Chapter 226: Enter the Hall

The Dragon Gate Hall was situated within the Central Dynasty, one of the most powerful nations in the entire Tianyuan Federation, second only to the Tianyuan Dynasty.

Whether in terms of military strength or international influence, it far surpassed the Taibai Kingdom, falling short only slightly in economic power.

Many aspects of the Central Dynasty closely mirrored the Tianyuan Dynasty, to the extent that its royal family, institutions, and renowned figures were often overshadowed. The only exception was the Dragon Gate Hall, a training institution that upheld principles of fairness and justice and held remarkable influence.

"Dragon Gate" symbolized leaping over the dragon's gate and soaring to success. In fact, the Dragon Gate Hall had more than lived up to this name with its achievements in recent years.[1]

When it came to sheer influence, the Top-Tier Astral Cultivators trained by the Dragon Gate Hall were unparalleled in all of Tianyuan. No sect or faction could match them, not even the Tianyuan Royal Academy.

After all, the Royal Academy catered exclusively to members of the Tianyuan Royal Family and had fewer than a thousand students.

The Dragon Gate Hall, on the other hand...

Its official members, core members, and Dragon Princes combined numbered in the tens of thousands. The massive size of its members had driven the rapid development of the surrounding region.

Initially constructed on Dragon Gate Mountain, over sixty kilometers from the capital and relatively remote when first established, the Dragon Hall had since become the center of a bustling city with a population exceeding three million.

The city, named after the Dragon Gate, was a bustling metropolis with a booming economy and an ever-growing population. Highways, railroads, and even an airport, a rare sight in this world, encircled the city, making its transportation infrastructure remarkably advanced.

Today, a train pulled into the station with a resounding whistle.

There were already several people waiting on the platform.

As the train screeched to a halt, Li Pin and Su Mai stepped off first, followed by the other two companions. The three individuals who had been waiting approached them at once.

Among them, one was a representative of the Dragon Gate Hall. Another one was an official from the Taibai Kingdom. As for the last one...

It was Su Feiyu, who had arrived at the Dragon Gate Hall a month earlier.

Su Feiyu greeted him with a smile. "Li Pin, you're finally here."

"Welcome back, Dragon Prince Li Pin." the Dragon Gate Hall representative smiled. "I'm your personal steward, Zhang Yuesheng. During your time at the Dragon Gate Hall, feel free to ask me for anything you need."

In essence, the Dragon Gate Hall shared a few similarities with the Astral Hall. The instructors didn't need to curry favor with members, as they stood on equal footing, with neither side holding superior status.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

But the Dragon Princes were different!

As seeds with the potential to refine qi into Spirit, achieve the Extreme Transcendent state, and meditate on the Astral God to step onto the Astral Cultivator's path, every Dragon Prince enjoyed special privileges within Dragon Gate Hall.

Private mansions, exclusive training areas, and personal attendants to handle daily affairs were just the basics.

Li Pin nodded to the group. By now, a car had already pulled up at the platform. Many people looked in the direction and sized them up.

When they spotted the car's license plate number, some began to discuss, "License plate 0026... the Dragon Gate Hall used to have only twenty-six Dragon Princes. This year, eight new spots were added from the World's Top Martial Competition. The one with plate number 0025 is Wan Lichang from Tianyuan, and 0026... is Li Pin... the twenty-three-year-old world champion of the intermediate category?!"

"Weren't the new Dragon Princes supposed to arrive at Dragon Gate Hall a month ago? Many of them have already made significant progress after adopting the hall's new teaching methods. Why is he only showing up now? He has wasted over a month of precious time!"

"Already a Dragon Prince, yet he doesn't even know how to seize an opportunity. With such a casual attitude toward training, how did he even become the world champion? Just wait until next year's competitive challenge. He'll be in for a rough time. He might even lose his Dragon Prince title."

Murmurs, suppressed yet constant, spread among the passengers disembarking alongside them.

Dragon Gate City had been built around the Dragon Gate Hall, and its inhabitants were well-versed in the affairs of the hall, small and big. While they might not know every detail about the official or core members, they were certainly familiar with the Dragon Princes.

As they got into the car, Su Mai joked, "Martial Saint Li, I thought you'd only stay in Jiang Province for three to five days to visit family and friends, but over a month? That surprised me."

Clearly, he also felt that Li Pin had wasted too much time in Jiang Province.

The Dragon Prince status was not a lifetime achievement; it came with an expiration date.

"There were some important matters I needed to attend to in Jiang Province," Li Pin replied.

He hadn't been idle during his month in Jiang Province. Over the course of that month, he not only raised his mental spirit attribute above thirty, but he also gained a deeper understanding of the Stars Overlord Secret Art.

Su Mai smiled. "I've heard that Song Wuya has made great progress this past month. Just yesterday, Zhou Tiandou, a core member ranked sixteenth on the Hidden Dragon List, challenged him with a wager of a hundred thousand points and lost.

"That member... had trained in Dragon Gate Hall for six years and had a physique at the peak of human potential, yet Song Wuya seems to have surpassed even your level during the World's Top Martial Competition.

