The scenery came into focus in about two seconds. Zhang Yuanqing found himself in a large hall that was neither spacious nor small. Directly in front was a podium, a red carpet stretching down a central aisle, flanked on both sides by wooden benches. The layout resembled that of a church, though instead of Jesus crucified on a cross behind the podium, there was simply a row of teachers standing there. An elderly man with white hair stood on the podium, backed by a line of teachers. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing stood on the first row of benches on the left, with Yin Yao Princess and Xue Qiangwei beside him. "By heaven!" came a familiar voice from behind. "Master Yuan Shi, you're also attending this year's advanced training program?" "By heaven!" another clear, pleasant female voice chimed from the left. Zhang Yuanqing glanced around. Across from Yin Yao Princess was Sun Miao-miao; across from Xue Qiangwei was Zhao Chenghuang. Turning to look behind him, he saw Yuan Ting, someone he hadn't seen in over a month. "Oh for heaven's sake, you three are here too..." Zhang Yuanqing, taking the initiative to complain, said, "Whenever you're around, something always goes wrong." Yuan Ting, Sun Miaomiao: "...” The cool Zhao Chenghuang gave a slight nod. "Long time no see." Zhang Yuanqing hummed in response, then turned and glanced at the group of trainees behind him. A full line of graduate-level trainees stood at the bench—twenty-two in total. Among them, he recognized several familiar faces: Tianxia Guihuo, Yuan Ting, Guohe Zu, Hong Jigong, Xiahou Aotian, Niu Langan's Little Fairy, and the Peony Fairy. Well, nearly half of the people here are familiar. How exactly did Hong Jigong, a non-official member, manage to get in? Zhang Yuanqing mused to himself. "Hey, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, you're here too!" Hong Jigong waved enthusiastically, his voice booming. Upon hearing the name "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn," nearly everyone—both the male and female lecturers on the stage—turned to look. Amidst the steady glances, Zhang Yuanqing keenly sensed the underlying hostility in several of them. One was a handsome young man with a neatly styled, polished appearance, dressed in refined luxury brands, wearing three red cords on his wrist, silver ear studs, and a trendy hairstyle—clearly embodying the look of a celebrity intern. The other was composed and scholarly, wearing black-framed glasses, with single eyelids; at first glance, he exuded an intellectual air, but upon closer inspection, one noticed a sharp, somewhat cold and critical demeanor. He didn’t recognize either of them—subtly withdrawing his gaze, Zhang Yuanqing nodded politely toward the radiant young woman from Niulangshan and the peony goddess. He glanced again at Tianxia Guihuo, Guohe Zutian, and Xiaohou Aotian, making eye contact to exchange greetings. "Students whose names are called, just respond with 'Present.'" Pausing, he first turned to Zhang Yuanqing and said, "Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun!" "Present!" "Zhao Chenghuang." "Present!" "Sun Miao Miao." "Three Yang opens the lady's fortune." "Xia Chao Xue." ... After completing the roll call and confirming that the attendees matched the list he had received, the dean Li Yanxi continued, "Next, please allow our teachers to introduce themselves." He turned and looked at the first teacher on his left. "Saying that, she boldly cast a flirtatious glance at the students. A stunningly attractive woman... many male students found themselves enchanted, quietly anticipating a deeper connection. Well, so much for the reproductive-type beast king—right away, the fellow from Nianglang Mountain, a colleague of the same profession, recognized Song Man's attributes and gave a slight dismissive sigh. Xue Hou Ao Tian furrowed his brows, finding the teacher's graceful and alluring presence rather too captivating, perhaps not the ideal fit for a key member of the protagonist's harem. Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Song Man's gaze lingered on him the longest, yet he didn't pay much attention, instead thinking of the two students who held a hostile attitude toward him. He already knew their spiritual realm IDs: Zhu Mingxu and Zhao Feiwen. From the Zhu and Zhao families. That made perfect sense—Zhu Rong of the Zhu family had been detained by him and even publicly scolded by the Master of the Halt Killing Palace, leaving a deep grudge. As for Zhao Feichun and his father from the Zhao family, who had suffered serious injuries at his hands, their resentment was even more profound. It was entirely natural that The red-robed brother of average height raised his hand high. Song Man's eyes sparkled with grace and charm, smiling softly, "What would you like to ask me, dear student?" "I'm a Star Official, and I'm just curious..." ...Song Man forced a smile and stepped back to her original position. There are quite a few difficult students in this batch, the teachers thought. A middle-aged man approached, with a mysterious and alluring presence, bowing