Why is my face wet? I opened my eyes groggily and realized it was Black Dragon licking me. I smiled and stroked his big head, "Good boy, what time is it now?" Only then did I realize he wouldn't answer me. I fed him some more food, then returned to the inn to take a shower and have a hearty meal. Back in my room, I continued playing chess with Zhou Gong.
When I woke up, it was already midnight. I stretched my limbs and practiced the Thunderous Thirteen Fists in the courtyard. After a day of rest, my stamina had mostly recovered. If it weren't for the dark power of the Heavenly Demon Technique these past two days, I probably wouldn't even be able to get out of bed 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 cannot be used lightly in the Dragon God Empire. Although there are dark mages here, their numbers are very few. If I were discovered using dark magic, I might be accused of being a spy sent by the demon race. After two hours of cultivation, the dark energy within my body had reached its peak state. I raised my right hand and chanted, "Great God of Darkness, with my soul as an offering and my life as a bridge, grant me your boundless divine power to form a solid barrier and protect your servant. —Dark Barrier."
As the incantation was chanted, a thick black mist began to form around me, centered on my body, enveloping me within it. This was the strongest dark magic I could currently use. It resembled the dark barrier of a dark mage, but its defensive power was far superior, capable of withstanding attacks from intermediate-level magic.
Indeed, with this Dark Barrier, my defensive power is greatly enhanced. I slowly withdrew the dark magic, but a sudden dizziness made my body sway. The backlash of dark magic is truly formidable; even with my robust physique, I could barely endure it. I quickly activated the Heavenly Demon Technique, and the dizziness gradually subsided.
It was already broad daylight. I first went to the stable to feed the black dragon. Who knew how long this exam would take?
The field of Tian Du Academy was crowded with exactly a thousand people participating in the retest, arranged in 20 rows according to their numbers, forming a rectangular formation on the field.
The same voice from before rang out again: Candidates, today is the second round of exams. From among the 1,000 of you, 300 will be selected. Please give it your all. There will be an exam proctor at the front of each row. Please proceed with the test in order of your numbers."
A row of tables was set up at the front of the field, each with a large iron plate about three centimeters thick. Exam proctors sat behind the tables.
I was the first to step forward to the front of my row. The proctor held the roster and said, "You're number 1, Lei Xiang, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright, the test involves leaving a mark in the numbered grid corresponding to your number on the iron plate on the table. The deeper the mark, the better. No weapons allowed; magic and qi are permitted. Begin now. You have thirty seconds."
I looked down and saw that the large iron plate had 50 numbered squares. This was too easy. The iron plate felt as soft as tofu in my hands. A sneer appeared on my lips as I extended my right index finger and pressed it against the iron plate, ready to drill a hole in it. The proctor saw my disdainful smile and sneered inwardly. He thought, "You'll see how embarrassing this gets. This iron plate is enchanted with a magical barrier."
When my finger was still two centimeters away from the iron plate, I felt I couldn't press any further. An invisible current of air stopped me from going deeper. I suddenly realized there was more to it than met the eye. I knew it wasn't that simple. I gradually gathered the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Armor-Breaking technique into my index finger, shouted, "Break!" and pressed down with all my strength. I could feel the intense friction between my finger and the air current. My finger pressed down inch by inch, and the resilience of the air current exceeded my imagination. The iron plate gradually formed a deeper and deeper indentation due to the inward curvature caused by the air current.
Since I couldn't break through the airflow, I exerted more force. I channeled a portion of the dark energy within my body into my finger. A flash of black energy erupted from my finger, and with a "thud," it pierced through the airflow. Without the airflow's protection, the iron plate was as easy to pierce as paper, and even the table beneath it was not spared.
The proctor's mouth formed an "O" shape, for even he would find it difficult to break through this barrier, yet I, a freshman, had managed to do so.
I drew my breath into my lower abdomen, slowly withdrew my finger, and coldly asked, "Teacher, is that enough?"
The proctor paused before responding, "Alright. In all my years of proctoring, I've never seen anyone with such power. What technique did you use just now? Why did your finger turn black?" He then jotted down his evaluation of me in the roster. Since I was tall, I could just barely see it. It seemed to read, "Penetrated the iron plate; the candidate possesses immense strength."
