The Four Academy Systems

Su Long had left. He had left with complete nonchalance. Su Yu, however, felt a hollow ache. His father had walked out just like that, giving him zero time to prepare himself mentally. On one hand, he worried for his father's safety in the days ahead; on the other, Su Yu fretted over how he was going to manage daily life on his own. He was used to his father looking after him, used to the old man's companionship. Suddenly having to live all by himself was something he truly was not accustomed to. "Dad... before you left... you didn't even wash the dishes!" Su Yu muttered under his breath, finding bitter humor in his plight, and let out a sigh. There were things he didn't want to dwell on; the moment he thought about them, he couldn't help growing anxious. The All-Heavens Battlefield was fraught with peril, and he was afraid that if he overthought it, he would run after the old man and drag him back home. "Civilization Academy..." Too listless to wash the dishes, Su Yu slumped onto the sofa and stared blankly ahead. Before leaving, his old man had kept nagging him to take the exam for the Civilization Academy. In truth, Su Yu had indeed planned on applying there, but now... "If you hadn't gone off to the All-Heavens Battlefield, I would've applied to the Civilization Academy. But you just had to go! How could you not give me some peace of mind? "You might not even come back for years, leaving me to worry sick about you in the rear every single day? "How old are you, anyway? Don't you have any sense?" Su Yu rubbed his temples, a headache throbbing. "You forced my hand. Since you're not home anyway, I'm not applying to the Civilization Academy anymore—I'm definitely taking the War Academy exam!" Su Yu gritted his teeth. How wonderful the Civilization Academy was—deciphering the cultures of the myriad races, analyzing their techniques, and studying their civilizations. Every single civilization researcher was a national treasure, able to remain safely in the rear without having to fight and kill on the front lines. War Academies, on the other hand, were strictly meant to prepare people for the front. Hadn't his past years of grueling effort studying the languages of the myriad races been so that he could stay safely in the rear and remain by his old man's side? Now look what happened. His aging father had up and run off first, charging into the treacherous All-Heavens Battlefield. If he got into a Civilization Academy, he would practically never get a chance to go to the front lines. But at a War Academy, word was that practical combat classes often took place right on the All-Heavens Battlefield. "A War Academy... the entrance exams demand martial strength!" Determination aside, Su Yu still felt troubled. A War Academy wasn't something one could simply get into on a whim. Strictly speaking, it was harder than a Civilization Academy—at least for him. Civilization Academies didn't have high requirements for combat prowess, but War Academies certainly did. After all, their purpose was to supply powerhouses to the front lines. Kaiyuan, Qianjun, Wanshi... such was the cultivation system of the human race. The human body was not innately suited for cultivation. One had to open the nine apertures of the Kaiyuan Realm to clear the body's channels, connect with origin qi, and formally set foot upon the cultivation path. The Kaiyuan Realm comprised nine apertures: the seven apertures of the mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears, along with the Shenque and Baihui acupoints—the apertures at the crown of the head and the navel. Only by opening all nine apertures could one absorb origin qi, temper the physical body, strengthen bones, shed one's mortal frame, and formally become a warrior possessing formidable combat power. "I've only just opened three apertures—my mouth and nostrils. My ear apertures haven't shown any movement yet. Without reaching the fourth layer of Kaiyuan, getting into a War Academy won't be that simple." Su Yu muttered to himself. War Academies existed to nurture powerhouses; they cost enormous sums to run and would never squander resources on the weak. To be assured of admission, one was best off opening both ear apertures to reach the fifth layer of Kaiyuan, ensuring absolute certainty. Of course, if one opened the eye apertures to reach the sixth or even seventh layer, there would be practically no risk whatsoever. And if someone had astonishing talent and opened the Shenque and Baihui apertures, the War Academy would grant special admission immediately. Anyone who could open all nine apertures before the age of twenty could enroll in a War Academy at any time; every academy would accept them without hesitation. "I'm only at the third layer of Kaiyuan..." Su Yu sighed. The third layer of Kaiyuan wasn't too shabby, but it certainly couldn't be called exceptional either. In Nanyuan Secondary Academy where he