Chapter 345: Chapter 345: A Strong Warrior in Heaven Martial
WHIMPER!
Upon seeing their elder arriving, the group felt deeply moved.
Yuan Qifeng said, "That’s great, we can finally go back."
ER!
Liu Kuangyi offered a sheepish smile. "It may not be possible, at least not for now."
"???"
"The thing is, the portal closed without any apparent reason," Liu Kuangyi said, vexed. "But don’t lose heart. Just wait a little longer; the Elders are trying to find a solution."
He had no idea what had happened but suspected there must be a reason.
Before they could respond, Liu Kuangyi continued, "Since the portal isn’t open yet, and we cannot return shortly, why not take this opportunity to train properly in Soup Valley and look for some fortunes? What do you think?"
"Oh, the Steward is right," Yuan Qifeng agreed.
"Any objections?" Liu Kuangyi asked. "Eh, where are Wu Mo and the others?"
"They should be deep in Soup Valley searching for opportunities," Bai Yisheng replied.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Liu Kuangyi seemed a bit anxious, looking back subconsciously as he spoke...
Just thinking of the person beneath the catastrophe filled him with dread.
It was too terrifying.
They must leave this place immediately.
All were in agreement.
Under the leadership of Liu Kuangyi, the group headed towards the depths of Soup Valley.
Along the way, Bai Yisheng introduced Guang Xiaoyu and Zi Ji to Liu Kuangyi, expressing both women’s desire to train in the Fifth Institute while also concealing their true identities and backgrounds.
After hearing this, Liu Kuangyi raised his eyebrows in surprise, casually sizing up the two women.
They were pretty and petite.
The fluctuations in their auras were very calm, not indicative of any prodigies, yet there was something about them that felt different from the rest.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Zi Ji was leading an old ox, exuding an air of innocence.
Guang Xiaoyu’s expression was serene, like an ancient, undisturbed well, with a small creature resting on her shoulder.
Liu Kuangyi couldn’t help but ask, "What’s this?"
PEEP?
Guang Xiaoyu replied with a smile, "I picked it up in the mountains. It was cute, so I decided to take it home to raise."
Liu Kuangyi nodded, then pulled Bai Yisheng aside and asked in a low voice, "Martial Nephew Bai, while you do have some authority as the only disciple of the Sword Saint, you know the current situation of the Fifth Institute isn’t good. If you want to bring them back, there will likely be trouble!"
In Fairy Valley’s Five Institutes, the Fifth Institute alone had not recruited any promising new disciples last year.
The main reason was the Sword Saint’s Cultivating Demon, which deterred many new disciples from considering it. Secondly, the Fifth Institute faced suppression from the other four institutes. Furthermore, with the Sword Saint preoccupied with his Cultivating Demon and seldom present, there was a lack of leadership. This left the Fifth Institute in a progressively desperate situation.
The entire Fifth Institute, from top to bottom, was in a critical situation.
Some speculated that the other four institutes wanted to pressure the Sword Saint to give up his Cultivating Demon.
Others thought it was old grudges, personal vendettas.
There were even rumors saying the Sword Saint was not trying to blaze a new trail in cultivation but was truly Cultivating Demon.
Because if the Sword Saint succeeded, he might embark on the path to Tao Verification, thus cutting off others from that possibility.
"The Great Elder, despite all objections, sent me down precisely to prevent you from making mistakes," Liu Kuangyi sighed. "Can you understand?"
Suppressing the Fifth Institute was predicated on a key figure.
The Sword Saint’s Cultivating Demon was the first. Bai Yisheng, as the Sword Saint’s sole disciple, making a mistake would serve as the second.
They were all waiting.
Bai Yisheng sighed. "The path to Tao Verification is fraught with hardship. My master risked everything to forge a new path of cultivation. On the surface, it’s for Tao Verification, but in truth, it is to settle the grievances between the Righteous Path and the Demon Tao. If successful, it would mean the unification of the Human Clan. Then, the Demon Race wouldn’t dare to invade our lands again, and the Divine Clan wouldn’t dare to oppress us so lightly. Why can’t they see that?"
"However, the Human Clan doesn’t want to be unified, and they won’t allow it to reach that stage," Liu Kuangyi said, recalling some historical records. "The Wen Dynasty is one such example."
In that ancient era, there existed a superpower, the Wen Dynasty.
