AGM 196 - Diyi
Qin Wentian silently hovered there in the skies. There was no change in his expression as though the death of Sikong Mingyue was something insignificant.
The disparity between the two of them was too wide. Back when they were at the Arterial Circulation Realm, during the group battle of five versus five between both their academies, the Sikong Mingyue back then wasn’t able to withstand a single blow. It was the same now as well.
Not only that, Qin Wentian didn’t even bother to release his Astral Souls. Many people were silently speculating in their hearts, that if the Astral Souls Sikong Mingyue had condensed were from the 3rd Heavenly Layer, 3rd Heavenly Layer and 4th Heavenly Layer respectively, what about Qin Wentian? Previously, his first two Astral Souls were condensed from the 3rd Heavenly Layer and 4th Heavenly Layer. How about his third? (Author: Don’t forget that it’s still not revealed that QW condensed his first two Astral Souls from the 5th Heavenly Layer.)
Breaking through to Yuanfu meant that Qin Wentian had already embarked on the path of truly powerful experts. From this moment onwards, no longer would anyone dare to belittle this wayward youth, one that used to be met with contempt and disdain back then.
At this moment, in the air space above the Emperor Star Academy, stood the Headmaster of the academy, Diyi.
From his position, he could clearly view the situation over at Sake Street. He also saw how easily Qin Wentian defeated Sikong Mingyue. However at this moment, Diyi’s heart was full of endless complications.
Turning, he glanced at the young maiden standing behind him. She was cloaked in a pure and clean feather coat, with a veil obscuring her features. The fine strands of her long hair gently danced about in the wind, as her exquisite figure alone was sufficient to drive people mad with lust. She stood casually, yet gave the impression that merely speaking to her would be an act of blasphemy.
Diyi discovered long ago the existence of this maiden. She should have secretly followed Qin Wentian upon his return. Upon seeing her, Diyi understood that these past 3,000 years of waiting, tasked with the mission of each successive generation of headmasters, that time had finally came to an end.
“In the future, I shall temporarily leave him in your care.” Diyi spoke to the young maiden.
Qing`er was still as expressionless as before; cool, aloof and indifferent as if her appearance and demeanor would remain so forever.
“Okay.” Lightly nodding her head, her reply was only a single word. She had always treated words like they were made of gold and therefore was a person who spoke little. Yet her simple replies gave people a feeling of reassurance.
As though once she had said it, she would definitely accomplish it.
“Foster father.” On the ground, Ren Qianxing called out with reddened eyes, looking at Diyi. “Does it really have to be like this?”
Diyi slowly shifted his gaze downwards, looking at Ren Qianxing with a gentle smile in his eyes. He suddenly recalled many things from the past, how his character was like when he was younger - wild, arrogant, unrestrained and frivolous. Back then, he listened to the instructions of his elders and unwillingly came to the Emperor Star Academy. It wasn’t until he became the headmaster that he understood the importance of his mission.
The reserves of the Azure Faction had never once ‘openly’ appeared within the Azure Emperor Palace, with only a select few aware of their existence. There was only the mission handed down to them throughout each successive generation – Either they obtain the Azure Emperor’s inheritance or, failing to do so, they had to become its guardian, waiting for the successor to appear.
And now, his long wait had finally borne fruit; his mission had finally ended.
“Qianxing, the Emperor Star Academy has always been one of the supreme entities in Chu. It has nurtured and produced countless talents throughout the ages, before finally arriving at this point today.” Diyi smiled as he gazed at Ren Qianxing. “This could already be considered one of the more perfect endings.”
“Is this really a perfect ending?” Ren Qianxing sighed. He was truly unwilling.
“Come, enough of that. Let us watch our students’ final battle.” Diyi smiled, turning his gaze towards the horizon.
Over there, the clashes were just as intense. Even Xiao Lan didn’t anticipate that the scale of this battle would escalate so quickly and to such an extent.
“Go and deal with the black robed man behind him,” Xiao Lan instructed the old man standing by his side. He nodded in agreement, as he moved towards the direction of Qin Wentian.
