My face felt wet. I opened my eyes hazily and saw that it was the black dragon licking me. I smiled and stroked its big head. "Good boy, what time is it now?" Only after I spoke did I realize that it couldn't answer me. I fed it some more food, then went back to the inn myself, took a bath, had a good meal, and returned to my room to continue my slumber.
When I woke up, it was already midnight. I stretched my muscles and did a set of the Crazy Thunder Thirteen Fists in the courtyard. After a day of rest, my physical strength had basically recovered. If it hadn't been for the dark power of the Heavenly Demon Skill these past two days, I probably wouldn't even be able to get out of bed yet, even if I had managed to hold on. I wonder how the other examinees are doing.
I sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice the Heavenly Demon Skill. Dark magic couldn't be easily used in the Dragon God Empire. Although there were also dark mages here, their number was extremely small. If I was discovered to know dark magic, I might be accused of being a spy sent by the Demon Race. After two hours of cultivation, the dark power in my body had reached its peak state. I raised my right hand and chanted, "Great God of Darkness, take my soul as sacrifice, take my life as a bridge, bestow upon me your endless divine power, form a solid barrier, and protect your servant. —— Dark Barrier."
As the incantation was chanted, centered around me, a thick black fog began to appear 1 meter in front of me, wrapping me within. This was the most powerful dark magic I could use now. It was quite similar to the dark barrier of dark mages, but its defensive power was much stronger, sufficient to withstand the attack of an intermediate-level magic.
Good. With this Dark Barrier, my defensive power has become even stronger. I slowly retracted the dark magic power, but my head suddenly felt dizzy and my body swayed involuntarily. The backlash of dark magic is really fierce. Even with my such a robust physique, I can hardly endure it. I quickly activated the Heavenly Demon Skill, and the dizzy feeling gradually disappeared.
It was already broad daylight. I first went to the stable and fed the black dragon. Who knew how long this exam would take this time.
There were exactly a thousand people participating in the second round of the examination gathered on the field of Tiandu Academy. They were arranged in 20 rows according to the order of their numbers, forming a rectangular formation on the playground.
That voice from last time sounded again, "All examinees, today is the second round of the examination. In this second round, three hundred people will be selected from among you one thousand. I hope everyone can show their true strength. There will be an invigilator in front of each row. Please proceed with the test in the order of your numbers."
In front of the playground, there was a row of tables. On the tables, there was a large iron plate about three centimeters thick. Behind the tables sat the invigilators.
I was the first to walk to the front of my row. The invigilator held a register and said, "You're Lei Xiang, number 1, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. The content of the exam is to leave a mark in the grid with your number on the iron plate on the table. The deeper the better. You're not allowed to use weapons. Both magic and battle qi are allowed. Start now. You have half a minute."
I looked down and saw that there were 50 grids on this large iron plate with numbers written on them. This was too easy, wasn't it? The iron plate was no different from tofu in my hands. A hint of a contemptuous smile appeared on the corner of my mouth. I extended the index finger of my right hand and pressed it on the iron plate, preparing to drill a hole in it. The invigilator saw my contemptuous smile and sneered inwardly. He thought to himself, just wait to make a fool of yourself, kid. This is an iron plate with a magic-empowered enchantment on it.
When my finger was still two centimeters away from the iron plate, I felt that I couldn't press it down any further. An invisible stream of air stopped me from going deeper. I suddenly had a flash of understanding. So there was more to it than met the eye. I said it couldn't be that simple. I gradually concentrated the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Armor Removal Technique on my index finger, let out a loud shout, "Break!" and pressed down with all my might. I could feel the intense friction between my index finger and that stream of air. My finger pressed down bit by bit. The tenacity of the air stream exceeded my imagination. Due to the inward concavity of the air stream, the iron plate gradually formed a deeper and deeper mark.
Since I couldn't break through the air stream like this, I exerted even more strength. I diverted a bit of the dark power in my body to my finger. A flash of black energy appeared on my finger, and with a "whoosh", it pierced through the air stream. Without the protection of the air stream, the iron plate was as easy to pierce as paper, and I smoothly made a hole in it. The table underneath didn't escape either.
The invigilator's mouth opened wide in an "O" shape because even for him, it would be very difficult to break through this enchantment, yet I, a freshman, had actually managed to do it.
I gathered my qi in my dantian and slowly retracted my finger, saying in a cold voice, "Teacher, is that okay?"
