Celestial Peak

Chapter 69: Exchange

On the fifteenth day of every month, teachers would gather in the Teacher Hall to have a meeting to talk about the issue of the academy and its student. There, they would decide who is qualified to continue studying in the academy who needs to be expelled.

There were thirteen Head Teachers and three Elders in the Teacher Hall. The thirteen teachers were seated neatly and all of them had serious looks on their countenances. The three elders were seated in the front area as they were ones who will be leading the meeting.

In all truthfulness, the elders coming down to the Teacher Hall was something unforeseen. But something unexpected had occurred inside the academy that called for their attention.

Elder Jin, was seated in front area and held an amused smile on his face while reading on the paper that was handed to him earlier. As for the two other elders who was beside him, the look on their faces weren't so beautiful.

Elder Jin finished reading the papers and threw it on the table in front of him, he let out a hearty laugh as he looked at the thirteen Head Teachers and said, "What a treat, almost everyone in the inner circle has been played by an individual and you can't do anything about!? Hahaha, that's truly hilarious."

Laughing and leaning backward so hard that he almost toppled over, Elder Jin did not have the look of someone at saint stage. The Head Teachers all lowered their heads in shame.

Just like what Elder Jin had said, this incident was truly laughable. One new young student who only have one notable mission accomplished was sweeping away the so called geniuses of their academy.

The Head Teacher from the Treasure Hall raised his head and looked at the laughing Elder Jin and protested, "This is not a laughing matter Elder Jin, from what I heard, he is accumulating points and right now, after at least hundreds of fights, he should have over millions of points accumulated."

Elder Jin looked at the Head Teacher from Treasure Hall and said with a snort, "That doesn't concern us. That young student Wang Ling gained everything by his own hands. He set up his little betting stall and called out the students our academy out on a fight.

"He defeated them fairly and honestly, Head Teacher Yu of the Martial Hall, you should know this as you have been observing him for weeks."

The Head Teacher known as Head Teacher Yu nodded his head and spoke, "Wang Ling used only his fist to take care of everyone on his way. They accept his challenge and he accepts theirs. The betting was also seen by myself, and because the academy never had an issue concerning bets, I didn't interfere with his little actions. Besides, fighting prowess is the thing that is being measure in the Martial Hall so I can't do anything to stop them."

After saying his piece, Head Teacher Yu return to being quiet. In his head, he was remembering Wang Ling's expert like movements and broke into a smile.

"But" The Head Teacher of the Treasure Pavilion wanted to say something but Elder Jin interrupted him.

"Ah, stop complaining, what can he do with a few million points, there are treasures in your Treasure Pavilion that has price of a little over 50,000 to 100,000 points each so how many can he take? Besides, there are artifacts, cultivation techniques, martial techniques and many varieties of treasure in your place, he won't be able to sweep them clean."

Elder Jin said in a carefree manner. One of the Elder who had a long white beard that was beside Elder Jin placed the papers on the table and rubbed the middle of his forehead, the long bearded Elder sighed as he spoke.

"I hate to admit it but Elder Jin is right. That student, although a little rough with his ways still earned everything with his own hands. He didn't break any rules and he didn't cripple or kill anyone and only gave them injuries that can be healed overnight."

The short statured lady Elder who was sitting quietly shared the same sentiment as the other two Elders and tacitly agreed.

The Head Teachers had a look of unacceptance towards the issue so Elder Jin spoke once more.

"You Head Teachers better not make any stupid moves and you should stop thinking that his actions is bringing the prestige of the academy down. The academy's prestige is nothing of your concern. Also, if we're talking about prestige, then that's already damaged as soon as some stupid and irresponsible teachers that you people are supposed to be looking after started accepting students that are inferior and lacking.

"In fact, those stupid and idiotic students getting a beat down are those useless young masters that keeps getting in."

The long bearded Elder did not say anything to Elder Jin and just kept his silence, it was the same for the short statured Elder. The Head Teachers lowered their heads inshame after hearing Elder Jin's harsh remarks.

Elder Jin laughed after seeing those dejected looks on their faces. He was also surprise to see the two elders were and himself were in an agreement. The three of them usually never gets along, but it seems like they were supporting Wang Ling's actions.

Did they get some sort of letter from the emperor or something? Elder Jin wouldn't know.

The long bearded elder dropped the matter concerning Wang Ling's actions entirely and stated, "That's enough of that, we need to talk about the matter of the [Seven Great Academy Exams], we were given ten seats this time and we have to provide the names before the end of the month.

"There would be envoys from the respective Academy coming, so, as always, we will decide who gets in by holding a competition that is open for every inner circle students. Anyone against that?"

No one objected, the originally dejected Head Teachers suddenly lit up as they thought about upcoming tournament. It was that time again where they can send their students to fight for the spot on entering the seven great academy.

