In the dawn light, a procession clad in black cloaks traversed the vast, desolate expanse of the frozen tundra, where delicate snowflakes danced through the air, creating a unique ambiance.
After three arduous days of trekking, the majestic silhouette of the Teng Tian Mountain Range finally revealed itself, and the Qingluan Academy was now within sight.
The efficacy of the pale green ointment from Qingluan Academy is unparalleled by any modern salve; after each night of deep slumber, the swelling and pain in their feet would dissipate completely, even the wounds on the soles would scab over and heal.
It was precisely with the aid of this fragrant herbal ointment that Lin Xi and all the new students of the Department of Cessation of Conflict were able to persevere.
After three grueling days of travel, the faces of the forty-one new students had grown gaunt, yet their spirits were notably lifted, and each of them had developed a much heartier appetite.
Initially, the majority of the newcomers could manage only a small palm-sized piece of meat per meal, but now even the least hungry among them could consume nearly two such portions.
It remained uncertain whether by design or happenstance, but the wild yet composed black-haired man had not hunted any antelope since that night, instead bringing back larger and more robust elk.
The rich fat of these elk, when roasted, exuded an even more tantalizing aroma, which wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of the black cloaks made from North Sea otter pelts.
"What did that middle-aged man leave behind at Qingluan Academy?"
Walking in the middle of the line, Lin Xi gazed at the cold and enigmatic Teng Tian Mountain Range, where snowflakes danced in the air, shrouded in mist, distant and unattainable.
Though he had long since accepted his new identity and felt at home in this world, an indescribable emotion lingered within him, perhaps a sense of unfulfilled loneliness and misunderstanding, reminiscent of what he had shared with the old carriage driver. This made the legendary middle-aged man the true reason for his determination to enter Qingluan Academy.
Moreover, perhaps this middle-aged man could provide answers to many of his lingering questions.
...
A narrow stone path, wide enough for only two or three people to walk side by side, appeared at the foot of the mountain, winding upwards beneath a light dusting of snow. Before long, the snow transformed into a hard layer of ice and sharp ice shards.
The black-haired man was the first to step onto this path, moving with ease, as if it were no different from any ordinary stroll.
With a wild grin, he cast a menacing glance at Lin Xi and the others, declaring, "Watch your step; follow this path, and once we cross this ridge, we'll arrive. You must reach it before sunset today; if you can't make it, you'll have to spend the night on this path."
However, as everyone set foot on the stone path and looked up, they could see nothing of the mountain peak he had mentioned.
The Teng Tian Mountain Range was simply too towering; after a hundred steps, each ascent required immense exertion, and soon, apart from Xia Yanbing and the black-haired man, the remaining new students were reduced to crawling on hands and knees, and even then, they had to pause frequently to catch their breath.
Suddenly, a vast expanse of towering snow-covered cedar trees emerged at the end of the narrow icy path, as if they had stepped into another world. All the newcomers, panting heavily, fell silent after passing through the towering cedar forest that obscured the sky.
Before them lay a gentle slope, opposite which stood dozens of peaks adorned with majestic, sprawling palaces, their windows glinting in the sunlight.
Particularly, on the nearest peak, a series of interconnected palaces jutted out over the edge, seemingly hovering directly above their heads.
The jade-green walls and the golden-glazed tiles reflected the sunlight, making it difficult for the newcomers to keep their eyes open.
Lin Xi, too, found himself at a loss for words; the imagination of a modern person paled in comparison to the sight before him, as the grandeur of the palatial complex on the nearby peak surpassed even that of Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings.
"Why is it springtime here, blooming with flowers, rather than a frozen wasteland?" someone asked, bewildered.
"That's a foolish question," the black-haired man remarked, dismissively pointing towards the horizon.
The horizon revealed an even more towering mountain range, stretching like a colossal wall. This area, much like the Four Seasons Plain, was a basin nestled within the mountains; the cold currents from the north were obstructed by the great mountain range, creating turbulence that allowed the frigid winds to glide harmlessly above this highland basin.
The towering peaks, soaring hundreds of meters high, were merely protrusions within this grand mountain range.
"Let's keep climbing!"
The black-haired man and Xia Yanbing led the exhausted newcomers of the Department of Cessation of Conflict up to the nearest and relatively lower peak, finally arriving at a massive black wooden door.
"Did anyone fall behind?"
With a fist raised in laughter, the black-haired man struck the enormous black door with force.
