Book 3, Chapter 3: Illusion And Reality

The SUV drew closer to the Arcane Palace and stopped about five hundred meters from the building. Qi Gao cast a glance at the armed security guards and said, “I can’t go over there.”

He then turned to Chen Chuan. “Only Martial Valor University students can enter. My mission ends once I escort you here.”

“Thank you for bringing me here, Mr. Qi,” Chen Chuan said gratefully.

“It’s no trouble at all. Just remember to give me a good review!” Qi Gao said.

Chen Chuan got out of the car. Right after he shut the door, Qi Gao said, “Chen Chuan, feel free to hire me if you need any help in the future. I might not be skilled in other areas, but I’m pretty familiar with Central City and the surrounding areas. Contact me when you’re free. See you!”

Qi Gao reversed the SUV and left.

Chen Chuan cast a glance at the towering, dazzling building before tightening his hold over his luggage and the Frost King Saber. Then, he walked over.

***

After Qi Gao left, he cast a glance at the item on the front passenger seat, and his mood lifted. Even though he had taken a detour before picking up Chen Chuan to do something else, he had managed to make it in time. While they had some setbacks on the way to the main campus, he managed to get the item back.

Qi Gao grinned. With this deal done, Xiao Qi’s tuition fees would be settled.

As he stared at Martial Valor University in the rearview mirror, his eyes shone with envy and wariness.

He then floored the gas pedal. With a brilliant light behind it, the SUV sped down the road, as if it was running away from the university and trying to return to the dream-like world.

***

Chen Chuan reached the square before the building. The security guards observed, and their goggles flickered, but they didn’t come forward to ask him a single question.

After stepping on the first tall, spacious step of the staircase, Chen Chuan saw something resembling a Realm Node appear under his feet. It was a huge picture of weapons stacked on top of a shield.

This was Martial Valor University’s emblem, but Yangzhi City had never displayed this particular one. Perhaps branch campuses and the main campus had different ones.

Once Chen Chuan set foot on the Realm Node, he could sense its uneven surface. After a moment, a strong, lively female voice rang in his ears.

“Good day, Chen Chuan. Welcome to Martial Valor University’s main campus. You can register in the hall of Building One to renew your status. According to the orientation program, a student will come and introduce you to the main campus. Please wait a moment.”

A faint ribbon of light appeared under his feet leading him to the place where he needed to go.

This tech does make things much more convenient. I don’t even need to go inside and pass through all the tiring procedures to get my identity verified,

he thought.

A few minutes later, a student walked out of the main hall and hurried down the stairs toward him.

Judging by his gait and the rhythm of his steps, he was a Second Limit martial artist. His Realm Pass was a half-mask adorned with colorful facial patterns.

The student arrived in front of him and gave him a warm shake of a hand. “Hello, you’re Chen Chuan, right? I’m your student guide. The name’s Tan Zhi. I joined half a year earlier than you did.”

Chen Chuan shook his hand, and the female voice from before told him that someone was trying to connect with him. Once he said yes, Tan Zhi’s name was added to his contact list.

“Come with me.”

Tan Zhi beckoned Chen Chuan to follow him and walked up the stairs.

Chen Chuan went after him, but after taking just a few steps, he saw neon lights flashing above him and rapidly circling the building twice. It attracted Chen Chuan’s attention.

When he looked up, he saw a woman in red, with a straw hat on, and a wine gourd in her hand on the eaves. Her sleeves fluttered as she stared at the moon up ahead. Then, as if sensing Chen Chuan’s stare, she looked down. Even though her face was covered by a veil, her eyes remained lively.

Tan Zhi cast her a glance. “That’s Hongfu’s visual projection. She’s the campus’s biosentient entity. You heard her voice just now. If you have any questions on campus, you can ask her.”

He then whispered, “But be polite. Otherwise, she might ignore you.”

Chen Chuan looked away and followed Tan Zhi up the stairs to Building One. The place was spacious, like a vast, far-reaching palace hall. Even their voices started echoing.

Large lotus lanterns hung above their heads. Red ornamental chains hung down from the ceiling amidst the lights from the lanterns. Two holograms of divine generals in golden armor stood tall at twenty meters at the entrance. Arrogance was evident on their faces. When Tan Zhi and Chen Chuan passed them by, they looked down. Their bellies swayed a bit as they took half a step forward. The ornaments and ribbons of light hanging off their bodies swayed as well.

Tan Zhi ignored all of it and said, “You must find it a bit overwhelming, since it’s your first time here. I was the same when I first arrived. You’ll soon get used to it, though. Instead, you’ll find the other places strange. They'll remain bizarre no matter what.”

They continued inward until they reached a picture of lotuses and a goddess. When Tan Zhi stopped on it, the lotuses suddenly became alive.

They bloomed and levitated up from the picture. A few petals fell, and bell-like laughter entered their ears.

The area lit up, and Chen Chuan saw the image of a woman ahead, seemingly carved out of a crystal. She appeared to be Hongfu, though she was dressed like the goddess in the picture.

Chen Chuan had a feeling that this Hongfu was real, unlike the visual projection earlier.

“Chen Chuan, your student ID,” Tan Zhi said.

Chen Chuan took out his student ID, and a scroll appeared in Hongfu’s hands. Once she unfurled it, the two ends spread out while fluttering about, just like her silk shawl. The words on the scroll flowed about rapidly.

After a moment, Hongfu rolled the scroll back up, and the sounds and images faded away.

