I created an extraordinary era

Chapter 718 The Power of Lingxiao Academy

After the school anniversary celebration, the group went to visit Zhao Gang.

More than five years have passed, and Zhao Gang's strength has broken through from the fourth level of Body Tempering to the seventh level.

His martial arts realm has officially progressed from the early stage of Ming Jin to the middle stage of Ming Jin.

This rate of progress is quite fast, not much slower than Wang Kai's.

Following this trend, Zhao Gang may well have a chance to break through to the innate level in the future.

Of course, the chances aren't very high!
The main reason is insufficient resources.

One hundred contribution points per year are barely enough to support mid-stage Body Tempering cultivation; purchasing other cultivation resources is out of the question.

"Teacher, your progress is impressive!"

Zhang Hao sensed the calm and composed aura emanating from Zhao Gang and sincerely praised him.

Zhao Gang smiled and waved his hand:

"I can't compare to you young people."

Looking at the students he once taught, whose cultivation levels have now caught up with or even surpassed his own, Zhao Gang's face was full of satisfaction.

Over the years, many students from No. 7 Middle School have been admitted to universities.

However, those who can cultivate to the late stage of Body Tempering as quickly as Chen Jing and Lin Hao are few and far between. Even Zhang Hao, who was the most unruly at the time, has reached the seventh level of Body Tempering.

Chen Mo, who has achieved the most, and Li Si, who has not returned, have reached the Innate Realm and the late Body Tempering Stage, respectively.

Four of the graduates that year reached the late stage of body tempering.

It has to be said that that year was truly a miracle.

Looking at the spirited students before him, Zhao Gang couldn't help but recall the scene from six years ago on that sweltering afternoon when Teacher Xia Yuan first walked into the teaching and research office.

Who could have imagined that this young teacher, who had only been there for a year, would change the fate of so many students?
The group sat around in the familiar teachers' office, the setting sun casting a warm glow on the room.

During the conversation, the topic of Xia Yuan also came up.

In fact, over the years, Chen Jing and others had inquired about Xia Yuan's whereabouts, but ultimately they found nothing.

"Teacher Xia seems to have vanished into thin air."

Lin Hao frowned.

“I asked a friend in the military to check, and there is no record of him in the household registration system.”

Chen Jing gently stroked the rim of the teacup.

"I suspect that Teacher Xia may not be using her real name."

"The cultivation methods he taught us are unknown even to many teachers at Ling Shu University."

"what?"

When these words came out, everyone was stunned.

Ling Shu University doesn't even exist?
How can this be?

It should be noted that Ling Shu University is one of the top thirty universities in the entire human race.

Those who can serve as teachers among them are at least grandmaster-level experts.

Could it be that Teacher Xia is a Grandmaster-level expert?
What a joke.

Would a grandmaster come to teach martial arts at their mere high school?
"I'm not saying that Teacher Xia Yuan is necessarily a grandmaster, but his understanding of martial arts is extremely high."

"There are two possibilities: either he is a strong person himself, or he has a grandmaster or even a great grandmaster behind him, and Teacher Xia often receives guidance from him."

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell into silence.

Regardless of which guess it is, it shows that Teacher Xia's identity is extremely unusual.

"I lean towards the second possibility."

Chen Jing continued:

"When Teacher Xia came to our school as a teacher, it was very likely that a powerful figure behind him sent him out to test his cultivation results."

"After all, teaching students is itself a process of sorting out and testing one's understanding of martial arts."

"My university professor once said that the best way to truly master a martial art is to teach it to others."

"The unique methods that Teacher Xia taught us back then may have been the lessons assigned to him by the powerful figure behind him."

Zhang Hao scratched his head:

"So, it's very likely that Professor Xia went back to pursue further studies?"

"Probably."

Lin Hao nodded.

"Moreover, given the abilities that Teacher Xia has demonstrated, the powerful figure behind him is probably far beyond our imagination. The fact that there is no record of him in the household registration system is not something that an ordinary person can do."

