Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: The Freshmen Battle Preparation Begins

Today is Qingyuan’s first lesson for Mu Xiaofeng. Mu Xiaofeng arrived early at the agreed-upon place in the campus bamboo grove.

Qingyuan was still in his usual attire, his expression as calm as ever. In contrast, Mu Xiaofeng was visibly excited, with a constant smile on his face.

Looking at the innocent child before him, Qingyuan sighed deeply and then spoke slowly, “Child, first I must tell you, currently, warriors are mainly divided into three types based on their roles. First are the dual-shield warriors, who possess absolute defense, holding shields in both hands and serving as important protectors on the battlefield. Second are the warriors who hold a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, excelling in both offense and defense. Third are the greatsword warriors, who wield a sword with both hands, acting as powerful and destructive chargers.”

After saying this, Qingyuan observed Mu Xiaofeng, hoping he would choose the best path for himself.

Mu Xiaofeng, still a child, could never forget Qingyuan’s figure from yesterday. Without hesitation, he replied, “Of course, I want to become a greatsword warrior like you, teacher.”

Qingyuan had already anticipated Mu Xiaofeng’s choice. He sighed again and then signaled Mu Xiaofeng to follow him. They approached a bamboo stalk. Qingyuan drew his sword and sliced the bamboo into two segments, handing one to Mu Xiaofeng, indicating that he should use it for practice.

A five-year-old child holding a bamboo as thick as a bowl and taller than himself, trying his best to swing it. Qingyuan watched Mu Xiaofeng for a while, then lay down in the bamboo grove and closed his eyes to sleep.

Seeing Qingyuan fall asleep, Mu Xiaofeng was momentarily stunned and stopped swinging the bamboo. Although Qingyuan had his eyes closed, he could still sense Mu Xiaofeng’s actions. He said slowly, “Mu Xiaofeng, don’t stop, and don’t use your internal energy, just your physical strength.” After saying this, he turned over and continued sleeping.

Mu Xiaofeng continued practicing diligently until noon when Qingyuan finally got up and told him to stop, taking him to rest.

Mu Xiaofeng put down the bamboo and was about to leave. Qingyuan shook his head and said, “Child, remember, if you become a warrior, your weapon is your life.” He pointed to the bamboo lying on the ground. Mu Xiaofeng nodded, ran back to pick up the bamboo, and then left.

After practicing the whole morning, Mu Xiaofeng, being just a child, felt his hands ache, making eating difficult.

Seeing this, Qingyuan stopped and said slowly, “Child, you must know, if you want to become an excellent warrior, this bit of hardship is nothing. A good body is the foundation of becoming a warrior. If you want to give up, you can leave now. Otherwise, finish eating quickly and go rest in the bamboo grove. The training is not over.”

Hearing this, Mu Xiaofeng showed a determined expression, then finished his meal despite the pain and went to rest in the bamboo grove with his bamboo. Qingyuan watched Mu Xiaofeng’s back as he left, shook his head, and sighed deeply.

After a while, Qingyuan woke up the sleeping Mu Xiaofeng and placed a bucket of water in front of him, saying, “This afternoon, carry this bucket of water and run around the school without using your internal energy until sunset. Remember to bring your weapon.”

Mu Xiaofeng rubbed his eyes, got up, carried the bucket of water, and started running around the school as Qingyuan instructed, running the entire afternoon.

In the evening, Mu Xiaofeng returned to the bamboo grove with the water bucket and bamboo, his legs feeling like lead, each step heavy.

Seeing this, Qingyuan frowned and said, “Child, if you are determined to become a warrior, the hardships ahead will be even greater. Are you sure you want to continue on this path?”

Bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily, Mu Xiaofeng said slowly, “I want to be an outstanding warrior like you, teacher. I will never give up.”

Hearing this, Qingyuan’s brow remained furrowed. “A stubborn child indeed. Listen, there are nine positions on the human body where you can unlock your energy. You can choose any place to start. The top of the head is the hardest to unlock, while other positions generally have two methods: practice and external assistance. The hands are often used, so unlocking the hands’ energy is relatively easy. For flexibility, unlock the feet first; for survival, unlock the chest and abdomen. My training aims to help you unlock your energy as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Xiaofeng smiled, knowing this meant Qingyuan was genuinely willing to teach him, giving him a chance to become a master like Qingyuan.

