King of Ten Thousand Years

Sun Chasing Holy Mansion.

On a mist-shrouded peak, within a tranquil and elegant estate.

’So this is my mentor’s residence. It’s so spacious.’

Luo Tian followed Master Lin to an open clearing in a garden.

In the clearing, Lin Dongfeng had Luo Tian demonstrate his martial skills, including his basic techniques, body technique, and swordsmanship.

”Your fundamentals are solid, and your body technique is barely passable. But your swordsmanship is stiff and unrefined.”

Lin Dongfeng’s expression was stern; he didn’t pull any punches.

With his keen eye, he could tell that Luo Tian’s body technique and swordsmanship were extraordinary. He likely had a master teaching him in secret or had come across some great opportunity.

Many students who entered the Holy Mansion had powerful backgrounds or established lineages.

The mentors rarely inquired about such things.

The relationship between mentor and student here wasn’t the traditional master-disciple bond; it was far more detached.

’This Master Lin... his insight is terrifyingly sharp.’

Luo Tian was inwardly astonished.

He had been stuck at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering for over three years, so his fundamentals were naturally solid.

He had practiced his body technique for some time, and it was built on his previous Perfection Level Wandering Body Step, yet in his mentor’s eyes, it was merely ’passable.’

As for his Celestial Star Sword Technique, he had only recently started cultivating it. It lacked refinement and wasn’t fluid enough, so in front of Lin Dongfeng, it must have looked atrocious.

「One hour later.」

Under Lin Dongfeng’s guidance, Luo Tian benefited immensely, both in his cultivation and his martial skills.

Many things he hadn’t understood before suddenly became clear.

”Alright. From now on, you may come here once every ten days, for one hour each time.”

Lin Dongfeng nodded slightly.

Setting aside the level of his Martial Vein, Luo Tian’s talent and Comprehension were actually quite surprising.

”You should know that I, Lin Dongfeng, am very strict when I take on students. I set a goal for each of them.”

Lin Dongfeng grew serious again.

”Please, Master Lin.”

Luo Tian wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge.

”As the only student I, Lin Dongfeng, have personally taken the initiative to accept in twenty years, your goals will be higher.”

”First, within half a year, you must become a Golden Student and enter the top thirty of the Azure Cloud Kingdom’s Human List.”

Lin Dongfeng said gravely.

Top thirty on the Human List?

Luo Tian was a little taken aback.

Becoming a Golden Student was already Luo Tian’s goal. That required the combat power of at least the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening and passing the Sixth-Layer of the Spirit Fighting Tower.

But reaching the top thirty of the Human List was far more difficult.

The Azure Cloud Kingdom’s Human List ranked the top one hundred geniuses in the entire nation under the age of twenty.

Many of these top one hundred geniuses came from powerful noble families, the Royal Family, or great Martial Arts Clans, hailing from dozens of commanderies across the Azure Cloud Kingdom.

Most Golden Students, being the Core Students of the Holy Mansion, could make it onto the Human List if they weren’t concerned with their ranking.

But breaking into the top thirty was exceptionally difficult!

There were tens of millions of rising stars in his generation throughout the Azure Cloud Kingdom. How could it possibly be easy to rank in the top thirty?

Without combat power at the absolute peak of the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening, it would be nearly impossible.

After all, Luo Tian was not yet sixteen, and his Cultivation was only at the Peak of Meridian Opening Fifth Layer. The gap between him and those seventeen, eighteen, or even twenty-year-old top geniuses was obvious.

”And another thing! Within one year, you are to become a ’Sunshine Student’ and enter the top three of the Human List!”

Lin Dongfeng’s voice grew heavier.

The top three of the Human List?

Luo Tian sucked in a sharp breath. That was equivalent to standing at the very pinnacle of all martial artists of his generation in the Azure Cloud Kingdom.

This goal was utterly unattainable even for an ordinary martial arts genius, as it would require at least the combat power of the Spirit Sea Realm.

”Master Lin, what exactly is a ’Sunshine Student’?”

Luo Tian asked, his curiosity piqued.

In the Holy Mansion, he had only ever heard of three Student Levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Golden Students were already considered the Core Students of the Holy Mansion.

”Sunshine Students are prodigies cultivated by the Holy Mansion with the highest priority and the greatest resources. They even receive noble titles and resource support from the Azure Cloud Kingdom’s Royal Family.”

A slight smile touched Lin Dongfeng’s lips.

”You could say that becoming a Sunshine Student makes you a dragon among men. You become a member of the Azure Cloud Kingdom’s upper echelon, with a future of limitless achievements.”

’A dragon among men? A member of the upper echelon?’

Luo Tian’s blood boiled with excitement, filled with an intense yearning.