This is true.

In this day and age, the management of superhumans is quite rigorous.

Even the people he asked couldn't find any records, so Teacher Xia's access level had clearly surpassed the Innate Realm.

The fact that a Body Tempering Realm transcendent being can possess such authority is enough to explain a lot.

The powerful figure behind him is indeed very likely a Grandmaster.

"All right!"

Zhao Gang spoke up at the right moment, pulling everyone back to reality from their shock.

He wore a gentle smile, but his eyes held a worldly wisdom.

"No matter what kind of background Teacher Xia has, he once stood in this school and sincerely taught you. Knowing that is enough."

As he spoke, Zhao Gang stood up, picked up the thermos, and slowly refilled everyone's teacup with water.

Wisps of white steam rose as the afterglow of the setting sun mingled with the lights.

"As for their specific identities, it's best not to delve too deeply into it."

After that, no one continued talking about Xia Yuan.

As darkness fell outside the window, the office lights appeared even warmer.

As they shared their experiences over the years, the atmosphere became relaxed and warm again.

at night.

Chen Jing and others went out for a meal with their former classmates.

These are people who failed to get into university.

Although they did not become superhumans, they still found their place in this thriving era.

For example, Zhang Ye from Class 3 back then.

He had just graduated from Jiangcheng Industrial College, a higher vocational school.

Because I studied aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, I now work in the largest industrial park in Jiangcheng, "Xinggang Industrial Zone".

This is also the typical path for most ordinary graduates who fail to get into university.

In a rapidly developing industrial system, one can become a skilled worker or a junior manager.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

Zhang Ye, his face flushed from drinking, raised his glass to Zhang Hao and said:

"Brother Hao, to be honest, I felt really bad when I saw you all get into the Extraordinary University. But now that I think about it, being able to participate in the manufacturing of spaceship parts in the Starport and watching the engines I assembled fly into the sky is quite fulfilling."

"well said!"

Zhang Hao put his arm around Zhang Ye's shoulder.

"Without the spaceships you built, we would never have been able to leave Earth."

Everyone raised their glasses, creating a lively atmosphere.

It's just that Alibaba is not very noticeable.

When facing Chen Jing and the others who had become extraordinary, the crowd still carried a sense of unconscious awe and distance.

Despite everyone's efforts to maintain their old friendship, the invisible gap created by their extraordinary status still quietly emerged during the toasts and drinks.

Even his speech has long lost the unbridled freedom he once possessed.

Every seemingly casual joke has been carefully considered, turning into words that are chosen to be pleasant to hear and carry a sense of flattery.

The "mouse" who used to be chased by Zhang Ye on the basketball court has long been replaced by the cautious and polite "Brother Hao" after being worn down by reality and social class.

Zhang Ye's words were clearly not entirely his true thoughts.

The so-called "sense of accomplishment" is more of a respectable form of self-comfort said to the extraordinary individuals present.

A necessary stance to maintain one's dignity in the face of a huge gap.

Ordinary people tend to have this kind of mentality when facing extraordinary individuals.

This is inevitable.

Therefore.

People like Wang Lei, Liu Ming, Li Chang, and Sun Lili have had less and less contact with them since graduation.

This is not because of any contradiction, but because once the trajectories of life diverge, it is difficult for them to intersect again.

Only six months after graduation, those individuals successively left the Jiangcheng Martial Arts Newcomer Tournament's small group.

Initially, the group would share some of their experiences and observations from university.

However, these topics have almost nothing in common for them, who are studying at a vocational college.

They couldn't join the conversation, nor could they understand what kind of world their former classmates, who had once sweated it out on the playground, were now in.

As a result, their common language disappeared at a visible rate.

In the end, those people quietly left the group.

There was no farewell, as if a speck of dust had simply been brushed away.

Now, all contact has been completely severed.

They were not even seen at the school's 80th anniversary celebration.