slightly to the group. "My name is the Star Observer. I'm the instructor in charge of celestial studies and Yin-Yang techniques. Any of you who are Star Officials can purchase private lessons from me. I'll teach you the combat techniques between Star Officials and Night Wandering Deities, as well as supplementary knowledge not covered in your character cards." As he said this, his gaze directly settled on the first and second rows on the left. "Mu Pan, the instructor for the Craftsmanship class." The teacher, Mu Pan, maintained a warm expression and gave a brief self-introduction—clearly a quiet, composed, and gentle-tempered personality. "Lin Su, the teacher for the Herbal Medicine class. I mainly focus on imparting pharmacological knowledge and some basic alchemy techniques so that you can independently prepare simple remedies—such as hemostatic and detoxifying pills. Of course, I can also teach you how to prepare toxic pills, which is part of my private instruction program. If you're interested, feel free to reach out to me personally." This is a young woman dressed in a white midi skirt and black long sleeves. "Now, I'd like to appoint the class president for this term. If everyone has no objections, then Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn shall take the position..." Me as class president? I'm here on vacation, not to take on responsibilities! Zhang Yuanqing instinctively resisted, about to decline, when a clear, firm voice interrupted: "I object!" The faculty and students turned to see the speaker—handsome in features, refined in demeanor, with an air of determination, as if determined to outshine even the heavens. He said, "In my opinion, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's experience, depth of insight, and rank are not sufficient to serve as class president. The position of class president must be held by a person of exceptional virtue and talent—someone destined for greatness." President Li Yanxi was momentarily stunned—unprepared for any opposition. At Qin Feng College's graduate program, academics were secondary to social engagement. Each cohort approached their studies with courtesy and diligence, actively building networks. Such a resolute, direct challenge was truly rare. Just now, when I called out names, I remembered he was named Xiahou Aotian, from the Xiahou family—so it makes sense they'd be targeting Yuanshizhentian. The official sages have heard of the longstanding grievances between the two families. Indeed, the Xiahou family has a very spirited tradition; with someone like him leading the charge, that's excellent. Zhu Mingxu and Zhao Fei exchanged a warm smile. But this guy's going a bit crazy again... Red Chicken thought to himself. Seeing Yuanshizhentian offering no response, the dean kindly asked, "Then, Xiahou Aotian, what do you think—whom do you believe is more qualified to serve as class president?" As if anticipating this very question, Xiahou Aotian lifted his proud head, surveyed the room with a sniff, and declared, "Among all of you, besides myself, Xiahou Aotian, the one destined by fate, who else could possibly serve as class president?" The hall fell silent once more, everyone now staring at Xiahou Aotian with a rather puzzled expression. So bold? There are quite a few difficult Zhang Yuan spoke confidently, "Director Li, I believe Xiaohou Aotian is both talented and virtuous, and fully capable of serving as class president." Director Li Yanxi paused and said, "Very well, then it's settled. Xiaohou Aotian will serve as class president for this term's graduate program. Everyone, does anyone have an objection?" Since even the Prime Immortal had willingly stepped aside, no one else could possibly have an objection. In truth, the title of class president was originally rather insignificant, with power often even less than that of a high school class president. At least, a high school class president could still report back to teachers. Next, Teacher Song Man from the medical office distributed maps of Qinfeng Academy to each participant, her voice gentle and warm. "The course schedule will be sent out later. Today, we have no classes. I'll be leading you around the academy—everyone, gather outside." The other teachers followed the director out through the side entrance. As they proceeded to leave in orderly fashion, everyone kept glancing at the maps. The Qinfeng Academy's副本 covers a total area of 7 square kilometers, of which 70% is occupied by lake water. The academy itself spans only 0.5 square kilometers, making it the largest island within the副本. The overall layout of the island is clearly visible: the grand hall, also known as the Linlang Library, is centrally located. Surrounding the library are dining halls, tea houses, cafés, and a cinema. Parks and flower gardens lie beyond these buildings. Student dormitories are situated at the eastern and western ends of the island, while faculty dormitories are located in the area behind the library. The "Pillar Workshop" and "Crafting Workshop" are built directly along the lake, at the island's far edges. Additionally, there