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Chapter Thirty: Anomaly
writer:无罪      update:2022-07-21 15:26
  Many grandmasters were stopped in the air, silently watching the twister of spiraling night demon apes below. Their senses were focused on the Donghu monk.

  This monk from Donghu was the only person in the world who could face Emperor Yuanwu head on. While he was in meditation with his eyes closed, if they came down and attacked, he had the ability to kill them the moment he opened his eyes.

  One would need many years of hard work to become a grandmaster. Even though such people were not lacking in the great battles of history, the grandmasters greatly cared for their own lives. Without a reason to seek death, no one would easily risk themselves.

  As time passed, they looked at the old monk below with more and more puzzlement.

  The night demon apes were much stronger than ordinary beasts. Their attacks were as fast as lightning, and their flying unpredictable. They were even able to quickly dodge and change their paths in a small space.

  They saw Zhangsun Qianxue coldly use her sword and kill these beasts with ease, but they, also realm seven cultivators, knew that the ease was just the appearance. They were even able to sense, like they were right there, each muscle in her sword wielding arm start to feel sore, in pain, and stiff.

  Zhangsun Qianxue’s face was very pale. She broke a pill bottle with her left hand, and swallowed a white pill. A lively presence quickly spread from her abdomen through her body.

  This presence accelerated the heart rate of many of the grandmasters waiting in the high.

  This was the “Energy Return Pill.”


  This was a pill medicine made from dozens of precious spirit medicines. A dozen of the medicines came from overseas, and many were extinct. Such a pill had astounding healing and energy restoring ability for a cultivator. Even a decade ago in Changling, there had just been a few, belonging to the imperial house and the strongest of the old nobility.

  She was the legendary Eldest Miss Gongsun. It was not shocking that she possessed such a divine pill medicine. Having taken out such a pill meant the other was pressed to her limits.

  Flee or attack. At this time, the Donghu monk was still meditating and resting. What kind of time is he waiting for? These grandmasters could not understand.

  Fu Su’s face was paler than Zhangsun Qianxue’s. One, it was because of his wounds. Two, it was because such simple and repeated bloody slaughter made him feel an urge to vomit, and he could not breathe easily.

  The flesh and limbs of the night demon apes started to pile up, the sticky blood rising to the level of the shoes. Soon, he was unconsciously standing on top of the sliced night demon ape limbs. These relatively undamaged limbs piled up below him, Ding Ning and the others.

  The Donghu monk was still like a statue, unconscious of the outside world. The limbs even piled up to his waist, and was slowly going to drown him.

  “You probably never have gone to Jiaodong Commandery before.”


  What confused these grandmasters was that in such a situation, when more people or armies about to kill him could arrive at any moment, Ding Ning still maintained his calm. Right now, Ding Ning looked at Fu Su who was paler than Zhangsun Qianxue and asked quietly, “How much do you know about Jiaodong Commandery?”


  Fu Su suppressed the urge to vomit and said, “What do you mean?”


  “There are too many night demon apes. At the start, I thought it would be hard if there was a third of this number,” Ding Ning said simply. “The night demon apes can only survive on some special ocean islands. Jiaodong Commandery relies on addictive medicines to tame them, but usually, these apes live on the islands. More importantly, these night demon apes do not feed on the food from the ocean. Since ancient times, their preferred food has been the people on the islands and the people who fish on the oceans.”


  After a pause, Ding Ning looked at Fu Su who seemed to have thought of something, and then said, “After the multiple cleansings of the Qin Dynasty, or rather, Jiaodong Commandery, there are not many people to start with. Especially, when many of the island countries have become vassals of Jiaodong Commandery, they cannot be feeding grounds for the night demon apes.”


  “Do not say it tactfully, one of the reasons Zheng Xiu is called cruel and cold is because Jiaodong Commandery frequently sends prisoners to feed the beasts,” as Zhangsun Qianxue swung her sword, she said coldly with scorn. “But so many night demon apes, how can the prisoners of Jiaodong Commandery’s death row be enough to feed them?”


  Fu Su took a deep breath and gritted out, “Why should I believe your words?”


  Ding Ning smiled faintly and did not say anything. A lifebond sword energy naturally flowed out of his hand.

