Chapter 14: The School for Monsters
Location: Jiang Estate – Private Airfield
The morning of Jiang Chen's departure for the Imperial University did not look like a typical student send-off. It looked like a military mobilization.
Two battalions of the Crimson Guard stood at attention, lining the runway. In the center sat the transport vehicle: the "Cloud Piercer," a private luxury cruiser customized with S-Rank engines and a hull made of Leviathan bone. It was less of a plane and more of a flying palace.
"Do you have your spatial ring?" Lin Xi asked, fussing over Jiang Chen's collar. The EX-Rank Ice Empress was currently acting like a worried mother hen. "I packed ten crates of SS-Rank Healing Potions, five sets of thermal underwear woven from Fire Spider silk, and... oh, here is your lunch."
She handed him a bento box. It was glowing with terrifying mana.
"Mom," Jiang Chen held the box cautiously. "Is this... a Dragon Heart steak?"
"It's nutritious," Lin Xi sniffed. "University food is notoriously greasy. You need protein."
Jiang Wu stood nearby, arms crossed, looking stern.
"Son," the War God rumbled. "I've spoken to the Dean. If any instructor tries to suppress you, you call me. If any senior student tries to bully you, you break their legs. If the cafeteria runs out of pudding..."
"I break their legs?" Jiang Chen guessed.
"No, you call me," Jiang Wu grinned. "I'll buy the cafeteria."
Jiang Chen laughed, hugging his parents. "I'll be fine. I conquered Purgatory Island. I think I can handle Freshman Orientation."
"Don't get complacent," Jiang Wu lowered his voice. "The Imperial Capital is different from Neo-Shanghai. It's a snake pit. The Four Great Clans of the Capital view us 'provincial' warlords with disdain. They will test you."
"Let them test me," Jiang Chen's eyes flashed purple. "I need practice targets."
He turned to the plane. "Ready, ladies?"
Mo You stood by the stairs, wearing a sleek black university uniform that she had modified to look more like goth-battle-armor. "School," she muttered with disdain. "A place where weaklings learn to be slightly less weak."
Feng Xi bounced up the stairs, her uniform bright white and gold. "I heard they have a 'Dessert Club'! I'm joining!"
"They are summoned spirits," Jiang Chen reminded the guards. "Technically, they are my 'equipment'."
He waved goodbye to his parents and boarded the ship.
WHOOSH.
The Cloud Piercer engines ignited, and the ship shot into the stratosphere, leaving a sonic boom that shook the entire estate.
Location: The Imperial Capital – Beijing
The Imperial University of Cultivation was a city within a city.
Located in the heart of the Capital, it was surrounded by a massive Spirit Wall. Floating islands hovered above the main campus, housing the elite dormitories. The architecture was a mix of ancient palaces and futuristic cyberpunk towers.
This was where the future rulers of humanity were forged.
The Cloud Piercer descended onto the VIP landing pad.
When the ramp lowered, a crowd was already waiting. Not a welcoming committee—a mob of students. News of the "Freshman King" from Purgatory Island had traveled fast.
"That's the guy?"
"Jiang Chen. The one who got 50,000 points."
"I heard he cheated. He used S-Rank artifacts from his daddy."
"Look at his summons! Holy shit, are those real?"
Jiang Chen walked down the ramp, Mo You and Feng Xi flanking him. He ignored the stares and walked straight toward the Registration Desk.
"Name?" The registrar, a bored-looking senior student with glasses, didn't look up.
"Jiang Chen."
The pen stopped moving. The senior looked up slowly. He adjusted his glasses.
"Neo-Shanghai's Jiang Chen?"
"Is there another one?"
The senior swallowed. "Your... dormitory has been assigned. You are in the Sky Island District, Villa No. 1."
"Villa No. 1?" A voice shouted from the crowd. "Hold on!"
A group of students pushed their way to the front. Leading them was a tall young man with silver hair and a longsword strapped to his back. He wore the uniform of the Student Council Enforcers.
"Villa No. 1 is reserved for the Capital's top scorer," the silver-haired boy sneered. "Not some country bumpkin who farmed points in a glitchy exam."
The crowd murmured excitedly.
"That's Gu Jian! Scion of the Gu Sword Clan!"
"He's the Freshman Runner-up. He scored 48,000 points in the Northern Exam."
"He's challenging the ranking!"
Gu Jian stepped into Jiang Chen's personal space. "I don't accept the Purgatory results. You used illegal artifacts. If you want the Villa, you have to earn it."
Gu Jian's hand drifted to his sword hilt. "Duel me. Right here. Loser sleeps in the Common Dorms."
Jiang Chen looked at Gu Jian.
[Target Analysis: Gu Jian]
[Rank: A+ (Peak)]
[Talent: Sword Saint Body]
[Status: Arrogant.]
"Mo You," Jiang Chen said softly.
"Yes, Husband?" Mo You stepped forward, her heels clicking on the pavement.
"He wants to duel."
"A duel?" Mo You looked at Gu Jian like he was a cockroach on her shoe. "With me? Or with the Sovereign?"
"With me!" Gu Jian drew his sword. The blade hummed with sharp Qi. "I don't fight women, but if you're his summon, I'll—"
"Kneel."
