The next morning, Jiang Lan slowly woke up.
As soon as he stepped out of his room, he caught the aroma of rice.
"You're awake? Perfect timing. Breakfast is ready."
Shen Qingqiu spoke from his seat at the dining table.
"Mm... I'll wash up first." Jiang Lan nodded, then hurried into the bathroom and quickly washed up.
Breakfast that morning was millet porridge and fried eggs.
Jiang Lan sat down at the table and glanced at his aunt again.
Tsk...
My aunt really is the very model of a devoted wife and loving mother.
Besides, it was actually quite late already, almost nine.
Perhaps everything that had happened yesterday had made him oversleep.
Jiang Lan picked up his bowl and took a sip of porridge.
As the warm millet porridge reached his stomach, he felt much better.
Sitting opposite him, Shen Qingqiu looked at Jiang Lan and suddenly said, "Lan, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Jiang Lan looked up. "What is it?"
Shen Qingqiu set down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Now that you've awakened a special talent, I think... you should check out the Warrior Academy."
Jiang Lan froze.
The Warrior Academy?
He had indeed seen an advertisement yesterday, but he had never considered attending a Warrior Academy before.
Shen Qingqiu continued, "You used to have no talent as a warrior, so you could only take a cushy position with the Salvage Team to scrape by. But things are different now. You've awakened a special talent, and it's clearly a powerful one.
"There might not be even one warrior with a special talent in a hundred. Even though you never took the college entrance examination, the Warrior Academy would make an exception for you."
Jiang Lan frowned.
To be honest, he wasn't particularly interested in the Warrior Academy.
First, once he joined the Warrior Academy, he surely wouldn't be able to visit the Wilderness Zone whenever he pleased.
As for the second reason...
Leaving a gorgeous, alluring older beauty behind to live with a bunch of rough men was a little hard for him to accept.
It wasn't just Jiang Lan. Any normal man would probably find that hard to accept.
He instinctively said:
"Auntie, I think I'll pass."
"Is something worrying you?"
"Uh..." Jiang Lan looked a little embarrassed. "Mostly, I'm particular about where I sleep. I don't sleep well somewhere unfamiliar."
"That's what you're worried about?" Shen Qingqiu wore a strange expression. "The Warrior Academy isn't a closed boarding school. The Extreme Martial Artist Academy in our base city is on the west side of town, only half an hour's drive from home."
"Besides, the academy allows day students. You can come home every day instead of living on campus."
Jiang Lan's eyes lit up.
Day students?
That would be acceptable.
But... I still need a lot of Ferocious Beast blood essence to upgrade my skills.
Just then, Shen Qingqiu continued, "Most importantly, the Warrior Academy has a systematic training program. They provide cultivation techniques, pills, and Ferocious Beast blood essence."
Well, damn.
Just what I needed, right when I needed it?
"Now that you've awakened a special talent, you need plenty of blood essence to strengthen yourself. In that respect, the Salvage Team isn't as good as the Warrior Academy."
"Although you can hunt Ferocious Beasts with the Salvage Team, once you officially join, you'll have to hand over your spoils. They'll then be distributed according to everyone's contributions, so you'll get a lot less."
"But the Warrior Academy is different. The academy distributes cultivation resources to its students every month. If you're a genius, you'll receive even more."
Jiang Lan fell silent for a while.
His aunt did have a point.
With the Salvage Team, he could hunt Ferocious Beasts, but he would have to hand over the spoils.
Although they would be distributed according to contributions, there was no way he would get all of them.
Besides, the next time he left the city, he wouldn't be able to keep all the spoils like he had this time.
If the Warrior Academy could provide blood essence...
Then it really would be a good choice.
Shen Qingqiu looked at Jiang Lan and said gently, "I know you have your own ideas, but as your aunt, I still hope you'll have better prospects."
"With the Salvage Team, you have to risk your life going into the wilderness every day. One careless mistake could cost you your life."
"But at the Warrior Academy, you'll have systematic training, instructors to guide you, and all kinds of resources. It won't be too late to venture out once you're stronger."
Looking at his aunt's earnest expression, Jiang Lan felt warmth well up in his heart.
He knew his aunt genuinely had his best interests at heart.
"Auntie, I understand what you mean."
Shen Qingqiu asked, "Then you're saying..."
Jiang Lan smiled. "Mm... let's check it out first."
Shen Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Good. Let's go take a look at the Warrior Academy today."
Jiang Lan nodded. "Sure."
"Warrior Academies usually recruit through the Warrior Entrance Examination. The requirements for applicants outside the school system are stricter, but you're still a month shy of eighteen, just within the age limit. With your special talent, passing the assessment definitely won't be a problem."
"In fact, the academy will probably offer you a very generous enrollment bonus."
Jiang Lan smiled. "Doesn't that make me hot property?"
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes at him. "You already are. What did you think?"
"Then I'll have to give this some serious thought and see which academy offers the best terms."
Shen Qingqiu said, "There are only three Warrior Academies in the base city. The Extreme Martial Artist Academy is the best. The other two aren't quite as good."
"Then let's check out the Extreme Martial Artist Academy first."
Shen Qingqiu set down his bowl. "We'll leave once you've finished breakfast."
Jiang Lan lowered his head and scooped up a spoonful of porridge, but his mind was busy weighing his options.
If I really could milk it for resources, the Warrior Academy would be a good choice.
And I could attend as a day student instead of living on campus.
That way, I could get resources from the academy and still have the freedom to do what I wanted.
Where else would I find such a good deal?
I'll see what terms the academy offers first. If they're right, I'll join.
If the terms aren't to my liking, I'll just stay with the Salvage Team.
With the system at my disposal, I'll get stronger either way.
It's just that having plenty of resources would let me grow stronger faster.
After breakfast, Jiang Lan took the initiative to clear away the bowls and chopsticks.
Shen Qingqiu went back to his room to change.
A white T-shirt paired with jeans was an ordinary outfit, yet on Shen Qingqiu, it looked indescribably good.
All he could say was that good-looking people looked good in anything.
Jiang Lan also changed into casual clothes, and the two went downstairs to the underground parking garage.
They climbed into Shen Qingqiu's SUV. He stepped on the gas, and with a roar of the engine, the vehicle left the garage and headed toward the Warrior Academy.
Watching the scenery outside the window, Jiang Lan found himself feeling a little more expectant.
The Warrior Academy should be pretty different from the universities in my previous life, right?
After about twenty minutes of driving, an enormous complex of buildings appeared ahead.
Even from a distance, it looked magnificent.
Shen Qingqiu pointed ahead. "See it? That's the Extreme Martial Artist Academy."
Jiang Lan looked in the direction his aunt was pointing.
An enormous campus gate stood ahead of them.
The gate was built entirely from stone, with four large characters carved across the top.
"Ultimate Dao Martial Academy"