King of Ten Thousand Years

By the time the new student exchange event began, Luo Tian had already arrived at the Spirit Pool.

Now that Luo Tian had lived in the Holy Mansion for a while, he had a much clearer understanding of the Spirit Pool’s rules.

Silver Students could cultivate in the Spirit Pool for one day a month free of charge.

If they wanted to continue cultivating, they had to pay one hundred Contribution Points per day.

Contribution Points couldn’t be bought with money. They could only be obtained by completing tasks for the Holy Mansion and its mentors, or by making other contributions.

’I’ll need to start doing some tasks to earn Contribution Points,’ Luo Tian thought to himself.

Inside the Spirit Pool, with its pavilions and jade-like ponds, the scenery was like a celestial paradise.

Luo Tian sat cross-legged in the Spirit Pool, cherishing this rare opportunity.

The cool, milky-white water enveloped him, and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flowed into his body on its own.

WHOOSH! GLUG GLUG!

Luo Tian activated his Divine Vein, devouring the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the pool at an astonishing rate. A vortex formed around him, constantly churning the water.

Cultivating in the Spirit Pool was two to three times more efficient than using Spiritual Essence Coins.

HSSSSS!

The True Qi inside Luo Tian’s body swelled and grew stronger. After repeated refinement, it began to open up his fifth Qi Vein.

「In the past two days.」

The fifth Qi Vein was already eighty to ninety percent open. He was just a step away from the Peak of the Fifth Layer of Meridian Opening.

But the closer he got to the end, the more difficult it was to open the Meridian.

Luo Tian was not in a hurry.

「Two hours later.」

The quality and quantity of True Qi in Luo Tian’s body reached an apex, and his Qi Vein was now more than ninety-five percent open.

’One final push!’

Luo Tian mobilized all his True Qi, which surged through his fifth Qi Vein like a raging torrent.

CRACK! BOOM!

The final blockage in his fifth Qi Vein was completely obliterated.

’Success. Peak of the Fifth Layer.’

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

WHOOSH! GLUG GLUG!

His speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi increased again. The vortex in the water around him spun faster, creating an even greater disturbance.

Only when his fifth Qi Vein was filled to the absolute brim with True Qi did the strange phenomenon begin to fade.

「Next.」

Luo Tian began to consolidate his Cultivation Realm.

”Senior Luo, are you in there?”

Just then, a soft, trembling voice called out.

The speaker didn’t dare to shout, but they couldn’t conceal the anxiety and urgency in their tone.

”What is it?”

Luo Tian asked with a frown.

’Someone’s come looking for me even while I’m cultivating in the Spirit Pool? Could it be something serious?’

”Senior Luo, the mentors are calling for you to join the new student exchange event! Our side has already lost several matches in a row.”

A Bronze Student called out anxiously from outside the Array.

”Is it that bad?”

”Aren’t Nangong Yu and Princess Yunxiu at the new student exchange?”

Luo Tian found it a little hard to believe.

”Princess Yunxiu has returned to the Royal Capital, and Senior Nangong is in seclusion. And this year’s new students from the Panshi Martial Mansion are abnormally fierce. We have no choice but to ask you to step in, Senior Luo.”

The Bronze Student said helplessly.

”I see.”

Luo Tian rubbed his chin.

’Of the original three great geniuses among the new students, two couldn’t make it. Princess Yunxiu’s absence was a direct result of my actions.’

’Nangong Yu’s absence wasn’t entirely unrelated to me, either.’

’If Nangong Yu had won first place among the new students, the rewards would have helped him break through to the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening sooner. He wouldn’t need to be in seclusion to consolidate his Cultivation Technique right now.’

’As for the remaining one, Tang Wei, I crippled one of his arms. His injuries probably haven’t fully healed yet.’

’It seems the new students of Sun Chasing Holy Mansion really don’t have a pillar of support left.’

”Alright.”

Luo Tian felt a bit helpless as he walked out of the Spirit Pool. He couldn’t refuse a request from the mentors.

Perhaps this was the cycle of fate.

He had sown the cause, and now he had to clean up the resulting mess himself.

...

