And then there was Wang Meng... ’Has that guy lost his mind?’ He was often seen muttering to himself and pulling out his hair, and would even bury himself in the ground for no reason.

It had to be said, aside from Mingren who was somewhat normal, the other four were quite unconventional.

Moo WuZheng still hoped all five of them would make it. After all, he had a vested interest in their success.

Finally, the month was up.

As the survivors gathered, they each had their own complex feelings about the ordeal.

Li Tianyi was the first to emerge, his calm demeanor radiating a flamboyant confidence. He liked it here; he liked this feeling.

The second to appear was Ma Tian’Er, which surprised Li Tianyi a little. He had expected Wang Meng, even if he were injured. But Ma Tian’Er looked completely unharmed. She was even clean, as if she had been bathing regularly.

The third was Mingren. He had spent the whole time hiding and dodging, but he had managed to survive.

After the three of them, they waited for a while. Seeing that Wang Meng, the one they were most confident in, had yet to appear, a trace of anxiety flickered in Ma Tian’Er’s eyes. ’Wang Meng’s strength is the most reliable. Could it be that he can’t adapt to the conditions of the Great Yuan Realm?’

Even Tang Wei had made it out. Though he was limping and covered in wounds, his gaze was as vicious as ever, like he wanted to devour someone.

They waited a little longer. Just as everyone was about to reach their mental limit, Wang Meng appeared. He was disheveled and filthy from head to toe, muttering to himself as he walked.

Ma Tian’Er, however, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

With a flash of blue light, Moo WuZheng appeared, clapping his hands.

"Haha, it’s wonderful to see all of you again. I’m truly delighted."

"Cut the crap. What’s the next test?" Tang Wei’s voice was a bit hoarse.

"There are no more, of course not. From this day forward, you are all members of the Cultivation Academy. Thanks to you passing, the Holy Hall will also receive five Star Alliance points. Congratulations."

With a wave of Moo WuZheng’s hand, a bracelet-like object appeared in each of their five hands.

"Put them on. These are Star Rings, the symbol of the Cultivation Academy." Moo WuZheng’s tone carried a lofty pride, not directed at these few individuals, but more of a general self-importance.

Seeing that the five of them seemed unconcerned, Moo WuZheng smiled faintly. "You’d best pay close attention to this. Put it on, and you’ll understand everything."

’When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Wang Meng didn’t hesitate. He clasped it onto his wrist, and information instantly flooded into his mind, transmitted by the information Array Technique inscribed upon it.

Cultivation Academy Rules:

The Star Ring is the symbol of a Cultivation Academy student’s identity.

Wearers of the Star Ring are protected by the laws of the Star Alliance within the Great Yuan Realm.

...

Moo WuZheng watched the five of them, anticipating their reactions. Upon entering the Cultivation Academy, they would be protected in the Great Yuan Realm. This meant that outside the academy, powerful experts from the various Small Thousand Realms could not attack them without reason. However, within the academy, a cruel law of survival existed. A year after enrollment, they would be required to accept challenges and challenge others, with at least one battle per month. Only those with a win rate of over fifty percent within the year would be qualified to stay.

So what would happen to those who failed?

Leave?

’Too naive.’ The only way to leave the Cultivation Academy was to become powerful enough to be granted special permission, or to break through the Fifty Layers.

For losers, there was only death.

Moo WuZheng observed them. The Saint Cultivators from the various Small Thousand Worlds all shared a common flaw—their lives were too comfortable, too carefree. And Saint Cultivators were especially afraid of death.

These few, however, were quite special. They showed no fear, and some even looked ferocious... ’Could it be that they’re just scared stiff?’

"Wang Meng! Li Tianyi! You two remember this: I, Tang Wei, will defeat you!"

Having said his piece, Tang Wei walked away. The Star Ring contained all the relevant information he needed.

Moo WuZheng was stunned. ’Damn, these rookies have no respect at all! They’re acting like I don’t even exist.’ It was also rare to see newcomers start infighting right off the bat. ’How strange.’

"Brothers, I’ll be on my way." Ma Tian’Er had no intention of sticking with them either.

"Brother Mingren, let’s do our best! We can definitely make it!"

Li Tianyi left as well.

Wang Meng shrugged. He had a feeling things were about to get interesting.

In the blink of an eye, only Mingren was left. Moo WuZheng was completely speechless. ’Are you kidding me? Don’t these people have any common sense?’

’They’ve arrived in a strange, dangerous place. Shouldn’t they be asking a senior like him for advice? Shouldn’t they be trying to get on his good side?’

’Still, one smiling fellow was left. Even though this guy’s aptitude is poor, he should at least be sensible. If he knows how to suck up properly, I wouldn’t mind giving him a few pointers.’

The Holy Hall wasn’t usually like this. But as luck would have it, while this group might not have been the most outstanding in the Holy Hall’s several-hundred-year history, they were definitely the most eccentric. Mingren offered a humble smile. "Hello, thank you, and goodbye."

And with that, he also left. A gust of wind blew past, leaving Moo WuZheng standing there all alone.

’Damn it!’

Wang Meng infused a bit of Elemental Power into his Star Ring. It activated, projecting a holographic array that displayed a miniature "Wang Meng."

Wang Meng. Origin: Four Directions Small Thousand World. Affiliated Sect: "Holy Hall" (Rank 186). Record: Zero Wins, Zero Losses.

He arrived at the Cultivation Academy. It wasn’t actually that far. Wang Meng felt the Broken Heaven Edge beneath his feet shudder and immediately descended.

Before him appeared a massive... city.

Even for someone as worldly as Wang Meng, the sight of this colossal Cultivation City was a shock.

