High Martial Arts: Slay enemies to become stronger, forge invincibility from billions of corpses.

The image on the screen changed.

A group of students in Tianhai University uniforms stood on a cliff by the sea, with raging winds and huge waves behind them.

Instead of practicing their moves in the training grounds, they fought against strange beasts in the wild.

A student, covered in blood, swiftly and cleanly sliced ​​down a mutated sea serpent with a single blow, displaying the ruthlessness characteristic of real combat.

As Song Chen stared at those images, something within him was stirred.

The killing system requires killing, it needs to keep killing, and it needs to keep getting stronger.

Kyoto University is excellent; it's safe, stable, and has top-notch faculty and facilities.

But it's too safe there.

His path wasn't in the training grounds, nor in the library, but outside the city, in the wilderness, in places teeming with strange beasts.

He needs real combat, life-or-death struggles, and to dance on the edge of a knife every day, just like in the Cangmang Mountains.

"Ranked fourth is Aoki University..." the principal continued.

Song Chen didn't listen; he had already made up his mind.

"I choose Tianjin University."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment, the principal's smile freezing on his face: "Tianhai? Not Beijing?"

"no."

Li Guohua opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

One of the teachers across from them couldn't help but speak up: "Song Chen, think it over carefully. Your grades are more than enough to get you into Peking University."

"Tianhai University's faculty and resources are still inferior to those of Beijing University. Moreover, Tianhai's practical assessments are very dangerous, and students get into trouble every year. With your talent, there's no need to take that risk."

Song Chen shook his head: "What I need is not the best teacher, but a place where I can keep fighting."

The meeting room remained silent for a long time before the principal sighed.

Are you sure?

"Sure."

The principal's expression was somewhat complicated. Of course, he hoped that his students would go to the best universities, as that would be the glory of No. 3 Middle School.

But he didn't try to persuade her further: "Okay, I respect your choice."

The camera faithfully recorded this scene.

By noon that day, the news had spread throughout Anning City.

"Song Chen, the top scorer in the province, gave up Peking University and chose Tianhai University instead!"

The news headline went viral across major platforms. The comment section exploded.

"Are you crazy? The top provincial scorer is going to Tianjin University? Isn't Peking University better?"

"What do you know? Tianhai's practical assessment is the strictest in the country. They're going to have real combat."

"Graduating from the capital leads to becoming an official, while graduating from Tianhai leads to killing alien beasts. They didn't choose a university, they chose a path."

……

In the afternoon, when Song Chen walked out of the school gate, a large crowd had already gathered there.

They weren't reporters, they were students.

Students from No. 3 Middle School, No. 1 Middle School, No. 2 Middle School, and other schools were all there, a dark mass of them. I don't know who shouted "Song Chen" first.

Then everyone started shouting.

"Song Chen! Song Chen! Song Chen!"

……

The sounds grew louder and more synchronized, surging in like waves.

Song Chen stood on the steps without saying a word, but simply raised his hand and waved at them.

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers.

He walked down the steps and through the crowd.

Someone reached out their hand, and he shook it once, then again, and again.

He couldn't hold on any longer, so he just kept walking forward.

The crowd parted automatically, like the tide parting, and he walked in the middle, with people on both sides.

No one stopped him, no one blocked him; they just stood there, watching him and cheering.

As he reached the school gate, he looked back.

The banner on the teaching building is still there, his photo is still in the bulletin board, and the young faces on the steps are still looking at him.

He turned back and continued walking forward.

The hovercar was waiting outside the school gate, and he opened the door and got in.

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror: "Mr. Song, where to?"

"go home."

The car started.

The cheers behind us gradually faded into the distance.

As the car drove through the streets of the inner city, sunlight streamed through the windows and fell on his face.

He opened his eyes and looked at the city rushing past the window.

Next, it's time to go to a bigger place.

……

Song Chen had just arrived home when the doorbell rang.

Li Xiuying went to open the door and stood there stunned.

Three people were standing outside the door. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a well-tailored black suit with a gold badge pinned to his chest.

This is the emblem of Tianhai University, featuring an intersecting pattern of waves and a sword.

Behind him, two young men carried a beautifully packaged box tied with a blue ribbon from Tianhai University.

"Excuse me, is this Song Chen's home?" The middle-aged man's smile was very polite.

Li Xiuying nodded, still not quite understanding.

The middle-aged man bowed slightly: "I am Chen Wangdao, the deputy director of the admissions office of Tianhai University. I have come here specifically to deliver the admission notice to Song Chen."

Li Xiuying's hand trembled slightly, and she turned around and called out, "Old Song, son, someone from Tianhai University has come to deliver the admission notice."

Song Zhengye stood up from the sofa, almost dropping his teacup.

Song Chen walked out of the bedroom and was slightly taken aback when she saw the three people at the door.

Not only was the application process different from what I imagined, but receiving the acceptance letter was also different from what I expected.

The title of top scorer in the province is really useful.

Chen Wangdao walked in, his gaze falling on Song Chen. He looked her up and down, his eyes full of admiration.

"Song Chen, I've long admired your name."

He took a gold-embossed envelope from his briefcase and handed it over with both hands: "This is the admission letter from Tianhai University. The president specifically instructed me to deliver it personally to show my sincerity."

Song Chen took the envelope and opened it.

Inside was a light blue card with the emblem of Tianhai University and his name printed on it, along with a line of small print.

[Having achieved excellent results in the martial arts college entrance examination in Nanjiang Province, Song Chen has been specially admitted to the Martial Arts Academy of Tianhai University.]

[Principal: Zhou Wangyue]

Then Chen Wangdao gestured to the two young men to open the box.

Inside the box was a dark blue uniform with the Tianhai University emblem embroidered on the chest.

Beneath the uniform was a silver-white metal box; upon opening it, a short knife lay inside.

The blade is not long, about a foot long, and is entirely silver-white with a faint blue sheen at the edge.

Chen Wangdao's tone carried a hint of pride: "This is Tianhai University's entrance gift for student Song, the Grade A alloy short sword 'Tide,' specially forged by the Tianhai Armory. Only ten people in the entire university can receive it each year."

He took a few more things out of the box.

A bottle of medicine and a thin booklet.

"A bottle of top-grade Qi and Blood Essence has a market price of 15 million."

"The 'Illustrated Guide to Marine Beasts' compiled by Tianhai University is the culmination of the hard work of several generations of our teachers and students."

Li Xiuying was speechless, and Song Zhengye's hands trembled as he looked at the things.

All of this food combined is enough to feed their family for ten years.

His son, on the other hand, was brought to him by someone after he simply registered.

Song Chen looked at the things in the box, remained silent for a few seconds, and then looked up: "I will report for duty on time."

Chen Wangdao smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be waiting for you in Haicheng."

After seeing off the people from Tianhai University, Song Chen returned to the living room, sat on the sofa, and stared at the things on the coffee table for a long time.

Admission notice, A-grade short sword, top-grade Qi and Blood Essence, and a mythical beast encyclopedia.

He was quite happy, but he didn't bask in his joy for long. There was something weighing on his mind that he needed to resolve.