Chapter Ten: Entering the Pavilion of Spiritual Combat

A ray of morning light pierced the darkness before dawn. As roosters crowed from all directions, a new day began. Everyone in the Xu family had risen early. Xu Yan was filled with excitement, almost forgetting the unhappiness of the previous day, for today marked her entry into the Spirit Battle Pavilion—a day that would open up an entirely new chapter in her life.

Whenever Chu Feng encountered Xu Yan, he could not avoid being glared at a few times, which left him somewhat helpless. He had never imagined he would unwittingly acquire such a troublesome adversary.

Xu Hong and the others had already prepared wine and dishes to see the three off. After breakfast, the trio bade farewell to their families, mounted their horses, and set off at a gallop straight towards the Spirit Battle Pavilion.

The Spirit Battle Pavilion was located in the southwest, not far from the Holy Temple. Two hours later, the three arrived at their destination.

Compared to the Sacred City, the Spirit Battle Pavilion was a city within a city. At first glance, Chu Feng was awestruck. The pavilion’s city walls were imposing and towering, so high that nothing inside was visible. Atop the walls, heavily armed soldiers stood in ranks, banners fluttered, and displays of weapons stretched endlessly in both directions, seemingly extending to the very ends of the earth.

Most striking of all was the gate of the Spirit Battle Pavilion. It soared to a height of a hundred yards, massive and majestic. At its center, the three ancient characters for “Spirit Battle Pavilion” radiated an overwhelming aura, as if proclaiming dominion over all beneath heaven.

On either side of the gate stood colossal statues, each more than a hundred feet tall. Their forms were robust and powerful, clad in armor and bearing arms, eyes sharp and gazing into the distance. Standing here, one felt as if standing at the edge of a precipice or before a towering mountain, inspired to awe.

A shimmering barrier enveloped the entire pavilion—its wards were always active, the defenses so tight that not even a mosquito, let alone a member of the demon race, could slip through.

Recently, the recruitment of new members had almost finished; most new arrivals from various cities had already been sent into the pavilion. Nonetheless, people still came and went in large numbers at the city gate.

Some distance from the entrance, the three dismounted and led their horses toward the grand gate of the Spirit Battle Pavilion.

Though heavily guarded on both sides, the soldiers paid no attention to the people passing in and out.

Chu Feng found this rather odd, suspecting that the gate’s security seemed a bit lax. As they drew nearer, he realized that an almost invisible barrier spanned the entrance. People passed through it freely, unaffected.

At this moment, Xu Lan explained, “When the demon race cultivates to a certain level, they can take human form. To prevent them from disguising themselves and infiltrating the Spirit Battle Pavilion, our human ancestors poured generations of effort into creating this barrier. No matter how well a demon hides its aura, it cannot deceive this ward.”

Chu Feng asked, “So, since this barrier was created, no demon has ever managed to infiltrate the Spirit Battle Pavilion?”

He gazed at the barrier not far ahead, his expression complex, clearly harboring doubts. After all, back in Gu Lin City, no one had anticipated a demon attack. Yet that seemingly impossible event had indeed come to pass.

Xu Yan rolled her eyes at him, thinking this wild man was truly ignorant. She retorted, “Isn’t that obvious? With this barrier in place, how could a demon beast possibly sneak in? Are you doubting the achievements of our ancestors?”

Chu Feng replied earnestly, “I would never question our forebears’ accomplishments, but I also won’t underestimate the cunning of the demon race. I believe nothing in this world is absolute. If you always think otherwise, you’ll suffer for it.”

“Oh, so now you’re lecturing me?” Xu Yan snapped.

“I’m only looking out for you,” Chu Feng said seriously, his solemnity only making Xu Yan angrier.

“You’re getting bold, aren’t you? I’ll teach you a lesson, you wild man!” Xu Yan exclaimed. She was, after all, only fourteen, still a child at heart. She chased after Chu Feng, raining her small fists down on him—though compared to her punch the night before, these blows were little more than a gentle massage.

Dodging, Chu Feng could only smile wryly to himself; perhaps he would never be free of the nickname “wild man.”

“All right, enough fooling around. Time to go in,” Xu Lan said with a chuckle, stroking his beard. He glanced thoughtfully at the barrier before adding, “Yan’er, actually, Chu Feng is right. Nothing is absolute. Just because nothing has happened in centuries doesn’t mean it never will. The demon race is not to be underestimated.”

Xu Yan pouted in protest, “Grandfather, you’re taking his side!”

Secretly sulking, she cursed the detestable Chu Feng over and over in her heart before suddenly turning to him, “Wild man, how about we make a bet?”

“What kind of bet?” Chu Feng asked.

Xu Yan replied, “Let’s bet that during our time in the Spirit Battle Pavilion, if a demon is discovered sneaking in, you win. If not, I win. The loser must do something for the winner.”