I had already prepared my response and said, "I learned it from an old man. He called it the 'Xuantian Finger.' I didn't expect it to 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 go get another one. You can rest on the field for now. We'll announce the results after all the tests are finished."
I bowed and stepped aside. I didn't want to go too far because I wanted to see how strong the other candidates were to determine if I could be selected.
Soon, the proctor replaced the iron plate and called the next candidate to take the test. I watched about ten people, but none of them could compare to me. At most, they could only create a dent about one centimeter deep on the iron plate. One candidate was the most amusing. He must have studied fire magic, as he continuously launched fireballs at the iron plate, but none left a mark. As time ran out, he chanted: O omnipresent fire spirits, grant me endless flames to burn everything before me—Exploding Flames!" This was an intermediate-level fire-based spell, and it seemed quite powerful. The proctor quickly cast a water-based protective barrier around himself. After the Exploding Flames spell was cast, there was a loud "boom," The sound drew the attention of all the candidates in the room, but it turned out that the table had collapsed, while the iron plate remained completely undamaged.
The candidate, realizing there was no hope, turned and walked away with a mix of laughter and tears. Many candidates burst into laughter. Even more amusing was the proctor, who muttered to himself while writing the candidates' evaluations: "Today I encountered monsters—one who broke the iron plate, another who burned the table. Really..."
I felt that I should have passed, so I stopped observing the other candidates, walked over to a shady spot under a tree, sat down, breathed in the fresh scent of the plants, and waited for the results to be announced.
I was closing my eyes to rest when I suddenly noticed someone had appeared beside me. Opening my eyes, I saw it was the guy who had burned the desk with fire earlier.
He was sitting next to me, staring at me. When he saw me open my eyes, he said, Sir, hello. I saw you pierce the iron plate earlier, but I can't do it. I tried for a while and ended up breaking the table, but the iron plate is still fine." By the end, his face was filled with a helpless expression.
I looked at him, and his words made me feel like laughing. I said, "Focus your power more." After saying that, I closed my eyes again. Though I only said six words, it had a significant impact on him.
He slapped his head and said, "Right, why didn't I think of that? Let me think... I know a fire cone spell. It should work. I'll try again." With that, he ran off.
I shook my head, wondering if the proctor would let him retake the exam. I closed my eyes and continued resting.
After an unknown amount of time, the intercom sounded again: "All candidates, please line up in your original formations. and the exam results will be announced."
I opened my eyes and saw that everyone had finished the exam and was wandering around the field in small groups. I walked to where I was supposed to stand and thought to myself, "I'm sure I'll pass this time."
Sure enough, the proctor from earlier walked over, accompanied by the candidate who had burned the table. The candidate saw me and gave me a thumbs-up.
The proctor looked at him helplessly and said, " Go stand in line first." He shrugged and ran to the back.
"Alright, I will now announce the list of those who passed the exam: Lei Xiang, passed. Hua Song, passed..." He read out more than ten names in succession. The proctor closed the roster in his hand and said, "Those whose names were called should stay, and those whose names were not called can go back. If you are under 18, you can come back to take the exam again next year."
Many candidates turned around and left with their heads hanging low. The other groups had also finished their announcements, leaving only the 300 qualified candidates on the field.
Twenty rows of candidates stood unevenly on the field. After about the time it takes to eat a meal, several older teachers arrived, presumably holding higher positions.
One of them, a man in his 50s wearing a magical robe, said, Alright, everyone, please quiet down. I am Zhang Feng, the Dean of Student Affairs at the Academy. Congratulations to all of you for being admitted to our academy. Now, please welcome our esteemed Magister Moon Cold, the Academy's Dean, to address you." From his voice, I could tell he was the one who had made the announcement earlier.
The candidates on the field clapped sparsely. An elderly magician, probably in his sixties or seventies, stepped forward, cleared his throat twice, and said, I am the Dean of this academy. First, on behalf of the academy, I welcome you as first-year freshmen. Second, I hope you will not shy away from hardship in your future studies, strive for excellence, and strive to improve yourselves as soon as possible. This academy has produced over 230 dragon knights, making it the first academy of the Dragon God Empire (later I learned that each of the four academies claims to be the first academy). I hope some of you will also earn this honorable title. Finally, and this is my requirement for everyone, dating is strictly prohibited on campus. Alright, that concludes my speech." He then turned and returned to the academic building.
