Volume One Entering the Path Chapter Eleven The Entrance Ceremony

After sleeping for three days and three nights, Ye Junze, after catching up with his family, found that dusk had quietly fallen. And when he drifted off to sleep as usual, without realizing it, he once again arrived at that familiar place from the night before. Opening his eyes, Ye Junze couldn’t help but mutter, “Is it this place again? What secret does it hold? Tonight, I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

It was then that Meng Yuan appeared. At the time, Meng Yuan greeted him, “I’m glad you’ve returned, Master.” From that night on, Ye Junze visited this place every night, up until today. And it was from that moment that, under Meng Yuan’s guidance, Ye Junze began training in the art of the Ethereal Path. Over these two years of cultivation, he could no longer count how many times he’d endured grueling, inhuman training. At one point, he was convinced Meng Yuan was a sadist, but thankfully he persevered and continually grew stronger.

Thinking back, Ye Junze smiled and sighed, “Two years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time flies. I hope I can uncover the truth soon.”

Having finished his training, Ye Junze stretched lazily and said, “That’s enough for today. It’s getting late. I believe tomorrow is the entrance ceremony—I should get some rest. Good night, Meng Yuan.”

“Good night.”

……

Early the next morning, Ye Junze was jolted awake by a booming voice. It sounded as if someone were using a loudspeaker, barking, “All new students, please assemble in the Assembly Hall. The entrance ceremony is about to begin.” As if afraid people might not hear, the voice repeated several times, and finally, satisfied that everyone got the message, it fell silent.

All the new students, upon hearing the announcement, rose and began preparing to head toward the Assembly Hall. As they wondered where the hall was, as though someone had anticipated their confusion, each student received a message on their phone. Upon opening it, they found a map of Anze Academy, with the exact location of the Assembly Hall clearly marked.

Just as Ye Junze was getting ready to leave for the Assembly Hall, he received a message. Glancing at his phone, he saw it was from Lin Xin: “Junior, are you up yet? Today’s the entrance ceremony—don’t be late!”

Ye Junze thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, “With such a loud wake-up call, even a pig would be awake by now. Thanks for the reminder, Senior.”

Lin Xin quickly replied, “No need to thank me, Junior. Who knows, maybe I’ll need your help with something in the future. That’s all for now—I’m off to class. See you around.”

“Alright, see you.”

After finishing the conversation, Ye Junze quickly washed up and left his dorm, heading for the Assembly Hall. Just as he stepped outside, he bumped into Wang Dongdong, who was also leaving. Wang Dongdong greeted him cheerfully, “Good morning, Ye! You’re off to the Assembly Hall too? Want to walk together?”

Ye Junze had no objection and replied with a smile, “Sure, let’s go together.”

Following the map, the two made their way toward the Assembly Hall. Along the way, they saw many of the same faces from the day before, as well as some newcomers, likely those who’d arrived later.

As they walked, Wang Dongdong glanced at others around them and chatted with Ye Junze, suddenly asking, “Ye, do you think our school’s entrance ceremony will be as dull as those at other schools? If it’s just long-winded speeches from the administration, I’ll fall asleep on the spot.”

“Who knows? But this school is so unique—I imagine the entrance ceremony will be something out of the ordinary.”

Their idle conversation carried them quickly to the Assembly Hall. Before them stood a building much like an auditorium, but what made it special was its sheer size. It was larger than any hall Ye Junze had seen before—how large, he could only say, was immense.

As they approached, they saw others already entering. Wang Dongdong suggested, “Shall we head in too, Ye?”

“Let’s go,” Ye Junze replied, stepping forward, with Wang Dongdong hurrying to follow.

Inside, they found many small groups already seated. The two quickly found seats and settled in, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

After a while, when nearly all the new students had arrived, Ye Junze scanned the hall, estimating there were around four or five hundred people. He recalled there hadn’t been nearly so many yesterday—clearly, many had arrived later. He asked Wang Dongdong beside him, “Do you know how many students are enrolled at our school in total?”

Wang Dongdong thought for a moment, “I actually asked around about that yesterday. Excluding teachers and staff, there are about three to four thousand students in total, but I’m not sure of the exact number.”

Ye Junze mused to himself that, in the country, there were very few universities with only three or four thousand students—even total enrollment, not just new students. He found himself more and more curious about the school’s admission standards.

The hall was nearly full, but the ceremony showed no sign of beginning. The new students gradually grew restless, their conversations swelling with questions and uncertainty about the school. Just as the noise was growing to a crescendo, the same voice that had summoned them to the hall rang out again: “The entrance ceremony is about to begin. Please remain quiet.”

The crowd quickly quieted down, and when the hall was completely silent, the lights suddenly dimmed, as if someone had flicked off a switch. In the darkness, a projection appeared at the center of the hall. All eyes were immediately drawn to it. At first, the image was blurry, but soon it sharpened, and scenes began to play across the screen.

The projection displayed images of people locked in fierce battles—some fighting other humans, others facing off against bizarre, fantastical beasts, and some against strange, mutated beings. The combatants wielded weapons, some fought empty-handed, but all exuded an aura of overwhelming power. One man’s hands glowed as he unleashed a mighty vortex of energy, sending his monstrous opponent reeling. Another, armed with a weapon, moved with such mastery that it seemed alive in his hands, responding to his every thought. Others hovered above the ground, commanding flying swords that whistled through the air—an awe-inspiring sight.

The new students were utterly captivated, afraid to blink for fear of missing something extraordinary. The scenes flashed by at a dizzying pace, each technique more dazzling than the last, filling the audience with longing. Many wondered if they, too, could one day soar through the sky and command such power. Some seemed to know more than they let on, watching quietly, confident that they could one day achieve what was displayed.

Ye Junze, however, was less affected. He had experienced countless battles like those depicted over the past two years. Even the sword-flying techniques shown—he had mastered them just the night before. Meanwhile, Wang Dongdong sat beside him, gaping in astonishment, mouth agape as if he could swallow a fist, uttering constant exclamations of awe.

Ye Junze watched the projection in silence, suspecting that this school was a place for training in the art of cultivation and combat—and that the battles depicted were likely what awaited him in the future. As these thoughts crossed his mind, the final image faded from the screen, and the projection slowly disappeared. The familiar voice returned: “Now, please welcome the Principal to the stage.”

The audience responded with enthusiastic applause, as if offering the warmest welcome to their new Principal. Amid the applause, a figure walked slowly to the stage and, facing the students, said, “Greetings, everyone. I am Bai Ze.”