Septastar Era Calendar, Year 2042, September.
Solara, Norhaven Province, Fluvia City.
A city known as the 'Furnace,' where most of the year is either winter or summer, with very little autumn or spring. Early September remained scorching hot.
Northridge First High.
At the back of every senior-year classroom, banners with similar slogans hung:
"No struggle, no gain—wasting your senior year in vain."
"Fight through the four seasons, live a life with no regrets."
"If you don't push yourself in senior year, how can you stand tall?"
But one classroom on the east side of the first floor was different. It was exceptionally large, spanning nearly a thousand square meters. Unlike regular classrooms, it had no desks or chairs. One side was lined with an array of cold weapons—blades, spears, swords, and staffs—while the other side held various specialized instruments and a unique track paved with dark red metal.
This was the Martial Cultivation Class.
At this moment, over a hundred students were practicing their stances, performing various martial movements.
Some mimicked the agility of monkeys, others moved like soaring birds, while some took on the form of fierce tigers. Their energy, spirit, and focus were impeccable.
"Rooted in the feet, initiated by the legs, governed by the waist, and channeled through the fingertips—"
A burly middle-aged man in a black martial uniform strode through the ranks.
His expression was stern, his towering frame nearly two meters tall. His voice boomed like thunder, and his gaze, sharp as a tiger's, scrutinized every student.
What stood out the most was his right arm—a silver metal prosthetic—seamlessly integrated with his body, moving as naturally as a real limb.
"By now, you should have mastered the fundamentals of basic martial training in your second year! And yet, here you are in your final year, still standing like a bunch of slackers!"
As he spoke, he swung his metal arm casually, slamming a palm against a sweat-drenched student, sending them sprawling to the ground.
"A steady stance means an unshakable foundation! Basic martial training is the very root of Martial Cultivation!"
"Train for a day, gain for a day. Skip a day, waste a hundred! I bet none of you practiced during the half-month summer break!"
"You're already in your final year! Still thinking about slacking off? You all came from regular classes, none of you have awakened Martial Essence. If you don't put in the effort, how do you expect to get into Martial Cultivation University?"
"Even if you choose to follow an academic path, Martial Cultivation still counts for 30% of your overall score!"
The burly man continued his reprimands, his voice unrelenting.
Yet, none of the students dared to breathe too loudly. Instead, they trained even harder.
"Sir!"
"Sir!"
More than ten voices suddenly called from the classroom entrance.
A group of students, dressed in martial uniforms, appeared at the doorway.
"Group Two, back from the Martial Essence Test?"
The burly man cast a glance toward the door.
His sharp gaze quickly locked onto one particular student.
The young man stood nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a closely cropped haircut. At first glance, he didn't seem particularly special, but upon closer observation, one would notice his upright posture and perfectly aligned spine.
Even standing casually, he exuded an unshakable presence.
Clearly, this student had fully integrated the principles of unyielding rock training—"The head must be suspended and aligned, while the tailbone must sink and remain steady."
He had reached the point where his movements followed his intent, and his spirit guided his form.
This level of mastery surpassed every other student practicing their stance in the classroom.
"Parker, how did it go?" The burly man turned to him.
Nearly a hundred students couldn't help but glance at Jordan Parker.
"Mr. Hughes, I didn't awaken." Jordan Parker shook his head calmly, showing no signs of disappointment.
The burly man, Brandon Hughes, frowned.
Jordan Parker had been the most promising student in the class to awaken martial spirit.
"Even Parker didn't awaken?"
"He ranked in the top thirty in last year's finals, with a physical strength rating of Level 6. By now, he's definitely even stronger, and yet... he still didn't awaken his Martial Essence?"
"Awakening Martial Essence... it's really that hard!"
The nearly hundred students practicing their stances couldn't help but be shocked.
Nowadays, throughout Solara—and even across Blue Earth—there were only two paths to success: academic excellence or Martial Cultivation.
From middle school onward, all students receive standardized martial cultivation training from the state.
At Northridge First High, the senior class has over two thousand students across twenty classes.
However, only one of these is the Martial Elite Class—the rest are regular classes.
The Martial Elite Class consists of just over sixty students, each having awakened their martial essence. The top fifty in martial cultivation rankings almost always come from this class.
For Parker to break into the top thirty in martial rankings despite being in a regular class was truly surprising.
"Anyone else? Has anyone awakened their essence?" The burly man scanned the crowd with his sharp gaze.
Silence.
"Alright, step forward." The burly man didn't seem surprised.
In reality, those capable of awakening their martial essence typically succeeded in their first year of high school—or even during middle school.
Hoping to awaken it in senior year? A slim chance!
The burly man had only pinned his hopes on Parker to begin with. Waving his hand, he ordered, "Group Three, proceed to the Martial Hall for the Martial Essence Test."
Boom—
A row of students who had been holding their stance for an extended period, their legs aching and feet sore, sprang up and rushed out of the classroom at his command.
Meanwhile, Parker's group returned to their spots, resuming their stance training.
"Parker, looks like Mr. Hughes was a bit disappointed." A mature-looking classmate with a short mustache murmured beside him. "But you, though—you didn't seem the least bit upset about your test results?"
"Let's stop talking."
"Just keep training. Four hours of basic martial training a day is essential." Parker replied calmly. He had anticipated the result from the start, so naturally, there was nothing to be disappointed about.
"Four hours?" The mustached classmate mumbled, "No wonder you're our class's second 'training maniac.'"
Parker chuckled at the remark but didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes, slightly bent his legs, and, in an instant, his entire aura shifted. Like an immovable rock, he exuded an unshakable presence.
Unyielding Rock Training. The techniques of this training method surfaced in Parker's mind.
He had practiced these movements tens of thousands of times, committing them to muscle memory.
In this era, martial cultivation reigned supreme.
The Septastar Alliance had made nine basic cultivation techniques publicly available to all citizens of the Septastar Worlds. None were superior or inferior—only more or less suitable for different individuals.
Whether wealthy elites or commoners, everyone who pursued martial cultivation started with these fundamental methods.
Unyielding Rock Training—this was the method Parker had chosen.
He had been training in it for over five years.
Each foundational martial training method could vastly unlock human potential, continuously improving physical fitness and even leading to full martial essence awakening.
Parker's body fitness wasn't even at level 7 yet.
Even those who had surpassed level 9 and officially stepped into the ranks of initiate martial cultivators still practiced these basic training methods.