  The Great Punishment Sword appeared in his hand with a presence that terrified even the night demon apes. Then he put the edge of the blade on Fu Su’s neck in an even more natural manner. The rippling sword energies from the blade cut faint blood lines on his skin.

  Fu Su suddenly stopped breathing and looked at Ding Ning. “What are you doing?”


  The grandmasters in the sky felt cold rise and were disturbed.

  “Since your mother sent these night demon apes, then I want to see her intentions. Between killing her enemy and the life and death of her son, which will be more important.” Ding Ning looked up and said expressionlessly in a cold voice, “Have these night demon apes leave, or I will kill him.”


  “You……” Fu Su trembled over in fury, and could not even say the words shameless.

  “Do not suspect my resolve,” Ding Ning kept on looking up and said slowly.

  “How could she know that something like this will occur?” Fu Su shouted. “The things happening here will not reach Changling no matter how fast. Even if you do this, how can you see her intentions!”


  “If something is more important than even the war, the information will be transmitted faster than you can imagine,” Ding Ning said calmly. “Even more importantly, from the reactions of her subordinates, it is possible to see her intentions most of the time. Their speculation of her intentions can represent many things.”


  The fires of anger started to flash in the eyes of the many grandmasters in the sky.

  “You are really that person?” One grandmaster could not help but say coldly, “I do not believe that if you are that person, you will use such lowly tactics.”


  Hearing this voice, Ding Ning smiled with scorn. “You really believe that a person can be reborn after dying?”


  Many grandmasters stilled.

  After a while, that grandmaster continued speaking. “But since the Holy One said so today, I fear that most cultivators in the world will think that you are that person reborn. Your words and actions represent that person, and the Ba Mountain Sword Field. If your conduct is shameless and despicable, will many people still follow you like before, and follow the Ba Mountain Sword Field?”


  “Each person likes a different flower,” Ding Ning said calmly. “You say shameless and despicable. Maybe others will feel that this is smart. You know, back then when that person fought to the death in Changling, many people felt that he was very stupid and foolish.”


  The grandmasters were silent. They were unable to argue back.

  Ding Ning stopped looking in their direction and just at his blade.

  Beads of blood appeared on the edge of his blade. Many furious howls rang through the air. The night demon apes suddenly scattered in terror, like pillars of black smoke rising up.

  “I just do not understand, since you are going to use such shameless tactics, why did you not use them earlier, and waited until now to use them,” Fu Su looked into Ding Ning’s eyes and shouted in fury, feeling the threads of pain from his neck.

  Volume 4 30 - Old Matters, I Did Not Kill You

  Because Zhang Yi’s sword was so bright and clear, when it appeared in everyone’s sight, it appeared to be made from the most perfect jade in the world. But when the first line of light made contact with his sword, and the light dimmed, it was like a mark had been etched onto his sword. The mark revealed the original stone color, and the lingering energies fell like dust from cut stone. As more glowing lines of light collided with his little sword, the glowing sword grew dimmer as though it was turning back from jade to stone.

  Yet no one scolded Zhang Yi right now.

  Even Murong Xiaoyi was looking at Zhang Yi and his sword with shock and even awe. Even she could sense his sword …… this stab was very strong.

  She sensed the profound seal essence but could not understand. She could notunderstand how Zhang Yi’s sword was stabbed forward without any technique, but still could met every line of light coming at him.

  She could not understand yet Le Yi from Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect could.

  Because Zhang Yi’s sword essence seemed to cover the entire world. His thoughts and sword essence were all straight, yet they managed to forcibly change the flow and rules of primal energies of the universe in this area.His body and his sword also gave off a presence he was familiar with.

  So as Zhang Yi’s sword slowed and grew dimmer, changing back into an ordinary stone sword, his expression grew more serious. The power accumulated in his body surged forward without reservation into the glowing lights.

  Zhang Yi’s expression did not change. His stone sword grew dimmer, but in his perception, the light in his energy sea grew brighter and hotter.

  Following his thoughts, the light filling his energy sea flowed out along his meridians and surged into his stone sword. His dim stone sword lit up again.

  The heavy atmosphere was dissipated by waves of gasps. Many people stopped breathing and looked in disbelief at Zhang Yi’s sword.

