In the game "High Martial Arts," players start with the blessing of the Martial God.

Chapter 80 Summer Capital, Star Palace

Donghai City is the capital of Donghai Province. The province's only spatial teleportation array is located here, allowing one to teleport freely to the capital city of any province in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Whether it's troop deployment or daily travel, it's extremely convenient. It was only after the entire Great Xia Dynasty pooled resources in the first year of the new calendar that it was successfully set up.

The East Sea is extremely far from Cangzhou, separated by more than a dozen provinces. Without using a space teleportation array, it would take more than half a month to reach the destination by ordinary flying vehicles.

After exchanging documents with the Governor's Office, Fang Yuan was allowed to pass. Ji Ming and the other two were led to a huge square. A silver beam of light, a hundred meters thick, shot straight into the sky from the center of the square. However, it was covered by an array, so no one could see any unusual phenomenon from the outside.

"Is this a spatial teleportation array?" Ji Ming exclaimed in a low voice.

"To be precise, it's an ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation array!" Fang Yuan explained. "Once you enter the Tianyi Star Palace, there are also short-distance teleportation arrays, and even interdimensional teleportation arrays!"

Upon hearing this, the clerk from the Governor's Office glanced at Ji Ming, as if he were certain that he could enter the Tianyi Star Palace.

Ji Ming smiled and nodded. The man didn't look at them any longer, led them to the square, and then turned and left.

Just then, a handsome young man in a white robe, carrying a small notebook, walked over. "Are you going to participate in the Astral Exam? Follow me!"

Seeing this, Fang Yuan looked at Ji Ming and said, "This is the guide, usually an instructor from one of the four major star palaces. You can just go with him."

"Ji Ming, I'm going back. The magic array will teleport you directly to Xia Capital. There will be people to guide you along the way. I'll be waiting for your good news."

Ji Ming bowed slightly. "Uncle-Master, please take care!"

"Mayor Fang, please take care." Gu Yi also bowed.

Fang Yuan nodded, then turned and left with a flourish.

"Let's go, you two little ones."

The handsome young man smiled. "He's right!"

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ye Zhou, and I come from Tianyi Star Palace."

"Hello, teacher!"

Ji Ming quickly bowed.

"Ha ha!"

Ye Zhou waved his hand, "No need to call me teacher, I'm still an assistant tutor."

Ji Ming said sincerely, "You're so young, it's only a matter of time before you get a permanent position."

"Haha!" Ye Zhou's lips curled slightly, his smile becoming much gentler. "You little rascal, haha!"

"Come with me!" He led Ji Ming toward a small house next to the square.

Gu Yi looked at Ji Ming with some envy, wondering why he was so clumsy with words.

When Ji Ming arrived at the small house, he found that quite a few people were already waiting inside.

"The long-distance teleportation array consumes a lot of resources, so let's wait a bit. We'll set off once we have a hundred people," Ye Zhou explained.

"By the way, I am the guide for your batch. You can ask me anything until you finish the Astral Trial."

"Thank you for your help," Ji Ming said gratefully.

"No trouble at all!"

Ye Zhou opened the notebook. "Come on, what's your name? Let's register it!"

"Ji Ming!"

Ye Zhou paused upon hearing this, then carefully examined Ji Ming for a few moments, making the latter feel uneasy. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Ye Zhou snapped out of his daze, scribbled a few notes in his notebook, and then pinned a badge to his chest. "Wear it carefully, don't lose it, you'll need it for the big exam."

"And this, put it on too!" He handed over a gold bracelet.

Ji Ming took it and put it on his right wrist to look at it, but found that there was no movement at all.

"Don't look at it anymore. The bracelet will automatically turn on when the big exam starts, and some information will be displayed on it then," Ye Zhou said.

Ji Ming nodded, and then, at his instruction, sat down to wait.

"Excuse me, what's your surname?"

A young man wearing a gold-threaded vest asked with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Ji Ming."

The boy extended a hand. "Hello, I'm Xia Qiwen from Donghai High School!"

Ji Ming was startled and shook hands with him. Donghai Middle School was the undisputed number one professional high school in Donghai Province. He couldn't help but take a closer look at the boy in the vest. The more he looked, the more serious he became. This person was like a boundless sea, unfathomable.

"Brother Ji, are you in a team?" Xia Qiwen asked.

Ji Ming's eyes flickered, and he nodded.

"That's a real pity. I was hoping to invite Brother Ji to join my team!" Xia Qiwen said regretfully.

