Chapter 4: Tian Du Academy

My face felt damp. I groggily opened my eyes, only to find Black Dragon licking my face. I chuckled, patting its massive head. "Good boy. What time is it now?" I realized it wouldn't answer me. I fed it some food and then went back to the inn, took a shower, and had a hearty meal before returning to my room to play chess with Zhou Gong.

When I woke up again, it was already midnight. I stretched my muscles, then went to the courtyard to perform a set of Thunderous Fist. After a day of rest, my physical strength had almost recovered. I wondered how the other examinees were doing.

I sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice the Dark Demon Technique. Dark magic couldn't be used easily in the Dragon God Empire. Although there were dark wizards here, they were very few in number. If I were discovered, I might be labeled as a spy from the demon race. After two hours of training, the dark power in my body had reached its peak state. I raised my right hand and chanted, "Great Dark God, with my soul as a sacrifice, and my life as a bridge, grant me your endless divine power, forming a solid barrier to protect your servant. ——Dark Barrier."

As I chanted the spell, dense black mist began to envelop me within a meter, similar to the Dark Barrier used by dark wizards, but much stronger in defensive power, capable of withstanding attacks from intermediate-level magic.

Having this Dark Barrier enhances my defense even further. Slowly retracting the dark magic, I felt a dizzy spell and my body swayed. The backlash from dark magic was indeed formidable, even for someone with my robust physique. I quickly activated the Thunderous Fist technique, gradually dispelling the dizziness.

The sun was already high in the sky. I went to the stable first to feed Black Dragon, unsure of how long this exam would last.

On the grounds of the Heaven's Academy, a thousand candidates gathered for the second round of exams, forming twenty rows in a rectangular formation.

The same voice from last time echoed again, "Dear candidates, today is the second round of exams. From the one thousand of you, we will select three hundred. We hope everyone will demonstrate their true abilities. There will be a proctor at the front of each row. Please proceed with the tests in order of your numbers."

A row of tables was set up in front of the field, each with a large iron plate about three centimeters thick. Proctors sat behind the tables.

I stepped forward to the front of my row. The proctor held a roster and said, "You are number one, Lei Xiang, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Alright, the task is to leave a mark in the grid corresponding to your number on the iron plate of the table. The deeper, the better. No weapons allowed, but magic and qi are permitted. You may begin now. You have thirty seconds."

I lowered my head and saw the large iron plate with fifty grids, each labeled with a number. This seemed too easy. The iron plate felt no different than tofu in my hands. A hint of contempt curled my lips. I extended my index finger, intending to pierce a hole in the plate.

The proctor, noticing my disdainful smile, sneered inwardly. "You're in for a surprise, kid. This iron plate is enchanted with a barrier."

As my finger approached the plate, about two centimeters away, I felt resistance, as if an invisible force prevented me from pressing further. It dawned on me—there was more to it than met the eye. I had suspected as much. I gradually gathered the energy of Thunderous Fist onto my index finger and shouted, "Break!" as I pressed down forcefully.

I could feel intense friction between my finger and the invisible barrier. Despite the resistance, I continued to push, the strength of the barrier surpassing my expectations. The iron plate gradually formed a deeper indentation due to the pressure from the barrier.

Since brute force alone wouldn't break the barrier, I decided to exert more effort. I channeled a bit of my dark energy into my finger. With a flash of darkness, I pierced through the barrier. Without the protection of the barrier, the iron plate yielded easily to my finger, leaving a hole that even penetrated the table below.

The proctor's mouth had formed into an "O" shape, astonished that even he would struggle to break through the barrier. Yet, here I was, a newcomer, achieving the feat.

I calmed my inner energy and slowly retracted my finger, speaking icily, "Teacher, may I stop now?"

The proctor was momentarily stunned before he regained his composure. "Alright, in all my years of proctoring, I've never encountered a student with such power. What technique did you use just now? And why did your finger turn black?" He proceeded to jot down his evaluation in the roster. Due to my tall stature, I managed to catch a glimpse—it seemed to read, "Penetrated iron plate; student possesses formidable strength."

