O'Brien Academy was not inside the city.
It was outside.
Loa and Wangcai strolled along for nearly half a day, only catching sight of the continent's foremost warrior academy at noon.
It stood on Chixue Ridge, twenty li east of Chiyan City. The entire mountain belonged to the academy, with tiers of buildings covering the slopes from foot to summit.
At the foot of the mountain were ordinary training grounds.
Even from a distance, Loa saw thousands of people packed onto the open ground, bare-chested, holding horse stances under the midday sun. Sunlight fell on their bodies, making their sweat gleam. Instructors rode magical beasts through the ranks, cracking leather whips. Anyone whose posture was wrong received a lash.
This was the basic training camp for new students.
Farther up, the mountain path began to steepen.
Training grounds of all sizes lined the way, some built on slopes, others beside cliffs. Warriors sparred in every one, the clash of blades mingling with furious shouts and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The air was thick with sweat and a faint smell of blood.
Halfway up the mountain lay the area for full-fledged students.
The buildings here were entirely different from those at the foot of the mountain-not wooden sheds, but stone houses. Each was exceptionally sturdy, with walls a full meter thick and windows set high and small.
Only later did Loa learn that this was because the students often practiced battle-qi in their rooms. If they lost control, thin walls would never contain it.
Neat rows of stone houses stretched up the mountainside, looking like terraced fields from a distance.
Farther up were the residences of senior students and teachers.
The buildings there were more scattered, standing well apart, each with its own courtyard. Trees grew around the