Chapter 23: Small Goals
Hua Shicong sighed and lay back on the bed. "Phoenix Academy is not something people like us can aspire to."
Hua Shirong also sighed inwardly.
If it weren't for his rebirth, occupying the body of "Hua Shirong" and allowing his soul to take control, his ideals would probably be the same as Hua Shicong's.
"The Nine Provinces Continent is so vast. I don't want to be trapped in this small Yishui Town!"
Hua Shirong's voice was filled with helplessness.
Hua Shicong sat up, stared at Hua Shirong with wide eyes for a while, and murmured, "So, your life goal is actually so ambitious."
"Let's set a small goal first: to leave Yishui Town."
"Who the hell wants to stay in this miserable place? You need to have the ability! I remember when we entered the school, our goal was to travel across the Nine Provinces Continent."
The second year, you said the goal was too grand and unrealistic, so you changed it to travel across the four continents. The third year, you changed it to travel across the Phoenix Cry Continent. And then, year after year, you kept lowering your goals.
Last year, you told me that your biggest goal was to join the family's Guards.
Just now, you suddenly told me that your goal is to leave Yishui Town and go to Phoenix Academy. Do you know how many students Phoenix Academy admits each year?"
Hua Shirong thought for a moment and shook his head. "I never paid attention!"
Hua Shicong looked at Hua Shirong with extreme disappointment and sighed, "Other continents are too far away from us, and it's useless to pay attention. We only need to focus on the major events happening around us.
For example, the annual enrollment quota of Phoenix Academy, the end-of-year examination, the student battles that determine the number of spots for the academy, which advanced students can enter Phoenix Academy after reaching the Martial Saint realm, and which advanced students in the academy make it to the top 500 rankings, and so on."
"You care about this every day?" Hua Shirong looked astonished.
"What does it have to do with me? I'm not Shirong..." Hua Shicong muttered angrily.
Hua Shirong understood that this was the way they used to survive before.
They could neglect their studies, not advance in cultivation, but still wholeheartedly please Hua Shixuan, and spare no effort for everything related to him.
The benefit of doing so was that they would have a place in the family in the future. Hua Shixuan was destined to become the patriarch.
"Do you not want to go to Phoenix Academy? How can you go if you're not interested?" Hua Shicong retorted.
"I... I don't know how to be interested," Hua Shirong said awkwardly.
He did want to care about information regarding Phoenix Academy, but he didn't know where to start.
"Do you know?" Hua Shirong weakly asked.
"What do you not know, bro?" Hua Shicong boasted shamelessly.
Hua Shicong was only born a few days earlier than Hua Shirong, but in those few days, he had managed to act superior and often referred to himself as "brother."
Technically, it was correct to call him brother, but his attitude was unbearable, and Hua Shirong had argued with him countless times over the years. Yet, he never changed.
"Caring about Phoenix Academy boils down to three things: enrollment quotas, assessments, and briefings."
"What do you mean?" Hua Shirong rushed to Hua Shicong's side.
"What... do you mean by 'what'?" Hua Shicong was confused, not understanding.
Hua Shirong paused for a moment and waved his hand. "What do you mean by enrollment quotas, assessments, and briefings? Explain it in detail."
"With this kind of mindset, you still want to go to Phoenix Academy?" Hua Shicong mocked Hua Shirong. Seeing Hua Shirong's lack of reaction, he realized it was no fun.
"Enrollment quotas are... how many students Phoenix Academy admits each year, and then various academies fight over it, with bloodshed and chaos, like fighting over a bone to feed a dog. Assessments..."
Hua Shirong interrupted Hua Shirong, "I know about assessments. It's the end-of-year entrance examination for Phoenix Academy, right? Now, tell me about the briefings."
"Who bothers to read books? Who reads briefings? Everyone just hears about them," Hua Shicong laughed, feeling a bit awkward but unashamed.
"What have you heard?" Hua Shirong pressed on.
"It's... it's a small piece of paper, about the size of a palm, that summarizes the teaching situations of various academies over the past year. They are distributed to the academies before the start of the next year."
Hua Shicong struggled for a moment, squeezing out a little information. Whether one listened or not, it didn't make much of a difference.
Does the Nine Provinces Continent have newspapers?
Judging from Hua Shicong's appearance, he knew very little about briefings, and couldn't ask for a clear explanation.
"How much do you know about enrollment quotas?" Hua Shirong asked.
"Shirong, you just had a meal, not medicine. Why are you asking unrelated questions?" Hua Shicong couldn't bear it anymore and protested, feeling unhappy.
"Tell me whatever you know," Hua Shirong's tone softened.
"Enrollment quotas... it's a long story," Hua Shicong pondered. "Every year, around August or September, the three town academies under the jurisdiction of Phoenix City each send ten students to Phoenix Academy. Together with the academies from Phoenix City, they compete for the enrollment quotas at the end of the year, known as the 'Student War'."
"How many students does Phoenix Academy admit each year?" Hua Shirong interjected.
Hua Shicong gave Hua Shirong a disdainful glance and impatiently replied, "How should I remember? Why are you asking for such specific details? Probably around three thousand."
"How many quotas does our Yishui Academy have?"
Now, Hua Shicong's face was filled with a smile. "I know this one. Last year, we had three hundred quotas. One student performed exceptionally well in the Student War and earned a ranking, which rewarded us with an additional one hundred quotas. Otherwise, we would have had a pitiful two hundred basic quotas, and even fewer students would have gone to Phoenix Academy for further studies."