"Now, rumors are spreading that if you were to face him again, you might not come out on top."

Li Pin was a bit surprised. "Song Wuya has improved that much?"

Su Feiyu reassured him, "Don't worry, there's no need to feel pressured, not even with next year's Competitive Challenge. As the one being challenged, you can set rules that work in your favor.

"For example, you could require that only twenty-three... oh, you're twenty-four next year. You could require that only those the same age can challenge you. While Dragon Gate Hall has some twenty-four-year-old members, none of them can stand against you."

Su Mai added. "While you can limit challenges to those your age, you can't avoid wager battles. Though you can refuse and it won't have any actual impact, it could still affect your Martial Will."

"Wait a minute." Li Pin extended his hand, signaling for a pause. "I just heard you say that the sixteenth-ranked core member from the Hidden Dragon List challenged Song Wuya with a hundred thousand points? Are you saying it was Zhou Tiandou who paid the points and not Song Wuya?"

Su Mai nodded. "Yes. Since Song Wuya joined the Dragon Gate Hall, he has been challenged six times, but he declined each time, citing training as his reason.

"As more challengers came, he set a requirement that only those who paid him a hundred thousand points would get their challenge accepted. We all thought such a stringent condition would deter challengers, but... someone still took him up on it."

Li Pin gasped in disbelief.

How is this even possible!? Not only did powerful Martial Saints come knocking for a fight, but he also earned a hundred thousand points for free!?

"This... this is ridiculous! Do these challengers have nothing better to do? And a hundred thousand points? That's almost enough to exchange for the chance to use the legendary astral equipment!"

"Incredible, isn't it?" Su Mai continued. "Some Martial Saints are obsessed with their reputation and enjoy challenging well-known experts repeatedly. And if the expert has the status of a Dragon Prince, they become a prime target."

Su Mai looked at Li Pin and added, "Song Wuya is nothing compared to you. As the world champion of the intermediate category, you'll face far more challengers at Dragon Gate Hall than he did. While losing these challenges won't affect your Dragon Prince status, it could hurt your confidence. So, it's best if you start training diligently as soon as possible."

Li Pin nodded. "Understood."

Initially, he had planned to stay low at Dragon Gate Hall and avoid rushing into tasks to earn points. However, if he wanted to refine his Lifeform Force Field, he would need the support of the legendary astral equipment. And using it just once cost three hundred thousand points!

Even with triple points, he'd still need to complete multiple tasks, which could delay him for two to four months.

But now, things have taken a surprising turn!

Training partners giving away points? That was unheard of! What was this even called!? Going to work where instead of the company paying you, you pay them to thank them for offering you a job?

"Then let's head to Dragon Gate Hall quickly. If I'd known this sooner, I would've returned right away," Li Pin said.

Su Mai laughed, thinking his words had hit the mark. "Now you feel the urgency,

huh

? Technically, newcomers to Dragon Gate Hall have a one-month 'protection period.'

"Of course, it's not an official rule, but more of an unspoken agreement that most people respect. So, you've got about a month to properly organize your martial arts system, improve yourself, and undergo an evolution."

"One month?" Li Pin frowned, but after a moment, he shrugged it off.

One month, so be it.

"By the way," Li Pin turned to his steward, Zhang Yuesheng, "I remember that as a Dragon Prince, I can ask any Martial Saint or Astral Cultivator in the Dragon Gate Hall for advice. If I want to consult a Master Astral Cultivator, what should I be mindful of?"

Zhang Yuesheng was taken aback. "A Master Astral Cultivator?"

Generally, Martial Saints only seek advice from High-Class Astral Cultivators, mainly about the experience of refining qi into Spirit and the Extreme Transcendent State. Consulting a Master Astral Cultivator was... unconventional.

"Is this because of Atomic Will?" Zhang Yuesheng asked.

"Yes," Li Pin replied.

"If that's the case, a High-Class Astral Cultivator should suffice. As for a Master Astral Cultivator... Well, you'd essentially be facing lord-level ferocious beasts and demonic creatures.... At that point... these issues with the Atomic Will become largely irrelevant," Zhang Yuesheng explained delicately.

"I want to give it a try. It's also a form of cultivation for me," said Li Pin.

"In that case... in theory, the Dragon Prince can consult a Master Astral Cultivator for free. Given a Master Astral Cultivator’s esteemed status, however, they might not always have the time, so you'd need to apply and wait for their response."

As Zhang Yuesheng spoke, a thought seemed to cross his mind. "But, Dragon Princes have a special privilege. By spending a million points, you can ask a Master Astral Cultivator to handle any matter that abides by the Tianyuan laws. This could even include having the Master Astral Cultivator settle a personal matter."

"A million points."

That's equivalent to three uses of the legendary Astral Equipment. To hire a Master Astral Cultivator as a sparring partner... that's not cheap at all.

Li Pin nodded. He could only hope that the challenger a month from now would prove to be formidable enough.

1. a Chinese idiom that conveys the idea of achieving great success or reaching a high level of achievement. ☜