Chapter 256: Chapter 231 The Four Geniuses of Hidden Dragon Camp_1
In the blink of an eye, Lu Yan had been at the Hidden Dragon Camp for ten months.
As Lu Yan walked along the road, he noticed that the population of the Hidden Dragon Camp had significantly increased.
Although the Hidden Dragon Camp had a total of 362 people, including Lu Yan, normally less than half would remain in the camp.
Those who had been in the Hidden Dragon Camp for more than three years did not receive any free Martial Pills and the number of Martial Foods provided was greatly reduced.
To get Martial Pills and Meritorious Points, one had to take on various tasks.
Tasks were of two types; one was a free task that one could choose at will.
The other was a compulsory task issued from above that could not be refused.
This system had two reasons. First, Mansion of King Ming had too many people to feed and could not provide endless free resources.
Secondly, completing tasks allowed for one to gain experience.
Otherwise, the gifted individuals of the Hidden Dragon Camp who had not been tempered would be like flowers in a greenhouse; they wouldn’t stand up to frustration and adversity - if they ever faced danger, they would easily crumble and their combat effectiveness would be barely utilised.
Therefore, most of the people would usually be outside on normal days.
But these past few days, the traffic of people had more than doubled compared to the usual.
It seemed as if all the people from the Hidden Dragon Camp had returned.
"Brother Yi, why is it so bustling recently?" Lu Yan asked Feng Yuanyi.
He and Feng Yuanyi frequently mingled and had become quite familiar. If there was anything Lu Yan didn’t understand, he would seek out Feng Yuanyi.
"You obsessed martialist, you only think about cultivating all day long and don’t know such a big thing?"
Feng Yuanyi gave a disdainful glance at Lu Yan and explained, "You should know about the Hidden Dragon List. There are only fifty spots on the Hidden Dragon List. Once you get on it, you will receive Meritorious Points rewards every month. Furthermore, once you are on the Hidden Dragon List, your ranking will not change within a year and you’ll only have to wait for the challenge contest in the second year for the ranks to be reset."
"In seven days, it will be the annual Hidden Dragon List challenge contest. No matter where they are or what mission they’re on, all the people on the Hidden Dragon List must return to accept the challenge. If they fail to make it back in time, they will be assumed to have voluntarily withdrawn from the Hidden Dragon List, ceding their spot to someone else."
"Do you know how much the rewards are for being on the Hidden Dragon List?" Lu Yan asked curiously.
"Different rankings get different rewards. From the fiftieth to the forty-first rank is one tier, each month they are rewarded ten Meritorious Points."
"From the fortieth to the thirty-first rank is another tier, each month they are rewarded twenty Meritorious points."
"From the thirtieth to the twenty-first rank is yet another tier, each month they’re rewarded thirty Meritorious Points, whereas from the twentieth to the eleventh rank, they can receive forty Meritorious Points."
"As for the top ten, they’re divided into even more tiers."
"For example, from the tenth to the seventh rank, they receive fifty Meritorious Points each month, from the sixth to the fourth rank, the reward increases by twenty, reaching seventy Meritorious Points."
"The top three ranks each have different rewards. The third rank gets a hundred Meritorious Points each month, the second rank gets a hundred and fifty, and the first rank gets two hundred Merit Points."
Feng Yuanyi explained very precisely.
Lu Yan’s eyes were burning.
Just being on the Hidden Dragon List guarantees at least ten Meritorious Points every month, which was equivalent to ten Level Three Martial Pills or three hundred thousand silver taels.
The rewards for the higher rankings were even more bountiful.
The first rank came with the amazing reward of two hundred Meritorious Points every month.
If one maintained the rank for a year, they would accumulate to two thousand four hundred points.
Just imagine how much you could accrue over ten, twenty, or even thirty years!
"Lu Yan, there’s no use getting your hopes up for now. With your Second-rank Master status, it’s impossible to get on the Hidden Dragon List. Most of the people on the list are at the Fifth or Sixth-level Master status. They each have mastered multiple Inner Strengths or are Internal God-men."
"But you just keep cultivating. Once your cultivation level rises, getting onto the Hidden Dragon List is a certainty. Given your extraordinary comprehension, you have the potential to reach the top ten in the future."
