12: Chapter 12 Yang Lin’s Invitation

As Jiang Xuan's voice faded, an old man's figure slowly emerged from the previously transparent air. With white hair and beard, kind eyes, and a wide, ink-colored robe, he looked like an otherworldly expert.

"Hehe, as expected of a nine-star talent. His perception is much stronger than ordinary people's." The old man said with a smile, his eyes filled with admiration for Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan was secretly wary. The person in front of him could hide in the air without being detected by him, so he was definitely not an ordinary person. Moreover, he couldn't perceive the other party's cultivation Realm. At present, there was only one possibility: the other party's cultivation Realm was much higher than his.

He secretly ordered the eight Elders with his Soul power to stand in front of him. If anything seemed amiss, he would immediately flee.

Jiang Xuan clasped his hands and politely asked, "Senior, why have you been following this Junior?"

Noticing the hint of wariness in Jiang Xuan, the old man stroked his beard and smiled, "Young friend, there's no need to be nervous. This old man means no harm."

Jiang Xuan chuckled awkwardly, "Senior, you jest. With Senior's cultivation Realm, if you truly meant to harm this Junior, you would have acted long ago. Why bother following me?"

"Hahahaha, you're a clever one, and extremely bold. Though your gaze holds a hint of nervousness, there's no fear at all. You have courage."

The old man praised him and continued, "I am Yang Lin. Some time ago, I received a secret letter at Donglin Martial Academy from Qian Li, the City Lord of Qinglin City."

The letter said that a one-in-ten-thousand young Prodigy had appeared in his city. Out of curiosity, this old man came to see for himself."

At this point, Yang Lin turned to look at Jiang Xuan, his gaze burning, "Now it seems your talent is not just one-in-ten-thousand; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's one-in-a-billion."

Nine-star talent! He had traveled to many places, some even higher in rank than the Great Li Dynasty, yet he had never heard of anyone whose talent could reach such a level.

Jiang Xuan understood in his Heart-Nature, "So, someone from the Academy has arrived. Qian Li mentioned this to him before. Could this Senior also be an Inner Courtyard teacher?"

"Hehe, one-in-a-billion? If this Young Master were to Awaken his entire Progenitor Dragon Bloodline, wouldn't that scare you to death?"

Jiang Xuan chuckled softly, "Hehe, Senior, you overpraise me. This Junior is just lucky."

Then, with his hands behind his back, he looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and continued, "In this Junior's opinion, talent is only one part. While good talent can certainly give you a head start, without unwavering perseverance, it's difficult to reach great heights."

Upon hearing this, Yang Lin's eyes flashed with brilliance, and his hearty laughter echoed through the mountains, "Hahahahaha... Well said! The Great Li Dynasty has existed for thousands of years, and Geniuses are as numerous as carp in a river.

Yet, how many are truly remembered? Every single one of them possessed top-tier perseverance, let alone those across the entire Zhoutian Continent."

"To think you, at such a young age, possess such insight and Comprehension Ability. It is truly rare in this world."

Yang Lin already liked this young man, and now he liked him even more.

He said solemnly, "Young friend Jiang Xuan, with your talent and Heart-Nature, staying in this small Qinglin City is truly a pity. This old man formally invites you to cultivate at the Donglin Martial Academy. That is where you belong."

After speaking, Yang Lin looked at Jiang Xuan nervously, afraid that he would impulsively reject his request. If Jiang Xuan didn't enter Donglin Martial Academy, he would probably live with regret for the rest of his life.

Jiang Xuan lowered his head in thought. He definitely had to go to Donglin Martial Academy. After all, that dog couple hadn't been dealt with yet.

However, if he went there as an outsider to kill someone, the Academy would surely intervene. With his current strength, clashing with the Academy would be a slim hope.

But what if he went as a Disciple of the Martial House Academy? Thinking of this, Jiang Xuan looked up, his tone firm.

"Senior Yang, you must have heard about my past from City Lord Qian, right? The matter between me and Lu Ziming, an Inner Courtyard Disciple of the Academy—once I arrive at the Academy, I will kill him! Given this, are you still willing to let me join the Academy?"

Yang Lin smiled, "Young friend, rest assured. The Academy has a dedicated Martial Dao Life-and-Death Arena, specifically for Disciples with grievances to compete. Once on the Life-and-Death Arena, life and death are disregarded!"

"Moreover, with this old man here, you don't have to worry about retaliation from the strong bullying the weak.

I can assure you that once you go to the Academy, you will be a unique existence within it. As long as you don't violate the Academy's principles, you can do whatever you want."

"However, there's one thing: you can only start as an Outer Courtyard Disciple. Other than that, there are no requirements."

With that, Yang Lin took out a token from hisPregnant and handed it to Jiang Xuan, "This is the Academy's Son of Heaven Number One Token. There is only one such token, and it represents the highest Intermediate level among Academy Disciples.

With this token, you can move freely within the Academy. All Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills are open to you, and you can choose any teacher to answer your questions."

Jiang Xuan looked at the white jade token in his hand, surprised and a little puzzled. "This token has such great authority. Who exactly is this old man? Does an Inner Courtyard teacher have such great power?"

Jiang Xuan shook himself out of his daze, then collected his thoughts, his expression resolute, "In that case, I agree to join the Academy!"

After some thought, Jiang Xuan still agreed to Yang Lin's request. First, it was to seek revenge, cut off the obsession in his Heart-Nature, and complete the System mission. He hadn't forgotten that a mysterious gift package was waiting for him.

Second, by going to the Academy, he wouldn't have to spend limit points to exchange for low-level Martial Skills. He could safely save them to improve his cultivation Realm, which was the top priority.

Third, he originally intended to go out and explore, so he would make Donglin Prefecture his first stop. A prefecture-level area would surely allow him to better understand information about the outside world, and perhaps even trigger many missions. At that time, his strength would only grow stronger!

Hearing Jiang Xuan agree to his request, even at Yang Lin's age, he almost jumped up in excitement. "Good, good, good! Young friend, when shall we depart?" He was already impatient.

"In seven days, Senior. At that time, we will meet at the City Lord's Mansion." He wanted to go back and Break through to the Spirit Infant Realm first. Although Yang Lin's words sounded good,

he only trusted himself. A Breakthrough in cultivation Realm would also provide an extra layer of security. Jiang Xuan always left himself a fallback plan, a habit he had developed over many years in his previous life.

Moreover, by then, the System's mall would also open, and he wanted to see if there was anything suitable for him at the moment.

"Good, this old man will await the young friend's arrival at the City Lord's Mansion." Yang Lin said with a smile.

"Then this Junior bids farewell." With that, Jiang Xuan led the eight people and turned to fly towards Qinglin City.

Watching them leave, Yang Lin stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes unreadable. "An interesting young man. Now, the Academy will be lively.

Hehe, it's the first time someone has received the Son of Heaven Number One Token as an Outer Courtyard Disciple. I wonder what those young lads will react like when they find out."