The gap between ordinary people and extraordinary individuals is not only the chasm of lifespan and power, but also the enormous difference in perspective and knowledge.

It's fair to say that from the moment we graduated, we were no longer from the same world!

The next day, the sky was bright.

Chen Jing and the others also embarked on their respective journeys home.

In the world of the extraordinary, stopping means being abandoned by the times.

Everyone must give their all to take even just half a step further on the path to extraordinary achievement.
……

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Autumn of the 54th year of the Extraordinary Era.

Ten years have passed since the successful ignition of "Jinwu-1", and the changes brought about by fusion energy have penetrated into every corner of society.

The near-free electricity has enabled many fields that had previously stagnated due to energy consumption limitations to experience explosive growth, especially in aerospace and materials science.

The Mars base has completed four phases of expansion.

During this period, nearly five thousand more people went to Mars.

However, there were not many grandmasters in this second group; most of them were extraordinary individuals in the Innate Realm or even the Body Tempering Realm.

These people are mostly from various extraordinary forces, all in order to gain a foothold on Mars in advance.

At the current rate of development, it will take less than fifty years for the population of Mars to completely surpass that of New Source City.

After all, New Source City is not suitable for ordinary people to live in permanently, but Mars is different.

The environment on this planet is not much different from Earth's, so any martial artist can easily adapt.

In the future, this planet will definitely become humanity's true second home.

In fact, the People's Federation had already begun planning a space network for the solar system last year.

With the Earth-Moon system as the core hub and Mars as the secondary center.

"Space highways" consisting of regular flights are being designed with astonishing efficiency.

Of course, this is just a hypothetical scenario.

After all, if we want humanity to set foot all over the solar system, we first need to establish multiple fusion energy relay stations within the solar system and solve the problem of space-based internet for ultra-long-distance, high-capacity information transmission.

However, the "Morning Star" civilian spacecraft has been developed to its third generation, and its huge body and elegant central rotating ring have become the most common sight on the Earth-Moon route.

Ship ticket prices have dropped more than fivefold in the past five years, making a vacation in New Source City affordable for some ordinary families on Earth!
Of course, the air route between Mars and the Earth and the Moon has not yet been opened.

After all, the distance between Mars and Earth is too great; even at the current speed of third-generation spacecraft, a one-way trip would take several months.

For commercial shipping, the time cost remains too high.

Therefore, the current Mars colonization and supply transportation are still handled by the "Pathfinder" spacecraft, which is directly under the Human Rights Commission and is equipped with a more advanced propulsion system.

However, everyone believes that with the advancement of the "Golden Crow Star Sea" project, the commercialization of the Earth-Fire route will be realized in the near future.

On Earth, the low-altitude transportation network "Qingluan System" has covered all major cities in the world.

Nowadays, it only takes two hours to travel from Kyushu to the Western Continent.

But when it comes to the most technologically advanced city, it has to be Xinyuan City.

This city is not only a sacred place for the extraordinary, but also a testing ground and launch site for cutting-edge technologies.

All the new-era technologies originated in Xinyuan City.

Nowadays, the entire sky above Xinyuan City, except for the inner city where no aircraft are allowed to pass, is almost entirely filled with flying shuttles coming and going.

Of course, the cost of living in this city is also quite high, and in many places, contribution points can only be used.

Especially in the inner city, ordinary money has almost no effect here.

After all, most of the facilities and shops in the inner city are for people with superhuman abilities.

For example, many restaurants in the inner city now serve almost exclusively spiritual plants and monster meat.

These ingredients definitely cannot be bought with money.

"Sister Yao, over here!"

Xinyuan City, inner city.

On the terrace of Tingyuge Restaurant, a young man dressed in a dark blue outfit waved towards the entrance with a warm smile on his face.

The terrace where he was situated was serene and secluded. The flowing energy curtains around him not only ensured absolute privacy but also transformed the hustle and bustle of the city below into a distant background melody, like heavenly music.

