Chapter 376: Eastern Domain Sacred City, Visiting an Old Friend
"Zhang Ruochen, why did you stop me?"
Boarding the White Dragon Sacred Ship, Duanmu Xingling shook off Zhang Ruochen's hand, her almond-shaped eyes wide with anger, still carrying a chill in her gaze. She was clearly furious.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Xue Yingrou and I were merely sparring sword techniques. It wasn't as intimate as you imagined. We're all students of the Martial Market Academy—why must things escalate to an irreparable point?"
"You might have only intended to guide her swordsmanship out of camaraderie, but she didn't see it that way. Can't you tell?"
"What others think isn't important. What matters is staying true to oneself," Zhang Ruochen replied.
Duanmu Xingling rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? I saw her kiss you with my own eyes."
Hearing this, Si Xingkong, Chang Qiqi, and even the rabbit Guoguo, who was gnawing on a spirit herb, all turned around, staring at Zhang Ruochen in shock.
Everyone was stunned.
Chang Qiqi, both envious and admiring, said, "Heavens! Junior Brother Zhang, is that true? Xue Yingrou is a breathtaking beauty—she actually kissed you willingly?"
Si Xingkong grinned. "I doubt it was just a kiss."
"Me neither," Chang Qiqi quickly added. "No wonder Xue Yingrou hates you so much. You took such advantage of her. If I were her, I'd hate you to death too."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a wry smile, then looked at Duanmu Xingling. "Senior Sister Duanmu, how do you know about this?"
"I... I just happened to see it..."
Duanmu Xingling's expression turned slightly awkward, and she quickly turned away, afraid Zhang Ruochen might notice something off.
Fortunately, Chang Qiqi came to her rescue, stirring things up. "So it's true! Junior Brother Zhang, you're too charming! Just a few pointers on swordsmanship, and she throws herself at you. I've seen Xue Yingrou a few times, but she never once looked me in the eye—like an iceberg. I thought she was some celestial maiden who didn't eat mortal food, but it turns out she just didn't fancy me."
Guoguo widened his eyes, looking dazed. "Master Chen, was it good?"
Zhang Ruochen laughed helplessly. "She doesn't fancy me either. Didn't you all just see that?"
Chang Qiqi chuckled. "When she finds out that even the young master of the Black Market First Class Hall lost to you, she'll probably regret it again. I have a feeling that in the next issue of the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report*, your battle with Di Yi will make the front page. The news of the Dragon Relic's emergence will shake the world."
Zhang Ruochen felt no joy; instead, his expression grew serious.
Making the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report* would indeed make him famous across the world, a blazing prodigy of the era. But it would also attract assassinations from evil path experts.
Once the next issue of the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report* was released, Zhang Ruochen's life would no longer be as peaceful as it was now.
The massive White Dragon Sacred Ship, powered by the energy of a hundred thousand spirit crystals, activated its propulsion inscriptions, rose into the air, and flew toward the Eastern Domain Sacred City with a rumbling sound.
A planet was a city.
No one knew how many years it had taken for the Eastern Domain Sacred City to reach its current scale. Countless billions of martial artists cultivated and made a living there.
Competition there was fiercer than anywhere else.
But opportunities were also greater.
The White Dragon Sacred Ship pierced through the clouds. Standing on the deck, one could already see the land and oceans below, dotted with palaces, pavilions, towers, and martial grounds. Mountain peaks held imperial palace-like structures, waters contained island cities, and the sky had floating sacred halls.
A dense wave of heaven and earth spiritual energy surged from all directions. Simply by circulating their techniques, martial artists could draw vast amounts of spiritual energy into their meridians, flowing through their limbs and bones, bringing a refreshing sensation.
"The spiritual energy in the Eastern Domain Sacred City is ten times denser than outside. Cultivating here will definitely yield twice the results with half the effort," Si Xingkong remarked.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Spiritual density is just one aspect. More importantly, it's the martial arts atmosphere of the Eastern Domain Sacred City. Here, there are many ten-thousand-year-old great sects and medieval aristocratic clans, fostering a rich martial culture. You can receive guidance from renowned masters and learn profound techniques and combat skills."
Even Lei Jing nodded. Martial arts cultivation was never about working in isolation. One needed a master's guidance, to study a hundred schools of martial arts, and to synthesize their strengths to reach the Saint Realm.
Cultivating only a single technique without exploring others meant that even a king-grade technique wouldn't lead to sainthood.
Only those who achieved comprehensive mastery could become saints.
The Eastern Domain Sacred City comprised five continents, twelve seas, and thousands upon thousands of islands.
The Sacred Academy was located in the Seventh District of Golden Rainbow Continent, an area of ultimate prosperity. Every year, countless martial artists from across the Eastern Domain came to the Seventh District—some on pilgrimage, others hoping to become disciples.
Most were dream-filled geniuses, hoping for a miracle: to be noticed by a half-saint lecturer from the Sacred Academy, accepted as a disciple, and from then on become a sacred disciple of the academy, rising above the masses.
