Chapter 1480: ,488: The Figure of Shen Shen Jinxiao

These past days, Sky Mirror City had been especially peaceful and quiet; every faction's team and expert had thrown themselves wholeheartedly into refining the "Sky Mirror Sand," so even the city, normally full of all manner of contests and sparring matches, had settled into an uncommon calm.

Yet as time went on, Sky Mirror City grew lively again in a different way, because every so often, sudden pillars of energy would erupt skyward, stirring the world's spiritual energy.

That meant someone had broken through.

Under the miraculous breakthrough-boosting effect of the Sky Mirror Sand, in just a single short month, the number of experts who broke through inside Sky Mirror City exceeded what would normally be seen in an entire year.

This was also the main reason the Sky Mirror Pagoda was regarded as a sacred cultivation ground by the many academies of the Academy Alliance: under the Pagoda's unique environment and with the aid of the Sky Mirror Sand, the bottlenecks and shackles that had plagued people for years could be broken through with ease.

In the cultivation chamber where Li Luo and the others were staying, after a full month, Li Hongyou, Xi Chan, Cao Sheng, and Mi Er were the first to finish their cultivation, one after another.

As expected, they had all completed their breakthroughs.

Among them, Instructor Xi Chan successfully advanced into the Fifth-Pin Marquis Realm, while Cao Sheng and Mi Er stepped into the Fourth-Pin.

Li Hongyou, meanwhile, stepped into the Second-Pin Marquis Realm, but the foundation of her second Marquis Platform remained solid and abundant, reaching the grade of nine pillars.

This was not because she had triggered a perfect breakthrough; it was simply achieved through her own natural talent and potential, aided by the benefits of the golden smoke.

Two nine-pillar Marquis Platforms — among those of the same rank, she was absolutely a standout.

So overall, this trip to the Sky Mirror Pagoda had brought them all considerable gains.

After the four of them successively completed their breakthroughs and ended their cultivation, only Li Luo, Jiang Qing, and Lu Qing'er remained in the chamber, still continuously absorbing and refining the golden smoke.

"They're trying to charge at the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform."

Seeing this, Li Hongyou understood the three's ambition, and she was somewhat awed, because she knew better than anyone what kind of foundation and potential the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform demanded. Even she, when forging her nine-pillar golden platform, had already faintly sensed a feeling of utter exhaustion; as for the even more perfect Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, she truly did not dare to even think about it.

That difference of a single pillar was simply an abyss despair-inducing enough to crush a person.

Yet now, the three people before her were all attempting to cross that abyss — such talent was astonishing and enviable.

"Who would have thought that our little Holy Void Star Academy could produce three peerless prodigies," Instructor Xi Chan sighed.

Although Holy Void Star Academy's role in the three's current achievements was not particularly obvious, no matter what, the brand of Holy Void Star Academy upon them could not be erased.

This could only be said to be Holy Void Star Academy's fortune arriving.

"I hope they all succeed."

In the end, the four quietly withdrew from the cultivation chamber and stood guard outside, giving the three within time for quiet cultivation.

Thus, another month-plus slipped quietly by as the three engaged in closed-door bitter cultivation.

During this period in Sky Mirror City, many instructors who had been in bitter cultivation emerged from their seclusion; their strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and naturally they had to seek out people to spar and duel with, so the city grew lively once more.

Moreover, the various topics of conversation gradually shifted from the previous Crossing Battle and Sand-Fighting Tournament to the "Sky Mirror Martial Discussion."

That was the final part of the Sky Mirror Pagoda trial, and also the most important part.

Because the Sky Mirror Martial Discussion would truly enter the area beyond the Pagoda's thirtieth floor — that was the Pagoda's core region, where numerous fortuitous encounters existed.

Spirit Pills, miraculous spirit waters, Marquis Treasures, Platform-Forging Arts, Marquis Techniques, and all manner of Mi Fa...

These fortuitous encounters, said to be legacies left behind by the ancient-era Formless Saint Sect, had over these hundreds and thousands of years forged countless experts for the Academy Alliance — among them, there were even King-level existences!

Among the various academies, there was even a rumor that a fortunate soul had once, by chance, obtained a Peerless Technique deep within the Sky Mirror Pagoda, and from there soared to the heavens, forging the bearing of a King.

Therefore, as time went on, every faction's team in Sky Mirror City was full of anticipation, rubbing their fists and palms, preparing to welcome the most intense Sky Mirror Martial Discussion.

In a certain tower pavilion in Sky Mirror City.

