The Tianjiao Project.

It was a program run by the Gao Yuan City Military Department to cultivate high-potential Martial Artists. Most candidates were selected during their middle school years, some even earlier.

Every single selected candidate demonstrated exceptional Talent in Spear Dao and Body Refining, as well as considerable aptitude for Archery Dao. After all, the college entrance exams included aerial Demon Races and Demon Beasts, so not learning the bow would put one at a major disadvantage. And the bow was notoriously difficult to master.

Talent in the first two was easy to distinguish, but aptitude for Archery Dao was not something that could be identified in a short time. And as it stood, Jiang Qiu was already eighteen and had never even touched a bow...

The short meeting swirled like dark clouds in Zhao Gongzheng’s mind. The teachers’ lowered heads and furrowed brows were reflected in his deep, murky eyes.

"Director Zhao, the Tianjiao Project has never accepted a high school student before. Besides, Jiang Qiu is only two months away from the entrance exams. How could he possibly learn the basics of Archery Dao in that time?"

"Exactly. If all of us teachers request an application and the Military Department rejects it, both the school and you, sir, will lose face..."

"Director Zhao, Jiang Qiu is exceptionally gifted. It’s a shame he wasn’t selected for the Tianjiao Project sooner, but what’s past is past. If we focus our resources on him, he still has a great chance of placing in the top one hundred in Gao Yuan City’s entrance exams."

A few teachers spoke up hesitantly, their lips twitching in awkward, unspeakable smiles.

Applying for Jiang Qiu to enter the Tianjiao Project at this stage was like asking to enter the exam hall when the test was almost over. How was that even possible?

If they submitted this application, it would undoubtedly be rejected.

After all, the moment he was tested, they would know. Jiang Qiu had never touched a bow; he was completely unsuitable for the Tianjiao Project...

"I support applying for Jiang Qiu to enter the Tianjiao Project."

Suddenly, a powerful, resonant voice silenced the hoarse whispers. The teachers pressed their lips together and stared at Wu Shan, who had raised his fist. Their own lips twitched as they watched more fists rise, one after another, next to him and Zhao Gongzheng. "I support it."

A teacher from the Martial Inspection Department spoke up next. Several site managers also clenched their fists and raised them high. "We support it..."

In the next moment, the room fell silent. Li Ang met Director Zhao’s plain, unadorned gaze and slowly took a breath. "In my capacity as the Director of the Resource Department of Eighth Middle School, I support Jiang Qiu."

The moment he raised his right fist, the few remaining teachers who had spoken the most sighed softly and followed suit.

...

The dark clouds in the sky thinned and were blown away by the wind. A convoy of pitch-black armored vehicles drove side-by-side, crawling out of Qingmu Town like a legless centipede, cutting through the wind and sand.

The convoy was more than three times as long as when it had arrived, now carrying the elite students of Eighth Middle School, their Martial Artist teachers, and a massive number of Demon Beast carcasses.

The steel hulls of the vehicles jolted and bumped along. A thick, metallic smell of blood filled the stuffy, sealed compartments, punctuated only by waves of joyous cheers.

"Over two thousand Demon Beasts died in the field training hunt! This is going into the school’s history books for sure. Once the school buys them back, we should be able to make a few hundred thousand, right?"

"You bet! Thanks to Brother Jiang’s record, Site Number Eight is guaranteed to be named an outstanding site. The buy-back price will probably even go up by 10%!"

"Brother Jiang is my hero!"

"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang! Your kill count is so high, and you even got a Demon Plant Fruit! You’re definitely going to get a huge cut of the money. What are you planning to do with it?"

"Li Si, does Brother Jiang need to report his spending to you?"

"Fuck! What’s it to you, Zhang Shan!"

The boisterous, sweaty stench wafted over in hot breaths, hitting the back of Jiang Qiu’s head in waves. His dark eyes gazed out the window as he let out a soft sigh. "We’re back at school."

CLINK...

The shaking vehicle gradually came to a stop. With a CLICK, a door was pulled open. He was the first to jump out. A rush of fresh air filled his nose and lungs. Before his eyes, neat rows of tall school buildings stood on either side.

’The air is so much better inside the city walls. You can actually see people on the streets.’

As far as the eye could see, rows of students of varying heights were held back by a brand-new police cordon, their jaws agape. "For real? That many people came back alive from our school’s field training hunt?"

"Wait, there are that many armored vehicles behind them?!"

"Holy shit, they’re all carrying spoils of war! With that many armored vehicles, did they kill every single Demon Beast in the entire field training hunt?!"

