Gu Manzhi pondered slightly, "I always feel that there is something strange about Miss Zi."
Her Spiritual Sense detected some anomalies, but upon closer examination, she couldn’t find any clues...
"Next time, I still have to remind Chen Mo."
"In case there is any trickery, it’s always better to be safe than sorry..."
After leaving the Imperial Music Bureau, Chen Mo did not rush to the Government office but instead rode his horse toward the direction of the Heavenly Martial Arena.
That day, having learned from Jue Ling that he was being targeted by You Ji, he felt a certain pressure inside him.
He wished to open up his Divine Sea and breakthrough to the fourth rank as soon as possible; if facing a crisis, it would enhance his ability to protect himself.
Having obtained the entry jade plaque for the Heavenly Martial Arena from Li Kui, he was curious about this Martial Arts training treasure trove and decided to take a detour to take a look.
The Heavenly Martial Arena is located to the north of the city.
In the expensive land of Tiandu City, it occupies half a city block.
Huge bluestones pile up into tall walls, and on the two heavy iron gates, a Qilin pattern is cast. Above the door lintel, a black plaque hangs high with the three gilded characters "Heavenly Martial Arena."
The font, as if carved with silver hooks and iron paints, exudes a sharpness that is somewhat dazzling to look at for long.
Chen Mo tied his horse’s reins to the hitching post and was about to walk up the stone steps when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind:
Chen Mo turned his head to look and saw Lin Jingzhu riding a horse up close, dismounting with agile and graceful movements.
She was dressed in a white Martial Robe with tight sleeves and narrow fit, cinched at the waist with a leather belt, outlining her slender waist and pert buttocks, her legs long and taut, full of a flexible sense of strength.
Chen Mo nodded and said, "We meet again, Lin Catcher, how has your recovery been?"
Hearing this, Lin Jingzhu’s cheeks turned red, and then she quickly suppressed her shyness, cupping her fist in hand and said, "Thanks to Mr. Chen’s blessing, I am no longer in serious trouble... Are you here at the Heavenly Martial Arena to train?"
Chen Mo nodded and said, "I heard it’s a holy land for Martial Arts, it’s my first time here."
Lin Jingzhu smiled and said, "It’s not necessarily a holy land, just more suitable for Body Refinement, I am off today and came here to exercise, so we can keep each other company."
Chen Mo said, "That would be very good."
The two walked up the stone steps and arrived at the iron gate.
Lin Jingzhu took out her jade plaque and attached it to the Qilin pattern.
The gate slowly opened a crack, a dazzling brilliance leaked out, and her figure suddenly disappeared.
Chen Mo followed suit, took out his jade plaque and attached it, and amidst the brilliance, a pulling force came, and when he next opened his eyes, he was already inside the Heavenly Martial Arena.
What appeared before him was an extremely spacious square.
The ground was paved with hard Tiegang stones, and dozens of stages were scattered like stars, with many Martial Artists practicing their moves.
Some were in one-on-one combat, while others were clashing against metal puppets.
"These stages have Demon-breaking Stones mixed in them, which suppress the circulation of True Yuan, to hone the physique and combat skills."
Lin Jingzhu explained, "Those Copper Puppets are crafted by Refining Masters, extremely durable, and can record Martial Arts... They are perfect for practicing moves and refining skills."
Chen Mo pointed to the tall copper pillar not far away, asking, "And what is that?"
On the column were fine scales, and a Martial Artist struck the pillar with a fist, causing pale red light to shine.
Lin Jingzhu said, "That’s a Force Measuring Pillar; one strike with force will provide an evaluation based on the strength and one’s own realm."
They crossed the Martial Arts Practice Square and continued inside, entering a building with several corridors.
Inside the hall were rows of Quiet Rooms, the doors carved with characters from "A" to "G," for a total of seven grades.
"Inside these Cultivation Rooms, there are Body Refining Arrays that will press upon the flesh and temper the muscles; the higher the grade, the stronger the pressing force."
"Upstairs, there are Medicine Bath and dietary supplements; most common Spiritual Materials on the market are available."
"Besides, at the very depths of the arena, there are places like the Mountain of Blades and Tomb of Swords for comprehension, but not everyone can enter, one must pass the Martial Arts test first."
Hearing even Spiritual Materials and Alien Beast flesh were freely supplied, Chen Mo couldn’t help but be astonished.
No wonder Great Yuan’s Martial Arts prospered, the court really doesn’t hesitate to spend money!
However, it is understandable; with the Barbarian Tribe unrest in the south, demons lurking in the north, and Sects dividing Jiu Zhou within, the court wants to sift talent through this method, nurturing high-end combat forces.
After all, the value of a Grandmaster can’t be simply measured by Silver.
Chen Mo pushed open the door of the "D" grade Cultivation Room and walked in.
Inside the room were white walls on all sides, empty and echoing, with a complex Array engraved in the center of the ground, and a cushion placed on the Array.
Other than that, there was nothing else.
He stepped into the Array, and a pressure suddenly bore down, causing his body to bend slightly.
At the same time, the True Yuan inside him surged autonomously, continuously resisting the pressure.
Operating Body Refinement techniques under such conditions could increase efficiency, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
"It doesn’t feel quite enough."
Chen Mo left the room and went to the "C" grade door.
Just as he was about to enter, Lin Jingzhu stopped him.
"The top three grades of rooms can only be withstood by those above the fourth rank or horizontal Refining Masters. A fifth-grade Martial Artist overestimated himself and was seriously injured not long ago; his Martial Arts foundation was almost destroyed!"
"You should progress step by step; there’s no need to rush..."
Chen Mo smiled and said, "No worries, I know my limits."
Seeing his stubbornness, Lin Jingzhu had no choice and said, "Then let me be your protector. If something goes wrong, there’s someone to look after you."
"That would be good."
Chen Mo did not refuse.
The two entered the C grade room, which was just like the D grade room, with only an Array and a cushion.