are numerous smaller islands scattered across the vast Jiaoren Lake, marked on the map as the Chicken-Heart Island, the Spirit-Plant Island, the Hundred-Beast Island, and the Lava Island. Song Man, gracefully leading the way, guides the trainees through the academy buildings and introduces them: "At Qinfeng Academy, while formal meals are provided free of charge, all other services are charged." There's a bakery, a tea house, a spa, a café… "The staff at these places are office-based employees—be polite to them, don't be difficult." Then they headed to the college dormitory. The boys' dorm is a three-story building, with each room featuring two bedrooms and one living area—fully furnished, ready-to-move-in. "All daily necessities are provided free of charge. The college has prepared three sets of uniforms for you—should be enough for seven days of wear. If you accidentally damage any uniforms, you'll need to compensate at two million yuan per set." As Song Man finished speaking, Hong Ji immediately erupted in anger: "Those uniforms are made with simple craftsmanship and basic materials—like second-hand goods sold for just two hundred yuan. Charging two million for them seems rather steep." Song Man didn't respond, instead leading the group away from the boys' dorm to the pier at the edge of the island. At the pier, a white tourist boat is moored. An older man with a gloomy expression sits at the bow, smoking, glances briefly at the trainees, then lowers his eyes and continues to smoke without further attention. Song Man walked over, spoke with him for a while, then turned back and said: "Now we'll take you around the lake and show you the islands on it. The boat fare is 1,000 per person—please hold onto that. When you leave Qin Feng Academy, the organization will deduct it from your next month's salary." The middle-aged uncle extinguished his cigarette, started the boat, and steered it toward the shimmering lake. A cool breeze blew in from the lake, the sunlight bright and warm, the temperature neither too hot nor too cool. Inside the boat, the trainees greeted and chatted with one another. Hong Ji observed Tian Xia Gui Hui: "I've heard of you—you're the one who was humiliated by the Fire Master." Tian Xia Gui Hui replied coldly: "I simply use my brain more effectively than you do." Hong Ji looked at him with disdain: "Indeed, the true disgrace of the Fire Master—she didn't even get angry." Yuan Ting then approached the group of female trainees and said: "Sisters and sisters, would you like to hear some gossip? I know quite a bit about the private lives of the Xiahou Aotian rose silently, walked to the stern of the boat, and stood with hands folded, offering the group a solitary, refined, and world-apart silhouette. He probably thought this looked particularly impressive. "Once everyone had quieted down, she spoke clearly, 'The merfolk live in the Merfolk Lake. They are ancient beings, and they are highly territorial—resistant to strangers. You must remember: do not enter the lake without permission. Any violation will result in a major reprimand, a month's salary deducted, and a fine of 100,000 yuan. If you are attacked by the merfolk, be sure to seek assistance from the management.' She turned to the middle-aged man sitting at the helm of the boat. 'Also, the merfolk are excellent at using song to lure prey toward the lake's shore. If you hear their song, do not approach the lake.' As she spoke, Song Man suddenly flashed a warm, suggestive smile, glancing over the male trainees. 'Though the merfolk are beautiful as flowers, their body structure differs from that of humans, making them less ideal for romantic pursuits. Moreover, they have sharp little tiger teeth.' The younger female trainees didn't quite catch it, but the male trainees understood. Tiger teeth—damage done! Zhang Yuanqing, upon hearing that the female teacher was experienced, immediately asked: "Ms. Song, do you know Lingjun?" Song Wan smiled and replied: "My earlier advice actually stemmed from him. Lingjun studied at Qin Feng College and once, during the night, secretly entered the Jianren Lake, offending the Queen of the Jianren people and nearly being killed—thanks to the lake's administrator who saved him." "Did the Flower Gentleman actually do something so ridiculous?" one female student expressed disbelief. Shifting the topic, Song Wan said: "There's a type of fish in the lake called the Moonlight Fish. It has exquisite texture and delicious flavor. If you'd like to try it, you can pay to have the administrator harvest it—though the price is a bit high, at 5,000 yuan per kilogram." As soon as she finished speaking, Hongji Brother jumped up: "Me! I'll take ten kilograms—fresh, please!" Song Wan was momentarily stunned. Just moments before, this person had been furious about the school uniform costing 20,000 yuan, yet now he was eagerly and urgently placing a large order for the expensive Moonlight Fish. Z "Song Man" exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. At that moment, a melodic and pleasant song drifted into the ears of all present.