Chapter 1424: ,432: Tianjing Province, Zhu Xuan Ling Ancient Academy

"So this is Tianjing Province?"

Li Luo stood high on a massive phase force tree, his gaze sweeping across this stretch of heaven and earth. Wherever his eyes reached, towering phase force trees that pierced the clouds stood between heaven and earth like giants.

Although in terms of scale, these phase force trees could not compare to that one primordial phase force tree of the Tianyuan Ancient Academy, they were already comparable to the high-grade phase force tree that had been destroyed at the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy.

And so many high-grade phase force trees appearing at the same time — this magnificent sight was still the first Li Luo had ever witnessed.

Beneath those towering phase force trees, there was a city so vast its end could not be seen. The city was rather special — it was a tree-city woven from countless drooping branches of phase force trees intertwining together.

Between heaven and earth, countless streams of light streaked past.

Beside him, the three mentors Xi Chan, Cao Sheng, and Mi Er also gazed at these high-grade phase force trees with complicated looks. Once, their Sacred Phoenix Star Academy had also possessed such a tree, but it had been destroyed during the eruption of that strange calamity. Fortunately, thanks to Li Luo, the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy had since obtained a seed of a high-grade phase force tree — only, nurturing it to maturity would still require some time.

Behind Li Luo and the others, there was a massive teleportation platform. Spatial ripples kept surging forth, and batch after batch of teams wearing academy uniforms of different styles emerged from it.

Clearly, those were contingents from other academies.

Li Luo sensed that Mentor Xi Chan and the others were feeling a little low, so he changed the subject and asked, "We're already in Tianjing Province? Why haven't I seen the Sky Mirror Pagoda?"

Mentor Xi Chan said, "Because we're already inside the Sky Mirror Pagoda."

Hearing this, Li Luo's face was full of astonishment: "Already inside the Sky Mirror Pagoda?!"

Xi Chan nodded and said, "Strictly speaking, the Sky Mirror Pagoda envelops the entire Tianjing Province. Since we've come to Tianjing Province, naturally we've also entered the Sky Mirror Pagoda."

Li Luo drew in a breath of cool air. How majestic and vast was this Sky Mirror Pagoda, that it could cover an entire vast province? Although this Tianjing Province was only a small province, in terms of territorial expanse, it was probably no weaker than the domain of Li Li Tianwang's lineage.

And within the domain of Li Li Tianwang's lineage, how many forces and cities were there? How many hundreds of millions of subjects?

Such a domain, entirely enveloped by the Sky Mirror Pagoda — what terrifying, mighty power was this?

And seeing a part and inferring the whole, one could also sense just what manner of colossal entity that ancient "Formless Saint Sect" had been at its peak.

At the very least, a Sky Mirror Pagoda like this — even if they poured out the full foundation and resources of Li Li Tianwang's lineage, they would probably still find it difficult to manufacture.

"Feel the energy of heaven and earth here," Mentor Xi Chan reminded him.

Li Luo's heart stirred. He spread out his perception, and after several breaths, his gaze abruptly sharpened, because he sensed that the energy between heaven and earth here was not only extremely dense, but for some unknown reason, it also contained a wisp of an especially mysterious aura. This aura was exceedingly faint, yet it gave one a feeling of ancientness, purity, and supreme elegance.

These faint wisps of charm were endlessly lingering on the palate, as if even one's state of mind became clear and empty, granting a doubled result with half the effort when cultivating.

"What is this?" Li Luo could not help but ask.

"It is said that the core of the Sky Mirror Pagoda is extremely wondrous, capable of emitting a mysterious power. This power has merged into the heaven-and-earth energy of the Sky Mirror Pagoda, so cultivating here yields rather rapid progress," Xi Chan said.

"The core of the Sky Mirror Pagoda?" Li Luo's eyes shifted slightly. He had learned the secrets of the Sky Mirror Pagoda from Dantai Lan — that so-called core was an indestructible Heavenly King remains. However, such secrets, given the level of Mentor Xi Chan and the others, they would certainly find difficult to know.

In other words, that wisp of wondrous charm contained within the heaven-and-earth energy of the Sky Mirror Pagoda should be emitted by the Heavenly King remains.

Cultivating here, the effect was even stronger than at the main peak of the Dragon Fang Mountains.

Li Luo could not help but sigh — this was the foundation of the Academy Alliance. With such a top-grade blessed land of cave heaven in this world, naturally it could cultivate countless astonishingly brilliant prodigies.