I had prepared my response in advance. "It's a technique I learned from an old man. He called it the Mystic Sky Finger. I never expected it would come in handy today."

The proctor picked up the iron plate. "This one's no good anymore; the barrier's been breached. I'll need to fetch another. You can rest in the courtyard for now. We'll announce the results after all the tests are done."

I bowed respectfully before stepping aside. I didn't want to wander too far; I wanted to observe the strengths of the other candidates to gauge my own chances of being selected.

In no time, the proctor had replaced the iron plate and called the next candidate for testing. I observed over ten individuals, none of whom could compare to my performance. At best, they managed to leave a dent of about one centimeter in the iron plate. One candidate was particularly amusing—he seemed to specialize in fire magic. He launched fireballs one after another at the iron plate, but couldn't leave a mark. As time was running out, he chanted, "O omnipresent spirit of fire, grant me endless flames, incinerate all before me—Inferno Blast." It was an intermediate-level fire magic, appearing quite powerful. The proctor quickly conjured a water-based protective shield around himself. After the Inferno Blast, there was a loud "boom," drawing the attention of all candidates. However, while the table collapsed, the iron plate remained unscathed.

Realizing his futile situation, the candidate could only shake his head and walk away, leaving many candidates chuckling. Even the proctor couldn't help but mutter to himself as he wrote the evaluation comments, "Why did I encounter such peculiar individuals today? One breaks the iron plate, the other burns down the table. Truly..."

Feeling confident in my own performance, I stopped observing the other candidates and found a spot in the shade to sit and relax, enjoying the refreshing scent of the plants as I awaited the announcement of the results. Just as I was closing my eyes to rest, I noticed someone nearby. Opening my eyes, I saw it was the same guy who had burned the table just moments ago.

As soon as I opened my eyes, he greeted me, "Hey there, buddy. I saw you piercing through that iron plate earlier. I couldn't manage it myself—ended up breaking the table instead. But that iron plate remained unscathed." His expression was filled with a sense of resignation as he spoke.

Glancing at him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement at his words. "Concentrate your strength," I replied, before closing my eyes again. Although I only uttered six words, they seemed to inspire him greatly.

He tapped his head, realizing something. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? I have a fire spike spell in my repertoire. I should give it another shot," he said before dashing off.

Shaking my head, I wondered if the proctor would allow him to retry the test. Closing my eyes once more, I resumed my rest.

After an unknown period of time, the broadcast sounded again. "Attention, candidates. Please line up according to your original formation. The examination results will now be announced."

Opening my eyes, I realized that everyone had finished their tests and were now wandering around the courtyard in small groups. Walking to my designated spot, I couldn't help but think, "This time, I'm sure I'll pass."

The proctor, with an air of resignation, glanced at him and said, "Go on, get in line." He shrugged his shoulders and ran to join the others at the back.

"Alright, I announce the list of candidates who have passed this examination. Lei Xiang, passed. Hua Song, passed..." He continued to call out about ten names in succession. The proctor closed the roster and said, "Those whose names were called, stay. Those who weren't, you may leave. If you're under 18, you can come back to try again next year."

Many candidates turned dejectedly and walked away. The announcements for the other groups were also wrapping up, leaving only the three hundred successful candidates on the field.

The candidates, standing unevenly in twenty rows, waited for about the time it took to have a meal. Then, a few older teachers arrived, likely holding higher positions.

One of them, a mage in his fifties clad in robes, said, "Alright, everyone, settle down. I'm Zhang Feng, the director of the Academy's Department of Education. Congratulations to all of you on being admitted to this institution. Now, let's invite our esteemed Archmage, President Yue Han, to address you all." From the tone of his voice, I could tell he was the one who had made the announcements over the broadcast.

The candidates on the field offered tepid applause. An elderly mage, around sixty or seventy years old, stepped forward and cleared his throat before speaking, "I am the dean of this institution. First of all, on behalf of the academy, I welcome you all as first-year students. Secondly, I hope that you won't shy away from hard work in your future studies and strive to improve yourselves as quickly as possible. The academy has produced over 230 Dragon Knights, making it the premier institution in the Dragon Empire." (Later, I learned that each of the four major academies claimed to be the premier institution.) "I hope that among you, there will also be those who can earn this prestigious title. Lastly, I have a request for everyone, and that is to strictly prohibit any romantic relationships on campus. Well, that concludes my speech." With that, he turned and headed back to the academic building.

