High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 176: Chapter 136: Venerable (2)

He was a tall, slender old man with a full head of white hair and a matching beard.

He was dressed in an old-fashioned, blue scholar’s long-robe. His face was gaunt, but his eyes were gentle and clear, seeming to hold endless wisdom and the weight of ages.

He exuded no deliberate aura of pressure, yet just by standing there, he seemed to become the center of the entire world.

The crowd couldn’t even look at him directly. They could only catch a glimpse of an old man in a long robe out of the corners of their eyes.

’So strong! I can’t even look straight at him.’

’The headmaster of Firelight University! The legendary Venerable Realm headmaster!’ The hearts of many new students pounded in their chests.

Chuhe King had presided over the entrance exam, but this white-haired, scholarly figure was the true helmsman of Firelight University.

”Huh?” In the crowd of new students, one from a highly advanced technological star system couldn’t help but lower his head and quietly ask his companion,

”Why is Firelight University full of ancient-style buildings? And the headmaster, and those Peak Masters... they all like to wear these long robes? It feels... a little out of place.”

A student from Blue Star who was more in the know immediately whispered back:

”I heard Firelight University’s origins are extremely ancient; it wasn’t founded after the modern Martial Arts System was established. It’s more like a reclusive sect with a legacy spanning who knows how many ages, just borrowing the modern title of ’University.’ Many of the big shots here... have lived for far more than a few hundred years!”

”A few hundred years?” The off-world student was even more confused. ”But didn’t the history we learned say that the Martial Arts System only began to flourish in the last two hundred-odd years, after the start of the Galactic Calendar?”

”Well...” The student explaining was at a loss for words and just shrugged. ”I’m not too clear on the connection myself. It might involve some buried history. Anyway, it’s best to just follow their ancient rules.”

Li Wen overheard every word of this brief exchange, and a realization dawned on him:

’So that’s how it is. No wonder Heart Mirror Hall, Enlightenment Peak, and even their way of doing things all have such an ancient feel. Firelight University, passing the flame... This legacy might be far older than any of us imagined.’

This realization filled him with even more reverence and curiosity for the university.

While the crowd was murmuring amongst themselves, the headmaster on the stage was also observing them.

His gaze swept over the two hundred people. When it landed on Li Wen, who was in the middle of the front row, it paused for a moment, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

”Mm, very good. All new disciples are in place, all fellow members have arrived, and the twelve Peak Masters are here in person.”

The white-haired, scholarly headmaster’s gaze was gentle, and he wore a warm smile. His voice, clear but not loud, resounded in everyone’s ears, filled with power.

”In that case, this year’s Firelight University new student entrance ceremony will now begin.”

The entire plaza fell silent in an instant.

The old man didn’t waste time on excessive formalities. His voice was calm yet carried a convincing, penetrating quality as he began to explain the origins of Firelight University:

”The name ’Firelight’ comes from the idiom ’to pass the flame from the consumed firewood.’ Our generation stands before the Star Gates, using our flesh and blood as kindling to fuel the fire of the Martial Dao. For the future of the Human Race, for the continuation of our civilization, we press forward, one after another, an unending stream. This is no place of comfort and ease. It is a furnace to temper sharp blades, an anvil to forge refined gold!”

”Firelight University is completely different from the ordinary martial arts universities you know. This place is the starting point of the path to becoming ’Gods and Demons’!”

The headmaster’s voice suddenly became resonant and forceful.

”That you are able to stand here means you are one-in-a-billion supreme geniuses. Your minimum accomplishment should be to achieve the Flying Star Body and join the ranks of Gods and Demons!

”In the future, you will be the pillars of strength who guard thousands upon thousands of Stargates and uphold the barriers of the Human Race’s starry dominion!”

His gaze slowly swept over every young, vibrant face, his expression becoming exceedingly solemn:

”Precisely because you bear such a heavy responsibility, and to enhance your future survivability and combat strength, I hereby give you this solemn warning—all disciples of Firelight University must choose a cultivation method of at least the Upper Grade.”

As soon as he said this, many of the new students felt a chill in their hearts.

The headmaster’s words continued to echo across the White Jade Plaza, painting a grand and heavy future for the new disciples.

