"Mom, don't worry. I've remembered everything." Xiao Han patted the back of his mother's hand, then looked at his father beside her.
Their repeated words of advice still rang in his ears, and the worry in his parents' eyes weighed heavily on him.
He had stayed home for another day, and everything they could think of had been made clear.
In the end, he still had to leave.
His family's reluctance to see him go and their hopes for him, mingled with the clamor of the station, saw him off on his journey.
His destination: the Imperial Capital.
Beihai City Maglev Station.
The platform was so vast that he couldn't see the end of it, its cold metallic sheen stretching into the distance.
A low hum filled the air, the breathing of the rail's energy field.
A silver-white maglev train hovered soundlessly, the sharp lines of its body cutting across his field of vision.
This was the transport artery linking the Federation's major cities. Traveling a thousand miles in a day was no longer empty talk.
Xiao Han had a special-class ticket.
The compartment was small, but it felt secure.
The seat gave way beneath him, enveloping him.
His fingertips touched the control panel. Its material was cool, and it responded quickly.
Outside the window, the buildings and fields, distinguishable at first, soon blurred into a stream of color.
The pressure of the speed passed through the thick carriage walls, pressing faintly against his eardrums.
This was the power of technology, shrinking the earth to an inch.
The train pulled away with barely a bump, yet its speed climbed rapidly, and it soon left Beihai City behind.
Xiao Han closed his eyes and sank his awareness into his body.
His spiritual power at the Sixth Level of the Warrior Realm was like a surging river. Guided by the Creation-Heaven-Penetrating Art, it flowed slowly through his widened and reinforced meridians. With each circulation, he could feel his power growing more refined and stronger.
At the same time, he directed part of his awareness to communicate with the Eternal Night Monarch behind him—the Shadow Dominator Martial Soul.
With a slight movement of his thoughts, the shadows in the corners of the compartment wriggled and stretched like living things, shifting into various forms under his control.
At times they became a pitch-black dagger; at others, they condensed into a flowing shield. Finally, they melted silently back into the original shadows, as if they had never appeared.
His control over shadow power had reached an entirely new realm.
He was also growing ever more adept with [Shadow Devour]. Although there was little negative energy on the train for him to devour, he could clearly feel the hunger coming from deep within his Martial Soul, like a dormant beast waiting for a chance to feast.
"Imperial Capital..."
As power circulated through his body, Xiao Han's thoughts drifted toward his destination.
The heart of the Huaxia Federation, a place where countless geniuses gathered, a true dragon's pool and tiger's den.
As the Federation's foremost academy, the Imperial Capital Academy's competition was bound to be fierce.
The finest prodigies and monstrous geniuses from across the country and even the world gathered there. An S-rank Martial Soul would probably only be enough to get a foot in the door, and SSS-rank ones were by no means rare.
Lin Qingxia, the iceberg beauty of an instructor who had sent three Martial Grandmaster teachers flying with one punch, possessed unfathomable strength. She seemed to think highly of him, which was both an opportunity and a possible source of unknown trials.
Su Linglong...
Her face, flushed with embarrassment and anger, flashed through his mind.
With her SSS-rank Extreme Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, she had been a heaven's favored daughter in Beihai City, the focus of everyone's attention.
Later, when they parted, she said she hadn't decided where she was going.
Would she have come to the Imperial Capital Academy too?
The corners of Xiao Han's mouth rose involuntarily as he recalled that "forced kiss." Looking back on it now, it had been quite a thrill.
Of course, she wasn't the only familiar face in the Imperial Capital—or potential opponent, for that matter.
Monstrous geniuses from all walks of life... just thinking about them made his scalp tingle a little, while his hands itched for a fight.
He was now at the Sixth Level of the Warrior Realm, had twin heaven-defying SSS+ Martial Souls, cultivated the Creation-Heaven-Penetrating Art, and even had a divine skill at his disposal...
With a setup like that, he could swagger around Beihai City however he pleased without a problem.
But toss him into the Imperial Capital's great melting pot... and he probably wouldn't even make a decent splash.
He'd heard that S-rank Martial Souls were everywhere there, and even SSS-rank ones weren't anything rare.
But then again...
Xiao Han lazily shifted into a more comfortable position in his seat.
That was what made it exciting.
