Is It Too Late to Leave the Chat Group?

Chen Heng opened the Dimension Administrators Association’s store and, at the top of the page, purchased virtual reality helmets. He had a larger purchase quota than others in the first place and had not used it all. Only after buying helmets for Nightingale and Skadi did he max out his quota.

After sending the helmets to Kal’tsit via a virtual red packet, Chen Heng sent a special note.

Although Chen Heng bought virtual reality helmets for both, he did not buy Nightingale medicine for treating Oripathy—a decision made for specific reasons. It wasn’t because Chen Heng was stingy, but rather because if Nightingale’s Oripathy were cured suddenly, it would draw too much attention. It seemed better to wait until Kal’tsit purchased the recipe; only then would Chen Heng contribute a little to help Nightingale first.

Moreover, Chen Heng had another idea…

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Three days later:

Chen Heng, accompanied by his family members who needed to take the Jixia Academy entrance test, arrived at the Special Affairs Bureau’s Vast Sea City branch for a pre-admission screening.

Fu Hua did not need to come, as she had already been registered as a member of Jixia Academy’s teaching staff after receiving her invitation letter two days earlier, personally delivered by Jixia Academy’s staff.

This invitation letter was as much for teachers as it was for students, essentially serving as a notice of employment—though permanency was not guaranteed.

Chen Heng had no doubts about Fu Hua’s acceptance into Jixia Academy, given her formidable strength as a Void Hollow Realm cultivator, which made her one of the top cultivators on Earth.

Note, just Earth.

In reality, those involved with the hidden world to some depth would know that the current Earth was an enhanced version.

[Author Note: This Earth is much larger than the real Earth, practically an enlarged version with much more area and mass.]

Right now, an extremely powerful sealing ritual array encased Earth. This was the result of several immortals and deities from minor planes combining their efforts. Its purpose was to suppress all non-commonsensical forces, thereby limiting the damage these hidden world powers could inflict on Earth.

The seal affected cultivators’ output without weakening their actual strength or slowing their cultivation progress. Once outside Earth, a cultivator’s strength would return to normal.

Cultivators beyond the Void Hollow Realm, such as those in the Great Manipulator Realm or the Tribulation Candidate Realm, remained so strong that they could still cause irreversible damage to Earth in a short period despite the sealing ritual array. Hence, these individuals were typically confined to their respective faction’s independent worlds—Eastern cultivators might find themselves in the Immortal Realm, while Western clerics could end up in Heaven.

While these were called “independent worlds,” they were actually no smaller than Earth, potentially even several times larger.

Those unwilling to stay in these independent worlds could wander and explore interstellar space, provided they stayed away from the solar system or didn’t meddle with its major planets. By the time one reached the Nascent Soul Realm, short-term survival in space was viable—Chen Heng himself had once spent a considerable time on the moon in Honkai Impact 3rd’s world. However, survival was different from living. Survival did not mean a comfortable life.

Once cultivators reached the Great Manipulator Realm or the Tribulation Candidate Realm, they could freely travel through the cosmos, avoiding only those activities that could lead to disaster, such as wandering into a star like the sun.

Those entering an “independent world” would receive a standard projection technique, which allowed them to descend to Earth using a projection if they could not withstand solitude. However, without a compelling reason, cultivators above the Void Hollow Realm (the eighth grade) were forbidden from remaining on Earth.

[Author Note: Starting from the Energy Refinement Realm, there are ten cultivation realms before becoming immortal. Hence, these are ranked from grade 1 to grade 10. Most cultivators of other systems follow similar classifications.]

Fu Hua, known as the Immortal Phoenix and celebrated across China, stood as one of Earth’s most formidable forces. Despite a slight mishap with the seven disciples she trained, she did have experience in teaching, and her high teaching potential was undeniable.

Chen Heng was utterly baffled when Jixia Academy praised Fu Hua’s teaching abilities. How did Jixia Academy decide my master has teaching potential? Are the holes below your eyebrows used for breathing instead of seeing?

To this day, Chen Heng felt that his master had taught him little about cultivation, apart from ethics and life experiences. Most of what Chen Heng learned came from his own reckless actions.

He acquired his boxing skills only after provoking his master to the point of incensed retaliation; even so, he had not learned everything yet.