studied, there were nine exam-prep classes totaling 750 students. Over a hundred of them were at the third layer of Kaiyuan, and there were more than a dozen who had surpassed it. Judging by the quota of students admitted from Nanyuan Secondary Academy to the various War Academies in previous years, it likely wouldn't exceed twenty. In other words, the fourth layer practically guaranteed entry, whereas the third layer was a matter of being one in a hundred. Besides, War Academies were ranked by quality. An academy that accepted third-layer applicants wouldn't be very impressive anyway; settling for that wouldn't even be as good as attending a Civilization Academy. "There are still a little over three months left. The War Academy... I'll see how it goes then!" Su Yu gritted his teeth. If his old man was going to be unreliable, then he had to be dependable himself. To run off to the All-Heavens Battlefield at his age! *** "Phew..." Late in the night, Su Yu snapped awake once more. Cold sweat drenched his brow. "That damned dream again... Dad..." Su Yu called out instinctively. Whenever he woke from a nightmare in the past, his father would rush in immediately. But when he called out tonight, there was not a sound outside his room. Su Yu froze slightly, only then remembering that his father had already departed that afternoon. "Sigh!" Su Yu sighed, flicked on the light, and glanced at his communicator. It was only past three in the morning; dawn was still far away. "Over ten years now, and not a single break!" Having the same kind of dream continuously for over ten years was enough to drive anyone mad. He had simply grown used to it; in the earlier years, terrified of falling asleep, he had nearly died of exhaustion. "Just what is going on?" Leaning against the headboard, Su Yu pondered the question—one he had turned over for many years. He had brought it up with his father, but the old man had been just as helpless. They had visited the hospital to see a doctor, who claimed it was the result of severe trauma leaving behind a psychological scar. The trouble was, Su Yu had no recollection of ever being traumatized. "It's always like this. In the end, I'm chased down by people, chased down by demons, chased down by monsters..." Su Yu felt miserable. Having the same dream every day wasn't entirely accurate—to be precise, every night he was pursued in his dreams, but the pursuers differed, or rather, some weren't human at all. There were all sorts of monsters; though indistinct and illusory, their silhouettes showed they were not of the same species. Whom had he ever crossed? To be hunted in his dreams for over a decade straight was truly without equal. Back then, his father had even wondered whether it was caused by a spell from the Nightmare Race. Yet this was the Human Realm; if a Nightmare had truly cast such an art and maintained it for over ten years, the human race's powerhouses would have slain it long ago. Even if someone from the Nightmare Race had infiltrated the Human Realm, it would have been to target a powerful expert. Wasting over a decade on an ordinary mortal would mean they were either an idiot or a colossal fool! "Never-ending... what a nuisance!" Su Yu grumbled. He had no idea when this would ever end. He was somewhat accustomed to it by now; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lead a normal life at all. "Dad said that once you open the nine apertures and step into the Qianjun Realm, you'll be free from illness, impervious to evil influences, and your body will be tempered by origin qi. Maybe things will be fine then?" For now, Su Yu could only pin his hopes on the nightmares stopping once he stepped into the Qianjun Realm. With his mind occupied, time flew past. In the blink of an eye, faint light appeared outside the window. Dawn had broken! Su Long was gone, but life had to go on. Today wasn't a holiday; he still had to head to the academy shortly. *** After washing up and throwing together a quick bite to eat, Su Yu grabbed his bookbag and walked out of the house. Downstairs, a crew-cut youth had already been waiting. Seeing Su Yu come down, he hurried over and called out, "Yu, my dad told me Uncle Su left yesterday..." "Yeah." Su Yu answered before the boy could even finish. The crew-cut youth grew agitated. "What is Uncle Su thinking? He's so old already! Going to the All-Heavens Battlefield at this point, isn't that just looking to—" At that point, he abruptly swallowed the words. He wanted to say Su Long was looking to die, but he couldn't utter those words aloud. Even if he felt it was the truth, he couldn't say it in front of Su Yu. "He wanted to go, and I couldn't stop him," Su Yu said with a strained smile. "Besides, there are millions of soldiers on the All-Heavens Battlefield, and many invincible human powerhouses watching over it. It's not that easy for something to go wrong." "I know, but Uncle Su is only... at the Qianjun