[Yun Ning; Junior Sister, are you free this weekend? I have a small task here. Want to join?]
“Task?”
Huang Xiu paused, a subtle formula surfacing in her mind.
Task = Credits = Scholarship = Money.
Swish!
Two symbols of soft currency coins flashed in Huang Xiu’s eyes. She quickly typed a reply.
[I’m very free; A Senior Male Student’s invitation? I absolutely have time.]
‘This is the power of connections!’
Huang Xiu thought, a blissful smile gracing her face after sending the message.
While other students were still diligently attending classes on the weekend, she could already tap into the Seniors’ network, happily undertaking tasks and earning credits.
“Scholarship—it’s as easy as pie!”
Bathed in the brilliant morning light streaming from the balcony, Huang Xiu raised her right hand, a wide grin spreading across her face.
She had already thoroughly investigated the scholarship situation.
Tiandu University offered a rich variety of scholarships, funded by government allocations and alumni donations.
These scholarships covered a staggering 100% of the student body.
This meant that even if a student merely coasted, as long as they didn’t fail any courses, every single student was guaranteed some money.
For instance, Yun Ning had received the Tiandu Progress Award last year for ranking among the top hundred students.
Huang Xiu’s ambition, however, wasn’t merely to secure the basic award. She aimed for the top five prestigious scholarships, awarded only to the most outstanding performers.
These were: the National Special Scholarship, the Tiangong Group Outstanding Student Scholarship, the Tiandu Alumni Scholarship, the Conquest Bureau Combat Talent Sponsorship Award, and the Annual Outstanding Individual Award.
These five major awards did not limit the number of individual recipients.
This implied that if she proved exceptional enough, she could potentially secure several of them.
Such cases had occurred in previous years.
In one particular year, someone even achieved a grand slam, winning all five awards simultaneously.
‘Too simple. Still, I need to secure at least two to three of these major awards to have ‘substance’ in the competition,’ Huang Xiu mused as she walked towards the cafeteria.
The selection criteria for the five major awards varied.
Some placed greater emphasis on course grades and academic credits, while others prioritized individual quality credits—credits earned from completing various tasks.
Some even weighed student rankings, or even raw combat strength, more heavily.
Huang Xiu was confident she could achieve a high score in individual quality credits, having already gained a head start in that area.
However, course grade credits were determined by academic performance.
Initially, Huang Xiu had felt a degree of confidence in this aspect.
But after yesterday’s classroom query, she realized a stark truth.
Even among Exploration Department students, ninety-nine percent had previously maintained excellent grades.
Alternatively, they possessed a unique skill or specialization.
Therefore, as a self-proclaimed ‘academic slacker’ who had successfully lowered the overall percentage of top students, Huang Xiu dared not set her sights on a grand slam.
Instead, she targeted the Tiandu Alumni Scholarship, the Conquest Bureau Combat Talent Sponsorship Award, and the Annual Outstanding Individual Award.
These three major awards placed greater emphasis on individual quality credits and overall academic ranking.
‘If I can win all three of these major awards, I’ll have at least three hundred thousand in my account this year.’
Huang Xiu’s imagination began to run wild.
Each of these five major awards started at a minimum of one hundred thousand. Winning even one would cover the down payment for a house in a county town.
Moreover, there would be ample money left for her own expenses, making buying a phone for Huang Xiaoxian an easy feat.
****
The morning’s lesson was Combat Class, still held in Training Room No. 1 of Tiandu Hall.
Remarkably, the Combat Class teacher was someone Huang Xiu had previously trained with.
It was the lean, bald man with indecent words tattooed on both arms, who had once stood alongside Teacher Xu Gaoxuan, seemingly treading on clouds.
“My name is Teacher Yuan, as in ‘teacher’ for ‘Shi,’ ‘vitality’ for ‘Yuan,’ and ‘correct’ for ‘Zheng.’ From now on, I’ll be your Combat Class teacher!”
The lean, bald man with indecent words tattooed on his arms wore a light-colored, long gown that mimicked the aura of a military strategist, and a pair of old Tiandu cloth shoes.
With his hands clasped across his chest, his well-developed muscles strained against the fabric of his long gown.
At this moment, his gaze, sharp as a torch, swept across the class of students, who stood in five neat rows before him.
“Combat is a skill every Awakened individual must master. Regardless of whether your ability is physical enhancement, long-range output, or a so-called special type, combat remains your only means of survival when your Void Energy is depleted or when a physically strong opponent closes in on you.”
Teacher Yuan’s voice was booming and full of vigor, causing the entire training room to hum.
“Furthermore, Awakened individuals need to develop comprehensively, without any weaknesses. No one can guarantee that you won’t perish in a certain Touchpoint, a certain Void Realm, or even during a battle with other Awakened individuals, simply because of a single weakness. These are all lessons learned in blood.”
‘That’s certainly true.’
Huang Xiu nodded inwardly. Although she had yet to experience a brutal close-quarters battle, who could predict the future?
If she ever found herself in a desperate situation, or if a powerful close-combat Awakened individual got too close, martial arts might very well save her life.
With this thought, Huang Xiu mentally elevated the importance level of Combat Class by several notches.
“Combat can be divided into unarmed and weapon-based fighting. Unarmed combat emphasizes agility, while weapon-based combat emphasizes direct engagement,” Teacher Yuan explained.
“In my class, each of you must master at least one unarmed technique or one weapon-based technique before entering your sophomore year to pass.”
“What level of mastery is required?” a student inquired.
“Level?”
Teacher Yuan smiled, the veins bulging at his temples twisting with the expression.
“If you can last one minute sparring with me, that counts as mastery, and I’ll give you sixty points. Last two minutes, that’s proficiency, and I’ll give you eighty points. Last five minutes, that means you’ve graduated, and you won’t need to attend future Combat Classes; I’ll give you full marks.”
“One minute…”
Huang Xiu detected a strong confidence in Teacher Yuan’s tone regarding his own combat prowess.
One minute might seem short, but this wasn’t some street brawl where people just swung wildly.
One move could decide the victor.
Well, at least that’s how it was in the wuxia films Huang Xiu had watched.
“What will we be learning in this class?”
Teacher Yuan grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. “Today, we’re learning how to take a beating!”
“Take a beating?”
“Damn, did I hear that right? Learn how to take a beating?”
“Is that even something you need to learn?”
The new students grew restless. This was completely different from the combat instruction they had imagined.
Typically, according to the tropes in literary works, shouldn’t everyone be given a secret manual?
Then, they’d learn the forms before engaging in actual combat, right?
And honestly, why did none of Tiandu University’s courses have textbooks?
Everyone grumbled inwardly.
Huang Xiu felt the same. She had attended three classes and filled nearly twenty pages of notes.
Yet, she hadn’t seen a single textbook to this day.
“Most of you were good students before, and I imagine many of you have never even been in a fight.”
Teacher Yuan spoke loudly.
“That’s why I’m telling you to learn how to take a beating first. And taking a beating, of course, doesn’t mean just passively getting hit! It means learning how to protect yourselves, how to dodge, and how to overcome your fear of an opponent’s fists, feet, or weapons in close combat.”
“Don’t worry, Tiandu University’s hospital is very advanced; it won’t leave you with any lasting injuries.”
Teacher Yuan reassured them in the end, but precisely that statement made the new students even more astonished.
“Whoa… we’re all going to the hospital? Doesn’t that mean there’s a very high chance of getting injured in this class?”
Huang Xiu secretly swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous.