The vast clearing rang with roars.
Huge, fiery-red apes howled without end, baring their teeth with savage glares.
Led by their clan chief, they charged one after another at the human warriors who had invaded their territory.
Fire Apes were low-level spirit beasts. They liked to live in groups, and adults could reach the late stage of Spirit Movement.
Mu Chen wielded an ancient-looking staff, sweeping through the thirty-three forms of the Demon-Subduing Staff with airtight precision, killing intent spilling from every strike. Whenever a staff shadow solidified, a vicious ape fell dead.
A pack of low-level spirit beasts was nothing difficult to deal with.
The real problem was the Fire Spirit Ape King, a Spirit Wheel Realm beast. It was quite intelligent and exceptionally cunning, gathering its scattered underlings into a force and directing them with precision.
A moment later, with a thunderous crash, the last survivor—the troublesome Fire Spirit Ape King—fell heavily to the ground. Mu Chen lowered his staff and stood upright, raking in dozens of points once again.
He raised his head, picked a direction, then moved in a flash and vanished from the spot.
After months of fierce fighting, cut off from news, it was about time he went out to see what was happening.
On the distant horizon, an ancient, weathered town lay quietly.
Four towering walls stood shoulder to shoulder around it, encircling it like four giants who reached the heavens and firmly protected the town behind them.
The Sanctuary was a temporary shelter and resting place built jointly by the Five Great Academies for the human prodigies taking part in the Spirit Road Selection, a refuge from spirit beasts.
Of course, only the Five Great Academies could afford something on such a terrifying scale.
Dust-covered from his long journey, Mu Chen glanced at the town from afar, then lowered his head and walked inside.
If he wanted to gather news, the crowded Sanctuary was undoubtedly the best place.
Mu Chen's arrival caught the attention of several human youths gathered near the city gate, who had been so bored they were yawning. Their eyes lit up, and they perked right up.
At the leader's signal, the others immediately swarmed forward.
"Hold it! Stop right there!"
"Listen up. Everyone entering the Sanctuary has to pay one low-level spirit beast essence as a tax. Kid, where's your entry tax?"
The youth at the front wore yellow. He puffed out his chest and shouted noisily.
"Entry tax? What's that?"
Mu Chen had been kind-hearted and mild-mannered since childhood, so he asked at once, not understanding.
As far as he knew, entry into the Sanctuary was subject to strict limits on time and frequency. Fighting was forbidden inside, and experts sent by the Five Great Academies were stationed there to maintain order.
There were no other troublesome rules.
"That's an order from the guardian. Why do you care so much?"
"Are you paying or not? If not, get moving. Don't hang around here."
The yellow-clad youth impatiently waved a hand, his attitude dismissive.
The guardians were powerful experts sent by the Five Great Academies to keep watch. They rarely showed themselves.
"An order from the guardian? Very well. Do you have a token, a written decree, or a seal to prove it?"
Hearing that, Mu Chen's smile grew even gentler.
"Oh? You little punk, so you came here to mess with me, huh? Got a smart mouth, don't you?"
"Boys, slap him! Slap him hard!"
The yellow-clad youth looked Mu Chen up and down, then sneered.
The youths guarding the city grinned and obeyed his order. They had no discipline or rules; they charged out in a chaotic mess, completely lacking any formation.
In their minds, they had a group of Level 3 Spirit Bodies and one Fourth-Grade Spirit Body. With their numbers and a coordinated ambush, they could even drive off an ordinary Level 5 Spirit Body. What was there to fear?
"If there's no token or proof, then this is an unlawful order!"
Mu Chen gave a low laugh. He had already guessed what was going on, and decided to put an end to the farce himself. He stamped his foot against the ground and shot forward like a leopard.
"Ahhh!"
The guards were used to throwing their weight around, and never imagined Mu Chen would launch a surprise attack. They scrambled to fight back, but were instantly done in, one punch sending each of them sprawling to the ground.
