Chapter 216 - 214: Setting Off! The Sea Cape
On October 1st, the first day of the freshman Ranking Challenge, sensational news spread like wildfire across campus.
Yang Shen, the Jianghuai Champion Scholar and top-ranked student in his year, had won the Ranking Challenge in a completely dominant fashion.
And his opponent was none other than Jiang Xin, the Legitimate Son of the Jiang Family and the Innate-level candidate who had narrowly lost to him in the entrance exams.
Yang Shen successfully defended his title, remaining firmly seated on the throne of first place. This genius, who had come out of nowhere, had brazenly proven to everyone that his strength was unshakable.
An Innate-level exam taker? So what? The Legitimate Son of a top Martial Arts Family? Big deal.
In the face of absolute power, might makes right!
Everyone who witnessed the battle couldn’t stop talking about it, recounting the scene with vivid detail.
What was especially astounding was that both had broken through to the Middle Stage of the Innate Realm. Their cultivation level far surpassed that of their peers, leaving many in awe.
To put it in perspective, many students couldn’t reach the Middle Stage of Innate even by the time they graduated in their fourth year, yet these two had succeeded in Breaking Realm after only one month of enrollment.
Of course, some argued that Jiang Xin hadn’t used his full strength, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat from start to finish. Logically, he should have mastered some martial arts techniques.
He was the Legitimate Son of a Martial Arts Family, after all. With countless students wanting to ride his coattails, it was only natural that some would speak up for him.
Given that he was handsome and wealthy, many female students even began to organize and protest the perceived injustice on his behalf.
However, Jiang Xin himself swiftly refuted all such talk without exception, declaring that if anyone spouted such nonsense again, he’d be the first to shut them down.
Following this uncharacteristic announcement, Jiang Xin immediately threw himself into his Cultivation, no longer wasting a single minute on trivial distractions.
It was as if he had seized upon some new opportunity and inspiration.
Zizai Extreme, Free Will—these four words were enough to become the Nourishment for his progress.
In the days that followed, Xu Bamboo, Yuan Rui, Cao Wei, and Tian Zihan also completed their respective challenge matches.
The most brilliant among them was Xu Bamboo, who became the third student in their year to reach the Innate Realm. Not only did she effortlessly defeat her own challenger, she also challenged and triumphed over the seventh-ranked student.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to challenge someone with an even higher rank. The problem was that the three "Challenge Cards" for each of those students had already been taken by challengers ranked higher than her. According to the rules, she couldn’t get a turn.
She even wanted to challenge Jiang Xin, but Yang Shen, considering the symbolic nature of his own battle with him, didn’t want to give the impression they were ganging up on him, so he told Zhuzi to hold off for a while.
Regardless, after this, Xu Bamboo established her reputation as a genius at Jiangti. She was even poised to become the leader among the Female Martial Artists, as everyone ranked above her was male.
Cao Wei, Yuan Rui, and Tian Zihan also made smooth progress, each advancing 30 to 50 ranks.
Having received profound guidance from Yang Shen and with the added boost from the "Martial Arts Gate," they had been improving constantly in the months since the entrance exams. Their abilities could no longer be measured by their old rankings.
In an instant, the reputation of "Yang’s Disciples" soared, and countless students sought to join their group for mutual support.
Yuan Rui began to take on the role of a senior disciple, carefully screening and recruiting talented individuals who could be of use to their mentor, even looking for prospects in the university’s other four schools.
This was especially true for the School of Life Sciences, which could be relevant to the Yang Family’s "Spirit Plant" industry.
From this point forward, the "Jianghuai Yang Family" would become a distinct and dazzling banner within Jiangti, and the Yang Family, in turn, would use the platform of this top national university to selectively absorb its own Nourishment.
Inner strength manifesting outwardly—this was how it should be!
Meanwhile, Yang Shen himself had quietly completed the procedures to take a leave of absence, obtaining his passport and other necessary documents.
Jiangti had always encouraged students to travel to the Exotic Realm. Since this was a direct invitation for a high-level opportunity, the university gave him the green light all the way.
His advisor, Sheng Qin, took the matter very seriously. She even helped Yang Shen apply for special, private lessons—a crash course in the basics of exploring the Exotic Realm.
This was a course normally offered only to second and third-year students.
Yang Shen didn’t refuse and attended the classes diligently, hoping to avoid making a fatal mistake out of simple ignorance.
And so, with all matters both at the university and for his trip settled...
————
「October 6th.」
「Chongwu District, Chongwu Cemetery.」
"Uncle, even though there’s a memorial tablet at the Yang Residence, I always feel closer to you here. I’ve come to see you again."
Yang Shen laid a bouquet of flowers before his uncle’s grave.
Beside him, Xu Bamboo wiped clean the tombstone of the elder she had met on a few occasions.
With Yang Shen leaving on a long journey, she was filled with worry and felt she had to come and see him off properly.
