Age of Heroes, 10-game winning streak

"Ah sneeze——!"

Bai Yu woke himself up with a sneeze.

He suddenly felt a chill, rubbed his shoulders with both hands, and shuddered: "Why is it so cold? It feels like something bad is happening."

He immediately felt the weight coming from both sides. On his left, Su Ruoli was hugging his arm and using his shoulders as a pillow, sleeping soundly.

On the right was Qin Xuezhao lying on his thighs, also breathing evenly.

Bai Yu looked left and right, and then looked around through the glass window.

The cloud is deep and unknown.

This car is flying.

It was not flying on its own, but was being carried by a huge Peng bird. It had been released since it left Nanling.

It’s not Lu Danxin’s spirit beast, but that of the tutor in the admissions office. Ordinary employees have such a good thing that is comparable to an airplane, which shows the profoundness of Penglai.

I glanced at the time and saw that it had been more than eighteen hours since we set out.

Sitting in the front row were Lu Danxin and the staff from the admissions office, three students were sitting in the back row, and Tao Rusu was also sleeping soundly in the last row. However, her posture looked a bit demonic, very much like the tabby cat in Baiyu's hometown in the previous life. She was quite enchanting. It was easy to imagine that if you slept in the same bed with her, you would inevitably be kicked off and the quilt would be snatched away.

"Awake?" Lu Danxin held onto the steering wheel and raised her hand to throw a bag over: "Eat it while it's hot."

Bai Yu asked: "Where did this MFC come from?"

"I bought this before we left." Lu Danxin picked up a French fry and popped it into her mouth. "We'll be in Penglai in an hour. Eat something to fill your stomach. I'll treat you to something delicious later... The spiritual food in Penglai is truly unique, and you can't get it anywhere else."

"The journey is quite long."

"Of course it takes a long time, because Penglai is hidden deep within. Although it's physically close to the Shenzhou mainland, entering it is like a mirage, invisible and intangible. Even with the spiritual beasts used for transportation to Penglai Island, it takes a long time to reach it." Lu Danxin explained, "But most of the time is spent on finding the spatial node. If it were a teleportation array, it would be able to reach it instantly, but unfortunately, it's very expensive and costs a lot of credits to open it... This Peng bird is not very advanced. The top spiritual beasts can penetrate space."

"Spiritual beast?" Bai Yu asked, "I rarely hear about it in school."

"That's natural. Spiritual beasts are extremely rare. Even among Transcendents above the third level, only one in ten possesses one. This is partly because they are so rare, and only islands like Penglai, rich in spiritual energy, can provide a suitable habitat for them. Another reason is that there's simply no money to support them... Many people struggle to even feed themselves, so where would they find the resources to raise a spirit beast?" Lu Danxin propped up her chin and casually turned the steering wheel. "This isn't just any random person. Take the guy next to me, for example. He works four months a year in vain just to raise this Peng bird."

Bai Yu asked, "Teacher Lu, don't you have a spirit beast?"

"I did, but he died."

The answer was very straightforward.

The attitude is like that of someone who has had one dog and doesn't plan to get a second one.

Lu Danxin continued, "I don't recommend you raise a spirit beast right now. It's best to wait two years. Not everyone in Jiaoyang Haoyue has a spirit beast. There are benefits to having a contract, but there's also freedom without one... Many people think that a satisfying magical weapon is better than a spirit beast—I think so too."

Bai Yu stroked his chin, and got a clue from what he heard: "So the cultivation system here is divided into two types: pet training and weapon training?"

Lu Danxin glanced at the rearview mirror, her eyes full of meaning. "You're quite perceptive... You're right, but not entirely. There are actually more than just these two. Penglai, as one of the three pinnacles, has a comprehensive system within it, so different academies naturally have different schools of thought."

"All of this is in the student handbook. I'll just give you a brief overview... There are five major colleges in Penglai Shangli."

"Although it's generally called 'Penglai Academy' outside, it's actually a mistake, because Penglai is the name of a fairy island."

