Breakthrough, Departure

Ruohai looked at Nalan Chenfeng with great appreciation and gave him a reminder.

Then Ruohai took out a student badge from his Storage Ring and handed it to Nalan Chenfeng.

"This is your student badge. It represents your status as a student of Jia Nan Academy. Keep it safe."

Nalan Chenfeng accepted the student badge and solemnly nodded as he put it away.

He had waited so long already, so another seven days meant nothing. Still, this final stretch of waiting truly left him anxious and restless.

"Mentor, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first..."

After calming himself slightly, Nalan Chenfeng cupped his hands in farewell.

Seven days later, at the northern gate plaza of Wu Tan City.

Three enormous, jet-black vessels floated silently several meters above the ground. Each ship was over twenty zhang long and forged entirely from a dark, dull metal.

Four pairs of massive wings extended from each side. A faint golden glow shimmered along their edges as they slowly flapped up and down.

This was Jia Nan Academy's flying convoy.

Towing the convoy was an especially massive third-tier flying magical beast. Its brown feathers glimmered warmly beneath the morning light, while its heavy breaths poured from its huge mouth and condensed into white mist in the air.

A dense crowd stood beneath the three giant ships.

Aside from the new Jia Nan Academy students who had passed the assessment and earned admission, there were even more parents and relatives seeing them off, along with people who had simply come to watch the excitement.

"Finally, we can leave."

Nalan Chenfeng stood near the front of the crowd, his back straight and his dark eyes full of anticipation.

The past seven days had been torment for him, but he had not wasted them.

After finishing his cultivation yesterday, he had successfully broken through to become a four-star dou zhe.

"Brother Chenfeng."

Xiao Yu called from afar, snapping Nalan Chenfeng out of his thoughts.

Nalan Chenfeng turned his head and saw Xiao Yu pulling Xiao Xun'er by the hand as they squeezed through the crowd toward him.

Xiao Yu wore a light red fitted outfit today, making her especially long legs stand out even more.

Xiao Xun'er, meanwhile, wore a simple green dress. Her jet-black hair was tied up with a green ribbon, and her lovely face still carried a trace of pallor.

"Brother Chenfeng."

Xiao Xun'er's voice was soft and gentle, like a fallen leaf brushing over water.

"You both came to see me off. I'm a little flattered..."

Nalan Chenfeng's gaze lingered on Xiao Xun'er's face for a moment before he smiled faintly.

Xiao Yu was one thing, but he had not interacted much with Xiao Xun'er, and they could hardly be called close.

Xiao Xun'er seemed to understand the implication in Nalan Chenfeng's words. Her clear eyes blinked, but she did not respond.

"Brother Chenfeng, take care on the way."

Xiao Yu stood at the side, looking at Nalan Chenfeng with deep reluctance as her lips moved slightly.

She also wanted to cultivate at Jia Nan Academy, but her talent was insufficient and she had not met the requirements. She could only wait for the next opportunity and see whether she had a chance then.

Eight-Duan Dou Qi before the age of eighteen was the threshold for Jia Nan Academy's admissions.

"You take care too. Cultivate well."

Nalan Chenfeng replied with a smile, then looked past Xiao Yu toward a distant section of the crowd.

There, a familiar head was peeking in his direction, hesitating uncertainly.

"Xiao Yan..."

The corners of Nalan Chenfeng's lips curved slightly. He neither waved nor spoke. After one glance, he withdrew his gaze.

His lesson for Xiao Yan had already come to an end. By the next time they met, Xiao Yan would most likely have fallen from his pedestal as a genius.

That would be the time when it was easiest to earn Xiao Yan's approval and make him remember the favor for the rest of his life. Then, Nalan Chenfeng would make his stance clear and offer his support.

Only then would his little sister have a chance to regret her decision, while he himself could gain a free fighter and alchemist.

Since he had become Nalan Yanran's brother, he needed to make the most of his future brother-in-law's value. Ignoring him would be a waste.

"All students, board the ships!"

Ruohai's booming voice rang out from the front, drowning out the noisy voices in the plaza.

More than ten rope ladders were lowered from the sides of the three giant ships at the same time. The packed crowd immediately stirred as the students lined up in their designated areas to board, while the soldiers kept the relatives seeing them off behind the cordon.

Nalan Chenfeng looked back once toward Wu Tan City, took a deep breath, then turned and walked toward the giant ship in the middle.

The rope ladder was very steady. He could barely feel it sway beneath his feet.

Nalan Chenfeng quickly climbed onto the deck and swept his gaze across it.

The deck was filled with new students searching for their rooms. They ranged from fourteen to eighteen years old and wore all sorts of clothing, some luxurious and some plain.

Every new student wore roughly the same expression, excitement mixed with a hint of nervousness.

Nalan Chenfeng was undoubtedly the youngest among these new students.

Following the number on the student badge Mentor Ruohai had given him, Nalan Chenfeng located his room and entered one near the ship's rail.

The room was small, containing only a bed, a table, and a chair. Its furnishings were simple, but more than sufficient for cultivating during the journey.

"Phew..."

Nalan Chenfeng let out a slow breath and pushed open the small window beside the bed. The outline of Wu Tan City was gradually shrinking from view.

The voices of the crowd faded farther away as the sound of the wind grew louder.

"Time to keep cultivating..."

Nalan Chenfeng murmured as he sat cross-legged on the bed.

From Wu Tan City to Jia Nan Academy, the journey would take nearly two months at the flying convoy's speed.

And with two months, given his current cultivation speed, breaking through to a six-star dou zhe should not be a problem.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! Is this what flying feels like..."

"This is my first time riding a flying ship like this. Haha..."

"..."

Noisy footsteps and chatter drifted in from outside the cabin. The new students moved through the corridors in groups of two or three, getting acquainted and making friendly conversation.

Nalan Chenfeng listened for a moment before collecting his thoughts and closing his eyes to circulate the Flame Yang Art.

Pale yellow dou qi slowly flowed through his meridians as the energy drifting between heaven and earth gathered from every direction and entered his body through his nose and mouth.

Time passed quietly. As the ship trembled slightly, it steadily began to rise.

The clouds outside the window drew closer and closer, and Wu Tan City completely vanished beyond the horizon.

The two-month journey was undoubtedly exceedingly dull.

During the first few days, the new students eagerly stood on the deck to watch the sea of clouds and the sunrise. Later, they all retreated into their rooms, either cultivating or sleeping.

Nalan Chenfeng's routine, however, remained much the same as before.

He cultivated for two hours after waking in the morning, another two hours in the afternoon, read through the medicinal herb manuals he had brought from the Nalan Clan at night, then cultivated for another two hours before going to sleep.

Day after day, he never stopped.

On this day, Nalan Chenfeng opened his eyes after cultivating. Feeling the increasingly abundant dou qi within the vortex in his dantian, a smile rose to his lips.

Five-star dou zhe!

More than half a month earlier, he had broken through to become a four-star dou zhe in Wu Tan City. Now, he had advanced another step.

At his current cultivation pace, he would be able to break through to a six-star dou zhe by the time he reached Jia Nan Academy.

"At this rate, becoming a dou shi doesn't seem far away anymore."

Nalan Chenfeng stretched his body, pushed open the cabin door, and walked onto the deck.

The cold wind at high altitude rushed toward him, whipping his clothes until they fluttered loudly.

There were not many students on the deck. They gathered in small groups, talking in low voices.

Nalan Chenfeng walked to the rail, braced both hands against it, and looked out at the roiling sea of clouds in the distance.

Jia Nan Academy would be his new beginning.