Chapter 470 479: Holy Land Gambit

The Holy Land!

Within the Three Great Holy Lands, tens of thousands of Sects stood. Their relationships were a tangled web of allegiances, mortal feuds, and partnerships of convenience. Friends one day could become enemies the next; conversely, enemies could become as close as brothers under the right circumstances.

The Holy Land was a place of chaos and slaughter, where experts were as numerous as trees in a forest and survival was brutal.

And Ye Tian was the Young Master of Shen Li Palace, one of the Ten Great Sects. Although he had yet to set foot in Shen Li Palace, this was not the first time he had heard those two words: Holy Land.

And now, here at the Imperial City Academy, he was at the place closest to the Holy Land!

This wasn't in terms of physical distance, of course—the Imperial City didn't border the Holy Land. Rather, it meant that right here, within the Imperial City Academy, there were people from the Holy Land!

From what Elder Qing had said on several occasions, Shen Li Palace was in turmoil because the previous Palace Master had gone missing and was presumed dead. Beset by internal strife and external threats, almost all of its former allies had cut ties. Meanwhile, its old enemies had banded together, adding fuel to the fire and seizing the opportunity to suppress them.

A position among the Ten Great Sects was a great honor in the Holy Land. Countless other Sects yearned to take down one of the ten and usurp its place. Now, the unstable Shen Li Palace had become the perfect target!

'I always thought the Holy Land was still a distant concern, but now I can feel the pressure right in front of me. The heavy burden of reviving Shen Li Palace has been on my shoulders this whole time!'

Though Ye Tian's tone was somewhat dejected, a closer look at his eyes would reveal an intense, surging fighting spirit!

"Ye Tian, you don't have to worry too much," Zhang Xinlan continued via divine transmission. "Not all of the Ten Great Sects are targeting Shen Li Palace. And while our allies are few, every one of them is reliable. For now, Shen Li Palace's position as one of the Ten Great Sects is unshakable! However, some contemptible clowns, manipulated by who knows who, are foolishly dreaming of replacing us. That's why they've sent people to the Celestial Dragon Empire."

After hearing her words, Ye Tian began to understand. "You mean to say that some Sects, much weaker than Shen Li Palace, have also joined this Holy Land power play, hoping to profit from it? And the people who've now come to the Imperial City Academy..."

Zhang Xinlan nodded in confirmation. "You're right. The ones who've come are just disciples from some ordinary Sects. While their talent is strong and not to be underestimated, they're still a far cry from the prodigies of the Ten Great Sects. Their arrival in the Celestial Dragon Empire is a perfect chance for you to get some practice and build a foundation for when you eventually go to the Holy Land!"

'Anyone who earns the high regard of Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng definitely isn't weaker than I am. That means those people are at least at the Five Veins level, and there might even be some on par with Zhang Xinlan!'

'And these... these are just disciples from ordinary Sects, out gaining experience in preparation for a future confrontation with Shen Li Palace?'

At this thought, Ye Tian found it hard to imagine. If ordinary disciples from the Holy Land were this terrifying, then what level of existence were the so-called "prodigious geniuses" from the Ten Great Sects that Zhang Xinlan mentioned?

"Xinlan, don't you worry," Ye Tian declared. "These people won't be stumbling blocks for me—they'll be stepping stones! I've been looking forward to the Holy Land for a long time. And now... people from the Holy Land are right here in this academy. I'll meet them myself, and if necessary, I don't mind letting them know that opposing Shen Li Palace will be the biggest mistake of their lives!"

A flicker of fire seemed to shoot from the depths of Ye Tian's eyes. The sudden change startled Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng, who were standing beside him.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

Luo Chen sensed something was off and asked aloud.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little excited to see so many experts after arriving at the academy," Ye Tian said with a smile.

His entire exchange with Zhang Xinlan had been conducted via Divine Sense. Aside from the War Dragon Remnant Soul, no one knew what they had said.

Hearing Ye Tian's explanation, Luo Chen didn't press the matter. He pointed to a group of luxurious buildings ahead and said, "This is the academy's Dining and Accommodation Area. This section is the most expensive; instructors and students aren't separated. We live here. Further ahead, there are cheaper options where the nightly cost is one-tenth of this area's price, and at the very end, it's one-hundredth."

"You can choose wherever you want. Just pay enough Spirit Stones, and you can move in. Meals will be delivered to your door. Instructor Lu Lingfeng will handle your enrollment procedures. Just come find us tomorrow morning."

The one thing Ye Tian didn't lack was Spirit Stones. And since the accommodation was tied to the cultivation environment, he certainly couldn't settle for less!

He immediately chose an independent residence adjacent to Luo Chen's and said, "Then I'll stay here. I'm not a picky person, and being close to you two instructors will be convenient for tomorrow."

Hearing this, the corner of Lu Lingfeng's mouth twitched fiercely. 'Not a picky person? Right, not picky at all!'

This was the most luxurious part of the Dining and Accommodation Area. His and Luo Chen's residences already cost one hundred Spirit Stones a day. The one Ye Tian had his eye on was the absolute best of the best, costing a staggering five hundred Spirit Stones a day!

"Ahem, well, this residence might be a bit... inconvenient. Why don't you pick another one?"

Luo Chen coughed dryly. He knew Ye Tian was powerful, but his background was clear. 'He's from a small family in a remote area. How much wealth could he possibly have? Could he really be richer than us young masters from the four great families of the Imperial City?'

Seeing their concern, Ye Tian smiled easily. "There's no need for you two instructors to worry. I know what I can afford."

With that, Ye Tian led Zhang Xinlan directly to the entrance of the most luxurious residence and handed the steward a hundred thousand Spirit Stones!

Seeing Ye Tian spend so extravagantly, both Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng sucked in a sharp breath. 'This isn't an auction! If he were buying the residence, that might make some sense, but to spend so much just to rent it... Isn't that a bit too luxurious?!'

But Ye Tian was rich and could do as he pleased; it wasn't Luo Chen's or Lu Lingfeng's place to interfere. As they watched his departing back, they recalled the events at the academy gate. Inevitably, their minds turned to the words Princess Long Yaqi had spoken to them a few days prior.

"The Luo Family, the Lu Family, and the Shangguan Family are currently neutral. The Eldest Prince's death caused the Ouyang Family to lose its backing. Now, the struggle for the Crown Prince position is down to the three remaining Princes. You know very well what kind of person the Second Prince is. Although your families have yet to declare their stance, as the most elite young masters of your respective families, shouldn't you be making preparations for the future?

As for Ye Tian, if he so desires, he can absolutely ensure the Second Prince ascends the throne. Now that he has come to the Imperial City Academy, you, as his instructors, should think about what you can do!"

Those were Princess Long Yaqi's exact words. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that Princess Long Yaqi was relaying the Prince's exact words.

The Prince would never make baseless claims. If he said it, then Ye Tian absolutely had to have that capability. Thinking back on Ye Tian's performance at the academy gate, and the inexplicable, constant shifts in his expression during their conversation, Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng became even more convinced of this truth.