Invincible Soul Emperor

After Elder Yang finished speaking, he reached out to snatch the token, but Ye Qingchen dodged his hand with a swift sidestep.

"Why not take it when it’s free?" he chuckled. "After all, it wouldn’t be right to join the Divine Wood Academy without getting anything, would it?"

Elder Yang scolded him with a laugh. "You little rascal. But don’t get too excited. This token can only be used once, so you must think carefully when you choose your treasure. I’ve also left you some contribution points inside, which should be enough. Now go."

After speaking, Elder Yang waved his hand, signaling for Ye Qingchen to leave.

Ye Qingchen was eager to see just how astounding the treasures stored in the Central Celestial Academy truly were. Moreover, he could obtain rare natural treasures, high-level Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques, or even precious artifacts and legendary True Weapons—all things difficult to find in the outside world—without spending a single Spirit Stone!

Ye Qingchen pocketed the token and jogged down the mountain.

Seeing him leave, Elder Yang smiled and shook his head, muttering to himself, "He’s still just a kid, after all. But I’m also quite curious which blind Saint Heir would dare to kidnap my disciple’s fiancée."

After saying this, Elder Yang shifted into a more comfortable position in his chair, ready to take a nice long nap. But just as he closed his eyes, he was startled awake. From his robes, he took out another token, identical to the Divine Wood Order he had given Ye Qingchen.

Looking at the Divine Wood Order in his hand, Elder Yang gave a bitter smile. "It seems I really am getting old. I gave him the wrong token. That token may prove his status as an advanced disciple, but it has no contribution points, so he can’t exchange it for anything. When that kid finds out, he’s going to think I’m an unreliable master, isn’t he?"

Elder Yang sighed and considered chasing after Ye Qingchen to swap the tokens, but then he lay back down and muttered to himself, "Forget it. Plenty of people already call me unreliable; one more brat won’t make a difference."

With that, Elder Yang lay back down and fell into a deep sleep. Soon, deafening snores drifted from the room.

Meanwhile, a blissfully unaware Ye Qingchen was excitedly heading down the mountain, mentally wrestling with whether to exchange his points for a high-level Martial Technique or a handy artifact for self-defense.

Darn it! Elder Yang didn’t even tell me where the Contribution Hall is. It’s all because I was in such a rush to leave. And Elder Yang himself... really, how could he not bring up such an important detail on his own? So unreliable.

Just as Ye Qingchen reached the foot of the mountain, he realized he had no idea where the so-called Contribution Hall was. After mentally slandering Elder Yang for a bit, he prepared to return to the Divine Wood Academy but stopped in his tracks.

With Elder Yang’s strange temper, if I go back and ask him, he won’t admit he forgot to tell me. He’ll just complain that I bother him with every little thing. Forget it. There are so many people in the Central Celestial Academy; I refuse to believe I can’t find the Contribution Hall by asking around.

With that thought, Ye Qingchen headed toward the highest peak within the Central Celestial Academy. Generally, an important place within a sect would be built in the safest, most bustling location with the densest Spiritual Energy, which was why he chose the highest peak. Even if the Contribution Hall wasn’t there, he was sure to find plenty of Central Celestial Academy disciples who could give him directions.

Ye Qingchen hurried along, asking every student he met. However, most of the disciples still wandering about at this hour were new and just as clueless as he was. But when these disciples heard he was looking for the Contribution Hall, they would look at him with undisguised envy and even jealousy. After all, only advanced disciples from each academy could enter the Contribution Hall. For someone as young as Ye Qingchen to have achieved that status was enough to make anyone’s eyes turn red with envy.

Ye Qingchen quite enjoyed their envious gazes, walking with his head held a little higher and his chest puffed out. Inwardly, however, he began to curse the Central Celestial Academy for not providing new disciples with a sect map.

What Ye Qingchen didn’t know was that the Central Celestial Academy did provide a map to every advanced disciple. New disciples, however, cultivated within their respective academies, so they wouldn’t have needed one anyway.

Ye Qingchen continued north and soon approached the highest peak. But as soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, he was stunned. There, at the base of the mountain, stood a stone stele nearly a hundred meters tall. Inscribed upon it were four massive characters:

"Ferocious Fire Academy!"

Each character was twenty meters in size, etched with powerful, forceful strokes. They seemed to swirl with threads of Dao-rhythm, captivating anyone who glanced at them.

Ye Qingchen couldn’t help but recall the stele of his own Divine Wood Academy, which wasn’t even as tall as him. He hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Given Elder Yang’s lazy nature, it was a miracle a stele existed at all; expecting him to make it grand was asking far too much. Yet now, compared to the Ferocious Fire Academy, Ye Qingchen understood the bitter truth that comparisons would be the death of him.

What troubled him most was that Elder Yang had just dealt with Vice Head Liu of the Ferocious Fire Academy, and now, by a twist of fate, he had ended up right on their doorstep. If Vice Head Liu saw him, he would surely take his anger out on him. Honestly, Ye Qingchen hadn’t come here on purpose. Who would have thought the highest peak would be the Ferocious Fire Academy’s territory?

Thinking this, Ye Qingchen turned to leave, hoping to escape this place of conflict before running into Vice Head Liu.

But as luck would have it, Vice Head Liu and his group, having been delayed in the Training Mountain Range, were just now returning to the Ferocious Fire Academy. He spotted Ye Qingchen instantly, his eyes practically spitting fire. However, he glanced at the crowd of onlookers. If he attacked Ye Qingchen now, the story of his own humiliation by Elder Yang would surely spread. For the sake of his pride, Vice Head Liu restrained himself. With a cold snort, he walked straight past Ye Qingchen and into the Ferocious Fire Academy.

When Ye Qingchen saw Vice Head Liu, he was prepared to bolt. He was shocked when the man didn’t attack him. Did I misjudge him? No, that can’t be. This Vice Head Liu doesn’t seem like the magnanimous type at all.

"Young Master Ye, what a coincidence to run into you here."

An enchanting voice, like music from the heavens, reached him. Ye Qingchen looked over and saw Zi Xing, the very person he had saved in the Training Mountain Range.