Chapter 118: A Special Enrollment Ceremony

Inside the specialized aircraft, which flew in near-total silence, the roar of the air being sliced apart was completely shielded. Without opening the windows, and in the absence of any air turbulence, passengers could easily fall under the illusion that they were standing on solid ground.

Time passed quickly. After a flight of nearly eight hours, the destination was finally approaching; the onboard announcement indicated they were two hundred kilometers away.

"We're almost there. These long days in the sky, which felt like an entire year, are finally coming to an end," Yun Meng said, stretching her limbs.

She noticed a trace of undisguised exhaustion in the eyes of Bai Feng and Hua Feng beside her. Although cultivators of their caliber should, in most circumstances, possess energy so boundless that fatigue is nearly unknown, there are times—during long journeys and moments of mental unrest—when a weariness rooted deep in the soul cannot be overcome by even the most profound cultivation.

"Brother Hua Feng, Sister Bai Feng, didn't you get any sleep?" Yun Meng knew they had remained awake the entire time. Unlike her own ability to fall asleep anywhere, they seemed not to have slept at all.

"No. I don't know why, but I've felt a sense of restlessness in my heart, making it difficult to doze off," Bai Feng said lazily, stretching her arms.

"I feel the same. Just a moment ago, I sensed some inexplicable premonitions, carrying a subtle warning of danger," Hua Feng said, recalling that lingering, groundless feeling of anxiety.

"I suspect we might spend our final moments before arrival in a rather unconventional way," Bai Feng remarked. She felt Hua Feng’s intuition might have some basis; the journey had been far too peaceful, not at all consistent with the traditional enrollment rules of Dawn Academy.

"Boom..."

An explosion rang out the very instant Bai Feng finished speaking.

"Damn it... no way, what is going on? The plane is smoking!" a young man in white exclaimed.

"Seriously? Are we really hitting that one-in-a-hundred-thousand chance of a safety accident on such a secure flight? We can't be that unlucky, can we?"

"Is this some kind of sick joke heaven is playing on me? With my current strength, I’ll be smashed into meat paste if I fall out! I’m only at the early stage of the Yuan Wang realm; I haven’t even mastered wind-gliding yet!"

"Stay calm... calm! As outstanding students of Huaxia, we must possess the composure to remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before us!" The plane jolted violently again, and the righteous-looking man shrieked, "Oh, mother! Let me down, I want to go home!"

The violent shaking of the plane continued. This sudden turn of events stunned most of the passengers. Many whose combat strength was not particularly high were terrified; for those accustomed to relying on their intellect, their ability to adapt to such sudden crises was clearly lacking.

Hua Feng stabilized his posture, keeping Yun Meng and Bai Feng steady. Of the hundred students on board, only about twenty showed no signs of panic, including the trio. Given their cultivation levels, let alone this aircraft, they wouldn't have felt an ounce of fear even if they had to jump from a space shuttle. They possessed absolute confidence in their own strength.

"Please secure the parachutes under your seats and prepare for the jump. The coordinates for Dawn Academy's reception point are in the paper bag attached to your parachute. Gather your belongings and prepare to jump in thirty seconds. The aircraft will self-destruct in forty seconds. This is a welcome gift from Dawn Academy and a necessary ritual for your successful enrollment. Good luck! We are heading out first; may we meet again!"

The flight announcement echoed, then fell into a sudden, cold silence. Outside the portholes, Hua Feng and the others saw fourteen or fifteen cultivators flying away on swords. The figures in uniforms on the flying swords were, surprisingly, the flight crew.

Hua Feng scratched his head. Damn! This was ruthless. These people had actually posed as the flight crew. This was going to be difficult. To blow up a perfectly good plane just like that—what a grand gesture. It seemed the aircraft provided by the so-called Huaxia Cultivator Association was merely a pretext.

Time was tight. Hua Feng and his companions quickly retrieved the parachutes from under their seats, feigning the behavior of ordinary cultivators who required them to descend. In such an unfamiliar environment surrounded by strangers, he did not want to expose his true strength too early. Hiding one's capabilities was the secret to survival and reaching further.

"Xiao Meng, Bai Feng, let's find a flat area to regroup. I observed from the porthole earlier that there is a flat riverbank ahead. We’ll meet there. The airspace ahead is unknown, so everyone be careful," Hua Feng instructed earnestly.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Yun Meng said confidently.

"Countdown: 10, 9, 8..."

