We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

Chapter 139 Amazing Treatment and Conversation
On the road to Tiangang Academy.

Shen Bailian and Duan Wuyai walked side by side toward Tianhui Square.

The other five deans and Vice Principal Ji Chenghu did not come along, in order to avoid attracting too much attention.

"Big brother."

"Senior Brother, you're out for a walk too... Um, hello Dean Duan."

"..."

Apart from the 171 martial arts students and the deans and teachers such as Ji Chenghu and Duan Wuyai, few people knew what happened in the last two days of the second round of trials.

(Note: At the start of the Battle of Yixiantian, there were 183 martial arts students, but 12 were killed in action.)
Most people received the message that the Sky Eye monitoring system was experiencing signal fluctuations due to the attack by the ferocious beast.

Only a small number of second- and third-year martial arts students vaguely guessed the answer, but because of confidentiality agreements, they dared not spread it casually.

"I'm getting old, I'm getting old, and I'm not as popular as you, a freshman. Almost all the freshmen know you, the senior, but they don't know me, the dean of the Fourth Academy."

Duan Wuyai shook his head, looking at Shen Bailian with a half-smile, a hint of mockery on his face.

As the two walked together, many freshmen got to know Shen Bailian, but most people treated the dean next to the boy with an attitude of "who are you?"

"After the freshman orientation tomorrow, they'll all know you," Shen Bailian said with a smile.

After spending time with him several times, he found that Duan Wuyai was indeed very easygoing with him, so he stopped being so cautious.

No matter what, an elder like that wouldn't hold a grudge against a junior unless the junior went too far.

"These are all minor matters. As long as you become strong enough, even if people don't know you, they'll pretend to know you," Duan Wuyai said with a smile.

"However, this is an honor you deserve. You have performed exceptionally well in both the first and second rounds. If the second round of trials proceeds normally, it will be very difficult for anyone to break your record in the future."

"Hehe." Shen Bailian chuckled and scratched his head.

“However, I underestimated your potential before.” Duan Wuyai concealed his aura, his face bearing a kind smile, just like an ordinary elder.

Shen Bailian listened attentively.

"I originally thought your potential was weaker than Xu Changqing's." Duan Wuyai's face showed a look of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both regret and reflection), as if lamenting the unpredictability of life, and he said with a smile:

"But now it seems that you may be stronger than him, or even able to surpass him."

"Xu Changqing?" Shen Bailian asked in confusion.

Anyone who could earn such praise from Duan Wuyai must be no ordinary person.

“The senior brother of the 43rd level martial arts students.” Duan Wuyai added, “He is different from you, the senior brother. Xu Changqing is the senior brother of the entire 43rd level, and even most of the 42nd and 44th levels.”

"And the kind of senior brother who is completely convinced, you should know what I mean, right?"

"I understand." Shen Bailian nodded blankly.

How did he become the senior disciple?

It's very simple: use your own overwhelming strength to temporarily conquer everyone.

However, the position of the senior disciple is not secure. Many people are not convinced in their hearts, but they have to accept it because of the psychological pressure of conformity.

If something happens, it could trigger a major incident.

The Xu Changqing that Duan Wuyai mentioned must have possessed immense strength combined with exceptional personal charisma, or perhaps...

It is truly rare for someone to have conquered all the martial arts students.

"Before you came, Xu Changqing was the strongest freshman king in the history of Tiangang Academy. He only started school this year as a junior, and he was only one step away from the Opening Sea Realm."

"Once Xu Changqing stabilizes in the Opening Sea Realm, he will have a good chance to represent Tiangang Academy in the National College Martial Arts League and win a top 100 finish."

"If he can get into the top 100, he will have the ability to challenge for the Earthly Fiends list."

"Top 100?" Shen Bailian frowned slightly, somewhat surprised, and couldn't help but ask, "Can a martial artist at the Opening Sea Realm only achieve a top 100 ranking in the National College Martial Arts League?"

"Martial artists at the Sea Opening Realm are indeed very strong, but it also depends on the situation," Duan Wuyai sighed, speaking with considerable emotion.

"In Daxia, the lower the level of the game, the more restrictions there are."

"The National College Martial Arts League has only one registration requirement: any student of Daxia Martial Arts University can register, including all martial arts students from freshman to fifth year."

"Wouldn't that be a little unfair?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Bailian paused for a moment, then immediately added, "The higher the year of study, the longer the martial arts students have to cultivate, and naturally they will become stronger. This makes their strength completely unequal."

