Lan Hao walked past Su Chen expressionlessly. The azure flas almost singed Su Chen, allowing him to observe the process even more closely.
Azure flas danced across Lan Hao's skin. Within the fiery glow, the fractured collarbone at his shoulder blade sprouted crystalline bone shoots like living creatures, weaving together to forge a brand-new skeletal fra.
The flas dissolved the necrotic muscle tissue while fresh, raw flesh intertwined and regenerated at a visible speed.
Seeing him ignore everyone and walk away on his own, Lin Yue scoffed disdainfully. "He lacks both brains and strength. Who is he trying to give an attitude to?"
To be brought here by Qing Cang, Lan Hao's background was undoubtedly far from ordinary. However, the sa applied to the other two; their backgrounds were just as impressive.
Lan Hao had not gone far when Lin Yue made her remark. His figure stiffened for a brief mont before his pace quickened.
"Don't worry, he can't do anything to you," Lin Yue reassured him, noticing Su Chen staring at Lan Hao's retreating back and assuming he was concerned.
Her words carried a hidden aning, clearly referring to the possibility of Qing Cang taking Su Chen as a student.
"What does 'Blue Fla Phoenix' an?" Su Chen asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It's simply the title of his family," Lin Yue replied. Seeing his interest, a teasing, mischievous smirk appeared on her fair, beautiful face. "The story behind it isn't sothing that can be explained in just a few sentences."
"If you really want to know, how about this? Co to my room later tonight, and I'll tell you all about it over ti."
Su Chen fell speechless. He cast a sideways glance at Lin Yue. The woman was tall, only about half a head shorter than himself. She wore a black combat suit day in and day out, and her chin was perpetually tilted upward in a display of obvious arrogance. Getting involved with her would be nothing but trouble.
Shaking his head, Su Chen chose not to respond. He withdrew his gaze and looked toward Wan Chen, who was walking down the stairs.
'This guy...' Lin Yue thought, rendered speechless. It was one thing for him to remain silent, but giving her a look only to shake his head was quite another.
'Su Chen really is like a fish in water...' Chong Jingtian observed silently from the side, taking in the entire exchange. In just a few days, the young man had subtly integrated himself into their group.
After this little conflict, Lan Hao would undoubtedly harbor a grudge, but it also completely reshaped how the others viewed Su Chen.
"Master Qing..." Wan Chen greeted calmly as he approached.
Qing Cang gave a slight nod. He refrained from comnting on the recent duel, rely stating, "Lan Hao has a brash and reckless temperant. Do not take his actions to heart."
He was not trying to defend Lan Hao; rather, he simply did not want the two of them to spark an irreversible conflict while under his supervision.
Once they returned, even if they beat each other to death, it would no longer be his concern.
"I understand," Wan Chen nodded.
Qing Cang then turned and walked away, with the rest of the group trailing closely behind him.
Wan Chen's gaze shifted to Su Chen. Lan Hao's recent stunt had been an attempt to use Su Chen as a sacrificial pawn, but Wan Chen knew he himself was the true target.
Without exchanging a single word of coordination, he and Su Chen had effectively joined forces to make a fool out of Lan Hao.
When Su Chen first approached him, Wan Chen genuinely believed the young man had been intimidated by Lan Hao. Because of that, he hadn't possessed any desire to converse with him. Now, however, it seed Su Chen held quite a bit of value.
"Brother Su Chen," Wan Chen called out. Su Chen glanced at him in surprise, slowing his pace to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Qing Cang and Chong Jingtian seed to have unfinished matters to discuss, as they had returned to the upper control cabin.
"Given Lan Hao's temperant, I'm afraid he's going to hold a deep grudge against you for making a fool out of him," Wan Chen warned.
Su Chen simply shook his head. "If he hadn't been so insistent on dragging along to find you, none of this would have happened."
Ultimately, Lan Hao had brought this upon himself. If he had harbored no ulterior motives and was rely offering a simple suggestion, he would never have approached Su Chen a second ti, and today's incident would never have occurred.