The black robed man’s eyes glinted as he realized their intentions. The two of them moved at the same time, opting for a different area. They knew that if they chose to engage in their current location, members from both their sides would suffer from the shockwaves of their battle.
Xiao Lan smiled. There was no one guarding Qin Wentian now.
His silhouette flickered, as he flew towards Qin Wentian’s direction. However, Xanxus soon appeared, blocking his path. The two of them collided, with the resulting impact forcing them backwards. Even though their cultivation bases were at the same level, Xanxus was quickly suppressed when fighting against Xiao Lan.
Qin Wentian remained standing there, staring at the fight between Mustang and Ye Wuque. Currently, Mustang was completely dominating Ye Wuque, who could only defend like a sitting duck, as Mustang unleashed his ferocious attacks.
Ye Wuque retreated step by step, his countenance incredibly unsightly to behold. Mustang wanted them to perish together, every strike of his was extremely ruthless, ignoring his self-inflicting injuries for a chance to kill Ye Wuque.
Suddenly, a cold glint of light flashed in Mustang’s eyes, his killing intent overflowing. The sharpness of his palms were even finer compared to keen-edged swords, blasting towards Ye Wuque’s heart.
However, Ye Wuque didn’t dodge, allowing Mustang’s palm strike to slam upon his body. BOOM! A thunderous sound rang out as the robes on Ye Wuque’s body disintegrated into dust, the palm strike of Mustang landing around the area of his heart. However, the terrifying might behind the palm strike didn’t quite reach Ye Wuque’s body. He was actually equipped with a divine armor! This was a 3rd grade divine armor that was able to drastically reduce the force of impact for any incoming blow, something the Ye Clan had spent an astronomical amount to forge for him.
“DIE!” Ye Wuque roared in anger, as he slashed his sword towards Mustang’s head.
However, Mustang was incredibly experienced. He reacted instantly, causing a row of palm shadows to manifest. The shadows evoked a mini hurricane between them, shifting the angle of Ye Wuque’s attack. The sword strike of Ye Wuque wounded Mustang only slightly, forcing him backwards. Ye Ran, who was also watching the battle, was long prepared for this moment. Seizing the opportunity, he immediately flew towards Mustang, as fireballs of a terrifyingly intense heat appeared around him.
Mustang’s countenance turned grim, as he hurriedly sent out a palm in an attempt to defend. Despite this, the fireballs still blasted onto his body, causing him to groan in agony.
“Go in peace.” Ye Wuque pierced forth with a sword finger, as a five-colored sword light flashed, intending to rupture Mustang’s head.
However at the same time, an exceedingly tyrannical palm imprint shot forwards, the Kuji Imprint erupting forth with incredible power, devouring the five-colored sword light, before exploding towards Ye Wuque. Ye Wuque’s countenance was a sight to behold as he hurriedly retreated, dodging the Kuji Imprint.
“Qin Wentian.” An ice cold look of anger flickered in his eyes when Ye Wuque discovered who had interfered.
“You are truly tenacious indeed.” From nearby, Xiao Lan had a shallow smile on his face as he regarded Qin Wentian. After which, Xiao Lan walked slowly towards him, as a strong sense of danger suddenly assailed Qin Wentian. Turning his gaze onto Xiao Lan, he felt a surge of lightning currents gushing into his brain, involuntarily snapping his eyes shut.
“CAREFUL!” Mustang hollered. Qin Wentian felt an impending sense of doom descend upon him, as he quickly gathered his energy. The blood seal within his body jumped about, as demonic Qi emanated forth from him. He then sent out countless palm strikes in the general direction of Xiao Lan, the pressure of each attacks felt as though there was nothing they would not be able to conquer.
Xiao Lan’s attack hit him full on, akin to thousands of millions of lightning currents, slamming upon his body. Qin Wentian groaned in misery, and as he felt the energy currents project an aura of destruction flowing within his body, he began heading towards his sea of consciousness. With a howl of rage, he utilised the power of his bloodline in defense as he escaped with full force, lengthening the distance between him and Xiao Lan.
