Stepping out the door, Su Chen followed behind the Hall Master without a word.
The other party walked ahead, equally disinclined to speak. They remained silent the entire way, drawing quite a few side-glances from people on the road.
Their destination was the Bronze Tower, a place Su Chen had visited before.
The plaza wasn't crowded, but quite a few people had gathered in front of the Ancient King Stele, seemingly trying to see if they could earn its acknowledgnt.
It wasn't until they entered the Bronze Tower, enveloped by darkness, that specks of starlight rippled in the void.
This Hall Master Wen, the brother-in-law of Venerable Qin Yun, finally spoke his first words. His voice was completely flat: "Bronze Spirit, retrieve Holy Vocations. Target: Star Seed, Su Chen."
"Retrieving Holy Vocations. Verifying authority..." A gentle voice echoed through the empty darkness.
"Spirit Hall Master Wen Jing, Star Seed Su Chen. Authority verification passed."
"Take your pick." Wen Jing's tone remained impassive. Surprisingly, he turned and walked right out. Clearly, he was rely acting as a key.
'He just left like that?' Su Chen could not help but feel surprised. He had known before coming that this man was Qin Yun's brother-in-law, and had expected at least so complications.
He had braced himself for trouble since he could not bypass this man to retrieve a Holy Vocation, but it turned out the guy was strictly business.
"This is for the best," Su Chen muttered, withdrawing his gaze. Only after Wen Jing left did a virtual screen materialize before him.
"Star Seed Su Chen, there are three Holy Vocation sequences you may choose from. Once confird, your choice cannot be altered. Please choose carefully."
Accompanying the Bronze Spirit's voice, lines of text gradually appeared on the virtual screen.
"Dawn's Heavenly Retribution: An explosive offensive Holy Vocation."
"Abyssal Spiritual Decree: A ntal attack-type Holy Vocation."
"Enduring Physique: A stamina-enhancing Holy Vocation."
These were the general ability inclinations of the three Holy Vocations. The descriptions were extrely brief and completely failed to reflect their true power, clearly to prevent the leakage of classified information.
"Direct combat, ntal attacks, and stamina amplification..." he murmured.
Although only three Holy Vocations were made available, their capabilities did not overlap at all.
The mont he finished reading the three descriptions, Su Chen had already made his decision. His eyes locked onto "Enduring Physique."
"Stamina amplification..." he murmured to himself. Stamina was the foundation of everything. How much elental power he could squeeze out, and how long he could last in battle—it all depended on his physical endurance.
For him, stamina could also be converted into spiritual energy, which could then be used to empower his Holy Hand abilities. Even with Gluttony active, he still felt his endurance was severely lacking.
'While Holy Vocations are powerful, their focuses essentially fall into the usual major categories,' Su Chen calculated inwardly.
'For , even with the system panel and the support of the Cunning God's power, my energy is still finite. It's best not to choose a Holy Vocation with overlapping focuses...'
"I select 'Enduring Physique'," Su Chen issued the command. On the virtual screen, all text aside from that specific Holy Vocation gradually faded away.
"Holy Vocation selected: Enduring Physique. Revealing initial class: Endurer."
"Special Class discovered: Endurer. You may advance upon completing the class requirents."
"Class Requirent 1: Possess at least two top-tier physical-oriented classes."
"Class Requirent 2: Push yourself to the absolute limit for at least ninety days, and continue exercising through sheer willpower for an additional hour each ti."
"Class Requirent 3: Condition your body to adapt to at least ten different types of extre exhaustion."
"The difficulty of this class isn't too high..."
Su Chen skimd through it. It was similar to the Resolute Walker. After all, it was rely an initial class that involved no real danger, focusing purely on physical training.
"Body like a vine, growing endlessly. The Endurer proactively waives Class Requirent 2 to express respect for the Exalted Lord of Crimson Flas and Echoing Thunder."
'It just wiped it out directly?' Su Chen was quite surprised. It had been a long ti since he last saw a class waive its own requirents.
With this, he did not even need any other reductions. He could complete this class by simply investing a little ti.
'This is actually a good thing. My supply of essences is stretched thin right now. I figure I'll only need one Sly Fox Essence to fully graduate from this class,' he pondered.
As Su Chen was deep in thought, he heard the Bronze Spirit speak again: "Lord Su Chen, please sign the Contract of Silence..."
A silver-white parchnt drifted down from the void before him.
"A Contract of Silence..." Su Chen looked down at the docunt, which was covered in dense, complex symbols. He tentatively reached his hand out to touch it, and a flood of information imdiately surged into his mind.
The contents of the contract were straightforward: he was forbidden from leaking any information regarding the Holy Vocation or its class requirents.
It was just like Lan Hao back then, though with a slight difference. When push ca to shove, Lan Hao had been able to forcefully spit the information out to save his own life.
Anyone wanting to retrieve a Holy Vocation had to go through this procedure.
Without hesitation, Su Chen used his spiritual energy as a pen and signed his na.
The silver-white parchnt instantly disintegrated, splitting into two wisps of light. One wisp sank into his body, while the other faded away into nothingness.
"Bronze Spirit, can I currently only retrieve one class under Enduring Physique?" he asked.