A peaceful life? That wasn't for him.
This new world, full of unknowns, was what made him feel truly alive, his blood burning hot.
Just as he was lost in thought, a cloyingly sweet female voice suddenly sounded over the carriage's broadcast system:
"Dear passengers, we are approaching the final stop of this train: Imperial Capital Central Station. Please gather your belongings in advance and prepare to disembark. We hope you enjoyed your journey!"
He had finally arrived.
Xiao Han opened his eyes.
Outside the window, the scenery was no longer a blur of speeding colors. The vast shadows of skyscrapers cut across the sky, their outlines growing clearer and exuding an oppressive presence.
The train slowed almost silently, gliding smoothly into the station before coming to a steady stop.
He rose, picked up his simple travel bag, pushed open the compartment door, and joined the crowd disembarking.
The instant his feet touched the solid ground of the platform.
Hum—!
An indescribably immense aura rushed toward him.
Weighty and bustling, mixed with omnipresent energy fluctuations, it pressed heavily on his heart, making even his breathing grow somewhat labored.
Compared to this, Beihai City was practically a little pond!
The platform was frighteningly spacious. As far as he could see, there was no end to it.
The crowd surged shoulder to shoulder, everyone hurrying along with expressions of excitement, gravity, or numbness.
The air was filled with the auras of all kinds of martial artists, strong and weak mixed together, their density staggering.
Xiao Han even keenly picked up a few powerful pressures flashing past. They moved too quickly for him to pinpoint their locations, yet they made every muscle in his Sixth Level Warrior body tense instinctively!
It seemed a Sixth Level Warrior really was nobody here.
Overhead was not the real sky, but a lifelike simulation: blue sky, white clouds, and sunlight pouring down to illuminate the vast interior of the station, built of steel and glass. It truly had something of the feel of a futuristic temple.
Looking into the distance, he saw densely packed buildings whose tops were out of sight, and all manner of strangely shaped aircraft darting nimbly between them.
They traced dazzling trails of light, weaving a picture of a futuristic city that was both brimming with life and coldly efficient.
Xiao Han stood where he was, jostled by the crowd, but stopped for the moment.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at the outline of the magnificent steel forest. Even the air he drew into his lungs carried a restless energy and vitality that left him both excited and keenly aware of the pressure.
This was the Imperial Capital!
The heart of the Huaxia Federation.
A cradle of powerhouses, a gathering place for geniuses, and of course, perhaps a grave for countless people.
Opportunities lay everywhere, but danger lurked at every turn.
The sheer scale and presence of Imperial Capital Central Station alone had already exceeded all his expectations.
He steadied himself, gathered up his initial shock, and followed the directions Lin Qingxia had given him to find the hovercar station.
"To the Imperial Capital Academy," Xiao Han said, giving his destination after getting into a self-driving hovercar.
The car rose soundlessly into the air and merged into the busy but orderly stream of traffic.
Outside the window, the splendor of the Imperial Capital lay in full view.
Skyscrapers rose shoulder to shoulder into the sky, futuristic aircraft darted nimbly between them, and the people and vehicles on the ground were packed together like flowing sand.
The hovercar continued onward, and the surroundings gradually changed.
The city's clamor faded, replaced by a settled, solemn atmosphere.
At the edge of his vision, an expansive and imposing complex of buildings appeared on the horizon.
Ancient and modern styles blended in a curious way, exuding the weight of accumulated history.
Even from afar, he could see towering spires, the outline of a massive martial arts training ground, and row upon row of teaching buildings... Just looking at it from this distance, he could feel the weight of the Federation's foremost academy.
This place must be ten times the size of Beihai No. 1 High School... Xiao Han estimated.
The hovercar descended in front of a massive gatehouse.
Above it, the four large, gilded characters for "Imperial Capital Academy" were written in bold, soaring strokes, silently radiating authority.
Xiao Han followed the signs to the new student reception office.
There weren't many people inside.
The one handling registration was a middle-aged male teacher in an academy uniform. He looked to be in his thirties, with a trace of routine arrogance on his face.
He didn't even look up at Xiao Han. Pointing to a form beside him, he said, "New here? Fill out the form. Your identification, proof of Martial Soul awakening, and Martial Artist certification badge—take them all out."