「The New Student Exchange Event.」

On the spacious plaza, the students of Sun Chasing Holy Mansion and Panshi Martial Mansion were gathered on the east and west sides, respectively.

Two people were currently fighting in the center of the plaza.

One of them was none other than Mu Yuyan.

Back in Lingyun County, she had been a genius second only to Qi Hong.

In the Holy Mansion’s entrance examination, her results placed her in the top twenty. Her Cultivation was now approaching the Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening.

But at this moment, Mu Yuyan was being completely suppressed by a youth with a rosacea nose from Panshi Academy.

SLASH!

The rosacea-nosed youth wielded a long, narrow, pointed blade. His chilling and dangerous slashes gave Mu Yuyan no room to breathe.

Her clothes were torn in several places, revealing patches of snow-white skin and leaving her looking humiliated and disheveled.

’Tsk tsk, this girl’s skin is so fair and tender...’

The rosacea-nosed youth secretly gulped.

”It’s over, we’re going to lose again!”

A few new Bronze Students from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion looked dejected, sighing in despair.

”Hurry up and finish it!”

The sturdy youth from Panshi Martial Mansion snorted, his face showing impatience.

”Haha! This girl’s not bad looking, so I decided to play with her a little longer. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have even lasted thirty moves.”

The rosacea-nosed youth shivered, thinking it was a pity.

”Lose!”

He roared, unleashing a wave of fierce, cold, incandescent light from his blade.

SLASH! BANG!

A bloody gash was left on Mu Yuyan’s delicate shoulder before the rosacea-nosed youth sent her flying with a kick.

”Ah...”

Mu Yuyan’s face was pale as blood trickled from her mouth. She clutched her stomach as two female students helped her up.

”These brutes from Panshi Martial Mansion!”

”Not only do they take advantage of the female students, but they’re also so heavy-handed!”

On the Holy Mansion’s side, the students were filled with righteous indignation.

”This is already our seventh loss, and we’ve only won two matches. We’re too ashamed to even stay here anymore.”

The students felt deeply disgraced and unbearably ashamed.

The mentors on the Holy Mansion’s side had faces as dark as water, and the air was heavy and oppressive. The Elder who was present simply closed his eyes, ignoring the outside world.

”We can’t afford to lose anymore. The Holy Mansion has never had such a miserable showing in any of the past exchange events.”

The stout mentor’s face was ashen.

”Let me go!”

At that moment, the Young Marquis, Tang Wei, strode onto the field.

Thanks to his family’s vast resources, his arm had been promptly repaired, and his injuries were almost fully healed.

But compared to Nangong Yu and Princess Yunxiu, he had fallen far behind. His Cultivation was still at the Peak of the Sixth Layer.

”So it’s the Young Marquis. I’ll be your opponent!”

The sturdy youth from Panshi Martial Mansion laughed and strode forward.

”Angry Cloud Palm!”

Without another word, Tang Wei made the first move.

WHOOSH!

He quickly closed the distance and launched a thunderous assault. A crimson cloud erupted from his palm, accompanied by a roar like that of an enraged beast.

A faint smile played on the sturdy youth’s lips as he met the attack head-on, his fist wreathed in a layer of dark True Qi.

Seeing this, the Holy Mansion’s students felt a glimmer of joy. The Angry Cloud Palm was a Spirit Level Martial Skill renowned for its explosive power.

This sturdy youth was meeting it head-on; he would probably lose due to his carelessness and underestimation.

BANG!

Fist met palm with a deafening crash, sending a wave of dust into the air.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

Tang Wei’s arm was both sore and numb, and he stumbled back two or three steps. The sturdy youth, however, only swayed slightly.

”This... How can this be!”

Tang Wei’s eyes widened in disbelief.

At the same Cultivation level, he was actually being suppressed in a direct confrontation.

”Hehe, the Angry Cloud Palm is nothing special after all!”

The sturdy youth grinned, dark iron-like patterns appearing on his fists. Like two giant hammers, they rained down on Tang Wei like a torrential storm.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Under the sturdy youth’s ferocious assault, Tang Wei was quickly put on the defensive. With each head-on collision, sharp pain shot through his arm, which was gradually going numb.

