Volume 2, Travels in the State of Qi - Chapter 158: Immortal Spirit Spring

The top eight contestants of each Imperial City Grand Tournament are granted the privilege to enter the Immortal Spirit Spring.

The Immortal Spirit Spring is located deep within the imperial palace; or rather, the imperial palace was built directly atop the Immortal Spirit Spring.

Formed at the dawn of heaven and earth, the Immortal Spirit Spring is a primordial spiritual treasure. Its waters are brimming with boundless spiritual energy. Soaking within it can refine one's physical constitution, advance one's cultivation realm, and bestow infinite benefits, creating a state of bliss akin to that of immortals.

This is precisely one of the foundations that enables the Qi State to stand among the Seven Ancient Kingdoms.

Furthermore, the spiritual energy within the spring water generates automatically and endlessly, flowing without interruption. Shortly after being absorbed, it fully regenerates.

Consequently, to reward the talented youths within the borders of the Qi State, the Qi Imperial Family awards the top eight finishers of every Imperial City Grand Tournament with entry into the Immortal Spirit Spring.

The top eight contestants of this Imperial City Grand Tournament are as follows: the rogue cultivator Zhang Heng; Mu Wanqing of the Lingshu Palace; Qi Xuan, the Eighteenth Prince of the Qi State; Chiying, the Young Master of the Yin Shen Sect; Chen Hao and Wang Ying of the Hehuan Sect; and the rogue cultivators Qin Ming and Bu Jige.

As for the other disciples of those major sects who failed to secure a top-eight finish, while they are not permitted to soak inside the Immortal Spirit Spring, they are allowed to sit cross-legged and cultivate right beside it. This still provides a significant boost to both their cultivation and physical constitutions.

Therefore, once the grand tournament concluded, while all the ordinary cultivators who came to watch dispersed, the members of the major sects were in no rush to leave.

After everyone else had cleared out, Wu Hong immediately flew back to the side of the Emperor of Qi. Mu Wanqing also leaped lightly through the air to follow him.

Because upon the second-story pavilion were gathered not only the Emperor of Qi, but also the leading figures of all the major sects.

By now, all the key figures had congregated on the second-story pavilion. Across the entire martial arts arena, aside from Zhang Heng, only a few ordinary soldiers remained. Zhang Heng hurriedly unleashed his Lesser Aurora Phantom movement technique and sprinted toward the pavilion.

By the time he rushed over, Wu Hong and Mu Wanqing had just arrived. Yet, though Zhang Heng was no slower than them in terms of speed, he looked utterly disheveled. Right now, he was panting heavily, completely out of breath.

Because running on the ground required taking detours.

As soon as Zhang Heng arrived, every single heavyweight and sect disciple on the second floor stared fixedly at him. Who could have imagined that the champion of the Imperial City Grand Tournament couldn't even perform basic levitation flight?

Those least able to fathom this were Mu Wanqing and Qi Sisi. They had witnessed with their own eyes Zhang Heng slaying a Heavenly Origin expert with his sword.

They truly never expected that Zhang Heng still didn't know how to fly.

Zhang Heng felt immensely awkward. He hurriedly covered his face and sidled up toward Wu Hong.

Damn it, once this business is over, I must learn how to fly. Otherwise, being looked down upon by others all the time is just too agonizing!

Seeing that everyone had gathered, the Emperor of Qi finally stood up.

"My talented young friends, first of all, congratulations on achieving such stellar results in the Imperial City Grand Tournament. Secondly, regarding the matter of the Immortal Spirit Spring, we shall follow our usual tradition. The talented youths who secured the top eight positions in this grand tournament may enter the Immortal Spirit Spring to absorb spiritual energy for one day. As for the rest of you, there is no need to be discouraged. All disciples of the various sects may cultivate right beside the Immortal Spirit Spring."

The Emperor of Qi had now been afflicted by demonic energy invading his heart meridian for quite some time. Although he had constantly relied on his own spiritual energy to stubbornly suppress it, the demonic energy was growing increasingly rampant. His spiritual energy was failing to suppress it faster than before. Thus, at this moment, the Emperor of Qi appeared somewhat frail.

However, the others suspected nothing amiss. As the sovereign of a nation with countless beauties in his harem, it was understandable for the Emperor of Qi to appear somewhat weak on occasion.

Once the Emperor of Qi finished speaking, all the young disciples bowed respectfully and offered repeated expressions of gratitude. After all, the Emperor of Qi was the monarch of a realm. The prominent figures of the major sects possessed immense strength and could afford to dispense with formalities before the Emperor of Qi, but their young disciples certainly could not.

