Great Xia Civilization Academy

The turbulence at the academy was far from affecting Su Yu and his companions for now. The vehicle rolled steadily forward. Escorted by four powerhouses, the journey proved thoroughly uneventful. The sole disturbance came from a mad bull showing signs of demonization, but Li Yunfeng flicked it away with a casual strike, and no further obstacles blocked their path. Along the route, they passed through several cities. Gradually, more students joined them in the bus. It was no longer just Su Yu's initial group; some came from Yue City, others from Ning'an... With more people aboard, the bus grew livelier. Su Yu spoke very little. Beyond a brief introduction at the start, he spent the rest of the time listening quietly to the conversations around him. Most of these high-tier geniuses hailed from influential clans. Cultivating the physical body at such speed required yuanqi liquid. For Civilization Masters, rapid progression demanded willpower texts and the outlining of divine characters—things impoverished families simply could not provide. Among the low- and medium-tier students, quite a few came from ordinary backgrounds. High-tier students from such origins, however, were exceedingly rare. That was precisely why Section Chief Sun had voiced his hope during the assessments in Nanyuan that Su Yu might break the monopoly of the prominent clans and become a high-tier student. *** "My sister told me the all-races students have already arrived at the academy. It sounds terrifying—a lot of them have human bodies with demon heads." "That's only natural. Aside from a few humanoid species, members of the myriad races need to be above the Shanhai Realm to take on fully human form." "I really don't get what the academy is thinking. Why go out of their way to take those guys in...?" "..." Several students on the bus chatted in hushed voices. By now, it was already July 30th, the second day of travel. Tonight, the vehicle would arrive at the Great Xia Prefecture. After a day of getting acquainted, even if the students didn't know one another deeply, they at least shared some basic information. As they chatted, Su Yu listened. Across the five cities, aside from Nanyuan, which had only Su Yu, the others had sent three to six students each. Counting Su Yu, exactly twenty students were on board. Over half of them were heading to the War Academy; only eight were destined for the Civilization Academy. In other words, across these five cities, there were only eight high-tier Civilization Academy students. At this proportion, the twenty-eight cities would only yield around fifty high-tier Civilization Academy students in total. The Great Xia Prefecture's capital itself likely boasted far more—perhaps even outnumbering all twenty-eight cities combined. *A hundred or two hundred high-tier students in total?* Su Yu made a rough estimate. That number wasn't overly large. After all, students bound for the Civilization Academy had already endured rounds of grueling assessments and eliminations. Fewer than two thousand would ultimately enter the Great Xia Civilization Academy, meaning high-tier students accounted for less than a tenth of the intake. Moreover, a small fraction of high-tier students would choose places like the Jiutian or Wendao Academies instead. At the Great Xia Civilization Academy, the high-tier cohort probably hovered around a hundred people. As Su Yu listened and pondered, the boy sitting beside him grinned. "Su Yu, once you get to the academy, which path are you planning to study?" This student hailed from Ning'an, a major city on par with Tianshui City. His name was Tao Xing. Hearing the question, Su Yu replied softly, "I don't know yet. I'm not very familiar with how it all works. Tao Xing, could you give me a brief overview?" Tao Xing chuckled. "Sure thing! I can give you a quick rundown. Someone will explain it to us once we reach the academy anyway, but it doesn't hurt to know in advance. "Everyone knows Civilization Academies train Civilization Masters. But there are actually many branches within the academy system—'Civilization Master' is just an umbrella term. "Let's start with the largest branch in the Civilization Academy: the divine character faction!" Tao Xing grew animated. Lecturing in front of a fellow high-tier student offered a prime opportunity to show off; had he been talking to low- or medium-tier students, he wouldn't have bothered. "Within the divine character faction, there are several sub-branches, but I'll skip those for now since I'm not entirely clear on them myself. "The second major branch is the willpower faction. They focus primarily on strengthening willpower, rarely outlining divine characters—or avoiding them altogether. Those folks are very strong, too. Without