Chapter 43: Arriving at Spirit City

A few days later, Spirit City.

After a journey full of unexpected events, Lu Yuan finally arrived in Spirit City.

When Lu Yuan entered Spirit City, he was immediately impressed by the grandeur and beauty of the city. The streets were perfectly laid out in a grid pattern, with classical-style buildings rising up on either side. The city was adorned with intricate sculptures, lush greenery, and colorful Spirit Hall banners fluttering in the gentle breeze.

Lu Yuan gazed in awe at the gleaming marble buildings ornamented with golden details. He could not help but admire the beauty of the city and its attention to detail. The city, although not as large as Heaven Dou City, was a bustling city brimming with life, with vendors selling their wares, people going about their daily chores, and children playing in the streets.

Despite the bustle, there was a sense of peace and order throughout the city. Lu Yuan felt a sense of calm come over him as he rode through the streets in the carriage.

As a general rule, carriages were not allowed to approach buildings belonging to Spirit Hall, and even if it was Platinum Bishop Salas, he would have to obediently get out of the carriage and walk to it.

This was because, within Spirit City, the power of the Supreme Pontiff was not to be violated!

So, following this rule, the coachman dropped him off at a close distance from the Spirit Hall Reception Building, and after walking there, Lu Yuan was immediately greeted by a big man, who introduced himself as Chu Yun, a Deacon from another province and a rank 50 Spirit King.

Being informed in advance that he would have to guide the genius from another province that had Innate Full Spirit Power, Chu Yun was surprised, this talent was rare in the whole Continent, the boy he himself brought this year had a rank 7 Innate Spirit Power, which was already considered a rare genius.

"Lu Yuan, allow me to introduce you to one of our province's most talented young geniuses, Du Guu," Chu Yun said warmly. Du Guu, upon seeing Lu Yuan, who appeared no older than 10 years old, felt a bit inhibited and became quiet after exchanging greetings with him.

"I have already been informed of your situation, an inconvenience arose and the Deacon in charge of escorting you had to leave early, right? Don't worry, we've been here for a few days waiting for the arrangements, you can join us in the meantime."

"Thank you, Uncle Chu, I wonder if it's normal to wait for so many days?" After thanking him, Lu Yuan asked curiously.

"On the contrary, the process is usually very fast, but I heard that something seems to have happened recently, and even Chrysanthemum Douluo was personally sent." Chu Yun said quietly.

'Even Chrysanthemum Douluo has been sent?' Lu Yuan pondered.

It seemed that the Dark Spirit Masters had really stirred up the hornet's nest this time, and no wonder, the face of the Spirit Hall could not be insulted so lightly.

For Chrysanthemum Douluo to be sent this time, it was most likely that the main base of the Dark Spirit Masters had been found, and Chrysanthemum Douluo was sent to finish the job.

"The Lord Cardinal has arrived!" Suddenly, a person's shout brought Lu Yuan out of his thoughts.

"Welcome Lord Cardinal!" The crowd greeted in unison.

The one who came was a Cardinal of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, in terms of strength, he was in the Spirit Saint Realm, and in terms of status, he was much higher than everyone present.

"Her Eminence the Supreme Pontiff commands! Deacons of the Sub-Halls and Main Halls shall lead the children to the Spirit Academy tomorrow. Those who pass the Academy exam shall remain, but those who fail shall return immediately to their places of origin without exception!" The Cardinal's voice boomed throughout the room, carrying the weight of authority.

"Understood, we will follow the orders Her Eminence!" The crowd responded in unison, their voices ringing out loud and clear.

"I wonder where Lu Yuan of Fasinuo Province is?" The Cardinal suddenly asked.

"Lord Cardinal, Lu Yuan is here." Chu Yun, being in charge of guiding Lu Yuan, would naturally help him with the formalities.

Lu Yuan also learned quickly and respectfully greeted the Cardinal.

The Cardinal took a deep look at Lu Yuan before turning to Chu Yun, "Her Eminence the Supreme Pontiff has given orders for Lu Yuan to join the Genius Training Camp and participate in the Selection Tournament without delay!"

'Genius Training Camp?" Thought Lu Yuan in bewilderment.

"Now that I have delivered the message, I must take my leave." The Cardinal spoke quickly before making a hasty exit, leaving behind a commotion among the crowd.

"Uncle Chu, what is this Genius Training Camp?" Lu Yuan asked.

Chu Yun, still quite surprised, reacted upon hearing Lu Yuan's question, "The Genius Training Camp is a place dedicated to selecting talents for our Spirit Hall, it is mandatory that every genius who wants to join the Supreme Pontiff Palace has to enter the Camp and participate in the Selection Tournament."

"This Selection Tournament is usually held every three years, and only those who finish in the top three will be qualified to join the Supreme Pontiff Palace."

"Those who rank in the top ten will be exempt from taking the entrance exams to enter the Spirit Academy and will be treated as elite students. The tournament is just a few months away, and I'm not sure why they want you to participate so soon, but it's clear that the Supreme Pontiff values you highly. Don't let her down!"

"Thank you, Uncle Chu, I'll keep that in mind." Lu Yuan replied.

All the Deacons from the other provinces looked at Lu Yuan with strange eyes, of all the people present, only he had been appointed by the Cardinal.

"I have set aside a room for us to rest in the meantime, you can stay with us there." Noticing that there were many people watching them, Chu Yun suggested.

"Then, I will trouble Uncle Chu" Lu Yuan smiled faintly.

Following Chu Yun, Lu Yuan and Du Guu left the main hall, leaving only a group of people looking at each other.

...

Noticing Chu Yun's hesitation outside the room, Lu Yuan told him everything that had happened in Phoenix Village, causing Chu Yun to burst out in indignation.

