[Reboot Volume] Chapter 272: Hanchuan Academy

"Welcome to Hanchuan Academy!"

Amidst lively cheers, Mo Xing and the others disembarked from the divine vessel.

Shortly before, the vessel had taken off from the Dragon Chant Canyon, sailing smoothly all the way to Hanchuan Academy's landing field.

The architecture of Hanchuan Academy leaned heavily toward a medieval European Gothic style, featuring towering spires, pointed arches, massive windows, and stained glass depicting legendary figures and tales. The majestic exteriors and intricate decorative carvings projected a strongly mystical and sublime atmosphere.

True to the textbooks, the faculty and student body of Hanchuan Academy comprised a diverse array of races: human beings of various skin tones, Dragonfolk with pointed ears, and the Heaven-Sealing Clan, identifiable by delicate markings alongside their eyes.

Hanchuan, Hanchuan—a vast sea embracing a hundred rivers!

"Long time no see, little sister Shiyan~"

Mo Xing snapped out of his daze and looked toward the voice. He saw a young man with light blue hair, pointed ears, and a pale purple robe extending a hand toward Shiyan, a strange feeling welling up in his chest.

"Long time no see, Chu Fengyun." Shiyan gave a slight nod, making no move to shake his hand.

"Haha, refusing to shake my hand again~" Chu Fengyun scratched his head with a cheeky grin, his gaze shifting elsewhere.

"Oh! Little sister Xia Ningxin is here too!"

Walking in the rear, Xia Ningxin didn't even spare him a glance, merely uttering a cold:

"Buzz off."

"My, still so aloof and chilly~" Chu Fengyun said with a grin. "By the way, where is Zhang Zhihao? Why haven't I seen him?"

Xia Ningxin gave no reply, continuing forward on her own.

"He is resting in his cabin on the divine vessel," Mo Xing answered.

"Huh? Even a guy like him gets tired?" Chu Fengyun said in surprise. "That doesn't sound like his style at all~"

"That aside, who might you be, little brother?" Chu Fengyun looked Mo Xing up and down. "I don't think I've seen you before~"

"Um..." Mo Xing scratched his head. "Probably because I'm a freshman..."

"Not bad!" Chu Fengyun praised. "To be able to participate in an operation like this as a freshman—it seems your overall strength must be quite decent!"

"Let's be friends!" Chu Fengyun smilingly extended a hand.

"Um..." Mo Xing was at a loss.

How should he handle this?

Suddenly, a slender hand grabbed his sleeve and pulled him forward.

Turning his head, he discovered the culprit was Shiyan.

"Let's go, stop chatting," Shiyan said softly. "Let's hurry and catch up with the main group, or we'll fall behind."

"Got it!" Mo Xing immediately matched Shiyan's pace, leaving Chu Fengyun standing right where he was.

"Oh my, why is everyone like this?" Chu Fengyun muttered in puzzlement.

After walking for a short while—

"What kind of person is that Chu Fengyun?" Mo Xing asked out of curiosity.

"How should I put it..." Shiyan paused. "He is the ace student of Hanchuan Academy, and also a Dragonfolk mage proficient in five elements."

"Pr... proficient in five elements? He's actually that powerful?" Mo Xing asked in astonishment. According to textbook descriptions, the occupation of an elemental mage generally required mastering two to five elements.

Mastery was merely the baseline. Proficiency, built upon that foundation, required a wealth of theoretical knowledge to back it up, alongside constant training and practical application in actual combat before one could reach the realm of perfection.

To be proficient in five elements simultaneously—just how strong must that Chu Fengyun be!

"Mm, that's right," Shiyan nodded. "In the team category of the previous academy league, the Midsummer Cup, he led Hanchuan Academy all the way to the finals, ultimately suffering a narrow defeat against our school."

"As one of the most classic matches of the past decade, many of Chu Fengyun's brilliant plays from that final were recorded and are widely circulated," Shiyan added. "Many people even believe he has a strong chance of becoming the next generation's Mage King."

"Goodness, if I didn't shake his hand just now, wouldn't that seem terribly impolite?" Mo Xing scratched his head.

"It's fine, he won't mind something like that," Shiyan said.

"Alright."

Mo Xing nodded. Suddenly, a figure flashed past beside them.

"Hey! I'm back again!" Chu Fengyun appeared before them. "I seemed to hear little sister Shiyan praising me just now!"

"Um..." Shiyan was covered in black lines.

"Chu Fengyun? Why did you follow us?" Mo Xing frowned. With Chu Fengyun calling everyone "little sister" left and right, he somehow felt the guy was a dissolute, romantic rake.

"I just received notification from the headmaster telling me to guide your academy to the designated assembly area," Chu Fengyun smiled.

"I see... Many thanks..." Mo Xing scratched his head. "Our mentor said he knows the way."

"Your mentor? Who is he?" Chu Fengyun asked curiously. Hanchuan Academy occupied a full third of Dragonfang Island's area, with buildings and natural landscapes intertwining in rolling, overlapping layers. Even students of the school could easily get lost; how could an outsider know the way?

A moment later.

Hanchuan Academy, Hall of Heroes.

"Su Yunzhou?"

The robed elderly men on either side of the entrance recognized the mentor leading the forefront of the Saint Kong Royal Academy reinforcement delegation.

"Long time no see, elders." Su Yunzhou gave a faint smile.
"Indeed, it's been far too long. Back in the day, you were quite the mischievous student here at Hanchuan Academy!" The old man smiled as well. "You've matured a great deal now, and even become a mentor at Saint Kong Royal Academy. Not bad, not bad~"

"Mm, we can catch up another time," Su Yunzhou nodded. "We mustn't keep Headmaster Shadowdance waiting too long."

