72: Chapter 72 Bidding Farewell to Parents, Shenzhou Sets Sail

When Wang Pingan walked out of the ancestral chamber, the admission notice from Galaxy Deity University was still gently warming in his divine core space.

The small text stating "Cultivation Rating Pending Review" had frozen, and the starlight no longer flickered, but Wang Pingan knew that from this moment on, his enrollment file at Xinghe University had changed.

Clan Leader Wang Tianhe did not rush him, only instructing the clan deacon to prepare a carriage to take him back to the main branch's core manor first.

The journey from Tianhai Star to the Central Origin Sea was not short, and after going to Xinghe University, he might not be able to return for a long time.

The main branch's core manor was far larger than the branch's medicinal garden, and the concentration of spiritual energy was on an entirely different level.

Outside the manor, two teams of guards stood watch in rotation; inside, spirit plant cultivators tended to the herb fields, servants managed daily life, and specialized medical cultivators checked on their health periodically.

When Wang Pingan walked into the courtyard, his father, Wang Shoutian, was looking at a patch of newly transplanted spirit herbs, while his mother, Liu Yun, sat under the corridor organizing several boxes of supplements sent by the clan.

They had changed into the robes of core clan members and had servants attending to them, yet their expressions remained the same; they hadn't put on airs or become arrogant.

Liu Yun saw Wang Pingan first; she immediately put down the box in her hand and hurried over to greet him.

"Pingan, why have you gotten thin again? Did you not eat properly while in seclusion?"

Looking at the worry in his mother's eyes, the lingering killing intent in Wang Pingan's heart slowly dissipated.

"Mother, I am already a Demigod; it doesn't matter if I don't eat for a few days."

Liu Yun's eyes grew hot with tears upon hearing this, but she still reached out and patted him.

"A Demigod is still my son, and a Demigod still needs to eat."

Wang Shoutian walked over with a smile on his face, but he couldn't hide the nervousness in his eyes.

"The clan says you are about to go to Galaxy Deity University. That place is very far from Tianhai Star, right?"

Wang Pingan nodded: "Very far. I have to go through the Federation Star Gate."

Wang Shoutian was silent for a moment before speaking: "If it's far, then it's far. It's a good thing to be able to attend the highest institution. Your mother and I can't help you with much, so we can only make sure not to cause you trouble."

These words were soft, but they weighed heavily on Wang Pingan's heart.

From the time he walked out of the branch medicinal garden until now, the biggest worry he wanted to eliminate was his parents having to endure others' disdain or being manipulated because of him.

Now, the Wang Clan had settled them in with the highest specifications for core members, with guards, resources, and status.

This step had finally been achieved.

Wang Pingan took out a storage ring and placed it into Wang Shoutian's hand.

"Father, inside this are ten million Origin Power Points, as well as some medicinal pills and spirit fruits suitable for maintaining your health. In the future, if you need anything, buy it directly; don't skimp."

Wang Shoutian's hand trembled, and he almost pushed the storage ring back.

"Ten million? That's too much. Your own cultivation is what costs the most money. The things the clan has given us are already enough."

Wang Pingan held his hand down: "The resources I use now are not at this magnitude anymore. Only by leaving this Origin Power for you can I leave with peace of mind."

Hearing this, tears fell from Liu Yun's eyes.

She didn't try to persuade him further, only tucking the storage ring into her bosom before pulling Wang Pingan close to look at him again and again.

"When you get there, don't be stubborn with others. If you can avoid conflict, do so. Your life is the most important thing."

Wang Pingan smiled: "Mother, I know."

Seeing him like this, how could Liu Yun not know that while he said he knew, he might not necessarily retreat if a real fight broke out.

But she also understood that her son had not relied on retreating to get to where he was today.

Wang Shoutian patted Wang Pingan on the shoulder: "You just focus on moving forward; don't worry about home. Your mother and I are living very well now, and no one dares to bully us."

Wang Pingan nodded.

He didn't say many grand words, simply eating a meal with his parents in the courtyard.

The food was of ordinary flavor, but the spiritual ingredients used were excellent; in the past, at the branch medicinal garden, they wouldn't even have dared to smell them.

After the meal, Liu Yun stuffed a small cloth bag into his hands.

"Inside is the peace pendant you wore when you were a child. I re-strung it. You can wear it or not, I just wanted to give it to you."

Wang Pingan took the cloth bag and tucked it into a pocket close to his body.

"I will wear it."

Liu Yun then smiled.

When leaving the manor, Wang Pingan did not look back too many times.

He was afraid that if he turned back, his mother would cry again.

Walking outside the courtyard, his heart felt even steadier.

With his parents safe, the clan supporting him, and no worries about logistics, he only needed to do one thing next.

Become stronger.

Strong enough that no one would dare to use the people around him as leverage.

On the mooring plaza outside the ancestral land, a high-order divine ship was already hovering in mid-air.

The divine ship was dark blue throughout, with the Wang Clan totem engraved on the hull and the Xuanyue Dharma patterns protecting the prow. Layers of formation light stacked upon each other; one could tell from afar that it was no ordinary flying vessel.

Below the divine ship, five figures had been waiting for a long time.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in black robes with a square face and a heavy aura. Although he had restrained his divine might cleanly, it still made the surrounding space tighten slightly.

Clan Leader Wang Tianhe introduced: "This is Elder Wang Cang, a Tier 3 Deity. He will be stationed on the outskirts of Galaxy City from now on to handle all miscellaneous affairs outside the academy for you."

