Chương 42: First Steps into the Martial Arts Training Team

"Eating? Looks like you don't have a girlfriend!"

Her upper eyelashes fluttered slightly as she spoke with a half-smile.

"I'm only a freshman in college, okay, sister!"

"How about I become your girlfriend?"

"I won't pretend."

"Really, that works too!"

"I don't like people older than me."

A murderous intent flashed in his eyes; he couldn't suppress the urge to kill him.

A moment later, a seductive expression appeared on her face. She moved closer to Zhao Rui, half-scolding and half-smiling, and whispered, "Not even my brother?"

"Ahem!"

Zhao Rui's gaze involuntarily lowered, and he inexplicably glanced at her chest.

Unfortunately, his older brother was too young to see it, but two slender, jade-like fingers clearly and without any hesitation pierced straight into his eyes.

"You vicious woman!"

Zhao Rui calmly raised his elbow to block, avoiding her finger strikes.

The woman rolled her eyes at him and spat, "You wouldn't even want to be my girlfriend, but you're quite the expert at peeping."

"I was just admiring, don't use such harsh words like 'peeping'!"

Zhao Rui said nonchalantly, already walking towards the restaurant entrance.

She hummed softly twice, quickened her pace, and caught up with him.

The two arrived at the third canteen of Dongqi University, which is mainly a snack shop, boasting a wide variety of dishes and options.

"What would you like to eat? Order whatever you like!"

"Oh dear, it's still..."

"It can't be more than ten yuan! I'm poor!"

She clenched her silver teeth secretly, wishing she could bite this "younger brother" who had no manners whatsoever.

"I'll pay!"

Youyou said through gritted teeth, "I originally wanted to try the food here, how could I only eat ten yuan's worth of food?"

"Hehe, it's on me this time!"

"You're shameless!"

After exchanging words for a while, the two got up amidst the rumbling of their stomachs, bought a bunch of the cafeteria's specialty snacks, and then ate them separately.

While she was eating, her phone rang softly. She picked it up, glanced at it, hung up, stood up, and said to Zhao Rui, "I'm leaving! You eat!"

After saying that, he actually got up and walked out.

Zhao Rui was taken aback and was about to speak when he saw her pause slightly, her slender waist twist, and her skirt swirling gently in the twilight, creating a half-circle of ripples.

"If you miss me, send me a message!"

The woman turned back with a light smile, then gracefully departed, just as she had come, her origins and destination unknown.

Zhao Rui chuckled softly, then lowered his head and continued eating the remaining food on the table.

How many people come and go in a hurry? In this bustling world, who doesn't come and go in a hurry?

After filling his stomach, Zhao Rui got up and left the restaurant, returning to his dormitory under the dim moonlight.

The sweltering weather, the damp and unabsorbent military training uniforms, the monotonous drills, and the weary bodies combined to create the most beautiful scene on campus in early September.

Fortunately, two weeks will pass if you just bear with it.

As for the military training results performance, it was similar to the previous life, so there was nothing to ramble on about.

With the end of military training, freshmen officially began their new university life.

On the morning of the second day of the official start of the semester, Zhao Rui took advantage of a break to find his counselor Liu Jie, who was still in the office writing materials.

"Teacher Liu, I'm here!"

Zhao Rui knocked on the door, a slight smile on his face, and walked into the office.

After two weeks of military training together, Liu Jie had already become familiar with Zhao Rui.

"Okay, wait a minute, I'll take you there after I finish writing this."

Liu Jie nodded and continued writing her manuscript. After about ten minutes, she tidied up her desk, stood up, and picked up a form that had already been printed next to her.

Let's go!

After Liu Jie finished speaking, she took the lead and left the office.

About ten minutes later, Liu Jie led Zhao Rui into the school's academic affairs office after knocking on the door.

"Director Peng, are you busy?"

Liu Jie greeted her with a light laugh.

"Xiao Liu, what's up?"

Director Peng was obese, with a round face and slightly squinting small eyes; he had a prosperous appearance.

"As I mentioned before, we have a student in our class who wants to join the martial arts team..."

"Oh, you mean this? Principal Hao mentioned it to me, but as you know, our school has a rule that non-martial arts academy students won't be listed as official team members..."

"We understand that..."

"Okay, that's fine then. To be honest, you've already made an exception for us..."

"Thank you for your help, Director Peng!"

Seeing that Liu Jie's attitude was good, Director Peng glanced at Zhao Rui standing behind her, nodded slightly with his large head, and took the application form from Liu Jie.

