Chapter 4: Tiandu Academy
Chapter 4: Tiandu Academy
Why does my face feel wet?
I groggily opened my eyes and realized that Black Dragon was licking me. I smiled and rubbed its large head.
“Good boy. What time is it now?”
Only after saying that did I realize that it couldn’t answer me.
I fed it a little more food, then returned to the inn, took a bath, and ate a hearty meal. After returning to my room, I went right back to sleep.
When I woke up, it was already midnight.
I stretched my body and went into the courtyard to practice the Thirteen Berserk Thunder Fists once. After a full day of rest, my strength had basically recovered. If it weren’t for relying on the dark power of the Heavenly Demon Technique over the past two days, even if I had managed to endure the test, I probably still wouldn’t be able to get out of bed right now.
I wonder how the other candidates are doing.
I sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing the Heavenly Demon Technique.
Dark magic could not be used freely within the Dragon God Empire. Although there were dark mages here, their numbers were very small. If people discovered that I could also use dark magic, I might be accused of being a spy sent by the Demon Race.
After cultivating for two hours, the dark power within my body reached its peak state. I raised my right hand and chanted:
“Great God of Darkness,
with my soul as the sacrifice,
with my life as the bridge,
grant me your endless divine power.
Form an unbreakable barrier
and protect your servant—
Dark Barrier.”
As the spell was completed, thick black mist appeared about one meter in front of me and quickly enveloped my body.
This was the strongest dark magic I could currently use.
It resembled the Dark Barrier used by dark mages, but its defensive power was much stronger. It could easily withstand attacks from intermediate magic.
Not bad.
With this Dark Barrier, my defense would become even stronger.
I slowly withdrew my dark magical power. A wave of dizziness hit me, and my body swayed slightly. The backlash from dark magic was truly severe—even with my strong physique, it was difficult to endure.
I quickly began circulating the Heavenly Demon Technique again, and the dizziness gradually disappeared.
Morning had already arrived.
I went to the stable first to feed Black Dragon. Who knew how long this round of the exam would last?
On the grounds of Tiandu Academy, the one thousand candidates who had passed the first round gathered again. According to their numbers, they formed twenty rows, creating a large rectangular formation on the training field.
The same voice from before rang out again:
“Candidates, today is the second round of the examination. From your group of one thousand people, three hundred will be selected. We hope everyone will demonstrate their true abilities. A proctor will stand in front of each row. Please proceed with testing according to your number order.”
At the front of the training field, a row of tables had been set up.
On each table rested a large iron plate, about three centimeters thick. Behind the tables sat the proctors.
I stepped forward first in my row.
The proctor held a list and said, “You’re Number 1, Lei Xiang, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Good. The test requires you to leave a mark in your numbered square on the iron plate on the table. The deeper the mark, the better. Weapons are not allowed. You may use magic or battle qi. Begin now. Time limit: thirty seconds.”
I looked down.
The large iron plate had fifty squares, each marked with a number.
Wasn’t this far too easy?
To me, iron plates were practically no different from tofu.
A faint smile of contempt appeared at the corner of my mouth.
I extended my right index finger toward the plate, planning to simply drill a hole through it.
When the proctor saw my expression, he secretly sneered.
This kid is going to embarrass himself.
After all, the iron plate had been reinforced with a magical barrier.
When my finger was about two centimeters away from the plate, I suddenly felt resistance.
An invisible current of energy blocked my finger from pressing further.
I immediately understood.
So that was the trick.
No wonder it wasn’t that simple.
I began gathering the energy of Heavenly Thunder Armor Removal into my index finger.
“Break!”
With a loud shout, I pressed down.
I could clearly feel the intense friction between my finger and the invisible current of energy. My finger slowly pressed downward, bit by bit.
The toughness of the barrier far exceeded my expectations.
As the barrier gradually bent inward, the iron plate beneath it began forming an increasingly deep indentation.
If I couldn’t break through it like this, I would simply add more force.
I diverted a small portion of the dark power within my body into my finger.
A flash of black energy appeared.
Pfft!
My finger pierced through the current of energy.
Without the protection of the barrier, the iron plate became as fragile as paper.
My finger punched straight through it, even piercing the table beneath.
The proctor’s mouth opened into a perfect O.
Even he would have difficulty piercing this barrier.
Yet I, a mere candidate, had done it.
I slowly withdrew my finger and said calmly,
“Teacher, is that enough?”
The proctor froze for a moment before recovering.
