Big Dipper Seven Guards

"Verification complete. Passage granted."

The four Soul Masters exchanged glances and tossed the complete passage token into the air. In an instant, the jade token emitted a dazzling silver glow!

The silver light radiating from the token gradually spread, eventually forming a silver gate ten zhang tall and twenty zhang wide.

"Hyah."

At the sight of the light gate, Xiao Chenyu flicked his little whip and drove the carriage into it.

The moment he entered the light gate, Xiao Chenyu heard a bustling clamor of voices. On both sides of the road stood densely packed buildings, while Soul Masters wearing Purple Micro Palace emblems came and went.

Inside and outside the gate seemed like two separate spaces—two different worlds.

This... was an array!

More precisely, it was the Nine Palaces Illusory Array Zhou Chen had won through the lottery in the cultivation techniques section of the Level 3 System.

That was right. After Zhou Chen had spent over a million gold coins, the System had now reached Level 3. Its lottery function was no longer limited to medicinal pills; it had also added cultivation techniques and bloodlines.

The Nine Palaces Illusory Array could conceal all light, sound, and energy within its range. Even an ordinary Titled Douluo would be unable to see through it.

Thus, Purple Micro Palace's base had been built outside Notting City, practically beneath Spirit Hall's nose, yet no one had discovered it.

"Palace Master, we've arrived."

Xiao Chenyu jumped down from the carriage and spoke respectfully.

"You've worked hard."

A clear voice rang out. Zhou Chen lifted the black carriage curtain and stepped down.

Before him stood a magnificent purple hall.

This was Purple Micro Hall, Purple Micro Palace's most important Soul Master training center. Beneath this hall lay an array—the Starlight Spirit Gathering Array.

This array could gather the power of the stars, transform it into pure Soul Power, and infuse it into Soul Masters, helping them cultivate more quickly.

The reason the four gatekeeping Soul Masters outside Holy Soul Village had surpassed Level 20 at only fifteen or sixteen was not because their talents were so exceptional, but because of this Spirit Gathering Array.

Just as Zhou Chen and Xiao Chenyu reached the entrance of Purple Micro Hall, a broad-shouldered, powerfully built young man who also looked seventeen or eighteen came running toward them.

The instant the young man saw Zhou Chen, he immediately dropped to one knee. "This subordinate greets the Palace Master."

"So it's Wang Sheng. I didn't expect you to have broken through to Soul Ancestor as well. Rise." Zhou Chen smiled kindly.

This Wang Sheng was the work-study student from Notting Academy who had been in Tang San's class, though he was five or six years older than Tang San. His martial soul was the Battle Tiger.

In fact, most of Purple Micro Palace's more than three hundred Soul Masters were students who had graduated from Notting Academy.

After all, even the academy's headmaster, Marx, was one of Zhou Chen's people. Naturally, he would not let the benefits fall into outsiders' hands.

Besides, guaranteed job placement after graduation was not necessarily a bad thing for the students.

Upon entering Purple Micro Hall, Zhou Chen unceremoniously took the seat of honor, while Wang Sheng and Xiao Chenyu sat on either side of him.

"Wang Sheng, Chenyu, I haven't been here in over a year. Tell me about Purple Micro Palace's current situation."

The moment he sat down, Zhou Chen immediately asked.

As a cautious ruler, Zhou Chen naturally had some concerns after being out of touch with Purple Micro Palace's specific personnel matters for over a year.

His inspection today also carried the intention of reclaiming authority.

At those words, Xiao Chenyu instantly sprang from his seat.

Born into nobility, he understood the twists and turns of power struggles better than anyone. He immediately bowed and cupped his hands respectfully. "Palace Master, Purple Micro Palace currently has three hundred and sixty-five registered Soul Masters, including yourself. Among them, two hundred and seventy-eight are Great Spirit Masters above Level 20, eighty-one are Soul Elders above Level 30, and three are Soul Ancestors above Level 40—myself, Wang Sheng, and Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang."

"Additionally, Headmaster Marx broke through Level 70 six days ago. However, he is currently in seclusion to consolidate his realm and has not organized anyone to hunt a soul ring yet. He is only one step away from becoming a Soul Saint."

"As for Clear Sky Your Excellency..."

At this point, Xiao Chenyu looked troubled. "We have no idea where the old gentleman is."

"Clear Sky Douluo's affairs have nothing to do with you."

Zhou Chen waved his hand. On the surface, he appeared calm and unconcerned, but in truth, he also had no idea where Tang Hao had gone.

Not even Tang San, his son, knew his father's whereabouts.

Six years ago, after Tang Hao took the Blood Limb Elixir and recovered from his injuries, he had indeed kept his promise and joined Purple Micro Palace. He had even helped Zhou Chen hammer a Soul Saint expert from the Star Luo Shadow Guards to death.

However, over the past year or two, Tang Hao had frequently disappeared without anyone knowing where he had gone.

Rubbing his temples, Zhou Chen stopped thinking about Tang Hao and turned his gaze toward Wang Sheng.

Two years ago, he had entrusted Wang Sheng with an important task: establishing the Big Dipper Seven Guards.

In Chinese myth and legend, the Purple Micro Emperor Star, the Great Emperor of the North Pole at the center of heaven, resided atop the Purple Micro Emperor Star—the North Star.

Around the Purple Micro Emperor Star stood seven great star palaces in eternal guard: Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang—the seven stars of the Big Dipper!

The reason Zhou Chen had established the Big Dipper Seven Guards was to emulate the seven Big Dipper star palaces under the Purple Micro Emperor.

He wondered how well this former work-study student, now the commander of the Tian Shu Guard and leader of the Big Dipper Seven Guards, had completed the task.

Seeing Zhou Chen's scrutinizing gaze, Wang Sheng immediately felt enormous pressure.

He promptly rose to his feet and, imitating Xiao Chenyu, bowed and cupped his hands toward Zhou Chen. "Palace Master, two of the Big Dipper Seven Guards have currently been established: the Tian Shu Guard and the Tian Ji Guard. The other five are still in preparation."

"Of these, I serve as commander of the Tian Shu Guard. We have fifty members, all power-attack and defense-type Soul Elders above level 30, primarily responsible for combat operations outside.

"As for the Tian Ji Guard's specific situation, I don't know much about it. Xiao Chenyu will have to explain it, since he is the Tian Ji Guard's commander."

After saying that, Wang Sheng looked at Xiao Chenyu, signaling that it was his turn to speak.

Xiao Chenyu nodded, immediately turned around, and said, "Palace Master, following the intelligence organization training manual you gave me, our Tian Ji Guard has been divided into three sections."

"One section consists of core combat personnel. There are thirty of them, mostly agility attack-type soul masters, all Soul Elders above level 30. They are primarily responsible for assassination operations."

"The second section consists of core analysis personnel. There are two hundred of them, all ordinary people. They are responsible for organizing and analyzing the intelligence gathered, forming final conclusions, and submitting them to you."

"The third section consists of peripheral members. There are all kinds of people among them, and their number has already exceeded five thousand, continuing to grow every day. Their monthly salary is at least one Gold Soul Coin. They are spread across various regions, responsible for gathering intelligence and infiltrating the two great empires of Heaven Dou and Star Luo."

"However..."

After a brief pause, Xiao Chenyu shifted his tone. "Limited by Purple Micro Palace's funds and strength, our intelligence network currently only extends to several provinces and kingdoms around Fasinuo Province. We have no way to infiltrate places farther away yet."