"Our current location is the First Heaven Domain of the Sky Mirror Pagoda. Many mentors with outstanding merits, as well as top students who graduated from the Celestial Star Court, can be approved to come here to cultivate for a period of time," Mentor Xi Chan continued.

"There are even mentors who accumulated enough merits to simply bitter-cultivate here for several years, then astonish the world with a single feat."

Mentor Cao Sheng added at this point: "Li Luo, you previously obtained the Divine Tree Purple Badge in the Holy Grail War of the Eastern Region's Outer Shenzhou. In fact, this also brought quite significant merits to Mentor Xi Chan. If not for the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy suffering a great calamity, she would probably have come here to seclude herself for bitter cultivation long ago. Speaking of which, it is still our Sacred Phoenix Star Academy that has dragged her down."

Mentor Xi Chan shook her head and said, "My merits were also given by the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy. Now that the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy is in such a critical state, how could I feel at ease bitter-cultivating here for several years."

Li Luo also felt somewhat moved. Mentor Xi Chan was truly a very good person — her temperament was one of non-contention with the world, and she valued loyalty and righteousness. When he first entered the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy, being able to take refuge under her tutelage was truly his good fortune.

After all, back then he truly could be said to be beset by troubles both at home and abroad, and Mentor Xi Chan had deterred quite a few covetous eyes that came because of the Luo Lan Mansion.

Mentor Mi Er laughed and said: "Mentor Xi Chan's understanding of the Sky Mirror Pagoda is far stronger than mine and Cao Sheng's. I remember that back in the day, she was also someone who came from the Celestial Star Court."

"Oh?" Li Luo was somewhat surprised, because only the four great ancient academies had a Celestial Star Court. Did this mean Mentor Xi Chan had once also cultivated in some ancient academy?

Only, how did she later end up in the remote Great Xia, serving as a mentor at the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy, and never leaving for so many years? He seemed to have heard before that Mentor Xi Chan was not actually a person of Great Xia either.

Mentor Xi Chan's beautiful eyes glared at Mentor Mi Er, warning him not to speak carelessly about her past affairs, then she turned and walked toward the front: "Let's go, report in first."

And just as they set off, on the teleportation platform behind them, suddenly intense spatial ripples surged forth, and then a large contingent of imposing figures walked out from within.

The many teams coming and going near the teleportation platform all cast surprised gazes.

One saw that this group was of vast scale, all wearing academy robes of alternating black and gold, upon which were embroidered exquisite, mysterious giant golden tree emblems.

This contingent was not only numerous, but every single one of them emanated powerful energy fluctuations, causing the expressions of quite a few mentors from the holy academies nearby to shift slightly.

"That's..."

"The contingent of the Zhu Xuan Ling Ancient Academy!"

Soon someone recognized them, and exclamations immediately erupted.

"Zhu Xuan Ling Ancient Academy?"

Li Luo heard these exclamations, and his eyes shifted slightly. Previously in the Boundary River Domain, Shen Yunge, with whom he had clashed, came from the Beast Taming Spirit Hall of Zhu Xuan Ling Outer Shenzhou, and this Zhu Xuan Ling Ancient Academy should also be on that Outer Shenzhou.

Mentor Xi Chan's gaze also turned toward the contingent of the Zhu Xuan Ling Ancient Academy at this moment. After several breaths, her expression shifted slightly, and her voice carried a hint of urgency as she said: "Let's go, quickly."

Li Luo was taken aback, somewhat not understanding why, but he still followed Mentor Xi Chan's footsteps and hurried forward.

Cao Sheng, Mi Er, and Li Hongyou also quickly followed.

However, before they had gone far ahead, suddenly energy fluctuations surged forth in front of them. Several figures blocked the way ahead, and at the same time a playful laughter rang out.

"Xi Chan, I didn't expect to run into you here."

"But what's the use of covering your face? Have you forgotten, we come from the same branch — before the main family, the branch family has nowhere to hide its form."

As this laughter rang out, Mentor Xi Chan's graceful figure suddenly stiffened, and her slender jade hands also clenched tightly.

Li Luo's gaze swept over, and he saw that at the head of those several people in front, a man of burly build was staring at Mentor Xi Chan with a teasing, playful look.

That gaze, like that of a hungry wolf, revealed a certain covetousness and... raging fury.