Stronger with Crimson Modifier-Chapter 58: Qi and Blood (1)

"Don’t be too nervous. You can think of this place as a university."

"Since it’s your first day, I’ll start by giving you a quick tour to familiarize you with the surroundings. Classes will officially begin tomorrow."

Wang Luo’s voice was resonant, ensuring everyone could hear him loud and clear.

Then, he led the group on a simple tour.

The group followed Wang Luo down a wide, tree-lined avenue. Towering plane trees flanked the road, their lush branches stretching out to block the scorching sun.

A gentle breeze swept past, making the leaves rustle as they brushed against one another.

As they moved forward, they saw rows of tall, gray buildings.

It was fully equipped with classrooms, dormitories, a cafeteria, a track, a gymnasium, and even a supermarket.

Furthermore, the environment was beautiful and picturesque, with a high degree of landscaping.

There was even an artificial lake in the center, its water so clear you could see the bottom, sparkling under the light.

Several pairs of black and white swans glided leisurely across its surface, occasionally diving into the water before resurfacing.

They held small, silver fish in their beaks, the fish still struggling and flicking their tails.

The more they saw, the stranger the expressions on their faces became.

Everything they could see was truly no different from a university campus.

This gave Hu Qi the strange illusion that they were just freshmen reporting to college.

After giving them a quick tour and introducing the various facilities, Wang Luo took the group to pick up their two sets of Martial Arts Uniforms, which were reserved for core class disciples.

The style of these Martial Arts Uniforms was nearly identical to what the people they had seen on the road were wearing.

They learned from Wang Luo that those people were students who had previously joined the core class.

Here, everyone was divided into three levels: Level One, Level Two, and Level Three.

The Martial Arts Uniforms worn by each level were also different.

The most direct distinction was the number of snakes embroidered on the back of the uniform: one for Level One, two for Level Two, and so on.

This explained why the uniforms they had seen varied from person to person.

As new students, they were, of course, all designated as Level One.

Advancing in level wasn’t a matter of time; instead, it was tied to the strength each person achieved in their Late Stage cultivation of the Limit-Breaking Technique.

Immediately after, Hu Qi and the others were assigned to a dormitory that resembled an apartment building.

These weren’t crowded dorm rooms for five or six people; instead, each person received a studio apartment of about fifty square meters.

He swiped his black card lightly in front of the door, and after the electronic lock went BEEP,

the door opened, revealing a clean and tidy interior.

It had everything: a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. The appliances—air conditioner, washing machine, computer, and more—were all brand new.

Hu Qi put his things away.

He also fed his Camphor Tea Duck.

Only then did he notice a small booklet on the desk.

’Basic Information Manual?’

Hu Qi looked at the cover, his interest piqued. He picked it up and began to read it carefully.

The booklet wasn’t thick, only a dozen or so pages.

The first page had a QR code. Scanning it with a phone would provide a real-time map of the facility to prevent anyone from getting lost.

Besides that, just as the name suggested, it was a manual that introduced the basic information about this place.

For example, it detailed class schedules, the class system, and so on.

According to the manual, they would study here for one year. Afterward, based on their performance and personal preference, they could choose to either continue their studies or leave.

The manual also briefly introduced the basic information of the Shexin Sect.

The Shexin Sect was founded over a hundred years ago and was one of the thirty-six Middle-tier Schools.

A School, by its very nature, was a gathering place for Secret Martial Artists.

The founding of the Shexin Sect could be traced back to the Early Stage of the Xia Federation’s establishment.

It was founded by Sect Leader Jiang Zuo.

The most important reason for its creation was to cultivate Secret Martial Artists to fight against the ever-appearing Black Blood Species.

This was the ultimate goal for the existence of all current Schools.

A photograph of him was included in the booklet.

In the photo, a man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties stood beneath a pine tree.

The man had an average build and wore a neat, gray Zhongshan suit, his posture ramrod straight.

His expression was serene, and his gaze seemed to connect with the viewer’s soul, even through the picture.

At the back of his head was a long braid that reached his waist.

The manual also contained a personal profile of this Shexin Sect’s Sect Leader.

Name: Jiang Zuo.

The Shexin Sect was established by him in the year 1864 of the Xia Calendar.

Current Xia Federation Member, President of the Zhu Xi Association of Donglin Province...

Following that was a long string of positions that made Hu Qi’s expression turn strange.

Putting aside the others, the title of Xia Federation Member alone was extremely impressive.

Earth Star was larger than the Blue Star of his previous life. Since its founding, the Xia Federation’s population had grown to nearly 40 billion.

Population doesn’t equal the total number of people, so the actual number of individuals in the Xia Federation was likely even higher.

Among such a massive number of people, there were only three thousand seats for Federation Members.

Major decisions were all decided by the votes of these members.

This showed just how prestigious the position of Federation Member was.

And the Sect Leader of the Shexin Sect was actually a Federation Member.

What confused Hu Qi even more was that the current year was 2030 in the Xia Calendar.

If his math was correct, the Shexin Sect had been founded over one hundred and sixty years ago.

The average lifespan in this world was similar to his previous one, around eighty or ninety years old. Of course, there were some long-lived individuals who made it past one hundred.

But one hundred and sixty was clearly impossible.

And yet, the Sect Leader of the Shexin Sect was evidently older than one hundred and sixty.

The manual didn’t mention a date of death.

He flipped through a couple more pages but found nothing else, no information about a new Sect Leader.

It was highly likely, then, that the man was still alive.

That was the only explanation that made sense.

A thought stirred in Hu Qi’s mind, and once it appeared, it grew uncontrollably.

Since Extraordinary Power existed, an extended lifespan wasn’t inconceivable.

At this thought, Hu Qi’s eyes grew brighter.

’Interesting. Just how many secrets does this world hold?’

The Inner Earth World, the Black Blood Species, Secret Martial Artists who cultivate the Limit-Breaking Technique...

His curiosity about the hidden aspects of this world intensified.

GRUMBLE...

Suddenly, his stomach let out a cry.

Hu Qi glanced at the time; it was almost noon.

Lately, as his combat skills and physique had improved, his need for food had also increased.

He had eaten not long ago this morning, but now he was hungry again.

After tidying up a bit, he glanced at his Camphor Tea Duck. The little guy was squatting motionlessly in a corner, eyes closed and dozing, looking very sleepy. After cleaning out its droppings,

he left some rice, corn, and water in the room, and then Hu Qi headed out.

There were a few other people in the hallway, both men and women.

Perhaps because everyone had their own room, the dorms weren’t segregated by gender.

However, he could tell from their uniforms that, like him, they were all newly joined students.

Hu Qi scanned the area but didn’t see the few people who had arrived with him. He didn’t mind. After heading down the stairs, he followed his memory toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria wasn’t far from the dormitory.

Along the way, other people were also walking toward the cafeteria, obviously heading there to eat.

Before long, Hu Qi arrived at the cafeteria.