Chapter 414: The Crown Prince

In the small courtyard of Changqing Peak.

"Master Li has entered the upper third rank; his future is boundless."

Sang Kong said with a chuckle after sitting down.

Zi Yang Daoist also smiled: "Just now, I observed Master Li—you showed three signs of immortality. This is an excellent omen."

Li Rui ordered Liu Tiezhu to serve tea:

"Gentlemen, no need for formalities."

As soon as Sang Kong and Zi Yang Daoist sat down, they presented gifts.

He had already instructed Liu Tiezhu to accept them.

They came to congratulate him on his breakthrough; refusing their gifts would be impolite.

Sang Kong laughed heartily: "Just a small token, Brother Li—why be so formal? In another two years, the World Martial Rankings will be held again; we can go together and see how the top contenders fare."

Speaking of the World Martial Rankings.

Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

He had already revealed his Tongxuan realm to the outside world.

His selection for the World Martial Rankings was inevitable.

The World Martial Rankings were a honor reserved exclusively for the strong—but he wondered how he would rank.

Zi Yang Daoist, though long secluded in cultivation, understood worldly affairs well: "This year's World Martial Rankings may be different."

Li Rui and Sang Kong both deeply agreed.

The fall of Zijin Palace acted like a spark, as if it had exploded an immortal's nest.

It exposed all those hidden in the world—secretly immortal sects masquerading as hidden lineages.

In the past, the World Martial Rankings only assessed openly known strong individuals; hidden sects were excluded.

Now, all immortal sects have emerged.

Eighty percent will likely participate.

The spectacle will surely be grand.

Gu Changsheng will likely be plagued by this for a long time.

As the three chatted on.

The topic naturally turned to the Southern Sea.

It was Sang Kong who brought it up: "Master Zi Yang, have you found the one who killed Master Chunxu?"

This matter has stirred up quite a commotion within Qingwei Sect.

Zi Yang Daoist sighed lightly and shook his head: "Brother Xuan Yu has already gone to the Southern Sea. Master Chunxu was surely slain by that demonic cultivator."

As the two spoke,

Li Rui occasionally interjected a few words.

When he went to the Southern Sea Immortal Market, he left a clone on Changqing Peak; combined with Gu Changsheng's aura, it was convincing enough to pass as the real thing.

He had a perfect alibi.

No one would suspect a Yu Kingdom official currently in seclusion, breaking through, of being the one who killed Chunxu.

"What realm was the Old Devil of Tiannan?"

Li Rui asked.

Zi Yang Daoist's eyes showed wariness: "Rumors say he's at least a Rank-Two Tianxiang-level demon lord—and he's forged the legendary Ten Thousand Souls Banner, a weapon that offends heaven and harms mortals!"

"Truly a vile and heinous villain!"

Zi Yang Daoist spoke with indignation.

Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

The tale of the Old Devil of Tiannan was surely spread by those two demonic cultivators.

Of course.

It was exactly what he intended.

He aimed to divert everyone's attention.

The Old Devil of Tiannan didn't even exist.

No matter how powerful, no one could ever find him.

Li Rui could remain completely uninvolved.

Although Li Rui's breakthrough had spread through Qingwei Sect, his status as a Yu Kingdom official meant no one would openly discuss it.

Days passed one by one.

He had reached the upper third rank.

Further realm advancement could no longer be as dramatic as before; it was common to take a hundred years or more.

Li Rui possessed an immortal spiritual root, and with the Eternal Greening Technique,

he advanced with extreme steadiness.

In addition,

he trained in martial arts daily and studied arrays and talismans—truly busy.

When busy, time flew faster.

Before he knew it, a year had passed.

At the foot of Changqing Peak.

Li Rui walked leisurely, hands behind his back, occasionally tossing a few colorful little stones from his sleeve.

These were no ordinary objects.

They were Five Elements Stones.

After much study, he had finally unraveled the method to reverse the Five Elements Array.

He was now testing its deployment.

Once the array was complete, with him as its core, it could easily trap and kill a Rank-Five expert—even aiding him against a Tongxuan cultivator in battle.

His array skills had improved only to the sixth tier.

Only if he became a third-tier array master would his grand arrays truly be formidable—trapping a Tongxuan cultivator would be effortless.

Li Rui was no Dao disciple who needed no concern for resources, only pure pursuit of the Dao.

Learning more skills to protect himself was essential.

Combined with martial arts, they would surely surprise his enemies.

He didn't greedily pursue too many.

He trained only in arrays and talismans, and decisively abandoned the rest.

Soon,

Li Rui had walked a full circuit around Changqing Peak.

After tossing the final Five Elements Stone, he clapped his hands in satisfaction.

The reversed Five Elements Array was complete.

It remained invisible in daily life, only manifesting when he activated it.

For the past year, he had walked daily, dropping a few Five Elements Stones each time, quietly and imperceptibly laying the array.

Li Rui returned to the small courtyard.