’Such terrifying power! This guy’s a monster!’ Tang Wei thought.

The more Tang Wei fought, the more terrified he became.

”This boy has also cultivated a rare Body Refining Martial Skill. His physical strength is incredibly tyrannical.”

The white-robed Mentor, Lin Dongfei, sighed softly.

Not only was the sturdy youth’s Fist Technique extraordinarily powerful, but he had also cultivated a Body Refining Martial Skill, giving him a formidable physique and strength that was several times greater than others at his level.

「A few dozen moves later.」

With a BANG!

Tang Wei spat out a mouthful of blood as the sturdy youth’s iron fist sent him flying.

The Young Marquis was defeated too!

The hearts of everyone from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion sank, filled with a sense of helplessness as if life itself had turned bleak.

”Hahaha, are all the new students from Sun Chasing Holy Mansion of this caliber? We’ve already won eight matches. We’re starting to feel bad for you.”

The red-faced old man from Panshi Martial Mansion roared with laughter, his face full of smug satisfaction.

On the Holy Mansion’s side, the mentors’ faces were filled with anger, but they had no words to retort.

In an exchange between students, strength determined victory and defeat. All words were pale in comparison.

If the mentors were like this, the students’ morale was even lower. They were ashamed and indignant, but none dared to go up and fight.

”You lot are probably the worst class Sun Chasing Holy Mansion has ever had!”

”Should we let you win a few rounds? Otherwise, Sun Chasing Holy Mansion is going to be utterly humiliated today.”

At the Panshi Martial Mansion, a few students led by the pale-faced youth Yan Lei laughed and jeered.

”How boring.”

The broad-shouldered youth at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening shook his head and sighed, a trace of disappointment on his face.

He probably wouldn’t even get a chance to fight in this exchange event.

”Lin Dongfei, if you don’t send out a decent new student soon, the true geniuses of our Panshi Martial Mansion won’t even get a chance to make a move.”

The red-faced old man looked smug, his gaze sweeping over to the white-robed Master Lin.

There seemed to be some old grudge between the two.

Ever since he arrived, the red-faced elder had been targeting the white-robed Master Lin.

Just then, a handsome youth dressed in silver-white robes slowly walked onto the scene.

”Luo Tian’s here?”

It’s unclear who said it, but after a commotion, the crowd automatically parted to form a path.

Luo Tian, looking lazy and bored, walked over to the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion’s side.

Seeing Luo Tian approach, the mentors’ eyes lit up in unison. They had heard that Luo Tian had defeated the Young Marquis and even clashed once with a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening.

”Haha! Old Man Deng, what were you just saying? That our Holy Mansion has no decent new students?”

The gloom on the white-robed Master Lin’s face vanished, replaced by a smile.

”You’re wrong. Our true genius new student simply disdained to appear earlier.”

Master Lin was full of confidence as he launched his counterattack against the red-faced old man.

Luo Tian’s arrival had given him a solid boost of confidence.

’With this boy’s strength, he’s practically invincible below the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening. Although Panshi Martial Mansion has a Seventh Layer cultivator, there’s a difference of two Small Realms. Even if our side won, it wouldn’t be a glorious victory for them.’

Therefore, the mentors all felt a sense of relief, and the furrows in their brows smoothed out.

”This is the kid?”

The red-faced elder was drawn by the commotion among the Holy Mansion’s students. He noticed Luo Tian, and after a moment of stunned silence, he threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears almost came to his eyes.

”Ahahaha! A Fifth Layer of Meridian Opening cultivator is your genius?”

”Lin Dongfei! I’ve known you for so many years, when did you become so unreliable? If you’ve given up, just say so. We’ll go easy on you and let you win a few rounds.”

The red-faced elder clutched his stomach, his body shaking with laughter as if he were having a seizure.

This mocking display made the white-robed Master Lin’s expression darken.

”Luo Tian! Get on the field now!”

The white-robed Master Lin, feeling utterly disgraced, urged him on.

SWOOSH!

The Holy Mansion’s students automatically parted to make a path.

Luo Tian shook his head helplessly and walked out, looking somewhat reluctant.