“Modern cultivation theories say that what are called "true qi" or "gong" are actually energies generated within the body. They don't come out of thin air, unless you can connect with the heavens and earth, like innate masters who absorb energy from the void. Otherwise, the true qi you cultivate now is your own energy. When you use true qi, you're consuming your own energy. If you don't replenish it in time, it will deplete your foundation!”

In the classroom of Grade Thirty-One, Class Thirteen at Jinghai No. 3 Middle School, a man in his thirties wearing a neat black martial arts uniform was speaking.

In the center of the classroom was a large mat, and he stood in the middle of it.

And surrounding him were over fifty students, all from Class Fifteen. These students were mostly sixteen or seventeen years old, both male and female, all wearing the same martial arts uniform.

Amongst these students, in a secluded corner, there was a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old. Though physically strong and handsome, he appeared quite ordinary and unremarkable among his peers.

Chu Yunfan looked at the man in the center. He was their high thirty-five class's martial arts instructor, Qin Wu. It was said that he had retired from a special forces unit in the army and had made many contributions during his time there, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly retired and came to teach at No. 13 Middle School. Basically, he taught them about their cultivation practices.

"That's why ancient people said 'poor in literature, rich in martial arts,' which is a very intuitive understanding. Why could only the rich practice martial arts?" Qin Wu said, pausing for a moment and pointing at a student, "You tell me, why!"

That student was stunned for a moment, then spoke: "Because the process of martial arts is a constant depletion. If there's only depletion and no replenishment, this person will die very quickly. In ancient times, tonics like ginseng and lingzhi were very expensive, and ordinary people couldn't afford them!"

“Right, so even during the Gregorian calendar era, those who practiced cultivation were very few and far between, essentially just unicorns. It wasn't until the Kunlun Era that we humans discovered the Kunlun realm and the ultra-ancient civilization. Technology and martial arts both saw a major breakthrough. Things like ginseng and ganoderma lucidum, which could take decades or even centuries to grow, became readily available in mass production and ended up on ordinary people’s tables. That's what made it possible for us to have a super era of cultivation where everyone practiced martial arts!” Qin Wu nodded and said.

At this time, Chu Yunfan's mind was filled with the history of Kunlun Calendar that he had learned in history class.

Hundreds of years ago, in the year 2035 AD, a gigantic sword beam ripped through the heavens, piercing the cosmos and landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

The entire Earth fell into a colossal catastrophe, with countless nations collapsing and mourning echoing everywhere. The world population dwindled to less than one billion, the vast majority of whom were Han Chinese, thus ushering in an era of Han rejuvenation.

Because of this disaster, Earth was largely destroyed. Humanity began to seek another home for survival.

Finally, people on the other side ripped apart by sword beams discovered a vast and boundless world, which is now the Kunlun Realm.

Humans have also entered the era of Kunlun's calendar!

Only after humans set foot in the Kunlun realm did they discover that this realm was not only suitable for human survival, but also for powerful beings. Due to the presence of spiritual energy, there lived countless incredibly powerful demons on this continent.

Even if humans possessed advanced technology, they would be no match for the countless powerful demons. Some of these demons were so strong that even nuclear bombs couldn't kill them. Under such circumstances, let alone migrating to Kunlun Realm, humanity was even pushed to the brink of both worlds and their base camp, Earth, was invaded by these demons.

Just at this moment, human migrants discovered a super-ancient civilization that existed on this Kunlun Realm. They followed a completely different path from Earth humans, relying on cultivation to strengthen themselves and contend with demons through the martial arts system.

All of this is simply like what was said in fantasy novels many years ago about another world. Thanks to the increasing amount of data from unearthed ancient civilizations, including the organization of various cultivation methods, Earth's immigration began a period of national martial arts practice.

It was only with the combined power of warriors and high technology that humanity was able to establish a foothold in the Kunlun Realm and avoid being wiped out by the demon tribes.

Even so, humanity still faces the threat of these powerful demons at every turn. Cities built by them may still be breached, and once breached, hundreds of thousands, millions, even tens of millions of people are slaughtered. Such events have occurred many times in just the past few centuries.

Earth's Jinghai No. 13 Middle School is just one of dozens of high schools in Jinghai City, a very ordinary one.

After the cataclysm, most of Earth's environment became unsuitable for human survival. Therefore, the living pattern has completely changed from the highly dispersed situation during the Gregorian calendar era. A total of ten base cities have been formed, each with a population of over 100 million. In total, there are still billions of people on Earth who have not gone to Kunlun Realm.

Because the Kunlun Realm is home to an overwhelming number of powerful demons, it's unsuitable for ordinary humans to survive. Although many creatures on Earth have undergone mutations after the great catastrophe and are evolving towards demon-like forms, this process has only taken a few hundred years. Compared to the Kunlun Realm, they are still far weaker.

Jinghai City is one of the satellite cities under Dong Hua City, which is one of the top ten base cities. Although it doesn't have the population of over 100 million in the main urban area of Dong Hua City, it still has a population of over ten million.

But overall, humans are much stronger than they were hundreds of years ago. Hundreds of years ago, only a very select few could obtain the power to cultivate, it was like finding a unicorn. Now, in order to fight these powerful demons, the federal government has tried every means possible to popularize cultivation among everyone.