Xu Bamboo remembered his uncle, Yang Wen. She had occasionally seen him during her first and second years of high school, but they’d never had a chance to speak.
’Girls are shy.’ She always felt that whenever Yang Shen’s uncle looked at her, his eyes held a teasing glint.
As if to say, ’Shen, you’re really something!’
But thinking back on it now, ’he really is impressive.’
’We’re even living together now...’
Yang Shen pressed his palms together, praying silently.
’The zoning for Cangwu Garden hasn’t been changed yet, but as the Yang Family develops, I feel it’s only a matter of time. I’ll do my best to move you and my parents there as soon as possible. Over there, we’re the ’Master of Earth Veins.’ You’ll be able to rest peacefully beside the family, blessing our every step forward.’
Yang Shen lit three sticks of incense for his uncle and bowed deeply three times.
Without further hesitation, he turned and left.
He vowed silently, ’I will get to the bottom of what happened to you.’
Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo reached the cemetery exit where the taxi was still waiting with its meter running. After they got in, it continued toward Jinshui District. This was the first time Yang had been back since he moved.
However, this trip wouldn’t take them through the Jinshui City District. Instead, they were heading straight for Jinshui Port, one of the most important ports in Jianghuai City.
When his uncle was still alive, he used to come here often. After all, Yang Wen would only return home every few months, and Yang Shen liked to stand on the shore and wait for him.
On the surface, Jinshui Port didn’t look very prosperous. The buildings were mostly low-rise, and cluttered little shops stood packed together. Yet, it handled a third of all maritime cargo for Jianghuai.
Following Yang Shen’s directions, the taxi drove to a restricted area where one could board ships directly.
On the wide pier, Yang Shen immediately saw the vessel for his trip the moment he stepped out of the car.
It was an oceanographic research vessel with a displacement of 5,000 tons. Painted on its hull were the words "Sea Cape."
This type of vessel had a peculiar design. It wasn’t pointed like a warship, nor was it flat like a cargo ship. Its overall structure resembled a cruise liner, with a wide bow and a superstructure rising seven or eight stories above the deck.
A helicopter was parked on the stern, and at the very back, there was a massive crane that could be used to salvage things from the seabed.
Their small research team of a dozen or so people couldn’t possibly need such a large vessel. To be precise, they were just catching a ride; the ship had other missions to attend to.
Yang Shen looked up and gazed at the ship. There were already a few figures on deck, and on the gangway was Shen Juanzhou, waving at him.
"Yang! Over here!"
Yang Shen smiled. "Just call me Yang Shen."
Being addressed so informally made it easy for people to underestimate him due to his age.
His uncle had once told him that in life at sea, you must never be afraid of trouble. The more you fear it, the more it finds you.
You’re in close quarters and can’t avoid each other, and everyone is incredibly bored. Once people start looking down on you, it leads to an endless stream of trouble.
As the moment of their separation drew near, Yang Shen turned to look at Xu Bamboo.
"Well, I’m off then..."
Xu Bamboo stood gracefully with her hands behind her back. Her large, bright eyes were filled with reluctance to see him go, yet they showed not a shred of hesitation.
Biting her lip, she gave the corner of Yang Shen’s mouth a light peck. "Go on your adventure without any worries. I’ll be here at home, waiting for you to come back."
Looking at her lovely face, Yang Shen was suddenly struck by a realization.
’With this journey, it seems I’m walking a path similar to my uncle’s.’
’Many times in the past, perhaps at this very pier, my aunt must have sent my uncle off just like this.’
Following in the footsteps of his family, this son of the Yang Family no longer felt any melancholy.
But his moment of sentimentality was cut short by an inopportune whistle from the deck. It seemed someone was hooting at them.
Yang Shen sighed. ’Uncle was right, after all.’
’People who go to sea are all bored to death!’
Shen Juanzhou watched the entire exchange with a knowing, fond smile. "Hurry and get on board. Most of the team is here. The last few will get on at Dongying Remnant Island. We can get acquainted first."
Yang Shen nodded and said to Xu Bamboo, "You all should split my Quota Supplements as you see fit. But please look after Tian Zihan and give him a little extra."
"Don’t worry. I’ll also supervise their practice of the *Vomiting Valley Qi*. Who knows? Maybe by the time you come back, everyone will have reached the Innate Realm."
He exchanged a final wave with Xu Bamboo, then stepped onto the "Sea Cape."
He was thinking of finding a spot on deck to give Xu Bamboo one last wave from afar, but as soon as he reached the top of the gangway, he saw Luo Sheng leaning against a wall, smoking.
Luo Sheng’s expression was impassive; he didn’t even glance over. But Yang Shen greeted him with a smile, "Officer Luo, better ration those cigarettes! We’re going to be out for over a month!"
Upon hearing this, a look of genuine worry materialized in Luo Sheng’s eyes...
As if he were about to face a life-or-death tribulation.