47 It’s All Over Now
Although the Sacred Ground Academy encouraged competition, unregulated private fights caused various problems. Therefore, the academy’s higher-ups established small dueling arenas throughout the grounds for students to engage in fair and open duels.
Upon entering the arena, participants had to wager points. The amount was decided by mutual agreement and couldn’t be changed afterward, regardless of the outcome. Otherwise, the opponent could report them to the referee instructor, and they would have to pay double the points.
This was also one of the ways Inner Academy students earned points.
The group quickly arrived at a nearby small dueling arena. Two six-star Mystic Masters were in the middle of a duel but were abruptly interrupted and forced off the stage by members of the White Fang society.
Frustrated at having their duel interrupted, but unable to provoke the White Fang, the two retreated, agreeing to resume their fight later.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yan Zhen and Fu Cheng entered the arena and faced each other, about ten meters apart.
A faint smile played on Fu Cheng’s lips. His storage ring flashed, and a Tier 4 silver spear appeared in his hand.
“Come on, ignorant junior. I’ll let you make the first move.”
Yan Zhen was speechless. This guy didn’t seem very bright. Had he been electrocuted into stupidity while cultivating in the pagoda?
“Are you sure?”
Yan Zhen raised his right arm, his fingers spread wide, and a gold and silver flame ignited in his palm.
He slowly clenched his hand, the Gold and Silver Fire swirling and condensing into a large, man-sized sword, or rather, a sword embryo. Its shape was crude, and it wasn’t even sharpened.
He grasped the hilt and swung it lightly, leaving a blurry gold and silver trail in the air. The air shimmered from the heat, as if the temperature itself had solidified.
Fu Cheng gulped, feeling a sense of unease, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.
Condensing Qi into weapons was a basic ability for high-star Mystic Masters, but such weapons were usually only around Tier 2. Against his Tier 4 spear, it wouldn’t be much of a threat.
Despite his seemingly foolish appearance, Fu Cheng had inquired about Yan Zhen, the first-place winner of the special examination, and knew he possessed a mind-altering technique, something to be wary of in battle.
But that was all.
As for his flying movement technique, it wouldn’t be much of an advantage in this small, enclosed dueling arena.
For Fu Cheng, a one-star Mystic General, defeating a four-star Mystic Master would be a piece of cake.
Thinking this, Fu Cheng felt confident. The White Fang members below cheered him on.
“Brother Fu Cheng, beat the crap out of this kid! Show him the White Fang’s power!”
“Finish him in three moves! Let’s see if he still dares to act so arrogant!”
“Instant kill! Instant kill! Instant kill!”
Fu Cheng’s confidence swelled.
“Come on, attack! What? Are you scared already?”
Yan Zhen’s expression turned cold. He held the burning Gold and Silver Fire Sword Embryo, kicked off the ground, leaving a trail of multicolored starlight, and appeared before Fu Cheng in the blink of an eye, swinging the sword embryo downwards.
Fu Cheng smirked.
“Fell for it, didn’t you, idiot?”
—You actually listened to me and attacked. Freshmen are so naive. Let me teach you a lesson!
As he spoke, he unleashed his attack, the surging Mystic Power of a one-star Mystic General channeled into his Tier 4 spear. A large snake, accompanied by a green whirlwind, roared and slammed into the burning sword embryo, clearly intending to shatter Yan Zhen’s “Qi weapon.”
Bang!
The Wind Mystic Power and the Gold and Silver Fire clashed violently, sparks and flames flying. Yan Zhen snorted, gripped the hilt with both hands, and slashed downwards with even greater force.
To Fu Cheng’s horror, the tip of his Tier 4 spear was slowly sliced open by the blunt edge, as if it were made of tofu.
After the spearhead, it was the shaft. The burning gold and silver greatsword rapidly approached Fu Cheng, the intense heat washing over him.
At such close range, he finally sensed the extraordinary nature of Yan Zhen’s flame sword. Seeing the blade approaching his hand, he had no choice but to release the spear and jump back in alarm.
Yan Zhen’s sword cleaved the Tier 4 spear in two, then slammed into the arena floor, the tip sinking deep into the stone, making Fu Cheng’s heart leap into his throat.
—What the hell was that thing?! It not only cut through his spear but also the arena floor like tofu!