"Brother Xia is joking. I come from a small town, with mediocre cultivation and talent. I'd better not hold you back." Ji Ming shook his head and sighed.

"Brother Ji, why belittle yourself? If all those who ascend to the Divine Path are considered mediocre, then who would dare to call themselves a genius?" Xia Qiwen said in a low voice.

How did he figure that out?

Ji Ming was startled. It wasn't that he necessarily wanted to hide it, but the fact that his secrets were being exposed so directly was really unsettling.

"Haha, Brother Ji, there's no need to panic."

Xia Qiwen pointed to the golden light in his pupils, "I merely possess some special abilities here?"

Innate talent?

Ji Ming suddenly realized, but he didn't relax. As far as he knew, one's innate talent had to reach at least the Saint level before any physical changes would occur. He never expected that he would encounter such a top genius before the Star Realm Trial even began!

Speaking of which, Donghai Province actually has Saint-level talent. He thought such people were all in the central provinces!

"Brother Ji, don't misunderstand!" Xia Qiwen smiled. "I'm actually not from Donghai City."

"this----"

Ji Ming paused, "Is this even possible?"

However, he then thought that if Luo Shilian could get him directly into Tianyi Star Palace, what was a change of exam location to a top-tier wealthy family?

"Sigh, there's nothing I can do. There are only ten core trainee spots in the central region, and I can't compete with those monsters," Xia Qiwen sighed.

Hearing this, Ji Ming's heart sank. It seemed that the competition for core student spots was even greater than he had imagined. If Xia Qiwen could come, what about the other geniuses in the central region?

He was definitely not the only one who came!

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ji Ming was puzzled. He realized that this guy was subtly reminding him.

Xia Qiwen smiled faintly, "It's nothing, just making friends."

Ji Ming glanced at him. "Fine, I'll be your friend!"

"Haha, good!" Xia Qiwen laughed. "Brother Ji, you don't need to worry too much. Very few people have the ability to change the exam location, and even fewer would choose the East."

At this point, Xia Qiwen whispered, "Well, I hope this matter will be kept secret. After all, it's an unspoken rule, and it's not appropriate to publicize it."

Ji Ming nodded. In fact, he felt that even if the news got out, it wouldn't change anything.

But this guy is so powerful, which family does he belong to?

Ji Ming didn't know much about the wealthy families in Daxia, so he didn't think much of it.

They stopped talking, and soon a hundred people had gathered. Ye Zhou led them to stand in the center of the beam of light. After a moment of dizziness, Ji Mingmo felt unwell for several seconds before the discomfort disappeared.

"We've arrived in the summer capital!"

Ye Zhou's voice came, and the group of them walked out of the beam of light. What they saw was still a square, but the surrounding area was filled with soldiers in full armor. Their eyes were firm and fierce, and some students felt their legs go weak when they met their gaze.

Ji Ming didn't feel anything, but looked around and before he even left the square, he sensed countless powerful auras.

Two rows of soldiers stood on either side of the entrance to the square, their weapons still stained with blood, their powerful aura undisguised. Some trainees passing by couldn't help but turn pale.

Ye Zhou curled his lip. It's the same old trick. Can't you come up with something new?

"hiss!"

Stepping out of the teleportation plaza, Ji Ming gasped, not out of fear, but out of shock, because he realized that the auras of those soldiers seemed to be no weaker than Chen Zhengfang's!

"All Tier 4? What kind of legion is this?"

As far as he knew, even the most elite units of the four top-tier legions were only at the third tier!

Several elderly men were standing on the rooftop in front of the square when suddenly—

One of them murmured, "Is that Ye Zhou? When did he find the time to act as a guide?"

"Haha, Mr. Li, have you forgotten? Aren't these people vying for official positions recently? Even Sun Wukong would have to obediently go on his pilgrimage!" a middle-aged man laughed.

"Oh, look at my memory!"

The old man patted his head, looking at the trainees with dissatisfaction. "They're all hothouse flowers! They can't even handle this much. What will they do when they get to the Battlefield of Myriad Realms?"

"What Elder Li said is quite right, but they are just children. They need some time to adapt. Isn't that why we opened the Demon Battle Arena this time? No matter what the outcome is after this, they will grow a lot." The middle-aged man said with a faint smile.

"Um!"

The old man nodded, his gaze sweeping over the students before he suddenly stopped and asked, "Where did you come from?"

"East China Sea!" someone answered.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" another elderly man asked hurriedly.

"It's nothing!" Old Li shook his head, muttering to himself, "It's the true meaning of breaking through the heavens, how interesting!"