"Very well, please come in."

The elder made an inviting gesture with his hand, simultaneously clearing a path for the Saint Kong Royal Academy delegation to enter the hall.

"Not bad at all, your mentor turns out to be Su Yunzhou, a renowned alumnus of Hanchuan Academy! Those old fogeys in class usually love to brag about how incredible he is!" Chu Fengyun praised from the back of the queue. "Saint Kong Royal Academy sending him to lead the team for this operation was truly a wise choice!"

"You could hear that from all the way over here?" Mo Xing asked.

"Of course! My listening comprehension exams always land in the top tier!" Chu Fengyun said smugly.

"Huh? There are listening comprehension exams?" Mo Xing scratched his head, recalling the lingering terror of being dominated by English tests in the past.

"That's right. Come to think of it, that course was actually founded by Su Yunzhou," Chu Fengyun nodded. "Your school should have this elective course too!"

"Um... I'm not really sure?" Mo Xing paused, turning his head to look at Shiyan beside him. "Shiyan, does our school have this class?"

"Yes, we do," Shiyan replied. "I took that course as an elective."

"Hehe, then how did little sister Shiyan score in this subject?" Chu Fengyun asked with a grin. "Eighty or ninety?"

"Full marks," Shiyan answered indifferently.

"Whoa! Little sister Shiyan is amazing!" Chu Fengyun beamed, before suddenly being yanked backward by the collar of his robe.

"You rascal, flirting with girls again?" The elder at the entrance pointed at his own brow, blocking Chu Fengyun in place.

"I did nothing of the sort! Teacher!" Chu Fengyun scratched his head with a cheeky smile. "I was just chatting with her!"

"I don't care to listen to your explanations. Hanchuan Academy's assembly spot is on the left; don't run off to the wrong place." The old man released his grip.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Chu Fengyun scampered off hurriedly.

Once Chu Fengyun had walked far enough away, Mo Xing and Shiyan simultaneously let out a breath, then looked at each other with tacit understanding.

"Um..." the two said in unison.

"You go first." Synchronizing once more, both of their faces flushed slightly as they lowered their heads in embarrassment.

After a brief silence, a majestic sound echoed from high above the hall, resembling a bell chime from the heavens.

Mo Xing raised his head, only now noticing the interior decorations of the hall:

At both ends of the main nave's transepts were massive rose-shaped circular windows, filled with resplendent stained-glass artwork depicting various legendary figures and tales. The brilliance of their colors and the intricate mosaic work of the glass gave the impression of countless brilliant stars twinkling, casting multicolored rays of light into every corner of the hall.

"How magnificent..."

Mo Xing stared in a daze, completely lacking any further adjectives. If a comparison had to be made, the grandeur of this hall was by no means inferior to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame!

"Indeed..." Shiyan looked on with equal astonishment.

At that moment, the surging bell chimes ceased, and an ancient ballad drifted down from mid-air, the atmosphere abruptly shifting to a sorrowful and lingering tune.

"It's the archaic Dragon language..." Shiyan said. "Though I don't quite understand the words, I can feel that it's a tragic, legendary tale."

"I... understand it..." Mo Xing enunciated word by word. "The meaning of the ballad..."

"Huh?" Shiyan turned her head, only to find tears streaming down Mo Xing's face, those droplets condensing a profound sorrow.

"A long time ago, there was a pair of twin siblings. Bound by blood and deeply devoted to one another. One day, the brother said he wanted to change the world. Though the sister didn't quite understand, she didn't object either."

"Later on, the sister befriended three other companions. They endured countless trials and hardships, becoming the most dazzling existences in the world. Learning of this, the brother worked hard as well, defeating countless rivals to become just as exceptional as his sister."

"However, the relationship between the sister and him was no longer what it used to be. Instead, she grew much closer to the other three companions. The brother's jealousy intensified. Taking advantage of a suitable opportunity, he secretly planted a seed of sin into the world, embarking himself on an extreme path of pursuing power."

"Seeing that matters were about to reach a point of no return, the sister hardened her heart and joined forces with the other three companions to pass judgment on the brother."

"In the end, the sister passed away in sorrow. The sky seemed to have torn open a giant void, pouring down torrential rain unceasingly for over a decade."

The heroic and tragic ballad came to an end. Mo Xing stopped crying, wiping his somewhat reddened eyes with his hand.

"Mo Xing... are you alright?" Shiyan looked at him with concern.

"Ah, I'm fine, I'm quite fine. I just can't stand listening to sorrowful songs," Mo Xing waved a hand. "I'm a bit sentimental, easily moved by the scene."

"I can't stand them either." Seeing Mo Xing return to his normal state, Shiyan broke into a smile as well. "No one likes these mournful things."

"Mm." Mo Xing nodded.

Suddenly, nine dazzling rays of light materialized before their eyes, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, nine figures clad in dragon-patterned robes appeared in the very center of the hall.

Unlike the elderly men on either side, the figures in the center were somewhat younger. A cascading mass of flowing hair emitted a golden radiance, and the dragon patterns on their robes slowly coiled and writhed. Sharp gazes matched with overwhelming auras made them look like deities descending from the heavens!

He cupped his fists, his lips parting slightly, and a deep, powerful voice resounded through the entire hall:

"I thank all academies for responding to my Shadowdance's invitation, and for coming to Dragonfang Island to lend a helping hand in subduing the Dragonfolk forbidden grounds!"