Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

Two figures moved across the ground at an extremely rapid pace.

It was the proctor and the Curse Shadow that had taken hold of him!

The shockwaves from their battle continuously trembled through the void, stirring up gusts of wind.

Nangong Sirui stood not far away, hands formed into a seal, yet he was always unable to release any techniques.

"So fast, no good... My techniques can't keep up at all."

He bowed his head in deep thought, then suddenly shouted aloud:

"Teacher, save me--"

"I can't hold on much longer!"

In midair, the two figures abruptly separated.

One of them, like a flash of light and shadow, shot straight down with a manic laugh:

"I'll kill your student first, and then we'll see what fighting spirit you have left to battle me!"

In the blink of an eye, the figure pounced in front of Nangong Sirui.

Nangong Sirui's face showed a look of terror.

"Die!"

Clang--

A loud noise echoed.

The gray shadow collided harshly against the phantom of a large shield.

This shield, about seven meters in length and width, flickered into semi-existence, adorned with patterns of Flying Heavenly Maidens.

Nangong Sirui was standing in the center of the shield, his face no longer showing any signs of panic.

"Catch it!"

He ordered in a low voice.

The maidens dancing upon the shield reached out their hands and firmly held the gray shadow in place.

In the blink of an eye--

A streak of explosive Thunder Light suddenly lunged forward, carving out a blinding, snow-colored radiance from the gray shadow.

Shen Ye and his steed!

With one slash passed, the proctor suddenly appeared, seizing the gray shadow with both hands, forcefully tearing it in two.

"Hahaha!"

He burst out laughing, his voice filled with joy: "These are the newcomers from Breath Soil! This year, we have won!"

The gray shadow was completely obliterated.

The proctor looked towards Nangong Sirui and Shen Ye, his face bearing a victorious smile:

"Let's go! We head back to the school first!"

He was slightly sentimental.

One received the recognition of the Ancient Divine Shield, the other inherited the Primordial Heaven inheritance; either one, in past years would have created a massive sensation.

All the schools would have scrambled over themselves to get them.

This year, both ended up with Breath Soil.

With such merit, even he could be promoted a level!

However--

The proctors and students of Azure Sky and Gui Xu are probably in danger now.

They didn't have Shen Ye, nor did they have Nangong Sirui.

-- Each person had to face the Curse Shadow on their own.

... Better hurry back to school!

The examinees sprinted to the scene, and upon seeing that the battle had ended, all let out a sigh of relief.

Shen Ye also exhaled a sigh of relief, but then suddenly realized someone was watching him.

Nangong Sirui.

Nangong Sirui opened his fan with an air of grace and said:

"Your sword stroke was somewhat redundant, I could have killed it with this alone."

He then pulled out a paring knife with his other hand.

Shen Ye was speechless.

-- Are we even comparing this?

Can't be bothered with you.

At that moment, a bird flew from the distant sky, landing on the proctor's shoulder.

"Yunshan Port has fallen! Yunshan Port has fallen!"

"No one can defeat that catastrophe; Kunlun is amassing more personnel!"

Having said this, the bird soared into the sky, speeding off in another direction.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

This time, even the Scions of the Noble Family showed expressions of horror.

"Keep calm!"

The proctor said in a composed voice:

"From here to Breath Soil High School, if we run at full speed, it will take another seven or eight minutes." "Everyone mount up!"

"We march at full speed and leave this place!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison.

The herd of horses broke into a gallop, their forms like lightning as they darted away, crossing the vast wilderness in a powerful forward rush.

Not long after.

A patch of farmland appeared ahead, and a pond covered in lotus leaves.

Some people dressed in ancient attire were farming the land.

On the official road, there was a horse-drawn carriage carrying two Maidens holding musical instruments.

-- It seemed like a scene pulled from an ancient painting.

"We've arrived! Dismount everyone!"

The proctor reined in his horse and announced loudly.

He dismounted, took out a series of small colorful flags, and handed them out to the students.

The pace of the horses gradually slowed down.

Everyone got off their horses in turn.

Flying Snow once again spoke in human language:

"I'll take you this far, disciple of Chaotic Heaven Sect. If there's a matter of urgency, you can use your Identity Jade to call for me!"

"Good, thank you for bringing me here," Shen Ye said.

Flying Snow nodded at him and ran off into the distance, soon disappearing from view.

The other horses also left with it.

Shen Ye looked down at the colorful flag, which read:

"Bud Summer Camp, Museum One-Day Tour."

Summer Camp?

What does this mean?

He wasn't the only one confused; several other classmates were also clearly bewildered.

"Remember, you are all members of a tour group. We will gather in the hall shortly."

"Come with me now!"

The proctor led everyone to the back of a Chinese parasol tree.

Behind the tree, there surprisingly stood a red fire hydrant, with a line of large characters floating in midair:

"No Smoking."

The proctor loudly said, "Boys go around the left side of the fire hydrant, and turn right; girls go to the right side and turn left!"

Before the sound of his voice faded, Nangong Sirui had already taken the lead, walking around the left side of the fire hydrant and circling it.

He disappeared.

"Next one, hurry! Quick!" the proctor urged.