Yan Zhen didn’t give him time to think, wielding the sword with both hands and rapidly closing the distance.
“Damn it!”
Fu Cheng gritted his teeth and, in his panic, took out his spare Tier 3 spear, blocking Yan Zhen’s attack.
Yan Zhen narrowed his eyes and slashed again.
The sword fell, the spear broke, and Fu Cheng was wide open. Yan Zhen kicked him with his left foot, sending him flying, then followed up with a flying kick from his right leg, knocking Fu Cheng off the stage.
Yan Zhen landed steadily, flicking the burning sword embryo, leaving a trail of gold and silver flames and scorch marks on the arena floor.
Everyone stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Fu Cheng, a one-star Mystic General, could be so quickly defeated by Yan Zhen, a four-star Mystic Master, especially the White Fang members.
They had just been cheering for Fu Cheng to instantly kill Yan Zhen, but the result was the opposite!
Only Huangfu Wenqing clapped her hands, her eyes shining as she looked at her fiancé and the sword in his hand.
—So that’s what the sword originally looked like.
After a while, Fu Cheng got up, looking disheveled, his clothes torn and scorched, covered in dirt. He stared at Yan Zhen with fear, as if he had seen a ghost.
Yan Zhen, holding the Gold and Silver Fire Sword Embryo, walked towards the edge of the arena, extended his hand, and said calmly, “A bet’s a bet. Hand over your academy card and transfer all your points to me.”
Fu Cheng was extremely reluctant, but the burning sword in Yan Zhen’s hand left him no choice. He took out his academy card from his storage ring and tossed it to Yan Zhen.
“Thanks.”
Yan Zhen took Fu Cheng’s Tier 4 academy card and put it away, along with the Gold and Silver Fire Sword Embryo.
With the card in hand, Yan Zhen turned and left without another glance at Fu Cheng.
Watching him leave, Fu Cheng said angrily, “Don’t get cocky. You only won because of your weapon. This isn’t over. The White Fang isn’t easy to bully!”
Yan Zhen paused, turned to look at Fu Cheng, who immediately flinched and fell silent.
“If you want to challenge me, feel free. Just make sure you have enough points.”
Yan Zhen and Huangfu Wenqing left the dueling arena and returned to the small mountain near the Nine-Layered Celestial Dome Pagoda.
The pagoda doors opened, and they used their movement techniques again, cutting in line and entering the pagoda before everyone else.
“Here, this is for you, Wenqing.”
Yan Zhen gave his Tier 3 academy card to Huangfu Wenqing. She looked at it, saw that it was Tier 3 and contained 1000 points, and was stunned.
She only had a Tier 1 card. The 1000 points on a Tier 3 card were equivalent to 4000 points on a Tier 1 card. This was a fortune.
And it was a gift from Yan Zhen.
Huangfu Wenqing’s heart fluttered, unable to believe it. “Are you… really giving this to me?”
Yan Zhen nodded. “I just won a Tier 4 card with 3000 points. That’s enough for me for now. With this Tier 3 card, we can cultivate on the higher levels. The first level isn’t very effective, in my opinion.”
“Th-then I’ll accept it. Thank you~”
Huangfu Wenqing bit her lip, then, mustering her courage, quickly kissed Yan Zhen on the cheek.
Chu~
A quick peck.
Yan Zhen blushed slightly and scratched his cheek.
They walked inside and soon found the stairs to the second level. They climbed the stairs, stopping at the entrance to the second level.
A spatial barrier, strong enough to block anyone below Mystic Ancestor, was here. They needed a Tier 2 or higher academy card to pass.
One swipe per person.
They passed through the barrier one after another and arrived at the second level. As soon as they entered, they were paralyzed, thunder echoing in their minds, electric arcs dancing on their skin.
However, having experienced this yesterday, they quickly recovered.
The layout of the second level was similar to the first. Yan Zhen and Huangfu Wenqing chose a less crowded cultivation room, sat on the designated stone platforms, and inserted their cards into the slots beside them. Yan Zhen used his Tier 2 card, deducting 100 points, while Huangfu Wenqing used the Tier 3 card, also deducting 100 points, the daily rate.
Using a higher-tier card on a lower level was clearly a waste, but it wasn’t necessarily true that the higher the level, the better.