The invigilator was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and said, "Alright. In all my years of invigilating, I've never seen anyone as powerful as you. What kind of technique did you use just now? Why did your finger turn black?" As he spoke, he wrote down his evaluation of me in the register. Since I was tall, I could just see it. I took a quick glance and it seemed to say that I had pierced through the iron plate and that this examinee had great strength.
I had already thought up an explanation and said, "I learned it from an old man. He said it's called the Mysterious Heaven Finger. I didn't expect it to come in handy today."
The invigilator picked up the iron plate and said, "This one can't be used anymore. The enchantment has been broken. I need to go and get a replacement. You can go and take a rest on the playground first. The results will be announced after all the tests are done."
I bowed respectfully and then stepped aside. I didn't want to go too far because I wanted to see the strength of the other examinees to determine whether I could be selected.
Before long, the invigilator came back with a new iron plate and called the next examinee to take the test. I watched over a dozen people, but none of them could compare with me. At most, they could only make a dent about one centimeter deep in the iron plate. One examinee was really funny. He must have been learning fire magic. He continuously launched fireballs at the iron plate, but couldn't leave a single mark. Seeing that time was almost up, he chanted, "Omnipresent fire spirits, bestow upon me endless flames, burn everything in front of me —— Blazing Blast." This was an intermediate-level fire magic. It seemed quite powerful. The invigilator quickly cast a water magic shield for himself. After the Blazing Blast, there was a "boom", attracting the attention of all the examinees in the field. However, it was the table that collapsed while the iron plate remained intact.
When that examinee saw this situation, he knew there was no hope. He turned around, looking both funny and frustrated. Many examinees burst out laughing. What was even more exasperating was the invigilator. While writing the examinee's comment, he muttered to himself, "Why do I keep meeting oddballs today? One breaks the iron plate, and one burns the table. Really..."
I felt that I should be able to pass, so I stopped observing the other examinees. I walked to the side, found a shady place, sat down, breathed in the fresh fragrance of the plants, and waited for the results to be announced.
I was closing my eyes and resting my mind when I suddenly noticed that there seemed to be someone new beside me. I opened my eyes and saw that it was exactly the guy who had set the table on fire just now.
He sat beside me and was looking at me. When he saw that I had opened my eyes, he said, "Hello, big brother. I saw you pierce through the iron plate just now. Why couldn't I do it? After all my efforts, the table was broken, but the iron plate was still intact." As he spoke, his face was filled with a look of helplessness.
I glanced at him, and his words made me feel like laughing. I said, "Concentrate your strength." After saying that, I closed my eyes again. Although I only said six words, they gave him a great deal of inspiration.
He slapped his own head and said, "That's right. Why didn't I think of that? Let me see. I know a Fire Cone magic. It should work. I'll go and try again." With that, he ran off.
I shook my head, wondering if the invigilator would let him take the test again. Then I closed my eyes and continued to rest.
I don't know how much time had passed when the loudspeaker sounded again, "All examinees, please line up in the original formation. The examination results will be announced now."
I opened my eyes. It turned out that everyone had finished the test and were wandering around the playground in twos and threes. I walked to the place where I should stand, thinking that I was surely going to pass this time.
Sure enough, the invigilator from before came over, and the examinee who had set the table on fire was following beside him. When that examinee saw me, he made a gesture of success towards me.
The invigilator gave him a helpless look and said, "Go on, line up first." He shrugged his shoulders and ran to the back.
"Alright, I'm going to announce the list of those who have passed this examination. Lei Xiang, passed. Hua Song, passed. ..." He read out more than a dozen names in succession. The invigilator closed the register in his hand and said, "Those whose names have been called stay behind. Those who haven't been called can go back. If you are not over 18 years old, you can come and take the exam again next year."
Many examinees turned around dejectedly and left. The results of other teams had also been announced more or less. There were only the three hundred examinees who had passed the examination left on the field.
Twenty rows of examinees stood unevenly on the playground. After about the time it took to have a meal, several older teachers arrived. Presumably, they held rather high positions.
One of the teachers, in his fifties and wearing a magic robe, announced, "Alright, everyone, quiet down. I'm Zhang Feng, the dean of the Academic Affairs Office of the college. Congratulations to all of you for being admitted to our college. Now, let's welcome our respected Dean Yue Han, a Magus, to address you." From his voice, I recognized him as the one who had made the announcements over the loudspeaker.
