"Interesting!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Chu Lingfeng's eyes. To put it simply, the Wèncāng Pavilion trial required challengers to break through numerous restrictive formations while simultaneously withstanding the assaults of the Great Dao's power.
Having re-gathered the Devouring Dao Wheel, he was fully capable of swallowing the incoming power of the Great Dao. For Chu Yu, this trial path was nothing less than a path of cultivation.
Without dodging any of the incoming forces of the Great Dao, Chu Yu absorbed and refined every single one of them directly into his body.
The first restrictive formation blocked his way, covered in dense runic patterns. Chu Yu charged straight into it, unleashing a punch that shattered patches of runes into oblivion.
Seeing this, the surrounding young geniuses were all astonished. The formations here required them to mobilize their Dao Wheels and exert every ounce of strength just to push through, yet this punk had simply used his physical body to crash right in, smashing those formidable runes to pieces with a single punch.
Boom!
No sooner had he burst out of the formation than another bolt of lightning plunged from the sky, carrying terrifying might. Chu Yu allowed the lightning to strike his body directly.
In an instant, Chu Yu was bathed in thunderous light. He used the power of the thunder to temper his physique, then swallowed and converted it into his own cultivation base.
Afterward, the second and third restrictive formations were easily cleared by Chu Yu.
Just at that moment, more than a dozen young figures appeared before Chu Yu, all of them experts at or above the Third Layer of Inscription Realm.
"Speak, what people are you?" Chu Yu asked indifferently.
"The Hua Clan! We originally wanted to enter Wèncāng Pavilion, but now we have only one goal—to come and kill you!"
A young genius shouted, his entire body surrounded by dense runes, his aura formidable and robust.
Among the Hua Clan, the aptitude of these dozen-plus individuals could be considered top-tier genius level.
A cold smirk curled the corner of Chu Yu's mouth. "Has the Hua Clan run out of people to use? You petty wretches actually want to kill me? Why hasn't Hua Yunfeng come?"
Hua Yunfeng's aptitude was second only to Chu Lingfeng, and he had been pinned with immense hopes by the Hua Clan, hailed as the genius most likely to step into the Supreme Realm in the history of the Hua Clan.
"His Ninth Highness flatly overestimates himself! Why use a cleaver meant for an ox to kill a chicken? Brother Yunfeng has already become a disciple of the Five Elements Sect, and the few of us are more than enough to kill you!"
The Hua Clan genius said with disdain. In his view, even though Chu Yu had re-gathered the twin Dao Wheels and was destined to become a supreme being, his current strength was still weak. With the dozen of them joining forces, killing Chu Yu would be no problem at all.
The Five Elements Sect was one of the supreme great sects of the Primordial Ancient World, possessing a heritage spanning through ages of antiquity, with a strength far more profound than the three great ancient academies of the Eastern Wasteland.
The fact that Hua Yunfeng could become a disciple of a supreme great sect was proof enough that his aptitude was not much weaker than Chu Lingfeng's.
"Then give it a try!"
Chu Yu said indifferently, making his move instantly. His body moved like a fierce tiger and possessed the momentum of a hidden dragon. Wielding the Burning Heaven Dao Wheel, he threw a punch, sending towering sheets of fire crashing toward the Hua Clan members!
Bang!
In merely a single exchange, three young geniuses of the Hua Clan were sent flying sideways, perishing beneath Chu Yu's fists.
"Such formidable strength!"
The Hua Clan geniuses were all taken aback, a look of terror surging into each of their eyes!
"Invoke the Ancestral Decree!"
An ancient scroll unfurled in mid-air, characters inscribed upon it radiating a mysterious and ancient aura.
The spiritual energy and Dao power within everyone's bodies surged out, converging toward this ancient scroll. A mighty undulation swept outward from the parchment.
"What kind of people dare to engage in a fierce battle within the Wèncāng Pavilion array? Aren't they afraid of angering the elders of Wèncāng Pavilion?"
"It's the Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom, Chu Yu! The ones opposite him are geniuses of the Hua Clan!"
"To think that the internal struggles of the Chu Kingdom would actually be brought all the way to Wèncāng Pavilion."
The many young geniuses participating in the trial were all shocked. The fluctuations emitted by that decree were enough even to obliterate an expert of the Dao Pattern Realm.
"For the sake of the Chu Kingdom, you must die today!"
