"In a way, that is a correct answer. But... what if you aren’t strong enough?"
In truth, Wen Muyi had been slightly stunned upon hearing Bai Shasha’s answer, because he knew that this student, Bai Shasha, was the successor to "that" senior.
In his memory, that senior was an incredibly "composed" person. By all rights, their successor shouldn’t have given such an answer, let alone with such conviction.
But Wen Muyi only felt a brief moment of doubt, showing no sign of it on his face. After brushing past it with a single sentence, he turned his gaze to Li Heng.
Li Heng had also been thinking for a while, and when he met Wen Muyi’s gaze, he answered, "Safety, I guess? Your own safety and your teammates’ safety are both very important."
The truth was, Li Heng had wanted to just say "composed," but the atmosphere felt a little off, so he phrased it more tactfully.
The moment Li Heng answered, Bao Yaoyao immediately looked over at him. As if something had occurred to her, she stared at Li Heng without a word.
The petite, flat-chested girl also kept her head down and remained silent.
After hearing Li Heng’s answer, the corners of Wen Muyi’s mouth lifted into a slight smile, and he spoke lightly.
"Safety... in a sense, that’s also correct. To be more specific, you are required to learn how to stay alive."
"Truthfully, no matter what kind of secret realm you’re in, staying alive is always the most important thing! The school’s spring outing was just to teach you to be vigilant—think of it as an appetizer to mentally prepare you. But when it comes to secret realms... simply being vigilant isn’t enough!"
"So for this first class, I’m going to teach the six of you how to stay alive in a semi-explored secret realm! In other words, if you want to earn credits from me this semester, you have to learn how to stay alive!"
How to stay alive!
Li Heng’s curiosity had only been mild at first, but after hearing Wen Muyi’s words, his interest instantly skyrocketed, and he became much more alert.
And while Li Heng had grown interested, a variety of expressions flickered across the other five students’ faces. In the end, however, they all remained silent, waiting for what Wen Muyi would say next.
"Come with me! I don’t have a classroom in the General Studies Department."
At this point, the students just had to follow Wen Muyi. But partway there, as they reached the North City Gate, all six students, including Li Heng, instinctively stopped.
They couldn’t help but look at Dean Wen.
"Why are you all just standing there? Let’s go! There’s a waterfall one hundred li outside the North City Gate! That’s our classroom."
A waterfall one hundred li outside the city?!
The students’ reactions varied, but Li Heng wasn’t concerned. After all, it was only a distance of one hundred li, and with a Half-Step Soul Venerable beside them, there shouldn’t be any "external threats."
Li Heng’s desire to learn was at an all-time high. He was dying to see what kind of "survival" course this Half-Step Soul Venerable would teach.
As his thoughts drifted, he also felt fortunate. He was glad he had a habit of waking up early; arriving in time for this course today was the result.
And so, the group of seven made their way and soon arrived at their destination. Since the spring outing was over, there were no school-erected "roadblocks" along the way. In fact, the six students even saw some of their classmates hunting Tier One Soul Beasts.
"This is where the six of you will have your first lesson. Starting today, you’ll earn ten credits for this class whenever you complete the task. The first person to finish will receive a bonus of one hundred credits! When you’re done, just go to Wen Ruyan to claim them."
???
Having arrived at the spot one hundred li outside the North City Gate, the six students stared at the roughly thirty-meter-high waterfall as Wen Muyi’s words echoed in their ears.
The moment Wen Muyi finished speaking, all six of them looked utterly baffled. A sense of foreboding even began to creep into the hearts of a few.
After all, no matter how they looked at it, they couldn’t possibly connect this waterfall to the idea of "staying alive."
So for the moment, the six of them were at a loss. They could do nothing but stare at Wen Muyi, completely bewildered.
Wen Muyi patted himself down, and seeming to find what he was looking for, he pulled out six bamboo scrolls and handed one to each of the students.
"Truthfully, the most fundamental prerequisite for staying alive is being able to run fast enough! Don’t you feel embarrassed or ashamed; when you encounter a situation you can’t handle, running away is the best option! To put it selfishly, as your teacher, I don’t want you all to become heroes. I just want to see every one of you... live a good, long life. At the very least... you should die after I do!"
As the six students accepted the bamboo scrolls and listened to his explanation, their perspective shifted once again.
They began to feel a different sort of emotion toward this somewhat scruffy, middle-aged dean.
Li Heng also felt a complex mix of emotions, but he sensed Wen Muyi had more to say, so like the others, he remained quiet and did not interrupt.
After distributing the scrolls, Wen Muyi added, "The fully-explored secret realms you’ve experienced before have Teleportation Talismans, so tearing one means you’re safe. But in semi-explored secret realms, there’s no such thing. Therefore, being able to escape, knowing how to run... that’s the first thing I’m going to teach you. The basic footwork from your compulsory education was just that—basic. This *Waterfall-Climbing Body Technique* is for the six of you to study!" Wen Muyi said with great earnestness.
"D-Dean Wen! Is this a Soul Energy Skill?! The kind sold in the Skill Shop, and a Body Technique at that?"
After Wen Muyi finished, one student was the first to "react," holding up the bamboo scroll in his hand as he asked the question in an excited tone.
Wen Muyi’s tone was calm. "The Alliance’s Skill Shop doesn’t carry this Body Technique. If you had to put a price on it, it’d be around two million or so. You have ten minutes to look it over, followed by an hour for questions."
!!
Wen Muyi’s words stunned the students once again. This time, even Bai Shasha’s expression flickered slightly. Then, like the others, she began to read the bamboo scroll in her hand.
As Li Heng read, he received a system prompt.
Name: Waterfall-Climbing Body Technique (Level 1)
Category: Soul Energy Skill
Rarity: Rare
Effects:
1. When this skill reaches its max Level, grants Agility +4.
2. When this skill reaches its max Level, allows the user to walk on water for a short time.
3. Users with 30+ Water Affinity can perform a one-meter lateral dash in water after mastering this skill.
4. Sense of Water Currents +1.
[Consume 100 Soul Energy to level up this skill?]
[Mastery of current Level incomplete. Upgrade unavailable.]