"Please retrieve the next one after completing your induction into this class," the Bronze Spirit replied.
"Hmm..." Su Chen thought for a mont. "Then how do I ultimately forge them into the Holy Vocation?"
"Please complete all prerequisite classes before proceeding with the forging process."
The Bronze Spirit did not disclose any extra information just because of his status as a Star Seed.
Su Chen understood clearly. The thod of forging a Holy Vocation for soone below the Morning Star rank was undoubtedly a top-secret matter.
'This Bronze Spirit is probably no simple artificial intelligence, given that it oversees so many core secrets,' he deduced.
His objective complete, Su Chen did not linger. He turned around and exited the Bronze Tower.
He glanced left and right but saw no sign of Hall Master Wen; the man must have already left.
'Strictly business is fine by ,' Su Chen thought. He didn't feel slighted in the least; in fact, he preferred it this way.
"I'll head back and work on these two classes. My essences might be gone, but I have more than enough divine power." Su Chen glanced at his interface, his spirits lifting.
He made his way straight to the docking port and boarded a flying ship. However, upon arriving at the outskirts of his floating island, he was t with a surprise.
An oddly shaped flying vessel had appeared at the dock. It was a pale gold color and looked quite luxurious.
The flying ships he usually took were all standard-issue, but this one was clearly a custom model.
'A visitor already?' Su Chen muttered internally.
Without permission, visitors could only park at the floating island's port. If he had issued a specific rejection command, the party wouldn't even be able to dock.
"Rushing around non-stop the mont you arrive at the sect, and even heading to the Spirit Hall to retrieve a class right away. Little Martial Uncle, you truly are steadfast and hardworking. Martial Uncle Qing Cang was right—your ntal fortitude is astounding."
Just as he stepped out of his ship, a hearty voice reached his ears.
He looked up to see a tall, commanding figure. The man stood over two ters tall, his eyes brimming with a sharp, piercing light. A domineering aura washed over Su Chen the mont he laid eyes on him.
'Wei Zhenghong...' A na surfaced in Su Chen's mind. It was the guy ranked second on the Holy Roll, and also the student of Chu Lingyuan, another Venerable of the Bronze Sect.
"Brother Wei..." Su Chen pondered for a mont before settling on this form of address.
"No wonder Martial Uncle Qing Cang gets along so well with you. I can see you two share quite a few similarities," Wei Zhenghong teased.
"Uh... really?" Su Chen replied noncommittally, wondering why this guy had shown up.
This man was already a Tier 7 professional and was rumored to be on the verge of forging his Holy Vocation. His class composition was flawlessly optimized, giving him terrifyingly ferocious combat strength.
Even though Old Chong was also at Tier 7, he probably wouldn't last a single exchange against this guy.
"Aren't you going to invite in for a seat?" Wei Zhenghong asked.
"I just moved in and haven't set anything up yet. It's incredibly bare," Su Chen replied with a wry smile. "But since you insist, Brother Wei, please co in..."
Wei Zhenghong walked alongside him, displaying a certain unwarranted familiarity—or rather, a relaxed composure—as he examined their surroundings.
"Are you settling in alright?" Wei Zhenghong asked suddenly.
"It's fine. Not much different from my ti on Crimson Thunder Planet," Su Chen replied after a mont of thought. It was all just training, taking on classes, and advancing anyway.
"Oh?" Wei Zhenghong cast a surprised glance at him, then chuckled. "Little Martial Uncle, your words put to sha. When I first arrived at the sect, I was completely dazzled by everything."
This Wei Zhenghong wasn't the descendant of so sect bigwig. He had been handpicked from the many inhabited planets under the Bronze Sect's jurisdiction.
His background was sowhat similar to Su Chen's, yet also completely different.
"I'm just putting up a brave front," Su Chen laughed. "Inside, I'm actually panicking."
"People truly are built differently." Wei Zhenghong stared at him, suddenly sighing in awe over so unspoken thought. "As expected of the terrifying ntal fortitude that can withstand the corruption of a Cunning God's power."
Praised out of nowhere, Su Chen couldn't quite figure out the man's angle. 'Is this guy really just here to flatter ?' he wondered.
"Before you popped up, Little Martial Uncle, that guy Qin Tianlin always treated the two of us as his targets," Wei Zhenghong added.
"Oh?" Su Chen's interest was piqued. "Brother Wei, you should drop the 'Little Martial Uncle' title. I'm not used to hearing it. Just call Su Chen."
"Then I'll call you Brother Su," Wei Zhenghong smoothly adapted. Following Su Chen into a small pavilion next to the main building, they took their seats and gazed out at the distant inhabited planets.
"Care for a drink?" Wei Zhenghong pulled a tal hip flask out of thin air.
"No thanks," Su Chen declined.
Wei Zhenghong didn't mind. He took a swig and said, "The sect doesn't feed idlers. There's competition everywhere, and the position of Star Seed is particularly coveted. Putting strength aside, Morning Star realm experts can live for nearly a thousand years, while Tier 9 professionals cap out at barely six hundred. The difference is astronomical."
