Path Of The Lilies

"They have arrived here using a transportation array from a few days ago," Cao Ren said in a leisure tone. "I"m going around to find a place to stay. You might want to find one too, Lu Wan. You will need a bath."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder."

Lu Wan headed to the nearby inn and paid for a room. Qi Huan entered the same inn after a few minutes walking around the city and also took a bath. He was not as dirty as Lu Wan, but he still has a lot of mud on his pants and legs.

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?"

"Senior Brother Lu, have you finished cleaning up?" Ye Jiao"s voice traveled from outside the door.

Lu Wan quickly opened the door. He had changed into new clothes and was currently busy drying his long hair. "When did you reach the city?"

"Not long ago," Ye Jiao smiled. "The three of you gathered so much attention that it"s easy for me to sneak inside when they"re not paying close attention."

She got out of her hiding place when Cao Ren appeared. With her speed, she swiftly reached the edge of the city and found a secluded place to double her pants in order to hide the mud. The people here came through a transportation array, so it would be weird if they saw her with stained pants.

Afterwards, she got into the same inn as the other two and took a bath too.

"You watched us?" Qi Huan asked as he also entered the room. They had unanimously picked Lu Wan"s room as their gathering place.

"Yeah, I was hiding on a tree not far from the exit."

Qi Huan frowned and scanned Ye Jiao from top to bottom. "Have you reached rank 2? I can"t really sense it because of the necklace, but you seem to be slightly stronger than before."

"Ah, it"s possible."

The breakthrough from rank 1 to rank 2 was always known to happen suddenly. Usually, the person himself wouldn"t realize it because all they could feel was a sudden increase in their ability to control Eon Energy. Other than that, there was no apparent change from rank 1 to rank 2.

However, they would be able to form an Eon Energy layer around their body.

"Try to push Eon Energy out."

"Ok," Ye Jiao did as Qi Huan instructed and pushed her Eon Energy out of her body. She was surprised at how easy they became. In the past, just pus.h.i.+ng out a bit was already a large hurdle she was unable to pa.s.s for a long period of time.

"Yep, you"re rank 2."

"10 year old Eon Energy Master rank 2," Qi Huan shook his head. "I"m sure that every kingdom will try to rope you in if they heard that."

"You"re one to say," Lu Wan flicked a glance to Qi Huan. "You"re still 12 years old but you have reached rank 2. Even Cao Ren and Chen Zi Quan were already 13 to 14 years old when they reached rank 2. Are you really purple talent, the same with us?"

"Based on the test I have when I"m young, I"m indeed purple talent," Qi Huan chuckled. "But I heard that there"s actually division in these color. I guess I"m just slightly higher than you three."

"…" will it kill you to not stab us like that?

Ye Jiao tilted her head. "Then, do you know what it means to not have the stone lit up when you test it?"

"It should be trash without the ability to practice Eon Energy at all," Qi Huan replied. "However, I heard from Master that there"s also a group of people who has the ability far higher than purple rank too. I don"t know the details for sure, though."

"I thought you would know much more than that," Lu Wan frowned.

Qi Huan rolled his eyes. "I"m not someone who knows everything."

"When will the arena test start?"

"There"ll be a rest period because the children didn"t arrive in the city at the same time. For the time being, I"ll just train and consolidate my rank," Qi Huan stood up and stretched out. "Also, don"t contact me for the time being. They"re definitely going to watch over me tightly."

"They?"

"People from my kingdom. After all, I"m still their precious prince that they have to protect with all they got," QI Huan chuckled.

Ye Jiao stood up as Qi Huan walked out. "I"m going to train too, Senior Brother Lu. Let"s talk again later."

"Got it."

Lu Wan slumped on his bed as he sighed to himself. Thinking at how quick it was for Ye Jiao and Qi Huan to form their core, he realized that they must have higher talent compared to him. It seemed that his senior brother and junior sister were truly monsters. 

"It just meant, I have to train harder."

While the three of them were busy in their own matter, the teachers were greeted with more children coming out of the swamp. Those at the top five was undoubtedly the ones who were acclaimed as the geniuses.

"Name, rank, and country."

"Chen Zi Quan, Eon Energy Master rank 2 from Chen Kingdom," Chen Zi Quan came out not long after Lu Wan.

The teacher smiled albeit slightly forced because he knew that Lu Wan had come out first. "Congratulations Prince Chen Zi Quan."

"What"s my rank?"

"It"s rank 4, Your Highness," one of the teachers said slowly. He didn"t dare to utter it out loudly as he knew that the princes from the three kingdoms were always aiming for the top 3 if they joined in.

"Oh," Chen ZI Quan sensed the teachers" uneasiness. He could guess that Lu Wan must have come out first. "What"s Lu Wan"s rank?"

"He"s rank 3, Your Highness."

"Rank 3, huh?" it was just a difference of one rank, but Chen ZI Quan knew what it represented. For him, it meant that he lost in the battle against someone who had just reached rank 2 in Eon Energy not long ago.

The teachers were glad when they saw Chen Zi Quan retreat to the side without getting angry. They didn"t know that Chen Zi Quan never lashed out if it was unneeded. It was known that he had the best self-control among the princes in Chen Kingdom. However, his means was always the cruelest and harshest. 

Hours pa.s.sed, more and more children came out from the swamp.

"Wei Cheng, Eon Energy Master rank 2 from Chen Kingdom."

"Congratulations Wei Cheng, you"re at rank 16," the teacher directly told them their ranking as many of them asked when they were done. Rather than waiting for the youngsters to ask, they better told the ranking first.

16?

Wei Cheng nodded his head. Despite feeling dissatisfied, he curbed his feelings and headed to the area located for Imperial Family Chen. His pupil shrunk when he saw Wei Yin there, practicing her movements in the courtyard.

"Wei Yin."

"Brother Wei Cheng," Wei Yin greeted back politely. She was not too respectful to him, but at least, she didn"t act out of her boundaries.

"What"s your ranking?"

"I"m 13."

Wei Cheng felt annoyed when he heard that number. It was only slightly higher than him, but he felt that it meant much more than that.

"I"ll go report to His Highness."

"Be mindful of your words. His Highness is not in a good mood."

Even though Chen Zi Quan never showed it outside, the two of them knew very well that when the prince was in a bad mood, it was terrible news for everyone around them. Slowly, Wei Cheng walked to the door and knocked it.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Chen Zi Quan responded.

"Your Highness, your subordinate Wei Cheng has returned," Wei Cheng reported politely.

Chen Zi Quan looked at Wei Cheng and snorted. "Apparently, you"re even slower than your sister. You"re lacking in training, Wei Cheng."

"I"ll train much more when I return back, Your Highness."

"I have an order for you."

"What is it, Your Highness, this subordinate is willing to do it."

"Lu Wan is proved to be a bigger threat than before," Chen Zi Quan tapped the chair"s handle. "He"s too annoying. If there"s a chance, you may wound him or kill him under the pretense of practice."

Wei Cheng"s body shook slightly when he heard Chen Zi Quan"s order. A smile made its way on his lips as he had been waiting for this chance for a long time. Upon hearing that Lu Wan has reached rank 2, he knew that he was already qualified to challenge that young man if it was necessary.

"I understand, leave it to me, Your Highness."

"Go and leave me."

"Yes!"

As Wei Cheng left, Chen Zi Quan raised the cup on the table as a ruthless glint appeared beneath his eyes.