Then the form was placed under a machine, and in a short while, a large, red stamp was engraved on it.

"Practice diligently; your teacher has gone to great lengths for you regarding this!"

Director Peng handed the stamped form back to Liu Jie, looked at Zhao Rui, and said quite seriously.

"Thank you, Teacher Liu, and thank you, Director Peng. I will definitely practice diligently!"

Zhao Rui quickly thanked him.

"Then I won't disturb Director Peng's work any longer!"

A faint smile appeared on Liu Jie's petite face, much like a lotus flower just beginning to bloom in a pond.

After saying that, the two turned and left Director Peng's office.

"Thank you, Teacher Liu!"

As they exited, Zhao Rui sincerely thanked Liu Jie beside him.

"You're my student, so it's a deal that you'll be the class monitor!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jie smiled brightly, revealing a sly smile.

"Okay, okay, don't blame me if it gets badly managed!"

"Trying to quit before it even starts? Who else can you blame but yourself! Never mind that, take your form and report to the martial arts team. Perform well and don't embarrass me!"

"no problem!"

Zhao Rui readily agreed, parted ways with Liu Jie downstairs at the school office building, and quickly headed towards the martial arts academy's residence in the southwest corner of the school.

The Martial Arts Academy is a special institution.

It is not included in the school's normal teaching management scope and has its own independent operating mechanism and teaching area.

Each year, only students with a martial arts level of five or above are admitted to the academy, and the age limit is eighteen years old.

Whether you are a month or ten days late, as long as your level test is not at level five before the college entrance examination, you will not be admitted to the martial arts academy.

It may seem cold and unapproachable, but in the end, it all comes down to talent.

A martial arts career is a long and arduous process. Some people may not have great talent in martial arts, but they can still reach the level of a tenth-level martial artist through hard work and decades of honing their skills.

However, unless such a person has an extraordinary opportunity, they will never be able to break through to the Grandmaster level in their lifetime.

Top universities recruit gifted students who are expected to break through to the Grandmaster level.

Of course, this ratio is not particularly high. Talent is certainly important, but comprehension and opportunity are equally essential.

Students will receive a systematic education at the undergraduate level. After four years of rigorous training, a small number of high-achieving students will continue to pursue postgraduate studies in their respective fields.

After more than ten years of training, those who stand out will basically become Grandmaster level experts.

This is all the information Zhao Rui has. As for the specifics, outsiders won't know unless they cross that threshold.

As for the martial arts team, it's just like the college basketball team in the previous life. It selects outstanding students, improves their combat skills through intensive training, and participates in various competitions.

These students are mostly strong in practical combat and pay more attention to fighting and combat.

Zhao Rui's talent is average. If he followed the normal procedure, he would not have passed the first hurdle of applying to the Martial Arts Academy of Dongqi University—the physical test.

But none of that matters now. He has only one goal: to join the martial arts team, embrace all kinds of knowledge, and learn the most advanced martial arts techniques that he can access within the system.

The martial arts academy occupies a very large area, about half the size of the campus, which is equivalent to setting up a separate garden next to Dongqi University.

Apart from a few high-rise buildings, most of the buildings here are in the style of ancient architecture. The garden features pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions, making it feel more like a garden than a school campus.

Zhao Rui had no time to admire the scenery. He quickly walked into one of the tall buildings and found the Martial Arts Academy office by following the signs in the lobby.

When Zhao Rui handed the approval form to a staff member, the staff member gave him a surprised look.

Then he laughed and said, "We haven't seen any students from other departments apply to join the team in years. The martial arts team is very competitive, so be prepared!"

Zhao Rui nodded and said, "Thank you, teacher. I will."

"Okay, go ahead, go to Mingchan Academy and find Teacher Sun, he's leading the martial arts team now."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui quickly agreed, went downstairs, and followed the signs along a charming old-fashioned path to Mingchan Courtyard.

After walking for about ten minutes, the scenery suddenly opened up before us, and at the end of the path, a majestic and ancient Zen temple appeared.

The temple's walls are made of red square bricks, while the halls inside are covered with tiles that shimmer with a golden luster, making them square, majestic, and solemn. No one would associate them with campus buildings.

This demonstrates the independence of the martial arts academy.

Zhao Rui stepped forward, and before he could even raise his hand to knock, the bronze door slowly opened from both sides.

Who are you looking for?

A voice slowly drifted out from the solemn hall a hundred meters away.

The main hall stands at the end of the bluestone brick road, with golden bronze bells hanging from the eaves, which make a crisp sound when the breeze moves.

