Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Celestial Pride Stele
BOOM!
Shen Daoxing swung his sword, and the ground nearby exploded, sending dust and dirt flying, revealing a large crater.
Shen Daoxing then walked over to the bodies of the Business Alliance thugs. He used his sword to flick them one by one into the crater.
Soon, the bodies of Xue Buhuan and his thugs were all piled into the crater.
With another slash of his sword, Shen Daoxing kicked up a large amount of dirt, burying them completely.
Afterwards, Shen Daoxing scanned the area, erasing any traces of the fight. Only then did he turn to Mu Yiheng. "Elder Mu, though Xue Buhuan’s death won’t be discovered immediately, I’m afraid it won’t stay hidden for long. For your safety, you and Xin should find another safe place to stay. After the Celestial Profound Sacred Land’s entrance assessment, I will definitely bring back the Extreme Flame Meteorite Iron. Please wait for me."
"Alright!"
Elder Mu nodded. "Things being as they are, I’m afraid it will be difficult for me to remain in Daqian. Xin and I will find another place to live and wait for you to return with the Extreme Flame Meteorite Iron."
"Xin, let’s go."
With that, Elder Mu picked up Xin, leaped into the distance, and soon vanished from sight.
Nearby, Lv Yunsheng offered a reminder. "Yang, the people participating in the Sacred Land’s entrance assessment this time are all geniuses among geniuses. It won’t be easy for you to take first place."
Shen Daoxing turned to Lv Yunsheng. "Lv, please elaborate."
Lv Yunsheng then told Shen Daoxing many things about the Sacred Land’s assessment, as well as intelligence on the disciples from various factions.
After learning all this, Shen Daoxing returned to the Shangguan Mansion.
According to Lv Yunsheng, for this recruitment by the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, the top twenty geniuses on the Martial Arts Ranking didn’t need to take the assessment. They could directly participate in the ranking competition. The other geniuses, however, would have to go through the trials.
And to get on the Martial Arts Ranking, geniuses needed to go to the various Celestial Martial Pavilions to undergo challenge tests.
The Martial Kingdom’s Celestial Martial Pavilion was located within the Celestial City Academy. But since Shen Daoxing had a falling out with the academy, he had never once gone. Naturally, he had no ranking and could only climb his way up step-by-step through the assessment trials.
There were still five days until the Sacred Land’s entrance assessment. Further cultivation wouldn’t increase his cultivation level by much, but Shen Daoxing still entered the Venerable Domain to improve his strength as much as possible. After all, the top five geniuses on the Martial Arts Ranking were monsters among monsters—freaks capable of killing those at higher cultivation levels.
However, not long after Shen Daoxing began cultivating...
CREAK!
The gate to his courtyard was pushed open. Shen Daoxing looked up to find that Shangguan Yiran had come to his residence.
"Commandery Princess!"
Shen Daoxing stepped forward and cupped his fist.
Shangguan Yiran nodded. "Come with me!"
Her words were concise and to the point.
"Commandery Princess, where are we going?"
Shen Daoxing was confused.
"The Heroes Tower!"
Shangguan Yiran explained as she walked, "A few days before the entrance assessment each year, geniuses from all over gather at the Heroes Tower to drink, get to know seniors from the Sacred Land, and size up their competition. It’s a good opportunity. However, only the top twenty geniuses on the Martial Arts Ranking are qualified to enter."
Shen Daoxing paused for a moment, then said, "But Commandery Princess, I am not among the top twenty on the Martial Arts Ranking."
"Shen Daoxing, your strength is definitely in the top twenty of the Martial Arts Ranking."
Shangguan Yiran said, leaving no room for doubt, and walked out of the Shangguan Mansion.
Soon, Shangguan Yiran led Shen Daoxing to the front of a towering building.
The Heroes Tower was said to be a place for the disciples of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land to rest when they came down from the mountain to train. It was the largest structure in Ancient Moon City, more than twice the size of the Shangguan Mansion.
Luxurious carriages crowded the entrance, flanked by guards standing at the ready. Various demonic beast mounts crouched on the ground, their dangerous auras keeping ordinary people from daring to approach.
Stepping inside, Shen Daoxing found that many people had already arrived. The place was bustling with activity. But when people saw him enter, they began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Who is this? I don’t recognize him."
"He’s that country bumpkin from some remote, minor kingdom."
"He’s not in the top twenty of the Martial Arts Ranking, is he? How did he get in?"
"Isn’t it obvious? He relied on Fairy Shangguan’s reputation."
"Hmph. With his strength, it’s impossible for him to pass the Sacred Land’s entrance assessment. How does he have the gall to attend this banquet?"
In response, unfriendly gazes from all around landed on Shen Daoxing.
Shen Daoxing just shook his head helplessly and continued to follow Shangguan Yiran deeper inside. They passed through a spacious pavilion and came to a long corridor.
Shen Daoxing glanced to the side and saw a magnificent pavilion not far away. Its entrance was packed with guards, even more than at the main gate of the Heroes Tower. Judging by their auras, none of them were weak.
"What is that place?"
Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but ask, pointing.
"That is the Heroes Tower’s Treasure Pavilion. All the rewards for the Sacred Land’s entrance assessment are stored inside."
Shangguan Yiran glanced over and said flatly.
Hearing this, Shen Daoxing came to a sudden realization. ’No wonder it needs so many guards.’
Then, Shen Daoxing thought for a moment before asking again, "Commandery Princess, I heard that the first-place winner of this assessment will also receive a Divine Soldier, the Celestial Flame Divine Saber?"
"That’s right!"
Shangguan Yiran nodded. "Not only that, but the first-place winner will also receive one hundred Spirit Stones and one Earth-rank, high-grade Cultivation Technique."
Shen Daoxing was slightly surprised. ’The Celestial Profound Sacred Land is certainly generous with its disciples.’
Shangguan Yiran continued walking forward, and Shen Daoxing followed. Before moving on, he cast another glance toward the Treasure Pavilion.
Shangguan Yiran then came to a staircase and ascended. A short while later, they reached the top floor.
The space suddenly opened up before Shen Daoxing’s eyes. He found himself on an open-air terrace.
The first thing he saw was a tall Stone Stele, standing majestically before him.
The Stone Stele was very tall, over a hundred feet high, with a smooth surface. Faintly carved upon it were many different names.
Shangguan Yiran noticed Shen Daoxing’s gaze and looked at the Stone Stele, explaining, "This is the Celestial Pride Stele. It has a special Restriction placed upon it. Only geniuses of outstanding talent can climb it. Every year, the geniuses come here to make an ascent and compete to see who is the one and only number one genius of the East Continent, past and present."
Shen Daoxing looked up. Sure enough, the higher he looked on the Stone Stele, the fewer names were carved there.
And the name carved at the very top, written vertically, hung high above all others. There was a large gap between it and the second-highest name, like a world-shaking dragon emerging alone from the abyss.
"The name at the very top was carved several hundred years ago by Dugu Sheng, the most phenomenal genius of the Daqian Empire. To this day, no one has surpassed him. The Dugu Sheng of today has long since left the East Continent, perhaps even this continent entirely, and gone to parts unknown."
Shangguan Yiran explained from the side.
Dugu Sheng!
Shen Daoxing repeated the name silently, engraving it deep in his mind.
"Shen Daoxing, you should give it a try too. See how you measure up against these geniuses from history!"
Shangguan Yiran suddenly looked at Shen Daoxing, staring directly into his eyes with a look of great expectation.
Because the second-highest name on the Stone Stele was, in fact, Shangguan Yiran.