"Basic quotas?" It was the first time Hua Shirong had heard of it.
"You don't even know that," Hua Shicong mocked Hua Shirong without any hesitation. "These basic quotas are just the number of students that Phoenix Academy recruits from each academy every year."
There were three academies in Phoenix City, plus the three town academies, making a total of six. With two hundred quotas per academy, there were only 1,200 quotas, and more than half were still available.
Hua Shirong quickly understood, "So, there are still 1,800 quotas left?"
"Compete for them in the challenge matches," Hua Shicong said casually.
"Challenge matches?" Hua Shirong didn't understand. "It was the Student War earlier, and now there's a challenge match. What exactly is it?"
"Now you've confused me too," Hua Shicong waved his hand. "Just know that you have to fight like dogs for those remaining 1,800 quotas in the challenge matches."
Hua Shicong was truly impatient. When did Hua Shirong become a diligent and inquisitive student?
Seeing that Hua Shirong couldn't provide any reasonable explanation, Hua Shirong was relieved that they still had plenty of time to understand as their graduation was far away.
Hua Shicong reminded Hua Shirong, "Instead of concerning yourself with that, you should focus on how to make it onto the Top 500 Student List. The students participating in the Student War are all in the top ten on the list, they are quite formidable."
Fearful that Hua Shirong might inquire further, Hua Shicong hastily left the room.
Hua Shirong knew what the Student List of the Top 500 was. It was a motivational ranking created by the academy to encourage students to study hard and train diligently.
This list took the form of a jade monument erected on the side of the training ground, creating a unique sight. It was based on combat strength and recorded the names of the top 500 most powerful students in the academy.
The jade monument was inscribed with an array. If one defeated someone whose name appeared on it, their own name would automatically appear on the monument.
Students who appeared on the monument received generous rewards from the academy, with greater rewards for higher rankings.
The Student List of the Top 500 was also the focus of discussions among the students.
Whenever there was a slight change in the rankings, it would cause a stir among the students.
The students took pride in making it onto the list, not only for their own honor but also to bring glory to their respective families. This led to fierce competition for a spot on the Student List of the Top 500.
Hua Shirong had so many things he wanted to learn about, but he had to take it slowly, there was no rush.
After a highly tense night, Hua Shirong, now feeling mentally relaxed, succumbed to drowsiness and yawned heavily before falling heavily onto the bed, drifting into a deep sleep.
When Hua Shirong woke up, there was no one in the dormitory, but he noticed that there was food on the table, indicating that Xiao Zhao had visited.
It should be the afternoon martial arts class now, and the students were all practicing on the training ground.
After getting up and freshening up, Hua Shirong sat at the table to eat, contemplating the half-month rest and recovery plan.
Since he had been reborn on this magical continent, he had to seize this opportunity and not let the trajectory of his past life affect his future.
At the age of fourteen, in the bloom of youth, everything was just beginning.
To survive on this continent, he had to integrate himself into it and then gradually become familiar with, understand, and adapt to it.
Martial prowess was revered, so he would do whatever it took to become a masterful warrior.
There were several subjects that the previous inhabitant of his body had neglected, so he would pick them up again. In two years, he wouldn't learn much, but every bit of knowledge mattered.
Who could complain about having too much knowledge? One day, it might come in handy.
Well, for now, let's forget about it. I still have a negative credit score. I'll focus on that when I have some credits.
"The Mortal Art" qigong was brought from Earth and had incredible benefits when practiced here. It didn't contribute much to one's realm cultivation, but it significantly enhanced internal energy, strength, and combat power.
It was a priceless treasure and Hua Shirong's secret. He couldn't reveal it casually; he had to diligently cultivate it.
After careful consideration, Hua Shirong realized that if he wanted to put his plans into action, he needed a profound transformation in the next two years.
All perfect plans had to be implemented through action.
"A day's plan starts in the morning," and that's where it would begin each day.
The next morning, before dawn, Hua Shirong got up and went to the forest in the dormitory area.
The first task was to practice the Mortal Art once in the morning and once in the evening.
This was the foundation and the focal point. The practice duration was set at half an hour, using the flow of Qi in the meridians as a guide. Once the internal energy was replenished, the practice could be concluded.
In Hua Shirong's view, this was ample time. Often, he would achieve the desired effect before half an hour had passed.
Nevertheless, he would still practice for the full half hour. No one would willingly discard internal energy that was more abundant and refined.
The second task was training for physical fitness.
This training took place in the training ground.
Although his realm had reached the fifth stage of the Martial Adept realm, his physical condition lagged far behind, and his resistance was poor. This was the most critical issue and required enhanced training.
Without a strong physique, even the best combat power was useless!
In the training ground, he would start with a ten-kilometer jog to adjust his physical state, followed by practicing the foundational technique he had learned, the Demon Subduing Fist.
In this world, mastering a certain level of martial skills was essential. Although it was only a basic skill, it was the only martial technique that Hua Shirong had mastered. Its attacking power was limited, but it was better than nothing, and having some skill was always better than having none.
The third task was the three spells, which were Hua Shirong's secret and must not be revealed casually.
As these three spells advanced in their practice, their power would become even more formidable.
The ability to preserve one's life was crucial and could not be neglected. The practice of these three spells could only be done privately when no one was around.
The intricate hand movements could be practiced at any time. While someone might notice his fingers moving, they would never suspect that he was manipulating the complex gestures of advanced spells.