Grandmaster Bai: "I'd like to invite a student to come up" The whole school was shocked

The campus atmosphere today felt especially different.

Beyond the banners at the entrance, there were even a few media reporters dressed in professional attire roaming the campus.

“Excuse me, students! Who’s the top-performing student at your school?” one reporter asked.

“Ah? Haha, it’s definitely Xia Sichen in Class One!” a student replied.

“Actually, I think Ye Miyue from Class Nine is pretty remarkable too…” another chimed in.

“What are you saying? Based on what I know, at this stage, Xia Sichen is the one who excels across all areas. He’s even mastered a basic martial arts technique,” yet another student remarked.

The reporter, visibly surprised, responded, “It’s indeed impressive for a top high school—someone mastering martial arts this early in their senior year is quite extraordinary.”

“Looks like Grandmaster Bai coming to Seventh High isn’t without good reason!”

This comment caused the group of students being interviewed to grow a little bashful.

“Actually, First High and Fourth High have impressive students as well… I think Grandmaster Bai chose our school because we have a better overall atmosphere. Haha…” one student offered with a nervous laugh.

The reporter smiled, shifting into a more relaxed tone, and brought up a lighthearted topic:

“Speaking of, who’s the most handsome guy in your school?”

“Oh, tough to say. Honestly, I think I look pretty good.”

“……”

“It’s probably Xia Sichen… He’s got that idol-level kind of handsomeness!”

“Actually, Pang Sandao from Class Ten is decent, though his features are more rugged.”

“Wu Bai from Class Three has that refined, scholarly charm!”

“I personally think Wang Xian from Class Four isn’t bad…”

“Wait, who’s Wang Xian?” someone interjected, clearly puzzled.

The students burst into chatter, unable to hold their laughter.

A female student, who had joined in, suddenly grew flustered, her face slightly reddening as she waved her hand nervously.

“It’s… it’s Wang Xian from Class Four… He’s kind of roguishly handsome, and has this occasional melancholic vibe…”

Sensing an interesting lead, the reporter pressed further:

“Is Wang Xian good at academics? Does he have any special skills?”

The girl immediately shook her head.

Seeing this, the reporter sighed in disappointment.

“Alright then. Who’s the most beautiful?”

This question brought unanimous agreement among the group. Almost in unison, they exclaimed:

“It’s definitely Ye Miyue!”

Before long, the school bell rang.

The reporter handed out small gifts to the students before waving them off.

“Thank you for the interview!” the reporter said cheerfully.

The students filed back into their classrooms.

“Hmm, strange…” the reporter muttered, puzzled. “This school doesn’t seem particularly remarkable… Why would Grandmaster Bai choose Seventh High?”

Beside him, a staffer chuckled, chiming in, “Maybe Seventh High has a few talented students hidden among them.”

“Better than First High though?” The reporter shook his head. “From what I know about First High, they’ve got students who surpass even Xia Sichen—and some with innate vitality levels above 1. That’s genius-level talent.”

“Sure, mastering martial arts early does suggest aptitude, but First High isn’t lacking in such talents—there’s probably even more of them.”

“It could be connections or some influence…”

“Grandmaster Bai despises anyone who relies on nepotism or background. He’s not the type to compromise.”

“Fair point… It really is odd, then.”

“Guess we’ll see how it unfolds. They’ve got the afternoon off, and we’re just here to document things anyway…”

…

The morning passed swiftly.

“Damn it, I couldn’t focus on a single thing all morning!” Zhou Xukun grumbled, his eyes burning with frustration.

As the final morning class bell rang, he turned to Wang Xian to vent.

“Thank goodness for Teacher Xu’s class this morning. Otherwise, I’d have been daydreaming the whole time!”

Wang Xian chuckled. This wasn’t just Zhou Xukun’s mood.

The other students seemed to feel about the same.

It was the era of global martial arts.

Countless students had grown up immersed in the environment of martial arts.

A Grandmaster of Seven Realms—perhaps not globally—but within the borders of Dragon Country, such an individual was undoubtedly standing at the pinnacle of the martial arts world.

"How come you don't seem even a bit excited? What were you doing last night?” Zhou Xukun asked, “I didn’t even play games last night—I was so excited I couldn’t sleep.”

“Last night? Oh, I had Ye Miyue over to my place, giving me a massage... Really hit the spot.”