Lu Yan laughed.
He was aware of his limits.
Given his Second-rank Master status and the fact that he had mastered twenty-one Inner Strengths, he would likely find it difficult to get onto the Hidden Dragon List even if he demonstrated all of his martial arts skills.
This place was different from other places. The people here were all abnormal.
They were the elite of the Mansion of King Ming from three provinces over the past hundred years.
"Brother Yi, what rank are you?" Lu Yan asked.
"Last year I was rank thirty-three. I had just broken through to Fifth-level Master status and it was incredibly hard to compete with those at the Sixth-level. Once I advance to the Sixth-level Master status, I am certain of being in the top twenty, and there’s a chance I could be in the top ten in the future."
Feng Yuanyi declared with a proud face.
Lu Yan knew that he was not boasting, he did have the confidence to be so proud.
Because Feng Yuanyi was an Internal God-man, his kidneys held miracles, he had the potential to achieve Upper True Body.
"Feng Saoyi... still bragging?"
At that moment, a voice sounded. A middle-aged man who seemed to be in his forties but had a few strands of white hair at his temples walked towards them.
The middle-aged man’s appearance was not very handsome, but he had a distinctive charm.
His eyes were incredibly deep, filled with intense emotions. In Lu Yan’s words, this man had eyes that even looked deeply at dogs.
Upon seeing him, Feng Yuanyi’s face fell and he said grumpily, "Wang Tianyu, if you call me Feng Saoyi again, we’re going to have a problem."
"Sure, Feng Saoyi." The man nodded in response.
Lu Yan’s gaze twitched at the scene.
Wang Tianyu.
He was one of the most well-known figures, considered one of the most watched in the Hidden Dragon Camp.
The reason for this was his terrifying comprehension ability, said to be the best in the Mansion of King Ming in the past three hundred years.
Many people compared Lu Yan with him, but the majority felt Lu Yan was not as good as Wang Tianyu.
"I..."
Feng Yuanyi wished he could stomp his foot Squarely on Wang Tianwu’s face and destroy those eyes that looked at dogs with feelings.
"Who is this gentleman?"
Wang Tianyu turned to Lu Yan.
Feng Yuanyi immediately perked up, saying, "This is Lu Yan, Wang Tianyu, your opponent is here. Lu Yan’s comprehension abilities surpass yours. He will definitely outdo you. Hehe, you should be ready to give up your title as the greatest Martial Comprehension in three hundred years of King Ming’s Mansion."
"What’s so special about a title of the greatest comprehension in three hundred years? It’s just an empty name."
Wang Tianyu curled his lip dismissively, looking at Lu Yan with curiosity, saying, "I have heard your name. You have mastered Thunder Nine Sounds in less than half a year. I am inferior to you, I admire that. If we have time later, why don’t we discuss Martial Arts? How about it?"
"Not at all, not at all."
Lu Yan was being modest.
He was honestly a bit sheepish.
His ability was due to the Dao Book, while others were truly talented.
"Sir Feng Saoyi, let’s leave."
Wang Tianyu waved his hand and walked away with big strides.
Feng Yuanyi was gnashing his teeth in annoyance.
"Wang Tianyu, claimed to be the person with the highest comprehension in the past three hundred years in the Mansion of King Ming. Is that true?"
Lu Yan asked.
"Although this man is annoying and randomly nicknames people, his comprehension ability is extremely high. The title of the individual with the highest comprehension in three hundred years of the Mansion of King Ming is not exaggerated. Do you know how long it takes him to grasp a top martial art? Half a month. For a top martial art that he has never encountered before, he can grasp it in half a month."
Feng Yuanyi said.
Lu Yan sucked in a breath of cold air.
He had the Jiu Jie Knife and the Divine Jiao Gold Body, two top martial arts that unified man and martial arts as his foundation. His perspective on martial arts was superior. But when comprehending the Cold Magic Palm, it took him three months just to get started.
It took almost four months to comprehend Thunder Nine Sounds.
The gap was just too big.
