As Huang Xiu pondered the mysterious image, Wen Zhidie pointed to it with her right hand, explaining loudly:
“Actually, all the different Hammer Forging methods are largely similar,” she declared. “The only real difference lies in this picture—the Contemplation Diagram.”
‘Contemplation Diagram…’ Huang Xiu silently committed the term to memory.
She noticed several students pulling out their phones, ready to snap a picture, but the teacher immediately halted them.
“There’s no need to take photos of this,” Wen Zhidie assured them. “Pictures won’t have the desired effect, and they pose a risk of leaks. Rest assured, all the cultivation materials for the Hammer Forging method will be distributed to you after class.”
Wen Zhidie paused, gathered her thoughts, and then resumed the lecture.
“Different lineages have different Contemplation Diagrams. This particular image originates from the ancient White Lotus Society and belongs to the White Tower lineage.”
Most students were already familiar with the White Lotus Society, knowing them to be an Awakened individual force.
They had not, however, expected the White Lotus Society to also be an Awakened individual force.
Huang Xiu’s attention, however, was drawn to the latter half of the sentence: this Contemplation Diagram belonged to the White Tower lineage.
“Each time you contemplate this image, your Awakened spirit will undergo a forging process, growing in strength, and your Void Energy will likewise increase.”
Wen Zhidie concisely explained the fundamental principles of the Hammer Forging method.
“Once you can clearly visualize the image in your mind, it signifies that you’ve essentially mastered the basics of the Hammer Forging method.”
This was the foundation of Hammer Forging cultivation.
The time taken for this process depended entirely on an individual’s talent.
“Some students might require a month, while others might only need a few days. Of course, I’ve even encountered those who managed it in a single day. But with diligent effort, it shouldn’t take longer than two months.”
Standing at the podium, Wen Zhidie looked down at the students from Class One to Class Five, emphasizing loudly, “Therefore, my requirement for all of you is this: everyone must master the Hammer Forging method before the military training begins next month, on July 15th. Students still in the Awakening Period must advance to the Mercury Rank through Hammer Forging.”
Huang Xiu and her classmates had learned about the relative concepts of the Awakening Period and Mercury Rank in their foundational Void Energy class.
Naturally, since it wasn’t a core topic, Teacher Hua Song had only briefly mentioned it when discussing certain knowledge points, without going into much detail.
Nevertheless, it was enough for Huang Xiu and her peers to remember and understand.
The Awakening Period referred to the initial stage of an Awakened individual’s awakening, where their nascent abilities constantly strengthened and their physical bodies completed their transformation.
The Mercury Rank, on the other hand, was the stage naturally entered after awakening was complete.
Its hallmark was that Void Energy no longer replenished the physical body; its quantity increased, eventually forming a vast, mercury-like lake.
‘Hmm, Huang Xiu’s body contains an ocean,’ she mused. This was a clear indication of her high innate Void Energy concentration.
Returning to the main point, advancing from the Awakening Period to the Mercury Rank presented no real difficulty; it was merely a matter of consistent effort.
Generally speaking, the higher one’s innate Void Energy concentration, the longer the awakening process would take.
Of course, Huang Xiu was an exception; she had completed her transformation under life-or-death pressure less than two days after her awakening.
Seeing no one respond from below, Wen Zhidie frowned slightly and asked, “Why is no one answering? Is there a problem?”
The students, snapping back to attention, replied in unison:
“No! As students of Tiandu University, if we can’t master the Hammer Forging method and advance from the Awakening Period to the Mercury Rank within two months, we might as well bash our heads against a tofu block and die!”
This was the sentiment of most, with the exception of one particular individual…
That individual was, of course, Candidate 299 Zhang Shou from the Yunshang Province re-examination. Likely the lowest-ranked among the national freshmen, he sat in the middle row of the tiered classroom, gritting his teeth and continuously psyching himself up.
‘I can definitely do this!’
After setting the assessment goal, Wen Zhidie continued to elaborate on various precautions.
A master leads the way, but cultivation is a personal journey.
While the saying held true, without a good master, even entering the path could prove difficult.
By joining Tiandu University, Huang Xiu and her peers had effectively gained access to the nation’s best teachers and educational resources.
The assistance of good teachers to students was undeniable.
They dared not slacken, meticulously noting down every precaution Wen Zhidie mentioned, committing them to heart.
Even after class ended, everyone still looked as if they hadn’t had enough.
Huang Xiu looked at her notebook, filled with two full pages of notes, and felt a profound sense of accomplishment.
‘If only I had been this diligent in high school, my grades wouldn’t have been merely average,’ she mused, shaking her head with a sigh.