“……”

“Damn, your fantasies are bigger than mine.” Zhou Xukun gave him a fed-up look. “At most, I’d dare dream about Teacher Xu—here you are dreaming about the Ice Queen herself, Ye Miyue…”

“……”

See? Speak the truth, and nobody believes it.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuting, who was sitting ahead of them, overheard and frowned, turning back to glance at Wang Xian.

She definitely didn’t believe it.

“You only ever think about pointless things…” Chen Yuting stood up, her face full of frustration. “Wang Xian, even though your innate vitality is low, you clearly have talent in martial arts… Why won’t you try harder?”

“Yesterday afternoon and evening, such prime time… You didn’t even go to the library to study martial arts.”

“You didn’t consult the teachers either.”

“For what? My hopes for you were misplaced…”

After finishing, she didn’t even wait for Wang Xian’s response and left the classroom in disappointment.

“What a pity.” Li Zihang, sitting nearby, couldn’t suppress a mischievous grin.

“Why are you laughing, huh?” Zhou Xukun rolled his eyes. “At least someone still holds expectations for Wang Xian—unlike certain others, who aren't qualified to be anticipated at all.”

“You—!” Li Zihang’s face turned grim.

“Alright, let’s go eat.” Wang Xian stretched lazily, completely uninterested in arguing about trivial matters.

Dragging Zhou Xukun along, he headed out.

Today, the cafeteria was particularly crowded.

Most likely, it was because a Grandmaster was visiting the school, and, in a rare fit of kindness, the school had announced that meals would be free for the day.

Even Ye Miyue had joined the students of Class Nine in the cafeteria—something almost unheard of.

Wang Xian guessed the school’s thoughts might go like this:

If a Grandmaster visiting the school were to notice that some students haven't eaten properly, it’d be an embarrassment.

After all, a Grandmaster's perception could effortlessly encompass the entire campus.

After finishing their meal, Wang Xian was planning to head back to class, but just as he turned a corner, Chen Yuting appeared.

“Wang Xian!”

“What now?” Wang Xian raised an eyebrow.

“When you get up on the stage later…” Chen Yuting’s expression was complicated. “I’ll secretly find a chance to bring you up to White Grandmaster. Out there, in front of an audience, he definitely won’t refuse. When you’re up there later, don’t let anyone down.”

“?” Wang Xian froze for a second.

“You’re trying to help me?” He started to understand her intentions.

“Can’t I?” Chen Yuting shot him a sharp glare.

“If you do this, isn’t it breaking the school’s arrangements…” Wang Xian looked at her with intrigue. “Aren’t you worried the school will blame you?”

“As long as you perform well, the school won’t have a reason to blame me. Really, you don’t even understand that?”

Chen Yuting’s plan was calculated with subtle precision.

Indeed.

But in reality, it was also a gamble.

A gamble that Wang Xian would excel on stage, impressing the Grandmaster of Seven Realms enough to earn even a few words of praise.

Just, what gave her confidence to bet?

Was it from one particularly decent performance in last week’s casual quiz?

Logically speaking, Chen Yuting's impression of him should still be stuck on the lazy, hopeless underachiever and wannabe "Xian-the-sycophant."

Even if there's been a change, it wouldn't be much.

If Ye Miyue acted like this, Wang Xian could understand.

That’s because the two of them know each other well.

But how much do you really know about me, Chen Yuting?

Wang Xian didn’t say anything; he simply squinted slightly, staring at Chen Yuting.

The latter seemed to blush under his gaze, suddenly feeling uneasy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she blurted out indignantly, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

“Nothing,” Wang Xian said, shaking his head.

“What do you mean by that?” Chen Yuting's expression shifted.

“I mean it’s unnecessary,” Wang Xian refused her outright. “Thank you for the offer, but let’s not.”

He had no intention of stepping up.

“You!!!” Chen Yuting’s face turned bright red this time—out of sheer frustration.

“Don’t regret this!” She stomped her foot, her voice chilled a few degrees. “If you miss this chance, you’ll have no idea how much time you’ll have to waste making up for it later!”

She stormed off angrily after finishing her sentence.

Wang Xian watched her retreating figure, sinking into momentary thought.

“Interesting.”

After returning to class, Wang Xian joined the collective group of students as they orderly made their way to the school’s athletic field.

At this moment on the field, it wasn’t only the school’s students present.

Surrounding the area were members from the Rongcheng Security Bureau’s Special Forces, managing security.

Media reporters, however, weren’t there in large numbers—just a few representing more official, formal news platforms.

The soft sunlight cast a warm glow on numerous excited faces.

It reflected an image of hopeful serenity.

At exactly 1:30 pm, the skies suddenly darkened.

