Chapter 1356: Freshman Induction Ceremony! Sacred Cultivation Grounds!

One hour later.

"Ding—"

A crisp alert tone rang through the cabin, and a semi-transparent virtual window suddenly appeared before Xu Jingming.

【Star Dome Academy Freshman Induction Ceremony is about to begin. Confirm entry into the Virtual Universe?】

【Confirm / Cancel】

Connecting to the StarSpirit Quantum Network, which spans the entire human universe, requires a StarTower to establish link.

But this "Anjun" is different—as an A1-class starship, it is itself a small StarTower.

No matter where it travels in the universe, it can connect to the StarSpirit Quantum Network and easily enter the Virtual Universe.

"Finally."

Xu Jingming put on the neural helmet and tapped the confirmation button with his finger.

This slight pause made the woman ahead, Eva, shift restlessly, her slender waist twisting.

Making her already plump, peach-like curves even more dazzling.

For Xu Jingming today, multitasking was simple.

Besides, entering the Virtual Universe this time wasn't for combat.

It was just for the induction ceremony—no need to devote his full attention.

So he didn't stop the connection.

Swish—

His vision blurred, then sharpened again—he stood inside a grand, suffocatingly magnificent hall.

The entire auditorium was forged from some transparent crystal, its dome over a hundred meters high.

Countless stellar shadows swirled within, as if containing the whole Milky Way.

The floor was paved with dark gold metal, appearing hard and luxurious.

Most striking were the seats throughout the hall.

Each seat was over three meters wide, designed in a streamlined shape.

Clearly to accommodate the body types of freshmen from different races.

As the top-ranked freshman, Xu Jingming's seat was in the front row, center position.

"Xu Jingming, you're here."

A cold voice came from the left.

He turned to see Yue Ying seated beside him, her silver hair like snow.

Today she had swapped her battle suit for a moon-white robe.

Though loose, the robe could not hide her stunning figure.

Her full chest lifted the fabric into an elegant curve; beneath her slender waist, her rounded hips flashed subtly beneath the robe.

Sharp elven ears peeked through her hair, but her gray eyes lacked their usual sharp arrogance.

"You're here fast."

Xu Jingming smiled. Soon, Luo Yi's figure appeared in the seat to his right.

Unlike Yue Ying, he said little—only gave Xu Jingming a slight nod.

Throughout the hall, figures flickered in one by one, teleported as new students arrived.

Most were ordinary humans, but there were also scaled half-dragons, feathered beings with luminous wings.

Even a three-meter-tall rock giant.

"There seem to be fewer than a thousand seats here?"

Xu Jingming, sensing the surroundings with his spiritual energy, asked.

Logically, even if some didn't show up today, all one thousand induction seats should still be present.

"Only the top one thousand from the Talent War can enter Star Dome Academy for cultivation."

"But those ranked 101 to 1000 receive little reward, so many give up their slots and stay to cultivate in their home cosmic nations."

"After all, even 101st to 1000th place in a cosmic nation makes you among the absolute top—receiving the maximum support from the cosmic sovereign."

"So the actual number of new students entering Star Dome Academy for cultivation is likely under a thousand."

Yue Ying said softly.

"Stupid."

On the right seat, Luo Yi uttered a single word, expressionless.

"Indeed stupid," Xu Jingming laughed.

The Eternal Star Alliance is the pinnacle human power, towering above all high-level cosmic nations!

Here lies humanity's most advanced technology, strongest warriors, and finest cultivation resources!

Even if you're the weakest here, you're still the weakest among phoenixes.

But cultivating in a cosmic nation—your ceiling is already fixed. No matter how far you go, you're still just a rooster among chickens.

Whoosh—

As they spoke, the entire hall suddenly darkened.

The stellar lights overhead extinguished at once, leaving only a blinding beam of light crashing down onto the platform ahead.

Space warped, and a six-meter-tall alien man appeared out of nowhere.

His skin was indigo-blue, with three crystal horns growing from his forehead, draped in a robe embroidered with star maps.

Merely standing there made one's soul tremble.

"Dominance-level!" Xu Jingming's eyebrows lifted sharply.

It's no surprise that, as the pinnacle force of the human race, the ones overseeing the new student induction ceremony are all Sovereign-level experts.

"Children, welcome to the heart of the Eternal Star Alliance—Star Dome Academy!"

The alien man spoke, his voice resonating like countless star rivers in unison:

"I am 'Mo Sang.' You may call me 'Lord Mo Sang.' I am responsible for guiding you, this year's new students."

He raised his hand and swept it forward; countless light dots coalesced before them into the phantom image of a thick tome.

"First, you must understand what Star Dome Academy means."

The tome turned its pages automatically, revealing a breathtaking scene.

It was a continent suspended in the void of space, its area immeasurably vast—far wider than an entire star system!

On the continent stood tens of thousands of buildings; at its center, a white Gao Ta pierced the heavens, its peak vanishing into the cosmic void.

"This is Star Dome Academy—your future home and place of cultivation."

"The Academy has existed for 110,000 eons, nurturing countless Sovereigns and Immortal Gods."

Mo Sang spoke, and everyone present listened intently, including Xu Jingming.

One eon equals 100,000 years.

Star Dome Academy truly had an ancient history—it had already existed for 11 billion years!

Although Mo Sang did not specify the exact number of Sovereigns and Immortal Gods it had cultivated,

it was clear that Star Dome Academy produced powerful cultivators far faster than any universe nation.

"Here, you will access the pinnacle legacies of our cosmic human race."

Suddenly, the holographic projection shifted, revealing a blood-red lake.

In the lake floated countless rare treasures; even as a hologram, it seemed as if the rich aroma of medicinal essences surged toward them.

"The Body Forging Pool—the sacred site of Star Dome Academy for body refinement.

Soaking for one hour equals a century of external cultivation for the physique. Each entry consumes 200 credits."

Next, the scene shifted to a sky choked with storm clouds, each lightning bolt containing the complete Law of Thunder and Lightning.

"The Heaven's Punishment Thunder Realm—the ultimate sanctuary for comprehending the Thunder and Lightning Laws.

The speed of Law comprehension increases a hundredfold. Each hour consumes 150 credits."

One marvel after another flashed before them: the 'Enlightenment Tree,' which granted instant awakening;

the 'Abyssal Sea,' which honed the will; even the 'Temporal Rift,' where time flowed at a different ratio than reality...

"Hss—"

A chorus of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the hall.

Xu Jingming's gaze burned with heat—each of these resources, if revealed in the outside world, would spark bloody chaos!

Even if one appeared within a universe nation, it would never be opened to the public.

And most universe nations would consider even a single such cultivation site a miracle.

Yet Star Dome Academy gathered countless such cultivation sites!

It could only be said—no wonder it was the pinnacle cultivation sacred ground of the cosmic human race.