inspire-indiana Chapter 78 Core Class 1 Resource Barrier
Chapter 78 Core Class 1 Resource Barrier
The core teaching building, located at the end of the campus's central axis, is a large, gray-white building. Two three-meter-tall stone statues stand at the entrance, depicting the first Martial Emperor and his most favored disciple. The exterior walls are covered in marble, reflecting the sunlight so brightly it's dazzling. The interior is even more impressive—the floors are terrazzo, polished to a shine; the corridors are filled with the scent of sandalwood, its origin unknown; each classroom door is covered in copper, and the doorknobs are made of brass, polished to a gleaming shine.
When Lin Chen found the core class, there were already more than twenty people in the classroom.
He pushed open the door and went in. The noise inside suddenly subsided. Some people looked up at him, some didn't look up but glanced at the doorway, and a few turned around directly, their gazes sweeping from his face to his body and back again. Some people whispered among themselves, their voices not loud, but Lin Chen could hear them—they were saying things like, "That's Lin Chen," "The one who beat Qin Hao," and "He doesn't look that great."
Lin Chen ignored the stares and didn't intend to greet anyone. He glanced at the classroom seats: the first few rows were full, all occupied by students in silver-threaded school uniforms, with various unfamiliar items on their desks—some were flipping through a thick cultivation manual, some were chatting quietly, and a few were napping. The last row by the window was empty, so he walked over and sat down.
Before I could even settle into my chair, a series of footsteps came from behind.
"Lin Chen!" Su Ling'er's voice always preceded her arrival. She jogged over, a steamed bun in her hand, chewing on it, her words muffled, "You're amazing! The whole school is talking about you beating Qin Hao yesterday! Even the cafeteria uncle is talking about it! Now everyone's calling you 'the number one freshman'!"
As she spoke, she sat down in the seat next to him, swallowed the bun, and looked at him with bright eyes.
Chu Fan followed, adjusted his glasses, and placed a stack of books on the table. He glanced at the door and lowered his voice, "Qin Hao was furious when he got back yesterday. He smashed everything he could in the apartment. I ran into him in the hallway this morning, and the way he looked at me was weird, like he wanted to eat me alive. Be careful."
Leng Feng walked over from behind, didn't say anything, and sat down next to Lin Chen. Before sitting down, he glanced at Lin Chen and nodded slightly, a greeting that didn't require any further explanation.
Lin Chen nodded. He knew Qin Hao wouldn't let it go so easily. That punch on the sparring stage yesterday hadn't just cost him a match; it had also humiliated Qin Hao. In a place like Xingwu University, face was sometimes more important than life itself.
The school bell rang.
Before the bell had even finished ringing, an elderly man in a white robe walked in from outside. His hair and beard were completely white, impeccably white, as if he had groomed them daily. The robe was made of thick fabric, but the hem barely moved as he walked, as if he were being supported by a force. He stood on the platform, emanating a faint but palpable aura of authority, not heavy, yet enough to make people不敢仰视直视 (dare not look him in the eye).
"I am your martial arts instructor, Bai Xuan." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and distinct, like nails driven into wood. "From today onwards, I will teach you martial arts training. I will only say the rules of Star Martial University once—"
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the room as if trying to memorize every face.
"Might makes right. Resources belong only to the strong. If you want more cultivation resources, show your strength."
Bai Xuan is indeed skilled at lecturing.
When he lectures on martial arts theory, he doesn't just read from the textbook. Instead, he first poses a question and lets the students think about it themselves. Only if they can't figure it out does he give the answer. When explaining the flow of meridians, he draws a diagram of the human body's meridians on the blackboard, using different colored chalk to mark the routes and nodes of the flow of vital energy, making it clear at a glance. When explaining the application of techniques, he personally demonstrates the movements. He may look old and frail, but when he strikes, the wind from his punches whips through the classroom, blowing the hair of several students in the front row.
Lin Chen listened attentively. Back in Qingyang City, his cultivation relied entirely on self-exploration and the automatic deduction of the Star Martial Core, leaving his theoretical knowledge a weak point. Many of the things Bai Xuan talked about, he previously only knew how to do, but not why. Today, he felt he had filled many gaps in his understanding.
But as he listened, he noticed a problem.
Bai Xuan asked a question about how to deal with "qi rushing to the lesion" during the circulation of true qi. Lin Chen knew the answer, but before he could raise his hand, Bai Xuan had already looked towards the front row.
"Qin Hao, you answer."
Qin Hao stood up, chest puffed out, and gave his answer logically and clearly. Bai Xuan nodded after listening and then asked a more advanced question, which Qin Hao answered correctly. A satisfied smile appeared on Bai Xuan's face. He asked Qin Hao to sit down and then called on several other scions of aristocratic families, asking them questions one by one.
Lin Chen noticed that Bai Xuan's questioning order was deliberate. He called on Qin Hao first, then several students in silver-trimmed school uniforms, and then those who made eye contact with him. Only after he had finished questioning all of them did he glance at the back rows.
"Hey, you in the back, what's your turn?" He pointed to a boy next to Lin Chen. The boy stood up and stammered through half of his sentence before Bai Xuan waved him down to sit. He didn't press further or offer any comments, and simply continued speaking.
This was even more evident when explaining the techniques. When discussing the advanced uses of the "Azure Wind Technique," Bai Xuan directly called Qin Hao and several other young masters from aristocratic families to the side of the stage and demonstrated it to them individually, his voice kept very low, as if afraid of being overheard. Lin Chen, sitting several rows away, could only see them nodding and taking notes, unable to hear the specifics of what was being said.
Su Ling'er pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "This class is like a private school."
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class. Bai Xuan put away his lesson plan, left a pile of homework on the blackboard, and then led Qin Hao and the others out of the classroom, saying he would go to the training room for individual instruction. The moment the classroom door closed, Lin Chen heard Qin Hao's laughter coming from the corridor, tinged with smugness.
The few people remaining in the classroom were all students without any connections, just like them. Some started packing their things, some sighed while slumped over their desks, and some stood by the window lost in thought.
"Sigh, it's the same again." Su Ling'er threw her pen on the table, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the ceiling. "It's always the same."
"Who told us we didn't have a good grandfather?" Chu Fan took off his glasses and wiped them. "Others have Vice Principal Qin Cang backing them up, we can only rely on ourselves."
A tall, thin boy walked over from the front, paused as he passed them, and whispered, "Stop complaining, hurry up and get to the training room, or you won't even be able to get a C-level spot." Then he walked away.