Sometimes, interest was truly that important.
Despite the knowledge shared in this class being rather dry, her interest in all things Awakened individuals made her listen with rapt attention.
Packing up her notebook, she gathered her three or five friends, and the vibrant procession once again appeared on the path to the cafeteria.
This time, upon arriving at the cafeteria, Huang Xiu immediately sensed something amiss. Why were there even more people than last time, when they had eaten braised meat?
The cafeteria’s foot traffic was at its peak for the past two weeks.
‘Could they have introduced some new, delicious dishes?’
Huang Xiu saw queues forming in front of every serving window, leading her to this sole conjecture.
She glanced up at the display screen.
While the menu did feature a limited-edition Wellington steak, one large piece per person, which sounded appealing, it didn’t seem like enough to draw such a massive crowd.
Taking advantage of the queue, Huang Xiu observed her surroundings.
The culprit behind the surge in cafeteria numbers seemed to be a group of senior students.
Most of them, though also wearing school uniforms, had slightly more mature faces.
They generally exuded an air of solemnity…
…and a certain ‘salted fish’ lethargy, born from extreme exhaustion followed by sudden, indulgent relaxation.
‘They don’t really look like first or second-year students. They seem more like third or fourth-year senior students. Do any of you know about this?’
At the dining table, Huang Xiu asked her friends, but received only headshakes in response.
However, this was within her expectations, as she was arguably the most well-connected among them.
After a moment’s thought, Huang Xiu decided to ask Huai Nannan, a third-year senior female student.
[Never Salty Fish Again: Oh, that? They’re all fourth-year senior students who just returned from a mission on the Moon.]
“Oh… so they’re fourth-year senior students!”
Huang Xiu’s confusion was resolved, but as her gaze dropped, she nearly leaped up.
“The Moon… on a mission? What the hell is that?”
She understood both words individually, but when placed together, she felt utterly bewildered.
Could they actually… go to the Moon for missions?
What could they possibly do there? Fight aliens? Or perhaps catch a few adorable moon rabbits to enjoy hotpot with Sister Chang’e?
‘Senior Female Student Huai Nannan, are you sure you didn’t make a typo? Was it ‘Moon Autumn’ or some other place?’
Huang Xiu was almost stunned by the news and quickly sent her questions again.
[Never Salty Fish Again: It really is the Moon, you know. You didn’t think Touchpoints only existed on Earth, did you? (smirk) There’s a large Void Realm Touchpoint on the far side of the Moon, and people are sent to guard it every year.]
“It’s actually… the Moon.”
Huang Xiu’s mixed feelings of shock and joy finally subsided, preventing her from squinting further in disbelief.
Void Realms tended to appear near clusters of intelligent life.
If one were to consider it, the Moon naturally fell within that scope.
Driven by the thought that she shouldn’t be the only one startled, she shared the news with her friends.
She was then delightfully met with a cascade of incredulous stares.
“Calm down, calm down, it’s really not a big deal,” Huang Xiu said, waving her hand casually. “You didn’t seriously think Void Realms and Touchpoints only existed on Earth, did you? You’re far too young!”
“But what’s the Void Realm on the Moon called? And how did these fourth-year senior students get up there? Did they take rockets?” Liu Lu was very curious about things on the Moon, seemingly having a particular fondness for the idea of going into space.
“I don’t think so. If all those people went by rocket, even our Great Xia Nation couldn’t afford it!”
Huang Xiu believed her school must have a cheap and relatively fast method for lunar travel.
As for what that method was, it was clear that only the fourth-year senior students who had been to the Moon would know. Even Huai Nannan didn’t know if Huang Xiu hadn’t asked. She, too, would have thought the fourth-year senior students flew up with a whoosh and a roar in rockets!
‘Professor Yuan should know, but would he tell me?’
Huang Xiu stroked her chin, deciding it was best not to ask. Such matters were likely classified, and pressing Professor Yuan would only put him in a difficult position.
In the afternoon’s Void Art class, Teacher Gu Ning, a highly esteemed instructor, was still teaching the twenty-five basic Void Arts.
They had now reached the twenty-first one.
Among these twenty-one basic Void Arts, Huang Xiu felt there were three suitable candidates for her first Void Art.
If it weren’t for the fact that the last four Void Arts Teacher Gu Ning would teach didn’t contain any basic Void Arts that Huang Xiu was particularly satisfied with, her first inscribed Void Art would have definitely been chosen from those three.
These three Void Arts were: Wind Assist, Void Energy Boil, and Earth Aegis.
