Not long after, Meng Yun returned, followed by a slightly younger student.
"These are your Identity Token. From now on, when you browse the academy's collection or receive rewards, you will need to register with your Identity Token."
Meng Yun handed the two of them a Jade pendant.
Jiang Ping picked it up and examined it closely, discovering that the jade was made of a special material and should be worth a considerable amount of silver.
"I've arranged accommodations; we'll stay together."
Teacher Meng winked at the young man, but what she took out were two keys.
They didn't live together, but were neighbors.
"Oh, right." Meng Yun then introduced the students he had brought with him to the two of them.
"This is your senior brother, who has been in the Martial Academy for many years. He is also from your hometown, Changping Prefecture, and was once a prominent figure."
"Jiang Ping!" The senior brother, dressed in white, greeted him with a warm smile.
"Your name has already spread throughout the Black River Martial Academy, and I, being from Changping Prefecture as well, am also benefiting from it."
"Senior brother," Jiang Ping and the other greeted.
"The dean is away on business, and the Rebirth orientation banquet will be postponed to one month later."
Meng Yun continued, "Next, this fellow villager will take you to your lodgings and also introduce you to the Martial Academy."
"My surname is Yang, and my full name is Yang Hong. Don't call me 'Senior Brother,' just call me Brother Yang."
Yang Hong was very easygoing and approachable, introducing the various buildings of the Martial Academy to the two of them along the way.
"That's Artistic Conception Dojo. If you want to imitate Artistic Conception, you can enter the training ground; it's much faster than trying to comprehend it on your own."
He pointed to the hall in the distance where many students were gathered and said.
Skills are so difficult to master that even geniuses will struggle with them.
However, it's not impossible to take shortcuts. When a highly skilled predecessor uses something to embody their ideals, the younger generation only needs to resonate with it to be able to immerse themselves in the experience, deeply feel the beauty of the Artistic Conception, and make progress much faster.
"You probably haven't reached even the Half-Step Artistic Conception any skill yet, have you?" Yang Hong said to Jiang Ping.
"Although you possess extraordinary talent, you must work harder, especially in honing your skills, as this is crucial for advancing to the Fifth Rank."
"Is skill related to the Fifth Rank?" Jiang Ping raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, and they are closely related." Yang Hong nodded and said in a deep voice, "The Fifth Rank is divided into Internal Refinement and External Gathering. Internal Refinement is simple, but External Gathering is not easy, especially in the Late Stage the Fifth Rank, where each advancement is extremely difficult."
"I also possess Super First-rate comprehension, but as I progress into the later stages, I always feel like I can't make any progress," Yang Hong sighed.
Jiang Ping and his companion appeared quite surprised.
This senior brother's comprehension is incredibly high, and his strength is already at the Late Stage the Fifth Rank.
As expected, the Great Li full of hidden talents; even the provincial academies are full of formidable individuals with exceptional abilities.
"That's the Chenfeng Tower, where students test their strength by passing challenges. Once they succeed, they can be listed on the academy's Chenfeng Ranking, representing the academy in competitions with other Martial Academy. It's an honor, and it also brings many benefits."
Yang Hong then introduced the black building in front of them to everyone.
The building is not tall, only five stories, and looks very simple from the outside.
The senior brother added, which shocked the two of them even more. "Breaking into the top of the Chenfeng Ranking will grant you resources to lay the foundation for becoming a Saint, and will greatly increase your chances of reaching the Martial Saint level."
"What kind of strength do you need to win first place?" Chen Qingyan couldn't help but ask.
Yang Hong laughed and said, "The threshold for entering the building is the Ninth Stage the True Qi Realm."
"..." The two of them.
This senior student, who Entry Level for many years, seems to be only at the Seventh Stage.
Well, it's a bit far from them.
"Brother Yang, where is the Scripture Pavilion?" Jiang Ping suddenly asked.
"For now, focus all your energy on refining your internal organs; don't worry about anything beyond the Fifth Rank," Yang Hong couldn't help but add.
