"It is called the 'First Thunder Ceremony,' rather than a 'coming-of-age ceremony,' for a reason."
Su Qian stroked his beard, a solemn look flashing through his eyes. "Perhaps because of their cultivation techniques or the attributes of their Dou Qi, the Lei Clan is one of the more warlike branches among the many ancient clans. Of course, they are also one of the more protective of their own."
"As the Lei Clan's version of a coming-of-age ceremony, the 'First Thunder Ceremony' naturally cannot be without its traditional segment of combat!"
After a pause, he continued, "Among the words 'First Thunder Ceremony,' 'First Thunder' represents the younger generation of the Lei Clan, while 'Ceremony' refers to the 'Martial Performance Ceremony.'"
"Martial Performance Ceremony?" Lin Yuan murmured softly, puzzled. "Is this the 'stage' the Great Elder was talking about?"
"Exactly!" Su Qian nodded slightly and smiled. "The Martial Performance Ceremony is an event similar to our Strong Ranking Tournament. It is held to stimulate the fighting spirit of the Lei Clan's younger generation and determine the leading figures among them."
After a pause, a hint of emotion entered his voice. "The contestants are generally extremely powerful, so the rewards are naturally extraordinarily generous as well!"
"But I am not a member of the Lei Clan."
Lin Yuan rubbed his temple, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. "Could it be that this Martial Performance Ceremony allows people who are not members of the Lei Clan to participate?"
"That's right!" Su Qian confirmed Lin Yuan's guess and said solemnly, "Allowing geniuses from other factions to compete is precisely what distinguishes the Lei Clan's 'First Thunder Ceremony' and the Yan Clan's 'Sacred Flame Grand Sacrifice' from the coming-of-age ceremonies of the other ancient clans."
"If they win, they can demonstrate their strength to everyone. If they lose, they can broaden the clan members' horizons and use the humiliation to motivate the younger generation to grow stronger."
At this point, Su Qian's tone became somewhat emotional. "According to the Academy Head, the philosophy of opening up to outside competition within limits and encouraging competition is one of the important reasons why the Lei Clan has been able to inherit its legacy from ancient times to the present and maintain its prosperity throughout the years."
Lin Yuan had no doubts about Su Qian's words.
One could see the whole picture from a single detail. The fact that the Lei Clan had produced someone like Mang Tian Chi and even allowed him to hold a high position within the clan showed that, in terms of openness toward outsiders, the Lei Clan was at least more progressive than the Ancient Clan.
"So, what are the rewards for the Martial Performance Ceremony?" Lin Yuan asked with great interest.
Seeing the eager look in Lin Yuan's eyes, Su Qian smiled slightly and said, "As far as I know, the rewards are different for every edition. But since it is a grand event of the Lei Clan, anyone who ranks in the top ten can obtain an item worth no less than a High-level Earth Class item."
"As for the first place, there is even a chance to obtain an opportunity comparable in value to a Heaven Class cultivation technique or Dou Technique."
When he spoke of the words "Heaven Class," even Su Qian could not help but become excited.
Heaven Class cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques could be described as shortcuts to becoming a powerful expert.
However, these Heaven Class items were truly extremely scarce outside the ancient clans. Every single one that appeared in the outside world could stir up a bloody storm.
Taking a deep breath, Su Qian looked solemnly at Lin Yuan and said in a low voice, "Lin Yuan, the Academy Head once told us that the top forces on the continent have an unspoken understanding. They have imposed strict restrictions on the circulation of Heaven Class cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques."
"Therefore, Heaven Class Dou Techniques and cultivation techniques are rarely circulated outside. Unless one belongs to a top-tier major force, it is extremely difficult to obtain one."
"Moreover, even if someone were to obtain one through unofficial means by sheer luck, once the force connected to that cultivation technique or Dou Technique discovers it, the result would be death!"
At this point, he stared directly at Lin Yuan, his tone becoming even more serious.
"A force capable of producing a Heaven Class cultivation technique or Dou Technique has a recovery and pursuit capability that Pavilion could never compare with."
"When you eventually arrive in the Central Plains, if you are fortunate enough to acquire a Heaven Class cultivation technique or Dou Technique, investigate it thoroughly first. Never cultivate it rashly. The risks are enormous. There are many ways to kill an enemy, and borrowing someone else's blade to kill is one of the simplest yet most effective methods."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan cupped his fists and said sincerely, "This student understands. Thank you for your guidance, Great Elder!"
Su Qian calmly accepted his salute and chuckled. "However, if you obtain a Heaven Class cultivation technique or Dou Technique through the Martial Performance Ceremony, that would be a legitimate channel, and it would be protected by the Lei Clan. There would be no such risk! That is also why I gave you the jade invitation. After all, such an opportunity is difficult to come by!"
"Does the Great Elder think I have a chance of winning?" Lin Yuan looked at Su Qian in confusion. "The ancient clans' members are no ordinary people, and there is also the difference in age."
On the Dou Qi Continent, setting magical beasts aside, by the standards of the human race, the younger generation generally referred to those under forty years old.
