Chapter 315: Three New Pathways

Hearing Yan Jing's response, Shen Youran rolled her eyes in helpless amusement, even though she had known this would be his answer.

"That's going to be difficult."

She smiled.

"Some of the seeds of this generation have already reached the Fifth Tier. You started much later than them, Xiao Yanzi. There's no need to force yourself to compete with them.

"And word is that the seeds from the First Ring Domain will be participating as well. You could say that this Candidate Voucher was basically prepared for them."

"Are the seeds of the First Ring Domain really that strong?" Yan Jing asked with a smile.

Shen Youran nodded.

"There are only six seeds in the First Ring Domain."

Hearing the number six, Yan Jing knew it wasn't a simple matter.

In the Surface World, this number obviously carried a deeper meaning and was steeped in mystery.

Otherwise, it wouldn't consistently pop up whenever something important was involved.

"The First Ring Domain is very small and has no native inhabitants.

"These six people were selected from thousands across the various ring domains. Discovered at a young age to possess different 'talents' for exploring Dungeons, they received intense, focused training. After countless layers of screening, only the final six victors qualified to remain in the First Ring Domain," Shen Youran explained.

"Are there any benefits to staying in the First Ring Domain?" Yan Jing asked.

Shen Youran nodded.

"Xiao Yanzi, do you remember when I told you that the greatest resource in the Surface World is its corresponding Inner World Dungeons?

"The greatest benefit of the First Ring Domain is its corresponding Inner World Domain.

"It is a special Domain known as the Sacred Domain.

"The most unique thing about it is that it is completely controlled by our Yueyin's domain lord."

For a Domain in the Inner World to be completely mastered by a human was an utterly shocking concept.

Yet Yan Jing simply nodded, his expression perfectly calm.

Shen Youran set down her teacup.

"I didn't expect you to be so unfazed, Xiao Yanzi.

"You have to understand, if a human completely controls an Inner World Domain, it means they can send people inside to run Dungeons whenever they want.

"Word is that one of those six is taking exactly this approach. Every time they finish a Dungeon, they use a Dungeon Advance Voucher to immediately enter the next one.

"Right now, they're already close to the Sixth Tier."

Yan Jing still just nodded.

"But there's a drawback to doing that.

"It makes it very difficult to get an Inner World Box."

He knew that this person's method was probably similar to what he had done during his last trip to Huang Family Village.

But a Dungeon run like that—one that failed to enact any forceful change on the Inner World's progression—revealed its flaw: it was one of the rare times he hadn't received an Inner World Box after clearing a Dungeon.

Even his final rating hadn't been very high.

If one only chased experience, the actual improvement to their strength would be limited. The several qualitative leaps Yan Jing had experienced in combat power were all inseparable from Inner World Boxes or extreme Dungeon ratings.

Shen Youran didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You don't just get an Inner World Box every time you enter a Dungeon. People like you are the minority, Xiao Yanzi.

"Besides, most of them are simply using their status as individuals chosen by the domain lord to jump into other Dungeons and reap the benefits. Because of that, their strength is definitely not weak.

"No, to be more accurate, they are all terrifyingly strong. Every single one of them possesses King Grade potential.

"You could even say that this seed Dungeon is just an opportunity for them to officially make a public appearance, allowing the domain lord to seamlessly hand the Candidate Voucher over to their favored candidate.

"So don't put so much pressure on yourself for this seed Dungeon, Xiao Yanzi."

Shen Youran patted Yan Jing firmly on the shoulder.

From beginning to end, her only goal in saying all this was to keep Yan Jing from stressing himself out.

Lately, her biggest worry had been that Yan Jing might develop psychological issues under the heavy pressure.

To her curiosity, however, upon seeing Yan Jing finish his closed-door cultivation this time, he seemed to be in much better spirits than before.

"That makes sense."

Faced with Shen Youran's advice, Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"You seem a bit different from before, Xiao Yanzi."

Shen Youran stared into Yan Jing's eyes and spoke softly.

"You look a lot more relaxed.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Yan Jing chuckled, then smoothly changed the subject, glancing at the three boxes on the table.

"Time to open the boxes!"

Seeing that Yan Jing didn't want to elaborate, Shen Youran didn't press him. She laughed and said, "Vice Domain Chief Wang really bled heavily for this. He found three items for you all at once, and word is he even had to borrow one of them from someone else. Though, I have a feeling you won't like one of them."

Hearing this, a surge of anticipation rose in Yan Jing's chest. He immediately opened the first box.

There was no earth-shattering phenomenon—just a faint orange glow that blossomed as the lid was lifted.

Lying inside were two items that looked like cartons of a beverage.

Their surface packaging had faded, and much of the text was heavily worn. He could only vaguely make out the word 'Milk.'

