Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The subordinate reporting to Ling Ao pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, just to be safe, should we eliminate Wei Chen directly? After all, his potential is quite impressive. If we let him continue to grow..."
"No need." Ling Ao chuckled lightly, shaking his head. His gaze was deep and contemplative as he replied, "Let him grow stronger; the stronger, the better."
"I don't understand..."
"You will understand one day. Dismissed." Ling Ao waved his hand, calm as still water.
Wei Chen and Zhao Yu sat in the carriage, having just arrived at the gate. The gate was located in the southern part of Ling City, surrounded by tall walls, with magnificent pavilions within. At the main entrance stood twelve guards, all experts at the Spirit Realm Ninth Layer, and they were all quite young.
Above the gate, a vast and elusive formation enveloped it from the walls. To enter through the gate, one had to pass through four large doors; it was impossible to simply fly over. The formation concealed countless traps; without reaching the Human Soul Realm, attempting to force entry would result in immediate annihilation by the formation.
"Truly worthy of being the top sect of the Ling Sheng Dynasty, even the gatekeepers are so strong."
Wei Chen paused in front of the main gate, marveling inwardly. The strength of this gate was beyond common understanding; those guarding it appeared to be only in their twenties or thirties, with some even in their teens, yet their abilities were remarkable.
"Brother, you mustn't underestimate those guarding the gate. Being assigned to guard duty is an honor; only Core Disciples have that qualification," the coachman said with a smile.
Zhao Yu and Wei Chen exchanged glances in surprise. What kind of ridiculous rule was this? Core Disciples guarding the gate?
"Why?" Wei Chen asked in astonishment.
The coachman explained proudly, "I have a distant nephew at the gate. He told me that for Core Disciples, guarding is a way to train and showcase themselves. It not only sharpens their resolve but also enhances their sense of honor and increases cohesion within the sect. The number of disciples usually hovers around fifty thousand, while there are only about five hundred Core Disciples who take turns guarding."
"That's quite interesting; this sect really knows how to play," Wei Chen thought to himself.
Two hours later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of Ancient Spirit Academy. Compared to the imposing presence of the gate, Ancient Spirit Academy appeared older and more rustic, with a relatively small area. Moreover, there were no formations or restrictions at its edges—only a simple fence...
Wei Chen looked at the fence of the Ancient Spirit Academy, nearly intoxicated. Damn, the Ancient Spirit Academy is really too frugal, isn't it?
"Brother, can anyone just walk into the Ancient Spirit Academy?"
"Of course not. Don't be fooled by that fence; the history of the Ancient Spirit Academy is older than that of the Ling Sheng Dynasty. Those fences are quite strange. I've heard that as soon as someone steps into the area enclosed by the fence, the ancient trees inside will attack the intruder. Many powerful individuals have died at the hands of those ancient trees' vines. The mysteries of the Ancient Spirit Academy are not something ordinary people can comprehend; many have paid with their lives."
The coachman pointed to the dense forest inside the fence and continued, "Crossing that roughly ten-meter-wide forest leads to the buildings of the Ancient Spirit Academy. The entire academy is surrounded by greenery, with low buildings mostly hidden among the trees."
Wei Chen and Zhao Yu exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. As expected of the Ancient Spirit Academy, its profound and ancient aura was unmatched.
"Brother, in Ling City, as long as one person from a family enters the Ancient Spirit Academy, the whole family can benefit. Entering the Ancient Spirit Academy means that, barring any unexpected deaths, one can at least become a Peak Expert in the Spirit Realm," said the coachman, who had heard quite a bit about significant matters in Ling City. It might not be entirely true, but it couldn't be too far off either.
"Yes, I know this. Brother, do you happen to know what the selection criteria for disciples at the Ancient Spirit Academy are?" Wei Chen asked.
"The first requirement is to reach Third Rank Fate Soul Realm before turning twenty; that's the most basic qualification for registration. Then there's an assessment of talent; those who fail are eliminated. After that, they provide a set of Basic Sword Techniques for candidates to learn within an hour; otherwise, they're also eliminated. There are things like Bronze Man Formation and Illusion Array—there's just so much."
After finishing his explanation, the coachman looked at Wei Chen with a strange expression and tentatively asked, "Brother, are you thinking of participating in the Ancient Spirit Academy's assessment?"
"Something like that; I'm just trying my luck," Wei Chen replied with a smile.
"Brother, actually there’s another place that's even older than the Ancient Spirit Academy, and its inhabitants are even stronger. You could give it a try; that's where true power gathers. Sometimes they don't recruit any disciples for several years straight. In Ling Sheng Dynasty, that place is considered a true taboo existence; once you enter there, you basically can reach Seventh Rank Surge Realm."
"Uh... I've never heard of it. What place is that?" Wei Chen was even more surprised; this coachman knew quite a lot.
"There's an island called Peach Blossom Island in a lake beneath the mountains outside Ling City. There are some extraordinary masters on that island. It's normal if you haven't heard of it; after all, there hasn't been much news from there in recent years, and people are slowly forgetting about it. But trust me on this—give it a try! The conditions for accepting disciples there are very strange; some talented individuals can't get in while some seemingly mediocre ones do. But after a few years when they come out, they’re all experts!" The coachman's face was filled with longing as he spoke.