  In their senses, what Zhang Yi gave off now was not vital energy but seals. To their incomprehension, these seals were unlike ordinary true seals that would only display their destructive power after being activated by vital energy.

  The seals coming off Zhang Yi’s body were themselves power directly channeled into the sword! The almost still stone sword continued to shine and then advanced!

  Le Yi took a deep breath and looked in admiration at Zhang Yi and his sword. He admired not just because Zhang Yi could comprehend such seal essences and produce such a powerful blow. He could not imagine him creating such a powerful attack while maintaining his posture in the face of the scorn of his classmates.

  He knew that right now, he and Zhang Yi were competing purely in cultivation and resolve. So he did not hold back at all. All the glowing lines coming off his body flew towards the other against the incoming sword.

  Zhang Yi’s sword immediately produced dust and smoke. His arm and entire body trembled fiercely. As he instinctively pondered if his body could tolerate this, blood already spilled from his lips.

  The light in his stone sword immediately disappeared. All the grand appearances immediately returned to earth. His sword turned into an ordinary and small stone sword.

  Ahead of the sword were multiple lines of light. In everyone’s imagination, if this sword advanced, this sword would be cut, and Zhang Yi would endure unimaginable injury.

  Yet Zhang Yi did not retreat.

  To him, both Min Mountain Sword Sect’s sword essence and the seal essence he comprehended at Celestial Seal Sect were material things he could use. But his sword and his resolve were himself and his life.

  He decisively stabbed towards the last few lines of light. Enormous forces cut on the stone sword in his hand.

  Multiple clouds of dust rose. Everyone stopped breathing when no mark was left on this ordinary looking sword.

  Zhang Yi’s body shook multiple times and he vomited blood, his boots split open, feet rubbed against the gravel on the ground and created a bloody mist. But at the same time, a wave of pleasure formed within him.

  The sword essence of his attack was finally at ease, and the material item became bonded to him. In this breath, his life connected with the sword in hand.

  This sword finally turned from Xue Wangxu’s sword to his sword. Piety, respect, nostalgia, protection, inheritance …… all kinds of strong emotions turned this sword into his. A powerful and new presence rippled from the blade.

  At this time, the pair of old eyes watching Zhang Yi from high up in the mountain finally filled with emotion and admiration. Some sincere sighs also sounded left and right of the owner of these eyes.

  The sword essence of Min Mountain Sword Sect, the seal path moves of Celestial Seal Sect, the sword of White Goat Cave. They merged into one on this humble youth.

  The sky above Le Yi’s head split apart, turning into countless yellow streams of energy moving outwards.

  He could not stand upright and fell to the ground. All of the injuries he had endured in consecutive battles erupted out now. He sprayed a mouthful of blood which appeared bright in the falling sunlight.

  Zhang Yi’s sword continued to advance, flicking upwards like a curved goat’s horn flicking up in front of Le Yi. The sword light left clear marks in the air.

  Zhang Yi put his sword away and looked apologetically at Le Yi on the ground.

  Le Yi felt sorrow, but seeing Zhang Yi who also was covered in blood, his gaze was respectful.

  “I ……” He prepared to admit defeat, convinced.

  When he said the first word, Murong Xiaoyi and all of Zhang Yi’s classmates had very complicated emotions.

  Murong Xiaoyi looked unblinkingly at Zhang Yi. She was filled with shock and felt ashamed thinking of her previous attitude towards him.

  “I forfeit.”


  To everyone’s surprise, Zhang Yi spoke before Le Yi and said, “I lost …… much of my attack did not originate from Celestial Seal Sect.”


  Complete uproar!

  Murong Xiaoyi’s eyes were wide. She could not speak and did not know what to say.

  Just now, Zhang Yi was undoubtedly Celestial Seal Sect’s hero. If he stood there and accepted the forfeit, he would be the hero of Celestial Seal Sect and the target of admiration from all young students. Including her!

  If Celestial Seal Sect lost, they had to give up their sect. But now, Zhang Yi had forfeited. She could not understand but for some reason, she did not hate Zhang Yi right now. A strange feeling spread through her body.

  Le Yi stilled. He had been interrupted from what he wanted to say. His expression turned serious.

