Chapter 50

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already mid-July, the hottest time of summer.

Another morning, the sun rose early, and its rays climbed up the vines of an old building, shining into a room.

"Huff... huff..."

On the floor of the room, Sun Yan sat cross-legged, breathing deeply and steadily. With each breath, a mist rose from his body, and all his pores seemed to be breathing and absorbing the energy contained in the sunlight.

The mist enveloped his entire body, and the sunlight shining through the white mist gave him a mystical aura.

Then, a series of crisp sounds, like the popping of beans, echoed. Sun Yan exhaled deeply, slowly opened his eyes, and a flash of sharpness passed through them.

With a slight movement of his knees, his body seemed weightless as he stood up lightly. Feeling the surging yuan force within him, he knew he was just a step away from breaking through to the Second Rank Warrior realm.

"Everyone says that advancing in inner yuan, the Third Rank is a major hurdle. It took me a whole half month to reach the Second Rank Warrior realm, and I still haven't broken through. I wonder how slow it will be to advance to the Third Rank?"

Sun Yan muttered to himself. If anyone else had heard this, they would probably have fainted from shock. An ordinary warrior would need at least ten years of hard training to break through to the Second Rank Warrior realm, but Sun Yan had reached it from the 'Body Tempering' stage in just a month. Yet he still complained about it being too slow, truly a case of insatiable greed.

"Other prestigious academies start in mid-August, but only the Difeng Academy starts in mid-July. The first academy in the Nanfeng Domain is indeed strict."

During the half-month break, Sun Yan didn't idle. He spent all his time training.

He had already mastered the combat techniques he knew, and the killer move [Two-Stage Crushing Punch] was practiced to perfection. Originally, with his Second Rank Warrior inner yuan, he could only use the [Two-Stage Crushing Punch] 50 times before feeling his yuan force depleted.

Now, not only had his inner yuan cultivation deepened, but his control over it had also improved. He could use the [Two-Stage Crushing Punch] 70 times before feeling his yuan force run out.

As for the unique combat technique [Dragon-Taming Pile], it was the first time Sun Yan's extraordinary comprehension had been challenged. After half a month, although he had made some progress, he was still only at a basic level.

During this time, through sparring with Chen Wang and others, Sun Yan increasingly felt that the lack of a suitable cultivation technique was his biggest weakness.

"My current strength is among the strongest in the Second Rank Warrior realm. But if I encounter geniuses who have cultivated unique techniques, I might not be able to defeat them."

"After enrollment, the first thing I need to do is find a suitable cultivation technique."

"Right, Teacher Dao also told me to find him after enrollment, saying he would give me extra credits. Strange, what use are Difeng Academy credits? Why did Teacher Dao seem so serious about it?"

"That guy Muxiang might already be at Difeng Academy by now; he's always quick to act."

"And Shuilian Qing, why hasn't she contacted me for half a month? I wonder which prestigious academy she got into. Ah, a girl's mind, you can't guess, you can't guess!"

As Sun Yan thought, he packed his luggage, putting some items into his backpack. He opened the door, glanced around the room one last time, and gently closed the door.

Today was the day to report to Difeng Academy.

In the living room, there was no sign of his father, Sun Xiao. A large box was placed by the table, and a note was on the table, held down by an empty wine bottle.

"Hey, kid. I'm working overtime today, so I can't take you. When you get to Difeng Academy, don't miss me too much, and live like a man! The stuff in the box is specially prepared for you, don't cry and thank me, who made me your dad, anyway..."

The note was filled with rambling words, and Sun Yan couldn't help but smile, a warm current flowing through his heart.

Since Sun Xiao's promotion, he had never gone to work so early, yet he was working overtime today. Sun Yan understood his father's thoughts. From a young age, whenever his father felt sentimental, he would mysteriously disappear. At heart, Sun Xiao was a nostalgic person, evident from his choice to stay in the old house, which held many memories.

With his backpack and the large box, Sun Yan looked back at his home one last time before closing the door and walking out.

On the 24th floor, as he took the elevator down, Sun Yan encountered several neighbors. Their attitudes were completely different from before. Everyone smiled at him and greeted him warmly, showing a hint of respect in their words.

Difeng Academy students, when they enter society, will surely be elites, or even figures beyond their reach.

When he reached the ground floor, Sun Yan was surprised to see a black StarChase X200 parked by the street.

