In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
Yang Cheng was now one and a half years old.
He hadn't received any new missions during this time, enjoying a rare stretch of peace.
At Splendid Radiance Hall, an unexpected surprise had emerged.
Hu Po and Yun Liyue had both discovered that Lin Shu was a martial arts prodigy.
Not only did she possess the Shadow Sacred Body, but her comprehension was shockingly high.
They had also uncovered Lin Shu's full background.
Her father had once led the Shadow Blade Pavilion of Great Zhou.
Though the Shadow Blade Pavilion had long since declined, its former strength had left behind many enemies.
In the end, those enemies wiped it out in a massacre.
Both of Lin Shu's parents died, but before their deaths, they managed to send out their three-year-old daughter.
From then on, she wandered the streets, until she was discovered by a broker and sold.
Two years later, Yang Cheng bought her.
With such a clear and tragic history, Yun Liyue and Hu Po both trusted Lin Shu even more and held her in higher regard.
She was still young—perfect for shaping.
And with such martial talent, as long as she was properly trained, she would surely become a powerful asset to Yang Cheng in the future.
Yang Cheng wasn't surprised.
He already knew everything about her.
[Now that the host has returned to Fengtian City, how could you miss the opportunity inside the Heavenly Origin Tower?]
[The ninth floor of the Heavenly Origin Tower is a place no one has ever reached. A great fortune lies hidden within.]
[In the past, the Heavenly Origin Tower was sealed—anyone over twelve couldn't enter.]
[But now that the Heaven's Chosen from the Myriad Worlds have descended into the Wasteland Realm, the tower's seal has loosened. This is your chance.]
[Host, please proceed to the Heavenly Origin Tower and ascend to the ninth floor to compete for the hidden fortune with the Heaven's Chosen.]
[Mission reward: Inner Armor of Ten-Thousand-Year Goldsilk.]
Yang Cheng's eyes lit up—finally, another mission.
The Heavenly Origin Tower was located in the Great Zhou Dao Academy.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Yang clan ruled over all under heaven.
But their power wasn't absolute. They shared rule with powerful aristocratic clans and sects.
Before Great Zhou was founded, the Yang clan had already been the most powerful aristocratic force in the land.
After destroying Great Ying, they became royalty.
Even so, those other clans and sects couldn't be underestimated.
The Great Zhou Dao Academy was jointly founded by the royal family and all the major clans and sects. It was a martial academy.
The best talents from the royal family, clans, and sects all studied at the Dao Academy.
The Heavenly Origin Tower could temper one's will and was extremely beneficial to martial cultivation.
But only those under twelve could enter.
So, it was located within the academy's "Meng Division."
All the students in the Meng Division were children no older than twelve.
In his previous life, Yang Cheng had also entered the Heavenly Origin Tower—but he couldn't even get past the first floor.
It only became more fodder for others to laugh at him.
'In this life, can I reach the ninth floor?' Yang Cheng was curious.
Great Zhou Dao Academy.
Meng Division Martial Arena.
In the center stood a towering structure.
This was the Heavenly Origin Tower.
It had nine levels in total. The higher the floor, the more demanding it was on one's martial aptitude.
Outside the tower, a crowd of students from the Meng Division had gathered.
At the front stood a ten-year-old girl.
She wore a light moon-colored ruqun, her skin paler than snow. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled like stars. Just standing there, she drew everyone's gaze.
"Is Shen Muxue going for the seventh floor?"
"Few have ever reached the seventh floor since the tower was built."
"Others might not have a chance, but Shen Muxue just might."
The crowd murmured.
Shen Muxue possessed the Sacred Spirit Dao Body and unmatched talent.
Behind her stood the Shen clan—one of the top ten powers in Great Zhou.
Because of that, Shen Muxue had always been highly sought after.
Several young lords and even princes had tried to win her over.
But Shen Muxue remained cold and indifferent. She never entertained any offers.
She didn't hesitate as she calmly stepped into the tower.
Beams of light shot out from the Heavenly Origin Tower.
Each time a new floor lit up, it meant she had cleared it.
Before long—
Buzz!
The seventh floor lit up.
"My heavens."
"She really made it."
"Now Shen Muxue is without a doubt one of the top three in the entire Meng Division."
The crowd exploded.
Soon, Shen Muxue emerged from the tower.
But she wasn't smiling. Her brows were furrowed.
In truth, her goal had been the eighth floor.
Unfortunately, she had failed.
"Didn't you say you were aiming for the eighth floor? Why only the seventh?" a mocking voice called out.
The speaker was a girl about the same age, with arched brows and a smug, sharp look in her eyes.
"Xie Wanyin's here too."
"I heard she's now following the Third Prince, Yang Ye."
Xie Wanyin was also one of the standout students in the Meng Division. Her record in the tower stopped at the sixth floor.
Everyone could hear the sarcasm in her tone.
It was obvious she was jealous that Shen Muxue had reached the seventh floor.
Shen Muxue gave her a cool glance.
Xie Wanyin clearly saw Shen Muxue as a rival, but the feeling wasn't mutual.
Seeing that, Xie Wanyin scowled. "In the past ten years, only two people have reached the eighth floor. His Highness the Third Prince is one of them. He offered to recruit you—someone like him—and you actually turned him down. Now that you've failed to pass the eighth floor, do you finally see how far behind him you are?"
