Chapter 38: A New Plan

Lecai fastened the watch onto his wrist, but suddenly frowned slightly, glancing at it in surprise, unable to hide his inner shock. The moment the watch touched his skin, he felt a sharp sting, as if pricked by a needle. Immediately after, it seemed as though a trace of his blood had been drawn, yet when he looked again, there was nothing unusual on the watch, not a single drop of blood in sight.

A gift from his teacher was bound to be extraordinary.

“Lecai, why don’t you stay here?” Lanska urged with great sincerity. “Central Hua City is the most stable city; you’re at the perfect age to study, and this place offers the best conditions. You could also keep Lambo company.”

“Thank you, Uncle Lanska. Don’t worry, if there’s anything I need help with, I won’t hesitate to ask.”

Lecai did not display any strong emotional fluctuations; at least on the surface, he appeared as calm and composed as ever.

After a pause, Lecai spoke again, “Actually, I do need your help, Uncle Lanska.”

“You need my help? That’s wonderful—uh, I mean, whatever you need, just say the word. I’ll do my best,” Lanska replied, his excitement barely concealed.

“I want to know when the Cosmic Warlord Academy will be recruiting new students.”

“The Cosmic Warlord Academy… recruiting new students?”

The exclamation came in perfect unison. Lanska and Lambo stared at Lecai, dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning, utterly at a loss for words.

“Lecai, why are you asking about that?” Lanska’s heart pounded so violently it felt ready to leap from his chest. He kept telling himself he must have misheard. The Cosmic Warlord Academy was the most prestigious academy in the entire universe—not only the greatest pride of the Warwolf Empire, but also the sacred ground for all martial artists.

The universe was vast beyond measure, its planets beyond counting, its living beings innumerable. Just within the Warwolf star system, there were no fewer than twenty trillion registered citizens. And in the whole universe? The number was so immense it suffocated the imagination. Yet, throughout this grand expanse, there was only one Warlord Academy. Its ten thousand students were a mere drop in the ocean compared to the universe’s population.

Only one in a trillion geniuses could hope to enter!

It was the ultimate sacred ground in the hearts of every citizen of the Warwolf Empire. Countless great families considered it the highest honor if even one of their youths gained admittance. The Lanska family controlled Lichen Star and hundreds of slave planets, commanding a wealth of talent and holding sway in the empire for thousands of years, but not a single Lanska child had ever set foot in that legendary martial sanctuary.

Every generation of the Lanska family’s leaders saw nurturing a candidate for the Warlord Academy as their ultimate goal. Yet, despite their power and abundance of gifted youth, they had never produced a true peerless genius.

Thus, the Warlord Academy remained the holiest and most distant dream in every citizen’s heart.

Hearing Lecai’s question, how could Lanska not be shocked? He knew the Professor was no ordinary man, and thus his disciple must be extraordinary as well. But to aspire to the Warlord Academy was such an outlandish notion that it bordered on absurdity.

He swallowed hard, struggling to compose himself, but his smile was stiff, even twitching.

Lecai spoke coolly, “What are the requirements for admission to the Warlord Academy? My goal is simple: to enter the Academy. That is also my teacher's command.”

Lanska replied, “The Warlord Academy is the foremost institution in the universe. Gaining admission is as hard as reaching the heavens. Lecai, perhaps the Professor didn’t fully explain this to you.”

Lanska quickly reasoned with himself—after all, every teacher encouraged their students with the dream of the Academy; the Professor was surely no exception. No matter how gifted Lecai was, gaining entry to the legendary Academy was nearly impossible.

Lecai frowned slightly. “Uncle Lanska, I just want to know the process. Tell me the specifics. Whether I can enter or not is my concern.”

“Are you serious, Lecai?” Lanska, still stunned, stared at Lecai with a bewildered look, only regaining his composure after a long moment. “The Warlord Academy does not recruit students lightly. Generally, they admit new students once every ten years, and the last recruitment was five years ago. So, in a little over five years, they’ll be recruiting again. But the Academy doesn’t hold open admissions; most students are recommended by powerful factions and must pass a unified exam—only those who qualify can become true Academy students. Take our Lanska family, for example: we select the top talents from every planet to form a special class, then hold multiple rounds of selection. In the end, only one person earns the right to take the real entrance exam.”

As Lanska spoke, even he realized how daunting the odds were. “Just among the Lanska family’s own children, there are no fewer than ten million competitors. Lecai, if you wish to claim that single spot, you’ll have to defeat ten million rivals. Each is a carefully nurtured contender. To win that place, even if you don’t make it into the Academy, is already an unparalleled honor. Many people devote their lives to this pursuit, stopping at nothing for the sake of glory.”

Even though Lecai had already estimated the level of competition, he was still taken aback.

Fortunately, he hadn’t revealed to Lanska that his goal was not merely to enter the Warlord Academy, but to rank among the top ten of its ten thousand students in order to qualify for the God-Forbidden Realm trial—a trial only open to ten students—where he hoped to find the rare treasures that could extend his life.

If Lanska knew all this, he might well faint on the spot.

It was too wild, too implausible.

But for Lecai, it was a concrete, indispensable goal.

“Lecai, it’s good for a young man to have ambitions. I... I support you,” Lanska said. “Here’s the thing: Azure Star is a newly subjugated slave planet, but each city district has an internal spot for the Lanska family’s talent tournament. If you win the championship in this competition, you’ll earn a place on our main planet, Lichen Star, for the real contest. If—if you can keep advancing, and ultimately claim the title of the Lanska family’s top genius, you’ll represent us on Wolf God Star for the Warlord Academy selection!”

Lecai smiled faintly, closed his eyes, then opened them again to meet Lanska’s gaze. “It sounds difficult, with countless opponents to defeat, but that’s just what I like!”

He stood, clenching his fist as if making a vow. “I’ve never thought survival was easy. To reach the top of the food chain, I must fight my way up. Only by challenging ever-stronger opponents can I grow faster! What is a genius? To me, it’s just a label—no different from a wolf or a leopard. If anyone stands in my way, I’ll take them down!”

At that moment, looking at the young man before them, Lanska and Lambo felt as if they were witnessing a ferocious wolf gradually awakening—revealing the fierce majesty of a king of wolves.