The part about Dragon Knights, especially, ignited a fiery passion in most of the students (excluding me, as it's impossible for a dragon to accept a non-human). They were itching to mount a dragon and display their prowess immediately. However, the mood shifted drastically at the last statement. At the age of sixteen or seventeen, thoughts about romance were still vague, filled with fantasies. Hearing the dean's words naturally caused some discontent among them. The field erupted into murmurs and discussions.

The Director of the Department of Education, somewhat dissatisfied, cast a glance at the dean's retreating figure, clearly displeased with the manner in which the speech was delivered. He raised his voice, "Quiet down, everyone, quiet down. The dean is correct. To ensure that everyone can focus on their studies, it's best to avoid getting involved romantically, so as not to affect your academic performance. Now, let's begin the sorting. Those studying martial arts, stand to the west. Those studying magic, to the east. And those pursuing both, stand in the middle."

All the new students gradually separated, and after thinking for a moment, since I was here to learn everything, I decided to stand in the middle. There were the most students learning martial arts, comprising over half, while there were over a hundred studying magic, and only around forty or so pursuing both. Afterwards, the classes were divided into six groups, with three for martial arts, two for magic, and one for both.

After the division of classes, the director of education announced, "Alright, class division is finished. Today, everyone should go back and pack up their things. Tomorrow, bring your necessities and report to the academy. Remember, except for during holidays, you are not allowed to go home. You must stay in the academy. Now, you are dismissed."

While the director was still around, I quickly approached and asked, "Director Zhang, can I bring my horse to the academy?" I needed to find a good place for my Black Dragon.

Director Zhang frowned and said seriously, "It's best to find another solution. Either sell it or have it boarded elsewhere."

I hurriedly pleaded, "But my horse only eats the food I give it, and it's a good horse. I'm willing to pay extra tuition fees. Can you consider allowing me to bring it to the academy?" For the sake of Black Dragon, even though I was proud, I had to swallow my pride.

Upon hearing that I was willing to pay extra, the director of education's eyes suddenly lit up. After a moment of consideration, he said, "Bring your horse tomorrow, and I'll arrange for it to stay in the teachers' stable." With that, he turned to leave. Were all teachers like this nowadays? So interested in money.

I stopped him again, and he impatiently asked, "Is there something else?"

"My horse can be a bit unruly. It would be best if it could have its own stable, to avoid causing any trouble to other horses."

Director Zhang, annoyed, said, "Fine, but it'll cost you extra. Three gold coins a month." He was really greedy. The tuition fee for half a year was only twenty gold coins, and now the stable rental fee was almost the same as the tuition. Fortunately, I still had plenty of money. Before leaving, my father had given me a Dragon Empire gold card with 5000 gold coins, more than enough for me.

"Alright, thank you, Director. I'll bring it tomorrow. I'll take my leave now." The director watched me leave with a sly smile, muttering to himself, "Looks like I'll make some extra money again."

Back at the inn, I packed up my belongings, withdrew 200 gold coins from the bank, and went to the stable to give Black Dragon a thorough grooming.

Finally, I had succeeded in getting into Tian Du Academy on my own merit, taking the first step towards completing my mission. There was an unusual sense of excitement in my heart.

(Hello, everyone. I want to clarify here that this book has a very different style from "Child of Light". Additionally, the protagonist of this book won't linger in the academy for as long as the Child of Light did. Lei Xiang's entry into Tian Du Academy is mainly to fulfill a mission, and he will leave the academy in the second volume. The upcoming content will be even more exciting. Welcome everyone to read.)

I led Black Dragon to Tian Du Academy, but as soon as I reached the entrance, I was stopped by the gatekeeper.

"You're a student, right? Tian Du Academy doesn't allow horses on campus, didn't you know that?"

I replied coldly, "I didn't know. I was only following the instructions of Director Zhang from the Office of Education."

