Qin Wentian walked out of the Sky Connecting Realm. He stood within this particular sacred academy and inclined his head, staring in the air. Those deep eyes of his contained a gentle smile.
Qing`er was precisely in this particular sacred academy.
Since they last met, it has been over 30 plus years, how could he not long for her? Even when that time he was stuck in the particle world and Qing`er returned to the immortal realms, the longing wasn't as much as now.
Having cultivated so long in the sacred academy, he wondered if Qing`er and Qingcheng are still doing well.
With a gentle smile flickering in his eyes, Qin Wentian slowly stepped forward. Since he knew Qing`er was in this particular sacred academy. In that case, he naturally wanted to use the shortest amount of time to find Qing`er. No one would be able to obstruct him.
Not even the Nine-Emperors Immortal Empire or the White Tiger Race.
As for the elder brother Huang Youdi spoke of, Qin Wentian didn't bother thinking about him. What has that elder brother got to do with him after all?
With a flash of his silhouette, Qin Wentian soared up into the air, flying into the depths of this sacred academy.
This sacred academy was the same as the others with experts as numerous as clouds. It was even more lively compared to the academy where he first entered. Several experts could be seen flying through the air, it wasn't going to be so easy if one wanted to search for a particular person in this sacred academy.
With a flash of his eyes, Qin Wentian noticed there were two experts currently fighting at a certain location below him. The number of experts gathered there was quite high. He slowly stepped out and descended onto the top of an ancient palace, directly entering the center of the battlefield causing many of the spectators to stare at him in bewilderment. Even the two combatants halted and were staring at him with strange expressions on their faces.
However, Qin Wentian didn't feel any awkwardness at all. His original plan was to attract the attention of others and he naturally wouldn't mind the gazes of everyone on him. At this moment, he clasped his hands to everyone and smiled, "Hi, I just arrived here. Does anyone know where in this particular sacred academy would be the place that would attract the most attention?"
"So it's someone who just came to this academy. Now that the four academies are connected for so many years, to think that you just entered here. No wonder you are so impetuous." Someone coldly spoke. "However, why do I feel that you look so familiar?"
"It's that fellow with the saint-grade immortal foundation. Although it has been many years, I still remember his face." Someone spoke up. In an instant, everyone here had expressions of interest on their faces. Thirty plus years ago, when Qin Wentian first entered the sacred academy, he caused a great deal of commotion. As the sound of that voice rang out, many people started to recall that incident where Qin Wentian displayed his saint-grade immortal foundation and black-gold astral soul.
"Haha, saint-grade immortal foundation? Yet you took so long to come to the sacred academy?" Someone mocked. Back then, how resplendent was Qin Wentian with his perfect, saint-grade immortal foundation? There were naturally people feeling satisfied at the slow pace whereby Qin Wentian entered this sacred academy today.
Qin Wentian also couldn't be bothered to explain things. He remained staring at everyone with a smile on his face.
"With your perfect saint-grade immortal foundation, I'm sure you are feeling some reluctance in your heart given that you only just managed to cross the immortal sea and step into this sacred academy. If you want to gain fame, the best place you can go is to the Stonebell Rampart. The attention of this entire sacred academy would usually be focused there." Someone laughed, causing many of the spectators to have gleams of sharpness in their eyes. In each of the four sacred academies, every academy would have a unique place for cultivation. For this particular academy, the sacred land was none other than the Stonebell Rampart.
However, for someone who only arrived here after thirty plus years, did he want to seek abuse for himself by heading over to the Stonebell Rampart now?
However, there were also some who suspected that how can this be possible? A genius with a saint-grade immortal-foundation took over thirty years to cross the immortal sea? Or maybe, he had already entered the sacred academies but was initially at a different one.
Qin Wentian didn't know what the others were thinking. He merely clasped his hands together and asked, "May I inquire where the location of this Stonebell Rampart is?"
"Just fly over there in a straight line and you will see a group of ancient palaces together. Once you arrive there, you would know where the Stonebell Rampart is located." Someone pointed him in a direction. Qin Wentian then nodded and smiled, "Thank you for the guidance. Farewell."
