Secondly...
Fang Ming looked at the escort of fifteen people accompanying him and Yan Che.
These were the Yan family's guards, and Fang Ming could feel a vast aura within each of them. Without a doubt, they were cultivators far beyond the fifth stage of Qi Yuan.
Through actual inquiry, Fang Ming received his answer: to serve as guards for the young master of the Yan family, these individuals were at least at the fifteenth stage of Qi Yuan, with some even reaching the twentieth stage or higher.
With these guards present, safety was sufficiently guaranteed.
It was naturally impossible for only Yan Che and Fang Ming to travel to the capital.
After the recent unfortunate incident, the Yan family patriarch could not possibly allow Yan Che to travel alone. He had to dispatch guards to prevent his son from going missing again.
Fang Ming was thus also protected by the escort group, following Yan Che, the living map, forward.
The distance from Jiamu City to the capital was not far.
After four days, passing through two cities, Fang Ming and Yan Che arrived in the capital.
The capital was the center of power, politics, and economy of the Tianyuan Kingdom.
Its prosperity far surpassed that of a rural town like Jiamu City.
The roads were well-connected, the people were more energetic, and the buildings were taller and more imposing.
Even the capital's cityscape was many times better than Jiamu City's. Fang Ming looked around and did not see a single beggar, likely because the capital had dedicated agencies to manage such matters.
The Tianyuan Kingdom was a nation of the extraordinary. Institutions like academies, which nurtured the next generation of extraordinary individuals, were naturally of utmost importance. As Fang Ming walked along the bustling, traffic-filled streets, he could clearly see several vast and towering buildings in the distance, naturally recognizing them as the capital's premier academy, Ziyun Academy.
Fang Ming and Yan Che had arrived at the entrance of Ziyun Academy.
Yan Che had already changed into his Ziyun Academy uniform, a pure white, one-piece outfit with subtle black patterns, a black and white form-fitting suit.
Yan Che walked ahead and, after passing the gatekeeper's inspection, entered the academy naturally.
Fang Ming, however, was stopped.
"Halt! Ziyun Academy is not a place for just anyone to enter. If you are family or a guard, wait outside."
"Only students are allowed in here."
The Ziyun Academy guard called out to Fang Ming.
Although this guard was merely a gatekeeper, his internal energy was immense. Fang Ming could sense that this guard was definitely at the thirtieth stage of Qi Yuan.
The thirtieth stage of Qi Yuan was the great perfection of the Qi Yuan realm. When fully utilizing Qi Yuan, one could leap over thirty zhang high, even reaching forty zhang, equivalent to leaping forty stories.
Such an individual, even in the Divine Realm, was only one step away from achieving flight and truly breaking free from the ground's limitations.
This was still under the infinite constraints of the Divine Realm's laws of reality.
If placed in the Void Sea, it would be even more remarkable. The first stage of Qi Yuan was already a thirteen-star existence. The thirtieth stage of Qi Yuan, in Fang Ming's estimation, was the peak of the fifth layer of the box, just one step away from achieving the ability to instantly kill those in the Dao Fruit realm, and the strength to instantly kill those above Dao Sacrifice in the fifth layer of the box.
Ziyun Academy, as the premier academy of the Tianyuan Kingdom, was truly worthy of its name. Even the lowest-ranking gatekeeper possessed such cultivation; one could only imagine how many strong individuals were inside.
Fang Ming was not intimidated. He directly produced his recommendation letter and handed it to the gatekeeper.
"I am here to register because I received a recommendation letter."
The gatekeeper took the recommendation letter, opened it halfway, and after confirming its authenticity, recorded it.
"So, it's a recommendation from a local family in Jiamu City. I've checked it, and it appears to be in order."
"Please wait here. I will first notify the academy's higher-ups."
The gatekeeper said and then ran into the academy.
Clearly, he was going to inform the academy's leadership.
Fang Ming was not in a hurry.
After a while, about an hour later.
The gatekeeper returned.
"Your name is Fang Ming, correct? The academy leadership has reviewed the recommendation letter and agreed to admit you."
"However, your specific situation is unknown, so we cannot arrange your class or grade."
"Please follow me inside to undergo strength and cultural testing."
Fang Ming nodded and then followed the gatekeeper into the academy.
The academy's buildings were all constructed from white jade, even the steps were made of white jade.
Fang Ming followed, stepping onto the white jade stairs, passing through numerous buildings, and finally stopped before one structure.
Entering this building and climbing four or five floors, Fang Ming finally met a woman.
The woman wore red leather armor, and subtly, the air around her seemed to be permeated and controlled by her.
Fang Ming knew this was an ability possessed by extraordinary individuals beyond the Qi Yuan realm.
He also knew that this woman was likely a high-ranking official responsible for admissions, and possessing such strength was perfectly normal.
As Fang Ming entered, the woman noticed him.
"Young man, this recommendation letter merely states that the Yan family patriarch used one of his slots at the academy, and it does not clarify your specific situation."
"I don't know your exact strength. Lend me your hand, let me test your bone age and Qi Yuan?"
Test bone age?
Fang Ming was not afraid. When he ascended from the lower realm to the Divine Realm, he had long since shed his illusory body and cultivated a true body.
His illusory body had experienced countless years, far exceeding trillions of years, but it had been shattered by the rules of the Divine Realm. In its place was his true body.
Fang Ming's true body was that of a fourteen-year-old youth. After all, he had not even experienced ten days in the Divine Realm, so his age could not be very great.
Fang Ming's true body was not afraid of bone age testing. Naturally, he extended his hand, allowing the woman to test him.
The woman grasped Fang Ming's hand, and a vast energy flowed from her towards him.
Fang Ming felt this energy probing his true age and his cultivation.
It was used to prevent others from faking their age and cultivation.
After all, within Ziyun Academy, there was a clear difference in the cultivation resources provided to a cultivator who reached the thirtieth stage of Qi Yuan at nineteen and one who reached it at twelve.
To prevent people from exploiting loopholes, bone age testing was necessary.
The energy circulated within Fang Ming's body, and after testing his bone age, the woman felt she had a clear understanding.
"Fourteen years old, cultivation is at the fifth stage of Qi Yuan? This cultivation is considered mid-to-upper tier in academies in small towns, but in Ziyun Academy, it's considered lower tier, bottom rung."
"However, you are still young. Since you have entered Ziyun Academy, as long as you work hard, you can change this cultivation."