Northern Azure Spirit Academy

The Great Thousand World was boundlessly vast. Countless continents existed within it, including supercontinents like Sky Net Continent and small continents like Hundred Spirits Continent.

Some continents had names renowned through the ages, shaking the Great Thousand World. Nearby were the Martial Realm and Endless Fire Domain; farther away were Futuo Continent, Maha Continent, and others. Yet some continents remained unknown, like the Hundred Spirits Continent where Liu Bai had been born...

Well, no matter how one looked at it, Hundred Spirits Continent was the most insignificant corner of the Great Thousand World. That was an indisputable fact.

A continent's status was certainly related to the strength of the forces upon it, but that was not always the case.

Take Northern Azure Continent, for example. In terms of strength, it too belonged among the small continents. Even its strongest experts had not reached the Earthly Sovereign realm, yet its reputation shone brightly throughout the entire Great Thousand World...

All because of the existence of Northern Azure Spirit Academy!

Although Northern Azure Spirit Academy's experts were nothing remarkable in the Great Thousand World, the Five Great Academies possessed immense renown throughout the entire Great Thousand World. Otherwise, even the Goddess Clan and Blood God Clan, both from Lesser Western Heaven, would not have sent people here to study.

And beyond that, there were members of ancient races such as the Ice Spirit Clan, Wood Spirit Clan, and even the Wind Spirit Clan...

This alone showed what made the Five Great Academies exceptional. Otherwise, why would those noble, heaven-favored prodigies forsake their clans' training and cross countless continents over vast distances to cultivate at the Five Great Academies?

Moreover, this academy system differed entirely from sects and clans. Over thousands of years, countless experts had emerged from Northern Azure Spirit Academy, and among them were quite a few who had once stood at the pinnacle.

Though they had left Northern Azure Spirit Academy and become towering figures in their own right, they still retained an inseverable connection to it. Usually, that might mean nothing.

But if Northern Azure Spirit Academy ever truly faced a threat of life and death, the world would witness the terrifying invisible power hidden beneath its surface.

That was also an important reason why Northern Azure Spirit Academy had stood firm for so many years, and why so many top powers of the Great Thousand World willingly sent their own descendants here to study...

Having passed the trial, Liu Bai and the others followed Elder Bai through the bronze gates that represented Northern Azure Spirit Academy.

Once Liu Bai and the others entered the enormous bronze gates, they felt a wave of dizziness rise within them. It was caused by spatial transportation...

Fortunately, the dizziness did not last long. Everyone suddenly felt their bodies sink, and in the next instant, the light before their eyes brightened sharply.

Their narrowed eyes gradually opened as everyone looked toward the unfamiliar world before them. An indescribable shock spread across every face.

Liu Bai and the others stood atop an enormous stone platform nearly ten thousand zhang wide. The previously empty platform was instantly filled with figures. Looking ahead, they beheld a magnificent and majestic sight.

Before them stretched a vast land with no end in sight. Countless massive cultivation halls dotted the earth, mountains crisscrossed the landscape, and waterfall streams like the Milky Way occasionally poured down. Amid the lush greenery lay endless grandeur and magnificence.

The sight before them was simply too majestic. Even the ten-thousand-zhang stone platform they stood upon, vast as it was, appeared exceptionally tiny in comparison.

Within the academy's airspace, figures swept past in overwhelming numbers. In some training grounds, people leaped and darted about, while collisions of mighty spiritual energy produced deep booming sounds one after another.

Of course, within that boundless, majestic academy, the most eye-catching sight was a gigantic mountain at its center. Its shape was peculiar, resembling a divine bird spreading its wings. The moment one saw it, an inexplicable oppressive aura radiated from the bird-shaped mountain and enveloped heaven and earth.

Liu Bai looked carefully and, sure enough, saw that each wing of the giant bird mountain bore an enormous stone stele nearly ten thousand zhang tall. Dazzling light flickered across the steles, visible clearly throughout the entire academy.

"These must be Northern Azure Spirit Academy's Divine Soul Ranking and Heavenly Ranking..."

Though he had read such descriptions in his memories of the original work, Liu Bai was still deeply shaken when he witnessed the scene with his own eyes.

