Chapter 387: Chapter 226: Dark Sun Time (Part 2)
Not far away, Qin Tianlin stood with his arms raised, his expression shifting uncertainly as if he were about to embrace someone.
"Martial Uncle Su Chen?" A figure suddenly approached. He looked to be well on in years, but the title rolled off his tongue with practiced ease. Beaming, he said, "In the Sect, I’ve heard your name constantly. I’ve always wondered when I’d get the chance to meet you. Now that I have, I see the Star Seed’s reputation is truly well-deserved!"
"Oh... I’m Zhou Yunyang..." Seeing Su Chen’s blank look, he introduced himself. "I’m a Steward in the Artifact Hall."
"Steward Zhou," Su Chen responded politely. ’This guy,’ he mused, ’he was one of the ones smiling most eagerly beside Qin Tianlin just now.’
Zhou Yunyang smiled. "No need to be so formal. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to ask."
"Of course, of course," Su Chen replied noncommittally. In his peripheral vision, he saw Qin Tianlin’s face had darkened. He had already lowered his arms and was turning to leave.
A few people followed him, but most remained, exchanging glances before they too swarmed over to introduce themselves—
"...Martial... Uncle Su Chen, I’m a Steward from the Punishment Hall..."
"...I’m a Steward from the Spirit Hall..."
Su Chen felt overwhelmed as these men, all significantly older than him, addressed him as "Martial Uncle" one after another.
Some even tried to invite him to a banquet on the spot.
"Everyone... Everyone..." Wan Chen forced his way through the crowd. "Su Chen still hasn’t registered his information or provided a spiritual sample," he interrupted. "There’s no rush for a banquet."
There were many things Su Chen had to do in person; registering his identity was more than just filling out a form.
"Wan Chen!" Zhou Yunyang suddenly snapped, his brow furrowed. "Show some respect for your seniors! You should be addressing him as Grand Martial Uncle."
Wan Chen: "You piece of—"
His face froze, and he nearly let the curse fly. It was only because Su Chen grabbed him and pulled him out of the crowd that he managed to hold back.
"...That Zhou Yunyang is the last descendant of a former Morning Star Tier professional. He’s the smoothest operator of them all. The others in the Sect aren’t this bad."
Wan Chen explained with a grim expression, afraid Su Chen would think the Bronze Sect was full of sycophants.
Su Chen nodded. Aside from Zhou Yunyang, the others’ attitudes could be described as enthusiastic at most, not quite fawning.
It stemmed more from the thought, ’This guy seems like a big deal. Better to get on his good side now.’
Lan Hao followed behind them, feeling like he was on pins and needles. He was finally realizing how foolish his earlier hesitation had been.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he followed Wan Chen to the Bronze Tower. After Su Chen’s identity was verified, Wan Chen told him to go in alone.
"There will be a guide once you’re inside. I’m... not qualified to enter yet," he said with a wry smile.
"Oh?" Su Chen was surprised. He had assumed anyone could go in.
He stepped inside, and the metal door slid shut behind him. The world went pitch-black before tiny points of light began to appear, making him feel as if he were floating in the cosmos.
An ethereal voice echoed around him. "Greetings, Star Seed—Lord Su Chen. I am the Copper Spirit. Please follow my instructions to register your information."
"Alright," Su Chen nodded.
"Now commencing basic information and physical characteristic scan..."
Interwoven curtains of light scanned him back and forth several times from all directions. He then followed the prompts, opening his mouth, tilting his head, and even walking a few steps.
"Basic information and physical characteristic scan complete. Now commencing biometric scan. Please provide one drop of blood in the container before you."
As instructed, a metal bowl materialized in front of him. Su Chen extended a finger, the tip splitting open as he squeezed out a single drop of crimson blood.
After that came scans of his irises, fingerprints, and even his voiceprint.
"Biometric scan complete. Now commencing spiritual sample collection. Please relax and restrain any mental impulses..."
Su Chen took a deep breath, doing his best to remain calm. Soon, he felt a sensation like a probe piercing his skull.
Of course, this was just an abstract sensation; it was actually penetrating his Spirit Core. But the uncomfortable feeling vanished in an instant.
’This spiritual probe isn’t just for collecting a sample,’ Su Chen mused. ’It’s probably also checking for any corruption from a Deceitful God.’ He then asked what the spiritual sample was used for.