The gatekeeper was momentarily speechless. I pulled Black Dragon along and walked inside, faintly hearing the disgruntled muttering of the gatekeeper behind me, "Just a new student, what's with the attitude?"

Inside the academy, I headed straight for the teaching building. I instructed Black Dragon to wait for me outside while I went to complete the enrollment procedures and then settled it in. I arrived at the Office of Education and knocked on the door. I heard Director Zhang's voice from inside, "Come in."

I pushed open the door and entered the office of the Office of Education. It was quite spacious, with eight desks arranged inside, and several teachers were seated at them. I thought I had arrived early, but there were already six or seven students inside, all looking like new arrivals. Director Zhang clearly remembered me, the student who rented the stable for the horse, and greeted me proactively, "You're here. I've been waiting for you for half an hour. Let's start with your enrollment procedures. What's your name?" The other new students all looked at me, all boys. One of them even said, "We were here first, why does he get to go first?" The Director shot him a stern look, and he dared not say another word.

"I'm Lei Xiang," I said calmly.

"Lei Xiang, right?" Director Zhang flipped through the roster, then looked at me and said, "The tuition for one semester is 20 gold coins, accommodation fee is 5 gold coins, meal fee is 5 gold coins, book fee is 1 gold coin, miscellaneous fee is 2 gold coins. And you have a horse, right? Let's start with half a year's payment for that, which is 18 gold coins. So, the total is... let me calculate... it's a total of 51 gold coins. Please pay up."

The other students were all stunned, looking at the Director with astonishment as if they wanted to say something. But Director Zhang shot them a sharp look, which made them swallow their words.

I knew he was definitely overcharging me, but in order to smoothly settle in the academy in the future, I pretended not to notice and took out 51 gold coins from my pocket, handing them over.

Director Zhang immediately beamed with delight as he counted the coins, lost in the ecstasy of money for quite a while before snapping out of it. He handed over a key and said, "Here you go, this is the key to your dormitory. The room number is written on the key. Find it yourself. Tomorrow, go to Room 106 on the first floor of the main teaching building for class."

I took the key and asked, "Alright. Where can I accommodate my horse?"

Having been preoccupied with collecting money, Director Zhang had completely forgotten about it. He gave an embarrassed smile and quickly said, "Let me take you there now. The rest of you, please wait here for a moment."

I followed him out of the teaching building, and as soon as we reached the entrance, we were both startled. Dozens of students were gathered around, most of them whispering to each other.

Using my strong arms, I pushed through the crowd and walked in. As I expected, they were surrounding Black Dragon. Everyone was commenting on it, and one daring girl even attempted to touch it, saying, "Hello, little black horse" (I was almost dumbfounded; Black Dragon was twelve feet tall, and she called it a little black horse. How naive!). "Do you have an owner? Let me pet you, okay?" I was about to intervene, but I was too slow.

Black Dragon let out an angry roar, lifting its front hooves high, about to stomp on the girl. She was terrified and fell to the ground. Just as she was about to become the second victim beneath Black Dragon's hooves, I intervened.

I swiftly darted over, catching Black Dragon's hooves just as I had subdued it before. Due to the haste of the moment, I was pushed back a step by the powerful force of Black Dragon. Seeing it was me, Black Dragon let out a joyful roar, and I released its front hooves. I turned to the frightened girl and shouted, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why are you touching it?"

The girl stood up from the ground. She was a cute little thing, with long purple hair cascading down to her waist, a petite figure, and a beautiful face with porcelain-like skin. Her large eyes were filled with mist, her face pale with fear as she trembled and said, "I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes, and in annoyance, I waved my hand and said, "Just stay away from Black Dragon from now on."

"Who's this guy? Such strength!"

"He's really fierce. The first time I've seen someone so fierce towards Ziyue."

As I was about to lead my horse away, a few senior students came out from the side. The leader, a tall guy over 1.8 meters tall, was quite handsome, but his eyes revealed his aggressiveness. He reached out to stop me and said, "You scared Miss Ziyue. Aren't you going to apologize before leaving?"

I slapped away his hand and said coldly, "Who do you think you are to meddle?"