They conquered the Dead Sea to the east, vanquished the Demon Race to the west, and their iron cavalry commanded such fear that all forces dared not disobey. However, when they raised an army to march north, the reigning Emperor ordered the iron cavalry to surround but not attack.
For a full three years.
He intended to form an alliance with the Demon cultivators, to unite the Human Clan, to stand against the oppression of the Divine Clan and the slaughter by the Demon Race, and to repel the invasion from the Dead Sea.
He almost succeeded.
Because at that time, the Wen Dynasty was very powerful, with two Great Emperors presiding, over a hundred Sages, thousands of Lords, and countless members of the Divine Clan and Divine Kings.
Regrettably, on the day the Emperor met with the Demon Emperor, sudden chaos erupted within the Wen Dynasty. (It wasn’t due to Guang Xiaoyu; that period was much before her time.)
Several Great Generals rebelled.
Soon after, powerful beings from the Divine Clan attacked, and swarms of the Demon Race flooded in like a deluge.
The formidable and once unassailable Wen Dynasty was utterly dissolved within a few short decades, with the two Great Emperors fighting until their blood ran dry, until their bones piled up like mountains behind them.
Yet they could not reverse the overwhelming crisis.
At that time, the lord of the Divine Clan took action, the Demon Emperor arrived wielding the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, and from the depths of the Dead Sea, two terrifying ancient emperors emerged.
The internal turmoil within the dynasty escalated.
Amidst internal and external threats, the Wen Dynasty declared its dissolution.
In the vast lands of the Nine Heavens today, many major forces were born from the ruins of the Wen Dynasty, most of their ancestors having come from the dynasty itself.
Officials, regional lords, generals...
As the long years have passed, although the Wen Dynasty has fallen, the records it left behind are capable of shaking the hearts of all.
WHOOSH!
Bai Yisheng exhaled a breath of turbid air and said with a smile, "It doesn’t matter. As long as Master succeeds, there will be no more disputes within Fairy Valley."
Sigh.
Hearing these words, Liu Kuangyi knew that Bai Yisheng’s mind was made up—he intended to take Guang Xiaoyu and Zi Ji back to the Fifth Institute.
So be it!
Last year, the Fifth Institute didn’t manage to recruit any good prospects. The emergence of Guang Xiaoyu and Zi Ji might just be an opportunity for the institute.
Liu Kuangyi refrained from saying more but still couldn’t help but assess the two women on the way before approaching them with a query. "May I ask where you two ladies are from?"
"Central Region!" Guang Xiaoyu raised her head.
The Central Region of the Nine Heavens.
Before he could speak, Guang Xiaoyu explained, "My sister and I were traveling and accidentally entered Soup Valley, which then fell into Heaven Martial. Alas... just our luck!"
The explanation was plausible.
Liu Kuangyi believed her somewhat and added, "Well, once the Elders reopen the passage, we’ll be able to leave this place, but it’s still wise to be cautious in the meantime."
"Why?" Guang Xiaoyu was surprised.
"This Heaven Martial continent is no ordinary place." Liu Kuangyi’s expression turned grave as he mentioned this. Then he leaned in closer, whispering very softly, "There are powerful beings here."
"Really?" Guang Xiaoyu suppressed a smile. He’s a Lord, yet he’s actually more cowardly than the Emperor Spirit, she thought.
Liu Kuangyi nodded. "I saw one when I arrived." After saying that, he didn’t wish to discuss it further and quickly walked away.
"Elder Sister, are we really going to the Nine Heavens?" Zi Ji kept looking back every few steps, her face filled with reluctance.
"Of course, Elder Sister will take you to see the world," Guang Xiaoyu said with a smile.
"But Elder Brother..."
"It’s fine. Once Elder Sister’s cultivation is sufficient, I’ll bring you back," she said with a wink.
She mainly didn’t want Chen Pingping to find out about this, so it was better to take Zi Ji along, lest she slip up...
The group gradually moved further away.
「It wasn’t long before.」
Once it was confirmed that the entrance to Soup Valley was no longer guarded by Ancient Ferocious Beasts, a group of powerful beings and young talents from the Heaven Martial continent stepped into Soup Valley.
Chen Pingping grinned, sitting on the Emperor Spirit’s shoulder, and barked an order, "Attack!"