Chapter 133: Arrival at the Serene Void Academy

Lu Chen stared at the shrinking projection of the hall, thoughts racing.

This definitely has nothing to do with the chief disciple identity token. Something beneath the Heavenly Mandate Hall is calling out to me.

Could someone buried beneath it be connected to me? Or is it something I carry?

"

Lu-gege, I feel it too. The closer we get to the inner sect, the stronger it becomes

," Nantian Wan'er's voice echoed in his mind. "

It might be the Heavenly Pool... or the small world.

"

Lu Chen lifted his head, meeting her gaze. "

You feel it too? Then there must really be something beneath. It's not the right time to investigate, but once we return to the Serene Void Academy, we'll find out.

"

Turning back to Song Ping, Lu Chen said softly, "Senior Martial Brother Song, please continue. Why does the Heavenly Mandate Hall look like a tomb? And what exactly are those three great peaks?"

Song Ping glanced at him briefly before answering, "Rather than saying it looks like a tomb, it would be more accurate to say... the Heavenly Mandate Hall

is

a tomb."

As soon as Nantian Yijian heard Song Ping confirm it, he blurted out, "A tomb? But why would it be so massive? Hurry up and tell us, stop dawdling."

"

Shh

, keep your voice down." Song Ping quickly covered his mouth. "This is still a secret outside. To most people, except the elders and chief disciples, the Heavenly Mandate Hall is just an ordinary sect."

Nantian Yijian lowered his voice, "

Mm...

got it, got it. Then tell us, what's the secret behind this tomb?"

"To be honest, I don't know much either. Even as chief of the Serene Void Academy, I can only glimpse the surface."

After a pause, Song Ping continued, "As for the three peaks, I once heard from my lord that they were the tomb owner's weapons. A spear and two swords."

Lu Chen and Nantian Yijian spoke simultaneously, but with very different intentions.

"Weapons?"

"Just weapons?"

"I can't confirm it. These are just rumors," Song Ping said, pointing to the largest peak. "The Heaven Ocean Peak is a forbidden ground even for the chief disciples. Many disciples believe the greatest secrets of the Heavenly Mandate Hall lie there."

"Heaven Ocean Peak?" Lu Chen followed his finger. "Are you sure the secrets are really there?"

Song Ping admitted, "I can't say for certain, but there's bound to be something hidden."

He slowly put away his identity token. "Lately, I've even heard rumors that Heaven Ocean Peak... is alive."

Lu Chen frowned. "Alive? How could a peak be alive? If it's truly a peak, that's impossible."

"Unless..." His gaze dropped to Wind Dragon at his feet. "Unless what awakened is a weapon spirit, like Wind Dragon."

"I don't know," Song Ping said, scratching his head awkwardly. "It's all hearsay. My authority is limited, and this is all I know. If you want real answers, you should ask Lord Jun. He knows more than I do."

Nantian Yijian's patience wore thin as Song Ping put away the token. "Are you really the Serene Void Academy's chief disciple? How can you not know anything? You said you'd explain the layout of the Heavenly Mandate Hall, but all you did was show a projection and tell us nothing."

He lunged forward, trying to grab the token. "First, you claim it's a tomb, and now you say you don't know. Are you sure you're not a fake chief disciple?"

Song Ping dodged with a wry smile. "Well... before awakening the Frost Dragon bloodline, I was only slightly stronger than ordinary cultivators. I had no right to probe such secrets. But now, I've awakened as a bloodline cultivator, and the Serene Void Academy has a new chief disciple. That gives us the right to explore these mysteries."

"

Hmph,

keep boasting," Nantian Yijian muttered, making a face. "After all that talk, you're still useless."

"

Uh...

that's not what I meant. I really do know more. Let me explain—"

"Enough. We're almost back at the Serene Void Academy." Lu Chen's gaze fixed on the slowly emerging buildings. "Let's send our brothers back first. After that, we'll investigate. Right now, the priority is consolidating the Serene Void Academy's strength and ensuring its growth."

"Yes, yes. Let's send them back. Some are badly injured."

Song Ping glanced at the academy ahead and sighed. "

Oh

, right. Lu Chen, once you enter the Serene Void Academy, you must link your personal information to the Earth Ocean Peak Pillar. You caused quite a stir earlier, and plenty of eyes are on you now. Do not step outside for the next few days."

Lu Chen cupped his hands in salute. "I understand. I planned to spend a few days in the Scripture Hall anyway. I'll trouble you, Senior Martial Brother Song, to handle matters in the meantime."