  He stood up and looked gravely at Zhang Yi, saying, “Winning is winning, losing is losing. Regardless of your attack, you come from Celestial Seal Sect so you are a disciple of Celestial Seal Sect. So …… I still admit defeat.”


  The noise in the surroundings disappeared immediately. Many Celestial Seal Sect students, especially Zhang Yi’s classmates, felt great guilt. They thought unconsciously, from when they had seen him, they had felt natural repulsion and never looked at him like he was a Celestial Seal Sect disciple like them.

  Zhang Yi looked at Le Yi and felt great respect. He also did not know what to say.

  At this time, an aged voice came from the mountain path. “None of you has lost.”


  Hearing this voice, Zhang Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief and he instinctively turned around.

  Volume 2 30 - A New Record

  This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.

  The sky dimmed slightly.

  On half the mountain, the primal energies of the universe and even the light was obscured and twisted by an invisible power.

  Pan Ruoye’s cold expression grew stronger.

  Threads of powerful primal energy and vital energy cut out of her body. While she could not move large amounts of primal energies from outside this mountain, her own body was like a mountain that contained endless primal energies.

  The falling leaves danced.

  The fight between the primal energies only gave off quiet sounds, but the tearing of real power caused all the green leaves in Ding Ning and Fu Su’s sight to fall off their branches and spin through the air.

  The spinning green leaves wove into countless curtains that obscured the world.

  "Why bother?"

  A cool voice came from a place on the mountain peak, passing through these numerous green curtains to reach the ears of Ding Ning and the others.

  "The Daoist Scroll has flowing clouds. The strongest of the Dao Scroll Sect is the essence of flowing wind. Today, I want to see it."

  Pan Ruoye, as a true grandmaster and one of the top people in the world, was able to suppress the other even through her aura while speaking. As Pan Ruoye looked up and spoke, a clear energy shot out of her body and stabbed into the sky right above her. Then she stretched her hand towards the mountain peak.

  There was a sudden explosion high above her head.

  A ray of bright light fell from the blue sky and shone on her body.

  Her entire body turned light gold.

  As the sunlight descended, there was an inundation of primal energy.

  The primal energy surged out of this sole opening, forming an enormous blue wave visible to the naked eye.

  At the same time, a small pure white sword flew out of her hand. The enormous blue wave surged into the small white sword.

  The sword immediately disappeared, leaving behind a straight path in the multiple green curtains.

  At this time on the mountain peak, underneath an ancient pine, sat a man in indigo robes.

  This man’s features showed him to be in his thirties, but his calm serene eyes seemed to contain an ocean accumulated over long times.

  When the path of light appeared through the multiple curtains of green, he pointed with his index and middle finger as he raised his eyebrows.

  As he pointed, the air in front of him seemed to become viscous. An item suddenly appeared, spinning furiously, unstoppable in its presence. This was Pan Ruoye’s small white sword.

  This indigo-robed grandmaster’s fingers turned transparent, even his blood vessels and bones disappearing. His fingers shone with glowing light.

  His fingertips were like the tips of the sword, accurately tapping the tip of the spinning white sword.

  The sword tip spun at his fingertips without leaving behind a mark. However, the piece of stone he was sitting under, reduced to fine powder.

  Cracks formed like a spiderweb on the ground underneath him, stretching further away.

  He looked up at the sky.

  The invisible curtain that had covered the entire mountain and blocked off the world had completely disappeared at this time.

  Some of the white cloud energies in the sky, in this instant, changed into enormous white seal scripts.

  Pan Ruoye took a deep breath. the small white sword that had been spinning at the fingertips of the indigo-robed grandmaster suddenly retreated along its original path.

  Being able to pull the sword back at such speeds showed that she was not using her full power, or she did not want to use her full power to deal with the counterattack the indigo-robed grandmaster would muster next.

  The indigo-robed grandmaster seemed to have understood something.

  He also took a deep breath, and frowned deeply.

  The white cloud energies in the sky remained condensed, giving off terrifying power but were just waiting.

  Then he stood up and slowly started to descend the mountain.

  The green leaves had all fallen down, and his figure quickly appeared in the line of sight of Ding Ning and the others.