Shen Muxue finally looked at her. "The Third Prince is indeed outstanding. But he's still not worthy to be the one I pledge myself to."
"The one you pledge yourself to?" Xie Wanyin frowned.
Shen Muxue's voice was firm. "The one I, Shen Muxue, choose to follow must outshine all others in this world, brilliant like the sun at high noon. Even though the Third Prince is exceptional, he's far from being peerless. Within our own Meng Division, Liu Qingtian is no worse than him."
"What a joke. The Third Prince is royalty—how could Liu Qingtian compare to him?" Xie Wanyin scoffed.
Shen Muxue replied calmly, "I choose whom to follow not based on background, but on the person himself."
Just as the two were talking, a royal carriage entered the Meng Division.
Soon after, it came to a stop.
A toddler, not yet two years old, stepped out from the carriage.
"Who's that?"
"He doesn't even look three yet—why would someone that young come to the Meng Division?"
A lot of students looked surprised.
Those entering the Meng Division were usually at least three years old.
That toddler was none other than Yang Cheng.
Even though he held a high status and had a certain reputation, because of his young age, he'd barely shown his face in public.
Very few people had seen him in person.
"Eh?"
Shen Muxue, who rarely paid attention to anyone, suddenly locked eyes on Yang Cheng.
Her Sacred Spirit Dao Body gave her extraordinary natural perception.
She didn't recognize Yang Cheng, but her soul stirred the moment she laid eyes on him.
"So cute."
"Wanna pin him down."
The girls nearby all lit up with excitement.
Yang Cheng was still so little, and it wasn't like they had any improper thoughts. They were just captivated by how adorably good-looking he was.
Even more than that, despite his cuteness, he carried an imposing presence.
That contrast made the girls want to smother him with kisses.
But not everyone there was unfamiliar with Yang Cheng.
Some had attended the royal aptitude testing ceremony and had seen him there.
"The Crown Prince!"
"It's His Highness the Crown Prince!"
With cries of recognition, the crowd stirred.
"What? That's the Crown Prince?"
"Greetings, Your Highness."
People all bowed respectfully.
They were all nobles themselves, and this wasn't an official event, so kneeling wasn't necessary. Still, their eyes were filled with curiosity.
Though they had never seen the Crown Prince in person, they'd heard plenty of rumors.
According to those stories, the Crown Prince possessed the Divine Dragon Sword Body and Innate Divine Strength. It was said he had even comprehended Sword Intent at just over one year old.
Divine Dragon Sword Body and innate strength were believable.
Those were natural-born traits.
But comprehending Sword Intent? Very few actually bought that.
They were all geniuses and knew just how difficult it was to grasp Sword Intent.
"That's the Crown Prince?" Xie Wanyin's gaze turned hostile as she looked at Yang Cheng.
In her eyes, the Third Prince Yang Ye was clearly the ideal future emperor.
Which meant the current Crown Prince was nothing but an obstacle.
Yang Cheng also noticed Shen Muxue.
There were plenty of talented kids around, but none of them came close to her.
In his past life, Shen Muxue and Lin Shu had both made names for themselves.
Lin Shu became the Empress of the Night, while Shen Muxue rose to become the Sect Master of the Spirit Sect.
He remembered that Yang Xiu had once tried to recruit Shen Muxue, but because Shen Muxue and Lin Shu didn't get along, she refused.
Still, for now, she had little to do with him.
His attention soon turned to the Heavenly Origin Tower.
Just as he was about to enter, another royal carriage arrived.
Out stepped another toddler, similar in age to Yang Cheng.
Though his looks were slightly inferior to Yang Cheng's, he was still clearly very handsome.
The girls from the Meng Division were thrilled—two adorable young noble boys in a row was a feast for the eyes.
Soon, someone called out his identity.
"Greetings, Crown Prince brother," the boy said with a bow.
Yang Cheng replied, "Sixth Brother, what are you doing here?"
As he spoke, something clicked in his mind.
He remembered that in his past life, Yang Xiu had visited the Meng Division at the age of one and a half.
Then came the shocking news—Yang Xiu had reached the seventh floor of the Heavenly Origin Tower.
Back then, it caused a huge stir in the capital.
By the time Yang Xiu was two years old, he even reached the eighth floor.
Yang Cheng, meanwhile, had also attempted the tower at two years old, but couldn't even pass the first floor.
The stark contrast between them had only made Yang Cheng's reputation sink lower.
'If Yang Xiu could reach the seventh floor at one and a half, then maybe for me, the eighth floor won't be a problem… but what about the ninth?' Yang Cheng mused.
In his past life, Yang Xiu reached the eighth floor at age two, but even by twelve, he never reached the ninth.
Which only proved how hard it was to get that far.
"Crown Prince brother, I've come to challenge the Heavenly Origin Tower," Yang Xiu said. "If you're interested, why don't we go together?"
His eyes gleamed with confidence and excitement.
After months of being trained by Lin Xinglan, his martial strength and potential had risen sharply.
He had long wanted another chance to compete with Yang Cheng.
Now that they were both here at the base of the Heavenly Origin Tower, he thought this was the perfect opportunity.