Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Forty-Eight: Attending Class

Everything that happened in the room remained unknown to those outside, and naturally, they had no way of finding out. At this moment, Ye Junze was still immersed in cultivation. After circulating the Xuantian Dao Canon for another small cycle, he noticed that the light purple energy orb in his dantian no longer absorbed spiritual energy as voraciously as before. It was as if a person who had eaten their fill and could not take in another bite. Witnessing this, Ye Junze, with more than two years of cultivation experience, understood that the orb had reached its saturation for the day, so he simply stopped cultivating.

He had not expected to have spent much time practicing, yet when he paused and glanced out the window, he saw the moon hanging high and stars gleaming, and only then realized it was already night. "I didn't expect time to pass so quickly once I started cultivating," Ye Junze remarked, rubbing his stomach. "I'm feeling a bit hungry; best to have dinner first."

As he spoke, he quickly ordered his meal. While waiting for it to arrive, Ye Junze thought for a moment and opened Yingze, intending to see if there was anything interesting.

Just as he opened Yingze, a message arrived. Seeing the notification, Ye Junze habitually clicked in. "It must be another announcement," he thought, and waited for the page to load before reading.

The content was much as he had guessed—a simple notice. It read: "The Dao Studies Department will officially begin classes tomorrow. New students, please prepare accordingly and arrive at the designated classroom at the scheduled time as per the timetable. That is all." There was nothing else. Ye Junze read it several times to ensure he missed nothing, then closed the page, checked the timetable for time and place, and began browsing various posts on Yingze.

To his surprise, Ye Junze once again refreshed his understanding of cultivation. The forums on Yingze, no matter how much time passed, were always lively with seniors posting jokes, building threads, and watering posts with great amusement. There was one post in particular: "Shocking! Rare photo shoot of the alchemy department’s genius beauty Cen Liu leaked—see it before it’s gone!" Ye Junze clicked in out of curiosity. Unlike the clickbait titles, this post had actual content. Beyond the headline were several photos of a woman deserving the title of beauty. Even Ye Junze, who had met Tu Shan Yue and Lin Xin, could not help but inwardly praise her beauty.

The woman in the photos was alluring yet retained a touch of innocence, her smiling face gazing ahead, giving off a refreshing aura. Though the photos were indeed captivating, there were only a few. Habitually, Ye Junze scrolled to the comment section, which was as bustling as always.

Comments abounded: “Senior Sister Cen descended from heaven, unmatched in beauty, please marry me!” and “Before there were saints, now there are heavens—Cen Liu is like a fairy from a painting,” and many other extravagant praises.

Ye Junze also spotted a comment: “Senior Sister Cen is indeed stunning, but my friend says these few photos are not enough and asked me to see if there are more?” Amused by this, Ye Junze looked at the replies: “Is this friend actually you?” someone asked. Another replied, “Yes, I am that friend, no more hiding, I want to see more.” Thus, the comment section began to take a strange turn.

Ye Junze was about to browse more posts when a familiar sound reached his ears. Turning, he saw his dinner had been delivered.

Food now before him, Ye Junze set aside his phone and began to eat. Dining alone, he finished quickly. Satisfied and full, he tidied up, and remembering he had to rise early for class, lay down on his bed. “Finally, classes are starting. I hope there will be some surprises,” he thought, and gradually drifted off to sleep.

......

At dawn, Ye Junze awoke, refreshed and clear-headed.

Sitting up in bed, he stretched his arms behind him and said, “Today’s the first day of class, better get ready early.” Without delay, he dressed, ordered breakfast, washed up, and completed his morning routine smoothly.

Once everything was done and breakfast had arrived, he ate quickly and prepared to head to class. Locking his door and leaving the building, Ye Junze checked his phone again to confirm the time and classroom, then walked toward the Dao Studies Department.

On the way, he saw many people walking in pairs and groups—likely students from other departments also starting classes today, Ye Junze mused.

With his steady pace, he finally reached the classroom listed on the timetable. Arriving, he glanced around and saw the familiar faces from before. Each person’s face betrayed an irrepressible excitement, their anticipation nearly palpable. After observing the crowd, Ye Junze turned his attention to the classroom itself. It was just as before: floor cushions arranged everywhere, nothing else in sight. Some cushions already had students seated on them. Seeing this, Ye Junze checked the time, found it was almost due, and chose a quiet corner cushion to sit on.

He hadn’t been seated long before the new Dao Studies freshmen all arrived, each taking their place on a cushion, waiting for the class to begin.

When the clock struck nine, as per the timetable, a crisp “ding” sounded, and a tall woman appeared at the classroom door. Before any student could speak, her clear voice rang out: “Alright, class is starting now.”