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

Chapter 147 The First Person in History

"This...this is it?"

The crisp, cracking sound echoed repeatedly in the minds of all the martial arts students, shaking their very souls. At that moment, everyone felt as if something was tightly gripping their throats, rendering them speechless.
Or perhaps, no language should be used to describe what I saw and heard.

The young man stood tall and straight in the afternoon sun of ancient Rome. His once pristine white martial arts uniform was now stained crimson with splattered blood.

However, this only adds a unique charm.

This is the 45th Freshman King, who set a precedent in history and became the first freshman in the history of Tiangang Academy!

Li Feiyu stood frozen in place, his eyes filled with astonishment and shock, staring intently at the boy on the stage, feeling as if he were being pierced by lightning.

"So, he hadn't been using his full strength all along?"

A bitter, self-deprecating smile appeared on Li Feiyu's lips. He clenched his fist, then slowly loosened it, only to find it impossible to close again.

"Xuan, Xuan... Xuanxuan, what was that just now?" Feng Yanqiu stared wide-eyed at the figure on the light screen, suddenly feeling that it was so familiar.

In the first round of the virtual world battle royale, Chen Jiyue and the others were just as confident, but the result was the same as now: they were all powerfully countered and killed by that young man.

"I don't know." Wang Yuxuan's gaze fell on the light screen, which had already shattered her understanding.

How could a martial arts student from an ordinary family be so strong?

……

"Om-"

The virtual reality pod's hatch slowly opened, revealing Xiong Dali's large, bearded face.

But his eyes, which should have been full of life, now looked unusually heavy and dull. He had no desire to get up and just lay there blankly staring at the pale white dome above him.

Xiong Dali has suffered defeats before, including against opponents of similar skill levels.

However, he could always find a reason to convince himself of his past failures. After all, those martial arts prodigies were more agile than him, and they fought him using a kite-like fighting style.

Just like during the first phase of the battle with Shen Bailian.

But what happened just now?

Xiong Dali was actually defeated by the Earth Bear's most prized strength, and his head was blown apart by a single punch. What's with the boy's strange defensive ability?

Most importantly, Shen Bailian is still a freshman, a student who has just entered university.

How is Xiong Dali supposed to survive at Tiangang Academy now? Has he made history? Has he become the first person in Tiangang Academy's history to be defeated by a freshman, a third-year senior?

Although Xiong Dali was limited by his physical abilities and had not yet fully unleashed his strength, a defeat is a defeat.

With the presence of the deans of the combat divisions, Vice Principal Ji Chenghu, and more than 3,000 freshmen, Xiong Dali's defeat to the 45th Freshman King has become an undeniable fact.

Moreover, every battle record is stored in the school's database.

"Whoo~"

"ended."

Shen Bailian took a deep breath, slowly stood up from the virtual reality pod, and then bowed to the somewhat dazed Duan Wuyai, Huang Qingqing, Cheng Shangwu, and other deans, teachers, and Ji Chenghu.

Before the deans and teachers could react, Shen Bailian's eyes flashed slightly, and a illusory yet clear panel instantly appeared before his eyes—

Character Level: LV8 (5/2300)

【…】

Active Skill: Gale LV1 (31/300)

Tian Gang Qi LV2 (219/700)

Basic swordsmanship LV3 (540/700)

Basic Breathing Techniques LV2 (75/700)

Passive Skill: Iron Body LV4 (530/1300)

The Gale skill gained 1 experience point; the Basic Sword Technique skill gained 2 experience points; and the Heavenly Qi skill gained 3 experience points. That's all.

If this battle were to take place outside, the combined experience points gained from all the skills would easily exceed sixty points.

And now?
With only 9 experience points, it would be better to spend these ten minutes practicing basic breathing techniques in real life, at least the Iron Body could gain some experience points as well.

"Sigh~" Shen Bailian looked at his panel and sighed helplessly: "Next time, if it is not necessary, I must not waste time in the virtual world or the spiritual space."

