Rowan now fully understood what Hall Master Hong had in mind.

"As expected, choosing to work with Hong was the right move."

His heart surged with excitement.

He knew the future of this world but Hong didn't. The Hall Master had no idea that in just a few years, Luo Feng, an immensely powerful Spirit Master, would rise and completely suppress the beasts.

Hong was likely still struggling with how to lead humanity in fighting back against the monsters. So Rowan had essentially handed him the perfect solution on a silver platter. No wonder Hong had been so generous.

"Inspector, I have no objections to the pricing," Rowan said decisively after thinking things through.

"Excellent. It seems Hall Master Hong truly saw your worth."

Inspector Wang smiled even more warmly now.

"We'll conduct some further testing on the Extremis Serum. For now, hand over the formula to Yang Hui. You won't need to worry about anything else. The Dragon's Blood, Jade Marrow, and Verdant Bloom will be delivered to you tomorrow morning. For now, settle in at headquarters. You won't need to go through the entrance assessment Hall Master Hong has approved your direct enrollment. Later this afternoon, Yang Hui will show you around the academy and help you with the formalities."

Inspector Wang gave his instructions calmly.

"Understood!"

Rowan's mood lifted considerably.

With Dragon's Blood, Jade Marrow, and the Verdant Bloom, it wouldn't be long before he advanced to the Wargod level.

And once he had the Black God Armor, he would truly be unstoppable.

By the time Luo Feng finally became a proper warrior, Rowan would already be a Wargod clad in full Black God gear. Just imagining it made him want to laugh.

"Rowan, let me show you around the training camp."

As they stepped out of the Inspector's villa, Yang Hui smiled and gestured.

"Sounds good."

Rowan nodded. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn't had time to properly take in the campus environment.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the main gate of the training camp.

In the distance, Rowan saw the famous Black Dragon statue massive and imposing.

The sculpture towered nearly fifty meters tall, its presence dominating the surroundings. As his gaze locked with the dragon's enormous eyes, an overwhelming sense of darkness swept toward him. Thankfully, he had already endured the sharp gaze of Inspector Wang earlier, so he wasn't intimidated by the dragon's stare.

Rowan took in the full sculpture fifty meters in length and noticed that each dragon scale had a small digital screen embedded in it. Each screen displayed a single name.

No.1 – Renatus Bridge (500321)

No.2 – Heltich (510601)

No.3 – Zhu Qiang (520316)

...

No.182 – Jacqueline Berner (550319)

From top to bottom, the dragon's scales listed a total of 182 names.

"Rowan, this is the academy's rankings," Yang Hui explained with a grin. "Currently, there are 182 students in the Elite Training Camp. They come from all over the world and are the top of the top. Rankings are based on each student's combat score from highest to lowest. You'd better work hard and aim for a top position."

"I will."

Rowan nodded. With the sheer amount of resources he now had, it would be embarrassing not to place highly.

"Rowan, with your Dragon's Blood, Jade Marrow, and Verdant Bloom, your physical level will improve quickly. But don't neglect the other aspects of training. Rankings here aren't based solely on physical level, but on comprehensive combat points."

"Your overall score is calculated by multiplying your battle amplitude by your combat achievements. Your battle amplitude is closely tied to your footwork, blade techniques, and power control. So you must train diligently in those areas too."

Yang Hui's reminder was sincere.

Rowan nodded again. He knew Yang Hui meant well. He fully understood the importance of footwork, blade technique, and energy control.

"See the codes next to the student names? Every student gets a unique code upon enrollment. This year is 2055, and you'll officially enroll on October 1st, so the first four digits of your code will be 5510. The last two digits are up to you. What would you like to pick?"

Rowan thought for a moment, then said, "06."

He had crossed into the Swallowed Star universe through the dimensional gate sometime in June, so choosing 06 would serve as a small commemoration.

"Great. Your student ID will be 551006. I'll report it immediately," Yang Hui replied with a nod.

After that, Yang Hui gave Rowan a full tour of the academy, including the famed Ninefold Tower. At noon, they had lunch together in the elite training camp's dining hall, giving Rowan his first taste of the academy's luxurious amenities.

After lunch, Yang Hui led him across a charming wooden bridge to a courtyard with traditional Huaxia architecture.

"Rowan, this is Jiangnan Pavilion. Students from Jiangnan Base City live here."

Looking into the courtyard, Rowan saw several elegant buildings pavilions and towers crafted with refined detail. Though traditional in style, they incorporated modern construction materials with taste and balance.

"Right now, Jiangnan Pavilion houses only two other students: Shi Jiang from the 53rd class, and Zhao Ruo, who joined earlier this year. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them."

"Got it."

Jiangnan Pavilion had three main buildings. As Rowan and Yang Hui entered the courtyard, it was quiet. Yang Hui called out loudly, "Shi Jiang! Zhao Ruo!"

His voice echoed through the courtyard.

Soon, a girl with short hair stepped out onto the second-floor balcony of the left building. She was wearing a loose bathrobe.

At the same time, a figure jumped down from the roof of the main building a young man in a black training uniform.

Rowan turned his gaze to the young man, who stood just over 1.7 meters tall. Although lean, he gave off a solid, unshakable presence, as if his entire body had been forged from iron. His eyes were calm and restrained, but occasionally gleamed with a sharpness that could send chills down your spine.

"This must be Shi Jiang," Rowan thought to himself.

"Whoa, a new student already?" the short-haired girl called out excitedly as she descended from the balcony.

She had a cropped haircut, a petite frame, and tanned skin. Her energetic presence made it clear that she must be Zhao Ruo.

"This is Rowan. Starting today, he'll be living here with you in Jiangnan Pavilion," Yang Hui explained with a smile. "Shi Jiang, you're the senior student here. Make sure you help him settle in."

"And Zhao Ruo, even though you only joined earlier this year, you've been here six months longer. If he has any questions, you should take the initiative to help him."

"Don't worry, Teacher Yang," Shi Jiang replied.

"Got it!" Zhao Ruo chirped, then playfully asked, "Hey, Teacher Yang, does that make me his senior too?"

Yang Hui rolled his eyes and ignored her.

"You all get settled. I'll take my leave now."

He patted Rowan's shoulder with a smile, then turned and walked away.

Jiangnan Pavilion had three traditional-style buildings. Shi Jiang lived in the central one, Zhao Ruo in the western wing, and naturally, Rowan was assigned to the eastern building.

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