"You have high talent, and after Fifth Rank, you'll have time to learn various techniques. However, this academy is full of hidden talents, and the competition is fierce. You must first improve your cultivation level to protect yourself."
"If you don't reach the Fifth Rank, I suggest you stay in the Martial Academy and don't leave the Inner City," he warned sternly.
It is said that the Outer City is not safe. Many students with disputes behave themselves in the Inner City, but if they go to the Outer City, they are easily attacked.
There have been numerous incidents of bloodshed among students at the Martial Academy.
"Don't the higher-ups care?" Jiang Ping asked.
Yang Hong shook his head and said, "There's no way to manage it. The factions are clearly divided, and the infighting is too severe. Sometimes, even high-ranking officials of the Fourth Grade will fight each other for their own interests."
"You're still young, so keep a low profile in the academy for now. Don't show off too much, or you'll easily attract the jealousy of some extreme students," the senior student whispered to Jiang Ping.
Yang Hong then introduced the Scripture Pavilion to Jiang Ping and his companion.
There are many treasures there, ranging from cultivation methods and techniques to complete Innate Blood Technique, most of which are available for students to browse without any barriers.
"I'll go in a bit." Jiang Ping noted down the location of the Scripture Pavilion.
Next, Senior Brother Yang introduced many famous buildings, such as the Fighting Arena where students competed, the canteen where they ate, the weapons shop, and the hills behind the academy.
There are many special locations in the Big Mountain that are suitable for Fifth Rank students to go and train, and to Gathering Qi.
Before long, the three arrived at the Residential Area.
It is a quiet place with only two courtyards, surrounded by flowers, trees and shrubs, and is some distance from other student residences.
Chen Qingyan unlocked the door first, while Yang Hong took out a jade bottle and handed it to Jiang Ping: "Take this, consider it a small token of my appreciation as your senior brother."
"Absolutely not!" Jiang Ping quickly refused. This Rare Blood was very valuable, and the other party was just a student who also needed resources.
However, Yang Hong insisted on seeing him off, believing that since they were both from Changping Prefecture, they could look after each other.
Furthermore, he whispered, "The competition in the academy is fierce. This time, your talent has caused quite a stir. One of the academy's outstanding talents even tried to block your path."
"Really?" Jiang Ping was stunned. He had only shown his talent, and someone wanted to ruin his future?
"This is the ruthlessness of powerful families; they want to prevent us Cold Gate kids from rising to prominence at the very root."
Yang Hong said in a deep voice.
Speaking of him, he was an outstanding talent with high strength and status within the academy. After learning that Jiang Ping had displayed his talent, he chose to set off for Changping Prefecture.
If his faction hadn't learned of the situation and sent out a formidable figure as well, unforeseen events might have occurred.
Jiang Ping frowned slightly.
He hadn't even enrolled in school yet, nor had he taken sides, and the Aristocratic Faction were already itching to make their move?
"Who wants to attack me?" Jiang Ping asked.
"His surname is Cui, Li, and Wang; his given name is Wang Jiasheng; he's among the Top Five on the Chenfeng Ranking," Yang Hong replied.
At the time, this powerful man was traveling in another province. Upon hearing about Jiang Ping's affairs, he immediately turned around and headed towards Changping Prefecture.
"Stay away from people with the surname Wang from now on. This powerful family is most zealous in suppressing those from humble Cold Gate. Wang Jiasheng is influenced by this and is very hostile towards us. Since he entered the academy, he has probably assassinated no fewer than ten geniuses from minor backgrounds."
Yang Hong reminded him.
Jiang Ping paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Doesn't that mean I have to take a side whether I want to or not?"
The senior brother shrugged and smiled, "Once you enter the Martial Academy, how can you stay out of trouble? If you don't take sides, you won't have senior brothers or elders to support you. We also want to coexist peacefully, but the aristocratic families are too ruthless in their suppression, so we can only stick together for warmth."