"So powerful?!"
Qin Zi gasped, shocked to hear that just the life force Chen Bo exuded could form an awe-inspiring pillar of energy reaching the heavens.
Simply incredible!
He knew he couldn't pull off something like that.
He tried to imagine it and then asked quietly, "Has he ever done anything… over the line?"
With such vigorous life force, it was inevitable that it would cause physical restlessness. It was entirely possible that someone with such energy might act impulsively.
"No, he hasn't."
A senior sister blushed and said, "That's precisely why he's admirable. Only someone with a righteous heart can control their physical urges."
The others nodded in agreement.
If it had been them, they might have already given in and spread their youth and vitality wherever they went.
Qin Zi thought for a moment, then whispered cautiously, "Is it possible that he did, but someone decided to cover it up?"
Everyone rolled their eyes at him.
The scene grew quiet for a moment.
Then, everyone burst into laughter.
Nothing bonds people faster than a good dirty joke, and the atmosphere grew increasingly relaxed after this playful exchange.
Meanwhile, at the bow of the ship, Senior Brother Jin stood coldly, still facing away from the group. But if one looked closely, they'd see his ears twitching ever so slightly.
His face was beginning to twitch too.
He was tempted to go over there and smack each one of them, just to remind them of what it means to respect their senior.
But in the end, he took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down, and kept his cold expression.
He hadn't heard anything.
As the aloof Senior Brother Jin, he was too proud and reserved to associate with the others—how could he possibly eavesdrop?
That was simply impossible!
"Rumble, rumble!"
The flying vessel continued its journey through the sky, tearing through massive clouds as if ripping apart grand tapestries of nature.
Below them, the mountains and rivers were vast and awe-inspiring.
Gigantic mountains reached toward the heavens, and there wasn't just one—multiple towering peaks flanked the flying vessel on either side.
From a distance, it looked as though the vessel was soaring through a colossal valley, surrounded by clouds piled like cotton.
"Roar!!"
Suddenly, from atop one of the mountain peaks, a roar resounded. A massive black ape, two hundred meters tall, appeared.
Climbing one of the peaks, the ape swung itself like a pendulum, hurling its enormous body through the air, its fists clasped together like a hammer aimed at the flying vessel.
"Scram."
Standing at the bow, Jin Zhi casually waved his hand, sending a massive golden palm sweeping through the air. The black ape was instantly sent flying, crashing through the mountain behind it, and disappearing into the distance.
"Hmph, just a low-level demon who's only recently gained sentience, daring to act so boldly—how foolish."
One of the disciples shook his head with a smile.
"Encountering us was its good fortune. If it had run into more ruthless folks, it would've been skinned alive."
Another disciple added.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
At that moment, eerie cries echoed from the sky. Dark spots appeared on the horizon, rapidly growing into a massive swarm of vulture-like birds heading straight toward them.
"Black Sky Demon Birds!"
"So many of them!"
"Hurry, activate the flying vessel's shield!"
The group quickly scrambled, and soon, a golden shield shimmered into existence around the flying vessel, resembling a protective glass barrier—seemingly fragile but incredibly strong!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The flock of demon birds arrived, their sharp black talons gleaming like metal as they scratched against the shield.
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
Sparks flew as the talons left deep gouges in the shield, but those marks quickly healed themselves.
"Speed up!"
Jin Zhi stomped the ground, sending runes rippling out from beneath his feet. Instantly, the flying vessel's speed surged forward.
Soon, they left the flock of birds far behind.
Throughout the rest of the journey, the group encountered several more attacks from various creatures, but they managed to handle them all with relative ease.
On the Jiucang Continent, traveling itself was a form of training. One had to be prepared for sudden dangers and confront them head-on.
Finally, after five days of travel.
They reached their destination.
It was a towering green mountain, entirely smooth and devoid of trees, standing like a giant pillar between heaven and earth.
But this pillar was broken.
The break was not clean; it was jagged and uneven. The mountain was so massive that its uneven surface looked like rolling hills, covered in moss.
Scattered across the uneven terrain were small lakes. From the sky, they appeared as clusters of shimmering blue pools, like delicate sapphires.
In the largest of these lakes, giant lotus leaves floated. The leaves were enormous, each one resembling a small island. Upon them were many figures, with more arriving from all directions.
"This is Mount Beiwang."
"They say this mountain once gathered spiritual energy from all directions, full of divine potential, and had the makings of a world-dominating demon. But it was snapped by the Dragon-Subduing Emperor and reforged into a terrifying imperial weapon."
"The mountain we see now is just its base, less than a tenth of its original height, yet it remains extraordinary."
"The spiritual energy and destiny that linger in this mountain have mostly gathered in the Green Lotus Lake, forming those massive lotus leaves."
The senior brothers and sisters from Ziyun Academy shared their knowledge, exchanging information rather than forcing explanations.
At the same time, those who had already arrived noticed the luxurious flying vessel and began to murmur.
"The people from Ziyun Academy have arrived!"
"What a powerful aura."
"No wonder they're the top faction in Ziyun Domain. So many talents, but wait… is that a Second Heaven Saint?"
Someone seemed to have noticed something unusual, and soon, others became more alert.
Suddenly, Qin Zi felt countless eyes fixating on him, with some gazes even showing an eager desire to test themselves against him.
It seemed he was being sized up as an easy target.
"Let's go down."
Jin Zhi said calmly, taking the lead as they disembarked from the flying vessel and headed toward the lake.
Although they had been a bit disheveled during the journey, now they made a grand entrance!
Those nearby quickly stepped aside to make way.
The group from Ziyun Academy, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, headed straight for the largest lotus leaf.
However, the biggest lotus leaf was already occupied.
Most of the people standing on it wore matching white robes, with a blood-red character embroidered on their backs—Lu.
"Sorry, you're too late. Today, this main leaf belongs to the Lu family."
At the front of the group stood a blue-eyed youth with a handsome face. He smiled, but there was a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Lu Qian, you were once a personal disciple. Have you turned against the academy now that you've left?"
One of the Ziyun Academy disciples shouted.
Lu Qian glanced at him, sneering, "The academy humiliated the Lu family. As the young master of the Lu family, do you expect me to be grateful? The academy is nothing more than a rabble of misfits!"
"How dare you! The academy represents the authority of Ziyun Domain and is under the jurisdiction of the Human Clan's Sacred Hall. How can you insult it like this?"
Another disciple scolded him.
"Heh, actions speak louder than words. Sure, the academy claims authority, but when it comes to true strength… it's no match for my Lu family."
Lu Qian said coldly.
"Move."
Jin Zhi said icily.
"I could."
Lu Qian smirked, raising a finger. "But on one condition."
He slowly pointed at Qin Zi, his expression turning cold.
"He must kneel and apologize to the Lu family in front of everyone!"