Chapter 252: Chapter 227: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Hidden Dragon Camp_1
Lu Yan suddenly felt immense pressure.
There was more than one person with the potential of a King’s True Body.
You should know, those with the potential of a King’s True Body must control more than twenty channels of inner strength.
As for him, he only had eleven.
The range from eleven to nineteen, there must still be some.
Lu Yan once again felt the vast gap between the Mansion of King Ming and the six provinces of Lingdong.
Controlling eleven channels of inner strength in Lingdong’s six provinces, that was absolutely unprecedented, extremely astonishing.
But in the Mansion of King Ming, in the Hidden Dragon Camp, it didn’t seem particularly outstanding.
"Alright, I won’t say much about the Hidden Dragon Camp. When you officially join, someone will teach you."
"Afterwards, if you encounter any problems, you can come to me. In the Mansion of King Ming, I still have some influence."
Xiang Chongyang said.
Lu Yan expressed his thanks solemnly.
The two of them chatted for a while longer before Lu Yan said goodbye and left.
A few days passed.
Lu Yan saw Chu Long again, and there was a young man beside him.
The young man, who looked to be in his twenties, was dressed in a specially made purple robe for the king’s bodyguards. He had delicate and extraordinarily handsome features.
His long hair was casually tied with a wooden hairpin, which gave him a lazy and elegant look.
At first, Lu Yan thought the young man was a woman in disguise, but upon closer inspection, he confirmed it was a man.
"With such good looks, he could easily outshine those fresh meats in my previous life."
Lu Yan thought in admiration.
"Lu Yan, let me introduce you. His name is Feng Yuanyi, a member of the Hidden Dragon Camp and your senior. He will guide you from now on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him."
Chu Long said.
Feng Yuanyi smiled at Lu Yan, a smile that would melt a thousand hearts, and bowed.
"A pleasure to meet you, Senior Feng."
Lu Yan greeted respectfully.
"Don’t call me senior, it makes me sound old. I’m not even fifty yet. Just call me Brother Yi."
Feng Yuanyi said with a smile.
"...Brother Yi?"
Lu Yan mused inwardly, "I could also be Brother Two."
But he still steeled himself and called out, "Brother Yi."
Grandmasters could easily live more than two hundred years. Being less than fifty years old was equivalent to being around twenty for ordinary people, so he really wasn’t considered old.
"Alright, now that you’ve met, let Feng Yuanyi take you to the Hidden Dragon Camp. Oh, also, here, for you."
Chu Long, like a magician, produced a box and handed it to Lu Yan.
Lu Yan opened the box and found a few sets of purple robes unique to the King’s bodyguards.
In addition, there was also a special purple token, with the words "Hidden Dragon" on one side and Lu Yan’s name on the other side.
This garment and this token were the representation of the Mansion of King Ming. Within the three provinces under the jurisdiction of the Mansion, Lu Yan could now come and go as he pleased.
"Senior, I have a matter I’d like to consult about."
Lu Yan said.
"What is it?"
"Since I thwarted the Spirit Sect’s conspiracy in Lingdong, I’m afraid they will hold a grudge and wait for an opportunity to retaliate. Lingdong lacks masters, and with me not there, any high-level grandmaster could easily take over Lingdong."
Lu Yan said.
Chu Long smiled, "Don’t worry, my father has already sent people to lie in Lingdong, waiting for the rabbit. As soon as the Spirit Sect sends someone, that person will be dead."
"King Ming is truly a strategic mastermind."
Lu Yan felt a huge relief wash over him.
The thing he was most worried about when he came to the Mansion of King Ming was this issue.
Lingdong was his fallback. If things didn’t work out elsewhere, he could always return to Lingdong and it wouldn’t be so bad being a local leader there.
Chu Long nodded, turned and left.
Lu Yan then changed into the purple form-fitting robes.
The robes were custom-made and fit him perfectly. Once on, his appearance was even more heroic.
"Not bad, not bad at all."
Feng Yuanyi looked Lu Yan up and down, stroking his chin, with an appreciative expression on his face.
