Chapter 59

Behind this giant stone monument, there is a mountain, towering ten thousand feet high, shaped like an eagle stepping on clouds. The mountain ridge is a cloud mass, the mountain body is the eagle, its wings spread out as if it were about to soar into the sky. On the back of the eagle, the outline of a city can be seen.

The Eagle Stepping on Clouds Mountain!

Legend has it that in ancient times, Wu Yanqiao of the Great Wu Sect cleaved the earth and raised the mountain in a single day and night, symbolizing the eagle stepping on clouds, with aspirations reaching the stars, moving forward without hesitation.

The mountain ridge, resembling a cloud mass, extends into two paths, winding around the giant monument and leading up the mountain.

Lifting his head to gaze at the stone monument, Sun Yan muttered to himself, "The Dao follows nature, all rivers return to their source. Is this stone monument erected by Wu Qiaoyan, the founder of the Imperial Wind Academy?"

The characters on the stone monument are written in ancient Chinese script, with silver hooks and iron strokes, exuding an unparalleled momentum that soars to the heavens.

Shui Lianqing, with a look of reverence, nodded and said, "That's right. The inscription on the stone monument was personally engraved by Wu Qiaoyan of the Great Wu Sect. This is the Wu Sect Monument, one of the symbols of the Imperial Wind Academy."

"Wu Sect Monument! Engraved by Wu Qiaoyan himself?"

Sun Yan found it hard to believe. This stone monument is ten thousand feet tall; how could a human engrave characters on it by hand? What kind of unimaginable power does the realm of the Wu Sect possess?

Standing under the Wu Sect Monument, for the first time in his life, the young man felt a sense of insignificance. The ten-thousand-foot stone monument, casually engraved, what kind of grandeur must that be?

Following the winding path on the right, the two of them climbed the steps, filled with anticipation, heading towards the summit of the Eagle Stepping on Clouds Mountain.

Halfway up, Sun Yan suddenly looked up at the stone monument, whose top could not be seen, and muttered to himself, "If we could stand on top of the stone monument and take a few selfies, that would be so cool."

"A Yan!" Shui Lianqing couldn't help but scold him. This young man's words and actions were too reckless, and such disrespectful thoughts should not even arise.

A moment later, a cold and taciturn young man walked up the steps on the right, none other than Lin Tianwang.

Looking up, Lin Tianwang's eyes blazed with intense heat, and he whispered, "I, Lin Tianwang, have finally arrived at the Imperial Wind Academy."

On the left path, Feng Lingsnow and others walked slowly, looking up at the Wu Sect Monument, each with different expressions.

Feng Lingsnow looked up, her beautiful face showing a strange expression, and she did not speak, walking leisurely towards the summit.

Chen Wang and Chang Cheng looked reverent, like devout believers, taking each step up the mountain stairs.

Long Ping'an muttered to himself, "Safety first, safety first! I hope my four years at the Imperial Wind Academy go smoothly, and I can find a beautiful girlfriend."

Green stood at the foot of the Wu Sect Monument, bowed deeply, and without a word, slowly climbed the mountain stairs.

Not long after the group left, another young man walked up the left mountain stairs.

This young man had black hair and golden eyes, with skin as smooth as ivory, and always exuded a graceful and composed demeanor as he walked.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, the young man looked up at the stone monument, raised his hand, and traced the characters on the stone monument with his fingers, smiling slightly and whispering, "Unfortunately, I cannot be born in the same era as Wu Qiaoyan. Otherwise, I, Lu Jian, would not let him have all the glory."

The young man muttered to himself and walked up the winding mountain stairs.

Not long after, at the exit of the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain, two young men appeared together.

One of the young men was exceptionally tall, with black hair flowing, exuding a presence like a towering mountain.

Pointing at the Wu Sect Monument, the young man laughed loudly, "Unfortunately, if Wu Qiaoyan and I were born in the same era, I would definitely punch him out. Unfortunately, truly unfortunate!"

Beside him, another young man, with a graceful demeanor and no trace of arrogance, shook his head and smiled, "Wu Qiaoyan was a peerless genius. Even if we were born in that era, we might not be able to match him."

"Ha ha, Bai Zuwu, that's your weakness. If you were more confident, you would soon catch up to me."

The two young men chatted as they walked up the mountain stairs.

One after another, more and more new students arrived at the Wu Sect Monument, and the admission process for the Imperial Wind Academy this year finally came to a gradual close.

...

At this moment, Sun Yan and Shui Lianqing had already arrived at the Imperial Wind Academy, led by enthusiastic staff to the general student section.

The hovercar drove down a wide street, and Sun Yan looked at the scenes on both sides, marveling at the scale of the Imperial Wind Academy, which was even larger than he had imagined.

Built on the summit of a mountain, the Imperial Wind Academy was like a small city, with the general student section divided into teaching areas, commercial areas, and dormitory areas, with all kinds of facilities.

Seeing the four tall towers in the distance, Sun Yan asked curiously, "What are those for?"

