Chapter 133: Better to Die with Pride than Live in Shame

After Yin Jia and the others had finished reporting on the students' classroom performance, Director Liu clapped his hands in satisfaction. Looking at them, he said, "You have all reported well. I have a fairly good grasp of the situation now."

Director Liu pressed his hands downward in a gesture for them to settle, then continued, "Very well, you may all sit down now."

Hearing this, the group naturally complied and took their seats. Once everyone had settled, Director Liu turned his gaze toward the others in the room and said slowly, "Regarding the situation of our current freshmen, I believe everyone here is well aware of it. Does anyone have anything they would like to add?"

Upon hearing this, a middle-aged man sitting at the table smiled and said, "Listening to their reports, it is clear that our Daoist Arts Department has indeed admitted some excellent prospects this year. In my opinion, we can certainly feel confident about securing a victory in this year’s Academy Grand Competition."

The others nodded in agreement, finding his words quite reasonable.

Suddenly, however, a female voice broke through, countering, "To say such a thing now, I believe, is premature. As Director Liu mentioned earlier, the resurgence of spiritual energy does not benefit only the students of our Daoist Arts Department; other departments surely have students with equally impressive cultivation talent. To be blindly optimistic at this stage would be, in my view, inappropriate."

The middle-aged man was about to retort, but upon hearing her words, he seemed to realize the point and slowly nodded in acknowledgement. The rest of the group, rather than seeing her as merely playing devil's advocate, surprisingly fell into a consensus, nodding as if they found her argument quite sound.

Observing these two contrasting viewpoints, Director Liu smiled nonchalantly and said, "Xue Yu is right. We should not become complacent or blindly optimistic just because we have a few talented students. However, there is no need to be overly harsh either. Regardless, we shall proceed with the Academy Grand Competition step by step, as planned. Let us not go out of our way to force these students into anything. Remember, pushing a plant to make it grow faster is never a good thing. At the end of the day, cultivation is their own journey. As teachers, our role is simply to provide guidance; the rest is up to them."

The attendees nodded, responding in unison, "Yes, we understand."

Director Liu waved his hand dismissively and said, "Then, let us move on from the freshmen. Next, I invite the teachers of the senior years to report on the situation of their respective grades."

The group nodded, and a teacher from the second year of the Daoist Arts Department rose to begin the report. The meeting, composed of all the faculty and leadership of the Daoist Arts Department, proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Time passed quickly. Once all the second-year teachers had spoken, the third-year teachers took their turns. Everyone was well-prepared, knowing how to deliver their reports with maximum efficiency. Soon, the third-year situation was fully covered, and it was the turn of the fourth-year teachers.

This time, however, things were a bit different. While the previous reports focused on life within the academy, the fourth-year report shifted toward the students' activities outside the campus walls.

This was due to a specific regulation at Anze Academy: all students were required to undergo field training starting in their fourth year. These students would serve as enforcement officers for the Enforcement Department to complete various tasks or carry out assignments issued by their Daoist Arts instructors.

Regardless of the method, the primary goal was to temper the students and prevent them from becoming mere "paper tigers" who could only speak in theories. After all, the vast investment Anze poured into its students each year was not meant to produce individuals who knew only basic theory or simple techniques. Every student at Anze would eventually face battles of unimaginable intensity. In these conflicts, injuries were common, and fatalities were a real possibility. If they were not trained and tempered early, how could they possibly face the battlefield? Would it not be sending them to their deaths as empty shells?

Thus, the fourth-year requirement, while seemingly obscure, was of paramount importance.

The fourth-year teachers were now detailing the specifics of their students' field training—what dangers they had encountered, the severity of their injuries, and how they had completed their missions. Every detail was laid out for Director Liu. He listened with a calm expression, his thoughts unreadable, only nodding occasionally to signal the speaker to continue.

When the teacher finally concluded, he cupped his hands and said, "Director Liu, that covers the situation for all the fourth-year students in the Daoist Arts Department."

Director Liu waved for him to sit. "Very well, I have noted it. Please, take your seat."

Once the teacher sat down, Director Liu continued, "The students mentioned by Instructor Jiang Yu are all quite impressive. It seems that even when our students venture out, they possess the ability to hold their own. Of course, this is inseparable from the meticulous guidance you have all provided. It is thanks to our collective efforts that our students are capable of handling such varied situations."

As he spoke, Director Liu began to clap, offering applause to the teachers present. Seeing this, the group exchanged glances and joined in the applause.

When the room fell silent, another teacher remarked, "You are too modest, Director. In truth, it is your strategic leadership that has allowed our instruction to proceed so smoothly and effectively."

Director Liu smiled and waved it off. "Enough. Now that the reports for all years have concluded, let us discuss the focal point of this meeting: the Academy Grand Competition."

The expressions of those present grew grave and earnest as they waited for what he would say next. It was no wonder they were so serious; the Academy Grand Competition was the single most important annual event at Anze.

The competition was the ultimate reflection of a department's comprehensive strength. The departments that produced exceptional students would be immediately apparent, and the benefits were immense—the winning department would receive significant resources and rewards from the academy, not to mention a massive boost in prestige across the entire school. Thus, these teachers could not help but be invested. Seeing their students place well was a matter of great pride for them.

In previous years, while the Daoist Arts Department had not finished at the bottom, they had never achieved a stellar ranking, usually landing somewhere in the middle. Consequently, everyone in the room, including Director Liu, held a deep-seated desire to see their department produce students capable of seizing the crown and bringing glory to the Daoist Arts Department. With the influx of so many talented students this year, that anticipation was stronger than ever.

Director Liu looked at the solemn faces around him and said in a deep tone, "You are all well aware of the situation this year. We have many promising prospects. Because of this, I am wondering: should we attempt to reach for that first-place spot this year?"

The group nodded. One teacher spoke up, "The Director is right. Every year, being overshadowed by those other departments—though we don't say much, it is always a bitter pill to swallow."

The others nodded in empathy, clearly sharing the sentiment.

Director Liu continued, "I understand your feelings, of course. I feel the same. Every time I gather with those other 'old foxes,' I am constantly poked at regarding our standing, and it is difficult to maintain my composure."

It was no surprise, as those "old foxes" from other departments had each seen their respective departments take first place at least once in the past, while the Daoist Arts Department had yet to claim the title. Every time they met, it was a thorn in Director Liu's side.

He waved his hand, quieting the murmurs, and said, "The grumbling is over. Let us talk about the business at hand."

The room fell silent once more as they leaned in to listen to his instructions.

"This year," Director Liu said firmly, "we must make some changes."

The others nodded in agreement. Without further ado, Director Liu began to lead the group in a serious discussion regarding the preparations required for the Daoist Arts Department’s performance in this year’s Academy Grand Competition.

The meeting continued, proceeding in a steady and orderly manner.