The Great Tang Empire was not just a country; it was a sprawling civilization of Rank-3 power. Here, the spiritual air was so thick it felt like liquid gold, and the laws of gravity were reinforced by ancient formations. As the ship crossed the border, Lu Chen's disciples felt a crushing weight on their chests.
"Ugh... Master, it feels like I'm carrying a mountain on my back," Mo Xiao groaned, his knees buckling. Even Han Feng, with his awakened Sword Heart, was sweating profusely.
Lu Chen stood at the prow, his robes barely fluttering in the high-altitude winds. He looked at his students with a calm, analytical gaze.
"The air in a Rank-3 territory is 'architecturally dense'," Lu Chen explained, his voice cutting through their fatigue. "The higher the rank of the land, the more solid the blueprint of reality. If you cannot adapt to the pressure of the environment, how will you ever adapt to the pressure of a Stage-6 expert's intent?"
He raised the Origin Spirit Pen and tapped the deck of the ship.
[Architectural God-Interface: Analyzing Ship's Qi-Circulation...]
[Optimization Path: Found. Converting 'Imperial Transport' to 'Sovereign Flying Fortress'.]
"Empress," Lu Chen called out to Gu Meixuan, who was watching him from her throne. "Your ship's engine is wasting 30% of its energy on aesthetic gold plating. If you allow me to 'edit' the hull, I can make this journey take two days instead of six, and give your students a training ground that will make them ten times stronger."
Gu Meixuan raised a silver eyebrow. "This ship was built by the Grand Blacksmiths of the God Domain. You wish to 'edit' their masterpiece?"
"A masterpiece with a leaky faucet is still a broken house," Lu Chen countered.
Without waiting for a 'yes', he began to draw glowing runes directly onto the deck. The Holy Origin Qi flowed from the pen like molten starlight.
[Ability Used: Structural Reconstruction!]
Suddenly, the ship groaned. The golden plating shifted, the runes on the hull realigning into a more aerodynamic and energy-efficient pattern. The ship didn't just speed up; a localized Gravity-Refinement Field appeared on the deck.
"Han Feng, Shi Kui! To the center!" Lu Chen commanded. "The gravity here is now five times stronger than the outside. Practice your basic strikes. If you can move like a bird here, you will be like a god once we land in the Capital."
The New Disciples' Baptism
While Han Feng and Mo Xiao struggled in the high-gravity zone, Lu Chen turned his attention to the newcomers.
Shi Kui, the blacksmith youth, was staring at the pen in Lu Chen's hand with religious fervor.
Qin Ling, the blind girl, was tilted her head, listening to the "vibrations" of the ship's new engine.
"Shi Kui," Lu Chen handed him a heavy, black manual he had just synthesized. "This is the 'Architect's Forge'. It doesn't teach you how to hit metal; it teaches you how to hear the 'flaws' in the molecular structure. You have until we land to turn that rusted hammer of yours into a Stage-3 Spirit Tool."
"Qin Ling," Lu Chen turned to the blind girl. "You don't see light, but you see the 'blueprint of sound'. This manual is the 'Heavenly Vibration Code'. Use your zither to disrupt the gravity field around Han Feng. If you can make him stumble, you've passed the first lesson."
The ship became a scene of intense, brutal training. Gu Meixuan watched in silence, her violet eyes widening as she saw the two new "trash" students begin to radiate energy. Within hours, Shi Kui's hammer began to glow with a dull, rhythmic heat, and Qin Ling's zither notes started to create visible ripples in the air.
Arrival at the Capital: Chang'an
After forty-eight hours of non-stop flight, the massive silhouette of Chang'an, the Imperial Capital of Great Tang, appeared on the horizon. It was a city of floating palaces, sky-bridges, and towers that pierced the clouds.
The golden ship descended toward the Imperial Docks, where dozens of other high-rank vessels were moored. As the ship landed, a welcoming committee of Great Tang officials stood waiting. At the front was a man in crimson robes—Prince Li, a 2-Star Master Teacher and the third prince of the Empire.
"Empress Gu!" Prince Li bowed deeply, his eyes wandering toward the unconscious Su Lan. "We were informed of the Princess's rescue. But... who are these commoners with you? And why does your ship look so... different?"
Gu Meixuan stepped off the ship, her violet gaze landing on the Prince. "The ship has been 'optimized'. And these are not commoners. This is the Grand Rector of the Sovereign All Path, Lu Chen, and his disciples."
Prince Li looked at Lu Chen's Rank-1 teacher robes and let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "A Grand Rector? From the borderlands? Empress, surely you jest. This man doesn't even have a 2-Star badge. In Chang'an, even the stable-boys have more Qi than him."
Lu Chen walked down the ramp, the Heavenly Lightning King (now a full-grown silver beast) walking beside him.
[Architectural God-Interface: Scanning Prince Li...]
[Rank: Stage-5 (Acupuncture Point Realm).]
[Primary Flaw: His 'Crimson Flame' technique is burning his own lungs. He has 3 months to live unless he stops practicing.]
"Prince Li," Lu Chen said, his voice amplified by the Halo of Truth. "I may not have a badge, but I see a man whose lungs are turning to ash because he thinks 'more heat' equals 'more power'. Tell me, does it hurt more when the sun rises, or when you try to sleep at night?"
The Prince's laughter died instantly. His face turned a sickly shade of white. "You... how did you...?"
"I don't need a badge to see a collapsing building," Lu Chen said, walking past him toward the city gates. "I am here to open my Academy. And since you're the Prince, I expect you to provide me with the best land in the city—preferably the one currently occupied by the Imperial Sword Sect's training hall."
The crowd of officials gasped. The Imperial Sword Sect was the strongest sect in the Empire!
"You're insane!" Prince Li hissed. "You think you can just take the Sword Sect's land?"
"I don't think," Lu Chen stopped and looked back, his eyes glowing with golden light. "I design. And my design for this city doesn't include a mediocre Sword Sect. Han Feng, go show the Prince why we are here."
Han Feng stepped forward. He didn't draw a sword. He simply flicked his finger toward a massive decorative stone pillar near the docks.
SHIIIIING!
A line of Sword Intent, thinner than a hair but sharper than a diamond, sliced through the 10-meter-thick spirit-stone pillar. The top half slid off with a terrifyingly smooth sound.
"My first student has something to say," Lu Chen smiled. "And I have 14 more to find. Prince, lead the way. I have a city to redesign."