Chapter 33: Joining the Deer-Chasing Academy

The Initial Land was packed with people, nearly bursting at the seams. Golden passages were being constructed one after another, as wave after wave of individuals rushed in. The situation involving Shi Jian had caused a massive stir, and many experts who usually cultivated in the blessed lands had all emerged from seclusion. Not once in the past few decades had the entire Void God Realm been as lively as it was today.

The crowds were dense, with people everywhere. Some had come simply to watch the spectacle, while others, having learned of Shi Jian’s potential interest in joining a faction, had come to recruit him. The Heaven Mending Pavilion, the Shi Kingdom, the Zhulu Academy—all major powers had gathered. Shi Jian stood at the center of the crowd, surrounded like stars around the moon. After he laid out his conditions, the representatives of the various factions did not answer immediately; instead, they hurriedly contacted the power-holders behind them.

After a long while, a response finally came. An ancient piece of beast skin drifted through the air, glowing with runes, and descended upon the Initial Land. A dignified, awe-inspiring middle-aged man stepped down from it.

"Pavilion Master!" Someone in the crowd immediately stepped forward to greet him.

The middle-aged man nodded and walked toward Shi Jian. "Young brother, we would like to invite you to join the Heaven Mending Pavilion. All the scriptures and techniques within our walls will be fully open to you..."

The man was none other than the Pavilion Master of the Heaven Mending Pavilion—a heavyweight figure who had come to extend a personal invitation.

"Young friend, do not be in such a hurry to decide. A place like the Heaven Mending Pavilion may not be suitable for your cultivation. They have too many disciples, and it would be difficult to tilt all their resources toward you. If you join our ancient clan, it would be a different story..."

An elder with a youthful face and white hair arrived. This was the representative of an ancient clan that had once founded an empire.

Then, a five-colored phoenix soared into the sky before descending upon the Initial Land. A man arrived alongside a woman clad in golden armor, possessing a proud figure, long, straight legs, and a profound aura. This was the Dean of the Zhulu Academy, and beside him was the War Goddess of the Zhulu Academy.

"Young friend, would you consider joining the Zhulu Academy? You may study all the scriptures and techniques of our academy. Furthermore, we will shoulder all the costs of your resources until you break through to the Venerable Realm," the Dean promised.

"Join my Primordial God Mountain, and we will help you break through to the tenth Heavenly Passage realm..." Another elder descended, uttering a shocking claim.

The surrounding crowd stared in awe. Even the factions within the Primordial God Mountain had been stirred? To open ten Heavenly Passages—that elder certainly had a bold tongue.

Shi Jian looked at the elder, who returned his gaze. A telepathic message reached Shi Jian’s ears: "If you are willing to join the Primordial God Mountain, you will have the opportunity to obtain the legacy technique of a Ten-Fiend!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Jian understood. This old man was, in all likelihood, Yun Xi’s grandfather. The Ten-Fiend legacy technique he spoke of must be the Kunpeng technique. That treasure was still hidden within the Kunpeng’s Divine Treasury, which required a cultivator with ten Heavenly Passages to unlock. The people of the Primordial God Mountain knew that the Desolate Region was about to fall into chaos, which was why they were plotting to obtain the Kunpeng technique.

However, the Kunpeng had placed a restriction on its tomb, allowing only a genius with ten Heavenly Passages to open it. Such geniuses were incredibly rare, and the elder had only approached Shi Jian because of his immense talent. Since Shi Jian had reached such a level while still in the Blood-Moving Realm, he was certain to be able to condense ten Heavenly Passages. That was why the elder had sought him out, promising to help him achieve this feat.

A host of top-tier powers offered various promises. Beyond unrestricted access to scriptures and infinite supplies of basic resources, the factions brought out all manner of heavenly treasures: Golden Body Liquid, supreme artifacts, pure-blood essence—all sorts of rare and precious items were pledged.

After careful deliberation, Shi Jian finally decided to join the Zhulu Academy. Of all these factions, the Primordial God Mountain was undoubtedly the strongest, but the old man’s motives were impure. He was only trying to recruit Shi Jian to use him as a key to open the Kunpeng’s treasury. Furthermore, the internal relations of the Primordial God Mountain were far too complex; joining them would be asking for trouble. The ancient clans also offered generous terms, but they existed primarily as families, and their offers often came with hidden requirements like "marriage" or "marrying into the family," which Shi Jian wanted to avoid.

The most suitable paths were sects like the Zhulu Academy or the Heaven Mending Pavilion. These factions accepted all kinds of people; as long as you had talent, they would focus on cultivating you. They had fewer restrictions, more freedom, and provided ample resources—perfect for Shi Jian. Considering that Shi Hao would eventually go to the Heaven Mending Pavilion, Shi Jian chose the Zhulu Academy.

Having made up his mind, Shi Jian said politely to the group, "Everyone, I have heard all your offers. After careful consideration, I have decided to join the Zhulu Academy!"

The representatives of the other factions sighed with regret, while the Dean of the Zhulu Academy was filled with excitement. "Excellent, excellent! You will never regret joining our Zhulu Academy!" The Dean had not expected Shi Jian to choose them. After all, while the Zhulu Academy was strong, the other factions present were no less formidable. Shi Jian’s choice came as a genuine surprise.

Those acquainted with the Dean rushed to offer their congratulations. No one grew angry or hostile over Shi Jian’s rejection; for a prodigy like him, even if they couldn't recruit him, it was better to remain on good terms. Attempting to kill such a talent before he had fully grown was a desperate, foolish strategy that would only create a lifelong enemy. Moreover, such heaven-defying individuals were blessed with great fortune and were notoriously difficult to kill. Given that they were currently in the Void God Realm, everyone maintained a harmonious atmosphere.

Shi Jian was no fool; as the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face. Since these major powers intended to maintain good relations, he would not say anything to dampen the mood. He reciprocated their goodwill, establishing a solid rapport. If there were conflicts of interest in the future, that would be another matter.

After a while, the crowd in the Initial Land began to disperse, and the representatives of the major powers departed. The elder from the Primordial God Mountain sent one last message, promising a great opportunity if he could indeed break through to the tenth Heavenly Passage. Shi Jian, knowing the man's intentions, gave no clear indication.

Only the excited Dean of the Zhulu Academy remained. He discussed the details of Shi Jian’s benefits and treatment, reiterating the promise that all the academy's resources and techniques would be open to him. Shi Jian was satisfied with the terms, and both parties reached a deeper agreement.

Shi Jian used the Myriad Heavens Library to record all the primal beast bones he had acquired, uploading them to his chat group. Once everything was recorded, he handed the physical bones over to the Dean of the Zhulu Academy, asking him to auction them off in exchange for cultivation resources. The Dean was stunned—Shi Jian had just handed over such a massive haul of primal bones so casually?

Shi Jian was not worried about the Dean embezzling them. All the top factions had shown an interest in purchasing these bones—partly because they were treasures, and partly because they wanted to use the opportunity to curry favor with him. If the Zhulu Academy dared to fracture its relationship with him over these bones, they would be no better than another Heaven Mending Pavilion. Besides, the academy couldn't possibly consume such a vast quantity of bones alone. Shi Jian trusted that the Dean had the sense to handle it properly.

In any case, Shi Jian had already profited immensely—he had already recorded every single rune inscribed on those bones.