The Heavenly Feather Manor, Lingshu Palace, Yin Shen Sect, Hehuan Sect, and Hundun Hall—while insignificant across the entire immortal cultivation continent—were premier major sects within the borders of the Qi State. Consequently, they were the primary targets for the Emperor of Qi to cultivate alliances with.

Therefore, all the disciples who had made the special trip to the imperial city this time would reap the benefits.

"Very well, follow me, everyone," the Emperor of Qi said, then stood up, intending to lead them all to the Immortal Spirit Spring.

Given that he was currently infected by demonic energy, he ought not to have exerted himself so much. Yet the location of the Immortal Spirit Spring was heavily guarded; without him present, no one else could gain entry.

Moreover, he was eager to dispatch these people quickly so that he could have Zhang Heng treat his ailment.

Just as the crowd was about to depart, a sudden spatial ripple materialized within the space they occupied.

Spatial travel? This was the imperial palace; who possessed such audacity?

Everyone stood up, their gazes locking onto the source of the spatial fluctuation.

Immediately afterward, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, three elderly figures stepped out from the space.

The leading figure possessed white eyebrows, white hair, and a white beard—none other than Bai Chen of the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion. The two men behind him were dressed in stark contrast to him, clad entirely in black attire and exuding an exceptionally stern aura.

This time, Zhang Heng did not mentally complain, because he discovered that those two individuals were genuine experts, both at the ninth stage of the Heavenly Origin realm.

The Emperor of Qi reacted the fastest, hurriedly stepping forward to greet them. "So it is Elder Bai of the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion. I wonder what brings Elder Bai here today?"

Bai Chen chuckled and replied, "Old man Bai Chen greets the Emperor of Qi. I heard that deep within the imperial palace lies a blessed heavenly land capable of continuously generating spiritual energy. I have yearned for it in my heart for a long time, but alas, never had the opportunity. Coincidentally, the Emperor of Qi is about to lead the top eight young geniuses of this Imperial City Grand Tournament thither, so I wish to seize this chance to witness it. I wonder if this inconveniences the Emperor of Qi?"

"Since Elder Bai has such refined tastes, let us go together," the Emperor of Qi responded.

"Many thanks," Bai Chen offered a slight bow.

Seeing this, Zhang Heng felt a secret surge of shock; he had still underestimated the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion.

One had to bear in mind that the strongest sect within the Qi State was the Lingshu Palace, yet Ling Tian, the First Elder of Lingshu Palace, possessed a cultivation of only the sixth stage of the Heavenly Origin realm. The Emperor of Qi, ruling over one of the Seven Ancient Kingdoms, was at merely the first stage of the Heavenly Origin realm. Yet Bai Chen casually brought out two ninth-stage Heavenly Origin powerhouses. No wonder the Emperor of Qi was treating him with such courtesy.

The strength of the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion was unquestionably overwhelming. He simply wondered how it compared to the Pill Pavilion.

When Bai Chen arrived, he didn't spare Zhang Heng even a glance, but Wu Hong immediately locked horns with him.

"Old fellow, why are you coming here to join the fun?" Wu Hong pointed at Bai Chen with displeasure and said.

"Old man Wu, don't be upset. You can come, so why can't I?" Bai Chen remained amiable, smiling cheerfully the entire time.

Wu Hong turned his head away and ignored Bai Chen thereafter.

The last time Zhang Heng woke up from unconsciousness, the three old men he saw were Wu Hong, Ling Tian, and Bai Chen. Thus, the three of them were undoubtedly acquainted, even though Zhang Heng was unaware of the exact nature of their relationship.

After a bout of farcical commotion, it was finally time to get down to business.

A moment later, within the Qi imperial palace, three thousand heavily armored guards cleared the way. A massive, imposing procession marched toward the location of the Immortal Spirit Spring. The entourage included the Emperor of Qi, Wu Hong, Bai Chen, the prominent figures of various sects, and the young disciples visiting the imperial city.

At the very center of the entire imperial palace lay a sealed space spanning dozens of miles in radius. Here, thousands of soldiers rotated in shifts to maintain guard duty day and night. Countless advanced formations inscribed by master array architects were set up here, protected by layers of high-level defensive barriers.

This was the location of the Immortal Spirit Spring.

The ancestors of the Qi State had inadvertently discovered this treasured land and subsequently built the imperial palace directly above the Immortal Spirit Spring. Relying on the geomantic fortune and inexhaustible spiritual energy of this place, the Qi State managed to become one of the Seven Ancient Kingdoms ruling the world, enduring for tens of thousands of years without decline.

Zhang Heng followed closely behind the Emperor of Qi and Wu Hong, accompanying them into the most heavily guarded precinct of the imperial palace.