Chapter 44: The Country Bumpkin Comes to the City

The caravan slowly entered Tianning City. Lu Wu flew out from the vehicle and moved to the front of the group. Everyone gazed at this vast metropolis they were entering for the first time in their lives.

Within Tianning City, there was no sense of crowding, for the city was enormous. Countless metal vehicles and metallic beasts carried goods to and fro, many driven by ordinary people. The roads were wide and well-lit, and both sides of the streets were lined with all kinds of spiritual flowers and herbs. Of course, these weren’t rare medicinal plants, just common spiritual grasses—much like the difference between ordinary insects and the demonic beasts among the insect clans.

Yet, with such vast numbers of spiritual flowers and grasses, spiritual energy drifted through the air, casting a gentle aura over the whole city.

The party pressed onward as Yi Ya studied his map. “This way, yes, this way.” A senior disciple from a previous generation, now holding a respectable position in Tianning City, had taken part in the southern campaign against the Ten-Thousand Demon Mountains. He had left Yi Ya a way to contact him, instructing him to seek him out first—in particular, to visit the Taixu Palace’s Tianning City Alumni Association.

Since the group had just come down from the mountains and the alumni association knew they would be penniless, the association had pooled funds to cover everyone’s first tuition payment and living expenses.

Even Senior Sister Zhuo Ya, who had already visited the outside world, couldn’t help but marvel as she walked along these spiritual energy-rich roads. “Are there really so many spiritual flowers and herbs all over the city? There must be millions!”

Cang Yukong added, “But if that’s true, wouldn’t all these plants be constantly generating spiritual energy? If so, wouldn’t the city be so dense with energy that vitality would become chaotic and the laws of the world distorted?”

Nearby, a passerby riding a metal beast overheard and looked over in confusion. Someone sneered, “What sort of dropout are you from the nine-year compulsory education?”

Cang Yukong’s face darkened as he prepared to retort, but Zhuo Ya quickly interjected. “Excuse me, but isn’t that the case?”

The mocking cultivator replied, “Forty-eight years ago, the revised curriculum for junior cultivator academies clarified all this. Haven’t you read any books?”

Zhuo Ya shook her head. “Academy? No, I haven’t attended.”

The cultivator hesitated, then explained, “Spiritual flowers and herbs indeed constantly generate spiritual energy. But cultivators are also constantly using that energy. When you use martial techniques or sword arts, the spiritual energy expended doesn’t return to the world as pure energy—it becomes waste energy. Spiritual plants are not efficient at producing energy from nothing, but are much better at absorbing and converting waste energy back into spiritual energy. That’s why you see visible wisps of energy around these flowers and herbs—it’s because in a big city, there’s more waste energy, so more is transformed.”

He gave them a questioning look. “You’re cultivators, aren’t you? How have you only learned combat and not theory?”

The disciples of Taixu Palace looked at each other in embarrassment.

Yi Ya was about to ask something when a huge metallic elephant beast passed by, bearing the insignia of ‘Windrider Academy.’

Lu Wu spoke up. “Fellow Daoist, is that metallic elephant from Windrider Academy?”

The cultivator glanced at the beast. “Yes, that’s one of the academy’s supply vehicles. Don’t tell me you want to go to Windrider Academy? That’s the best intermediate academy in all Tianning City. Among you... perhaps only you could get in.” He pointed at Yi Ya.

Yi Ya was puzzled. “Can you really discern our talents? Why only me?”

The cultivator grinned. “It’s simple. The entry requirement for Windrider Academy is ninth-level Qi Gathering. It’s not a regular intermediate academy, but one focused on boosting higher academy admission rates.”

Yi Ya looked back at his fellow disciples. “I’m not the only one at ninth-level Qi Gathering, nor am I the highest in rank.”

The cultivator glanced over at the group from Taixu Palace. “Oh? Interesting... I see now, you’re from Taixu Palace, aren’t you? No wonder.”

At a fork in the road, the group of cultivators turned off in another direction, and Yi Ya led his group onward.

Lu Wu said, “Yi Ya, I’ll go check out Windrider Academy first. Once you’re settled, come find me.”

Lu Wu was not a member of Taixu Palace—he was not even human. He had no desire to attend any so-called alumni gatherings; the more ties, the more trouble.

Yi Ya thought for a moment and cupped his fists. “Uncle-Master, see you at the academy.”

Lu Wu sped up, quickly overtook the metallic elephant, and alighted on its back to hitch a ride. As the beast roamed through Tianning City, Lu Wu noted the various ‘familiar’ features of this city.

