While I'm at the martial arts academy, my wife is cultivating while I enjoy life.

Yang Ding couldn't confirm Zhang Peng's identity either; he could only speculate.

"Anyway, I've given him the information. With that Dragon Guard's cultivation level, as long as we're careful, not many people in Jiangling City can catch him."

"Honey, what exactly is your status? It's like the whole empire revolves around you."

"When the Queen and the City Lord are locked in a battle of wits, they always need pawns to test the waters, and I am that pawn."

"Why you of all people?"

"We'll ask the Queen in the capital then."

The power structure of the Jinglong Empire was temporarily formed after the Cataclysmic War. The four city lords and eight grandmasters jointly supported the queen's ascension to the throne, which has been less than 20 years and is far from stable.

However, due to the competition for cultivation resources among the other four great empires and the threat of alien beasts from the northern border, the secret has not yet been revealed.

The Queen hoped that the four city-states would abandon their own interests, redesign the marriage model, and achieve the awakening of all mankind as soon as possible.

The noble families of the four city-states, on the other hand, wanted to protect their independence so that they wouldn't have to be pawns to their deaths when danger came in the future.

Ye Rou looked honored. "Then wouldn't Jing-jie and I be considered the wives of the deceased?"

"What's with that expression? Shouldn't you be feeling fear and disappointment?"

"What joy is there in living, what fear is there in dying? The women of the Ye family are all capable of dying for love."

"What do you mean?"

"After my father perished alongside two beast kings in the North, my mother jumped off the Wall in the second month after giving birth to me."

Ye Rou spoke casually, but Yang Ding was greatly shocked.

The Wall in the North is a thousand meters high, in an extremely cold place. What kind of courage would an ordinary person need to jump down from there?

That's not true.

He held Ye Rou's hand and said, "You mustn't do anything foolish. Our child can't be without a mother."

"We're a forced couple; we probably don't love each other that much."

When Ye Rou and Yang Ding arrived at the classroom, they found the group leaders of the other seven groups blocking the doorway.

"What are you doing? Go back to your seats and start class. Today I'm going to talk to you about how to cooperate in teamwork."

"Instructor Ye, we're waiting for your husband."

Ye Rou instinctively shielded Yang Ding behind her.

"What, trying to bully my husband?"

She is still stuck in the mindset that her husband is an ordinary person with mediocre talent, and is looked down upon by the Class B Awakened.

"Instructor Ye, are you kidding me? Your husband is already the best student in our class, how dare we bully him?"

"Then what are you all doing blocking this way?"

The seven group leaders looked at Yang Ding at the same time, "Please protect us, class leader. We are willing to collect the beast crystals into your group."

"Have you thought it through?" Yang Ding asked.

"Yes, but will those experts help you protect us?"

I can't be sure if they'll help, but I'll definitely help.

"Excuse my bluntness, class monitor, but your strength may not be greater than ours. What we care about are the real experts."

"If I help them, they might help me in return," Yang Ding replied.

This statement was a bit convoluted, but the seven group leaders still reluctantly agreed.

They were all at the mid-level of the first rank, and only by preserving their lives could they have a future.

Ye Rou was completely confused. "Honey, can't you protect yourself first? This kind of promise is unacceptable."

"My promise to protect them is actually a mutual protection effort. In order for you to see your sister and for you to pay respects to your father at the Royal City Hall of Heroes, your husband has to do everything he can."

Ye Rou was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.

The husband she won in a lottery unexpectedly became the warmest presence in her life.

First Wife: Ye Rou

【Affection Level: 35.4%↑, +0.8%】

[Cultivation Progress: 38.3%↑, +0.8%]

[Ding, congratulations host, you have broken through to the upper level of the third rank in martial arts.]

[The muscles and bones have been tempered; punching power increased by 16000 jin (69000 catties).]

[The second level of the Soul-Severing Spear Technique, the Three Strikes of Shaking, Thrusting, and Blocking, has been unlocked; experience points increased by 73%.]

[Sword Style Nine, Second Form: Sweeping Sword Style, unlocked; experience points increased by 40%.]

As one's cultivation level continues to rise, even one percent of love can generate power that other students could never obtain in their entire lives.

Mao Jian has been very anxious lately because he has been unable to break through to the middle stage of the first rank, and his punching power has remained at around 1,000 jin.

A force of 7 jin is actually a terrifying existence. If it were to hit an ordinary person, it would shatter them to pieces, with flesh and blood flying everywhere.

Even a century-old tree can be easily uprooted.

Many talented martial arts awakeners don't reach this level of skill even after graduation.

However, according to the ranking system of the Jinglong Empire, if Yang Ding wants to advance to the lower fourth rank, he needs to multiply his 54675 jin of fist strength from the upper third rank by 4, reaching 218700 jin of fist strength.

……

At lunchtime, the cafeteria for Class B was packed with people, with 40 long lines forming, probably three or four thousand people. It wasn't usually this crowded.

The latest notices are playing on a loop on the huge screen at the entrance of the cafeteria.

"From now until December 31, during the eradication of parasites, all classes and groups will eat according to their ranking on the defense list," Huang Bingbing said.

"The top twenty groups in Class B have the privilege of cutting in line to eat at any time."

"The entire class will be admitted based on their overall ranking. Once inside the cafeteria, students will be seated in the designated areas."

"The portion size and quality of the food are also related to the ranking."

Yang Ding's group, ranked second in Class B, naturally didn't need to queue and went directly into the cafeteria, while the others in the class waited in line at the Class B22 position for guidance.

Mao Jian was utterly stunned.

"This is so realistic! It reflects the hierarchy and social status everywhere."

"The armies of the five great empires along the Wall in the North are all like this, but they are ranked by seniority."

"It's still better to enjoy life with Brother Ding," Sun Li said with a smile.

All the screens in the cafeteria are displaying the latest rankings. Because the cafeteria was closed for the weekend, the rankings are currently quite stable with almost no changes.

Yang Ding led his team to the third table in a stylish manner.

The second table was occupied by Class 1, Grade 4 of the Martial Arts Academy, who were tied for second place. The first table was occupied by Class 7, Grade 4 of the Supernatural Abilities Academy, who had come from behind to take the lead.

The two senior groups had an average cultivation level several times higher than Yang Ding's group, so they were all very surprised.

The reason Yang Ding attracted everyone's attention this time was not because of the kind of wife he found, but because his ranking crushed all 37 classes from freshman to senior year.

It's very strange, and it makes people very unconvinced.

The first ten tables didn't even need to queue for food; it was already prepared, featuring different flavors of Tier 2 beast meat.

The group leader of Class 7, Superpower B, was somewhat dissatisfied.

"It's only just begun and people are already cheating, and the school and law enforcement aren't doing anything about it."

The leader of Martial Arts Class 1 laughed and said, "There's nothing we can do about it; what can we do when someone like him knows how to get married?"

Yang Ding picked up a piece of second-grade beast meat and threw it on the ground.

"Stop barking, Big Dog, Second Dog, hurry up and eat your meat. Stop crying wolf, you despicable thief."

Yang Ding's current points are mostly from leveraging existing resources, while those shameless guys in Class B7 are directly buying beast crystals.

"Who the hell are you calling a dog?"

The students in Class B1 felt their opportunity had arrived. Letting these two fight like dogs would allow them to reap the benefits.

"We're all in charge of the farm community. We'll see if we're really capable tonight."

The group leader of Class B7 became interested.

"Really? You freshmen are in charge of which buildings?"