The cabin door opened, and Li Wen, Fang Chenghong, and Fang Jingshan descended the ramp together.

As soon as they landed, they saw Fang Chengwu, who had been waiting for them.

He still had the same, somewhat ordinary appearance, but his eyes held a smile of relief and pride.

"You’re back," Fang Chengwu said, stepping forward, his voice steady.

"Teacher Fang!" Li Wen quickly bowed.

"Brother Chengwu," Fang Chenghong also greeted with a smile.

Fang Jingshan looked at Fang Chengwu and gave a slight nod. Nothing more needed to be said.

After a few simple pleasantries, Fang Chengwu’s gaze fell on Li Wen, his tone filled with emotion.

"Number one in the world, the top scorer of Fire Hall University. Li Wen, well done! Your name has caused a sensation throughout the entire Hua Country—no, the entire planet."

Li Wen smiled, a little embarrassed. "It’s all thanks to my teachers’ guidance."

"Humility is a virtue, but this is your glory. You should accept it with grace."

Fang Jingshan added coolly from the side, his voice carrying a natural authority, "For the next few days, focus on your personal matters. Chengwu and I will be in the city, so your safety is guaranteed."

Li Wen nodded gratefully. After bidding farewell to Fang Chenghong and Fang Jingshan, he got into a private car arranged for him by the Fire Hall and headed straight for his new home in the Fire Hall’s family residential area.

Just as he had expected, ever since the news of his return to Bluestone County yesterday had leaked, a media storm had been brewing, ready to sweep through the entire county.

The gates and academic buildings of Bluestone Third Middle School were covered in bright red celebratory banners:

"A Warm Congratulations to Our Student Li Wen on Achieving First Place in the Fire Hall University Global Entrance Assessment!" and "The Pride of Third Middle School, the Glory of Bluestone!"

...

A crowd of excited students and citizens had even gathered spontaneously at the school gates.

Meanwhile, the Li family’s group chat had long been flooded with a sea of congratulatory messages.

Those relatives—especially the ones who had been cold to Li Wen’s family during the ancestral worship and had fawned over Li Changjie while belittling Li Wen—were now so enthusiastic their messages could practically melt the group chat’s interface.

Praises flowed in like a tide, as if Li Wen were a prodigious child they had watched grow up, one in whom the entire family had invested all their hopes and efforts.

Thanks to Fang Chengwu’s prior warning and Li Wen’s own insistence, his parents had moved into the Fire Hall’s family residence ahead of time.

The compound, guarded by High-level Martial Artists, became a solid barrier against the surging crowds from the outside world.

The local branch of the Fire Hall turned away all media outlets attempting to conduct interviews and all levels of officials trying to curry favor, using the official excuse that Li Wen needed to enter seclusion to prepare for future matters and could not have contact with outsiders for his safety.

And so, the reporters who couldn’t get to him and the local officials eager to bask in his reflected glory had no choice but to flock to the Li family’s other relatives, Li Wen’s former neighbors, and—Bluestone Third Middle School.

At Li Wen’s home, the local news channel was on TV.

During dinner, the family of three sat around the dining table as an interview segment came on the screen.

On screen was a middle-aged woman—the very same aunt from the ancestral worship who had said, "The county’s Third Middle School is no good, don’t compare Li Wen to Changjie"—grinning so wide her eyes disappeared, spittle flying as she spoke:

"...Oh, my! I always said that our Li Wen was a smart and sensible kid, even from a young age. You could just see it in his eyes! That never-give-up spirit! I’m telling you, I could tell he was a dragon when he was just a boy! Destined to soar to the heavens!

His mother and I are the closest, I was always telling her how promising he was, reminding him to work hard. And look, wasn’t I right? Number one in the world! The ancestral graves of our old Li family must be smoldering with incense..."

Watching the beaming face on the TV, a stark contrast to her previously harsh demeanor, Li Wen and his parents exchanged a look. They said nothing, just shared a tacit, bittersweet smile.

Some things are better left unsaid, even when understood.

Next, the camera cut to Li Yue, her delicate features filled with sincere admiration.

"Brother Wen... Brother Li Wen has always been incredibly hardworking and low-key. He used to study quietly at school, and none of us realized just how amazing he was... He’s our role model!"

Then, Wang Hu appeared.

The homeroom teacher who had taught Li Wen for two and a half years was now in high spirits. Facing a forest of microphones and cameras from the reporters, he spoke with eloquence and confidence:

"I’ve been keeping an eye on that kid, Li Wen, ever since he started high school. His fundamentals were a bit weak, but his drive, that tenacity to be hard on himself—I’ve rarely seen it in all my years of teaching. What does it mean to have ’ordinary talent, extreme effort, and rise from adversity’? He’s a living textbook example!

I was convinced back then that this kid would definitely make a name for himself in the Martial Dao. I am incredibly proud to have a student like him! He has created a true miracle!"

Seeing Wang Hu’s beaming face and hearing the undisguised pride and affirmation in his words, the smile on Li Wen’s face faded, replaced by a deep sense of respect and gratitude.

He recalled his two and a half years in high school. Wang Hu had indeed been just as he said—he had always been watching over him.

When he applied for financial aid, it was Wang Hu who championed his cause. When he was struggling financially, Wang Hu would always "coincidentally" find that some spots for the self-funded class "outstanding student fund" were vacant.

