Before the start of the Behemoth Alliance's annual competition, a rookie training camp is held. Of course, not just anyone can join—it comes with a fee.

The Alliance hires star players and coaches to provide intense training for the rookies, followed by group confrontations.

Doctor Mao's new boss was quite the tycoon and had signed him up.

"You'll definitely make a name for yourself at the rookie camp," Darkray confidently told his buddy.

Chen Gu casually asked, "Where's the training camp?"

"It seems to be in the Creek Mountain Nature Reserve."

Chen Gu was surprised: the Creek Mountain Nature Reserve was precisely the primitive area where the Huai Shan Branch School was located.

However, given the prestige of Huai Shan Branch School, it's unlikely the training camp is within three hundred kilometers of the school, he estimated.

The three of them reunited on Capital Star, full of spirit. Darkray accidentally drank too much, and Chen Gu and Mao Yisheng had to take him home. When drunk, the boisterous Darkray developed a peculiar habit: belting out songs at the top of his lungs!

All along the way, he roared popular songs from Empire River Star. To the pedestrians on Capital Star, these songs sounded "earthy" and straightforward, with lyrics filled with words like "brothers," "drinking together," and "shoulder to shoulder."

Of course, his singing was terrible, earning him the unanimous scorn of Chen Gu and Mao Yisheng. Yet, Darkray refused to concede, debating with them with the earnestness unique to a drunkard.

He could barely articulate, yet he thought he was making perfect sense!

After Chen Gu sent Darkray home and then saw Mao Yisheng off, he was finally alone. Suddenly, a feeling struck him: These two guys are becoming more and more like my goofy old friends, Ossosa and the others.

He sighed softly, a melancholic expression on his face.

Perhaps this was the true reason why the human race and alien species battled so fiercely, he mused.

Whether it's the Alien Insect Race or the civilization represented by the base, either could bring utter annihilation to the human race. All the people and things that bring warmth, joy, and happiness would be completely erased!

On the surface, the mysterious civilization of the base seems approachable, perhaps even open to communication. But even if communication is possible, we must secretly prepare for the worst. A single mistake in such matters could lead to irreversible ruin; this isn't a game, and there are absolutely no second chances.

「Three days later.」

Mao Yisheng entered the rookie training camp, and as it happened, Huai Shan Branch School also started its term on that very day!

The start date for higher education institutions across the Confederation wasn't unified, considering the various colonized planets' environments, climates, and customs, but the difference in timing between them wasn't substantial.

However, the Tiangong Military Division hadn't started its term yet! As a branch school... the principal had a sudden idea: Let's have military training for the new students!

So, the military training for new students began.

Then, the principal had another brainwave: Let's start the school year!

Consequently, while there were still over ten days before the Tiangong Military Division would begin classes, Huai Shan Branch School had already commenced its lessons.

On the first day of school, Ye Feileng arrived.

She was the instructor for this intake of new students—Wang Chengqian had another role: dormitory manager.

At Huai Shan Branch School, this position meant he was responsible for the logistics work for this intake of new students, but he wasn't qualified to interfere with teaching duties.

The reason was simply his low Energy Level.

Even Chen Gu was inwardly astounded when he found out. This could only happen at Huai Shan Branch School; otherwise, a dignified Fifth Energy Level individual would be a significant figure in any organization.

Ye Feileng made no effort to hide her dislike for Chen Gu. She was their instructor, and she felt she had that prerogative. So what if these new students have bright futures? I also came up through these ranks. They might be good, but compared to me, they're still far behind, she thought.

"Everyone, first choose your mentors. Huai Shan Branch School is different from other colleges; here, mentors are responsible for guiding your cultivation in your chosen profession.

"Additionally, there are various public courses. I'm warning you all not to skip classes. Public courses are an important way to earn credits, and the school mandates that every student must complete over twenty public courses to graduate. Otherwise, you won't receive your diploma."

Then, she displayed a list of professors. This list contained far more detailed information than what was available on the school's website. It included each professor's specialization, areas of expertise, significant research topics, and even the academic performance of students they had previously mentored.

Ye Feileng walked down, approaching Bai Zhijin first. She spoke to him in a low voice, advising him on which professor to choose.

Only after Bai Zhijin had made his choice did she begin to ask the other students one by one, though her attitude remained as aloof as usual.

However, when she reached Chen Gu, she walked past without a glance or a question.

Chen Gu didn't mind; he had already fallen out with Ye Feileng. If Ye Feileng were to suddenly act warmly towards me, I'd definitely be extra vigilant.

This current situation, where we can't stand the sight of each other and neither wants to bother with the other, is actually quite good.

Chen Gu remembered Marshal Bai telling him to choose Zhong Yuanbei as his mentor.

He carefully examined Professor Zhong Yuanbei's profile.

As he looked, a sense of admiration welled up within him. Professor Zhong Yuanbei is a Microscopic Analyst, a formidable Eighth Energy Level expert!

Most of the other professors were at the Seventh Energy Level.

Furthermore, according to the school's ranking system for mentors, Zhong Yuanbei was a "Preaching Master," the highest rank.

Below that were "Teaching Masters" and "Doubt-Solving Masters."

Professor Zhong Yuanbei's research subjects were even more impressive; they were all collaborative projects with the Military Division or Star Mansion, classified at the highest level within the Confederation.

And his list of research achievements was extensive...

But as Chen Gu read further, he felt something wasn't quite right. First, Professor Zhong Yuanbei had very few students.

In the two intakes before Chen Gu's, there wasn't a single one. However, a student from an even earlier intake had yet to graduate and was still repeating courses under Zhong Yuanbei; Huai Shan Branch School only had a three-year program.

Further down, there was a series of special annotations in red font: This professor has a particularly bad temper and is involved in numerous civil disputes.

To date, this "Preaching Master" had injured four neighbors, had altercations with restaurant staff eight times, argued with government officials ten times, and committed thirty-two traffic violations...

Chen Gu stared, dumbfounded. What a... short fuse this guy has.

Under such a professor... Chen Gu hesitated. He leaned over to look at Qiao Shuangyi's selection and asked, "Which mentor are you planning to choose?"

Qiao Shuangyi had already made his choice. "Hahaha," he laughed, "I found out long ago! It's definitely Professor Mu Heping. He's known as the easiest mentor to graduate under!"

Chen Gu glanced over. Good heavens! In stark contrast to Professor Zhong Yuanbei's "desolate hall," Professor Mu Heping's could be described as a "bustling marketplace."

He recruited at least two new students every year, without fail. The year before last, he even took on four students! Huai Shan Branch School only admitted a dozen or so students each year, and he alone accounted for nearly a third of them.

Looking at his other information, Professor Mu Heping's qualifications were also quite good. He was currently a "Teaching Master" and was working towards becoming a "Preaching Master."

As for his research projects, they were quite "eclectic." They spanned all sorts of levels; some were very impressive, while others... clearly looked like vanity projects for show, with little practical value.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.