"Crazy Qin…"
With a muttered curse, the door swung open, revealing a tall woman with a horse-like face, clad in a black professor's robe adorned with silver star insignia, standing at the entrance. Her stern expression gave everyone the impression that she was quite formidable and difficult to approach.
"Professor Li, long time no see. Shall we have a spar first?" the black-haired man said with a hearty laugh directed at the intimidating woman.
Professor Li shot him a fierce glare, ignoring him entirely, and effortlessly pulled open the half-meter-thick door, sternly addressing the weary newcomers of the Department of Cessation of Conflict, "Do not waste resources; otherwise, you will find yourselves at my mercy."
All the newcomers were perplexed by the professor's warning against wasting resources, but as they stepped through the deep entrance hall, they were left utterly speechless.
In a small courtyard paved with pebbles, over twenty large wooden tables were laden with food.
Roasted elk steaks, roasted pheasants, roasted deer meat, rice, pastries, an array of vegetables, and various tubers and fruits, many of which even the golden-spooned youth had never encountered.
"You may indulge freely now, as long as you can eat…" The black-haired man regarded the astonished newcomers with a knowing gaze.
"Ah!"
In an instant, the newcomers of the Department of Cessation of Conflict surged toward the tables laden with food like a pack of ravenous tigers.
To be honest, aside from the long hours of travel he had imposed on them, the black-haired man hadn't let them go hungry; however, after several days of unseasoned roasted meat, they could only fill their stomachs. The sight of the delectable fare on the wooden tables was irresistible.
Each person grabbed a bounty and began to feast heartily.
"Is this a welcome banquet? Won't it be an issue if we don't wait for the others?" someone asked, filled with doubt.
"Something like that," the black-haired man, who was currently devouring a whole roasted lamb, replied casually. "We in the Department of Cessation of Conflict do this every year; do you think it will be a problem? Just enjoy your meal; after all, you won't be able to finish it all, and even if you do, Professor Li will have more prepared."
"Will the others arrive here too? Are we staying here? Didn't they say there would be an important tradition to receive the dean's teachings? When will we receive Dean Zhang's teachings?" another newcomer couldn't help but inquire.
"No rush; that will be tomorrow at noon. You'll be staying in that area." The black-haired man gestured casually, and all the newcomers instinctively turned to follow his finger, discovering a seven-story tower-like building precariously perched on the edge of the mountain.
"Why aren't there any senior brothers or sisters?"
"All newcomers will stay on this peak; the seniors from other departments are on different peaks, and you'll have opportunities to meet them later. As for where you'll stay after a year, you'll understand in due time."
"Do we wait for all the others to arrive before receiving the dean's teachings? What will we do in the meantime?"
"Next, you will eat, sleep, and wait for them to arrive; you have an extra day to rest compared to them." The black-haired man shot a glance at all the newcomers, "Otherwise, how would you learn that greater effort often yields greater rewards?"
"Professor Qin… you're truly wonderful!" The newcomers were momentarily taken aback, then erupted into joyous cheers.
"Is that so?" Amidst the cheers and praises, the black-haired man lowered his head, engrossed in devouring the roasted lamb, a self-deprecating smile crossing his lips: "I only hope that among you, there will be fewer who disappoint me in the future."
"Other lecturers will not arrive until tomorrow, so you can only rest in this courtyard. After the other departments arrive and receive the dean's teachings, instructors will help arrange your living and courses," Xia Yanbing's serious voice chimed in. "No one is allowed to leave this courtyard; otherwise, you will be expelled from Qingluan Academy."
No one cared whether this rule was too harsh; the courtyard filled with food felt like paradise compared to the grueling days they had endured. Exhausted, the newcomers of the Department of Cessation of Conflict, even Lin Xi, who felt a slight regret at not being able to see what the middle-aged man had left behind, soon wrapped himself in the thick, soft cloak and fell into a deep slumber, oblivious to the world.
The next day, when the first newcomer of the Department of Cessation of Conflict awoke, the sunlight was already dazzling.
The black-haired man, wild and untamed, stood like a spear atop a building on the cliff's edge, gazing into the distance, leaving everyone wondering how he had ascended there.
At the foot of the Teng Tian Mountain Range, a large group of cloaked figures had gathered, resembling a swarm of black ants approaching the base of the mountain.
The weary students from the various departments finally arrived.
Prior to this, all the students from the Department of Cessation of Conflict had already enjoyed a hearty meal.