The earlier remarks, especially the part about dragon knights, had most of the students feeling fired up (most, meaning everyone except me, as dragons could never accept non-humans), eager to immediately mount a flying dragon and show off their might. But upon hearing the final rule, everyone was disheartened. At the age of 16 or 17, they were still in the stage of being vague about matters of the opposite sex, full of fantasies, and hearing the dean's words couldn't help but feel some dissatisfaction. The field was immediately filled with murmurs.
The head of the academic affairs office gave the dean a disapproving glance, clearly unhappy with his manner of speaking, and shouted, "Quiet, everyone! Quiet! The dean is absolutely right. To ensure everyone can focus on their studies, we should avoid romantic entanglements that might distract us. Now, let's divide into classes: those studying martial arts, stand on the west side; those studying magic, stand on the east side; and those pursuing both magic and martial arts, stand in the middle."
All the new students gradually separated. I thought to myself, since I was here to learn secretly, it would be better to learn a little of everything, so I stood in the middle. There were the most martial arts students, accounting for half of the total, over 100 magic students, and only around 40 magic and martial arts dual-cultivation students. The class division then began, with a total of six classes: three martial arts classes, two magic classes, and one magic and martial arts dual-cultivation class.
After the class assignments were completed, the dean said, "Alright, class assignments are finished. Today, everyone should go back and pack your belongings. Bring your daily necessities to the academy tomorrow for registration. From now on, except during holidays, you are not allowed to go home; you must all stay at the academy. Dismissed."
Before Dean Zhang left, I quickly ran over after the dismissal and asked, "Dean Zhang, can I bring my horse to the academy to keep?" I needed to find a good place for my black dragon.
The principal furrowed his brow and said sternly, "You'd better find a place to dispose of it—sell it or board it elsewhere."
I said, "But my horse only eats the food I feed it. It's a good horse. I'm willing to pay extra tuition. Could you make an exception?" For the sake of Black Dragon, even the proud me had to humble myself.
As soon as he heard I was willing to pay extra, the principal's eyes lit up. He thought for a moment and said, "Bring your horse tomorrow, and I'll arrange for it to stay in the teachers' stable." Then he turned to leave. Are all teachers like this nowadays? So interested in money.
I stopped him again, and he said impatiently, "What else is there?"
"My horse is quite spirited. It would be best to arrange a separate stable for it, or I'm afraid it might kick and damage others' horses."
Principal Zhang impatiently said, "Alright, but you'll have to pay extra. Three gold coins per month." He's really greedy. The tuition for half a year is only 20 gold coins, and the stable rental is almost the same as the tuition. Fortunately, I still had plenty of money. Before leaving, my father gave me a gold card from the Dragon God Empire, which contained 5,000 gold coins—more than enough for my needs.
"Alright, thank you, Director. I'll bring it tomorrow. I'll be going now." The director watched my departing figure with a sinister smile, muttering to himself, "It seems I'll be making some extra money again."
Back at the inn, I packed my belongings, withdrew 200 gold coins from the Golden Tower as a contingency, and then went to the stable to give the black dragon a thorough cleaning.
I had finally passed the entrance exam for Tiandu Academy on my own merits, taking the first step toward completing my mission. A rare sense of excitement filled my heart.
(Dear readers, I would like to clarify that this book differs significantly from "Light" in style. Additionally, the protagonist will not linger in the academy for an extended period like the "Child of Light." Lei Xiang entered Tiandu Academy primarily to complete a mission and will depart from the academy in the second volume. The subsequent content is even more thrilling; I invite you all to read on.)
I led Black Dragon to Tiandu Academy, but was immediately stopped at the gate by the guard.
"Are you a student? Don't you know that Tian Du Academy doesn't allow horses on campus?"
I replied coldly, "I don't know. I only know that Principal Zhang from the Academic Affairs Office told me to bring it."