"Strictly speaking, Penglai College is a union of five colleges."

“The administrative divisions of the five colleges are unified, but their teaching philosophies are opposed to each other.”

"Penglai Academy is under the management of Penglai Fairy Island, so the most senior person here is the Penglai Island Master."

Lu Danxin raised his finger to the sky and said, "He ranks first among the top ten today, and can be called the best in the world."

"Under the island master are the five deans of Penglai Academy."

Bai Yu thought that this was similar to the university he had attended, with different departments within the same school... Under the president were the vice presidents and deans.

The instructor continued, "The five major academies are Alchemy, Refining, Heaven and Earth, Controlling Spirits, and Martial Arts."

"Dan Ding is exactly what it means. It studies elixirs, but it also has branches, such as the spiritual food I just mentioned... Researching cooking, taste, and effects is also one of the courses in the other academy. That's why the academy cafeteria here tastes the best and is also the most expensive."

"Refinement, the study of instruments... This can be divided into two categories: researching refinement, and applying refinement. You can think of it as theoretical physics and applied physics... This place actually has a nickname, the Military Academy, where all of Daxia's top swordsmen and blademasters gather."

"Heaven and Earth, before it was renamed, it was called 'Arrays'. Their research covers a wide range of subjects, including the geography of mountains and rivers, the changes in nature, and anything related to the Great Dao. Arrays that harness the power of Heaven and Earth are the essence of their research. They used to think the name 'Arrays' was too straightforward and unimpressive to attract students, so they changed it to Heaven and Earth Academy... They were ridiculed for a long time at the time, but surprisingly, it actually worked out quite well. A professional array master is very powerful, at least a match for ten thousand men on the battlefield. On Penglai Island, they're responsible for maintaining many arrays, such as teleportation arrays and spirit gathering arrays, as well as many basic living facilities, like water and electricity supply, internet, signal towers... and weather forecasts. Strictly speaking, it's a pretty down-to-earth profession."

"Yuling is responsible for researching spirit beasts, spirit plants, and so on... All things have spirits, and that's what they study. Therefore, the relationship between the botanical scholars here and the Danding Academy isn't very close, as the latter's students would come here to steal materials to make elixirs. However, there is a lot of cooperation between the two sides. The main focus of Yuling Academy is still the research, cultivation, hatching, hybridization, and atavism of spirit beasts."

"Yuling Academy is also one of the most powerful of the five major academies. This is because cultivating spirit beasts can quickly increase combat power, and they have already developed many people-friendly training methods."

Lü Danxin couldn't help but sigh at this point, "Currently, the mainstream understanding in Daxia is that Penglai will usher in the era of controlling spirits in the next ten years... By then, traditional martial arts may become a thing of the past, and spirit beasts will become the mainstream standard for the new generation of students."

Bai Yu was incredulous: "There's such a saying?"

He disagreed: "But how can the cultivation of a spirit beast be compared to that of a transcendent person himself? If a transcendent person doesn't practice himself, what good is the spirit beast no matter how powerful it is?"

Lu Danxin shook his head and sighed, "It sounds counterintuitive at first, but I've spent three or four years at the Imperial Spirit Academy. In my experience, if you focus on improving the cultivation of your spirit beasts, your cultivation speed won't slow down."

Bai Yu was puzzled.

"Because there is a dragon vein boundary." Lu Danxin held his cheek and said, "Because there is a dragon vein seal."

She raised her arm, revealing a golden dragon mark wrapped around her forearm. "Through a contract with a spirit beast, I can share the dragon vein energy with it, allowing it to enter the dragon vein realm. Do you know what this means?"

Bai Yu was stunned.

How could he not know? He knew it too well.

In the past, he had always fought one against two in a just manner, and he knew too well the benefits of group fights.