After leaving the square, Ye Zhou led them onto a sightseeing bus.

"The astral portal isn't far from here. Take this opportunity to see the capital of my Great Xia!"

Without needing to be reminded, Ji Ming had already started looking around.

It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, and the night was getting darker, but the city was still brightly lit, like a grand theater under a black velvet curtain.

Ji Ming looked up and saw a huge war fortress in the sky above the city, and outside the city was a floating city. This was the great masterpiece of the mage. Even if a demon god descended, he would fall here!

He also saw many pointed towers in the city, which were mage towers, each representing a powerful mage. The city streets were covered with array patterns of cultivators, which would light up slightly whenever a sightseeing vehicle passed by.

Within this city, once the necessary permissions are granted, no extraordinary creation requires additional power; the city itself is a massive array, sufficient to sustain its operation.

And this is not just a city.

In the distance, Ji Ming could also see towering peaks that reached into the clouds, shrouded in mist and clouds, with the primordial energy of heaven and earth gathering into surging waves. These peaks were the training grounds of powerful cultivators!

Ji Ming was overwhelmed by the sights. Beastmasters, a rarity in Shirakawa City, were everywhere. Legendary beastmasters riding fire lions, bluebirds, or even phoenixes flashed by, while others wore golden and red mechs and soared through the sky.

As he observed along the way, he found that the majority of the professionals were third-tier, with occasional appearances of fourth-tier or even fifth-tier professionals, while second-tier professionals were extremely rare.

Summer Capital fulfilled all his fantasies about extraordinary cities!

Ji Ming felt like a country bumpkin in the city, and the students who accompanied him were no better off. Even the people who had grown up in Donghai City were full of amazement.

"How is it?"

Xia Qiwen opened his arms to embrace the air, "This is the most powerful and prosperous place in the Xuanhuang Realm. Even pigs can develop sentience and begin their cultivation here if they live here long enough!"

Ji Ming nodded, not thinking it was an exaggeration. He only took a light breath and felt himself filled with energy. The speed of refining couldn't even keep up with the speed of absorption!

No wonder! No wonder!

How can people from these peripheral provinces compare under these conditions?

"Each of the four star palaces possesses wondrous objects that absorb and exhale the primordial energy of heaven and earth, making their environment even better than this one!"

Xia Qiwen laughed and said, "Once you enter the Tianyi Star Palace, you can complete your Jade Purity Realm cultivation in less than a year! Of course, it won't help you break through to the Godhood Path."

"hiss!"

Gu Yi worked himself to the bone for a year before finally breaking through to the fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm. Compared to that, the students of the Star Palace are so lucky!

Ok?

Feeling deeply moved, Ji Ming suddenly paused. He didn't seem to have mentioned going to Tianyi Star Palace, did he?

This guy really did recognize me a long time ago!

He looked at Xia Qiwen with a gloomy expression. Who exactly was this person from? They were already approaching before he even enrolled!

Friend or foe?

Could he be a descendant of Master Luo's enemy?

Ji Ming felt a sense of unease, but he remained outwardly calm.

Just then, a small boat stopped the sightseeing bus. "We've arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Ming looked up and saw a huge gate of light standing in the center of the city. The aura emanating from it was exactly the same as the entrance to the Azure Profound Realm he had seen before, only it was many times more stable.

As we passed through the portal, it suddenly darkened, and we were greeted by a sky full of twinkling stars.

Welcome to Tianyi Star Palace!

Ye Zhou smiled.

Ji Ming glanced around in astonishment and found himself standing on a street in front of a series of pavilions.

"This is the Astral Plane!"

Ye Zhou explained, "The entire star realm is divided into four regions, with each of the four major star palaces holding a territory. I am the guide for the Tianyi Star Palace, so you will be waiting in the Tianyi region for the great test to begin."

"teacher!"

Someone raised their hand and asked, "I heard that this year's assessment is being held in the Demon Battle Arena. Don't we have to go to the Flame Emperor Star Palace?"

Ye Zhou nodded. "This student is very well-informed, but you probably don't know what a rare artifact is. The [Battle Demon Arena] is a top-tier rare artifact. All you need to do is wear the Battle Demon Badge. As soon as the exam starts, the Battle Demon Arena will lock onto you and teleport you directly inside. So it doesn't matter where you wait."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ming touched the badge on his chest. It possessed such power—a top-tier treasure! Compared to this, his Profound Moon Essence was nothing but a pile of shit!

