Returning to the Academy

The morning sun spilled onto the white stone walls of the Ernst Institute, gilding the ancient academy of magic with a warm, golden hue.

Lin Yun stood outside the academy gates, gazing at the familiar crescent-shaped entrance, a sense of indescribable warmth rising in his heart. Nearly two months of training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, with countless brushes with death, had made him almost forget what life in the academy was like—quiet, peaceful, and without the need to constantly guard against Corpse Demons lurking in the shadows.

Bebe crouched on his shoulder, his little head darting left and right, letting out two "chi-chi" chirps, clearly just as excited.

"Let's go, Bebe, we're home." Lin Yun smiled and stepped into the academy.

Passing through the gate and walking along the wide flagstone path, the neatly trimmed lawns on both sides shimmered with a verdant luster in the morning dew. A few junior students walked past him, casting curious glances before hurrying off to class.

Lin Yun pushed open the courtyard gate of dormitory 1987.

In the courtyard, Linley was sitting cross-legged under an unknown tree, eyes closed in meditation. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled, shifting shadows that danced with the gentle breeze. He had grown taller than he was two months ago, his shoulders broader, and the childishness on his face had faded, replaced by a touch of composure.

Bebe leaped from Lin Yun's shoulder, turning into a gray streak of lightning as he pounced directly onto Linley's face.

"Chi-chi-chi-chi!"

"Hey—what is that!" Linley snapped his eyes open, his hands clawing at his face until he grabbed hold of Bebe. He froze for a moment, then widened his eyes, "Bebe?!"

"Chi-chi!" Bebe rolled around in his palm, rubbing his little head vigorously against his fingers.

Linley jerked his head up and saw Lin Yun standing at the courtyard entrance.

"Lin Yun!" He jumped up, rushed to Lin Yun in two strides, and grabbed his shoulders, "You're back! You're finally back!"

Lin Yun was startled by his reaction, then smiled, "I'm back."

"Why were you gone so long? Didn't you say a month? It's been nearly two months!" Linley looked him up and down, his eyes full of worry and joy, "You've lost weight, and you're darker... are you hurt?"

He saw the faint scar on Lin Yun's chest—though it had healed, the marks of three claw slashes were still clearly visible.

"It's nothing, it healed a long time ago." Lin Yun patted his hand, "Let me go in and sit down first; my legs are sore from walking for two months."

Only then did Linley realize he was still blocking the doorway. He quickly stepped aside, walking inside while shouting toward the house, "Yale! Reynolds! Lin Yun is back!"

The dormitory door was pushed open with a "bang," and Reynolds was the first to rush out, barefoot and with messy hair, clearly just woken up. He froze when he saw Lin Yun, then grinned, "Yo, isn't this our busy man? Finally decided to come back?"

Yale followed behind, wearing his signature blue robe, holding his fitness equipment in his hand. He looked Lin Yun up and down and nodded slightly, "Lost some weight, but your spirit is good. Looks like you've gained quite a bit."

"Not bad," Lin Yun said with a smile.

George, from the neighboring 1988, heard the commotion and came over as well, smiling gently, "Lin Yun, welcome back."

The group sat around the stone table in the courtyard with Lin Yun. Reynolds ran to the kitchen to bring out a pot of hot tea, and Yale produced some snacks from somewhere, setting them on the table.

"Tell us, what have you been doing these two months?" Reynolds asked while pouring tea, his eyes full of curiosity, "When you left, you said you were going to the Magic Beast Mountain Range. We were worried to death. A place like that, going alone—are you tired of living?"

Lin Yun picked up his teacup and took a sip, feeling the warm tea flow down his throat, and his whole body relaxed.

"Just training. Fighting magic beasts, honing my magic." He didn't go into too much detail, fearing he might scare them, "I ran into some level five and level six magic beasts, fought dozens of battles, it was quite satisfying."

"Level five and level six magic beasts?" Reynolds' eyes widened, "By yourself?"

"Yeah."

Reynolds opened his mouth, then closed it, turned to look at Linley, then at Yale, and finally squeezed out, "You really are... a monster."

Lin Yun smiled and didn't respond. He didn't want to dwell on this topic, so he turned to Linley, "What about you? How have these two months been?"

Linley's eyes lit up, "I broke through to level five last month!"

"Level five?" Lin Yun was somewhat surprised. Linley had broken through to level four at eleven and a half; now, at nearly thirteen, he had reached level five in just a year and a half. This speed was even faster than in the original story.

"After you left, I did nothing but attend classes and cultivate every day." Linley scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Grandpa Delin said I'm progressing very quickly!"

Lin Yun nodded. He knew that Linley's progress wasn't just due to talent and hard work, but because he treated his brother as a mirror—the faster Lin Yun ran, the harder Linley chased.

"You two brothers are really..." Reynolds sighed, leaning back in his chair, "One more freakish than the other. I'm still hovering in the third grade, and you two are already level five and level six. How are the rest of us supposed to live?" They didn't know that Lin Yun had already broken through to level seven; if they did, they would likely be even more discouraged.

Yale patted his shoulder and laughed, "Just get used to it. Monsters and geniuses are different!"

The group chatted for a while, and since Reynolds and George had to go to class, they left first. As Yale left, he patted Lin Yun's shoulder and whispered, "Dinner together tonight, my treat."

"Alright." Lin Yun nodded.

Only Linley and Lin Yun remained in the courtyard. Bebe crouched on the stone table, holding a piece of snack in his little paws, nibbling it bit by bit, clearly enjoying it.

Linley looked at Lin Yun, his expression turning serious, "Grandpa Delin wants to see you."

Lin Yun nodded, "I know. Tonight, find somewhere private."

"Alright."

That night, when the moon was high in the sky, the brothers went to the small woods behind the mountain.

It was the same as ever—dense trees, soft grass, and the occasional sound of insects. Lin Yun had spent countless mornings and evenings here, practicing magic, studying stone carving, and asking Delin for advice on the mysteries of Earth Element magic. Now that he was back, nothing had changed.

Delin drifted out of the Coiling Dragon Ring, hovering before the two of them. His white, ethereal figure appeared somewhat translucent in the moonlight, but his gaze remained sharp and profound.

Linley was about to relay Delin's words as usual, but Lin Yun raised a hand to stop him.

"Big brother, wait a moment." Lin Yun stared at Delin and tentatively spoke, "Grandpa Delin, can you hear me?"

Delin's body trembled slightly. He widened his eyes, looking at Lin Yun in disbelief.

"You... you can see me? You can hear me?" Delin's voice trembled.

"I can." Lin Yun nodded, "Very clearly."

Linley was stunned: "What's going on? Lin Yun, can you talk to Grandpa Delin directly now?"

Lin Yun thought for a moment and said, "It might be because after I suffered a Soul Attack and the Small Bronze Tripod blocked it, my soul didn't just remain undamaged—it actually became more solidified. Perhaps it was from that moment on that I became able to perceive the existence of soul bodies."

Delin was silent for a long time, then spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a hint of amazement: "Soul mutation... In my five thousand years of life, I have only heard of such a phenomenon; I have never seen it with my own eyes. After the soul is impacted by an external force, it doesn't collapse, but instead undergoes a qualitative change and gains new abilities. This requires an extremely unique soul foundation and precise stimulation from an external force—a hair's breadth more and you would have died, a hair's breadth less and it would have been ineffective. You... are truly very lucky."

Lin Yun smiled: "Luck is also a part of strength."

Delin nodded: "From today on, you don't need to relay messages through Linley anymore. We can communicate directly, which will make many things much more convenient."

Linley, standing to the side, rubbed his nose with a sense of dejection: "What about me? Am I redundant now?"

Delin glanced at him: "You are the master of the ring, and I reside within your ring; that will not change. That Lin Yun can speak with me is his special ability, and it has nothing to do with you."

Linley thought about it, felt it made sense, and stopped dwelling on it.

Delin stared at Lin Yun for a while and then said, "Tell me, what have you encountered in these past two months? Don't hide anything from me; I can sense the lingering aura of necromancy on you. Did you encounter a Necromancer?"

Lin Yun took a deep breath and began to recount his experiences over the last two months.

He spoke of entering the Magic Beast Mountain Range, his battles with third, fourth, and fifth-rank magic beasts, the opportunity and process of breaking through to the seventh rank, the narrow victory against a seventh-rank Black-Striped Leopard, the ambush by a Corpse Demon on his way back, the discovery of the Necromancer's cave, tracking the Corpse Demon, the days of harassment and war of attrition, and finally, the duel with Morton and the Soul Attack Morton unleashed before he died.

When he mentioned that the Small Bronze Tripod had blocked the Soul Attack, Delin's brows furrowed.

"That small tripod on your person?" Delin's voice carried a hint of gravity, "It can withstand the Soul Attack of an eighth-rank Necromancer?"

Lin Yun touched the Small Bronze Tripod on his chest and nodded: "It saved my life."

Delin was silent for a long time. He stared at the small tripod on Lin Yun's chest for a long while, his gaze full of inquiry and doubt.

"I have lived on this continent for five thousand years and have seen countless magical items," Delin said slowly, "but I have never seen anything like this tripod of yours. It does not seem to be a product of this world."

Lin Yun's heart stirred. Not a product of this world—Delin was right; the small tripod truly did not belong to this world. It came from Earth, carried him across two worlds, and built a bridge at the intersection of the two.

"I don't know what it is either," Lin Yun said, "but it has always been protecting me."

Delin nodded and did not continue to press. Everyone had their own secrets, and he respected that.

"What about the Necromancer's belongings?" Delin asked, "You said you found his Space Ring?"

Lin Yun took the Space Ring off his finger and handed it to Delin. Although Delin was only in a soul state and could not touch physical objects, he could probe them with his spiritual energy. He was silent for a moment, and a hint of surprise entered his voice.

"A massive amount of gold coins, magic cores, magic books... and..." His voice suddenly paused, "A Necromancy Inheritance Stele?"

"Yes," Lin Yun said.

Delin withdrew his spiritual energy and was silent for a long time.

"Do you know what necromancy is?" His voice was very serious.

"One of the three supreme magics," Lin Yun said, "only those with extremely pure souls can practice it."

Delin nodded: "Necromancy is different from Elemental Magic. Elemental Magic cultivates the laws, while necromancy cultivates the rules. Laws can be perceived, but rules... require comprehension. They are more profound and harder to enter than laws, but once you enter, the power far exceeds that of Elemental Magic."

He paused, his gaze falling on Lin Yun: "Do you want to practice necromancy?"

Lin Yun did not hide his intentions and nodded: "I want to try."

Delin did not answer immediately. He looked at Lin Yun, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Your soul is indeed very special," Delin said slowly, "much stronger and much purer than an ordinary person's. If you are willing to practice necromancy, you might truly be able to enter the path. But you must think clearly—necromancy is the sworn enemy of the Radiant Church. If news that you are practicing necromancy spreads, the Radiant Church will hunt you down at any cost."

"I know," Lin Yun said.

"Are you not afraid?"

"I am," Lin Yun said candidly, "but should I stop just because I'm afraid? Necromancy is one of the three supreme magics; if I don't learn it because of fear, then what am I cultivating for? What am I becoming stronger for?"

Delin stared at him for a long time, then smiled.

"Good," he said, "since you have this determination, I will not stop you. But there is one condition—before you have enough strength to protect yourself, you must never let anyone else know that you are practicing necromancy."

Linley listened from the side, his expression complex. He knew what necromancy meant and how much risk his younger brother was taking with this decision. But he did not try to dissuade him. Because he understood Lin Yun—once he made a decision, not even nine dragons could pull him back.

"I will help you keep the secret," Linley said.

Delin nodded and turned back to Lin Yun: "You can read the necromancy theories in those magic books first, but don't rush to practice. The entry into necromancy requires extreme caution; if you make a mistake, the power of death will erode your soul and turn you into a mindless undead. Once you have thoroughly grasped the basic theories, I will help you plan the steps for your cultivation."

"Understood," Lin Yun replied.

"Additionally," Delin continued, "the other elemental magic incantations you obtained from the Necromancer are also very important to you. The seventh and eighth-rank incantations for the Wind Element, Thunder Element, and Light Element, as well as the complete set of sixth to ninth-rank incantations for the Dark Element—these are things you cannot learn at the academy. In the coming time, you must learn all these incantations and complete your own magic system."

Lin Yun nodded.

He had stayed in the Magic Beast Mountain Range for nearly two months, broken through to a seventh-rank mage, obtained the necromancy inheritance, and harvested a large number of magic books and resources. In the time to come, he indeed needed a period to digest these gains—learning new magic incantations, consolidating his seventh-rank cultivation, and studying the basic theories of necromancy.

The moonlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves, shining on Lin Yun's face. A firm light flickered in his eyes—the kind of light only found in someone who has found their direction.

"By the way," Delin asked suddenly, "you said earlier that you encountered a seventh-rank Black-Striped Leopard and won?"

"Yes," Lin Yun nodded.

"How did you win?"

Lin Yun recounted the details of that battle—how fast the Black-Striped Leopard was, how his defense was nearly torn apart, and how he used the Earth Element to restrict it, the Wind Element for mobility, the Water Element for support, and the Thunder and Light Elements for his main attacks, eventually winning with great difficulty.

After listening, Delin was silent for a moment, then said: "As a peak sixth-rank, winning against a seventh-rank Black-Striped Leopard is not easy. But if your magic power reserves were sufficient, you could have used a much safer method—for example, using an Earth Wall to restrict its range of movement, then using a Spear of Light to wear it down from a distance. You were able to win largely due to luck."

Lin Yun nodded humbly: "I know. That battle was indeed very dangerous; I almost died."

"That is how combat experience is accumulated," Delin said. "Only by experiencing life and death can one truly grow. Your combat awareness is much stronger now than before you left; this is the greatest harvest the Magic Beast Mountain Range has given you."

Lin Yun deeply agreed.

"What do you plan to do next?" Delin asked.

Lin Yun thought for a moment and said, "First, I will learn the magic spells I obtained from the Necromancer, especially the Light Element and Wind Element ones. The Light Element has miraculous effects against undead creatures, and the Wind Element can improve mobility. After that, I want to study the basic theories of Necromancy to see if I can get started."

"How will you arrange your time?" Delin asked.

"I will attend classes as usual during the day and study new spells and Necromancy at night," Lin Yun said. "I cannot fall behind on stone carving either; that is the best way to temper my spiritual energy."

Delin nodded with satisfaction. "That is a very reasonable arrangement. Since you already have a plan, I won't say much more. Remember, cultivation is not something that happens overnight; you must have patience."

"I know," Lin Yun said.

The night breeze blew gently, and the leaves rustled. Bebe was squatting on Linley's shoulder, already asleep, his little head bobbing up and down.

Linley looked at his younger brother, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. Having not seen him for two months, Lin Yun had become more composed, and his eyes were deeper. The training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range had left an indelible mark on him—not just the few scars on his chest, but his entire temperament.

"Let's go, let's head back to sleep," Linley patted his brother's shoulder. "We still have classes tomorrow."

Lin Yun smiled, stood up, and brushed the grass clippings off his body.

"Grandpa Delin, goodnight."

Delin nodded, turned into a streak of white light, and vanished into the Coiling Dragon Ring.

The brothers walked back to their dormitory along the path they had come. The moonlight spilled over them, stretching their shadows long.

When he pushed open the dormitory door, Lin Yun heard Reynolds's steady snoring and the occasional sound of Yale turning over in his sleep. Everything was so familiar, so peaceful.

He lay on his bed and closed his eyes, but he did not fall asleep.

The Necromancy Inheritance Stele inside his Space Ring was glowing faintly in the darkness.

That was the call of the Law of Death, another path leading to the pinnacle.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and slowly entered meditation.

Starting tomorrow, a new journey begins.