A Hua Clan genius shouted. Brilliant light flared on the ancient scroll, and patches of Dao patterns emerged, shooting out torrents of the Great Dao toward Chu Yu.
"Clearly doing this for the selfish gains of Chu Lingfeng and the Hua Clan, yet you have the cheek to claim it's for the Chu Kingdom!"
Chu Yu was incensed, his three thousand strands of hair dancing in the air, his demeanor arrogant and wild as a terrifying killing intent surged into his eyes!
"Today this Prince shall slaughter the lot of you here to make a name for myself!"
Chu Yu shouted. Behind him, the Burning Heaven Dao Wheel emerged, hanging in the air like a scorching sun, its terrifying temperature causing the surrounding space to distort.
With the Burning Heaven Sword in hand, crimson sword Qi soared into the sky and slashed down fiercely!
Bang, bang, bang...
A series of startling, thunderous roars rang out as the furiously shooting Dao torrents shattered beneath the Burning Heaven Sword.
Immediately afterward, Chu Yu's figure leaped into the air, reaching out a hand to grab directly at the decree.
"What is he trying to do?"
"Is he trying to destroy the decree?"
"He's fighting the decree bare-handed—he's mad!"
The Hua Clan geniuses cried out in uproar, every single one of them terrified.
The next moment, under countless stunned gazes, Chu Yu's palm collided with the decree!
Boom!
A startling explosion echoed across the place. Heaven and earth trembled violently, and the terrifying power of the Great Dao swept outward in all directions like surging waves.
The Devouring Dao Wheel emerged upon Chu Yu, forming a terrifying black vortex that enveloped the decree, swallowing the power of the Great Dao contained within it!
The decree trembled violently, the Dao power it contained so immense and solid that it felt like an iron bucket.
"Devour for me!"
Chu Yu roared, the devouring force within his body surging forth without reservation, blanketing the decree.
Bang!
A heart-stopping sound rang out, and then, beneath the horrified gazes of the dozen-plus young Hua Clan geniuses, that ancestral decree actually shattered apart with a loud bang!
With the decree shattered, the mighty power of the Great Dao swept out and was swallowed entirely into Chu Yu's body!
A formidable aura diffused from Chu Yu, his realm and cultivation surging by a massive margin, reaching the Peak of the Fourth Layer of Inscription Realm, merely half a step away from the next realm.
"You... you actually tore the ancestral decree to pieces!"
"In such a short time, your strength has actually risen to this degree!"
The Hua Clan geniuses were panic-stricken. They simply could not understand how the current Chu Yu could be even more terrifying than when he had lost his imperial bone.
"Kill!"
Chu Yu's figure vanished from the spot abruptly. The next instant, a crimson sword flash flickered, and the head of a Hua Clan genius sent flying straight into the air.
Chapter 18: The Path Chosen, Even While Weeping, We Must Walk It to the End
Screech...
The head was tossed high, blood splashing three feet into the air, stunning every single young genius present.
With the Burning Heaven Sword in hand, a deep and heavy murderous intent in his eyes, Chu Yu struck in rapid succession. One Hua Clan genius after another died beneath the Burning Heaven Sword!
"Fall back! Fall back!"
"Go back and report this to the Third Prince!"
...
The young geniuses of the Hua Clan panicked, frantically crushing the talisman seals in their hands and teleporting away from the ancient array.
These talisman seals, specially crafted by Wèncāng Pavilion, were meant precisely to save the lives of the various young geniuses, leaving Chu Yu with no alternative.
In the end, three Hua Clan geniuses still managed to escape the trial grounds relying on the talisman seals in their hands.
Sensing the exceptionally formidable fluctuations of power spreading from this area, several elders of Wèncāng Pavilion rushed over successively.
"The people of the Hua Clan have some unbridled nerve, actually daring to disregard the rules of Wèncāng Pavilion and resort to violence in the trial grounds!"
An elder of Wèncāng Pavilion said with fury. He had happened to witness the ancestral decree produced by the young Hua Clan geniuses, and upon learning Chu Yu's identity, he instantly deduced the ins and outs of the matter.
Wèncāng Pavilion had no interest in meddling in the struggle for the imperial throne of the Chu Kingdom, but people from the Hua Clan violating the rules of Wèncāng Pavilion was utterly unacceptable.
