Chapter 1694: Mocked Her
Chapter 1694: Chapter 1694: Mocked Her
What Han Yan is doing now is more than just simple martial arts training; she’s attempting to integrate her Nine Heavens Star Fall and Star Falling Eight Desolate Sword into it. In a moment, learning the true martial arts is impossible, and only by doing so can she push her combat power to its limits. Though it might prove challenging, at the very least, she must find a way to integrate the sword energy transformation she’s already mastered.
The Red Charcoal Cloud Smoke Beast pulling the carriage could be considered majestic. In fact, Lady Mu couldn’t be certain if it was a Red Charcoal Cloud Smoke Beast; it just looked like one and she didn’t ask further to avoid raising Mu Tu’s suspicions. Overall, it appeared to be healthy and strong, but reaching Tianfeng City would take three more days.
It’s unavoidable, with layers of thick cowhide blankets covering her, enduring the cutting winds like knives. Even the Red Charcoal Cloud Smoke Beast, which could travel a thousand miles daily on the Holy Court Continent, here could only manage two or three hundred miles a day.
Along the way, Han Yan hadn’t seen a single city or village. Occasionally, she lifted the thick curtain, seeing endless wastelands, rolling mountains in the distance, and rugged gray-black rocks nearby. Occasionally, there were a few stubborn shrubs or grass patches, all yellowing and lifeless.
Witnessing such scenery, Han Yan truly understood the harshness of life on the Divine Continent that Ye Yi’an mentioned several times; compared to it, the Holy Court Continent was like paradise.
But upon entering Tianfeng City, it was an entirely different sight.
Like Mu Family Village, Tianfeng City was also guarded by barriers, making the Heaven and Earth Power much gentler. As they entered the city, Mu Tu folded up the cowhide blankets covering the carriage, revealing a bustling cityscape.
Tianfeng City stood grand and majestic, with ten-foot-high city walls, wide streets, and even residential houses built from sturdy rocks. The towering palace in the city’s center exuded an aura of impressive grandeur, undoubtedly the Feng City Temple.
The carriage drove towards the Feng City Temple along the avenue. Shops lined the streets, and roadside vendors carried goods while hawking along the way. Were the streets not wide enough, they’d certainly be crowded to the brim. Such bustling scenes were no less than any city on the Holy Court Continent, much to Han Yan’s surprise.
Thinking carefully, she understood the reason—setting a barrier outside the city demands vast human and material resources, and maintaining it over the long term is difficult. Thus, the whole Divine Continent would naturally have fewer cities; finding one may require traveling several thousand miles or even tens of thousands. People gather together, making flourishing inevitable.
The roadside goods mostly consisted of medicinal herbs and meteorite gold. Some Han Yan recognized, but most were unfamiliar. Perusing casually, she found it interesting.
"We’ve arrived." Han Yan was still engrossed in viewing until Ye Yi’an’s voice reached her ears, laced with a hint of subtle concern.
Looking up, Han Yan discovered the carriage had unknowingly reached near the temple.
The young people attending the assessment queued in a line over ten yards long. Two young priests stood at the temple entrance, verifying identities one by one.
A massive black stone stele resembling jade stood before them, where arrays and talismans could faintly be seen from afar, along with traces of refining, evidently a magic artifact.
Each young person confirmed their identity by placing their hand on the stele as the two young priests simultaneously activated the artifact with magic formulas, allowing pass-through.
Watching the stele-like artifact, Ye Yi’an frowned deeply.
"What is that?" Ling Baobao asked curiously.
"That’s the Qi Refining Stele, said to be a sword cultivator’s artifact for enhancing Qi from ancient times. Now in the temple’s possession, it’s used for checking Qi and verifying identities. How did Feng City Temple acquire this?" Ye Yi’an responded with a frown.
Han Yan was slightly surprised, still possessing power equivalent to a Fifth Rank Swordsman. She was uncertain if it would be detected.
"This artifact reportedly has limited effectiveness, not capable of detecting everything, but I can’t be certain," Ye Yi’an said, looking questioningly at Han Yan.
Han Yan hesitated briefly but then nodded firmly.
Without entering the temple, she could only linger and age on the Divine Continent like Ye Yi’an, so she couldn’t afford to miss this chance.
The line moved swiftly forward—evidently, the two priests’ inspections weren’t overly rigorous, easing Han Yan’s nerves slightly.
Finally, after those ahead entered the temple, Han Yan’s group reached their turn.
"Halt! This is the temple’s forbidden area—refugees are forbidden entry. Trespassers will be killed without mercy!" A young priest harshly declared.
"Sirs, we’re not refugees; we’re from Mu Family Village outside the city," Mu Tu interjected, presenting a token while speaking. Clearly temple-issued, the token bore the same emblem as embroidered on Kangzi and Zihe’s clothing.
"What’s your purpose here?" A young priest received the token, glanced for a moment, then tossed it back casually. His demeanor slightly relaxed but still showed disdain.
"I’ve heard Feng City Temple is recruiting priests, so I brought two clansmen to participate in assessments." Mu Tu explained, smiling deferentially.
"You’re taking the priest assessment?" The leading young priest looked at Mu Tu, then at the crude carriage, before laughing loudly, "You commoners aspire to be priests? You must be dreaming, hahaha."
Hearing his laughter, those queueing behind also smirked. Most hailed from Tianfeng City, not particularly privileged, but having a family background enough to reside there, naturally they looked down on smaller clans like the Mu Family.
"We’re not commoners; Lord Divine personally granted us land," Mu Tu protested, keyly addressing the ridicule while his face turned slightly red, struggling to argue.
Although reverent to the priests, he maintained humility, yet the continuous insults of "refugees" and "commoners," coupled with the arrogance, made him somewhat irate.
"Why shout? So what if you have land? Someone like you might not produce a single priest for generations. Do you think such fortune is everyday? Leave, go back to where you came from! Stop dithering—otherwise, I’ll be rude." Another young priest impatiently said.
As he spoke, he reached out, intending to push Mu Tu aside.