Chapter 477 - 469: Broo
"He simultaneously possesses three types of Attribute Elemental Power—that we know of."
Dilaka turned, his tone casual, as if he weren't discussing something that defied all known conventions on the continent, but simply making small talk.
But while Dilaka's tone was casual, Wang Miaoling was completely stupefied. She exclaimed in a trembling voice, "He simultaneously possesses three attributes?! Heavens! Isn't that more terrifying than being a cultivation cripple?! Everyone knows that for a Martial Artist with two attributes, the final outcome is one of three things: they're unable to cultivate and have a short life; they can cultivate but are pathetically weak; or they lose control and their body explodes! Can a person like that truly enter Holy Tomb Mountain and be accepted as your disciple?!"
Faced with Wang Miaoling's questioning, Dilaka stared blankly for a long moment before it dawned on him. He gave two dry coughs and said, "Er… my mistake. I didn't explain clearly. He simultaneously possesses three types of Attribute Elemental Power, and he can use them all skillfully and freely, without any restrictions. Is that clearer now?"
"..." Wang Miaoling's mouth fell slightly open, and she failed to even notice her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose.
As if oblivious to Wang Miaoling's expression, Dilaka continued, "The three types of Attribute Elemental Power he has revealed so far are Ice, Fire, and Wood. And the purity of his Ice Elemental Power and Fire Elemental Power is extremely high. During the Empire's competition, I personally saw him fuse his Ice Elemental Power and Fire Elemental Power with perfect compatibility, reaching the state of Returning to the Essence. Can you even imagine something like that?"
"Returning to the Essence...?"
"It's the visual phenomenon that occurs when completely opposing or complementary elemental powers are fused at one hundred percent," Dilaka explained bluntly.
"But when I probed him just now, I didn't detect the slightest trace of Primordial Power fluctuations from him!" Wang Miaoling still found it hard to believe that someone on the Extreme Martial Continent could wield three types of Primordial Power simultaneously without suffering a backlash.
Dilaka shook his head. "It's only natural that there are no Primordial Power fluctuations. In order to pass the Inner Mountain assessment, he faced a hundred Martial Emperor experts and used a Wood Attribute Secret Technique I had never seen before. The appearance of this Secret Technique was what confirmed for me that he possessed a third type—the Wood Attribute Elemental Power. It also enabled him to pass the Inner Mountain assessment. However... the consequences were rather severe. His Primordial Power has been temporarily sealed. I suspect it's a lingering side effect of that powerful Wood Attribute Secret Technique."
Wang Miaoling's face turned pale. She had just recovered from her shock, only to immediately fall back into a stupor. She had gleaned two critical pieces of information from Dilaka's words. First, this boy named Mu Chen not only possessed a perfectly fused Ice and Fire Burst, but also a Wood Attribute Secret Technique that allowed him, a First-Ring Martial Sect, to defeat a hundred Martial Emperor experts. Second, he was capable of Tier Jumping, and not just by a little... but across a Great Tier!
"One more thing, Miaoling. I only had him come get his Inner Mountain Certificate and Institute Uniform. I never told him to go to any class. Given his Martial Artist Realm, even though he can use Tier Jumping to defeat Emperor Realm Martial Artists, he is still far too weak here in the Inner Mountain. Go and bring him back in a bit. A place like the Blazing Flame Class will just be a waste of his Cultivation time."
With those words, Dilaka's figure vanished from the office, leaving Wang Miaoling still in a daze, not yet having snapped back to reality.
...
Naturally, Mu Chen, who was heading for the academic building, was unaware of Dilaka and Wang Miaoling's conversation. He had his own problems; he was at his wit's end.
'Blazing Flame Class... Blazing Flame Class... Where is it?'
Sweating profusely, Mu Chen wandered aimlessly through the academy, looking rather lost due to his unfamiliarity with the layout and lack of a map. The simplest solution would have been to find the Gatekeeper and ask him for directions. But after reporting him at the administrative office, wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?
As he wandered aimlessly, a massive tower-like building appeared before him. The tower looked extremely strange, reminiscent of the Tower of Calamity within the Xuanling Imperial Academy. It was completely sealed; even if it had windows, they were blocked by iron bars. For an ordinary person to glimpse what was inside, there was no other way but to enter the tower.
However, the tower now before Mu Chen was completely different. From its top down, each floor was encased in transparent crystal. By focusing one's gaze, one could see everything inside in perfect detail: people, objects, and any other furnishings.
'Book Tower?'
At the entrance of the tower, Mu Chen saw a sign crafted from the same crystal.
'So this is the academy's library. Looks like my luck is turning.'
A faint smile appeared on his face. As far as Mu Chen was concerned, only two places in the academy truly piqued his interest. One was the academy's special Cultivation spaces, and the other was this place, the library.
