104: Tiangong Banquet

Near the new Sacrificial Spirit Hall, the Votive Power restriction was re-established.

Qin Chi's daily schedule became fixed.

At the Si Huo Tribe, his main focus was on consolidating his Spirit Ruins, occasionally activating spiritual power to artificially create "dangerous zones."

The Sacrificial Spirit Hall had completely become his experimental ground.

When at his academy residence, he primarily used the Visualization Method to familiarize himself with this cultivation method, which was extremely important for Martial Artists.

At the same time,

Through the trading platform, he also purchased some inconspicuous gadgets, awaiting their delivery.

These were mainly small communicators, not many in number, capable of supporting communication within a certain range without the need for base stations.

Qin Chi planned to modify their appearance himself once he received them, making them more suitable for the Great Wilderness.

These matters were quite simple.

"Lord Sacrificial Spirit bestowed special treasures that have communication capabilities."

"This way, it can effectively avoid some troubles."

This morning,

Inside the Sacrificial Spirit Hall.

As noon approached, the various spiritual energies around Qin Jin gradually diminished. He slowly opened his eyes, sensing himself.

"The organization of spiritual energy within the Spirit Ruins has progressed further."

"According to the information in the Heavenly Azure Method, the Spirit Void Realm does not have specific sub-level divisions. Similar to the Dao Foundation, when it is thoroughly perfected, cultivators will develop an inner feeling, and then they can attempt to ascend to the next realm. After the Spirit Void is complete, the third realm is called the Cave Heaven."

"Spirit Ruins establish Cave Heaven."

He recalled the information from the Heavenly Azure Method: "According to the records within, depending on the cultivator's innate talent and the accumulation from the first two realms, the number of Cave Heavens each cultivator can open varies greatly."

"The upper limit is nine, and the lower limit is three."

"With a minimum of three Cave Heavens, a cultivator can advance further and attempt to break through to the fourth realm, the Divine Ability Realm."

"When shaping a Cave Heaven, there is no need to specially prepare other items. However, if one can melt precious and divine objects to use as the foundation of the Cave Heaven, then not only will the shaped Cave Heaven be more extraordinary, but there is also a great chance for it to give birth to a unique Cave Heaven Treasure Technique!"

Relevant cultivation information flashed through his mind.

"From the words on the wudao stele, during the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty era, treasures would even spontaneously generate between heaven and earth. It could be called a place of spiritual essence, with all cultivation resources maximized, leading to the creation of this extremely resource-intensive cultivation path."

"If a Heaven's Chosen cultivator truly established nine Cave Heavens, wouldn't that directly consume nine precious divine objects?"

"One can only say they were immensely wealthy."

"This step requires early preparation. I'll see if the Tribe can find anything in the Great Wilderness, and at the same time, check if the academy can provide any additional gains."

"Nine transformations of Congenital, nine Cave Heavens."

"These two different cultivation systems also have similarities, both aligning with the extreme number nine."

As thoughts flickered in his mind, Qin Jin checked the time, retrieved his azure lightning dark halberd, and disappeared from the Sacrificial Spirit Hall.

Inside the villa.

Wearing his personal terminal and changing into casual clothes, Qin Chi walked out of his residence.

Outside.

Xie Wuhai, Han Miao, and Bai Huaiyu were waiting.

They had met when they first arrived at the academy, and during this pre-school period, Qin Chi often socialized with them.

"Qin Jin, you really cut it close with your timing!"

Xie Wuhai's gaze fell upon him: "Let's go, let's head out together."

Currently,

As the school selection examination neared its end and the school year was about to begin, all 19 specially recruited S-rank students of Wu Yuan Academy had reported to the academy.

Just yesterday,

Qin Jin received an invitation.

The invitation was from an S-rank specially recruited student native to Zhi Xia Star.

He invited everyone to his home as guests and to watch the final martial arts competition of the school selection examination together.

According to the academy's rules, he would inevitably interact with other S-rank students in the future. Qin Chi did not refuse and, after contacting Xie Wuhai and the others, set off together.

