King of Ten Thousand Years

Upon arriving at the Bronze Area, Luo Tian thought of Chen Haofei, wondering if his injuries had healed.

”Brother Chen.”

Luo Tian walked up to a Bronze Stone House and knocked on the door.

”Brother Luo, come in, have a seat!”

Chen Haofei’s face was flushed with health and he was in high spirits as he welcomed Luo Tian inside.

Luo Tian was surprised to discover that in the ten or so days they hadn’t seen each other, Chen Haofei had not only fully recovered from his injuries, but his cultivation had also greatly improved, nearing the Peak of the Fifth Layer of Meridian Opening.

Just as he entered the room, Chen Haofei, with an excited expression, couldn’t wait to share the good news. ”Luo Tian! I’ve been accepted as a student by Master Lin!”

At the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, each new batch of students could choose a mentor to guide their studies.

Mentors could also observe and select students with potential.

Both parties had the right to refuse!

Generally, the students made the choice, and the mentors made the decision.

Mentors rarely took the initiative to choose students, unless they encountered a genius with astounding talent.

Logically, someone like Luo Tian, who had placed first in the entrance trial, should have been a student the mentors fought over.

However, after the mentors reviewed Luo Tian’s assessment information from Lingyun Wu Mansion and learned he had a Yellow Tier Middle Grade Martial Vein, most of them hesitated.

The tier of his Martial Vein was too low, limiting his future potential.

”Congratulations. I’ve heard that Master Lin is extremely powerful.”

Luo Tian said with a smile.

Master Lin was that same white-robed elder. Among this year’s mentors, he was the most senior, and his strength was unfathomable.

It was said that this Master Lin was very strict about accepting students and often rejected people.

Chen Haofei could only be considered of above-average talent in the Holy Mansion, yet he had smoothly become Master Lin’s student and even received his personal guidance and nurturing.

For Chen Haofei, this was undoubtedly a huge and pleasant surprise.

”Master Lin also asked me about you. But you were in seclusion for cultivation at the time...”

Chen Haofei added.

”Oh?”

Luo Tian remembered that when he chose a Spirit Level Martial Skill in the Hidden Martial Pavilion, this mentor had seemed quite disappointed.

”Right! There’s a new student exchange event in three days. I’ll be participating with my mentor.”

Chen Haofei’s spirits were soaring.

”Is it with the Panshi Wu Mansion?”

Luo Tian’s heart stirred.

”That’s right! The Panshi Wu Mansion is very strong. It’s ranked fourth among the Advanced Wu Mansions in the Azure Cloud Kingdom, second only to the Three Great Holy Mansions.”

Chen Haofei said excitedly, seeming to greatly look forward to the new student exchange event in three days.

High-level members and mentors of the Holy Mansion would be present at the new student exchange event.

Those who performed well would not only make a name for themselves but also get noticed by the Holy Mansion’s high-level members and mentors, leading to more opportunities for nurturing in the future.

”Brother Luo, you’re not planning to participate?”

Chen Haofei noticed that Luo Tian seemed completely uninterested.

”I won’t be participating.”

Luo Tian said, shaking his head.

He had already dealt with a few students from Panshi Wu Mansion in the Martial City. Their skill level was just so-so; there was nothing worth exchanging.

Compared to that terrifying assassin, this new student exchange event was practically child’s play.

’I have to increase my strength as quickly as possible. Who knows when that assassin’s second attempt will be.’

The thought of the assassin filled Luo Tian with a sense of urgency.

After leaving the Bronze Area...

WHOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Luo Tian executed the Cloud Traveling Step. His body felt as light as a feather as he leaped up, leaving behind a series of ethereal, illusory afterimages.

”Huh?”

Luo Tian suddenly realized that his body had become much lighter, as if he had transformed into a bird, his sensitivity to the flow of wind in the air becoming much sharper.

His speed had increased by more than half, and his jumping ability had also seen a significant boost.

’The Cloud Traveling Step broke through to the Small Success Realm?’

A look of joy appeared on Luo Tian’s face.

Perhaps the matter with the assassin had put pressure on him. At the moment of the assassination attempt, in the face of a life-and-death crisis, his Body Technique had touched upon a certain bottleneck.

Now, just by using it briefly, he had naturally broken through.

For a Spirit Level Middle Grade Body Technique to break through to Minor Achievement was an extremely rare feat.

Luo Tian’s current movement speed was now faster than even an average Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening cultivator. If he were to face that assassin’s hidden weapons again, he would be much more at ease.

...

「Back at his residence in the Silver Area」

Luo Tian took out a Spiritual Essence Coin and sat cross-legged to begin his cultivation.

Spiritual Essence Coins were very valuable. It was not easy for ordinary Scattered Stream Martial Artists below the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening to come across them.

Those like Luo Tian, who directly used Spiritual Essence Coins for cultivation, were even rarer.

VMMM! WHOOSH!

The pure and cool Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, drawn by his Divine Vein, surged into his Qi Veins.

Luo Tian continued to open his fifth Qi Vein.

With the advantage of his Divine Vein, Luo Tian’s absorption speed of the Spiritual Essence Coin far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

His cultivation steadily increased, gradually approaching the Peak of the Fifth Layer of Meridian Opening.

「Two days later.」

Luo Tian had consumed two Spiritual Essence Coins, and the opening of his fifth Qi Vein had reached over eighty percent completion.

