I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 914 Hostility
Zhang Gaqi left with a wronged expression. He could sense the distance in Zhang Chen's polite words, like the clouds in the sky, always keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far from him.

Watching Zhang Gaqi's retreating figure until he disappeared, Zhang Chen turned his gaze back into the house to urge the three little ones to cultivate.

Before dawn the next day
Zhang Chen immediately ordered the servants of the Zhong family to drive the carriage towards the academy. As for waiting for the chubby Zhang Gaodan? Waiting was out of the question!
Right now, he doesn't want to get involved with Zhang Gaodan. The eight major families are about to fall into internal strife, and he doesn't want to be dragged into it.

The carriage slowly drove out of the back gate and arrived at the academy. The servants greeted Zhang Chen respectfully, saying, "Young Master, we have arrived at the academy."

Zhang Chen lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the academy. He then showed a look of surprise: "As expected of an academy, it is truly magnificent and imposing, far superior to Jinling Academy."

Do you know why?
Looking around, the academy was actually built in the mountains, with eight mountains connected together. The eight mountains were towering into the clouds, majestic and magnificent, and looked quite extraordinary. Amidst the clouds and mist on the mountain peaks, the palaces were densely arranged, magnificent and grand, exuding an indescribable grandeur.

"This doesn't feel like a place for studying; it feels more like the residence of the powerful and wealthy," Zhang Chen complained.

"Young master, you may not know this, but those who can study in the academy are all sons of powerful and wealthy families. They cannot bear the cold and desolate mountain scenery, so naturally the academy must be built in a more luxurious manner to satisfy those young masters and princes." At this moment, a voice rang out, and a man dressed as a page took over Zhang Chen's words and said to him.

Zhang Chen turned his head and saw that the pageboy had red lips and white teeth, and looked fair and tender. He was fourteen or fifteen years old, and his body was filled with qi and blood. At such a young age, he had already cultivated martial arts qi and blood. His talent was frighteningly high.

"And who are you, sir?" Zhang Chen stepped down from the carriage and bowed.

The man dressed as a page quickly returned the greeting: "Are you Young Master Zhang Chen?"

“It’s me!” Zhang Chen nodded.

"I am Bu Er, your pageboy, and I am here on Master Zhou's orders to await your enrollment in the academy. The academy is vast and has many buildings, and the enrollment procedures are quite complicated. I am responsible for serving you your meals and daily needs, and running errands for you," Bu Er said respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen looked up at the gray sky with a surprised expression. The sun had not yet risen, and he asked with a puzzled look, "When did you arrive?"

"I received orders last night that I would be waiting at the mountain gate for you today, so I was already waiting there last night," Bu Er said respectfully.

Zhang Chen glanced at Bu Er with a surprised expression, then turned to the coachman and instructed, "Go back now."

Then he turned to Bu Er and asked, "What are your plans, Mr. Zhou?"

"Your main task today is to come with me to complete your student registration, arrange your accommodation, and then familiarize yourself with the school," said Bu Er.

"Please lead the way, sir," Zhang Chen said.

Bu Er led the way, and Zhang Chen climbed among the mountains, feeling much like climbing Mount Tai or Mount Huang in later generations. The path was filled with towering, seemingly endless steps, and every hundred meters there was a study building where scholars read and climbers rested.

"Going to and from the academy every time is like losing half my life," Zhang Chen complained to Bu Er. "It's so inconvenient."

"Most of the students at the academy have martial arts skills, so although the mountain path is steep, it's not much of a problem for most of them. Firstly, it's a way to exercise and cultivate, and secondly, it's to keep the students in the mountains to cultivate, so they won't be blinded by the allure of the outside world," Bu Er said with a smile.

Zhang Chen was speechless for a moment, but he had to admire the ingenuity of the academy's thinking. In this capital city, the dragon energy suppressed the bloodline supernatural powers, so that they could not be used. If they wanted to go up and down the academy, even if they practiced martial arts, it would take them half a day. By then, they would be exhausted, with sore backs, weak hands and feet. How could they have the mind to go down the mountain to seek pleasure?

It should be noted that the students in the academy were divided into two types: those who were qualified to study the mysteries and those who simply paid to study.

The two climbed the mountain for a while. Although Zhang Chen did not have martial arts cultivation, his physical body was much stronger than his martial arts after he mastered the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique. Climbing the mountain was nothing to him. The pageboy Bu Er had cultivated martial arts qi and blood, and he was also very fast when climbing the steps. At their speed, they saw the layered buildings on the mountaintop in just two hours.

Reaching the summit, Zhang Chen could finally see clearly that the eight mountains had formed an arc, creating a ring, like eight pillars standing there. The eight peaks were connected by cableway bridges, and the eight iron chains swayed precariously in the valley, a sight that made one's legs weak.

"Have we arrived at the academy yet? This climb was no easy feat; it would have nearly killed any ordinary student," Zhang Chen complained.

