Walk Upon the Other Shore and Behold the Gods and Immortals!
Beyond the door was an enormous training hall.
Several burly men were striking the punching bags in front of them, throwing punches and kicks while sweat poured from their bodies.
Every one of them gave off an intense sense of strength.
Their movements were clean and efficient, always trying to produce the greatest possible force with the simplest possible action.
As Su Tu continued forward, the noisy sounds gradually faded away.
In their place were several people sitting quietly on meditation cushions.
Each of them wore something resembling VR goggles over their eyes.
Their expressions were twisted and tense, as though they were confronting something extremely terrifying.
The feeling coming from their bodies was very familiar to Su Tu.
They were performing Dao Gathering.
Su Tu's eyes flickered.
So Dao Gathering really is connected to martial arts!
He had always been confused about the true nature of Dao Gathering.
Today, he could finally begin uncovering its secrets.
The tall young man walking beside him spoke in a hearty voice.
My name is Li Hu. I'm already in my thirties.
His voice seemed to carry faint rumbles of thunder.
If you don't mind, just call me Brother Hu.
Su Tu nodded.
Brother Hu.
Li Hu burst into laughter.
Hahahaha! Good!
He glanced at Su Tu curiously.
Student Su, what exactly is your relationship with Mr. Lin?
Master only handed out three Red Seals on the entire Ancestral Planet.
Since Mr. Lin gave one of them to you, I imagine your relationship with him must be quite special.
Li Hu asked directly.
Most people would have tried to probe indirectly when asking about something like this.
But Li Hu simply asked outright.
There was no hidden emotion in his tone.
Only pure curiosity.
Only now did Su Tu realize just how valuable the red business card Lin Feiyang had accidentally dropped really was.
Su Tu answered honestly.
If the Mr. Lin you're talking about is Lin Feiyang, then he's my teacher.
A PE teacher was still a teacher.
Right?
Li Hu laughed loudly.
Hahahaha! Brother Su, you've got incredible luck!
Mr. Lin is no ordinary person. For him to become your teacher is...
Before he could finish, an old yet powerful voice interrupted him.
Your bad luck.
The voice carried immense authority.
The instant it sounded, the entire training hall fell silent.
It was as if everyone were waiting for something.
Su Tu raised his head.
At some point, they had arrived at a room near the back of the martial arts hall.
A huge character was carved into the white wall.
Seven
Inside the room sat a thin old man on a traditional wooden armchair.
He wore a simple tracksuit.
His hair was completely silver, and his beard was messy.
He looked thin enough to be almost skeletal.
Yet simply looking at him made people instinctively feel pressure.
His black eyes seemed to contain burning flames.
The old man spoke.
That disaster Lin Feiyang hasn't caused enough trouble on the New Stars, so now he's come back to torment the Ancestral Planet.
If someone like him has taken a liking to you, then I'd say you're unlucky.
Strangely, the old man's lips barely seemed to move.
Yet his voice exploded directly beside Su Tu's ears.
This old man's name is Zhou Wuliang.
I am the Master of Moonstep Martial Arts Hall.
His burning gaze fell on Su Tu.
Do you know what it means for you to come here carrying that Red Seal?
Su Tu's eyes trembled slightly.
Originally, he had assumed Moonstep Martial Arts Hall would be something similar to a boxing gym or fitness center.
Now...
It was obvious that things weren't nearly that simple.
Su Tu shook his head.
I don't know.
Zhou Wuliang showed an expression that seemed to say, As expected.
Since Lin Feiyang thinks highly of you, you should already know that martial arts are going to be added to the Gaokao, correct?
Su Tu answered carefully.
I've made some guesses.
After his earlier conversation with Wang Sheng, Su Tu had already gained a rough understanding of the situation.
Martial arts had always been extraordinary.
Ordinary people simply had no access to them.
Only a small portion of society possessed methods of cultivation.
For years, the Federation had restricted martial arts on Blue Star, preventing the general public from accessing cultivation.
Yet for some unknown reason, everything was about to change this year.
The Federation was preparing to spread martial arts publicly.
Martial arts would be added to the Gaokao.
And the rewards would be enormous.
Just as Wang Sheng had said, the true protagonists of this first Martial Arts Exam were those few people who had already been exposed to martial arts.
Ordinary people like Su Tu were supposed to be nothing more than spectators.
Zhou Wuliang's voice interrupted his thoughts.
The transformation of the Ancestral Planet is imminent.
Three days from now, the Federation will officially announce that martial arts are being added to the Gaokao.
Su Tu's eyes narrowed.
Three days.
Zhou Wuliang continued.
For the first Martial Arts Exam, only ten candidates from each city will ultimately be selected.
They will become the first generation of martial artists produced by the Ancestral Planet.
They will receive the Federation's highest level of resources and support.
The Federation intends to use them to ignite a martial arts craze across the entire Ancestral Planet.
Zhou Wuliang paused.
My reason for coming to the Ancestral Planet is to train Martial Arts Exam candidates capable of becoming part of those selected few.
His gaze became deeper.