It is one of the best locations for viewing the Listening to Rain Pavilion.

However, such seats are generally not open to the public for reservation; they are only available to VIPs of the restaurant or powerful individuals with extraordinary abilities.

Clearly, the young man before them was either of noble birth or a top-tier expert.

Doorway.

The woman, known as Sister Yao, walked slowly toward them, dressed in an elegant light blue dress.

"The tide-watching platform! You've really gone all out, haven't you!"

She walked to the table and looked at the man in front of her with a half-smile.

"Hehe, I can't just treat you to a meal, Sister Yao."

The young man smiled.

Even he, in order to secure the Tide-Watching Platform at Tingyu Pavilion, made arrangements several days in advance.

This viewing platform isn't just good in location; most importantly, it's great for the food.

For example, level-two spirit rice and master-level monster meat are only available at the Tide Watching Platform.

A meal at this tide-watching platform will cost at least fifty contribution points.

It's an exaggeration.

This is almost equivalent to half a year's income for someone in the mid-stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

However, for people like them, they can still afford to eat out occasionally.

After all, once you reach the Grandmaster level, you'll earn at least two or three thousand contribution points each year.

If they are top geniuses, there will be even more.

"Sister Yao, try the tenderloin of this Crimson Flame Bull."

The young man enthusiastically gave his introduction.

"This demonic beast was hunted down in the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Road. Its strength reached the fifth level of the Transcendent Realm. There are not many opportunities to eat it normally."

Su Yao picked up a slice of meat as thin as a cicada's wing, yet faintly tinged with a golden-red hue, and put it in her mouth.

The meat melted in her mouth, and a gentle yet powerful heat surged through her limbs and bones, making her meridians feel slightly warm, and even the circulation of qi and blood in her body seemed to speed up slightly.

"It's really good."

She nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

Even for a powerhouse of her level, this level of demon beast meat is a rare and nourishing treat.

She put down her chopsticks and looked at the young man opposite her, saying:
"After your name disappeared from the Heavenly Road Ranking last month, I thought something had happened to you on the Heavenly Road."

"Thank goodness Uncle Xia said you were just eliminated!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yao mention his elimination, a hint of resentment flashed across Ding Yan's face.

That's right, the young man in front of us is Ding Yan.

He ultimately failed to reach the core area of ​​the Sky Road.

However, being able to cultivate in the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Road for fifteen years already surpasses more than half of the people.

Now, there are fewer than a thousand people left in the Vientiane Sky Road.

Of these thousand people, more than 90% have become Grandmasters.

Even the number of people at the Unity Realm has reached over a hundred, which is four times the number fifteen years ago.

Although Ding Yan was eliminated, he still managed to break through from the fifth level of the Transcendent Realm to the eighth level in the past fifteen years.

As for Zhang Yao on the other side, she had also reached the eighth level of the Transcendent Realm.

However, in terms of potential, he is clearly far inferior to Ding Yan.

He has cultivated for over fifty years, and only with Xia Yuan's help has he managed to break through to the eighth level of the Transcendent Realm. At most, he will only reach the Unity Realm in this lifetime.

Of course, this is on the premise that Zhang Yao is able to condense her divine soul.

Otherwise, even reaching the Unity Realm would be a struggle.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It's good that you got out safely."

Noticing Ding Yan's expression, Zhang Yao quickly changed the subject.

"You came to Xinyuan City to see me this time, it can't just be to invite me to dinner, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Yan put away the dejection on his face, and his expression became solemn with a hint of barely perceptible sadness.

He paused for a moment, seemingly choosing his words, before speaking softly:
"Uncle Xia asked me to pass on a message to you: Uncle Zhang's condition... he might not have much time left."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhang Yao's ears.

The composure on her face froze instantly, and the fingers holding the wine glass tightened slightly.

Bang.

The wine glass shattered instantly, and the aroma of the wine, imbued with a powerful sense of life, immediately filled the air.