"A spiritual sample can be used to determine, to a certain degree, whether the subject is deceased. It can also be used to calculate the subject’s location, provided there is no interference..."
"Please rest assured. The spiritual sample can only be accessed by the Ancient King himself. Others may only view it according to a fixed procedure. No one will be able to use this against you."
The Copper Spirit was remarkably intelligent; it had realized what Su Chen was worried about.
Su Chen nodded and waited in silence.
Soon, rays of light intertwined before him, weaving together to form a metal wristband. It resembled a Spiritual Pressure Ring but was far more delicate, its surface etched with intricate patterns.
"This is your network communication terminal. All public software has been registered to your identity. Within the regional network, you can access the Sect’s basic information, make purchases, communicate, and perform other functions..."
"Through the Sect’s channel, you can also access the external network. You have now unlocked Star Seed-level permissions, allowing you to access over 95% of the Sect’s areas..."
The list of his permissions was long, and the Copper Spirit spoke for quite some time. Su Chen took the wristband and fastened it on. It was a perfect fit.
He could even change its color. He fiddled with it for a moment and pulled up a virtual screen. A dazzling array of apps came into view, finally giving him a sense of familiarity.
"’Holy Hall Rankings?’" He spotted a bronze-colored icon and curiously tapped it. The layout was simple. At the very top was—
First: Shen Yi’an, Tier Seven, Star Seed.
Second: Wei Zhenghong, Tier Seven, Star Seed.
Third: ...
Su Chen kept scrolling down the long list of names. Qin Tianlin was ranked twenty-fifth—a Tier Six Professional.
Not until he reached the three-hundreds did he see another familiar name.
Number 350: Wan Chen, Tier Five Professional.
’Tsk...’ This Holy Hall was the Bronze Sect’s internal institution for cultivating talent, and the place people from the governed Life Stars most yearned to enter.
Excluding the descendants of the Sect’s upper echelon, those who managed to enter were basically all possessors of extremely high dual Talents. Su Chen scrolled to the very end but didn’t see the name Mo Cui.
The age differences on the list were also huge. A gap of three to five years was considered small; there were plenty of people ten or even twenty years older than him.
At his age, Wan Chen’s rank was already considered excellent.
’Right, I still need to clear this Nether Fog from my body.’ The mention of age reminded Su Chen. Having half his lifespan cut for no reason at all was a deeply unsettling thought.
"The age limit for the Holy Hall rankings is fifty," the Copper Spirit explained, adding a comforting note. "Lord Su Chen, you are still young. There is no need to concern yourself with this."
"You’re pretty good at consoling people," Su Chen chuckled. He couldn’t help but ask, "How are these rankings determined? Is it purely based on Tier, or on actual strength? And are there rewards for being at the top?"
The Copper Spirit explained, "Not exactly. If there’s too much fighting to the death, it would inevitably stir up true animosity. This list is for competition, not for breeding vendettas."
"As for the competition method and the rewards, the rules are listed on the platform. It’s rather complex. Would you like me to explain it in detail?"
"No need, I’ll figure it out myself." Su Chen wasn’t too concerned. He turned off the virtual screen. It was getting stuffy in here, and since everything was done, he didn’t linger and exited the tower.
The moment he stepped outside, he was startled.
The plaza, which had been sparsely populated before he went in, was now packed to the brim. A sea of eyes immediately converged on him.
Curiosity, confusion, and surprise were all mixed in their gazes.
"They all came when they heard the news," Wan Chen whispered, his own scalp prickling. "Let’s take a side path."
Su Chen’s mouth twitched, but he could only nod in agreement.
They skirted around the tower and found a small path. There were plenty of people here as well, but no one approached them. They just stared curiously, creating a rather bizarre atmosphere.
However, they had barely taken a few steps before the sky began to grow dark.
"Hm?" Su Chen stopped in his tracks and looked up in surprise. The brilliant, blazing sun in the distance was gradually going out.
"This is the time of the Dark Sun. It lasts for twelve hours each day," Wan Chen explained.
"’Dark Sun...’" Su Chen was genuinely surprised. As the sun extinguished, lights began to switch on all around them.
"Does every Flame Fire have a Dark Sun period?" Su Chen couldn’t help but ask.
Wan Chen’s expression flickered. After a moment of silence, he said, "No. This is unique to our Bronze Sect."
