Chapter Seventy-One: Blue Emperor Academy

The guests thanked the mercenary group one after another and took their leave. Carlo turned to Luo Chen and said, “Brother, we hit it off at first sight. Why don’t you come along with us to Shangri-La for a few drinks before heading to Blue Emperor Academy?”

Luo Chen thought to himself that if he really went with Carlo, it would probably be far more than just a few drinks. By then, he might not even make it to the academy at all. He quickly declined, “No, thank you, Brother Carlo. I appreciate your kindness, but I’d like to settle in at the academy first.”

Carlo didn’t insist. “Alright, business comes first. Oh, by the way, since you’re new to Miracle City and don’t know your way around, you probably don’t even know where Blue Emperor Academy is. Let me give you a ride!”

“That’s really too much trouble for you…”

Carlo frowned. “There you go again, being all polite with your big brother! If you keep this up, I’ll start getting upset!”

“Alright then, sorry to trouble you!”

Just then, a few other mercenaries came over. They seemed to know Carlo well and joked, “Carlo, you’re not being fair! Heading to Shangri-La without inviting us?”

Carlo snapped, “Who says I’m not fair, you bastards? You lot go on ahead to Shangri-La and wait for us with the rest of the group. I’ll take this young brother to Blue Emperor Academy first. Later, if I don’t drink you all under the table, I’ll write my name backwards!”

The mercenaries scoffed, “Carlo, everyone knows you just talk big. We’ll be waiting. Don’t run off scared!”

“Whoever flees first is a bastard!” Carlo, unable to resist the provocation, was eager to start his drinking bout. He quickly brought over a mutated steed with a single horn, took Luo Chen up with him, and sped off from the Mercenary Guild, racing toward the west side of the city.

This mutated horse was astonishingly fast, said to reach speeds of a hundred kilometers per hour at full gallop. Though it was difficult to go all out within the city, as the crowds thinned and they rode beyond the limits of Miracle City, the steed shot forward like an arrow. The wind roared past, making it almost impossible for Luo Chen to keep his eyes open.

The terrain gradually rose until a long, high ridge appeared ahead. Down its center ran a road at least ten meters wide, paved with large stone bricks, smooth and even. Every twenty meters or so stood a lamppost, keeping the road brightly lit even at night. Alongside, rows of small trees with purple blossoms were planted in neat lines, as if welcoming guests, stretching all the way up the ridge. Luo Chen was instantly reminded of the Hero’s Road at Weston Academy, though this road was both wider and longer.

After a few more minutes at a gallop, the ridge came to an end. Before them lay a vast plateau, upon which numerous buildings clustered like stars in the cosmos, suddenly filling Luo Chen’s view.

Not far off stood a grand gateway, flanked by two massive round pillars so large that three men would be needed to encircle one; they stood like giants, solemnly guarding the buildings beyond—an awe-inspiring sight. Luo Chen immediately spotted the four characters of “Blue Emperor Academy” glowing with a sacred white light, undimmed by the darkness of night. It was said those characters were inlaid with the rare and precious Saintlight Crystals, which naturally absorbed spiritual energy. Nowhere else on the Canglan Continent could boast such a display, a testament to Blue Emperor Academy’s imperial stature as the foremost martial arts institution.

If one were to pry those Saintlight Crystals from the gate, they could be forged into a legendary piece of top-tier dark-gold equipment with the Saintlight attribute. With a few generations of refinement, it might even reach epic or mythical status. Yet no one had ever dared covet this treasure, for the academy gates were always heavily guarded, and if the alarm was triggered, a host of powerful warriors would descend within a minute.

It was well known that many of Blue Emperor Academy’s instructors were superhuman warriors, and the headmaster, Ulysses, was a Celestial who wielded Saintlight energy. Any thief attempting to steal the crystals would be dealt with long before they succeeded in prying them loose. Moreover, the Saintlight Crystals had been gifted and personally installed by the Hall of Sacred Martial Arts at the academy’s founding. To steal them was to defy the Hall, and to defy the Hall was to set oneself against the entire Holy Alliance.

As tempting as dark-gold equipment was, no one would risk enmity with the Holy Alliance for it. Thus, the Saintlight-inlaid characters still hung high above the gates, shining with their unique, captivating white radiance.

Luo Chen unconsciously held his breath, a sense of reverent awe rising within him. This was the sacred place that countless young people dreamed of, and now he was fortunate enough to stand among them.

“This is Blue Emperor Academy,” Carlo said. “Outsiders aren’t allowed to enter freely, so I’ll leave you here. Work hard, little brother—you have great potential. One day, you’ll make a name for yourself!” He dismounted and handed Luo Chen a slip of paper. “My hunter friend is out of town and hasn’t returned yet, and I have to go back to Slo City tomorrow, so I can’t contact him directly. But don’t worry, I’ve already left word. Here’s the name and address of a lounge owner in Miracle City. My friend is a regular there. If you run into him, the owner will let him know about you. When you’re off for the weekend, go see the owner and ask if there’s any news.”

“Alright, thank you, Brother Carlo!”

“Well, I’ll be off, then. Those idiots are waiting for me at Shangri-La!” Without further ado, Carlo turned his horse and rode back toward the city.

Luo Chen watched him go, grateful for having met such a warmhearted man who had helped him through many difficulties. He was just about to enter the gate when two young men stopped him. Judging by their armbands, they were probably members of the Blue Emperor Academy’s Disciplinary Committee.

“Stop! Who are you, and what business do you have at Blue Emperor Academy?”

Luo Chen thought to himself that the academy’s security was indeed strict. He reached into his coat and pulled out the direct admission notification. “Seniors, I’m a new student reporting for registration.”

After checking his documents, the two men returned the letter. “You may enter, but the instructors in charge of new student registration have already finished for the day. You’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow morning to get everything settled.”

Luo Chen was taken aback. So, where was he supposed to stay tonight? There were plenty of inns in the city, but all of them charged money, and Luo Chen was reluctant to spend. Yet he didn’t know anyone in the academy.

As he was pondering what to do, someone suddenly shouted, “Beast!”

There was only one person who would call him that. Overjoyed, Luo Chen turned around and, sure enough, it was Shi Feng.

[This morning I forgot to ask for recommendation votes again. I regret it so much I could smack myself a hundred times. Classmates, if you haven’t given your votes to some other animal yet, throw them over to this thief—]