In the secret chamber.

After slowly emerging from the rift in the Void, Chen Xiang immediately picked up his phone to check the surveillance installed in his room.

He quickly fast-forwarded through the footage and reviewed it completely but found no anomalies.

When did the First Generation take the visualization chart? When did he make the copy?

Chen Xiang's heart tightened. If it weren't for the protective time-loop runes engraved in the chamber, he would suspect that he was currently under the First Generation's watch...

He exhaled lightly.

Chen Xiang stored the printed visualization chart in the rift tattoo on his body, processing the information he had received in the council while sensing the blessings in his spiritual world.

In a hazy state, he transformed into an infinite shadow, once again looking down at the tiny soul of the ancient apostle under his command.

"Meng Tu."

The boundless shadow loomed over Meng Tu's spiritual world and spoke solemnly.

Meng Tu shivered suddenly, his soul prostrating in reverence:

"Master!"

The boundless shadow slightly nodded and issued a decree in a deep voice:

"You need to make a trip to the Great City. How long will it take?"

Without hesitation, Meng Tu replied:

"Master, my real identity is sensitive; I cannot go directly and must use official channels... It will take about ten to fifteen days."

Half a month, huh?

Chen Xiang silently calculated. No matter what the Void Cult was plotting, a span of half a month should be enough for Meng Tu to arrive.

He had once asked Little Wei about the status of ancient apostles.

Little Wei's response was that he didn't know, but the hard condition for ancient apostles was to step into the level of"Celestial Messenger."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Xiang, as an infinite shadow, nodded:

"Be quick. There will be changes in the Great City; inform me upon your arrival."

"Yes, Master."Meng Tu's soul remained prostrate, not daring to raise his head or directly gaze at the shadow. He stayed in that position for a long time until the boundless shadow withdrew like a receding tide.

...

The next morning.

"Good morning, Eight-Ring News!"

"There aren't any major headlines today. If I had to mention something, the Foreign Affairs Office just reported a new piece of news: the Third Duke of the White Star Kingdom will be visiting soon…"

"Hey, speaking of which, our Sixth Prince from Donghong has been out of touch, which is quite concerning…"

As Chen Xiang listened to the red-haired host's fluctuating voice, he hurriedly washed up. He had spent the night in the secret chamber without returning home.

"All in all, today will be another beautiful day!"

"Good morning! Welcome to the Great City!"

Following the sound, Chen Xiang hurried to school. The road was not crowded, and there were even fewer cars. The sun was exceptionally harsh, even though it was only nine o'clock...

Upon arriving at the school and entering the office, Chen Xiang heard a chaotic noise.

"Teacher Li! Pick me, pick me! I'm almost a master of the Mystic Arts!"

"Choose me! Teacher Li, my family has extraordinary items!"

"Me, me, me..."

Several students surrounded the girl who had been frightened to tears by Chen Xiang previously, all vying for something.

"What's this about?"

Chen Xiang sat at his desk and curiously asked the middle-aged woman not far away:

"Assistant Wang, what's going on?"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Oh!"

The middle-aged woman smiled:

"Don't you know, Assistant Chen? The department just issued a notice that every practical assistant must take three first-year or second-year students to the Nine Rings for training around mid-month…"

After a pause, she gestured towards the girl surrounded by students, who looked helpless:

"Teacher Li is from the Nine Rings. Her family has heard that she's considered a local powerhouse there, so…"

Chen Xiang suddenly understood; so that was what it was about.

Thinking for a moment, he asked curiously:

"Aren't there only about thirty practical assistants? How can we take a hundred students?"

"Yes, exactly. So the students going are all top-notch. The department values this training greatly, and the students do too... They've already ranked us in private!"

"How so?"

"The Nine Rings are dangerous. Being with a powerful or well-connected assistant is relatively safe and likely to gain resources... The rewards for the top three in training are quite generous!"

Chen Xiang understood completely and smiled as he asked:

"So how do the students rank us?"

"Um…"

Assistant Wang chuckled awkwardly:

"Those with connections like Teacher Li or those approaching extraordinary realms, of course, are in the top tier, while those like us…"

She shrugged:

"Are naturally at the bottom, so the students don't want to choose us."

Chen Xiang shook his head with a smile, but his expression turned serious. It wasn't just about being disliked by students; he was worried about what might happen during this trip to the Nine Rings...

There would definitely be unforeseen events.

Preparation was essential.

...

In the afternoon.

The academy ultimately decided to use a lottery system to determine the groupings.

In the auditorium, as the lottery took place, the students were buzzing with discussion.

"Damn, Old Lu is really lucky; he got Assistant Li. Tsk, tsk, Assistant Li's grandfather is a big shot in the Nine Rings, so Old Lu's in for an easy ride..."

"I see that the slots for Assistant Li and Assistant Xiang are already filled. What bad luck. I wonder who I'll end up with."