As Master Qin Wu said, cultivation is not just about talent. One needs all three: heaven, earth, and human elements; none can be missing. Especially in martial arts training, the strain is very high. If you don't replenish what you consume, it’s normal to die prematurely even when you're still young, maybe in your thirties or forties. In fact, the more skilled you are, the faster you might die.

"As for you all at present, the source of all true energy is actually your own innate vitality. The higher your level of cultivation, the more true energy you will produce. Even if you have the opportunity to cultivate to a higher realm, your cultivation level is still the foundation of everything!" Qin Wu stood with his hands behind his back, his whole body as sharp as a spear, as if he wanted to reach the sky. "In the 'Knocking Yi Ge' written by Lü Zu, the master of cultivation in feudal times, it says that whether you cultivate or not, this is the first illness of cultivation. It means that it is wrong to only cultivate Taoism without cultivating one's life. One should cultivate both life and Tao!"

Chu Yunfan nodded, his mind recalling the knowledge he had learned about cultivation. The path of cultivation was incredibly long. Ever since the discovery of the ancient civilization, these cultivators, after many years of exploration, had divided each stage of cultivation into distinct realms. The first and foremost was the realm.

The path of martial arts is a journey that everyone must take. On the road to reaching the peak of martial arts, it's like crossing an endless ocean, and this "ship" allows us to cross. The stronger the ship, the greater the chance of successfully navigating to the other side.

Therefore, hardship is the foundation of martial arts, referred to as "realm."

And this realm is further divided into nine minor realms: forging bones, refining skin, cultivating tendons, strengthening muscles, complete bone and muscle harmony, changing one's vision, cultivating energy, and so on.

Only when this realm is cultivated to its completion can it be considered as laying the foundation, because to accommodate more true qi running within it, one must demand a powerful spirit.

The ninth small realm of this world is the Qi-Nurturing Realm. After nurturing a mouthful of true qi, one will open up a Qi Sea in their Dantian. With this Qi Sea, one can continuously accommodate true qi, which is what is known as the Qi Sea Realm.

After the Qihai Realm, there are also the Acquired and Innate Realms, but Chu Yunfan didn't know much about them. After all, many of their teachers at No. 13 Middle School were only at the Qihai Realm. Masters at the Innate Realm are rare even in the entire East China Sea City.

“I know most of you won’t pass the martial arts class assessment in a month and will only be able to enter the literature class. However, you must understand that even if we don’t talk about cultivation, just for your long life, you still need to rely on your own practice!” Qin Wu said again, his gaze swept over every student in the class, and he said, “In the Gregorian calendar era, people’s average lifespan was only a few decades, less than a hundred years. Why? It wasn't because it wasn't good. It was because they were always in sub-healthy conditions. People who couldn't die stayed alive. But now, in the Kunlun Calendar era, everyone is a cultivator, and their average lifespan has long exceeded a hundred years, even reaching one hundred and twenty years. This is the benefit of everyone practicing martial arts!”

Hearing Qin Wu talk about the martial arts class and literary class, Chu Yunfan couldn't help but feel a little downcast.

Although everyone wants to cultivate, people's talents also vary. According to the standards of Thirteen Schools, those who can reach the seventh level of Realm before entering the advanced class are considered to have good talent. These people will be assigned to the Martial Arts Class, while the rest, whose qualifications are average, will be assigned to the Literature Class.

Before the division into academic and vocational classes, the teaching resources for literature and martial arts were relatively balanced, each accounting for half. However, after the separation, they would rapidly diverge.

As the name suggests, students entering the Wǔkē (martial arts) class will have their cultural knowledge learning time reduced and more time dedicated to training.

While students entering the humanities stream might not say they've completely abandoned cultivation, their time dedicated to it is reduced. They focus more on learning cultural knowledge and preparing for university entrance exams, just like ordinary people, aiming for a typical career path as office workers.

As passionate young people, most can relate to the appeal of a powerful warrior. It's not just about their strength and boundless energy, but also about their easier path to wealth. Compared to liberal arts graduates who steadily earn a fixed salary, martial arts graduates have more options for making money quickly. Whether they join government agencies, the military, or work as mercenaries for companies hunting down demons, their earning potential is higher.

Not to mention, the best among them can even go to Kunlun Realm to study at the nine great martial arts holy lands, becoming world-renowned super strong experts.

However, the reality is harsh. Not everyone has the talent for cultivation. Most people have average aptitude and it's difficult for them to receive training. Only those students who demonstrate sufficient talent will be chosen to attend the martial arts academy and receive focused training.

And Chu Yunfan was the kind who had no talent. Even in his senior year of high school, he was only at the fifth level of the realm. Let alone comparing himself to those who could enter the martial arts class, even among those destined for the literature class, he wasn't outstanding; he was just ordinary.

"Alright, that's all for today's lesson. You better not skip tomorrow's class, because I'm going to start teaching you a practical martial art. If you miss it, I won't teach it again, understand?" Qin Wu said to his students.

"Understood!"

All the students' eyes lit up at once, and they said.

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