Realm!" The crew-cut boy seemed even more anxious than Su Yu. "The Qianjun Realm might be formidable to us, but on the All-Heavens Battlefield, it's the absolute lowest tier! The soldiers from the myriad races there start at the Qianjun Realm!" "I know." "Yu, how can you not be worried at all?" The youth felt anxious on his behalf; had it been him, he would have been wailing and throwing a massive tantrum already. "Does worrying help?" Su Yu sighed helplessly. The old man was already gone; no amount of panic would change anything now. Fretting aimlessly was the last thing he needed to do. This fellow was as impatient as ever. "Let's get to school first. Save the chatter." "School?" The youth asked in astonishment. "You're still going to school...?" Su Yu fixed him with a stare, making the crew-cut boy shrink back sheepishly. "Cut the nonsense. If I don't go to school, should I just sit at home wiping away tears every day, waiting for tragic news from the front?" Su Yu rolled his eyes. What on earth was this guy saying? "Come on, to school! In a few days, the academy will submit the recommendation roster for the higher-academy entrance exams. I'm going to register first." "Didn't you register already?" Chen Hao asked in bewilderment. "You went to register with me just last week, remember?" "I know. Last time was for the Civilization Academy. This time, I'm signing up for the War Academy." Chen Hao was stunned. "The War Academy? You—" "Let's go!" Su Yu gave him no chance to babble further. He had already made his decision yesterday: he was going to register for the War Academy, whether he could get in or not. *** Nanyuan Secondary Academy. Registration Office. The teacher handling the records checked the documents and asked in surprise, "Su Yu, haven't you already registered for the Civilization Academy examination? You've mastered eighteen languages of the myriad races, making you one of the very best in all of Nanyuan. Even the Great Xia Civilization Academy would be a sure bet for you. Why apply for a War Academy on top of that?" Usually, students who registered for both tracks were those unsure of passing either, leaving them with no choice but to prepare a fallback. Su Yu was sharp-witted and willing to put in hard work. Over the past few years, he had mastered a full eighteen languages of the myriad races. Even the Great Xia Civilization Academy, the most prestigious in the Great Xia Prefecture, would throw its doors wide open for him. Had that not been the case, Su Long wouldn't have been so certain before leaving that his son would be admitted, even specifically telling Su Yu to send him a letter once he got in. Su Yu didn't explain much and simply smiled. "Teacher, it's just a backup plan just in case. Isn't everyone permitted to register for two tracks anyway? It doesn't hurt to take precautions." "That's true, though you really don't need it. Just perform well during the assessment," the registration teacher said with a broad smile. "The academy submitted the roster of top students like you long ago. While you still need to sit for the exams, higher academies across the Great Xia Prefecture already have your files recorded. Even if you mess up the unified exam, they would likely give you a second chance." Upon hearing this, Chen Hao, standing nearby, was utterly envious and couldn't help asking, "Teacher, am I on that list?" The registration teacher glanced at him and chuckled. "Yes, you are. The Internal Affairs Academy filed a record for you." Chen Hao's face instantly fell. The Internal Affairs Academy! There were four major academy systems: War, Civilization, Scientific Research, and Internal Affairs. The Internal Affairs track focused on the trades of daily life, such as auto mechanics, culinary arts, driving, administration, entertainment, and so forth. War Academies cultivated the strong, Civilization Academies deciphered the civilizations of the myriad races, and Scientific Research Academies developed weapons, medicinal pills, and the like. All three of those systems were prestigious. Only the Internal Affairs Academy was something these youths would apply for when left with no other choice. Ignoring Chen Hao, the registration teacher completed Su Yu's paperwork and smiled. "Your primary focus should still be on the Civilization track. It's best if you can master another language or two of the myriad races during this time; it will help you down the road. As for cultivation, don't rush it. For the Civilization Academy, reaching the Qianjun Realm in the future will be more than enough—as long as you stay free from illness." Civilization Academies didn't prioritize high martial strength, and the teacher worried that Su Yu might stray down the wrong path at this critical juncture. Su Yu smiled and nodded without arguing; the teacher had good intentions. Even so... when it came to his cultivation over the coming days, he really had to put in a lot more effort.