95: The way home

The engines of the floating ship let out a low roar as it adjusted its direction and began to accelerate, completely leaving behind that canyon filled with death, opportunity, and unsolved mysteries.

Inside the cabin, the lighting was soft. Most of the students had closed their eyes in exhaustion, either falling into a deep sleep or staring blankly in silence.

Lu Guangming also closed his eyes, but his mind was racing.

The secrets of the fragments of Destruction, the threat of Guixu and the Abyss, the power beyond imagination of the Single Digits, and the path of 'Destruction' he had just constructed... countless pieces of information and possibilities collided and integrated in his mind.

This time, he was no longer the 'Main God' who could only passively observe and operate from behind the scenes. He had personally entered the fray, stealing a sliver of the authority of Destruction and carving out a brand-new path of power for himself.

Although the source energy he gained wasn't much, the strategic gains were immeasurable.

“The seed has been sown,” he muttered to himself. “Next, it is time to wait patiently for it to sprout and to water it.”

The lights of Eastern Radiance Academy gradually drew closer. But everyone knew that those returning were no longer the same people they once were. The road ahead was destined to be more magnificent, and also... more fraught with danger.

The floating transport ship pierced through the clouds, leaving the tragic scenes of Howling Wind Canyon and the pressure of the S-rank entities far behind. The cabin was silent, save for the steady hum of the engines and the suppressed breathing of the students.

Exhaustion and trauma were written on every young face. Even top geniuses like Chen Long and Severe Winter had an irrepressible fatigue and gravity between their brows.

Lu Guangming leaned against the window, watching the ground below as it rushed past, gradually turning green. His inner state was nowhere near as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Number 4's indifferent gaze that judged reincarnation, the absolute nothingness of the Archbishop of Guixu, the crazed whispers of the Abyssal Lord... these images were like brands, deeply etched into his mind.

Individual power seemed so insignificant before those incarnations of rules on that level.

“S-rank... Fourth-stage Inheritor...” He repeatedly chewed on these terms in his heart.

If just the Fourth-stage already possessed such divine might, then what would the true Gods of Rules—Seventh-stage or even higher—look like? Although the status of his 'source energy' was high, the path of growth was clearly much longer and more difficult than imagined.

“I must develop faster and more covertly.” This thought was stronger than ever. The system's existence was his greatest reliance, and also the ultimate secret that could never be exposed.

He split off a thread of consciousness and sank into the system interface.

On the player list, the status of all bound individuals had stabilized. The 'Time Squad,' including Shen Future and others, were shown to have safely returned to the outskirts of the academy, with their status as 'Resting, slight gains.' In Linshui City, Lu Qinghe and the others from the 'Wisdom Squad' had also completed some system-automated city cleanup and reconnaissance missions during this period, providing a meager but steady income of source energy.

His gaze fell upon the energy bar:

【source energy value: 62/200】

【annihilation energy value: 2/50】

Looking at those scattered bits of annihilation energy value, Lu Guangming did not lose heart. He pulled up the system logs and found the relevant records:

【Player 'Immovable Bedrock' (Ling Tianfeng) destroyed a mutant Rock Lizard nest during a defensive counterattack, generating a faint 'Destruction' side insight. After conversion by the furnace, gained annihilation energy value +0.01.】

【Player 'Formation Breaker Vanguard' (Fang Lu) used a charged strike to heavily wound a Shadow Demon Wolf, generating a 'Destruction' side insight. After conversion by the furnace, gained annihilation energy value +0.05.】

【Player 'Thousand Silks' (Mu Rongrong) controlled fibers to strangle low-tier monsters, generating an 'Termination' side insight. After conversion by the furnace, gained annihilation energy value +0.02.】

【Player 'Lord of Wisdom' (Lu Qinghe) accurately analyzed and guided teammates to destroy an unstable energy node, generating an 'Ordered Destruction' side insight. After conversion by the furnace, gained annihilation energy value +0.1.】

Although each record was tiny, mostly with gains of only zero point zero something, they were continuous, and many small bits added up. Especially Lu Qinghe, whose 'Ordered Destruction' produced insights of significantly higher quality. According to this trend, as long as the players remained active, filling the 【annihilation energy value】 was not out of reach.

“This is the significance of the 'System'.” Lu Ming understood in his heart. A single player's power might be limited, but when they form a network, each moving forward under the system's guidance, the power and insights they gather will become the firmest foundation for him, the 'Main God,' pushing him toward incredible heights.

He closed the logs and turned his gaze to the system's 【player management】 interface. A bright red number reminded him: Player Limit: 11/12.

There was one more slot.

His Hidden Attributes had increased by 10 points.

The experience in Howling Wind Canyon had given him a clearer standard for selecting 'players.' What he needed was not just combatants who could fight and tank, but various talents with special abilities who could provide 'nourishment' for him in different fields. Academy elites, city recluses, or even... potential 'collaborators' in other factions?

A larger and more precise blueprint slowly took shape in his mind.

The floating ship began to lose altitude, and the familiar silhouette of Eastern Radiance Academy appeared at the end of his vision. The towering spires, the flowing energy shields, and the cluster of buildings representing order and safety allowed many students in the cabin to let out a long sigh of relief, as if they had finally returned to reality from a nightmare.

However, Lu Guangming knew that the true 'reality' was far more complex and dangerous than what they saw. The tentacles of the Abyss and Guixu had already reached out, the gaze of the Single Digits was turned here, and the world's undercurrents had never stopped surging.

The transport ship landed smoothly in the academy's main plaza. The doors opened, and medical staff and mentors who had been waiting for a long time immediately swarmed forward to support the wounded and soothe emotions.

The students, survivors of the disaster, supported each other as they walked down the gangway, met by the concerned gazes of their peers and the solemn scrutiny of the academy's high-ranking officials.

Dean Li arrived in person. His gaze swept over the team, which was clearly reduced in number and everyone was injured. He lingered for a moment on Chen Long, Lu Guangming, Shi Lie, and the others, his eyes deep. He didn't ask much, only saying in a heavy voice, “You’ve worked hard, children. Go to the medical center for a full check-up and treatment first, and get some good rest. Specific matters will be arranged collectively later.”

Lu Guangming followed the crowd down the gangway. The warm sunlight fell on him, dispelling a sliver of the cold from Howling Wind Canyon. He looked up at the azure sky of the academy, but his gaze seemed to pierce through the clouds, seeing the deeper universe and more intense collisions of rules.

He gently stroked Little Pudding on his shoulder, who had become active again and was curiously looking around.

“I'm back,” he whispered to himself, a calm and determined curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The brief respite was about to end. And his 'game' would enter a brand-new stage—accumulating power faster, sowing 'keystones' more widely, and hiding himself more deeply, until... he was sufficient to face the tide that would eventually come and sweep everything away.