Yunmeng Martial Institute was located at the northeast corner of Fengwu City.
Three miles long from east to west, a thousand steps wide from north to south, backed by the towering Great Dragon Mountain—aside from the imperial palace, it was the largest structure in the entire city.
The institute was only about an hour's walk from Phantom Night Academy, and if you took a carriage, it would be even faster.
Fengwu City, the capital of the Wind Martial Kingdom, boasted ten-mile-long avenues, a sea of people, bustling markets, and an endless amount of carriages—it was nothing short of thriving prosperity.
Su Ba walked along the road toward Yunmeng Martial Institute, taking in the vibrant scenery with a calm gaze.
After all—
In his previous life, as the number one martial arts grandmaster of China, what hadn't he seen?
This so-called prosperity… in his eyes?
Just average.
Suddenly—
Su Ba's eyes flickered.
He raised his hand and retrieved the ink-black token from his storage space—the one he had just received earlier.
He hadn't had time to look at it closely before. Now that he examined it—
The craftsmanship was exquisite, with intricate markings carved around the edges. It was clearly not something easily counterfeited. At its center were two domineering characters: Yunmeng.
"Huh… it's even a bit heavy."
Su Ba raised a brow, weighing the token in his palm.
Just then—
Ding ding!
[Detected: One premium black-iron token. Recycle to receive 100 Enhancement Points. Recycle now?]
"…Yes."
[Recycled successfully. +100 Enhancement Points.]
"Huh, 100 points for a token? Not bad, must be a rare item—wait, no!"
Su Ba's expression instantly changed.
"System, cancel that! Don't recycle—!"
But…
By the time his thoughts turned, it was already too late.
With a flash of white light—
The token vanished from his hand.
He stared at his palm.
Then he glanced at his status screen, where 100 Enhancement Points had indeed been added.
"…Crap."
Su Ba's face went completely black.
What the hell was that?!
That was the token to enter Yunmeng Martial Institute!
And now it was gone.
He was literally at the doorstep of Yunmeng… And this had to happen.
Su Ba didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Having a lightning-fast mind wasn't always a good thing...
What now?
He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded.
Going back wasn't an option. Not only was the token precious, but he wasn't sure he could find Recruiter Xia Hang again. The guy was likely already off visiting other academies.
Forget it.
He was almost there anyway. He'd go explain the situation and register with his name. Surely the institute had a way to verify his identity with Xia Hang.
Su Ba nodded. That was the best course of action for now.
Still—
When he looked at the glowing +100 Enhancement Points on his interface, he couldn't help but feel like it was taunting him.
"Well, since I already recycled it, I might as well put these points to use."
He exhaled slowly, then muttered in his heart:
"Begin draw."
Ding!
[-100 Enhancement Points. Drawing initiated…[
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: One bag of Ancient Immortal-Class 'Howling Celestial Dog's Exclusive Dog Food']
Plop!
A pristine white woven bag dropped into Su Ba's hands.
Su Ba blinked.
…What?
Ancient Immortal-Class Howling Celestial Dog food?
That's… food for divine beasts?
Su Ba's eyes sparkled for a moment—then dimmed again.
"I don't have a Howling Celestial Dog. What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"
With a sigh, he untied the bag and took a whiff.
"…Huh?"
To his surprise, the scent was strangely… pleasant?
Inside the bag were crystal-like pieces of dog food, glistening with a tempting sheen. The warm, sweet aroma drifted through the air—so delicious that even Su Ba felt his mouth water.
He stared at the bag.
Then back at his own hands.
"I'm a person, not a dog."
His face darkened as he tied the bag back up and prepared to store it away.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a flash of white light streaked in front of him!
Before Su Ba could react—
A furry little creature dove straight into his arms.