Or he would slip him some inexpensive training supplements under the guise of a personal award... These small, silent acts of kindness supported Li Wen through those difficult years.

The last time he returned from the Fire Hall, he had sought out Wang Hu, wanting to use a portion of the huge signing bonus the Fire Hall had given him to repay his teacher’s kindness.

But Wang Hu’s face hardened, and without another word, he kicked him out of the office, tossing a sentence over his shoulder:

"You brat, are you looking down on your teacher? Take that money back! Having taught a student like you is reward enough for a lifetime! If you really want to repay me, go out there and make an even bigger name for yourself!"

This bond went beyond money.

It settled in the bottom of Li Wen’s heart, heavy and warm like a cornerstone.

He knew the best way to repay Wang Hu was to live up to his expectations and climb ever higher on the peak of the Martial Dao.

In the following days, Li Wen didn’t go into complete "seclusion."

First, he solemnly invited Wang Hu and Fang Chengwu to a family dinner to express his gratitude.

The two teachers were gratified, but also repeatedly reminded him to guard against arrogance and impatience and to build a solid foundation after entering Fire Hall University.

Then, he received some visiting clan elders who genuinely cared for him, as well as some high-level officials from the county, the city, and even Xijiang Province.

These visits were mostly ceremonial. The visitors were well aware that Li Wen’s time was precious, so they mostly just offered congratulations and encouragement, promising that the local authorities would provide his family with all possible care, mainly ensuring his parents’ safety and comfort in the county.

Finally, at his parents’ request, Li Wen arranged a small family banquet in a small restaurant within the Fire Hall’s family residence, inviting the main members of the Li clan.

The atmosphere at the banquet was subtle. The center of attention, which had once revolved around Li Fude’s family, had now quietly shifted to Li Wen.

Li Fude’s family also attended, but Li Changjie was much quieter, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions as he looked at Li Wen.

...

Time slipped by like flowing water.

「In the blink of an eye, it was June 7th.」

The early morning sunlight streamed through the window and into the room.

Li Wen woke up on his large, comfortable bed, full of energy.

After washing up, he went to the dining room. His father’s health had recovered well, his complexion ruddy, and his mother was setting a sumptuous breakfast on the table.

"Mom, Dad, good morning."

"Morning, Ah Wen. Hurry and eat. Did you check all your things?" his mother asked with concern.

"Yeah, everything’s ready. Don’t worry." Li Wen smiled, sat down, and enjoyed a heartwarming breakfast with his parents.

For him, the college entrance exam was no longer a turning point of destiny, but more of a ritual of closure and bearing witness.

After breakfast, Li Wen politely declined his parents’ offer to see him off to the exam, and took the Fire Hall’s exclusive black sedan alone to the Bluestone First Middle School exam site in the county center.

The car drove smoothly along the familiar streets under the perfect sunlight.

When the private car stopped silently some distance from the gates of the First Middle School, he was met with a sea of people.

The bustling crowd was mostly made up of parents seeing their children off to the exam, their faces a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, excitement, and well-wishes.

The area in front of the school gate was impossibly crowded, and police officers and volunteers were struggling to maintain order.

Li Wen was dressed in a T-shirt and pants, no different from any other student. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to the low-key yet impressive private car, he quickly pushed open the door, slipped into the crowd like a fish, and in a few steps, merged into the stream of students heading for the gate, passing through security smoothly with the other examinees.

This was the first time in his life that Li Wen had ever set foot in Bluestone First Middle School.

The campus before him—with its shady trees, numerous academic buildings, and wide athletic field—was unfamiliar, yet it held a certain historical sense of distance for him.

His pace was unhurried as his calm gaze swept over his surroundings.

A unique feeling welled up in his heart.

Once upon a time, this school, the best in Bluestone County, had been the goal he dreamed of in middle school, like a dazzling watershed in life.

He had studied with all his might, but in the end, due to his unsatisfactory results in the Martial Dao assessment, he was defeated by the reality of innate talent and dejectedly enrolled in Bluestone Third Middle School, which was considered the worst at the time.

Back then, Bluestone First Middle School was, for him, a towering peak to be looked up at, an unreachable summit.

Who could have imagined that today, just over two years later, he would stand on the grounds of this school again in a completely different capacity?

He was the legendary graduate who had made Third Middle School hang celebratory banners; he was the peerless prodigy personally escorted by a Marquis Level expert from the Fire Hall; he was the name that made all of Bluestone County buzz with excitement—Li Wen.

Furthermore, he was the number one new student in the world, about to step into Fire Hall University, the Martial Arts Holy Land of humanity.

’Today is more than just different from the past.’

The county’s First Middle School, once so far out of his reach, was now like a small stepping stone beneath his feet.

Li Wen tilted his head back slightly, looking at the banner hanging on the academic building that read, "Stay Calm and Honest During the Exam." A faint, indifferent smile touched the corners of his lips.

With the air of someone merely experiencing life, he walked unhurriedly toward the classroom marked as his exam hall, basking in the bright sunlight amidst the nervous, quickening steps of the students around him.

There, a calm and special national college entrance exam was about to unfold—an event that was "life-changing" for ordinary students, but for him, merely "icing on the cake."

His goal was crystal clear: to use this final, real-world scenario of the college entrance exam to perfectly accumulate experience points for his Scholar class and complete his final transformation.

Then, he would embark upon a sea of stars, toward the higher peaks of the Martial Dao.