“Yes… yes. I’ve supervised exams for many years, but I’ve never seen someone with strength like yours. What technique did you just use? Why did your finger turn black?”
He wrote an evaluation on my assessment sheet.
Because of my height, I could see it clearly. I glanced at it briefly.
It roughly said:
“Penetrated iron plate. Candidate possesses extremely powerful strength.”
I had already prepared an explanation.
“That technique was something I learned from an old man. He said it was called Profound Heaven Finger. I didn’t expect it would come in handy today.”
The proctor picked up the iron plate and said,
“This one can’t be used anymore. The barrier has been broken. I need to replace it. Go rest on the field for now and wait until all tests are finished before the results are announced.”
I bowed slightly and stepped aside.
I didn’t go too far away. I wanted to observe the strength of the other candidates and determine whether I truly had a chance of being selected.
Before long, the proctor returned with another iron plate and called the next candidate.
I watched more than a dozen people take the test.
None of them could compare with me.
At most, they managed to leave an indentation about one centimeter deep.
One candidate was particularly amusing.
He seemed to specialize in fire magic. One fireball after another slammed into the iron plate, but he still couldn’t leave even the slightest mark.
Seeing that time was running out, he began chanting:
“Spirits of fire that exist everywhere,
grant me endless flames
and burn everything before me—
Explosive Flame!”
This was an intermediate fire spell.
It looked quite powerful.
The proctor hurriedly cast a water-element protective barrier around himself.
After the explosion—
Boom!
The sound echoed across the field, drawing the attention of all the candidates.
The result?
The table collapsed, but the iron plate remained completely unharmed.
Seeing this outcome, the candidate realized he had no hope. Half laughing and half crying, he turned and left.
Many candidates burst into laughter.
The most helpless person was the proctor himself. As he wrote the candidate’s evaluation, he muttered to himself:
“Why am I encountering monsters today? One who breaks the iron plate, another who burns the table…”
I felt that I would almost certainly pass, so I stopped watching the other candidates.
Instead, I walked to a shaded spot under a tree and sat down.
Breathing in the fresh scent of plants, I quietly waited for the results to be announced.
I was resting with my eyes closed when I suddenly noticed that someone had appeared beside me. When I opened my eyes, it was the fellow who had burned the table earlier.
He sat next to me and looked at me. When he saw me open my eyes, he said,
“Big brother, hello. I saw you pierce through the iron plate just now. Why couldn’t I do it? I kept trying and ended up destroying the table, but the iron plate didn’t even get a scratch.”
By the end of his sentence, his face was full of helplessness.
I glanced at him. His words made me want to laugh a little.
“Concentrate your strength,” I said.
After speaking those four words, I closed my eyes again.
Although I had said very little, it seemed to inspire him greatly.
He slapped his forehead.
“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that? Let me think… I know a fire-cone spell. That should work. I’ll try again.”
With that, he ran off.
I shook my head, wondering whether the proctor would even allow him to take the test again. Then I closed my eyes and continued resting.
After an unknown amount of time passed, the broadcast sounded again:
“All candidates, please line up according to your original formation. The examination results will now be announced.”
I opened my eyes.
Everyone had already finished the test. The candidates were wandering around the training field in small groups.
I walked to my original position, thinking to myself that I would definitely pass this time.
Sure enough, the proctor from earlier walked over. The candidate who had burned the table followed beside him.
When that candidate saw me, he secretly gave me a gesture indicating success.
The proctor looked at him helplessly.
“Go on. Get back into formation first.”
The candidate shrugged and ran toward the back of the line.
“Alright,” the proctor said. “I will now announce the list of candidates who passed the examination.”
“Lei Xiang — passed.
Hua Song — passed. …”
He read out more than a dozen names in succession.
Afterward, he closed the list in his hand and said,
“Those whose names were called will remain. Those whose names were not called may leave. If you are under eighteen years old, you may come back next year to take the exam again.”
Many candidates walked away with dejected expressions.
The other groups had also finished their announcements. Soon, only the three hundred successful candidates remained on the field.
The twenty rows now stood unevenly across the training ground.
After about the time it takes to eat a meal, several older teachers arrived. Judging by their age, they probably held relatively high positions.
One teacher in his fifties, wearing a magic robe, spoke first.
“Alright, everyone quiet down. I am Zhang Feng, Director of the Academic Affairs Office. Congratulations to all of you for entering this academy. Next, please welcome our respected principal, Magister Yue Han, to give a speech.”
From his voice, I recognized that he was the one who had been making the announcements earlier.
