Chapter 3: The Chu Yun Empire!

On a square within the palace, nearly fifty children stood in a row, while a burly middle-aged man in armor stood in front, delivering a speech with a booming voice that made many of the children's faces pale.

"Do you know where you are?"

Silence fell, and no one dared to speak.

Some were truly bewildered, some were fearful, and others pretended not to know.

"Let me tell you, this is the palace of the Jia Ma Empire!"

"Do you realize how lucky you are? To be able to stand here is the Emperor's favor. You must remember this. The Emperor has given you hope!"

"Of course, the palace is not a charity. It does not accommodate useless people. If you want to have a full meal every day, change your fate against the heavens, and no longer be bullied, you must show your worth and become a useful person."

"Now, in front of you is an unprecedented opportunity. By the Emperor's grace, you are given half a year to prepare. In the next six months, all you need to do is practice! Practice hard!"

"In the following three days, I will teach you a set of techniques. Memorize it slowly, but remember not to practice it. Your meridians and physical strength are not strong enough to bear it. I will also teach you the tricks to feel the energy of martial qi. After that, it will depend on your own fortune. There will be a unified assessment after six months, and the results will determine your future."

After a long-winded speech that brainwashed everyone, the most important matter was also pointed out.

Knowing the royal family's intentions, Chen Guan understood that what they said was true. In half a year, if they performed well in the assessment, they would undoubtedly receive better cultivation. Otherwise, they would probably only have the path of brainwashing to become dead soldiers.

After babbling for half an hour, the man finally transmitted the technique to everyone. Each person received a copy, just like a textbook.

What surprised Chen Guan was that the grade of the technique was unexpectedly high.

Yellow Rank Advanced, attributeless technique - Spirit Empowerment Technique!

Yellow Rank Advanced!

In Wutan City, it would have already attracted the attention of the three major clans, but here, everyone received a copy.

It could only be said that they were truly worthy of being the royal family.

However, Chen Guan also understood that the main reason the Gamma royal family was so generous was that everyone present would become loyal to the royal family in the future, so they naturally wouldn't be stingy.

Once they arrived here, the possibility of leaving the royal family was extremely slim.

Unless, of course, you could demonstrate sufficient talent!

But if you were truly a peerless genius, a Yellow Rank Advanced technique alone wouldn't matter to the royal family. At the very least, they would gain a favor from a future powerhouse.

In all aspects, the royal family would never lose out.

"Put the technique down for now, sit cross-legged, and I will teach you the tricks to sense the energy of martial qi. Sensing martial qi energy is the prerequisite for cultivation."

"The tricks are not complicated. Concentrate your focus and empty your mind."

Chen Guan acted quickly and was the first to sit down, following the instructions given by the man and focusing his spiritual energy on his brow, emptying himself and slowly feeling.

The surrounding sounds completely disappeared, and Chen Guan felt as if he had entered a peculiar world where he was the only person. Gradually, after an unknown amount of time, a hint of crimson appeared in his "line of sight," and it continued to gather and gradually engulf him. This should be the Qi energy!

Fire attribute.

Chen Guan was not surprised by this point, as it had been mentioned in the letter.

He opened his eyes and suppressed the joy in his heart as he glanced around. Many people had already finished their first attempt, but their confused expressions indicated that they had likely failed.

He was the only one who successfully sensed the Qi energy on his first try!

Although he knew he had decent talent, this result still pleasantly surprised Chen Guan.

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

"Don't be discouraged. It's not easy to sense Qi energy for the first time. Even in the entire Empire of Jia Ma, there are only a few who can succeed on their first attempt. Those are talents with at least the potential to become a Battle Emperor. Take a short break and continue to sense," the man said casually, his expression unchanged as if he had anticipated this outcome.

In his estimation, it would be considered extremely lucky if two or three people could succeed today.

Sitting in the group, Chen Guan hesitated. Informing the man about his talent would undoubtedly attract attention and potentially result in receiving more and better resources. However, there would also be some risks associated with it.

The proverb "the tallest tree catches the most wind" applied everywhere.

There were pros and cons, making it a difficult decision.

In the end, Chen Guan chose the former. The strength of the Jia Ma Empire's royal family was still trustworthy within the empire. As long as there were no Dou Masters, there was generally no need to worry. By the time Chen Guan broke through to the Dou Master level, he should also have some ability to protect himself.

To become stronger faster, some risks could not be avoided.

However, just as he was about to raise his hand to inform the man, something suddenly appeared in his mind.

Familiar feeling. Chen Guan already guessed what it was.

After carefully examining it, there were no surprises—it was another letter.

However, compared to the previous one, this letter was extremely short and lacked many details.

"I didn't expect that after learning about my talent, Jia Xingtian would actually consider taking me as his disciple. I know he wants to bind me completely to the Jia Ma royal family, but I agreed. I do need a guide and the resources that the royal family can provide."

"My talent is slightly better than imagined. In just two years, I have reached the Sixth Stage of Dou Disciple. But it was at this time that something unexpected happened."

"On this day, I was on my way to consult my teacher about cultivation issues, and I encountered a group of guards. I didn't pay much attention to them."

"Afterward, a tragedy occurred. I was pierced from behind by the captain of the guard, with no chance of survival. My enraged teacher arrived, but it was too late. In my final moments, I learned that news of my teacher accepting me as his disciple had already spread. It makes sense when I think about it; after all, it's not a small matter with my teacher's identity."

"I heard the assassin laugh and reveal himself. He was from the Empire of Chu Yun. After two years, they had finally infiltrated the palace and waited for this opportunity. It turns out they had been targeting me all along."

After reading this letter, Chen Guan placed his restless right hand under control with his left hand.

Indeed, the tallest tree catches the most wind.

He realized that he had thought about the threats within the Jia Ma Empire but neglected the ones outside the empire.

The Empire of Chu Yun was truly despicable!

Silently, Chen Guan made a mental note of the other party. According to a certain hypocritical God-King, there is a way to exact revenge on the Empire of Chu Yun!

However, this incident did serve as a wake-up call for Chen Guan. It would be better not to stand out too much. Stability is the way to go.

After a brief rest of a few minutes, everyone continued to sense the Qi energy.

Meanwhile, Chen Guan contemplated other matters in his mind.

The arrival of the second letter provided him with a better understanding of this "golden finger."

Although it couldn't bestow him with incredible opportunities, its effects were not insignificant. It could help him avoid deadly situations, and that alone was valuable.