Qin Feng’s self-introduction sounded more like a warning.
Xiao Bai disliked human contact when she was still a fox. Now that she had transfigured into the human form, Qin Feng had also become more possessive. He did not wish to see his Xiao Bai being touched and teased by others like a random domestic pet.
To the others, Qin Feng was simply being arrogant.
His classmates began to chastise him.
“Who’s this guy? How dare he act all high and mighty with such a shitty talent?”
“So what if he has a pet?”
“The Tenth Middle School? Isn’t that the school near the slums? I heard that students there are either orphans or beggars.”
All of a sudden, the students in the class began to look at Qin Feng with contempt and scorn.
That was exactly the outcome Qin Feng wanted. Otherwise, he would not have revealed his middle school name. Actually, there was no distinct segregation between the ten middle schools inside Chengbei Colony. However, since these schools were located in different parts of the colony, the students in each school naturally originated from distinct social classes. The Tenth School was situated near the peripheral right on the border between the city and the slums, where Qin Feng’s orphanage was located. As such, it was normal for the school to bear a negative reputation.
Qin Feng, who was a little out of tune with the surroundings, was instantly alienated by his peers.
Cheng Chao was annoyed. He could see that Qin Feng was going to be a thorny presence in the classroom.
“That’s enough. Qin Feng, find yourself a seat. We are starting the class now.”
The seating arrangement was such that everyone had their own individual seats. There were several empty seats left at the back so Qin Feng picked one near the window.
Cheng Chao switched on the projector and began the class.
“The very reason you are all here is that you are the only students that have awakened your core energy. What we are going to learn in this class include the basics, and structure of ability, followed by rune rearrangement, etc.”
“After Doomsday, ability users began to sprout amongst the humankind. The abilities could be generally categorized into ten factions, which are metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, ice, light, and dark. Each of these factions represent a unique force…”
“Ability is structured by runes and the runes for each faction occupy the very atmosphere we are living in right now…”
“To master the ability, one would need to absorb runes for his or her own use. There are two ways to accomplish this. First, you can absorb the rune present in the environment. The level of difficulty varies according to different environments. For instance, …”
“Second, you can do it through hunting down monsters or beasts born naturally with ability. The nature of their runes could be extracted mechanically from the ability core found in their brains.”
“The rune structure and arrangement of each faction or element are dissimilar from one another. In the university library, there are a lot of records detailing the types of runes and their corresponding effects. You may read up about it if you are interested in any particular faction. Since the ability of each student in this class is unique, you may consult me individually after this. Next, I am going to show you some simple methods to train and manipulate runes, as well as how to enhance your consciousness…”
Qin Feng paid great attention to the lecture. He had learned most of the knowledge in his past life but it was not as comprehensive. He understood the nature of ability better now after listening to Cheng Chao’s teachings.
‘There are guidebooks in the library? I wonder whether any of them are focused on the dark faction.’
Cheng Chao then switched the topic into consciousness, something Qin Feng did not have the chance to venture into in his past life. For the entire period, Qin Feng’s concentration did not wane from the man in front of the classroom. He was deeply astonished by the new knowledge Cheng Chao was delivering to them.
Standing in front of the class, Cheng Chao was mindful of the students’ focus level.
‘That’s S-grade consciousness for you. His concentration did not slacken even once when he has set his mind on it.’
The lecture lasted for an hour. The other students lost interest halfway since they knew that most of the knowledge was available on the internet. They were not as focused as Qin Feng toward the end of the class.
“Okay, we will end here today. Now, let’s move to the grand hall. The grand assembly is beginning soon.” Cheng Chao instructed his students.
The grand assembly was unlike the normal assembly being held weekly. This only happened once per year and it was the only time the students were allowed to meet the strongest fighter of Chengbei Colony, E-tier ability user Deng Nian, in person.
This was the old guy Wang Chen had mentioned when he invited Qin Feng to join the Tiger Flame troop. This would be the first time Qin Feng met Deng Nian after he was reborn. He did not cross paths with the old man in his previous life. Years later, Qin Feng became an A-tier Ancient Warrior—an existence that even Deng Nian looked up to.
For others, they were eager to see Deng Nian up close. Unlike Qin Feng who had experienced far greater force, to them, Deng Nian was no different from a savior in Chengbei.
Qin Feng frowned as he suddenly felt a great sense of irk.
‘I almost forgot Deng Nian is a light ability user.’
The light and dark were two opposing factions that unsettled one another. Currently, Deng Nian was addressing the assembly while releasing bands of unique rays around him that took the shape of the sun. It swirled quietly and advertently drew the attention of the crowd toward it.
“The one on the stage is our powerful headmaster. See it for yourself, all the rays are concentrating on him.”
“Mr. Deng is truly a formidable ability user!”
“What an amazing power. I heard that he can save anyone from the brink of death as long as the person is still breathing! That’s as close as resurrecting the dead!”
Most of the students gazed at the headmaster with great admiration. The assembly began as Deng Nian’s voice was being amplified and reached the crowd below him.
The students from the earlier batch did not need to be present and joined the assembly through broadcasted feed. Even so, they were equally excited to hear the headmaster’s speech.
Deng Nian was the embodiment of the Chengbei spirit and its people’s faith.
“Welcome aboard, new recruits.” He spoke in a respectable and gripping tone. Qin Feng was perhaps the only one unfazed by the headmaster’s firm voice.
Luckily, Deng Nian did not waste much time on useless babble and Qin Feng was able to get the content he was here for.
“You all have just joined the university but this is not a playground! I want you to fully utilize the coming month to better your skills. One month from now, we are going to hold a comprehensive evaluation of the students. Those qualified will be dispatched to the stable spatial rift, Spring Hunting Ground. This is a joint-operation that spans across the five main universities in this colony. The top ten students will be awarded a G-tier insignia, while the top hundred will receive fabulous rewards. Therefore, please give it your best!”
The news stirred an uproar among the crowd.
A lot of students had actually chosen to enroll in the university because they were unprepared to face real danger in the outside world just yet. Unexpected to many, they were going to be thrown right in the face of danger so soon.
Qin Feng, on the other hand, was enthused to hear the announcement.
‘Spring Hunting Ground!’
This stable spatial rift was under the direct governance of the five main universities in Chengbei. It was the perfect training ground for students to enhance their power thanks to its rich resources and subpar beasts.
However, Qin Feng was aware that in the middle of the hunting ground stood an immensely valuable fruit tree. It was called the Consciousness Tree.
Qin Feng’s main objective for coming to this university was none other than the fruit on this tree. As its name implied, it was a useful ingredient for improving one’s consciousness.
Deng Nian spoke again as if he was answering the panicky crowd, “The colony needs heroes, my young apprentices. I suggest that each and every one of you start to think and behave like one. There are still a lot of unknown dangers lurking outside the barrier waiting to be resolved by people like us. We need reinforcement now more than ever, especially when our colony is facing a threat of an unprecedented scale.”
A video promptly appeared on the giant screen.