The guard was speechless. I pulled the black dragon inside, hearing the guard mutter behind me, "It's just a freshman. What's so special about him?"
Once inside the academy, I headed straight for the academic building, instructing Black Dragon to wait outside while I went to complete the enrollment procedures before returning to settle him in. I arrived at the Academic Affairs Office, knocked on the door, and heard Principal Zhang's voice from inside: "Come in."
I pushed open the door and entered the office, which was surprisingly spacious, with eight desks and several teachers seated at them. I thought I had arrived early, but there were already six or seven students in the room, clearly freshmen. Principal Zhang obviously remembered me as the student who had paid to rent a stable, and greeted me proactively: "You're here. I've been waiting for you for ages. Go ahead and handle your enrollment procedures first. What's your name?" The other freshmen all looked at me—they were all boys. One of them even said, "We arrived first, why should he go first?" The principal gave him a stern look, and he dared not say anything more.
"My name is Lei Xiang," I said calmly.
"Lei Xiang, right?" The principal flipped through the roster, then looked at me and said, "Tuition for one semester is 20 gold coins, accommodation fees are 5 gold coins, meal fees are 5 gold coins, textbook fees are 1 gold coin, miscellaneous fees are 2 gold coins, and you have a horse, right? I'll collect half a year's worth first—18 gold coins. In total, let me calculate… it's 51 gold coins. Pay up."
The other students were stunned, staring at the principal with astonished expressions as if they wanted to say something, but Zhang Feng shot them a sharp glance, silencing them.
I knew he was ripping me off, but to ensure I could stay at the academy smoothly in the future, I pretended not to notice and pulled out 51 gold coins from my pocket, handing them over.
Principal Zhang immediately smiled broadly as he counted the coins, taking a while to snap out of his trance of admiring the gold. He handed me a key and said, "Here you go. This is the key to your dorm room. The room number is on the key; you'll have to find it yourself. Tomorrow, you'll have class in Room 106 on the first floor of the main academic building." I took the key and replied, "Alright. Where should I keep my horse?"
After collecting the money, Director Zhang had already forgotten about the matter. He gave an awkward smile and quickly said, "I'll take you there now. You guys wait here for a moment."
I followed him out of the teaching building. As soon as we reached the entrance, we were both startled. There were dozens of students gathered at the door, most of them whispering to each other.
I used my strong arms to push through the crowd and walked inside. As I had expected, the one being surrounded was Black Dragon. Everyone was commenting on it, and a bold girl was about to touch it, saying, "Hello, Little Black Horse (I almost fainted—Black Dragon is over ten feet long and eight feet tall, yet she called it Little Black Horse? She's too naive), do you have an owner? Can I touch you?" I tried to stop her, but I was too late.
The black dragon let out a furious roar, raised its front hooves high, and was about to stomp down on the girl. The girl, caught off guard, fell to the ground, about to become the second victim under the black dragon's hooves, when I appeared.
I quickly darted over and caught the black dragon's descending hooves, just as I had when I first tamed it. However, due to the urgency of the situation, I was knocked back a step by the black dragon's powerful momentum. Upon recognizing me, the black dragon let out a joyful roar, and I finally released its front hooves. I turned to the frightened girl and shouted, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why did you touch it?"
The girl stood up from the ground. She was a cute little girl with long purple hair reaching her waist, a petite figure, and a beautiful face. Her skin was as white as jade, and her large eyes were filled with mist. Her pale face trembled as she stammered, "I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes. I impatiently waved my hand and said, "Stay away from the black dragon in the future."
"Who is this kid? He's so strong."
"He's really fierce. I've never seen anyone be so harsh to Zi Xue before."
I pulled Ma just as we were about to leave, but several senior students suddenly rushed over. The leader was over 1.8 meters tall, quite handsome, but his eyes revealed a violent nature. He reached out to block my path and said, "Apologize to Miss Zi Xue immediately. You scared her and now you think you can just leave?"
I slapped his hand away and coldly replied, "What business is it of yours?"
He flew into a rage and arrogantly declared, "Anyone who dares to bully Zi Xue is my enemy. I'll deal with you." He lunged forward.
