Heroes' Prison

Chapter 830 - 786 Formation

"That player doesn’t seem like much of an expert either—his aura is so weak! At best, he’s probably just at the Holy Domain level!"

"Wanna bet? In five minutes, that guy will definitely be kicked out!"

"No need for five minutes—three will be enough! The Oskan Royal Academy enforces strict discipline. There’s no way they’d allow someone like him to mess around here."

Huang Yi paid no attention to the murmured discussions of the players and continued walking inside the VIP passageway. In no time, he stepped into the VIP lounge.

The players queued in the regular passageway eagerly kept their eyes on the entrance, looking forward to seeing Huang Yi get thrown out.

A few minutes later, Huang Yi did indeed reappear. But this time, he was accompanied by a staff member from the academy. The staffer walked beside him with utmost deference, leading the way with an enthusiastic expression on his face.

Moments later, the two of them advanced toward the teleportation circle in the reception hall and vanished together.

The players, who had been waiting keenly for some entertainment, were left staring at one another in shock, murmuring dumbfoundedly.

"That guy... is really a VIP? Could he be a core player of some major power?"

"It’s possible. Even Yang Yuheng came to Oskan Royal Academy before for further training. At the time, he passed through the VIP passage using his status as the leader of the Draenei Race."

"This Oskan Royal Academy truly is a haven for hidden talent! Just a few days ago, a friend of mine saw a player walking alongside the Alliance Hierarch of the Assassin Alliance near the Hero Hall..."

...

Guided by the Academy staff, Huang Yi was soon teleported to a towering mountain peak on the eastern side of the academy. The mountain was majestic, piercing straight into the heavens, yet there wasn’t a single soul there. It was surrounded by a vast expanse of primeval purple forests. This peak was none other than the "Divine Archer Mountain," overseen by the Vice Dean, Divine Marksman Ica.

The layout of the Oskan Royal Academy was, in fact, an enormously complex formation that encapsulated profound principles of mystic numerology. Each mountain peak had been meticulously arranged, and Divine Archer Mountain was one of the key formation eyes, directly governed by Ica, whose power approached that of a demigod.

At the edge of a steep cliff on Divine Archer Mountain, Huang Yi finally found the Divine Marksman.

At that moment, the Divine Marksman was sitting cross-legged on the ground. His single eye was tightly shut, looking as though he was in deep meditation.

Apparently sensing someone’s approach, the Divine Marksman abruptly opened his lone eye, revealing a pentagonal pupil that gleamed sharply. However, upon seeing Huang Yi, the sharpness in his gaze immediately softened, and he smiled. "God of Slaughter, you’ve arrived at the academy."

"Indeed!" Huang Yi nodded, curiously eyeing the cross-legged Divine Marksman. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I am absorbing the Force of the World and converting it into Divine Power," Ica replied as he rose to his feet.

"Divine Power?" Hearing those two words once more, Huang Yi couldn’t help but take notice. Just a few days ago, he had asked Lu Ye and the others to study that so-called Divine Strength Water to shorten his Reincarnation Time. But they’d had to abandon their efforts due to a lack of Divine Power. Instead, they were forced to settle for merely reducing the cycle by five or six days. Huang Yi craved Divine Power more than ever.

"Perhaps you don’t yet understand what Divine Power truly is," Ica said, gazing into the vast, empty valley beyond the cliff, his voice calm yet full of weight. "Once a being reaches the Demigod Realm, they must absorb the Force of the World to convert it into Divine Power as preparation for Divine Enthronement. However, the growth of the Force of the World is limited. Even I have to exert tremendous effort to absorb just a tiny amount of it. To this day, I’ve only managed to produce a mere sliver of Divine Power, and I doubt I’ll achieve Divine Enthronement within this lifetime. This is Divine Power—a resource that we Demigods spend our entire lives pursuing."

Huang Yi, hearing this, quickly abandoned any thoughts of asking the Divine Marksman for Divine Power. If it was this rare and precious, no Demigod would willingly share it with anyone else. After pausing to think, he asked, "So is the weakening of the Second World caused by the diminishing Force of the World?"

"That’s correct," Ica nodded, his single eye radiating an ancient wisdom. "It’s said that during the Eternal Ancient Era, the Force of the World was incredibly abundant, nurturing every living being in existence. Back then, people didn’t even breathe air but directly inhaled the Force of the World. The land was teeming with primordial beasts, many of which were even larger than Deep Sea Demon Flesh. Heavenly Domain-level magical beasts were everywhere, and even those at the Demigod level were not uncommon. Most God Sealers of the Second World were born during the Eternal Era."

