The Kingdom of Mings was a mid-tier civilization located on the edge of the Omi Galaxy, having reached Stage Three for nearly six hundred years, placing its overall strength within the top twenty of the Omi Galaxy.

The Kingdom of Mings possessed seventeen administrative stars and nearly a thousand resource stars, with a population nearing twenty billion subjects.

Keton Star was the most famous tourist planet in the Kingdom of Mings, renowned nationwide for its unique scenery, attracting over a billion sightseers annually.

In addition to its thriving tourism sector, Keton Star was home to another highly renowned institution: Keton Academy.

Keton Academy was founded three millennia ago, precisely when the Kingdom of Mings first discovered Keton Star. To support the planet’s development, this specific school was established. The founder and the discoverer of the planet were the same person: Hanlong Keton.

Initially, Keton Academy was an obscure institution. After over two thousand years of development and substantial support from the Keton family, it finally grew into the nation's premier academic institution.

For the last century, Keton Academy has steadfastly held the top position in the national university rankings.

Keton Academy was a comprehensive university, offering thousands of specializations that covered virtually every field. Among these, the most advantageous disciplines were those related to aerospace, such as Mecha Maintenance, Cosmic Geography, Starship Design, and New Materials Science.

Of all the majors, the Archaeology specialization could be counted as one of the most unpopular. This was because the required study period was excessively long, taking ten years to complete graduation requirements.

Of course, if a specialization like Starship Design already had numerous corporations vying for graduates before they even finished their degrees, that would be understandable. However, Archaeology was notorious for being difficult to find employment in. Even when a position was secured, it often carried high levels of danger.

The entities that hired archaeological experts were mostly cosmic exploration teams, who required individuals with keen discerning abilities to help them authenticate artifacts.

Therefore, an archaeologist who managed to thrive either possessed a mastery-level foundation of knowledge and perception that made museums compete for them, or they possessed superhuman luck, enabling them to survive repeated forays into cosmic exploration.

Even at Keton Academy, the Department of Archaeology was quite sparse. The department's dozen or so specializations collectively held fewer than two hundred students—a desolation that elicited sighs.

This year, the Archaeology Department welcomed over fifty new students, the largest intake in decades. The arrival of these newcomers injected a surge of vitality into the moribund department. Even the two pale purple Jingcun trees by the gate seemed more spirited.

Out of the fifty-plus students, two moved into self-selected dorms; the rest settled into the collective quarters designated for four students per room.

A four-person occupancy was a mandatory school regulation, meaning that even with numerous empty dormitories in the department, the Archaeology students were barred from having single rooms.

In Room 702, all four occupants were freshmen this year. Following the welcoming ceremony held for the new students, they returned to their dorm together. None of them were strangers to dormitory life and knew how to navigate interactions with roommates.

The term for the Archaeology Department was ten years; barring unforeseen circumstances, they would be sharing this space for a decade. They all regarded this seriously.

Back in the room, the tallest and most generous-looking student called out to the other three, "Fellow roommates, from today onward, we will be living together. We can't possibly not know each other's names."

Saying this, he patted his chest. "I'll introduce myself first. My name is Liu Ming. You can see from my appearance that I hail from the Southern Hemisphere of the capital star, specializing in Ceramics."

Liu Ming was an Asian man, with black hair and dark brown, almost black, irises. Though young, his face was already covered in a thick beard. He had a large frame and was robust, presenting as a sturdy man, speaking with a voice like a great bell, projecting an air of uninhibited heroism.

The others were curious as to why someone with his physique and temperament would choose the Archaeology program; a military academy would seem a far more suitable destination.

"I am Odin, a local of Keton Star, specializing in Ancient Architecture." The speaker beside Liu Ming was a Black man, even taller than Liu Ming, with a shaved head. His dark, obsidian-like scalp shone brilliantly under the light. He revealed a set of gleaming white teeth as he spoke, his manner refined and possessing a distinctly scholarly air.

"Pigen, from the capital star, specializing in Metalware," followed a Caucasian youth with long, shoulder-length hair. He was rather slender, his complexion so pale it verged on sickly, accentuated by deep shadows under his eyes, suggesting malnourishment.

His expression was cold, his voice somewhat muffled, as if something were obstructing his throat, making his pronouncements sound slightly sharp as they were forced out. He was clearly disinclined to speak much, favoring brevity.

"My name is Zhong Yun, from Feidu Star, specializing in Artworks." The last to speak was an ordinary-looking Asian man of average height, with naturally black hair that was neither long nor short. His appearance was utterly commonplace, neither handsome nor ugly—entirely unremarkable.

