C19 Heading to University of Norbury

Lin Feng was a student at the University of Norbury, and both his and his family's tickets were complimentary. However, his aunt's family didn't qualify for this perk.

As a result, they had to purchase their tickets.

The cost for their family of four was a staggering two hundred thousand!

But don't assume that the government profited from this; an armored vehicle alone was valued at over three million, not to mention the cost of the soldiers guarding the convoy.

If an armored vehicle sustained damage or there were casualties en route, the government often faced hefty compensation payouts.

"Lin Feng, let's secure a vehicle. Liu Fei, you'll ride with Lin Feng's aunt and her family," Chiang Yu proposed.

They were all headed to Norbury, just like Lin Feng.

However, unlike Lin Feng, their families had decided to remain in Zeffari and not travel to Norbury.

"Sure," Liu Fei agreed with a nod.

In the armored car, aside from the four soldiers operating the vehicle and its weapons, there were only six seats available for passengers.

Liu Fei, being stronger than Chiang Yu, chose to sit with Aunt Lin Feng's family as a safety precaution.

Lin Feng, of course, would be sitting with his own family.

Once aboard,

a girl they didn't recognize joined them. She was roughly their age and clearly another student heading to Norbury.

"Are you from the University of Norbury too?" Lin Feng asked with a friendly smile.

Though they were strangers, Zeffari wasn't a large place, and given their similar ages, it was likely they were students from one of the three local schools.

"Are you guys from the University of Norbury?" The girl's eyes lit up with envy.

Her reaction told Lin Feng all he needed to know—she wasn't a student there.

"I'm Xu Jiajia. Although I'm also going to Norbury, I'm not from the University of Norbury; I attend the University of Lofreydor," she explained.

Lin Feng paused, then it clicked.

Norbury was home to three universities, with the University of Norbury being the most prestigious. But the other two institutions, while not quite on par with Norbury's flagship university, were comparable to other universities in the region.

"You're Lin Feng from University 66, aren't you? I'm pretty sure I've seen you on the school forum." Xu Jiajia's bubbly personality shone through.

As she spoke, her gaze toward Lin Feng was tinged with admiration.

Feeling awkward, Lin Feng scratched his head and glanced at his mother, Lee Susu, who was signaling to him with bright, encouraging eyes.

Clearly, she was eager for him to start dating.

Lin Feng felt a tingle of embarrassment.

Chiang Yu, ever the joker, slung an arm around Lin Feng's shoulders and chuckled, "Is that right? I had no idea my buddy was such a celebrity. But you know, Lin Feng has always been solid – he just prefers to fly under the radar!"

Chiang Yu laid it on thick, proclaiming Lin Feng a once-in-a-millennium talent, making the likes of Hsu Ying, Zhang Chaohai, and Wang Ping look like mere pretenders to the throne.

Lin Feng's head swelled with the unwanted attention.

Yet Xu Jiajia kept nodding in earnest agreement. Lin Feng tried to downplay it, "I'm really not all that."

But Xu Jiajia instantly became an adoring fan, exclaiming, "Lin Feng, you're just being humble! I've heard all about your exploits in Warzone 509 and the incident at the Treasure Pavilion!"

Lin Feng's face took on a hint of concern.

He quickly shot Xu Jiajia a look.

Chiang Yu caught on and fell silent, also gesturing to Xu Jiajia.

Xu Jiajia paused, puzzled by their reactions.

Lee Susu, with a hint of confusion, inquired, "The Treasure Pavilion incident... Feng, what happened there?"

"It's nothing, Mom," Lin Feng said with a forced smile.

He certainly wasn't about to tell his mother about the assassination attempt.

Xu Jiajia, realizing her faux pas, hastily covered it up with a grin, "Oh, it's nothing, Auntie. Lin Feng just showed off some impressive knife skills at the Treasure Pavilion during a get-together. His technique was so sharp, it left the rest of us feeling quite inferior!"

"Is that so?" Lee Susu's face lit up with understanding and a touch of pride, yet she playfully chided, "Feng, try not to draw too much attention to yourself when you're out and about."

