King of Ten Thousand Years

Yin Crystal Stones typically form deep underground, condensing vast and pure Earth Vein Yin Qi.

Martial Artists who practice Yin Cold Techniques can greatly enhance their cultivation by absorbing the power of Yin Crystal Stones.

The Yin Crystal Stone in Luo Tian’s hand contained enough energy for an ordinary Spirit Sea Realm cultivator to train for one or two months. After all, it was worth several hundred Spiritual Essence Coins.

However, Luo Tian’s Nether Dragon Divine Vein was anything but ordinary.

In just one day, he had absorbed over a tenth of the Yin Crystal Stone’s power.

WHOOSH! BUZZ!

The absorption process was exhilarating for Luo Tian. The Incomplete Divine Vein within him was constantly strengthening, and the gap in it showed faint signs of mending and growing.

By comparison, when he absorbed energy while treating Li Yunxiu, he had to consider her body’s ability to withstand it.

And after each session, he had to wait for a period before starting again.

Absorbing the power of the Yin Crystal Stone had no such limitations. It was faster and more continuous.

Luo Tian only needed to stop every two hours to let his Divine Vein refine and absorb the Yin Crystal Stone’s power.

「Four or five days passed in a flash.」

Over sixty percent of the Yin Crystal Stone’s power had been absorbed.

The Nether Dragon Divine Vein inside Luo Tian grew thicker and brighter, having grown a significant amount.

HSSS~

Luo Tian lightly raised one hand. A layer of fine, fluorescent blue lines appeared on his palm, from which rose a bone-chilling, eerie blue mist.

That cold mist emanated a pressure that was extremely close to the Spirit Sea Realm.

’The improvement is so fast! Just with my Divine Vein Cold Power alone, I can steadily suppress a Half-step Spirit Sea expert and possess power approaching the Spirit Sea Realm.’

Luo Tian was thrilled and pleasantly surprised.

After all, the power of a Divine Vein couldn’t be measured by sheer might alone; it also possessed terrifyingly tyrannical innate attributes.

”Activate!”

Luo Tian shouted lowly, and his Nether Dragon Divine Vein erupted.

WHOOSH!

A swirling vortex of dark Cold Mist instantly swept out in a ten-meter radius. The entire room became coated in frost, as if plunged into the dead of winter.

This time, the Cold Mist Domain took the form of a vortex. Not only could it slow enemies down, but it also had a considerable suction force. From within the vortex, the faint sound of a dragon’s roar from the abyss could be heard.

’Not good!’

Luo Tian immediately retracted his Divine Vein Power. Its energy had almost seeped into the next room.

Besides his Divine Vein Power,

Luo Tian hadn’t neglected his Cultivation Technique and Martial Skills over the past few days, and he continued to make steady progress.

Luo Tian’s cultivation was at the absolute peak of the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening. He only needed an opportunity to break through to the Ninth Layer.

The Third-Layer of his Guiyuan True Skill was also approaching Great Success.

His Celestial Star Sword Technique and Cloud Traveling Step, already at the Great Achievement Realm, were gradually approaching the Perfection Level.

「That evening.」

”Brother Luo.”

A knock came from outside the door.

”Brother Xie.”

Luo Tian opened the door. The visitor was Xie Lin, a Golden Lord from the Golden Area.

”The Martial Mansion’s grand event is tomorrow. Vice Manor Master Yue has summoned us for a meeting.”

Xie Lin said with a smile.

Luo Tian nodded. He was aware of this.

The two of them went together to a large hall.

「Inside the great hall.」

Vice Manor Master Yue was seated at the head of the hall.

Next to him,

were three Sunshine Students:

Senior Jin Fan, the Seventh Prince Li Yao, and Xu Mengxin.

Aside from them,

there were seventeen Golden Students, including Luo Tian, Xie Lin, Liu Ziyan, Yue Jing, and Nangong Yu.

’Only three Sunshine Students?’

Luo Tian was a little surprised.

”There used to be four. The strongest one, Senior Zhang, turned twenty, so he’s no longer a student. He also dropped from third place on the Human List.”

Xie Lin explained via voice transmission.

Both the Human List and the status of a Martial Mansion student had an age limit of twenty.

”Everyone’s here!”

Vice Manor Master Yue’s expression was grave and none too pleasant.

According to the custom of previous years,

this triennial Martial Mansion grand event should have been led by the Mansion Master himself.

But,

the students representing the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion this year were simply too weak!