  "Those skilled in offense lose to those good at defense. Those skilled at defense lose to those at hiding. I know who is able to hide from me. So Principal Mo of Changling has come in person." The indigo-robed grandmaster sighed softly as he saw Ding Ning and the others from a long ways off. He saw Mo Shoucheng next to Pan Ruoye and bowed. "Previously, I laughed it off, why should one bother, and felt that wasting energy to ascend the mountain was useless. But I have lost to Mister a move ago."

  "Mister, do not be so polite."

  Mo Shoucheng nodded and returned the greeting. "I have climbed many mountains in this lifetime, but never worked so hard like this one."

  Only when he said this did Fu Su notice he was covered in sweat.

  Fu Su finally realized. Previously, when climbing the mountain, Mo Shoucheng had not used vital energy at all and only relied on his body. While Mo Shoucheng was one of the people closest to realm eight, he was truly an old man, and naturally would be tired when climbing the mountain.

  The indigo-robed grandmaster thought for a moment and said, "Since this is the case, then I will bid farewell."

  Having spoken, he turned and left without dawdling.

  "This is the presence of a true grandmaster?

  Fu Su was filled with admiration, and felt that this person had an unspeakable presence in his actions. All these mountains did not seem as tall as the back of this grandmaster right now.

  "Not so simple," Ding Ning looked at him, shook his head and said softly.

  Mo Shoucheng looked at Ding Ning in praise and said, "It is not so simple."

  Fu Su looked with slight embarrassment at Mo Shoucheng and Ding Ning. Ding Ning did not waste time, and pointed at the enormous white cloud seals that still remained condensed.

  "When I read in the White Goat Cave library cave, those records said that cultivators above realm seven are storage vessels for primal energy. Yet, once the energy is used up, it is slow in being replenished. Especially when using some extremely powerful methods, it is not as simple as just using vital energy."

  Ding Ning said camly, "If this grandmaster had retreated before using this kind of seal, it would have been normal. Yet, he has formed these seals at great cost to his energy. Even if he just wanted to see Principal Mo’s tactics, he might have gleaned some understanding. But he left as such …… this means that he does not want to even take a single risk before the Deer Mountain Conference."

  Fu Su immediately understood something.

  "This kind of danger is within a controlled range. People like him usually will not give up a chance to fight." Pan Ruoye looked at the indigo-robed grandmaster disappearing into the distance and turned to look expressionlessly at Mo Shoucheng next to her. "I just don’t understand. The Dao Scroll Sect has always kept themselves separate from the dynasties of the world. They do not participate in any of the conflicts between dynasties and sects. Why has this successor from the Dao Scroll Sect broken precedent?"

  The Dao Scroll Sect was an extremely mysterious sect. While powerful, it did not involve itself in worldly affairs. Only cultivators such as her and Mo Shoucheng, who were extremely knowledgeable, would know of them. Even so, she and Mo Shoucheng did not know the name of the indigo-robed grandmaster.

  It was too difficult to predict the intentions of someone who was a complete stranger and left after one round of fighting. So her questions could not be answered.

  But Mo Shoucheng was no ordinary person.

  "His goal is Deer Mountain."

  Mo Shoucheng looked at her calmly and said, "This time, he has expended greatly but when he left, he tilted towards Deer Mountain. This goes to show that he thinks Deer Mountain is safer and he has connections to people on Deer Mountain."

  Pan Ruoye did not speak but a hint of coldness flashed through her eyes.

  With that, everything was clear.

  Only the Chu Dynasty was on Deer Mountain right now. Then this grandmaster from Dao Scroll Sect had a connection to someone from the Chu Dynasty on Deer Mountain.

  Mo Shoucheng closed his eyes slightly in tiredness and emitted a wave of energy.

  A small gust of wind blew by.

  They had spent a lot of time climbing up to the middle of the mountain. But with the passage of this gust of wind, in the span of a few breaths, Ding Ning and Fu Su came to the peak of the mountain with a complete change in scenery.

  An enormous procession slowly appeared on the plains on the side of Deer Mountain.

  This procession had over five thousand people, but from the peak, it was possible to see that only half of this procession was the army, and the other half were various officials and ceremonies.

  Numerous bright yellow banners and the golden dragons atop the canopies seemed tiny at such a great distance, but still evinced an astounding aura, as though they were about to fly.