"We're sitting in the hot seat! Who knows how many people below are eyeing them." At this, he sighed. "I'm not as good as you, nor am I a match for Shen Yi'an."
"He was born within the sect and enjoyed the backing of his clan. I, on the other hand, was drafted from below and had to struggle bitterly. After becoming a chosen candidate, my master's favor, the flattery of others, and the massive shift in status made waste a good chunk of ti in complacency..."
"That wouldn't have been a big deal, but soon enough, Qin Tianlin was born. Ever since that kid's birth, Qin Yun has been scheming."
Hearing this, Su Chen finally understood. Even before his arrival, Qin Yun had never stopped scheming for the Morning Star rank; it was just that his target back then hadn't been Su Chen.
It seed this Wei Zhenghong felt they were kindred spirits sharing the sa plight, which was why he had co.
Wei Zhenghong's voice turned frosty. "At my most vulnerable mont, Qin Yun gathered all the Hall Masters and Chief Seats, ticulously listing out my five great sins. He practically drove to my death."
"If the Ancient King hadn't intervened at the very end to give one more chance, you wouldn't be seeing here today."
"Ever since then, I haven't dared to rest for even a single second."
At this point, Wei Zhenghong's expression grew sowhat complicated. Before Su Chen's arrival, he had assud that this guy straight out of a barren wasteland wouldn't be able to hold out for long, even with the Ancient King's protection.
Yet the reality... The mont he arrived, he triggered the acknowledgnt of the Ancient King Stele, instantly dismantling more than half of Qin Yun's sches.
He then imdiately headed straight to the Spirit Hall to select his class, his goals abundantly clear.
He had originally co here to see if Su Chen exhibited the sa bewildered, overwheld shadow of soone suddenly thrust into high status that he once had.
But as it stood, the young man conducted himself with asured restraint, showing not a hint of the complacency that ca from being placed on a pedestal.
"To be able to learn from your painful mistakes and push forward, Brother Wei, you are truly a man of outstanding character," Su Chen praised after listening to the tale.
Wei Zhenghong chuckled openly. "I won't beat around the bush. Competition within the sect is fierce, but between the three of us Star Seeds, there's actually no conflict."
"I wanted to clear the air firsthand, to prevent soone from secretly sowing discord and creating rifts between us for no reason."
Su Chen was slightly surprised, but after thinking it over, it made perfect sense.
The highly talented individuals all lusted after the Star Seed positions. However, the Star Seeds themselves had no reason to usurp each other's spots, making them natural allies.
Given their status, they could mobilize vast amounts of resources. In a sense, an alliance between them would actually be incredibly formidable.
Su Chen sighed inwardly, but he quickly picked up on the implication. "Does Brother Wei an that Qin Yun will still make moves in the shadows?"
"Exactly..." Wei Zhenghong nodded, his eyes brimming with a frigid chill. "Based on what I know of him, he will absolutely not let this go easily. He'll just hide much deeper, waiting to pop out and take a bite out of you when you least expect it."
Su Chen nodded thoughtfully.
Wei Zhenghong guzzled down another massive mouthful of wine and grinned. "If you ever need help with anything in the future, you can co find ."
"Thank you, Brother Wei," Su Chen replied earnestly. After this heart-to-heart talk, the relationship between the two had noticeably ward.
Changing the subject, he asked, "I heard you're preparing to forge your Holy Vocation?"
"Just about." Wei Zhenghong answered vaguely, sowhat surprised that Su Chen would ask about this.
"To forge a Holy Vocation, do you need to ignite the Fire of the Morning Star?" Su Chen asked, then quickly clarified, "I just chose my Holy Vocation, so if there's anything I need to prepare in advance, I want to make arrangents early."
"You're thinking way too far ahead," Wei Zhenghong said, caught between laughter and tears.
"I'm just curious, aren't I?" Su Chen chuckled. "If forging a Holy Vocation lets you experience the Fire of the Morning Star in advance, doesn't that help with advancing to the Morning Star realm?"
"It doesn't help one bit." Wei Zhenghong shook his head. He looked to be around the sa age as Su Chen, but in reality, he was twice his age.
He wasn't entirely surprised by the young man's curiosity.
He explained, "Strictly speaking, the Fire of the Morning Star used to forge a Holy Vocation isn't actually a fla. It can only be called a spark. Its help is severely limited."
"A spark?" Su Chen feigned surprise. "There are sparks too? How do you ignite them?"
Wei Zhenghong thought for a mont before answering, "That's the troubleso part. I think you have to go to the Nether Realm to find so kind of Spirit Fla, and then supplent it with kindling to barely ignite a spark."
"The Nether Realm?" Su Chen was astonished. It was the Nether Realm again.
"You're thinking about this way too early," Wei Zhenghong repeated. He took out a bottle of wine and sloshed more into his hip flask, then turned back to Su Chen. "Are you sure you don't want a sip?"
"No thanks. I'm planning to head to the Challenge Center in a bit," Su Chen waved his hands repeatedly.
"To set your ranking?" A sharp light flashed in Wei Zhenghong's eyes. He promptly stowed his hip flask and laughed cheerfully. "Let's go, I'll co with you."
Reviews
All reviews (0)