"Just the four of us?"

Having interacted more, Qin Jin was familiar with their personalities and said, "Xie Wuhai, your social skills are pretty average."

"During this time, you've met more classmates, haven't you developed any other connections?"

"Originally, there was someone else joining us, Ji Tao, whom you met that day."

"However, she had a sudden matter to attend to and couldn't make it."

Xie Wuhai said.

As soon as his voice fell,

Han Miao's peculiar voice rang out: "He doesn't have any social skills."

"I think his ability to take a beating is more like it."

"He challenges people upon meeting them, and after defeating him, seeing his miserable state, I had no choice but to interact with him more."

After she pointed out the essence, Xie Wuhai immediately retorted, saying something like: "How is this not considered social skills?"

"Just tell me if I made friends or not."

"And I wasn't beaten that badly."

Along with his voice, laughter echoed through the group.

The four of them walked together towards the academy exit.

Qin Chi's attention lingered on Bai Huaiyu for a moment.

After advancing to the Congenital Realm, he clearly sensed that the feeling of being overlooked around her had grown even stronger.

As thoughts flickered in his mind, Bai Huaiyu seemed to notice Qin Chi's gaze, turning her eyes to look at him.

She spoke with grace: "Qin Jin, have you... reached the Congenital Realm?"

As soon as she spoke,

The attention of the other two also fell upon them.

"Yes."

Qin Chi replied calmly.

"Really Congenital?!"

Xie Wuhai gasped, his guess confirmed. He waved his fist: "Before the breakthrough, when I sparred with you, it felt like I was facing those Congenital senior brothers at the dojo."

"Now that you've broken through, how formidable must you be?"

"Qin Jin, Brother Chi!"

His will was firm and his personality lively: "From now on, I'll follow you!"

"You know, my other abilities might be lacking, but I can definitely take a beating."

Beside him,

Qin Jin remained noncommittal and said, "If you're going to follow me, just being able to take a beating isn't enough."

"Do you have any information about this S-rank student who sent the invitation?"

"Of course!"

Xie Wuhai's tone carried a hint of pride: "When he came to the academy, I also caught him. Although he didn't accept my challenge, I at least figured out his identity."

The four continued their pace.

Xie Wuhai opened his terminal, and with a series of operations, light screens appeared in front of him, overlapping.

The topmost screen displayed personal information.

[Qin Jin]

[S-rank Special Recruit]

[Hometown]: Unknown Mining Star [Realm]: Suspected Congenital?

[Evaluation]: Can't beat him, absolutely can't beat him. Even harder to beat after breaking through to Congenital. But I am still young, and one day in the future, I will definitely catch up!

"Cough, cough, cough!"

With a light cough, Xie Wuhai quickly swiped away the screen, revealing the next layer.

But the other three's eyesight was sharp, and in that process, they had already seen everything on it.

The next layer contained Han Miao's relevant information.

[Evaluation]: Her spiritual talent is extremely strong, but I really want to hear her speak, and I really want to see what her eyes look like.

Xie Wuhai quickly flipped past it.

Just then,

Behind him, Bai Huaiyu's voice rang out.

"What about mine?"

A strong interest flashed in her eyes: "Xie Wuhai, how did you evaluate me?"

Seeing that the other two involved parties had no overly strong reactions, Xie Wuhai breathed a sigh of relief and continued flipping pages.

Compared to the other two, Bai Huaiyu's evaluation was even more concise.

[Evaluation]: Very beautiful, can't see through her. Bai Huaiyu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly.

It was at this moment,

Qin Jin's voice rang out.

"Xie Wuhai, your information is a bit outdated."

"Outdated where?"

Xie Wuhai looked at him.

"My hometown has already been given a new name by the Federation."

"Now, it is called [Lei Yu Star]."

Just a few days ago, Qin Chi received the news.

After the final selection decision and communication with the Star God's still-awake consciousness, the Federation decided to use the first two characters of the Star God's true name to name the Mining Star.

