Martial arts ascend to the gods

Chapter 425 Ancient Spirit
Zhou Leng hadn't expected that Cang Feizhiyan would have pre-exam syndrome, so he chatted and laughed to ease his tension.

After finishing their meal, the two rode in a demonized carriage to the Ancient Spirit Path teleportation array.

Other innate spirit masters arrived one after another.

Nearly half of the innate spirit masters, like Azure Flame, are accompanied by a spirit assistant, and some even bring along dragons or giants.

However, dragons or giants only reach the initial True Liquid Innate realm, while most magic spirit masters are at the Blood Shock Innate realm.

Those with innate abilities above this level cannot enter the Ancient Spirit Path.

After greeting some familiar innate demon spirit masters, Cang Fei Zhi Yan started chatting with Zhou Leng.

When the time came, everyone entered the teleportation array one after another.

Emerging from the teleportation array, one is greeted by a colossal black and gold gate.

The giant gate is over a hundred meters high, and it is carved with countless strange and monstrous creatures. It is magnificent and awe-inspiring.

The Grandmaster Spirit Master before the giant gate reads out the rules and rewards of the Ancient Spirit Path.

Zhou Leng had already watched it many times, but he still listened attentively.

All the spirit masters present were like this, except for some spirit assistants who were lazy and didn't care.

After the rules were read out, the hundred-meter-long gate swung open with a roar, forming ten passages in front of it. In front of each passage stood a Grandmaster Demon Spirit Master and several Innate Demon Spirit Masters.

Cang Fei Zhi Yan looked serious, and became so nervous that he stopped talking as he approached the gate.

Zhou Leng followed behind Cang Feizhiyan, relaxed, looking around to learn about the different cultures and civilizations of the world.

I came here with the mindset of a traveler, since it is a trial for demon spirits, which has nothing to do with me as a martial artist.

The importance of this trip is less than joining the Ice and Snow Cult.

It's not that I don't want to help Cang Fei Zhi Yan, it's that I have absolutely no idea how to help.

In short, once you're inside, just give it your all.

Although there may not be many opportunities to make a move.

Soon, the two walked up to the Grandmaster Demon Spirit Master.

"Your magical assistant?" the Grandmaster Magician asked.

“Yes.” Cang Fei Zhi Yan said, handing over a palm-sized black and gold plaque with a large bird carved on it.

The Grandmaster Demon Spirit Master slapped the black and gold plaque, and two radiant white birds flew out, each landing between the two men's eyebrows and leaving a white dot.

Zhou Leng looked at the black and gold plaque and vaguely remembered seeing it somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

"Go in," the Grandmaster Demon Spirit Master said, glancing at the High Priest badge on Zhou Leng's chest.

The two walked in.

The moment Zhou Leng stepped through the gate, a beam of light flew out from a handkerchief in the magic pouch, landing in the hand of the Grandmaster Magician and transforming into an Ancient Spirit Bird Token.

The nearby spirit masters were stunned, puzzled.

The Grandmaster Demon Spirit Master gestured for the group behind to stop, pondered for a moment, and then smiled helplessly: "That martial artist was as leisurely as a tourist along the way. He probably originally only wanted to be a demon spirit assistant, but he obtained the Ancient Spirit Bird Token from the Ice and Snow Cult or somewhere else. However, he didn't know how to use it, so he brought it in and became both a trial participant and a demon spirit assistant at the same time."

"Isn't that breaking the rules?"

"Spellcasters are prohibited from serving as both trial participants and assistants, and other spellcasters are also prohibited from serving as trial participants. It doesn't say that martial artists are not allowed."

"Won't he try to take advantage of a loophole?"

“Where can a martial artist find a loophole? A magic spirit master can’t get through; he can only watch helplessly.”

"Too."

"next."

The Ice and Snow Cult, side hall.

Frosthand and many followers of the Ice and Snow Cult sat in chairs, gazing at the magical light screen in front of them.

On the magical light screen, a dense array of names appeared.

The light screen connects to the display screen of the Ancient Spirit Path, showing the trial rankings in real time.

Including Zhou Leng, the Ice and Snow Cult has a total of ten members participating in the Ancient Spirit Path this time.

"What do you think Zhou Leng's final ranking will be?"

"He wouldn't even make the top nine thousand."

"I hope the other nine will work hard and not be overshadowed by a martial artist; that would be too ridiculous."

"How about this, whoever falls behind Zhou Leng will get twenty lashes and clean up the monster dung pit for a month, how about that?"

"good."

"If Zhou Leng surpasses the other disciples, what reward will he receive?"

"It depends on the ranking. The higher the ranking, the higher the reward, calculated as three times the reward for ordinary disciples."

"Three times? That's too stingy, he's a martial artist. I think five times is better."

"Is five times too much? If he gets too far ahead, at least reward him with a legendary magical artifact."

"The Ice and Snow Cult has many martial arts treasures, and they're just sitting there. If he can really achieve a good ranking as a member of the Ice and Snow Cult, then he should be rewarded."

"good."

"What a pity, he's not a magic master."

"What a pity."

Behind the gate of the Ancient Spirit Path, Zhou Leng suddenly remembered.

At the banquet following the initiation ceremony that day, the Ice and Snow Cult presented me with many treasures.

I was so drunk at the time that I didn't pay any attention.

One of them is the Guling Bird brand.

Zhou Leng searched the magic bag, but found nothing.

"Could it be that the Gulingniao brand I saw at the banquet was someone else's, and I was too drunk to remember correctly?"

