Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Doctrine Palace was one of the most ancient locations in the Nine Realms, and, even after rummaging through all the history books, one couldn’t find any clues about it. It could be said that it was even more mysterious than the Title Palace.
When the Doctrine Palace was first discovered, it alarmed even the Three Upper Realms. All the Three Upper Realms’ sacred lands, schools, and influential families sent specialists to plunder all the Doctrine Palace’s treasures. Moreover, then they all fought almost daily over the discovered treasures. It was a tremendous and shocking battle. It was then that the Three Middle Realms’ Spirit Clans became aware of how powerful the Three Upper Realms’ humans were. After that, they all behaved well for more than 1,000 years.
By this age, the Doctrine Palace was completely empty; not even a piece of hair was left in it. What was left were just the defense mechanisms against treasure hunters.
There wasn’t just a single Doctrine Palace; there was one present in every one of the Nine Territories. Ning Haotian came to the Three Emperors Territory to barge into the Doctrine Palace, but when he got news that Jiang Chen would participate in an Elixir Contest, he went to Heaven Divine City just for him.
“Let me see how powerful the Fourth Palace’s geniuses are.”
After four days had passed, Jiang Chen reached the Doctrine Palace’s location. He was now in the sky before a great mountain. The Doctrine Palace was set on the mountain, and many buildings stretched as far as the eye could see around the mountain. However, he couldn’t see any city walls, and the buildings were scattered around in a slipshod pattern. It couldn’t be considered a real city!
The Great Mountain possessed a mystical power, and no one was able to fly above it to get there. Thus, Jiang Chen landed at the foot of the mountain. He had already heard that the Doctrine Palace wasn’t open all the time, but followed a weekly cycle. This restriction wasn’t inherent in the Doctrine Palace but was set by the Three Upper Realms’ people to prevent the Nine Territories’ people from getting into it. They knew that the Doctrine Palace was extraordinary and were worried that it would be wrecked by others.
It was only now that Jiang Chen figured out why there were so many buildings here. He reached this place early and had to wait for three days. Hence, he would need a place to stay. Many gorgeous restaurants could also be found everywhere here, as well as many other spectacular locations.
Jiang Chen chose a restaurant, took a seat on its second floor, and observed the great mountain from there. “The ways of the world are really full of changes now. A guy from the Three Lower Realms has just reached the Fourth Palace. This was something that never happened before.” The commotion caused by Ning Haotian hadn’t ended yet, and they still discussing this matter in the restaurant.
“I heard that Ning Haotian’s body has two inherited bloodlines, and he fused them into an Alien Beast capable of devouring even heaven.”
“This is just his body alone. What is most amazing about him is that he got the Martial Arts Divine School’s ancient inheritance. It is only thanks to that that he managed to get such achievements.”
Jiang Chen listened with interest to them. He was interested in Ning Haotian’s growth.
500 years ago, when I came to observe the Three Middle Realms’ Title Battle, the Martial Arts Divine School already existed. Now, even after 500 years, this faction, who took such an arrogant name for itself, still hasn’t collapsed. It is really strange, Jiang Chen thought to himself.
“I heard that Jiang Chen will also rush through the Doctrine Palace. I wonder what achievements he can get there.”
“It is worth waiting for because he managed to defeat the Seventh Realm’s Sacred Body Possessor, and it is obvious that it wasn’t just his skill in alchemy alone that was amazing.”
“After all, he is a Martial Sovereign’s follower.”
As they continued discussing this affair, they started talking about him. Jiang Chen couldn’t help but smile.
“What nonsense! A Martial Sovereign’s follower—what’s worth mentioning about this?”
All of a sudden, an insolent voice broke into the crowd’s discussion. When the crowd looked over, they witnessed that the person speaking was a youth. He seemed to be 14 or 15 years old, had a pretty look, and was now wearing a mocking smile. Two ordinary old men were standing behind him, but all the people with a discerning eye could tell that they were surely experts.
“Youngster, aren’t your words a bit arrogant?” The person, who had been speaking about Jiang Chen a moment ago, couldn’t help but retort.