  The head of this procession glittered with gold and was as bright as the sun.

  In the world, such pomp and circumstance would only occur when a son of Heaven was touring.

  After the king of Chu had ascended Deer Mountain, a second monarch had arrived.

  "You are right. The second to ascend Deer Mountain is the Yan Dynasty." Pan Ruoye was in a mystical state, as though she was turning to nothingness and absorbing the primal energies of the universe from afar. At the sight of the glittering procession, she glanced at Mo Shoucheng and sneered.

  "How were you able to guess the Yan will be the second to ascend?" This time, it was Ding Ning who asked proactively.

  "The Yan Dynasty is not weaker than the Chu Dynasty, but the king of Yan is the most cautious and indecisive. He will never want to be ahead of others. So while he has been ruling for many years, he is extremely conservative," Mo Shoucheng said patiently.

  Ding Ning asked, "Then what about the emperor of the Qi Dynasty?"

  Mo Shoucheng smiled faintly and said, "The emperor of the Qi Dynasty is the most shameless, no one can compare to him. But this is also his strength."

  Fu Su became curious. He couldn’t help but think of what other dynasties thought of his father-king. But when he thought of how this kind of question would be disrespectful towards his father, he smiled in self-disdain and abandoned his idea.

  His minute actions could not escape Mo Shouchengs’s eyes. Mo Shoucheng looked at the silent Ding Ning, and thought, a genius that grew up on the streets has seen more and matured earlier.

  Translator Ramblings: I’m not sure that "bright yellow" was the imperial color back in the Warring State. At the very least, when Qin unified, the imperial color was black, not bright yellow.

  Volume 5 30 - The Bells of Celestial Seal Sect

  Messages always took time to be delivered. In Changling, no one dared to stop the black messenger pigeons or black eagles flying out of the palace. But the writing of the secret notes, the transport, and the handling would all take more time.

  For example, the empress had anticipated the change in the Great Floating Water Prison but was defeated at the hands of the Nine Death Silkworm because of the time difference. One of the reasons for her madness was because she tasted the betrayal from those closest to her.

  It would take many days for events occurring in Changling to reach other dynasties.

  When the powerful forces came from the turrets and harvested the lives of many Changling cultivators, and then sent groups of cultivators to the Wuzhi border, the imperial capital of the distant Yan Dynasty finally learned what had happened many days ago in Changling.

  In a lecture hall of Celestial Seal Sect, Zhang Yi was sitting cross-legged on the last straw mat. He was used to the worst position. In any case, he could not understand most of the seal path truths that the Celestial Seal Sect teachers taught. If he could not keep up in one part, he could not keep up anywhere.

  He was used to the contemptuous gazes of his fellow students. These gazes were not just because of his terrible progress but because he came from Qin.

  After the Qin Dynasty started to destroy the Han, Zhao and Wei, the other dynasties in the world started to harbour great hostility towards Qin. Especially after the Deer Mountain Conference where the Qin Dynasty became the acknowledged enemy of all three dynasties.

  For the young people of the Yan Dynasty, even if this person could not stay in Qin and had to come to Yan, he was still from the Qin and could become their enemy in the future.

  Today, Zhang Yi felt that the gazes of his classmates towards him were different than usual. Even the teacher for this class was looking at him differently. He could not keep up, and turned anxious at his lack of understanding. He was even more confused about this class.

  As a result, when this teacher asked him a question that was simple for his classmates at the end of class, Zhang Yi still could not answer.

  Many people could not understand why Zhang Yi had been admitted to the sect. And this teacher was one such.

  He looked at the ashamed Zhang Yi and shook his head. He asked another question and said, “You cannot even answer such a simple question. Then do you know what your junior sect brother Ding Ning did in Changling?”


  Zhang Yi stilled. Then he stopped hanging his head in shame and looked up instinctively at the teacher, saying urgently, “My junior sect brother Ding Ning?”


  “His cultivation is realm five already. He is the fastest cultivator in history to reach realm five.”


  This Celestial Seal Sect teacher looked at Zhang Yi and said after a moment, “After he reached realm five, he challenged Palace Attendant Rong, one of the empress’ closest attendants, who is near the peak of realm six …… You must have met that palace attendant at the Min Mountain Sword Trials …… and he succeeded. In a fair duel, he killed that palace attendant.”