The staff member, with a proud tone, explained, "Those are the libraries of the Imperial Wind Academy, divided into special, first, second, and third classes. When you receive the Imperial Wind student handbook, you will understand."

Saying this, the staff member, who seemed very enthusiastic, continued to introduce many things about the Imperial Wind Academy.

"Surrounding the general student section, there are three areas, which are the elite student sections, the Elite Three Institutes: Qianlong Institute, Donghuang Institute, and Xieao Institute. You general students should not easily step into the territory of the elite students to avoid unnecessary conflicts."

"On the west side of the general student section, there is the Technology Institute, where specially recruited students with special talents study."

"Our Imperial Wind Academy is very free, but you cannot be too lazy. You must earn the required credits each year, or you will be expelled."

"You martial arts students must work hard. Competition among classmates is very intense, and if you slack off, you will quickly fall behind."

"You two new students, being the first to arrive at the general student section, must be among the top 10 in this year's Ten Thousand Dao Mountain race. Not bad! You get 10 credit points as a reward."

In the staff member's incessant chatter, the hovercar stopped at the entrance of the student office.

After receiving the relevant items from the new student reception office, Sun Yan and Shui Lianqing parted ways, with the former heading to his residence according to the address.

"4444 Liuli Street, what an unlucky number. Strange, the receptionist's expression was off just now. Could it be that I have a flower on my face?"

Following the street signs, Sun Yan arrived at his destination and looked up at the small building in front of him, his eyes wide with shock.

With a thud, the luggage in his hand fell to the ground, and Sun Yan gritted his teeth, "Can people actually live here?"

4444 Liuli Street, this was a two-story building, covered in vines, with cracks in the walls, an ancient iron door at the entrance, and most of the glass in the windows shattered, revealing a chaotic interior.

Compared to this building, Sun Yan felt that his home in Luoshan City was a paradise.

"4444 Liuli Street, is this a mistake? Is there another Liuli Street at the Imperial Wind Academy?"

Sun Yan looked at the address again, suspecting he had come to the wrong place. If the students' residences at the Imperial Wind Academy were like this, it wouldn't be the top academy; even the worst higher education institution would have better accommodation.

"It must be a mistake. There must be another Liuli Street." Sun Yan reaffirmed in his heart.

At this moment, a voice came from behind, "Hey, classmate, are you a new student this year? Have you been assigned to 4444 Liuli Street? Welcome, welcome!"

Behind him, at the entrance of a restaurant, stood a middle-aged man, looking curiously at Sun Yan.

This middle-aged man had a buzz cut, a ruddy complexion, wore a stained vest, and a blue apron, looking somewhat comical.

Assigned? Sun Yan had a bad feeling.

Sun Yan handed the paper to him and asked, "Uncle, is there another Liuli Street at the Imperial Wind Academy? Look at this address, did I come to the wrong place?"

The middle-aged man didn't even look at the paper and said, "No need to look. The Imperial Wind Academy has only one Liuli Street. If the student office assigned you to 4444 Liuli Street, then this is it, no doubt about it."

Damn, is this really where I will live for the next four years?

Sun Yan looked at the dilapidated building in front of him, feeling a deep sense of disappointment.

The dormitory he had imagined at the Imperial Wind Academy was bright and clean, with all kinds of facilities, where he could discuss martial arts with his roommates and classmates, practice privately, and in his free time, stand on the balcony and look at the beautiful female students on the playground. That would be the good life at a higher education institution!

But now, he was standing in front of a dilapidated building, talking to a ruddy-faced, oil-stained middle-aged man. What was this all about?

"Uncle, are the dormitories at the Imperial Wind Academy all like this?"

"Classmate, I'm not that old. You can call me Brother Tieshao." The ruddy-faced man corrected him.

Then, Brother Tieshao continued, "The dormitories are not like this. The dormitories at the Imperial Wind Academy are among the best in the entire Nanfeng Domain. As for 4444 Liuli Street, as I said, this is where students who have been assigned to live."

"Assigned?"

"Right, assigned students."

Brother Tieshao paused and then explained, "Speaking of the history of 4444 Liuli Street, few current students know about it. This building is as old as the Imperial Wind Academy, originally used to imprison problematic students. You know, every school has troublemakers, and 4444 Liuli Street has long been the place for problematic students, also known as the 'Little Black Room.'"

"However, starting 300 years ago, this building has been abandoned. Except for 100 years ago and 10 years ago, when two visiting martial arts students lived here, no other students have moved in."

Saying this, Brother Tieshao looked Sun Yan up and down and said, "This classmate looks refined and doesn't seem like a problematic student! Did you offend the student council and get assigned here right after entering? But don't be discouraged. Liuli Street is a very interesting place. We are all very hospitable. Come, come, come, don't stand at the door. Come to my restaurant, Brother Tieshao will buy you a drink. Hey, classmate, where are you going..."

Brother Tieshao chattered on, but when he looked up, he only saw Sun Yan's back disappearing at the end of the street.