High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices-Chapter 104: Hidden Dragon Garden No. 7
The flyer shuttled through the clouds. The view outside the window changed from the low-rise buildings of Red River City to rolling mountain ranges, and then to vast plains.
At dusk, the flyer finally landed at the Yuntai City Airport.
Yuntai City, located on the central plains of the Federation, was not the most prosperous political or economic hub. However, the presence of Star Martial University had turned it into a sacred destination for countless aspiring Martial Arts students.
The city was much larger than Red River City, its skyline filled with skyscrapers. Most people on the streets exuded the aura of a Martial Artist, their Qi and Blood fluctuations significantly stronger than those of people in an ordinary city.
Following the signs, Xu Wuyi boarded the city’s high-speed rail and headed toward the university district where Star Martial University was located.
Star Martial University had no walls in the traditional sense. Its campus blended seamlessly with the city’s architecture, yet the distinction between them was clear.
As the railcar entered a specific zone, the surrounding architecture changed abruptly, taking on a strong sense of both technology and Martial Arts.
Half an hour later, Xu Wuyi disembarked and arrived at the Star Martial University New Student Welcome Center.
Although it was evening, the welcome center was still brightly lit. But since it was not yet the official registration period, the hall seemed somewhat deserted, with only a few service robots silently bustling about.
Xu Wuyi walked up to a guidance kiosk, and the light screen on its counter immediately lit up. A soft, emotionless female electronic voice spoke:
"Welcome to the Star Martial University New Student Welcome Center. I am the campus auxiliary AI, Anna. It has been detected that you have arrived outside the scheduled registration window. How may I help you?"
"My name is Xu Wuyi. I’m a new student, and I’d like to check in early," Xu Wuyi said.
"Verifying identity... Identity confirmed. Welcome, Xu Wuyi." Anna’s voice remained perfectly calm. "It has been detected that you hold an S-class new student scholarship, which grants you early move-in privileges. Would you like to complete the preliminary registration and receive your housing assignment now?"
"Yes," Xu Wuyi nodded.
"Initiating process. Please follow the guidance light on the floor."
A soft blue line of light appeared on the floor, winding its way toward the back of the hall.
Xu Wuyi watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but marvel. ’This is Star Martial University, after all.’
’With the modern Federation’s technology, creating a high-level AI isn’t that difficult. It’s just a matter of money.’
’But to have it manage the entire school, to give it the ability to interact with every physical entity on this vast campus... the financial cost must be staggering.’
’In a small city like Red River, even government departments still needed human staff to assist their AIs.’
Xu Wuyi followed the light through the empty hall to a row of self-service terminals.
Following Anna’s voice prompts, he completed identity verification, electronically signed his scholarship agreement, and entered his basic information.
The entire process was efficient and smooth, with no hiccups.
"Information entry complete."
"Now assigning your accommodations. Based on your scholarship level, you are entitled to a private villa. There is a vacant villa in Zone 7 of the Hidden Dragon Garden. Do you confirm?"
"Confirm."
Xu Wuyi wasn’t surprised. His S-class scholarship already included various perks for his first year.
"Housing assignment successful. An electronic door key and a campus map have been sent to your communicator."
"Your villa is fully equipped with basic amenities, and the network is active. You may move in immediately using your key. Your official student ID, course schedule, and other materials will be distributed for pickup after the semester officially begins."
A stream of data flowed into Xu Wuyi’s communicator, appearing as a simple campus navigation map and a virtual key icon.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome. I wish you an enjoyable life and successful studies at Star Martial University. If you have any questions, you can call for ’Anna’ at any time from any campus terminal."
The blue guidance light extinguished, and the voice of the AI Anna faded away.
Xu Wuyi stood in place, glancing at the map and key icon on his communicator before looking up. Outside the welcome center, the vast campus was shrouded in night, its lights twinkling brightly.
’No grand welcoming ceremony, no teachers to guide me, just an AI.’
This was the norm at Star Martial University. Xu Wuyi already knew that Star Martial’s distinctive features were its high degree of automation and its focus on large-scale lectures.
Unlike Starry Sky and Black Stone, which were built on numerous master-disciple lineages, Star Martial University placed strict limits on such relationships.
The lectures given by Innate Martial Artists and Grandmasters were aimed at the largest possible student body, rather than concentrating their valuable energy on only a handful of disciples.
As a result, Star Martial University students often didn’t achieve as much as their peers at the other two universities while enrolled, but their success rate after graduation was far superior.
Star Martial University produced the most Martial Artists, and not just because of its large student body. It was because the university provided a solid foundation for the majority of its students to grow.
Furthermore, when it came to the number of Grandmasters, Star Martial University was not lacking in the slightest; it might even have had the most among the Three Greats.
’Rely on the AI, and from a boundless sea of courses, choose the ones that suit you best.’
’Work alone, no need for networking, no need to play politics, just a fair environment for all students...’
’This really is the perfect place for me!’
...
Xu Wuyi followed the map’s navigation, crossing a campus that felt more like a small city.
It was less a campus and more a fully-equipped city for Martial Artists.
The roads were lined with futuristic buildings of varying styles, and massive training halls were visible in the distance.
Even at night, many of these buildings were lit up. Faint fluctuations of Energy could be felt from within them, along with the sound of whirring machinery.
The Hidden Dragon Garden was a serene villa district, shaded by lush trees and offering excellent privacy.
Villa 7 was located deep within the area, a three-story building with a minimalist design that still exuded a sense of power.
Xu Wuyi used the electronic key on his communicator to smoothly open the courtyard gate and the front door of the villa.
"Iris scan authenticated. Welcome home, Xu Wuyi." A soft, synthesized voice sounded from the foyer as motion-activated lights on the ceiling lit up in sequence, illuminating a living room with a five-meter-high ceiling.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lay a neatly trimmed lawn. In the distance, the silhouette of Martial Arts Mountain was faintly visible in the twilight.
The interior lights, warm and soft, switched on automatically as he entered. A fresh scent washed over him; the villa had clearly just been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Just as Anna had said, service robots had already cleaned the place until it was spotless, ready for him to move in right away.
The villa’s interior was spacious, its decor a blend of minimalist high-tech and practical design.
The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all fully furnished, and the appliances were top-of-the-line.
Xu Wuyi paid little attention to the living quarters. His gaze was immediately drawn to the villa’s dedicated Cultivation Area.
On one side of the first floor was a dedicated Martial Arts training room.
The walls and floor were covered in thick, energy-absorbing material capable of withstanding high-intensity training.
Various pieces of equipment for basic strength, endurance, and reflex training were neatly arranged. Beside them was a sizable open area, large enough for practicing his Spear Technique.
In a corner of the room, there was even a small cryotherapy Recovery Pod that maintained a constant low temperature.
Adjacent to the training room was the Meditation Room.
The inner walls of the room were made of a special light-absorbing material, creating an environment of absolute silence and darkness. A single meditation cushion sat on the floor, designed to help a Martial Artist clear their mind of distracting thoughts and delve deep into their Spirit to practice the Visualization Method.
However, according to the student handbook, the basement level was the true core of the villa.