Compared to this, the Holy Hall truly felt like it was in the countryside. The city was simply too vast. As far as the eye could see, there were Cultivators of every description.

He even saw Ancestral Master Level experts... It seemed titles like Ancestral Master or Elder were useless here. In the Star Alliance, only Star Alliance designations mattered. Ancestral Master Level was merely equivalent to having broken through Minor Perfection.

’Could things get any more discouraging?’

Wang Meng’s Star Ring flashed with light. He tapped it, and an image of Ning Zhiquan appeared.

"Junior Brother Wang, welcome. Come join me for a gathering this evening."

"Thank you, Brother Ning."

Now that they were here, all the old grudges and feuds from their time at the Holy Hall could be forgotten. Holding onto such things here was meaningless. The Holy Hall was nothing special in this place.

As Wang Meng walked, hardly anyone gave him a second glance. In their eyes, he was just another rookie newly arrived in the Great Yuan Realm.

This was the Star Alliance’s Starlight City, a concentration of experts from every Small Thousand Realm. What one could learn, trade, and obtain here was impossible to find anywhere else. What Wang Meng was seeing was merely the tip of the iceberg.

The Cultivators of Starlight City were long accustomed to seeing country bumpkins gaping at the big city.

Wang Meng followed the directions to the Cultivation Academy. The architectural style was completely different from anything he had ever seen. How to describe it... it didn’t resemble the Four Directions Small Thousand World, but was more like the mortal realm, albeit a version several hundred years more advanced.

A pair of bronze gates, so enormous they seemed to reach the heavens, were engraved with all sorts of strange symbols, as well as figures of Demon Beasts and people. Wang Meng stared for a long time but couldn’t recognize a single one. At the very top was a four-character inscription, written in a script common to the Small Thousand Realms—Cultivation Academy.

The Star Ring was the key. As he entered the gates, he was clearly scanned by an Array Technique. The convenience of the Star Ring was indescribable. The ring itself was a type of Magical Artifact, but its craftsmanship was far beyond Wang Meng’s understanding—something unimaginable back in the Holy Hall.

They were still preoccupied with forging primitive offensive and defensive Magical Artifacts, while the Star Ring clearly belonged to a higher level of technology.

At that moment, Wang Meng suddenly understood why they were ranked 186th. If you didn’t know a place like this existed, that was one thing. But once you did, who could possibly resist its allure?

Wang Meng found his living quarters. The moment he saw Starlight City, he had given up any hope of a lavish immortal’s cave. Here, one’s preconceptions were constantly being overturned.

A row of box-like rooms. He touched his Star Ring to the door, and it slid open.

It was very simple. A bed for sleeping, and a Quiet Chamber, obviously for Cultivation. It was truly "fully equipped" yet incredibly minimalist.

For Wang Meng, who had slept in grass huts and weathered the elements, this was a piece of cake.

Wang Meng flopped onto the bed in a starfish position... ’The bed is sturdy. It didn’t collapse. That’s an improvement.’

’Might as well make the best of it.’ Wang Meng was a little excited. Just then, a knock came from the door... ’Who would be looking for me at this hour?’

A sense of caution naturally arose in his heart. He opened the door to find a guy with a dead-serious expression.

"Hello, I am Fan Hong, a disciple of the Dharma Flower Sect from the Tide Small Thousand Realm. I am very smart and very talented. Please take good care of me."

He finished with a deep bow.

Wang Meng instantly felt as if a few crows were flying overhead. He opened his mouth to offer a polite reply, but Fan Hong was already at the next door.

BANG~~~

The person in that room didn’t even let him finish, just snapped, "Weirdo," and slammed the door.

Fan Hong stared blankly at the door, then turned his gaze back to Wang Meng. A shiver went down Wang Meng’s spine, and he immediately shut his own door.

’Damn, looks like there’s no shortage of weirdos here.’

The place Ning Zhiquan had chosen was outside the Cultivation Academy. It was called the Drunken Heart Tower. The name was quite nice, and the building was grand. Wang Meng was dazzled by the sights along the way. After changing into the Cultivation Academy’s Cultivation Attire, he noticed that the Cultivators of Starlight City paid them little mind.

The apprentices of the Cultivation Academy were all under the protection of the Star Alliance. No one was willing to risk trouble without a special reason.

For the first time since arriving at the Holy Hall, Wang Meng once again felt what it was like to be just another face in the crowd. There were too many powerful people here; newcomers like them attracted no attention at all.

He had assumed that since Ning Zhiquan had arrived earlier and was heavily favored by the Ancestral Masters, he would have chosen a grand venue, or at least gotten a private room. Instead, he found Ning Zhiquan in a remote corner.

"Hehe, Wang Meng, you made it. Tang Wei’s injuries haven’t healed, so he didn’t come, but everyone else is here. By the way, let me introduce you to two of our seniors from the Holy Hall."

Besides Li Tianyi and the others, there were two unfamiliar Holy Hall Disciples. It seemed they were from an earlier batch sent to the Cultivation Academy. To have survived under these rules for so long, they were by no means simple.

The two of them gave Wang Meng a cursory, arrogant glance. Ning Zhiquan, however, made the introductions gently.

"This is Brother Hex Zui and Brother Mu Ziqing. They are our seniors and have been here for several decades."

Ning Zhiquan explained, "Now that we’re in the Cultivation Academy, we Holy Hall Disciples must stick together. Everyone else is a rival, or even an enemy. Brothers, these are all newcomers. Please offer them some advice."

In front of the two seniors, Ning Zhiquan was very humble, like a completely different person from the Ning Zhiquan of Dao Guang Hall.

Hex Zui and Mu Ziqing remained unhurried, paying no mind to Ning Zhiquan’s humility.