Hearing this, Wan Chen couldn't help but inwardly sigh with admiration. As one of the involved parties, he clearly understood the underlying logic.
Su Chen fell silent for a mont before broaching his earlier question. "At the end of the battle, I heard Lin Yue ntion the 'Blue Fla Phoenix.' Was she referring to Lan Hao's family?"
"The Blue Fla Phoenix..." Wan Chen mused for a mont before nodding. "That's right. The Lan family goes by that moniker."
"Is it because of that potent self-healing ability?" Su Chen pressed.
"You could say that." Wan Chen nodded. He reasoned internally that this wasn't so tightly guarded secret anyway; Su Chen would find out sooner or later.
"However, Lan Hao's self-healing ability isn't actually that impressive, and it has significant limitations. He cannot heal simultaneously while engaging in combat, so he hardly lives up to the 'Phoenix' title."
"Can this ability of his grow stronger?" Su Chen's interest deepened. A class that granted innate recovery was exactly what he currently lacked.
"Naturally." Now that the topic was breached, Wan Chen spoke openly without hesitation. "The Blue Fla Phoenix isn't just famous within the Bronze Faction; it also commands quite a reputation across the entire Dust Star Sea."
"The core of their reputation stems from a Sacred Profession they control, known as the Phoenix."
Su Chen's eyelids twitched as he listened. 'A Sacred Profession?'
He had been curious about that term for a very long ti. Now that soone had finally brought it up, he imdiately asked, "A Sacred Profession? What exactly is that?"
"Hmm... it's a bit complicated." Wan Chen paused to gather his thoughts, completely unsurprised by Su Chen's curiosity. "You know about the Morning Star rank, right? The Crimson Fla Thunder Sovereign is a Morning Star rank class. Aside from the innate prerequisites of the class itself, anyone seeking to ascend to it must first be a dual Eighth-Tier professional."
"Spirit and flesh must unite to ignite the Fire of the Morning Star. At the mont of ascension, the Fire of the Morning Star lts down all the Special Professions one has previously acquired. Combining them with the unique traits of the Morning Star class, it forges an exclusive Sacred Profession."
So that was how it worked. Su Chen felt as though his horizons had been vastly broadened. He had speculated about it for a long ti, but he never could have anticipated that this was how Sacred Professions were born.
"Then a Sacred Profession must be overwhelmingly powerful, right?" Su Chen couldn't help but ask.
"Naturally," Wan Chen nodded as the two of them ascended the staircase. "Every Sacred Profession is forged from a multitude of Special Professions and tempered by the Fire of the Morning Star. This birth process yields a core ability that isn't just powerful, it is downright heaven-defying."
"Take the Phoenix, for example. It earned its na because it allows the user to experience nirvana and undergo rebirth within the flas." Pausing for dramatic effect, Wan Chen emphasized, "And I an a literal resurrection from death."
'Such a powerful core ability exclusive to a Sacred Profession...' Su Chen murmured inwardly. No wonder it required three Black Tuo Essences just to unlock the evolutionary path.
'No, wait. It only requires three Black Tuo Essences to grant a Special Profession the potential to mutate into a Sacred Profession.'
Viewed in that light, the requirent actually felt outrageously generous, yet it also filled him with a deep sense of apprehension.
After all, the essence rely unlocked the possibility. He still had to fulfill the actual prerequisites for ascension, and there was no telling how grueling those demands might be.
"Does the Lan family have a Morning Star rank professional?" Su Chen suddenly asked, a thought striking him.
"Yes, but also no. The Lan family once possessed a Morning Star expert, but their current strongest mber is a Ninth-Tier professional," Wan Chen clarified.
Given their grand "Blue Fla Phoenix" title, Su Chen had assud the Lan family currently boasted a living Morning Star expert.
That clearly wasn't the case. He quickly caught on to the implication. "Wait, can ordinary professionals also acquire a Sacred Profession?"
"Exactly," Wan Chen affird, validating his deduction. "As long as an individual thodically acquires every single Special Profession that was originally used to forge the Sacred Profession, and employs certain special thods, they can inherit it."
