Chapter 27: The Strongest High School Student in Star City!

The spectators outside were already in an uproar, the clamor surging like a tide, almost lifting the roof of the entire hall.

"My god, that’s insane!"
"That was a god-tier performance!"
"The third stage requires the strength of a sixth-level Origin-Gathering Realm practitioner!"
"Even the high school graduates this year wouldn't necessarily be able to clear it, right?"
"Could it be some college student who hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet coming here for a bit of fun?"

Bai Yue and Lin Yichen were flushed with excitement. They pulled out their phones and hurriedly scanned the QR code displayed on the giant screen. Through this, they could rewatch Shi Yu’s clearance video. Bai Yue’s eyes sparkled; this was her brother’s combat footage, and she absolutely had to save it.

"Shi Yu..." Liang Cheng murmured to himself, staring at the ID on the screen.

He was one of the top-ranked students at Star City No. 1 High School, standing among the elite. As such, his standards were high, and ordinary students rarely caught his eye. At his school, the only person Liang Cheng truly respected was Sheng Jianxing, the perennial top student of the grade, nicknamed the "Sword God."

Yet, at this very moment, watching the incredibly dominant combat footage of "Shi Yu" on the big screen, he had to admit that the person before him possessed strength far surpassing that of Sheng Jianxing. At the very least, he did not believe Sheng Jianxing was capable of clearing this challenge; it would likely take him another half a year or more to reach such a level.

"Who exactly are you?"
"Which high school are you from?"

Liang Cheng’s gaze remained locked on the still-closed virtual cabin door. A fierce curiosity burned within him: "Changjun? Yali? Or Mingde?" A high schooler of this caliber had to be from one of the "Big Four" prestigious schools; it was unlikely to be anywhere else.

"Liang Cheng, this guy... he’s too strong!" Wu Hui’s voice sounded in his ear, filled with utter shock. "He’s much stronger than our school’s Sheng Jianxing!"

Wu Hui had previously asserted with absolute certainty that no one could clear this challenge, but at this moment, he had completely forgotten those words. They were all high school students, yet their strength existed in entirely different dimensions.

"Indeed," Liang Cheng sighed. "Sheng Jianxing is the strongest at our No. 1 High School. But he... he is undoubtedly the strongest high schooler in Star City."

...

Shi Yu stood quietly in place. According to the game instructions, after clearing the stage, rewards would be issued based on combat performance. This was one of the key incentives for people to participate.

A dozen seconds later, golden characters gradually emerged in the air:

[Game reward calculation in progress...]
[Historical record for fastest clearance achieved; additional rewards granted...]
[Clearance holder, ID: Shi Yu, Real Name: Shi Yu, Age: 17]
[Rewards as follows:]
[Lifetime free access to the Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area]
[Clearance bonus: 100,000 Great Xia Credits]
[Qi and Blood Supplement Set: Valued at 50,000]
[Martial Soul Hall Hongmeng Network: One-month special trial access]
[Invitation code: IFELSI0348]

As Shi Yu’s eyes scanned the last two lines, his gaze lingered. The other rewards were fine, but the true value lay in this Hongmeng Network.

The Hongmeng Network was established by the Martial Soul Hall, the highest regulatory body for martial artists in Great Xia. All martial organizations in the nation, including the five most powerful—Pangu, Kunlun, Taihang, Tianheng, and Qiyao—were managed by the Martial Soul Hall. For instance, if disputes arose between martial organizations, the Martial Soul Hall would step in to mediate. Furthermore, the Hall served as the official representative for Great Xia in any cooperation or exchange with martial artists from other nations on Earth. Even if a martial artist wished to establish a new organization, they had to register with the Martial Soul Hall to obtain an official operating license.

To promote the improvement of domestic martial standards, balance developmental differences across regions, and increase combat experience, the Martial Soul Hall had established the Hongmeng Network sixty years ago. Today, it was the largest martial arts network in the world, with millions of martial artists gathering there daily to spar and exchange ideas.

The Hongmeng Network divided each martial realm into seven tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Star-Glory, and Sovereign. Usually, taking the Foundation Establishment Realm as an example, Bronze and Silver corresponded to the early stage, Gold and Platinum to the middle stage, and Diamond and Star-Glory to the late stage, while Sovereign corresponded to the perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm. The same applied to other realms. The top-ranked individuals in each tier received various martial resource rewards.

However, the Hongmeng Network was only open to martial artists at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher. In other words, one usually had to reach college and complete their Foundation Establishment before they were eligible to register for an account.

But now, with the invitation code provided, Shi Yu could enter and experience it early as a practitioner of the Origin-Gathering Realm. Although it was only for one month, the benefits were immeasurable. In daily life, there were few opportunities to come into contact with extraordinary beings. Until now, the only extraordinary beings Shi Yu had met—besides Principal Zhu and Principal Song at his school, and Xia Yuan, the uncle of his classmate Xia Yu—could be counted on one hand.

But on the Hongmeng Network, any public combat could be viewed. Aside from the final realm of the Extraordinary Domain, the Earthly Realm, battles from almost all other levels were available—such as the Mortal Domain’s Foundation Establishment and Aperture Opening, and the Extraordinary Domain’s Outer Gang and Origin Domain. Among them, the Foundation Establishment and Aperture Opening battles were the most frequent, often accompanied by professional analysis and commentary. For a martial artist with the right mindset, the potential for expanding one's horizons and gaining inspiration was limitless.

Shi Yu was satisfied as he stepped out of the virtual experience cabin. The other rewards would be credited to his account in a couple of days; he had already decided to set aside some resources for his younger sister and Aunt Lan. His sister was about to enter high school, and as her brother, being able to make her future path a bit smoother was his greatest comfort.

Shi Yu switched off the cabin, and the door opened slowly. Two small heads with ponytails were already waiting impatiently.

"Brother! You were so cool, it’s unbelievable!" Bai Yue’s eyes were filled with stars. Lin Yichen was equally stunned.

Shi Yu smiled and patted their heads, then led the two girls away.

"Excuse me! Apologies for the intrusion..." A young man with a short, thick buzz cut approached him. It was Liang Cheng.

He looked at Shi Yu, his curiosity burning like a flame. "May I ask... which high school do you attend? And if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me your name?"

Facing his peer, Liang Cheng’s tone carried a hint of respect. He had a clear realization that the handsome young man before him was by no means an ordinary high schooler; his strength far exceeded those of his generation.

Shi Yu looked at Liang Cheng and offered a gentle smile. At this moment, he was a completely different person from the ferocious warrior who had cut down the Dark-Ming warriors earlier.

"Yali High School, Shi Yu."
"Shi as in 'rock,' Yu as in 'universe.'"

The young man led the two girls, stepped out of the museum, and walked into the light.