The high-noon sun struck the center of the plaza, reflecting off the blue jade floor. Dean Mo Jinghong stood on the high platform, his robes perfectly still despite the rising wind. He didn't waste words; he simply raised his hand, and a mountain of High-Grade Spirit Stones appeared, suspended in the air.
With a flick of his wrist, the stones shattered. A wave of concentrated spiritual energy flooded into the ground, igniting the massive Spatial Array carved into the plaza.
VUUUUUUUM.
The air began to vibrate with a low, bone-shaking hum. The space between the two massive stone pillars at the edge of the plaza began to warp, swirling like liquid silver until a dark, rotating vortex formed. This was the entrance—a temporary tear in space leading to the Frost-Heaven Secret Realm.
"Take your Identity Jade Tokens!" the Dean's voice boomed. "They are your anchors. The spatial tunnel is unstable. If you do not channel your Qi into the token, the turbulence will tear your physical body apart, and if you are interested danger pour your spiritual energy in the token, and you'll be out".
Lin Chen watched as the other disciples hurriedly grabbed their tokens. He saw groups of people huddled together. They were some people who were pushing their Qi into a guiding treasure, trying to ensure they wouldn't be separated during the transit.
Lin Chen stood apart. He pulled looked for his jade token. He simply gripped the cold jade, and walked away from the centre to a corner of the plaza.
"Enter!" the Dean commanded.
The disciples rushed forward in waves. As they touched the silver vortex, their tokens flared with a protective light, wrapping them in a thin bubble of energy before they were sucked into the void.
When it was Lin Chen's turn, he didn't hesitate. He stepped into the swirling silver light.
The moment he entered, the world of the institute vanished. He was plunged into a tunnel of chaotic gray mist and streaks of silver lightning.
The pressure was immense. It felt as if he were being dragged through a narrow pipe at incredible speed. He felt the spatial turbulence—the "Void Wind"—beating against the protective barrier of his jade token.
Under normal circumstances, a cultivator of his level would be terrified. But Lin Chen was calm. His Thunder-Tempered body felt the pressure and the protective barrier of the jade can protect him.
Even as the spatial winds buffeted the barrier, his dense muscles and jade-like bones remained steady. He didn't experience the nausea or the dizziness the others faced. He just thought it was similar to cross border teleportation but the pressure here is high.
Suddenly, the tunnel reached its end. The silver light intensified, and the spatial pressure reached a peak.
POP.
The sensation of being squeezed disappeared instantly. Lin Chen was spat out of the void.
Instead of tumbling to the ground like most disciples, Lin Chen flipped in mid-air, his boots hitting the frozen soil with a heavy thud. He didn't stumble. He stood on a branch of a tree, his eyes already scanning his surroundings.
The air here was completely different—Here the spiritual energy was much denser compared to the outside. The sky was a perpetual shade of sky blue. He was standing in a forest of massive, black-barked trees whose branches were filled with blooming flowers.
The teleportation had been random. There wasn't anyone in his sight. The silence was absolute, broken only by the occasional.
Lin Chen stood up, brushing the frost from his robes. He looked at his jade token; it was glowing a steady green, signaling that he had successfully entered the Outer Area.
He took a deep breath. The Heaven and Earth Qi here was much richer than at the institute, wher one can cultivate without any hindrance. To anyone else, it was a danger. But here if you can cultivate it will be many times better than outside world.
"Let's see" he whispered, his voice disappearing into the mist.
He didn't need to hide here. Because here if he can find any heaven and earth spritual items He can make preparations for Advancig.
He loosened his sword in its sheath and began to move forward into the forest.