"However, the might of an inherited Sacred Profession is vastly diminished. It simply cannot be compared to the power it holds in the hands of a true Morning Star expert."
"For instance, the core resurrection ability of the Lan family's Phoenix Sacred Profession is severely restricted. That said, the passive self-healing properties it grants are still incredibly formidable."
Su Chen nodded thoughtfully before posing another question. "Does that an standard Special Professions beco useless after reaching the Morning Star rank?"
"Not necessarily." Wan Chen strolled at a leisurely pace, shaking his head. "Rumor has it that their power is drastically reduced, effectively reducing them to supplentary materials used for forging Sacred Professions."
"Wait, apart from the initial forging during ascension, can Sacred Professions be forged again later on?" Su Chen asked, his curiosity piqued once more.
"It seems so, though there are significant restrictions." It was hard to tell whether Wan Chen was genuinely unsure or deliberately holding back information, as his explanation was vague and evasive.
However, Su Chen had already grasped the origin and imnse power of a Sacred Profession. His eyes glinted as he deduced, "In that case, a Sacred Profession must be the absolute lifeblood of any prominent family. It must be nearly impossible for an outsider to obtain one."
Wan Chen chuckled at the remark. "Of course. The slots for Morning Star experts are strictly limited, and the spiritual requirents are excruciatingly difficult to satisfy. Whether one can ascend to that realm ultimately cos down to destiny."
"Throughout the long span of a family's legacy, unilateral Ninth-Tier professionals ard with a Sacred Profession form the true backbone of their combat forces."
"The more Sacred Professions a family possesses, the more terrifying their foundation. Therefore, the exact prerequisites for a Sacred Profession, and even the nas of the required Special Professions, are their most fiercely guarded secrets. They will go to any lengths to keep that information hidden."
"That makes them incredibly hard to co by..." Su Chen murmured. From the sound of it, even within the mighty Bronze Faction, class pathways wouldn't just be handed out freely. In fact, because of the existence of Sacred Professions, such knowledge was likely guarded with even greater paranoia.
"But enough about these distant matters," Wan Chen said, shaking his head. "Right now, Lan Hao can't lay a finger on you. However, once we return to the faction, things might change. If you run into any trouble with him then, feel free to co to for help."
Su Chen possessed absolutely no backing. Even if he entered the faction as Qing Cang's direct disciple, he would likely be helpless against the established might of the Lan family.
"Thank you," Su Chen replied gratefully. He then took the opportunity to subtly ask about the internal structure of the faction. Wan Chen freely shared the general information but remained incredibly tight-lipped regarding anything involving the upper echelons.
anwhile, back in his room, Lan Hao's face was as dark as storm clouds. Standing before his window and glaring out at the rapidly passing misty void, he spat out a single na through gritted teeth: "Wan Chen!"
Wan Chen's overwhelming strength was exactly as he had anticipated, yet sohow far beyond his expectations at the sa ti. His defeat had been far too absolute.
"And Su Chen..." At the ntion of that na, Lan Hao's expression twisted into an even uglier scowl.
Being crushed by Wan Chen was an embarrassing blow, but at least it had been within the realm of possibility. Being made a fool of by Su Chen, a country bumpkin who didn't even know the basics of the Royal Court, filled him with a far deeper, more venomous humiliation.
"I'll settle this debt slowly once we return to the faction," Lan Hao sneered, temporarily forcing the matter to the back of his mind.
Qing Cang clearly intended to take the boy as a disciple, so striking now was impossible. However, the dynamics within the faction were vastly different. Su Chen wouldn't be Qing Cang's only disciple, after all.
"The more pressing issue is Wan Chen. Regardless of his chances of becoming the Chosen One, I clearly have zero hope of competing against him in a straight fight. Since things have reached this point, I have no other choice."
Having finally made up his mind, he reached into the void and retrieved four black tal cubes, placing them neatly at the four corners around his body.
The mont his ntal fluctuations brushed against them, the black cubes began vibrating intensely as glowing golden runes surfaced across their exteriors.