Zhou Leng was puzzled. Since there was nothing, he didn't tell Cang Feizhiyan.

At the same time, he sensed that the Mother Tree Bark Armor on his body was being suppressed by an invisible force and could not be activated.

The use of legendary-level power is prohibited here. Ahead lies a large plaza.

The large plaza was filled with dozens of blue portals.

Azure Flame pointed to the teleportation portal and said, "That's the entrance to the first trial of the Ancient Spirit Path. The first battle will test your magic power and the basic strength of your demonic spirit. Just stand next to me; you don't need to lift a finger."

"it is good."

The two stepped into the blue portal, and a flash of light appeared before their eyes, placing them in a magnificent palace.

The palace is like a large, enclosed stadium, with a depth of over two hundred meters.

The palace's sides and top floor are covered with densely packed reliefs.

There was a black horizontal line drawn on the ground in front of the two of them.

Upon seeing this, Azure Flame smiled and said, "This is just a normal test of demonic attack; you can rest now."

Zhou Leng looked around. The architectural style here was quite peculiar. Most of it resembled the style of the Demon Spirit World, but there were some places that were very out of place, clearly remnants of other civilizations.

A short while later, an old man's voice rang out.

"The first stage of the Ancient Spirit Path, the Path of Foundations, begins."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, the reliefs on both sides cracked open, and all sorts of monsters scurried around the palace, some slowly and some quickly.

A very few monsters even approach the speed of sound.

Azure Flame slowly and deliberately controlled the two demonic spirits on its shoulders, transforming them to cast spells and launch an attack.

Zhou Leng had seen Cang Fei Zhi Yan use magic to attack, but lost interest after watching for a while.

This should just be the simplest attack test; those monsters didn't even rush over.

Zhou Leng patiently stood there for a while, then walked around, observing the buildings that were not in the style of the Demon Spirit World.

This place is, after all, a testing ground for an advanced civilization; even discovering some divine script would be a huge gain.

Since learning that the top three had been decided within the Three Towers, Zhou Leng realized that he was likely to gain nothing in this Demon Spirit Trial.

We can't just come here and waste our time; we might as well take a look at the relics of a more advanced civilization.

Even if you don't discover divine inscriptions or treasures, you can still broaden your horizons.

Zhou Leng observed carefully and gradually made some discoveries.

"This fragment looks like a piece of a shield, but unfortunately we can't dig it out..."

"This fragment looks like part of some kind of huge building; it should be a flying treasure."

"This should be divine script, but unfortunately it's incomplete and useless."

"Hmm? There are fragments of the mother tree, but unfortunately we can't get them out."

Zhou Leng became interested in this place. If he could really get the fragments of the mother tree, the harvest would be unimaginable.

After a full twenty minutes, Cang Fei Zhi Yan was drenched in sweat and his face was slightly pale. The old man's voice rang out, "The first Ancient Spirit Path is complete. Trial participants and assistants may now enter the second level."

Azure Flame meditated, drank a magic potion, and restored his magical power.

Zhou Leng then walked to Cang Fei Zhi Yan's side to avoid any accidents.

Once the Azure Flame regained its magical power, the two walked forward and entered the palace gate.

Entering through the gate and walking along the corridor, you enter the second palace, which is much smaller than the first.

The palace is octagonal, with a door on each side, and six doors on the two sides leading to separate rooms.

"Good luck," Azure Flame smiled.

The old man's voice rang out again.

"The second stage of the Ancient Spirit Path is the Path of Inheritance. Each of the six rooms contains six trials related to the inheritance of magic. Choose one, complete the training, and you will pass."

Cang Fei Zhi Yan said, "You can practice your martial arts here. I will be studying magic for a long time. It's safe here. I will only be testing your ability to learn magic."

"You really don't need me?"

"No need."

As Cang Fei Zhi Yan spoke, he walked into a room.

Zhou Leng said, "I'll follow you and take a look first."

"Alright. In this first room, there are several wind-type magical spells..."

"The second room contains fire-based magic spells; I'll most likely choose that one."

……

"We all know that this sixth room is a trap. It doesn't test specific spells, but rather the knowledge of magical spirits. And this kind of room happens to be left over from an ancient ruin, so the test content is all in divine script."

“There are many rooms like this. Even a mage who is proficient in divine runes wouldn't choose it…”

Cang Fei Zhi Yan led Zhou Leng on a tour of the six rooms, introducing them one by one.

He returned to the second room, sat down in front of the demonic fire in the middle, chose a fire-based magic spell, and began to learn it.

Zhou Leng glanced at Cang Feizhiyan. He was calm and focused, completely free of the fatigue he had felt that morning.

With his talent, he will definitely be able to learn fire magic and pass the second round.

Zhou Leng waited for a while and, seeing that Cang Feizhiyan was engrossed in studying and was completely safe, headed towards the sixth room.

The other five are all spell rooms, so there's no point in looking at them. But this one is different; it's a divine script room.

The style of this room is quite different from the others.

The other five rooms have a mixed style and have obviously been repaired later, with many parts looking dilapidated.

However, apart from some damage to the door frame, most of the rest of the place is intact.

The room is cylindrical, and the walls and ceiling are painted with various patterns in colorful paint.

The pigments are very unique, with a slight shimmer, a beautiful and dreamlike appearance, and a dazzling array of colors.

To others, the walls were patterns, but to Zhou Leng, they were all ornate divine script.

Although the details of the divine script have changed, it is not difficult to learn because the overall style is consistent.

Just like Long Guowen's regular script and running script, there are differences, but not significant ones.

(End of this chapter)