"That is correct. Everyone desires a Morning Star Tier profession. Your disciple has a few good seedlings on hand who might be able to attempt gaining its recognition, or perhaps even beco The Chosen One." Qing Cang spoke with utmost sincerity, hiding nothing.
This was a remarkably rare opportunity. Otherwise, once the Spiritual Essence was retrieved, it would inevitably spark endless rounds of fierce competition. To seek it then would be exponentially more difficult.
The Bronze Giant pondered for a brief mont. "Soone on that planet has already gained recognition. It is, after all, your Martial Uncle's Ho Planet, so it is quite rare for another talent to be born there."
"Honored Master!" Qing Cang hurriedly fell to his knees. "I will only bring three people. I implore you to grant this request!"
"Hmm..." The Bronze Giant fell silent for another mont before replying, "Since that is the case, I shall permit it."
A flash of joy crossed Qing Cang's eyes, but it was imdiately followed by the Bronze Giant's nonchalant warning: "Just one condition. Do not take it upon yourself to kill the one who has already gained recognition."
"I would not dare!" A chill ran through his heart as he prepared to take his leave.
Right at that mont, the Bronze Giant suddenly let out a soft exclamation of surprise, casting an unexpected glance at the Scarlet Statue trembling ceaselessly beside him.
"How bizarre..." he murmured.
"Honored Master, what is it?" Qing Cang asked, thoroughly confused.
"To think that another person has actually gained recognition. How interesting." The Bronze Giant seed to be deep in thought.
"Another person?" Qing Cang could not help but feel astounded. "That Crimson Thunder Planet is not only shrouded and corroded by the Nether Mist, but it has also long been targeted by Evil Gods. With its withering population, how could it possibly produce two individuals capable of gaining recognition?"
He knew perfectly well just how impossibly high the standards of a Morning Star Tier Spiritual Essence were.
For two people to gain recognition in quick succession like this... it truly shocked him to the core.
"Could it be... there are outsiders?"
A sudden speculation arose in Qing Cang's mind, accompanied by an unavoidable sense of urgency. If a Chosen One were to be born, it would spell serious trouble.
Perhaps because of the consecutive appearance of two recognized individuals, the Bronze Giant's interest was also piqued. "Crimson Thunder..."
He flicked his finger, shooting out a Bronze Beam that condensed into hundreds of precise components. Guided by an Invisible Force, they let out a continuous series of sharp clicks as they rapidly assembled themselves.
By the ti the construct landed before Qing Cang's eyes, it had already transford into a palm-sized Bronze Figurine, which then imdiately rged into his body.
Qing Cang sighed inwardly. 'Now I have no choice but to play strictly by the rules.'
"Go," the Bronze Giant commanded, and Qing Cang respectfully withdrew.
Yingfeng, city entry inspection checkpoint. A stream of cautious-looking individuals filed out of a dilapidated Flying Ship, none of them appearing particularly old.
The mont they disembarked, they were herded to the side to endure the interrogations of the inspection officers.
"People from Gujiang City?" The inspector glanced at the docunts, his suspicious gaze sweeping over every single person in front of him.
"It is already mid-June. What took you so long? According to the reports from your Walled City, you should have arrived half a month ago."
A middle-aged man who appeared to be the person in charge offered a bitter smile, displaying his severed arm wrapped thickly in Bandages. "We encountered Mutants on the road. We fought back desperately and barely managed to survive."
"Mutants?" The inspector's expression softened slightly, though he did not easily believe them. He imdiately accessed the Flying Ship's log and began to search through it.
The model of this dilapidated Flying Ship was rather outdated, but it possessed a few external sensor caras. The recordings indeed showed a mutant attack—a flock of vicious birds with blue wings.
"To think it was actually an Ice Wing Bird flock..." The inspector's expression shifted drastically. "That is a 3rd-tier Group-Living Mutated Species."
"Indeed," the middle-aged man agreed, an expression of profound sorrow surfacing on his face. "It cost the lives of over a dozen brothers fighting desperately just to barely lure them away."
