"Hiss!"
Yan Chuang collapsed onto the ground, teeth chattering from the sharp, tingling pain.
In his arms, the starstone gleamed brightly.
Inside his body, his blood and energy surged wildly.
He could sense it—within the starstone, countless starlights gathered and flowed, forming a river of stars. At the end of this river stood a portal. Beyond it—dark, mysterious—was the Shanhai Realm.
As the star river and star gate manifested, a powerful force radiated from within. It felt like oppression, like a gravitational field. Yan Chuang found himself in this heavy domain, burdened not only physically—his shoulders and limbs feeling as if crushed by thousands of pounds—but also internally, as his blood, bones, and flesh all struggled under this sudden pressure.
External weight.
Internal pressure.
Yan Chuang couldn't bear it. Countless capillaries burst instantly, and blood oozed from every pore.
Lying flat on the ground.
Bleeding all over.
A bloody, horrifying sight!
Yet instead of fear, Yan Chuang was thrilled:
"'Ten Thousand Mountains on My Back'! This is Guangling Academy's 'Ten Thousand Mountains'! And it's the enhanced version!"
Ten Thousand Mountains!
Gravitational Field!
Guangling Academy had only been established for eight years, but in that short time, it produced wave after wave of elite cultivators, surpassing even the old schools. One of the main reasons for this rapid rise was the unique training ground: 'Ten Thousand Mountains'.
This place was truly profound.
For martial artists who trained here, it felt like carrying ten thousand mountains on their shoulders. The immense pressure affected every part of the body—from blood to bones. Once inside, gravity pressed down on every inch of the body without exception.
Compared to the old-school extreme training methods—
Like training in rivers, enduring the current.
Or beneath waterfalls, withstanding the constant pounding.
Or wearing sand or iron vests to increase burden—
Compared to these traditional methods, 'Ten Thousand Mountains' was more mysterious, deeper, and more thorough.
Training here, day after day, the body would transform—
Blood would become richer and thicker.
Bones would become tougher and stronger.
Flesh would tighten and firm up.
Strength and endurance would soar rapidly.
The Shanhai Realm was a secret too great to discuss.
But 'Ten Thousand Mountains' was not.
Yan Chuang had long learned about it from Chen Ze, who had shared many of his own experiences training there.
He had admired the new-school martial artists.
He had longed for Guangling Academy.
'Ten Thousand Mountains' was one of the reasons.
Before this, Yan Chuang believed 'Ten Thousand Mountains' existed due to a special location or a unique artifact.
Only now did he realize—
"The academy has a star gate."
"Where the star gate lies, it connects 'Great Yan' and 'Shanhai', creating a dimensional disparity that produces pressure and gravity. The closer one is to the gate, the stronger the force."
"The academy allows students to enter 'Ten Thousand Mountains' not just for training, but also to get used to the Shanhai Realm's environment in advance."
"Approaching the star gate is itself a process of growth."
"Once someone reaches the star gate, it means they're ready to enter the Shanhai Realm and begin a new journey."
Like Zhong Hui.
Like Lu Qing.
Like Chen Ze.
These elite students from Guangling Academy had all passed through the star gate and entered the Shanhai Realm, reaping immense benefits.
Before—
Even though Yan Chuang knew of 'Ten Thousand Mountains', the star gate, and the Shanhai Realm, as long as he wasn't part of the academy, all he could do was watch helplessly.
Now, things were different—
...
"The academy's star gate is massive. Many students and martial artists can pass through together. Its field covers a range of 500 zhang (≈1.6 km)."
"The star gate within the starstone, however, is a single-person gate, only usable by me. Its domain is just over ten zhang (≈30 meters)."
Scale.
Scope.
The difference was huge.
But in terms of the intensity of the gravitational field in the star gate domain, the single-person starstone gate far surpassed the academy's.
Xun Guilan, who had walked through both types, knew best. Before leaving, she had warned Yan Chuang—
"The academy's gate is mild—ordinary people can walk in its outer area. Anyone with a blood level over 20 can reach the gate and enter the Shanhai Realm."
Blood Level 20!
It might sound low.
But consider this: back in June, before his awakening at the Purple Palace, Yan Chuang had trained hard for 20 years and still only had 15 blood.
20 blood?
That was the standard for Guangling Academy's Research Students.
Like Lu Qing.
Like Zhong Hui.
When they began to shine, their blood levels were around that.
Even Mei Suping barely qualified.
As for Cui Lanxin, when Yan Chuang fought her in July, her blood level was only 17—now, she's hardly a challenge.
Blood Level 20!
Academy Star Gate!
At that standard, Yan Chuang could have entered the Shanhai Realm as early as August, when his blood had reached 23.
But that's for the academy star gate.
The starstone gate was different.
"The starstone gate's domain is just over ten zhang. There's no outer and inner ring—it's all the same, and the pressure is much greater. At 30 blood, one can barely move. At 40, one can complete the crossing."
Yan Chuang had just experienced it. Earlier this month, he had tested himself—from 15 blood in June, to 23 in late July, and now, early September—his blood had soared to 30.
Yet he was still crushed!
Starstone Gate!
40 blood!
Another new threshold!
Guangling Academy accepted all students—but inside, there were many hidden thresholds.
Ordinary Students.
Research Students.
Doctoral Students.
Three tiers, each divided into five grades.
The first tier, Ordinary Disciples, were like Yu Renjie and Dai Pu—the main clients of Yan Chuang's Training Hall, all aiming to break into the Research Student tier. They were willing to pay handsomely if it meant results.
The second tier—Research Students!
These were already considered elite.
Becoming a Research Student gave one access to train in 'Ten Thousand Mountains'.
From Fifth Grade Research Student, to Fourth, to Third, it marked deeper study and growth within the star gate domain.
Those who could reach the star gate in Ten Thousand Mountains could be promoted directly to Third Grade Research Student.
That marked a new stage.
And beyond—
Third Grade Research Students—just reaching the star gate and entering the Shanhai Realm.
Second Grade Research Students—blood level of 30 and above.
First Grade Research Students—blood level of 49, reaching the first limit.
Beyond that—
Was the realm of Doctoral Students.
At that point, blood level was no longer the primary measure. Instead, it was about one's martial arts attainments and depth of knowledge.
Doctoral.
Doctoral!
"Bo (博)" means broad, vast.
Doctoral students needed both depth and breadth.
Yan Chuang wasn't at that level yet. Purely in terms of blood, he had just reached the threshold of a Second Grade Research Student.
But considering his skill in martial arts—
Even the average Second Grade might not match him.