Free Web NovelChapter 24: Chapter 24: Banquet
Even Zhao Ziqi was stunned.
Just then, Shen Daoxing walked toward Zhao Ziqi.
Zhao Ziqi took a step back, her voice trembling. "What are you doing?"
However, in the next moment, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded unfolded.
Shen Daoxing stepped forward and, under everyone’s astonished gazes, slapped Zhao Ziqi hard across the face.
SLAP!
The sound was heavy and crisp, clearly audible.
Ye Tian and the surrounding crowd of onlookers were all shocked beyond belief!
The young lady of the Zhao Family.
Zhao Ziqi, one of the Four Beauties of the Royal City, had just been slapped in public.
This was simply insane!
Zhao Ziqi staggered, clutching her rapidly swelling cheek. "How dare you hit me?"
Shen Daoxing said with a smile, "Hit you? I’d even dare to kill you. Believe it or not?"
Although he was smiling, a chill ran down Zhao Ziqi’s spine.
Her red lips parted slightly. She tried to speak several times, but the words wouldn’t come.
It was as if the man before her would truly kill her if she uttered a single wrong word.
Shen Daoxing paid her no more mind and strode into the Royal City.
"A madman! He’s a complete madman!"
Ye Tian staggered to his feet and cried out.
"I, Zhao Ziqi, have never in my entire life suffered such a monumental humiliation!"
Zhao Ziqi trembled all over, her teeth clenched. "I swear I won’t rest until that man is dead!"
"Ziqi, are you alright?"
Seeing Zhao Ziqi on the verge of tears from the injustice, Ye Tian hurriedly rushed over.
Zhao Ziqi shot Ye Tian a cold glance. "Get lost! You useless piece of trash!"
With that, Zhao Ziqi turned and headed back to the Zhao Family estate to dispatch their experts to find Shen Daoxing.
Having offered a kind gesture only to be met with a cold rebuff, Ye Tian’s expression turned exceedingly ugly.
’That damn brat... I will absolutely not let him get away with this!’
...
Shen Daoxing walked into the Royal City and was immediately struck by its grandeur.
The broad avenues could accommodate eight horse-drawn carriages side-by-side, and the roar of the crowd was so deafening that one’s own voice would be drowned out if they spoke too softly.
Baiyun City was simply incomparable to the Royal City.
The entire Royal City was divided into an inner city and an outer city. The inner city was home to the Noble Families and high-ranking officials, while the outer city was where the common folk gathered.
Shen Daoxing wandered about, stopping here and there, and only found Wang Hu’s address in the afternoon.
It was a quiet courtyard home in the outer city.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Shen Daoxing stepped forward to knock, and soon a gatekeeper came out. "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"
Shen Daoxing replied, "My name is Shen Daoxing. I’m looking for Teacher Wang Hu."
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper immediately smiled. "So you’re Young Master Shen! Please, come in."
It was a small, two-courtyard residence. Lush green plants lined both sides of the path, giving the place a rather charming atmosphere.
Soon, the two arrived in the living room. When Wang Hu saw Shen Daoxing, he greeted him warmly, "If you hadn’t shown up soon, I was about to head back to Baiyun City."
Shen Daoxing clasped his fist and said with a smile, "I was delayed on the road."
Based on the travel time, Shen Daoxing should have arrived at the Royal City ten days ago. Wang Hu, however, would never have guessed that he had crossed straight through the Mist Forest.
After they both sat down, Wang Hu asked with a smile, "So? This Royal City is quite prosperous, isn’t it?"
"It’s on a completely different level."
Shen Daoxing sighed in admiration. "Truly worthy of being the number one city in the Martial Kingdom."
Wang Hu nodded slightly. "These next few days are for the Celestial City Academy’s assessments. Many of the Martial Kingdom’s young elites have already arrived. I hear quite a few talented disciples have appeared this year, including several monstrous prodigies who might make it onto the Martial Arts Ranking in the future."
"The Martial Arts Ranking?!"
Upon hearing those words, a bright light flashed in Shen Daoxing’s eyes.
The Martial Arts Ranking was the most prestigious list in the entire East Continent. Anyone who could make it onto that ranking was among the absolute top of their respective cultivation realm.
"But when you get this many people together, conflicts are bound to arise, especially since all these talented elites are young."
Wang Hu shook his head and said, "Just a moment ago, I heard that the young lady of the Zhao Family was slapped in the middle of the street. Whoever did it has some audacious nerve!"
Wang Hu would never have guessed that the person with such audacious nerve was sitting right in front of him.
Shen Daoxing asked, "Is this Zhao Family very powerful?"
Wang Hu explained, "Powerful is an understatement. The Zhao Family is one of the four great families of the Royal City, and they control over thirty percent of the Elixir business in the Martial Kingdom. Furthermore, the Zhao Family Patriarch is a peak expert at the Ninth Layer of the Grotto Heaven realm."
"That young lady of the Zhao family is arrogant and domineering. She definitely won’t let this matter rest."
Shen Daoxing committed all this information to memory.