Scattered applause arose among the students on the field.
An elderly mage, about sixty or seventy years old, stepped forward. After coughing twice, he began speaking:
“I am the principal of this academy. First, on behalf of the academy, I welcome you as first-year students. Second, I hope that in your future studies you will not fear hardship and will strive to improve yourselves. Our academy has produced more than two hundred and thirty Dragon Knights, making it the number one academy in the Dragon God Empire.”
(Later I learned that each of the Four Great Academies claimed to be the number one academy.)
“I hope that among you there will also be someone who earns this honorable title. Finally, I have one requirement for all of you: romantic relationships between male and female students are strictly forbidden within the academy. That concludes my speech.”
With that, he turned around and walked back into the academic building.
The earlier part of the speech—especially the mention of Dragon Knights—made most of the students’ blood boil with excitement.
(Most of them, that is. The Dragon Race would never accept non-humans, so it meant nothing to me.)
Many students seemed eager to mount a flying dragon immediately and show off their power.
But when they heard the final rule, the entire crowd nearly collapsed.
At sixteen or seventeen years old, people were just beginning to feel curiosity about relationships between men and women, filled with youthful fantasies. Hearing the principal’s rule naturally made many of them dissatisfied.
The field immediately filled with murmuring voices.
Director Zhang Feng glanced at the principal’s departing back with a hint of dissatisfaction, clearly unhappy with the way the speech had been delivered. Then he raised his voice.
“Everyone quiet down, quiet down. The principal is absolutely right. In order for everyone to focus better on cultivation in the academy, it’s best to avoid romantic relationships that might interfere with your studies. Now we will begin class assignments.”
“Students studying martial arts stand on the west side.
Students studying magic stand on the east side.
Students studying both martial arts and magic stand in the middle.”
The new students gradually separated into groups.
After thinking for a moment, I decided that since I had come here to secretly learn, it would be best to study a bit of everything. So I stood in the middle.
The largest group was those studying martial arts, making up about half of the students.
More than one hundred students chose magic.
Only a little over forty chose to study both martial arts and magic.
Afterward, the class assignments were made.
There were six classes in total:
Three martial arts classes,
Two magic classes,
One class for students studying both martial arts and magic.
After the classes were assigned, Director Zhang said,
“Alright, class assignments are complete. Go back today and prepare your belongings. Tomorrow, bring your daily necessities and report to the academy. From now on, except during holidays, students are not allowed to return home. Everyone will live in the academy dormitories. You are dismissed.”
Before Director Zhang left, I quickly ran over to him.
“Director Zhang, may I bring my horse to the academy to keep?”
I needed to find a good place for Black Dragon.
Director Zhang frowned and said seriously, “It would be better if you dispose of it—sell it or leave it somewhere else.”
“But my horse only eats food that I feed it,” I replied. “It’s an excellent horse. I’m willing to pay extra tuition. Could you make an exception?”
For the sake of Black Dragon, even someone as proud as me had to lower my tone.
The moment he heard that I was willing to pay extra money, Director Zhang’s eyes immediately lit up.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Bring your horse tomorrow. I’ll arrange for it to stay in the teachers’ stables.”
Then he turned to leave.
Are all teachers like this now? So interested in money.
I stopped him again.
He said impatiently, “What else?”
“My horse has a fierce temperament. It would be best if it had its own stable. Otherwise, I’m afraid it might injure other horses.”
Director Zhang said impatiently, “Fine. But you’ll have to pay more. Three gold coins per month.”
He was really greedy.
The tuition fee for half a year was only twenty gold coins, yet the stable rent was almost the same price.
Fortunately, I still had plenty of money.
Before I left home, my father had given me a Dragon God Empire gold card containing five thousand gold coins, which was more than enough for me to use.
“Alright. Thank you, Director. I’ll bring the horse tomorrow. I’ll be leaving now.”
Director Zhang watched my departing figure and smiled slyly to himself.
“Looks like I’ll be able to make another little fortune.”
After returning to the inn, I packed my belongings, withdrew two hundred gold coins from the bank as spare money, and went to the stable to thoroughly brush and clean Black Dragon again.
I had finally entered Tiandu Academy through my own ability.
This was the first step toward completing my mission.
A rare feeling of excitement rose in my heart.
I led Black Dragon to Tiandu Academy, but the moment I reached the gate, the guard stopped me.
“You’re a student, right? Don’t you know that Tiandu Academy doesn’t allow horses on campus?”
I replied coldly, “I didn’t know. I only know that Director Zhang from the Academic Affairs Office told me to bring it.”
