Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

Chapter 5233 Extreme Luxury

When Long Chen and the others entered the golden chariot, they found that its interior was as big as a small continent, complete with small-scale cultivation grounds. There were even training rooms, forging rooms, alchemy rooms, and countless other facilities.

Every single part of the chariot was extremely luxurious. As Long Chen and the others walked in, they felt like beggars stumbling into a palace.

“This is way too extravagant!” Gu Yang exclaimed upon seeing a palace decked in dazzling gold and jade.

Nodding, Guo Ran started to explain. “It is a bit much. Dean Chengkong told me that when they were trapped in the minor world, they lost their sense of danger and began indulging in luxuries. The dean who started this project ordered the creation of a battle chariot, unlike anything ever seen before.

“This chariot’s combat power is unmatched, but its extravagance is equally unprecedented. Every single craftsman of the academy worked together to forge it, spending over three thousand years, yet it remained incomplete. Then the academy fell into chaos, and many craftsmen died, including those responsible for its construction.

“Without the core craftsmen, the academy couldn’t finish it. The blueprints for this chariot also disappeared. If they wanted to continue this project, they would need the complete blueprints. Otherwise, they would have to tear down the chariot and rebuild it from scratch. Only then was there a chance of restoring the blueprints.

“Furthermore, it was only a chance. No one dared to say that they could tear down the chariot and manage to rebuild it. After all, this chariot is one-of-a-kind, not some kind of toy blocks. Many parts would become unusable once disassembled. In the end, it would be even more laborious than creating a new chariot from scratch. As a result, this chariot was shelved for many years.

“After a few twists and turns, the blueprints eventually resurfaced, but by then, hundreds of thousands of years had passed. The craftsmen capable of making Human Emperor divine weapons were long gone, and the inheritance of their craft was almost completely severed.

“As they were trapped in the minor world, their weapons were rarely damaged, and they never needed more. The weapons in the treasury were enough for them to use. Thus, the forgers were not viewed as important by the academy and slowly vanished.”

Due to this decline, the academy no longer had use for the chariot, so Guo Ran managed to obtain the unfinished project and its blueprints. As there were no longer experts capable of using the divine materials, Guo Ran took the chariot to study its immense potential with Xia Chen. Though it was still a rough creation, they believed it could be completed, and they could fully unleash its potential.

Everyone was excited as they explored the war chariot. They found it had two states: a travel mode and a combat mode. However, the driving mechanisms had yet to be completed, so it couldn’t fly on its own. In combat mode, the chariot could take on seven different forms, each more terrifying than the last. It was capable of both offense and defense and even had an emergency escape mechanism against stronger foes.

As Guo Ran explained the chariot’s functions, even Long Chen was left in awe. The first academy really had too much money. This was absurdly extravagant.

The chariot contained tens of thousands of rooms, each equipped with formations that allowed them to see the scenery passing by. Of course, there was also the absolute best room, specifically reserved for the dean. Long Chen and Bai Shishi naturally took that room.

Upon entering, Long Chen was shocked once again. This room was enormous, and whatever function one could imagine was set up in this place.

From inside the chariot, it seemed like Gold Rhino was moving at a slow pace, but the scenery blurred past them, much faster than their previous flying boat, yet far more comfortable and stable.

“I’m really benefiting from being with you. This chariot is more luxurious than anything I’ve ever seen,” said Bai Shishi as she watched the landscape flash by. Every object in the room was a finely crafted treasure, and she couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

Long Chen chuckled, “It’s precisely this kind of luxury that caused the academy’s decline. Crisis creates experts. Those experts forge peace, which leads to luxury, and then that luxury inevitably brings about another crisis. It’s a never-ending cycle that no one can escape.”

Bai Shishi was briefly stunned but then nodded, admiring Long Chen’s insight. Even something casual that came out of his mouth was thought-provoking. He was always able to see what was beyond the obvious. Bai Shishi had never seen someone else with this kind of sharp vision and judgment. Thinking of it, Bai Shishi slowly smiled bitterly. Perhaps this was what attracted her to Long Chen. No matter where he went, no matter what kind of genius he encountered, no one could dim Long Chen’s unique brilliance.

“Shishi, your move earlier was amazing,” praised Long Chen, recalling her powerful sword strike.

Bai Shishi smiled brightly. “Getting injured last time wasn’t all bad. You once told me that only when someone is close to death can they truly understand the essence of life. That experience triggered my life’s instincts, allowing me to grow stronger.”

“In truth, I’d rather you didn’t get stronger that way. When you were stabbed by that sword, it hurt me more than if I’d been stabbed a thousand times,” Long Chen said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Bai Shishi’s heart softened as she gazed into his eyes. Seeing his genuine concern made her feel that even dying for him would be worth it.

“Shishi, you haven’t fully recovered yet. You should rest. There might be a big battle when we reach the Dragon Domain,” Long Chen advised gently.

“Didn’t you say that the white dragon race was there? Shouldn’t things go smoothly?” said Bai Shishi.

“I think the situation has changed. I saw something bad from Gold Rhino,” said Long Chen solemnly.

Bai Shishi nodded in understanding and obediently sat in a healing formation to recuperate.

After taking a deep breath, Long Chen muttered, “I should also continue comprehending the Eight Star Battle Armor!”

Long Chen then consumed some pills and entered seclusion as well, preparing for the battle that awaited them in the Dragon Domain.