"It is said that Wang Tianyu has now mastered sixteen kinds of Inner Strength. But most of his Inner Strength was cultivated through his Acquired martial body. He has a number of second-tier martial arts and has cultivated first-tier martial arts to the Unity of Man and Martial Arts. "
"Even a top martial art has been cultivated by him to the Unity of Man and Martial Arts. He’s currently cultivating the second top martial arts, as long as the second martial arts that reach the Unity of Man and Martial Arts is also cultivated to the Unity of Man and Martial Arts state, the Inner Strength he commands will immediately surpass twenty and he will possess the potential for achieving King’s True Body."
"That’s why, like those with the potential for King’s True Body, he’s also a target that the other feudal princes want to eliminate. So, whenever he goes out, he’ll disguise himself."
Feng Yuanyi explained.
Lu Yan was surprised, but also elated.
With such talented individuals taking the lead, he wouldn’t surprise others too much even if he showcased a significant increase in the quantity of Inner Strength by guiding a top martial art to the Unity of Man and Martial Arts state.
He couldn’t wait for there to be more and more talented individuals in the Hidden Dragon Camp, the more monstrous the better. That way, he wouldn’t need to hide his abilities.
...
In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.
On that day, the area around the Hidden Dragon Camp’s battle platform was teeming with people.
There were far more than three hundred and sixty-two people present.
The reason for the large crowd was that, apart from those from the Hidden Dragon Camp, several high-level members of King Ming’s bodyguards were attracted. Even some top-level members of the Forbidden Guard Army and King Ming’s Army were drawn to the place.
Lu Yan saw Xiang Chongyang amongst the crowd, chatting and laughing with several middle-aged men. They were probably high-ranking officials from the Forbidden Guard Army, possibly even commanders.
"These big shots didn’t come here to watch ordinary people fight. The only ones that catch their eyes are four individuals."
On the side, Feng Yuanyi spoke lowly.
"Oh? Who are these four people?"
Lu Yan asked curiously.
"Mo Wenzhuo, Shang Wuyang, Chu Hongye, and Wang Tianyu."
Feng Yuanyi, his gaze keen, named four people. He continued, "Mo Wenzhuo, an Innate Martial Body, his Qi-blood is as formidable as an elephant’s. He has mastered twenty-four strands of Inner Strength and has reached the Sixth-level Master Cultivation Level. Currently, he is ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List, and has firmly held onto this position for twenty years."
"Shang Wuyang, an Internal God-man. He harbors a Divine Sword in his lungs, making him uniquely suited to cultivating swordsmanship. His Inner Strength is like a flying immortal from the heavens, extraordinarily fierce and unrivalled, and able to defeat any firmness. He also has the Sixth-level Master Cultivation Level, ranking second on the Hidden Dragon List."
"But Shang Wuyang is younger than Mo Wenzhuo, many people believe Shang Wuyang’s potential is stronger than Mo Wenzhuo’s, and it’s only a matter of time before he pulls Mo Wenzhuo down from the first place throne."
"In the past five years, everytime the two have fought, without exception, it ended with Shang Wuyang’s defeat. But he becomes stronger each time. The reason why so many big shots came, a large part is to watch Shang Wuyang and Mo Wenzhuo fight. They believe Shang Wuyang will definitely challenge Mo Wenzhuo again."
"Controlling twenty-four kinds of Inner Strength, a Sixth-level Master."
Lu Yan was secretly taken aback.
Such individuals could probably defeat him with a single move.
"Then there’s the third one, Chu Hongye, a descendant of King Ming. She’s also an Internal God-man and has the potential for King’s True Body. But she’s younger, in her thirties. She just recently broke through the Fourth-level Master not long ago. Last year she nearly made it onto the Hidden Dragon List, everyone wants to see if she can make it onto the list this year."
"The fourth one, is Wang Tianyu. As you know, he currently only controls sixteen Inner Strengths, but his comprehension ability is too strong. As long as he cultivates one more top martial art to the Unity of Man and Martial Arts, he would immediately join the ranks of those with the potential for King’s True Body. In the future, he will have the potential to challenge Mo Wenzhuo and Shang Wuyang."
Feng Yuanyi continued the introduction.