"Old Li, it's time to announce the results." Duan Wuyai glanced at the upright Shen Bailian, his heart filled with joy, and he transmitted his voice to the host teacher not far away.

"Uh..." The host, Teacher Li, was taken aback for a moment, then immediately reacted. Looking at the young man in the center of the stage with a complicated expression, she quickly walked over, took a deep breath, and announced loudly:

"The winner this time is Shen Bailian!"

"At the same time, this is the first time since the founding of Tiangang Academy that a freshman has defeated a senior student. This was discussed by the deans, vice principal Ji Chenghu, and principal Xiong Kuohai."

"We hereby confer upon Shen Bailian the honorary title of 'The First Person in the History of Tiangang Academy'. We hope that Shen Bailian will continue his efforts and achieve even greater success!"

As one of the six major academies, the Tiangang Academy naturally has extremely comprehensive plans for the outcome of any battle. Although Shen Bailian's chances of winning are very small, they cannot be ignored.

As early as the evening of September 9th, Ji Chenghu, Duan Wuyai, and other deans were discussing what kind of reward the school should give if Shen Bailian won.

Ultimately, considering practical factors and the current situation, the peaceful development of the Great Xia over the past century has provided it with a rich foundation, and various universities have begun to develop their own deities, albeit with different approaches.

The Tiangang Academy also has its own "God-Making Plan," which is based on the idea that human will can overcome nature.

Among the candidates for the "God-Making Project," Principal Xiong Kuohai, Ji Chenghu, and others favored Xu Changqing the most, but Xu Changqing had one flaw.

It looks so much like Dongfang Qingcang.

Therefore, after careful consideration, if Shen Bailian really defeats the student council representative, it means that Shen Bailian has the opportunity to become a candidate for the "God-Making Project" and be ranked first alongside Xu Changqing.

The first step is for Shen Bailian to prove that he has the ability to fight beyond his level, and the second step is for the school to promote and create momentum.

That's how this scene on the podium came about.

When Shen Bailian heard the words "the greatest person in the history of Tiangang Academy", he was immediately stunned. This was not mentioned to him beforehand.

Is this a great honor?

Not only Shen Bailian, but also more than 3,000 martial arts students below the podium, who were about to cheer for Shen Bailian, were all stunned into silence. Many second- and third-year martial arts students outside the playground were also dumbfounded.

The first person in history?
This honorary title is incredibly prestigious!

"The selection of candidates for the God-Making Project this time is quite a grand affair." Lu Changsheng frowned slightly, looking at the tall and upright young man on the podium, his eyes gleaming.

He was on par with Xiong Dali, so he naturally knew about the Tiangang Academy's god-making plan and even joined in, though he wasn't the first candidate.

"Senior Brother Shen is awesome! Senior Brother is awesome!"

"The first person in the history of Tiangang Academy! The first person!" Chen Yifei immediately snapped out of his shock, his five fingers clenched into a fist, and he waved his fist, showing great excitement.

Behind him, the martial arts students from Bozhou City who wanted to join the club established by Shen Bailian immediately reacted, their blood boiling, their energy focused, and they shouted at the top of their lungs.

Under the leadership of these dozen or so people.

Rumble!
The silence on the playground erupted into enthusiastic cheers. The passion of all the martial arts students was ignited at this moment, and they shouted for the boy with all their might, forming a powerful wave of sound that swept across the entire playground like a storm.

The greatest person in the history of Tiangang Academy!
Everyone present knew the prestige of this title.

"It seems this step of the plan went very well." Ji Chenghu rested his chin on his hands, a rare smile appearing on his face. He communicated with Duan Wuyai and the others through the vibration of mental energy:

"The momentum building has been successful. What we need to do now is allocate resources accordingly. The rest of the journey is up to him."

"Xiao Duan, what are your plans for your disciple?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the deans turned their attention to Duan Wuyai, their eyes filled with a hint of envy.

Ji Chenghu asked Duan Wuyai for his opinion because Shen Bailian is now Duan Wuyai's closed-door disciple and successor.