Wei Chen and Zhao Yu exchanged a quiet glance; the Coachman seemed to be a bit too talkative...
"Why are you asking me so many questions?" Wei Chen asked warily.
The Coachman replied calmly, "Money is hard to earn. The silver note you gave me is enough for my family's expenses for a month, so I will naturally tell you everything I know."
This explanation left Wei Chen speechless. Seeing the Coachman's sincere expression, he felt reassured.
"To be honest, when I was young, I also visited Peach Blossom Island. It's only a few miles from the shore, and you can see its full view, but you can't fly over that lake. No matter who it is, to reach Peach Blossom Island, you can only row a boat there. I rowed hard for two hours, always feeling that Peach Blossom Island was right in front of me, yet I couldn't get any closer. It's said that only those chosen by them can set foot on Peach Blossom Island." The Coachman showed a nostalgic look before sighing with a bitter smile and falling silent.
Wei Chen thought to himself, "What a magical place. Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well go take a look tomorrow."
As time passed, the Coachman dropped Wei Chen and Zhao Yu off at a luxurious inn. After receiving another silver note, he drove away. Wei Chen was never stingy; he had to admit that the Coachman had taught him quite a lesson.
Wei Chen booked two guest rooms next to each other. As they entered their respective rooms, Zhao Yu's eyes flickered with a hint of disappointment.
"At Cloud Spirit Sect... it was like that... we could have stayed together..."
Wei Chen was completely oblivious to Zhao Yu's disappointment. Once he entered his room, he quickly fell into a state of cultivation. Ling City was not like those places in the Eastern Wasteland; even with outstanding talent, if one wasn't careful, they could easily be surpassed and fall to mediocrity.
Just the guards at the door put considerable pressure on Wei Chen.
"I'm currently only at the fifth level of Power Realm. Although I appear to be at Spirit Realm, my Soul Power is still not as abundant as that of a true Spirit Realm Expert. With Silent Extinction Finger, I can ambush some people, but if I encounter someone who has also cultivated Sixth-Rank Soul Skill or even Spirit Wisdom Realm experts, killing them won't be so easy."
"I don't know what Weirou's situation is like or where Soul Palace is located. Perhaps only the higher-ups of our sect and Ancient Spirit Academy have some information. Sooner or later, I'll have to confront Soul Palace, and even the royal family and Ancient Spirit Academy... Damn it, why does it feel like every Major Force is my enemy?"
Wei Chen felt a lingering discomfort at the thought of the difficulties he would soon face.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound of knocking reached Wei Chen's ears.
He squinted his eyes and thought, "In Ling City, I don't know anyone. It's so late; the Innkeeper wouldn't disturb me. So who could it be?"
Just as he pondered this, a slightly humble voice came from outside the door. "Brother Wei, I have long admired you. May I have a moment of your time?"
"Looking for trouble?" Wei Chen sneered inwardly as he stood up and opened the door.
Outside stood a handsome young man, seemingly younger than Wei Chen, with a friendly smile on his face. Wei Chen couldn't help but be taken aback. "Who are you?"
"This isn't the place for a conversation; it's too crowded with people. How about we talk outside the inn?" The young man was polite and had no attendants with him, looking nothing like someone there to cause trouble.
Wei Chen nodded but showed no sign of relaxation as he followed the young man out of the inn.
Outside, a carriage was waiting. The young man smiled and said, "Brother Wei, you should be able to sense that there is no one in the carriage. I have no intention of harming you; on the contrary, I am here to seek your cooperation."
"Let's get in," Wei Chen shrugged and climbed into the carriage after the young man.
The young man took the reins himself and drove for a while until they reached a secluded spot where he stopped.
"Brother Wei, see? I mean you no harm. There is no one around; it's a good place to talk," the young man said with a smile.
Wei Chen nodded slightly, furrowing his brow as he asked, "Who are you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. My surname is Ling, and my name is Cong. I come from the Royal Ling Family, and the current emperor is my father."
Ling Cong?
Wei Chen felt a chill run down his spine; he did not know this Prince Yang Minghuang.
"Brother Wei, my elder brother Ling Ao is already betrothed to Mu Qingyan of the Ancient Spirit Academy and the Mu Family. The scene of you being close to Mu Qingyan outside Eryuan City has already reached my brother's ears. No man can tolerate such a thing, especially not my brother. He is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, second only to my father in the Ling Sheng Dynasty," Ling Cong said calmly, his tone steady and revealing a maturity that was not in line with his age.
Wei Chen remained silent, knowing that speaking at this moment would give him no advantage. He needed to wait for this Prince Yang Minghuang to reveal his intentions before he could make any choices.
Ling Cong quietly observed Wei Chen for a while before smiling slightly and saying, "Having learned so much, I believe Brother Wei understands my meaning."
Wei Chen shook his head.
"Alright then, I will be straightforward. My brother lacks the strength I possess, and there are doubts about passing the throne to him from my father. My support within both the court and the royal family is quite high. To be frank, I desire power; I am determined to claim the throne," Ling Cong stated directly.
Wei Chen continued to remain silent.
A hint of helplessness appeared on Ling Cong's face as he sighed, "Brother Wei, I have come to you with sincere intentions. If you help me with something, once I become emperor, my brother... well..."
Wei Chen pondered for a moment before finally speaking up, "What do you need me to do?"
Comment 0 Comment Count