“The Scarlet Heaven Academy is the largest and best academy in our empire. All other things aside, the juniors of the Left and Right Minister and the Seven Generals are all studying there,” Shang Chengyun said with a smile. “I, too, had the fortune of staying in the Scarlet Heaven Academy for 387 years. Unfortunately, due to inadequate talent, I was still cast out in the end.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, “If you are able to meet some high-ranking officials and n.o.bles there, then it would make for some sort of relations. Even if you are not able to return to your own nation, you will at least be able to move freely within the territory of our empire, and would no longer have to be trapped in the Imperial Capital.”
As per the agreement, Ling Han, as a hostage, could only remain in the Imperial Capital. If he took one step out of it, it could be regarded as a challenge to the imperial authority, and he could be directly executed for it.
Ling Han nodded, and quickly questioned the other about the exact details of the Scarlet Heaven Academy.
To be honest, if he wanted to break through to the Immortal level, he would have to obtain an Immortal level cultivation technique. In terms of Body Arts, he had the Nine Dragons Tyrant Body Art, but in terms of Origin Power, there was nothing he could do. Without the guidance of a cultivation technique, he could only mull over it himself, and that would be too time-consuming.
Xiang Chengyun talked for the whole journey, and Ling Han listened the whole way. When they reached the Imperial Capital of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire, Ling Han had a considerable understanding of the Scarlet Heaven Academy.
This top academy in the Imperial Capital of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire had existed for more than a hundred millennia. After many years of development, it was divided into the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Inst.i.tutions. Although they were all in the Imperial Capital, they could be considered four independent inst.i.tutions, and had a fiercely compet.i.tive relations.h.i.+p with one another.
If Ling Han wanted to enroll in the Scarlet Heaven Academy, with his status as the monarch of a nation, he would only need to speak to the Left Minister, and his enrollment into the Academy would definitely be a small matter.
“However, I would advise you to best enter based on your own merits,” Xiang Chengyun said. “After another ten days, the Northern Inst.i.tution will hold the enrollment ceremony that would take place once every twenty years. If you are able to show an excellent performance, then you will be able to gain the focused nurturing and attention from the Inst.i.tution. Otherwise, Lord Left Minister indeed can easily send you into the Inst.i.tution, but you will only become an ordinary student.”
Ling Han knew that the four Inst.i.tutions held their enrollment ceremonies separately from each other. There would be a chance once every five years. If one could pa.s.s the enrollment test and get in based on his own merits, then the more excellent his results, the more it was possible that he would be able to gain the focused attention of the Inst.i.tution. He would be able to gain an incline in terms of cultivation resources; naturally, he would also be able to gain an Immortal level cultivation technique.
This year, it was the Northern Inst.i.tution’s turn to enroll new students. Five years later, it would be the Eastern Inst.i.tution’s turn, and after another five years, it would be the Southern Inst.i.tution… it was a twenty-year cycle.
However, if one wanted to enroll into the Scarlet Heaven Academy, then the minimum requirement was the Shattering Void Tier. Every Inst.i.tution was further divided into five levels, which corresponded with the four minor levels of the Shattering Void Tier and the Mountain River Tier.
As for those who had reached the peak of the Mountain River Tier, then sorry, but if you wanted to continue to ascend further than that, you would have to think of something on your own. For example, you could become the disciple of some elite, join some powerful force, or simply set out to explore ancient historical sites to obtain higher-level cultivation techniques.
Ling Han now did not need to consider the things after Mountain River Tier. After entering the Scarlet Heaven Academy, he could at least learn cultivation techniques all the way up to the Mountain River Tier.
He had to get in!
Ling Han pondered. He had just arrived in the Immortal Realm, and was still a stranger in a strange place. He needed a place to stay so he could calmly observe this world, and as the Alchemy Emperor, there was definitely ample scope for him to showcase his abilities.
The Imperial Capital of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire was named Point Star City, and was astonis.h.i.+ngly huge. It was at least a hundred times the size of the Imperial Capital of the Great Ling Empire. One could see the light of formations flickering on all four sides of the imperial city from afar—they could explode with terrifying might at any moment.