At the end of the line, a limping Meng Bai came into Lin Xi's view. "Lin Xi!" Upon seeing Lin Xi standing in line with the other new students from the Department of Cessation of Conflict, this noticeably thinner chubby boy was almost brought to tears.
"Wow!"
However, upon hearing that everything in this courtyard was free to eat, Meng Bai quickly surged to the front of the line.
Lin Xi noticed that Zhang Ping and Xiang Lin were in the middle of the queue, both looking rather pale. Upon seeing Lin Xi, they nodded in greeting. Lin Xi's gaze then fell upon Gao Ya Nan.
This girl, who made his heart race, had now removed her cloak, and her face seemed a bit gaunter. She casually picked some food and began to eat slowly while rubbing her legs, clearly feeling the toll of the recent journey.
"When did you arrive?"
"What did you eat these past few days?" After satisfying their hunger, those who had a closer relationship, like Meng Bai and Lin Xi, naturally began to converse softly.
"We arrived yesterday... we had those yellow antelopes and moose."
"Really? You ate that well?"
"How about you? Did you have a poor diet? What did you eat?"
"We had everything... wild rabbits, roots, snakes... even insects!"
"Ah?" Lin Xi and the other students from the Department of Cessation of Conflict exchanged wide-eyed glances, suddenly finding the black-haired man much more endearing. It turned out that although Meng Bai and the others from different departments hadn't rushed as much, they had spent considerable time figuring out how to fill their stomachs in the wilderness along the way—and most crucially, many of them still went hungry.
The theory of that middle-aged professor in the black robe was quite simple: only in a state of hunger can one clearly remember what is edible and what should not even be touched.
"Isn't this something we in the Department of Cessation of Conflict should learn? Why do the students from the Department of Civil Affairs, the Department of Internal Affairs, and the Department of Engineering need to learn this?" Li Kaiyun couldn't help but quietly ask Lin, Meng Bai, and Zhang Ping.
Xiang Lin whispered, "There was a senior from the Department of Civil Affairs who got trapped with a squad of border soldiers in a remote valley for half a month. He survived solely by using the skills he learned in the academy. Each department can choose to join the border soldiers during trials..."
"Clang... clang... clang..."
As most of the new students began to chat softly among themselves, a clear sound of bells rang out.
A row of over twenty instructors clad in black robes walked out from a corridor, appearing before them with solemnity and composure.
"Vice Dean Xia," all the stepping instructors bowed respectfully to the weathered, one-armed elder.
The elder did not speak, merely nodding in acknowledgment to the instructors.
"Everyone, form two lines and follow us."
A gray-haired instructor in his fifties coldly addressed all the new students, then turned and walked back through the corridor they had just come from.
This black-robed instructor had a sunken left eye devoid of light, and a long scar marred his left cheek. His appearance and tone instilled fear in many of the newcomers, prompting them to automatically form two lines and follow Vice Dean Xia and the other professors.
...
All the new students, including Lin Xi, were continuously surveying their surroundings.
The corridor's floor was paved with white marble, and every few dozen steps, there was a relief sculpture depicting the Qingluan and various floral designs. Everyone noticed that the wear on the ground was quite severe, indicating a long passage of time.
The towering halls appeared close, but as they truly navigated through them, the newcomers realized they were quite distant.
Some were separated by vast stretches of forest, while others were divided by rocky slopes.
The courtyard they had previously occupied felt like merely a gatehouse within this mountainous terrain.
Upon exiting the corridor, the instructors and professors ascended a wooden walkway.
This wooden path cut straight through a forest and unexpectedly passed through a massive clock tower.
The clock tower was constructed from rectangular yellow stones, topped with a large bronze bell, while long mugwort grass grew in the crevices between the yellow stones.
After passing through the clock tower, the wooden walkway branched into several paths, yet the instructors and professors continued straight ahead, toward a grand circular hall.
Lin Xi's breath momentarily caught in his throat.
This circular hall featured a triple-tiered roof adorned with azure, yellow, and green glazed tiles, resembling the design of the Temple of Heaven's Prayer Hall!
However, this nearly identical triple-tiered circular hall was three to four times larger than the Temple of Heaven's Prayer Hall!
Twenty-eight massive gilded nanmu pillars supported the structure, and the instructors and professors of Qingluan Academy lifted the hanging drapes as they entered the grand hall.