The inspector let out a sigh of his own before flashing a reassuring smile. "Alright then, brother. It is just a routine check, so please do not mind the scrutiny. Inspections have been rather strict lately."
The middle-aged man repeatedly waved his hand. "It is fine, no harm done."
After a mont of thought, the inspector offered a reminder: "However, the assessnts for all organizations within the city have been suspended. I am afraid you all will have to stay in Yingfeng for quite so ti."
"The assessnts are suspended?" The middle-aged man looked stunned. Unable to communicate while on the road, he had been entirely unaware of this news and hastily asked for the details.
Upon learning that there was no definite date for the assessnts to resu, a look of deep anxiety crossed his face. "This... what are we supposed to do? I did not bring much money with . We prepared so Precious tals, but we lost a significant portion of them during the Mutant attack on our way here."
The inspector imdiately consoled him, "You do not need to worry about that. Yingfeng has arranged unified accommodations. The city will cover basic room and board, though you will have to pay for any extra expenses yourselves."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man finally breathed a sigh of relief and could not help but praise, "Yingfeng truly is thoughtful."
After receiving their identity docunts, the group entered the city. The vast majority of the young people from Gujiang City were brimming with curiosity about Yingfeng, looking all around as they walked down the streets.
anwhile, one of the individuals bore a bright, radiant smile. Just like everyone else, he constantly marveled at all the Novelties Yingfeng had to offer, but in his heart, he was actually pondering, 'I wonder... who was it exactly that saw through the Faceless Shell I created?'
The Faceless Cultists within Yingfeng City had long been wiped out. It would take quite so ti for new ones to slip in and gather intelligence.
To this day, he still had no idea what exactly had transpired in Yingfeng City that resulted in the destruction of the incredibly expensive vessel he had exhausted such a heavy price to forge.
Of course, investigating the destruction of his vessel was rely one of his objectives.
'I will toss out bait first and let you all bite.'
Breach Yingfeng? He had absolutely no desire to undertake such a thankless and exhausting task. From the very beginning, his singular goal had been to lure the vast majority of Yingfeng City's forces outside its walls.
'Hmm... This guy... he seems to have a distant cousin in the Adjudication Court whose status is relatively decent. What was his na again?'
He sifted through his mories and quickly found the answer. His na was He Kang.
The young man's smile grew even more brilliantly sunny.
"I naturally will not forget my promise. Chief, whenever you are ready to depart, just send a notification."
Everyone had returned to the Adjudication Court. Wu Chenpei was conversing with Chong Jingtian, seeming to have regained his composure.
Chong Jingtian was in an exceptionally good mood, the smile on his face growing increasingly gentle. "The Holy Envoy is a man who honors his word. We will be setting out within the next couple of days, so please make your preparations."
"Understood." Wu Chenpei nodded, then added, "Also, Chief, please absolutely do not forget about contacting the other two Walled Cities regarding the reopening of the Ruins."
"Rest assured, contact has already been made." Chong Jingtian chuckled lightly. The situation was entirely different now. With Su Chen firmly on their side, he was perhaps even more eager to open the Ruins as soon as possible than Wu Chenpei was.
Wu Chenpei realized this as well, feeling as utterly disgusted as if he had just swallowed a fly. Lacking the mood to speak any further, he offered a couple
of parting words and took his leave.
It was not until he sat in the hovercar and deployed an Energy Concealnt field over the two of them that the long-suppressed emotions were finally released, and the Holy Envoy's expression uncontrollably darkened.
Sitting beside him was Hong Xuan, whose face was similarly as dark as still, murky water.
Neither of them spoke at first. The events that transpired today had completely overturned all of their thoughts and subsequent plans.
The fact that Wu Chenpei had managed to forcefully maintain his composure and exchange pleasantries with Chong Jingtian just monts ago was entirely a testant to his many years of practiced self-restraint.
"Su Chen must die!" Hong Xuan suddenly spoke up, his voice frosty and ruthless.
Hearing Hong Xuan's words, Wu Chenpei could not help but furrow his brows. "Kill him right here in the Adjudication Court? Would we even be able to walk out alive? Do not bring this up again."
