Chapter 19: Qi Ming No. 1 Martial High School

Chapter 19: Qiming First Martial High School

"This pass—once you get home, drop your own blood onto the spiral rune at its center."

His voice was a little hoarse, his finger pointing at the black metal card as he explained its use to Qin Feng. "It will scan and verify your Imperial citizenship credentials. The whole process takes about ten seconds. Once verified, you can use this card to enter the subspace network."

He placed the weighty card into Qin Feng's hand.

"Once you're inside, don't rush to the arena. Head to the 'Novice Guidance Zone' first—there you'll find detailed explanations of all the subspace network's functions. The virtual world has its own laws."

Qin Feng took the card. It was cold to the touch, its texture neither metal nor iron, and the runes carved on its surface shimmered with a faint silver glow under the light.

Without a word, he carefully tucked the card away.

"Go on."

Li Weiguo stepped back, gazing at the young man who had already grown far more composed than his peers. "Go home and talk it over with your family. Fill out your preferences properly."

He was no longer the utilitarian homeroom teacher obsessed only with admission rates and bonuses; he was more like a mentor seeing off a disciple embarking on a long journey.

"Goodbye, Teacher."

Qin Feng bowed deeply once more to Li Weiguo.

"Go on." Li Weiguo waved his hand, turned, and walked deeper into the woods without looking back.

Qin Feng straightened up, watching Li Weiguo's slightly desolate figure vanish among the trees. Only then did he turn and stride away with steady steps, leaving behind the campus that had carried him through three years of youth.

On the maglev bus home, the urban sprawl outside the window remained bustling. On a massive holographic billboard, the Empire's latest "Mjolnir" series power armor was performing a breathtaking promotional demonstration.

Qin Feng didn't look outside. His gaze fell upon his own palm.

The subspace network pass lay quietly in his pocket.

...

Evening, Red Leaf Community, Wang Ming's home.

The small living room was brightly lit, the air still carrying the faint scent of meat and alcohol from the celebration feast.

Qin Feng, his father Qin Dahai, and his uncle Wang Ming sat around the dining table.

At the center of the table, Qin Feng's personal wrist terminal projected a pale blue light screen. On it was the official "High School Preference Submission System" from the Qiming Star Education Bureau.

The interface was simple and solemn. At the top was the Empire's double-headed eagle emblem; below, rows of blank fields awaited completion.

[First Preference], [Second Preference], [Third Preference]...

Qin Dahai and Wang Ming had clearly done their homework well in advance.

In front of Wang Ming lay a data pad, densely covered with information and analyses they had gathered from various sources.

"Xiao Feng, before you came back, your uncle and I already discussed it."

Qin Dahai spoke first, his voice as steady as ever. His single arm rested on the table, fingers tapping lightly in a rhythmic pattern.

"We asked Factory Director Wu, your uncle asked the old masters at his factory, and I asked a few old comrades from my army days. Everyone's opinion pointed to the same choice."

He reached out and tapped heavily on the projected light screen.

On the screen, a name was automatically linked by the system and appeared.

[Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School]

"That's the one."

Wang Ming leaned in, pointing at the data on his pad as he explained to Qin Feng: "Look, Xiao Feng, I've written it all down. This 'Qiming First Martial High' is the true elder brother among the seven top martial high schools on Qiming Star—no contest."

He cleared his throat, as if reading a battle report.

"First, it has the longest history. Founded over ten millennia. Countless experts have walked its halls. That's what you call heritage!"

"Second, the strongest faculty. I heard from our factory director that the permanent senior lecturers at 'Qi Yi Gao' are at least Level 8 martial artists. Occasionally, there are even planetary-level experts. No other school can compare to that kind of teaching staff."

"Third, and most importantly!" Wang Ming emphasized, "This school is directly under the Imperial Ministry of Education. It operates without profit as its goal; its sole purpose is to cultivate true pillars of the Empire. I've checked: admitted students get full tuition waivers and a hefty monthly resource subsidy! For the top-tier geniuses, the school even provides customized training plans and high-grade psychic potions for free!"

After speaking, he gulped down a large glass of water, his face full of longing.

Qin Dahai added, his words more concise but hitting the core:

"'Qi Yi Gao's' motto is 'No rigid standards, only merit.' They don't just look at your current strength; they value your potential even more. A genius raised on resources to 1.3, and a rough gem who trained from 0.4 to 1.2 in a month through sheer effort—in their eyes, the latter might be worth more."

"Your track record is your greatest advantage. That potential is enough to move their admissions office." Qin Dahai looked at his son, his gaze calm and firm.

"Of course, we didn't just look at that one school."

Wang Ming swiped through the data pad again. "Look at this one, 'Golden Dragon Martial High.' It's also highly ranked, with decent faculty. But I asked around—this school is too commercial. Once you're in, everything costs money. Gravity chambers are charged by the hour, advanced coaching requires separate fees, even the nutritional meals are tiered. Our family can afford it now, but there's no need to waste money. Their philosophy is to treat students as customers—it's a private high school."

"And then there's 'Stellar Military Affiliated High School.' Strict and iron-fisted, with ample resources. But their training direction is too narrow—everything serves the military, with very limited freedom for personal development. If you go there, you'll likely be pigeonholed into a specific military specialty, losing many possibilities."

Father and son spoke in turn, laying out all their efforts and considerations from the past few days before Qin Feng without reservation.

They didn't force Qin Feng to choose; they simply analyzed every pro and con clearly, leaving the final decision in his hands.

Qin Feng listened quietly, his gaze moving back and forth among the names of those top martial high schools on the light screen.

He saw the "Golden Dragon Martial High," which prioritized profit, and the other schools that, while also aiming to cultivate geniuses, fell slightly short of "Qi Yi Gao" in overall strength.

Finally, his finger moved slowly across the screen and stopped on the name that shimmered with golden light.

[Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School]

He looked up at his father and uncle.

"I'll choose this one."

His voice was not loud, but clear and firm, without a trace of hesitation.

"Good!" Qin Dahai nodded emphatically.

"That's the one!" Wang Ming slapped his thigh in excitement.

Qin Feng reached out his finger and formally confirmed the selection of "Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School" under the [First Preference] field in the submission system.

The pale blue font locked and turned into an unchangeable gold.

"What about the second preference?" Qin Dahai reminded.

"Stellar Martial High." Qin Feng chose another top martial high school known for its flexible training model and emphasis on potential.

Though the seven top martial highs of Qiming each had their own characteristics and were ranked, any one of them was a sacred ground dreamed of by countless examinees—a top-tier institution of immense strength.

Entering any one of them meant boundless prospects.

[Second Preference: Stellar Martial Arts Senior High School]

[Third Preference: ...]

Qin Feng did not fill in a third preference.

His target was only the top seven.

If neither of the first two preferences admitted him, the third would likely fail as well.

He double-checked all the information, confirmed it was correct, and pressed the [Submit] button that would determine his next three years.

A confirmation box popped up on the screen.

[Preference information submitted. Entering review process.]

【The final admission results will be announced in three days, and will be sent to your personal terminal in the form of an official notification.】

【We wish you a bright future.】

The confirmation box vanished, and the application interface slowly closed.

In the living room, a brief silence fell.

"Dad, Uncle, by the way."

Qin Feng took out the subspace network pass and said, "The school applied for this for me, saying it unlocks three permissions: the Imperial Arena, the Subspace Exchange, and the Subspace Teleportation Network."

"Hmm?"

Qin Dahai and Wang Ming were both stunned when they saw the card in Qin Feng's hand.

(End of chapter)