The most memorable feature about him was his eyes: sparkling, as if coated with a layer of divine light, holding a hint of a smile that instantly inspired goodwill upon first glance.

This was none other than Zhong Yun, the savior of the Dawo Federation, currently wanted by the Gesian Empire. But why was he appearing in the Kingdom of Mings, tens of thousands of light-years away, instead of staying safely on Qiyun Star?

"A compatriot!" Liu Ming heartily slapped Zhong Yun's shoulder, grinning widely. "Your ancestors must have migrated from the Southern Hemisphere of the capital star. Perhaps we share the same ancestor from millennia ago."

Zhong Yun smiled faintly. Historically, the Kingdom of Mings' policy of interstellar colonization was remarkably gentle. After discovering an administrative star, they typically educated the indigenous population, incorporating them as another nationality within their kingdom.

Consequently, the Kingdom of Mings did not possess the ethnic homogeneity of Dawo. The official registry in the nationality department listed over two hundred recognized races.

It was impossible to claim that no friction existed between the different nationalities. The Asian, Caucasian, and Negroid groups constituted the three primary ethnic blocs in the Kingdom of Mings, collectively making up over seventy percent of the total population.

In terms of sheer numbers and influence, they were evenly matched. While there wasn't an overtly hostile atmosphere between the three races, covert rivalries were certainly present.

This explained why Liu Ming felt an immediate affinity for Zhong Yun, a fellow Asian.

After chatting for a while, the four retired to their respective rooms to rest. Formal classes would begin the next day, and they all needed to prepare. Qualifying for Keton Academy was not achievable by talent alone.

Even for the obscure Department of Archaeology, the required entrance scores far surpassed those of other schools.

Zhong Yun returned to his room, first closing his eyes and scanning the area with his perception to confirm the absence of any surveillance before relaxing. He contacted his relatives on Qiyun Star to report his safety.

After the communication concluded, Zhong Yun sat on the edge of his bed and began contemplating his next course of action.

He had not journeyed to the Kingdom of Mings for sightseeing; he had a crucially important mission...

A year had passed since he fled Dawo with his entire family. During this time, they had focused all their energy on developing Qiyun Star. With the treasures plundered from the Hongxian Federation and outstanding debts owed by the Omi National Management Company, the process was not difficult.

The most valuable acquisition from the Hongxian Federation was the fifteen Primal Stones hidden deep within their treasury vault. If not for Xiao Ling’s extreme sensitivity to Primal Stones, he might never have located them.

Upon safely reaching Qiyun Star, Zhong Yun loaded all fifteen Primal Stones onto Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling began its reboot sequence again. This time, the process turned out to be unexpectedly protracted.

It took nine months for Xiao Ling to complete its reboot. After restarting, Xiao Ling unlocked another layer of its data banks, gaining a wealth of new information along with an unforeseen bonus.

Xiao Ling informed Zhong Yun that its predecessor, the owner prior to the previous one, had established a vault somewhere within the Omi Galaxy. This vault contained several items he urgently required—necessities for reviving Yu Daoqing.

Without hesitation, Zhong Yun decided he would retrieve the treasure, even though the location was tens of thousands of light-years from Qiyun Star.

After much persuasion, he managed to convince his parents to agree to his journey and succeeded in dissuading Liu Yunqi and Xiao Ruo from insisting on accompanying him.

Zhong Yun finally departed. He had initially expected this venture to be smooth, but perhaps fate had played a joke on him. The natural star where Xiao Ling's predecessor had hidden the treasure had already been discovered and developed by a nation.

This caught him completely off guard. After scouting the military strength on that planet, he abandoned any plan of forceful takeover. The defensive capabilities on that star surpassed even those of the Hongxian Federation's capital. Even if his vessel, the Mars, managed to penetrate the defenses, there wouldn't be enough time to secure the treasures within.

He was forced to devise an alternative approach.

Since he was already here, returning empty-handed was not an option. If the hard approach failed, he would try the soft route.

After studying the planet’s detailed data, Zhong Yun decided on a strategy of indirect achievement. He first secured a legal identity on another planet within that kingdom. This proved unchallenging. With Xiao Ling rebooted again, its capabilities were even greater than before; subtly infiltrating a planet's central mainframe and modifying minor data points without detection was easy.

Thus, Zhong Yun transformed, becoming an orphan from Feidu Star in the Kingdom of Mings.

