Chapter 128: Entering the Academy

"Now, let the rankings for the new students be announced!" After Qi Daobei finished speaking, an instructor on the stage shouted loudly.

"First place among new students, Lin Fan, with 28,324 points!"
"Second place, Lin Hongyi, with 11,300 points!"
"Third place, Zhao Tianbei, with 11,000 points!"
"Fourth place..."
"One-hundredth place, Liu Changfeng, with 134 points!"

Upon the announcement of these scores, all the students were astonished to find that the total points of all students combined reached over 300,000. Considering there were fewer than 70,000 students who entered the trial space, how could there be so many points? Even if some had slain a large number of ferocious beasts, it shouldn't have amounted to an extra 200,000 points!

Only those who had obtained inheritances within the trial space wore smiles. The inheritances found there were extremely powerful; neither the techniques nor the martial arts they provided could be compared to what they usually practiced. Naturally, each inheritance contained points, much like a companion to the legacy itself—some amounting to thousands, others to hundreds—which is how the total points accumulated to such a high figure.

"Now, you have officially become members of the Heavenly Book Academy. Follow me, and I will arrange your accommodations!" With that, the instructor led the way off the plaza, signaling the students to follow.

Twenty-odd days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the third floor of the Heavenly Book Academy’s Library, Lin Fan slowly set down the book he was holding, which was labeled "Thunder Vitality Cultivation Method." In these twenty-plus days, he had finished reading all the books on the third floor and below.

The library of the Heavenly Book Academy required corresponding tokens to access each floor, and the point consumption varied. The library had seven floors in total: the first floor required a Bronze Token, the second a Silver Token, and the third a Gold Token, and so on. His Scarlet Crystal Token was sufficient to access the first five floors. Of course, access beyond the fifth floor was not determined by student token rank alone but required special permission from the academy.

Reading books in the library did not cost points directly, but rather, the time spent: one day on the first floor cost 100 points, the second floor 200 points, the third 500 points, the fourth 1,000 points, and the fifth 3,000 points!

The first-floor techniques corresponded to the Qi Induction Stage!
The second-floor techniques corresponded to the Qi Vessel Stage!
The third-floor techniques corresponded to the Meridian Circulation Stage!
The fourth-floor techniques corresponded to the Stream Stage!
The fifth-floor techniques corresponded to the River Stage!

These techniques seemed to have been dismantled, with a single martial art spread across several levels. Only after one had mastered the current level and held a sufficiently high-ranking student token could they move on to the next level. Of course, not all techniques could be cultivated up to the Stream or River stages; some ended at the Meridian Circulation Stage, requiring the student to choose other techniques thereafter.

There were over 5,000 techniques on the first floor, 3,000 on the second, and over 1,000 on the third. Lin Fan hadn't visited the fourth and fifth floors yet, but based on his analysis, he estimated that among the techniques below the third floor, fewer than 400 could reach the Stream Stage, and likely fewer than a few dozen could reach the River Stage.

He had spent eight days reading the first-floor techniques, five days on the second, and two days on the third. For others, the time required would surely increase with each floor because, although the number of techniques decreased, the complexity and difficulty of comprehension increased. However, it was different for Lin Fan. Whether it was a first-floor or third-floor technique, a single sweep of his soul power allowed him to grasp the essence instantly, and he could even derive more powerful, advanced stages for them based on the existing foundations.

The "Thunder Vitality Cultivation Method" he had just put down was a prime example. Its highest level only reached the peak of the Meridian Circulation Stage, likely because the expert who created it was limited by their own cultivation. Yet, this thunder technique had unique merits: besides making vitality more volatile, it allowed one to harness the power of lightning, imbuing vitality with electrical properties. When perfected, the vitality became fierce and overbearing, capable of unleashing thunderous force upon external release. In Lin Fan's view, the potential of this technique was far greater; he could easily add three more stages to it, allowing it to transcend the River Stage. At that point, the release of thunder vitality would be like a bombardment of ten thousand thunderbolts—the raw power of the lightning alone would be enough to crush an opponent!

Having finished the first three floors, he had consumed 3,000 points. This was nothing to him. Originally, he had 28,324 points from the trial space, but as the top new student, he received an additional 10,000 points on top of the standard 2,000, bringing his total to 40,324. Three thousand points were inconsequential.

Now, he would head to the fourth and then the fifth floor. Even if he couldn't organize his own system of techniques, he could at least compile them up to the fourth or fifth level. Once he began his true cultivation, his speed would absolutely terrify others!

When that time came, who would be the master of the Ice Kingdom? With a single blade, he would decide the fate of the world!

Meanwhile, outside in the Mind-Clearing Tower of the Heavenly Book Academy, all the new students were training with desperate intensity. Only after truly joining the academy did they realize how precious it was. The Mind-Clearing Tower, for instance, not only calmed the mind but also contained vitality as surging as a tide. Like the library, it had seven floors. The density of vitality was extreme: the first floor had twice the density of the outside world, the second four times, the third six times, the fourth eight times, the fifth ten times, the sixth fifteen times, and the seventh thirty times! This meant that training for one day on the first floor was equivalent to two days of outside progress.

Similarly, access to the tower required specific tokens and points. The first six floors were accessible based on tokens ranging from Bronze to Blood Crystal, while the seventh required special academy approval. One day on the first floor cost 100 points, the second 500, the third 1,000, the fourth 2,000, the fifth 5,000, and the sixth 10,000!

Although some students didn't have many points from the trial rankings, they had received 2,000 points upon enrollment. Naturally, after choosing their techniques in the library, they rushed to the Mind-Clearing Tower to train. Most chose the first floor, a few the second, and a select few the third. While the first floor was safer and more sustainable for those with limited points, the initial period was a race against time, so those with higher points chose the second or third floors.

Among them were Xiao Beihan and his companions, all of whom chose the third floor—an acceleration of six times! The one with the fewest points among them, Li Ji, had about 7,000, enough for fourteen days of training on the third floor. Shangguan Feihong, with the highest total of 11,100, could train for twenty-two days. Because they were close, they pooled their points, and with 5,000 points each gifted to them by Lin Fan and Lin Hongyi, everyone reached 10,000 points, allowing each of them twenty days on the third floor. With the six-fold acceleration, this was equivalent to three months of diligent practice, which would significantly boost their strength!

Lin Hongyi chose to train on the fourth floor, which cost 1,000 points per day. After giving away 5,000 points, she still had 16,300 left, enough for sixteen days of training—equivalent to three months and eight days of outside cultivation.

In this manner, every new student began to train with desperate fervor. The academy had announced a one-month adaptation period to familiarize them with everything before classes began. Attendance was optional, but one subject was mandatory: military training. This reality confirmed the suspicions of many: the Kingdom was truly preparing for war against Hulan.