"Fairness? Xiao Shen, your mindset hasn't completely changed from that of a martial arts apprentice."

Upon hearing this, Duan Wuyai was not angry. He simply straightened his face, his gaze gentle yet firm, like an elder advising a junior.

This made Shen Bailian slightly uneasy, because Duan Wuyai had never shown such an expression in front of him before.

However, in just a moment, he calmed down under that gentle gaze and listened quietly.

"Fairness is a very rare thing in this world, and it is also relative," Duan Wuyai said, his gaze deepening.

"Actually, what you're thinking is something that the higher-ups at Daxia did consider at the beginning of the university martial arts league, but this plan was ultimately abandoned."

"Do you know why?"

"Why?" Shen Bailian, having also gotten into the zone, couldn't help but ask.

"What do you think of the city of Bozhou where you live?" Duan Wuyai did not answer directly, but instead asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"It is a very stable and beautiful hometown."

Shen Bailian answered without hesitation.

He wasn't just praising his hometown; it came from the bottom of his heart.

In Shen Bailian's memory, before the Sanqing Mountain trial, ferocious beasts were just monsters he saw in textbooks and 3D projections, far removed from his life.

As for the worship of gods, it's more of a topic of conversation; it's rare to hear of anyone whose life has actually been affected by it.

Moreover, the sheriff is very responsible. If we ignore the ferocious beasts outside, energy has completely entered the era of controllable and miniaturized nuclear fusion, and everyone can eat their fill and stay warm.

Except for a very small number of people, it is practically an ideal city of the future.

"So, do you realize what the problem is now?"

"What's the problem?" Shen Bailian was slightly taken aback. What was the problem?
"Did the divine priests treat you fairly in the Divine Ruins?" Duan Wuyai said this and then stopped talking. He knew that Shen Bailian would definitely understand.

when!
Like a resounding bell, it instantly dispelled the fog in Shen Bailian's mind, and he suddenly became clear-headed. His lips tightened, and he answered dryly, "I realize."

This is too stable; it's abnormal.

The Great Xia Dynasty is currently living in a chaotic era, not a peaceful and prosperous one. Ferocious beasts cannot be ignored, and the same applies to the God-Worshipping Cult.

The reason they live such a stable life is because someone is bearing the burden.

This is inherently unfair, because in the Great Xia Dynasty, those who carried heavy burdens paid the price with their lives, or even their families.

From the beginning until now, all the competitions Shen Bailian has participated in have had one restriction: martial arts students of the same grade can only compete on the same stage.

However, this is artificially created fairness, just like the welfare measures in the newbie village.

However, on the battlefield, those brutal beasts and cunning divine favored beings never concern themselves with fairness with the people of Great Xia.

"You are still a freshman, so you still have the opportunity to compete fairly with students of the same year on the same stage. You should cherish this opportunity and do your best to win all the first place titles."

"After you graduate from your sophomore year, all the inter-university competitions you participate in will not have grade restrictions, so you need to be mentally prepared." Duan Wuyai's voice was deep and powerful, giving people a sense of gentle persuasion.

Why should this system be popularized?

"Why is it that only outstanding martial artists receive preferential treatment in terms of resources?" Duan Wuyai stared at Shen Bailian and said in a deep voice:

"Because our Great Xia has always faced the crisis of extinction. If we are not strong, we will die. Once the first god begins to return, it will be a devastating blow to the entire human race and the entire Great Xia."

"Therefore, we have formulated a rule that is relatively fair, but not entirely fair."

"It's impossible to say that the top student in the second year gets more resources than the top student in the third year. That would be unfair to the top student in the third year."

"It is precisely because of this external crisis that time waits for no one. What the Great Xia needs is one or more pillar-like martial gods, rather than a bunch of geniuses with great potential but not yet fully developed."

"You've studied for so many years, you should understand this basic common sense, right?"

Shen Bailian nodded and fell silent.

Competitions held by freshmen and below generally have an element of "fairness".

However, in the second year of college or above, or after graduation, due to external circumstances, they have to follow the rule of survival of the fittest.

"Don't overthink it." Duan Wuyai suddenly laughed: "This rule only applies when you participate in national martial arts leagues or compete for the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends rankings."

"The resources I promised you will definitely be allocated."

"That's fine."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bailian breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought he would have to compete with second-, third-, fourth-, and even fifth-year martial arts students for cultivation resources.

With his current strength, he definitely can't win the competition.

