NOVGO.NET Chapter 1089 - 1089: Memory Ponds?!
For a time, they stood in silence, the wind lifting their robes. Then she asked, “And you, Golden Heir? Do you not feel the chains of destiny? Everyone watches you, whispers about you. Do you not want to cast it aside and laugh for a while?”
“The sea does not cast aside rivers. It swallows them. Whether calm or storm, it does not pause to laugh.”
Lan Xiang tilted her head, studying him as though he were a puzzle. “You speak like an elder, yet you’re younger than me. Or perhaps older, I cannot tell. You are… strange.”
“Strange enough,” Kent said, “to gather ten thousand silkworm pupae in one night.”
That drew the first genuine laugh from her. It rang bright in the quiet air, startling a few disciples passing by. “So you did it yourself. I suspected as much.”
They began to walk together down the steps, their pace unhurried. The academy sprawled before them—disciples training on terraces, beasts soaring overhead, mountains glowing with power.
“You know,” she said, glancing at him, “you won’t make many friends here. Already, Glacial River Mountain seethes. Flame Mountain scoffs. Storm Mountain wants to test you. And Light Mountain will demand purity you won’t give.”
Kent’s gaze was steady, watching a thunder phoenix streak across the sky. “Friends are not my aim. Paths are. I will walk them all.”
Lan Xiang shook her head, half-smiling. “Greedy. But perhaps only greed can defy heaven.”
Fatty Ben waddled after them, puffing. “Brother Kent, don’t go making friends with every icy beauty! Leave some air for the rest of us!”
Lan Xiang raised a brow, amused. “That one is yours?”
Kent’s lips curved slightly. “Unfortunately.”
Fatty squawked. “Hey! What do you mean unfortunately?!”
Lan Xiang laughed again, shaking her head. “Perhaps I’ll follow you for a while. It has been too long since anyone made me laugh.”
Kent gave no reply, only continued walking beside her, the faintest ghost of a smile on his lips.
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Kent asked Lanxia, “Tell me… which mountain should I choose?”
Lanxia let out a soft laugh, her red lips curving as she tilted her head. Her robe shimmered with faint light from the inscription patterns sewn into the silk, making her look even more radiant under the floating lanterns. “That question is far too broad. It depends entirely on your motive. Why did you come here to the Heavenly Wizard Academy? Don’t tell me you came just because you won the Golden Heir Tournament. If you have no real aim and simply drift with the crowd, this place will devour you. Many walked through these gates with nothing but arrogance and ended up forgotten.”
Her words carried a calm, almost casual tone, but the sharpness in her eyes made them cut like blades.
Kent didn’t flinch. He answered with a steady voice. “I came here to push my cultivation further and step into the True Heavenly Realm. My combat ability is already strong enough. What I need is not another flashy technique to swing my sword, but proper inspiration, deeper comprehension, and resources that will allow me to go beyond the peak Earth Immortal stage and break through to the peak Heavenly Immortal.”
Lanxia tapped her finger on her sleeve thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. “So… that’s your motive. You want speed and stability. You want to avoid stagnation. In that case,” she paused deliberately, “you shouldn’t waste your choice on a combat mountain. If your blade is already sharp, grinding it endlessly will only chip away the edge. What you need is something that nourishes you from the inside.”
Kent’s brow arched slightly. “And what would that be?”
Lanxia turned and gestured toward the thirteen colossal mountains that floated in the distance, their peaks hidden in layers of golden mist. Each mountain radiated a different aura—one fiery and violent, another calm and pure, others emanating poison, sword light, healing fragrance, or alchemical fumes. “If you only focus on fighting, you’ll stagnate. Your path now is to find inspiration beyond killing. Healing, alchemy, talisman creation—these are foundations that not only improve your mind but also sharpen your will. With them, your cultivation will move forward without leaving cracks that could later become heart demons.”
Kent fell into silence, staring at the distant floating peaks. Her words resonated with what he had been thinking for days.
Lanxia added slowly, “If you choose a mountain dedicated to healing, it will strengthen your control over energy, refine your aura, and give you constant reasons to improve. More importantly, your cultivation will not depend solely on external fights but on your inner growth. That is the kind of path that avoids bottlenecks.”
After a long pause, Kent nodded. “Then healing… yes. That is the direction I should choose.”
Lanxia smiled faintly, as though pleased with his decision. Just as he was about to take his leave, she lifted her hand and stopped him. “Wait.”
He turned his head slightly, and her eyes carried a rare seriousness. “There is something you must not forget. The greatest resource this Academy offers isn’t the mountains, the elders, or even the techniques. It is the memory ponds.”
Kent’s expression flickered. “Memory ponds?”
Lanxia’s voice lowered, as if sharing a dangerous secret. “They are pools infused with the preserved memories of ancient masters. When you step inside, you don’t just see illusions—you relive their battles, their enlightenment, their failures, and breakthroughs. For some, the experience lasts a moment. For others, it feels like decades. If you can endure, you can inherit insights that would normally take a lifetime to understand. But…” she trailed off, her eyes becoming colder, “they are not easy to enter. Only those who prove themselves—by winning combat competitions, performing extraordinary contributions to the Academy, or receiving special recognition from the elders—are granted entry.”
Kent listened quietly, the weight of her words settling in his heart.
“You asked me which mountain to choose,” Lanxia continued. “But if you really want to break through, focus on getting into those memory ponds. A single day inside them could be worth years of bitter cultivation.”
Kent exhaled slowly. “I see… So that’s the true treasure of this Academy.”
Lanxia nodded once. “Remember that. Don’t waste your time chasing the approval of people or being distracted by meaningless rivalries. The ponds will shape your destiny more than anything else here.”
Kent gave a slight smile. “Thank you. I won’t forget your words.”
Lanxia studied him for a moment longer, as though she wanted to say more, but finally waved her hand. “Go. Decide on your mountain, but keep your eyes on the ponds. That’s where your future lies.”
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