Chapter 1609 - 1610: Participating in the Martial Tournament
Lin Chen, guided by Elder Xu, entered a secret chamber.
Before long, Elder Xu took out a thick astrolabe.
"This astrolabe contains the star map of the Immortal Realm. If you're interested, you may take a look," Elder Xu said casually.
Lin Chen nodded, "Alright, thank you, Elder Xu."
"However, the information in this astrolabe is vast. I estimate it will take you at least a month to study it, so..."
"No need, half a day will suffice, and on the third day, we'll head to the competition venue together," Lin Chen replied calmly.
"Half a day?" Elder Xu was taken aback.
Elder Xu had already exaggerated by saying it would take a month. Truly reading all the information on the astrolabe would take at least half a year. The one-month estimate was merely a cursory glance.
Lin Chen claimed he only needed half a day, which confirmed to Elder Xu that Lin Chen was merely skimming through.
"Young Master Lin, please go ahead and study," Elder Xu smiled as he left the chamber.
After Elder Xu departed, Lin Chen thought to himself, "Xiaoshuai, start copying."
"Got it!" Although Lin Chen mentioned half a day, Xiaoshuai only needed two hours to replicate the entire Immortal Realm star map.
Lin Chen spent the remaining time digesting the contents of the star map.
Now Lin Chen knew that Xianyin City was just a very small city in the Immortal Realm, governed by the Immortal Palace, which was the dominant power in this region, overseeing nearly a hundred cities like Xianyin City.
"Looks like getting into the top three won't be easy at all!" Lin Chen took a deep breath.
Half a day later, Lin Chen exited the secret chamber.
The Xu family had already prepared a ship.
The competition venue was Xuanling Island, not far from Xianyin City, a two-day trip from the Xu family.
Elder Xu escorted Lin Chen and Xu Wei onto the ship, "Young Master Lin, we entrust this competition to you."
Due to the complex situation of the Xu family, Elder Xu couldn't leave, so Xu Wei had to accompany Lin Chen to Xuanling Island.
Standing at the ship's bow, gazing at the vast sea before him, Lin Chen was filled with excitement.
This sea was similar to the sea on Earth, but there were differences.
The sea was rich with Spiritual Energy.
Lin Chen could sense a number of powerful presences within this ocean.
Xu Wei smiled, "Young Master Lin, this sea is called the Xuanling Sea, and the spiritual beasts within are formidable. Even some strong Immortal Kings dare not provoke them."
"Aren't we in danger then?" Lin Chen was startled upon hearing this.
"Don't worry, our family offers tributes to the sea beasts every year, so they won't attack us," Xu Wei explained with a light laugh.
"Is the spirit tower located on Xuanling Island?" Lin Chen inquired.
Xu Wei nodded, "Our family martial competition is held every four years, with all prominent families from the Eastern Spiritual Region sending their young talents to participate. Some families even invite powerful young masters for better results."
"I see. Who are our opponents?" Lin Chen asked.
Xu Wei replied, "According to our intelligence, the five strongest families are our main competition."
"Sun Bai from the Sun family is one of the strongest contenders, and the Sun family has long been at odds with our Xu family. He will undoubtedly cause trouble for you," Xu Wei warned.
"What is his strength?" Lin Chen inquired.
Sun Bai's strength is similar to yours, at the early stage of the Immortal Lord realm. However, this is based on intelligence from half a year ago, and he was close to breaking through to the mid-stage at that time. It's unclear if he has advanced since.
"Hmm!"
Lin Chen's eyes flickered with seriousness. The Immortal Realm indeed teemed with talent. His peak-level strength on Earth was quite average here.
"Moreover, the Qi and Qin families are not to be underestimated, but the strongest is the Wang family."
"The Wang family?" Xu Wei's eyes held a hint of apprehension as she mentioned the name.
"Is the younger generation of the Wang family very formidable?" Lin Chen asked.
"Wang Hui's strength is likely at the high stage of the Immortal Lord realm, consistently ranking in the top three of the youth rankings in the Eastern Spiritual Region," Xu Wei explained.
Lin Chen realized that the competition involved factions under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Palace, comprising only a tenth of the Eastern Spiritual Region, yet Wang Hui held a prestigious top-three rank, indicating formidable strength.
Xu Wei continued, "A year ago, Wang Hui was already at the high stage of the Immortal Lord realm, and there are rumors that he defeated an Immortal King level expert. Whether it's true or not, I'm uncertain."
"Indeed formidable," Lin Chen nodded inwardly.
If the rumors were accurate, Wang Hui's prowess might have transcended the Immortal Lord realm, potentially reaching the Immortal King level.
"By the way, who ranks first and second in the Eastern Spiritual Region?" Lin Chen inquired with curiosity.
Xu Wei responded, "The first is Zhou Yu from the Immortal Palace, and second is Li Xiaoyao from Fairy Sword Mountain. Their strength is rumored to be at the Immortal King level."
Upon hearing Xu Wei's words, Lin Chen couldn't help but gasp.
The Immortal Realm was indeed remarkable, with peers of his generation possessing such formidable strength.
"Of course, this was the ranking from a year ago. If Wang Hui has advanced to the Immortal King realm, the rankings might change," Xu Wei remarked solemnly.
"This competition follows a challenge format. Each participant has three challenge opportunities. The top eight are then selected, followed by elimination rounds to determine the ultimate winner," Xu Wei explained.
"It seems obtaining a top-three spot is not easy either," Lin Chen took a deep breath, saying.
"Indeed, and the Wang family won the championship four years ago, so they don't have to participate in the challenge rounds. They can rest and prepare," Xu Wei said with some frustration.
"Yes, and the first prize includes one hundred thousand crystal stones," Lin Chen suddenly asked.
"Lin Chen, if you encounter Wang Hui, it's best to concede and conserve your strength. Our goal is the top three; winning first place will be very challenging," Xu Wei quickly advised.
It's not that Xu Wei lacked confidence in Lin Chen, but Wang Hui's strength was too overwhelming. Competing for second or third place seemed probable, but challenging Wang Hui for first was virtually impossible.
Lin Chen smiled without saying anything. If he did face Wang Hui, he genuinely wanted a duel, regardless of the outcome. Conceding was not an option.
The path of martial arts requires moving forward fearlessly, never retreating, lest progress becomes impossible.
Moreover, entrusted by Feng Jiu, Lin Chen was determined to secure this spot.
After two days of navigation, Lin Chen finally saw a pitch-black island slowly approaching.
"That must be Xuanling Island!"
At this point, Lin Chen noticed the increasing number of ships nearby, obviously belonging to competition participants.
"Lin Chen, we're about to arrive," excitement flickered in Xu Wei's eyes.
Lin Chen nodded, gazing at the island in the distance. This place was indeed a cultivation paradise, with Spiritual Energy several times more intense than in Xianyin City.
As the ship prepared to dock, Xu Wei suddenly spotted a young man standing at the port, her expression turning sour.