"Teacher Duan," Shen Bailian asked, "may I ask what specific cultivation resources Tiangang Academy can provide me?"

"Although mental strength is not that important in the Establishment Realm, it is a necessity in the Transcendent Realm and above."

“You must have a deep understanding of this,” Duan Wuyai said with a smile. “The stronger your mental strength, the stronger your control over your body, and it can also enhance your comprehension.”

Shen Bailian nodded.

After his mental strength broke through to 3.0, his comprehension also became stronger along with the improvement of his mental strength.

Furthermore, the stronger one's mental strength, the more one's perception, thinking, and comprehension abilities will continuously improve.

In terms of basic swordsmanship, Shen Bailian has developed a variety of techniques, from the original Day Tiger and Thunderclap to the Realm of All Things Breathing, and now to the Golden Purification, Wind-Facing One-Slash, and Golden Skyline.

Cutting through steel is no longer a difficult task for him.

"But as I've mentioned before, if you want to improve your mental strength..."

"Mm." Shen Bailian nodded.

There are essentially three ways to enhance one's spiritual power: physical nurturing, consuming rare and precious herbs, and finally, visualization techniques (the method of visualizing the divine).

Duan Wuyai continued, "The original idea was to prepare a God-Stabilizing Platform for you, along with a Sun-level Visualization Method, to help you quickly break through to level 10.0."

"But now it seems that the Stability Platform can be exchanged for other cultivation resources."

Shen Bailian initially wanted to refuse the visualization method, but quickly rejected his own idea.

Because there is still an "Eight-in-One Great Sun Visualization Method" on the panel waiting for him to solidify. Judging from the level of this visualization method, it must be a visualization of the divine, or far beyond the visualization of the divine.

The visualization techniques prepared by the Tiangang Academy can be used as a pretext.

"The second is the priority right to exchange cultivation resources, as stipulated in the previous Tier A cultivation contract, such as various rare and precious materials, basic nutritional potions of various grades, spirit-nourishing tea, elemental crystals, and star elemental crystals..."

"Once your training funds are allocated, as long as you have enough money, you'll have priority in purchasing." "Yuan Crystal?" Shen Bailian's pupils constricted slightly, and he asked in shock, "It's not a crystal formed from the condensation of heaven and earth's Yuan energy, is it?"

“That’s right.” Duan Wuyai nodded with a smile: “First-tier Yuan Crystals are suitable for martial artists at the Establishment Realm, and are worth 50,000 Great Xia Coins each; second-tier Yuan Crystals are suitable for martial artists at the Transcendent Realm, and are worth 100,000 Great Xia Coins each…”

"As for Star Crystals, they are easy to understand; they are crystals containing the power of stars. A first-tier Star Crystal is worth 100,000 Great Xia coins, and a second-tier Star Crystal is worth 250,000 Great Xia coins..."

"So expensive?" Shen Bailian clicked his tongue in surprise and asked in confusion, "What's the difference between Yuan Crystals and Star Yuan Crystals?"

"Stellar Essence Crystals are essence crystals containing the power of stars. After years of experimental verification, it has been discovered that the power of stars also has the effect of promoting transformation into a mortal being, and it is gentler and more efficient than the power of heaven and earth." Duan Wuyai looked at the young man with a half-smile and slowly said:
"Furthermore, multiple studies have proven that there is a 10-20% difference in combat power between martial artists who use Star Crystals and those who use Yuan Crystals at the same level."

"?"

Shen Bailian was stunned when he heard this. Wasn't this the embodiment of the power of money?

A difference of 10% or 20% in combat power is enough to drive all martial artists crazy, but the price of Star Crystals is ridiculously high.

"Don't complain about the price." As if sensing the boy's shock, Duan Wuyai continued, "The power of stars is not much compared to the number of martial artists in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, and it is the power of stars that has been condensed into a tangible form."

"If you are not a martial arts student of Tiangang Academy, the words 'Star Crystal' will not appear in your list of exchangeable resources."

"Impressive," Shen Bailian exclaimed sincerely.

No wonder Tiangang Academy has been able to maintain its position among the top six academies for so many years. Based on this alone, students from those first-class martial arts schools can hardly catch up.

"Third: practical training instructors."

"Normally, first-year martial arts students will choose to follow a teacher to train, depending on the weapon they are good at, and hone their skills in actual combat to improve their weapon mastery."

"For example, those who practice shooting follow a shooting teacher; those who practice archery follow an archery teacher... Each teacher is a powerful expert at the late stage of the Transcendent Realm or the Sea Opening Realm, and each teacher will probably take on seven or eight students."

