"Ninth Rank Magical Beast cubs?!" Ye Shuangshuang exclaimed.
It wasn’t just Ye Shuangshuang; even people as exceptionally calm as Mu Chen and Qing Lei couldn’t help but let their jaws drop. Ninth Rank Magical Beast cubs were Holy Beast cubs that would inevitably reach the Saint Level once they matured! How could anyone remain calm after hearing such news!
"Don’t get too excited just yet. I said you’d only have a chance once you enter Holy Tomb Mountain. Right now, all we’ve done is get our tickets in," Long Xiaotian said with a smile.
"Tickets?!" Mu Chen and the others asked in unison, confused.
"Does that mean there’s some kind of test before we can enter Holy Tomb Mountain?" Mu Chen asked after a moment of silence.
"That’s right. There is indeed another test before entering Holy Tomb Mountain. You have to understand, Holy Tomb Mountain isn’t a place just anyone can enter. Although it covers a vast area, securing a foothold inside requires more than just personal strength; you also need a faction. This is one of the reasons I came to the Xuanling Empire to find you," Long Xiaotian replied.
"A faction?"
"Mhm. Once you enter Holy Tomb Mountain, everyone returns to the starting point. Inside, there are no distinctions between Dynasties, let alone Empires. There are only the factions that people form! Throughout the years, every genius Martial Artist who entered Holy Tomb Mountain through the Empire tournament has been divvied up by the various factions after passing the entrance test. Choosing a powerful faction as your backer is the only shortcut to growing quickly in Holy Tomb Mountain, as it will grant you more Cultivation Resources and space. Conversely, if you choose a weak faction or no faction at all when you enter, you’ll be isolated! And the consequence of being isolated in Holy Tomb Mountain is... expulsion..." As he spoke the last word, Long Xiaotian’s expression suddenly turned grave.
Mu Chen’s brow furrowed. After a moment, he asked, "Then who has the right to choose?"
As if he had known Mu Chen would ask this, Long Xiaotian sighed and said, "Only the strong have the right to choose."
Hearing this, Mu Chen fell into thought. Long Xiaotian’s answer seemed vague, but it was also the most realistic one. If you are strong, you choose the faction. If your strength isn’t outstanding, then the right to choose is naturally not in your hands.
Looking at the silent Mu Chen, Long Xiaotian understood everything as if looking into a bright mirror. ’As someone acknowledged by the Dynasty’s sovereign, his mind must be meticulous. I know exactly what Mu Chen is thinking right now. To him, his strength is probably already sufficient, perhaps even to the point of defying the heavens. I can fully predict that if Mu Chen passes the test, countless powerful factions will be scrambling over each other to have him join. They’ll treat him like a treasure, giving him the best Cultivation Resources and guidance to nurture him. Reaching the Saint Realm will only be a matter of time! His future is practically a blaze of glory!’
’But for these companions by Mu Chen’s side, their talent may be terrifying, perhaps even more than enough to surpass my own. I believe that with sufficient Cultivation Resources and expert guidance, it wouldn’t take more than a few years for them to reach my current level and stand shoulder to shoulder with me. But right now, their innate lack of resources has prevented their strength from reaching the limits of their talent. Without the formidable Mu Chen to back them up in the Empire tournament, their strength would only be enough to get them to the level of a high-end Middle Level Empire; they wouldn’t even be able to touch the threshold of Holy Tomb Mountain. Therefore, even if they pass Holy Tomb Mountain’s entrance test, they will inevitably be rejected by the powerful factions, and the final outcome is anyone’s guess. Holy Tomb Mountain... it’s just that kind of realistic little world...’
’Would Mu Chen choose to abandon his old teammates to join a powerful faction?’ Long Xiaotian glanced at the calm-faced young men and women before him. The corners of his mouth lifted into a barely perceptible arc as he murmured in a voice only he could hear, "The answer... is no!"
Having seen Mu Chen’s matches, he understood his character. This was a guy who was clear about who he loved and who he hated. How could he possibly cast aside his sworn brothers and his lover for personal gain? The Mu Chen he knew was not that kind of person!
"Are there any other options?" Sure enough, after a moment of contemplation, Mu Chen’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed, and he smiled freely.
Seeing Mu Chen’s composed smile, Long Xiaotian asked with great interest, "And what if I said there aren’t?"
"Heh... If I was able to grow up in the former Xuanling Empire, then I can rely on my own power to stand on a peak even higher than Holy Tomb Mountain! If I must abandon something, then I, Mu Chen, would rather not go to this so-called Holy Tomb Mountain at all."
As calm and breezy as ever, just like his companions. This was the Mu Chen he knew. Arrogant! Confident! But not conceited or presumptuous! He had the capital to back it up! Although Mu Chen’s answer was vastly different from what he had guessed, for some reason, he felt this was the most satisfying answer he could have hoped for.