When Qin Wentian finally opened his eyes, he could only see Xiao Lan serenely looking at him with insufferable arrogance, an expression of coldness on his face.
Xiao Lan was considered an absolute genius of the Nine Mystical Palace, and had a cultivation base at the 3rd level of Yuanfu. One could see how astonishing his combat prowess was from the ease he suppressed Xanxus, who was similarly at the 3rd level of Yuanfu. It was obvious he wasn’t an ordinary 3rd level Yuanfu Cultivator. Given how hurriedly Xiao Lan attacked, Qin Wentian, who wasn’t prepared, was naturally suppressed. However, despite all that, Qin Wentian only suffered from some minor injuries, a fact that caused Xiao Lan to have an expression of incredulity on his face.
“I thought you wouldn’t appear again after vanishing without a trace. To think that you actually returned voluntarily. Do you really think that I wouldn’t dare to kill you?” Xiao Lan coldly spoke, his arrogance stifling to the extreme. Suddenly, several figures gathered around Qin Wentian, as many experts similarly appeared around Xiao Lan.
“You want to kill him?”
At this moment, a voice drifted over, causing the crowd to incline their heads, only to see a few figures flying over in the direction of the academy. The man in the lead was none other than the headmaster of the Emperor Star Academy, Diyi.
Diyi turned his gaze downwards, locking eyes with Xiao Lan, as he faintly inquired, “ Since when did you have the ability to kill him?”
Xiao Lan frowned, looking at Diyi with a cold glint of light flashing in his eyes. Since when did someone from the Emperor Star Academy have the guts to speak to him like this?
“As long as I want to, I can kill him anytime. If I wanted to, how could he even oppose me based on his strength?” Xiao Lan’s gaze gradually sharpened, as he retorted arrogantly.
“You are saying that with your cultivation base at the 3rd level of Yuanfu, you want to have a one on one battle with him, whose cultivation base is only at the 1st level of Yuanfu? And that those from the Emperor Star Academy are not to interfere?” Diyi coldly laughed.
“Regardless of how you wish to end this, if I want his head, do you think the Emperor Star Academy would be able to stop me?” Xiao Lan spat out. In Chu, he was the absolute authority. With his background, he definitely had the power to trample the Emperor Star Academy underneath his feet, let alone a mere Qin Wentian.
“Is that so?” Diyi’s countenance was still unperturbed. No one knew what he was thinking, not to mention that there weren’t many people who knew his real identity.
“Let me tell you now, if you take another step forward, the person Xiao Lan of the Nine Mystical Palace, shall cease to exist,” Diyi continued calmly. As the sound of his voice echoed out, the entire battlefield fell into silence.
Countless people glanced at Diyi, before returning their gaze towards Xiao Lan.
Diyi said that, should Xiao Lan take another step forwards, he would die.
Xiao Lan also stared at Diyi in shock. Despite knowing his status, Diyi actually dared to threaten him?
Him, the illustrious Xiao Lan, was actually being threatened over here, in such a small place like Chu?
Did he dare to take another step forwards?
What if Diyi was at the Heavenly Dipper Realm?
As the voice of Diyi faded away, the arrogance and prideful heart of Xiao Lan, began to waver.
After all, this place wasn’t the Nine Mystical Palace.
If he died, so what if the Nine Mystical Palace annihilated the Emperor Star Academy afterwards? He would still be dead.
“Why are you so quiet now? Didn’t you have something else to say?” Diyi serenely continued. At this moment, all the clashes and battles had stopped, everyone was focusing their attention closely on Diyi, this inscrutable existence that no one had ever met before.
Maybe back then, Luo Tianya had seen Diyi when he was attempting the test on the 7th level of the Heavenly Star Pavilion.
Some distance behind Diyi, there was a veiled young maiden. The young maiden casually stood in the air, like a celestial immortal. The crowd stole glances at her, before looking at each other. Who was she?