"I feel like the remaining assistants are all about the same, right?"

"Who told you that? Take the famous Chen Warrior, for example. Didn't you see how much he knew during class? When he first started, he recklessly touched the black flame with his bare hands!"

In the corner of the auditorium, watching the students draw lots and listening to their chatter, Chen Xiang yawned.

"Hey!"

A crisp, bell-like voice broke through. Wei Qingqiu had appeared next to Chen Xiang without him noticing:

"Old Chen, your reputation isn't too great."

Chen Xiang shrugged:

"I didn't do anything."

"Exactly! Who told you to do nothing?"Wei Qingqiu teased."Now everyone's calling you the ninth-tier assistant!"

Chen Xiang chuckled, shaking his head:

"Are you going to the Nine Rings?"

"Of course. I've already drawn my lot. How about you?"

"What a coincidence?" Chen Xiang was a bit surprised.

"Not really."

Wei Qingqiu glanced around before lowering her voice:

"I made a little adjustment… the Nine Rings aren't exactly peaceful!"

Chen Xiang's expression turned serious:

"I know. The director of the Orphanage of Happiness is going too... They might have some plans."

"Don't worry."

Wei Qingqiu smiled:

"I'll let you in on a secret: our boss is coming!"

Chen Xiang's heart stirred:

"You can directly contact the higher-ups?"

"Duh!" Wei Qingqiu rolled her eyes dramatically. "It's my extraordinary item..."

Seeing someone approaching, she abruptly stopped talking.

Chen Xiang looked up to see two chubby twin boys, their faces full of worry and exhaustion.

The one on the left sighed deeply and introduced himself:

"Teacher Chen, I'm Yuan Wanli."

The one on the right, looking dazed, added:

"Teacher Chen, I'm Yuan Qianli."

The two brothers exchanged glances and said in unison:

"We both drew you!"

"Qianli, Wanli…" Chen Xiang nodded slightly. "Nice names."

After a pause, he joked:

"So, drawing me, the ninth-tier warrior, is making you feel this bad?"

"Not really…"

"You're joking…"

The two chubby boys said this but their gloomy expressions made Chen Xiang chuckle.

"Alright, the training starts next Friday; you have seven days to prepare. The Nine Rings are quite chaotic right now..."

The boys nodded heavily, their faces showing a sense of resignation.

Yuan Wanli hesitantly said:

"Teacher Chen... how's your relationship with Teacher Li? Maybe you could say a word so we can team up with her. It'd be safer to look out for each other..."

He pointed at the girl who had previously been scared to tears by Chen Xiang.

Yuan Qianli nodded in agreement:

"Yeah, yeah, Teacher Chen, you could ask! We're the best at being shameless!"

Chen Xiang found it amusing:

"If you think it'll work, go ahead and try. I have no objections..."

"Got it!"

"The warrior is wise!"

The two boys beamed and hurried toward the girl.

Chen Xiang shook his head, not lingering any longer. He chatted with Wei Qingqiu as they left the auditorium.

He had matters to attend to.

...

"Hello, I'd like to rent an airship... for use in the Nine Rings."

The young man shrouded in a black hood, obscuring his face, spoke in a low voice:

"What's the total cost for the rental and the application to the air traffic authority?"

The staff member was a bit surprised and thought for a moment before responding:

"The normal price is thirty thousand for five days, but if you're renting for the Nine Rings, it'll double... It's just too chaotic there, and we have to get high insurance for the airship in case it gets hit by a rocket..."

"Alright, cash payment."

Chen Xiang, wearing the shadowy hood, opened his suitcase:

"Here's two hundred thousand. I'll rent it for fifteen days. Please adjust the airship to install a few large-caliber light expansion devices."

"No problem." The staff member readily agreed. "May I have your name? When do you need it?"

Chen Xiang thought for a moment before saying:

"My name is Wu Shangping... I'll need the airship from the 15th until the end of the month."

"Okay!"

After completing the paperwork and signing the contract, Chen Xiang left the rental office. Once he reached a secluded spot, he tapped the rift tattoo on his wrist and said quietly:

"In a few days, I'll let you experience the airship."

"Huh?" The mirror was a bit confused.

Chen Xiang smiled:

"At five thousand meters high, your light should be able to illuminate one or two large areas in the Nine Rings, right?"

The mirror thought for a moment and replied:

"Yes, I can do that."

"Good... Remember, if the time comes to use your power, do not awaken any spirits three levels higher than me without my command."

After a pause, Chen Xiang muttered to himself:

"I hope it doesn't come to that... an airship that awakens countless spirits... Let's call it the Terrifying Airship Plan. Sounds good, right?"

"In response, it sounds terrible."

Chen Xiang chuckled and shook his head, then adjusted his hood and merged into the shadows, suddenly vanishing from sight.

He had run out of savings and needed to find some resources.