Chapter 104: The Guiding Star
Loud chatter echoed across the grand coliseum, rolling like thunder from every corner.
The excitement was palpable.
Everyone, from commoners to nobles, from martial artists to scholars, was talking about a single event.
The open lecture, hosted by Jun Wu.
Almost all the powerful forces in the Soaring Cloud Region had gathered today.
It was a spectacle without precedent.
Over the centuries, the land had seen countless famous figures, masters who left their names etched into history, and scholars who advanced knowledge by leaps and bounds.
Yet, despite their prestige, none of them had ever gathered hundreds of thousands of people for the simple act of listening to them speak.
Today, Jun Wu would be the first.
In the VIP section of the coliseum, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.
The Vice Dean of the Mystic Path Academy sat quietly, his sharp gaze fixed on the stage below.
Beside him was the Vice Dean of Frostwind Academy, equally reserved, as though concealing her thoughts.
Next to them sat two elders from the Jun clan, their plain gray robes giving them the appearance of ordinary men.
Inches away, the elders of the Gong clan sat stiffly, their faces carved from stone.
They betrayed neither anger nor calm, as if they were determined not to reveal their true emotions in such a public setting.
Behind them, two other distinguished figures occupied their seats—the presidents of the Array Association from both Mystic City and Frostwind City.
Further back still sat the clan masters of various powerful houses in the Soaring Cloud Region, each vying silently for influence, their gazes darting like hawks assessing prey.
Despite the chatter in the stands, the chamber where these elites sat was quiet.
Every eye was waiting, every heart braced for the appearance of Jun Wu.
Among the audience, the tension was no less fierce.
The younger generation of both the Gong clan and Jun clan wore equally unsightly expressions.
For once, the two rival clans shared the same enemy.
Their common resentment was focused on one name—Jun Wu.
At the Mystic Path Academy’s seating area, many students simmered with anger.
To them, Jun Wu was an arrogant brat, someone who dared to step beyond his place.
Yet mixed among them were others whose eyes gleamed not with hatred but with curiosity.
They were eager to see whether the rumors about his talent were true.
Meanwhile, at the Frostwind Academy’s section, the mood was very different.
The students there sat in disciplined silence, their expressions blank and unreadable.
But among them, one middle-aged man stood out.
His brows were tightly knitted, and his sharp eyes gleamed like those of a vulture circling its prey.
He seemed ready to pounce at the slightest opportunity.
Elsewhere among the sea of people, a cloaked figure moved silently. Mei Ling had concealed her identity beneath a plain hood.
She had traveled to Mystic City without anyone knowing, attending the lecture was to satiate the curiosity in her heart.
Her main purpose was the ruin map.
A few seats from her, an elderly man sat with a complicated expression etched on his face.
He was Elder Shi from Silver Star City, a Grade-1 Array Master of considerable renown.
He had looked down on Jun Wu, condemning him that he would never become an array master.
And now, here he was, seated among the crowd, waiting to listen to Jun Wu’s lecture.
Elder Shi let out a long sigh and shook his head.
"As long as I stay hidden in this crowd," he muttered to himself, "he’ll never know I attended."
Around him, the noise in the stadium began to dim.
With each passing second, people realized the time was drawing near. The restless murmur quieted into anticipation.
Beneath the stadium, a secret underground passage stirred with movement. Jun Wu and his people had arrived.
When the elders guarding the entrance saw him, relief washed across their faces.
His absence for even a moment had made them panic, but now... now the guiding figure of today stood before them.
"Welcome, Young Master," Elder Shen said, her voice bright with a smile.
"Hope I’m not late?" Jun Wu asked with a faint smile.
"Hahaha, Young Master, you jest!" Elder Kang replied warmly. "You are the teacher for today. How could you possibly be late?"
The few remaining elders nodded in agreement, their faces shining with pride.
Jun Wu’s gaze softened.
He turned to Xinyue, who stood beside him, and spoke in a tone that was both gentle and commanding. "I trust there is a special place reserved for them?"
Though it sounded like a question, it was clear it was not.
The elders immediately caught the meaning.
"Of course, Young Master," Elder Shen answered quickly. "A special seat has already been prepared."
"Good." Jun Wu nodded. "I’ll see you after the lecture."
Xinyue hesitated.
She wanted to say something—perhaps a word of encouragement, perhaps a plea for him to be careful but she was too shy to speak.
Instead, she gave a small nod and allowed herself to be led away to join the audience.
Jun Wu turned back to the elders.
His eyes gleamed with quiet confidence. "Shall we begin?"
At his words, Elder Shen and Elder Kang exchanged glances. Their smiles grew wider, filled with a pride that bordered on reverence.
"Yes, Young Master," they said in unison. "Today, you are going to make history."
Others might still doubt Jun Wu’s mastery over array formations, but these elders knew better.
They had seen his genius firsthand.
Together, Elder Shen and Elder Kang ascended to the center of the stadium through the underground passage.
Their sudden appearance drew silence from the crowd.
Instantly, thousands of eyes turned toward them.
Elder Shen raised her hand, her voice ringing out with a clarity that carried to every corner of the arena.
"We welcome everyone to the first-ever open lecture in our region!"
Her words were greeted with an uproar of cheers, but she lifted her hand once again, calling for quiet.
"We all know that without knowledge, our civilization cannot prosper. That is why the sharing of knowledge is essential. For far too long, countless people have struggled in darkness, with no guidance and no clear path forward."
Elder Kang stepped forward, his tone solemn.
"Every profession is vast and difficult to tread alone. Without teachers, without guidance, too many lives have been lost to ignorance. Too many dreams extinguished before they could shine."
"But now," Elder Shen continued, her voice rising with passion, "things are about to change."
"Yes," Elder Kang nodded. "Today marks a turning point."
"Indeed." Elder Shen’s eyes swept across the excited crowd.
"A person has stepped forward, a young man willing to bear the torch. To be a light in the darkness. To be a guiding star so that we need not lose ourselves ever again."
"You all know his name," she declared. "And if you do not, then you have surely heard of his works. And if not even that, then you must have heard whispers of the famous Array Plates he created."
Her voice rose an octave, carrying with electrifying force. "An invention that has changed how we perceive the world around us!"
"The Array Plates redefined our understanding of arrays, breaking barriers we thought immovable. They proved that our limitations were never fixed—they were merely waiting for someone bold enough to overcome them."
"Many of you came here today with burning questions in your hearts," Elder Kang added, his tone deep and commanding.
"Questions born from your thirst for knowledge, your desire for guidance. And that is why we are honored to invite this young and talented master to speak before us."
Elder Shen’s voice rang out, filled with energy so fierce it set the crowd ablaze with anticipation.
"Everyone...let us welcome Young Master Jun Wu!"