King of Ten Thousand Years

「Half an hour later.」

Under Xie Lin’s guidance, Luo Tian passed the verification to become a Golden Student of the Holy Mansion.

His Silver Token was exchanged for a Golden Token.

His original Silver-White Robe was also swapped for a Light Gold Robe, giving him a somewhat majestic and dignified air.

”As a Golden Student, you’ll see many improvements to your benefits...”

Xie Lin explained patiently.

First was his residence; he would move to the Golden Area atop Sunrise Peak.

The use of the Spirit Pool.

This changed from the original one free day per month to three free days.

Moreover,

the Holy Mansion would also distribute a certain amount of resources and Elixir Pills each month.

”...At the Hidden Martial Pavilion, Golden Students can also exchange for precious Secret Techniques.”

Xie Lin added with a mysterious smile.

’Secret Techniques?’

Luo Tian’s heart pounded with excitement.

He had witnessed the immense power of Yue Jing’s Secret Technique during the great battle against the Jade Spirit Python. Although Secret Techniques lasted only for a short time and had side effects, they could turn the tide at a critical moment.

「That night.」

Luo Tian moved to the Golden Area on Sunrise Peak.

His new residence was a standalone, antique-yellow pavilion with its own private courtyard, occupying a spacious plot of land.

’The Spiritual Qi concentration is three times that of the Bronze Area, and fifty percent stronger than the Silver Area.’

Luo Tian was satisfied.

After settling into the Golden Area,

Luo Tian began to consolidate the Cultivation he had just broken through to.

Because his body still contained the residual power of the Jade Spirit Blood, and his main focus was on consolidation, Luo Tian didn’t go to the Spirit Pool to practice his Cultivation.

Five or six days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the help of his powerful True Qi foundation and the remaining power from the Jade Spirit Blood, Luo Tian smoothly opened his seventh energy meridian halfway.

Such progress

would have shocked any other Martial Artist at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening or higher.

However,

once the power from his strong foundation and the residual Jade Spirit Blood was depleted, Luo Tian’s Cultivation slowed down.

’This should be enough for now.’

Luo Tian didn’t try to forcibly open his Qi Vein.

At this time,

Luo Tian began to consider the resources he had on hand.

From the Beast Tide mission, he had earned over six thousand Contribution Points.

’How should I use them?’

Such a huge amount of Contribution Points was enough to use the Spirit Pool continuously for two months.

Luo Tian couldn’t possibly soak in the Spirit Pool every day.

Everything had its limits.

The last three Qi Veins of the Meridian Opening Realm were located deep within the human body, close to the forbidden zone of Life. Relying on external objects like the Spirit Pool and Elixir Pills alone wasn’t enough; it required a long period of settling and honing.

’Should I exchange for a Secret Technique, or other Cultivation and Martial Skills?’

Luo Tian had a bit of a headache.

Before, he didn’t have enough Contribution Points; now, he was worried about how to allocate them reasonably.

Besides Contribution Points,

Luo Tian also had over a thousand Spiritual Essence Coins and parts from Spirit Level Demon Beasts.

And the extra reward for ranking first on the Battle Merit Stele!

For Luo Tian, these were the worries of the wealthy, problems other students could only dream of having.

”I’ll wait for Master Lin to return and ask for his advice,” Luo Tian murmured.

’Right!’

Luo Tian remembered something and took off the Golden Lock Armor he was wearing.

On the armor, a web of cracks spread out from the seashell at its center.

Luo Tian couldn’t help but shake his head. This Defensive Treasure Artifact he’d gotten from Du Yuncheng was of very poor quality.

Its materials barely met the threshold for a Low Grade Treasure Artifact, and it didn’t even have a single Inscription. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a shoddy Low Grade Treasure Artifact, worth only a few dozen Spiritual Essence Coins.

’This armor needs to be replaced!’

Luo Tian immediately got up and headed to the Forging Workshop.

Just like last time,

a long line had formed in front of the Forging Workshop.

The Beast Tide was nearing its end, and many students had returned to repair their weapons and protective gear.

”A Golden Student!”

Dressed in his Light Gold Robe, Luo Tian stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens. He exuded an inexplicable aura of deterrence that made the other students look at him with reverence.

”Senior Luo, please, go ahead.”

A Silver Student at the front of the line respectfully made way for Luo Tian.

”Mm.”

Luo Tian didn’t refuse. As Core Students, Golden Students enjoyed priority and convenience everywhere in the Holy Mansion.