After speaking, Qin Wentian directly soared through the air. More and more people started laughing but soon forgot about him, turning their attention back to the two dueling geniuses. There would be several people heading to the Stonebell Rampart everyday. For a person like Qin Wentian who just entered the academy only after thirty plus years and wanted to gain fame overnight? He was simply living in a fool's dream.
The two dueling geniuses also had a speechless smile on their faces due to the appearance of Qin Wentian. After that, they returned to their combat states.
Qin Wentian followed the direction he was pointed to and as expected after sometime he easily found the location of the Stonebell Rampart.
The Stonebell Rampart was too conspicuous, right ahead of the ancient palaces. Over there, chimes of a bell could be heard and there are many geniuses which could be seen heading over there.
Qin Wentian descended on an ancient palace not far from the rampart. Staring at that resplendent immortal glow from the rampart ahead, he could see a countless number of runic diagrams being engraved there. Those divine runic diagrams interweaved into the forms of complex ancient bells that radiated an intense immortal might.
The number of geniuses here were as many as the clouds. All of them had their eyes closed and were proceeding forward with difficulty. Occasionally, there would be someone who tried to dominate the others by stepping into the lead but these people were all directly knocked back by the sound of the bell chimes as they coughed out fresh blood.
"What unique points does the Stonebell Rampart have?" Qin Wentian asked a person beside him. This place was extremely vast and there was also a large number of experts choosing to observe the situation.
That person stared at Qin Wentian in bewilderment. This man before him actually didn't know anything about the sacred ground of this academy, the Stonebell Rampart?
"Do you see the footprints in the interior regions of the Stonebell Rampart? If you follow those footsteps, the Stonebell Rampart would unleash a terrifying might that produces a resonance with your body, tempering your bones and bloodline, even refining your immortal-foundation by calling upon the power of the Great Dao. This is a sacred cultivation ground of this academy and there would be several geniuses cultivating here everyday. The longest someone has cultivated for was for twelve years straight in a row. He eventually broke through and gained enhancement in his combat prowess."
That person continued, "There are a total of 81 footsteps, the multiplication of the ultimate number, nine upon nine. Once within the past thirty years, there was a supreme character who cultivated here and managed to follow through all 81 steps, coming to the front of the Stonebell Rampart. The entire academy resonated from that, his cultivation base enjoyed a breakthrough and his immortal foundation was refined into perfection."
Qin Wentian listened quietly as his eyes gleamed with sharpness. As expected, the sacred academies are all different, each having a unique cultivation ground. This Stonebell Rampart was none other than one of the unique cultivation grounds of this academy. The sacred academy he was in earlier, where the majority of greater demons congregated, there wasn't a cultivation ground like this at all.
Qin Wentian cast a meticulous glance at the interior regions of the Stonebell Rampart. There were several paths leading into there. Each of those paths all contained 81 footprints and there were already quite a few who had traced over half of the footprints. Every step they took would cause the Stonebell Rampart to emit a brilliant immortal light, making the bell chime.
"This sacred ground is actually able to cause one's immortal foundation to reach perfection, refining it to the saint grade. How miraculous." Qin Wentian silently mused. He knew how rare the legendary saint-grade immortal foundation was, he didn't expect that in the sacred academy, there was actually a chance for someone to establish a saint-grade immortal-foundation. As expected of the place that could give birth to a future ancient emperor.
"In that case, if I can step through all 81 footprints, the laws of the academy would resonate and everyone in this academy would be able to sense it?" Qin Wentian asked. His purpose in coming here was precisely to garner attention using the most direct method to search for Qing`er.
"Hahaha, you are truly a braggart." That person glanced at Qin Wentian and laughed. This newcomer actually wanted to walk all 81 steps? How arrogant was that, he simply didn't know the immensity of the heavens and earth.
"I have no intention to mock you but your words are simply too ridiculous. Do you know how difficult it is to walk all 81 steps? Let alone the 81 steps, as long as you can complete 63 steps, it's already sufficient to stun the entire sacred academy. If you can accomplish 72 steps, you will become a dazzling existence known by all. If you can really finish walking the 81 steps, your name will remain forevermore in the history of this sacred academy."