Almost instantly, the cores of the tal cubes unspooled layer by layer to reveal intricate chanical structures. tal rods shot out from the corners, interlocking with one another to form a perfectly cubic fra. A transparent energy mbrane then materialized, completely encasing his body within it.
Exhaling softly, Lan Hao closed his eyes. The environnt around him shifted and warped. A thick, grayish-white mist rolled in, carrying a cold, clammy sensation that gradually swallowed him whole as his consciousness plumted into the Nether Realm.
However, the scene that manifested before his eyes wasn't so desolate wasteland, but rather a cramped, narrow room.
He rolled his shoulders, evidently entirely accustod to this process. Stepping up to a black desk in the center of the room, he firmly pressed a red button on its surface.
He didn't have to wait long before a second silhouette materialized. This figure, however, lacked his clarity; their facial features were completely obscured by a heavy blur.
The projection fluctuated wildly, dissipating and condensing as though the connection might sever at any given mont.
"Lan Hao... It seems you've made your decision," the shadowy figure spoke. The voice was distorted with bursts of crackling static. "Speak. Why exactly did Qing Cang leave the Bronze Faction in such absolute secrecy?"
Lan Hao's voice dropped into a severe octave. "The Morning Star class, the Crimson Fla Thunder Sovereign, is here. If you move too slowly, you won't even be left with scraps."
"The Crimson Fla Thunder Sovereign?!"
The figure's pitch spiked in sheer disbelief. "To think it was for that class! No wonder!"
A sinister chuckle quickly followed the outburst. "Your father truly is a man of remarkable foresight. He had you periodically report your coordinates, keeping us trailing far enough behind to maintain a safe distance."
"I suspect he simply wanted to see if you had any real chance of becoming the Morning Star's Chosen One. His plan all along was to tip us off only if you failed."
Lan Hao's scowl deepened at the thinly veiled taunt. "It seems the Royal Court isn't all that interested in acquiring a Morning Star class after all," he snapped coldly.
"Calm your temper," the figure placated smoothly. "The spirituality required for a Morning Star class is incredibly picky and impossible for just anyone to satisfy. Rest assured, once we secure it, we will personally assist you in obtaining its recognition."
Though fueled by greed, Lan Hao wasn't foolish enough to blindly trust the shadowy figure. He rely scoffed in response. "My father will negotiate the final price. I am sending you the coordinates now. If your forces fail to arrive in ti, don't bla ."
"One last thing," Lan Hao added. "We suspect the Ancient King may have split off a strand of his consciousness to accompany the expedition."
Having delivered the warning, Lan Hao severed the connection, his avatar vanishing from the room. The hazy figure was left alone, murmuring softly into the void. "A Morning Star class... The Bronze Faction's Eternally Silent Star likely won't last much longer. And the Ancient Bronze King..."
"The Bronze Faction..." Su Chen murmured from the quiet safety of his own room. Thanks to Wan Chen's candidness, he had finally painted a concrete ntal picture of the titanic organization.
The Bronze Faction was entirely subjugated beneath the supre authority of the Ancient King, ruling over thirty-seven distinct life-bearing planets. The number of powerful professionals under its banner was virtually incalculable. Led by the personal disciples of the Ancient King, the faction's internal organizational structure was both incredibly massive and dizzyingly complex.
One of its primary core institutions was the "Sacred Hall," where elite professionals served as instructors to mold exceptionally talented individuals gathered from both inside and outside the faction. Qing Cang was precisely one of those esteed ntors.
That was exactly why Wan Chen and the others referred to him as 'Master Qing'.
As for the coveted position of the Morning Star class's Chosen One, the very role Wan Chen and the other two were fiercely competing to claim, there were currently two candidates residing within the Sacred Hall.
anwhile, the faction possessed a total of two living Morning Star experts.
Upon hearing that statistic, Su Chen had been genuinely stunned.
But after taking a mont to think it over, he realized it made perfect sense. When compared to the astronomical number of active professionals under the faction's banner, two was an infinitesimally rare number.
—
Reviews
All reviews (0)