Chapter 94

Qin Wentian sat cross-legged, listening intently. Even Fan Le, who was beside him, had a more solemn expression. The world of martial arts was certainly not as simple as he had imagined. The level they were currently in was still shallow, merely because they had not yet qualified to reach a higher level.

At this moment, Mo Shang undoubtedly wanted to broaden their horizons and tell them about the existences they had not yet touched.

Mo Shang waved his hand, and instantly a large circle appeared on the ground. Then, Mo Shang placed a small pebble in the corner of the circle.

"This pebble is the State of Chu," Mo Shang said, causing Qin Wentian and Fan Le's pupils to contract simultaneously. That pebble was the State of Chu, so what was this circle?

"Here is the Snow Cloud State, the Yan State, the Ice State..." Mo Shang placed pebbles one by one in the circle, and soon there were many pebbles inside, but they still only occupied a small corner of the circle.

Then, Mo Shang circled the area where the pebbles were located, and instantly this area connected into a considerable space, but it was still very small compared to the large circle.

Mo Shang raised his hand and placed a larger stone in the circled area.

"The ten states, including the State of Chu, have this large stone, the Nine Profound Palace, behind them."

Mo Shang said calmly, making Qin Wentian and Fan Le's hearts tremble simultaneously. The Nine Profound Palace should be a sect, yet it was above ten states.

"A word from the Nine Profound Palace can change the ruler of the State of Chu or have it annexed by other states. However, as a transcendent force, the Nine Profound Palace does not interfere in the internal affairs of the State of Chu and others. It stands above them, occasionally selecting some outstanding disciples from the states to become disciples of the Nine Profound Palace."

Mo Shang continued, "Luo Qianqiu comes from here."

Qin Wentian clenched his fists, instantly feeling a tremendous pressure. So that was why Luo Qianqiu had a transcendent status in the State of Chu, because he came from the Nine Profound Palace.

Moreover, he vaguely felt that the Imperial Star Academy seemed to have some issues with Luo Qianqiu.

Qin Wentian also understood why, when Luo Qianqiu wanted to deal with him, Teacher Mo Shang personally came to make him apologize, because at that time, he had not yet gained the true recognition of the Imperial Star Academy, and Luo Qianqiu dared to kill him.

"Luo Qianqiu's father once cultivated in the Imperial Star Academy and had extremely outstanding talent. He was given special attention and was taken as a personal disciple by Elder Ren, who took great care of him."

Mo Shang did not stop, continuing, "His father went to the Nine Profound Palace, and the Imperial Star Academy would not stop a student from reaching a higher stage. On the contrary, they felt proud of him. However, Luo Qianqiu's father plotted to take the Heavenly Star Pavilion of the Imperial Star Academy. He did not pass the test through his own efforts but tried to take what did not belong to him to the Nine Profound Palace. This almost brought disaster to the Imperial Star Academy."

Qin Wentian and Fan Le were shocked again. It turned out that the situation was so complicated.

"Since Luo Qianqiu's father had the backing of the Nine Profound Palace, how did the Imperial Star Academy manage to remain unharmed?" Fan Le asked seriously.

"The Imperial Star Academy has trained countless students, not all of whom are like Luo Qianqiu's father. Some have achieved remarkable success outside this circle." Mo Shang pointed to the area outside the Nine Profound Palace's jurisdiction, saying, "One person, upon learning of this matter, put pressure on the Nine Profound Palace. This person is someone even the Nine Profound Palace fears. In the end, both sides reached an agreement."

Qin Wentian felt somewhat relieved at this point. The Imperial Star Academy, with its thousands of years of history, has produced many outstanding talents, and they clearly have not forgotten the academy that once nurtured them.

"Surrounding the territory governed by the Nine Profound Palace, there are also many other states, each with a force similar to the Nine Profound Palace, such as the Ethereal Peak, the Sunset Mountain, and others. These forces fill this region." Mo Shang drew many circles similar to the Nine Profound Palace, and soon they occupied a considerable area in the large circle.

This simple yet vivid picture allowed Qin Wentian and Fan Le to clearly feel how small the State of Chu was in the large circle, just a small pebble.

And they were still struggling to move forward on this small pebble.

"The Nine Profound Palace does not interfere in the politics of the State of Chu, but why can it easily control ten states, and even change the ruler with a word?" Mo Shang looked at Qin Wentian and Fan Le and asked.

"Of course, it's because of strength," Qin Wentian said.

"Exactly. In the State of Chu, if a Heaven Gang realm expert appears, they can be the law of the land. However, there are some Heaven Gang realm experts in the Nine Profound Palace. Now, it is said that Luo Qianqiu's father has been striving to reach that level for a long time, and it is unknown whether he has already achieved it."

Mo Shang's words made Qin Wentian understand Luo Qianqiu's status in the Imperial Star Academy. The upper echelons of the Imperial Star Academy certainly did not want to accommodate him, but due to his background, the Imperial Star Academy had to compromise.

"Disciple has a question to ask," Qin Wentian said.