"Any other questions?" Ye Zhou asked, looking at everyone.

The trainees looked at each other and shook their heads. Ji Ming didn't ask anything because he found that his bracelet had the "Tianyi Star Palace Area" permission, while the others did not. He guessed it was because of the special recruitment. In terms of procedures, he was already a member of Tianyi Star Palace, so as soon as he arrived at the Star Palace, the relevant permissions were granted to him.

With this permission, he can learn about many things on his own without having to ask others.

"Alright, the big exam doesn't start until tomorrow. Now come with me to the reception area."

In a spacious loft hall at the reception area, Ye Zhou led his group to a registration area.

"Hey, Ye Zhou? You actually went to be a receptionist? That's hilarious!" The registrar seemed to know Ye Zhou well, and teased him the moment she saw him.

"Get lost!"

Ye Zhou was furious. "Hurry up and arrange things for this group of people."

The registrar chuckled as she worked, "You don't seem like someone who lacks these merits! What, has the prospect of becoming a permanent employee driven you to this point?"

"Hmph, getting promoted would be a piece of cake for me," Ye Zhou said disdainfully.

"call!"

The registrar clearly didn't believe him. "There are only a limited number of spots for permanent positions. Zhao Yinman, Shangguan Wu, Wu Xiong, and Ruan Yun are not easy to deal with. And then there are Hong Kang and Wang Xunwu, who are also eyeing the position. You'd better be careful!"

Ye Zhou said nonchalantly, "Hong Kang and his wife are just weaklings, not worth mentioning. Zhao Yinman is all brawn and no brains, even more trash. Shangguan Wu, Wu Xiong, and Ruan Yun are just average!"

"Keep bragging!" someone nearby couldn't stand it anymore. "We'll accept that you're a bit better than Hong Kang, but Shangguan Wu and Wu Xiong have always been ranked above you. And Zhao Yinman, I've recorded what you said, I'll bring it to her later!"

"casual!"

Ye Zhou waved his hand dismissively, "Afraid of her?"

"As for rankings? I wouldn't bother competing for that!"

"Oh!"

Many of the instructors at the reception desk laughed, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

"Seriously!" the registrar said seriously, "You should find a student to mentor. Not having any students will put you at a huge disadvantage if you want to be promoted to junior instructor."

"That's true!" the tutor chimed in. "Ye Zhou, how about I introduce you to a few? My third brother's son is quite good; he's a strong freshman this year and will definitely bring you honor, adding something to his resume!"

"Go to hell!"

Ye Zhou curled his lip, "Your nephew can go find whoever he wants, I'm not taking him!"

"You ungrateful wretch! You don't appreciate kindness!" The tutor was furious.

"Really not accepting?"

The registrar whispered, "All the people you were competing with have been hired this year. If you want to be a permanent employee, you'd better show some attitude first!"

"Troublesome!" Ye Zhou frowned. It wasn't that he was unwilling to take on students, but rather that these people had a whole string of connections behind them, and getting involved would only lead to more trouble.

Well, the main reason is that he doesn't think much of them. Ye Zhou is a genius, so his students can't be too mediocre, right? The students he recommends are all people who have been promoted with a lot of resources, yet they dare to call themselves geniuses. They're shameless!

"Ugh!"

The registrar sighed; he knew Ye Zhou's thoughts. "Think it over carefully. You could also keep an eye on this year's Star Realm Examination; who knows, someone might catch your eye?"

Ye Zhou nodded, then suddenly looked at Ji Ming, who was waiting in the distance. This kid—can he do it?

His cultivation level is a bit too low, let's observe him first!

Damn it, I might as well not get a permanent position.

But when he thought of his teacher's iron fist, Ye Zhou couldn't help but tremble and become dejected.

"This is your residence. Remember, don't wander around the Star Palace. There are arrays everywhere. Don't blame me if you get hurt because you don't have the authority to do so!"

Ye Zhou handed each person a card and then led them to the residential area.

Four people share a dormitory room, which is already quite good as a temporary reception area, considering they are only staying for one night.

Along the way, Tianyi Star Palace is said to be a school, but in reality it is a huge city. The entire campus is even larger than Baichuan City. As a small world that is higher than the Secret Realm, the area of ​​the Star Realm is definitely more than 10,000 square kilometers. Tianyi Star Palace occupies a quarter of it, so you can imagine how big the Star Palace is.

It's normal for such a large area to be like this. There are dozens of systems of varying sizes, and within a large system like martial arts, there are countless schools of thought. With layers of division, it's not spacious at all.