Morintis packed simply.
The charm flew out, transforming into a teleportation formation.
Morintis and Byron stepped into the formation, departing amidst a brilliant light.
As the last speck of light vanished, the small house was once again enveloped in darkness.
Victor Stone sighed softly and left quietly, closing the door behind him.
The streets late at night were very quiet.
No one could know that this seemingly dilapidated little house had produced two students for Xiajing Academy in two consecutive years.
One of them was even the National Top Scorer.
Victor Stone's eyes held hope as he gazed in the direction of Xiajing.
"Work hard, children."
His words were full of kindness and brimming with hope.
Morintis felt the teleportation lasted a long time, unlike the Teleportation Stone in the morning which was instantaneous.
The Divine Dragon Empire's territory was vast, one of the major powerful nations among humanity.
Xiajing Academy was thousands of kilometers away from Westsea City.
Even teleportation required some time.
Fragmented streams of light flashed before his eyes.
He could see countless wondrous scenes.
All fragments, bizarre and kaleidoscopic.
Morintis felt a sensation of being top-heavy and unsteady, as if time and space were in disarray.
It was very uncomfortable.
However, he didn't show any reaction, only his face turned slightly pale.
After a dozen or so seconds, his feet landed firmly on the ground again.
All discomfort vanished without a trace at that moment.
"Quite good endurance."
Byron's internal evaluation of Morintis rose another notch.
Xiajing City at night was qualitatively different from Westsea City.
As the capital of the Divine Dragon Empire, even late at night, Xiajing City remained brightly lit.
Moonlight became a supporting actor.
"Xiajing Academy!"
A giant gate, dozens of meters high and hundreds of meters wide, came into view.
Grand, exquisite, sturdy, powerful.
This was Morintis's first impression.
In an instant, he felt his own insignificance.
Merely a gate possessed such an awe-inspiring presence, shocking him.
Morintis even sensed danger from it.
Mortal danger.
Byron said, "This gate is both an entrance and a weapon."
"Even top-tier experts would pay a price trying to force their way in."
He patted Morintis's shoulder.
"Let's go."
As they approached, Morintis felt an aura settle upon him.
Somewhat like the Detection Skill, but not entirely the same.
His identity was verified, and the gate opened silently.
The Xiajing Academy at night wasn't as quiet as one might imagine.
Walking through the academy, Morintis could feel wave after wave of energy fluctuations.
The energy fluctuations came from various locations within the academy.
"These are students practicing their skills," Byron explained casually.
He seemed authoritative, yet displayed ample patience towards Morintis.
Morintis asked, "Do all skills need to be practiced?"
Byron explained, "Apart from class innate skills and some special skills, most skills need to be improved through practice."
This answer aligned roughly with Morintis's own guess.
Morintis posed a second question, "Is frequent use enough?"
Byron smiled.
"Hard to say.
Each skill is different.
Some skills can't be improved by practice alone."
"This knowledge, you will understand after you truly enroll."
"The teachers will explain it in detail."
Skill knowledge was a complete, systematic discipline, not something that could be explained in a few words.
Morintis understood this point.
Byron had made it clear, so he didn't press further.
The energy fluctuations never ceased.
Wave after wave, continuously.
From time to time, light illuminated the night sky.
"They are all very diligent," Morintis thought to himself.
Just this first impression left a deep mark on him.
The students here were very hardworking, practicing their skills even late into the night.
Then he thought about his own skills...
They didn't seem very convenient to practice.
Xiajing Academy was unexpectedly large.
The two walked for a long time before reaching their destination.
"This is the residential area."
"You'll stay here today.
Someone will explain the specific rules to you."
"Remember this: in Xiajing Academy, the vast majority of things can be traded."
"But it must be based on mutual consent.
No forced buying or selling."
Someone was already waiting.
Upon seeing Byron, they hurried over.
"Greetings, Lord White God."
That person bowed respectfully towards Byron.
The White God held an extremely high status in the Divine Dragon Empire, respected by countless people.
Even if Morintis didn't say much verbally, he inwardly respected Byron as well.
Byron nodded.
"I leave him to you.
I'll take my leave now."
"Rest well.
Someone will come for you tomorrow."
Byron was busy; he couldn't handle everything personally.
The fact that he came personally to fetch Morintis was already a tremendous honor.
How many people in the entire Divine Dragon Empire could enjoy such treatment?
Morintis's expression was calm, his tone equally flat.
"Alright."
A simple, single word.
Byron didn't say anything, but the person next to them was startled.
Who dared speak to Byron in a cold manner?
He had never seen it before.
Unexpectedly, Byron just nodded, then turned and left, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
Since Morintis was brought by Byron, that person didn't dare neglect him.
He asked very politely, "You are Morintis, correct?"
Morintis nodded.
"Yes."
His tone remained flat.
The man felt somewhat uncomfortable, thinking Morintis was too cold.
But he didn't dare say much.
"Where would you like to stay?"
"We have multiple options here."
Xiajing Academy was not only large; its residential area also covered an extremely vast area.
There were multiple choices.
Four-person, double, single dormitories.
Standalone villas.
Villas with training grounds.
The prices for different accommodations varied enormously.