The guard was instantly speechless. I pulled Black Dragon forward and walked inside. Behind me, I faintly heard the guard mutter unhappily,
“He’s just a freshman. What’s he so arrogant about?”
After entering the academy, I went straight toward the teaching building. I told Black Dragon to wait outside while I handled the admission procedures first before coming back to settle it in.
I walked into the Academic Affairs Office and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Director Zhang’s voice came from inside.
I pushed the door open.
The office was quite large. Eight desks were arranged inside, with several teachers sitting there. I thought I had arrived early, but there were already six or seven students inside. They all looked like freshmen.
Director Zhang clearly remembered me—the student paying extra for the stable.
“You’re here. I’ve been waiting for you for quite a while,” he said. “Go ahead and complete your enrollment procedures first. What’s your name?”
The other freshmen all looked at me. They were all male.
One of them even protested, “We arrived earlier. Why does he get to go first?”
Director Zhang shot him a sharp glare, and the boy immediately fell silent.
“My name is Lei Xiang,” I said calmly.
“Lei Xiang, right.” Director Zhang flipped through the registration list, then looked up at me.
“The tuition fee per semester is 20 gold coins, dormitory fee 5 gold coins, meal fee 5 gold coins, textbook fee 1 gold coin, miscellaneous fees 2 gold coins. You also have a horse, right? I’ll charge you for half a year in advance—18 gold coins. Let me calculate… the total is 51 gold coins. Pay up.”
The other students were stunned. They looked at Director Zhang in disbelief as if they wanted to say something.
But Zhang Feng glared at them sharply, forcing their words back into their throats.
I knew he was cheating me.
However, in order to stay at the academy smoothly in the future, I pretended not to notice. I took 51 gold coins from my chest and handed them over.
Director Zhang immediately broke into a wide smile and began counting the coins.
After a long while, he finally came out of his trance of admiring the gold. He took out a key and handed it to me.
“Here. This is your dormitory key. The room number is engraved on it—find it yourself. Classes start tomorrow in Room 106 on the first floor of the main teaching building.”
I took the key and asked, “Alright. Where should my horse be settled?”
Director Zhang had completely forgotten about that while collecting money. He laughed awkwardly.
“I’ll take you there now. You students wait here for a moment.”
I followed him out of the building.
But the moment we stepped outside, both of us were startled.
Dozens of students had gathered at the entrance, whispering among themselves.
Using my strong arms, I pushed through the crowd.
As expected, the center of attention was Black Dragon.
Everyone was commenting on it. One particularly bold girl even tried to approach and touch it.
“Hello, little black horse,” she said.
(Little black horse? I nearly fainted. Black Dragon was one zhang two chi long and eight chi tall, yet she called it a little horse. She was truly naive.)
“Do you have an owner? Let me pet you, okay?”
I was about to stop her, but I was too late.
Black Dragon let out an angry neigh and raised its front hooves high, about to stomp down on her.
The girl collapsed onto the ground in fright. Just as she was about to become the second victim under Black Dragon’s hooves, I appeared.
I rushed forward and grabbed both of Black Dragon’s descending hooves—just like the first time I subdued it.
Because I had acted hastily, the force of its impact pushed me back one step.
When Black Dragon realized it was me, it let out a joyful cry. Only then did I release its hooves.
I turned and shouted at the girl,
“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why would you try to touch it?”
The girl stood up.
She was actually quite adorable. Her long purple hair hung down to her waist. She had a petite figure and a beautiful face, with skin as white as jade. Her large eyes were filled with tears.
Her little face had turned pale from fright.
“I… I’m sorry,” she stammered. Tears swirled in her eyes.
I waved my hand impatiently.
“Stay away from Black Dragon in the future.”
Voices from the surrounding crowd began whispering.
“Who is that guy? He’s incredibly strong.”
“He’s really fierce. I’ve never seen anyone speak to Zi Xue like that.”
Just as I pulled the horse and prepared to leave, several senior students suddenly stepped out and blocked my path.
The leader was more than 1.8 meters tall. He was handsome, but his eyes revealed a violent personality.
He stretched out a hand to stop me.
“Apologize to Miss Zi Xue immediately. You scared her and think you can just walk away?”
I slapped his hand aside.
“Is that any of your business?” I said coldly.
He flew into a rage.
“Anyone who dares bully Zi Xue is my enemy! I’ll deal with you!”
Just as he was about to charge forward, a clear voice suddenly rang out.