Lu Yan jumped, and said, "Brother Yi, I’m a man."
"I know you are a man, and I don’t have any particular fetishes. I am purely admiring your physique."
Feng Yuanyi said.
Lu Yan still found his scalp tingling.
"Let’s go."
Feng Yuanyi turned around and led the way.
Lu Yan followed.
The winding path led them to a large courtyard after a short while.
Rather than a courtyard, it was more like a camp, a huge military camp. It was still within the range of the Mansion of King Ming, but located near the back by the Blood Land Vein.
The environment was serene, surrounded by green grass and fragrant flowers.
On both sides were individual courtyards.
Feng Yuanyi brought Lu Yan to a courtyard with the number three-six-two written at the entrance.
"This is where you’ll be staying from now on. You can go in and have a look first, and then I’ll show you around the rest of the Hidden Dragon Camp."
Feng Yuanyi said.
Lu Yan nodded and entered the courtyard, looking around.
The courtyard was not small, with gardens, pavilions, bedrooms, training rooms, and even a martial chef room.
Lu Yan put the clothes from the box in the bedroom and walked around the Hidden Dragon Camp with Feng Yuanyi.
"The number three-six-two, does that mean there are three hundred and sixty-two people in the Hidden Dragon Camp?"
Lu Yan asked curiously.
Feng Yuanyi nodded, "You’re right. Including you, there are exactly three hundred and sixty-two people."
"That many?"
Lu Yan gasped in surprise.
It should be known that all those who could join the Hidden Dragon Camp were equivalent to the Innate Martial Body and Internal God-men with five times the Qi-blood.
Having a fivefold Qi-blood capacity made one a top three contender on the Martial Marquis List in the six counties of Lingdong.
However, here, there were three hundred and sixty-two such individuals.
"It’s not much. According to the rules of the Hidden Dragon Camp, after stepping into the True Body Realm, one must leave, or if they reach over a hundred years of age, regardless of whether they have broken through to the True Body Realm, they have to leave the Hidden Dragon Camp,"
"The Mansion of King Ming governs three provinces, and this is the count for the past hundred years. Do you still think it’s much?"
Feng Yuanyi said.
Lu Yan thought about it and concluded that it indeed wasn’t much.
The six counties of Lingdong were, after all, an isolated corner with limited resources and fading talents.
Just the twenty-two counties outside of Xuan Zhou alone had over ten times more talents than Lingdong.
Not to mention Mingzhou and Yunzhou.
"Not all geniuses from these three provinces have joined the Hidden Dragon Camp, right?"
Lu Yan asked again.
He remembered the young man from Yan Clan who also controlled five types of inner strength. Clearly, he wasn’t a member of the Hidden Dragon Camp.
"Of course not. For example, the prodigies of the Shengxuan Sect, they wouldn’t join the Hidden Dragon Camp. Moreover, those respectable feudal lords have their methods of nurturing talents."
Feng Yuanyi explained, "In addition, not all of the three hundred and sixty-two people in the Hidden Dragon Camp are Grandmasters. Some were discovered to be extraordinary when they were young and were taken into the camp. Some are still Limit Breaking Warriors, while some are Martial Marquis. Oh yes, aside from Grandmasters, they can continue to enjoy the resources provided by the Hidden Dragon Camp for free. As for Grandmasters, they only have three years of entitlements. Do you know about this?"
Lu Yan nodded in affirmation.
"In the Hidden Dragon Camp, how many people are likely to achieve the Upper True Body and King’s True Body?"
After giving it some thought, Lu Yan asked another question.
"Not many. Including you and me, there would only be a little more than twenty. Ah, precisely twenty-three,"
Feng Yuanyi said.
"Including you and me?"
Lu Yan caught the implication in his words. Feng Yuanyi also had the potential to achieve the Upper True Body, but he wasn’t sure if it was due to possessing an Innate Martial Body or being an Internal God-man.
Yet, this was someone’s secret, and it was inappropriate to inquire further since they had just met.
To his surprise, this fellow was also a heaven-defying prodigy.