From this point on, he would rewrite his life in a place as vast as this...

"Do you see those two stone steles? They are the academy's two major rankings, the Divine Soul Ranking and the Heavenly Ranking. The former is one thing, but the Heavenly Ranking contains the strongest hundred students among the countless students in our entire academy!" Yan Mo glanced at Li Xuantong as his calm voice rang beside everyone's ears.

"Among you, perhaps someone will be able to reach that ranking, but that will be at least a year or two from now. Right now, the first thing you need to consider is how to adapt to everything in the academy during your year as freshmen, then improve your strength."

"As for those who want to challenge the rankings, study the Divine Soul Ranking properly. That is where freshmen like you belong..."

Those words immediately left quite a few freshmen unconvinced. But when they recalled the old students' formidable strength, as well as the scenes of powerful freshmen being defeated in challenges, everyone quickly fell silent.

Elder Bai swept his gaze over the quiet freshmen, a faint smile appearing on his lips. These little fellows who had just entered the academy still carried their own pride, and that was not a good thing. They would suffer for it in the academy later on. Letting Yan Mo and the other old students give them an early warning would help them take fewer detours and endure less hardship.

After waiting a while longer, until the assessments in the other three Northern Cang Realms had ended as well, all the freshmen entering Northern Azure Spirit Academy this year finally gathered together.

As lights flashed, freshmen appeared one after another. Among them was a young man dressed in black, his long hair hanging loose. His face was resolute, his eyes as calm as deep pools, and he possessed a composed tranquility as though even the collapse of the heavens could not startle him.

"That man is Shen Cangsheng, one of the prodigies in this Spirit Road second only to Li Xuantong!" Su Xuan said quietly.

Hearing that, Liu Bai could not help but look at him several more times. Perhaps he alone knew just how monstrously talented this youth from the Azure God Clan was, and how many things he would accomplish in the future that would shake even Northern Azure Spirit Academy.

If Mu Chen, the child of destiny, had not existed, this man might well have become Northern Azure Spirit Academy's greatest genius student in a hundred years!

As Liu Bai looked at Shen Cangsheng and sighed inwardly, he suddenly sensed a gaze directed at him. He then saw a handsome youth with blue hair smiling in their direction.

Naturally, Liu Bai did not think the other party was smiling at him. It was obvious that the youth's eyes were fixed solely on Su Xuan. The rest of them likely did not even qualify to enter his field of vision.

"That is Crane Demon..." Seeing Su Xuan's somewhat silent expression, Li Jing whispered into Liu Bai's ear.

"He is a very troublesome fellow. He crossed paths with Su Xuan in the Spirit Road, and afterward he kept finding chances to approach her. He is clearly interested in Su Xuan. But I heard he was originally planning to choose Sacred Spirit Academy. I never expected him to come to Northern Azure Spirit Academy too."

Liu Bai nodded faintly, but inwardly he smiled. It seemed that the future top four of the Heavenly Ranking had all arrived...

At that moment, Crane Demon had already approached them. He walked straight up to Su Xuan and said with a faint smile, "Su Xuan, we meet again."

Su Xuan smiled slightly and responded with polite but distant courtesy, "Yes."

Crane Demon naturally sensed this. With his pride, he would not cling to her shamelessly like certain people. As though merely making casual conversation, he looked at Li Xuantong in the distance, refined yet imposing, then at the silent and cold Shen Cangsheng farther away. "I didn't expect those two to come to Northern Azure Spirit Academy as well. It seems academy life will not be lonely from now on."

Elder Bai did not give the freshmen much time to socialize before stepping forward.

"Very good. From this moment onward, you are all freshmen of Northern Azure Spirit Academy. I have to say, your class is the strongest class of freshmen in over a hundred years. I hope that at the Freshman Assembly a month from now, I will see even more growth from all of you."

"The Freshman Assembly?"

Upon hearing that name, many people immediately became interested.

After all, it sounded like something related to their class of freshmen.

"Hehe, that's right. The Freshman Assembly will take place in a month, and then you will have another chance to fight. Whoever stands out at that Freshman Assembly will be the number one freshman of Northern Azure Spirit Academy," Elder Bai explained.