In the end, the competition was decided will start in 10 days. The envoys will come in 7 seven days.

====

Wang Ling's ears perked up as he sat quietly in the middle of the Martial Hall. Behind him was his banner and in front of him was one or three students eyeing him but doing nothing.

It had been a day since someone had last challenged him and that had caused him to become rather depress. Wang Ling hadn't heard anything good today other than this news of the tournament from Lu Lin.

"It came directly from the Alchemy Hall Head Teacher, they just had a meeting in the Teacher Hall about the matter and announced it right after. They are opening the competition for every pinnacle-energy palace stage students."

Lu Lin looked at Wang Ling and was expecting him to look dejected but the look she saw was the opposite. Wang Ling was all smiles as he suddenly stood up from the ground. He seemed to have noticed Lu Lin's smile and realized the reason why she looked so dejected.

"Don't worry about me, my cultivation has already entered pinnacle-energy palace stage." He was just about to leave when he stopped on his tracks and said some words to Lu Lin, "Sister Lu Lin, are you also going to join tournament and try entering the seven great academies?"

Lu Lin nodded her head and said, "I wish to grow stronger and refine my Alchemy skills. I want to broaden my horizons and hopefully become someone great in the future."

Wang Ling turned around with a slight frown on his face. Lu Lin saw this frown and couldn't help but asks him why he had that look on his face, "Is something wrong with what I had just said just now?"

Shaking his head, Wang Ling started to speak, "You won't succeed, not at least with your current strength and current mindset. Why do you say 'hopefully' when you can say 'you will'? You have the talent for it and aptitude to do so, this place just can't provide you a proper place to cultivate your talents."

Wang Ling had seen many geniuses in this life and he had thought that Lu Lin was one of the more promising ones. She had the right amount of calmness but that wasn't enough as she didn't have the drive or enough courage to become one of the best.

But Wang Ling was sure that if she can just conquer that fear in her heart, Lu Lin will become someone exceptional.

Hearing Wang Ling's words she too came to try and understand his words and realized that he was saying that the Piercing Heaven Academy can't seem to provide her proper guidance, at least that's how Wang Ling saw it.

The Piercing Heaven Academy was the number academy underneath the Piercing Heaven Empire. It had a history for almost a thousand years, it possesses great teachers of the saint stage and have cultivation techniques that is beyond her imagination, Lu Lin did not know how the Piercing Heaven Empire is lacking in any way, and so, she decided to ask.

"What can't the academy provide me? My Sunset Flame, which is a sky-grade cultivation technique is from the academy. I wouldn't be here if the academy has not provided from me, you saying that it is not providing me properly is an insult to my benefactor."

Lu Lin was slightly angered and irritated at Wang Ling. Which was understandable considering Wang Ling just insulted the academy that had given her so much. Wang Ling raised a brow at her reaction and shook his head in disappointment.

[She seems mature and calm enough but she can't keep her emotions in check in times of need. I thought I have found a diamond in the rough with her but it seems that I am wrong.]

Wang Ling was disappointed but what can he do but sigh? He thought that Lu Lin was someone who has the right attitude to cultivate True Chaos Flame, he deemed her worthy at first and even brushed off her blunder in the White Dragon Valley when she suddenly froze when Bai Xue attacker her.

Wang Ling really wanted someone to concoct pills for him, but it seems like Lu Lin won't be the one to do it. She had the talent but she does not have the right mindset. It was a waste to see someone of her caliber to turn into waste. But he didn't have time to cultivate others.

If Lu Lin is already frightened by Bai Xue's tiger form, then she will just turn to ashes if she cultivated the True Chaos Flame.

He had to focus on himself and no one else. Wang Ling looked at Lu Lin one last time before speaking.

"Pay my words no heed, but as someone who had travelled with me, I'll give you a few words of advice. You can become strong, but your mind is weak and so is your will. If you can change and become someone with an unwavering will then in the future, you can stand with the rest of the best."

With that, Wang Ling turned and left with Qigang leaving behind Lu Lin who was left to wonder what had been said to her. She then took it to heart.

Wang Ling exited the Martial Hall and ordered Qigang to collect information regarding the tournament. Qigang left his side and went to the Treasure Pavilion. He took out his badge and checked just how many points he had collected.

[I have 1,230,000 points from all that playing time with those students and adding my 35,000 points from the mission, I should have 1,265,000 points. I wish I could have gotten more, but they stopped coming after the thirteenth day. Well, this should be enough to clean out the fire attribute resources from the Treasure Pavilion.]

Wang Ling had fought a total of 246 students in his 15 day quest of beating the shit out of the idiotic students who took his provocation. That number was higher that the idiots of the outer circle.

Wang Ling had to fight at least 16 students a day to take on 246 students in little over 15 days. Well, that wasn't a problem for him because his spirit qi almost never halved when he fought continuously.