If the trials of Wèncāng Pavilion became an opportunity for various factions to ambush and kill young geniuses, the reputation of Wèncāng Pavilion in the Eastern Wasteland would plummet drastically.
"From this moment on, anyone from the Hua Clan who approaches within a hundred miles of Wèncāng Pavilion shall be executed without mercy!" the Wèncāng Pavilion elder declared angrily.
The numerous young geniuses all around broke into an uproar. Such a severe punishment was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for the Hua Clan. Not only did it mean that the Hua Clan had fallen out with Wèncāng Pavilion, but it also meant that from now on, the young geniuses of the Hua Clan would never again have any possibility of entering the three great ancient academies of the Eastern Wasteland.
"The trial continues!" the Wèncāng Pavilion elder shouted.
Following that, the trial of Wèncāng Pavilion proceeded as usual. Charging forward all the way, Chu Yu arrived at the ninth restrictive formation.
Although those who came to participate in the Wèncāng Pavilion trial were all young geniuses from various factions, fewer than one-tenth of them managed to reach the ninth restrictive formation.
The power of the ninth restrictive formation was elevated by a massive margin, yet to Chu Yu, it still posed no threat and was easily cleared.
Stepping out of the ancient array meant truly setting foot inside Wèncāng Pavilion. Verdant mountains and spiritual streams, forests of ancient trees, and medicinal herbs scattered everywhere made it deserving of the name of a divine land.
The spiritual energy and Dao aura within the heaven and earth were more than several times denser than outside Wèncāng Pavilion.
"As expected of an ancient academy; the entire Chu Kingdom cannot find even a single place like this divine land," Chu Yu sighed.
The peak experts of the Chu Kingdom only reached the Peak of the Extreme Dao Realm in their realm and cultivation, whereas Wèncāng Pavilion, as one of the three great ancient academies of the Eastern Wasteland, had multiple Supremes holding the fort.
Chu Yu was not the first person to clear the trial; some had arrived earlier, and there were also disciples handpicked in advance by Wèncāng Pavilion, all gathered on a plaza.
The various branches of Wèncāng Pavilion were divided into the Upper Three Peaks and the Lower Three Peaks according to their rankings.
The Upper Three Peaks were Yúncāng Peak, Heavenly Sword Peak, and Zǐxiá Peak; the Lower Three Peaks were Qīngmíng Peak, Yānbō Peak, and Hàorán Peak.
Those who cleared the Wèncāng Pavilion trial could freely choose to become a disciple of one of these peaks.
The many young geniuses had a certain understanding of the six peaks of Wèncāng Pavilion, and the Upper Three Peaks—Yúncāng Peak, Heavenly Sword Peak, and Zǐxiá Peak—naturally attracted more attention.
Among the Lower Three Peaks, the cultivation methods of Qīngmíng Peak and Yānbō Peak each had their own distinct characteristics. Although their reputation could not match the Upper Three Peaks, quite a few young geniuses who had cleared the trial still chose to join them.
After all, too many top-tier geniuses chose Yúncāng Peak, Heavenly Sword Peak, and Zǐxiá Peak; geniuses whose aptitude could not be considered top-tier would only appear completely mediocre on the Upper Three Peaks.
However, choosing Qīngmíng Peak or Yānbō Peak was different. There was a full possibility of receiving attention and becoming disciples heavily nurtured by those two branches.
Only Hàorán Peak was completely ignored by everyone.
Chu Yu only knew that Wèncāng Pavilion was an ancient academy and did not know the distinction between the Upper Three Peaks and the Lower Three Peaks. However, from the sheer number of people, he could also tell the difference in status among the six peaks of Wèncāng Pavilion.
Chu Yu was infatuated with the sword Dao, and among the six peaks of Wèncāng Pavilion, he was somewhat more interested in Heavenly Sword Peak.
Right at that moment, a youth who looked somewhat sleazy walked up to Chu Yu, staring at him with a rather curious look.
"What are you staring at me for?"
Chu Yu's face darkened. No matter who it was, being stared at like that by a man would feel uncomfortable.
No matter how Chu Yu looked at the other person's gaze, he found it somewhat spine-chilling. It was no different from staring at a stripped-bare young maiden?!
Chu Yu could not help but suspect that the sleazy-looking youth before him was simply a gay man.
