"This is the tallest building in the Sixth Ring, standing at 887 meters with a total of 207 floors. It was originally the office building for the Sixth Ring's governance office, police department, air traffic control, and finance department."

On the air vehicle, the vice president cheerfully pointed out the building outside the window:

"After the Giant Academy relocated to the Sixth Ring, all departments, including the governance office, moved out in just three hours, allowing our academy to take over completely."

Chen Xiang looked bewildered, feeling a chill in his heart.

The Giant Academy seemed to hold an incredibly high status in Great City...

Ordinarily, colleges specializing in ancient mysticism were intimidatingly prestigious, but nothing compared to this.

He wondered why, with such status, the dean found it difficult to even enter the Ninth Ring.

What was it that the Ninth Ring concealed?

The air vehicle slowly descended and stopped at the rooftop parking lot. After disembarking, the vice president turned and said,

"Wei, you should head to the student dorms. Floors 60 to 100 are dormitories, with the top twenty floors designated for female students. I'll have Teacher Lin take you to register."

Wei Qingqiu cast a worried glance at Chen Xiang, then followed Lin Yulang away. Chen Xiang followed the vice president into the elevator, descending to the 206th floor.

As the elevator doors opened, he found himself in an office featuring an enormous, over ten-meter diameter nanmu table. Looking around, the office spanned over 500 square meters, filled with furniture made of nanmu wood, complemented by an exquisite animal hide carpet and various antique displays, radiating an aura of opulence.

Especially striking was the carpet, covering the entire office without any signs of cutting or stitching; the creature it came from was surely not an ordinary extraordinary being.

"Little Chen has arrived?"

In the reception area, an elderly man sat on a sofa, leaning on a cane adorned with a silver fox head, wearing a warm smile:

"This used to be the office of the Sixth Ring's governor, though the decor is rather tacky. I haven't had a chance to change it..."

The vice president led Chen Xiang over. After he sat down, the vice president quietly left.

Chen Xiang observed the elderly man closely; he was thin, dressed in a black robe embroidered with dark golden patterns. His hair and beard were completely white, and deep-set eyes and wrinkles gave him a somewhat shadowy, ancient look.

"Hello, Dean."

"No need to be so formal; just call me Grandpa Wang if you don't mind."

Another Dean Wang, Chen Xiang thought to himself, maintaining his smile as he replied,

"Grandpa Wang."

The dean chuckled and personally poured a cup of hot tea for Chen Xiang:

"This is tea from an extraordinary mother tree in Donghong Country, known to cleanse the heart and calm the mind. It can slightly increase the absorption rate of true divine factors; give it a try."

Chen Xiang touched the crack tattoo on his wrist, noticing no reaction in the mirror, before lifting the teacup to take a sip.

The tea transformed into a rich and pure energy upon entering, a familiar essence reminiscent of the black flames that burned to create the [Divine].

Though the quantity was small, the quality was high.

Chen Xiang set down the cup, feeling a slight boost to his mental power, and asked,

"Dean... Grandpa Wang, did you need something from me?"

The dean didn't answer directly but sighed lightly, asking in return,

"Child, you've been to the Ninth Ring. What did you feel?"

Chen Xiang pondered briefly before responding simply,

"Chaos, crime, and utter disorder."

"Indeed."

The dean's expression darkened:

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"The common people in the Ninth Ring lead hard lives, with criminals rampant, and Great City does nothing. I won't hide it from you—now the entire outer three rings have been abandoned by Great City. It won't be long before the Seventh Ring becomes like the Ninth Ring..."

He closed his eyes in pain:

"Every time I think of the suffering of the common people, I lose sleep and appetite. I've pleaded with the higher-ups several times to govern the Ninth Ring, but each time my requests were denied... That's also why I called you here."

"Me?" Chen Xiang questioned, confused.

"Yes, you."

The dean's expression grew serious:

"The higher-ups don't allow academy professors to go to the Ninth Ring, and now they've restricted access to the entire outer three rings. You are different; you haven't entered the extraordinary tier, placing you within the category of ‘allowed access' to the outer three rings, and your talent is quite high!"

He paused, then continued:

"You have the ability to combat extraordinary beings, which grants you the potential to bring order to the Ninth Ring and even the entire outer three rings. As a regular elder, I request you to restore order for the common people!"

Chen Xiang's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he scoffed at the old fox...

Feigning trepidation, he waved his hand:

"Restore order to the outer three rings? Grandpa Wang, I can't do that; to say nothing of it, the three top figures in the Ninth Ring far surpass me!"

"Child, the academy values you, and I believe in you. Everything must be attempted," the dean urged sincerely.

Chen Xiang remained calm, his face still showing a helpless demeanor:

"Grandpa Wang, it's not that I don't want to; it's simply that I'm not strong enough."