A figure streaked through the sunlight at a breakneck speed, resembling a military aircraft before halting mid-air and descending gracefully onto the stage set at the front of the field.

The gust stirred by the landing buffeted students’ blue-and-white uniforms, turning them into waves rippling across the crowd.

“Students, hello, I am Bai Hongtian.”

A cheerful voice echoed gently through the blue-and-white sea.

In an instant, a tidal wave of applause erupted.

The thunderous clapping echoed in the field without pause.

Among this crowd, Wang Xian also clapped, watching the famed Bai Hongtian.

Bai Hongtian looked to be around forty years old. With a square-shaped face, thick brows like mounts, and sharp phoenix-like eyes, he resembled a battle-worn general from an empire forged over millennia.

Even though his expression carried a kind smile at the moment, he still exuded a faint pressure that settled over the crowd.

“His aura’s spilling over uncontrollably… judging by this, he must be one step away from reaching the eighth realm…”

Wang Xian thought to himself.

In other words, Bai Hongtian was already a peak-level Grandmaster.

Not merely someone who had just entered the seventh realm of mastery.

An impressive presence indeed.

No wonder he managed to deal with Wind King Falcon so swiftly before.

During the ensuing speech, Bai Hongtian evidently didn’t rely on a prepared script and spoke entirely off-the-cuff.

Of course, even without planning, a Grandmaster's breadth of experience means that even casual remarks possess enough power to captivate and inspire an audience.

“Thirty years ago, I was only at the fourth realm at the time, during my military training days at Azure Dragon University in the capital. Back then, I was tasked with overseeing a group of first-year students fresh from enrollment, leading them on a practical training trip to the Daxing Mountain Ruins. Those students weren’t much older than you all are now.”

Bai Hongtian’s voice wasn’t loud, and he didn’t use a microphone, but it carried clearly to every student’s ears. “Back then, the relic was known as the Daxing Mountain Ruins, a site uncovered long ago featuring traces of alien beasts, categorized as Class D by the Martial Arts Alliance. This classification meant there would be no beasts beyond Class D present.”

“Class D beasts are roughly equivalent in strength to those of us in the Third Realm. But when we say the highest classification, the reality is that most beasts there would be Class E or F. At that level, considering the overall quality of freshmen at Azure Dragon University, they might barely manage.”

“After all, numbers work to their advantage.”

Azure Dragon University is the premier martial arts university in the capital of Dragon Country.

It’s also the dream school countless martial artists aspire to attend.

“Unfortunately…”

Bai Hongtian changed his tone. “The martial arts exams back then were nothing like what they are now, as there were no practical combat requirements. So they had never killed a real alien beast before—at best, they had only fought simulated beasts in training rooms or on high-tech virtual networks.”

“So back then, even though they were top students at Azure Dragon University, they panicked in the ruins—scared out of their wits.”

“That’s one of the key reasons why later martial arts exams significantly emphasized practical combat.”

Many students laughed.

Bai Hongtian chuckled as well and added, “As their instructor at the time, I was also laughing—making fun of them.”

“Until I led them deeper into the ruins, where we encountered a beast, the Crippled Demon Lizard. It was an alien beast of Class A.”

“A Class A beast is equivalent to the Sixth Realm.”

The crowd collectively held their breath.

Two whole realms difference. Wouldn’t that end in total annihilation?

Even if they tried to escape, few would make it out alive.

Bai Hongtian paused for a moment and continued, his voice calm, “And I’ll admit—I was scared out of my wits too.”

The crowd blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter.

Wang Xian chuckled as well.

It seemed natural enough.

When faced with some of the extraterrestrial races on alien battlefields, even a Grandmaster at the Seventh Realm might end up trembling in fear.

Bai Hongtian reminisced with a tinge of emotion, “Confronting a beast of that caliber, total annihilation would have been a perfectly reasonable outcome. But I couldn’t accept that. I thought to myself—it doesn’t matter if I die. But what if, among these students, there’s a real prodigy? A future Martial God?”

“If they were to die here, wouldn’t that be too tragic?”

“Fighting was nearly a hopeless endeavor.”

“But not fighting meant waiting to die.”

“And so…”

Bai Hongtian scanned the group of students before him. “I had no choice but to step forward first, no matter if death awaited me.”

“At that moment, I felt like I had truly become a martial artist.”

“And I understood the essence of martial arts.”

“To embrace death so that one may live.”

The students fell silent, though their hearts stirred with emotion.

A long moment passed.

Until one student finally called out loudly, “What happened after that?”

