The stadium was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The scary pressure bore down on every freshman.

Under the presence of the middle-aged man, some freshmen started to have difficulty breathing. They couldn't help but bend down their backs.

All the freshmen were supporting themselves with difficulty. Wang Teng looked at their pale faces and touched his chin thoughtfully.

Should he learn from them and give a pained expression too?

If he appeared too relaxed, he would seem a little out of place!

Just as he was thinking about this, he felt a few gazes landing on his body. He couldn't help but turn his head.

"Huh?"

Wang Teng saw a few freshmen who looked a little serious. But, besides this, they didn't show any discomfort.

These freshmen might not be martial warriors, but their ability definitely exceeded that of advanced stage martial disciples.

Huanghai Military Academy was indeed one of the top universities in the country. The freshmen were all extraordinary people.

Wang Teng was only able to see the students around him. There must be others like them in other places. However, they were blocked by the crowd, so he couldn't see them.

Based on this ratio, there were quite a few freshmen who were able to reach this standard.

Some freshmen got accepted into the university for other reasons, so their abilities were slightly weaker. But, just like a big fish in a small pond, they would be very outstanding if you sent them to normal universities.

While Wang Teng was deep in his own thoughts, the freshmen looking at him had astonishment in their eyes. He appeared too casual and relaxed, making him look mysterious.

The middle-aged man didn't relax his aura. Instead, he continued applying pressure on everyone.

Then, he said indifferently, "Today might be the first day of school, but I want to tell you that the rules of Huanghai will start from the first day.

"The students that are late will run 20 rounds around the stadium!

"If you can't finish before 5 pm, you are not allowed to eat dinner tonight."

20 rounds!

It didn't seem a lot to someone who practiced martial arts.

But, this wasn't a 400 meters stadium. By visual estimation, one round was at least 4000 meters.

20 rounds meant 80 km, twice the distance of a marathon.

There were only less than three hours for them to complete the run. Even advanced stage martial disciples wouldn't be able to do it.

This would cost them their lives!

The latecomers outside the metal gates instantly turned white. Some even started crying in agony.

"I'm going to die!"

"How can I finish running!"

"If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have applied for the military academy. They are torturing us to death on the first day. Is this hell?"

Wang Teng's expression turned strange. He looked at the late students outside with pity and had three seconds of silence for them.

The other freshmen who had arrived on time became serious. While they felt pity towards the other students, they felt fortunate for themselves.

Oh my god, I was lucky that I wasn't late. If not, I will be in the same difficult situation as them.

"Silence!"

The middle-aged man rebuked. His aura increased twofold and bore down on the students that were late.

Dead silence!

The noise disappeared again.

"Get up and run now. If anyone dares to say another word, you will be expelled," the middle-aged man said coldly.

The latecomers exchanged glances with one another. They had no choice but to accept their fates. A few of them led the way and ran on the track outside the stadium.

When the other students saw this, they started following them. After all, they couldn't beat the circumstances. What could they do besides running? They didn't want to get expelled.

The old students sitting at the spectator stands sniggered secretly. "It's starting, it's starting. Our Huanghai's tradition is starting now."

The middle-aged man nodded when he saw the freshmen running with all their might outside the stadium. His nod was almost unnoticeable.

Then, he said, "You have to run, but you must still listen to what I say attentively.

"I will pick students randomly after my speech and question them. If anyone can't answer my question, you will have to continue running until I'm satisfied."

The latecomers: …

Are you a devil?

You must be a devil!

"Let me introduce myself first. I'm the president of the martial arts section of Huanghai Military Academy, Peng Yuanshan!"

Although the middle-aged man's voice wasn't loud, it clearly landed in everyone's ears.

The students had experienced his stern and strict methods, so no one dared to test their luck. All of them braced themselves and listened to him attentively.

"That was the first lesson just now. I hope that all of you will remember it.

"Some people might ask why military academies have to be so strict and harsh?

"Let me tell you why. Our tuition fees, normal living expenses, and many other fees are all made free for you. The items that need money, like spiritual dan, scriptures, and battle techniques, are much cheaper than outside. Where does this money come from?

"Our country.

"The country is grooming you.

"The educated are poor, while the martial warriors are rich. Many of you belong to ordinary backgrounds. If you don't enter a university, you won't be able to achieve much, no matter how high your talent is.

"You have to give to receive. This principle won't change no matter where you go. You don't enter the military academy to enjoy a peaceful life in university.

"I have to tell you that martial warriors, especially martial warriors from military academies, are a little different from what you imagined. Martial warriors enjoy many benefits, but they also carry responsibilities. The country, and even the world, needs them. That is why we give martial warriors everything.

"Students, you are potential martial warriors. The responsibility on your shoulders is extremely heavy.

"You might not understand it now, but one day, you will. When this world needs us—the martial warriors—we will stand at the frontline. Behind us are our family and friends.

"Martial warriors are not formidable warriors carrying the sun and moon on their shoulders. They are humans who have to bear the burden of the world."

…

As Peng Yuanshan's voice echoed throughout the stadium, everyone slowly turned solemn.

"The president is starting again."

The old students felt heavy-hearted, but they still rolled their eyes uncontrollably. Was it alright to fool the freshmen every year?

It's just a freshmen gathering. Why is he so emotional? Wang Teng was dumbfounded.

"Of course, this is not something you have to consider now. If the sky falls, the tall people will hold it up. What you need to do now is to work hard to improve yourself.

"Since you chose this path, you must stand out from the crowd and achieve great results. Don't waste your youth.

"Alright, this is all I have to say. You are adults. You should know what to do." Peng Yuanshan paused for a moment after he finished his speech. He then continued, "The gathering today is like the inauguration ceremony. There's nothing important. I just want to talk about rules and let you experience the way Huanghai Military Academy does things."

"Next, we have one last matter… conferring titles!

"By right, this segment shouldn't exist. However, this year is a little special. Among all of you, one freshman has managed to get this honor.

"I'm sure all of you have heard of this freshman before. He's the top scholar of Donghai's martial arts exam, and he passed the exam as a martial warrior. He got recruited into our school and will be given the title of 'sergeant.'"

Once Peng Yuanshan made the announcement, gasps of astonishment were heard all over the stadium, even though they got frightened by him just now.

"Conferring a title?"

"That's impossible…"