Chapter 1422: The Sixth Person, Lü Qing'er

"Qing'er?!"

Li Luo's eyes went wide as he stared at Mentor Xi Chan in utter astonishment; clearly, the sixth person she had just named was genuinely beyond his expectations.

"Isn't she at Golden Dragon Mountain? How did she end up becoming a mentor at Shengxuan Star Academy to take part in this Sky Mirror Pagoda?"

Mentor Xi Chan smiled faintly and said, "I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, but before we departed, President Yu Yu Hongxi came specially to find Vice Principal Suxin and finalized the matter."

"We're severely short-handed right now, so Vice Principal Suxin naturally had no objections. After all, I hear Lü Qing'er's background is extremely extraordinary as well; after several years apart, her strength is probably no weaker than ours."

"Then where is she?" Li Luo looked around, since after their parting at the Spiritual Phase Grotto-Heaven last time, it had been a long while since he had seen Lü Qing'er.

"She didn't come with us. She said she would wait for us at the Sky Mirror Pagoda," Mentor Xi Chan said.

"I see." Li Luo nodded. Lü Qing'er had been cultivating at Golden Dragon Mountain all these years, so her progress in strength was surely astonishing. After all, he had heard she was an extremely perfect match with that "Holy Ice Seed" of Golden Dragon Mountain, and if she drew on the power of the Holy Seed, it was entirely possible she had stepped into the Marquis Realm, or even forged a Ten-Pillar Golden Terrace.

With that, the strength of their hastily assembled Shengxuan Star Academy team grew even more formidable.

It might not match the teams led by some of the veteran powerhouses of the Four Great Ancient Academies, but among the Holy Academies, they should be able to squeeze into the top tier, right?

The only pity was that Jiang Jiang Qinge couldn't join, but he understood that point. After all, she was different from him; after leaving Shengxuan Star Academy, he had never formally joined any Ancient Academy, so he had never enjoyed the benefits of an Ancient Academy, and naturally had no obligation to contribute to another academy.

But the Radiant Light Ancient Academy truly had a debt of grace toward Jiang Jiang Qinge. Not only had it helped her resolve the hidden danger of the Light Heart Sacrificial Burn, but that Third Principal had also taken her as a personal disciple, imparting to her numerous Si Si Tianming-grade Marquis Arts. So under these circumstances, Jiang Jiang Qinge was bound to become a member of the Radiant Light Ancient Academy, or it would easily invite criticism and targeting.

"It seems you've chosen to participate in the Sky Mirror Pagoda under the name of Shengxuan Star Academy." Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi at the side said with a faint smile.

"I'm sorry for letting down Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi's kind intentions; I hope you'll forgive me." Li Luo said apologetically. Previously, Lan Lan Lingzi had even reserved a spot for him in the Sky Mirror Pagoda, and he had originally planned to participate under the name of Tianyuan Ancient Academy, but who would have thought Shengxuan Star Academy would also come? Since that was the case, he naturally had to help the latter.

After all, whether it was Mentor Xi Chan or the ties of affection with Shengxuan Star Academy, he could not stand by idly.

Lan Lan Lingzi gave a light laugh. There was no anger in her gaze toward Li Luo; instead, it was filled with appreciation. Li Luo knew full well that choosing Tianyuan Ancient Academy would have earned him more assistance in the Sky Mirror Pagoda, yet he still chose to support Shengxuan Star Academy. This showed that his character valued loyalty and gratitude; such personal charisma was far beyond what ordinary people could match.

Otherwise, if he were a fickle and ungrateful person, no matter how outstanding his talent, he would not be worth investing in, lest one suffer harm at his hands in return.

"Pang Pang Qianyuan did not misjudge you," Lan Lan Lingzi said.

"You need not feel apologetic about this. Your cultivation of the Peerless Second Grade is indeed a top-tier talent and foundation in this world, but our Tianyuan Ancient Academy has been passed down for ten thousand years. In these past several decades, generation after generation of outstanding prodigies have walked out of the Celestial Star Hall. Some have left, but others, like ascetic cultivators, have stayed to seek opportunities to cultivate within the Sky Mirror Pagoda. One could say that those people within the Sky Mirror Pagoda are the true hope of our Academy Alliance's future."

"Among them, kings will be born, and there will even be those prodigies of astonishing talent who have bided their time before bursting forth, once commented on by Li Li Tianwang as possessing the bearing of a king."

Li Luo clicked his tongue inwardly. He did not doubt the foundations of the various Ancient Academies in the slightest, for that Celestial Star Hall was reputed to be the cradle of Marquis seeds and King-level talents.

And after several decades of accumulation, even if some had left, the prodigies who remained were still not to be underestimated.

He also understood that Lan Lan Lingzi was saying all this only to keep him from feeling apologetic about not choosing Tianyuan Ancient Academy this time, because... Tianyuan Ancient Academy was not lacking a single top prodigy like him.