After that Senior Zhang turned twenty,

the highest-ranking student from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion on the Human List was Jin Fan, who was in sixth place.

A grand Holy Mansion, yet they didn’t even have a single person in the top five of the Human List.

As a result,

the Sun Chasing Mansion Master didn’t want to come and lose face, so he used closed-door cultivation as an excuse and handed the task to Vice Manor Master Yue.

”For this Martial Mansion grand event, I don’t expect you to overpower the other two Great Holy Mansions. However, you must fight for a spot in the top twenty as much as possible!”

Vice Manor Master Yue said in a heavy tone.

There were tangible benefits for placing in the top twenty of the grand event.

Besides the ranking rewards,

the greater opportunity was gaining entry into the Royal Secret Garden.

”In this regard, Liu Ziyan, Luo Tian, Yue Jing, and Xie Lin, you four can contend for it.”

Vice Manor Master Yue’s gaze swept over the four Golden Lords.

”Ziyan will do her best.”

Liu Ziyan, with her rosy complexion, gave a slight bow in response, looking somewhat confident.

She had already cultivated to the Peak of the Ninth Layer. Combined with her unique Martial Vein Power and impressive Cultivation and Martial Skills, her strength was extremely close to the Spirit Sea Realm.

”Yes.”

Yue Jing and Xie Lin’s replies, however, lacked such confidence.

”I will take a spot in the top twenty.”

Luo Tian answered calmly.

His current strength was in no way inferior to the prodigy students, so there was no need to be overly humble.

Prodigy students.

The Three Great Holy Mansions had just over ten of them combined, and all were guaranteed to make it into the top twenty.

The moment Luo Tian said this,

all the students in the hall, including the three Sunshine Students, looked over in surprise.

A trace of disdain flashed through the eyes of the Seventh Prince and Liu Ziyan.

Wanting to break into the top twenty of the Martial Mansion’s grand event without combat strength approaching or even rivaling the Spirit Sea Realm was nearly impossible.

Luo Tian hadn’t even advanced to the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening. Barely making it into the top thirty of the Human List was already his limit.

Breaking into the top twenty?

Climbing even a single spot higher was harder than ascending to the heavens.

”Confidence is a good thing, but arrogance and conceit are major taboos.”

Vice Manor Master Yue said in a solemn, heartfelt tone.

In his opinion, Liu Ziyan had a fifty percent chance of breaking into the top twenty.

As for Luo Tian, he had probably let his recent dazzling achievements go to his head and misjudged his own position.

Luo Tian felt an inexplicable frustration.

He had clearly been rather humble while telling the truth, yet he was labeled as ”arrogant and conceited.”

”Brother Luo, I still have high hopes for you.”

Seeing everyone shaking their heads in disapproval, Xie Lin offered some comfort.

But Xie Lin’s words were insincere.

Within the great hall,

only Nangong Yu’s eyes flashed with a bright light. He, at least, believed Luo Tian for the most part.

...

「The next morning.」

Led by Vice Manor Master Yue, the group headed straight for the summit of the great mountain where the Royal Capital was located.

The entire Royal Capital

was built on a relatively flat, large mountain.

Of all the places, the Imperial Palace and the Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion were both located in the summit area.

”The venue for the Martial Mansion’s grand event is Xuanwu Square, located between the Imperial Palace and the Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion.”

Vice Manor Master Yue explained.

「Half an hour later.」

The group from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion arrived at Xuanwu Square.

The entire square, paved with rough bluestone, spanned over a hundred mu.

’What a huge square!’

Luo Tian had heard that Xuanwu Square was where the Azure Cloud Monarch held grand military reviews.

At this moment,

the outskirts of Xuanwu Square were divided into several areas, where representatives from the major Martial Mansions had gathered. In total, several dozen Martial Mansions had arrived.

Only Advanced Martial Mansions were qualified to participate in the grand event.

For example, each of the Three Great Holy Mansions had twenty participant slots.

Other Advanced Martial Mansions had as few as three to five, and no more than ten at most.

Even so,

the number of students participating in this grand event still amounted to several hundred people.

”Esteemed members of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, this way, please.”

A Martial Artist from the Royal Family led the way.

Soon,

the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion’s contingent was led to an area near the center of the square.

In the area to their left, the party from Martial Kun Holy Mansion had also arrived.

To their right was the Panshi Martial Mansion, second only to the Three Great Holy Mansions.

”Tsk tsk, this year’s crop from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion is exceptionally weak.”