“So this is what biologists call convergent evolution?” In his previous life, he had read how, on continents missing certain types of animals, other creatures evolved to fill the same ecological niches. In this city, there were shopping streets, scenic spots, sports arenas—all the amenities one might find in a modern city. Yet, this was a city of the arcane, and even though the buildings served the same purposes, they differed from those of his previous world.

The metallic elephant soon arrived at the main gates of Windrider Academy. Lu Wu spotted a large banner by the entrance:

“As long as you’re not dead, train like your life depends on it!”
“If you don’t cultivate today, the top academy will bid you farewell!”
“Strive with all your youth—your future awaits ahead!”

Lu Wu felt as though he had returned to the days before university entrance exams in his former life. “Damn...”

Looking more closely, he saw a security booth by the gate. Inside, a young male cultivator was operating a metal box, almost identical to a computer.

The cultivator noticed Lu Wu. “Huh? What kind of bug are you?”

Growing excited, he exclaimed, “Have I discovered a new species? Could I be so lucky?”

Lu Wu replied, “Of course not. You’re overthinking it.”

Instantly, the cultivator became wary. “A law manifestation? Sound law?” He peered closer. “Hmm? No physical cultivation?”

Lu Wu said, “Hello, is Windrider Academy still accepting applications?”

The cultivator asked, “What’s your cultivation level?”

Lu Wu revealed his soul aura.

“Flight Realm?!” the cultivator gasped. “Pure soul cultivation? What on earth?!”

“You’ve reached Flight Realm and haven’t joined a higher academy?”

Lu Wu smiled. “I’m here to apply to Windrider Academy for the qualifications to sit the higher academy entrance exam.”

…

Without much delay, Lu Wu was soon ushered into the presence of Windrider Academy’s vice dean, Situ Woye.

Upon seeing Lu Wu, Situ Woye produced a tray the size of an ashtray, which played a video. “Is this you?”

Lu Wu nodded. “Yes.”

Was this some kind of phone-like device? Had that bard called Bingbing posted about him? Had so many people seen it that he happened to meet someone who recognized him?

Situ Woye broke into laughter. “I knew it! Ever since I saw that post, I’ve been waiting for someone from Taixu Palace to enroll. Our admission rate will rise again this year... cough, you can enroll.”

“Thankfully, you’ve arrived in time. Otherwise, you’d have to wait until next year.”

Lu Wu was puzzled. “You’re just going to let me in? No verification? No assessment? What if a demon clan member tries to enroll?”

Situ Woye grinned. “You’ve spent too long in the warzone, so you’re overly cautious. Here at the academy, we even have a demon class. Of course, the moment you stepped through the gate, you were scanned. If you bore deep hatred towards humanity, you couldn’t have entered.”

Lu Wu found this amusing. “What if someone harbors resentment, but not too much?”

Situ Woye replied, “Then they can enter. The chance of such students turning hostile later is quite low—a small probability.”

“You’re Lu Wu, right? Which class do you want to join? Spiritual Beast class or Demon class?”

Spiritual Beast class? Demon class? Lu Wu said, “I haven’t cultivated demon energy, nor do I have the inherited spell memory unique to spiritual beasts. I practice the human soul method.”

Situ Woye considered. “You mean you want to join the human cultivator class? Fine, I’ll place you in the sword cultivator class.”

“Sword cultivator?” Lu Wu shook his head. “No, is there a regular, mainstream human cultivator class?”

Situ Woye was surprised. “With your swordsmanship, you don’t want to further pursue sword cultivation?”

Lu Wu had already made up his mind. “To be honest, I’m more interested in artifact forging.”

Situ Woye nodded. “Understood. The intermediate academy’s forging curriculum only covers the basics, but if you join the top human cultivator class, once you pass the higher academy assessment, you can specialize in artifact forging.”

Lu Wu asked, “What about the fees?”

Situ Woye smiled, “You’re too late for the main scholarships, but we can still give you three thousand Sacred Capital coins as aid.”

“What?” Lu Wu thought, Is this for real? Don’t I have to pay tuition? Why am I being paid instead?

Then he remembered how, back when he was a student, top schools would offer generous incentives to attract star pupils. Suddenly, he understood—even in this arcane world, schools chase higher admission rates!

Lu Wu said, “That seems a bit stingy.”

Situ Woye hesitated. “How about six thousand?”

Lu Wu grinned. “I’ve asked around—I know the going rate.”

Situ Woye relented. “Six thousand Sacred Capital coins, plus another six thousand’s worth of forging materials, a monthly living stipend for the next month, and a three-thousand resource grant for your cultivation.”

Lu Wu said, “Deal!”

“Thank you, Professor Situ. Your student greets you!”