"Hehe, Brother, I see you have a dashing appearance, an extraordinary bearing, and wondrous skeletal structure. You must be a one-in-a-million cultivation prodigy! I happen to have a supreme cultivation method here—it's not passed down to men, nor to women, but exclusively to you. I wonder if you might be interested?"
Dark lines covered Chu Yu's face. For some reason, this spiel gave him a familiar feeling, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Not passed to men, not passed to women, but only passed to me?
What was that supposed to mean?
"You'd better scram for this daddy right now before I lose my temper!" Chu Yu said angrily.
The youth finally realized his phrasing had missed the mark, offered an embarrassed laugh, and then pulled out an ancient book, handing it directly before Chu Yu.
"Brother, my apologies, I spoke wrongly. I am Gu Changsheng, a disciple of Hàorán Peak in Wèncāng Pavilion. This ancient book is the supreme cultivation method of our Hàorán Peak—the Grand Haoran Scripture!"
"The Grand Haoran Scripture?"
Chu Yu actually grew a shred of interest. Taking the ancient book from Gu Changsheng's hands, he opened it, and a strange look surged into his eyes.
*The grand Haoran Qi, majestic and awe-inspiring through the ages...*
This was indeed an extremely profound cultivation method. Just from the opening chapter, Chu Yu was deeply captivated by the Grand Haoran Scripture. But just as he couldn't wait to read further, there was nothing more.
"Just this?" Chu Yu asked.
"Of course not just this. This is only the opening chapter of the Grand Haoran Scripture."
Gu Changsheng said proudly with a profound expression.
"The Grand Haoran Scripture is a supreme cultivation method independently created by Hàorán Peak. If you want to obtain the full text of the Grand Haoran Scripture, you have to become a disciple of Hàorán Peak."
Chu Yu furrowed his brow slightly. He had originally intended to go to Heavenly Sword Peak, but the opening chapter of this Grand Haoran Scripture was truly tempting.
After thinking over and over, Chu Yu hardened his heart and made his decision.
"As long as you can guarantee I get to see the full text of the Grand Haoran Scripture, I'll go to Hàorán Peak."
"Hahaha, good! How refreshing! It's a deal then—no going back on it! Whoever goes back on it will have half their manhood shortened!"
Gu Changsheng was overjoyed, as if fearing Chu Yu might renege.
Chu Yu rolled his eyes and said, "I won't go back on it!"
"Then you just sit here for a while. Once the Wèncāng Pavilion trial is completely over, I'll take you up to Hàorán Peak to apprentice."
With that, Gu Changsheng took that ancient book and walked toward another young genius who had just cleared the trial.
"Brother, I see you are handsome and dashing, with an extraordinary bearing and wondrous skeletal structure. You are a one-in-a-million cultivation prodigy! I happen to have a supreme cultivation method here—it's not passed to men, nor to you, but exclusively to you. I wonder if you might be interested?"
This time, Gu Changsheng's luck seemed rather poor; his only reply was a single word: "Scram!"
Immediately afterward, that young genius walked straight toward the registration spot for Yúncāng Peak, not even sparing Gu Changsheng a glance.
"Not interested then not interested, what are you glaring fiercely for?"
Gu Changsheng muttered with a huff, then put on a smiling face once more and greeted another young genius.
"Young man, I see you are handsome and dashing, with an extraordinary bearing and wondrous skeletal structure. You must be a one-in-a-million cultivation prodigy! I happen to have a supreme cultivation method here—it's not passed to men, nor to women, but exclusively to you. I wonder if you might be interested?"
This young genius had a slightly better temper; he said nothing at all, ignored Gu Changsheng, and walked toward the registration spot for Heavenly Sword Peak.
"This..."
Chu Yu was somewhat dazed and speechless for a moment, always feeling as though something wasn't quite right.
Gu Changsheng seemed completely oblivious to what losing face meant; despite being rejected time and time again, he still pursued it with undiminished zest.
Until the very last young genius who cleared the trial walked out of the ancient array and the Wèncāng Pavilion trial came to a complete end, apart from Chu Yu, Gu Changsheng had failed to find a second person willing to become a disciple of Hàorán Peak.
"Gu Changsheng, your luck's not bad this time, managing to bamboozle at least one new disciple."
From the direction of Yúncāng Peak came the taunt of a senior student.
Many gazes cast themselves toward Gu Changsheng successively, and naturally, quite a few gazes also landed upon Chu Yu.
