On the dais, Wu Shangfeng watched as all the students confirmed their weapon selections at their respective seats. He nodded, a hint of satisfaction on his face.
"Very good."
His voice echoed through the Martial Arts Room. "Making your choice is only the first step. Next, based on each of your physical conditions and chosen weapons, I will select the most suitable and compatible Killing Technique for you."
With a wave of his hand, a body data acquisition platform, glowing with a soft white light, rose from the empty space in front of the dais.
"Now, I will begin the roll call. When I call your name, step forward."
"Shi Potian."
The first name called belonged to the class’s universally acknowledged strongest student.
Shi Potian rose from his seat and, with a blank expression, walked to the dais and stood on the data acquisition platform.
Wu Shangfeng walked over to him, his movements professional and precise.
He first had Shi Potian assume several basic stances, carefully observing his center of gravity and his habits of exerting force.
Then, he reached out and began to press and touch his way down from Shi Potian’s shoulders, along his arms, spine, waist, hips, and legs.
His fingers were like the most precise of scanners, feeling the explosive power of Shi Potian’s every muscle, the density of every inch of bone, and the flexibility of every strip of fascia.
The entire process took less than a minute.
Wu Shangfeng withdrew his hands and walked to the holographic screen at the dais, his fingers tapping rapidly across its surface.
"Your body possesses both strength and speed, your core is stable, and your coordination is excellent. You chose the saber, seeking the most direct killing power. This ’Ninefold Thunder Saber’ is a perfect fit for you."
He dragged a virtual Cultivation Technique manual from the screen and transferred it to Shi Potian.
"The ’Ninefold Thunder Saber’ is known for being fast, ruthless, and precise. Every technique is lethal. It emphasizes ending the battle in the shortest time possible with the force of a thunderclap. Take it and practice it well."
"Yes, Teacher."
Shi Potian accepted the manual, gave a slight nod, and turned to walk off the dais.
"Next, Qian Duoduo."
Qian Duoduo scampered up eagerly.
Wu Shangfeng performed the same detailed physical assessment on him.
"Your stance is incredibly solid, and your bone density is far beyond that of an ordinary person. You were born to wield heavy weapons." Wu Shangfeng said, looking at the assessment data. "You chose the hammer. This ’Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique’ is your only real choice. Its movements are wide and powerful, a perfect example of brute force overwhelming skill. When mastered, it has the power to shake mountains. Its weakness is its massive energy consumption. With your physique, you can perfectly compensate for this flaw."
"Thank you, Teacher! Hehe!"
Qian Duoduo hugged the thick ’Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique’ manual and trotted back, chortling happily.
Student after student was called up to the dais.
Wu Shangfeng displayed the astonishing professionalism expected of a homeroom teacher at a top-tier Martial Arts High School.
He could always pinpoint each student’s physical traits with unerring accuracy and match them with the most suitable Killing Technique.
Whether it was mainstream weapons like sabers, spears, swords, and halberds, or unconventional ones like whips, chains, hooks, and claws, he handled them all with an effortless, encyclopedic knowledge.
"Next, Qin Feng."
Finally, it was Qin Feng’s turn.
He rose from the back row and, with a steady gait, walked onto the data acquisition platform.
Wu Shangfeng’s gaze fell upon him.
This time, the assessment took longer than it had for anyone else.
He not only carefully felt Qin Feng’s bones and tested his muscle flexibility and arm span, but he even had him perform the complete set of movements from the basic Body Refining Technique to observe the flow and conduction of power throughout his body.
After a long while, Wu Shangfeng finally withdrew his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face.
He walked to the holographic screen, his fingers constantly filtering and comparing, as if making a difficult decision.
Finally, from the list of spear-type Killing Techniques, he selected a manual that looked both the most ancient and the most complex.
"Your body is... special."
Wu Shangfeng looked at Qin Feng, his voice low. "You seem slight, but your foundation is exceptionally solid. Your flexibility, coordination, and explosive power have all reached a near-perfect balance. You chose the spear. I had originally intended to choose a spear technique for you that specialized in either speed or strength, allowing you to develop combat effectiveness as quickly as possible."
He paused, then changed his tone.
"However, that would be a waste of your talent. Your physical condition is good enough to support you on a path that is more difficult, but one with a much higher ceiling."
He transferred the selected manual to Qin Feng.
On the cover were three large, ancient words in seal script—’Thousand Army Spear’.
"’Thousand Army Spear’."
Wu Shangfeng’s voice took on a solemn tone. "This spear technique wasn’t created by some powerful individual. It’s the standard-issue spear technique of the Imperial Military, forged over thousands of years of interstellar War. It was summarized, refined, and perfected from the brutal lessons of countless legion-scale battles, making it the technique most suited for the battlefield."
"Its foundational section contains all the skills needed to begin learning the spear—parrying, blocking, jabbing, sweeping, thrusting... It encompasses all the fundamentals of spearplay, balanced in both offense and defense."