Screams rang out as chaos erupted.
The yellow-clad youth stared in stunned silence.
What a beast of a man!
Seeing that things were going badly, he knew he was no match and turned to run.
But the moment he turned around, a rush of wind struck from behind.
In the next instant, a tremendous force hoisted him into the air, where he dangled and kicked wildly.
Mu Chen gripped the yellow-clad youth easily, as if he were holding a chick. With his long, powerful arms, he slapped him rapidly from both sides, delivering ten smacks in a flash.
The yellow-clad youth's cheeks reddened and swelled at a visible speed, puffing up high.
"Had enough? Had enough, kid? Want a little more?"
Mu Chen held him by the collar and asked with a beaming smile.
"Enough, enough! You're the boss, you're my boss!"
The yellow-clad youth's face had been slapped almost entirely into a pig's head. He shrank his neck, nodded frantically, and mumbled a plea for mercy.
"I wasn't talking to you, you damn fool. You're fourteen or fifteen already, and you're still calling yourself a kid?"
"Does a kid look like you? Is a kid as tall as you? Is there any hope for the Great Thousand at all!"
Mu Chen shook his head, looking displeased.
He immediately delivered another ten smacks. Each one landed squarely, and now the yellow-clad youth's face had become a complete pig's head. Even his own mother probably wouldn't recognize him.
The latter burst into tears, crying his heart out.
So no matter what he said, it was his fault, and he was going to get beaten anyway.
"Brother, don't go too far! Do you know who my boss is?!"
The yellow-clad youth panicked when he saw Mu Chen raise his hand to hit him again.
Mu Chen was delighted to hear that. Smiling, he said, "You're finally being sensible. That saves me the trouble of prying it out of you. Hurry up and tell me—who's the person backing you?"
"You extort people and fleece them, and you've picked the wrong guy to mess with. I think he's tired of living."
The yellow-clad youth was speechless.
Brother, do you even realize I'm threatening you?!
"My boss is Chu Qi, a seed candidate selected by the Five Great Academies. He's at the peak of Level 5 Spirit Body, and he's already half a step into Level 6. He's qualified to make a push for King Rank."
"To break through to Level 6, he ordered us to set up a checkpoint at the Sanctuary entrance. We pretended it was an order from the guardians, taking a cut from everyone who passed through and extorting spirit beast essences for him to refine."
Seeing that neither pleading nor fighting would get him free, the yellow-clad youth could only give in. He poured out everything he knew like beans spilling from a sack.
King Rank was said to be an honorary title bestowed by the Five Great Academies upon the top human prodigies who reached the end of the Spirit Road. There were very few of them, and their status was lofty.
As for whether there were even higher ranks, no one knew.
After squeezing out all the information, Mu Chen waved his hand dismissively. "Get lost."
The youths guarding the city immediately fled in a great throng, as if pardoned from death.
"Oh, Xiao Wu, out begging again?"
On the way, he ran into another group heading out of the city. Someone in the group laughed at him.
Anyone who dared speak to him that way was naturally no weaker than the guards.
"Ghost Six, get lost! I don't have time for you right now!"
The yellow-clad youth, feeling thoroughly humiliated, immediately covered his swollen, pig-like head with his clothes. He lowered his head and led his gang of lackeys swiftly into the city.
Mu Chen had sent the yellow-clad youth packing and was just about to step into the city when a chuckle suddenly came from above.
"Excellent, excellent! What impressive footwork, my friend. I, Chu Qi, am truly impressed."
A handsome young man with an air of distinction leaned against the city wall, looking relaxed. He brought his hands together and clapped again and again.
It was as if he were applauding the splendid scene that had unfolded by the city gate.
The contract was signed and received at ten this morning. I was overjoyed, thinking they'd update my status today and I'd take off right away. But when I asked the editor handling the contract, they said it wouldn't be processed until tomorrow or the day after. I was so happy earlier today.
Before you continue