Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 435 435 Heading to Central Celestial Academy

After returning to the vice city lord's residence, Ye Qingchen went straight back to his quarters and hung a "Not Receiving Guests" sign on the door.

With two to three days left before departure, Ye Qingchen had no friends in Northern Barrier City worth saying goodbye to. He had already met with Liu Wan'er, so he decided to spend these few days consolidating and integrating his knowledge of formations.

Having just broken through to the second layer of the Martial King Realm, it would be difficult for Ye Qingchen to advance further in a short time without a fortuitous encounter. As for alchemy, he seemed to have reached a threshold, and it was not a pressing matter at the moment.

Conversely, formations were now the quickest and most effective way to enhance his combat power.

Although he had been studying for a long time, his attainment in formations was still at the level of a First-Grade Array Master. This was only because he had never been exposed to formations before.

Now, on the path of formations, Ye Qingchen was like a parched sponge. Supreme Treasures like the Immortal Array Canon and the Ten Thousand Laws Formation Diagram were like boundless rivers and seas, saturating that sponge.

Ye Qingchen unreservedly absorbed all manner of knowledge on formations. While there was no significant improvement in the short term, it constantly expanded his horizons. Through this process of steady accumulation, Ye Qingchen was confident that once he gathered enough knowledge, his future progress would be meteoric.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On the appointed day, Ye Qingchen arrived at the agreed-upon place to wait for Liu Changrun.

The Beisai Secret Realm had not yet ended, so the elders from the various sects were still waiting here for their disciples to emerge.

Though not as crowded as it had been during the competition, the area was still quite lively.

Feng Yuan had arrived early. City Lord Feng Xiao and Liu Qiaolan had also come personally to see him off. When he saw Ye Qingchen and Xia Chengkai arrive, Feng Xiao took the initiative to greet them.

"Mr. Ye, my son is accompanying you to Central Celestial Academy this time," Feng Xiao said. "I hope you two can grow closer in the future and support each other."

Feng Xiao knew that since Ye Qingchen had achieved so much at such a young age, his future accomplishments would surely surpass Feng Yuan's. If Feng Yuan could forge a good relationship with him, he would have many opportunities to benefit in the future. That was why Feng Xiao humbled himself and spoke so earnestly.

Ye Qingchen nodded. He didn't have much fondness for Feng Yuan, but if Feng Yuan were to change in the future, while he wouldn't go so far as to bury the hatchet, he also wouldn't go out of his way to cause him trouble.

However, if Feng Yuan remained obstinate, then Ye Qingchen would have no reason to be lenient.

But upon hearing his father's words, Feng Yuan was dismissive. I have a Treasure Weapon now. As long as I get into the academy and acquire a suitable staff technique or two, my combat power will definitely surpass Ye Qingchen's. He should be grateful I don't come looking for payback. Grow closer? What a foolish dream.

Seeing Feng Yuan's dismissive attitude, Ye Qingchen sneered inwardly. It seems this guy will still try to cause trouble for me in the future.

As they were chatting, Liu Changrun floated down and landed before them.

"Are you all ready? If so, we'll set out now," Liu Changrun said, getting straight to the point without any pleasantries.

Ye Qingchen nodded, but he couldn't help scanning the surroundings for any sign of Liu Wan'er. He found none.

Feng Yuan, meanwhile, said a few more words of farewell to his parents. Liu Qiaolan couldn't help but shed tears, which made Feng Yuan feel like he was in a bleak and tragic parting scene.

This scene, however, further lowered Liu Changrun's opinion of Feng Yuan. A man's ambition should be to explore the world. This is the prime of his life for adventure, yet here he is, whimpering over a departure like a girl. What can he possibly achieve in the future? Ye Qingchen, in contrast, is far more impressive. Not only is he younger than Feng Yuan, but his demeanor is calm and steady, free of arrogance or impatience. He's clearly a man destined for great things.

Eventually, an impatient Liu Changrun urged them to move. Feng Yuan had no choice but to cut his farewells short and follow Liu Changrun with Ye Qingchen, boarding the prepared Spirit Boat.

Before boarding the Spirit Boat, Ye Qingchen waved to Xia Chengkai in farewell, and Xia Chengkai hastily returned the gesture.

Then, Ye Qingchen waved toward a spot in the distance before stepping into the Spirit Boat without looking back.

Liu Wan'er, who had been hiding and watching from afar, saw Ye Qingchen wave in her direction, and tears began to stream down her face once more.

So, he knew I was here. Liu Wan'er, you're so foolish. Why didn't you say goodbye to Young Master Ye one last time?

Reproaching herself, Wan'er made a firm resolution in her heart. I must cultivate diligently when I return to the family. I don't have to completely catch up to Ye Qingchen's pace, but I can't afford to fall too far behind. Otherwise, the next time we meet, I'll still be nothing but a burden to him.

「...」

Inside the Spirit Boat, after Liu Changrun set their course, he sat down cross-legged and began to chat with Ye Qingchen and Feng Yuan.

"This is likely the first time for both of you traveling to the Central Region, and you've probably only heard about the Central Celestial Academy by name. Let me give you a brief overview of the academy and some things to be aware of, so you won't be at a loss when you arrive."

Liu Changrun spoke slowly as he handed two tokens to Ye Qingchen and Feng Yuan. "These tokens are proof that you passed my test. With these, you can participate in the entrance test once you arrive at the academy."

Ye Qingchen frowned. This was the second time Liu Changrun had mentioned an "entrance test." He couldn't help but ask, "Senior Liu, what exactly is this entrance test? You said before that we are already considered students of the Central Celestial Academy, so what's the point of this test?"

Liu Changrun held a favorable opinion of Ye Qingchen, so he readily answered his questions. "You passed the test I set, so you've earned the qualification to become a student of the Central Celestial Academy. However, the academy is divided into various colleges. You must take the entrance test so that the heads of each college can select you for their respective colleges based on your aptitude. Only then will you be considered official students. If no college selects you, you will regrettably have to leave the Central Celestial Academy. But while that procedure exists, no one in thousands of years has ever been eliminated this way. That's why I said you're already considered students of the academy, just not yet assigned to a college!"

Ye Qingchen nodded. So, it's just about displaying my aptitude to be assigned to a college. That's not a problem.

Ye Qingchen didn't care in the slightest which college he would end up in.