Amidst the gasps of the ordinary students, all the elite students, led by Jiang Qiu, gathered together like a pod of whales returning to the sea. They followed the leading teachers—Zhao Gongzheng, Li Ang, and Wu Shan—and strode toward the elite training hall.

CLICK.

As the flash of a phone camera went off, the scene of the elite students at the front of the line was recorded. With a few taps of a finger, it was uploaded to the campus forum.

[SHOCKER! The team from the field training hunt actually came back alive, and it looks like Li Juefeng isn’t in the center spot!]

This post was the first to break the news. As it appeared on the campus forum, it was like a meteor crashing into a celestial lake, sending hundred-meter-high waves surging.

The library, the training hall, the cafeteria, the classrooms...

Students who happened to be scrolling through the forum tapped their screens with their index fingers. On phone after phone, the screen lit up. A young man with eyes as deep as water strode on the left side of the picture, with Li Juefeng and the leaders of the other sites following behind him.

[1st Floor: I heard that even First Middle School lost half their students, and they had a Secret Realm Expert with them! These guys actually survived? So badass!]

[2nd Floor: Holy shit, Li Juefeng is willing to be second fiddle?]

[3rd Floor: That’s something else. The one in the lead is this year’s top pick. I think his name is...]

"Jiang Qiu." The two words escaped from a pair of chapped lips. Qian Cheng gripped his phone in his left hand and held onto the doorframe of Training Hall Number Eight with his right, his eyes bloodshot. ’Is the gap between people really destined to be this huge...’

The backs of a group of students were reflected in his stinging, bitter eyes as they walked toward the central elite training hall under the gazes of thousands.

A month ago, he had failed in his bid for a spot as an elite student. His father had to sell their house in the commoner’s district to pay off debts, and they had moved to the Shantytown. Since then, no one in his class would speak to him anymore.

Every morning, when he saw Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili walk by in the black shirts that symbolized their elite student status, he couldn’t help but clench his fists and curse them under his breath.

He always hoped to hear news that Jiang Qiu and Liu Zili were being insulted, mocked, and looked down upon at Site Number Eight. Instead, in just one week, Jiang Qiu had become the leader of Site Number Eight and the top pick for the field training hunt...

’Why was he able to achieve all this? Why?!’

’I was hoping he’d never come back, just like most of the students from the other Outer City High Schools who went on the hunt.’

’I hated him, I cursed him, but he still came back. And he’s even walking ahead of Li Juefeng, the number one genius of all eight sites.’

"Elite student, leader of Site Number Eight, top pick for the field training hunt, surpassing Li Juefeng..." Qian Cheng slowly closed his eyes, the last wisp of resentment in his chest dissipating with his breath. "Even if I had actually become an elite student back then, I still wouldn’t have been able to compare to Jiang Qiu in the slightest...

’Heh, is this fate? To make me run into him of all people?’

He gave a bitter laugh and walked back into the empty training hall alone. He picked up his sweat-soaked, hand-carved Wooden Spear, a sharp glint like the point of a spearhead flashing in his eyes. "I only lost one test! Even if I can’t take the entrance exams, I can still join the Military Department after graduation and fight my way up from the bottom!"

He casually placed his phone on a long bench.

DING...

[Class 8 Homeroom Teacher Wu Shan: @All Members, the field training hunt is over. For the next half a month, I will be teaching you Ancient Martial Spear techniques to fulfill my duties.]

’Half a month?’

Qian Cheng’s expression changed in surprise. ’Didn’t he say seven days before? It’s been doubled?’

[Class 8 Homeroom Teacher Wu Shan: Because Jiang Qiu killed a Demon Plant in the Secret Realm and successfully brought back most of the surviving students, it’s possible that for the next two months, we will be receiving Martial Arts Resources from the three high schools that had accidents.]

[Class 8 Homeroom Teacher Wu Shan: Furthermore, because of Jiang Qiu, Site Number Eight, which I am in charge of, has been designated an outstanding site and will be allocated the largest share of Wusu Fragrance resources.]

[Class 8 Homeroom Teacher Wu Shan: Therefore, I’ve decided to add one more elite student spot for Site Number Eight. So train hard for what’s coming, understand?]

"One more elite student spot!"

Qian Cheng’s heart pounded. The two words "Jiang Qiu" flashed before his eyes like a meteor in the night sky, striking the bronze bell in his heart in an instant.

He gripped his Wooden Spear, his blood burning hot.

’Jiang Qiu has given me a chance to rise again. This time, I absolutely cannot lose!’