Her aura fluctuated uncontrollably, causing ripples to appear in the energy light screen surrounding the tide-watching platform.

"How could that be? My dad was perfectly fine last year!"

Seeing her reaction, Ding Yan felt a pang of heartache in his eyes and continued:

"Uncle Xia said it's because Uncle Zhang didn't want you to worry."

"Uncle Zhang's physical functions are declining rapidly. Even with continuous use of the original medicine, he can only barely maintain his condition. I'm afraid he only has a month left at most."

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Yao's aura suddenly froze, and then swept out like a storm!
The energy light curtain of the tide-watching platform vibrated violently, emitting a humming sound as if it could not withstand the strain.

The rare foods on the table instantly lost their luster under this oppressive force.

"What happened?"

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

The terrifying aura of the eighth level of the Transcendent Realm swept across the entire Tide-Watching Platform like a tidal wave. The guests who were originally dining elegantly all changed color. Some of those with lower cultivation levels even felt difficulty breathing, as if an invisible boulder was pressing down on their chests.

"What a terrifying aura! Who is this powerful figure?"

"Could it be that a powerful figure is about to make a move here?"

No one had ever dared to openly exert their power in the inner city area before.

Faced with this situation, many people are naturally filled with fear.

Ding Yan hurriedly got up:

"Sister Yao, calm down!"

The call snapped Zhang Yao back to reality.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions, and the turbulent blood and qi within her body gradually stabilized.

"Sorry, I lost my temper."

Her voice was a little hoarse.

"I have to go back immediately."

Ding Yan nodded:

"I'll go with you."

Just as they were about to leave, a middle-aged man in a silver-gray uniform rushed over, wearing a restaurant manager's badge on his chest.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, yet he maintained his professional politeness.

"Distinguished guests, please wait a moment."

He bowed.

"The energy fluctuation just now caused a brief disruption to the protective array of the viewing platform, affecting the dining experience of other guests."

Zhang Yao frowned slightly and took out a silver card with a special texture from her handbag. The edges of the card were interwoven with vines and stars.

"Put all losses on my tab."

However, the manager's pupils suddenly contracted the moment he saw the card.

As the manager of Tingyu Pavilion, he naturally understood the meaning behind this mark.

The emblem of Lingxiao Academy!
Moreover, those who possess such badges are all from the higher-ups of Lingxiao Academy.

So he swallowed back what he was about to say, and his expression became even more respectful.

He bowed deeply, his tone incredibly humble:

"So you are a distinguished guest of Lingxiao Academy. I apologize for my intrusion. Since it is a special circumstance, we naturally will not."

"Follow the procedures as required."

Zhang Yao interrupted him, lightly tapping the card onto the device in the manager's hand, producing a soft "beep" sound.

"The losses will be deducted as usual, and the filing records will be uploaded in accordance with regulations."

Her tone was calm but unquestionable.

"Lingxiao Academy respects and abides by all business norms of Xinyuan City and will not make exceptions for individuals based on their status."

"let's go!"

After saying that, Zhang Yao turned around and jumped off the tide-watching platform.

Ding Yan followed closely behind, and to everyone's astonishment, the two figures sped towards the airport.

Only after the two left did the manager realize that the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat.

The pressure is immense when faced with an existence at this level.

Given the other party's status, even if they had simply turned and left, Tingyu Pavilion would never have dared to pursue the matter in the slightest.

The other party is from the most powerful extraordinary academy, Lingxiao Academy, and is a high-ranking member of the academy.

The eternal one behind Tingyu Pavilion would never rashly offend the other party.

After all, the example of the Dawn Society from twenty years ago is still vividly before our eyes.

No faction wants to become the second Dawn Society!

He glanced around and, seeing the guests still whispering, straightened his back and regained his usual composure.

"Distinguished guests, I apologize for the slight interruption that may have disturbed your enjoyment."

"As an apology, Tingyu Pavilion will offer a 30% discount on all your expenses tonight."

(End of this chapter)