The Dreamsky Forest

Qin Wentian and Fan Le finally came face to face with Elder Thousand-Hands. Despite the people delivering their meals, Elder Thousand-Hands had remained elusive, never appearing before them.

"Elder," Qin Wentian greeted respectfully as he stood up.

"Hmm," Thousand-Hands nodded, "Qin Wentian, the Dark Forest incident has been thoroughly investigated. There was a willing witness who confirmed that Orfon indeed gathered others to attempt to kill you. As for the arena matter from a month ago, the academy has publicly declared it a personal grudge and not a violation of academy rules. Besides, you currently hold the last rank among the new batch of students. Both of you have served your one-month imprisonment and are now free to leave this place."

Upon hearing Thousand-Hands' words, Qin Wentian broke into a relieved smile. The academy's rules strictly prohibited students from killing each other within its grounds. Still, the disciplinary committee had conveniently labeled the incident as a "personal grudge," showing clear favoritism in his favor. Qin Wentian understood this all too well. Moreover, this one-month "punishment" seemed more like a period of secluded training.

Such blatant favoritism was evident to anyone. But in the harsh reality of the academy, high talent often garnered special treatment.

"Thank you, Elder," Qin Wentian expressed his gratitude with a warm smile before taking his leave along with Fan Le.

As they stepped outside, a blur of white shadow leaped onto Qin Wentian's chest. Little Rascal extended his tongue, enthusiastically licking Qin Wentian's face.

Standing before Qin Wentian was a charming silhouette. When her gaze met Qin Wentian's, traces of flirtation flickered in her eyes.

"Demoness," Fan Le's eyes sparkled as he stared unabashedly at Luo Huan. Her figure was irresistible to him.

"Senior Sister," Qin Wentian greeted with a smile as he stepped forward. Luo Huan, too, approached him, linking her arm with his and laughing, "Little fellow, you're finally out."

Qin Wentian couldn't help but notice the exquisite softness of Luo Huan's skin as she linked arms with him. He let out a wry laugh, silently chastising himself. Could she not be so tempting? After all, he was only 16, a time when hormones and youthful vigor surged through him.

Fatty, ever the opportunist, rushed forward, ready to link arms with Luo Huan on the other side. He obediently called out, "Senior Sister."

Luo Huan glanced at Fan Le, her amusement evident, as she realized that he was about to join their arm-linking trio. She giggled softly.

"Senior Sister, I'm Qin Wentian's brother," Fatty proclaimed as he inched closer to Luo Huan.

Luo Huan laughed, willingly linking arms with Fatty as well. At that moment, pure joy radiated from Fatty's face. His spring days were coming, and he couldn't be happier!

Then, out of nowhere, disaster struck.

"Ka Cha."

"Argh…" Fatty let out a painful shriek, nearly falling to the ground. He clutched his right arm, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

As he turned his head, Fatty saw only the retreating backs of Luo Huan and Qin Wentian. His eyes welled up with tears. They were supposed to be brothers, yet the difference in treatment was like night and day. Weren't brothers supposed to share both good and bad times together?

"Boss, wait for me!" Fan Le called out, determination in his voice. It seemed that in the future, he would have to stick close to Qin Wentian to catch some of his good fortune.

The Emperor Star Academy sprawled before them, vast and awe-inspiring. It comprised the Disciplinary Courtyard, the Elder's Courtyard, the Honor Courtyard, and the Student's Alliance. While there was only one of each disciplinary and elder courtyard, the student association consisted of groups of students who had banded together. Among them, the Asura, Heavenly Demon, Knight, and Greencloud Associations were the four most formidable student groups in the Emperor Star Academy.

However, three other places held particular importance within the academy.

The first was the Heavenly Star Pavilion, a Nine Heavenly-Layer Star Pavilion where numerous cultivation arts, methods, and even innate techniques were stored.

The second was the Astral River Hall, a mysterious place with pressure simulating the challenges Stellar Martial Cultivators faced when condensing their Astral Soul. This chamber enhanced focus and affinity, allowing students to use the astral pressure to refine their skills, break through limits, and condense higher-level Astral Constellations.

The third was the Dreamsky Forest, an expansive dreamscape shrouded in mystery. Upon entering, individuals fell into a dreamlike state. Most intriguingly, this dreamscape connected all four great martial academies in the royal capital: the Emperor Star Academy, the Royal Academy, the Divine Wind Academy, and the Seven Stars Martial Palace.

"Heavenly Star Pavilion, Astral River Hall, Dreamsky Forest," Qin Wentian murmured in awe. His heart fluttered with anticipation upon hearing Luo Huan's introduction. It was no wonder the Emperor Star Academy reigned supreme in Chu Country, attracting youths from far and wide to enroll in its hallowed halls.

"Senior Sister, what's the deal with the Dreamsky Forest? Why is it linked to the other three great academies?" Qin Wentian couldn't contain his curiosity, his eyes fixed on Luo Huan.

"The Dreamsky Forest was the brainchild of an exceptionally powerful figure from our Emperor Star Academy, a true dream expert. Initially, it was exclusively connected to our academy, offering students a safe place to hone their skills through sparring and combat without the fear of death. But then, the other three prestigious academies begged this Senior for assistance. In the end, this magnanimous Senior agreed. They believed that by introducing even stronger students from the other academies into the dreamscape, it would benefit our Emperor Star Academy even more," Luo Huan explained.

She continued, "So, this remarkable Senior ventured to each of the four great academies and used a unique innate technique to create an expansive dreamscape, linking all of them together. It turned out to be a tremendous advantage for everyone involved. Previous generations of students from all academies have reaped enormous benefits, enhancing their combat abilities through the dreamscape. Additionally, students from the other academies with extraordinary talent love challenging our academy's students within the Dreamsky Forest."