A white jade Sumeru pedestal supports the magnificent vermilion palace, and the dragon scales on the pillars in front of the gate are glistening with morning dew, gleaming with a faint, dark light.

Zhao Rui was somewhat shocked. This skill was truly terrifying; he had actually detected Zhao Rui's arrival from a hundred meters away.

Are all the teachers at the martial arts academy this amazing?

"Teacher, I'm here to report for duty!"

Zhao Rui shouted as loudly as he could, but out of respect, he didn't dare use his internal energy.

"What are you shouting? I can't hear you. Come inside the hall and say it!"

Zhao Rui was taken aback. Couldn't you hear him?

Completely bewildered, I hurried along the bluestone path toward the main hall.

Along the way, the cobblestone path is lined with lush, green lawns, which are flat and vibrant.

Beyond the lawn lies a lush bamboo grove, where birdsong occasionally rises, accompanied by the rustling of wings, echoing through the spacious Zen temple.

In the distance, several palace-like buildings were vaguely hidden in the dense forest, not clearly visible.

"How much will this cost?"

Before Zhao Rui could think any further, he had already reached the entrance of the main hall, stepped over the threshold, and peered inside.

The huge hall was filled with all sorts of martial arts equipment, such as knives, spears, clubs, swords, sandbags, and wooden stakes, but there were no statues or incense tables in sight.

"teacher?"

Zhao Rui glanced around and saw a bald man sitting with his legs crossed in a corner of the main hall, looking at him lazily.

In front of the man was a typical desk with two computers and some office supplies.

"Are you the freshman who came to register?"

The man looked Zhao Rui up and down and asked a question, clearly indicating that someone had already told him about it.

"Yes, teacher!"

Zhao Rui stepped forward and handed over the form.

The man picked up the form, looked at it for a while, placed it on the table, and asked Zhao Rui, "What level are you at now?"

"He should have level six strength!"

Zhao Rui spoke frankly, saying that with fifteen years of cultivation, even without top-tier techniques, his strength was definitely no less than that of a sixth-level martial arts student.

"Wow, you're really hardworking. What a pity, why didn't you break through sooner?"

The man shook his head and continued, "What martial arts technique do you specialize in? In what year did you start practicing martial arts?"

"They majored in the Azure Cloud Palm at school, and also practiced the Cloud Hands and Star-Picking martial art outside of school..."

Zhao Rui briefly explained his situation.

The man nodded and said, "Not bad, your talent isn't bad. Since you're determined to pursue martial arts, don't let yourself be bound by rules and regulations..."

"My surname is Wang. You can call me Teacher Wang or Coach Wang. Although you're not from a professional department this year, you're the first to join the martial arts team. Haha, I bet it'll be quite interesting when those freshmen arrive!"

Coach Wang couldn't help but laugh as he thought about how happy he was.

Zhao Rui, not understanding why, could only grin along.

"When you come tomorrow, please bring me a copy of your class schedule, and your ID card so I can register your information, and also..."

Teacher Wang said a few words, but then, seemingly impatient with the amount of instructions, he shouted towards the back of the hall, "Zhang Kui, come out and help your junior brother with the formalities!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a boy with a short haircut and a fine, dark beard stepped out.

"Teacher Wang, it's not time to recruit team members yet, where would we find junior brothers?"

The boy asked curiously as he walked out.

"Let him tell you!"

Teacher Wang pointed at Zhao Rui and said, "You go with Zhang Kui. You'll officially start training tomorrow."

"Okay, teacher!"

Zhao Rui quickly agreed.

Although Zhang Kui was surprised to see this, he didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he smiled at Zhao Rui and said, "Let's go, junior brother!"

After saying that, he walked towards the back of the main hall.

Zhao Rui quickly followed.

Once you step out of the back door of the main hall, the outdoor scenery is quite different. Outside, streams crisscross the landscape, bamboo bridges and covered walkways gently over them, and the air is filled with mist and fog.

"Which department of martial arts are you in, junior brother?"

As the two stepped into the connecting corridor, Zhang Kui asked a question.

"I'm an accounting major!"

"Accounting?"

Zhang Kui was taken aback, but after hearing Zhao Rui's explanation, he suddenly realized, "No wonder you joined the team now. Haha. Actually, the first-year students from the Martial Arts Academy won't join our martial arts team until next semester!"

"However, you are an exception. Since you don't have a formal teaching course, it's still beneficial for you to come and train with Teacher Wang early on."

(End of this chapter)