Chapter 57: Chapter 42: Joining the Martial Dao Training Team (Part 2)

“No problem!”

Zhao Rui readily agreed. He parted ways with Liu Jie at the base of the campus administration building and hurried toward the Martial Arts Academy’s grounds in the southwest corner of the school.

The Martial Arts Academy was a unique institution.

It operated outside the university’s standard academic administration, with its own independent systems and designated campus area.

Each year, it only admitted students who were at least Fifth-level Martial Artists, and they had to be under the age of eighteen.

Whether you missed the cutoff by a month or just ten days, it didn’t matter. If you hadn’t passed the Level 5 test before the college entrance exams, the Martial Arts Academy would not accept you.

It might seem unreasonable, but it all came down to one thing: talent.

A career in the Martial Dao was a long and arduous process. Some people with poor martial aptitude could still reach the level of a Tenth-Level Martial Artist through decades of painstaking cultivation.

But unless they encountered a heaven-defying opportunity, people like that could never hope to break through to the Grandmaster Realm in their entire lives.

Prestigious universities, on the other hand, recruited talented students who showed the potential to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.

Of course, the percentage of those who succeeded wasn’t particularly high. While talent was crucial, comprehension and opportunity were just as indispensable.

Students received a systematic education during their undergraduate studies. After four years of refinement, a small number of top performers would go on to attend graduate schools in their respective specializations.

After more than a decade of cultivation, the ones who distinguished themselves would almost certainly become Grandmaster Realm experts.

This was all Zhao Rui knew. Outsiders couldn’t understand the specifics without crossing that threshold themselves.

As for the Martial Arts Team, it was just like a university basketball team from his previous life. It selected outstanding students for intensive training to improve their practical combat skills and compete in various tournaments.

These students generally possessed strong real-world combat abilities, with a greater focus on deadly combat and fighting techniques.

Zhao Rui’s talent was average. If he had followed the standard application process for Dongqi University’s Martial Arts Academy, he wouldn’t have even passed the first stage: the physical assessment.

But none of that mattered now. He had only one goal: get into the Martial Arts Team, absorb everything he could like a sponge, and learn the most top-tier techniques available within the system.

The Martial Arts Academy occupied a vast expanse of land, nearly half the size of the main campus. It was practically a separate park established right next to Dongqi University.

Aside from a few high-rise buildings, most of the structures here were in an ancient, classical style. The grounds were filled with pavilions, terraces, and waterside gazebos. Walking through it felt less like being on a campus and more like strolling through a traditional garden.

Zhao Rui had no time to admire the scenery. He hurried into one of the high-rises and, following the directory in the lobby, found the Martial Arts Academy’s administrative office.

When Zhao Rui handed his application form to a staff member, the man glanced at him in surprise.

He then smiled. “It’s been years since we’ve had a student from outside the academy apply to join the team. The competition for the Martial Arts Team is fierce, so you’d better be prepared!”

Zhao Rui nodded. “Thank you, sir. I am.”

“Alright, go on. Head to Mingcan Courtyard and find Teacher Sun. He’s in charge of the Martial Arts Team right now.”

Zhao Rui quickly acknowledged, then headed downstairs. He followed the signs along a tranquil, classic-style path toward Mingcan Courtyard.

After a walk of about ten minutes, the path opened up, and a grand, ancient Zen Monastery appeared at its end.

The monastery’s walls were built from square, red-brick stone. Its inner halls were topped with glazed tiles that shimmered with a golden halo. The structure was square-shaped, imposing, and solemn—no one would ever mistake it for a typical campus building.

This was a clear testament to the Martial Arts Academy’s independence.

Zhao Rui walked up to the entrance, but before he could raise his hand to knock, the massive, reddish-bronze doors slowly swung inward.

“Who are you looking for?”

A voice drifted out from a grand hall over a hundred meters away.

The hall stood at the end of a bluestone path. Golden bells hung from its eaves, chiming crisply whenever the gentle breeze stirred.

A white jade pedestal supported the massive, vermilion-lacquered hall. The scales on the coiling dragon pillars out front, slick with morning dew, shimmered with a faint, dark light.

Zhao Rui was stunned. ’That level of power is truly terrifying. He detected my arrival from over a hundred meters away!’

