Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence
Chapter 50: A Path Forward

Chapter 50: A Path Forward

After walking for a few more minutes, Feng and Elena heard the sound of a river flowing.

As they stepped into a wide clearing, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a warm glow over the area.

The gentle rustling of leaves and the soft shimmer of water reflecting off the river’s surface made the place feel serene, almost otherworldly.

The air carried the fresh scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.

"We’re here," Feng said as he glanced around.

While it wasn’t as breathtaking as the place he had previously stayed, it wasn’t bad either.

However, Elena’s reaction was far more pronounced.

She stared in awe at the scene before her.

The river’s gentle flow, the way the trees swayed in the wind, and the golden rays of sunlight piercing through the canopy made the place look utterly mesmerizing.

"Beautiful, isn’t it? Though there’s actually an even more stunning spot deeper in the Blackwood Forest," Feng said when he noticed how captivated Elena was by the scenery.

"Yes... It’s very rare to see something this beautiful where I’m from," Elena said quietly.

Her words gave Feng pause. It was hard to imagine a place where rivers of this size were uncommon.

Even somewhere like Silverpine should have rivers at least this big, right?

"Does Silverpine City not have any rivers?" he asked, surprised.

Clearly, he was curious to know more.

"Oh, I’m not actually from Silverpine. I just came here for my mission," Elena replied, glancing at him before falling silent, offering no further explanation.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Feng decided to shift the topic to something that piqued his interest more.

"Do you know about Brightshore Academy? I’m actually planning to apply there," he said, probing for information.

Elena raised an eyebrow, clearly recognizing his intentions. Yet, despite this, she answered truthfully.

"Yes, I know it quite well. I’m actually from Brightshore City," she said calmly. "I’m even planning to apply this semester."

She spoke as if it were common knowledge, but to Feng, this revelation was far from ordinary.

"Really? I’m also planning to apply to Brightshore Academy," Feng said.

"Though I’m not sure how much it can actually help me. I’m already pretty confident in my strength."

This was something he had been thinking about a lot lately.

Even though he was technically still at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, his true battle prowess far exceeded that.

He wasn’t entirely sure how he compared to others at his cultivation level, but based on what Yuta had told him about the seventh level being a bottleneck, the fact that he could easily fight spiritual beasts at the seventh level of Qi Condensation meant he was already far beyond his peers.

"Brightshore Academy is the top cultivation school within a hundred miles of Brightshore City.

Every nearby city, town, and village sends their most talented youths there, making the competition to get in extremely tough," Elena said calmly.

Feng listened intently, his interest clear.

In the past, he never cared about such things—since it had been practically impossible for him to attend with his Broken Soul.

But now, things were different.

"I can see you already have a cultivation technique suited to your Heaven’s Pact, so you might think you don’t need to go.

But what truly matters about Brightshore Academy is that it’s the only place in the region that provides methods for breaking through the Qi Condensation stage and reaching Foundation Establishment!" Elena said, her expression unchanged.

However, if one looked closely, there was a light in her eyes, as though she took a quiet pride in her words.

"A way to break through to Foundation Establishment!" Feng thought to himself, clearly excited.

The fact that he was already considering a breakthrough, despite still being far from the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage, was a bit like putting the cart before the horse but it still made him eager.

Simply put, the peak of Qi Condensation was the 12th level.

Those who pushed themselves beyond that could reach the half-step Foundation Establishment level—becoming nearly invincible beneath true Foundation Establishment.

If I’m accepted at Brightshore Academy, I can reach Foundation Establishment, Feng thought as he glanced at Elena, then continued,

"Alright, it seems we’re both heading to the same place after this. Maybe we’ll even be classmates!"

Feng was clearly excited.

After being alone for so long in Raincloud Village, he was eager to meet new people.

Elena looked at his excitement and felt a slight bit of happiness, although she tried not to let it show on her face as she nodded calmly and replied

"If you get high enough marks, maybe we’ll be in the same class"

When Feng realized what she was trying to imply he suddenly puffed up his chest and started openly bragging.

"Hmmp, I might not look like it, but I’m actually a super duper genius"

Elena listened to his bragging staring at his face for a few seconds before simply nodding her head choosing not to say anything.

"Hey you could at least be a bit supportive, you did try to kill me before!" Feng tried to look a bit angry, but when he noticed that Elena choose to ignore his statement he suddenly got depressed as he mumbled for a bit before changing the topic.

"Anyway, I’ll let you taste the food I got. It’s really delicious—once you try it, I doubt you’ll ever forget it," Feng said with a proud smile, thinking about the Red-Tipped Boar Meat he and the Blackwood Ruler had enjoyed earlier.

"Why don’t I prepare the food while you gather fresh water from the river? You don’t have to worry about it being dirty—the water here is safe to drink straight from the source!" Feng added, already walking toward the forest to gather supplies.

As Feng headed off into the forest, Elena wore a slightly puzzled expression.

It was clear she didn’t understand why Feng expected her to do manual labor when they didn’t even know each other.

But as she watched Feng setting up the area—cutting down trees and carving makeshift chairs and tables—Elena sighed and made her way toward the river.

"Are men always this pushy?" Elena muttered to herself as she gathered wild gourds nearby, cleaning them thoroughly to use as water containers.

After a few minutes of preparation, they finally sat down around the circular table Feng had hastily carved.

The edges were uneven, and the chairs were a bit awkward, but considering the short time he had to make them, they served their purpose well enough.

"Sorry about the table and chairs. I’m not exactly a craftsman," Feng admitted with a sheepish scratch to his head.

For some reason, he felt a strange urge to impress Elena, though he couldn’t quite place why.

He sighed to himself.

"Beautiful women are really troublesome," he muttered under his breath, glancing at Elena.

Her glowing blue eyes and shining golden hair created a striking contrast, making her even more dazzling than before.