Upon entering the Forging Workshop,

Luo Tian took out the Golden Lock Armor and the seashell, as well as a few parts from a Spirit Level Demon Beast.

”Claws from a Spirit Level Demon Beast, and a Beast Horn!”

The attending Artifact Refiner’s eyes lit up immediately.

”I want to forge a piece of Treasure Soft Armor and have this shell inlaid on the chest...”

Luo Tian explained his purpose.

After some haggling,

Luo Tian’s Golden Lock Armor and Spirit Level Demon Beast parts were given to the Forging Workshop.

In return, the Forging Workshop would craft a piece of Low Grade Soft Armor with two Inscriptions for Luo Tian and deduct one thousand Contribution Points from his account.

After placing his order,

Luo Tian didn’t go back to his Cultivation. Instead, he went to a deserted patch of mountain forest to practice his Martial Skills.

Currently,

both Luo Tian’s Cloud Traveling Step and Celestial Star Sword Technique were stuck at a bottleneck.

His Cloud Traveling Step was at the Peak of Minor Achievement.

His Celestial Star Sword Technique was at the Peak of Star Trace Level, which was also equivalent to the Peak of Minor Achievement.

Once he broke through to Great Success,

the power of these two Martial Skills would take a qualitative leap, nearly doubling Luo Tian’s overall strength.

But both Martial Skills were Spirit Level Middle Grade or higher, with some even approaching Upper Grade.

Reaching the Great Achievement Realm with them was extremely difficult; even an ordinary expert at the Second to Third Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm would struggle to do so.

For several days in a row, Luo Tian focused on practicing his Martial Skills, searching for an opportunity to break through.

Luo Tian had no idea

that while he was cultivating in obscurity, his name had unexpectedly spread far and wide throughout the Martial Arts Realm of the Azure Cloud Kingdom.

...

「Sun Chasing Holy Mansion.」

A huge, gold-gilded list was posted on the stone wall in front of the main gate.

”Look! The Azure Cloud Kingdom’s ’Human List’ has been updated!”

Some students, including not a few Golden Students, looked over with expressions of anticipation.

The Human List recorded the top one hundred peerless geniuses in the entire kingdom under the age of twenty.

This list was published by the ”Celestial Net,” a super-faction from the Martial City, and was considered an authoritative ranking.

Looking closely,

everyone on the list was at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening or higher. The top ranks even included those at the Half-step Spirit Sea and Spirit Sea Realm.

”Huh! Why is there someone at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening? Am I seeing things?!”

one student exclaimed.

”You’re not mistaken! He’s a student from our Holy Mansion!”

”Heavens! Someone at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening actually made it onto the Human List...”

The students in front of the Holy Mansion’s gate were left speechless with astonishment, drawing even more attention.

”89th place: Luo Tian, Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening Cultivation, not yet sixteen years old, a student of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion.”

On the entire list,

he was the only one at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening!

Other than him, the lowest Cultivation level was Peak of Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening, and even that was a rare exception.

The minimum requirement to enter the Human List was Ninth Layer Combat Power or higher.

The same scene

played out at the other Two Great Holy Mansions of the Azure Cloud Kingdom, the several hundred other Wu Mansions, and even in many cities.

「Azure Cloud Kingdom, Royal Capital.」

Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion, the number one Wu Mansion in the kingdom, was founded by the nation’s founding monarch, ”Li Yuntian.”

”Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening? Did this issue of the ’Human List’ make a mistake?!”

An uproar erupted in front of the Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion’s gate.

”Who is this Luo Tian! To think the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion produced such a monster!”

The students of Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion were filled with doubt and indignation.

The Sun Chasing Holy Mansion had always been at the bottom of the Three Great Holy Mansions!

”Does anyone have this issue’s publication of the Human List?”

A soft voice spoke. It came from an elegant man whose aura was as deep as the sea.

”Third Prince!”

The students showed reverence and bowed one after another.

The Third Prince, ”Li Yi,” was a ”Yunlong Student” of the Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion, a position equivalent to a Yangri of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion.

”I have it right here!”

A student at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening excitedly stepped forward and handed over a ”Human List” publication.

”Thank you.”

Li Yi accepted the thin booklet.

The ”Human List” publication contained detailed information on each of the one hundred geniuses on the list.

Li Yi was about to flip toward the back to find Luo Tian’s information at 89th place.