[Item Name: Two Cartons of Milk with Different Destinies]

[Quality: Orange]

[Tier Requirement: Fourth Tier]

[Effect: After drinking one of the cartons, you will suffer from extreme misfortune for a period of one year. At the same time, you will gain the power to distribute this misfortune to others. The other carton's effects are the exact opposite. Once one carton is consumed, the other will vanish.]

(Description: Although they appear to be related to the Fate Pathway, these two cartons of milk actually originate from the Wasteland of the Heavenly Kingdom. This is the most common Inner World Pathway in the Wasteland; some call it 'Radiation,' while others call it 'Mutation.'

Regardless, under the infection of a Source of Mutation that finally descended upon the Heavenly Kingdom Domain, these two cartons of milk underwent a drastic mutation. There used to be an entire crate of milk like this, but none of the people who drank them met a good end. Perhaps your luck isn't bad and you'll manage to pick the lucky carton. Care to give it a try?) "..."

Yan Jing closed the box, the smile vanishing from his face.

"Pass."

Shen Youran burst out laughing, doubling over in amusement.

She had known it. There was no way Xiao Yanzi would choose these two cartons of milk.

Truthfully, it wouldn't have mattered even if he did choose them. With her by Xiao Yanzi's side, she could control bad luck. But obviously, it was hard for Yan Jing to accept this massive 'shortcoming' of his.

Hearing Shen Youran's laughter, Yan Jing found it a bit funny as well, and proceeded to open the next box.

Inside was a somewhat old, red pair of boxing gloves.

Carved onto the surface of the gloves were eyes of varying sizes. They looked incredibly vivid, almost as if they were real, gradually shifting along with the light.

Yan Jing scrutinized the eyes, feeling as though no matter how he moved his body, those eyes were always looking right at him.

[Item Name: Fists Gazing Upon the Victor] [Quality: Orange]

[Tier Requirement: Fourth Tier]

[Effect: Once worn, they cannot be taken off for a week. Every time you defeat an opponent of the same tier, you will accumulate one stack of 'momentum of victory'. This will make you stronger. However, if you lose, all your accumulated 'momentum of victory' will completely vanish.]

(Description: If life isn't for the sake of constant victory, then life has no meaning at all. These were the final words left behind by the owner of these gloves.

The Victory Pathway is no longer one of the Sixteen Great Pathways, but it still possesses ample potential. Put them on and fight relentlessly!)

The Sixteen Great Pathways—

Yan Jing took note of this term and looked toward Shen Youran.

"Teacher Shen, what are the Sixteen Great Pathways?"

Shen Youran shook her head.

"The concept of the Sixteen Great Pathways is mentioned in the descriptions of quite a few items. It sparked a lot of discussion among scholars in the beginning.

"But there's no definitive conclusion. The most compelling theory right now is that the so-called Sixteen Great Pathways are simply the ones with the most potential out of all the Pathways.

"However—that doesn't really have much to do with us. After all, those are Inner World Pathways, while we follow the ritual system."

Yan Jing nodded and proceeded to open the final box.

This time, something different happened compared to the first two boxes.

Yan Jing caught sight of a wisp of red light slipping out from the crack as he lifted the lid.

Orange-red.

A jolt of excitement ran through Yan Jing. Once the box was fully open, he saw a stone lying quietly inside.

It was an incredibly ordinary-looking, half-black and half-white stone.

Were it not for the orange-red light radiating from its surface and its somewhat unusual coloring, Yan Jing would have almost thought it was just a regular rock.

If tossed on the side of the road, it was likely no one would even bother to pick it up.

But after Yan Jing observed it carefully for a moment, he noticed what made it extraordinary.

This stone... seemed to be moving.

[Item Name: Immortal Stone]

[Quality: Orange-Red]

[Tier Requirement: Fourth Tier]

[Effect: When you keep this stone by your side day and night with a devout heart, you might—just might—hear the whispers of an 'immortal'. Hidden within could be the secret to becoming an immortal. Of course, it could also be a trap meant to lure you into the abyss.] [Description: Rather than calling it an Immortal Stone, it would be more accurate to say that this is actually an 'immortal' in itself.

It was originally a cultivator of the Myriad Law Immortal Pathway who had achieved great mastery. Believing firmly that the Dao of Immortality and the Dao of the Unyielding Stone shared the same wondrous essence, he explored the path to immortality day and night without rest. Even when his friends and family scattered and left him, he never regretted it. In the end, he succeeded. He became the 'immortal' in his heart, which is the very stone before your eyes.]

Yan Jing looked at the stone, deep in thought. But unexpectedly, Fei Yu's voice suddenly echoed from the bottom of his heart:

"Choose this one, Young Master. Choose him."