"Is that guy a fool? He doesn't even understand the Upper Three Peaks and Lower Three Peaks of Wèncāng Pavilion—no wonder he got duped into Hàorán Peak."
"Don't underestimate this guy; he's the Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom, who re-gathered the twin Dao Wheels. On the trial path, he fought the ancestral decree of the Hua Clan bare-handed, killing more than a dozen Hua Clan geniuses, leaving some dead and some fleeing."
"So what? It was just sheer luck, and his intelligence is worrisome."
...
Many people discussed among themselves, all looking at Chu Yu with weird gazes.
"Hmph, a piece of trash unable to take the stage. In the Chu Kingdom, he was a prince chased out of the imperial city; arriving at Wèncāng Pavilion, he goes to the worst Hàorán Peak!"
Ye Chen, who had already registered for Yúncāng Peak, glanced at Chu Yu with disdain and let out a cold snort.
"Registration for the various peaks isn't over yet; it's still not too late to go back on it!" someone kindly reminded.
Gu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly as he ran to Chu Yu's side and whispered, "We agreed on this just now—no going back on it! Whoever goes back on it has their little brother shortened by half!"
"Your grandfather! I finally get it—you're just a swindler! Is the Grand Haoran Scripture fake too?!"
Chu Yu said, grinding his teeth in frustration, only hating himself for not inquiring clearly about the situation of Wèncāng Pavilion's six peaks beforehand, thus falling for this kid's trick.
Gu Changsheng dropped his previous expression and grew solemn. "The Grand Haoran Scripture is definitely real. Even compared to the top-tier cultivation methods of the other five peaks, it is superior rather than inferior. It's just that the Grand Haoran Scripture places too much emphasis on artistic conception, and this kind of conception is extremely difficult to comprehend, which is why since ancient times, very few have been able to cultivate the Grand Haoran Scripture to the acme of perfection."
"As long as it's not fake!"
Chu Yu said. Not only was he not disappointed, but he grew even more interested in the Grand Haoran Scripture.
"I'll spare you this once for now; let's go to Hàorán Peak first."
A promise made could not be broken, especially since he had even sworn an oath that whoever backed out would have their little brother shortened by half.
For the sake of his future happiness with Jiang Ruoxi, the path he chose had to be walked to the end, even while weeping.
Chapter 19: What Kind of Cow and Horse Are On Hàorán Peak?
Inside Wèncāng Pavilion, upon Hàorán Peak, within a dilapidated bamboo house amidst a bamboo grove, Chu Yu met Yi Canghai, the master of Hàorán Peak.
This was a disheveled man with unkempt hair. The stubble on his chin seemed to have gone untrimmed for a long time. In a drunken state, his gaze was somewhat vacant and lost, as if he had lost interest in everything in the world.
If Gu Changsheng hadn't told Chu Yu that this person was none other than Yi Canghai, the master of Hàorán Peak, Chu Yu simply wouldn't have been able to connect the man before him with the identity of a peak master.
"Master, this is the new disciple Chu Yu, who volunteered to join Hàorán Peak," Gu Changsheng said with a respectful bow.
Chu Yu couldn't help rolling his eyes. What did he mean by "volunteered to join Hàorán Peak"? This daddy was clearly bamboozled into this by this kid Gu Changsheng!
Yet, right in front of the Hàorán Peak master, Chu Yu couldn't very well voice those words.
Yi Canghai glanced at Chu Yu, a strange gleam flashing through his eyes. After all, Hàorán Peak's reputation in Wèncāng Pavilion fell far short of the other five peaks, and for someone to take the initiative to choose to become a Hàorán Peak disciple was a very rare occurrence indeed.
"Why aren't you paying respects to Master yet?" Gu Changsheng prompted.
Chu Yu bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Master."
Yi Canghai reverted to his lazy demeanor, waved his hand, and said, "Since he's a new disciple, Changsheng, you take your little junior brother here to get familiar with the environment. Come find me in ten days."
"Understood, Master!"
After leaving the bamboo grove, Gu Changsheng spoke to Chu Yu about the other disciples of Hàorán Peak.
"On Hàorán Peak, besides you and me, there are other disciples: Liao Danxin, Wang Dachun, Ren Hongni, Tie Hanhan, as well as Big Yellow and Little Black."