"Go ahead," Mo Shang nodded.

"Chu Tianjiao has good cultivation talent, so his future should not be in the State of Chu, right?" Qin Wentian asked, not saying the latter part of his question. With Chu Tianjiao's talent, he might also be valued by the Nine Profound Palace, so why was he so obsessed with royal power?

Any royal power must pave the way for great strength, and strength is the most important.

Mo Shang naturally understood Qin Wentian's question and smiled, saying, "Wentian, cultivation is very resource-intensive. If Chu Tianjiao can rule the entire State of Chu, then the resources of the State of Chu will flow into whose hands in the largest quantity?"

Qin Wentian's expression paused, and he immediately understood. Mo Shang continued, "The ruler does not necessarily have to govern the State of Chu. He can find a few entities like the Ye family to assist in governing the country without hindering his cultivation."

"Alright, next, I need to tell you something important," Mo Shang looked at Qin Wentian with a hint of joy in his eyes. "I thought I would mention this to you next year, but I didn't expect you to grow so fast, so I need to tell you in advance."

Qin Wentian was curious, not knowing what Mo Shang wanted to tell him.

"In the State of Chu, at the end of each year, there is a grand banquet called the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet. The name 'Sovereign's Arrival' has a double meaning: one, the ruler will be present; two, the competition at the banquet has the meaning of ruling the world."

Qin Wentian's heart stirred at this point. This was probably the grand banquet Luo Qianqiu mentioned.

It is called the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet; Sovereign, ruling the world.

"This is not a simple banquet. The Sovereign's Arrival Banquet is held at the Chu King's Platform, where the ruler invites heroes from all over the world to gather. The ruler is present, and heroes come together. Young geniuses below the Yuan Mansion of the State of Chu compete in martial arts, and those who perform outstandingly will be famous in the capital and bring glory to the State of Chu."

"The top nine on the list have a sovereign-like aura and will receive the favor of the state. Even people from other states pay close attention to this Sovereign's Arrival Banquet. Moreover, I can clearly tell you that behind the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet, it is actually the Nine Profound Palace selecting people."

Mo Shang had previously said that the Nine Profound Palace stood behind the major states to select talent.

"Simultaneously, the top nine on the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet list will receive rewards from the State of Chu. Additionally, if people from various martial academies obtain the top nine positions, the academy will grant rewards. In our Imperial Star Academy, only the top position is rewarded, and this reward directly enters the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion."

"The seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion?" Qin Wentian's expression froze. The seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion was something he had always been curious about.

Everyone in the Imperial Star Academy knew that the sixth level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion already contained peak Yuan Mansion cultivation techniques and top-tier Earth-level skills. So, what about the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels?

"Yes, the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion. This is the fastest shortcut. Apart from the top position at the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet, the cost of entering the Heavenly Star Pavilion through other means is too great or too time-consuming. Even Luo Qianqiu cannot do it, so he has only one method: to seize the top position at the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet. Then, he can, like his father, enter the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion."

"The seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion is also the threshold to the eighth and ninth levels. I don't know what exactly is inside, but I know that Luo Qianqiu's father once obtained the top position at the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet and was valued by the Nine Profound Palace. He then entered the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion but did not pass the test to enter the eighth level. Later, he tried to use the power of the Nine Profound Palace to step up, which the Imperial Star Academy could not tolerate."

Mo Shang's words gave Qin Wentian a clear understanding of this past event. Luo Qianqiu's father, without passing the test, still wanted to step into the eighth level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion, angering the academy.

"Luo Qianqiu's appearance at the Imperial Star Academy is a game between the Imperial Star Academy and Luo Qianqiu's father. The Imperial Star Academy does not want Luo Qianqiu to seize the top position at the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet. However, Luo Qianqiu has now broken through to the eighth level of the Wheel Pulse realm. It must be said that he has a chance this year, and even if he fails, if he does not enter the Yuan Mansion next year, no one can stop him."

Mo Shang looked at Qin Wentian seriously and said, "Now, the Imperial Star Academy recognizes you. The upper echelons of the academy definitely hope that you can stop Luo Qianqiu at next year's Sovereign's Arrival Banquet."

"What if he seizes the top position at the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet this year?" Qin Wentian asked. "Will the Imperial Star Academy really let him enter the seventh level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion?"

"That would mean the Imperial Star Academy has lost in this game. Since they have lost, they must accept it." Mo Shang looked up at the snowflakes falling from the sky and said, "Every year's Sovereign's Arrival Banquet is the grandest event of the year in the State of Chu, and it is also the time when the most young geniuses appear. Among them, there are bound to be many at the ninth level of the Wheel Pulse realm or even the peak of the Wheel Pulse realm. I hope someone can defeat Luo Qianqiu."

He did not think about Qin Wentian blocking Luo Qianqiu this year. After all, there were less than two months until the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet, and the time was too short. Qin Wentian could participate in the Sovereign's Arrival Banquet this year, but it could only be a trial!