’I shouldn’t be too hasty.’

At this point, he stopped opening his Qi Vein and switched to cultivating the new Martial Skill, the Celestial Star Sword Technique.

The Celestial Star Sword Technique was divided into four levels: Starlight, Star Trace, Star’s Brilliance, and Star River. These corresponded perfectly to the four realms of a Martial Skill: Initial Achievement, Minor Achievement, Great Success, and Perfection.

Even at the Initial Achievement ”Starlight” level, it possessed an extremely powerful single-target attack, comparable to the Third-Layer of the Star Condensing Sword Point.

From then on, with each advancement in realm, its power would increase tremendously.

CLANG!

Luo Tian drew a snow-white longsword, the very same spoil of war he had obtained from Yan Lei.

SWISH! SWISH!

Luo Tian brandished the longsword, practicing according to the Celestial Star Sword Technique’s Luck Skills and sword techniques.

During his cultivation, Luo Tian felt that the difficulty of the Celestial Star Sword Technique was significantly higher than that of the Cloud Traveling Step.

After all, according to the Celestial Book’s introduction, the Celestial Star Sword Technique’s attack power was considered top-tier among Spirit Level Middle Grade Martial Skills, even bordering on Spirit Level Upper Grade.

Fortunately, after cultivating the Creation Technique, Luo Tian’s natural talent and comprehension were extremely high.

「Half a day later.」

PFFT!

The longsword in Luo Tian’s hand stabbed out, creating a brilliant sword light like a ray of starlight. The power of the swordsmanship was completely fused into a single point, erupting with terrifying force.

The power of this ordinary sword strike was no less than the Breaking Sky Sword Qi of the Star Condensing Sword Point.

”Chasing Stars and Catching the Moon!”

Luo Tian executed the First Technique of the Celestial Star Sword Technique.

SWISH! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

With a flick of the sharp sword in his hand, three brilliant Starlight Sword Shadows flickered and flew out in succession, one after another, each more advanced than the last.

Three consecutive strikes, each faster than the last, their power continuously climbing. The power of the third Sword Light had already surpassed that of some Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening cultivators.

’What a powerful sword technique!’

Luo Tian marveled in his heart.

The Celestial Star Sword Technique had nine techniques in total, and he had just mastered the first one.

For the entire day, Luo Tian was immersed in the vast world of the Celestial Star Sword Technique.

The next day, Luo Tian got up early and headed straight for the Spirit Pool.

”It’s the beginning of the month. As a Silver Student, I can cultivate in the Spirit Pool for free for one day.”

He was completely focused on his cultivation and had no idea that today was the day of the new student exchange between the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion and the Panshi Wu Mansion.

「At the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion.」

A large number of figures had gathered in a huge plaza.

On the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion’s side, an Elder and several Mentors had arrived.

The white-robed old man, the beautiful female mentor in a long dress, and the stout middle-aged man were all present.

These three Mentors were primarily responsible for this year’s new students.

On the student side, new students like Tang Wei, Mu Yuyan, and Chen Haofei had also arrived.

’The new student exchange is about to start?’

Chen Haofei stood behind the white-robed Master Lin, his heart filled with anticipation.

The students from the Holy Mansion were full of confidence.

After all, as one of the Three Great Holy Mansions, they had the right to be proud and self-assured.

A short while later, a red-faced elder from the Panshi Wu Mansion led ten elite students into the plaza.

”Lin Dongfei, the caliber of your new students this year isn’t very impressive.”

The red-faced elder was an Elder from the Panshi Wu Mansion. His gaze swept over the new students of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Lin Dongfei was none other than the white-robed Master Lin.

The white-robed elder’s gaze also swept across the ten students from Panshi Wu Mansion, and his expression suddenly changed.

Behind the red-faced elder, there were three individuals whose auras were exceptionally powerful.

A pale-faced youth and a fiercely built youth; both were at the Peak of the Sixth Layer.

The aura of the slightly weaker of the two, the pale-faced youth, was no weaker than Tang Wei’s.

This pale-faced youth was none other than Yan Lei, who had clashed with Luo Tian in the Martial City.

But the most shocking of all was a broad-shouldered youth standing with his hands behind his back. The fluctuations of seven Qi Veins could be felt from within his body, and his eyes, like sharp bolts of lightning, exerted immense pressure on everyone.

”Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening!”

’No wonder the Panshi Wu Mansion was so eager to organize this new student exchange. It turns out they’ve dug up a few good seedlings.’

The white-robed Master Lin’s expression darkened.

The other Mentors beside him grew solemn, a hint of worry in their eyes.

In fact, the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion also had a few top-tier geniuses in this batch.

Among them, Nangong Yu and Princess Yunxiu had both already broken through to the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening.

But unfortunately, Princess Yunxiu had returned to the Royal Capital, and Nangong Yu was in seclusion at an Elder’s Mansion. Coincidentally, neither of them could make it.

”Haha! The Sun Chasing Holy Mansion is revered as one of the three great top-tier Wu Mansions, yet there isn’t a single new student who has broken through to the Seventh Layer?”

”At this exchange, wouldn’t our Panshi Wu Mansion be winning without a real fight?”

The red-faced old man from Panshi Wu Mansion began to laugh wantonly.

The faces of the new students from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion changed drastically, and they felt a deep sense of oppression.

Who would have thought that this year’s new students from Panshi Wu Mansion would be so strong!