spending effort outlining and nurturing divine characters, their willpower grows quickly, and their cultivation realms are usually higher than those in the divine character faction. "The third major branch is the Beast Taming faction." Su Yu paused, surprised. "Beast Taming faction?" "Right!" Tao Xing said with a smile. "They're Civilization Masters who tame and capture demon beasts, using them in combat. Or as they like to call themselves, summoners! "Anyway, they're plenty strong. Their cultivation revolves around raising and taming demon beasts. You have to realize that among the myriad races, demon races are numerous, and the powerful races are even more so. Those Civilization Masters follow a path of mutual reinforcement. As their demon beasts grow stronger, so do they..." Su Yu found this eye-opening; no one had ever mentioned this to him before. "Some people in the military ride demon beasts into battle, and most of those mounts are trained by beast tamers. That's why beast tamers are very popular in the army." After touching briefly on that, Tao Xing continued, "The fourth major branch is the alchemists. The name speaks for itself—Civilization Masters who enjoy concocting pills. The Scientific Research Academy manufactures pills too, but they generally produce standard, mass-produced formulas. Alchemists primarily craft specialized, non-standard medicines. That's the Divine Pill faction of the Civilization Academy. "The fifth major branch is the Forging faction. "The sixth major branch is the Divine Talisman faction. That's actually a sub-branch of the divine character faction... They master unique divine characters and seal them into single-use vessels, unleashing their power like talismans..." Su Yu was genuinely gaining a broader perspective as Tao Xing explained at length. Aside from those six common types of Civilization Masters, there were also less conventional ones. For instance, the Modification faction consisted of Civilization Masters who modified their own bodies. Those people were terrifying, looking barely different from all-races students; some had altered themselves beyond recognition. Beyond that, each major branch contained further divisions. The divine character faction alone was split into multiple sub-factions. They were grouped according to the differing traits of their divine characters, the number of characters mastered, and their combat styles. Within the academy, there was even a Peaceful faction devoted solely to researching cultivation methods. They placed little importance on personal combat power, dedicating their pursuits to studying diverse techniques. Such individuals usually belonged to the willpower faction and possessed exceptionally formidable willpower. Wrapping up his explanation, Tao Xing asked, "So, Su Yu, which one are you leaning toward?" Su Yu hesitated before replying, "Probably the divine character faction." Listening to the options, only the divine character faction and the willpower faction seemed suitable for him. Having already formed a divine character and tasted its benefits, he was unlikely to switch to purely training willpower alone. Near the front, Zhao Li raised an eyebrow slightly. *This kid... As expected, divine characters are still the main draw, aren't they?* *What's wrong with forging weapons? Forging doesn't stop you from cultivating divine characters!* Although Civilization Masters were categorized into different branches, most pursued hybrid training; very few took an extreme, single-track route. Divine characters served as the foundation for many fields, and every faction dabbled in them to some degree. Hearing Su Yu's answer, Tao Xing laughed. "I want to choose the divine character faction too! As for the specifics, we can decide once we reach the academy. We're high-tier students anyway, so we have plenty of options. Unlike the others, who mostly have their paths assigned by the academy." Many of the new students possessed weak willpower and had yet to outline a single divine character, making little difference which path they chose at the start. To prevent smaller lineages from dying out, the academy would deliberately assign students to study under them. Su Yu nodded. Tao Xing was far more reliable than Hu Zongqi. Though a slight sense of superiority leaked through, it was merely a natural reaction emerging unconsciously during conversation, making him pleasant enough to talk to. That fellow Hu Zongqi, on the other hand... was impossible to deal with. He acted that way not just toward Su Yu, but toward students from the other cities as well, making himself thoroughly disliked. After Researcher Hu glared at him several times, he had finally lowered his profile. *** Amid idle chatter, time slipped by quickly. Dusk gradually deepened