Chapter 558: Chapter 340: Dragon Platform

Xu Yang cupped his hands. "Thank you, Elder Wei, and the Wei family for your high regard, but I currently have no intention of joining any faction."

Ultimately, this all boiled down to marriage alliances. He couldn’t be bothered to argue back and forth only to part on bad terms. Since his admission into the Celestial Strategy Academy was already set in stone, there would be no more unexpected twists. Unafraid of offending anyone, he simply chose to decline outright.

Of course, his tone remained perfectly polite. If the other party still took offense to that, there was nothing he could do.

The Wei family’s Fifth Elder frowned. "Won’t you at least hear our conditions, Fellow Xu? The Wei family has come with absolute sincerity. If you aren’t satisfied with the terms, we can always negotiate."

Xu Yang shook his head. "It has nothing to do with the conditions. I simply have no intention of joining any faction. I only wish to focus on practicing the Martial Dao in peace. If I ever have such thoughts in the future, the Wei family will definitely be my first choice."

Hearing this, the Wei family’s Fifth Elder smiled again. "You have lofty ambitions, Fellow Xu. I admire that. I won’t disturb you any longer."

As long as Xu Yang wasn’t looking down on the Wei family, he didn’t mind the rejection. Xu Yang wasn’t the only genius on the Lingyun List who hadn’t joined a faction; he could understand this mindset. Not everyone wanted to serve a major power. Some people wanted to establish their own family factions in the future. As long as Xu Yang didn’t join another family, it was fine if he didn’t join the Wei family.

There were four or five people from different families waiting nearby. They had originally planned to step forward and recruit Xu Yang after he failed to reach an agreement with the Wei family. However, upon hearing his words, they realized it would be a waste of breath and didn’t bother approaching him. By refusing to even hear the Wei family’s conditions, it was obvious he had no intention of becoming any family’s Honored Guest Elder.

"Xu Yang, you’re so foolish." Yue Zhong and Bai Shaoling strode over, followed by Zhang Hanzhou.

"Even if you enter the Celestial Strategy Academy, how are you going to compete with those other geniuses?" Yue Zhong said, his tone pained. "They have factions backing them and providing resources. You have nothing!"

He hadn’t expected Xu Yang to reject the Wei family right after turning down the Kong family.

"Peak Master, this disciple just doesn’t want to become a thug for any faction," Xu Yang said, shaking his head. "You know about Lin Jingyu. He had peerless talent and a bright future ahead of him, yet he died before even entering the Celestial Strategy Academy—all because he became a thug for the Kong family. While having resources definitely speeds up your growth, it also comes with massive risks."

Yue Zhong and Bai Shaoling’s eyelids twitched. This guy had killed Lin Jingyu himself, and now he was actually using him as a cautionary tale! For a moment, both of them were rendered speechless.

Indeed, if Lin Jingyu hadn’t become a thug for the Kong family, he would still be a genius with a boundless future. At the very least, he would have eventually become a hegemon of Yun Province, and perhaps gone even further. During the previous grand melee, most of the Lingyun List geniuses who died or were eliminated had been drawn into the conflicts between Yunzhou City’s major factions, resulting in their early exit.

Xu Yang’s caution wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Major factions didn’t just have more resources than they knew what to do with. They wouldn’t just hand them out freely. By recruiting you, they naturally expected a return on their investment; they expected you to exert yourself when trouble arose.

"Junior Brother Xu is absolutely right," Sun Tao said as he strode over, his face plastered with a wide smile.

"Why did you reject the Shen family?!" Yue Zhong glared at Sun Tao.

It was one thing for Xu Yang to refuse recruitment; he had always been extremely cautious. But surprisingly, Sun Tao had also rejected the Shen family, a faction just as powerful as the Wei family. Sun Tao had stunned everyone today by comprehending the Baji Mountain-Shattering Fist at the exact same time as Gu Qingfeng. Yue Zhong had assumed Sun Tao did this to attract the attention of Yunzhou City’s major families and secure recruitment, yet he had actually turned them away when they came knocking.