The examinees on the playground offered scattered applause. An old mage, probably in his sixties or seventies, stepped forward. He first cleared his throat twice and then said, "I am the dean of this college. First and foremost, on behalf of the college, I welcome you all as freshmen. Secondly, I hope that in your future studies, you'll be unafraid of hardship, work hard, and strive to enhance yourselves as quickly as possible. Our college has produced over 230 Dragon Knights and is the leading college in the Dragon God Empire. (Later, I learned that each of the four major colleges claims to be the top one.) I hope that some of you will also earn this glorious title. Finally, and this is a requirement for all of you, romantic relationships are strictly prohibited on campus. Well, that's all for my speech." With that, he turned around and headed back to the teaching building.
The earlier part of his speech, especially the bit about Dragon Knights, made most of the students excited (most excluding me, as the Dragon Clan would never accept non - humans). They were eager to immediately mount a flying dragon and show off. But when they heard the last rule, everyone was taken aback. At the age of 16 or 17, they were in a stage of being curious about romantic relationships and full of fantasies. Hearing the dean's words, they couldn't help but feel somewhat dissatisfied. Suddenly, there was a hubbub of discussion on the playground.
The dean of the Academic Affairs Office shot an unhappy glance at the dean's retreating figure. Evidently, he was displeased with the dean's way of speaking. He shouted loudly, "Everyone, quiet down. Everyone, quiet down. What the dean said is quite right. For all of you to cultivate better in the college, it's advisable to avoid romantic entanglements so as not to affect your studies. Now, we'll start the class - division. Students who study martial arts, stand on the west side. Students who study magic, stand on the east side. Students who practice both magic and martial arts, stand in the middle."
All the freshmen gradually dispersed. I thought to myself that since I was here to learn surreptitiously, it would be better to learn a bit of everything, so I took my place in the middle. The number of students who studied martial arts was the largest, making up half of the total. There were also over 100 students who studied magic, while only around 40 students practiced both magic and martial arts. Subsequently, the class - division commenced. In total, six classes were formed: three martial - arts classes, two magic classes, and one class for those who practiced both magic and martial arts.
After the class division was completed, the dean of the Academic Affairs Office said, "Well, the class division is over. Today, everyone can go back and tidy up your things. Bring your daily necessities and report to the college tomorrow. In the future, you are not allowed to go home except during holidays and must all live on campus. Now, dismissed."
While Director Zhang hadn't left yet, I quickly ran over to him after the dismissal and said, "Director Zhang, can I bring my horse to the college and keep it here?" I really needed to find a good place for my black dragon.
The dean of the Academic Affairs Office frowned and said seriously, "You'd better find a way to deal with it, like selling it or boarding it somewhere else."
I said, "But my horse only eats the food I give it. It's a really good horse. I'm willing to pay more tuition fees. Look, can you make an exception?" For the sake of the black dragon, I, who was usually proud, had to humble myself.
As soon as he heard that I was willing to pay more money, the dean of the Academic Affairs Office's eyes lit up immediately. After thinking for a while, he said, "Bring your horse tomorrow. I'll arrange for it to be in the teachers' stable." With that, he turned to leave. Were teachers like this nowadays, so interested in money?
I stopped him again. He said unhappily, "What else is there?"
"My horse is rather fierce. It's better to arrange a separate stable for it. Otherwise, I'm afraid it might kick and hurt other horses."
Director Zhang said impatiently, "All right, but you have to pay more. Three gold coins a month." He was really greedy. The tuition fee for half a year was only 20 gold coins, and the rent for the stable was almost the same as the tuition. Fortunately, I still had a lot of money. Before I left, my father gave me a gold card of the Dragon God Empire, which had 5,000 gold coins in it, more than enough for my use.
"Okay, thank you, Director. I'll bring it tomorrow. I'll be going now." The director watched me leave and smiled slyly. He muttered to himself, "It seems I can make an extra fortune again."
When I got back to the inn, I packed my things, then went to the bank to withdraw 200 gold coins for future use. After that, I went to the stable and gave the black dragon a good wash.
I had finally been admitted to Tiandu Academy by my own ability, taking the first step towards completing my mission. I felt a rare sense of excitement in my heart.
I led the black dragon to Tiandu Academy, but as soon as I reached the gate, I was stopped by the doorkeeper.
"You're a student, aren't you? Don't you know that it's not allowed to bring horses to Tiandu Academy?"
I said coldly, "I didn't know. I only know that Director Zhang of the Academic Affairs Office told me to bring it here."