into night. Even before reaching the Great Xia Prefecture's capital, Su Yu could already sense a profound difference—a distinct aura of bustling prosperity. By now, they had entered the prefecture city's outer perimeter, effectively the suburban fringes. Broad avenues stretched ahead, lined with lush green trees on either side. The scattered buildings along the way were neat and towering. Passing by several villages, they could see many people practicing martial arts, and vehicles on the road grew increasingly dense. The further they drove, the more thriving the surroundings became. Some of the towns they passed appeared even more prosperous than Nanyuan City, blazing with lights and packed with pedestrian traffic even after dark. "We're almost at the Great Xia Prefecture..." Li Yunfeng remarked from the front. Su Yu gazed out the window at the night scenery, slightly dazed. *Is this the Great Xia Prefecture?* Before even entering the city proper, he could already feel the stark contrast with Nanyuan. A clamor of street noise drifted in through the window. He even spotted someone riding a Cloud-Galloper Horse—the very breed used in the assessment—galloping down the road! Having opened numerous apertures, Su Yu could faintly perceive that the ambient yuanqi here was remarkably dense, incomparable to Nanyuan's thin air. It almost felt close to the sensation of absorbing yuanqi liquid. Moreover, several pedestrians along the road gave him an impression of immense strength. With ambient yuanqi converging around them, Qianjun Realm practitioners could still be roughly gauged, but Wanshi Realm experts radiated a distinct, searing heat. In his perception, many passersby gave off precisely that scorching aura. There were so many in the Wanshi Realm here! And this was merely on the road outside, before they had even entered the city. It was not just Su Yu; most of the students on the bus wore looks of awe, even if less visibly than him. Among the twenty-eight cities, plenty were powerful. Yet none could compare to the Great Xia Prefecture's capital—otherwise, the prefecture wouldn't hold such dominion. At the front of the bus, the three Lingyun Realm experts, who had remained mostly quiet, opened their eyes and breathed silent sighs of relief. They were safe! They had reached the outskirts of the capital and were about to enter. If even this place wasn't safe, the Great Xia Prefecture might as well strike its name from the map. Unless the All-Races Sect sought utter destruction, they would never dare strike here. Sun Xia from the Jiutian Academy spoke up. "The Great Xia Prefecture city is not just a single city. It's divided into five major districts: four satellite cities to the east, south, west, and north, plus the main city in the center! "The prefecture city has a permanent population of thirty million. War Academies are generally located in the eastern district, while Civilization Academies are in the western district. "Once we enter the city, we'll be parting ways. The distance between the Civilization Academies and War Academies is quite far, so people will arrive to pick you up." Sun Xia paused before adding, "After entering the city, we'll head to the academy first. Rest well tonight and don't wander off. The Great Xia Prefecture is a city that never sleeps, and the nights are bustling, but even if you want to get familiar with the surroundings, it's best to wait until you've settled in before exploring." Su Yu was listening until his attention was suddenly pulled away. Awe! Splendor! Outside, it seemed as though dawn had abruptly broken! Countless lights glittered in the dark, revealing a luminous metropolis rising against the night. Colossal beyond measure! Stretching without end! There were city walls, though not overly tall, completely incapable of concealing the prosperity within. This was the interior of the Human Realm; city walls were never built excessively high here. Besides, the Great Xia Prefecture possessed both the strength and confidence not to need towering ramparts. Lights dominated the entire field of view. They spread endlessly into the distance, vanishing beyond the horizon. They were already very close to the wall. Instead of the massive city gates Su Yu had imagined, an avenue nearly a hundred meters wide led directly into the city! A checkpoint stood ahead, manned by soldiers on duty. Vehicles were not subjected to thorough inspections; displaying an entry token was enough to secure swift clearance. "Demon Beast Lane," "Heavy Vehicle Lane," "Light Vehicle Lane," "Cultivator Landing Zone," "Military Vehicle Lane"... Each lane was clearly labeled for its purpose. Su Yu's bus soon reached the checkpoint. Li Yunfeng rolled down his window and presented a paper token. The sentry glanced at