At noon, Gu An arrived at the inn where Lucian was staying. He found him fast asleep, exhaustion clear on his face.
"Wake up, Lucian."
Lucian opened his eyes in surprise. He still wasn't used to the loss of his spiritual sense. Gu An's silent entry made his body shiver.
"Here, take this."
Gu An tossed a hand-sized pouch onto Lucian's lap.
"The resources inside should be enough to support your cultivation until you reach an acceptable level."
"There's also a nine-volume manual inside. You must read and understand it thoroughly—it contains the foundation every cultivator needs. How to draw Qi, raise the heat and lightness of your body, how to elevate it using Qi, sense it, and even hide it."
"You're going to the academy today. Wear the uniform inside the pouch."
"Wait—today?"
"Yes. The semester has already started. You're late."
After a few minutes, Lucian showered, changed into his new uniform, ate quickly, and left with Gu An.
The trip to the teleportation array leading to the academy took about seven minutes.
Upon arrival, Gu An registered Lucian for a three-year membership subscription, so he wouldn't have to pay when coming into the city for supplies.
"All right. This array will send you directly to the academy. Once you arrive, you'll be assigned a personal dorm for the full three years. The academic system is strict and intense—make sure you give it your all."
Gu An looked at Lucian. There had never really been a bond between them. It all felt like a business deal.
That's how Gu An wanted it. He didn't want to form a relationship with Lucian. Now that he had fulfilled his promise, he had nothing more to do with him and could return to his daily life.
"Thank you," Lucian said before turning away and leaving.
The relationship that had weighed on Gu An's shoulders was now over. A sense of emptiness washed over him as he stared at the array before him.
...
Lucian arrived at the academy and managed to find his dormitory. It was furnished with many basic necessities.
This was his first real step toward his goal. Just getting here meant he had already achieved a great deal.
In this life, he needed to achieve top marks to get into the Elite University—
a place where students from the Ten Great Families studied.
He had a plan to eliminate a few individuals who would become major thorns in his side in the future. But that was a long road ahead. For now, it was better to focus on the present.
Lucian opened the resource pouch to see what was inside.
"Wow… this guy is really generous."
There was no small number of items—pills, money, treasures—it was undoubtedly the wealth of a seasoned general. Lucian was sure it would last even beyond his academy years.
He pulled out a small pill—it was a Bone Refinement Pill, just what he needed to temper his bones.
He swallowed it and began refining immediately. This time, the process took seven hours to reach his limit.
"Haah… damn, this is hard."
Despite the frustration, Lucian could feel a subtle shift in his body. The process was working, though very slowly.
It might take four or five months to complete.
But that didn't bother Lucian. He had already surpassed the basic physical conditioning stage, and with plenty of resources and calm meditation, he would soon sense Qi.
He had already left his peers far behind. A bit of delay wouldn't matter much—if anything, it might help avoid suspicion.
After a shower and a small meal, Lucian headed to the training grounds.
As expected, the place was packed.
Imagine the perfect training facility of your dreams. Got it? Now imagine it filled with hundreds of kids running wild.
Just thinking about it was painful.
Of course, there were plenty of supervisors, but the number of students was overwhelming.
After less than an hour, Lucian left. His next destination was the library.
If his guess was correct, a book that could change everything was still there…