"It seems you've also realized that the benefit of controlling spirits is that it relieves the pressure of your own cultivation. By cultivating spirit beasts and improving their combat power, you can make up for your own lack of strength, while also reducing your own dangers. Also, because of the existence of the Dragon Vein Realm, as long as you can obtain the Dragon Vein Qi, your own strength will not be slowed down."

Lu Danxin's gaze was profound as he spoke, "Do you know why I say that Yuling Academy is the only dominant force today? It's precisely because they began researching this brand-new system ten years ago, and it has achieved unprecedented development. It has now become the mainstream of Yuling Academy, and it's not impossible for them to expand it further."

"So in another ten or eight years, no one knows whether the entire country of Daxia will begin to change direction and vigorously promote the new spirit control system."

Chapter 253 Penglai Immortal Island

What is meant by a 'system'?

The so-called system is a complete and constructed system.

Its existence is an important prerequisite for stability, from a small company to a large country... A strong man who falls from the sky may be able to bring a country back to life, but what keeps the country stable, maintains its regime, and keeps its national policies unchanged for a long time must be a stable institutional system.

For example, Confucianism is one such system, which was born out of the ritual and music system. It came into being because Confucius lamented the chaotic times of the Spring and Autumn Period and tried to use this doctrine to encourage people to be good and thus maintain stability... Confucianism is one of the systems that exists to maintain stability.

The existence of a system is difficult to fundamentally subvert.

The cultivation system of extraordinary people is different in each country because it changes according to local culture and history.

The cornerstone of Daxia's cultivation system is martial arts.

Based on martial arts, many different branches have been extended.

Whether you are practicing weapons or boxing and kicking, you are ultimately practicing martial arts.

Even if you fly a sword for thousands of miles to take someone's head, you are still using swordsmanship, and immortal martial arts are also martial arts.

Isn't the Vajra Indestructibility that monks practice martial arts? It is also martial arts, a kind of Zen martial arts.

Who can say that the 72 Shaolin Kung Fu is not a form of martial arts?

The definition of martial arts is actually very broad. It is a system that is timeless and constantly self-innovating.

But this time, he still met a challenger.

This is the spirit control system mentioned by Lu Danxin.

It is a brand new system that improves strength by cultivating spirit beasts... Although there have been beastmasters in the past, most of them used beasts as a supplement and humans as the main force.

Today, the development is completely subversive, with beasts as the main focus and humans as the auxiliary... This is like the auxiliary eating soldiers and becoming the C position.

This system is completely out of the scope of martial arts and can no longer be included in the latter.

After all, learning martial arts and flying with a sword yourself and letting your panda at home learn martial arts and flying with a sword are two completely different things.

If this system can truly replace martial arts, then the education system will also change accordingly.

Bai Yu's future awakening ceremony will no longer involve touching the relics, but choosing a spirit beast egg by oneself... It may even in turn affect the talents of the new generation, gradually shifting to a situation where beast-taming talents are more valued.

Species evolve according to the different survival environments.

If the Spirit Control System is passed down from generation to generation, there will probably be fewer and fewer warriors in the future. The two systems will inevitably conflict with each other until one side is completely suppressed and turns the other into its own nutrients.

Just thinking of this, Bai Yu felt the majestic atmosphere of the times coming towards him.

He immediately asked, "Which college are you from?"

Lu Danxin replied, "I'm from the fifth academy, the Chuanwu Academy... This academy is also known as the Central Chuanwu Academy. It's responsible for researching and interpreting martial arts, developing and applying unique skills, and structuring and inheriting supernatural powers."

"Because the Chuanwu Academy is very special, every student needs to master extraordinary skills and build supernatural powers, so naturally they will come here to study."

"So Chuanwu College is the central college. Every student must study compulsory courses here for a year, determine their own development direction, and then choose whether to continue their studies or transfer to another college."

"Different colleges have different requirements. One year is enough time for observation... There's no harm in running around more."

"The only thing you need to pay attention to is that Yuling and Danding are close; Chuanwu and Refining are close; if you choose Tiandi... then you are closest to Baldy."

Bai Yu understands.