The title of "number one freshman" immediately made many freshmen's eyes light up.

For most people, the title of number one might be somewhat out of reach, but they did not mind displaying their strength at the Freshman Assembly and gaining some fame among Northern Azure Spirit Academy's freshmen...

After all, there were more than two hundred thousand freshmen alone, with countless geniuses among them. It would not be easy to stand out here.

Young people were full of vigor. Even a little empty fame could make their blood boil and drive them to strive for it.

Even Li Xuantong revealed a trace of fighting spirit in his eyes, showing just how enticing the title of number one freshman was.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Elder Bai continued, "Next, you will be assigned to live in the Freshman District. The Freshman District is divided into east, south, west, and north sectors. Mentors will lead you there shortly."

As Elder Bai's voice fell, dozens of figures flew over from the distance and came to hover in midair. These people were clearly not young; some were even middle-aged. Yet judging from the powerful fluctuations rippling around them, every one of them possessed Heaven Fusion Realm strength.

As for their cultivation, well, they were even weaker than those students on the Heavenly Ranking. But as guides and Mentors for freshmen like them, they were more than sufficient.

After all, Northern Azure Spirit Academy was not a school in the modern sense. Mentors mainly guided freshmen so they could quickly familiarize themselves with the academy, though they would also offer instruction to some students. If one thought their level was too low, one could simply spend Spirit Value to seek guidance from stronger Mentors...

It had to be said that Northern Azure Spirit Academy had taken this aspect to the extreme. If one wanted better instruction, better Cultivation Methods, better spiritual pills, or better Spiritual Artifacts, then there was no need to hesitate—go earn more Spirit Value!

When the time came, they began selecting students.

A middle-aged man with a kindly smile walked over. With a wave of his hand, a Light Screen spread out and enveloped roughly two thousand students.

"Little fellows covered by the Light Screen, welcome to Northern Azure Spirit Academy. I am your freshman Mentor. For the coming period, I will lead you as you familiarize yourselves with the academy. My name is Qiu Zongsheng. If there is anything you do not understand in the future, feel free to come find me."

The two thousand or so students included Liu Bai, Su Xuan, and the others. Fortunately, Crane Demon had already left to join the members of the Demon Gate he had established. Otherwise, if he had been assigned here too, Su Xuan would probably have had quite a headache.

"Come, I'll first take you to your assigned area and get you settled," Qiu Zongsheng said, then flew toward the academy below.

Liu Bai and the others naturally hurried after him. Soon, several thousand people followed Qiu Zongsheng down from the enormous stone platform.

After reaching the ground below, cultivation halls rose before everyone's eyes. In the far distance, countless figures could still be seen flying through the air. Under Qiu Zongsheng's lead, Liu Bai and the others traveled westward for over ten minutes before finally slowing to a stop.

Liu Bai raised his eyes and saw a clear lake nestled amid lush greenery. Around the lake stood clusters of simple houses.

"This will be your residence from now on." Qiu Zongsheng pointed at the scattered buildings surrounding the lake and smiled. "What do you think? Isn't the scenery beautiful?"

Liu Bai and the others could not help but nod. It had to be said, for freshmen like them to live in such a beautiful environment, Northern Azure Spirit Academy truly was extraordinary!

Of course, the place was not merely beautiful.

Very soon, some students sensed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around them was distinctly different from that outside...

"This area lies within a massive spiritual array. And judging from the hidden fluctuations in the surrounding heaven and earth, it should be a Fourth Grade Spirit Gathering Array!" As everyone expressed their surprise, Liu Bai quietly explained it to Su Xuan, Li Jing, and the others.

"Sharp eyes, little fellow." Qiu Zongsheng looked at Liu Bai with some surprise, then smiled at everyone. "The area where you live is indeed covered by a Fourth Grade Spirit Gathering Array."

The words immediately stirred up a wave of astonished murmurs.

After all, not everyone came from ancient divine clans or top-tier powers.

In many people's eyes, Spirit Gathering Arrays had always been a symbol of a faction's resources. Perhaps many present had seen Fourth Grade Spirit Gathering Arrays before, but this was their first time seeing even a residential area set within one.

That fact alone drew another round of admiration from many people.

Happy New Year!