Chapter Twenty: Donning New Clothes, Heading to the Academy (Please Continue Reading)

A rune escaped from the ancient book, adhering to the floor and forming a three-meter-wide black circle. No one knew what lay within the void, only a swirl of chaos; outside the teleportation array, purple mist lingered, and an imposing, overwhelming aura flooded the room. Cloud-like vapors spiraled around the formation.

"This—this is a teleportation array?" Xu Xing was startled, his face full of amazement.

"Never seen one, have you? An old man by the sea gave this to me once. Oddly enough, he seemed to know this moment would come..." Hang Ri replied with a hint of pride.

"An old man? Was he the type who seems frail but is actually unfathomable?"

"Not sure, really. He was mysterious, left me only this book, and instructions on how to use it."

This old man had appeared more than once; only now did Xu Xing begin to understand. The meeting with Su Mei, the ingredients, the encounter with the old man, and now the ancient book—all of it hinted at something deeper. Xu Xing speculated inwardly.

Noticing Xu Xing's disheveled appearance—silk garments frayed, dust on his clothes, his blue robe torn and bedraggled—Hang Ri spoke:

"I'll have one of my maids help you into something more presentable. Otherwise, you'll look like a fool at North Sea Academy."

"It's really not necessary..." Xu Xing replied meekly. The matter of attire hardly concerned him.

A group of maids approached, bringing with them a strong scent of gardenia—refreshing, intoxicating, yet unable to fill the emptiness within Xu Xing. All he wanted now was to acquire skills, to grow stronger, to save the heavens.

"No, please, I said no," he protested.

"Go on, get his measurements," Hang Ri ordered, watching Xu Xing resist. "Make sure Brother Xu looks proper. You girls are good with needlework—let him experience it too."

"Yes, young master. Let's measure him so his new clothes fit perfectly..."

As the maids closed in, Xu Xing's left eye twitched violently. He tried to interject, "Really, I mean it, it's not important..."

But the maids, emboldened, pressed on, taking his measurements. One knelt by his thigh, swallowing nervously as she murmured with longing, "Brother Xu's legs are so long..."

"Hey, you—wait, just—" Hang Ri didn't even get to finish before they were done. The maids retreated, and their leader looked at Xu Xing with excitement, exclaiming, "Young master, your friend's head is enormous..."

Xu Xing reached up, feeling his head—was it really so large? Surely, a broad forehead and a big head were the marks of wisdom.

Moments later, the maids returned with new clothes. The garments, though not as alluring as the emperor's fabled robes, fit him perfectly. He found himself wondering, with a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation, who might be the one to remove them. His mind drifted to North Sea Academy, where humans and spirits coexisted—perhaps there would be cat girls or fox maidens. The thought made him smile foolishly.

With a sharp slap to his own face, he shook his head. He was a man with great ambitions now—he was going to the academy to learn real skills!

"What's wrong? Do you have...masochistic tendencies?" Hang Ri barely suppressed a laugh.

"No... Just a mosquito."

There were incense sticks burning here; how could there be mosquitoes? Hang Ri, understanding, said nothing more.

Regaining his composure, Xu Xing gazed at the black teleportation array, curious about how such a thing could be inscribed in an ancient book. But Hang Ri likely did not know, either.

No one could say what lay within that black hole. Everyone is drawn to the mysterious, even if they've never explored the unknown. Who could resist the lure of a portal with an uncertain destination?

Only through personal experience can one grasp its secrets. As the old saying goes: taste the pear yourself to know its flavor, wade into the river to learn its depth. The pear knows your skill as you know its sweetness; the river knows your height as you test its shallows.

"Ahem, then why don't we go in now?" Xu Xing, his spirits rising as he watched the swirling mists, suggested with excitement.

"Wait, let me prepare a few things. Without them, we may not be so lucky," Hang Ri replied.

But Xu Xing, impatient, became a gust of wind and dragged Hang Ri forcibly into the portal.

Inside, warmth and comfort greeted them, but also darkness—they were falling fast, unsure when they would reach the end.

"What are you even trying to prepare? And how long is this going to take? I'm so excited!" Xu Xing shouted gleefully, suspended in weightlessness.

"Ah... Why are you in such a rush? I wasn't ready!"

"I didn't even bring any money—maybe that's for the best!" Hang Ri yelled back.

...

A gentle breeze, a flowing creek, bamboo groves, dragonflies, floating duckweed.

In a silent mountain village, birds sang among the flowers, the peace undisturbed—until a cry ripped through the air above.

"Ah..."

Two splashes broke the chastity of the blue lake near the village—the tranquil waters disturbed.

Xu Xing opened his eyes. He had felt only weightlessness after entering the teleportation array, but never expected to land in a lake on the other side.

Coughing up water, Hang Ri surfaced as well.

"There's so much water, and it's so cold! Where are we? Hang Ri, haven't you been training at North Sea Academy for a year?"

"This is Blue Lake, not far from the academy. Let's get ashore—staying wet like this isn't good; we could catch a chill."

They swam for the bank.

"Are you an idiot? You didn't even let me finish! You charged in like some old bachelor who hasn't seen a woman in centuries—now look at us," Hang Ri fumed, both of them dripping wet.

"Didn't you say the other end of the array was at North Sea Academy? Why is it a lake?" Xu Xing, delighted by the new surroundings, couldn't help but feel excited.

"Idiot, that's not how you use a teleportation array! You reckless fool, I was planning to bring two experts, but now you've ruined everything. I really don't know how you've survived this long."

"After all these years as rivals, you still don't know me?" Xu Xing replied lazily.

Beyond Blue Lake lay a small village, and behind the village, a towering mountain.

Jagged cliffs reached into the clouds, reeds and wild grass paved a path straight to the village. A winding road snaked up the mountain, and from a distance, people could be seen making the ascent.

"Fool, what are you staring at? This is the North Sea Academy you've dreamed of. Let's go," Hang Ri said, setting off toward the mountain. Xu Xing, puzzled, wondered why the academy wasn't by the sea as its name suggested, but was instead atop a mountain. Where was the sea?

There was no ocean in sight, yet he could hear the distant sound of waves.

Watching Hang Ri's retreating figure, Xu Xing hurried after him, peppering him with questions about the academy.

"Are there really cat girls inside?"