Zhou Jun stood by the window, his tall, burly figure radiating a heavy pressure; with one hand clasped behind his back, his expression was cold and stern, and a strange light flowed in his eyes.

After a moment, he suddenly turned his head, looked into the darkness behind him, and said: "Li Luo and Jiang Qing are still in closed-door cultivation? From the look of it, they're aiming for the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform."

The shadows there rippled, and a human figure appeared faintly, half-visible; aided by the dim light, its features were vaguely revealed.

And if Li Luo and Jiang Qing were present, they would surely have recognized it.

Because this figure was none other than... the Vice-Principal of the Radiance Bright King Academy, Guo Guo Jiufeng!

Only, at this moment, the light flowing in Guo Guo Jiufeng's eyes was utterly unfamiliar, and a strange smile played across his face. He nodded lightly and said: "Who would have thought that in just a few short years, these two had already walked so far on the Path of the Peerless."

"If I had not entered the Gui Yi Hui but stayed in Daxia, closed off and stagnant, I'm afraid that the day they returned to Daxia would have been my Si Qi."

His voice had also undergone an obvious change — that tone was actually... Shen Shen Jinxiao!

It was just unknown why Shen Shen Jinxiao would be wearing Guo Guo Jiufeng's body and identity!

Moreover, he had lingered close to Li Luo and Jiang Qing, and yet neither of them had noticed.

Zhou Jun looked at Guo Guo Jiufeng, a dark, gloomy look surfacing on his face, and said: "What does the my lord above want to do?"

Guo Guo Jiufeng — no, it should be said, Shen Shen Jinxiao — smiled and said: "What? You seem to prefer thinking of yourself as a man of the Academy Alliance. Have you forgotten your true identity?"

A dark look flashed through Zhou Jun's eyes; after a moment he sighed again. He was a chess piece the Gui Yi Hui had planted within the Academy Alliance, and there should be quite a few chess pieces like him within the Alliance. And once the day came for them to be activated, it meant that this identity of theirs was about to end.

"The Sovereign has given an order." Shen Shen Jinxiao paid no heed to Zhou Jun's mood and smiled: "For this mission in the Sky Mirror Pagoda, I am in charge; when the time comes, you will all obey my commands."

Zhou Jun was silent for a moment, then said: "What are we to do? You saw it too — inside the Sky Mirror Pagoda there are Wang Xuanjin and the two elders Jin Zhu and Bai Yu holding the fort; that's three King-level experts, and Wang Xuanjin is a Three-Crowned King. In their eyes, we're no different from ants."

"No matter — the Sovereign will naturally have means to deal with them. We only need to do what we ought to do," Shen Shen Jinxiao said lightly.

Zhou Jun nodded silently.

"What is it that we need to do?"

A strange smile surfaced in Shen Shen Jinxiao's eyes, and at the same time, a cold, murderous voice flowed out through the dim light.

"One of the missions: kill Jiang Qing, capture Li Luo alive."

Zhou Jun's brow furrowed slightly, and he said: "That won't be easy. They're both hard to deal with, especially if they complete their breakthroughs with the aid of the Sky Mirror Sand this time — even I may not be able to take them down."

"Isn't I still here?" Shen Shen Jinxiao said with a careless smile.

"Don't worry. Back then in Daxia, I could drive that little pair of lovebirds to a desperate dead end, and now, I still can."

Zhou Jun looked at the strange figure before him that even made him feel some inexplicable danger, and said no more. The other party must have come prepared, having been dispatched by the Sovereign.

Boom!

And just at this moment, from a direction in the distance, an extremely vast and mighty surge of energy suddenly erupted, and within Sky Mirror City, countless startled gazes shot toward it.

Then they saw, within that pillar of light, a massive Marquis Platform gradually taking shape, radiating dazzling brilliance.

And what shocked them most was that atop that Marquis Platform, ten golden pillars — symbols of perfection and completeness — stood towering.

That was... a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform!

Zhou Jun gazed at the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform flowing with light, his eyes narrowing slightly, and said: "That is... the Fifth Mingxuan, he has broken through his realm, and moreover, he has forged a marquis platform of a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform!"

"What a Bright Light Marquis!"

A look of amazement and envy surfaced in Zhou Jun's eyes.

However, just as the entire Sky Mirror City was boiling and shaking because of this Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, in another direction within the city, a surge of vast and mighty energy suddenly erupted.

Three thousand-zhang pillars of light shot straight up into the clouds.

Shen Shen Jinxiao gazed at the location of those light pillars, his eyes instantly narrowing into slits.

The location of those light pillars...

Was precisely the lodging district of the Eastern Region's Outer Shenzhou.