To extinguish the hope of Yingfeng, the hope of Chong Jingtian... did he really think Yingfeng would not dare to flip the table on them?
Did he truly believe Xia Hanshi was already too old to make a move?
"You... have lost your composure," Wu Chenpei further emphasized.
Hong Xuan reined in his expression and sighed, explaining, "This is not a personal grudge. I harbor no personal grudge against him. But as long as he is there, I have zero certainty of becoming The Chosen One."
He spoke with absolute certainty. Wu Chenpei's brows knitted together. He had harbored similar speculations before, but having it confird from Hong Xuan's own mouth felt entirely different. He could not help but ask, "Absolutely zero certainty? Even if you take up the Saint profession?"
After acquiring the Saint class, they had studied it ticulously. Its requirents were indeed harsh in certain aspects, but it was not as though they were completely devoid of options.
The experts in Yuandu had already developed a viable thod. During the wait to depart for the Ruins, there was a seventy percent chance they could allow Hong Xuan to successfully assu the profession, and its professional efficacy could even reach close to fifty percent.
Hong Xuan's expression shifted, and he said helplessly, "You do not understand."
"That phenonon back there, known as the Spirit Dragon Cauldron Manifestation, is only supposed to appear in scenarios where a Chosen One is born. It is the precursor to Selection."
"If it were not for the fact that the Spiritual Essence was incomplete, Su Chen would have already beco The Chosen One right then and there. I am afraid his compatibility with the Crimson Fla Responding Thunder Great Exalted is likely flawless."
Su Chen's Talent was clearly inferior to his own, yet he had still achieved such a high degree of recognition. The only possible explanation was an exceptionally high degree of professional compatibility.
Professional compatibility... this was an innate, completely uncontrollable factor. Frustration surged within Hong Xuan's heart. After lying dormant for so many years, for such a massive wrench to be thrown into the works right at the final hour was maddening.
"Flawless compatibility." Wu Chenpei's heart quaked violently. Only after a long silence did he speak, his tone thick with incredibly complex emotions: "Yingfeng... how did they ever manage to find such a person?"
"I would love to know the answer to that myself!" Hong Xuan could not help but exclaim loudly.
Wu Chenpei paid no mind to his outburst, simply stating slowly, "We cannot touch him here in Yingfeng. We will just have to wait until we are en route to the Ruins."
He had made his decision. Yuandu had invested far too much into this endeavor; having reached this point, there was no turning back.
Hong Xuan was not surprised by his decision, rely adding in a low voice, "It must be done before the Spiritual Essence becos whole."
Wu Chenpei nodded in silence.
"Teacher, is it that set of Ruins?" Su Chen watched as Wu Chenpei and his companion departed, then softly asked Xia Hanshi.
"Yes." Xia Hanshi knew exactly what Su Chen was referring to, his expression inevitably growing complicated. "It is the very sa Ruins I originally intended for you to enter."
—
"That half-slab of stone was discovered inside those Ruins. At the ti, Wu Chenpei and his younger brother were also present. We killed his brother and heavily wounded him before we managed to snatch it away."
Xia Hanshi spoke the latter half of his sentence with airy nonchalance, but Su Chen could not help but feel astonished. "You killed his younger brother?"
He had seen Wu Chenpei a few tis before. Aside from today, there was also the incident at the Combat Arena. In all those instances, Wu Chenpei had appeared incredibly composed and interacted with Chong Jingtian and the others with utmost amiability.
To think that the two parties harbored such a deeply entrenched blood feud.
"A biting dog doesn't bark," Xia Hanshi remarked aningfully. Beside them, Wei Yufan silently turned and walked away, while Ming Lin, brimming with curiosity, shuffled a few steps closer.
"How did those Ruins end up being jointly controlled by the four Walled Cities?" Su Chen asked curiously. He had heard Old Sang ntion it before, but had not probed deeper at the ti.
"After the stone slab was snatched, Yuandu refused to accept their defeat. They rallied the other two Walled Cities and applied massive pressure upon us. Left with absolutely no choice, we were forced to open it up," Chong Jingtian took over the conversation, explaining the history.