’Are all the teachers at the Martial Arts Academy this powerful?’

“Sir, I’m here to report in!”

Zhao Rui yelled as loudly as he could. As a sign of respect, he didn’t dare use his Inner Strength.

“What was that? I can’t hear you! Come inside the hall and say it!”

Zhao Rui froze. ’He can’t hear me?’

Completely bewildered, he hurried along the bluestone path toward the great hall.

Along the way, the path was flanked by lush, perfectly manicured green lawns.

Beyond the lawns were groves of leafy bamboo. The occasional chirp of a bird, accompanied by the rustle of flapping wings, echoed through the vast monastery.

In the distance, several other palace-like buildings were faintly visible, nestled among the dense trees.

’How much did all this cost?’

Zhao Rui didn’t have time to dwell on it. He had already reached the entrance to the hall. Stepping over the threshold, he peeked inside.

The vast hall was filled with all sorts of martial arts training equipment: sabers, spears, staffs, swords, sandbags, and wooden training dummies. There were no statues or incense altars in sight.

“Sir?”

Zhao Rui scanned the room and saw a bald man in the far corner, legs crossed, looking at him with a lazy expression.

In front of the man was an ordinary office desk with two computers and various office supplies.

“You’re the freshman here to report in?”

The man looked Zhao Rui up and down as he spoke. Clearly, someone had already told him about the new arrival.

“Yes, sir!”

Zhao Rui stepped forward and handed him the form.

The man took it, read it for a moment, then set it down on the desk. He looked at Zhao Rui and asked, “What level are you now?”

“I should be at Level 6 strength!”

Zhao Rui answered truthfully. With fifteen years of accumulated power, his strength was definitely no less than that of a Level 6 Martial Arts Student, even without a top-tier technique.

“Oh? You’ve worked hard. It’s a shame, though. Why didn’t you break through sooner?”

The man shook his head and continued, “What’s your main cultivation technique? When did you start your martial arts training?”

“At school, I majored in the Cyan Cloud Palm. Outside of school, I also practiced a martial art called Cloud Hand Star-Picking…”

Zhao Rui briefly explained his situation.

The man nodded. “Not bad. Your talent isn’t poor. Since you’re committed to the Martial Dao, you shouldn’t let yourself be constrained by arbitrary rules…”

“My surname is Wang. You can call me Teacher Wang or Coach Wang. You may not be from the academy proper, but you’re the first freshman this year to join the Martial Arts Team. Haha! I imagine things will get very interesting when the rest of the first-years arrive!”

Coach Wang chuckled at the thought.

Zhao Rui didn’t know what was so funny, so he could only force a grin.

“When you come tomorrow, bring me a copy of your class schedule. Give me your ID so I can register your information, and also…”

Teacher Wang started to list things off, but he seemed to grow impatient with all the instructions. He yelled toward the back of the hall, “Zhang Kui, come out here! Take your junior brother and get his paperwork sorted!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man with a buzz cut and a thin layer of dark stubble on his chin strode out.

“Teacher Wang, it’s not recruitment season yet. Where’d this junior brother come from?”

The young man asked curiously as he approached.

“Let him tell you!”

Teacher Wang pointed at Zhao Rui, then said, “Go with Zhang Kui. Report for official training tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhao Rui quickly agreed.

Although surprised, Zhang Kui didn’t ask any more questions. He just smiled at Zhao Rui and said, “Let’s go, junior brother!”

With that, he led the way out through the back of the hall.

Zhao Rui hurried to keep up.

The scene outside the back of the hall was completely different. Streams crisscrossed the landscape, spanned by bamboo bridges and covered walkways. Water vapor swirled through the air, creating a hazy mist.

“So, junior brother, which Martial Dao department are you in?”

Zhang Kui asked as the two of them stepped onto one of the covered walkways.

“I’m in the accounting department!”

“Accounting?”

Zhang Kui stared, stunned. After hearing Zhao Rui’s explanation, realization dawned on him. “No wonder you’re joining the team now! Haha. The first-years from the Martial Arts Academy don’t actually join the Martial Arts Team until the second semester!”

“But you’re a special case. Since you don’t have the formal class schedule, it’s actually a good thing for you to start training with Teacher Wang early.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep