September 1, Magic City Martial Arts University.
The entrance was already crowded with freshmen and their parents. Nearly a thousand new students and over a thousand parents had gathered there. Fortunately, the police were keeping order.
Lu Hao had arrived too. Standing outside the crowd, he looked at Magic Martial University.
The first thing he saw was the university gate, an enormous structure a hundred meters wide. Six grand, flourishing characters were carved into the gate tower, which stood more than ten meters tall: Magic City Martial Arts University.
Anyone arriving here would immediately feel insignificant. This wasn't Lu Hao's first time here.
The first time, he'd come with his older brother. His brother had been reporting to Magic Martial University, and Lu Hao had tagged along. Back then, he'd been utterly awestruck.
The second time, he'd come with his mother to collect his brother's belongings. He remembered that it had been a rainy day. His mother had wept inconsolably, but she hadn't blamed the university. It was then that Lu Hao had resolved to get into Magic Martial University,
to see the place where his brother had made the ultimate sacrifice, to walk the same halls where his brother had lived.
Now, this was Lu Hao's third time here. This time, he was enrolling himself, and he would be living here for a long while.
Putting those thoughts aside, he carried his sheathed Big Ring Blade and headed forward. He hadn't brought much luggage, just the blade and a backpack,
which held some pills his mother had prepared before he left. He could buy anything else once he was at Magic Martial University.
"Why won't they let us in? Is Magic Martial University different from other universities?"
"Exactly! I wanted to see my kid's dorm and the cafeteria, but they won't let us in at all."
Hearing the parents nearby talking, Lu Hao wasn't surprised. This was a Martial University, not an ordinary university, so naturally parents weren't allowed inside. It was also a way to teach the freshmen to be independent.
At the side entrance, a row of registration desks stood inside. Behind them were students wearing bright red vests.
When the students saw Lu Hao approaching, they weren't sure who he was. Most freshmen had brought luggage, unlike Lu Hao, who had only a blade and a backpack. He looked more like an older student heading out on a mission.
"Senior, did you just get back from a mission?" one of the students in a red vest asked.
"I'm a freshman."
Lu Hao took his admission notice from his backpack and handed it over.
"A freshman? Smart choice, junior. Coming alone is the right way to do it. Those who bring their parents really think they're coming to Magic Martial University to be pampered. If you want to be a martial artist, you need to be prepared for what that means."
The student opposite him spoke as he examined Lu Hao's admission notice.
"Huh? You're Lu Hao?"
The student in the red vest asked.
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Nothing. Senior Qin, the person you were waiting for is here!" The student in the red vest called behind him.
A handsome young man with slightly long hair and a carefree smile came over.
"You're Lu Hao, right? Come on, I'll handle your enrollment."
Lu Hao looked at the young man, smiling. He had a feeling the young man was up to something, but since the university had already told him about Lu Hao, there was probably a reason for it.
"All right, Senior Qin. Let's go."
"Don't call me Senior Qin. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Qin Fengqing, a third-year student in the Weaponry Academy at Magic City Martial Arts University. I'm currently at the middle stage of the third rank."
Lu Hao hadn't expected the young man before him to be Qin Fengqing. No wonder he wore such a carefree smile. Qin Fengqing was someone Lu Hao admired greatly. Despite having tempered his bones only once, he'd carved out a place for himself through sheer grit, fighting hard and fearing no death.
"Senior Qin, were you waiting specifically for me?" Lu Hao asked as they walked.
"That's right. You've caused quite a stir, after all. You reached the third rank before even enrolling, and you killed a fourth-rank Evil Cult martial artist. You could say you're stronger than most third- and fourth-year students."
"What about you, Senior Qin?"
"Me? I should be about your equal," Qin Fengqing replied. If he went all out, he could probably kill a fourth-rank martial artist too.
"Really? You must be strong, Senior Qin."
Lu Hao was a little surprised. Qin Fengqing had only tempered his bones once and was merely at the middle stage of the third rank, yet he claimed his strength was about the same as Lu Hao's. His abilities really couldn't be underestimated.
"That's nothing. You just enrolled, so you'll surpass me soon enough."
Qin Fengqing began showing Lu Hao around the university, explaining everything in detail, especially the places where students could train.
Before long, they had made their way to the southern district. Qin Fengqing had read Lu Hao's file and knew that his older brother, Lu Tianbai, had died in the Earth Cave. There was a memorial there in the southern district.
Lu Hao went in alone and offered incense at his brother's memorial. After saying a few words to him, he left the southern district.
The southern district was quiet. It housed some veteran martial artists recovering from their injuries, as well as a passage from Magic Martial University to the Magic City Abyss.
Seeing that Lu Hao was a little down, Qin Fengqing changed the subject.
"Student Lu, now that you're at the third rank, you know about what's underground, right?"
"I do. My mother told me."
"Then are you thinking of going underground?"
"Of course. I'm planning to get used to my Vital Blood first, then head into the Earth Cave."
"How about we form a team, Junior Lu? I'm planning to head down after I finish training in a while. We could find one or two other strong fighters to go with us."
Lu Hao hadn't expected Qin Fengqing to have that in mind. As for whether to agree, there was no question—he had to say yes. Qin Fengqing had explored all around the Earth Cave as a third-rank martial artist and knew exactly where to find the good stuff.
Besides, Qin Fengqing was a good person. He wouldn't lead Lu Hao into a trap. They could definitely go down together sometime.
"Junior Lu, I should warn you first: the place I'm going is definitely dangerous. There might be several fourth-rank and a large number of third-rank Earth Cave martial artists there. Take your time to think it over. You don't need to answer right away."
Several fourth-rank martial artists and a large number of third-rank ones? To Lu Hao, that sounded like a huge haul of Slaughter Points. Qin Fengqing really was a good guy. If Lu Hao had to explore on his own, who knew how long it would take him to find a place like that?
Qin Fengqing gave Lu Hao his contact information and said he'd let him know when it was time to head down.
Before long, Qin Fengqing brought Lu Hao to the reception desk, where dorm rooms were assigned. A middle-aged woman saw Lu Hao and immediately processed his paperwork.
As for the other freshmen who objected,
well, this was Magic City Martial Arts University. The strong came first.
Lu Hao's dorm was District 1, Room 1.
Inside, the room was 120 square meters.
It had a bedroom, living room, training room, study, bathroom, and even a kitchen. The accommodations were pretty good.
"Senior Qin, the atmosphere here seems great."
"That's because you got the best room, so of course you think it's great. Magic Martial University also has rooms for four and six people. Those students don't think the conditions are so good."
After chatting with Qin Fengqing for a while, he left. After all, he'd accomplished what he'd come for. Though Lu Hao hadn't given him a clear answer,
based on Qin Fengqing's experience reading people, he figured it was settled. Next, he'd invite Wang Jinyang from Southern Martial University, and then they could take down that Earth Cave village.
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