According to Xiang Chengyun, if any Immortals below the Heavenly Body Tier dared to barge in forcefully, they would be killed directly by the formations; there was no other possibility.
After arriving, even if Xiang Chengyun was the subordinate of the Left Minister, he could only obediently steer his air vessel downwards and go through the official procedures to enter into the city. After helping Ling Han get temporary identification papers, the two of them entered into the city and headed towards the Left Minister Manor.
The Left Minister was one of the masters at the power peak of this powerful Majestic Empire, so his manor was naturally incredibly big. It was definitely not inferior to Ling Han’s Imperial Palace in any way, and was built from materials that were definitely a hundred times, a thousand times more precious. Looking from afar, one would be able to see that there were images of True Dragons and True Phoenixes flying around above the manor, making for a very grand and majestic sight.
If even the manor of the Left Minister was like this, then how would the palace of the empress look like?
Xiang Chengyun arrived at the manor’s entrance, showed proof of his ident.i.ty, and brought Ling Han inside. He seemed to have considerable status in the manor as servants would all respectfully bow and pay respects to him on the way.
Very soon, they arrived at an elegant courtyard. Xiang Chengyun had Ling Han sit down on a stone stool by the side and wait, whereas he himself entered indoors to inform the Left Minister.
Theoretically, with the fact that Ling Han had yet to even enter into Immortal level, he was absolutely not qualified to meet personally with the Left Minister. However, Ling Han still had the ident.i.ty of the monarch of the Great Ling Empire, and furthermore had successfully opened the sky. This was quite extraordinary, and the Left Minister became interested in meeting Ling Han.
Ling Han waited quietly.
Sha, sha, sha . After a while, the sound of footsteps were heard from the bushes. Ling Han turned around, only to see a young girl strolling over. She was dressed in a long skirt as green as lake water. It had a very fitting cut and completely outlined her shapely figure. However, because it was a skirt, it allowed her to exude a more graceful and spirited feeling.
This young girl looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. She was incredibly beautiful, her almond eyes curved yet showing a hint of mischief. One look, and he could tell she was the young miss type with a lot of weird ideas.
She was at the Shattering Void Tier—in its ninth layer. As for her battle prowess, he could not tell how many Stars she had reached just from appearance alone.
If this young girl was really only sixteen or seventeen, then it would be shocking.
However, this was the Immortal Realm, and it was not uncommon to see Shattering Void Tier elites who were younger than twenty here. For example, weren’t Xiao Miaoyan, Wu Gaoyuan, and their likes the same? Besides, the Left Minister’s power was much stronger than the five sects’, so it would be nothing surprising for an even younger Shattering Void Tier elite to appear here.
This young girl obviously spotted Ling Han as well. She crossed her arms behind her back, walked towards Ling Han, and then circled around him once. Pursing her lips, she said, “Kid, which clan’s junior are you? Here to go through my daddy’s backdoor so you can stuff yourself into the Scarlet Heaven Academy?
“Let me tell you, young people have to depend on themselves. For example, even though I am the fourth young miss, didn’t I also follow the rules, now preparing to pa.s.s the test of the Northern Inst.i.tution to enter into the Academy?”
The young girl spoke in a very mature tone as if she was educating someone.
She was the fourth daughter of the Left Minister?
Xiang Chengyun would naturally not share gossip about the Left Minister’s private life with him. Thus, Ling Han also had no idea how may sons, daughters, and other juniors the Left Minister had. He smiled calmly, and said, “I think Fourth Young Miss has misunderstood.”
The other party thought of him as someone who had come to get in through the back door, to enroll into the Scarlet Heaven Academy with the help of the Left Minister.
“What did I misunderstand?” the young girl said in a tsundere way. Her jade-like beautiful face was extremely dazzling, and indescribably good-looking.
“I indeed plan on entering into the Scarlet Heaven Academy, but have no intention of asking for the Lord Left Minister’s help. Instead, I plan to pa.s.s the enrollment test myself and get in on my own,” Ling Han explained with a smile.
“Yo, after hearing my words, you’ve become stubborn!” The young girl laughed loudly. “Fine then, let’s spar. Let me see how much ability you have.”