”Third Prince, that Luo Tian is one of this issue’s feature stories,”

the student said hurriedly.

’A feature story?’

A hint of surprise flickered across Li Yi’s face. He found Luo Tian’s information on the third page.

The profiles of ordinary geniuses consisted only of text.

But each issue’s three feature stories received a full-page spotlight.

On the page

was an illustration of a handsome youth that bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Luo Tian.

Below it was an introduction of his achievements.

”First in the Lingyun Martial Mansion assessment, first in the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion trial, passed the Sixth-Layer of the Spirit Fighting Tower, currently a Golden Student of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, has twice slain a heavily injured Spirit Level Demon Beast...”

After reading the introduction,

Li Yi and the nearby students were quite shocked.

For his age and Cultivation, Luo Tian’s list of accomplishments was simply too brilliant!

”No wonder he was listed as a ’feature story’ this issue. Given Celestial Net’s style, they tend to be conservative with rankings when they lack more precise information.”

A sharp glint flashed in Li Yi’s eyes.

Making it onto the Human List at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening had broken a record that stood for over a hundred years.

One must know that

the other two feature stories were both ranked in the top twenty.

This issue of the ”Human List” publication sold out across the cities and regions of the Azure Cloud Kingdom, becoming exceptionally popular.

The ”Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening” who was one of the feature stories on the Human List attracted the attention of the entire Martial Arts Realm.

Luo Tian hadn’t even left his home, yet his name shook the world!

「Azure Cloud Kingdom, a border city.」

In a small Martial City, the Human List was also posted, and next to it were the Spirit List and the Earth List.

The Spirit List was for young experts under forty years of age, and was not limited to just one kingdom.

The Earth List was for peerless masters of the Earth Element Realm.

As for the Celestial List, with the thinning of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in recent centuries, Celestial Level masters had become the stuff of legends, and this list had not appeared since.

At this moment,

everyone’s attention in this small Martial City was drawn to the Human List.

The Human List was updated frequently and featured the geniuses of their own country, so it received a great deal of attention.

”Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening? Who is Luo Tian? He’s so incredible!”

Aside from the top few names, the only person at the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening on the list sparked heated discussions.

Just then,

a graceful, beautiful figure with her face veiled by a light gauze gazed at the Human List.

”Xiaotian...”

Beneath the light gauze, a peerless face as beautiful as a painting was revealed, her lovely eyes shimmering with clear ripples.

”Young Mistress! He’s merely eighty-ninth on the Human List. He’s still a world away from being worthy of you.”

An old woman appeared behind the young girl.

”No! He was held back at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering for three years. What he’s achieved is already amazing...”

The young girl gently bit her lip, her clear eyes misting over with a mix of joy and reluctance.

「Azure Cloud Kingdom, Qingchang City.」

In a dim hall within the underground Black Market.

”Your Excellency! Why was the assassination mission for Luo Tian canceled? We paid a huge price,”

a middle-aged man said in a low voice.

”Du Hong! Our ’Soul-Seeking Underworld’ has already failed once. The price you paid is far from enough.”

A person wearing an iron mask said in a completely emotionless voice.

”How could it not be enough!”

Du Hong, Patriarch of the Du Family, roared angrily.

”The target has become a Golden Student of the Holy Mansion, is ranked on the Human List, is famous throughout the world, and has an extraordinary background...”

the iron-masked person stated.

Du Hong’s expression changed drastically. He asked, ”How much do you want?”

”Even if it bankrupted your Du Family, it might not be enough,”

the iron-masked person said indifferently.

”That’s impossible!”

Du Hong flew into a rage, roaring.

”Drag him out,”

the iron-masked person said.

SWISH! THUD!

A ghostly figure in black flashed past. The Patriarch of the Du Family, a master at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening, was thrown out of the Soul-Seeking Underworld’s stronghold without being able to put up any resistance.

”What a nuisance.”

The iron-masked person snorted coldly.

How could Du Hong possibly know?

Just the fact that he was a Golden Student of the Holy Mansion meant that assassinating him would cost a price comparable to assassinating someone in the Spirit Sea Realm.

Golden Students were the Core Students of the Holy Mansion. Not only was assassinating them difficult, but even if successful, it would invite official retaliation. The gain was not worth the loss.

According to their intelligence,

Luo Tian was no ordinary Golden Student. Not only was he famous on the Human List, but he also had connections to the Royal Family. Even his Mentor was no ordinary figure.