He glared at me furiously, arrogantly declaring, "Anyone who dares to bully Violet is my enemy. Remember that, punk!"

A clear voice interrupted, "Hold on, Warren. What's with the trouble again? Leave now, or I'll have you standing in the discipline office. Understand?"

Warren, visibly enraged, retorted, "You..."

"Enough," Zhang Feng intervened. "No more arguing. Keep it up, and I'll have both of you in detention."

Warren and his cronies left begrudgingly. Meanwhile, the student who caused the commotion with the burning incident approached me quietly, whispering, "Can you take me to see you later?" I glanced back at him but didn't respond.

Zhang Feng approached Violet, inquiring if she was alright and advising her against rash actions. Violet nodded gently, displaying a hint of bashfulness. Observing all this, I realized that this academy harbored many hidden stories, ones I needed to stay vigilant against lest I become ensnared.

Violet nodded, keeping her head lowered. "Yes, Director."

"Alright, you may leave now, and everyone else should disperse," Zhang Feng instructed. "Rex, come with me."

I shot Violet another glance, catching her gaze. Our eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushed with a blush that made her look incredibly endearing. I was momentarily captivated, only snapping out of it when Zhang Feng called for me to follow him. I then led Black Dragon and followed him.

On the way, Zhang Feng admired Black Dragon, commenting, "This horse of yours is quite remarkable, though a bit fierce. Looks like we'll have to find a separate stable for it. Be careful from now on. To encourage students' enthusiasm for training, the academy allows fair sparring."

Surprised by the director's unexpected concern, I sensed a hint of elder wisdom in his words. "Alright, I'll be careful. Thank you," I replied gratefully.

After settling Black Dragon, I headed towards my designated accommodation, examining the key in my hand. It was marked "6-3-4," but I had no idea what it meant.

As I walked, the student who caused the table-burning incident rushed over, panting. "I finally found you. Your horse has been settled," he informed me.

I nodded.

"Which dormitory are you in?" he asked.

I handed him the key to look at, and he said, "6-3-4, great, we're in the same dorm. Building six, third floor, room number four. Let's go, I just came from there."

"I'm Fengyun, what's your name?" he continued.

"I'm Leixiang," I replied.

"Ah! We're quite destined, one wind and one thunder. By the way, I haven't thanked you for the other day yet. Your method really worked. I managed to make a dent in the iron plate, about one centimeter deep."

I asked him curiously, "How did you manage to persuade the invigilator to let you retest?"

He smirked mysteriously, pinching his thumb and index finger together, and said with a smirk, "Hehe, money talks. It took me a month of work to afford it."

I felt dizzy with disbelief. Were all the teachers in this school like this? Only interested in money.

"Leixiang, you're so tall. It's rare to see someone as tall as you among humans."

"Oh!" I replied. "You haven't seen my kind yet. We're all over four meters tall. But it's better if you don't meet them; otherwise, they might tear you apart. Huh, why am I suddenly concerned about this guy I just met?" I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought.

"Your horse is still a foal, right?"

"Really? How did you know?" I became interested when he mentioned Black Dragon.

"I've studied equine science. Your horse should be around one year old. Your Black Dragon is the best horse I've ever seen."

"I actually don't know how old it is. I bought it from a stable."

"They sell such good horses at stables? I'll have to check it out sometime. Anyway, we're here. This is our nest from now on. Let's go in." He pulled me into the dorm.

The dormitory conditions were quite good. There were two bunk beds inside, all with brand new bedding. It seemed like it was meant for four people, but for now, it was just me and Fengyun. On one side were two desks, and on the other side were four lockers, presumably for storing things. In the corner were brooms, basins, rags, and other daily necessities.

Fengyun pointed to the lower bunk on the right and said, "I'll sleep here. Leixiang, where will you sleep?"

I pointed to his upper bunk and replied, "I'll take the one above you." Then I chose a locker and put my things away.

Fengyun continued, "That guy I mentioned earlier is quite influential. He's a third-year student, seems to be studying martial arts, and comes from a noble family. His father is some kind of viscount, so it's better to avoid trouble with him in the future."

"Are all nobles so overbearing?"

