Volume One: Entering the Path, Chapter 125: Belonging

Upon hearing this, those who had emerged victorious in the recent sparring matches displayed expressions of relief, thinking that the session had finally come to an end.

Those who had been defeated, while somewhat dejected, were not overly discouraged. They quickly gathered their composure, secretly resolving to win back their pride in the next practical combat class.

Lei Fan observed the varied expressions on their faces and understood exactly what they were thinking, but he said nothing more. He clapped his hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down. The students immediately fell silent, listening attentively.

Lei Fan nodded with satisfaction and said in a deep voice, "Students, you all worked hard during the second phase just now. Your performances were quite good."

"I would like to offer my own applause here as a token of congratulations to you all." With that, Lei Fan began to clap, and the applause echoed for a long time before subsiding. Seeing this, the joy on the students' faces could no longer be contained, and each of them beamed with genuine happiness.

Once the applause stopped, Lei Fan looked at them and added, "Everyone, take a seat and rest for a moment. I have a few other things to discuss, and once I am finished, today's practical combat class will conclude."

Hearing this, the students' eyes lit up with surprise, and they quickly pulled up chairs and sat down, looking at Lei Fan with curiosity, wondering what else he had to say.

Lei Fan did not keep them in suspense and immediately explained: "During the recent battles, I noticed that many of you attempted to incorporate the small techniques I taught into your combat. You did a great job with that, and as your teacher, I am very pleased."

Upon hearing Lei Fan's slightly playful closing remark, the smiles on the students' faces widened. They looked at him with amusement, clearly surprised that their usually stern teacher could have such a side.

Lei Fan smiled back, unbothered by their thoughts. He knew he was not as rigid as he appeared on the surface. However, he kept that to himself; he could never bring himself to say such things to the students directly, so he let these youngsters discover it for themselves over time.

Lei Fan waved his hand and continued, "However, there were quite a few issues that surfaced during your fights. While you made an effort to apply what I taught, there were still significant flaws. If you correct these, I believe you can do even better."

The students nodded upon hearing this. Whether they had won or lost, they knew Lei Fan was right—their performances had indeed been lacking in certain areas. In the heat of the moment, they had been so focused on winning that they hadn't given it much thought, simply acting on instinct.

Seeing them deep in thought, Lei Fan said solemnly, "Do not worry too much, though. These problems can certainly be fixed; it just takes time. The very purpose of our practical combat class is to help you adjust your fighting methods and assist you in creating a combat style that is most suitable for you."

After Lei Fan finished speaking, the students nodded, not doubting the sincerity of his words for a moment. After all, having been at Anze for some time now, they had never felt any malice directed toward them. Every teacher, classmate, senior, and even the headmaster they had encountered here had been incredibly patient in answering their questions and resolving their doubts. They were never looked down upon for being beginners in cultivation; everyone was kind and straightforward.

Because of this, in the short time they had been at Anze Academy, they had all developed a sense of "belonging." Each of them considered themselves a part of Anze. Although their current strength was still weak and they could not yet fulfill the heavy responsibility the headmaster had mentioned—guarding the safety of the human world—every one of them was willing to contribute their strength whenever they could. If there were complaints, they would only come afterward.

If one were to randomly interview a student and ask, "What kind of place is Anze to you?" the answer would surely be, "It's like a home. Here, I can practice with peace of mind, studying alongside great classmates and friends. The teachers are all very kind and patient, and the students are sincere and get along well. Everyone here speaks so kindly; I absolutely love it here!"

...

Lei Fan remained silent for a long time before speaking again.

"That is all I have to teach you for today. I don't know how much you have learned, how much you have understood, or how much of this knowledge you have applied to your combat. Regardless, I hope you will firmly keep what you learned today in your hearts, rather than discarding it as soon as class ends, thinking it useless."

Hearing this, the students nodded in unison, and someone replied, "Don't worry, Teacher, we will."

Lei Fan smiled, looking quite satisfied and pleased. He then added, "Very well. As for the last thing, I will send the footage of your combat from the second phase to our Daoist Department's class group chat. Please take a look at it. The purpose of sending these recordings is for you to identify your own shortcomings and see if there is room for improvement. By the start of the next practical combat class, I want every student who has watched their footage to point out at least one area where they can improve. Consider this your homework. I hope you will all complete it well. Of course, some of you might be tempted to think it doesn't matter if you don't do it. Well, you can think that, but when the next class comes, don't regret that old Lei's fists are too heavy."

As he spoke, Lei Fan playfully raised his clenched fist and swung it toward the group.

The students burst into laughter.

Ye Junze, hearing this, recalled the class group chat they had set up when they first arrived. Although classmates occasionally chatted in it, it was only now that he realized the teachers were in it, too. But then he shook his head; it was a group for Daoist Department freshmen, created by Li Xi, so it made perfect sense for the teachers to be included. He wondered if Fang Lin, Yin Jia, and Sun Yu were also in the group.

As Lei Fan finished speaking, he took out his phone and tapped away at the screen. At the same time, the students all felt their phones vibrating incessantly, as if receiving a flood of messages.

After a moment, Lei Fan put his phone away, having finished his task. He looked at the group and said, "Alright, the combat footage has been sent. Check the titles, download what you need, and feel free to watch others' footage if you have the time; I have no objections."

Upon hearing this, the students could no longer contain their curiosity. They pulled out their phones, opened the group chat, and began checking. A series of gasps erupted as they saw the contents.

Ye Junze, seeing everyone looking at their phones, did not follow suit immediately. He glanced at Lei Fan, who seemed completely unbothered by their behavior. Only then did Ye Junze pull out his phone.

Opening the group chat, he saw dozens of messages. He scrolled to the top and immediately saw the match between himself and Yun Tianhan. Pleased that he didn't have to search for it, he clicked on the video.

He had expected the video to be like the one he and Yun Tianhan had watched of Fan Yan and Lu Renjia, but he was proven wrong. The footage appeared to be recorded from within the arena, showing only Yun Tianhan and himself. It featured multiple angles, clearly intended to make it easier for them to observe their performance. As he watched, he discovered that the video could be slowed down, sped up, or zoomed in to examine subtle details he had previously overlooked.

"I can even do this? This is truly convenient for reviewing," Ye Junze thought to himself, pleasantly surprised.

Seeing that everyone had downloaded their footage, Lei Fan gave it some thought and made a decision.

"Alright, I assume you have all finished downloading. Don't linger here any longer; if you want to watch them, do so when you get back. You’ve had a long day of classes, so go back, get something to eat, and rest. Today’s class ends here. Class dismissed!"

The students stood up immediately and said in unison, "Goodbye, Teacher."

"Goodbye, students," Lei Fan waved, then turned and left.

Once Lei Fan had departed, the students glanced at each other, stood up, and left the classroom.