"Don't worry. The academy will be your solid support, providing all resources to help you grow strong enough within certain limits."

The dean spoke softly:

"You won't even need to fully quell the chaos in the outer three rings. Just making a small achievement that shows the higher-ups a glimmer of hope will lead them to agree to intervene. By then, you will be the greatest benefactor and savior of countless common people!"

Chen Xiang lowered his eyelids.

If he didn't know the reason why Great City abandoned the outer three rings, he might have been deceived by this old fox!

He smirked inwardly...

Feigning excitement, he hesitated for a long time before asking,

"Grandpa Wang, what kind of help can the academy provide me?"

"Any help you need."

The dean said decisively:

"Let's set aside the destruction of the Eighth Ring for now. The largest underground force in the Seventh Ring is under the academy's control. They will obey your orders completely, and even…"

He tempted Chen Xiang further:

"I will provide you with a drop of blood, enough for you to purify yourself and lay a perfect foundation on the ancient path."

"What kind of blood?" Chen Xiang asked curiously.

"Blood from the Lord of Death!"

The dean's voice was grave and solemn.

Chen Xiang was taken aback. The Lord of Death? The Titan of Death??

His mind raced, and he inquired,

"But didn't the higher-ups say that professors are not allowed to enter the outer three rings? After the baptism, I'd be considered a professor, right?"

"Of course there's a way." The dean smiled: "With a precious item, we can suppress you at the quasi-extraordinary level, allowing you to receive the Lord's blood without breaking through. After everything is done, you can then truly break through!"

Chen Xiang felt tempted, though he still wore a troubled expression:

"Grandpa Wang, I still lack confidence…"

The dean grimaced slightly, his face twitching:

"The academy will grant you full access to the secret library, providing vast resources... Your talent is exceptional, and I've even devised a strengthening plan for you."

He paused, then softly elaborated:

"The plan involves using ancient rituals combined with treasures like the heart of a dragon, roots of the immortal tree, and the brain marrow of the Seven-Headed Hell Hound, along with the Lord's blood. This will push your body to the true absolute limit before becoming extraordinary. By then, ordinary extraordinary beings will seem like mere domestic fowl in your presence!"

Chen Xiang swallowed hard. He recognized the items the dean mentioned from his recent studies in mysticism...

For example, the Seven-Headed Hell Hound, a mythical creature surpassing the Celestial Envoy tier, had seven heads, each corresponding to one of the original sins.

Then there was the Immortal Tree, described in books as the towering tree at the center of the spirit realm, one of its main supports...

Did the Giant Academy really have the ability to acquire these items??

Sensing Chen Xiang's doubt, the dean smiled with restraint:

"I was once a renowned hunter in the spirit realm and amassed quite a fortune. The academy has also prospered in recent years, frequently spending lavishly at various auctions."

Chen Xiang contemplated this... it all seemed like bait.

Such a tempting bait—how could he resist?

With a serious expression, he declared:

"Grandpa Wang, I've struggled from the very bottom. I understand the hardships of the common people. Now that I have the chance to restore order to the populace, even if it costs me my life, I cannot refuse!"

The dean's eyelid twitched—this wasn't what he had just said...

Taking a deep breath, he smiled:

"Good! These preparations need to be made in advance. I'll begin your baptism in two days. Tomorrow, you can start accepting the underground forces in the Seventh Ring, known as the Seventh Ring Construction Company. On the surface, they are a commercial group that manages all large factories in the Seventh Ring."

"Sounds good. But Grandpa Wang, I'd like to return to the Eighth Ring first to collect some things. What do you think?"

"That's fine. I'll send someone to take you back."

"Thank you, Grandpa Wang!"

Chen Xiang cheerfully stood up but didn't leave immediately. Suddenly, he smacked his lips:

"Grandpa Wang, your tea is really delicious…"

The dean felt another twinge of pain in his teeth. After a moment of silence, he opened a nearby safe and took out a box of tea leaves.

Chen Xiang accepted the tea leaves, glancing at the seven or eight identical boxes inside the safe, remaining motionless.

The dean took a deep breath and pulled out five more boxes.

"Grandpa Wang, you're too generous. But as an ancient saying from Donghong Country goes, ‘When a senior grants a gift, one must not refuse.' I'll gladly accept!"

Chen Xiang beamed, hugging six boxes of extraordinary mother tree tea leaves, then excused himself and left.

As he entered the elevator,

Chen Xiang suddenly lowered his eyelids.

In the office, all the shadows cast by the light ‘informed' him that someone was in the side room.

A familiar face.

Another ‘Dean Wang'—the one from the Happy Orphanage.

A small part of Chen Xiang's shadow fractured, silently merging into the darkness.