Only then did he realize why the Supreme Pontiff attached so much importance to Lu Yuan, besides having been one of those who avenged the villagers in the Phoenix Village, Lu Yuan's combat power actually made him worthy of participating in the Selection Tournament, the Supreme Pontiff's favor was understandable.

"There are no mediocre talents in the Genius Training Camp, every single one of them can be called a genius in the outside world, and those who can excel in it are all heavenly prides!" Chu Yun's face was serious as he explained further to Lu Yuan.

"The Golden Generation, who are now the most famous younger generation in the Spirit Hall, came out of the Genius Training Camp, and they were also the top three back then." Chu Yun spoke with a tone of admiration, "Although a genius comparable to those of the Golden Generation will not always come out, as long as they come out of there, they will undoubtedly be at the top of their peers."

"There are two main ways for Spirit Hall to select talents, one is the Spirit Academy, those who pass the initial test can join the Spirit Academy, and if they perform excellently during their studies, they will be selected and cultivated."

"The other is the Genius Training Camp, compared to the Spirit Academy level, the Genius Training Camp is more demanding and the training in it is very severe, any student who successfully comes out of there will be highly valued by the Spirit Hall, the top three will even have the opportunity to join the Supreme Pontiff Palace and perhaps the possibility of worshiping an Elder as their Master."

"But the competition in the Genius Training Camp is extremely fierce and the training is extremely intense, every year there are quite a few students who can't withstand the intensity of the training and end up falling out, many Spirit Masters with amazing talent have fallen out there over the years!" Chu Yun's face was grave.

"Therefore, joining the Genius Training Camp is not only a good thing for you, but it is actually also both a test and an opportunity, whether you can seize the opportunity and stand out above the rest, is completely up to you." Chu Yun looked at Lu Yuan and said in a serious tone.

"Yes, I know, Uncle Chu!" Lu Yuan's face was firm: "No matter what difficulties come my way, giving up is not in my vocabulary."

"Good ambition." Chu Yun nodded approvingly.

"I believe in you, after all, you are a true genius, I hope to hear about you in the future when you successfully come out of the Genius Training Camp later on."

...

Crescent Moon Canyon.

This was the base of the Genius Training Camp.

Like the prestigious Spirit Hall's Genius Training Camp, this area was strictly militarized, not only was there a special legion of Spirit Masters stationed here, but the highest-ranking commander of the administration was even as strong as a high-ranking Spirit Saint.

Even a Spirit Douluo would be discovered if he tried to sneak in; unless his strength reached Title Douluo, where it would be another story.

The Genius Training Camp was extremely demanding and only admitted young students who were seven years old or younger. Only the top ten students could successfully graduate from the Camp every three years. If a child entered the program at the age of six, they could only participate in the Selection Tournament a maximum of two times. Any students over the age of ten who failed to emerge in the top ten would be directly expelled.

This meant that only ten people could "graduate" every three years, the rest, apart from those who had just joined, were all failures, and those who failed could not stay in this place.

Since its inception, students who have been able to graduate from this place have been around the age of ten, and some of them even managed to reach the Spirit Grand Master while they were here. Among them, the most exceptional students, known as the Golden Generation, have all reached the Spirit Grand Master realm while studying here. However, there has never been a case of a student graduating from here at the age of six or seven.

Lu Yuan came to understand that Bibi Dong had put him through this rigorous process for two reasons. Firstly, she had high expectations for him and wanted him to surpass all ordinary geniuses. Secondly, and most importantly, if he could emerge victorious and win the championship at the age of six, it would mean that his talent would surpass that of all other students who had ever attended the Camp. This would make it easier for Bibi Dong to take him under her wing without any objection from the Cardinals and Elders.

...

That day, two figures arrived, an adult and a child.

At the gates of the Training Camp, a middle-aged man dressed in silver armor was already waiting for them.

"Greetings, Instructor, by order of Her Majesty the Supreme Pontiff, I have brought this boy to the Training Camp, here is the note written by Cardinal Philo!" Chu Yun spoke and handed a handwritten note to the silver-armored man.

"Lu Yuan, six years old, Nuoding City... Golden Dragon Martial Soul... Rank 18 Spirit Master, Power Attack System..." The instructor read aloud word for word, and although there was a surprise on his face, his tone of voice remained flat.

"Alright, I'll take the boy from here, you can go now," the instructor said, waving his hand at Chu Yun. He then turned to Lu Yuan and said, "Come with me, boy."

"Good luck, little friend," Chu Yun said, not taking offense at the instructor's dismissive tone. He waved goodbye to Lu Yuan before turning and leaving.

...

Genius Training Camp, Instructor's Office.

After introducing himself, the instructor spoke to Lu Yuan in a serious tone.

"Boy, when you enter the Camp, remember that you must obey the rules, I don't care who introduced you here, nor your sponsors, there is only one thing you must do here and that is to obey, understood?"

"I understand, Instructor." Lu Yuan replied firmly.

"Very well, your training will officially begin tomorrow." The instructor patted Lu Yuan's back and turned to the Deputy in the room. "Hal, show him to his bedroom."

"Yes!" Deputy Hal acknowledged, leading Lu Yuan out of the room.

The instructor's lips curved into a slight smile as he watched them go. "Interesting. Someone with such high expectations from the Supreme Pontiff. I can't wait to see what you're capable of, boy."

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A/N:

The next one will be a small training arc. There were approximately 20 chapters in the original material, and I've decided to release them in just 5-6 chapters so that a few more things will happen during each chapter. At the end of the arc, you can comment on whether you like this way of publishing not-so-relevant arcs. That way, I may continue with this method in future chapters.