  The other students in this classroom clearly knew of this matter already. They looked at Zhang Yi, their gazes filled with more emotions. Upon hearing such words, Zhang Yi shook all over, even his lips started to tremble.

  “Teacher …… this ……” He was so overjoyed he could not even speak properly.

  “The heavenly mandate is in Changling, the top cultivation geniuses recognized in the world all come from Changling. But as another talent from White Goat Cave, the difference is so great. One is so hard to rival, the other is ……” Unable to contain his anger, the teacher swung his sleeve and left the classroom.

  The teacher managed to suppress his last nasty words, yet was there a difference if he did not speak?

  No one comforted Zhang Yi. Most people looked at Zhang Yi with more dislike.

  Zhang Yi seemed to feel no shame now, only joy and relief. It was someone else’s excellence, so what if that was his junior sect brother?

  A beautiful young woman stood up, looked in disgust at Zhang Yi and prepared to leave the classroom.

  This young woman was not the most exceptional among all students in the classroom, not the strongest in cultivation, and not the one with the best comprehension; but her status was the noblest. She was Murong Xiaoyi, and her youngest aunt was the present Yan empress.

  Among the kith and kin in the empress’ clan, she was most loved by the empress. In a certain way, she was no different from the Yan Dynasty princesses. Also, the empress of Yan only had three imperial sons and no daughter of her own. Because of her status, she was usually the one to leave immediately after the teacher, while the others followed.

  Her likes and dislikes would frequently affect the same emotions in other students of this group. When she started to walk and looked away from Zhang Yi, many other students also stood up and did not look at him.

  But then a clear bell rang out through the mountain.

  Murong Xiaoyi stilled. In her memories, she had almost never heard of such bell sounds.

  Those students who had left the classroom with her were also surprised. Soon, they got an answer from the teacher. Someone had charged into the mountain.

  Someone charging into a sect meant a public challenge. Yet this was Celestial Seal Sect, the strongest sect of the Yan Dynasty. Who had the daring …… who had the ability to challenge Celestial Seal Sect publicly.

  Without needing to ask more questions, people naturally started gathering in the direction the challenge was coming from.

  People from the Celestial Seal Sect streamed towards its entrance at the base of the mountain.

  Zhang Yi was at the end of this group just like how he was in class. He was overjoyed and shocked that his “little sect brother” dared to do such a thing. He was ecstatic that his “little sect brother” managed to accomplish such a thing. He felt proud of “Little Sect Brother” but not many felt his melancholy.

  This was the Yan. No one had seen with their eyes how Xue Wangxu had died before the Min Mountain Sword Trials so they could not understand his emotions.

  As he unconsciously followed to see the spectacle, he was still unable to pull himself out of his joy and sorrow. He was still thinking about how when he returned to Changling he would go and burn incense at Xue Wangxu’s grave. As well as …… when he could see his little sect brother again.

  A tide of gasps sounded at the gates and spread backwards.

  Zhang Yi suddenly woke up. Not far ahead of him, even Murong Xiaoyi had exclaimed in disbelief.

  No one had thought that the public challenger that many of Celestial Seal Sect’s teachers put such attention on was a youth about their age.

  This youth was not tall, and had ordinary features. His face was a little sallow like his usual days were hard.

  He wore ordinary blue cloth robes and black cloth shoes. He looked slightly restrained but was standing with determination at the gates of Celestial Seal Sect.

  “Who is he?”


  Murong Xiaoyi had extraordinary status, and naturally could not only befriend those who joined the sect at the same time.

  When she asked, a young Celestial Seal Sect cultivator who appeared to be a teacher already was standing next to her and answered softly, “A cultivator from the Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect.”


  “Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect?”


  Murong Xiaoyi and her good friends around her stilled when they heard the response. In their memory, this Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect was an unknown little sect.

  “Senior Sect Brother Feng Yu has already been seriously injured by one blow from him.”


  This young Celestial Seal Sect cultivator struggled to swallow and then said, “Yellow Heaven Doiast Sect and our Celestial Seal Sect have some grievances.”