110: The academy, where the ancient bell tolls nine times, resounding in all directions.

The moment the magic airship pierced through the clouds, the full view of the academy unfolded like a scroll.

Returning to the academy once again.

It felt completely different.

Ning Xiwei was a Rank 6 Magician.

And she had started specializing in necromancy.

She even had a few more companions.

As for Lu Chen!

A Rank 8 Skeleton King.

Even the Academy Dean was only a Grand Magister!

The heads of each department were only Rank 9.

Huaxia's Kunlun Magic Academy consisted of seventy-two Floating Peaks surrounding a main island.

A bronze statue of the Yinglong sat perched at the mountain gate, its dragon eyes inlaid with night-luminescent pearls that projected a light screen of the seal script characters "All Paths Return to the Source."

Lu Chen leaned against the porthole, his fingertips stroking the inscriptions on the Tai'e Sword—the numbers representing the ancient years on the blade's spine were slowly fading.

"Attention all passengers, please."

The broadcast suddenly switched to the melody of a guqin. "You can now enjoy the academy's famous scenic spot—'Scattered Like Stars'."

Below, the sea of clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing an armillary sphere matrix forged from three hundred and sixty pieces of meteoric iron.

Each piece of meteoric iron was etched with magic runes from different civilizations; Greek letters and oracle bone script intertwined into a light net within the magnetic field.

"Amazing! This is the energy fluctuation of a Formation..." Ignis said, somewhat surprised as she watched.

Before she finished speaking, twelve pillars of Holy Light pierced through the clouds!

Lu Chen gently stroked the edge of the Tai'e Sword. The moment his hand touched the hidden runes...

He seemed to have some thoughts regarding the distant past from ten thousand years ago.

He confirmed one thing!

—He had been here before.

Before his eyes, the chime bells of the entire Kunlun Mountain Range rang out.

The meteoric iron matrix shifted its orbit, and Holy Light refracted toward the horizon.

It was magnificent.

A top-tier academy in Huaxia.

Only those few academies in the capital could compare.

When they landed on the main peak, Morning Dew's six wings of light had already disappeared.

The bamboo and wood pavilion before them looked simple, but the bronze bells hanging from the eaves were covered in ancient incantations.

Sun Feifei's peach wood sword unsheathed itself, its tip pointing toward a carved wooden window on the second floor.

"Someone's watching us over there!"

"As expected of a descendant of the Sun Family."

An aged laugh shook loose bamboo leaves as an old man in green robes pushed open the window, revealing half his face—his left eye was a mechanical prosthetic.

"Girl of the Sun Family, remember for next time: don't use magic perception to scout the way. This is a restricted area."

After saying this, the old man retreated back into the room.

Lu Chen was currently in human form, no different from an ordinary person.

But the whole world knew—he was a skeleton.

A summoned creature.

An undead being.

Lu Chen stepped on the moss of the stone steps. He shed the flesh from his palm and used his bone knuckles to gently stroke the bluestone handrails on both sides.

In the distance, the ancient chime bells collided in the wind, producing a perfect melody.

After arriving at the Dean's office.

Ning Xiwei mustered her courage.

She glanced at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded.

Ning Xiwei gently knocked on the door.

Knock, knock~.

The Dean walked out from behind the door, fiddling with an antique. He glanced at Lu Chen and the foreign exchange students Lu Chen had registered previously, like Shelley and the others.

Finally, he withdrew his gaze and let it fall on Ning Xiwei, revealing a kind smile. "Good girl, you've brought a lot of honor to our academy. The four major academies in the capital have already come asking for you! However, I don't plan on letting you go just like that. After the Grand Exam, you can continue to study here. After all, this isn't an ordinary person's college entrance exam. The Grand Exam is more like a national test where the winners can choose an academy again and obtain more resources."

"Don't just stand there, come in!"

Dean Ning said as he walked in first.

Inside the tea-scented pavilion, Ning Xiwei stared blankly at a photograph on the wall.

It was an archival photo from twenty years ago. The bronze tripod in the background had the exact same patterns as her nether moon pendant.

Dean Ning was not a relative of hers.

But her mother knew Dean Ning.

She had met Dean Ning once when she was very young.

Lu Chen followed her inside, looking around and acting as if the Old Dean didn't exist.

Lu Chen believed this old fellow wouldn't do anything against him.

After all, in a sense, he was now considered half a member of this academy.

Talents were valuable everywhere.

Especially a Rank 8 powerhouse.

A true legendary-level undead creature—the Skeleton King.

At that moment, Lu Chen noticed a bronze tripod to the side.

He walked over curiously.

There was a line of small seal script on the tripod:

[In the year of Jiazi, the month of Gengwu, the Emperor Star fell into the East Sea. Anomalous beings carrying the Twelve Deities of Slaughter broke the seal; they shall be suppressed with the Nine Tripods.]

The signature in small seal script—"Xu Fu"!

"Three months ago, the Sea-Suppressing Stone Ox in the East Sea's Guixu suddenly opened its eyes, and the East Sea Secret Realm also opened," the Dean said to Ning Xiwei and the others while pulling up a holographic projection.

Ning Xiwei tilted her head in confusion.

Dean Ning said with a chuckle, "Our academy plans to form an expedition team, and Student Ning, you will be the captain!"

"Huh?"

Ning Xiwei's mouth hung open slightly!

She couldn't hide her surprise!

As for Lu Chen, he didn't care at all.

He only cared about taking the hot tea handed to him by the Old Dean's beautiful female secretary.

Good Longjing tea!

After coming out of the Dean's office.

It was exactly dinner time.

From the "Five Flavors Hall" in the twilight, the aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs wafted out. The glazed tiles on the dome reflected a strange, bloody light from an eccentric design.

Ignis speared a flame steak and ate heartily!

However, she also noticed that everyone was staring at their group.

Especially, their gazes were either on her or on Lu Chen.

Ignis grumbled irritably while chewing her steak, "The cafeteria lady at the third window has already peeked at us seven times."

"It's probably because you guys are too good-looking!"

Lu Chen took a bite of his pan-seared steak.

He said nonchalantly.

It would be a problem if these people weren't staring at them.

Setting aside the fact that they were all top-tier beauties with their own unique charms.

He was also a big handsome guy, right?

Even if he was a skeleton.

But clearly, Lu Chen still underestimated human curiosity and the passion for gossip.

Early the next morning.

The dawn light of Kunlun Magic Academy pierced through the glazed dome, casting colorful patches of light on the red sandalwood dining tables of the "Hundred Flavors Pavilion" cafeteria.

They changed to a different cafeteria for breakfast today.

This reminded Lu Chen of his university days before his Transmigration.

Lu Chen scooped up a spoonful of preserved egg and pork congee. The sight of his bone knuckles holding the blue and white porcelain spoon caused several disciples from prominent families at the neighboring table to look over frequently.

"Look at that skeleton man, he's the one at the top of the forum's trending searches..."

"Is he really that strong? I heard he was just playing tricks in the Secret Realm?"

Clang~!

The crisp sound of a silver spoon hitting a porcelain bowl suddenly rang out!

Before Lu Chen could react, Ignis, who was at the same table, slammed the table and stood up, lava patterns appearing on her neck!

The fiery young girl shouted at the group at the next table, "Try saying that again!"

The flame steak on Ignis's tray actually erupted with flames three meters high.

It scared a student who was getting breakfast so much that he almost spilled the soy milk in his hand.

Shelley sighed helplessly. "Student Ignis, school rule number seven! Attacking magic is prohibited in the dining area."