Yuandu was weaker than Yingfeng, but once they joined forces with the other two Walled Cities, the balance of power instantly reversed.
"If that is the case, would the other two Walled Cities even be willing to let us open the Ruins now?" Su Chen wondered aloud.
Neither he nor Hong Xuan had any ties whatsoever to Lieyang or Tianqing. Regardless of who beca The Chosen One, those other two Walled Cities would not reap a single shred of benefit.
Chong Jingtian spoke with breezy indifference, "We have already reached an agreent with Yuandu. Even if the other two wished to refuse, they would be utterly powerless to do so."
Ah. Su Chen suddenly understood. At their core, Lieyang and Tianqing were rely tools that Yuandu had rallied to counter Yingfeng.
Now that Yingfeng and Yuandu had reached a mutual consensus, the remaining two Walled Cities were left with no choice but to fall in line and cooperate.
"Furthermore, every so often, we open those Ruins to conduct explorations and see if there are any unexpected gains," Jiang Shumo supplented from the side, elucidating the situation for him. "Lieyang and Tianqing remain entirely oblivious to the matters regarding this Profession."
Su Chen nodded, though he sharply detected the subtle shift in Chief Inquisitor Jiang's attitude. Although his previous deanor had not been hostile, there had always been an underlying sense of intense scrutiny.
But now, that scrutiny had vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented gentleness.
"Once we finish dealing with the Faceless Cultists, we will head straight to those Ruins to let the Spiritual Essence unify. Prepare yourself well," Chong Jingtian firmly clapped him on the shoulder.
The Royal Court... if everything went according to the original plan, Su Chen replacing Hong Xuan would resolve far more than just the thorny predicant of the Holy Banquet.
'Higher-tier Body Tempering and ditation thods are incredibly vital to us as well...' Chong Jingtian could not help but think to himself. Were it not for the complete lack of ditation thods and Body Tempering techniques corresponding to the 7th-Tier, his personal strength would have been significantly greater.
Setting everything else aside, Yingfeng would undeniably be capable of producing an 8th-Tier Professional in the future.
"Understood," Su Chen nodded, while Chong Jingtian rapidly departed to handle the upcoming affairs.
"Xia Hanshi..." Pu Zhenghong, who had not yet left, called out with a hint of hesitation. "When Su Chen eventually heads to the Ruins..."
"None of your damn business," Xia Hanshi snapped unceremoniously, grabbing Su Chen by the collar and spinning around to leave.
Pu Zhenghong's face darkened with fury, and he flicked his sleeves indignantly before storming off.
'What kind of deep-seated blood feud do those two have anyway?'
Su Chen muttered in his heart. He had originally wanted to ask Old Pu how he had managed to engrave the Symbols from the stone slab onto the Defensive Spirit Ring.
That idiot Spiritual Essence would not even allow the person it had already recognized to view it. He would have to wait until the Spiritual Essence beca complete before the Profession's requirents were finally revealed.
"Su Chen," Ming Lin hurried to catch up. He shot a glance at Xia Hanshi walking ahead of them, hesitating as if wanting to speak but stopping himself. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and asked, "What exact requirents are needed to gain recognition?"
Having gone in for a trip only to morize absolutely nothing, Ming Lin naturally felt a bit resentful, scratching his head and fidgeting anxiously.
"I have no idea either," Su Chen shook his head, forced to throw out a vague guess. "I suppose having a Dual Talent, and neither of them being of low grade, is probably a good start."
"A Dual Talent?" Ming Lin looked dejected, cursing inwardly. 'Where do all these freaks even co from?'
A mont later, he sorted out his mood and asked curiously once more, "That Great Exalted thing... is it a ntal Aspect Profession or a Physical Aspect Profession?"
"That..." Su Chen froze. He truly had not considered this question before. After mulling it over for a while, he finally replied,
"
I think it should be a Physical Aspect Profession.
A sudden thought struck him. If the Great Exalted was a Physical Aspect Profession, then did that an he still needed to go out and find a ntal Aspect Profession at the Morning Star Tier?
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