Unlike defensive talismans, the Yuanci Dao Armor required no cost and could be reinforced at any time. There was absolutely no issue of consumption.
As a result, this Yuanci Dao Armor was also a divine ability that Jiang Chen was eager to develop. Though it was ultimately a technique that served others more than himself, one who walked the jianghu would inevitably find themselves making sacrifices for others, and there were always certain people who simply had to be protected.
Before long, Jiang Chen entered a state of selflessness, greedily cultivating and making full use of the advantages offered by the Inheritance Secret Realm.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
As the fifteenth day approached, Jiang Chen finally fed his answer into the third Glazed Stele with his divine sense, successfully passing the trial of all three Glazed Steles.
Given his speed through the first two trials, he was undoubtedly the most outstanding among all the young masters on the rankings.
Naturally, the outside world had grown full of anticipation for him. But the third trial had taken him nearly fifteen full days to complete, and the enthusiasm of those waiting outside cooled considerably.
"It seems Young Master Zhen really is limited by his cultivation level after all. His insight in combat analysis is still lacking a bit of refinement."
"Heh, that's only natural. If he were exceptional in everything, how could any of the other geniuses hope to compete?"
The Peacock Great Emperor, however, simply smiled without a word. Clearly, this outcome didn't trouble him in the slightest. In fact, deep down, he suspected that Jiang Chen might have done this deliberately.
Of course, whether it was truly deliberate or not, there was no way to know while Jiang Chen still hadn't emerged.
The three Glazed Steles were merely an initial trial, but there was still a certain elimination rate. After half a month, six people from the Young Master Rankings had failed to complete this initial trial and were kicked out directly.
Young Master Ji San's potential had also shone through here. The three Glazed Steles, he had completed without much difficulty, comprehending them all by the thirteenth day.
That ranking placed him among the top twelve of all the geniuses who had entered the Inheritance Secret Realm.
Of course, Jiang Chen couldn't be counted in that number.
After passing the trial of the three Glazed Steles, a voice once again rang in the ears of every genius.
"From here on, you may choose to continue challenging or to forfeit. Those who forfeit may cultivate here in peace until your allotted time expires. Those who choose to continue challenging will have the opportunity to gain additional time."
"If you continue and challenge the fourth Glazed Stele, completing it within half a month, you will receive a bonus of one additional month. The fifth Glazed Stele will grant you a three-month bonus. The sixth, a six-month bonus… and so on. The seventh Glazed Stele will grant a one-year bonus; the eighth, two years. As for the ninth—not only will you receive a two-year time bonus, but you will also gain the opportunity to enter the Six Palaces of Inheritance!"
"The Six Palaces of Inheritance form the core of the Glazed King Pagoda's main tower. Should any genius successfully pass through all six palaces, they will not only earn the recognition of the Glazed King Pagoda's main tower but will become its new master. The Glazed King Pagoda contains three great secret realms, but the Inheritance Secret Realm is the true core. And the Six Palaces of Inheritance form the heart of that realm."
The Six Palaces of Inheritance?
Every heart stirred at the words, Jiang Chen's included.
He had heard the Peacock Great Emperor speak of it—the Glazed King Pagoda was like a cave dwelling, a great secret realm of unfathomable depth. Since the ancient era, no one had ever traversed it completely.
Let alone claimed mastery over it.
Even a top-tier powerhouse like the Peacock Great Emperor had never conquered the Glazed King Pagoda in his youth. That alone spoke to how mysterious and formidable it was.
"You may be wondering what the Six Palaces of Inheritance truly are. To be honest, the Six Palaces do not appear every time the Glazed King Pagoda opens. They manifest only when the pagoda senses a shift in the grand momentum of heaven and earth, a change in the celestial fortune. Since the ancient era, this is only the third time they have appeared."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen's curiosity only deepened. The voice was clearly part of the original design, pre-programmed when this ancient divine tower was first constructed.
So how could this voice know that this was the third appearance of the Six Palaces?
But after a moment, Jiang Chen understood. He believed the Glazed King Pagoda's design had every step, every detail, automated and controlled through formations.
Thinking this, Jiang Chen felt a chill of awe. "The level of formation mastery required for this must be terrifying. To achieve this degree of precision through formations—the difficulty is staggering."
Jiang Chen was no stranger to formations himself. Having inherited the formation legacy of the Ancient Danxiao Sect, he was considered an expert in the field.
It was precisely because of his deep understanding of formations that he grasped just how difficult it must be to execute every detail of the Glazed King Pagoda's design.
"The前辈 who built this Glazed King Pagoda must have been truly extraordinary. Such a miraculous cave dwelling could never have been created by an ordinary Celestial Realm powerhouse."
Deep down, Jiang Chen even suspected that the predecessor who constructed this dwelling might have surpassed the Celestial Realm entirely.
Of course, all of this was merely speculation.
"Remember—entry into the Six Palaces of Inheritance requires conquering all nine Glazed Pagodas in sequence. Each must be completed in order; there are no shortcuts. And should you enter the Six Palaces of Inheritance, you will gain an opportunity that no one else can obtain—the chance to re-enter the Glazed King Pagoda."