Feng Qi's response. "That's my answer too. Once, a girl told me that those who believe in miracles, even in the face of despair, are as remarkable as miracles themselves."
"Who was she?" Feng Qi asked, intrigued.
"She was someone who lived a long time, tirelessly searching for miracles to save humanity. No matter how many setbacks she faced, she never gave up. To me, she was humanity's miracle."
Lü Yue's words made Feng Qi immediately think of Wei Wei. Among the historical figures he had studied, she was the only one who fit Lü Yue's description.
Yet something didn't add up. Lü Yue referred to her as a "girl," while Wei Wei was clearly a mature woman. The contradiction left Feng Qi uncertain.
The discussion shifted as others shared their visions for the future. Most expressed similar thoughts, believing humanity was on the path of rapid progress and that the threat of domain fields was gradually waning. They were confident that one day, the world would be free of domain fields and their associated monsters.
Feng Qi chose not to shatter their hopeful illusions. Hope was a powerful motivator, inspiring people to keep striving. Conversely, despair only brought pain. Sometimes, humanity needed to march forward under the veil of lies for miracles to emerge.
When it was Lin Ran's turn to speak, he stood up with a mischievous grin. "My view of the future aligns with everyone else's. But I won't sit idly by. I'm going to develop an earth-shattering cultivation technique that will propel humanity closer to its ideal future."
Hearing this, Feng Qi felt a pang of helplessness.
Lin Ran did indeed create a "groundbreaking cultivation technique" in the future. However, instead of advancing human civilization, it became an obstacle on its path to progress. The technique caused the deaths of millions and led to a temporary halt in humanity's cultivation research.
It was, without a doubt, earth-shattering—just not in the way Lin Ran intended.