C245 Fairmoor

The Redmarsh Airport stood as one of the finest on the entire planet. At this moment, its grounds were home to over a thousand airships, large and small. The majority of these vessels crisscrossed between Earth's major cities, originating not only from the Adirang Region but also from many other districts.

In addition to these, several colossal airships loomed over the area. These behemoths were designed for journeys to extraterrestrial civilizations, true interstellar ships that dwarfed their planetary counterparts.

For now, Chu Yi had no dealings with these interstellar giants. He wasn't planning to leave Earth just yet, but he was aware that the day of his departure was drawing near. His immediate focus was on the upcoming exams, and following that, the special entrance assessment for the Milky Way Academy. Passing that would mean his enrollment at the academy and, inevitably, his time to leave Earth would arrive.

These thoughts brought a tinge of sadness to Chu Yi. He wished he could remain on Earth longer, to cherish additional time with his parents and loved ones. Yet, as Adams had warned, Earth Civilization was on the brink of encountering challenges from other advanced civilizations. Without sufficient strength, Chu Yi wouldn't be able to defend his family.

Old Master Chu Tianfeng, his grandfather, was a formidable figure, and astonishingly, his grandmother was a Sky Level War God. Their combined might was a force to be reckoned with on Earth, deterring even the most powerful entities from provocation. They were supported by a network of a teacher, fellow disciples, and siblings in arms.

Despite this, Chu Yi was under no illusion about the scale of their power within the vast Milky Way Galaxy. It was unlikely that even his grandfather could withstand the impending clash of civilizations on his own.

If Chu Yi lacked the strength and potential, he would have resigned himself to a life of normalcy. But that wasn't the case. He was acutely aware of his own talent and the heights he could potentially reach—a future that eluded even the most prodigious of his peers.

Chu Yi couldn't persuade himself to simply stay put and enjoy life here!

Another crucial point was that Chu Yi couldn't bear the thought of leading a mundane life forever.

So, he was certain that he would eventually leave.

"Chu Yi, what's on your mind?"

"The spaceship is about to launch."

Lee Zi's voice, filled with excitement, reached him. Chu Yi smiled at her enthusiasm and chose not to elaborate.

Indeed, he wasn't alone. Lee Zi would be there with him on the journey ahead.

...

This was a genuine spaceship, not like the airplanes Chu Yi had flown in his previous life, which were confined to the Earth's atmosphere.

These spaceships...

A quick search revealed they had already ascended beyond the atmospheric boundary, venturing into space itself.

Though they hadn't left Earth's orbit, they were already traversing the realms beyond our planet.

Chu Yi gazed curiously at the celestial vista outside, witnessing such sights for the first time in both his past and present lives.

Unless cities were exceptionally close, intercity spaceship travel occurred within Earth's orbit.

The primary reason was fuel.

This world was vastly larger than the one Chu Yi knew before. Even as spaceship speeds increased, so did fuel consumption. In space, however, fuel burn was significantly less.

Fuel efficiency was one consideration.

But there was another, equally important factor—

Safety!

Indeed, the present world was not as it once was.

The perils of the sky were beyond imagination. Although humans had driven the formidable Demon Kings into the Life Restricted Area, the resurgence of spiritual energy on Earth continued to spawn terrifying Demonic Beasts.

This included numerous airborne Demonic Beasts.

Encountering these creatures while flying in the atmosphere meant certain disaster: the ship would be destroyed, and lives would be lost.

It's worth noting that not even a Diamond Level Great General could take to the skies, let alone ordinary beings. Only those of War God Level could escape Earth's gravitational pull and accomplish the remarkable feat of bodily flight.

No one could assure absolute safety when flying within the atmosphere. An unexpected encounter with these Demonic Beasts could have grave consequences.

Normally, these spacecraft enter the sky directly and navigate above Earth's orbit.

"The speed of these spacecraft has now reached tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. Such a speed is incredibly fast."

"Yet, it still takes us two hours to reach Fairmoor..."

Lee Zi reflected with a hint of wonder.

Chu Yi remained silent, not for lack of interest, but because he genuinely lacked knowledge in this area.

His understanding of geography was a blank slate.

His former self had not been one for academics, especially when compared to the brilliant scholar beside him; he was simply out of his league.

Chu Yi was truly unaware of the details Lee Zi mentioned.

