Handong University ranked near the top among the Immortal Palace's institutions, and land prices in the surrounding area had risen with the tide.
Even its campus on the outskirts of Jingzhou was famously worth its weight in gold, and land within the campus was scarcer still. Those allotted detached courtyards were all professors with extensive seniority.
Jiang Qingyuan's residence was even more extravagant than Chen Fan had expected.
Rather than faculty housing, it was more like a small, separately established courtyard compound, surrounded by a barrier that blocked probing. Stepping inside revealed another world entirely.
Chen Fan followed her through a pale blue-green gate of light, then looked up and froze for a moment.
There was no quaint Alchemy Chamber or solemn cultivation hall as he had imagined. What greeted him was a modern villa with clean lines, its exterior inlaid with warm, lustrous, jade-like stone. Neatly laid pebble paths ran through the courtyard, flanked by spiritual flowers he could not name, their faint fragrance drifting over with the breeze.
A clear swimming pool lay in one corner, tiny glimmers of spiritual light rippling across its surface. The water was clearly no ordinary water; on the other side were a garden, a workout area, and even a semi-open-air leisure terrace.
"Is this what a rich woman lives like?"
Chen Fan was dumbfounded. After all, even leaving out her basic professor's salary, the dividends from her research projects alone meant an income starting at ten million Spirit Coins.
Jiang Qingyuan pushed open the villa door and casually granted him access, her tone easy:
"You can use all the facilities inside-the gym, the sauna, and the basement media room. Feel free to go whenever you have time. Spiritual Qi runs around the clock, and every room has its own Spirit Gathering Formation."
She walked inside as she spoke. Chen Fan followed behind, scarcely able to take everything in.
The first floor held a spacious living room and study, with shelves along the wall packed full of texts and Jade Slips. On the other side, an open-plan kitchen and dining room offered everything one could need; the second floor contained the living quarters, every room spacious and bright, with views of the courtyard as soon as one opened the windows.
Chen Fan maintained a calm exterior, but the abacus in his mind was already clacking away.
The sauna would be perfect for medicinal baths, far better than the bathtub in his dorm; the gym equipment all had Spiritual Qi assistance, doubling the efficiency of physical training; and then there was the media room... It would be convenient for slacking off and watching cultivation method instructional videos, too. Of course, studying was the main purpose.
He solemnly found excuses for his own laziness and saw absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Jiang Qingyuan took in every expression on his face and felt a little like laughing.
Even her niece, on her first visit, had either been so stiff she had not known where to put her hands and feet, or had worn a face full of admiration and dared not look around.
This kid, though-he looked quite well-behaved on the surface, but his eyes had practically worked out the uses of every room. He did not stand on ceremony in the slightest.
"There are three spare rooms upstairs. The sunny one has the best view and a slightly stronger Spirit Gathering Formation. If you're not picky, take that one." She pointed toward the stairs. "You have ten minutes to unpack. Come downstairs once you've put your things away, and we'll begin right away."
Chen Fan nodded and carried his few belongings upstairs.
When he opened the door, the room proved even more comfortable than he had expected: floor-to-ceiling windows, a large desk, a meditation cushion, and a built-in wardrobe. It had everything.
He quickly put his things in order, then stood by the window and looked down. He could just see Jiang Qingyuan standing before a light screen in the living room, tapping with her fingertips to bring up one set of research materials after another.
He suddenly found it rather remarkable.
A few months ago, he had still been poring over textbooks in an orphanage in Pingzhou, desperately trying to get into a better Immortal Palace university and shake off the label of mortal.
Now, here he was, living right in a Han University professor's private courtyard, with a Mahayana mentor at his side and system traits in hand. Even his cultivation method belonged to the very highest tier in the Immortal Palace.
Life's ups and downs really were rather interesting.
"Finished unpacking?"
Jiang Qingyuan's voice came from downstairs, soft and pleasant, reaching his ears with perfect clarity.
Chen Fan gathered his thoughts, turned, and went downstairs.
In the living room, the light screen had already expanded, dense text and diagrams hovering in midair-all substantial cultivation knowledge rarely seen outside.
Jiang Qingyuan stood beside the light screen in a plain-colored long dress, her expression serious. She seemed an entirely different person from the woman who had chatted casually on the way over.
"There's no special secret to how quickly I cultivate. I simply don't waste time." She got straight to the point, sliding a fingertip across the light screen. "The joint training program with Han University only lasts four years. How much you learn depends entirely on whether you're willing to put in the work."
Chen Fan came to a stop and nodded, answering readily, "Understood. Fill me right up, Professor Jiang!"
What he dreaded most were instructors who dragged their feet through filler classes, talking endlessly without getting to the point. Someone like Jiang Qingyuan, who went straight to the subject and maximized efficiency, suited his tastes perfectly.
At the drive in his eyes, the corners of Jiang Qingyuan's lips curved almost imperceptibly.
She had been right about him. This kid was not the flighty sort who let a little fortuitous opportunity go to his head. There was a steadiness in his bones, along with a touch of sly cleverness.
He was far more interesting than those prodigies who followed every rule and did everything by the book.
With a swipe of her fingertip, a screen appeared before them, and an incomparably vast presence spread out, instantly enveloping the villa.
Clearly, what they were about to discuss was classified even within the Immortal Palace.
"We'll start with the origins of Spirit Roots-the evolution of the Immortal Palace's Spirit Roots. Do you know what Spirit Roots are?"
Looking thoughtful, Chen Fan asked in return.
"I've heard Spirit Roots are spoils the Immortal Palace seized after fighting outside forces such as the Divine Domain. Supposedly, the Immortal Palace processed those spoils further to make them evolve into Spirit Roots. Some people say the Immortal Palace recovers these Spirit Roots after the people connected to them die."
"Yes and no. Spirit Roots are indeed spoils, but not the kind you're imagining. The Immortal Palace's true essence is an innate spirit root. Through in-depth research into the Heavenly Dao, as well as trading, the Immortal Palace's directors obtained certain undying spiritual objects. That is what allows Spirit Roots to be nurtured.
"That's also why Spirit Roots must be recovered. If you encounter danger outside, rather than looking for frontline service staff, just make a Micro Message call directly to the regulatory department. Within a few quarters of an hour, someone will come to save you."
"We've gone off topic. Spirit Roots evolve to varying degrees of strength. Based on their Spiritual Qi absorption rates, they are divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, supreme-grade, and heavenly spirit roots. Your current Spiritual Qi absorption rate is already approaching mid-grade. That's a good thing."
Jiang Qingyuan coughed lightly twice and tapped a fingertip. A diagram of Spirit Root evolution appeared on the light screen. "That means your Spirit Root is undergoing a transformation. This is the perfect stage to build a solid foundation. Don't assume that advancing quickly through the realms early on is a good thing. If your foundations are crooked, you'll have no shortage of trouble later."
"All right."
Chen Fan focused on what lay before him, while quietly letting out a breath of relief inwardly.
He had been worried he would feel constrained after moving here. Now it seemed that although Professor Jiang looked cool and aloof, she was actually someone who disliked elaborate formalities, and even harbored a little fondness for watching the fun.
Not bad.
The days ahead probably would not be too boring.