The doorkeeper was immediately at a loss for words. I pulled the black dragon and walked inside. Vaguely, I heard the doorkeeper behind me complaining discontentedly, "He's just a freshman. What's there to be so cocky about?"
After entering the college, I went straight to the teaching building. I told the black dragon to wait for me outside. I needed to go through the enrollment procedures first and then come back to settle it down. I went to the Academic Affairs Office and knocked on the door. Director Zhang's voice came from inside, "Come in."
I pushed the door open and entered the office of the Academic Affairs Office. It was really big, with eight desks placed inside, and several teachers were sitting there. I thought I had come quite early, but there were already six or seven students in the room, all of whom obviously looked like freshmen. Director Zhang clearly remembered me, the student who had paid to rent a stable. He took the initiative to greet me, "You're here. I've been waiting for you for a long time. You can go through the enrollment procedures first. What's your name?" Several other freshmen looked at me. They were all boys. One of the boys even said, "We came here earlier. Why should he go first?" Director Zhang gave him a fierce look, and he didn't dare to say anything more.
"My name is Lei Xiang," I said indifferently.
"Lei Xiang, right?" Director Zhang flipped through the register, then looked at me and said, "The tuition fee for one semester is 20 gold coins, the accommodation fee is 5 gold coins, the food fee is 5 gold coins, the textbook fee is 1 gold coin, and the miscellaneous fee is 2 gold coins. You also have a horse, right? I'll collect the fee for half a year first, which is 18 gold coins. Let me calculate... In total, it's 51 gold coins. Pay up."
The other students were all stunned and looked at the dean of the Academic Affairs Office with astonished eyes as if they wanted to say something. However, Zhang Feng gave them a fierce look, scaring the words back down their throats.
I knew that he must be taking advantage of me, but in order to stay in the college smoothly in the future, I pretended not to know. I took out 51 gold coins from my bosom and handed them over.
Director Zhang immediately put on a beaming smile and started counting the gold coins. It took him a while to snap out of his intoxication with the gold coins. He took out a key and handed it to me, saying, "Here you are. This is the key to your dormitory. The room number is on the key. Go and find it yourself. Go to Classroom 106 on the first floor of the main teaching building for classes tomorrow." I took the key and said, "Okay. Then where will my horse be settled?"
So focused on collecting the money, Director Zhang had long forgotten about this matter. He gave an embarrassed smile and quickly said, "I'll take you there now. You guys wait a moment."
I followed him out of the teaching building. As soon as we reached the door, both of us were startled. There were dozens of students gathered at the door, and most of them were whispering to each other.
I used my strong arms to push through the crowd and walked in. As I had expected, the one surrounded was the black dragon. Everyone was commenting on it. There was even a bold girl who was about to go over and touch it. She was saying, "Hello, little black horse (I almost fainted. The black dragon is two zhang long and eight chi tall, and she still calls it a little black horse. She's so naive). Do you have an owner? Can I touch you?" I was just about to stop her, but I was a step too late.
The black dragon let out an angry neigh, and its front hooves rose high, about to stomp down on the girl. The girl was so frightened by the sudden change that she fell to the ground. Just as she was about to become the second innocent victim under the black dragon's hooves, I showed up.
I flashed over quickly and held up the black dragon's stomping front hooves. Just like the time when I tamed it, due to the rush, I was pushed back a step by the black dragon's powerful impact. When the black dragon saw that it was me, it let out a joyful roar, and then I released its front hooves. I turned around and shouted at the frightened girl, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why did you touch it?"
The girl stood up from the ground. She was a very cute little girl with long purple hair reaching down to her waist, a petite figure, and a very beautiful face. Her skin was as white as jade, and her big eyes were filled with tears. Her little face was deathly pale from fright, and she stammered, "I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes. I waved my hand impatiently and said, "Stay away from the black dragon in the future."
"Who is this guy? He's so strong."
"He's really fierce. It's the first time I've seen someone be so fierce to Zixue."
Just as I was about to leave, pulling the horse, several senior students rushed over from the side. The leader was over 1.8 meters tall and was quite handsome, but one could tell from his eyes that he was a violent person. He stretched out his hand to stop me and said, "Quickly apologize to Miss Zixue. Do you think you can leave just like that after scaring her?"
I slapped his outstretched hand away and said coldly, "What business is it of yours?"
He immediately flew into a rage and said arrogantly, "Anyone who dares to bully Zixue is my enemy. I'll deal with you." As he spoke, he was about to charge at me.