it, snapped a sharp salute, and promptly waved them through. As the vehicle pulled away, Su Yu glanced back. Behind the bus, an expert descended from the sky, landing briskly. Touching down in the Cultivator Landing Zone, the expert promptly entered a small vehicle and departed in another direction. Seeing Su Yu looking back, Tao Xing followed his gaze and chuckled. "In the wilderness, experts find flying or walking far more convenient than driving. But once inside the city, they have to follow the rules—no reckless flying allowed." Su Yu offered a faint smile without replying. He wasn't surprised by the regulation, but rather stunned that experts at or above the Tengkong Realm could be seen so casually. Back in Nanyuan, there were only three Tengkong experts in total: Xia Bing, Wu Wenhai, and Liu Wenyan. Yet here, right by the city walls, he had already seen one. A moment later, the thunder of hooves sounded. Su Yu looked back again to see over a dozen Cloud-Galloper Horses galloping past, kicking up billows of dust. Though hard to see clearly in the darkness, Su Yu watched the rider in the lead dismount in midair, floating down to exchange words with the sentries. Another Tengkong Realm expert! Perhaps even stronger! Su Yu drew a deep breath. Truly, the sky over the Great Xia Prefecture was far higher than over Nanyuan. Excluding those on the bus, he had already spotted two experts at or above the Tengkong Realm. Alongside his shock, a spark of excitement ignited within him. *This* was what he had longed to see! A gathering of myriad powerhouses brought pressure, but also motivation. To make a name for oneself in Nanyuan didn't require great heights—the Wanshi Realm was enough to become a pillar of the community. But here, the Tengkong Realm was merely the starting point. *** Once inside the city, the bus soon pulled alongside another vehicle and ground to a halt. "War Academy students, board that vehicle!" The twelve War Academy students on board disembarked one after another. Several escorts were already waiting on the other vehicle to organize them. Su Yu was unfamiliar with them and had barely spoken to any of them, so he merely watched in silence as students from the same cities bade one another farewell. A few minutes later, the War Academy vehicle drove off. The doors closed again, and Sun Xia spoke once more: "We're heading to the western district. Once we arrive, Jiutian Academy students follow me, Wendao Academy students follow Commander Li, and Great Xia Civilization Academy students stay on the bus with Old Zhao and the others!" Only eight students remained, six of whom belonged to the Great Xia Civilization Academy. The other two were split between Jiutian and Wendao. Choosing different academies wasn't a matter of right or wrong, merely personal preference. At those two institutions, their achievements might even be higher, as the treatment for high-tier students there far surpassed what the Great Xia Civilization Academy offered. Having held his tongue all day, Hu Zongqi spoke up again: "Third... Teacher Hu, once we reach the academy, will we be free to move around?" He had nearly called him "Third Grandfather," as Su Yu already knew. Over the course of the journey, Su Yu had figured out their relationship. Hu Youhui was Hu Zongqi's granduncle, and also a powerful seventh-stage Lingyun expert. Sun Xia, by contrast, was only at the second stage of the Lingyun Realm. Consequently, Sun Xia was merely a junior researcher, while the other two were intermediate researchers. In terms of status, Zhao Li and Hu Youhui were roughly peers, though they barely exchanged words along the way, keeping their distance. Sun Xia held a lower standing; whenever tasks arose on the road, either Li Yunfeng or Sun Xia handled them. Hearing Hu Zongqi speak, Hu Youhui opened his eyes, frowned at him, and said, "You are free to move around, but anyone unfamiliar with the area isn't allowed to wander off! As for you..." He didn't bother hiding their connection—there was no need, and having arrived, he felt much more at ease. He barked, "Where do you think you're going? Your brother is already waiting for you at the academy. Go with him when he arrives, and wait until registration is over tomorrow before doing anything else!" Hu Zongqi looked crestfallen and muttered, "I have friends waiting for me here. We agreed to get together tonight." Hu Youhui ignored him completely. The vehicle drove on. Halfway through the journey, Sun Xia and Li Yunfeng departed with the two students from the other academies. Now, only six students remained aboard, along with Zhao Li, Hu Youhui, and the driver. *** Nearly half an hour later, around nine in the evening, they arrived. Su Yu was taken aback. When told to get off, he assumed they were still in the middle of the city. Yet as they stepped down, Zhao Li announced, "We've arrived at the academy!" Su Yu looked around, bewildered. *Arrived?