In the final ten seconds of the countdown, the side cabin door opened, and the howling wind rushed in. At this critical juncture of life and death, faced with a high-pressure entrance exam, one figure after another braced against the gale and headed out of the cabin.

Looking down from the plane, their figures gradually shrank. One by one, parachutes deployed after a few seconds. As the final moment arrived, the plane erupted into sparks with a loud bang, its debris scattering across the sky. Fortunately, the high-speed aircraft had traveled far enough in those ten seconds to ensure a safe distance for the students.

Hua Feng’s mind raced, recalling everything he knew about Alaska: Alaska offers the chance to see the Northern Lights on 246 clear nights per year, with Fairbanks earning the title "Capital of the Northern Lights." Furthermore, places like Chena Hot Springs, Girdwood, and Alyeska are also excellent spots for viewing the aurora.

Additionally, Alaskan summers from May to September are lush, vibrant, and full of life. Majestic glacial fjords, diverse ecological environments, and a pleasant climate are why tourists visit Alaska in the summer.

The Southwest region, ranging from the grasslands of the Aleutian Islands to the volcanic areas of Katmai National Park, was the original landing point for the Russian-Americans. It is accessible only by air and water, and two of the nation's top three fishing ports are located here, with Kodiak being the largest port in North America.

The Far North is home to the Inupiat Eskimos and is a region of auroras and midnight suns. Traditional Eskimo life, modern oil technology, and large herds of wild caribou weave a unique landscape. Kotzebue and Barrow are two of Alaska’s Eskimo communities. The Dalton Highway in the region connects Prudhoe Bay to the Alaska highway system and is the only road leading into the Arctic.

In the Interior region, the Yukon River—the northernmost river on Earth, stretching about 2,000 miles—flows through Alaska and Canada. The primary indigenous inhabitants are the Athabascan Indians, famous for their beadwork. The University of Alaska is located here. Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, is surrounded by Denali National Park, which is home to wildlife such as caribou, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears.

The Southeast region is home to Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano.

In 2010, Alaska’s GDP was $45.6 billion, ranking 46th among the 50 states. However, its per capita GDP was as high as $65,143, ranking 2nd (only after Delaware). Alaska’s main agricultural product is seafood. Manufacturing is underdeveloped; most food and daily necessities are imported. The population is primarily employed by government agencies, natural resource extraction, shipbuilding, and transportation. The state’s major products include crude oil, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc, processed seafood, timber, and wood products.

Permanent residents or citizens of Alaska receive a dividend—a unique feature in the United States. This dividend comes from the Alaska Permanent Fund, which is invested repeatedly, with the dividend representing only a small portion of the earnings. By 2003, the fund had reached $25 billion. In 2000, the dividend per person reached as high as $2,000.

In Alaska, people believe that the soul persists after death, and that the spirits of the dead must maintain a proper distance from the living to ensure peace for both. Therefore, they place great importance on funeral rituals. After death, all doors in the house must be opened to create conditions for the soul to ascend to heaven. After the deceased is buried, the grave must be carefully filled with soil, leaving no gaps, to prevent the spirit from returning. It is said that if the deceased is dissatisfied with their afterlife, they will return to the world to haunt their relatives, and anyone who sees a spirit will die shortly thereafter.

Consequently, an Orthodox icon is placed on the door of the deceased's home to prevent the soul from entering through the entrance. Eskimos believe that during Easter, spirits wander everywhere, so every household hangs crosses on their doors and windows to keep ghosts away.

Alaska’s vast territory and varied topography result in a diverse climate. The southern coast, southeast, the Gulf of Alaska islands, and the Aleutian Islands have a temperate maritime climate, with summer temperatures averaging 4–16°C and winter temperatures 4 to -7°C, with annual precipitation between 1,525 and 4,065 millimeters.

The interior basin has a sub-temperate climate—drier and slightly colder than the coast, with summer temperatures averaging 7–24°C and winter temperatures -7 to -23°C; Anchorage has an average annual precipitation of 635 millimeters. The Bering Sea coast and islands have an Arctic maritime climate, with summer temperatures of 4–16°C and winter temperatures of -7 to -23°C. The central plateau has a continental climate, with summer temperatures of 7–24°C and winter temperatures of -23 to -34°C, with annual precipitation of 255–510 millimeters.

...These fragmented pieces of data had unexpectedly appeared in the agricultural brain connected by the Mark of the Flame Emperor. Hua Feng realized he had discovered a new skill of the Mark.