New House

An hour later, Song Chen was led to the backyard of the Divine Dragon Martial Hall by an old man dressed in a grey long-gown.

He was there to see the housing arranged by the martial hall.

"This way, please."

The old man's attitude was very respectful, his tone tinged with a hint of curiosity. He had just heard about the battle at the training grounds; the eighteen-year-old youth before him had actually fought Deacon Wang to a draw.

Passing through several moon gates, the view suddenly opened up.

A tranquil residential area appeared before his eyes.

With blue bricks and dark tiles, small bridges and flowing water, several three-story buildings were scattered artfully amidst the shade of green trees.

The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance, and the occasional sound of birds chirping made it feel like a different world compared to the clamor outside.

The old man introduced, "This is the residential compound for our Divine Dragon Martial Hall."

"It houses the core members of the martial hall and their families. You can rest assured regarding security; there are multiple Tier 3 martial artists stationed here on rotation, and the guards at the gate are all official martial artists. Even the Hall Master usually lives here."

Song Chen nodded and followed him inside.

On the way, they encountered several martial artists in training uniforms. Seeing the temporary pass on his chest, they all cast curious glances his way.

But when they noticed the old man's attitude toward him, their expressions shifted to surprise and respect.

The old man stopped in front of a three-story building.

"We've arrived."

Song Chen looked up.

It was a detached building with two osmanthus trees planted in front of the door.

The building had three floors, each with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Sunlight spilled inside, making it look exceptionally bright.

The old man pushed the door open and led him inside.

"This building is five hundred square meters in total. The first floor has the living room, kitchen, and dining room. The second and third floors are bedrooms and cultivation rooms. There are small courtyards in the front and back where you can plant flowers or practice your martial arts."

The first-floor living room was massive, easily seventy or eighty square meters, with a lush green lawn visible outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The furniture was brand new and carried a faint scent of wood. The kitchen was fully equipped, and the refrigerator was even packed with ingredients.

"The martial hall prepared all of this?"

Song Chen was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the martial hall to build such antique-style architecture in the middle of the bustling city center.

The old man smiled. "It's the standard package for core members. If you have any special requirements, feel free to ask at any time."

Song Chen went upstairs to take a look.

The second floor had four bedrooms, each with an independent bathroom.

The third floor was even more unique; the entire level was a massive cultivation room. The floor was covered with specially made alloy plates, and the walls were engraved with spirit energy arrays designed to absorb impact.

Various training equipment was placed in the corners, and there was also a separate shower room.

He stood in the center of the cultivation room and looked outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The entire residential compound was in full view.

In the distance, the high-rises of the inner city stood in rows, and further out, the city wall wound like a giant dragon. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled in, dyeing the entire space in gold.

"Are you satisfied?" the old man asked from the stairwell.

Song Chen nodded. "It's very good."

He took the core member badge he had just received out of his pocket and pinned it to his chest.

The badge was dark gold, engraved with a soaring divine dragon and the small characters for "Song Chen."

From today on, he was no longer alone.

He had the martial hall as his backing and a safe home for his parents to live in.

But he also knew that this was only the beginning.

Song Chen took out his phone and called his parents.

The call was answered quickly, and Li Xiuying's voice came through: "Son, we're strolling through the park; it's so beautiful here!"

Listening to his mother's excited voice, the corners of Song Chen's mouth curled up slightly.

"Mom, the house is settled. Come back whenever you're done playing. I'll send you the address; you can handle the moving yourselves."

Li Xiuying paused. "Moving? You're not coming back?"

"I have some things to take care of. The martial arts college entrance exam starts in ten days, and I need to go out for some special training."

"Special training again? Going out of the city again?" Li Xiuying's voice was laced with worry.

"Yeah, this is the last time. It'll be fine after the exam."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then Song Zhengye's voice came through: "Go ahead, stay safe."

"Dad, you two take care of your health, too. Move as soon as you can; don't worry about the money."

Hanging up the phone, Song Chen took a deep breath.

The Martial Arts College Entrance Exam was only ten days away.

This was the "college entrance exam" of this world, but it was a hundred times more important than the one in his previous life.

The results of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam determined which university one could attend, decided one's future cultivation resources, and even dictated how far one could go.

The gap between a top-tier university and an ordinary one was greater than the gap between a human and a dog.

He had to go, not just for the sake of university, but for those rewards.

The top ten in the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam would receive generous rewards: blood-qi potions, cultivation techniques, weapons, and even opportunities to enter secret realms for training.

These resources were things that money couldn't buy in ordinary times.

However, his current strength was not yet stable, and Great Xia was filled with so much talent; he needed to be a little stronger.

At the very least, he had to break through to the second rank before the exam and make up for his shortcomings.

He walked out of the small building, left the residential compound, and headed straight for the city gate.

Along the way, he encountered quite a few martial artists.

There were those who had just returned from the Wilderness, covered in blood; those about to leave the city, hurrying along; and others trading crystal cores by the roadside, the sounds of haggling endless.

But as he walked past, everyone's gaze turned toward him.

No, they were looking at the dark gold badge on his chest.

"A core member of the Divine Dragon Martial Hall?" someone whispered in surprise.

"So young? A core member?"

"Is that the Sky Thunder Blade who fought Wang Tieshan to a draw?"

"I heard he's only eighteen..."

The crowd automatically cleared a path.

Some nodded in greeting, some cast envious looks, and others walked right up to him, cupping their fists respectfully.

Listening to the whispers, Song Chen was stunned for a moment, then nodded and continued walking forward.

This feeling... was a bit strange.

Before, when he walked down the street, no one would spare him a second glance.

But now? Everyone who saw the badge on his chest would automatically step aside.

Was this the treatment that came with strength?

Must say, it felt quite comfortable—fame and fortune, indeed.

He reached the city gate.

The guards at the gate saw him and immediately stood at attention, saluting.

"Lord Song Chen, are you heading out of the city?"

Song Chen was dazed for a moment; he had become a "Lord" too.

But he quickly recovered, nodding slightly: "Yes, heading out."

The soldier looked at the sky, hesitating: "Lord, you are heading out alone..."

"It's fine."

The soldier dared not say anything more and immediately waved him through.

Song Chen passed through the gate and stepped into the Wilderness.

An hour later, Song Chen stood before the ruins of Evergreen City, staring at the scene before him, stunned.

The road was blocked.

It wasn't a normal blockade; several three-meter-high alloy fences spanned the road, covered in warning lights, their red and white glow particularly piercing in the twilight.

Behind the fences, countless workers in uniform were busy; some were erecting temporary structures, some were laying pipes, and others were operating small construction machinery to level the ground.

Further away, over a dozen small airships hovered above the ruins.

Each airship had a massive cage hanging beneath it, covered tightly in black cloth, though the low, guttural roars coming from within could be faintly heard.

What on earth was going on here?