"Boss, are you serious?" Nantian Yijian opened his eyes, a flicker of excitement in them. "So that means... I'm actually a rare genius as well?" "Uh... you could put it that way." Lu Chen gave a wry smile. "In certain aspects, you're indeed quite different from the others." "No wonder my life's been full of hardships since childhood. It was all preparing me for this moment. These lights are treasures to me. I have to absorb as much as I can." The moment Nantian Yijian realized the value of these threads of Wish Power, his fear vanished completely. Instead, he eagerly reached out, drawing them in. Lu Chen laughed and shook his head. "Your way of thinking is... unique, to say the least." Nantian Yijian's mind worked unlike anyone else's. Lu Chen had told him plainly that cultivating Wish Power was something he'd have to explore on his own, that it would be a path filled with extreme difficulty, but Nantian Yijian didn't worry at all. To him, none of that mattered. He was simply overjoyed at the chance to seize such a rare opportunity. "This might be what people call an eternally clear mind," Wind Dragon observed calmly. "Perhaps it's precisely this clarity that allowed him to obtain Wish Power in the first place." Lu Chen couldn't hold back his laughter. "A clear mind? Are you joking? More like an empty mind..." He glanced at Nantian Yijian, reminding him again and again not to reveal this to anyone other than the Serene Void Academy's disciples on the airship, lest it bring disaster. "I understand, boss. A true genius must endure silently before rising, or else he'll only invite jealousy." Nantian Yijian scratched his head, grinning. "I read that in one of your storybooks." Lu Chen chuckled and patted him on the head. "Look at you, so pleased with yourself. Go cultivate properly. I'll help you find the path forward." With that, he turned to leave the stage. Just then, Nantian Yijian suddenly called out, "Boss, those lights from earlier... they're fading." Lu Chen lifted his head, scanning the surroundings. He activated the Thunder Echolocation Technique and his eyes started glowing faintly, allowing him to glimpse the fading traces of Wish Power drifting about. "I think I've figured out how to increase Wish Power." Lu Chen quietly released his spirit qi, his divine sense spreading through the cabin. He sensed the various currents of energy inside. The atmosphere had cooled slightly, and the flow of Wish Power had begun to weaken. Lu Chen mused softly, "The Serene Void Academy has already become like a clan. Or perhaps the Horse-Hunting Legion itself has become a new vessel. Little Jian is the leader, and these cultivators are his people." Withdrawing his divine sense, he said, "If I'm right, the concentration and cohesion of Wish Power are closely linked." Wind Dragon swished his tail, retracted his qi, and landed lightly atop Lu Chen's head. "That's right. Your analysis is correct. The connection is very real." Understanding this, Lu Chen sent Nantian Yijian a voice transmission, teaching him the method to strengthen Wish Power. Nantian Yijian's eyes lit up. "I get it now, Boss. Just watch me!" He darted straight toward Jun Laoye, shoved him aside, and shouted down at the cultivators below, "Since I'm the founder of the Horse-Hunting Legion, I'll announce our very first rule!" Lu Chen chuckled at the sight, nodding slightly. "Seems like Little Jian has caught on." Hmm... I don't look imposing enough, Nantian Yijian thought. His gaze swept the room until he spotted a table. With a quick leap, he landed on it, puffed out his chest, and proclaimed in a booming voice, "Our first rule is..." The cabin fell silent. Every pair of eyes fixed on him, waiting for his declaration. "Our first rule is... Always protect Nantian Yijian's safety, no matter where or when!" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel⦿fire.net As soon as the words left his mouth, the cabin erupted with sprays of wine and stifled laughter. No one had expected the first rule to be so self-serving. Jun Laoye snapped back to his senses. "Little Jian, I'm the leader! The first rule should be mine to declare!" He shoved Nantian Yijian aside, climbed onto the table, and continued announcing the rules. Lu Chen's face darkened. "I guess I was overthinking it. He's still the same as ever." He sighed bitterly. "If Little Jian wants true success, he still has a long road ahead." Wind Dragon flicked his tail and coiled lazily atop Lu Chen's head. "It's working. The Wish Power around us has clearly increased. But remember, this isn't the proper way to do it. He needs to learn to control it as soon as possible." Lu Chen nodded. "I know. I'll guide him." Watching Jun Laoye and Nantian Yijian wrestling over the Horse-Hunting Legion's leadership, Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh at the funny sight. Just then, Jun Wudi, who had been drinking quietly, sensed something was amiss. He lifted his head toward the arena and sighed inwardly. As I thought... With those three together, it was only a matter of time before the atmosphere would be thrown into chaos. It seems that moment has arrived. He strode onto the arena and asked, "Little Jian, are you finished?" Nantian Yijian scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Uncle Jun... I'm done for now, but I can always think of more later." Jun Laoye added quickly, "Yeah, Second Uncle, I've got more ideas too. I think there are still many things I need to add." "You've both said enough. Stop thinking. Step down, all of you." Jun Wudi wiped the sweat from his brow and, with a wave of his spirit qi, swept the three troublemakers off the arena. At the same time, he sent a voice transmission to Nantian Yijian. "The sect permits the formation of groups. If you truly wish to