The current scene was completely different from what Yu Jing had imagined. There was no organization welcoming the newcomers. Yu Jing walked alone along the deserted road, using the brim of his hat to conceal his thoughtful face. After all, tomorrow was officially the first day of school, and in his estimation, he should be able to reach the gate within a day.
After walking along the spacious road for an unknown length of time, Yu Jing suddenly felt raindrops the size of beans strike his forehead.
"It's raining?"
When Yu Jing looked up, the dark clouds that had gathered at some point had turned the sky, which should have been bright daylight, gloomy.
The sudden downpour left Yu Jing no choice but to enter the Mountain Forest Area, where there were plenty of trees. At least he could keep the clothes in his suitcase from getting wet.
As Yu Jing walked through the forest beside the road, he was just about to take shelter beneath a tree so large that it would have taken five people to encircle it when he noticed wisps of smoke rising from a location roughly two hundred meters up the mountain.
"I should go take a look. If this heavy rain continues for a long time, hiding beneath a tree won't help."
Following the muddy mountain path upward, Yu Jing reached the source of the smoke. Unexpectedly, there was a three-story inn built into the mountainside. It was medium to small in size and made entirely of wood, giving it a rustic feel amid the mountain forest.
"The taxi driver said this place is within the territory of Dihua Ability Institute. This inn should have something to do with Dihua Ability Institute too, right? I can take shelter from the rain and ask the owner how far away Dihua Ability Institute is."
Yu Jing walked toward the first-floor entrance of the establishment bearing a sign with the four large words "Deep Mountain Inn."
The moment he stepped into the first-floor lobby, a damp, strange odor rushed into Yu Jing's nose. He couldn't describe what it smelled like. It was similar to a mixture of some rotting substance and sandalwood, making him feel nauseous.
A small wooden sign reading "Rooms Available Today" stood on the lobby counter, but Yu Jing saw no innkeeper behind it.
A brief look inside the counter revealed a teacup that still retained some warmth and an old-fashioned television that was still playing with the sound muted, indicating that the innkeeper had been there not long ago.
Finally, Yu Jing's gaze settled on a bell inside the counter, bound to an iron rod with a rubber band. A strange force drove him to pick up the bell and shake it.
"Jingle, jingle, jingle!" The clear sound of the bell spread through the inn.
"Bop, bop, bop... G-guest... are you a guest?"
A terrifying voice that sent chills through the heart came from the second floor.
A twisted woman with four arms crawled headfirst down the stairs. When she twisted her head toward Yu Jing, she revealed a smile, copious saliva seeping from between her pitch-black teeth.
The instant she reached the turn in the staircase, she began crawling madly toward Yu Jing.
"Crackle, crackle, crackle!"
As though the scene had been torn apart, the horrifying sight before him vanished at once.
A sharp pain made Yu Jing's body jolt. When his eyes gradually opened, he found himself sitting in a taxi traveling at moderate speed. Torrential rain was falling outside, and there was a cut on the back of his right hand.
"Was the journey too tiring?" the driver asked as he watched Yu Jing wake up.
Yu Jing immediately covered the wound on the back of his right hand. Instead of answering the driver, he recalled the memory of taking shelter from the rain in the Mountain Forest Area and discovering the Deep Mountain Inn on the mountainside. Every detail seemed vivid, unlike something he had dreamed.
"Driver, this is Dihua Ability Institute's territory, right? Can a car from outside like yours drive in?"
"With you, a disciple, here, of course I can."
The driver's statement differed from what he had said earlier. From this, Yu Jing guessed that he had probably fallen asleep just after leaving the ring expressway. Yet the torrential rain outside the window was exactly the same as in his dream.
"Dihua Ability Institute's main gate is just ahead."
While Yu Jing was thinking, the driver passed around the last mountain. On the plain ahead stood an Ability Institute that stretched beyond the limits of sight. Countless vehicles were already arriving from different directions and stopping outside its hundred-meter-high gate.
The people getting out of the cars all had extraordinary appearances and bearing. They seemed to be this year's newcomers.
As the taxi approached the gate, a person in black stepped forward and raised a hand to stop it. It seemed that vehicles from outside could go no farther than this.
"Little brother, if you need taxi service in the future, you can call me anytime."
Yu Jing nodded, paid by card, and stepped out from the front passenger seat. The person in black who had stopped the taxi handed him an open black umbrella to shield him from the downpour.
"Please complete the newcomer admission procedures today. Physical training will begin at midnight tonight, so be sure to prepare properly." After offering this brief reminder, the person in black quickly left.
"Physical training begins at midnight on September first?"
Yu Jing was slightly startled, but immediately settled down. Holding the black umbrella, he walked toward the imposing main gate of Dihua Ability Institute. At least three hundred newcomers were gathered outside. Some were talking with their parents and friends about the physical training and were taking their time entering the institute.
Yu Jing tried his best to hide his face beneath his hood. For now, he didn't want to interact with these newcomers.
Just as Yu Jing was about to walk toward the main gate, he felt someone lightly pat his shoulder.
When he turned around, he saw a young woman wearing a tight gray tracksuit. Her delicate features were exquisite and distinctive, and she was also someone Yu Jing knew.
"Yu Xiaoxiao..." They had interacted at the research institute, and she had also become his mother's benefactor.
"Did you survive?" Yu Xiaoxiao asked in a lowered voice, sounding somewhat surprised.
"I passed the assessment too, more or less. I scored 93.5 points."
As Yu Jing answered, he noticed an elegant, heavily made-up woman in expensive clothing standing beside Yu Xiaoxiao. The instant Yu Jing met the woman's gaze, he felt as though blades were slicing through his entire body. He involuntarily took a step back, every hair on his body standing on end.
"I'll go report in first."
Yu Jing clearly sensed the pressure emanating from her. He understood that the beautiful woman didn't want him to have anything to do with Yu Xiaoxiao, so he tactfully said his farewells and left.
"Don't die." Yu Xiaoxiao's icy words made Yu Jing pause slightly, and an awkward smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
When Yu Jing reached the gate, he was immediately stopped by someone similar to the previous person in black. They thoroughly scanned his entire body and every item in his suitcase, verifying his identity and the authenticity of his admission notice. Only after five minutes did they allow Yu Jing to properly enter through the gate of Dihua Ability Institute.
"What is this?"
Yu Jing stopped in front of the gate because the so-called gate was actually something resembling a mirror. Only when viewed up close could one notice the trick. When Yu Jing touched it with his palm, layer upon layer of ripples spread across its surface.
When Yu Jing stepped forward and let his entire body sink into it, it felt as though he had entered a place completely cut off from the outside world.
What appeared before Yu Jing next was not the lively newcomer registration scene he had imagined. The area inside the gate was utterly empty, and the entire Ability Institute was shrouded in thick white mist. He could vaguely see a sign ahead pointing to the right, indicating the newcomer registration area.
An inexplicable eeriness and countless questions filled Yu Jing's heart.
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