"A Mining Star named by the Federation?"

Xie Wuhai's eyes lit up slightly: "Qin Jin, there must have been a very significant discovery in your hometown for it to be named by the Federation."

Qin Chi nodded slightly.

For a Mining Star, there could be no discovery more significant than a deity.

"Let's get back to the main topic."

Xie Wuhai quickly edited the information, removing "suspected" and updating the hometown's name, then flipped to a person's profile.

[Chi Wenwu]

"Chi surname?"

Qin Jin's gaze lingered.

"That's right, it's the Chi surname."

Xie Wuhai's expression became a bit more serious: "And it's exactly the Chi surname you're imagining."

"Chi Wenwu, from the Chi Family of Zhi Xia Star, is precisely from the family of our current Wu Yuan Academy Headmaster, Mr. Chi Chenzhou."

Although he challenged everyone he met, he was clearly not a pure brute.

For every S-rank student, after contact, he had conducted more research, even specifically recording it for his own analysis.

At this moment, he spoke eloquently: "Chi Wenwu, according to external evaluations, is an absolute genius!"

"Born with early wisdom, no matter what he learned, his progress was extremely fast. He originally came from a branch of the Chi Family, but due to his extraordinary performance, he was brought into the main family for cultivation and even had his name changed to Wenwu, symbolizing both literary and martial prowess. His current momentum even surpasses that of several main family bloodlines of the same generation within the Chi Family."

"Qin Jin."

"You should be the first Congenital Realm cultivator in our batch."

"In my opinion—"

"If nothing unexpected happens, Chi Wenwu is very likely to secure third place and contend for second."

"What a pity."

At this point, Xie Wuhai shook his head: "The day he came to the academy, he didn't accept my challenge, otherwise, I would have learned more information."

At this moment,

From behind, Bai Huaiyu's interested voice rang out.

"Securing third and contending for second, do you think someone else will break through to Congenital faster than him?"

"Who is it?"

"It's you!"

Xie Wuhai looked at her, his eyes innocent, and said in a deep voice: "Didn't the evaluation already say it? I can't see through you."

"Han Miao's spiritual talent is excellent, even affecting her physical body because of it."

"Qin Jin, on the other hand, is purely strong!"

His voice carried a sense of emotion: "Strong beyond my wildest imagination. Now that he's Congenital, although we haven't fought yet, he's probably strong beyond my comprehension."

"But you—"

"Bai Huaiyu, I completely can't see through you."

His voice was frank: "That battle with you, I still don't understand how I lost; I was defeated just like that."

Upon hearing this,

Bai Huaiyu smiled lightly: "You'll understand in the future."

Beside them,

Qin Chi seemed thoughtful.

The four walked on.

It was still early, so they chatted and strolled. Xie Wuhai directly shared the information he had collected, analyzing and introducing all nineteen S-rank students.

They continued their journey.

And arrived at the academy exit.

At the exit, a light screen descended, vaguely connecting to the sky.

That was Wu Yuan Academy's defense mechanism.

After verifying their identities, they approached the light screen, and faint ripples spread around them.

The next instant—

The view suddenly opened up!

As far as the eye could see, there was a vast wilderness, with birds singing and flowers fragrant, and the air filled with a refreshing aroma.

In the distance, extremely cute creatures were active in this wilderness.

At the far end,

The glow of the sky descended, touching the ground, forming a long bridge connecting heaven and earth. Under Qin Chi's gaze, creatures actually climbed onto it!

This ethereal glow, upon touching the ground, had materialized!

Gaia Planet, a paradise on earth.

This place could truly be called an immortal realm.

This was the outer area of the Martial Arts Department of Wu Yuan Academy, maintaining the original ecology of Zhi Xia Star, without further development.

Behind them,

The light screen disappeared.

When they returned, they could trigger the entrance light screen again via their personal terminals.

Just then,

Not far away,

A middle-aged man in formal attire, dressed like a butler, seemed to have been waiting there for a while.

"Young masters and young ladies."

"I come from the Chi Family."