To some extent, they are not father and son, but they are as close as father and son.

“I’ve decided to let him stay quiet for a while.” Duan Wuyai pondered for a moment, then continued, “Then I need a spot in the Golden Cup League at the end of November so that Shen Bailian can gain some experience.”

"In December, I will participate in the National Freshman Cup Competition and compete against the disciples of the Martial Hall."

“Sure, no problem.” Ji Chenghu nodded and readily agreed.

Although the results of the Golden Cup League represent the honor of a martial arts university, they pale in comparison to the "God-Making Project".

Therefore, providing one spot is not a problem at all.

Rules are meant to be broken, but to break them requires sufficient "strength," and Shen Bailian now possesses that "strength."

at the same time.

The astonishing news that Shen Bailian had been awarded the title of "the first person in the history of Tiangang Academy" spread like wildfire, witnessed by many second- and third-year martial arts students.

The original purpose of Tiangang Academy was to create momentum for Shen Bailian, so of course they would not stop him in this situation, and would even help him from behind the scenes.

……

A university nestled amidst mountains and seas, a place where all four seasons unfold.

There is an ancient mountain path paved with bluestone. On both sides of the path, there are many ancient ginkgo trees. Their yellow leaves flutter down, forming a thick layer, which looks very beautiful under the golden sunlight.

Interspersed among the ancient ginkgo trees are many maple trees, their fiery red leaves stretching as far as the eye can see, as passionate and unrestrained as the sunset.

And in a villa on the mountaintop.

Yu Linglong leaned back on the sofa, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders. Her delicate makeup accentuated her exquisite features, and golden sunlight streamed through the window, landing on her shoulders.

"what?"

Yu Linglong looked at the image on the screen and couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, because the face of the boy in the white martial arts uniform was all too familiar. Shen Bailian!
"They've grown so fast?" Yu Linglong carefully browsed the information on the screen, her gaze growing increasingly serious. She sat up straight and murmured softly:

"Tiangang Academy is really generous, giving such a prestigious honorary title to a freshman."

The fact that the student is the first in the history of Tiangang Academy is both an unparalleled honor and a burden for a freshman.

If Shen Bailian loses a match, she may face immense public pressure.

"However, Hongling should be waking up soon, right?" Thinking of this, Yu Linglong gathered her thoughts and walked towards one of the rooms inside.

Pushing open the door, you'll find a huge space of seventy or eighty square meters, filled with a variety of sophisticated instruments and dozens of tubes connected to a large hibernation chamber in the center.

Inside the hibernation pod, there was a liquid the color of jade. Li Hongling lay there with her eyes closed, dressed in a fiery red dress.

Her once fair skin was now covered with black patches, making her look extremely ugly. Beneath those black patches, purple flames would occasionally flash by.

His face was extremely distorted, as if he was enduring great pain, and he occasionally uttered muttering sounds in his sleep and growling softly.

Unlike the "Man Will Conquer Nature - God Creation Plan" of Tiangang Academy, Shanhai Academy adopts the method of drawing on the bloodline power of divine beasts to step onto the long stairway to godhood.

However, for a mortal body to contain such power, one must inevitably endure extreme pain and lose much, including but not limited to one's appearance...

……

The top of Thunder Mountain.

At the very top, a blurry figure could be seen sitting amidst a terrifying white light, which was none other than the lightning that had struck down.

boom! boom!
The black clouds were extremely thick, and the entire Thunder Mountain was shrouded in an extremely oppressive atmosphere. Amidst the terrifying roar, bolts of lightning surged continuously within them, emitting crackling and heart-palpitating explosions.

Any bolt of lightning striking an ordinary martial arts apprentice, or even a martial artist at the Life-Establishing Realm, would instantly kill them, turning their entire body into charred remains.

Above the sky, there were numerous silver, floating shuttles arranged in a regular hexagon, forming a lightning energy binding field.

Although the lightning, after being restrained, had its ferocious nature weakened by 95%, it still reached the limit that Yuwen Changkong, who was sitting cross-legged atop Thunder Mountain, could withstand.