A clear voice rang out, "Wait a minute, Warren. Why are you causing trouble again? Leave quickly. I won't pursue this. Otherwise, you'll go to the Academic Affairs Office and stand in punishment for me."
When the young man named Warren saw that the dean of the Academic Affairs Office had intervened, he snorted resentfully and left a harsh word, "Just you wait, kid. You'll pay for this later."
I smiled disdainfully and said, "Anytime. But let me tell you first, I don't hold back. Don't blame me if you end up missing an arm or a leg."
Warren was so angry that his eyes seemed about to pop out. He shouted, "You..."
Zhang Feng said, "Alright, stop arguing. If you argue any more, I'll put you both in detention."
Only then did Warren leave with his lackeys resentfully. The examinee who had burned the table yesterday also came. He came up to me and whispered, "I'll come to find you later." I turned my head to look at him but didn't reply.
Zhang Feng walked up to Zixue and asked, "Zixue, are you okay? Don't be so reckless in the future."
Zixue lowered her head and said, "Yes, Director."
"Alright, you can go first. Everyone else, disperse. Lei Xiang, come with me."
I gave Zixue another fierce look. She was also looking at me. When our eyes met, Zixue quickly lowered her head. A blush appeared on her face, and the expression she showed was indescribably cute. I was stunned for a moment and only turned around, led the black dragon, and followed Director Zhang when I heard his call.
On the way, Zhang Feng looked at the black dragon and praised, "This horse of yours is really good. But it's just too fierce. It seems that I really have to find you a separate stable. You should be careful in the future. To boost the students' enthusiasm for cultivation, the college allows fair duels." I didn't expect that the snobbish dean of the Academic Affairs Office would also care about me. After hearing his words, I finally felt that he had a bit of the demeanor of an elder.
"Okay, I'll pay attention. Thank you."
After settling the black dragon, I was going to find the place where I would live for a long time. I looked at the key in my hand. It was engraved with 6-3-4, and I didn't know what it meant.
Just as I was walking, the freshman who had burned the table ran over, gasping for breath, and said, "I finally found you. Have you settled your horse?"
I gave a "hmm" in response.
"Which dormitory are you in?"
I showed him the key. He said, "6-3-4. Great! We're in the same dormitory. It's Room 4, Floor 3, Building 6. Let's go. I just came from there."
"My name is Feng Yun. What's your name?"
"Lei Xiang!"
"Ah! We're really destined. One is 'wind' and the other is 'thunder'. By the way, I haven't thanked you for that day yet. The method you taught me really worked. I made a mark more than one centimeter deep on the iron plate."
I asked curiously, "How did you get the invigilator to agree to let you take the test again?"
He smiled mysteriously, rubbed his thumb and index finger together, and said with a sly smile, "Hehe, money makes the world go round. It cost me the money I earned from a month's part-time job to make it happen."
I was completely speechless. Were all the teachers in this school like this, only caring about money?
"Lei Xiang, you're so tall. It's rare to see someone as tall as you among humans."
"Oh!" You haven't seen my clansmen yet. They're all over four meters tall. But it's better not to see them. Otherwise, they'll definitely tear you apart. Hmm, why am I suddenly concerned about this guy I just met? I shook my head, trying to get rid of this thought.
"Your horse is still a foal, right?"
"Really? How do you know?" When he mentioned the black dragon, I became somewhat interested.
"I've learned the art of appraising horses. Your horse should be only a little over one year old. Your black dragon is the best horse I've ever seen."
"Actually, I don't know how old it is either. I bought it from a horse farm."
"There are such good horses for sale at the horse farm? I'll go and take a look if I get the chance in the future. Well, here we are. This is our home from now on. Let's go in quickly." I was dragged into the dormitory by him.
The conditions of the dormitory were quite good. There were two bunk beds at the innermost part. The bedding on them was brand new. It seemed that four people were supposed to live here. Now, it was just me and Feng Yun. Outside the beds, there were two desks on one side and four iron lockers on the other side, which were presumably for storing things. In the corner, there were daily necessities such as brooms, washbasins, and mops.
Feng Yun pointed to the lower bunk on the right and said, "I'll sleep here. Lei Xiang, where will you sleep?"
I pointed to the upper bunk above his and said, "I'll sleep above you." I chose a locker and put all my things in it.
Feng Yun said, "That guy who tried to pick a fight with you just now has quite a background. He's a third-year student, and he seems to be studying martial arts. His family is of noble birth, and his father is supposedly a viscount or something. It's better to stay away from him in the future."
