Chapter 3 Chu Yun Empire

Inside the palace, in a large square, nearly fifty children were lined up, standing in formation. In front of them stood a burly middle-aged man in armor, speaking loudly, his voice like a thunderclap, causing many of the children's faces to turn pale.

"Do you know where this is?"

A silence fell. No one dared to speak.

Some were truly confused, some were frightened, and others feigned ignorance.

"I'll tell you," the man continued, "this is the Imperial Palace of the Jia Ma Empire!"

"Do you realize how lucky you are? To stand here, under the Emperor's grace, is a great honor. You must always remember that it is the Emperor who has given you hope!"

"Of course, the palace is not a place for idle people. If you want to eat every day, if you want to change your fate, if you want to stop being bullied, you must show your worth and become someone useful."

"Now, what stands before you is an unprecedented opportunity. The Emperor has graciously granted you six months of preparation. For the next six months, all you need to do is one thing: Cultivate! Work hard to cultivate!"

"For the next three days, I will teach you a martial technique. You will learn it slowly and memorize it. But remember, do not practice it just yet! With your current meridians and physical strength, you won't be able to bear it. I will also teach you the key techniques to sense the Dou Qi energy. After that, it's up to your own fate. After six months, there will be a unified assessment, and the results will determine your future."

"..."

The man spoke on for a long time, brainwashing the children while also emphasizing the most important point.

Chen Guan, who understood the royal family's intentions, knew that the assessment after six months was key. If one performed well, they would receive better training; otherwise, they would likely end up as brainwashed soldiers with no future.

After speaking for nearly half an hour, the man finally distributed the martial technique. Each child received a copy, similar to a textbook.

What surprised Chen Guan was that the technique's rank was actually quite high.

A high-level Yellow-tier technique with no attributed element—Dou Spirit Technique!

High-level Yellow-tier!

In Wu Tan City, this would have been enough to attract the attention of the three major families, yet here, everyone had their own copy.

One could only say, the royal family was truly generous.

But Chen Guan also understood the reason behind it. The royal family's generosity stemmed from the fact that all the children present would eventually become loyal to the royal family. Naturally, they wouldn't hold back on resources.

Once they entered this place, it would be nearly impossible to leave the royal family unless they demonstrated exceptional talent!

However, if someone truly were a peerless genius, a high-level Yellow-tier technique wouldn't be enough to deter the royal family. At worst, they would gain the favor of a future powerhouse, which was still a good deal.

In any case, the royal family would never lose.

"Put the technique down for now. Sit cross-legged. I will teach you the key to sensing Dou Qi energy. Sensing the energy is a prerequisite for cultivation."

"The method is not complicated. Focus your attention and clear your mind..."

Chen Guan quickly followed the instructions and sat down first. He concentrated, bringing his spiritual energy to the area between his brows, emptying his thoughts, and slowly began to feel.

The surrounding noises vanished completely. Chen Guan's mind seemed to fall into a peculiar world, where he was the only one. Gradually, he didn't know how long had passed before a trace of red appeared in his "sight." It slowly gathered, more and more, eventually engulfing him...

This must be the Dou Qi energy!

Fire attribute.

Chen Guan wasn't surprised. This had already been mentioned in the letter from his future self.

He opened his eyes, suppressing the joy in his heart, and glanced around. Many others had already finished their first attempt, but from the confused looks on their faces, it was clear that most of them had failed.

He was the only one who succeeded on his first attempt to sense Dou Qi energy!

Despite knowing his talent was good, the result still surprised Chen Guan with joy.

In just a few minutes, everyone finished their first attempt.

"Don't be discouraged. It's not easy to sense Dou Qi energy on your first try. There are only a few people in the entire Jia Ma Empire who can do it. Such talent indicates at least the potential to become a Dou Huang. Take a short rest and continue to feel the energy."

The man's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this result, and he spoke casually.

Based on his calculations, he would consider it a great stroke of luck if two or three of them succeeded today.

Chen Guan, sitting among the group, hesitated slightly. Revealing his talent would certainly attract attention and give him more resources, but it also carried some risks.

The principle of "a tall tree will be struck by the wind" applied everywhere.

There were advantages and disadvantages, making it hard to decide.

In the end, Chen Guan chose to reveal his talent. The strength of the Jia Ma Empire's royal family was reliable within the empire. With no Dou Zong-level threats, he didn't need to worry. Once Yun Shan broke through to Dou Zong, he should also be able to protect himself.

To grow stronger faster, some risks had to be taken.

Just as he was about to raise his hand to report his success, something appeared in his mind.

That familiar feeling. Chen Guan immediately guessed what it was.

Carefully examining it, as expected, it was another letter.

Compared to the last one, this letter was very short and lacked many of the details.

"I didn't expect that after Jia Xing Tian learned of my talent, he would want to take me as his disciple. I know he wants to tie me to the Jia Ma royal family, but I agreed. I really need a mentor and the resources the royal family can offer."

"My talent is even better than I imagined. In just two years, I reached the sixth stage of Dou Qi. But it was at this time that an accident happened."

"One day, as usual, I went to find my teacher to ask about cultivation. On the way, I encountered a team of guards, but I didn't pay much attention."

"Then tragedy struck. I was stabbed by the captain of the guards from behind and was mortally wounded. My teacher arrived in fury, and in my dying moments, I learned that the news of my being taken in by my teacher had spread. It made sense, considering my teacher's status—it was not a small matter."

"I overheard the assassins laughing as they revealed themselves. They were from the Chu Yun Empire. They had spent two years infiltrating the palace, waiting for this opportunity. They had already set their sights on me."

After reading the letter, Chen Guan pressed his restless right hand with his left.

Indeed, the principle of "a tall tree will be struck by the wind" applied everywhere.

He had thought of threats within the Jia Ma Empire but ignored the ones from outside.

The Chu Yun Empire—truly despicable!

Chen Guan silently made a note of this, recalling the words of a certain double-standard divine king: "The Chu Yun Empire has a path to death!"

But this also served as a reminder to Chen Guan—he should not stand out too much. Steadiness was key.

After a short rest, everyone continued to try to feel the Dou Qi energy.

Chen Guan, however, was lost in thought, contemplating other matters.

The arrival of the second letter gave him more insight into his "golden finger."

Although it didn't bestow him with earth-shattering opportunities, its usefulness was far from insignificant. It could help him avoid life-threatening situations, and that alone was enough.