As soon as he stepped inside,

he saw Sang Kong sitting in the yard, Liu Tiezhu beside him chatting: "Master."

Liu Tiezhu obediently vacated his seat.

Li Rui sat down with a smile: "Brother Sang, what brings you here today?"

Sang Kong grinned: "Brother Li, I heard the first batch of students from the Yu Kingdom Dao Academy are arriving at Qingwei Sect?"

Li Rui nodded.

"I heard they've reached Qinghe County; they should arrive in three days."

Just like the Yu Kingdom,

the Wu Kingdom had also established a similar Dao Academy to cultivate immortal talents.

And their students had already arrived at Qingwei Sect.

Once the Yu Kingdom Dao Academy students are all gathered, Qingwei Sect will begin its admission trials.

This differs from ordinary immortal sect trials.

There are far more slots available.

It's likely one of the conditions allowing Qingwei Sect to establish itself across both Yu and Wu Kingdoms.

It's also one of the most important duties of Li Rui and Sang Kong.

These past days, Sang Kong has been tirelessly Benbo over this matter.

Now it's Li Rui's turn.

"They're all lively young people—truly a headache."

Li Rui smiled faintly.

The difficulty wasn't just managing Qingwei Sect—it was also managing the Dao Academy students.

As the first batch of Dao Academy students,

many were descendants of high officials and nobles, each with an unignorable status.

Even Li Rui and Sang Kong must tread carefully.

It's much like the chief examiner of the imperial examination.

In just this single month, Li Rui had received countless letters of greeting—enough to pile up half a man's height.

Among them, the most unusual was one.

It came from the Marquis of Annan.

Written in Yuan Dingting's own hand.

What surprised Li Rui was that the Marquis of Annan had sent his heir apparent into the Dao Academy, and he would soon arrive at Qingwei Sect.

As for why he wrote the letter—

It stemmed from an old matter.

Back then, Li Rui, seeking to escape his status as a coachman, became a retainer in the Marquis of Annan's household, making him the young heir's tutor.

But the heir was still young, so Li Rui never actually fulfilled his duties as tutor.

Later, he became a viscount, then a count.

His status grew noble.

Continuing as the marquis's household tutor clearly no longer suited him.

Yet the matter of tutoring had never been formally resolved.

He had heard the young heir was now fourteen—old enough in the mortal world to be married and father children—and Marquis Yuan clearly intended for his son to gain worldly experience.

In truth, Li Rui was the guardian chosen by Yuan Dingting for his heir.

Li Rui felt nothing unusual about it.

He had once been protected by the Marquis of Annan—that was a debt of gratitude.

In this world, no favor is given without cause; having received it, one must repay it.

He had once lacked the means to repay it.

Clearly, now Marquis Yuan felt the time had come.

Li Rui worked for three days.

With his connections within Qingwei Sect, he quickly settled everything.

Far more composed than Sang Kong.

One day,

a great ship flew through the sky and landed before Qingwei Sect's gate.

Once all aboard had disembarked,

it instantly shrank.

Turning into a palm-sized model ship—truly miraculous.

"Young Brother Yuan."

Li Rui, having received word in advance, strode forward with a loud laugh, waiting at the mountain gate.

This was the first time Dao Academy students had come to cultivate.

The imperial court took this matter extremely seriously.

Not only were strong cultivators sent to escort the students to Qingwei Sect, but other immortal sects had also dispatched powerful guardians, all to ensure not a single mishap.

The escort sent to Qingwei Sect this time was Yuan Xiong.

"Old Brother Li, congratulations."

Yuan Xiong smiled.

He had already heard of Li Rui's breakthrough.

Now Li Rui stood at the same level as him and Nie Siming—both Grand Masters of Tongxuan Realm.

After speaking, he pointed to an elderly scholar nearby:

"This is Master Ma of the Southern Dao Academy."

The great ship treasure had been crafted by Master Ma.

Li Rui bowed with a smile: "Master Ma."

The Dao Academy elder, named Ma Xuan, returned the bow: "Ma Xuan, greetings, Lord Li."

Yu Kingdom maintained five Dao Academies: East, South, West, North, and Central.

The strongest, of course, was the Central Dao Academy in the capital; the other four differed little in strength.

Tutors within the Dao Academies were mostly hired at great expense from major immortal sects.

Perhaps due to Yuan Dingting's influence,

the Southern Dao Academy had not been placed in the most powerful province of Shu, but instead in Yunzhou.

Li Rui's reputation in Yunzhou was immense.

This Southern Dao Academy elder had naturally heard of him.

"This is Elder Ziyang of Qingwei Sect."

Li Rui introduced Elder Ziyang.

Elder Ziyang chuckled: "All of you from Yu Kingdom have traveled far. The assessment will be held in three days; please rest for now."

After some polite exchanges,

Li Rui led the dozens of Yu Kingdom students to Changqing Peak to stay temporarily.

Each student looked tense.

