Chapter 2: The Martial Academy

Chu Xiaotian's lazy stretch froze mid-air as he opened one eye, only to be struck by the beauty of the girl standing before him. Dressed in a green academy uniform, she appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen, with a sweet face and slender, arching eyebrows. What captivated him most were her eyes – a striking shade of green that lent her an ethereal aura.

Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail that fell to her waist. Even in her youth, she bore the promise of a beauty that, given a couple more years, would surely captivate many.

Noting Chu Xiaotian's silence, the girl furrowed her brows lightly and asked, "May I take a look at your elixir?"

Chu Xiaotian stood up, flashing a business-like smile, "Of course, miss. This genuine Nourishing Meridian Pill can elevate a martial artist in the Channel Opening realm by one or two minor levels. It's just ten gold coins."

"Miss?" The girl gave Chu Xiaotian an amused glance. She picked up the jade bottle and said, "My name is Lv Luo. Is this your first time in Shen Du? It's quite bold of someone with the strength of the fourth stage of Channel Opening to sell spirit pills in the Ghost Market. A bit naive, but you've got guts."

Chu Xiaotian touched his nose, amused by her playful look. If only she knew that just minutes ago he was at the first stage of Channel Opening!

He noticed a small nameplate on her left shoulder: Martial Academy, Lv Luo.

"Your pill is of high quality, certainly a top-tier product among first-grade spirit pills. But I advise you to sell it at formal trading places like Wanbao Pavilion or Dan Pavilion. You could get fifty gold coins for each, and most importantly, it's safe there," Lv Luo advised after examining the pill, which was of little use to her.

"Thanks for the tip. I'm new in Shen Du and thought this wouldn't fetch much," Chu Xiaotian replied. He had heard of the Wanbao Pavilion and Dan Pavilion, two of Shen Du's largest trading hubs, the third being the Cast Sword Pavilion, known for selling weapons.

Lv Luo glanced at her companions who were yet to arrive, then turned back to Chu Xiaotian with renewed interest. "What brings you to Shen Du? Are you here to register for the Martial Academy?"

As she spoke, she felt something nuzzling against her. "Hehe, is this dog yours? It's adorable." She stepped back with a bright smile, but when the dog continued to nuzzle her, she bent down to pet its head in an attempt to soothe it.

Chu Xiaotian, eyeing his overly affectionate dog, replied with an awkward laugh, "Yes, I'm here to register for the Martial Academy."

Just then, a group of young men and women, all bearing the Martial Academy's nameplates, approached. Among them was the burly man Chu Xiaotian had encountered earlier, standing beside a leading youth, looking smugly at Chu Xiaotian.

"That's him, young master! He's the one who stole my belongings," the burly man pointed at Chu Xiaotian, anger evident in his voice.

Chapter 2: The Martial Academy (Continued)

The young man leading the group, with his short yellow hair and a face showing traces of youthful arrogance, strode towards Chu Xiaotian. His demeanor radiated an air of brash confidence.

"Kid, I'll take these Nourishing Meridian Pills. And you will return the purse to my servant," he demanded.

Chu Xiaotian looked up, noting the reddish hue of the young man's palms – a likely sign of training in some martial technique. His yellow hair and handsome features were overshadowed by his haughty expression.

Martial Academy, Luo Yong.

"Luo Yong, stop causing trouble. We need to go buy supplies," Lv Luo, standing nearby, frowned as she saw Luo Yong approaching Chu Xiaotian.

"This fool dared to steal from the Luo family. Do you think I can just stand by and watch? As for the supplies, we don't need them until after the new students are enrolled. What's the rush?" Luo Yong retorted, glancing at Chu Xiaotian.

One of Luo Yong's companions picked up a jade bottle and examined it, his face lighting up with pleasure. "Brother Luo, these pills are actually pretty good!"

Luo Yong sniffed the bottle and looked at Chu Xiaotian with amusement. "Leave the pills, and I'll overlook the incident with my servant. Now, you can get lost."

Chu Xiaotian smirked, unshaken. He doubted they would dare to rob him in broad daylight. Stroking his restless dog, Di Ge, Chu Xiaotian replied in a taunting tone, "Luo family, what's that? Is it edible?"

The group's faces darkened. A chubby member of the group sneered, "Heh, kid, you're quite arrogant, huh?"

"Heh, little fatty wants to steal my stuff? Is your hair even fully grown yet?" Chu Xiaotian shot back, swiftly pocketing the jade bottles and standing up. He was ready to flee. Luo Yong clearly wasn't someone to mess with, and facing a gang of teenagers, while verbally satisfying, was likely to end in physical pain. If only he had the strength of the ninth stage of Channel Opening...

As he lamented his fate, wondering why his transmigration lacked the typical perks, the chubby boy approached, fists ready. Chu Xiaotian was about to drop a sharp retort and make a run for it when a series of electronic beeps suddenly exploded in his mind.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations to host 'Chu Xiaotian' for a successful face-slapping, activating system reboot..."

"Ding!"

"The Strongest Face-Slapping System rebooting, Loading..."

"Ding!"

"The Strongest Face-Slapping System has successfully rebooted. Loading data for the host…"

Chu Xiaotian was initially stunned, then filled with immense joy. He had been waiting for this day for five whole years!

Those five years since his arrival in this world had been a saga of unexpected turns. Initially, Chu Xiaotian had activated the so-called 'Strongest' and seemingly most vexing system, hoping to follow the path of countless other transmigrators: flaunting prowess, outsmarting rivals, and ascending to the pinnacle of life. However, things hadn't gone as expected.

Apart from receiving a beginner's gift pack, which included a divine pet use card and a hundred Nourishing Meridian Pills, the system had malfunctioned just a few days after activation and completely crashed.

A system crash, lasting for five years!

During these years, due to the system's bug, Chu Xiaotian's cultivation had stagnated. He didn't dare step out of Chu Family Village. He had even contemplated ending his life, hoping perhaps to reset his fate.

His journey to Shen Du was spurred by the death of the elderly man who had raised him, hoping the Martial Academy's examination might offer a chance for cultivation.

Had it not been for the divine pet card in the beginner's gift pack, granting him a day's use of a divine pet, he would have summoned Di Ge, and the Nourishing Meridian Pills he sold might have been stolen.

"Ding… The system has detected the host's weak abilities, making survival in the Shen Du chapter difficult. A special gift pack is awarded to the host. Would you like to open the gift pack?"