The helicopter's propeller roar gradually subsided.

The fuselage landed smoothly on an open helipad.

The cabin door opened, and Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, followed Zhang Donglai and Zhao Menghai off the aircraft.

An air completely different from Dongning Province assailed them.

It was drier and purer.

A pitch-black military off-road vehicle was already waiting.

The three got in, and the vehicle quickly departed the helipad, merging into the wide streets of the Imperial Capital.

Zhou Huai looked at the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, still somewhat awestruck.

Every building here was filled with a beauty that intertwined science fiction and art.

In the sky, professionals occasionally soared past.

On the ground, the pedestrians' attire was also far more fashionable and avant-garde than in Donghai City.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Zhang Donglai wore a mysterious smile, keeping him in suspense.

"Aren't you eager to improve your strength?"

"Naturally, we're taking you to a good place to level up."

Half an hour later, the vehicle's speed slowly decreased.

Zhou Huai's gaze was firmly drawn to a magnificent building ahead.

It was a huge archway.

It was entirely carved from white jade, standing a hundred meters tall.

Above the architrave, four gilded characters were engraved in a flowing, dragon-and-phoenix style.

Imperial Capital Academy.

Sunlight spilled upon it, reflecting a sacred radiance.

The vehicle passed through the archway and entered the academy grounds.

On both sides of the wide road were neatly trimmed lawns and lush ancient trees.

Many young students in academy uniforms strolled along the road in small groups.

Further away, several large open-air battlegrounds could even be seen.

At this moment, students were fiercely sparring within them, the light of various skills soaring into the sky, drawing bursts of cheers.

Academies in this world had no concept of summer or winter breaks.

Becoming stronger was the eternal theme.

"This is the Imperial Capital Academy, how do you like it?" Zhang Donglai asked with a smile.

Zhou Huai nodded.

"It's lively and very vibrant."

Zhao Menghai, beside him, laughed heartily.

"This is nothing."

"Wait until the National Examination results from various provinces are released, and the new students who secured spots enroll, that's when it truly gets lively."

Zhou Huai looked at Zhang Donglai, voicing the doubt in his heart.

"You brought me here, you're not trying to make me transfer in, are you?"

Zhang Donglai shook his head.

"No need for that."

"You are now a key cultivation target registered with our military, and the theoretical knowledge in the academy isn't very meaningful to you."

He paused, explaining.

"It's just that the military currently doesn't have dungeons and Secret Realms suitable for your Rank."

"And the Imperial Capital Academy happens to have a complete dungeon system ranging from Rank 20 to Rank 40."

"So we're bringing you here to temporarily transition."

Zhou Huai understood.

The vehicle quickly left the main road of the campus and turned into a sparsely populated area.

This was the academy's villa district.

Each villa was exquisitely designed and extremely luxurious, with significant distances between them, ensuring absolute privacy.

Those who could live here must have extraordinary identities.

Finally, the vehicle stopped in front of a strangely styled villa.

Zhou Huai got out, looking at the scene before him, and couldn't help but be stunned.

The entire villa was almost completely enveloped by various bizarrely shaped vines.

The vines were of strange colors, some as black as ink, others blood-red like snakes.

They were intricately intertwined, wrapping the villa so tightly that it was impenetrable.

The walls were covered with blue Boston ivy, its leaves swaying in the wind, emitting a faint blue glow.

In the yard in front of the villa, various plants he had never seen before were cultivated.

Some looked like a burning flame.

Others resembled grasping {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} eyeballs.

At this moment, an old woman with a hunched figure was in the yard, holding an antique watering can, leisurely watering those strange plants.

Zhang Donglai stepped forward and politely knocked on the yard's fence gate.

"Knock, knock."

The old woman didn't lift her head, her voice ancient and hoarse.

"The door's unlocked, come in."

Zhang Donglai turned back, looked at Gandalf, and sternly instructed him.

"Once inside, speak less."

"Did you remember?"

Zhou Huai was bewildered by his solemn demeanor but still nodded.

The three pushed open the fence gate and entered the small courtyard.

Zhang Donglai quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the old woman.

"Junior Zhang Donglai, greetings to Principal Lin."

Zhao Menghai also bowed.

"Zhao Menhai, greetings to Principal Lin."

The old woman, called Principal Lin, continued to water her flowers as if she hadn't heard them.

After a moment, she slowly spoke.

"Oh, it's Little Zhang."

"What brings you two here today?"

Zhang Donglai forced a smile.

"Um... Principal Lin, there's something we'd like to trouble you with."

"Marshal Zhao, he must have told you already, right?"

"We want to send a student to stay with you temporarily for a period of time."

Upon hearing the words "Marshal Zhao," the old woman's watering motion abruptly paused.

She looked up, her wrinkled face filled with displeasure.

"That old coot Zhao Qingcang won't even see me anymore, what could he have told me?"

She placed the watering can heavily on the ground, put her hands on her hips, like a wronged little girl.

"I've kept myself pure for him for over seventy years, and he, good for him, now just knows to avoid me!"

"Tell me, am I really that scary?"

Zhang Donglai's forehead broke out in a fine sweat, and he quickly stepped forward to appease her.

"Principal Lin, please calm down. Marshal Zhao might be busy with affairs recently, he certainly isn't intentionally avoiding you."

The old woman pouted and snorted.

Her gaze swept past Zhang Donglai, glancing at Gandalf behind him.

Her brows immediately furrowed.

"You two know I'm an old woman used to living alone, and I hate noise the most."

"And you're even arranging for a young punk to stay here with me?"

"The plants in my yard are all treasures, what if he startles them?"

She waved her hand impatiently.

"No, no, you'd better find another place!"

Seeing this, Zhang Donglai quickly walked to Principal Lin's side, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few hurried words.

Zhou Huai saw Principal Lin's expression change at a visible speed.

First surprise, then astonishment, finally turning into a hint of solemnity.

Her cloudy old eyes fell back on Gandalf, scrutinizing him carefully several times.

"There's such a thing..." she murmured.

Zhang Donglai nodded vigorously.

"That's why I thought of having this child stay with you temporarily."

"Under heaven, only your place is the safest."

Principal Lin nodded upon hearing this.

"What you said does have some truth."

She looked at Gandalf again and finally relented.

"In that case, let him stay for now."

Zhang Donglai was immediately overjoyed and quickly bowed again in gratitude.

"Thank you, Principal Lin!"

He straightened up, pulled Gandalf aside, and instructed him again.

"For now, just live here peacefully."

"This Principal Lin doesn't like too much noise, so try to keep quiet during the day and listen to her."

He paused, then added.

"Don't let her fierce appearance fool you, she's actually very kind and easy to get along with."

Zhou Huai was somewhat puzzled.

"Why do I have to live here?"

"Doesn't the academy have dormitories specifically for visitors?"

Zhang Donglai gave a wry smile, lowering his voice.

"This is also for your safety."

"Those madmen from the Dawnbreaker Guild have too many tricks, making them impossible to guard against."

"I must place you in an absolutely safe place to feel at ease."

He quietly glanced at the old woman in the yard, who was picking up her watering can again to water the flowers, out of the corner of his eye.

His voice was even lower, almost inaudible.

"This one is not an ordinary academy principal."

"She is one of the only two remaining old-guard S-Class Professionals in our Great Xia Country, openly known."

"The Lord of Senluo, Lin Zhu."