"My young master instructed me to wait here. Please follow me."

Qin Chi and the others exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

Under their gaze, the middle-aged man took out a space expansion device, and a large star shuttle was retrieved, hovering in the low sky.

"Please."

The butler made an inviting gesture.

After the four boarded the star shuttle, it set sail, soaring into the high sky.

After leaving the undeveloped wilderness, the star shuttle descended, rapidly advancing along a pre-designed route.

Before long—

The star shuttle merged into the traffic flow.

The true face of Gaia Planet unfolded before Qin Chi.

The Mining Star's living area was too backward, and while the Martial Arts Department campus was astonishingly high-tech, its exterior, for some unknown reason, replicated the appearance of the ancestral star.

And now—

The true technological metropolis, with the star shuttle's continuous advance, entered Qin Chi's line of sight.

As far as the eye could see, buildings with full technological flair stood tall, their upper parts reaching into the clouds. Star shuttles formed traffic flows, crisscrossing along fixed routes, not disturbing each other. In the city, there were also super-large space elevators, activating and rushing out of the planet, heading into space.

The sheer area of the city was unimaginable. Located on Gaia Planet, this was already considered one of the most brilliant cities within the Federation.

"This is Tiangong City."

The star shuttle was on autopilot, and the butler's introductory voice rang out: "Tiangong City is located in the north and is the third largest city on Zhi Xia Star."

"After today's banquet, if any young masters or young ladies wish to explore Tiangong City, our Chi Family will provide a dedicated guide, and all your expenses will be covered by us."

Behind them,

Qin Chi and the others maintained calm expressions.

S-rank students specially recruited by the academy were no ordinary people; they wouldn't be swayed by such small favors.

The star shuttle traversed the magnificent technological metropolis, finally stopping in front of a grand estate.

The family's ability to produce a Wu Yuan Academy Headmaster, an extraordinary individual of the Seventh Realm, spoke volumes about their strength.

Upon entering the Chi Family estate, a dedicated attendant led them to an elegantly decorated banquet hall.

Inside,

Some S-rank students had already arrived.

An Shi and Ye Pingan were notably present, along with other individuals Xie Wuhai had introduced. On the large screen at the front of the hall, a live broadcast was displayed.

That was the final martial arts competition of the school selection examination!

Compared to the written examination, the martial arts examination was very complex. The final round was conducted as an elimination tournament, with scores recorded based on specific performance and ranking at the time of elimination.

Today's final competition had only a hundred remaining candidates, who would contend for the final ranking. The ultimate winner would earn the prestigious title of top scholar of the examination.

Although there were no additional rewards, what young person wouldn't aspire to such fame?

As Qin Chi and the others entered, the gazes of the other people in the banquet hall turned towards them.

Qin Jin clearly saw Ye Pingan's figure fluctuate slightly.

At the same time,

Next to An Shi and Ye Pingan sat a woman with short hair and a neutral face. Upon seeing Qin Jin and the others, her eyes lit up, and she stepped closer.

"Xie Wuhai."

Her voice was magnetic, and her gaze swept across the four, lingering for a moment on each, finally focusing on Qin Jin.

"Are you Qin Jin, the one who sent Xie Wuhai flying with one punch?"

Beside her,

Xie Wuhai's eyes widened.

"That's right."

Qin Chi replied calmly: "Is there something?"

"That's great."

"I heard from Ye Pingan that you are very formidable."

"Would you be willing to fight me?"

She pointed to the large screen: "Watching these people fight makes my hands itch. A real fight is much more satisfying."

"You're so formidable, you must be a good opponent."

Upon hearing this,

Qin Chi's expression remained steady, and he shook his head: "No, thank you."

"No, thank you?"

The woman frowned: "Are you scared?"

"Do you only bully people like Xie Wuhai?"

"What do you mean 'people like Xie Wuhai'?"

Xie Wuhai's displeased voice rang out: "Song Shengnan, would Qin Jin be afraid of you?"

"He's afraid of beating you to death!"