Ica’s tone grew tinged with melancholy as he continued. "But after the Primordial Era, the Force of the World in the Second World began to dwindle, leading to steadily weaker lifeforms. In particular, after Bloodhoof the Ascendant—a former top student of our Oskan Royal Academy—achieved Divine Enthronement during the Ancient Times, the Force of the World significantly declined. Since then, no new God Sealers have emerged, Demigods have become increasingly scarce, and now, including myself, only four of us remain in the Second World. Moreover, one of us is nearing the end of their lifespan and could pass away at any moment."

Huang Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So after we Heaven-Sent reach the Demigod Realm, achieving Divine Enthronement will likely be just as challenging?"

"Precisely," Ica said solemnly, turning toward Huang Yi. "This is a challenge that all living beings in the Second World must face together. Don’t be deceived by the astonishing potential and rapid progression of you Heaven-Sent individuals. You, too, will confront the scarcity of the Force of the World. Even reaching the Demigod Realm will be an enormous hurdle. When you reach the strength of a Top-Level Heavenly Domain, you will need to absorb the Force of the World to condense Divine Power. Only when you’ve formed at least a strand of true Divine Power unique to yourself can you ascend to the Demigod Realm."

After a deliberate pause, Ica continued, "For those of us at the Demigod level, even more Divine Power must be condensed—until our bodies are completely saturated with it—before we are qualified to attempt Divine Enthronement. Right now, our academy’s principal is nearing this stage. He’s making his final preparations for Divine Enthronement. If he succeeds, he will become the first God Sealer in countless epochs since Bloodhoof ascended. If he fails, he will meet the same fate as the many Demigods throughout history who perished trying to achieve Divine Enthronement."

Huang Yi listened, feeling a heavy weight settle over him. Killing monsters and leveling up could only take players to the strength of a Top-Level Heavenly Domain. To go beyond that was near impossible. Only truly extraordinary individuals could break through to the Demigod Realm.

Unlike the Holy Domain or Heavenly Domain levels, which anyone could reach through persistent level grinding, the Demigod Realm was a gateway that screened for true mastery. Many people would never reach that level in their entire lives, let alone strive for Divine Enthronement.

"God of Slaughter!" Ica suddenly clapped a hand heavily on Huang Yi’s shoulder. "Study hard! Countless experts throughout history have tried to unravel the mystery of Bloodhoof the Ascendant’s death, yet no one has discovered any useful clues. You, as a Heaven-Sent, possess methods entirely different from ours. We have high hopes for you. Whether we Demigods can successfully achieve Divine Enthronement depends on whether you can uncover the truth behind Bloodhoof’s death."

"I’ll give it my best!" Huang Yi nodded firmly, steering the conversation toward his purpose. "What should I focus on learning while at Oskan Royal Academy? How will you prioritize my training?"

Ica clasped his hands behind his back and said, "The academy offers a wide range of courses, covering everything from astronomy, geography, humanities, and arts to racial studies, life skills, vocational research, and combat techniques. Every student may choose courses suited to their interests—there are no restrictions. However, mastering all subjects is impossible and would be a waste of time. The academy will provide the best instructors and the richest resources for you. Ordinary students won’t receive such benefits. I’ve personally tailored a curriculum for you. Follow the schedule I’ve prepared."

As Ica spoke, he pulled out a sheepskin scroll and handed it to Huang Yi.

Huang Yi accepted the sheepskin scroll and unrolled it to find a list of over ten courses.

Pointing at three entries on the schedule, Ica advised, "Among these courses, I recommend you prioritize these three: Formation Knowledge, Equipment Smelting, and Internal Refinement."

"What’s the significance of these three courses?" Huang Yi asked humbly.

Ica gestured toward the floating mountain peaks in the distance and explained, "Formations are arguably the most challenging and profound of all studies, but those who master them can achieve greatness. The Oskan Royal Academy itself is structured based on an incredibly intricate formation. The mountains work in coordinated synergy, endlessly reinforcing one another. It’s exceptionally difficult for enemies to attack our academy. During the Recent Ancient Period, in the war against The Seven Archdemons, Queen of Agony wielded the magical weapon Blade of Agony to try and destroy the Oskan Royal Academy. Yet she was powerless against this tremendous formation and had to retreat in frustration."

Turning back to Huang Yi, Ica continued, "Of course, formations come in many categories. What I just mentioned was architectural formations. If you have the time, you might consider learning all types, allowing you to set up a formation to protect your Hero Guild. If your time is limited, then focus on combat formations. These will enable you to coordinate with your teammates, form battle arrays during combat, take the position of the formation eye, and unleash strength far beyond normal circumstances to defeat powerful foes."

With a stern tone, Ica cautioned, "Though, be warned—learning formations is extremely difficult. To date, tens of thousands of Heaven-Sent individuals have chosen this course, yet only one has graduated with a perfect score after just two months of study. I hope you’ll become the second."

"Oh? Who’s the first?" Huang Yi instantly grew curious.

"Dragon Spike."

——

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