* *Aren't we still in the city?* *Where is the academy?* *Where?* Seeing his dazed expression, Zhao Li laughed. "This is the Great Xia Civilization Academy. This is the New Student Reception Area. Remember that iron gate we passed earlier? That was the academy's west gate..." Su Yu stood utterly frozen. They had already entered the academy grounds back then, and after driving for another ten-odd minutes, had only just reached the reception area! Surrounded by bustling traffic, crowds, and endless cars, he had assumed they were on a commercial street. Yet... they were already inside the academy? Zhao Li added, "This is all the outer perimeter. The academy's actual academic district isn't here; it's several thousand meters further ahead. Everyone will rest here tonight, and tomorrow you'll head into the academy to complete enrollment. Only then will you truly have entered the Great Xia Civilization Academy." Vehicles were pulling up along the street one after another. People hauled luggage behind them, clearly new students as well. Many had been driven in by their parents, likely locals from the prefecture capital. Others, like Su Yu and his companions, arrived on buses, presumably hailing from other cities. Many of them wore the same bewildered expression as Su Yu. By now, Zhao Li had joined several elderly men and chatted with them. A moment later, more people arrived—all young men and women. Quite a few of them! "Welcome, juniors! Follow me when I call your name!" "Line up over here! Listen closely for your name! If you get left behind, find your own place to sleep tonight!" "..." These newly arrived youths were senior students of the Civilization Academy, now calling out names from rosters in their hands. Soon, Su Yu heard his own name. "Nanyuan Secondary Academy, Su Yu!" "Here!" Snapping out of his daze, Su Yu answered quickly and hurried over to a young woman. She glanced at him, smiled, and continued calling names. Moments later, over a dozen people gathered in Su Yu's group. "Alright, that's all of you!" The young woman smiled. "My name is Zhou Hui, your senior sister, a student in the Character Cultivation class. Follow me to grab some food, then get ready to rest. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Don't wander off—the reception area is crowded and chaotic these two days. If you get lost and miss registration, don't blame me for not warning you!" With that, she turned and led the way. Su Yu glanced back toward Zhao Li. Zhao Li was looking his way as well, nodding with a smile, though he made no move to come over. Once inside the academy, there would be plenty of time to talk to Su Yu. Better to let the kid get his bearings first. A slight pang of panic stirred in Su Yu. Looking around, he couldn't spot a single familiar face from the bus. Even having that annoying Hu Zongqi nearby would have offered some semblance of comfort. Yet there was not a single familiar person around him! Subconsciously, Su Yu gripped the saber in his hand, feeling a wave of nervous tension. From ahead, Zhou Hui's laughter drifted back: "Don't look so tense, everyone. We're not going to eat you! Once I drop you off, my job is done. Everything's unfamiliar when you first arrive, but you'll get used to it in a few days. "Also, you newcomers better watch out tonight. There's a pack of hungry wolves waiting for you at the academy. Beware of senior brothers and sisters dropping by in the middle of the night to 'talk about life'—whatever you do, don't open the door..." A chill ran down Su Yu's spine. *Is this place really that terrifying?* It felt like stepping straight into a wolves' den! The world outside was wondrous, but why did it feel so fraught with danger? After teasing the newcomers for a bit, Zhou Hui giggled. Moments later, they arrived at their destination. A brightly lit, imposing building! "You're staying on the fifth floor, one room per person. Take your luggage up—the doors are all unlocked, so pick any room you like. Once you're settled, come down for dinner..." After Zhou Hui finished her instructions, Su Yu and the others quietly headed upstairs to find their rooms. *** Only after picking a room and closing the door behind him did Su Yu finally let out a long sigh of relief. He had been tense just now! Truly tense, more so than when the All-Races Sect had attacked. Unfamiliarity, bewilderment, confusion, curiosity... Only now that he was alone did the knot in his chest loosen. Su Yu exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down. Since he was already here, he had to overcome this quickly. *Don't panic. Stay steady. Su Yu, you've got this!*