The eyes of that person gleamed with yearning, as well as some frustration. Even until today, he could still remember the chiming of the bells caused by that man who completed the 81st step. From then on, nobody in this sacred academy didn't know of that supreme character. Also from that moment onwards, that person was known as one of the most outstanding elites in this entire sacred academy.
"Many thanks." Qin Wentian smiled. He could sense that this person had no intention to insult him, he most probably truly felt it was ridiculous for a newcomer to speak so arrogantly, directly asking about what would happen if one could finish walking all 81 steps.
Moving forward, Qin Wentian stepped into the inner regions of the Stonebell Rampart. He stared at the 81 footprints on the immortal road he had chosen and took his first step forward. Instantly, the rampart showed a connection and there was immortal light directly raining down on him. At this moment, Qin Wentian had an extremely marvelous feeling, it felt like the entire aura of his being was locked on upon by the Stonebell Rampart and there were hints of law energy infusing him.
"How mystical." Qin Wentian continuously walked a total of 9 steps. That sense of marvelousness grew even more intense as the chimes of the bell reverberated within his body.
"This feeling feels extremely comfortable." Qin Wentian smiled as he continued stepping forward. Each and every one of his steps were incomparably stable as he slowly made his way forward. The humming sound from within his body also grew louder, resonating with the bell chimes. In fact, it felt like his body was like a bell, the law energy from the rampart transformed into immortal runes that imprinted themselves into his flesh and blood.
When Qin Wentian achieved the 36th step, the bell chimes within his body continued ceaselessly as he underwent a baptism from the law energy of the Stonebell Rampart.
When he stepped on the 45th step, he felt an intense attribute energy boring into him. That was an attribute energy which he was proficient in, blasting into him with terrifying might.
"BOOM!" At the 46th step, six bells on the Stonebell Rampart shone their light directly onto him. A terrifying energy surged over, pressing down ruthlessly, causing Qin Wentian to feel as though his body was about to collapse.
Given how terrifyingly high the defense of his fleshly body was, he was already subjected to such a feeling. There was really no need to mention about the others who attempted this.
At the 50th step, the pressure on his body felt like a raging windstorm, with enough power to shatter his body at any moment.
"Has this fellow gone crazy?" The expert who was talking to Qin Wentian earlier now had gleams of sharpness in his eyes. Qin Wentian continuously walked 50 steps, it wasn't a good thing to be so forceful as one's body still hasn't acclimated to the pressure yet. He might even die from the eruption of pressure if he is not careful as there already has been cases of this happening. There was once a genius with terrifying talent that continuously stepped over 60 steps, basking in glory for a period of time. Many people even thought that that man would have a chance to reach 72 steps or more but ultimately, he was jolted to death from the pressure.
This Stonebell Rampart was a sacred ground that could refine a person or even kill a person.
Several experts started to glance in Qin Wentian's direction. Beside him there was also a genius who was proceeding onwards with much difficulty. He opened his eyes and glanced at Qin Wentian before coldly commenting, "You are just like that expert in the past who wanted to bask in glory. If you continue on, you won't even know how you died."
Qin Wentian looked at that person, it was actually none other than Ying Teng whom he had a conflict with back at the God Hand Mountain Manor. This fellow back then was incomparably arrogant and was eventually abused badly by him, someone from the ancient Ying Clan of the Southern Regions.
Qin Wentian's eyes were expressionless, he glanced at Ying Teng before turning his glance ahead, not looking at him as he spoke in a casual tone of voice, "Who are you?"
"Kacha!" Ying Teng's fists were clenched tightly as he stared at disbelief at Qin Wentian feigning ignorance. How could he forget that abuse he suffered under Qin Wentian back then? Although he looked calm on the exterior, his heart was filled with a burning rage. This sentence by Qin Wentian had completely disregarded him and became the spark that lit the fuse.
Qin Wentian actually asked who was he?
This was telling him that in Qin Wentian's eyes, there had never been a person named Ying Teng ever before!