"No way..."
The students instantly couldn't help but groan.
"Wasn't the math teacher perfectly fine yesterday?"
"He was fine, but then I gave him a call just now, and... he fell ill."
"..."
The group fell silent. Was he even bothering to pretend anymore?
"Alright. Assemble at the Star Martial Arts Hall within five minutes. If anyone is late... well, you know the consequences!"
Nangong Ling smiled slightly, turned, and left without a worry, utterly unconcerned about any potential student protests.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the classroom rushed out simultaneously. No one even paid attention to Lu Xiaobai's exposed background anymore.
Clearly, the pressure Nangong Ling exerted was simply overwhelming...
Five minutes later,
over a hundred students had arrived neatly and quietly at the Star Martial Arts Hall, all behaving extremely well-mannered.
"Everyone arrived on time?" Nangong Ling glanced over the crowd, a flicker of disappointment fading from her eyes as she said indifferently:
"Just now when I entered the classroom, I heard you all discussing some literature competition. As your Star Martial Arts teacher, I must remind you: you have less than five months until the Star Exam. Stop focusing on those entertainment events. Getting into a Star Academy and becoming a true Star Warrior is what matters!"
Hearing this, a look of yearning appeared in everyone's eyes.
Humanity had long since entered the Starfaring Era. To explore the boundless cosmos, only Star Warriors with powerful physiques could do so. This had made Star Warriors the protagonists of the current age. After all, who wouldn't want to venture into the vast and mysterious starry skies...
Seeing the determined looks on their faces, Nangong Ling nodded in satisfaction and continued:
"Let me ask first, has everyone practiced today's [Basic Body Tempering Method]?"
"Yes!" the students replied in unison.
"Good. I hope you're not lying to me. You're practicing for yourselves, not for me."
Nangong Ling went on:
"Although the [Basic Body Tempering Method] is a common Star Skill, its effects are excellent. Doing it twice a day yields far greater improvement than your usual physical training. Skipping a single day means falling behind others forever!"
Lu Xiaobai listened and nodded in agreement.
Not just students, even middle-aged and elderly people in society persisted with this Body Tempering Method. For the vast majority, it was the best choice for strengthening the body!
Just then, Nangong Ling's expression shifted slightly, and she added:
"By the way, has anyone reached Level 3 in the Body Tempering Method?"
She hadn't held much hope, but then she saw a tall, well-built boy raise his hand, his eyes filled with pride.
"Hmm? Du An, your Body Tempering Method has reached Level 3?"
Nangong Ling's expression changed, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Du An nodded, smiling as he said:
"Reporting, Teacher Nangong. I was fortunate enough to advance to Level 3 last week."
Nangong Ling said bluntly:
"You advanced, so you advanced. What's with the 'fortunate' nonsense?"
"..."
Du An was instantly left speechless by Nangong Ling's retort. He gave an awkward smile and said no more.
"However, Level 3 in the Body Tempering Method is genuinely good. It means you have a sliver of a chance to test into a first-rate Star Academy!"
Nangong Ling continued seriously:
"There's still time before the Human Star Exam. You'd better have your family hire a professional nutritionist to handle your daily diet and medicinal concoctions, to boost your Vitality Level as much as possible. The Star Exam doesn't just assess your Body Tempering Method level!"
"Understood, teacher," Du An nodded, a smile he couldn't suppress at the corner of his mouth.
Even if it was just a sliver of a chance, he had already surpassed most people. At the very least, he could secure a spot in a second-rate Star Academy.
The others heard this and cast envious glances his way, but thinking of their own Body Tempering Method levels, a tinge of disappointment inevitably arose.
Nangong Ling looked at the group and continued:
"How many people in your class have reached Level 2 in the Body Tempering Method now?"
After she spoke, about twenty people raised their hands, all with confident looks in their eyes.
"Not bad. Three more than last week."
Nangong Ling nodded. "You mustn't slack off either. Keep practicing the Body Tempering Method daily. If you can break through to Level 3 before the Star Exam, that would be ideal. You have a chance to test into second-rate academies."
The students seemed motivated, their hearts instantly filled with fighting spirit.
"As for those students still at Level 1 in the Body Tempering Method..."
A peculiar smile appeared in Nangong Ling's eyes as she said casually:
"The only advice I can give you is: don't let your families invest any more resources in you. Rather than wasting them, it's better to use that money to apply to a Life Skills School and learn a special trade."
"Personally, I think [Basic Scrap Recycling] is quite good. As humanity continues to expand its stellar territories, all sorts of technological waste is increasing. This profession still has prospects. If you're interested, you can go directly to the Hongxiang Life Skills School!"
"Remember, mention my name, Nangong Ling. I can get a bit of a kickback."
"..."
Most of them fell silent.
For students, applying to a Life Skills School was actually quite embarrassing. It meant failing the Star Exam...
Although Nangong Ling's words were harsh, they weren't wrong at all.
Given their grades, they couldn't even test into the lowest third-rate academy. The reason they were still sitting in this classroom was simply waiting for a miracle—what if their Body Tempering Method inexplicably broke through...
"Teacher, is it really necessary for the Federation Government to place so much importance on Body Tempering Method level?"
A student asked, face filled with reluctance.
They worked hard on the Body Tempering Method every day too, but still couldn't break through. This thing really wasn't something you could improve through effort alone...
"Necessary? It's damn well necessary!"
Nangong Ling explained coolly:
"The Star Exam has four test subjects: theoretical knowledge, Vitality Level, Body Tempering Method level, and practical combat experience. The Body Tempering Method level only accounts for thirty percent of the total score, so it might not seem decisive for success or failure. But it's far more important than you imagine!"
"The higher your Body Tempering Method level, the greater the boost to your Vitality Level. And once your Vitality Level increases, not only does your physique strengthen, but your mind becomes sharper too, leading to better theoretical scores!"
"In other words, the Body Tempering Method level actually influences three subjects. Does anyone still think it's unimportant now?"
The group fell silent again, with no one refuting her.
Although Vitality Level could be boosted through Star Energy foods and various potions, those supplements were expensive. For ordinary citizens, the main source of improvement was still the Body Tempering Method!
Then, Nangong Ling continued:
"Du An, your Body Tempering Method has reached Level 3. Tell everyone the difference compared to Level 2!"
"Three times greater!"
Du An replied, his face full of pride.
Nangong Ling shot him a glance. "Alright, just answer the question. No need to sound so cocky."
"..."
Du An was left speechless once more and could only lower his head in silence.
After all, he was the class representative for Astral Combat—was it really necessary to be so dismissive?
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