The examinees quickly followed suit, circling around the hydrant just as Nangong Sirui had done.

They all disappeared.

Shen Ye was about to step forward but was stopped by the proctor.

"Someone is looking for you. Come over after you're done talking."

The proctor pointed with his chin to a carriage on the official road and two maidens holding pipas, then left the scene first.

Now, only Shen Ye remained.

He hesitated slightly, then walked slowly toward the carriage.

The two maidens had been playing a tune and singing softly, but when they saw him coming, they carefully stowed away their pipas, knelt on the carriage, and gave him a slight bow.

"Who might you be?" Shen Ye asked.

"We are here to deliver a message," one of the maidens said.

"What is it?" Shen Ye asked again.

"Our young miss has been secluded at a peak in the Azure Sky, and she hasn't come out for a long time, so the person in that video isn't her, and it has nothing to do with her," said the other maiden.

Shen Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he spoke in a low voice, "The young miss you're speaking of, could it be—"

"Song Qingyun," said one maiden.

"She will come out of seclusion soon and will explain this matter to you personally. We just came in advance to inform you, hoping you wouldn't misunderstand our young miss," said the other maiden.

"It wasn't her?" Shen Ye said.

"Yes, she is in seclusion and unaware of external affairs. Once we noticed the misunderstanding, we came to clarify. As soon as she comes out, we will report to her immediately."

"Tonight or tomorrow, she will come out, and she will naturally contact you. Then all will be made clear," said the maiden.

"Alright, I'll wait for her explanation," Shen Ye said.

The two maidens bowed slightly again.

The carriage started moving, soon disappearing into the far-reaching haze of the road.

Shen Ye shook his head, feeling that everything was becoming even more perplexing.

Since she would contact him, he decided to wait.

He walked back, turned right around the fire hydrant—

The fire hydrant was still there, but the surroundings gradually changed.

Shen Ye found himself standing in front of a spacious exhibition hall, next to the fire hydrant, standing his classmates and a woman in professional attire.

The woman, in her twenties, held a folder and wore black-framed glasses on her nose, smiling at Shen Ye:

"Welcome, new student."

Shen Ye noticed a name badge pinned to her chest:

"World Museum Guide Yang Yingzhen."

Wait a second.

This is the museum?

Shen Ye looked around and indeed, this place was an exhibition hall, but the entrance had a "Under Maintenance" sign, so no visitors were coming in.

The walls were solid and sturdy, the floor was clean and tidy, and the ceiling was very high, about seven or eight meters tall.

The soft light that poured down made the ancient scrolls displayed behind glass exceptionally clear.

On those scrolls, there were boundless fields, farmers busy with agriculture, lotus leaves in the pond swaying with the wind.

It was precisely where he had been standing before!

—So he had come out of the painting?

"Did you know that Breath Soil High School is actually inside the World Museum?" Shen Ye asked Xiao Mengyu.

"Of course, I do, but this can't be known to the general public, or it would cause unnecessary trouble," Xiao Mengyu said.

"You knew all along?" Shen Ye asked in surprise, in a low voice.

"Of course, I learned it when I was a child," Xiao Mengyu also said quietly, "The collection of the World Museum is the most extensive and valuable. The museum itself is built on top of a Great Tomb, and Breath Soil High School is responsible for the excavation."

"Excavating the tomb? Is it finished?"

"No."

Shen Ye was stunned.

A great tomb...

From what he remembered, the World Museum was constructed by the World Government, being one of the world's most important cultural institutions.

It is located in the bustling Jade Capital.

This city is also the seat of the World Government, the core city of the entire world.

The general public only knew this much.

Those with slightly more informed knowledge understood that one of the Three Great High Schools is here.

But the exact location is something not just anyone knew.

—Who would have thought it was inside this museum?

Yang Yingzhen waved to everyone and said with a smile:

"Please follow me."

She wore a speaker, just like a real museum guide, and while walking, she began to introduce:

"Welcome everyone!"

"In previous years, examinees would undergo identity collection and verification after gathering, and then they could happily go back for their summer vacation."

"But it seems there's been a complication this year—"

"Yunshan Port has fallen."

"All existence near Yunshan Port has been afflicted with an unknown curse."

"In order to ensure everyone's safety and to prevent the curse from causing harm, the school made a new decision—"

"The new student training camp will start ahead of schedule."

As she spoke, she led everyone towards the outside.

The exterior exhibition was open, but since it was a weekday, there weren't many visitors.

"Beneath the land of Jade Capital lies the most significant archaeological excavation in human history, which is why even the World Government has relocated here, just to guard these relics."

"And we at Breath Soil High School must also utilize these relics for learning and training."

"That's why the school is within this museum."

Shen Ye watched Yang Yingzhen, noticing a faint glow emanating from her.

Two lines of small characters appeared beside Yang Yingzhen:

"The Art of Secret Speech is in operation."

"The crowd outside the range of this technique will hear a completely different content."

Shen Ye looked around again.

The visitors listened to Yang Yingzhen's introduction, gazing thoughtfully at the various exhibits.

—So what they heard was the actual description of the exhibits?

Quite an interesting technique.