Qin Wentian chimed in, grinning, "That Senior had a heart as big as the universe, willing to benefit others while benefiting us. Since there's no risk of death in the Dreamsky Forest, it's only natural that students from all academies would continuously strive to improve their combat abilities by dueling our students."

Luo Huan's face lit up with a trace of laughter as she gazed at Qin Wentian. "Junior Brother, don't underestimate the Dreamsky Forest. This dreamscape plunges you into a profound dream state, bringing your real body into an alternate reality. The battles and duels there still drain your Astral Energy, and if you've experienced the sensation of death in that state before, you definitely won't want to taste it again."

Qin Wentian's expression turned serious as he nodded slowly. He was well aware of the alternate reality inside dreamscapes, especially within the second and third levels of the Dreamcast Art. In the second level, the Immersed Dream State, his real body entered the dreamscape instead of just his consciousness. If he died in there, the sensation of death would be frighteningly real. That feeling would be absolutely unbearable.

According to the Dreamcast Art's content, once he reached the third level, the Forgotten Dream State, the dream would no longer be just a dream. If he died in the dream, he would die in reality as well.

The Dreamsky Forest's power within the dreamscape should roughly correspond to the second level of the Dreamcast Art, similar to the effects of the Immersed Dream State. That Senior had created an expansive dreamscape to assist the four great academies in their cultivation practices.

"Boss, should we head to the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion to choose some ultimate cultivation arts or innate techniques?" Fan Le's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he directed the question to Qin Wentian.

With a gentle smile on her face, Luo Huan cast a glance at Fatty and replied, "From what I know, both you and Junior Brother Qin are ranked last among the newest batch of students. Your Emperor Star Jade Medallions are probably still at the first grade, which means you'll only have access to the first level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion. It houses rather ordinary cultivation arts and innate techniques."

Qin Wentian and Fan Le exchanged glum looks. It was disheartening to discover that students of their caliber were ranked dead last among this new batch.

Fan Le broke the silence, asking, "What about the Astral River Hall?"

Luo Huan replied, "Same story, only the first level is accessible to you."

Qin Wentian chimed in, "So, we can't even get into the Dreamsky Forest?"

Luo Huan smiled and reassured them, "No restrictions on the Dreamsky Forest; you can go there anytime. I'll escort both of you to your lodgings, and you can decide whether to explore the Dreamsky Forest later."

"Alright," Qin Wentian and Fan Le nodded in agreement.

Luo Huan led them to the student lodgings. The accommodations were basic, making Fan Le reminisce about their time in confinement. He wondered if it had been a punishment or a reward.

"Since all the new students have moved in, there might not be any rooms left," Luo Huan said with a light smile, leading them on. Despite their efforts, all the rooms seemed occupied. Finally, they stumbled upon a small, rundown house near the base of an ancient tree.

"The environment here isn't too bad, and it's just a short walk to the Dreamsky Forest," Luo Huan remarked. The dorms for new students were conveniently located near the Dreamsky Forest for training.

Fatty cast a pitiful glance at Luo Huan and asked, "Senior Sister, where are you staying?"

Luo Huan chuckled, "Stop daydreaming. You need to raise your Emperor Jade Medallion to the 4th grade before you can choose a different region to stay in. Work hard!"

Fan Le, curious, inquired, "How do we increase the grade of the Jade Medallion?"

Qin Wentian was equally interested. It seemed that to enjoy resources and benefits, they needed to upgrade their Emperor Star Jade Medallion.

"The Jade Medallion's grade is determined by the Honor Courtyard. For new students ranked below 30, their Jade Medallion remains at grade 1. Those ranked from 30th to 4th have their Jade Medallion upgraded to grade 2. The top three ranks receive grade 3 Jade Medallions. Increasing your medallion's grade is relatively straightforward. Challenge a student in the top 30. If you replace their ranking, your medallion upgrades as well," Luo Huan explained.

"But if you want to raise your medallion from the 3rd to the 4th grade, you'll need to transfer 100 pieces of 2nd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones to the Honor Courtyard. To go from the 4th to the 5th grade, you'll need 300 pieces. For the 5th to the 6th grade, it's 1,000 pieces," Luo Huan continued.

Qin Wentian interrupted, incredulous, "Stop right there." He couldn't believe the staggering numbers. Going from 5th grade to 6th grade required 1,000 pieces of 2nd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones – it was as if they wanted to scare him to death!

Luo Huan giggled, glancing at Qin Wentian. "The Emperor Star Academy has to support so many students. They can't rely solely on the elders for resources; they naturally depend on the students. This is also a form of training."

"But it's brutal," Qin Wentian mumbled.

"Brutal?" Luo Huan laughed. "A 6th-grade Jade Medallion grants access to the 6th level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion, where you can find peak-level, top-tier Yuanfu-grade cultivation arts and top-tier Earth-grade innate techniques. The value of a thousand 2nd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones is equivalent to just 10 3rd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones. If you think about it, the cost of upgrading the medallion isn't all that high."

Qin Wentian pondered Luo Huan's words. They did make sense. The 6th level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion was incredibly beneficial for cultivators at the last three levels of the Yuanfu Realm. This kind of special treatment was exclusive to the Heavenly Star Pavilion. A thousand 2nd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones didn't seem like much when he considered the benefits.

Despite this realization, Qin Wentian still couldn't help feeling a bit depressed. In Sky Harmony City, even a 1st-layer Yuan Meteor Stone was considered a precious treasure. Those stones held the potential to turn a Martial Cultivator into a Stellar Martial Cultivator – a valuable resource. But here in the Royal Capital, there was no comparison; resources flowed like water.