"Climbing mountains is also a tempering of the spirit and will, and a test for the students of the academy," Fuji replied, then pointed to the valley between the eight mountains:
"The academy you're going to is in the valley. We're only going up the mountain now; we'll be coming down next."

Zhang Chen was taken aback by what he heard, but since he wasn't tired at all, he didn't say anything more.

The descent was swift, directly crossing the towering mountains and descending to the valley floor. The valley floor had been hollowed out, with layers of pavilions built upon it. Within these pavilions, rushing torrents surged and surged, with fish occasionally leaping out of the water.

"This palace complex is the core of the academy. All the teachers and the prodigies selected from various regions to participate in unraveling the mysteries reside here," Bu Er explained to Zhang Chen, revealing its secrets.
"That canyon is also quite special. There are underground pavilions in the canyon, a total of seventy-two underground palaces. The higher your ranking in the academy, the closer you can live to the bottom," Bu Er said.

"Is there some reason for this? Why is it that the higher the ranking within the academy, the closer to the bottom? Shouldn't the higher the ranking, the higher the pavilion chosen, and the better the scenery?" Zhang Chen asked with a surprised expression.

"You are a core member personally selected by Mr. Zhou to enter the academy, so it's alright to tell you this secret. The academy has discovered a new world, and the entrance to this new world is underground. Therefore, the deeper you go in the underground palace, the closer you are to the new world. A mysterious energy emanates from this new world, which is a great tonic for those with strong bloodlines. It can not only strengthen their bloodlines but also prolong their lives. For cultivators, this mysterious energy also has a nourishing effect. Therefore, the higher your ranking, the deeper the room you can choose, and the closer you can be to the new world. The bottom floor is the residence of the teachers, deans, and the core members of the royal family. After that, it is the residence of the various geniuses, and then they are arranged according to their ranking." Bu Er explained the secret to Zhang Chen.

"How is the ranking determined? Is it based on cultivation level?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Of course not. To determine the ranking, cultivation level is only one aspect. What truly determines the ranking is contribution. On the journey from the academy to the new world, there are all sorts of hardships and dangers, as well as all sorts of strange and mysterious events that the academy collects. If you can solve them, they can all be counted as contribution points." Bu Er led Zhang Chen to the core area, which was a tall building, a hundred stories high, like a skyscraper.

Then, Bu Er led Zhang Chen to the gate, where two stone lions stood guard. Zhang Chen sensed a mysterious power emanating from the stone lions, a power that was at least at the ninth level, comparable to a powerful being at the Yang God realm.

"These two stone lions are the guardians of the core area. Only those who imprint their aura upon them can freely enter. If any outsider rashly trespasses, they will surely alert the two guardian lions, who will then expel or kill them." As he spoke, Bu Er took out a page of gold paper and handed it to Zhang Chen:
"This is proof that you are entering the academy. You will drip a drop of blood onto the paper and then put it into the mouth of the stone lion. From now on, the stone lion will record your scent, and you will be able to enter and leave freely without being attacked by the stone lion."

Upon hearing Bu Er's words, Zhang Chen took the gold paper and dripped a drop of blood into it. The paper quickly absorbed Zhang Chen's blood. Then, Zhang Chen went to the stone lions and saw the two stone lions open their eyes and stare at Zhang Chen menacingly. Only when Zhang Chen stuffed the paper into the mouths of the stone lions did their aura recede, and they returned to their statues, standing there motionless.

When Zhang Chen got closer, he realized that the stone lion was very tall, at least two meters high, much taller than him.

"Let's go in!" Bu Er led Zhang Chen into the pavilion. The pavilion had no main door, so the two of them went straight inside.

The first floor of the building is very spacious, covering tens of thousands of square meters. The entire floor is empty, without any furnishings.

"The first floor is too busy for people to live on," says Bu Erdao.

"I never imagined this pavilion would be tens of thousands of square meters; it's truly spacious," Zhang Chen exclaimed in praise. "This kind of engineering is nothing short of a masterpiece."

Keep in mind that this is Kyoto, a place where all magical powers are forbidden; the entire building must have been man-made.

Bu Er didn't speak, but led Zhang Chen to the center of the hall, where a staircase was located. One part of the staircase connected to the hundred-story skyscraper above, while another part led directly underground.

“Let’s go, Mr. Zhou is waiting for you underground.” Fuji took the lead and stepped into the underground.

As soon as Zhang Chen entered the basement, his pupils contracted and a look of shock appeared in his eyes. Why do you think that was?
Because Zhang Chen sensed the presence of the spiritual world!
That's right, it's the Thirty-Three Heavens where he often wanders around!

"How could this be? Could it be that someone in the real world has established a connection between the Thirty-Three Heavens and the material world?" Zhang Chen was shocked and filled with disbelief.

(End of this chapter)