Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Sealed Entity, an Eighth-Rank Demon Beast

Until this moment, Chu Tianchen still did not know where Li Haizhu was taking him, yet he felt no suspicion that Li Haizhu harbored any ill intent. Even if he did, Chu Tianchen had no cause for concern. Within his ancient ring lay a fragment of inherited power left by the Eternal Dragon Emperor, a force comparable to that of a terrestrial god.

On that day, before the gates of Yunhai Academy, seeing the statues of his grandfather and father insulted by Liu Qingxin, Chu Tianchen had been consumed by rage. During his confrontation with her, he had intended to unleash that very power, only to be stopped by the sudden appearance of Ye Nishang. This inherited strength could be used only once; it was his ultimate trump card and his assurance of survival. It was precisely for this reason that he dared to follow Li Haizhu here without hesitation. Furthermore, this was Yunhai Academy; despite the complex inner workings of the institution, no one dared to commit murder openly within its grounds.

With his face masked, Chu Tianchen followed Li Haizhu toward the nineteenth underground level. As they entered the first subterranean floor, Chu Tianchen was met with a dense, eerie atmosphere. Unlike the opulence above, this place resembled a dark dungeon. However, the concentration of vital energy in this space was in no way inferior to the levels above. For a moment, Chu Tianchen could hardly resist the urge to circulate his Nine Dragon Heaven-Swallowing Art and indulge in a frantic session of cultivation.

Li Haizhu did not lead him into the chambers of the first floor; he merely lingered at the entrance of the stairwell, glancing inside. There were many cultivation rooms of various sizes on this level.

"Do you know the purpose of these underground cultivation rooms?" Li Haizhu asked with a smile.

Chu Tianchen shook his head. However, having slightly released his soul power, he had already sensed something. He discovered that inside the various cultivation rooms on the first floor, there were not only people but also the presence of demon beasts. Were these beasts being imprisoned, or were they being raised? This remained unknown.

By the time they had passed the third level, Chu Tianchen sensed the presence of fifth-rank demon beasts. A fifth-rank beast was equivalent to a human Heavenly King realm martial artist. It was baffling why the academy would keep so many of them here. Moreover, without exception, these beasts were all of the fire attribute. Chu Tianchen decided not to dwell on it for now; he would investigate these matters gradually once he gained entry into the inner academy.

About fifteen minutes later, Li Haizhu finally stopped. They were now on the seventh level. Standing at the entrance to the seventh floor, Li Haizhu looked downward, and even he displayed a hint of dread in his eyes, though it was unclear what he feared.

"Brother Zhuzi?"

Only when Chu Tianchen called out did he snap back to reality, as if waking from a dream. "When you enter the inner academy, remember this: the seventh underground level is the limit. Do not venture any further down."

"Why is that?" The more Li Haizhu warned him, the more curious Chu Tianchen became. Furthermore, standing on this seventh level, his blood began to boil faintly, and the ancient ring emitted a weak glow, as if sensing something. It felt as though an invisible voice and a magical pull were calling him to descend. He hurriedly composed himself and adjusted his breathing.

"It is said that whatever is suppressed down there is an eighth-rank demon beast," Li Haizhu explained. An eighth-rank beast was comparable to a human Myriad Phenomena realm powerhouse. The Great Qian Dynasty had never seen such a master; even his grandfather’s previous attempt to break through to that realm had ended in failure.

"Then why not seal this place off entirely?" Chu Tianchen asked.

"A good question," Li Haizhu replied. "I don't know either. There are all sorts of rumors, but the true reason is likely known only to the Dean and the academy’s high-ranking officials. In any case, remember: you must not go down there. Standing here, you can still resist the urge to descend, but they say that once you reach the eighth level, an invisible force will forcibly drag you into the abyss to become food for that beast. I am not exaggerating; that beast seems capable of emitting some form of beckoning power."

With that, Li Haizhu hurriedly pulled Chu Tianchen toward the corridor of the seventh floor. Chu Tianchen accepted what he had just said, but his own sensations were different from those of others. Even if, as Li Haizhu claimed, he was being drawn by that beckoning power, his ancient ring would not deceive him; its flickering purple-gold light was indeed reacting to something. Of course, Chu Tianchen would not be foolish enough to go down and investigate right now. No amount of curiosity was worth more than his life.

"Brother Zhuzi, why did you bring me here?" Chu Tianchen asked once they were in the corridor of the seventh floor.

"To test your talent," Li Haizhu said. "In the central hall of this seventh level, there is a Bloodline Stone. It can measure bone structure, determine bloodline, and perhaps even awaken your latent potential."

"Just to test talent?" Chu Tianchen asked again. If it were merely for a talent test, they could have waited until he entered the inner academy. Doing it now meant risking exposure.

"Hahaha, not entirely," Li Haizhu admitted. "There is one more thing I need Brother Tianchen’s help with."

"What is it?" Chu Tianchen asked directly. Ironically, knowing that Li Haizhu had an agenda actually put him at ease. A person with a clear motive was not terrifying; it was those who approached with baseless flattery and manufactured personas that one had to guard against.

"I happened to discover a divine ability inscribed on that Bloodline Stone," Li Haizhu smiled. "However, I have been contemplating it for two years and have been unable to grasp it. I wanted you to take a look and see if you could comprehend it and help me transcribe it."

Chu Tianchen nodded. The two proceeded toward the central hall of the seventh level. Along the way, almost all the doors to the cultivation rooms were closed. Now, Chu Tianchen could clearly see that these underground rooms were truly occupied half by beasts and half by humans. He wondered what on earth Yunhai Academy was planning with so many fire-attribute beasts.

About seven or eight minutes later, they arrived at the central hall, a space roughly the size of a football field. Perhaps because it was late at night, there were only about a dozen people in the hall. As he watched those figures practicing their abilities, Chu Tianchen’s gaze settled on one person in particular. Judging by the person's aura, it was his roommate, Wang Teng. It seemed he was using his connections with the Wang Gate to practice here. However, Wang Teng lacked Chu Tianchen’s terrifying soul power and perception, so he remained unaware that the masked man was none other than his roommate.

Chu Tianchen did not step forward to greet him; at a time like this, it was best not to invite trouble. He followed Li Haizhu straight to the Bloodline Stone. Standing before the scarlet stone, which stood over a person's height, Chu Tianchen merely glanced at the runes inscribed upon it when his soul trembled violently. His face turned pale, he staggered back several steps, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his lips.