Time flies.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the morning of September 30th.
In a bright, spacious classroom, the students of Accounting Class Three sat attentively, listening to the lecture.
Rustle.
From time to time, the sound of pages turning could be heard.
This was the second session of the Ideological and Moral Cultivation course—a basic class found at nearly every university. As a member of the class, Andrew Han sat with Kevin Lin in the last row.
Although Martial Arts Program Students are exempt from major courses, foundational classes are not included in that exemption.
Every academy has clear regulations: Martial Arts Program Students may skip their specialized courses, but must attend the foundational ones. Otherwise, they will face disciplinary action, and in severe cases, may even be expelled.
"Mm."
"What the teacher said is really true."
Andrew Han quietly praised, his eyes fixed on the blackboard, feeling the importance of moral cultivation.
"Is it really that serious?" Kevin Lin muttered, curling his lips.
He understood as well.
The academy was worried that Martial Arts Program Students might become morally corrupt and abuse their strength.
But even if some martial students do have a violent temperament, they rarely go too far.
Because of the iron rules of the Martial Arts World... Last year, a martial student publicly circulated Condensed Mist Internal Power, demonstrating feats like bending iron bars with bare hands. By the next day, he had vanished without a trace—most likely dead.
With the iron rules of the Martial Arts World in place, who would dare act recklessly?
Even Martial Generals or Martial Lords never flaunt their power openly; they too are wary of the consequences.
"Hey."
"Are you really listening to the lecture?" Kevin Lin looked surprised, utterly puzzled.
At least for him, attending this class felt dull and meaningless.
Exhale.
Andrew Han let out a breath and murmured, "Mm, this class is actually meaningful."
The Ideological and Moral Cultivation course only slightly influences martial students, serving as a subtle form of guidance, so few really care about it.
But Andrew Han was completely different.
Ever since he first triggered his berserk state, he began reading books on self-cultivation and emotional control, even voting for them in recommendations—because mastering his emotions meant mastering his berserk state.
"But..."
"I probably don't need them anymore."
Andrew Han slowly closed his eyes, listening to the lecturer's clear voice and the chirping birds outside, quietly savoring the inspiration within his mind.
Inspiration is not some illusory thing.
It is a mysterious sense that exists beyond the Three Martial Realms. When one's consciousness grows strong enough, it arises naturally—much like sight, hearing, or smell.
After a while.
Andrew Han exhaled, opened his eyes, and looked around the orderly classroom echoing with the teacher's voice. Two or three girls were watching romance dramas, while three or five boys had their heads down, sleeping.
As for Monica Zhang, she was sitting in the third row.
Even though she was more than ten meters away, Andrew Han's eyesight was sharp enough to see her fair profile beneath her dark, lustrous hair.
"Hmm."
Andrew Han pondered for a moment, then simply gazed out the window.
The adjustment period after advancing to the Martial Artist Realm wasn't over yet—it would likely take another day or two. And the turbulence of Condensed Mist Internal Power was so intense that he had to move with utmost gentleness.
Actually, this was fairly common in the Martial Arts World.
Whenever a martial artist experiences a sudden surge in power, it's hard to control their strength smoothly. They must practice stance training to adapt to their newfound force.
"Fortunately..."
"I have the Mountain-Sketch Pillar Stance. Even though I haven't reached the First Mountain stage, it still works wonders. In two or three days, I should be able to master my new strength."
Andrew Han nodded to himself.
A profound stance art is the absolute foundation of the Three Martial Realms, but technique is just as important—pure brute force is far less lethal than when technique is applied.
"I've already mastered enough techniques for now."
"In martial arts, quality matters more than quantity. Southern Thousand-Mile March has reached the Transcendent level, and then there's Cascade of Three Thousand Streams."
When it comes to technique, Andrew Han isn't worried.
Right now, the most pressing concern is the change in Condensed Mist Internal Power. He has a hunch that after the adjustment period, it will immediately transform into Liquid Internal Power.
Chirp chirp.
As the birds flew past the window, the Ideological and Moral Cultivation class finally ended, and students eagerly began to leave the classroom.
It was the last class of the day.
October 1st meant a seven-day holiday. Some students from nearby regions had already bought tickets to go home.
...
Rustle.
A boy packed up his books, glanced at Andrew Han and Kevin Lin in the back row, and whispered to his dark-skinned roommate, "Do you think our class's martial student Andrew Han is actually the 'Umbrella Emperor' everyone's talking about on the forum?"
"No idea."