Yuwen Changkong's brows furrowed, revealing an arrogant air about him, and his body trembled slightly amidst the thunderous energy.

The surroundings were filled with the roar of thunder, but his heart was like a hard rock, completely undisturbed by the thunder.

Ten minutes later.

Above the sky, the dozen or so silver shuttles began to slowly converge, and the towering lightning pillars gradually dissipated, leaving only fleeting streaks of lightning.

"Whoo~"

Yuwen Changkong slowly opened his eyes. The moment he opened them, the purple light in his eyes dissipated, and his pupils became unusually deep purple.

He stopped. Today's thunderous "body tempering" was over. His complexion was rosy and he was full of energy. Under the dark clouds, his hair seemed to shimmer with a faint purple light.

Besides the most common elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, the elemental energy of heaven and earth also has rare attributes such as lightning and ice. However, these elemental energies, which are different from the five elements, only become concentrated in specific environments.

Yuwen Changkong slowly walked to the lightning protection device next to him, and with a gentle touch, it expanded, revealing the storage ring and smart bracelet inside.

Buzz~buzz~
Not long after putting it on, Yuwen Changkong's smart bracelet vibrated, and after seeing who was calling, he immediately answered the call.

"Hey, teacher."

"How did it go today?" A steady, powerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "When do you expect to break through to the Transcendent Realm?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Changkong frowned slightly and tentatively asked, "Teacher, could it be that Afei and the others have made new progress in their cultivation?"

"No, I'm sending you a highly confidential file that will only be available for five minutes. Take a quick look at it first. He is very likely to become your opponent in the Freshman Cup competition. We'll discuss the details when you get back."

"Okay, I'll head back right away."

Yuwen Changkong nodded, then opened a document sent by his master Lei Zhen. Upon seeing the second line, his pupils constricted sharply, and his expression changed from indifference to shock.

Name: Shen Bailian
Age: 17 years old

Physical fitness: Level 16.1

Mental Strength Level: 10.0+
Preferred weapon: Horse-Slaying Saber (as modified by the Heavenly Gang Academy)

Detailed information: ...Suspected to be some kind of powerful hidden sacred body, leaning towards physical constitution; exceptional comprehension, and has basically forged his own path in swordsmanship;
获得荣誉：于x年x月x日x点获取博州城无畏之盾荣誉称号……并于新纪元345年9月10日上午10点29分获取“天罡学府古往今来第一人”荣誉称号。

Estimated potential: Embracing the Moon Realm+, the top candidate for the God-Making Project.

"Sigh~"

Even Yuwen Changkong, after browsing through all the documents and all the information about Shen Bailian, couldn't help but gasp.

17 years old?
That's too young!
On the path of martial arts, being a year younger means having enormous potential. Yuwen Changkong's Sacred Body is the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, one of the strongest Sacred Bodies.

Having undergone lightning tempering since childhood, his physical fitness only broke through the 16.0 level threshold at the age of 17. But Shen Bailian, a hidden holy body, was able to break through the 16.0 level threshold at the age of 17.

"Thunder Steed!"

Yuwen Changqi focused his energy in his dantian and roared. In just a short moment, a purple streak of light appeared in the sky and arrived in an instant.

Thunder Steed hovers about 30 to 40 centimeters above the ground, resembling a reclining warhorse. Its streamlined body is a light purple, with intricate patterns engraved on its surface, giving it a futuristic feel.

With a light leap, Yuwen Changkong sat on it. As a purple light flowed, the nano armor gradually covered his entire body, eventually engulfing his eyes that shimmered with a faint purple light.

call out!
In an instant, Thunder Steed transformed into a streak of light and sped toward the horizon.

Thunder Mountain is thousands of kilometers away from the headquarters of the Starfire Martial Hall, and Yuwen Changkong is now a martial artist at the peak of the Life-Establishing Realm, so he naturally needs to use transportation to travel back and forth quickly.