"And the martial arts students of the Sun-level Dragon Gate species will be specially assigned a special-grade teacher with rich teaching experience, whose realm is the Opening Sea Realm." Duan Wuyai had a faint hint of pride on his face.

Shen Bailian held his breath, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

Is this the Heavenly Gang Academy?

This is completely different from the remote Bozhou City, where it's rare to see a Transcendent Realm martial artist even once every ten years. Here, their status is no different from that of an "ordinary person".

Furthermore, there are at least thirty Sea Opening Realm experts currently on the public eye.

The quality of this teaching staff is truly terrifying.

"Some martial arts students possess terrifying talent, reaching the third level of 'Breathing of All Things,' where even top-tier instructors struggle to provide effective guidance," Duan Wuyai said.
"Therefore, this group of students will be personally taught by the vice dean."

"And the weapon I use happens to be a sword, which is perfect for teaching you," Duan Wuyai said softly, his eyes narrowing to slits.
“You are the only student in our academy with the Sun-level Dragon Gate martial arts training program, so I will personally instruct you.”

"it is good."

Shen Bailian was naturally more than happy to accept this.

After so many days, and with Kong Chaowu's introduction, he was not unaware of Duan Wuyai, a powerful expert at the Sea Opening Realm of the Title Realm.

Furthermore, his title is "Canghai Kuangdao" (meaning "Mad Blade of the Vast Ocean"), indicating that his mastery of weapons is at least extremely precise.

"Shen Bailian greets his teacher." Shen Bailian paused, then bowed respectfully without hesitation.

Duan Wuyai, as a dean and a powerful figure with a title, was willing to take the time to guide a martial artist at the Life Establishment Realm.

In addition to all the things that have happened in the past.

Therefore, Shen Bailian only pondered for a moment before deciding to become Duan Wuyai's disciple.

"Are they having someone become an apprentice over there?"

"Isn't that Dean Duan, the Mad Saber of the Vast Ocean? He actually agreed to take on a disciple!"

"Holy crap, guys, this is breaking news! Breaking news! Someone actually wants to become Dean Duan's apprentice..."

"..."

In an instant, all the second- and third-year martial arts students who witnessed this scene stopped in their tracks, staring at the spectacle in disbelief.

It's safe to say that among all the martial arts students here, some may not be familiar with Duan Wuyai's appearance, but they have certainly heard of the name "Canghai Kuangdao" (Canghai Mad Blade).

Because the four characters "Canghai Kuangdao" are the living signboard of Tiangang Academy, and not all martial artists in the Opening Sea Realm can obtain the title.

"There are still some overconfident people trying to rise to the top by becoming Duan Wuyai's disciple." A third-year martial arts student sneered and said disdainfully.

"Wait a minute." Suddenly, a second-year martial arts student looked at the figure from behind and felt like he had seen it somewhere before: "That looks like the freshman champion this year, Shen Bailian."

Under a large tree not far away, a young man and a burly man fought side by side, watching the scene on the road with great interest.

The young man was handsome, with deep eyes that seemed to see through people's souls, and a wicked smile on his lips. He was none other than Lu Changsheng.

The burly man beside Lu Changsheng was over eight feet tall, with deep and bright eyes, a thick and curly beard, and muscles that were clearly defined by his tight-fitting clothes. He had broad shoulders and a strong, powerful waist.

Standing at the back of the crowd, he was like a towering boulder.

"Is he Shen Bailian?" Xiong Dali looked at the respectfully bowing young man and spoke in a strained voice.

“Yes.” Lu Changsheng’s lips curled up slightly, and he said in a similarly strained tone, “So, are you interested in going up and getting to know him?”

Xiong Dali's lips twitched slightly, and he looked at Lu Changsheng next to him with a suspicious expression, as if to say: Are you stupid or am I stupid?
Anyone with eyes can see that this apprenticeship was a natural progression; if Duan Wuyai hadn't intended it, this would never have happened.

What if someone dares to disturb us?
The outcome was predictable.

……

"Have you thought it through?" Duan Wuyai also put away his smile and looked seriously at the bowing boy.

The one-on-one instructors at martial arts universities and high school teachers are completely different concepts.

One-on-one tutoring involves spending a lot of time with the student, so in some ways, it's no different from traditional mentorship.

The traditional master-disciple relationship, in some ways, is more like that of father and son than father and son.