Chen Heng also learned Fu Hua’s sword techniques and sword conception because he had not held back when provoking her, infuriating her. He had been beaten up for ten days in Fenghuang Down’s illusion before learning them.

Nonetheless, Fu Hua’s appointment as a Jixia Academy teacher was a certainty, though she would choose what to teach upon her arrival.

The academy offered teachers great flexibility in their workload, from exceedingly idle to incredibly busy. It was all up to the teachers.

If one wanted to earn a higher salary from Jixia Academy, one could choose to be busier. After all, the more one worked, the more one earned. This aligned well with the core values and distribution policies of socialism.

Even though Fu Hua didn’t need to attend, she found staying home alone dull while Chen Heng’s family was away, so she joined them as Chen Heng’s master at the Special Affairs Bureau’s Vast Sea City branch.

Just two years prior, this branch was so well-hidden that only those familiar with the hidden world or the bureau itself could find it, even by accident. Chen Heng recalled a time when the bureau’s entrance bore a sign for a fertilizer factory, a disguise maintained at all its locations.

Before the world reset, Chen Heng’s frequent visits to the Special Affairs Bureau headquarters had led his university peers to believe he was participating in a work-study program at the fertilizer factory. His class representative even kindly offered to apply for financial aid for him, which was slightly embarrassing for Chen Heng.

Following the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, the Special Affairs Bureau finally abandoned the fertilizer factory façade and hung its true signage, marking a new era where the bureau took on additional roles. It was now the official department for managing disputes in the hidden world and the official organization for ability users in the eyes of the public, handling all related incidents.

With the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, the bureau could replace the old fertilizer factory sign with its new dragon-head emblem—a change that was bittersweet but often made Chen Heng laugh.

Led by Fu Hua, Chen Heng and the others entered the upscale, high-end entrance of the Special Affairs Bureau’s Vast Sea City branch, a stark contrast to the old fertilizer factory façade.

“Hello, how can I help you?” greeted a sweet-voiced, friendly receptionist as Chen Heng and his group entered.

Her courteous demeanor was essential. Previously, when the hidden world remained unknown, those who could come to the Special Affairs Bureau were people who knew about the hidden world, how strong the Special Affairs Bureau was, and how deep the hidden world ran. Therefore, those people would follow the rules and not mess around.

After the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, ability users appeared in large numbers. Naturally, these ability users were of varying quality. After awakening, some of these ability users exhibited arrogance, bossing other people around because they were ignorant of the hidden world while having great confidence in their ability.

When encountering ability users from tragic backgrounds or the silver ability users who had less fortune, it was crucial to tread carefully. Such individuals, emboldened by their abilities, tended to get confrontational, especially if treated with the dismissive attitude once typical at the Special Affairs Bureau’s reception. Conflicts could quickly escalate.

Of course, the Special Affairs Bureau wasn’t worried about the receptionists getting hurt; its concern lay with the troublemakers getting thrashed beyond recognition. The girl standing before Chen Heng and his crew might look fragile, but from his perspective, she was at least a Golden Core Realm cultivator, on the verge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, fully capable of wiping the floor with 80 percent of the currently awakened silver ability users.

Now, why would a cultivator apply for a receptionist job? Well, cultivators needed to eat, too; this was nothing embarrassing.

“We’re here for the Jixia Academy entrance exams.” Chen Heng, Ryougi Shiki, Fu Hua, Luo Li, and Sirin proudly brandished their Jixia Academy jade medallions in unison.

Jeanne d’Arc, Fafnir, and Bella, however, remained out of sight, tucked away in their Poké Balls by Chen Heng and Sirin. This trio of human and beasts wasn’t exactly suitable for public appearances, but they didn’t fancy staying home, either. With a keen interest in the entrance exams, they opted to hang out in the Poké Balls, comfortably transported by Chen Heng.

Now, don’t go thinking that being inside a Poké Ball is some sort of inhumane confinement. Truth be told, it’s quite a cozy setup in there: water, electricity, Internet, computers, phones, air conditioning, and snacks galore. If given a choice, Chen Heng wouldn’t mind lounging in a Poké Ball while hanging out in the chat group, watching the scenes outside through the Poké Ball’s observation function.

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