As a commoner Martial Artist, Luo Tian was on the lowest rung of the Martial Arts World.

「Three years ago.」

His father had gone in search of a cure for his Meridian Opening and had never returned.

More recently, Ning Xueyao, the beautiful childhood friend he adored, had left without a word, seeking to escape danger and not wanting to implicate him.

All of this was because he was weak and insignificant.

If he became a dragon among men, a truly powerful and important person, he could have held on to his departing family and protected the woman he loved.

”Master Lin! I will become a Sunshine Student.”

Luo Tian clenched his fists, a powerful fighting spirit and determination surging within him.

”Becoming a Sunshine Student isn’t so simple.”

Lin Dongfeng shook his head.

”To become a Sunshine Student, one must at least pass the Eighth-Layer of the Spirit Fighting Tower, possess the combat power of the Spirit Sea Realm, or even have advanced to the Spirit Sea Realm. And that’s just the first requirement.”

”Second, due to the Holy Mansion’s limited resources, a maximum of one Sunshine Student is approved each year.”

Luo Tian was quite shocked to hear this.

The requirements to become a Sunshine Student were simply too demanding!

Strength was only one aspect.

More importantly, nurturing a Sunshine Student consumed enormous resources, even requiring the combined efforts of the Holy Mansion and the Royal Family.

The Sun Chasing Holy Mansion only had one such spot available each year.

”Normally, a student capable of passing the Eighth-Layer of the Spirit Fighting Tower only appears once every two or three years, especially since the age limit for students is twenty.”

Lin Dongfeng added.

”However, your generation is brimming with geniuses, including quite a few with Earth Tier Martial Veins. The competition will be fierce.”

”I’m confident.”

Luo Tian’s voice radiated powerful confidence.

”Excellent. You have the same spirit I had in my day.”

Lin Dongfeng nodded in satisfaction.

A Martial Artist without powerful conviction and determination could hardly become a true expert.

”Master Lin, you must have been a Sunshine Student back in the day, right?”

Luo Tian asked curiously.

”At sixteen, I became a Sunshine Student.”

Lin Dongfeng said calmly.

A sixteen-year-old Sunshine Student?

Luo Tian was left speechless, profoundly shocked.

In other words, Lin Dongfeng had become a Sunshine Student and possessed the combat power of the Spirit Sea Realm at an age similar to, or perhaps slightly older than, Luo Tian was now.

Of course, Luo Tian had been stuck in the Body Tempering Realm for over three years, losing precious time, so it was an unfair comparison.

Even so, Lin Dongfeng’s talent back then was simply terrifying.

’Then Master Lin’s achievements shouldn’t be limited to just this.’

Luo Tian was puzzled.

He subconsciously activated his Qi Observation Skill again.

Above Lin Dongfeng’s head was a thick Clear Qi Pillar that soared into the sky. His Destiny Chart was originally wide and unobstructed, promising extremely high achievements, far beyond his current state.

However, the upper half of the Clear Qi Pillar was entangled in a dim, gray aura, preventing him from reaching the full potential of his Destiny Chart.

”Master Lin, do you have some sort of ailment? I know a little about medicine. Perhaps I could take a look for you.”

Luo Tian said with good intentions.

Lin Dongfeng’s condition reminded him of Princess Yunxiu.

”Ailment?”

Lin Dongfeng froze. Then, as if recalling something, his expression turned grim.

”Unorthodox nonsense! Utter rubbish! This old man’s body is as strong as an ox; I haven’t been sick in decades.”

Lin Dongfeng roared angrily.

Luo Tian instantly felt a mountain-like pressure descend upon him, as if he had touched a raw nerve.

”You have no respect for your elders! Get out!”

Lin Dongfeng’s expression soured as he flew into a rage.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the tragic experience from thirty years ago that had damaged his foundation and crippled his Cultivation, making it impossible for him to advance any further.

This incident had always been a deep scar on his heart.

Not even the other mentors at the Holy Mansion dared to mention it in his presence.

’What was that all about?’

Luo Tian looked crestfallen as he was thrown out.

Just then, Lin Dongfeng’s voice, slightly softened, drifted out from the estate. ”You performed meritoriously in the exchange competition, so I applied for one thousand Contribution Points on your behalf.”

One thousand Contribution Points?

Luo Tian was overjoyed. One hundred Contribution Points was enough to cultivate in the Spirit Pool for a day. They could also be exchanged for martial skills and even some Alchemy Tools, making them incredibly precious.

In previous years, the new student exchange competition hadn’t offered any explicit rewards, as it was limited to new students and wasn’t considered a high-level event.

This time, however, due to the special circumstances and Lin Dongfeng’s efforts, he had received such a reward.

With these one thousand Contribution Points, Luo Tian would have more than enough to break through to the Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening in short order.