Although this ancient teacher-student system has been abolished in modern times, its spirit has been preserved.

Almost every martial arts master will seek a closed-door disciple to pass on their mantle when they encounter difficulties in making progress.

"I have made up my mind. Your disciple is willing to become your master." Shen Bailian bowed, took a deep breath, and answered firmly.

For him, being able to become a disciple of a titled expert at the Sea Opening Realm is a rare opportunity.

"Good, good, good~" Duan Wuyai saw Shen Bailian finish his grand ceremony and immediately reached out to help him up: "From now on, you will be my last disciple."

The smile on her face wouldn't fade.

Duan Wuyai did intend to take Shen Bailian as his disciple, but he didn't know how to bring it up, because he had never had this thought before, nor was he mentally prepared for it.

With so many people present today, Shen Bailian's grand gesture shows that he genuinely wants to become a disciple.

"Thank you, teacher." Shen Bailian stood up, a smile on his face.

The title "teacher" sounds much more intimate than "Dean Duan" or "Teacher Duan".

"What are you all doing gathered here? If you have nothing to do, hurry back to your cultivation." Duan Wuyai turned to look at the onlookers on the periphery, his face instantly turning cold.

All of a sudden.

The birds scattered and the beasts dispersed. Seeing this, the remaining second- and third-year martial arts students all turned their faces away, pretending to be just passing by, some walking away and some flying away.

In just a few seconds, the road, which had been completely blocked, became empty.

"Forehead."

Upon seeing this, Shen Bailian's lips twitched slightly.

And not far away.

"The relationship between Dean Duan and him is indeed extraordinary; he was able to formally become his disciple and pay his respects in public."

Tian Ming watched the two apostles, Duan Wuyai and his companion, gradually disappear into the distance. His fist clenched tightly beside his trouser leg, and a look of resentment appeared on his face.

(The character appears in Chapter 111)
……

The little incident of becoming an apprentice has come to an end.

Duan Wuyai was clearly in a much better mood. He took Shen Bailian for a walk and continued walking towards Tianhui Square.

"Oh, right, teacher." As they walked, Shen Bailian suddenly thought of her parents, frowned slightly, and asked somewhat nervously:

"Can I exchange for some rare and precious medicinal materials suitable for martial arts apprentices?"

The reason he felt uneasy was that he was unsure of Duan Wuyai's opinion on the matter.

"Is it for your family to use?" Duan Wuyai smiled slightly, instantly guessing the boy's intention.

"Mm." Shen Bailian nodded.

As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

Now that he has obtained so many cultivation resources and tens of millions of Great Xia coins, he originally planned to buy a small villa in the inner city of Bozhou.

But to everyone's surprise, Mr. and Mrs. Shen didn't want to move. So, let's try a different approach: improve their martial arts skills.

You don't need to have high combat power. As long as you can become a martial artist in the Life Establishment Realm, you will not only have a certain ability to protect yourself, but you can also prolong your life.

With the cellular activity of a martial artist at the Life Establishment Realm, living to 150 or even 200 years old is not a problem at all.

“Of course,” Duan Wuyai readily agreed. “However, your mindset is a bit off. You shouldn’t ask me about this; you should decide for yourself, understand?”

"Teacher, why is this?"

Shen Bailian was stunned.

"I understand your thoughts." Duan Wuyai smiled wryly, shook his head, and said with a touch of emotion, "Don't you feel that you shouldn't waste cultivation resources at this time, and even feel a little guilty?"

"Yes." Shen Bailian nodded; he did indeed have this concern.

In his mind, this sum of money was a subsidy from the Great Xia Dynasty, and he had not made any contribution yet, but was enjoying these precious cultivation resources out of thin air.

“If it were a hundred years ago, a teacher would definitely praise your idea, but now, not a single dean would praise you.”

"Have you ever thought about why you were able to obtain these resources while others didn't?"

"Because of my strong talent," Shen Bailian replied, vaguely understanding something, but not quite.

"Yes," Duan Wuyai said affirmatively, "It's because of your strong talent."

"Your academic performance is excellent, and you should also have some understanding of economics. The fact that Tiangang Academy is allocating resources to you is an investment, but investments don't always guarantee returns."

"Most importantly, such a person is not qualified to become a true strongman, nor can he grow into the pillar of the Great Xia."

"The entire Great Xia Dynasty is no longer capable of withstanding such losses once again."

"Again?"

Shen Bailian astutely grasped the key words.

(End of this chapter)