Wind Assist was a Void Art that reduced wind resistance and increased speed. It could be used offensively to quicken punch speed, for long-distance sprints, or for dodging.
However, it was generally more suited for Awakened individuals who were already quite fast.
Huang Xiu would not have considered this Void Art if it weren’t the only one among the first twenty-one basic Void Arts that offered comprehensive speed amplification.
Void Energy Boil was recommended to her by Senior Female Student Huai Nannan. It allowed one to boil the Void Energy within their body during critical moments or when an爆发 was needed, making the Void Energy more active, speeding up the operation of abilities, and increasing the overall Void Energy capacity. Speed would increase as a result, and the total Void Energy capacity would also be enhanced.
The final one, Earth Aegis, was a defensive Void Art. Its effect was simple: when one’s feet were on the ground, it enhanced defense by leveraging the power of the earth.
Huang Xiu had not chosen offensive or reconnaissance Void Arts, and she estimated her next two Void Arts wouldn’t fall into those categories either.
For her, Senluo was currently sufficient in both those aspects.
Therefore, her primary choices were Void Arts focused on self-preservation. As the saying went, ‘As long as the green mountains remain, there’ll be wood to burn,’ and ‘Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.’
These were all principles passed down by her ancestors; how could Huang Xiu possibly disregard them?
“I truly respect our ancestors!”
She was moved to tears.
These three Void Arts were merely initial selections. As for which one to choose specifically, Huang Xiu planned to discuss it with Yun Ning and Professor Yuan later.
Especially Professor Yuan.
As her teacher, he should rightfully guide his students on how to combine Void Arts!
Huang Xiu had heard Senior Female Student Huai Nannan mention various Void Arts could be properly combined to form a Void Art lineage that ultimately achieved an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
For example, the Jidao Flow that her senior female student had already initially developed.
As a beginner, without sufficient understanding and knowledge of her own combat system, it was best to first replicate existing lineages.
If she later developed ideas based on her own abilities, it wouldn’t be impossible to change her Void Arts.
After all, Void Arts, once inscribed, weren’t permanent; changing them simply required a bit of time.
‘I must choose the lineage with the strongest life-saving effect.’
Huang Xiu wasn’t sure if such a lineage existed at the school. But if it didn’t, she would create it! She had even thought of a name: the Invincible Turtle Shell Defense, Dodge, and Escape Flow! It would balance defensive strength with escape speed, primarily ensuring the summoner never found themselves in danger.
****
After class and dinner, Huang Xiu, having an elective course, did not return to the dormitory with Ying Zhiyu and Jia Qianrou.
Instead, she chose to find a spot on campus to sit and relax for a while, intending to head to the conference room closer to class time.
Tiandu University’s campus was vast and well-equipped. Besides the numerous large buildings scattered across the grounds, there was also a small lake named Ganyang Lake.
Huang Xiu sat in a small stone pavilion by Ganyang Lake, quietly admiring the rippling water and the campus bathed in the setting sun.
As summer approached, the sun didn’t set as quickly. The evening sun hung over the distant green mountains of the campus, and crimson, fish-scale clouds covered the entire sky.
The entire campus was draped in a layer of dark red.
A gentle breeze drifted from the mountains, sweeping across the campus and stirring faint ripples on the lake’s surface before finally reaching Huang Xiu.
Her shoulder-length hair was gently ruffled, playfully brushing against her delicate cheek. It tickled slightly.
Huang Xiu subconsciously turned her head, lightly scratching the spot, as the setting sun painted half of her face golden-red. Then, with her right hand, she tucked her hair back behind her ear.
All these ordinary moments, bathed in the sunset, at this particular instant, were imbued with a sense of relaxation and twilight. It was beautiful, like a painting.
“Click…” A strange sound echoed from a distance.
Huang Xiu instinctively turned her head, only to see a figure swiftly disappear into the woods.
“What was that about?”
She frowned, feeling a little bewildered. She checked her phone and saw that it was almost seven o’clock.
Huang Xiu picked up the cola from the stone bench beside her and walked quickly towards the conference room, ready to attend her elective course.
The small conference room on the third floor of the Metropolitan Building had limited seating, likely accommodating fewer than twenty people at most. It was indeed a small conference room. When Huang Xiu pushed the door open, three people were already inside: two girls and one boy. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and none of them were people she knew.
However, Huang Xiu, as the only S-rank student, had a considerable reputation. One of the girls seemed to recognize Huang Xiu, a hint of surprise in her eyes, as if wondering why she was also here.
‘I’m NO.1! It’s an elective for outstanding students; it would be abnormal if I *wasn’t* here!’ Huang Xiu inwardly pouted.