Then, Chen Chuan heard her voice in his ears. “Chen Chuan, your status has been updated. You have obtained permanent residency in Central City. The civic code and public safety rules will be transferred to your Realm Pass. Please be sure to receive it.

“While studying here, please remember to pay the tuition fees for your compulsory classes. If you need a reminder, please allow notifications. I hope you have a good time here.”

Tan Zhi then said, “Alright. Chen Chuan, Hongfu has recorded your updated information and sent it to the Fu-Mu Entity. Do you need a physical card? Some of the new students find this whole thing strange and feel more at ease with a physical card. If you need one, you can apply for it from Hongfu. Then, get it from the designated area.

“But all of your information is stored in the Sparrow Ark. That’s where Hongfu’s real self is. No one is allowed entry aside from the chancellor.

“Your residency as a student here only lasts for a year. You need to renew it after that through an exam. If you don’t pass it, your status will be revoked, and you’ll have to leave Central City. That’s why I don’t think having a physical card is necessary.”

At the end, he shrugged.

“Do many students not pass the exam?” Chen Chuan asked.

“Plenty. But this is Central City, and you can buy everything with money, even knowledge. If you fail the exam, you can obtain citizenship by paying up. Of course, if you want to learn more advanced martial arts, you need to pass the exam,” Tan Zhi said in a nonchalant manner.

When Chen Chuan saw his casual attitude about money, he asked a few more questions. Just as he expected, Tan Zhi was also a recommended student from a powerful family. He had gotten a recommended slot to come through the branch campus of his area.

But Tan Zhi had a good temper and treated him casually, unlike the rich children from Yangzhi City. Of course, this might also be because they shared the same status now.

Tan Zhi smiled. “Alright. I’m done guiding you around, for which I’ll get a student evaluation point. At the very least, I didn’t do this for nothing. I have to go now. It’s still the New Year, and I have to attend a gathering. Ask Hongfu for directions to your dorm... Oh wait, I do have a reminder for you.”

Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and said, “The Realm Pass you’re using is the old model the university distributes to the students for free. I suggest you change to another one. If you’re not used to buying stuff through the platform, post a mission using your Realm Pass and have a shopping agent buy one for you.

“Once you’ve chosen your Realm Pass, the shopping agent will send it over. Even if you don’t pay them upfront, it’s fine. You’re a citizen and a Martial Valor University student now. You have a set credit limit. Bye now! And Happy New Year!”

He gave Chen Chuan a wave and left with a flourish.

After parting ways with Tan Zhi, Chen Chuan stood alone in the spacious hall. As he stared at the glazed statue before him, he asked, “Hongfu, could you bring me to my dorm?”

“Please follow the lantern. You’re in Dorm 49, Room 1.”

A lantern flew out of the hall. Chen Chuan followed it, and clouds gradually formed around him. He walked for quite some time before the light finally stopped. The lantern seemed to have reached the end of its life and was reduced to ashes. It fluttered around his feet for a bit. Then, Chen Chuan looked up.

He was standing on the palm of a huge immortal.

The immortal stood as though bearing the sky on his back. His hair bun pointed toward the sun, and clouds surrounded him. His partially opened eyes turned to Chen Chuan. Then, as if to receive him, he brought his palm up, and Chen Chuan rose into the air.

Even though he knew that this was just an illusion, Chen Chuan couldn’t help but feel his heart stir with yearning for this sort of power.

He could feel himself rising rapidly into the air and leaving the ground. In an instant, he moved through the clouds to an empty space. Gradually, he reached the level of the immortal’s eyes, which were as calm as if he was removed from all emotions in the world. Then, the immortal brought his palm up further, and Chen Chuan was surrounded by an incredibly bright light.

When it faded away, he found himself in an elevator. The glowing sign on the panel stopped in front of the number “49.” It flickered for a while before the elevator doors opened.

Once Chen Chuan stepped out, he found Room 1. He opened the door and looked around. Then, he found the key in the recess in the wall beside the door.

Ever since he arrived at the room, all the illusions vanished, as if they didn’t want to bother him in his personal space.

He set his luggage aside, still holding the Frost King Saber, and explored the room. The dorm spanned roughly five hundred square meters, with a simple layout. The private training room occupied four-fifths of the space. It also had a bedroom, living room, and a bathroom. The light was soft. There were also phones in the living room and on the bedside cabinet.

Hongfu’s voice appeared in his ears again. “Chen Chuan, you have been detected in your room. Your records have been renewed. While studying here, your accommodation and meals are free of charge. Please use the information portal to check the specific fees you are required to pay.”

Chen Chuan tried going to the information portal, only to find that he couldn’t read anything on it, because his Realm Pass only had an audio function. He definitely had to change it.

Hence, he asked Hongfu some questions. In the end, he chose the Premium Jade Model Realm Pass from Bolun Corporation. Then, with Hongfu’s help, he sent a request to an agent corporation through Posuo and had them buy it for him.

He then checked his watch. It was 8:26 p.m.. Chen Chuan walked to the living room and picked up the phone receiver to call Yu Wan to tell her that he had arrived safely in the university. After conversing for a while, he hung up and called Cheng Zitong as well to tell him the same thing.

After he hung up this time, Hongfu said, “While you’re a student here, you have to pay for your phone usage. You can pay through the platform or at the counter. You have a certain credit limit right now. Would you like the university to pay in your place?”