Wang Cang stepped forward and bowed to Wang Pingan: "Wang Cang greets the Dao Child."

Behind him, a 2nd Order God and three Tier 1 Deities bowed simultaneously: "Greetings, Dao Child."

Wang Pingan watched this scene, feeling some ripples in his heart.

A Tier 3 Deity, a 2nd Order God, and three Tier 1 Deities—in a small clan outside Tianhai City, this would be enough to constitute their entire foundation.

Now, they were merely his guardian and assistant team.

The weight of being the Wang Clan's only Dao Child was laid out clearly at this moment.

Wang Pingan returned the salute: "I will have to trouble you all in the future."

Wang Cang's tone was crisp: "Dao Child, there is no need for such formalities. We will only do two things on this trip: escort you to Xinghe University and sweep away any miscellaneous troubles outside the school for you."

Clan Leader Wang Tianhe added from the side: "You must rely on yourself for competition within the school, but if anyone reaches out from outside the school, the Wang Clan will not pretend to be blind."

Wang Pingan nodded.

He knew that Xinghe University had school rules, but school rules could not cover all the shadows.

The Wang Clan sent this team precisely so he wouldn't have to be distracted by these annoying matters.

Everyone boarded the divine ship.

The interior space of the divine ship was vast, containing cultivation rooms, a small meeting hall, an independent divine core shielding cabin, and even a temporary Origin Power pool.

Wang Cang took Wang Pingan into the meeting hall and took out an encrypted file.

The surface of the file was engraved with the Galaxy school emblem; it could only be opened after being touched by Wang Pingan's admission notice.

Wang Pingan pressed the notice against it, and the file opened automatically.

The first page displayed several blood-red characters: "Freshman mortality rate, historical average 27.4%."

Wang Pingan's gaze narrowed slightly.

Wang Cang sat opposite him with a solemn expression: "Galaxy Deity University is not a greenhouse; it is a gu-pot for monsters. Everyone who gets in is a genius, but it is never strange for geniuses to die there."

Wang Pingan continued reading.

The file recorded the situations of the last ten batches of freshmen. Some were at the peak of the Demigod stage upon enrollment, some had 9th Order clans backing them, and some had returned alive from the borders of alien races with more military merits than ordinary Tier 1 Deities.

Yet, among these people, many still had their divine cores shattered within the first year, and their names were erased from the files.

Wang Cang pointed to several lines: "Demigod is just the starting point, one could even say it is the threshold for cannon fodder. Xinghe University requires all freshmen to reach First-Order Deity within three years, and the baseline for graduation in ten years is 2nd Order. If you can't keep up, you are expelled; if you are unlucky, you don't even get the chance to be expelled."

Wang Pingan was not afraid; he simply memorized every rule.

The crueler the rules, the more concentrated the resources.

To him, this was not a bad thing.

The divine ship ascended, piercing through the atmosphere of Tianhai Star and entering the interstellar route.

Tianhai Star became smaller and smaller behind them, and starlight filled the portholes.

As Wang Pingan was reading the file, Wang Cang suddenly looked up with a cold expression.

The next moment, the divine might of a Tier 3 Deity exploded from him.

Outside the divine ship, several prying divine senses hidden in the void interlayer were shattered on the spot.

Faint muffled groans came from afar, then quickly disappeared.

Wang Pingan looked up.

Wang Cang snorted coldly: "The Lin Clan actually dared to follow. With me here, they won't even be able to touch your edge."

The 2nd Order God stood before the porthole, the formation disk in his hand lighting up: "Elder, should we pursue?"

Wang Cang shook his head: "This is still the Federation star route; chasing them out would easily give others a pretext. Shattering their divine senses is enough."

Wang Pingan did not say much.

The Lin Clan's motives were clear.

With the Wang Clan producing a Dao Child recommended to Xinghe University, resources on Tianhai Star would tilt toward the Wang Clan over the next three years, and the Lin Clan's original share would inevitably be squeezed.

They wouldn't dare to make a move openly during the student protection period, but they would definitely try to find out his itinerary and trump cards.

Wang Cang's action happened to cut off this prying.

The divine ship continued forward.

Several hours later, a massive Federation star gate appeared ahead.

The star gate spanned the void, its silvery-white ring rotating slowly. Hundreds of divine ships were lined up waiting for inspection, and the auras of deities rose and fell everywhere.

Wang Cang took Wang Pingan through the exclusive passage.

Wang Pingan took out the Galaxy Deity University recommendation notice. The star gate guard only glanced at it, and his attitude changed immediately: "Xinghe University recommended freshman, exempt from inspection, proceed."

A golden passage opened, and the Wang Clan's divine ship bypassed the long line directly, sailing into the core of the star gate.

The radiance of the star gate flowed.

Wang Pingan only felt the sea of stars before him being stretched into long lines; the Tianhai Star Region, the Xuanyuan Star Region, and countless starlight were all left behind.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene outside had completely changed.

Ahead, it was no longer ordinary starry sky.

A boundless golden-blue Origin Sea hung in the depths of the void, its waves composed of pure Origin Power, each rise and fall stirring up large swaths of law light patterns.

Above the Origin Sea, a super-giant floating star continent spanning the void hung silently.

On the edge of the star continent were countless city clusters, divine mountains, heavenly rivers, high towers, and dense dots of light from teleportation formations.

Wang Cang stood beside Wang Pingan, looking out the window and speaking: "We have arrived. This is above the Central Origin Sea, the outskirts of Galaxy Deity University, Galaxy City."