Once you activate the ‘Martial God’s Combat Demonstration’, I can reenact every divine technique I have ever recorded upon your body—provided your body can withstand the level of this demonstration.

Once you open the ‘Vast Years’, you will be able to peruse all the knowledge and experiences I have acquired over countless ages.

These two points are the benefits I can offer you.

I must solemnly remind you: whether you activate the ‘Combat Demonstration’ or open the ‘Years’, both will instantly consume a large amount of your physical and mental energy. You must be careful—don’t overuse them, and don’t attempt to use high-level demonstrations.”

“This—this is incredible!”

William Harris was utterly shocked.

The first function: Martial God’s Combat Demonstration!

He could reenact every technique that “Shang” had recorded over endless ages—not just martial arts, but also beast-taming, adventuring, artifact forging, alchemy… all nine major disciplines.

The second function: Vast Years!

He could access all the knowledge and experiences “Shang” had witnessed during its long journey of adventure. This was even more vast and innumerable than the stars—so much that it was unimaginable.

William Harris suddenly felt like crying, yet also wanted to laugh up at the sky.

Just when his dreams had shattered, when he thought he would never have even a sliver of hope to ascend to higher martial realms, this mysterious book of inherited knowledge had forcibly entered his sea of consciousness.

A peak Saint God, a supreme existence that defied the heavens, didn’t seem as distant as he had imagined—it now resided within his sea of consciousness.

As long as he opened the divine book, an unimaginable world would unfold before him.

……

Noon in summer.

A mass of dark clouds suddenly swept in, and after a torrential downpour, quickly dispersed.

The sun blazed in the sky once more, the air thick and stifling. Even the summer cicadas on the treetops seemed to be gasping for breath, desperately chirping “zi ya zi ya”.

“William Harris—! It’s the last class, what are you daydreaming for!”

William Harris was immersed in his sea of consciousness, vaguely hearing someone loudly calling his name.

He snapped back to reality in a daze, then saw a voluptuous female instructor at the podium, her cheeks puffed in anger as she glared at him and shouted.

At some point, the classroom had fallen silent. All the young martial students sat upright, their expressions solemn as class began.

“Looks like William Harris was really hit hard by breaking up with Sandra Cooper just now!”

“Spacing out in Instructor Walker’s class? Instructor Walker is notorious for being sharp-tongued—looks like he’s in trouble!”

“When it rains, it pours—misfortune never comes alone!”

Almost all the martial students in the class cast mocking, gloating glances at William Harris.

William Harris slowly remembered: today was his last day before graduating from Nancheng Martial Academy, and Instructor Megan Walker was giving them their final lesson.

Sandra Cooper saw William Harris’s lost and dejected look, her heart a mix of emotions.

She was very worried that William Harris would keep pestering her shamelessly, ruining her relationship with Ryan Johnson.

But to her surprise, after learning the truth, William Harris was shocked but only stayed silent—he didn’t pester her, nor did he say a single word to try to win her back.

Everything ended more cleanly than she had imagined.

Seeing William Harris so numb, her heart ached faintly, and she sighed inwardly: “He and I are destined for different fates! I am a proud phoenix meant to soar the skies. He is a mud worm doomed to sink ever deeper. After our brief crossing of paths, we are bound to part ways, growing ever more distant!”

The voluptuous and graceful female instructor, Megan Walker, saw William Harris’s dazed and foolish look and became angry, spitting as she scolded, “Tomorrow, the top ten junior martial academies of Luyang Prefecture will hold the joint exam to determine whether you can enter the higher-level Luyang Prefecture Academy! This is your last class with me, and you’re still distracted! William Harris, stand up and answer my question from just now!”

William Harris obediently stood up, lowering his voice in embarrassment, “Instructor, what did you just ask? I wasn’t paying attention.” He was usually attentive in class, but had just zoned out and missed everything.

“As expected of the class’s bottom-feeder! Doesn’t even know what the instructor asked!”

The classroom instantly erupted in laughter.

“William Harris, if I were you, I’d have dropped out long ago—gone home to raise kids and plant sweet potatoes! Useless as you are, only at the first level of martial cultivation, knowing just a few basic techniques, why are you still clinging to Nancheng Martial Academy? If you go to the joint exam, you’ll only embarrass our academy! People like you should be expelled from the academy directly, so you don’t drag us down!”

Sitting in the front row, Eric Johnson fixed a cold gaze on William Harris, his voice loud and unrestrained as he humiliated him.

“Eric Johnson has had a crush on Sandra Cooper for ages, but she’s never given him the time of day!”

“Eric Johnson is also from the Zhao family, but he’s from a side branch, nowhere near as important as his cousin Ryan Johnson, who’s from the main line. He can’t compare to Ryan Johnson in any way, so it looks like he has no chance with Sandra Cooper.”

“He’s always looked down on William Harris, but is jealous that Sandra Cooper was his girlfriend. All that resentment is bound to be taken out on William Harris.”