The floor was laid with large blue bricks, and every few dozen steps, there were rows of oil lamps shaped like cranes, already lit, illuminating the beams above. Intricate reliefs depicting scenes of warfare adorned the horizontal beams, while the walls of the east and west ceilings displayed carvings of a qilin and a mandarin duck. A middle-aged man's silhouette stood atop a crumbling city wall, with a sea of corpses and an army beyond, creating a breathtaking and harrowing image.
The interior of the hall was spacious, with twelve bronze lotus oil lamps surrounding a crimson stone tablet.
"This stone tablet is a piece of the city wall from the Fallen Star Tomb," the cold voice of the one-eyed black-robed instructor echoed through the hall, sending a shiver through the hearts of the new students still gazing around in wonder.
"Stand before this stone tablet and receive the admonitions left by the dean!"
Amidst the stern voice, Lin Xi found himself positioned before the stone tablet.
This was the most important tradition of Qingluan Academy.
All the new students beheld the "runes" upon the stone tablet, which indeed appeared exceedingly strange and incomprehensible to them, yet the three characters "Dean Zhang" evoked a profound sense of reverence and excitement within them.
However, as Lin Xi finally discerned the "runes" inscribed on the stone tablet, he found himself at a loss for how to feel. He was uncertain whether to let out a howl of joy or to weep uncontrollably.
For the "runes" on this stone tablet were, to him, nothing more than simple simplified characters.
"Fellow villager, you have finally arrived; it has not been easy... even a television cannot explain it, truly frustrating..."
This series of characters, which even the many professors of Qingluan Academy found perplexing, bore the essence of an entire world.
At that moment, he realized that the legendary middle-aged man was a traveler from the same place as him. In that instant, he understood that he was not merely trapped in a long dream; everything he experienced was real. In this world, he was no longer alone.
It was an overwhelming sense of kinship that was impossible to suppress.
He knew this middle-aged man was just like him; otherwise, he would never have inscribed such a phrase on this stone tablet.
Lin Xi trembled slightly, staring unblinkingly at the once-familiar words on the stone tablet, reading on.
"I come from Chongqing, and before arriving in this world, I was a high school physics teacher. Where do you come from, and what were you doing before?"
"I come from Wuxi, and I am a student..." Lin Xi replied silently in his heart.
"If you are reading the inscription on this stone tablet, then I am surely no longer in Qingluan Academy. Uh, that seems like a redundant statement... However, since you can understand, as a fellow villager from the same place, you should not mind if I ramble on a bit... Since you are a newcomer, your understanding of this world may not be as extensive as mine, right? Unless you are a doctoral student specializing in cosmic physics, I advise you not to waste your effort trying to decipher what kind of place this is, as I have spent many years without grasping it. The sun, moon, and stars are identical to those on Earth, yet it seems no such dynasty has ever existed on Earth... What parallel universe is this? What dimensional space? Overthinking it is meaningless. My thought is that since we have arrived, we should live well and make the most of our lives."
"Uncle, my thoughts align with yours..." Lin Xi quietly replied in his heart, as if he were conversing face to face with this middle-aged man.
"You must have noticed by now that the people in this world possess formidable combat abilities... They refer to this as soul power. Of course, I have always understood it as willpower or mental energy, or you could simply think of it as a special ability or the qi generated by meditation... Those who are powerful are truly remarkable; it is no exaggeration to say that for those slightly stronger, bullets are of little consequence, so do not foolishly imagine that you can dominate the world with a gun... To be honest, I have tried gunpowder, and it seems there are few materials in this world to produce it. It is better to focus on cultivating this soul power... Well, to get back on track, the most crucial question is, do you have a wheel in your mind?"
Lin Xi took a deep breath; the question was quite abrupt, yet it stirred a feeling of wanting to cry within him.
In a corner of his mind, he sensed a glowing azure light, resembling a luminous blue wheel.
"Well, if you don't have one, don't be disheartened; if you can't comprehend this part, just let it go... If you do have one, have you discovered that you can use it once a day, returning to a time ten stops before, which is ten minutes ago? ... Regarding this, I have indeed spent some effort researching what kind of power generates this 'special ability.' It is difficult for me to deduce, but I have speculated a possible formation of this phenomenon... Perhaps our souls occupy the bodies of this world, and the soul power of the bodies in this world combines with the energy that brought us here, producing such a thing... This wheel, from a physics perspective, should also be a form of energy... And I can now seriously tell you that this wheel can be nudged little by little..."