“Wait. Hua Lun, why are you causing trouble again? Leave immediately. I won’t pursue the matter this time. Otherwise, you’ll go to the Academic Affairs Office and stand as punishment.”
When the young man named Hua Lun saw that Director Zhang had intervened, he snorted angrily.
“Kid, just you wait. You’ll regret this.”
I sneered.
“I’m always available. But let me warn you first—my hands are heavy. If you lose an arm or a leg, don’t blame me.”
Hua Lun’s eyes bulged with anger.
“You—!”
Zhang Feng interrupted.
“That’s enough. If you keep arguing, I’ll put all of you in confinement.”
Only then did Hua Lun leave with his followers in frustration.
The candidate who had burned the table earlier also appeared. He leaned close to me and whispered,
“I’ll come find you later.”
I glanced at him but said nothing.
Zhang Feng walked over to Zi Xue.
“Zi Xue, are you alright? Don’t act so recklessly next time.”
Zi Xue lowered her head.
“Yes, Director.”
“Alright. You may leave now. Everyone else disperse. Lei Xiang, follow me.”
I glanced sideways at Zi Xue again.
She happened to be looking at me as well.
Our eyes met.
She quickly lowered her head, her face flushing red. The shy expression on her face was indescribably charming.
For a moment, I stared blankly.
Only when Director Zhang called out again did I recover and lead Black Dragon after him.
As we walked, Zhang Feng looked at Black Dragon and praised it.
“Your horse really is excellent, but it’s too fierce. It seems I really do need to arrange a separate stable for it. Be careful in the future. To encourage students to train harder, the academy allows fair duels between students.”
I hadn’t expected the profit-driven Zhang Feng to actually show concern for me. Hearing his words, I finally felt a trace of an elder’s demeanor from him.
“Alright. I’ll be careful. Thank you.”
After settling Black Dragon, I prepared to find the place where I would live for a long time.
I looked at the key in my hand.
It was engraved with 6-3-4.
I had no idea what that meant.
Just as I was walking, the freshman who had burned the table ran over, panting.
“I finally found you! Did you settle your horse?”
“Mm,” I replied.
“Which dormitory are you in?”
I handed him the key to look at.
“6-3-4? That’s great!” he said excitedly. “We’re in the same dorm! Building Six, third floor, room four. Come on, come on! I just came from there.”
“My name is Feng Yun. What’s yours?”
“Lei Xiang.”
“Ah! Looks like we’re pretty fated—one wind and one thunder. Oh right, I haven’t thanked you for that day yet. The method you taught me really worked. I managed to make a dent more than one centimeter deep in the iron plate.”
I asked curiously, “How did you convince the proctor to let you test again?”
He gave a mysterious smile and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together with a sly grin.
“Hehe… money makes everything possible. It cost me the wages I earned from working for a whole month to make it happen.”
I nearly fainted.
Are all the teachers at this academy like this? Only recognizing money?
“Lei Xiang, you’re really tall. It’s rare to see someone as tall as you among humans.”
“Oh?”
You haven’t seen my people yet. They’re all over four meters tall. But it would probably be better if he never saw them—otherwise they might tear him apart.
Hmm… why am I suddenly concerned about this guy I just met?
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought.
“Your horse is still young, right?”
“Is it? How can you tell?” When he mentioned Black Dragon, I became somewhat interested.
“I’ve studied horse appraisal before. Your horse should only be a little over one year old. Black Dragon is the best horse I’ve ever seen.”
“Actually, I don’t know how old it is either. I bought it from a horse ranch.”
“There are horses that good at horse ranches? If I get the chance someday, I’ll go take a look. Alright, we’re here. This will be our nest from now on. Come in.”
He pulled me into the dormitory.
The dormitory conditions were actually quite good.
At the innermost side were two bunk beds, each with brand-new bedding, clearly meant for four people. For now, only Feng Yun and I were there.
On one side outside the beds were two desks, and on the other side were four iron cabinets, likely for storing belongings. In the corner were daily necessities such as a broom, washbasin, and mop.
Feng Yun pointed to the lower bunk on the right.
“I’ll sleep here. Lei Xiang, where will you sleep?”
I pointed to the upper bunk above him.
“I’ll take the one above you.”
I selected one of the cabinets and placed my belongings inside.
Feng Yun said, “That guy who tried to cause trouble for you earlier has quite a background. He’s a third-year student, probably studying martial arts. His family is from the nobility. I think his father is some kind of Viscount. You’d better avoid him in the future.”