“I’m arrogant? It can only be said that you are short-sighted. Even though a Sacred Body is amazing, even a dragon’s cub can’t defeat a fully grown tiger. Can’t you all understand such a principle?” The youngster sneered, while he drained his cup in one gulp.
“Who doesn’t know such a principle? But how can you know that his Sacred Body isn’t fully grown?” Someone questioned.
“If his Sacred Body were fully grown, Jiang Chen would have been defeated by him. Do you all really feel like he’s that powerful?”
The youngster lowered his cup, his face flushed. He spoke complacently, “A Martial Sovereign’s follower? Humph, humph. I could easily beat him.”
Upon hearing him, an uproar arose in the restaurant. They couldn’t stand such an arrogant and haughty youngster.
“When Jiang Chen was in the Spiritual Venerable Realm, he killed Mu Qitian, who was in the Celestial Venerable Realm, subdued an Alien Flame, and killed even Young Master Shenji….” Someone else was still unconvinced, and he reported Jiang Chen’s achievements.
“What happened afterward?” The youngster interrupted him rudely. He said, “Mu Qitian? Which land’s trash was he? Do you still dare to use him to show off? As for Young Master Shenji, he was just one of the Ten Prefectures’ low-grade geniuses, and I could easily kill him while using just a single hand.”
“As for beating Song Hao, Huo Zhengyi, and Wu Ziming, he just borrowed an external power, or else, on that day in Heaven Divine City, he would have been left lying on the ground like a dead dog.”
Jiang Chen examined the youngster. However, someone couldn’t stand such an arrogant person. “Youngster, you are too arrogant, you must behave with integrity, and always keep a low profile,” someone spoke angrily.
“Ha, ha, ha!” The youngster threw his head back and laughed loudly. He swept the people present on the second floor with his eyes, and said, “Behave with integrity, and keep a low profile? You are speaking as if you don’t want to keep a low profile. You are all just a group of trash looking for an excuse to muddle through with your mediocre lives, aren’t you?”
His words were infuriating, and many Celestial Venerables present here couldn’t swallow their anger.
“You are impudent!” A middle-aged man who had asked him to behave with integrity slapped the table and stood up. He said, “I will have a look to see how amazing you are.”
As his voice echoed, the middle-aged man suffered an intense blow. He was sent flying away and slammed against the wall.
“He’s too fast!” Many people didn’t see what had just happened.
“Trash!” The youngster lowered his arm. His gaze was flickering like lightning, and he just snorted coldly, before he took big strides and walked downstairs. The two old men moved now. One followed the youngster, while the other went toward the man he had sent flying. “Take this money to pay for medical care and medicines,” the old man spoke calmly. He left a big heap of upper-grade yuan stones on the table. After he had done this, he didn’t wait for the middle-aged man’s reply and just left quietly.
“Who is that youngster?” People’s curiosity was aroused by his actions. That youngster’s character was rarely seen among all Three Middle Realms’ geniuses.
“Transmit my words to Jiang Chen. If he comes here, ask him to come to meet me.” The people on the second floor heard once again that youngster’s voice echoing from the street. His voice was loud, and all the people near the Doctrine Palace Mountain heard him. Jiang Chen was in Heaven Divine City, and if he wanted to enter the Doctrine Palace, he wouldn’t give up on one near him and choose one farther away. He would likely come here. As a matter of fact, Jiang Chen was already here.
“I am the Sacred Prince, Xia Tianqi!” The youngster announced his status. In all Three Middle Realms, there was only a single dynasty’s princes who dared to make such a proclamation in front of the public. It was the Blood Shadow Dynasty!
“The Sacred Prince? He unexpectedly dares to acclaim such a title?”
“Xia Tianqi? I have never heard of him.”
“He’s surely just a prince hiding from the extermination operation, who just came back home.”
“I wonder whether Jiang Chen will go to him if he gets news of this.”
On the second floor, Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth slowly, before he asked for water to wash his hands.
In any case, I’m just idling for now, Jiang Chen muttered to himself, while his gaze flickered.