The insignia marking the location of Xiao Ling’s predecessor's vault had been destroyed for unknown reasons, but the approximate area was known to be near Keton Academy. This is why Zhong Yun applied to Keton Academy.

As for why he chose Archaeology, it was somewhat embarrassing: the technological level of the Kingdom of Mings was at least two tiers higher than Dawo’s, meaning its foundational exams were naturally much more rigorous. Zhong Yun had initially aimed for the highly sought-after Starship Design, but his scores fell short, forcing him to select the lowest-admitting major: Archaeology.

Gaining entry to Keton Academy wasn't solely dependent on basic exam performance; candidates also had to pass an interview with the academy's admissions committee. This posed no issue for Zhong Yun; he passed effortlessly.

In retrospect, Archaeology wasn't a bad choice after all. He could use the guise of archaeological research to search for the vault. Thinking this way, the slight frustration over failing to secure a top major eased considerably.

And so, Zhong Yun began a rather mundane and monotonous academic life: classes, dormitories, simple yet fulfilling. Even during holidays, Zhong Yun never left the building, confining himself to his room, earning him the moniker "Top-Tier Homebody" from Liu Ming.

Two months passed in this manner. Zhong Yun had been entirely occupied with studying archaeology under Xiao Ling’s guidance. He had no patience to stay for ten years. To locate the vault as quickly as possible, he needed to complete his preparations in the shortest timeframe.

Due to Zhong Yun's astonishing diligence and extraordinary aptitude, he was soon noticed by several faculty advisors. The Department of Archaeology differed from others; success was achieved only by immersing oneself in scholarship and enduring solitude. Talent, in this context, was secondary.

In the eyes of several advisors, Zhong Yun possessed precisely the qualities required of an excellent archaeological scholar. Consequently, several advisors marked him as a priority candidate for development.

"Third brother, this is your first time in this mess hall," said Liu Ming. On the first day, the four of them had established a hierarchy based on age. Zhong Yun was third, hence they called him Lao San (Third Brother).

Among the four, the most taciturn Pigen was the eldest; the large frame of Liu Ming was second; Zhong Yun was third; and Odin was the youngest.

Today was Pigen's birthday, and Liu Ming and the others had dragged Zhong Yun out, insisting it was for a celebration. They arrived at Cafeteria Number Twenty, rumored to have the most beautiful women.

"Mm," Zhong Yun looked around. Since he was already out, he might as well use this chance to relax; he wasn't an excessively rigid person. "There aren't many people here."

"Of course. The cost here is very high; most students don't dare come," Liu Ming explained. Seeing Zhong Yun looking interested in his surroundings gave him a burst of satisfaction.

In his view, Zhong Yun’s ascetic lifestyle was too tragic. Life offered so much variety, and wasting one’s entire youth buried in books was a terrible shame. Therefore, he was determined to pull Zhong Yun along, exposing him to this colorful world.

Now, it seemed his plan was successful. Look, Zhong Yun was also glancing at a beautiful woman; he wasn't a saint after all.

Zhong Yun wasn't merely looking at a beautiful woman; perhaps, the reason he focused on the woman in the lake-green dress was because she triggered a resonance in his Qiji (vital energy sense).

The moment that woman stepped into the dining hall, Zhong Yun's body hairs prickled, as if a natural predator had entered his territory, causing his body to react involuntarily.

He quickly turned his head, and his eyes met a pair of sea-blue eyes. Their gazes collided in mid-air, connecting for a second before they both looked away.

Zhong Yun turned his head back, a flicker of intense light flashing in his eyes. This was immediately captured by Pigen across from him. Pigen subtly angled his head toward where Zhong Yun had been looking and saw the dazzling figure, understanding dawning in his mind.

"It's Vivi," Liu Ming whispered excitedly, his eyes gleaming like a man who hadn't eaten in half a month suddenly spotting a steaming plate of roasted meat.

Zhong Yun's gaze swept over the faces of the three men. "It seems you all know her. Who is she?"

"The newly crowned Campus Belle. Only someone like you, who never steps out of the department doors, wouldn't know her," Liu Ming remarked.

"Is she very beautiful?" This question slipped out of Zhong Yun’s mouth, causing Liu Ming and the other two to glare at him, making him feel slightly guilty. "Uh, I didn't get a clear look just now." He truly hadn't focused on her appearance; when their gazes met, he had been entirely preoccupied with assessing her strength. As for what she looked like, he hadn't paid attention.