In his past life, traveling between two cities by plane took merely two hours.

While the time remained the same in this world, the actual distance was significantly greater.

Noticing Chu Yi lost in thought once more, Lee Zi chose not to interrupt.

She continued to gaze excitedly at the cosmic panorama outside, her eyes shimmering with a touch of mystique.

...

The velocity of the spaceship was astonishing, with speeds reaching tens of thousands of kilometers per hour, which was almost beyond Chu Yi's imagination. Even at his fastest—

It would likely only match this speed!

And that would be only if Chu Yi pushed himself to his absolute limits.

"Technology, once it has advanced to a certain point, is truly frightening!"

While Chu Yi pondered, time slipped away.

Two hours was neither particularly long nor short.

Soon, the spaceship began its descent, signaling the approach to the atmosphere.

Several formidable warships emerged, patrolling the skies within the atmospheric layer.

"These spaceships have been specially deployed by the Fairmoor City government to ensure the smooth conduct of the national examination."

Beyond the atmosphere, Demonic Beasts were powerless to interfere. Only those at the Demon King Level, capable of physical flight, could enter the void and potentially harm the spacecraft.

Thus, the most perilous moments occurred during the spacecraft's ascent and descent within the atmospheric layer.

Of course, this so-called danger was all relative.

Nevertheless, to guarantee absolute safety, the Fairmoor City officials took no chances.

Under the protection of several massive warships, Chu Yi and his companions made a smooth landing at Fairmoor City's aviation hub.

"We'll be met by a reception team once we disembark from the spaceship," someone mentioned.

"Once we reach the hotel, you'll have an hour to settle in and get ready," the Half Step to War God added, glancing at his watch before continuing, "So let's plan to gather in the hotel lobby at six o'clock sharp."

"The Fairmoor City government is hosting a welcome banquet for all the students this evening. I hope none of you have conflicting commitments; it's best not to miss it..."

Another banquet...

There was one just last night, and now, yet another this evening.

Truth be told, Chu Yi wasn't fond of banquets; he saw them as a waste of time.

He had no interest in networking or meeting new people at these events.

Besides, it was nearly impossible to enjoy a good meal at such gatherings.

As a result, Chu Yi typically avoided attending banquets whenever possible.

But this time, with the team leader making the request, Chu Yi felt it would be impolite to decline.

In contrast to Chu Yi, the other prodigies' eyes sparkled at the mention of a 'banquet.'

Indeed, those present were all scions of noble families.

Commoners?

They were virtually nonexistent here.

Raised in cultivation from a young age, these young aristocrats seldom had the opportunity to partake in such social events.

What they craved most was to present their finest qualities for all to see, not just in terms of power but in all respects.

Naturally, their desired audience wasn't the average person but peers of similar stature.

A banquet, therefore, was the perfect setting for socializing and broadening one's connections.

Hence, upon hearing about the banquet, all the candidates, except for Chu Yi and Lee Zi, were visibly thrilled.

Stepping out of the airship center, Chu Yi noticed a throng of reporters swarming the nearby plaza.

The vibe in Fairmoor was distinct from that in Redmarsh, where reporters could not freely cover such significant events without special clearance.

Given Redmarsh's thick political climate, the priority there was always on maintaining order and stability.

In contrast, the cultural climate in Redmarsh and Fairmoor was slightly more liberal.

Of course, it was only marginally so; it wasn't truly open.

Although this event attracted a significant number of reporters, there were hardly any other attendees. This was a deliberate arrangement by the Fairmoor government.

Chu Yi was convinced that the Fairmoor government had thoroughly vetted these reporters, since any incident here would be a major issue.

Geniuses from other major areas tended to welcome interviews, as it could boost their fame and garner support from more people.

However, for those hailing from the three central cities—Redmarsh, Fairmoor, and Grassvale—such attention held no appeal.

They were scions of noble families, inherently averse to public exposure.

Their preference was to impress their equals.

As a result, when the team leader announced a no-interview policy, not a single young prodigy raised an objection.

The reaction might have been different among the common folk...

Exiting the airship center, a massive flying car was stationed quietly.

All prepared by the Fairmoor government, the delegates from Redmarsh boarded without a thorough inspection.

Chu Yi, however, was inclined to give it a once-over, having learned from past deceptions to proceed with caution.

Once he confirmed everything was in order, the flying car ignited its engines and took off.