Chapter 65 Outside the Heavenly Gate

Chapter 65 Outside the Heavenly Gate

"Blood Furnace Sword Shadow!"

Ning Xin'er unleashed her divine ability, her sword transforming into a dragon-like entity as sword energy coalesced into a Taiji pattern, forming a massive vortex of sword light. Above her head, a crimson furnace materialized.

"Boom!"

The Lightning Divine Beast tore the blood furnace apart.

Ning Xin'er's sword, in turn, shattered the Lightning Divine Beast.

"Bang! Bang!"

Figures blurred as they clashed with lightning speed.

After ten exchanges, both retreated simultaneously.

Ning Xiaochuan did not press the attack further, instead clapping his hands and laughing heartily. "Impressive! Xiao Li is hailed as a once-in-a-century genius, but in my opinion, his talent might not even surpass yours, Xin'er."

Ning Xin'er was even more astonished, never dreaming that her brother's cultivation would one day reach such heights—almost catching up to her own.

It seems I won’t have to worry about him anymore!

"Xin'er, your cultivation has already reached the second level of the Divine Body Realm, hasn’t it?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

Ning Xin'er nodded. "I only broke through to the second level during my training in the border mountains."

Ning Xiaochuan took out a jade ice box and said, "Inside this is a Blood Toad Pill. After consuming it, you should be able to reach the third level of the Divine Body Realm before the Emperor's Martial Palace assessment, placing you among the top young martial artists of this generation. Train hard—with your talent, you might even make it into the top ten."

Ning Xin'er accepted the jade ice box, overjoyed. "Brother, where did you get this Blood Toad Pill?"

"What if I told you I refined it myself? Would you believe me?" Ning Xiaochuan teased.

"I would! Brother, I’d believe anything you say."

Ning Xin'er took out the Blood Toad Pill from the box and swallowed it immediately, then sat cross-legged on the ground to begin refining its energy.

She trusted Ning Xiaochuan unconditionally. Today was the happiest day of her life—her brother's Congenital Ailment was cured, he could now cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi, and he had even given her his first gift.

What could possibly bring her more joy than this?

Ning Xiaochuan also sat down to continue his cultivation.

Late at night, the sound of a scuffle outside jolted him from his meditation.

An assassin had attempted to kill Ning Xiaochuan, but Ji Bo and the eight elite guards stationed outside captured the intruder. However, before any information could be extracted, the assassin committed suicide.

Ning Xiaochuan had long anticipated such an attempt. As for the assassin’s origin, there were only three plausible possibilities:

First, the assassin could have been sent by the Cloud Marquis. Yue Wuyang was a trusted confidant of the Yulan Emperor. To completely sever any possibility of an alliance between the Jian Pavilion Marquis House and the Golden Roc Prince's Manor, eliminating Ning Xiaochuan would be the most straightforward solution.

Second, the assassin might have been dispatched by the Golden Roc Prince's Manor itself. This was the least likely scenario. Although Ning Xiaochuan had caused the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to offend both the Golden Roc Prince's Manor and Princess Qianqian, the two factions were still technically allied. It was improbable they would resort to assassination over this matter.

Third, someone within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House wanted him dead—such as Fourth Master Ning Qianwu, who had long viewed him as a thorn in his side. Now that Ning Xiaochuan could cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi, this was nothing short of a nightmare for Ning Qianwu. He must have regretted not eliminating Ning Xiaochuan at all costs earlier.

That night, two waves of assassins arrived, but they were all slain by the martial experts guarding outside.

By the next morning, the young geniuses of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had gathered at the training ground, numbering ninety-one in total, all with cultivation levels at the Seventh Level of Profound Qi or above.

Aside from those who had participated in the trials of the Border Wilderness Mountains, even those disciples who had been training elsewhere had rushed back.

And of course, there was one more person—Ning Xiaochuan.

After the events of the previous night, everyone in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House now knew that the sickly weakling they had once looked down upon was actually a martial genius—and a Love-Obsessed Fool at that.

This was absolutely something no one in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House could have ever imagined!

When Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Xin'er arrived at the training ground, all eyes turned toward him.

Ning Xiaochuan remained calm, standing in a corner of the training ground, completely indifferent to their gazes.

Many elders of the second and third generations of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had also come to the training ground, including Ning Qianwen and Ning Qianwu, whose eyes occasionally flickered toward Ning Xiaochuan with a cold and heavy gaze.

The Martial Soul Avatar of the Old Marquis descended above the training ground and announced, "This morning, the Heavenly Gate will open. All those who wish to participate in the Emperor's Martial Palace assessment must enter the Heavenly Gate before noon. Those who are late will forfeit their opportunity."

The Emperor's Martial Palace assessment was scheduled for the next day, but the Heavenly Gate would open a day early for registration, preparation, and to disqualify those unworthy of participating.

The Old Marquis produced a jade token, upon which tiny characters formed from condensed Profound Qi shimmered. "Last night, the 'Emperor's Decree' was issued from the Heavenly Gate, conveying the decision of the Four Great Deans of the Emperor's Martial Palace. This year's entrance assessment will be extremely perilous, with an estimated mortality rate as high as sixty percent. Any martial artist unwilling to participate may withdraw in advance."

The young geniuses in the training ground immediately erupted into discussion. "The Emperor's Martial Palace's entrance assessment is notoriously brutal. In the past, the highest mortality rate was only thirty percent, which was already terrifying. Who would have thought this year's rate would reach sixty percent?"