She was concerned that Lin Feng's high-profile demeanor might stir up envy in others.

"Mom, I've got it…" Lin Feng sighed inwardly, though his expression was tinged with a wry smile.

The incident had significantly lightened the mood inside the car.

Chiang Yu casually pulled out snacks for Lin Hua and Lin Xue.

Despite his lack of tact, he had a soft spot for kids. He doted on his own siblings to no end.

"Oh, that reminds me, Lin Feng. You can let your aunt's family stay in the house I got for you at the University of Norbury. It's just sitting empty otherwise," Chiang Yu mentioned offhandedly.

"Sure, that works," Lin Feng quickly agreed.

It was a free house, after all. Leaving it empty would just be wasteful.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Lee Susu hesitated.

"Don't worry, Mom. He's at the University of Norbury like me, and we hardly ever leave campus. It really would be a waste to just let that house sit there."

"Exactly, Auntie. Lin Feng's right. It's a shame to let the house go unused," Chiang Yu chimed in, supporting the idea.

Lee Susu took a while to respond, but eventually, she nodded in agreement, looking at Chiang Yu with gratitude. "Then, Auntie thanks you, Xiao Yu."

Xu Jiajia listened in, a hint of envy flickering in her eyes.

She didn't have the luxury of being assigned a house just for attending Luo University.

...

Three days later.

Despite some hiccups, the convoy safely made its way into Norbury City.

Outside the city.

The towering steel walls rose into the mountains, visible from a distance!

And there weren't just one, but three.

Each wall was taller than the last. The first was a mere thirty meters, the second soared to fifty meters, and the third was an impressive one hundred meters high.

"I've heard that one of Lofreydor's two War Gods is stationed right here in Norbury City…" Chiang Yu said in a low voice.

Yet his eyes shone with intense admiration and fervor.

The War God was a true force to be reckoned with, capable of dominating the world. Even in modern times, as long as one didn't seek out death or get trapped by enemies, they could still reign supreme across the globe!

Lin Feng inhaled softly, his eyes alight with longing. A War God? He was certain that one day, he would reach that level. And beyond that, he aspired to ascend even higher, to become the backbone of all Lofreydor!

"What are your plans after you start at the University of Norbury?" Lin Feng inquired.

The notion of becoming a War God seemed distant. For now, his immediate goal was to secure his place at the University of Norbury, ranked among the top three universities in Lofreydor.

"I guess I'll just have to play it by ear," Chiang Yu admitted, a rare hint of defeat in his tone. He offered a wry smile. "Everyone who gets into the University of Norbury is a national elite or a genius. You know as well as I do, Lin Feng, that my own strength and talent are pretty average."

In the month following the college entrance exams, Chiang Yu had managed to reach the Warrior Stage and become a First Level Warrior. But as always, he had relied on medicinal pills to get there. His innate ability for cultivation was just average, maybe slightly better than Lin Feng's used to be, but not by much.

Out of the three of them, it seemed only the big, goofy Liu Fei was the true talent, the one who got into the University of Norbury on his natural gifts alone. Lin Feng, on the other hand, was something of a wild card. When it came to innate talent, he considered himself quite ordinary.

"I've heard that someone in Lofreydor has managed to produce Life Essence," Lin Feng said gravely. "I'm determined to get my hands on it when the time comes."

Life Essence was an exceedingly rare and valuable medicinal liquid, even in the vast Taiyi World. It could not only prolong life and heal severe internal injuries but also transform a person's very constitution.

Why was it available on Apus Calesius? Since the planet had merged with the Taiyi World, many of its substances had evolved rapidly. The Life Essence Tree, capable of extracting this precious substance, had also emerged on Apus Calesius.

"Bro, you've got some ambition!" Chiang Yu was astounded. Despite his wealthy background, the thought of acquiring Life Essence had never crossed his mind. After all, it was prohibitively expensive—a single drop could cost a whopping 100 million!

Moreover, it was priceless and without a market.