The car window slid down, and inside were four people: Chen Wang, Chang Cheng, Feng Lingsnow, and Shuilian Qing, who hadn't contacted him for half a month.

"Hey, are you guys here to pick me up? That's really loyal of you."

Sun Yan didn't hesitate, throwing his luggage into the trunk and getting into the car. Under the envious gazes of the surrounding pedestrians, the StarChase X200 started and sped away.

In the car, Sun Yan curiously asked, "Lingsnow, why are you here?"

Shuilian Qing leaned against Feng Lingsnow, pouting and smiling, "Can't I come? Lingsnow came to pick me up, and I also received the Difeng Academy admission notice."

"Oh, you got into Difeng Academy too? That's great! Wait, that doesn't seem right!"

Sun Yan stopped speaking, knowing that although Shuilian Qing's strength was far from Difeng Academy's standards, saying it outright would be too discouraging.

Shuilian Qing, however, was not bothered and nodded, saying strangely, "My comprehensive exam score was only B, which is far from the Difeng Academy standard. But the admission notice said I was admitted due to special martial arts talent."

Hearing this, Feng Lingsnow and the others were also puzzled. Although the Shui family had declined, they were still a thousand-year martial arts family. If Shuilian Qing had any special martial arts talent, it should have been known long ago.

Even Shuilian Qing herself found this hard to understand.

Sun Yan thought for a moment and dismissed his doubts, laughing, "Anyway, as long as you got in, that's good. Three of us from Nanying Academy got into Difeng, the principal and others will probably be overjoyed."

Feng Lingsnow gave him a sidelong glance, "Oh, your real reason for being happy isn't that, is it?"

Sun Yan was taken aback, nodding solemnly, "That's right. Seeing two beautiful ladies is also a major reason."

Feng Lingsnow and Shuilian Qing rolled their eyes. They had already experienced this boy's thick skin and knew that arguing with him was futile.

"This rogue, we shouldn't pay attention to him."

Feng Lingsnow held Shuilian Qing's small hand, and the two girls quickly started chatting, leaving Sun Yan and the others behind.

Looking at Feng Lingsnow and Shuilian Qing, two stunning beauties sitting together, their combined charm was more than doubled, almost instantly capturing every male gaze.

Sun Yan, not one for restraint, stared at the two girls, such a beautiful scene was rare and worth appreciating.

After half a month, Shuilian Qing had become even more beautiful. Her porcelain-like skin was flawless, and her blue, wavy hair gave her a watery, gentle aura, evoking a sense of tenderness.

Unlike Shuilian Qing, Feng Lingsnow's beauty was dazzling and elusive. Her long, jet-black hair and deep, dark eyes, paired with her white attire, exuded a compelling radiance. Her eyes seemed to be always lost in thought, as if she might drift away at any moment, beautiful to the point of being almost unreal.

Such girls were naturally endowed with the ability to drive men wild.

Sun Yan marveled, shaking his head. If he had a bottle of fine wine now, it would truly be a feast for the eyes.

Suddenly, the car stopped, and the two girls glanced over, their eyes filled with mild anger. This little pervert, did he even know the meaning of shame?

"What's wrong?" Sun Yan quickly changed the subject, "Have we already arrived at the registration office?"

Feng Lingsnow gave him a sidelong glance, "That fast?"

Chang Cheng patted Sun Yan's shoulder, giving him a thumbs up, "Impressive! How do you do it, Yan? Staring at the ladies the whole way without blinking, I can't help but admire you, really!"

Sun Yan bowed with a smile, "Thank you, thank you. Everyone has their own specialty."

Getting out of the car, Sun Yan realized they had stopped in front of a small airport. What surprised him was the lack of passengers, only a few staff members.

"Is this an airport in our Luoshan City? I've never heard of it, and it's not on the map."

Checking his communicator's GPS, Sun Yan found he couldn't determine his current location. He had grown up in Luoshan City and knew the city's three airports and two spaceports well, but he had never heard of this one.

Chen Wang explained, "This is a dedicated airport for the Difeng Academy area. Generally, only government officials, military officers, and core members of thousand-year martial arts families have the right to use this dedicated route. Of course, as Difeng Academy students, we also enjoy this privilege."

Sun Yan's mouth opened in amazement, only now realizing the prestige of Difeng Academy.