He then guided Wind Dragon into a steep dive.

Song Ping patted his shoulder. "I understand. The lord has arranged everything. Focus on strengthening yourself."

He released a surge of spirit qi to unlock the academy's sky barrier.

Wind Dragon descended toward the central plaza with his massive body. The disciples guarding the Serene Void Academy had never seen such a sight before. Mistaking the dragon's descent for an invasion, they hastily raised their weapons.

Just as Wind Dragon's head crossed into the academy's territory, a deep bell tolled from the plaza. Over a dozen figures appeared before the stone stele, channeling spirit qi with all their might.

A defensive light barrier spread from the plaza, enveloping the academy. The barrier repelled Wind Dragon while countless signal flares shot into the sky from deep within the grounds.

Wind Dragon growled at the attacks from within. "How dare these brats use spells against me?"

He was about to retaliate when Lu Chen intervened. "Wind Dragon, calm down. After all your years of cultivation, how can you still take offense at Qi Regulation Realm disciples?"

Lu Chen raised the Serene Void Academy chief disciple identity token, infusing it with spirit qi. The protective barrier instantly dissolved.

"Restrain your spirit qi. They've never seen us before," Lu Chen murmured, patting Wind Dragon. "Come on, let's take a look at our academy."

"Fine. I won't bother with them today."

With a flick of his massive head, Wind Dragon circled above the academy, preparing to land on the plaza.

From the three peaks, several powerful energy signatures swept across the academy. The moment they recognized Song Ping on the dragon's back, they quickly withdrew their energies.

The disciples on guard watched as the barrier dissipated, despair crossing their faces. "Why would anyone attack us at this time? If we had only waited a little longer, the lord would've returned. No one had attacked us for days, so why did they show up now?"

"Enough talk. The lord told us not to surrender so easily."

"That's right. The lord is at the mountain gate platform, and the signal flares have been sent. If we hold out a little longer, they'll arrive in time."

"Go! We'll hold the line until they return!" The defenders rose into the air, weapons in hand, ready to fight Lu Chen and his companions to the death. But when they saw Song Ping and the other Serene Void Academy's disciples riding on Wind Dragon's back, they froze.

Nantian Yijian burst out laughing, while they quickly bowed in salute.

"What were you thinking, charging like that? Use your heads. With the six academies guarding the mountain gate, who would dare attack the Heavenly Mandate Hall?"

"Judging by your cultivation, little progress has been made this past month," Song Ping swept a cold gaze over the disciples and waved them down. "Go back and cultivate. If the lord sees such negligence, punishment will follow."

"We were wrong, Senior Brother Song! Please don't report this. We'll return at once!" The disciples glanced at Lu Chen, bowed again, and hurried off.

Watching the scattered group leave, Lu Chen asked, "Are these the only disciples left guarding the Serene Void Academy? Where did the others go?"

"

Uh...

this is all we have," Song Ping admitted. "There used to be elders in charge, but as the disciples left one by one, the elders were reassigned to other academies."

"This few?" Lu Chen's gaze swept across the empty grounds. "Counting attendants and servants, there should still be several thousand, right?"

"

Er...

there used to be," Song Ping said, lowering his voice as he looked at the deserted plaza. "When I first joined the Serene Void Academy, there were over twenty thousand disciples, without counting all attendants and servants. But now... barely two hundred remain."

Lu Chen turned to him in surprise. "What do you mean? Aren't there already over two hundred riding on Wind Dragon? So the so-called 'guardians' we just saw were only that group?"

Song Ping scratched his head awkwardly. "Well... that group also includes cooks and servants. Like I said, the Serene Void Academy only has around two hundred official disciples right now."

Lu Chen leapt down from Wind Dragon's head, landing steadily on the plaza. "

Sigh...

there should at least be an official count."

"Yes, yes, there is." Song Ping jumped down after him, still scratching his head. "Counting official disciples, cooks, and servants together, Serene Void has about 256 people in total."

"

Pfft...

" Nantian Yijian nearly choked. "256? That's the size of a small inner sect branch! In my former sect, the cooks alone numbered in the hundreds. Add outer and inner sect disciples, plus the elders, and there were tens of thousands of people! And here, in an academy this huge, there are only 256?"

He carried Jun Laoye off Wind Dragon's back and narrowed his eyes at Song Ping. "You're not tricking us, are you? Could Uncle Jun secretly have people hidden somewhere?"

Song Ping sighed. "If only that were true..."

He reached out and wiped clean the stone stele in the plaza, revealing the inscription: Serene Void Academy.