In the Seventh District, besides the Sacred Academy, there were also academies, boxing halls, martial halls, and sword halls founded by other forces—large and small, over a thousand in total.
It could be said that the Seventh District gathered countless prodigies, a convergence of dragons and snakes, where they debated and shaped the future of the Eastern Domain. It was the gathering place for the entire Eastern Domain's geniuses.
Entering the Seventh District, a silver-robed elder dispatched by the Martial Market Academy led Lei Jing, Zhang Ruochen, Si Xingkong, and the others to a martial market courier station.
Though called a courier station, it was more like an imperial palace complex, vast in scope, with walls of silver, pillars carved from gold and jade, and floors paved with blue flower stone.
At first glance, it seemed like a celestial realm, surrounded by divine palaces and heavenly mansions.
"Southern Pavilion courier station has thirty-six palace gardens, three hundred and sixty cultivation rooms, and seven hundred and twenty lower-class servants assigned. Twenty-seven of the palace gardens are already occupied. You'll stay temporarily in the Toad Palace, which has ten rooms—arrange yourselves as you see fit."
The silver-robed elder was quite amiable. He continued, "The first round of the Sacred Academy assessment is set for seven days from now. Remember the time—don't miss the exam."
After explaining what needed to be said, the silver-robed elder withdrew.
"The treatment of Martial Market Academy students is excellent. Even a courier station is like a saint's sacred hall," Chang Qiqi said, ecstatic and buzzing with excitement.
Si Xingkong said, "No matter how good it is, we can only stay for three months. If we don't pass the Sacred Academy assessment after three months, we'll have to pack up and leave."
Chang Qiqi clenched his fists. "I will pass the Sacred Academy assessment. And in the future, through my own efforts, I'll become a permanent resident of the Eastern Domain Sacred City."
Having arrived in the Eastern Domain Sacred City, Chang Qiqi was deeply captivated by its prosperity and martial atmosphere, setting a new goal for himself.
Returning to their respective rooms and settling in, Si Xingkong and Chang Qiqi couldn't wait to leave the courier station and head to the main street of the Seventh District, eager to see more of the Eastern Domain Sacred City's splendor.
Even Duanmu Xingling had left the courier station at some point, disappearing without a trace.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged in his room, drawing the Abyssal Ancient Sword. His fingers gently traced the blade's broken edge, a contemplative expression on his face.
"Xiao Hei's refining skills are limited. He only managed to reconnect the basic inscriptions of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, restoring less than a thousandth of its power."
"Now that I'm in the Eastern Domain Sacred City, it's time to visit that senior. Perhaps only he can help me repair the Abyssal Ancient Sword."
A figure surfaced in Zhang Ruochen's mind. His eyes narrowed, and he sheathed the Abyssal Ancient Sword, slinging it over his back. He left the courier station alone.
Golden Rainbow Continent was divided into eighty-one districts, each vast in area, with a permanent martial artist population exceeding one hundred million.
Beyond the eighty-one districts, there were also special spiritual mountains and sacred lands.
It was worth noting that the Eastern Domain Sacred City was incredibly expensive—inch of land, inch of gold. Buying even a small house in the districts would cost a fortune, enough to drain the resources of a Fish-Dragon Realm expert.
Claiming a spiritual mountain in the Eastern Domain Sacred City was even harder. Only true saints or deeply rooted sects and clans could manage it.
Now, after half a day of travel, Zhang Ruochen arrived at the foot of a spiritual mountain. More precisely, it was a range of spiritual mountains, eighteen in total, connected to one another.
A range of connected spiritual mountains could be called a "sacred land."
This showed that the master of this place was undoubtedly a figure of great importance.
"Sword God Sacred Land."
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the massive stone stele before him. On it, four vigorous ancient characters exuded four awe-inspiring sword intents.
The four characters transformed into four figures, emerging from the stele, continuously evolving sword techniques.
Each character represented a profound and unfathomable sword art.
Eight hundred years ago, Zhang Ruochen had been here before. He had seen this stele and these four characters. Everything seemed unchanged.
Only the fallen leaves on the ground seemed thicker.
The Sword God Sacred Land had been loyal to the Zhang Clan for generations, serving them faithfully. Eight hundred years ago, its master was the sixth disciple of the Ming Emperor, named Lu Yuanzhi, who had reached the level of a Refining Saint Master.
Of course, the identities of the Sword God Sacred Land and Lu Yuanzhi were highly secret. Besides the Ming Emperor and Zhang Ruochen, no more than five people knew of this.
Back then, when the Ming Emperor brought Zhang Ruochen to the Sword God Sacred Land, he told him that if he ever had nowhere to turn and no one in the world to trust, he could only trust Lu Yuanzhi.
"Eight hundred years have passed. Is Senior Brother Lu still alive?" Zhang Ruochen clenched his hands, his mind swirling with thoughts.
Back then, the Ming Emperor's eight disciples were all over a hundred years old. Though Zhang Ruochen was of the same generation, their age gap was vast.
Eight hundred years later, if Lu Yuanzhi still lived, he would be about nine hundred and seventy years old.