"Because they wanted a marriage alliance," Sun Tao answered bluntly.

Xu Yang had used this exact same excuse.

Yue Zhong couldn’t help but twitch his eyelids. "What’s wrong with a marriage alliance? Only by marrying into their family will they give you more resources and feel at ease nurturing you. Besides, the young ladies of these major families are all devastatingly beautiful. A marriage alliance is hardly a loss."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at his disciple, Jiang Fan. Did Xu Yang and Sun Tao suffer from the same affliction as Jiang Fan? Insisting on only marrying someone they truly loved?

Logically, given their backgrounds, neither of them should have shared Jiang Fan’s eccentricities. Usually, only those with too much time on their hands chased after concepts like "love." For people from humble backgrounds, managing to marry a woman from a major family was already a massive blessing.

Jiang Fan’s mouth twitched. That was ancient history! Why did it always have to be brought up?

"Master, I think Brother Xu and Brother Sun might be considering their chances of reaching the Final Dragon Platform," Jiang Fan interjected.

Those words immediately brought a temporary silence to the group.

The phrase "Final Dragon Platform" left Yue Zhong speechless for a moment. He had almost forgotten that the Celestial Strategy Academy was merely a resting point on the path of Dragon Ascension. The journey only truly ended when one stepped onto the Final Dragon Platform and transformed into a true dragon.

"That’s right. With their talent, they might actually have a chance at stepping onto the Final Dragon Platform. Agreeing to a marriage alliance right now would indeed be unwise," Bai Shaoling agreed.

If they could reach the Final Dragon Platform, what would the Shen or Wei families matter? Even a Thousand-Year-Old Noble Family was nothing compared to the Final Dragon Platform.

It was just like when Xu Yang was still at the Purple Sun Sect and refused a marriage alliance with the Ding family. Back then, many people had thought he shared Jiang Fan’s quirks. Yet today, he had made it this far. If he had actually married into the Ding family back then, everyone would be saying how foolish it was—that he shouldn’t have sacrificed a brilliant future for such meager gains. If they agreed to a marriage alliance now, wouldn’t it be a massive loss if they eventually reached the Final Dragon Platform?

"So you two had such grand ambitions all along. I was too short-sighted," Yue Zhong said, abandoning his attempts to persuade them.

"The Final Dragon Platform? You guys sure dare to dream," Li Chuyang sneered.

Even someone like Huo Xiaochen wasn’t confident in his chances of reaching the Final Dragon Platform, which was why he had married the young lady of the Xiao family so early on. He hoped to use the Xiao family’s resources to increase his odds. Yet Xu Yang and Sun Tao... He wasn’t just trying to be cynical; the possibility was simply too low.

Given the talent Sun Tao had displayed today, he might have a sliver of a chance if he could obtain the resources of a top-tier faction. But Xu Yang had absolutely no chance. Xu Yang’s talent was roughly on par with his own. With his background, Li Chuyang didn’t even dare to dream of the Final Dragon Platform. Where did Xu Yang get his confidence?

"Are you saying you haven’t thought about it? You’ve already given up," Jiang Fan said with a laugh.

This time, it was Li Chuyang’s turn to remain silent. How could he not have dreamed of reaching the Final Dragon Platform? It was just that he had eventually realized it was an impossibility for him.

The group soon dispersed. As for Zhang Jun and Liu Rumei, it seemed they had been swayed; they were still deep in conversation with those trying to recruit them.

Having suddenly gained four disciples entering the Celestial Strategy Academy—with two more still undergoing the trials—Bai Shaoling was in a fantastic mood. He booked a lavish banquet at a restaurant to reward Xu Yang and the others, even ordering Spirit Wine. Zhang Hanzhou also managed to tag along and enjoy the feast. Ever since his elimination yesterday, this guy had stopped making snide remarks. In fact, he barely spoke at all. It was as if his entire personality had shifted.

Once the meal concluded, the group returned to their quarters and went their separate ways.

The next day.