Mo You didn't draw a weapon. She didn't cast a spell. She simply released a sliver—just a fraction of a percent—of her Abyssal Dragon Fear.
CRASH.
It wasn't a sound of impact. It was the sound of mental collapse.
Gu Jian's knees hit the pavement so hard the concrete cracked. His sword clattered from his shaking hand. His eyes rolled back, pupils dilating in terror.
He saw it. For a split second, he saw the shadow behind the woman. A jaw that could swallow the sun. An endless, cold void.
"Ah... ah..." Gu Jian hyperventilated, clawing at his throat. "Monster... Monster..."
The crowd went deathly silent.
Mo You leaned down, bringing her face inches from the terrified swordsman.
"You speak to my Husband with respect," she whispered, her voice silky and dangerous. "Or next time, I won't use pressure. I'll use appetite."
She stood up and dusted off her skirt.
"Let's go, Husband. I'm bored."
Jiang Chen stepped over the trembling Gu Jian. He looked at the pale registrar.
"Key?" Jiang Chen held out his hand.
The registrar hurriedly slapped a golden keycard into Jiang Chen's palm. "H-Here! Villa 1! Top of the floating island! Please enjoy your stay!"
Jiang Chen walked away, his wives trailing behind him.
"Did I overdo it?" Mo You asked.
"He's still conscious," Jiang Chen shrugged. "So you were being gentle."
"I was!" Mo You huffed. "I wanted to eat his sword."
Location: Sky Island – Villa No. 1
The dormitory was less a "villa" and more a castle. It sat on its own small floating island, connected to the main campus by a hard-light bridge. It had a private pool, a training dojo, and a view of the entire capital.
"Acceptable," Feng Xi nodded, immediately claiming the master bedroom by throwing herself onto the king-sized bed. "This mattress has a bounce rating of 9/10."
Jiang Chen walked to the balcony. The air here was thin and rich with mana.
[Grandmist Territory System Active.]
[New Territory Detected: Sky Island Villa.]
[Link to Main Estate? Y/N]
"Yes," Jiang Chen tapped the screen.
HUMMM.
A purple ripple passed through the villa. The mana density doubled instantly.
"Now," Jiang Chen turned around. "We need to look at the curriculum."
He pulled up the University Tablet.
Classes for S-Class Freshmen:
* Monster Ecology (Instructor: Professor Viper)
* Combat Theory (Instructor: General Iron)
* Void Defense (Instructor: Dean Star)
* Artifact Refinement (Optional)
"Void Defense," Jiang Chen muttered. "That's new."
Usually, Void studies were classified for graduate students. The fact that they were teaching it to freshmen meant the Alliance was scared. They knew something was coming.
Ding-Dong.
The doorbell rang.
Jiang Chen frowned. He checked the security feed. Standing at the gate was a small, elderly man in a tattered robe, holding a gourd of wine.
[Target Analysis]
[Name: ???]
[Rank: Unreadable (Danger Level: Extreme)]
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed. "Mo You, Feng Xi. Battle positions."
He walked to the door and opened it.
The old man grinned, revealing yellow teeth. He smelled like cheap alcohol and ancient dust.
"Nice place," the old man burped. "Better than the cave I slept in last night."
"Can I help you?" Jiang Chen asked, hand hovering near Nightfall.
"Help me?" The old man laughed. "No, kid. I'm here to help you."
The old man took a swig of wine.
"I saw what you did on Purgatory Island. The Dragon. The Phoenix. The Grandmist."
Jiang Chen stiffened. The Grandmist was his deepest secret.
"Don't worry," the old man waved a hand dismissively. "I'm the only one who recognized the purple light for what it truly is. The others just think it's a mutation."
The old man stepped closer, his drunken eyes suddenly becoming sharp as daggers.
"My name is Li Qing. I'm the Janitor of the Archives."
"And?"
"And fifty years ago," Li Qing whispered, "I was the only survivor of the expedition that found the first Grandmist Tablet."
Jiang Chen froze.
"You have the physique," Li Qing said. "But you don't have the Manual. You're driving a Ferrari with no steering wheel, kid. You're just brute-forcing the energy."
He tossed a rusty iron token to Jiang Chen.
"Come to the Archives tonight. Midnight. Unless you want your body to explode when you hit SS-Rank."
The old man turned and stumbled away, singing a drunken song.
"Wait!" Jiang Chen called out. "Why help me?"
Li Qing stopped. He didn't turn around.
"Because the Void is hungry," the old man said soberly. "And you're the only meal that fights back."
Jiang Chen looked at the rusty token. It had a single character carved into it: Origin.
"Husband," Mo You stepped up beside him. "He is strong. Stronger than your father."
"I know," Jiang Chen clenched the token. "A Hidden Master in the library... classic."
He smiled.
"Looks like school is going to be interesting after all."
[Quest Added: The Janitor's Secret]
[Objective: Visit the Forbidden Archives at midnight.]
[Reward: Grandmist Cultivation Method (Volume 1).]
Jiang Chen looked at the sunset over the Capital.
"Class starts tomorrow," he said. "But tonight... we study."