”They don’t have a single person in the top five of the Human List.”

The members of Martial Kun Holy Mansion and Panshi Martial Mansion chattered amongst themselves, their words full of ridicule.

Luo Tian’s gaze swept over them.

Martial Kun Holy Mansion had five prodigy students, all of whom were in the Spirit Sea Realm.

Wang Tian was at their head, still dressed in a black robe. The black mole between his eyebrows was very conspicuous, and he exuded a dreadful, bone-chilling aura that kept everyone at a distance.

Besides Wang Tian,

there was a tall, dark-skinned man whose skin looked like black iron. His powerful physique radiated a suffocating pressure.

”That person is Yue Peng, fifth on the Human List. He’s a Spirit Sea Realm expert who also specializes in Body Refinement.”

Xie Lin explained in a low voice.

’Two in the top five of the Human List? Martial Kun Holy Mansion certainly has the capital to be arrogant.’

Luo Tian thought with some emotion.

Immediately after,

his gaze shifted to the Panshi Martial Mansion. ’What right do they have to mock us?’

No matter how strong Panshi Martial Mansion was, it was still the fourth-ranked mansion.

Senior Jin and the other two Sunshine Students thought the same, their cold, sharp gazes sweeping toward Panshi Martial Mansion.

But in the next moment,

the expressions of the three great Sunshine Students—Senior Jin, Li Yao, and Xu Mengxin—all changed at once.

”The third on the Human List, Yuwen Xuan!”

Among the ten students from Panshi Martial Mansion, there was a stern-looking man in the center. His face seemed carved from marble, his eyes were like cold stars, and he radiated a powerful aura.

”Panshi Martial Mansion? How can they have the third-ranked person on the Human List?”

Luo Tian said in astonishment.

His gaze swept over the other students from Panshi Martial Mansion. Most were at the level of the Eighth or Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening, a tier below the Holy Mansions.

”Yuwen Xuan is from the number one Martial Arts Family in the Azure Cloud Kingdom. His talent is outstanding, and the Martial Arts resources he enjoys are in no way inferior to those of the Three Great Holy Mansions.”

”What price did Panshi Martial Mansion pay to get him to join?”

The three Sunshine Students from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion were shocked and suspicious.

Before,

Yuwen Xuan had been the only contemporary genius in the top ten of the Human List who wasn’t a student of a Holy Mansion.

”Because of Xia Bingyue.”

Nangong Yu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

He also came from one of the Seven Great Martial Arts Families and had dealings with the Yuwen Family.

”Xia Bingyue?”

”The number one on the Human List, Xia Bingyue?”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then looks of realization dawned on their faces.

”What does this have to do with Xia Bingyue?”

Luo Tian was confused.

Xia Bingyue, number one on the Human List, was the top genius of the Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion.

He had indeed heard of this woman’s prestigious name.

It was said that Xia Bingyue was as beautiful as an immortal, with peerless talent. With her Three-foot Cyan Blade, she reigned supreme over all contemporary geniuses in the Azure Cloud Kingdom.

The other geniuses in the top ten of the Human List could rarely last more than three moves against her.

”Xia Bingyue once promised that she would marry any peer who could defeat her,”

Xie Lin explained.

’Marry him?’

Luo Tian was amazed. This Xia Bingyue was truly peerless with her sword, so much so that she must be lonely at the top.

’Is this her way of motivating the geniuses of this generation, to find an opponent worthy of a fight?’

”Yuwen Xuan is one of Xia Bingyue’s pursuers. He probably joined Panshi Martial Mansion so he could defeat Xia Bingyue at the grand event and take her as his wife,”

Xie Lin speculated.

”The people from Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion are here.”

”Xia Bingyue is here!”

The students from the nearby Holy and Martial Mansions exclaimed in a flurry of excitement.

Luo Tian fixed his gaze on them.

Cloud Heaven Holy Mansion also had twenty student representatives, five of whom were prodigy students.

The Third Prince, Li Yi, was among them.

But the most eye-catching of all

was a peerlessly beautiful young woman with an aloof and noble bearing. Dressed in white robes that outshone the snow, her black hair cascaded like a waterfall. She was as untainted as a banished immortal who had descended to the mortal realm.

The young woman’s face was flawlessly beautiful, her skin as pure and smooth as jade. Her star-like eyes were ethereal as rain, yet they held a proud, frigid aloofness that kept everyone at a distance.

She was Xia Bingyue, number one on the Human List.