As Mu Chen was looking the Book Tower up and down, he suddenly felt a gaze lock onto him. He followed the sensation and looked up, his eyes landing on a young woman dressed in crimson martial attire. He called her a "young woman," but that was just his perception. After all, on the Extreme Martial Continent, women were masters of preserving their youth. A perfect example was Bingli, who looked to be in her early twenties but had actually lived for a thousand years.
The woman in red was leaning back comfortably in her chair, her palm propping up her cheek as she observed Mu Chen with mild curiosity. She was muttering something to herself, but Mu Chen couldn't make out the words. And since she was on the 7th Layer of the Book Tower, the glare of the sun prevented him from getting a good look at her face.
'Forget it. This is no time for distractions. The Blazing Flame Class... where in the world is the Blazing Flame Class!'
Mu Chen was starting to get a headache. But just as all hope seemed lost, a new path opened up. As Mu Chen was about to leave, another Inner Mountain Student, dressed in the same black robes as him, walked past. He gave Mu Chen a curious look and asked, "Hey, Junior. It's class time. Why are you out here?"
Mu Chen looked much younger than the student, so the address didn't seem out of place.
Mu Chen was both surprised and delighted. He hurriedly asked, "Hello, Senior! It's like this, I'm a new student this year. I just checked in at the administrative office and was on my way to my classroom. But this academy is massive, and I've been searching for a long time without any luck."
The black-robed man wasn't exactly handsome, but he gave off a reliable and reassuring vibe. He had a square-shaped face and a pair of very distinct, thick red eyebrows that, at first glance, looked a bit like burning flames.
The man laughed after hearing Mu Chen's explanation. He glanced at the red Jade Token at Mu Chen's waist and said cheerfully, "Ah, a student from the Blazing Flame Class! Then you've found the right person. I'm in the Blazing Flame Class too. The name's Broo."
As he spoke, Broo slung a thick, powerful arm around Mu Chen's shoulders. Although Broo was about the same height as Mu Chen, he was much bulkier, so the gesture didn't look awkward at all.
"You're in the Blazing Flame Class too? So does that mean all the students in the class, regardless of rank, study in the same classroom?" Mu Chen asked instinctively, then quickly added, "I'm Mu Chen."
Broo laughed. "Mu Chen, huh? Nice name. And you're right; the Blazing Flame Class doesn't separate by rank. Students of all ages and power levels learn in the same room. Let's get going while we talk. If you try to find the classroom on your own, you'll still be looking this afternoon."
"Okay."
After agreeing, Mu Chen followed Broo's lead in a new direction, and they quickly disappeared from the Book Tower's view. Just as Mu Chen left, the woman in crimson martial attire on the 7th Layer of the Book Tower slowly rose to her feet. She turned her head to the side and called out, "Ziyan, have you found the materials you wanted yet?"
"Not yet, Sister Qing'Er. Just wait a little longer. We can go back once I've found it."
"Sigh… Fine. I'll give you a little more time. It's so boring here."
The woman in the red martial attire sat down again. It was hard to imagine that a woman who sat with the posture of a queen could have such a seductive voice. To put it simply, her voice alone was brimming with flirtatious charm.
"Yan'Er."
"Hm?"
"Tell me, when did the Inner Mountain start having First-Ring Martial Sects? And a First-Ring Martial Sect with not a single trace of Primordial Power, at that?" the woman known as Qing'Er asked, her tone a mixture of mild confusion and listlessness.
The young woman called Ziyan, however, was taken aback. She looked up and smiled. "Sister Qing'Er, what are you saying? The weakest students in the Inner Mountain are at the Emperor Realm Fifth Ring. How could there possibly be a First-Ring Martial Sect? Sister, don't tell me you're so tired from waiting that you're starting to hallucinate."
The upward glance itself wasn't significant, but if Mu Chen had been there, he would have been utterly astonished. This was because the young woman named Ziyan was none other than Shan Ziyan, the host of the opening ceremony for the Empire's competition.
Shan Ziyan was dressed exactly as she had been during the Empire's competition: in a flowing, light-green silk dress, simple yet elegant. Her stunning face was free of makeup, possessing a natural, ethereal beauty that seemed unbound by the mortal world. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder, and she looked particularly captivating when she tilted her head.
As for the "Sister Qing'Er" she kept mentioning, Mu Chen naturally wouldn't know her. But when it came to fame, even Shan Ziyan couldn't hope to compare. This was because she was someone known by everyone in the Inner Mountain: the Power Master of the top faction, Black Rose—Chu Aoqing.
Chu Aoqing was still lounging sideways in her chair, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Her beautiful red lips curved into a slight smile. "Did I see it wrong? Perhaps..."
As she murmured, the image of Mu Chen's somewhat dazed face surfaced in her mind. 'Not a single trace of Primordial Power, yet he sensed my gaze instantly,' she thought. 'What a strange fellow.'