“Are nobles always that arrogant?”
Feng Yun thought to himself that my arrogance was hardly any less than Hua Lun’s, but he answered aloud,
“Yes. The Dragon God Empire has a very strong class hierarchy. Nobles enjoy many privileges. Most people who come here hope to improve their abilities and then join the army to earn a noble title someday.”
“What about that purple-haired girl? What’s her background?”
“Huh? Her? She’s practically the princess in the hearts of many students here. She’s a second-year student and one of the academy’s beauties. She has many admirers, but since the academy forbids romantic relationships, she doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. Why—did you take a liking to her?”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” I said in a low voice.
Yet the image of Zi Xue’s adorable face appeared in my mind.
The term “academy beauty” sounded rather interesting, so I asked further,
“Are there other academy beauties?”
“Of course. The academy has more than two thousand students, and there are eight famous beauties. Zi Xue ranks sixth. I’ll introduce you to the others when you meet them later.”
I asked curiously, “How do you know so much about the academy? Aren’t you also a freshman?”
He smiled awkwardly and whispered to me,
“I’ll tell you, but don’t tell anyone else. Last year I worked here as a servant for a whole year. That’s why I know the academy so well.”
I suddenly understood.
It seemed he had put a great deal of effort into getting admitted here.
Just then, two people entered from outside.
To my surprise, the two looked exactly the same.
Are these what humans call twins?
Feng Yun greeted them immediately.
“Do you two live in this dormitory as well?”
The one in front answered, “Yes. I’m Huo Xing, and he’s Huo Star. We’re twins from Kun Si City.”
Feng Yun said happily, “Then we’re roommates from now on. I’m Feng Yun, from Ha Lin City. This is Lei Xiang. Oh right—Lei Xiang, where are you from?”
I felt a sudden alertness in my heart.
“I don’t have a home,” I said. “I wander everywhere.”
“Oh,” Feng Yun replied. “Then life must have been difficult for you. Brothers Huo, you can take that bunk bed. Since you look so alike, how do people tell you apart?”
The brothers smiled at each other.
Huo Xing said, “I’m the older one. I have a small mole at the corner of my left eye. My younger brother doesn’t.”
“Ah, that makes it easy to tell you apart. You’re both surnamed Huo—are you studying fire magic?”
Huo Star nodded.
“We’re dual cultivators of magic and martial arts. We combine fire magic with sword techniques.”
So they were the same as me.
Judging from their appearance alone, both of them seemed to possess considerable strength.
Feng Yun said, “That must be impressive. The three of you are all magic warriors, while I’m the only pure mage here.”
Huo Xing asked, “Lei Xiang, are you also a dual cultivator? What magic do you study?”
“I haven’t learned magic yet,” I said coldly. “I’ll study it later.”
“Ah? If you haven’t learned magic yet, how did you get into the magic warrior class?”
Why does he talk so much? He’s just like Feng Yun.
Impatiently, I replied, “I like magic. I’ll learn it later.”
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Feng Yun quickly intervened.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
…
Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling less than a meter above my face.
The first step of my mission has finally begun.
From now on, I needed to study more and cultivate more.
I calmed my mind and began cultivating the Heavenly Demon Technique. In order to avoid being discovered by the others, I could only practice while lying down. Although it felt a little strange, the results were still acceptable.
Early the next morning, I woke up.
The others were still sleeping, and the sky was only beginning to brighten.
I quietly ran outside the dormitory and practiced the Thirteen Berserk Thunder Fists once to stretch my body.
The dining hall had not opened yet.
I went to the stable. Black Dragon looked fine. I fed it some fodder, then led it out and rode a few laps around the training field.
Only when the sky became fully bright did I return it to the stable.
When I returned to the dormitory, the other three had already woken up.
Feng Yun asked, “Lei Xiang, where did you go so early?”
“I went to exercise my horse.”
The Huo brothers asked in surprise, “The academy allows horses to be brought inside?”
Thinking of my expensive stable, I gave a bitter smile.
“I rented a stable for one semester—18 gold coins.”
Feng Yun’s eyes widened.
“Eighteen gold coins? The academy is really ruthless.”
I sighed.
“What else could I do? I had no choice. Black Dragon can’t stay away from me anyway.”
Feng Yun shook his head in amazement.
“You’re really rich. Let’s go eat breakfast. Then we have class. It’s the first day—we shouldn’t be late.”
After finishing breakfast, Feng Yun parted ways with us at the main teaching building.
His class was in Room 104, while the three of us headed to Room 106.