Chapter Eleven: The Origin Point

Instructor Ke Cheng smiled at the disciples, whose expressions had changed in surprise.

“Star Tower is certainly a good place. But do not think that once you enter it, you can sit back and relax. The five of you, aside from Chen Fan, are not actually strong enough to join Star Tower if we judge only by combat power. The reason you got in is that during the academy entrance assessment, you had the advantage of age.”

Everyone looked at Chen Fan. Though they did not dare say anything, they all nodded in their hearts.

Ke Cheng went on, “After entering the Martial Academy, the only thing you can rely on is strength! The stronger you are, the higher your ranking in the Ten Thousand Phenomena Vessel, the more resources you obtain, and even the greater your chance to rise to a higher tower!”

From that point onward, all resources and all chances to compete for a higher tower would depend solely on strength.

Apart from the new disciples, the academy held another Ten Thousand Phenomena Vessel trial every three months, and the rankings changed constantly.

Those who rose to higher positions would enter different ranking ranges according to their tower. For example, if a Star Tower disciple forced his way into the top three hundred, approaching the ranking range of Moon Tower, he would gain the chance to enter a higher tower.

This could be achieved through special trial missions, by challenging disciples of a higher tower, and by other means.

And if another person caught up in the rankings, one could even be pushed back out of a higher tower.

However, new disciples enjoyed a period of protection: one full year. Within that year, no matter how low your ranking was, you could remain in Star Tower.

But after that year, anyone whose assessment ranking was too low would be forced to leave Star Tower.

“During your protection period, not only will you not be expelled from Star Tower, you may also directly refuse challenges from other academy disciples. But after one year, whether you can remain in Star Tower will depend entirely on your own performance!”

The four besides Chen Fan clenched their fists, each filled with a burning drive to advance.

In truth, with their talents and the academy’s many special training conditions, they would all experience a rapid period of growth after joining.

...

The Martial Academy had a dedicated treasury pavilion, stocked with countless true arts and formidable martial techniques.

But Chen Fan currently had powerful skills running on automatic cultivation.

Moreover, his own White Cloud True Art was a formidable true art that had already reached the tenth level in one leap.

Whether in the speed of condensing true essence or the quality of true essence itself, it was excellent. Naturally, Chen Fan would not waste time switching to another true art for cultivation.

After all, it came from the Spirit God Dao Sect. Of course it was extraordinary.

In addition, disciples of Star Tower received a fixed monthly allotment of cultivation resources: basic human-rank pills and essence stones. These were far more than ordinary academy disciples received, but to Chen Fan they were nothing special.

He had more than enough essence stones, essence gathering pills, and other basic cultivation resources on hand.

Most of them had been supplied by his master, Dong Gu Zhi.

Beyond ordinary resources, the Martial Academy also had a special currency known as essence points, similar to contribution points. They could be earned through the Ten Thousand Phenomena Illusion Realm assessment, or by completing certain sect missions.

Essence points could be used to purchase special resources within the academy.

Chen Fan had reached the three hundred and ninetieth place in the Ten Thousand Phenomena Illusion Realm. Combined with the fact that he was a new disciple, which gave him a higher multiplier, he had earned a little over three thousand essence points.

After separating from the others, Chen Fan went straight to the academy exchange hall and discovered that the range of resources available for essence points far exceeded what his own master could provide.

After all, his master was only one man. How could he compare with the vast power of the Martial Academy?

Three thousand essence points was roughly what an average lower-ranked Star Tower disciple might accumulate in a whole year.

In the academy, based on the price of essence gathering pills and similar items, one essence point was worth about ten taels of silver.

But in truth, the price varied greatly depending on the type of resource and the source through which it was obtained.

Some resources that were difficult to find outside would still have buyers even if their price were multiplied tenfold.

The academy forbade disciples from exchanging silver for essence points. Otherwise, if one hundred taels could be traded for a single essence point, many disciples from wealthy families would certainly do so.

Looking over the dazzling list of items, Chen Fan felt somewhat embarrassed.

He did not lack ordinary resources, but the special ones were all outrageously expensive.

For example, in the category of weapons, his three thousand essence points could at most be exchanged for treasure weapons, and even top-grade treasure weapons were beyond his reach.