……

As one of the six major academies, Tiangang Academy has thousands of martial arts students graduating every year. Over time, this number has grown significantly.

It naturally possesses considerable power throughout the entire Great Xia Dynasty.

Once such a massive power group wants to promote someone, relying on its advanced network system, it can spread the message across hundreds of thousands of miles of territory in just a few minutes.

The six major academies, including the Mountain and Sea Academy, the Four Symbols Academy, the Five Sacred Mountains Academy, and so on, as well as the various martial arts halls, were naturally able to receive this news firsthand.

The rest are the city lords of major cities, major financial groups, corporations, and other large forces.

Furthermore, this promotional tactic has a deeper consideration, because top geniuses like Shen Bailian must step on the shoulders of other geniuses, and even top geniuses, to reach the pinnacle.

Therefore, it cannot be hidden. The actions of the Heavenly Gang Academy were broadcast throughout the entire Great Xia Dynasty and the entire region:
Shen Bailian is a top genius of our Tiangang Academy. Anyone who dares to use underhanded methods is challenging the authority of Tiangang Academy!

Even those treacherous individuals and scoundrels lurking within the Great Xia territory have to consider whether they can withstand the wrath of hundreds of martial artists at the Sea Opening Realm.

This can be considered an alternative form of protection.

……

Bozhou City.

Inside an upscale residential area, there are many historical sites from the old era, including stone pagodas that have stood for hundreds of years and Buddha statues that are more than ten meters tall, all showing signs of age.

Inside one of the villas.

It was noon, and Tang Guoxin, Dudu, and Lin Baiwei were enjoying their lunch together, savoring this rare time of eating lunch together.

Buzz~buzz~
The smart bracelet placed to the side vibrated.

"Hmm?" Upon seeing this, Lin Baiwei immediately glared at Tang Guoxin with displeasure, the implication of which was quite obvious.

Sensing danger, Tang Guoxin immediately withdrew his hand, gave an awkward laugh, scratched his head, and prepared to continue eating.

However, the smart bracelet continued to vibrate without any sign of stopping.

"Dad, here." Dudu ran over and handed the smart bracelet to Tang Guoxin, then grabbed the displeased Lin Baiwei:

"Mom, I want to eat shrimp."

"Okay, okay." Lin Baiwei rolled her eyes at Tang Guoxin, who was answering the phone, when she saw Dudu's longing eyes. Then she could only helplessly start peeling shrimp.

"Hey, Lord Shangguan." Tang Guoxin immediately jogged over to the side and said softly, "Sorry, I was busy just now and forgot to take my smart bracelet."

"It's nothing." A voice, neither clearly male nor female, came from the other end of the phone. It was deep and magnetic, possessing an irresistible allure.
"After discussions at Xinghe Company headquarters, we have decided to promote you directly to the position of General Manager of the Bozhou City Region."

Tang Guoxin was stunned when he heard this.

Is this what is going on?
He hasn't been doing anything lately, has he? He's even been a bit lax at work, and these days he's been going home to rest at noon.

However, now the princess of Xinghe Company suddenly tells him that he has been promoted from a junior manager to the position of regional general manager.

"Lord Shangguan, are you mistaken?" Tang Guoxin asked cautiously, his true intention being that he didn't want to take advantage of this windfall.

Because he was afraid that this was not a simple pie, but a burnt pie that had turned into a black pot.

"That's right."

"You can take office now. Once you are in office, immediately establish a martial arts prodigy education fund with an initial capital of 5000 million Da Xia coins per year."

Tang Guoxin was even more confused when he heard this, but Lord Shangguan's next sentence made him understand everything in an instant.

"Of the 30 million Daxia coins, the funding will be given to Shen Bailian. No conditions need to be added to the agreement. I only have one request: that it be a scholarship fund established by Xinghe Company."

"If you may, please mention my name. If this matter comes to fruition, I will consider it a favor I owe you."

"Little Tang, you should understand what I mean, right?"

"I know."

Tang Guoxin suddenly realized.

(End of this chapter)