It also laid the firmest and most stringent foundation for the crucial choice that lay before them: which legacy peak to choose.

「On the summit of Enlightenment Peak, beneath the blue sky.」

The prelude to the new student ceremony had only just begun, but the real challenge for Li Wen and this batch of geniuses was about to arrive.

The opening ceremony didn’t last too long, concluding after about two hours with a brief summary from the headmaster.

On the White Jade Plaza of Enlightenment Peak, the nearly one thousand new students did not disperse immediately. The air was thick with a mixture of excitement and caution.

The headmaster’s final words were seared into everyone’s minds like a brand.

Choosing a God and Demon cultivation method would be a critical decision that would determine the foundation of their Martial Dao and the heights they could reach in the future.

Firelight University did not force the students to make their choice immediately, instead giving them a one-month grace period.

During this period, all new students were granted permission to freely enter Firelight University’s virtual core—the Fire World.

In the Fire World, they could closely observe the twelve Super Grade God and Demon cultivation methods that could lead to the path of Gods and Demons, as well as the twenty-four immensely powerful Upper Grade methods.

Discussions broke out across the plaza.

On the topic of how to choose the most suitable method, someone suggested using an intelligent AI for assistance.

But a senior student in the know quickly explained that successful cultivators of Upper Grade and Super Grade methods were so rare that the sample data was severely insufficient, making it impossible even for powerful AIs to provide a 100% accurate match.

All they could do was provide background information on the methods, their cultivation requirements, and the limited insights left behind by predecessors. The final choice still had to rely on a Martial Artist’s own martial intuition, compatibility of temperament, and vision for the future.

Of course, the most important thing was whether one could ultimately master it. High compatibility didn’t guarantee success.

Some Super Grade methods were harder to cultivate than ascending to the high heavens. Some people would grind away for ten years without success, wasting precious time.

That’s why in previous years, there were always some who ultimately didn’t choose the Super Grade method with the highest compatibility, opting for an Upper Grade method instead.

Some Upper Grade methods, when cultivated to a state of profound mastery, were no weaker than Super Grade ones.

Therefore—this one month was a time for true contemplation, experience, and enlightenment.

The headmaster did not leave immediately after announcing the end of the ceremony.

His gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, passed through the crowd. Gentle, yet carrying an indescribable power, it landed precisely on Li Wen, who had just separated from Wang Shuo, Fang Chenghong, and the others.

”Li Wen, come with me for a moment.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it reached Li Wen’s ears clearly, also drawing the attention of a small area nearby.

”The headmaster is summoning him privately!”

”That’s probably the treatment the top student in the exam gets every year, right?”

”He’s definitely going to get a reward. I’m so jealous!”

Gazes of envy and amazement converged on Li Wen, but the crowd’s reaction was as expected; no one gave it much deeper thought.

Li Wen was slightly taken aback, but then he nodded to the few people beside him and calmly walked out from the crowd.

He didn’t even have time to see how the headmaster moved. He only felt the light and shadows around him gently shift and distort slightly, as if stirred by an invisible hand.

The scene before his eyes changed in a flash.

A mountain breeze brushed past, carrying the crisp, damp scent of vegetation, replacing the clamorous energy and voices of the plaza.

The ground beneath his feet was no longer smooth white jade slabs, but soft earth where moss and a few small flowers grew.

A simple yet elegant octagonal pavilion stood quietly by a cliff on the back of the mountain. Beneath it, on a stone table, two cups of clear tea were steaming gently.

The headmaster, still in his long robe, was seated on a stone stool, his face holding a tranquil, reassuring smile.

Li Wen’s heart pounded violently.

His Primordial Spirit could clearly cover a radius of one hundred meters, and he could vaguely sense the lifeblood of living beings within a five-li radius.

And yet, this headmaster had managed to move him from the center of the crowded plaza to this secluded spot behind the mountain in an instant, without his Primordial Spirit giving any warning and before his consciousness could even react.

Such a feat was simply miraculous, beyond all imagination.

”Don’t just stand there stunned. Sit,” the headmaster said, gesturing with his hand. His gentle voice broke Li Wen out of his shock.

Li Wen did as he was told and sat down opposite the headmaster, his posture respectful and tinged with a hint of awe.