The so called geniuses of this empire was not even so-so in his opinion. And the only one he look at with interest already made him disappointed. Well, that might change if she could change though.

Entering the Treasure Hall of the inner circle, Wang Ling called out to a student and he was given a list of resources. On that paper, there were 14 treasures that interested him and their prices ranged from 10,000 to 60,000 points.

These treasures were:

Phoenix Flame Flower (10,000), Fire Dragon Fruit (12,000), Inferno Fruit (30,000), Azure Cleansing Lotus (27,000) and other treasures were bought by Wang Ling without a problem.

With his number of points, Wang Ling could easily buy anything from the Treasure Hall but he didn't want to waste his points. After buying all the things he needed to complete his Hell Spark and advance to create something that he calls [Ture Hell Flame].

Well, he won't actually activate his Hell Spark until he reaches nascent soul stage. After all, he needed the element of the nascent soul in order to control a flame that was as strong as the True Hell Flame.

Wang Ling knew this so he also went ahead and started buying resources such as pills and spirit plants that can make him ascend to nascent soul stage. He bought the things that can strengthen his soul.

Not that his soul was not strong enough, no, his soul was in fact one of the strongest parts of his whole existence. The thing he needed these resources for is so that he will be able to advance his Overturning Nine Heaven Art.

The Cosmic Foundation he had was already completed. Now, he needed to step into the next form of cultivation of the Overturning Nine Heaven Art.

The first level was the Cosmic Foundation where he creates the strongest foundation that is unmatched underneath the heavens. Wang Ling was now standing on the doors Overturning Nine Heaven Art's second level, The Heaven's Nine Layers or the Nine Rings Overlord Soul .

Although its name wasn't as self-explained as the first level, the Nine Rings Overlord Soul was something that was easy to understand but hard to fathom. But in its core, the Nine Rings speaks for the level of the Heavens that is going to be conquered.

There are nine levels in Heaven, and these Nine Rings signified the layers he had been able to conquer. Also, the Nine Rings Overlord Soul was not something that should be compared to Cosmic Foundation.

The Cosmic Foundation was simplistic and will end as soon as you finish building the Cosmic Energy Palace. The Nine Rings Overlord Soul is already completed as soon as you form the first ring.

After Wang Ling completes the first ring, he just needed to accumulate enough spirit qi in order to break through the next stage. Regarding the eight other rings, that would be up to Wang Ling to complete. As to how he will do it, he will only know once he properly reaches that state.

Wang Ling spent 500,000 worth of points and bought over 40 different treasures that can prepare for his breakthrough. Wang Ling's points was now only a little over 600,000. Seeing that his points were only so much, Wang Ling used 300,000 points to buy spirit stones and used the remaining 200,000 points to buy anything that has dense spirit qi.

Because he now only have a total of 115,000 points and really don't have anything to spend it on as he already have a good weapon and even better cultivation techniques and martial techniques, Wang Ling just used it to buy more spirit stones.

The student that was working for the Treasure Pavilion had his eyes twitching after hearing Wang Ling's orders. Wang Ling took out his points and passed it to the student and said.

"Just get it over with already."

The student trembled at the insane amount of points that was just paid. He scrambled back to the people who was assigned to exchange the treasures and they too was left speechless and eyes twitching as they saw the insane amount of points and the dizzying number of treasure Wang Ling wanted to take.

However, because the order was already given, the Treasure Hall had to comply and had to give Wang Ling what he wanted.

They gathered everything that was asked of them and soon found out that 40% of the academy's vault was taken out. A little mound was form in front of Wang Ling as the spirit plans and pills he asked for was brought out, and as for the spirit stones that was something that had to be laid outside the Treasure Hall in order to form a mountain.

Wang Ling nodded in satisfaction after seeing this and took out a different storage ring from the undecorated storage ring he had been using. The storage ring he uses on the surface was still the ordinary storage ring from the Green Pavilion of the Azure Skies Kingdom.

The one he had just taken out was the storage ring that belonged to Gale. Wang Ling used that storage ring to keep everything and left as soon as he did. He was thrown many envious looks and even more hated glares as others realized that the points he had used to get that many resources came from them.

After this, the student will send a letter to the Head Teacher of the Treasure Hall. One can only think how that teacher will react.

====

Wang Ling came back to his dorm and Qigang was already in the front door. Noticing that a golden sparrow was on Qigang's fingers, Wang Ling raise a brow. 

"Where did that [Golden Emperor Sparrow] came from?" Wang Ling asked.

"From the main house, it brought a letter for you." Qigang took out a ring and passed it to Wang Ling. The ring was a storage ring and that storage ring contained the letters and a jade bottle that had a single pill inside.

There were five letters in total, two was from his father, one was from Butler Sun, the other one was from Wang Hong who seemed to have awoken, and the last one came from Wang Yue.