Lin Ze stood by the window, gazing down at the small town nestled between two mountain peaks.
And at the large, pitch-black tree near the town entrance, with a few corpses hanging from its branches.
"Is that the legendary Necro Tree?"
"Yeah. They say two Dou Kings' corpses hang from it, and even the corpse of a Dou Emperor!"
"It was this very Necro Tree that made Jia Nan Academy famous, keeping the chaos of the Black-Corner Region from spreading anywhere near the academy."
Xiao Yu stood by the window too, speaking with excitement.
When she talked about the Necro Tree's origins, pride crept into her voice. After all, she was a student at Jia Nan Academy now.
Beside her, Xiao Yi Xian leaned forward curiously to get a better look.
Just then, Lin Ze's Soul Perception stirred, and he couldn't help looking up.
He saw the elder who had escorted them a few days earlier reappear. He turned to Instructor Ruo Lin and said,
"The group has arrived at Peace Town. From here, the Enforcement Team will escort you. I still have to go pick up the next batch of students."
Instructor Ruo Lin quickly lowered her head in response.
"Thank you for escorting us, Elder. Please take care."
The old man gave a slight nod. His wings beat once, and his figure turned into a streak of light as he flew into the distance.
Watching the elder's rapidly disappearing figure, Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help sighing.
"A Dou King strong person. I wonder if I'll ever become one myself?"
"Of course you will! Believe in yourself."
Lin Ze replied firmly.
Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Yi Xian in surprise.
She didn't understand why Lin Ze had so much faith in Xiao Yi Xian.
At his words, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's face.
"Then I'll take you at your word."
Just then, Instructor Ruo Lin's voice rang out.
"Everyone, get ready to disembark. We'll rest in Peace Town today. Tomorrow, the Enforcement Team will escort us through the Primeval Forest."
At Instructor Ruo Lin's words, everyone grew excited.
Most of the new students were teenagers, and they were all curious about the famous Peace Town.
Lin Ze and the other two followed the crowd off the Flying Magical Beast.
Once his feet were on solid ground, Lin Ze stretched.
"Even though we stopped now and then to let the Flying Magical Beast rest and give ourselves a chance to move around, this journey really was long."
Lin Ze sounded a little rueful.
"Definitely. We crossed ten thousand miles, passing through several small kingdoms and Alien Race tribes."
Xiao Yu smiled and nodded.
"Without the academy's Flying Magical Beasts, it would've been hard for us to get back."
"True. But according to Instructor Ruo Lin, new students usually stay at the academy to cultivate, except during certain designated holidays."
Xiao Yi Xian chimed in.
On the way to Jia Nan Academy, the Flying Magical Beasts couldn't keep flying nonstop, so they landed to rest every so often.
During those breaks, Instructor Ruo Lin also explained how the academy worked.
She told them about the holidays available to new students, what life and cultivation at the academy were like, and a few things to keep in mind.
It gave the new students a general idea of what to expect.
The three chatted as they wandered around town for a while.
Only afterward did they return to the temporary rooms the academy had arranged for them.
Early the next morning, the students eagerly boarded the Flying Magical Beasts and set off for Jia Nan Academy.
The new students looked forward to seeing the legendary Jia Nan Academy, while the older students felt a little nostalgic about life at the academy.
When older students accompanied their mentors to recruit new students, they were doing work for the academy, so the academy rewarded them with Contribution Points.
Contribution Points were useful for all kinds of things in the academy's Outer Academy. Students could request one-on-one instruction from a mentor or exchange them for high-level Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills...
In fact, Contribution Points served much the same purpose as Fire Energy in the Inner Academy.
The difference was that Fire Energy in the Inner Academy was more direct and effective. It could be used to cultivate in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower, which meant students could raise their strength quickly!
Contribution Points took a more roundabout route. They could get you instruction from a mentor or Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, but whether you could make something of them still depended on you.
There were many different ways to earn Contribution Points.
Accompanying a mentor to recruit students or doing work for the academy could earn you Contribution Points.
You could also join the Enforcement Team and eliminate enemies who threatened the academy.
Of course, for most ordinary students, the safest and most common way to earn Contribution Points was through classes.
If you attended a mentor's classes and passed that mentor's assessment after a while, you could earn the corresponding number of Contribution Points from them.
The Outer Academy wasn't as competitive as the Inner Academy, but that didn't mean students could just coast along and do nothing.
That was why the academy had a reward system like this, encouraging students to work hard and strive to improve.
Lin Ze stood by the window, recalling how Instructor Ruo Lin had explained the uses of Contribution Points.
A short distance away, several older students were chatting in low voices.
"Finally back at the academy. That trip there and back took forever."
"Haha, it may have taken a long time, but we earned plenty of Contribution Points! Once they come through, I'm going to request a private lesson from Instructor Ruo Lin and have her whip me into shape!"
"Ew, you're so weird!"
"Hey! What about you? How are you going to spend your Contribution Points?"
"Obviously, I'm going to have Instructor Ruo Lin whip me into shape three times. Hehe..."
Listening to the older students nearby, Lin Ze couldn't help wearing a speechless expression.
Come to think of it, wasn't Instructor Ruo Lin's weapon actually a long whip?
Lin Ze shook his head and thought no more of it. He looked out the window at the academy's Enforcement Team escorting them from both sides.
The Enforcement Team rode Griffins.
Compared to the Flying Magical Beasts beneath Lin Ze's feet, the Griffins were faster, but they were somewhat weaker in terms of carrying capacity and stamina.
If those two kinds of Flying Magical Beasts fought in the air, the Griffins would undoubtedly win.
Lin Ze curiously studied the Griffins in the distance, thinking to himself,
I wonder how much Flesh Essence a single Griffin would yield?
The Griffin in the distance seemed to sense a hint of malice. It turned its head, but saw nothing unusual among the new students, so it faced forward again and continued flying.
After flying for most of the day, they finally saw the outline of a city.
Even from high above, the city stretched so far that its edge was nowhere in sight. It was clearly enormous.
"Is this Ancient City of Canaan?"
Curiosity shone in Lin Ze's eyes. This would be the second place where his Death Soldiers put down roots.
I hope it really is a place of order.
After flying a little farther, the group gradually descended.
Looking at the majestic, ancient academy, Lin Ze felt a stir in his heart.
This academy would likely be where he lived for the next few years. It was the safe haven he had longed for.
And among the students here were outstanding talents his own age. Competing with people who would be considered heaven's favored sons anywhere else would surely be interesting.
As he imagined the academy life ahead, an expectant smile appeared on Lin Ze's face.
I wonder what kind of mark I'll leave on this academy?
Before you continue