"Haha..." Long Xiaotian let out a hearty laugh and declared loudly, "What a ’so-called Holy Tomb Mountain’! What a ’rather not go at all’! What an arrogant and free-spirited Mu Chen! I, Long Xiaotian, am thoroughly impressed by you! In that case, I take back what I said before. There is a way to avoid choosing a faction! But to this day, no one has ever used it, and no generation of Holy Tomb Mountain newcomers has ever dared to! But if that person is you, I believe you can definitely do it!"
"What is it?" Mu Chen asked.
Long Xiaotian answered without hesitation, "You create a faction! A faction composed of new members of Holy Tomb Mountain! Only then can you refuse to choose and refuse to be chosen! However, if you do this, you will surely incite the scorn and resistance of the entire Holy Tomb Mountain. After all, fresh blood is the foundation they rely on for survival. So they might just laugh as we are slowly eliminated from Holy Tomb Mountain, or even suppress us just as we are about to grow strong. They’ll kick us while we’re down. But this is the only way for us to have the right to refuse. What do you think?"
Mu Chen smiled. "I’m afraid you’ve had this planned for a while, haven’t you? But why should I be the one to create this faction?"
Long Xiaotian smiled back. "In this world, only the strong have the right to speak. You should understand this better than I do. At the very least, I know that in this year’s Empire tournament, whether it’s the number one in Body Technique, Wind Gentleman Shi Mu Hua, the Hundred Poison Evil Demon Guo Zijie, or even Red Gold Frenzy Thunder Jilal, all of them are weaker than you. None of them could unite this year’s new members, but you can!"
Hearing Long Xiaotian’s decisive words, Mu Chen fell silent once again. By nature, he loved freedom. If he were to become the leader of a faction, he imagined it would be after he was fully developed, by founding his own sect and bringing glory to his ancestors! After all, that was the loftiest ideal of every Martial Artist. ’But right now, do I really have what it takes?’
PAT...
A hand landed on Mu Chen’s shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to see Qing Lei, who had been standing beside him all along. A faint smile appeared on his usually stern face as he said softly, "Mu Chen, no matter what you decide, we will support you unconditionally. So don’t feel too burdened. Just like you said, if it’s just the so-called Holy Tomb Mountain, we’d rather not go! We’ve grown to our current level even without vast resources. As long as we work hard, we can always make up for it."
’As long as we work hard, we can always make up for it...’
’...always make up for it...’
’...make up for it...’
Qing Lei’s words echoed in Mu Chen’s mind. Lifting his head slightly, Mu Chen glanced at Long Xiaotian and said, "Let me think about it alone."
With that, Mu Chen took a swift step. A faint silver light flashed under his feet, and his figure vanished from everyone’s sight.
Long Xiaotian stared blankly at the spot where Mu Chen had disappeared and sighed in admiration. "No matter the situation, I always find that guy terrifyingly strong—not just in terms of power, but also because of his calm and collected mind. Perhaps he really can make history..."
...
The Beast Tide had passed. Although Luofeng City was in ruins, there was still one Pure Land that had not been ravaged by the Magical Beasts, like an oasis surviving in a desert. And this Pure Land was a place Mu Chen couldn’t be more familiar with, for it was here that a certain young man had undergone a complete transformation. And here, a figure in black now stood atop a small hill.
"Fortunately, this place has kept its original appearance..."
This black-clad figure was, of course, none other than Mu Chen, who had just teleported away. At this moment, he was staring intently at the flowerbed before him, seemingly lost in a trance.
"Ahh... This is truly a nostalgic place." After Mu Chen appeared, a white figure materialized silently beside him, his eyes filled with warmth. Who else could it be but the Profound Old Ghost?
But surprisingly, for the first time, Mu Chen didn’t complain about the Profound Old Ghost’s manner of appearing. The Profound Old Ghost wasn’t surprised either. He laced his hands behind his head, lay down beside Mu Chen, and looked up at the blue sky, now clear of the yellow dust. He pursed his lips and asked, "Is it really that hard to make a decision?"
Mu Chen gave a bitter smile. "It’s not that it’s hard to decide. It’s that I already have far too many responsibilities on my shoulders. I can’t take on another one."
"Responsibilities?"
The Profound Old Ghost glanced at Mu Chen’s profile. The immaturity of his youth had long since been worn away by time and experience, leaving only resolve and maturity. But thinking back carefully, ever since Mu Chen had stepped onto the path of a Martial Artist, what had forced him ever onward wasn’t motivation, but pressure! Although Mu Chen never said anything, as the Spirit Body residing within him, the Profound Old Ghost was always aware of his every move, even when he was in deep slumber.
Whether it was Mu Bingling’s special circumstances, his own resurrection, the wedding-crashing entrusted to him by Qin Shang, or his guilt toward Wan Xian’Er—any one of these burdens would be unbearable for an ordinary person, let alone having them all piled onto one person, a person who was still just a normal kid.
Now, he was suddenly being asked to bear the hopes of a whole group of people and become the master of a faction. It was understandable that he couldn’t accept it right away... But...
"It’s just... Xiao Chenzi, have you forgotten? All this time... you’ve never been alone..."