Within the ancient clans, among the younger generation in their thirties and forties, there were quite a few who could reach the Dou Venerate realm, or even the high-level Dou Venerate realm. For a twenty-year-old Lin Yuan to compete against them.
"Heh heh!" Su Qian smiled faintly and patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder. "There is no need to worry. The Martial Performance Ceremony has been held so many times. Anything you can think of, the Lei Clan could naturally think of as well. The problem was solved long ago. The solution is to divide the participants into different groups."
"The First Thunder Ceremony is held once every twenty years, and participants are between twenty and forty years old."
"Therefore, the Martial Performance Ceremony uses ten years as the dividing line and separates the participants into the Earth Ranking and Heaven Ranking. Those between twenty and thirty years old compete on the Earth Ranking, while those between thirty and forty compete on the Heaven Ranking. The two rankings determine their victors separately."
"If you participate in the Earth Ranking competition, you may truly have a chance. As for the specifics, it depends on what you think."
"Earth Ranking and Heaven Ranking. So that's how it is!" Hearing this, Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, anticipation flashing through his eyes. "Twenty to thirty years old? Although the difficulty is quite high, it is not completely impossible. I can at least go and compete for it."
With that thought, Lin Yuan put the jade invitation into his Storage Ring.
Seeing this, Su Qian understood.
Unless something unexpected happened, Lin Yuan would probably go and participate in the 'First Thunder Ceremony.' That was good enough.
For Jia Nan Academy, as long as Lin Yuan participated, that alone would be sufficient.
Having a student participate in the 'Martial Performance Ceremony' was already a major breakthrough. If he could obtain a ranking, that would be even better. As for winning the championship, although Su Qian held some expectations deep down, that hope was ultimately far too slim.
After all, although there was still more than a year remaining, when Lin Yuan went to participate, he would still be relatively young, with far less time spent cultivating.
If Lin Yuan had a few more years, Su Qian would have considerable confidence that he could win the championship.
What a pity.
On the other side, after putting away the jade invitation, Lin Yuan thought of a crucial question and asked, "Great Elder, this special invitation left behind by the Academy Head, how many people can I bring with me to the Thunder Realm to attend the ceremony?"
Hearing this, Su Qian withdrew his wandering thoughts and held up a hand as he said, "Including you, preferably fewer than five people."
"Five people? Very good. Then I can bring everyone along!" Lin Yuan muttered inwardly.
In the next instant, as if he had suddenly thought of something, he lightly knocked his forehead with his hand and turned his head toward a beautiful white figure.
At this moment, Xiao Yixian was not far from Lin Yuan, watching the matches below with great interest.
Sensing Lin Yuan's gaze, she also turned to look at him. A gentle, captivating smile appeared on her face as she gracefully walked over.
"I almost fell into a blind spot. Besides me, don't I have Xiao Yixian as another potential participant?"
As for age, Xiao Yixian was only one year older than Lin Yuan, so she was completely eligible to participate in the Earth Ranking competition.
As for strength, her strength was truly something worth looking forward to.
Xiao Yixian was currently a six-star Dou Ancestor, but Lin Yuan was confident that he could raise her to seven-star, or even eight-star Dou Ancestor, within a month. With such strength, once she successfully condensed her Poison Pill, she would be able to break through to at least a three-star Dou Venerate. If she continued cultivating bitterly for another year.
"Heh heh heh, with Xiao Yixian's strength a year from now, if she participates in the Earth Ranking competition, even the members of the ancient clans under thirty years old would."
At this thought, a sharp glint flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes, and the corners of his lips curled upward slightly.
"As long as nothing unexpected happens along the way, there really is a good chance of obtaining a Heaven Class Dou Technique or cultivation technique from the Lei Clan."
By this time, Xiao Yixian had already arrived beside Lin Yuan.
She gave Su Qian a slight bow before softly asking, "You look quite happy. Did something good happen?"
"Hehe!" Lin Yuan nodded and said, "It is indeed something good. The Great Elder just gave me something quite valuable. Next year, we might have the opportunity to visit an interesting place and embark on an interesting journey."
Afterward, with Su Qian's approval, Lin Yuan told Xiao Yixian about everything related to the First Thunder Ceremony.
"The Thunder Realm, the Lei Clan, the First Thunder Ceremony Interesting!"
After hearing Lin Yuan's explanation, Xiao Yixian could not help but feel a hint of anticipation in her heart.
When it came to a force standing at the very peak of the continent, even someone as calm and elegant as her could not help but feel somewhat curious.
Just as Lin Yuan finished speaking, Su Qian, who was standing nearby, also seemed to remember something.
He looked at Lin Yuan and said meaningfully, "Lin Yuan, there is something that we old fellows have discussed before. We did not know when you would leave the academy, so we might as well take this opportunity to tell you now."
Seeing Su Qian's serious expression, Lin Yuan straightened himself and said, "Please go ahead, Great Elder."
Su Qian organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking solemnly.