Translated, it means: freshmen only take compulsory courses and do not take professional courses... They have to audit professional courses in other colleges.

The five major colleges are also subtly divided into three factions.

Then he stopped asking questions and ate a fried chicken leg to fill his stomach.

After there was no more conversation, the Peng bird passed through a space barrier in a quarter of an hour, and then the surrounding scenery suddenly became clear.

Bai Yu looked out the window and shook Su Ruoli and Qin Xuezao's shoulders: "Don't pretend to be asleep. You will regret it if you don't see this scenery."

Su Ruoli opened his eyes immediately, and Qin Xuezhao also sat up immediately. They both looked out the window at the same time, as if they were not pretending to be asleep at all.

Through the car window you can see a very magnificent and wide island.

When viewed from a high altitude, it is impossible to see its entire area at once.

From top to bottom, there are several peaks on the fairy island, with different heights. The whole island is as huge and wide as the Tianxing City in the story of a mortal's cultivation to immortality.

What is even more impressive is its architectural style, which is completely different from that of modern cities. It is simply the main city in a fantasy MMORPG game.

The formation is running, the spirit beasts are flying, and the spiritual energy is so full that it can almost solidify into liquid.

Because of the proliferation of shadow worlds, the concentration of spiritual energy in this world is completely different in different places, but the one that can be called a holy place for cultivation... I am afraid that there is only one place in the world that can make spiritual energy rain, Penglai.

There was a look of astonishment in Bai Yu's eyes. Although he was a time traveler, the cities in this world were not much different from what he knew. But after arriving in Penglai, he realized that he had finally come to a world dominated by extraordinary power. The scene was too magnificent.

"You're new here, so it's impossible for you to memorize the topography right away," Lu Danxin said casually. "But just remember the landmark buildings... look up there."

Following Lu Danxin's suggestion, Bai Yu raised his gaze and saw a tall tower almost parallel to the car. It had an extremely ancient appearance and was suspended in the air.

Countless bricks and stones broke away from its body, like a strange cylinder that had been split apart, with a mixture of golden and dark light flowing inside.

"This is called the Hidden Heaven Well. In Penglai, as long as you remember its location, it's like remembering the directions of the Big Dipper. You won't get lost."

The Peng bird let out a long cry, as if it was excited to finally come back.

It dived down and approached Penglai's flight port at an extremely fast speed, placed the vehicle steadily on the ground, and then flapped its wings and flew to the west.

The admissions office opened the car door and shouted repeatedly, "Hey, hey!"

The latter completely ignored it and no one knew where he went.

The admissions staff were at a loss for words: "This hairy bird is rushing off to find its wife."

Lu Danxin opened the car door, stretched comfortably, and basked in the sun. Immediately, she noticed the gazes of several people nearby and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Su Ruoli said, "Where's the house number?"

She raised her hand. "Usually, when you arrive in a new place, there's something like this. There's also that impressive sign at the entrance of the academy."

Lu Danxin said with a smile: "Every inch of land under your feet is Penglai, what kind of building sign is needed to mark it?"

“Penglai is Penglai, facing the sea and welcoming guests from all directions.”

"If it doesn't welcome you, you can't get in."

She waved her hand and said, "If you're curious about Penglai, I'll find a tour guide to tell you all about it. Now, come with me to the ground staff office."

"You're new here, so you need to leave a certificate. You must register to enroll here."

"Since you are my students, you can get your student ID cards directly. You don't have to wait until school officially starts in January."

Lu Danxin was leading the way, and seemed to be planning to walk instead of driving. The vehicle was handed over to the Admissions Office for processing. It should be a government car.

A group of people just happened to be walking towards the intersection ahead. They were a group of men and women wearing white clothes. They were not very old, and there were alchemy furnaces embroidered on their clothes. They should be students of Danding Academy. At first glance, none of them had a realm lower than the second level.

The next ten minutes were even more so, with the second-level being worse than a dog and the third-level being everywhere.