"But let’s not talk about that. It has nothing to do with you and me, anyway."
Wang Hu waved his hand dismissively and said with a smile, "For now, just get some rest. The day after tomorrow is when Celestial City Academy begins its enrollment. You’re different from the others; you can skip the assessment and enter the academy directly."
Following that, Wang Hu, with great enthusiasm, personally arranged a room for Shen Daoxing.
He saw immense potential in Shen Daoxing, and befriending him at this stage had everything to gain and nothing to lose.
In the room.
Shen Daoxing sat cross-legged on his bed, and his Divine Soul entered the Venerable Domain.
He went directly to the prison within it to challenge the experts held there.
After comprehending the Torrential Rain Sword Intent, his Sword Dao had improved tremendously. Combined with his numerous life-and-death battles in the Mist Forest, the experts at the Second and Third Layers of the Profound Platform realm within the prison were no longer his match.
The Blood Dragon emerged and said in a low voice, "I can feel it. There is a Venerable Seal within this Martial Kingdom’s Royal City."
"A Venerable Seal?!"
Shen Daoxing asked in confusion.
"Do you really think this is all there is to the Venerable Bloodline?"
The Blood Dragon sneered. "You’ve now activated your bloodline’s seal, which at most just allows you to cultivate and has opened a path for you. The truth is, most people have no idea what the true Venerable Bloodline is. The true Venerable Bloodline is shackled and imprisoned by the heavens and the earth."
Shen Daoxing was deeply shaken by this revelation.
’The Venerable Bloodline is shackled and imprisoned by the heavens and the earth!?’
’Even now, I’m already far stronger than Martial Artists of the same realm. How terrifying would I become if those shackles were removed!?’
The Blood Dragon continued, "To truly unlock the Venerable Bloodline, you must seek out the Venerable Seals. This supreme and profound power can allow you to break free from the shackles of this world."
"And just now, I sensed that there is one such Venerable Seal right here in the Royal City of the Martial Kingdom."
Shen Daoxing quickly asked, "Where is it?"
The Blood Dragon shook its head. "I don’t know the specific location. The only one who can find it is you."
"Me?"
Shen Daoxing was taken aback.
The Blood Dragon slowly explained, "If you get close to a Venerable Seal, your Divine Soul will be able to sense it. The stronger your Divine Soul, the clearer the sensation will be."
Shen Daoxing clenched his fists. ’It seems that, in addition to searching for the person with the blood-bat tattoo on their arm, I now also have to search for the Venerable Seal.’
The Blood Dragon shook its head. "Your Divine Soul is only at the twelfth rank right now, which is still too weak. If you had Soul Crystals, your Divine Soul would improve much faster."
During his recent time spent carving, both Shen Daoxing’s Sword Dao and Divine Soul had improved considerably.
His Divine Soul, in particular, had broken through the tenth rank to reach the twelfth.
As for Soul Crystals, they were an exceedingly precious mineral with an extremely scarce supply.
They had appeared in Baiyun City before, only to be quickly bought up by a mysterious expert.
Even a great family like the Shen Family had been unable to acquire any. It was later rumored that the mysterious expert was backed by one of the top Noble Families in the Martial Kingdom.
The Blood Dragon pondered for a long moment. "I will first teach you how to control your Spiritual Power ahead of schedule. Once you’ve become proficient, I will give you a Martial Technique related to the Divine Soul."
Afterward, the Blood Dragon began to instruct Shen Daoxing on how to utilize and control his Spiritual Power.
Controlling Spiritual Power was incredibly difficult and mentally exhausting.
Several hours passed unknowingly. Feeling somewhat fatigued, Shen Daoxing finally withdrew from the Venerable Domain.
"Young Master Shen!"
Just then, Wang Hu’s voice sounded from outside the door.
Shen Daoxing awoke from the Venerable Domain and opened the door. "Wang, is something the matter?"
Wang Hu got straight to the point. "Every year before the three great academies begin their recruitment, the Royal Family hosts a grand banquet, inviting the chosen prodigies who have traveled from afar. It’s a very lively event, and the geniuses who receive an invitation are all extraordinary. Nearly all of them are prodigies capable of entering the three great academies, destined to become pillars of the Martial Kingdom. It would be very beneficial for you to befriend some of them."
Shen Daoxing shook his head. "Forget it. I think I’ll pass."
He had no interest whatsoever in some gathering of chosen prodigies.
"Don’t be so quick to refuse."
Wang Hu chuckled. "Members of the Royal Family and the Noble Families also send representatives. They’ll be there to select certain prodigies to recruit and sponsor. The favored members of the Royal Family possess a certain number of vouchers, and if you obtain one, you can exchange it for a large amount of Elixirs, Martial Techniques, weapons, and more."
Hearing this, Shen Daoxing’s interest was suddenly piqued. "Oh?"
After all, he was in urgent need of resources like Elixirs to raise his cultivation level.
Shen Daoxing nodded. "Alright, then I’ll go and have a look."
Wang Hu smiled. "There’s no time to waste. Let’s set off now."
