Free Web NovelChapter 30: Chapter 30: Celestial City Mountain
As Shen Daoxing pushed the Annihilation of Ten Thousand Swords Technique to its absolute limit, he felt his entire body grow scalding hot. A warm current of energy spread through his limbs, slowly seeping into his bones and sinews.
The stream of energy slowly grew stronger and more concentrated. Like a raging torrent, it relentlessly slammed against the barrier in his cultivation.
BOOM!
In that instant, Shen Daoxing’s mind went completely blank. An unknown amount of time passed before a sliver of clarity returned to his eyes.
Third Layer of the Profound Platform Realm!
The trials in the Mist Forest had tempered him, making his foundation exceptionally solid and allowing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.
Shen Daoxing was in the middle of stabilizing his new cultivation level when he suddenly heard a voice outside his door.
He pushed the door open to see Wang Hu standing at the entrance.
"It’s a shame about what happened tonight," Wang Hu said. "Otherwise, with your aptitude, you definitely would have received a Golden Pearl."
The grade of the pearl determined the resources one received, and the difference was substantial.
With a Golden Pearl, not only do you get a Profound Tier Martial Arts manual, but you also receive thirty seventh-grade Nourishing Essence Pills each month. On top of that, there are other generous benefits.
The Bronze Pearl, on the other hand, only gets you five seventh-grade Nourishing Essence Pills a month. It can’t even compare to the Gold Pearl.
Shen Daoxing smiled. "A Bronze Pearl is more than enough."
Wang Hu nodded, then lowered his voice to warn him. "You’ve thoroughly offended Zhao Ziqi and Xia Chen. And neither the Eldest Prince nor the Seventh Prince are magnanimous individuals; they’re certainly holding a grudge against you. You must be careful of their retaliation. After all, an open attack is easy to dodge, but a hidden one is hard to prevent."
Shen Daoxing’s brow furrowed slightly. "Thank you for the warning, Wang."
"Don’t be so formal. I was the one who brought you here from Baiyun City, so of course I don’t want to see you get into trouble."
Wang Hu smiled. "Tomorrow is the start of enrollment for Celestial City Academy, and it’s bound to be a huge affair. I’m going to go have a word with He Ku. That kid’s from the backwaters and doesn’t know much about the etiquette here."
Then, Wang Hu got up and walked toward He Ku’s room.
Meanwhile, Shen Daoxing returned to the Venerable Domain.
Suddenly, he noticed something strange. The Primordial Energy within it felt agitated, almost frantic.
Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but ask, "What’s going on?"
The Blood Dragon replied nonchalantly, "After you entered the Venerable Domain, the Restrictions here began to loosen. A being in one of the first-layer prisons is trying to use this opportunity to escape..."
Shen Daoxing asked in a deep voice, "And who might this being be?"
He had seen many beings imprisoned on the first layer, including experts from the Shadow Race, the Celestial Spirit Race, and other races.
The Blood Dragon pondered for a long moment before speaking. "She is of the Human Race. The circumstances of her imprisonment in the Venerable Domain are... unique. In short, you need to be cautious."
The Blood Dragon said no more, as if the matter involved some unspeakable secret.
"The Human Race!?"
Shen Daoxing frowned and fell into deep thought.
’There’s a Human Race expert imprisoned in the Venerable Domain?’
The Blood Dragon seemed to remember something. "Oh, right. You should put that Great Ming Demon Sparrow away. There are quite a few powerful experts in the Imperial City, especially at Celestial City Academy. If they detect the Demonic Qi on the Demon Sparrow, it could cause you a great deal of trouble."
"I understand!"
Shen Daoxing nodded, then sat down cross-legged to consolidate his cultivation.
The night passed peacefully, and morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
First light glimmered as the sky began to pale.
Dressed in a black robe, Shen Daoxing slowly walked out of his room.
He Ku and Qin Xiaoyue were already waiting for him.
Qin Xiaoyue was wearing a pale green palace-style dress, her expression somewhat unnatural.
After last night’s events, she knew a rift had formed between her and Shen Daoxing—a rift that could never be mended.
He Ku still wore his coarse shirt and tattered cloth shoes. With two huge dark circles under his eyes, he looked utterly drained.
Shen Daoxing looked at He Ku’s dark circles and asked, "What’s wrong? Didn’t get much sleep?"
He Ku gave an embarrassed smile. "I was just thinking about getting into Celestial City Academy. I was too excited to sleep a wink."
Celestial City Academy was the largest academy in the Martial Kingdom, hailed as a cradle for the strong.
For an ordinary Martial Artist, getting into Celestial City Academy was a life-changing opportunity that could propel them to new heights.
This was even more true for a country boy like He Ku.
"Alright, let’s go."
Just then, Wang Hu also came out.
He, too, was wearing a new set of clothes today, a faint smile gracing his lips.
The four of them stepped out of the residence and found the streets already bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
He Ku whispered, "There are so many people."
During the enrollment period for Celestial City Academy, geniuses from all corners of the Martial Kingdom flocked to the Imperial City. They all hoped to be accepted into Celestial City Academy or one of the other two major academies. It was truly the grandest event in the entire Martial Kingdom.
Led by Wang Hu, the group headed toward Celestial City Academy.
Both sides of the street were lined with many beautiful young women. Holding fragrant sachets, they glanced around, sizing up the passersby.
Just then, a rather pretty young woman stepped forward.
"This is for you."
She thrust the sachet she was holding into Shen Daoxing’s arms before blushing furiously and running off.
!?
Shen Daoxing stared at the sachet in his hand, slightly taken aback.
Wang Hu chuckled beside him and explained, "Many of these young women are the daughters of the Imperial City’s noble houses. They line the streets to size up the candidates. If they spot someone they fancy, they’ll give him their sachet. After all, everyone heading to Celestial City Academy today is a chosen prodigy from across the Martial Kingdom with a boundless future. Recruiting one into their family would be a great boon for any of the great houses, so no one objects. Over time, it’s become a tradition."
After that, several more young women stuffed sachets into Shen Daoxing’s arms.
Qin Xiaoyue found herself glancing at him frequently. Shen Daoxing was already handsome, with a calm and reserved demeanor. Now, dressed all in black, he possessed an added air of mystery.
’It wasn’t just the noble ladies,’ she thought. ’Even I was quite smitten when I first met him.’
Seeing Shen Daoxing’s arms piled high with sachets, He Ku scratched his head and laughed. "Looks like you won’t have any trouble finding a wife, Daoxing!"
Wang Hu also smiled but said nothing.
The crowd grew ever larger, but nearly everyone was heading in the same direction.
Toward Celestial City Mountain.
Jagged, emerald-green peaks rose into the azure sky, their slopes covered in a lush canopy of trees.
As the sun rose, the majestic, cloud-wreathed peaks began to glow. The mist clinging to the forests dissipated, revealing sheer cliffs and verdant slopes that partially concealed clusters of buildings with exquisitely carved eaves.
A stone staircase wound its way up the mountainside, surrounded by lush greenery.
Celestial City Academy stood tall amidst that sea of clouds and mist.
The base of the mountain was now a veritable sea of people, all of them following the stone steps upward.
He Ku exclaimed in awe, "How magnificent!"
If the dazzling lights and worldly splendors of the city last night had been a shock to the system, then the scene before them now was a baptism for the body and soul.