A clear voice rang out, "Wait a moment, Warren. Why are you causing trouble again? Leave now, and I won't pursue this. Otherwise, you'll be sent to the dean's office for detention."
The youth named Warren, seeing the dean intervene, growled angrily and spat out a threat, "You'll regret this, kid. You'll see."
I sneered, "I'll be happy to oblige, but let me warn you, I hit hard. If you end up missing an arm or a leg, don't blame me."
Warren was so angry his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He shouted, "You..."
Zhang Feng said, "Enough, stop arguing. If you keep this up, you'll both be confined to your rooms."
Warren finally left with his men, looking displeased. The candidate who had burned the table yesterday also came over and whispered to me, "Take me to see you later." I glanced at him but didn't respond.
Zhang Feng walked up to Zi Xue and asked, "Are you okay, Zi Xue? Don't be so reckless in the future."
Zi Xue lowered her head and said, "Yes, Director."
"Alright, you can go now. Everyone else, disperse. Lei Xiang, come with me."
I shot Zi Xue another glance, and she was also looking at me. Our eyes met, and Zi Xue quickly lowered her head, her face flushing red. The expression on her face was indescribably cute, leaving me momentarily stunned. Only when I heard Director Zhang's call did I turn around, lead Black Dragon, and follow him away.
On the way, Zhang Feng looked at Black Dragon and praised, "This horse is indeed quite good, but it's too wild. It seems we'll have to find you a separate stable. Be careful in the future. To encourage students' enthusiasm for cultivation, the academy allows fair duels." I didn't expect the opportunistic principal to care about me. Hearing his words, I finally sensed a hint of his elderly demeanor.
"Alright, I'll be careful. Thank you."
After settling Black Dragon, I set off to find the place where I would be staying long-term. I looked at the key in my hand, engraved with the numbers 6-3-4, wondering what they meant.
As I walked, the freshman who had burned the table ran over, panting, "I finally found you. Have you settled your horse yet?"
I replied, "Hmm."
"Which dorm are you in?"
I handed him the key to look at. He said, "6-3-4. Great, we're in the same dorm—Building 6, 3rd floor, Room 4. Come on, I just came from there."
"My name is Fengyun. What's yours?"
"Lei Xiang!"
"Ah! We're quite fate-bound, one with the wind and one with the thunder. By the way, I haven't thanked you yet for that day. The method you taught me really worked. I managed to drill over 1 centimeter deep into the iron plate."
I asked curiously, "How did you convince the proctor to let you retake the test?"
He gave a mysterious smile, rubbing his thumb and index finger together and chuckling, "Hehe, money talks, right? It cost me a month's worth of part-time work to pull it off."
I was stunned. Are all the teachers at this school like this? They only recognize money.
"Lei Xiang, you're so tall. It's rare to see someone this tall among humans."
"Oh!" You haven't seen my kind yet. They're all over 4 meters tall. But it's better not to see them, or they'll tear you apart. Hmm, why am I suddenly caring about this guy I just met? I shook my head, trying to push the thought away.
"Your horse is still a foal, right?"
"Is that so? How did you know?" Hearing him mention the black dragon, I became a bit interested.
"I've studied horse observation techniques. Your horse is probably just over a year old. Your Black Dragon is the best horse I've ever seen."
"Actually, I don't know how old it is. I bought it from a horse farm."
"Horse farms sell such good horses? I'll have to check it out someday. Alright, we're here. This is where we'll be staying. Come on in." He pulled me into the dormitory.
The dormitory conditions were decent. At the back were two bunk beds, both with brand-new bedding. It seemed designed for four people, but currently only Fengyun and I were there. On one side of the beds were two desks, and on the other were four metal cabinets, presumably for storing belongings. In the corner were brooms, basins, mops, and other daily necessities.
Fengyun pointed to the lower bunk on the right and said, "I'll sleep here. Lei Xiang, you sleep there?"
I pointed to the upper bunk above him and said, "I'll sleep above you." I chose a cabinet and put all my things inside.
Fengyun said, "The guy who was causing trouble earlier is no ordinary person. He's a third-year student, apparently studying martial arts. His family is of noble origin, and his father is supposedly some kind of viscount. It's best to keep your distance from him in the future."