establish one, you can apply once we return." Jun Wudi then looked out the ship's window. Small towns were now within sight. They each had a towering stone spear planted at its center. This was the mark of the factions under the Heavenly Mandate Hall. Retracting his gaze, Jun Wudi declared, "We've entered the towns under the Heavenly Mandate Hall's jurisdiction. The Martial Merit Platform event ends here, but the victory feast continues! Eat and drink to your heart's content!" He closed the arena and added, "Once we return to the sect, devote yourselves fully to cultivation. This year's sect trial is crucial! We must defend our resources and strive to claim first place among the six academies!" Everyone in the cabin rose to their feet, bowed toward Jun Wudi, and shouted in unison, "Yes, my lord! Please rest assured, my lord! We will definitely claim first place!" "Hahaha, good, good. Carry on, but keep an eye on the time, don't stay up too late," Jun Laoye chuckled as he slowly walked toward the round table. Lu Chen let out a long sigh and slumped into the wicker chair. "It's finally over." Exhaustion swept over him like a tide, and before he realized it, his vision went black. With a loud crash, the chair tipped over, knocking the round table aside as Lu Chen collapsed to the floor. "Boss, what's wrong with you?" Nantian Yijian rushed forward and caught him in his arms, panic written across his face. "Don't scare me !" "What happened?" Jun Laoye hurried to his side, patting Lu Chen's cheeks, yet Lu Chen remained unconscious. Jun Laoye shouted, his voice echoing through the cabin, "Second Uncle, hurry up! Little Lu fainted!" In an instant, the two hundred or so people in the cabin all rushed toward Lu Chen. He had just become their spiritual pillar, and none of them could bear the thought of something happening to him. Nantian Wan'er tried calling out to Lu Chen through their mind link, but the connection had suddenly severed, and even the small world they shared was shut off. Nantian Wan'er panicked, clinging to him as she shook him desperately. "Lu-gege, what's wrong with you?" She shook Lu Chen for a long while, but he remained motionless, so she cried out to awaken Wind Dragon. "Lord Wind Dragon, please wake up! Please, take a look! Lu-gege has fainted!" Wind Dragon opened his eyes. "Hm? He fainted?" He guided spirit qi through Lu Chen's body to examine his condition thoroughly. "How is he?" Wan'er asked anxiously. "He's fine," Wind Dragon replied calmly. "The power he unleashed in the battle earlier was too great. His spirit qi, physical strength, and divine sense were all completely drained. Now that his body's relaxed, he's fallen into deep sleep. "The loss of consciousness is simply his mind sealing itself for self-protection. There's no harm in it. He'll wake up after some rest." "That won't cause any aftereffects, will it?" Wan'er's worry lingered. "Shouldn't we wake him up just in case?" "No need," Wind Dragon shook his tail, eyelids drooping again. "This kind of limit-breaking collapse is also a form of training for him. If you're really worried, feed him a Heaven Restoration Pill. It will ease his body and help him wake up sooner." "Alright, I'll give him the pill first." Nantian Wan'er quickly took out a pill and fed it to Lu Chen. Moments later, loud snores escaped from his lips. Hearing the steady snoring, Nantian Wan'er murmured in relief, "Lu-gege... he's really just asleep." "See? He simply exhausted himself. He was too tired, so he fell asleep." Wind Dragon withdrew his qi and closed his eyes again. "That's all it is. Don't fuss over him anymore. Once he wakes, he'll be fine." "Yes, Lord Wind Dragon," Wan'er answered softly. She then turned to the crowd that was rushing forward. "Lu-gege is only asleep. Please, let him rest." By then, Jun Wudi had arrived. "Let me take a look." He placed his palm against Lu Chen's abdomen and sent his spirit qi into him. Yet he found nothing wrong. This struck him as odd. Lu Chen's Heavenly Pool was exactly like an ordinary cultivator's—utterly plain, and without the slightest sign of exceptional qualities. Jun Wudi frowned, releasing more spirit qi to carefully probe Lu Chen's sea of qi, meridians, and bones. Still, everything looked painfully ordinary. In fact, it seemed even worse than when he had examined him before. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Lu Chen's steady breathing. "How could this be? Why is his Heavenly Pool so ordinary? It doesn't match his strength at all!" He pressed his hand to Lu Chen's abdomen again, intending to probe a third time. Sensing Jun Wudi's intrusive probing, Wind Dragon let out an annoyed snort. "Addicted, are you? Again and again. Do you think this is your body to toy with?" A burst of core spirit qi erupted from him, instantly forcing Jun Wudi's hand away. "What's going on?" Jun Wudi muttered, staring at the spirit qi mark on his palm. "There's a force inside Little Lu's body blocking me." Wind Dragon swooped over his head, flicking his tail across Jun Wudi's eyes. "Even innate treasures instinctively hide their aura. You don't understand something this basic?" Nantian Wan'er quickly sent a voice transmission to Wind Dragon. "Come back quickly, Lord Wind Dragon! Uncle Jun is very powerful. At this distance, even if you're invisible, he might notice you." Wind Dragon pouted. "Hmph, hedoesn't seem that powerful to me." Nevertheless, he flew back to perch above Lu Chen's head. Seeing Jun Wudi's hand suddenly forced away, Jun Laoye asked, "Second Uncle, what happened?" "It's nothing. Little Lu fainted from exhaustion. Just let him rest for the night. He'll be fine." Jun Wudi quietly hid his injured hand behind his back so no one would notice, then instructed, "You two, take him back to rest."