“After that?” Bai Hongtian smiled. “After stepping forward with resolve to face imminent death, I discovered that the Crippled Demon Lizard was already injured, with combat power reduced to Class B. Armed with this critical information, those panicked freshmen gathered their courage and joined me in overcoming the beast.”

“No casualties.”

A calm and uneventful end.

The student caliber of Azure Dragon University, thirty years ago, was formidable beyond belief.

In that moment, many students began to wonder—if it were them, would they dare to confront such adversity?

This story, while brief, ended on a tranquil note.

But the dangers within, and the courage to face a true death, can perhaps only be fully understood by the individual.

Especially—

The true essence of a martial artist:

To seek rebirth through facing death.

No one in the entire school would likely be able to grasp this meaning.

It demands a genuine experience.

"Rebirth through death…"

"The true essence of a martial artist…"

Wang Xian himself had once come to understand this.

And he had grasped it even earlier than others.

Bai Hongtian had achieved this understanding at the fourth realm.

Whereas Wang Xian, after graduating from college, reached this enlightenment as a mere second-realm martial artist while entering the alien battlefield.

Even back then, he participated in the alien battlefield as nothing more than reserve cannon fodder…

Once the speech concluded, what followed was the truly formal martial demonstration.

Bai Hongtian stepped down from the stage first, heading to the back—likely to make some preparations.

Meanwhile, many students were still immersed in the story that Bai Hongtian shared.

“Ahem, I’m Principal Xia. Up next, Senior Bai will demonstrate martial arts at our school. He'll make some brief preparations now.”

On the high platform, the scholarly and refined Principal Xia picked up the microphone. “Representatives from each class, please step forward one by one.”

Hearing the announcement—

The homeroom teachers of each class immediately looked to their respective group of students and then nodded.

And so, a few scattered figures emerged from the neat rows, stepping forward.

One by one, they strode boldly up the high platform, brimming with confidence and pride.

Such an honor naturally made countless students green with envy.

Many of the female students had their eyes fixed on Xia Sichen.

While nearly all the male students couldn’t help but focus on Ye Miyue.

At this moment, Ye Miyue's attire and appearance were no different from usual. Yet, as she walked, she exuded a transcendent aura of elegance and purity.

It was akin to a magnetic field that irresistibly drew everyone's gaze.

“She’s mastered the Primordial Breath Technique and the Vitality Strengthening Fist Forms.”

Wang Xian nodded slightly.

Achieving mastery in the Primordial Breath Technique enables one to subtly harness the surrounding energy of the world, maintaining a cyclical flow within the body even during simple movements.

This creates a unique magnetic field.

Coupled with a recent uptick in life force due to proper nutrition and the acquisition of a sword technique, her presence has grown colder yet simultaneously more extraordinary.

Even Xia Sichen couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Ye Miyue.

But alas, that distant and aloof expression of hers naturally held others at bay.

She was akin to the moon in the sky—only admired from afar.

Of course, had it not been for the... “incident” last night in his own home massaging her…

Wang Xian might have shared the same sense of high regard.

Once these chosen representatives lined up—

A short moment later, Bai Hongtian reappeared from behind the stage.

Except this time, he was accompanied by a guard clad in a police uniform belonging to the Special Martial Patrol force.

“Senior Bai, please take a look…”

Principal Xia and several homeroom teachers stood nearby, indicating toward the assembled representatives. “In martial arts, these students are the most outstanding in all aspects across our school.”

Bai Hongtian merely inclined his head in acknowledgment.

From Class Four, Cui Guoliang opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, opting to remain silent.

“Hmm.”

Bai Hongtian scanned each individual. His gaze was thorough and meticulous.

This made Principal Xia and the homeroom teachers unconsciously tense up.

“They’re all good…”

After his evaluation, Bai Hongtian offered a brief remark.

Suddenly, he frowned slightly. “Is that all?”

Principal Xia blinked in surprise.

Initially, this process was something he, as the principal, had intended to coordinate in advance. But the hurried arrival of their guest, coupled with his familiarity with Bai Hongtian's temperament, had left him playing it straight.

Thus, the chosen students were rigorously selected—no nepotism, no favoritism. Every candidate was the real deal.

Was this still considered… insufficient?

“That's all… for now.” Principal Xia said, looking slightly embarrassed.

Indeed, when comparing martial arts talent, they were still a bit behind the elite students at No. 1 High School and No. 4 High School.

But, when it came to the very best, they were definitely not lacking much!

