As the female instructor explained, holding the bonfire party on the first day was a base tradition, complete with a rich program. At this point, a faint smile touched the corner of her mouth, just as Zhong Yun noticed. A sudden premonition surfaced in his mind—perhaps this bonfire party would be quite interesting.

After dinner, there was a half-hour of free time. The female instructor told them to go wash up and change, promising to fetch them in thirty minutes.

The twelve newcomers’ dormitories were right next to each other, each with a private room. Since they were all new arrivals, standing in this unfamiliar place fostered an immediate, natural closeness among them.

After showering, they all gathered, almost unconsciously, in the open space just outside the entrance.

The sun had already been swallowed by the surrounding mountains; looking up, they could only see a stretch of golden-yellow clouds.

Zhong Yun stood in shadow, feeling a little strange in the tight, dark green vest, even though he was wearing his ever-present protective vest underneath.

While showering, he had taken the liberty of trimming his hair down to stubble. He’d originally considered shaving his head completely bald, but abandoned the idea upon discovering his skull was irregularly shaped.

Zhong Yun stood there, largely silent, observing his companions. The focus of everyone’s attention was undoubtedly the tall, handsome boy in the center. When this boy introduced himself, Zhong Yun was genuinely startled.

Fei Liming. Looking at his appearance, which was practically a mirror image of Fei Yingming’s, Zhong Yun was certain he must be one of the Fei family, perhaps even Fei Yingming’s younger brother.

It seemed that enemies were fated to meet—honestly, facing a boy who so closely resembled Fei Yingming gave Zhong Yun a definite internal obstacle.

It was clear that this Fei Liming was far more socially adept than his elder brother. Although his outstanding looks and eloquence made him the center of the group, he was not the least bit overbearing; his face, which Zhong Yun instinctively disliked, was perpetually lit by a cheerful smile.

Soon enough, Fei Liming had temporarily established himself as the focal point. The others gravitated toward him without conscious effort.

However, there were others who remained as low-key as Zhong Yun. Right next to him, a plain-looking girl had not uttered a single word from start to finish. Zhong Yun remembered her name: Liang Youyu.

“Zhong Yun.”

Just as Zhong Yun was scrutinizing Liang Youyu, he heard someone call his name. Turning, he saw Fei Liming looking at him with a friendly expression. “Come join us for a chat.”

Zhong Yun glanced back at Liang Youyu. He didn’t want to seem overly antisocial; his earlier distance had merely stemmed from an awkward reaction to the face that made him uneasy.

“Classmate Liang, why don’t you join us too? We’re all newcomers; we should be united and support each other.” Fei Liming had clearly noticed the silent Liang Youyu and extended an invitation.

Liang Youyu seemed to look at Zhong Yun for a moment, then walked over without a word. Zhong Yun followed suit, and the two joined the group of ten.

“You guys might not know this yet, but Zhong Yun was the top scorer from Mingzhu School this year—much more impressive than me,” Fei Liming announced to the rest.

“Top scorer?” The others looked at the unremarkable Zhong Yun, and their expressions shifted instantly.

Mingzhu School had always been recognized as the best school in the nation, attracting applications from no fewer than twenty million students annually, all of them exceptionally gifted. To achieve first place among tens of millions demonstrated truly formidable capability.

Only Fei Liming and Liang Youyu in the group were from Mingzhu School; the others hailed from different cities. The entirety of Planet Vol was not home to only Mingzhu School; there were numerous schools only slightly less renowned, and those present were students who had secured admission to their respective top institutions based on outstanding performance.

Initially, due to Zhong Yun’s ordinary appearance, some had held him in light regard. Upon learning he was the number one student from Mingzhu School, the perception changed drastically. Excellence, regardless of setting, always commanded respect.

Zhong Yun managed a modest smile, the dim light obscuring his features. “Just lucky, I suppose.”

Fei Liming was about to reply when he saw the female training officer approaching them. Half an hour had indeed passed; the bonfire party was about to commence.

The female instructor led them toward the plaza, explaining, “The bonfire party is a tradition at our base, stretching back several hundred years. It’s held on the first day of every training session to allow everyone to gather before the intense training begins, to foster camaraderie. Singing, dancing, and so on. Though, new elements have been added over time.”

As she spoke, she arrived beside a massive bonfire. The instructor instructed them to sit around the flames. Darkness had fully settled now, and the orange-yellow glow illuminated their young faces.

Just as they settled, the main contingent arrived and sat around the fire in their designated order. Coincidentally, Zhang Xiao was seated directly opposite him. Seeing him, Zhong Yun raised a hand in greeting.

“You know him?” Fei Liming, sitting beside Zhong Yun, nudged his arm.

“Uh, yeah,” Zhong Yun nodded awkwardly, feeling resigned to the man’s overly familiar habit of settling right next to him.

What made him even more uneasy was Fei Liming’s relentless stream of conversation. Zhong Yun could only manage hesitant replies while pretending to watch the performance unfolding in the open area nearby.

He genuinely wondered why this man was showing him such intense interest. Had he found some clue that made him suspicious? Yet, Zhong Yun detected no hostility from him whatsoever. It was truly baffling.

“I don’t know why, but I felt an affinity for you the moment I saw you. I just have a feeling we’ll become very good friends,” Fei Liming suddenly declared, finding his own statement slightly amusing.

Zhong Yun thought grimly, Rest assured, we will absolutely not be friends. Whether we become enemies remains to be seen.

The singing in the center had concluded. A tall, bald instructor walked into the cleared space, pressed his hands downward, signaling for silence. The chatter quickly ceased, and everyone turned their attention to the instructor.

“Today marks the opening day of training at our base. Everyone selected to train here represents the nation’s absolute top talent,” the bald instructor boomed. His voice was incredibly powerful; not only did everyone hear him clearly, but his words echoed throughout the valley.

“Here, you will undergo the most arduous training. You must be mentally prepared. If anyone finds they cannot persevere midway, come tell me, and I will send you back to your comfortable nests. Understood?”

“Understood!” A unified, roaring shout shot skyward, carrying far into the distance.

“Excellent.” The bald instructor nodded with satisfaction. Even after such a long interval, the trainees’ spirit remained high. “Now, we will first invite the twelve new recruits forward to formally welcome them to our base.”

P: One hundred chapters. That wasn’t easy. A small celebration is in order.