Fengyun thought to himself, "You're not much better," but he answered, "Yeah, the class system in the Dragon God Empire is strong. Nobles have many privileges. Most people who come here want to excel in martial arts and then join the army to become nobles."

"What about the girl with purple hair?"

"Oh, she's considered the princess in many people's hearts here. She's a second-year student, one of the school's beauties, with plenty of suitors. But the school doesn't allow dating, so she's still single. Are you interested in her?"

I replied solemnly, "Don't talk nonsense." But in my mind, the adorable face of Ziyue appeared. The term "school flower" felt quite novel to me, so I continued, "Are there other school flowers in the academy?"

"There are. With over 2,000 people in the academy, there are eight beauties, and Ziyue ranks sixth. I'll introduce you to the others later."

Curious, I asked, "How do you know so much about the academy? Aren't you a new student too?"

He chuckled awkwardly and whispered to me, "I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else. I worked as a janitor at the academy last year, so that's how I know so much."

It suddenly dawned on me. It seemed he had put in a lot of effort to get here.

Just then, two people walked in, and I was surprised to see that they looked exactly alike. Were they human twins? I pondered to myself.

Fengyun noticed their arrival and greeted them, "Do you guys also live in this dorm?"

The one in the front replied, "Yeah, I'm Huo Xing, and he's Huo Xing. We're twins from Kunsicheng."

Fengyun excitedly said, "Then we're roommates from now on. I'm Fengyun, from Harlin City. And he's Leixiang. Oh, by the way, Leixiang, where are you from?"

I felt a pang in my heart and replied, "I don't have a home. I wander around."

Fengyun responded, "Oh, then your life must be quite tough. Brothers Huo, you guys take the upper and lower bunks on this side. How do you tell each other apart when you look so alike?"

The Huo brothers smiled at each other, and Huo Xing said, "I'm the older one. I have a small mole at the corner of my left eye, and my younger brother doesn't."

"Ah, that makes it easier to tell. With the surname Huo, are you both studying fire magic?"

Huo Xing nodded and said, "We're practicing both magic and martial arts. We combine fire magic with swordsmanship."

So they were like me. At first glance, they seemed to possess remarkable skills.

Fengyun remarked, "That must be impressive. The three of you are magic warriors, while I'm just a mage."

Huo Xing asked, "Is Leixiang also practicing both magic and martial arts? What kind of magic are you studying?"

I replied coldly, "I haven't learned any magic yet. Maybe I'll learn it later."

"Huh? You haven't learned any magic, yet you're in the magic warrior class?"

"I like magic, I'll learn it later," I impatiently replied, feeling irritated by his chatter, much like Fengyun's.

Sensing the tension, Fengyun quickly interjected, "Let's go eat. I'm starving."

...

Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, less than a meter away from my face. I thought to myself, the first step of the mission is finally taken. Now, I'll focus on studying and practicing more. Calming my mind, I began practicing my demonic technique. To avoid detection, I had to practice lying down, which felt uncomfortable at first, but the results were satisfactory.

Early the next morning, I got up while they were still asleep. The sky was just starting to brighten. I went to the dormitory door alone and stretched my muscles with a round of Thunderous Fist. The cafeteria wasn't open yet, so I went to the stable. Black Dragon was doing well. I fed it some fodder and then took it out for a ride on the playground, circling around until dawn broke before returning it.

Back in the dorm, the three of them were already awake. Seeing me return, Fengyun asked, "Leixiang, where did you go so early?"

"I went to walk the horse."

The Fire brothers exclaimed, "You can bring horses into the academy?"

Thinking about my expensive stable, I chuckled bitterly, "I spent 18 gold coins to rent a stable for the semester."

Fengyun's eyes widened in shock. "18 gold coins? That's way too much for the academy to charge."

I sighed, saying, "What can I do? Do I have a choice? Black Dragon can't be separated from me. It doesn't matter."

Fengyun lamented, "You really are wealthy. Let's go, let's grab breakfast and then head to class. We can't afford to be late on the first day."

After breakfast, Fengyun parted ways with us at the main teaching building. He had class in room 104, while we were headed to room 106.