Chu Feng smiled faintly, “Do you think that’s a fair wager?”

After all, no demon had been found in the pavilion in hundreds of years. Even if one did slip in, who could guarantee it would be exposed any time soon?

But Xu Yan didn’t care, shooting him a challenging look. “Afraid to bet? If you’re scared, then don’t waste your breath in the future!”

Chu Feng recognized her goading, but he was not one to back down easily. Though winning would be difficult, he believed it was not impossible. After all, no defense was truly unbreakable.

He accepted the challenge without hesitation. “Who says I won’t? It’s a deal.” He then looked Xu Yan up and down with a mischievous grin, “But does that mean anything goes?”

At his expression, Xu Yan immediately recalled what had happened the night before. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she snapped, “You filthy wild man! What are you thinking?”

Chu Feng rubbed his nose. “Come now, all I wanted was to see you dance. Is that so bad? Or is it that you can’t dance? What a waste of such a graceful figure.”

Though embarrassed, Xu Yan couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased at the compliment. Still blushing, she retorted, “Dream on! I’m looking forward to making you my servant—don’t come crying then!”

With that, she ignored Chu Feng and strode ahead, leading her horse.

Seeing her flustered, Chu Feng felt a rare sense of satisfaction. He caught up, teasing, “Walking so fast—feeling nervous? Don’t worry, no matter how well those demon beasts hide, I’ll find them if it means seeing you perform.”

“Wild man, we’ll see about that!” Xu Yan huffed.

Behind them, Xu Lan watched Chu Feng’s retreating figure with a kindly smile. After the disaster in Gu Lin City, Chu Feng had struggled to recover. This was the first time Xu Lan had seen him laugh so freely.

“The wounds left by calamity need friendship and youth to heal,” Xu Lan murmured, then followed with his horse.

Usually, new arrivals brought by the city’s sub-pavilion were received by appointed staff and had no need for further qualification. But those arriving independently had to be verified.

Entering the Spirit Battle Pavilion was like stepping into another world. The spiritual energy here was extraordinarily dense, gathering everywhere like clouds and mist, swirling ceaselessly. In the air, streams of energy flowed like ribbons, catching the sunlight and bursting into dazzling colors—a breathtaking sight.

Nourished by this energy, lush grasses and verdant forests flourished everywhere. It was like a world fit for gods. Training here would yield twice the result for half the effort. This was the fruit of generations of human effort—the foremost training sanctuary for humankind. Even Chu Feng, who had yet to awaken his spiritual power, felt rejuvenated and invigorated in this environment.

Past the city gate lay a vast plaza, ringed with buildings—this was the newcomer reception area, where new arrivals were assigned their places.

Not long after the three entered, someone came to greet them.

Xu Lan’s appointment as an instructor at the Spirit Battle Pavilion had already been arranged, and Chu Feng was also assigned to the newcomers’ camp.

Both realized this must have been arranged by the elders, saving them a great deal of trouble.

Their greeter was a scholar-like young man, exceedingly respectful; after all, Xu Lan had once ruled a city and was a Celestial Warrior of rare might—his status far above that of ordinary instructors.

Xu Lan was assigned to teach in the Xuan Division, while Chu Feng only needed to report to the newcomers’ camp.

Though Xu Lan wished to accompany them, both Chu Feng and Xu Yan insisted otherwise. He relented, thinking it best to let them learn self-reliance.

“If you have any trouble, come find me,” Xu Lan reminded them before departing.

Xu Yan then confirmed her own qualifications, collected two maps, and rode off with Chu Feng.

Each year, nearly a hundred thousand new recruits entered the camp, divided by age into twenty groups, numbered one through twenty.

The camps were assigned primarily by aptitude—the earlier one awakened their spiritual power, the higher their perceived talent and the lower their group number, and thus the better the resources provided.

The Spirit Battle Pavilion was composed of several semi-independent districts, with the newcomers’ camp being one such area. After about half an hour, Chu Feng and Xu Yan arrived at their destination.

At the registration hall, a middle-aged man lounged in a luxurious armchair. He was dressed in brocade, fat and round, eyes half-shut as he toyed with a jade ornament.

The man’s attitude was cold and indifferent. When Chu Feng and Xu Yan entered, he barely cracked open his eyes to look at them.

Upon seeing Chu Feng, dressed in finery, tall and poised with a piercing gaze, the man’s demeanor changed instantly. Believing this youth must be from an extraordinary background, he immediately stood and waddled over, completely forgetting that Chu Feng was here to register as a newcomer.

He then glanced at Xu Yan, pausing in surprise before seeming to realize something. His coldness vanished, and he smiled at Chu Feng. “Are you here to register her?”

He clearly believed this remarkable youth was either a prodigy or a scion of nobility, and thought that forging a connection would greatly benefit his own prospects.

“I…” Xu Yan’s face turned bright red at his words, so angry she could barely speak.