52: Chapter 52 The Upper Era

Jiang Baihe looked at his confident Little Martial Nephew, his expression becoming incredibly solemn.

"Those Prodigys in the Transcendent Academy are not simple. Xiao Yuan, Martial Uncle knows you have become invincible in the Qi and Blood Academy. However, there is still a significant gap in realm between you and them. After entering the ruin, you must be cautious and never let your guard down."

He wasn't looking down on Ning Yuan.

On the contrary, it was because he knew all too well how difficult it was for one Prodigy to challenge another at a higher level!

To be able to defeat another Prodigy of the same caliber while being one stage lower was already a terrifying feat sufficient to shake an entire region.

And the top-ranked students in the Transcendent Academy generally had cultivation levels two or three stages higher than Ning Yuan!

The gap between them was like heaven and earth.

However, he did not know.

Ning Yuan was no longer something that could be simply defined by the word 'Prodigy'.

He was heaven-defying!

Seeing his martial uncle's worried face, Ning Yuan quickly waved his hand and promised with a smile, "Don't worry, Martial Uncle, I'm just asking out of curiosity. I definitely won't act recklessly."

Hearing this, Jiang Baihe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's best if you think that way."

"In this Dragon Clan Ruin, the True Dragon Blood Pool can only be considered a secondary core opportunity. Its true core should be the True Dragons Nest at the very depths of the ruin! According to ancient records, True Dragons love to build nests. There, it's possible that not only are True Dragon eggs left behind, but there might even be supreme treasures like Dragon Pearls, which are condensed from the essence of a True Dragon."

"However, that is also the most dangerous place in the entire ruin. I estimate that even the top thirty students of the Transcendent Academy only have a slim chance of gaining anything from there."

At this point, a hint of regret appeared on his face.

Many of these mysterious Ancient Ruins were remnants of the civilization from the previous era.

The internal rules were completely different from the current Star Sea Universe, filled with various strange restrictions.

For example, this Dragon Clan Ruin can only accommodate life forms below the Transcendent Realm.

Even a Martial Emperor powerhouse like him, or even a Martial Saint in person, would have their cultivation forcibly suppressed below the Transcendent Realm upon entry, unable to exert their full strength.

"The ancient Dragon Clan... they were the overlords of the universe in the previous era. Their individual strength was simply inconceivable. It is said that an adult True Dragon's strength is enough to rival a Martial Imperial level expert of our human race! And the best among them could grow into terrifying existences at the Emperor or even Saint level! If this ruin can be thoroughly explored by our human race, the gains it could bring would be immeasurable."

Jiang Baihe sighed with regret.

Ning Yuan's heart suddenly stirred.

"The previous era? Martial Uncle, do you know how the previous era actually ended?"

He had seen scattered mentions of the previous era in many ancient Federation texts.

It seemed that before the birth of this brilliant Star Sea civilization, there had once existed an equally glorious, or perhaps even more powerful, era of civilization.

Even the current martial arts system of the human race seemed to be inextricably linked to that mysterious previous era.

Hearing this, Jiang Baihe shook his head.

"Currently, no one knows. Some scholars speculate that the universe's lifespan naturally reached its end. Others believe a world-ending catastrophe broke out, affecting the entire universe. Perhaps as more Ancient Ruins and Primeval Secret Realms like this one emerge in the future, we might discover some truths about that era."

Having said this, he couldn't help but laugh and patted Ning Yuan's shoulder.

"You kid, don't be so overly ambitious. Those things are still far too distant for us."

Ning Yuan chuckled, his face showing an expression of satisfied curiosity.

"Understood, Martial Uncle."

Finally, Jiang Baihe gave a solemn warning.

"After you go back, prepare well. Remember, after entering the ruin, you must not only be careful of the dangers inherent to the ruin itself but also be wary of the other students around you. Especially those brats from the alien races! Whatever happens inside the ruin, the outside world will know nothing about it."

Ning Yuan nodded solemnly.

...

The next morning.

Inside Villa No. 1, the four roommates were packed and ready to go.

Wang Zai and White Moon, the two little fellows, were also jumping for joy, following at their respective masters' heels, clearly intending to go along.

Seeing this, Zhou Qi asked in astonishment:

"No way? Boss, Second Brother, you're bringing these two little guys along too?"

"I remember that every slot to enter the ruin is bound to personal information. You shouldn't be able to bring battle pets, right?"

Lu Sheng was also full of curiosity.

Jiang Mingyue gave a light snort, a proud expression on her face.

"Who said we can't? White Moon and I can merge into one. The two of us only take up one slot, so what's the problem?"

The moment she finished speaking.

The young fox White Moon at her feet flickered and turned into a soft moonlight, instantly merging into Jiang Mingyue's wrist, finally leaving behind a lifelike silver fox mark.

As she continuously nourished it with the source of her Silver Moon Sacred Body, the connection between her and White Moon became increasingly synchronized and tight.

Seeing this, Zhou Qi and Lu Sheng both gave her a thumbs up.

"Awesome!"

This was simply blatant cheating!

Dammit!

Why don't we have such a cool battle pet!

The two then turned their envious gazes toward Ning Yuan.

"Boss, can your Wang Zai do that too?"

Ning Yuan glanced with disdain at Wang Zai, who was currently sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail at his feet.

"Who would want to merge with a little Local Dog like this?"

"Woof woof!" Hearing this, Wang Zai let out two aggrieved barks.

Lu Sheng scratched his head: "Then... then what about him?"

Ning Yuan remained indifferent.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Yesterday, I went through the back door again and got a separate slot for him."

Although the academy officially said there were 1,100 slots this time.

In reality, they had reserved some extra slots for emergencies.

He had mentioned it to his martial uncle Jiang Baihe yesterday, and naturally, he got one easily.

As long as he didn't follow the main group too blatantly later, it would be fine.

Hearing this, the three of them were completely dumbfounded!

There's an even bigger expert here?!

"This... this works too?"

Zhou Qi was instantly jealous.

"Boss! Then why did you work so hard to participate in the competition yesterday! Couldn't you have just gotten an internal slot directly?"

Ning Yuan grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.

"Because I felt like it!"

He simply wanted to beat people up.

After saying that, he laughed and took the lead in walking out the door.

Behind him, Jiang Mingyue and the other two looked at each other.

Then, they all thought of the same word in their hearts.

"What a dog!"