Bai Hongtian remained silent for a moment and finally took another look at the list in his hands.

He nodded briefly at the special police officer standing nearby before stepping onto the stage.

“Before the martial arts demonstration begins, there’s one more student I’d like to invite up here,” Bai Hongtian said softly.

The moment his words landed, the entire crowd froze in confusion.

Even Principal Xia in the back was taken aback.

What?

Was there someone else who hadn’t come up yet?

No, wait.

Did he just say “invite”?

The phrasing sounded a bit over the top, didn’t it?

Among everyone present, who could possibly be worthy of being personally invited by a Grandmaster of the Seventh Realm?

Every class representative stood dumbfounded.

Behind them, Principal Xia and the various school officials and classroom teachers exchanged confused glances, their expressions full of bewilderment.

What was happening?

Even the reporters outside the venue perked up instantly.

Holy crap!

Something big was about to unfold!

On the stage.

“About a week ago…”

Bai Hongtian began in a calm and composed tone, “An S-class exotic beast, the Wind King Falcon, attacked Rongcheng. I was tasked with slaying it.”

Everyone listened quietly, for now unsure what Bai Hongtian was trying to say.

This event, of course, had not escaped anyone’s attention.

Although it had ended swiftly and wasn’t widely publicized in the news, the aftermath was still felt, especially in areas close to the disaster zone. Consequently, it was a topic people didn’t often bring up in casual conversation.

But one thing was certain—nobody could claim ignorance when it came to this incident.

After all, during that period, nearly all of Rongcheng had been affected, directly or indirectly, by the emergence of the S-class exotic beast.

“I fought fiercely and managed to slay the creature,” Bai Hongtian sighed, his voice heavy with emotion, “but the disaster zone was left decimated, with barely any survivors.”

These words carried a somber weight.

It was widely understood that ordinary people stood no chance in surviving the wrath of an S-class exotic beast.

Not to mention ordinary citizens—even martial artists were unlikely to make it out alive.

There was simply no other way around it.

“But by sheer fortune…”

Bai Hongtian continued, “One individual managed to survive in the disaster zone.”

“She is just eight years old.”

“An eight-year-old child certainly couldn’t survive in such conditions all on her own.”

Bai Hongtian’s gaze swept across the assembled students, and his voice suddenly softened considerably.

“Students, do you remember the story I shared with you earlier?”

The students nodded in unison.

“The ultimate truth of martial arts—embracing life by facing death head-on.”

Bai Hongtian’s voice grew stronger with conviction. “I must admit, I feel ashamed. It was only after reaching the Fourth Realm that I came to understand this truth.”

“But what I didn’t expect was that at your age…”

“There would already be someone who has grasped this truth!”

“Yes.”

Bai Hongtian paused. “The person who saved this child was a senior from No. 7 High School. On that day, he rushed into the deserted disaster zone, fully prepared to sacrifice his life, and rescued the child.”

Upon hearing this, countless individuals gasped sharply, their bodies trembling!

Wang Xian: “…”

At this moment, clarity struck everyone like a lightning bolt.

The entire sports field seemed to explode in excitement, like a boiling pot spilling over!

Principal Xia, along with the other school officials in the back, were left slack-jawed.

This couldn’t be real?

Someone from our school achieved something like this?

The disaster zone created by an S-class exotic beast?

A high school senior dared to charge in?

For a brief moment, the classroom teachers glanced at each other in disbelief.

Since when had they ever taught students to do things like this?

Even if they did, would someone truly dare to act on it?

Wouldn’t that just be a reckless endeavor leading straight to their death?

Yet, at this very moment, whether it was Principal Xia, the teachers in the back, or the students on the field, all of them began to understand.

So, the reason they came to Seventh High was because of this?

In that instant, countless people—except for Ye Miyue—were left with a big question mark hanging in their minds.

Wait, which student is this incredible?

At this moment, Bai Hongtian’s colleague Cheng Wu spoke up:

“I’m Cheng Wu from the Rongcheng Security Bureau. Over the past week, as the disaster zone gradually recovered, I’ve also taken the opportunity to visit the school with the Grandmaster, intending to present an honorary commendation and personal reward to this particular student.”

As his words fell, a sense of pride inexplicably spread among all the students present.

Our school actually has such an extraordinary person!

At this point, Bai Hongtian raised his voice and addressed the audience:

“So!”

“A student in Class Four of the third year, sitting by the window in the last row, whose name should be… ‘Wang Xian.’”

“Would you please come up on stage?”

Boom!

The crowd erupted!