The top academy in the Nanfeng Domain, and arguably the best in the Odin Star System's southern region, was indeed no joke.

Led by the staff, Sun Yan and the others entered the airport. Looking at the butterfly-shaped spacecraft on the tarmac, with their sleek, black exteriors, he was in awe. These were C-class spacecraft, typically only driven by military officers of the rank of colonel.

Sun Yan was deeply captivated, and through Chang Cheng's explanation, he learned that these spacecraft were specially configured by the military as a sign of respect for Difeng Academy. It was said that the military's supreme commander, Dongfang Huang, had attended Difeng Academy, and with this connection, the military gave special treatment to the thousand-year-old academy.

Entering the spacecraft, the interior was exceptionally spacious, and Sun Yan sat down, feeling extremely excited. This was his first time riding in such a spacecraft, and he was so excited that he fell silent.

The other four couldn't help but smile, seeing Sun Yan in this state for the first time, so excited by riding in such a spacecraft. As members of thousand-year martial arts families, Feng Lingsnow and the others were already accustomed to such spacecraft, even A-class ones.

Buzz!

With a light hum, the butterfly-shaped spacecraft took off, and the passengers inside felt no vibration.

Sun Yan gradually calmed down, touching the seat and marveling, "This thing is amazing, I wonder when I'll be able to own a spacecraft."

The other four exchanged smiles, and Chen Wang patted his shoulder, "Yan, don't worry. I guarantee that before you graduate from Difeng Academy, you'll own a spacecraft."

"Really?" Sun Yan's eyes widened, somewhat skeptical.

"Ha, of course it's real," Chang Cheng laughed, "Owning a spacecraft isn't a big deal. As long as you're a Seventh Rank Warrior, you can apply to the military for a flight license. However, to own a C-class butterfly-shaped spacecraft, you need to meet other conditions."

Hearing this, Sun Yan fell into a daydream, muttering, "As long as I become a Seventh Rank Warrior, I can own a spacecraft?"

In the high sky, the butterfly-shaped spacecraft soared, like a butterfly weaving through the clouds, carrying the young man's dreams and aspirations.

...

The journey to Difeng Academy was short, and Sun Yan felt as if he had barely sat down before the spacecraft landed silently.

Stepping out of the cabin, Sun Yan looked around, his eyes widening in surprise, "Where are we? The registration office? Is this a mistake?"

In front of the airport was a mountain, not very high but very large.

The mountain was about 800 meters tall but covered a vast area. Standing at the foot of the mountain, one could not see its beginning or end. It was summer, and the mountain was lush with greenery, with birds occasionally flying by, but there were no buildings.

"Is Difeng Academy here?"

Sun Yan found it hard to believe. In his mind, the top academy in the Nanfeng Domain should be grand and majestic, like a small city, with beautiful women and high-ranking warriors everywhere.

Chen Wang smiled, "This is the Difeng Academy registration office, not the school itself."

"That's right," Chang Cheng pointed to the other side of the mountain, "You have to cross this mountain to see Difeng Academy."

"Why is the registration office here?" Sun Yan was even more puzzled.

This mountain, with its vast area, would take a considerable amount of time to cross. Setting the registration office here seemed strange to Sun Yan.

Feng Lingsnow looked into the distance, saying softly, "The registration office must be here because it is a Difeng Academy tradition. Every new student must pass through a test—the Ten Thousand Paths Mountain."

"Exactly, the Ten Thousand Paths Mountain. This mountain is naturally formed, with ten thousand entrances, and the terrain inside is complex, making it easy to get lost. There is only one exit on the other side. This is the origin of the name, symbolizing the convergence of all paths."

Chang Cheng picked up his luggage, walking ahead and laughing, "Every new student at Difeng Academy registers at the foot of the Ten Thousand Paths Mountain, draws a lot to be assigned to any of the mountain paths, and at 14:00, the wilderness race begins. The first 20 students to reach the exit will receive 10 credits as a reward."

Chen Wang, walking beside him, also laughed, "That's right, this is a Difeng Academy tradition. It also tells every martial arts student that competition begins from the first second of enrollment."

"Let's go, this path is one we must walk ourselves."

The five of them, each carrying their luggage, walked along the winding path.

Sun Yan, walking at the back, looked up at the distant, continuous mountain range, lost in thought. Difeng Academy, only for geniuses.

But how to stand out among countless geniuses? 1% talent, 99% sweat.