Excitedly, Mu Xiaofeng said, “Thank you for your guidance, teacher. I will not let you down.”

Qingyuan, still expressionless, waved his hand, sighed deeply, and then led Mu Xiaofeng out of the bamboo grove.

For the next two days, Mu Xiaofeng continued this intense training daily, pushing his physical limits to complete Qingyuan’s tasks.

Three days of training passed, and the next day was the exam day for all freshmen.

In the evening, Mu Xiaofeng, Zhang Wenyu, and Qin Baoyi gathered with their four teachers. This was the first time in three days that Mu Xiaofeng had spoken to Zhang Wenyu and Qin Baoyi, as he would fall asleep immediately upon returning to the dormitory due to Qingyuan’s harsh training.

Hui glanced at the paper in her hand and explained the competition rules to the three.

The match-ups were decided by a random draw on the playground. The matches took place in enclosed, shielded arenas with obstacles for cover. The equipment used was made of special materials, and weapons couldn’t be infused with too much potentially lethal energy to prevent damage.

A match was lost if one side surrendered or lost combat ability. If a match wasn’t finished by the time four bowls of water dripped down—about half a day—the judges would decide the winner.

Mu Xiaofeng thought to himself that if he encountered someone with a powerful background like Ximu and couldn’t win within half a day, he would be in trouble. Being alone in the academy without acquaintances, and seeing that Zhang Wenyu and Qin Baoyi also seemed to come from ordinary families, he realized he must defeat every opponent in each match.

Hui looked at the three children before her, frowned, and instructed, “You three, a greatsword warrior, a fire element scholar, and a dual-blade shadow warrior, all lack defense and recovery abilities. So, be cautious in tomorrow’s match.”

The three nodded. Although their combination seemed extreme and unreasonable, no one could predict how far they would go. Perhaps they wouldn’t win a single match, or maybe they would reach the finals. Their fate was unknown.

The next morning, Mu Xiaofeng, Zhang Wenyu, and Qin Baoyi arrived at the playground early, with their four teachers already waiting at the draw area.

The three were very nervous, as this was their first exam and their first battle. Qiaozi also arrived at the playground with two classmates, one of whom was Ximu.

Qiaozi saw Mu Xiaofeng and Zhang Wenyu and waved at them happily. Mu Xiaofeng responded with a bright smile, while Zhang Wenyu gave a faint smile. Meanwhile, Ximu looked at Mu Xiaofeng and Zhang Wenyu with disdain.

“Let the drawing begin!” the white-bearded headmaster Kaga announced loudly, shaking the entire field. “Students whose class numbers are called, please proceed to the designated locations. Left field, Class 9 versus Class 11. Right field, Class 12 versus Class 27. First arena, Class 31 versus Class 5.”

Hearing this, Mu Xiaofeng, Zhang Wenyu, and Qin Baoyi quickly headed to the first arena, with Mu Xiaofeng glancing at Qiaozi before leaving. Qiaozi also watched Mu Xiaofeng as she walked towards the right field.

“Please win, Qiaozi. I hope to meet you,” Mu Xiaofeng prayed silently while running. Meanwhile, Qiaozi was thinking the same thing.

Mu Xiaofeng, Zhang Wenyu, and Qin Baoyi arrived at the first arena, which was filled with people, including some adults. Their four teachers were also seated in the audience. Most of the audience consisted of children not much older than Mu Xiaofeng.

In the center of the arena, a large area was left empty, with only five people seated—likely the judges.

Soon, three children from Class 31 arrived—two boys and a girl.

The judge saw that both classes were present and loudly announced, “Students from both classes, please go to your respective sides to select your equipment. Once ready, enter the arena for the match.” The children then went to their respective sides to choose their equipment and entered the arena.

The arena was enormous, capable of holding thousands of people, and as high as the front row of the audience, about twenty meters. It had various terrains, including rocks, trees, grass, mud pits, and even a small lake in the center, which seemed quite deep.

Mu Xiaofeng and his teammates, equipped and ready, stood on one side of the arena, barely making out three figures on the other side. This match was far from simple, and neither side knew the other’s abilities or exact positions.

“Begin!” the judges commanded, and the first bowl of water started to drip slowly.

The three children from Class 31 quickly disappeared from Mu Xiaofeng’s sight, marking the beginning of the first match.