"Are nobles really that overbearing?"
Feng Yun thought to himself that you're not much less overbearing than him, but he replied, "Yeah, the class rule in the Dragon God Empire is very strict. Nobles have many preferential conditions. Most of the people who come here want to master martial arts and then join the army to become nobles."
"What's the background of that little girl with purple hair?"
"Her? She's like a princess in the hearts of many people in the college. She's a second-year student and one of the campus belles of the college. She has quite a few suitors. However, since the college doesn't allow students to have romantic relationships, she's still single. Why, are you interested in her?"
I said in a deep voice, "Don't talk nonsense." But in my mind, Zixue's cute face appeared. The term "campus belle" was quite new to me, so I continued to ask, "Are there other campus belles in the college?"
"Yes. There are over 2,000 people in the college, and there are eight great beauties among them. Zixue ranks sixth. I'll introduce the others to you when we meet them later."
I asked curiously, "Why do you know so much about the college? Aren't you a freshman too?"
He gave an embarrassed smile and whispered to me, "I'll just tell you, but don't tell anyone else. I worked as a handyman in the college for a year last year, so that's why I know so much about it."
Only then did I suddenly understand. It seemed that he had really put in a lot of effort to get admitted here.
At this moment, two people came in from outside. To my surprise, they were exactly alike. Was this what human twins were like? I secretly wondered in my heart.
When Feng Yun saw them coming in, he took the initiative to greet them, "Do you guys live in this dormitory too?"
One of them in the front said, "Yeah, I'm Huoxing (Fire Travel), and he's Huoxing (Fire Star). We're twins from Kunsi City."
Feng Yun said happily, "Then we'll be roommates from now on. I'm Feng Yun, from Harin City. He's Lei Xiang. Oh, by the way, Lei Xiang, where are you from?"
I was secretly alarmed and said, "I don't have a home. I've been wandering around everywhere."
Feng Yun said, "Oh, then your life must have been really tough. Two brothers surnamed Huo, you can live in the upper and lower bunks on this side. Since you two look so alike, how can we tell you apart?"
The Huo brothers smiled at each other. Huoxing (Fire Travel) said, "I'm the elder brother. I have a small mole at the corner of my left eye, and my younger brother doesn't have it."
"Ah, that makes it easy to recognize. You both have the surname Huo. Do you study fire magic?"
Huoxing (Fire Star) nodded and said, "We practice both magic and martial arts. We combine fire magic with swordsmanship." So they were the same as me. Judging from the surface, they both had remarkable strength.
Feng Yun said, "That must be really amazing. You three are all magic warriors, and I'm the only mage."
Huoxing (Fire Travel) said, "Is Lei Xiang also a magic warrior? What kind of magic do you study?"
I said coldly, "I haven't studied magic yet. I'll learn it later."
"Ah? If you haven't studied magic, how did you get into the magic warrior class?"
He sure talked a lot of nonsense, just like Feng Yun. I said impatiently, "I like magic. Can't I learn it later?"
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit tense, Feng Yun quickly interjected, "Come on, let's go have a meal. I'm starving."
...
Lying on the bed, I looked at the ceiling that was less than one meter away from my face and thought that I had finally taken the first step of my mission. In the future, I just needed to study and cultivate more. I calmed myself down and started to practice the Heavenly Demon Skill. In order not to be discovered by them, I could only practice while lying down. Although I wasn't used to it, the effect was still quite good.
Early in the morning, I got up. They were all still asleep. It was just barely dawn. I went to the door of the dormitory alone and did a set of the Crazy Thunder Thirteen Fists to stretch my muscles and bones. The cafeteria hadn't opened yet. I ran to the stable. The black dragon was doing fine. I fed it some feed and then led it out. I rode it and circled the playground a few times. I didn't send it back until it was broad daylight.
When I got back to the dormitory, the other three had already gotten up. Seeing me come back, Feng Yun asked, "Lei Xiang, where did you go so early?"
"I went to walk my horse."
The Huo brothers asked in surprise, "Are we allowed to bring horses into the college?"
Thinking of my expensive stable, I smiled bitterly and said, "I rented a stable for one semester at the cost of 18 gold coins."
Feng Yun's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "18 gold coins? The college is really taking advantage of you!"
I sighed and said, "What else could I do? Should I not rent it? The black dragon can't leave me at all. It doesn't matter."
Feng Yun sighed and said, "You're really rich. Come on, let's go have breakfast. Then we have to go to class. We can't be late for the first day of class."