Origin Ancient Realm
Chen Fan calmly returned the greeting to each of the Chief Instructor stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant. His composure beyond his years earned him nods of approval from these old men.
With a flash of light, Chen Fan, Lin Xuanqing, Wen Yuan, and other disciples of the Life School returned to the familiar World Tree.
As soon as they landed, they were greeted by a deafening roar of cheers!
All the remaining disciples of the Life School, regardless of their level of cultivation, were now gazing at Chen Fan with an almost fanatical and worshipful look.
He is the banner of the resurgence of the Life School!
The grand celebration continued late into the night.
When all the excited fellow disciples finally dispersed, Lin Xuanqing led Chen Fan and Wen Yuan back to that familiar stone house.
He waved his hand, setting up a soundproof barrier. The smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.
Chen Fan.
He looked at his disciple and said in a deep voice, "Prepare well. In three days, I will personally escort you to the Origin Ancient Realm."
"This opportunity is not only about you condensing the Immortal Dao Mark, but may also lead you to the secrets of the legendary divine powers. It is one of the most important cornerstones for your future Martial Dao path."
"Absolutely no slackening is allowed!"
Chen Fan looked at the earnest expectation in his master's eyes and nodded calmly.
"Disciple understands."
He turned and walked back to his own private courtyard.
In the Quiet Chamber, Chen Fan sat cross-legged.
He didn't start cultivating immediately. What replayed in his mind was the exhilarating and pure duel with Zhao Xingkong. The opponent's Martial Dao will of "breaking all laws with force" and his own Dao of "encompassing all things and the Life-and-Death Cycle" formed a clear contrast.
The overwhelming praise and fervent adulation from the outside world are nothing but fleeting clouds to him.
His mind was still immersed in that pure duel with Zhao Xingkong.
Zhao Xingkong's domineering fist intent of "breaking all laws with force" is like a Star, fierce, intense, and devastating. His own "Life-and-Death Cycle" is like a boundless Star Sea, encompassing and endlessly repeating.
One is firm, the other gentle; one moves forward relentlessly, the other circulates endlessly.
Two completely different paths were most profoundly proven in their collision.
Within Chen Fan's body, the 8,888 drops of crimson-gold Life-and-Death Dao Blood seemed to possess life at this moment, circulating on their own and quietly undergoing a transformation in stillness.
They surge through the meridians, becoming more refined and harmonious with each cycle.
There was no deliberate cultivation, and no absorption or release of energy.
This is a natural sedimentation, a sublimation after a great battle.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Chen Fan opened his eyes again, his aura was even more restrained, returning to its original simplicity. If one did not see it with their own eyes, no one would be able to connect this seemingly harmless seven or eight-year-old child with the Champion who had dominated the competition.
He could feel that the Life-and-Death Dao Blood within his body was exactly nine thousand, no more, no less.
Its foundation has become increasingly unfathomable.
Thump, thump.
A gentle knock was heard on the courtyard gate.
Chen Fan got up and opened the door, where Lin Xuanqing and Wen Yuan appeared.
Lin Xuanqing looked at Chen Fan, whose aura was as ordinary as a child next door, his cloudy old eyes filled with barely suppressed satisfaction and appreciation.
This is a true gem in its raw state, its brilliance understated, never revealing its sharp edge.
"Disciple," Lin Xuanqing's voice carried a hint of solemnity, "The time has come."
He turned to his eldest disciple, Wen Yuan, and solemnly instructed him, "Wen Yuan, this journey into the Origin Ancient Realm is an immense opportunity, but its internal laws are chaotic, and there are unknown dangers. You have profound cultivation and rich experience, so you must... take good care of Xiao Fan."
Upon hearing Wen Yuan smiled faintly on his gentle face.
The way he looked at Chen Fan no longer held the same feeling he had when they first met as he regarded a junior Junior Fellow Apprentice; instead, it reflected more of an appreciation and trust for a fellow practitioner.
"Rest assured, Master," he replied softly. "My Junior Fellow Apprentice and I will naturally look out for and help each other."
Lin Xuanqing nodded and said no more. With a wave of his sleeve, a gentle spatial force enveloped the two of them, and in an instant, the stars shifted.
When they felt solid ground beneath their feet again, the three of them found themselves in a strange space.
This is an ancient, White Jade Platform suspended in the center of the Tianshu Star System, vast and boundless. Beyond the platform flows a slowly flowing, dazzling galaxy, where the light of billions of Stars converges, seemingly within reach.
At the end of the platform, a Giant Gate, thousands of feet tall and constructed entirely of pure light, stands silently.
It exudes an ancient, primitive, and weathered aura, as if it has existed since the beginning of the universe.
This is the Gate to the Origin Ancient Realm.
Shortly after Chen Fan and his two companions arrived, ripples began to appear on the platform.
"Buzz!!"
An overwhelming aura descended, and a young man carrying a giant sword as tall as himself appeared, accompanied by Old Freak Wang. His aura was as deep as the abyss, and every step he took caused the platform to tremble slightly.
Ancient Martial Arts School, Star River Level Student!
Immediately afterwards, a woman surrounded by miniature spheres of ice, fire, wind, and thunder quietly appeared. She seemed to hold the power of Creation in her hands, her eyes indifferent.
Elemental Faction, Star River Level Student!
A man whose right arm had been completely replaced by precision machinery, and whose eyes flashed with cold data streams, appeared silently on the other side.
New Martial Arts School, Star River Level Student!
Nine figures, each exuding a terrifying aura—some domineering, some sharp, some ethereal, some deathly still—appeared one after another on the White Jade Platform, accompanied by their respective Chief Instructors.
They are the other nine Star River Level Students who stand at the very top of the Star River Martial Academy!
The moment they appeared, nine gazes, like nine unsheathed divine weapons, fell simultaneously on the most inconspicuous figure in the arena.
Chen Fan.
There was no fear, no contempt, and no jealousy.
Those nine gazes contained the purest curiosity, the sharpest scrutiny, and... the most primal fighting spirit!
As the strongest members of their respective schools and top-tier beings in the Seventh Grade Immortal Realm, they possess their own pride.
Chen Fan's childlike appearance contrasted sharply with his legendary and terrifying battle record.
They all wanted to see for themselves what the true nature of this legendary Junior Fellow Apprentice, who had been exceptionally promoted by the Academy Committee, was.
"Interesting."
The young man from the Ancient Martial Arts School, carrying a sword, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. From a distance, he slowly nodded in Chen Fan's direction.
This action signifies acknowledgment.
Acknowledge that this newly promoted "colleague" is qualified to stand with them.
Chen Fan felt all the gazes directed at him. He remained calm and bowed slightly in each direction in return.
Neither arrogant nor humble, but with a modest demeanor.
This composure softened the Prodigies of the other prodigies who had initially been scrutinizing him.