"You will soon be heading to the Central Plains. With your talent and temperament, you are bound to become involved in conflicts. However, the academy's strength in the Central Plains is limited, and we will not be able to protect you every step of the way."
"After discussing it among ourselves, we old fellows have made a unanimous decision to make an exception."
After a brief pause, he let out a long breath and said, "The academy allows you to join other forces while retaining your position as the academy's future Great Elder."
Upon saying this, Su Qian could not help but sigh inwardly.
They were actually allowing the academy's future leader to join another force, but there was no other choice.
As someone who had spent his entire life navigating the world, Su Qian had an excellent eye for people.
He understood that Lin Yuan was definitely not the type to quietly cultivate in peace. Creating trouble was practically his style. Combined with that frightening cultivation and alchemy talent, it was almost inevitable that he would eventually become the center of a storm in the Central Plains.
With talent of this level, if he did not have a sufficiently powerful force supporting him from behind, it was only a matter of time before someone targeted him.
And once he was targeted without anyone to protect him, Venerable Yao was a perfect example of what could happen.
As for someone capable of protecting him, Jia Nan Academy certainly had its Academy Head, Mang Tian Chi, a tremendously powerful figure.
However, everyone knew what Mang Tian Chi's personality was like. He could not be relied upon as a steady source of support.
In order to allow Lin Yuan, the academy's strongest genius, to grow up smoothly, Su Qian and the other higher-ups had ultimately decided to make a compromise.
Compared with having Lin Yuan belong solely to Jia Nan Academy, ensuring his safety and growth was more important.
After all, even if Lin Yuan joined another force, the bond between him and Jia Nan Academy could not simply be severed.
Lin Yuan was someone who valued relationships deeply. As long as that bond remained, the form it took was not particularly important.
Thinking of this, Su Qian's eyes narrowed slightly as he reminded him, "When you are outside, act in whatever way best suits your circumstances. Do not let your identity as the future Great Elder become an obstacle to your travels across the continent or your pursuit of opportunities."
"And we will always reserve the position of future Great Elder for you!"
After hearing Su Qian's words, Lin Yuan fell into brief contemplation.
He could more or less guess what the academy's higher-ups were thinking, and he could not help but feel somewhat moved.
Taking a deep breath, he slightly bent his body and cupped his fists toward Su Qian.
"Thank you, Academy! Thank you, Great Elder!"
Su Qian casually waved his hand and chuckled.
"Hehe, we are all family here. There is no need for thanks. The Martial Performance Ceremony is an excellent stage. If you can achieve a good result there, it should make your future path smoother."
"Also, the Academy Head should be attending the Lei Clan's grand ceremony. You should have a chance to meet him there. When the time comes, give him this letter."
"After reading it, he should take good care of you!"
As he spoke, he took a thick letter from his Storage Ring and handed it to Lin Yuan.
"The mysterious Academy Head who is rarely ever seen?" Lin Yuan took the letter and sighed emotionally. "Such thorough arrangements. As expected of the Great Elder. This student truly thanks you."
"You deserve it," Su Qian said with a smile.
At this moment, a heated cheer suddenly rang out from the arena below, followed by the announcement of the result.
"This match is won by Xiao Yan!"
As the verdict was announced, thunderous applause resounded throughout the entire arena.
The gazes directed toward Xiao Yan contained a few more traces of undisguised awe and respect.
Powerful strength was always the most effective currency for winning people's admiration.
Looking at the fiery atmosphere below, a hint of anticipation flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes.
"It really is full of vitality. I'm starting to look forward to the trip to the Lei Clan as well."
Central Plains
Ten days after Lord Mu Gu departed, the updated intelligence from Xuan Protector finally reached the place it was supposed to.
This was a vast black region that existed within a slightly distorted space.
Occasionally, traces of pale white could be seen emerging from the surface of the land. They were clearly fragments of bones, giving the place an eerie and sinister atmosphere.
At the very center of this region stood a huge, dark and gloomy black hall, silently towering over the land.
Deep within the hall was a cold, skeletal throne.
Suddenly, the space around the throne began to distort.
Several pitch-black spatial cracks appeared, and dense black mist seeped out from within them.
At the same time, a detached voice devoid of the slightest trace of emotion resounded throughout the hall.
"Lin Yuan, nineteen years old, an Eighth-Grade alchemist. Interesting! Star Protector, head to the Black-Corner Region. You must bring him back intact!"
As soon as the voice fell, an old man dressed in gray-white robes respectfully knelt before the black mist on the throne.
"Yes, Lord Vice Hall Master. Star Protector accepts the order!"
"Go. Set out immediately."
The black mist fluctuated slightly as the indifferent voice emerged from within.
"This matter must not fail."
"Yes, I will definitely complete the mission."
After saying this, Star Protector respectfully bowed before immediately rising and flying out of the hall without the slightest hesitation.
After Star Protector left, the black mist on the throne slowly dissipated, leaving behind only a detached lingering voice.
"Lin Yuan, an Eighth-Grade alchemist at such a young age. I hope he can meet Lord Hun Xuzi's requirements. Otherwise heh heh heh..."