Many had endured great hardship to enter the Dao Academy; if they could join Qingwei Sect, their future would be boundless—but if they failed, their best hope was returning home to serve as a minor official.

Immortal cultivators are not honored for being cultivators—only strength matters.

Yet among the students, a few stood out distinctly.

Not a trace of nervousness; their entire being radiated nobility.

It was an innate aura.

Ordinary people could not learn it even if they tried.

These individuals subtly deferred to a handsome young boy.

"Heir Apparent."

Li Rui called out.

When the group saw Li Rui and Yuan Xiong appear, they respectfully stepped aside.

Their lineage was illustrious, but before these two Tongxuan Realm Grand Masters, they had no grounds for arrogance.

The kind of reckless, spoiled brats who act without regard for context exist only as villains in novels.

In reality, they were exceedingly rare.

Each one understood timing and knew not to provoke Li Rui or Yuan Xiong.

The handsome boy, upon seeing Li Rui, quickly bowed: "Greetings, Master Li."

Note:

He addressed Li Rui as "Master," not "Lord."

Li Rui's lips curved in a smile.

This young heir of the Marquis of Annan, nicknamed Huazi, showed not a trace of arrogance.

"Heir Apparent."

Yuan An, the Marquis of Annan's heir, grinned at Li Rui: "Master Li, when I was four, Father had me take you as my teacher—I have never forgotten."

The speaker meant nothing; the listener understood deeply.

The surrounding noble youths instantly regarded Li Rui with newfound reverence.

They knew Yuan An's identity well.

Son of the Saint of War, Marquis Yuan Dingting of Great Yu—his status was nearly equal to that of an imperial prince.

Yuan An having a tutor was normal.

Who doesn't have a tutor?

But usually, "Master" suffices—yet Yuan An voluntarily called Li Rui "teacher," and it seemed Yuan Dingting had required it.

That was extraordinary.

Heir Apparent's Teacher!

Especially the Heir Apparent's Teacher of the Marquis of Annan's household—how could they not be astonished?

Li Rui smiled faintly.

Yuan An's words were truly flattery.

He could not possibly bear the title of Heir Apparent's Teacher.

If Yuan Dingting found out, what would happen?

That title corresponds to the chief advisor of the Dingyuan Marquis's household—a Grand Master of Tianxiang Realm, whose fame and strength far surpassed Li Rui's.

"Heir Apparent, you jest—I am unworthy."

At this moment,

Yuan Xiong smiled and spoke: "Huazi, remember your father's words: since you've come to Qingwei Sect, forget your status. If you have questions, always ask Master Li."

"Yes, yes, Eighth Brother."

Yuan An beamed at Yuan Xiong.

Within the Marquis of Annan's household, he was nearly invincible—except when facing his own older brothers.

Among them, Yuan Xiong was the strictest.

When Yuan Xiong was still in the Marquis's household, he had been kicked many times.

The Marquis and his Lady chose to ignore it.

Yuan Xiong then turned to Li Rui: "Brother Li, I'm entrusting Hu Zi to you. Don't hold back—kick him as much as you like."

Upon hearing this,

Yuan An's mouth twitched involuntarily.

He still remembered vividly how Yuan Xiong and Nie Siming had treated him like a ball.

Three days passed in a flash.

The examination for the students of Yu and Wu began.

The examiners were Elder Ziyang and another Elder of the Tongxuan realm.

After consulting with Li Rui and Sang Kong,

the examination was simplified into two stages.

The first stage: break through the Illusion Array, testing one's mental fortitude.

The second stage: external sect trial, testing adaptability.

As for verifying spiritual roots,

it had already been done at the Dao Academy, which had issued official evaluations to serve as the final basis for assessment.

After several rounds of negotiations among the three parties,

the final number of slots was set at fifty.

Compared to the Immortal Gate examination of Qingwei Sect, the odds were much higher.

Li Rui, Sang Kong, and the others stood atop the high platform.

"There are still quite a few promising talents this time."

Elder Ziyang smiled warmly.

He was pleased to see disciples with strong talent join Qingwei Sect.

This was a win-win situation.

As they spoke,

they saw the Qingwei Sect Elder form a hand seal, and instantly a luminous curtain enveloped the sky before the Scripture Hall, as seven-colored, dreamlike mist slowly rose.

The Illusion Heart Array!

Li Rui was himself an array master.

Seeing this Illusion Heart Array, he couldn't help but study it closely.

A fourth-rank array!

That was no small thing.

Qingwei Sect had prepared thoroughly for this examination.

Li Rui stroked his chin:

"If used as the protective array for Changqing Peak, paired with the Reverse Five Elements Array, it would be excellent."

As Li Rui pondered,

one by one, the students from Yu and Wu entered the array.

Immediately, strange howls erupted.

Some laughed wildly and unrestrainedly; others screamed in utter terror.

Soon after,

a disciple burst out from behind the Illusion Heart Array.

Anyone with eyes could see:

He was insane.

(End of Chapter)