Although his Peerless Second Grade was indeed dazzling, it was ultimately a grade slightly too low. Within that Sky Mirror Pagoda, there would surely be prodigies who walked further along the Path of Peerless than he had.

This was beyond doubt; otherwise, it would be too much of an underestimation of the Academy Alliance, the most top-tier and ancient force in the present world.

Li Luo sighed inwardly. Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi's way of comforting people was indeed quite realistic and stinging.

"Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi, could you tell me about the Sky Mirror Pagoda? Speaking of which, I really don't know anything about it at all." Li Luo asked humbly.

The Sky Mirror Pagoda had a great reputation, but Li Luo had truly never paid much attention to it in the past. After all, he was not a student of an Ancient Academy, nor had he served as a mentor in a Holy Academy, so at first he had not planned to go to the Sky Mirror Pagoda.

If it had not been for obtaining that "Grand Formless Divine Forging Art" to solve the problem of his fourth empty phase, he might have waited longer before accompanying Jiang Jiang Qinge to the Sky Mirror Pagoda.

Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi nodded slightly and said, "In this world, besides the Ten Great Outer Shenzhou, there also exist numerous smaller continents like scattered stars, and the Sky Mirror Continent is one of them. The Sky Mirror Pagoda is situated within it."

"The Sky Mirror Continent is extremely secretive. It is surrounded by earth-fire and gale winds, forming a celestial barrier. Ordinary methods make it very difficult to enter. Only by using the 'Phase Force Trees' of the Four Great Ancient Academies and some top-tier Holy Academies as a medium can a teleportation array be constructed to reach it."

"The Sky Mirror Pagoda originally belonged to the ancient era's overwhelmingly dominant supreme sect, the Formless Holy Sect, which poured its resources into building a top-tier grotto-heaven paradise. Within the pagoda are thirty-six layers, also known as the Thirty-Six Heavenly Domains."

Li Luo's heart stirred with shock upon hearing this. Within this Sky Mirror Pagoda, thirty-six spatial heavenly domains were actually hidden. This reminded him of the Wraith Demon Grotto of Li Li Tianwang's lineage, which was also divided into layers of small spaces, but the scale of the two was clearly not to be compared.

"I hear that within this Sky Mirror Pagoda, there are many inheritances passed down from the Formless Holy Sect. How does one obtain them?" Li Luo's gaze shifted as he asked.

"You Li Li Tianwang lineages have had your eyes on the Sky Mirror Pagoda for so many years, all just to pluck more inheritances from the 'Formless Holy Sect.'" Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi said exasperatedly. Ever since the Academy Alliance set down its rules, the various Li Li Tianwang-level forces of the Ten Great Outer Shenzhou had all been scheming to send their own prodigies into the Sky Mirror Pagoda, all for the sake of those inheritances left behind by the Formless Holy Sect within the Sky Mirror Pagoda.

"The further you go within the Thirty-Six Heavenly Domains of the Sky Mirror Pagoda, the greater the opportunities, naturally."

Li Luo did not stand on ceremony and asked, "If one wishes to obtain the inheritance of a Peerless Art, which layer should one go to?"

Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi was taken aback. This kid's ambition was far too great; he had actually set his sights directly on a Peerless Art?!

Her gaze swept over Li Luo with a peculiar look as she said slowly, "The last time a Peerless Art appeared was a hundred years ago. That time, a prodigy entered the thirty-third heavenly domain."

"In the hundred years since then, no one has reached that level again, nor has anyone obtained a Peerless Art from the Sky Mirror Pagoda."

Li Luo's eyes shifted slightly. The thirty-third heavenly domain offered a chance to obtain the inheritance of a Peerless Art? And the "Grand Formless Divine Forging Art" was incomparably wondrous; its importance was surely greater than that of an ordinary Peerless Art, right? After all, this was what the Sect Master of the Formless Holy Sect had cultivated...

In other words, if he wanted to find the "Grand Formless Divine Forging Art," he would at least have to reach the thirty-third heavenly domain of the Sky Mirror Pagoda before there was a chance?

"Are there any Peerless Arts of the Light attribute?" Li Luo asked again.

"Peerless Arts of the Light attribute? You're asking on behalf of Jiang Jiang Qinge, aren't you?" Lan Lan Lingzi said with a smile.

Li Luo did not deny it and nodded with a smile.

"Peerless Arts of the Light attribute are extremely rare, but the Sky Mirror Pagoda holds a portion of the Formless Holy Sect's foundation, so naturally it has what you seek. However, whether you can obtain it, that is unknown."

"Additionally, if you wish to vie for a Peerless Art of the Light attribute, then you may need to watch out for one person. He might be a formidable opponent for you." Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi said.

"Oh? Who?" Li Luo's eyes narrowed slightly.

Vice Principal Lan Lan Lingzi gave a faint smile.

"Shenyang Ancient Academy."

"The Marquis of Light, Diwu Mingxuan."