As for spirit weapons, the starting price was a staggering one hundred thousand essence points.

Chen Fan could only stare in amazement.

“Spirit weapons are the standard arms of grandmaster realm martial artists. As expected, they are no ordinary items. I was able to get first place and receive any spirit weapon I want. That was truly a stroke of luck!”

As for pills:

Chen Fan already possessed a White Jade Scarlet Sun Pill, which had the effect of breaking through barriers. It was also sold in the Martial Academy.

Its price was fifty thousand essence points, and the quantity was limited.

Some cheaper human-rank lower-grade cultivation pills could be bought for only one or two essence points, but earth-rank pills could cost tens of thousands. Chen Fan could only click his tongue in wonder.

Those pills could even be used when breaking through from the fifth level to the sixth, and their effects were naturally incomparable to ordinary pills.

The Bluefield Jade Refining Pill was a little cheaper, but its price still came close to fifty thousand essence points.

“Earth-rank pills are this expensive? They cost ten thousand times more than human-rank lower-grade pills...” Chen Fan muttered in disbelief.

And that still was not the most expensive kind of pill.

There were fewer earth-rank pills, so they were not divided into detailed grades, but their price still varied according to their effects.

Above earth-rank pills were heaven-rank pills, some costing several hundred thousand or even over a million essence points.

There were pills like the Primordial Bone-Transformation Pill, which could improve one’s foundation, and the Snow Lotus Jade Toad Pill, which could greatly strengthen vital energy and blood and permanently enhance one’s root foundation.

The price of these was almost enough to exchange for an entire set of ordinary spirit weapons.

What was more, the requirements were extremely strict; only disciples of Moon Tower and above could purchase them.

Seeing pills priced at over a million essence points, Chen Fan could only shake his head.

“In the newcomer assessment, I ranked just over three hundred in the Ten Thousand Phenomena Illusion Realm and only got three thousand essence points. Even though the closer you get to the front, the more essence points you earn, I’m afraid that even disciples ranked in Sun Tower would still not be able to afford such pills with Ten Thousand Phenomena Illusion Realm rankings alone. They must be earning essence points through other means...”

The Martial Academy had corresponding trial missions and decapitation missions. Many of those missions were even carried out in cooperation with the government offices, involving the slaying of great bandits and demonic beasts. That was the true source of the major influx of essence points.

Disciples of the academy also had annual requirements to complete certain missions.

After all, the Martial Academy existed to train elites, not to raise useless people.

Of course, Chen Fan had only just entered the academy, so there was no need for him to rush into missions. He spent one-third of his three thousand essence points on items such as true essence pills, human-rank upper-grade pills that were fairly decent. He did not have many pills of his own anyway.

Afterward, Chen Fan immediately took the waist token belonging to a Star Tower disciple and went to the Hall of Ten Thousand Illusions.

Before the vast main hall, Chen Fan paused slightly.

“Star Tower disciple, is it? First time here, I assume. The earliest available slot for the basic chamber is three days from now. I’ll register you. You may use it for at most two consecutive hours at a cost of ten essence points. If you want to use it again later, you’ll need to register and queue up once more.”

“So expensive, and only for two hours?” Chen Fan was greatly disappointed when he heard that.

It was said that Star Tower disciples could use the Ten Thousand Illusions Array, but if they had to wait in line for three days just to use it for two hours at a time, how could that possibly be enough?

The disciple laughed at Chen Fan.

“Try it for yourself and you’ll understand. Even the basic area puts a fair burden on the body. A martial artist at the fifth level wouldn’t dare overuse it. Two hours is already enough for you to practice a martial technique once, or to push through a bottleneck with the pressure of the array.”

Chen Fan had no choice but to register for now.

While he was doing so, he noticed disciples entering and leaving the Hall of Ten Thousand Illusions at will.

Chen Fan widened his eyes.

The man said, “Don’t stare. They’re Moon Tower disciples. They can enter higher-grade chambers of the Ten Thousand Illusions Array, and there are many more open slots, so they don’t need to queue. But the essence point cost for higher-grade chambers is even greater...”

Chen Fan was again astonished in his heart.