"Are nobles really that arrogant?"
Fengyun thought to himself, "You're not much better than him," but he replied, "Yes, the class system in the Dragon God Empire is very strong. Nobles have many advantages. Most people who come here want to train in martial arts and join the military to become nobles."
"What's the story behind that purple-haired girl?"
"She's the princess in the hearts of many at the academy. She's a second-year student and one of the academy's flowers. She has many suitors, but the academy doesn't allow romantic relationships, so she's still single. What's wrong? Have you set your sights on her?"
I said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense." But before me floated the adorable face of Zi Xue. The term "campus beauty" was new to me, so I asked, "Are there any other campus beauties in the academy?"
"Yes, there are. The academy has over 2,000 students, and there are eight great beauties. Zi Xue ranks sixth. I'll introduce the others to you later."
I asked curiously, "How do you know so much about the academy? Aren't you also a freshman?"
He gave an awkward smile and whispered to me, " I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else. I worked as a janitor at the academy last year, so that's why I know so much about it."
I finally understood. It seemed he had put a lot of effort into getting into this place.
At that moment, two people walked in from outside. What surprised me was that they looked exactly alike. Were they human twins? I wondered to myself.
Fengyun greeted them as they entered, "Do you two also live in this dormitory?"
The one in front replied, "Yes, I'm Huoxing, and he's Huoxing. We're twins from Kunsi City."
Fengyun said happily, "Then we'll be roommates. I'm Fengyun, from Harlin City. He's Lei Xiang. Oh, right, Lei Xiang, where are you from?"
I felt a pang of sadness and said, "I have no home; I'm just wandering around."
Fengyun said, "Oh, then your life must be tough. You two Fire brothers, you can take the top and bottom bunks here. You look so alike; how do we tell you apart?"
The Fire brothers exchanged a smile. Fire Xing said, "I'm the older one; I have a small mole on the corner of my left eye, and my brother doesn't."
"Ah, that makes it easier to tell you apart. You both have the surname Huo. Do you study fire magic?"
Huo Xing nodded and said, "We are dual-talented in magic and martial arts, combining fire magic with sword techniques." It turned out they were like me. From the surface, they all had impressive abilities.
Fengyun said, "That must be quite powerful. The three of you are magic warriors, while I'm the only mage."
Huo Xing asked, "Is Lei Xiang also a magic-martial arts dual cultivator? What kind of magic do you study?"
I coldly replied, "I haven't studied magic yet. I'll learn it later."
"What? How did you end up in the magic warrior class if you haven't studied magic?"
He was talking so much, just like Fengyun. I impatiently said, "I like magic. I'll learn it later."
Fengyun noticed the tense atmosphere and quickly interjected, "Let's go eat. I'm hungry." ...
Lying in bed, I looked at the ceiling less than a meter from my face and thought, "The first step of the mission is finally done. Now I just need to study and train more." I calmed my mind and began cultivating my Heavenly Demon Technique. To avoid being discovered, I had to cultivate while lying down. Though it felt a bit awkward, the results were still decent.
Early the next morning, I got up while everyone else was still asleep. The sky was just beginning to lighten. I went alone to the dormitory entrance and practiced the Thirteen Thunder Fists to stretch my limbs. The dining hall wasn't open yet, so I went to the stable. Black Dragon was doing well. I fed him some hay, then led him out and rode him around the field a few times until it was fully light before returning him.
When I got back to the dormitory, the three of them were already awake. Seeing me return, Fengyun asked, "Lei Xiang, where did you go so early?"
"I went to ride the horse."
The Huo brothers asked in surprise, "Can you bring horses into the academy?"
Thinking of my expensive stable, I sighed wryly, "I rented a stable for the semester for 18 gold coins."
Fengyun's eyes widened in shock, exclaiming, "18 gold coins? The academy is really greedy!"
I sighed and said, " What can I do? Should I not rent it? Black Dragon can't be separated from me, so it doesn't matter."
Fengyun sighed, "You're really rich. Let's go eat breakfast, then we have class. We can't be late on the first day of class."
After breakfast, Fengyun parted ways with us at the main academic building. He had class in Room 104, while we had class in Room 106.