"Tsk tsk! I'm only at the Seventh Level of Profound Qi. Should I even participate? With my level of cultivation, wouldn't I be doomed?"

Ning Xiaochuan was also slightly stunned. A mortality rate that high meant that out of the ninety-one participants, more than fifty might die in the assessment?

Ning Xin'er stuck out her tongue. "This year's assessment is truly savage. Even those who’ve reached the Divine Body Realm might not be guaranteed entry into the Emperor's Martial Palace."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded solemnly. The Emperor's Martial Palace assessment was no simple test. Anyone who thought their high cultivation level guaranteed success was sorely mistaken.

In the end, sixteen young geniuses withdrew from the assessment. All of them were at the Seventh Level of Profound Qi and under the age of fifteen. Knowing their cultivation was insufficient, they feared they would not return alive if they participated.

Since they were still under fifteen, they could wait five years for the next assessment, so they did not consider it a loss.

Seventy-five young individuals remained standing on the training ground.

The Old Marquis nodded slightly, pleased with the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's batch of talented disciples, as their willpower was remarkably firm. He then continued, "Since you've all chosen to stay, it means every one of you has the potential to become a member of the Emperor's Martial Palace in the future. Qianwen, announce the rewards for this assessment."

Ning Qianwen stepped onto the stone platform, sweeping his gaze across the gathered youths, and declared, "Gaining entry into the Emperor's Martial Palace is an exceedingly difficult feat. Naturally, the rewards from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House for its promising descendants are exceptionally generous. Any disciple who succeeds in entering the Emperor's Martial Palace will receive a Mystic Artifact. Moreover, those who rank within the top ten of this year's candidates will, in addition to the Mystic Artifact, be granted the opportunity to cultivate within the Jian Pavilion for five days."

"Boom!"

All the young geniuses erupted in excitement, their blood boiling with fervor.

The Jian Pavilion was the most mysterious and revered place within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, a dream destination for every descendant of the Marquis House. It wasn’t merely a cultivation sanctuary—it was a symbol of status. Those who could cultivate there for five days might even become candidates for succession to the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

The Old Marquis glanced subtly at Ning Xiaochuan before saying, "Let us depart. Qiancheng, lead them to the Heavenly Gate."

"Clatter, clatter!"

Under Ning Qiancheng’s guidance, the seventy-five young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House mounted their Green Deer Horses and rode out of the Marquis House in a grand procession, galloping toward the Heavenly Gate.

Outside the Heavenly Gate, a massive crowd had already gathered, filled with young martial artists here to take the assessment, most aged between fourteen and twenty.

Outstanding individuals from all corners of the land had converged here today, all striving to enter the Emperor's Martial Palace—a chance to leap like a carp over the Dragon’s Gate and ascend to a transcendent status.

"Rumble!"

Elite talents from various princely and marquis households arrived in groups. Some households sent six or seven candidates, while others brought over a hundred.

The Golden Roc Prince's Manor was the most extravagant, with a staggering five hundred and sixty young geniuses participating in the assessment. The crowd was so vast that Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t spot Yu Qianqian and wondered if she had even come.

The number of participating geniuses from each household was a clear indicator of its strength.

"Oh? The Jian Pavilion Marquis House isn’t doing too badly this year! Seventy-five participants—five years ago, I recall there were only sixty-one." The Divine Kirin Martial Venerable drove a Dragon Elephant War Chariot, leading the young geniuses of the Kirin Prince's Manor. Among them were one hundred and twenty-four outstanding individuals who had reached at least the Seventh Level of Profound Qi.

The Divine Kirin Martial Venerable was one of the three Martial Venerables of the Kirin Prince's Manor. Though he appeared to be in his forties, his true age exceeded sixty. Among Martial Venerables, he was considered relatively young.

The young geniuses of the Kirin Prince's Manor carried themselves with imposing auras, their sharp gazes radiating formidable pressure.

Ning Qiancheng smirked slightly and remarked, "The mortality rate for this Emperor's Martial Palace assessment is as high as sixty percent. The more who go, the more who die."

The Divine Kirin Martial Venerable retorted, "For the weak, the mortality rate is naturally high. But for the strong, it becomes much lower."

"In the face of the strong, the concept of death does not exist. Are all the genius disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House afraid to die?" Yu Tiandi, the Little Prince of the Kirin Prince's Manor, sat atop his war steed, clad in golden armor and wielding a Halberd, exuding an overwhelming aura.

Yu Tiandi's cultivation had already reached the third level of the Divine Body Realm, making him the strongest among the younger generation of the Kirin Prince's Manor and one of the top contenders for the title of Champion in the Emperor's Martial Palace's recruitment trials.

Among the young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, one could no longer tolerate Yu Tiandi's arrogance and retorted coldly, "Afraid to die? The disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House would never fear death. Don’t think just because your cultivation is high that you’re invincible."

"Oh, but I am invincible."

Yu Tiandi's palm surged with dense Martial Arts Profound Qi, causing the Halberd in his hand to erupt with blinding radiance. With a sweeping strike, he sent the young disciple from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House flying, crashing onto the ground 10 meters away, coughing up blood incessantly.

The other young geniuses of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House were utterly intimidated. This Little Prince was far too terrifying—with just a casual move, he had sent a prodigy at the ninth level of Profound Qi flying.

Arrogant he may be, but his strength was undeniable, pressing down on everyone like an insurmountable weight, leaving them breathless.