Boom!
All of a sudden, a loud crash sounded from up ahead, accompanied by a dazzling sword radiance that soared into the sky.
"Someone’s sparring ahead. Let’s go take a look."
Taking large strides, Feng Yuanyi moved towards the source of the commotion.
Approximately a few miles away, there was a giant combat platform made of a special kind of metal.
The platform was enormous, spanning over five hundred meters in length and width.
Merely the cost of this single platform was astonishingly high.
On the platform, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle.
One was wielding a sword while the other held a spear.
The sword radiance soared into the sky as the spear strikes resembled soaring dragons.
Without a doubt, the martial arts displayed by the two were top martial arts.
After examining them, Lu Yan’s face turned serious.
The combat abilities of the two were incredibly astonishing. From their aura, they appeared to have reached the fourth level of mastery as grandmasters, but they far exceeded ordinary fourth-level masters and even surpassed fifth-level masters.
Their strength was definitely superior to his own.
"In the Hidden Dragon Camp, killing is prohibited, but sparring isn’t. Those who wish to spar can take it to the platform, but the fight must cease before it gets fatal, and you cannot cripple the opponent’s cultivation."
"The two individuals are both at the fourth level of Grandmaster, and have both mastered eight types of inner strength. Since their abilities are matched, they spar frequently to hone themselves."
Feng Yuanyi said.
Lu Yan nodded.
The Hidden Dragon Camp was certainly a den of hidden talents.
Those wielding eight types of inner strength were only three less than him. Pair that with the higher-ranking top martial arts and a cultivation level two ranks superior to his, he wouldn’t even stand a chance putting forth his best effort. In fact, he might get... slaughtered in an instant.
Lu Yan felt the pressure.
In the Hidden Dragon Camp, he still had a long way to go.
Lu Yan watched carefully.
The martial arts achievements of the two individuals were not low, nearing the state of Reaching the Peak of Perfection.
The two didn’t seem old, and to have achieved such a level was remarkable. They must have been under the guidance of a highly skilled teacher.
"By the way, those who have just joined the Hidden Dragon Camp can learn a set of top martial arts for free. Moreover, for the first three years, there will be a mentor who will hold classes every month to personally teach and explain the corresponding top martial arts. The mentors who hold the classes will all be strong individuals in the True Body Realm who have reached the Unity of Man and Martial Arts."
Feng Yuanyi said.
"Is it possible to learn a set of top martial arts even if one has already cultivated a set before?"
Lu Yan’s eyes brightened.
As for the presence of a mentor to pass down the teachings, he didn’t pay any heed.
He didn’t need a mentor since he had the Dao Book.
"Of course. I’ll take you to choose in a bit. There are eight sets of top martial arts for you to choose from."
Feng Yuanyi said.
On the platform, the two fought for several hundred rounds without determining a victor. They concluded their match with a friendly embrace and descended from the platform.
"Let’s go. I’ll take you to choose a martial art."
Feng Yuanyi said.
"Brother Yi, this brother looks like a total stranger. Is he new?"
Someone greeted Feng Yuanyi with a wave, eyeing Lu Yan curiously.
"Indeed, his name is Lu Yan. His talent is no less than mine. Please take care of him in the future."
Feng Yuanyi said.
The man looked surprised.
He knew how strong Feng Yuanyi was. To think Lu Yan’s talents were no less than Feng Yuanyi’s.
Another individual with the potential to achieve the Upper True Body had appeared.
"We should go. I’ll escort him to choose a martial art."
Taking a dismissive wave, Feng Yuanyi strode off with Lu Yan.
Not long after, they arrived at a simple courtyard.
Upon entering the courtyard, they saw an elderly man sitting behind a simple counter, yawning away.
"Senior, this is Lu Yan, a new member. He needs to choose a set of top martial arts."
Feng Yuanyi stated.
The elderly man shot them a glance, pulled out a book, and said, "This book has descriptions of eight types of martial arts. Have a look and choose one. Remember, once you’ve made a choice, no exchanges are allowed. Choose wisely."