[Acquired Baji Mountain-Shattering Fist, Points +30]

[Passed the final trial of the Secondary Dragon Ascension, Points +200]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 1589]

Passing the final trial had actually rewarded him with two hundred points in one go.

Xu Yang wondered if he would receive more once he formally entered the Celestial Strategy Academy. He wasn’t entirely sure. If they gave him more, then everything was fine. But if they didn’t, two hundred points felt a little low and didn’t quite match his expectations for the Celestial Strategy Academy.

After allocating one point to his lifespan, Xu Yang casually dismissed the interface and began his morning exercises. Not long after, Sun Tao came looking for him. He and the others planned to head over to the Celestial Strategy Academy to watch the ongoing trials and asked if Xu Yang wanted to tag along.

Xu Yang had no interest and declined.

Over the past few days of interacting with Gu Qingfeng, he had learned quite a few things. Many people’s Cultivation had already reached the critical point for breaking through to the Celestial Essence Second Layer, but they were deliberately suppressing it. This was because the Celestial Strategy Academy offered academic credits as rewards for breakthroughs in Cultivation. Once they formally entered the academy, many would immediately attempt to break through to the Celestial Essence Second Layer.

He was still a bit short of reaching Celestial Essence First Layer Perfection, so there was no need to go watch something so boring. More importantly, after several years of bitter cultivation, his Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture was on the verge of Perfection. Since he had free time over the next two days, he planned to push the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture to Perfection in one fell swoop.

After returning from a meal outside, he was the only one left in the living quarters. Hanging a "Do Not Disturb—In Seclusion" sign on his door, Xu Yang sat cross-legged on his bed.

[Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture · Great Success (14936/15000)]

"Three years really passes in the blink of an eye," Xu Yang muttered, glancing at the interface with a soft sigh.

He had selected the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture from the Outer Sect’s Hidden Skills Hall after taking third place in the Outer Disciple tournament. Before he knew it, he had been cultivating it for over three years, and now it was finally nearing Perfection.

He wondered if the Celestial Strategy Academy would have the subsequent sections of the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture. This technique was the most profound Cultivation Technique in his possession, rivaled only by the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength. Unfortunately, much like the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength, it was an incomplete manual that only covered up to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. It was precisely because it was incomplete that it had been placed in the Outer Sect’s Hidden Skills Hall.

It had taken him three years of cultivation to reach Perfection, even with his Dual Perfection of Root Bone and Comprehension. One could only imagine how profoundly intricate it was. If the Celestial Strategy Academy possessed the subsequent Heart Method, he planned to continue cultivating it.

He pushed the thought aside. There was no point dwelling on it now; he would figure it out after entering the Celestial Strategy Academy.

Xu Yang quickly calmed his mind, sinking his consciousness into his Heart Spirit. A Blood Prison that felt incredibly real slowly materialized. At the center of the Blood Prison, a nearly corporeal Blood Saber manifested, radiating a Sword Intent brimming with death and slaughter.

As the Blood Saber appeared, the entire Blood Prison began to tremble. Waves of blood surged violently, as if they would not rest until the Blood Saber was utterly destroyed.

Xu Yang had been watching this exact scene for three years and was thoroughly accustomed to it. He simply focused his attention, controlling the Blood Saber to resist the surrounding Blood Prison.

The morning flew by. After going out for lunch at noon, Xu Yang returned and resumed his cultivation.

By evening, Sun Tao and the others returned. The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture was still just a tiny bit away from a breakthrough.

Chatting with them for a bit, he learned that the trials still weren’t over. So far, over two hundred people had successfully comprehended the Baji Mountain-Shattering Fist, and they estimated it would take at least another full day to conclude. After all, the further down the list they went, the wider the gap in Comprehension became, meaning those participants naturally required more time. For most geniuses, taking three or four days to grasp the Entry Level of a Celestial Essence Martial Technique was actually the normal speed.

Qi Xuancheng and Ye Qiuling were still up on the mountain as well.

Time quickly passed until noon of the next day. The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture had finally reached the very final steps before Perfection.

[Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture · Great Success (14998/15000)]

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