The dark-skinned boy shook his head, clearly unconcerned.
He neither praised nor criticized, and didn't want to pay much attention—he had his own problems to deal with, so he had no interest in browsing the campus forum.
...
"Look, the last row."
"Andrew and Kevin seem so calm, not in a hurry at all."
The two girls chatted with each other, their eyes filled with longing. Martial Arts students were already enviable, but Andrew Han—the one who shook the entire academy with an umbrella and faced all waves with calm—made their hearts secretly yearn even more.
Such a pity.
Andrew rarely chatted with his classmates.
Even during class these past two days, he always sat in the last row with Kevin Lin, quiet and unassuming, so low-key it was surprising.
This was a stark contrast to the title of Umbrella Emperor.
"Sigh, there's no chance to even start a conversation."
"I guess only Monica Zhang can chat with Andrew Han. Vivian Xu may be prettier, but she hasn't gotten much enthusiasm from him either." The two girls left the classroom together.
At the same time—
A fair hand holding a thermos cup walked toward the last row; Monica Zhang, her cheeks restored to a healthy rosy glow, said, "I'm heading back to Riverford this afternoon. My dad's coming to pick me up. Want to come along?"
"No, thanks."
Andrew was momentarily stunned, then quickly waved his hand.
"Alright, so you're not going back to Riverford?" Monica pouted slightly. Dressed in a pure white top and a light blue denim jacket, she looked fresh and lively.
Paired with her white sneakers, she looked especially clean and spirited.
Andrew quickly added, "Of course I have to go back. If I don't, Lucy will definitely hate me! But I have some things I need to take care of first."
(This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting content!)
In truth, he wanted to go home too—he'd been longing for it.
But with his current physical condition, he couldn't control his power skillfully. If any accident happened, he would regret it for life, so it was better to wait another two or three days.
After all—
The merging period was nearly over.
......
Night fell.
Southland University, shrouded in darkness, was sparsely populated. Gone was the usual bustle; with the holiday approaching, even the dorm buildings felt empty.
A chilly atmosphere permeated the campus.
It seemed as if the temperature inside the academy had dropped as well.
Woof woof.
A small dog was running along the path, circling twice before stopping. Its dark, shiny eyes stared toward Andrew Han, who stood in the dim woods.
Woof.
The little dog barked tentatively.
After hesitating for a moment, the dog backed away repeatedly. Its four short legs trembled, and its shiny eyes flickered with fear, as if sensing a terrifying threat gradually emerging.
It was as if a primordial savage beast from ancient times lay dormant ahead.
Woof woof!
The little dog suddenly barked twice, then dashed away without looking back.
Whoosh whoosh.
The air gradually shifted, dispersing the sound of the wind.
Andrew, dressed in his usual short sleeves, stood in the woods, his feet already sunk deep into the earth, as if bearing an incomparable weight—heavy and mysterious.
Rustle rustle.
There was a faint rustling of leaves around him.
As time slowly passed, Andrew's feet sank deeper into the earth. Inside his body, his Condensed Mist Internal Power was undergoing its final transformation—it sped up his blood flow, made his bones creak, and a faint glow appeared on his skin.
"Just a little more."
Andrew's eyes radiated tranquility, as calm as a mirror-like lake.
He stood in the Mountain-Sketch Pillar Stance, quietly sensing the transformation of his Internal Power... It was stronger and denser than before, gradually flowing through his body like a gentle stream of water.
This was the process of Condensed Mist Internal Power sublimating into Presented Liquid Internal Power.
Though he had anticipated it, Andrew was still a bit amazed—at the Martial Artist Realm, he was manifesting the hallmark of the Martial General Realm: Presented Liquid Internal Power!
This was his third time surpassing the limits.
The first time: as a Second Rank, he possessed thirty thousand jin of internal strength.
The second time: as a First Rank, he cultivated Condensed Mist Internal Power ahead of schedule.
And now, the third time was unfolding right here... His eyes held a steady, mountain-like weight, and a spark of brilliance flashed within.
No one knew how much time passed.
Crash!
His blood surged to its peak, Internal Power swelled and erupted with mysterious, majestic force, billowing his short sleeves as if a powerful wind swept through—then slowly drew back into his body.
Everything returned to silence.
It was as if all things had fallen quiet.
Andrew slowly relaxed from the Mountain-Sketch Pillar Stance, quietly savoring the silky, water-like flow of Internal Power. A faint smile curled his lips: "Presented Liquid Internal Power... it's done!"