"Beyond that, it has three core killing techniques."
Wu Shangfeng held up three fingers.
"The first technique, ’Thousand Soldiers’ Evasion.’ This move consists of wide, sweeping motions, its power fierce and unparalleled. A single horizontal sweep of the spear is like sweeping through a thousand soldiers, perfect for shattering enemy formations on the front lines."
"The second technique, ’Flowing Light Chasing Shadow.’ This move excels in speed. The spear strikes like a dragon, swift as a beam of light. It relies on surprise for a single, fatal blow, making it the perfect method for assassination and pursuit."
"The third technique, ’Thousand Soldiers Guarding.’ This move is primarily defensive. The spear’s momentum is continuous and unbroken, creating a defense so tight not even water could pass through. Once executed, it is like being guarded by ten thousand soldiers—utterly impregnable. It will allow you to remain undefeated even when surrounded by enemies."
"Offense, speed, defense, Body Technique, power, and skill... this ’Thousand Army Spear’ integrates and balances every possible function of a Long Spear into a single whole."
"The spear is already difficult to learn, and the ’Thousand Army Spear’ is universally acknowledged as the most difficult of all Level 1 spear techniques to cultivate. You will need to spend a great deal of time to slowly comprehend, learn, and master it."
Wu Shangfeng looked at Qin Feng, his gaze sharp.
"I’m giving it to you in the hopes that you won’t squander your talent. You have the ability to master it."
He then added, "Also, you must remember that all Killing Techniques are divided into five stages: Initiation, Adept, Master, Perfection, and Control."
"’Initiation’ means you have grasped the basic techniques of the Killing Technique."
"’Adept’ means you can use it skillfully in combat."
"’Master’ means you have comprehended its essence and can use it at will."
"’Perfection,’ then, means you have completely integrated the Killing Technique into your very being, achieving effortless control, a state where man and spear are one."
"As for the final stage, ’Control’..."
A hint of yearning entered Wu Shangfeng’s tone. "That means you have completely transcended the Killing Technique itself. From a commanding vantage point, you can modify and simplify it at will, or even use it as a foundation to create your own, more powerful Killing Techniques."
Qin Feng accepted the ’Thousand Army Spear’ manual and nodded solemnly.
"Yes, Teacher."
"Alright, you may go."
Wu Shangfeng waved his hand. "This first Killing Technique is a free gift from the school as part of your D-rank contracts. In the future, if you wish to learn more Killing Techniques, you will need to raise your contract rank or exchange merit points for them."
Qin Feng walked off the dais and returned to his seat.
Next, Wu Shangfeng continued to call out names one by one, selecting and imparting suitable Killing Techniques to the remaining students.
By the time the last student had received their Killing Technique manual, the afternoon’s Martial Dao class was drawing to a close.
Wu Shangfeng stood up straight and surveyed the room.
"Alright. The Body Refining Technique, the Meditation Technique, and the Killing Techniques—I have now imparted all of them to you. As your homeroom teacher, I have done what I am supposed to do."
A profound smile appeared on his face.
"Starting tomorrow, aside from one practical combat class per month, which I will personally oversee, all other time in this classroom will be for you to use as you see fit."
"In other words, self-study."
That statement, like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirred monstrous waves in the hearts of all the new students.
’Self-study?’
’Qiming First Martial High School actually has its students do self-study?’
"I know what you’re thinking."
Wu Shangfeng seemed to have anticipated their reaction. "You thought that by getting into a top-tier Martial Arts High School, you’d have famous teachers chasing after you, spoon-feeding you every lesson? Dream on."
He sneered.
"Here, no one is going to force you to cultivate. If you want to learn, you practice on your own. If you want to improve, you find a way on your own. The school provides the absolute best resources and platforms, but how you use them is your own business."
"Of course, if you encounter a bottleneck in your cultivation that you can’t solve on your own, you can seek a teacher’s guidance. However..."
His tone shifted. "It’s not free. If you want me, or any other teacher in this school, to give you private instruction, you can have it. In exchange for merit points."
"Or, you can work hard to raise your contract rank. At C-rank, you will naturally receive one free private tutoring session with a master teacher each month. At B-rank, you get three!"
"One last reminder."
Wu Shangfeng glanced at the school calendar on the wall. "One month from now will be your first monthly exam. The top-ranked students will receive a large number of merit points as a reward."
After saying his piece, Wu Shangfeng ignored the shocked, stunned, and bewildered students below and turned to leave the classroom without another word.
The entire Martial Arts Room fell into a dead silence.
Qin Feng sat in his seat, carving every one of his homeroom teacher’s words into his heart.
’No hand-holding from teachers. Everything depends on me.’
’If I want extra guidance, I have to fight for it, compete for it, and earn those merit points.’
This extreme, competition-driven law of the jungle made Qin Feng feel a sliver of pressure, but more than that, he felt a thrill of excitement welling up from deep within.