Cultivating in the Celestial Dome Pagoda had side effects. The electrocution effect of the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire would accumulate within the body, eventually erupting. In mild cases, it would cause temporary paralysis. In severe cases, it could damage the meridians, hindering cultivation.
The higher the level, the stronger the electrocution effect, and the greater the risk.
Only the first three levels were suitable for Mystic Masters. Levels four to six were accessible only to Mystic Generals and above. Upon advancing to Mystic General, students would receive a Tier 4 academy card as a reward. The higher levels were reserved for Mystic King realm instructors and elders.
However, Yan Zhen, possessing three Extreme Flames, was unaffected by the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire’s side effects. A single cycle of the Emperor Flame Technique easily neutralized them.
In the script, Yan Zhen cultivated on the first level on the first day, then tried the second level on the second day, finding it far from his limit. Having won Fu Cheng’s Tier 4 card, he tried the third level on the third day, still finding it easy, and finally decided to go to the fourth level.
But the fourth level was restricted to Mystic Generals. Although Yan Zhen could enter with his Tier 4 card, he was immediately challenged by other Mystic General-level seniors and told to go back to the third level, leading to further conflict.
Offending one person today, confronting another tomorrow… the protagonist’s path was truly filled with constant challenges.
After a day of cultivation, their cultivations slightly increased, but Yan Zhen felt unsatisfied. Huangfu Wenqing also finished cultivating.
“Are you going back?” he asked.
“I feel like I could do more… but the second level isn’t enough. Should we try the third level?”
“Sure, I also want to test my limits.”
“Let’s go.”
They left the cultivation room, walked deeper into the second level, and found the stairs to the third.
After swiping their cards and passing through the spatial barrier, this time prepared, they weren’t paralyzed.
The third level was mainly for high-star Mystic Masters and a few less affluent Mystic Generals, most of them “familiar faces” who were surprised to see Yan Zhen and Huangfu Wenqing.
Ignoring their gazes, the two chose adjacent spots, sat down, and inserted their cards to begin cultivating.
“Wait, is that… a Tier 4 academy card?”
Someone noticed that Yan Zhen’s card was different from theirs and looked at him strangely.
Where did a Mystic Master get a Tier 4 academy card?
Having been cultivating here for several days, they didn’t know about Yan Zhen’s victory over Fu Cheng.
Inner Academy students formed small groups. The five people in this cultivation room were one such group. Seeing a four-star Mystic Master with a Tier 4 card, a new face no less, they became hostile.
“Hey, you. Is that a Tier 4 academy card in your hand?”
“So what if it is?”
“Where did you get it?”
“I won it.”
“Don’t lie. Only Mystic Generals have Tier 4 cards. A four-star Mystic Master like you, defeating a Mystic General?”
“Believe it or not.”
“You must have picked it up. Our society leader lost a Tier 4 card recently. Let us take a look. It looks just like his.”
“Now that you mention it, it does look similar. Hey, let us see it. If it’s our leader’s, you should return it to its rightful owner.”
“…”
[Ding! Key plot triggered]
Hearing the system notification, a sinister look appeared on Yan Zhen’s face, and he said politely, “F*ck your mother.”
Fighting was forbidden within the Celestial Dome Pagoda to prevent damage to the facilities, and violators would be penalized heavily. However, young people were easily provoked, and rule violations were still common.
Like these five eight-star Mystic Masters. Hearing a mere four-star Mystic Master insult their mothers, they immediately attacked.
Then, they were greeted by Yan Zhen’s Eight Extremities Burst and Tai Chi Quake. Within moments, they were bruised and battered, lying on the floor before being unceremoniously kicked out of the cultivation room.
—Sigh, being the protagonist… trouble finds you wherever you go. Oh well, at least I gained another special trump card.
After another day of cultivation on the third level, Huangfu Wenqing still wasn’t used to the intensity of the electrocution effect, and Yan Zhen needed to go and appease his… wives, so they decided to leave and return the next day.
Back at the dormitory, Yan Zhen, who hadn’t bathed in two days, immediately took a long bath, then changed into his handsome casual clothes and styled his hair.
It had been two days. She should have calmed down by now, right?
After hesitating, Yan Zhen decided to test the waters.
He summoned the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Fire, projected his consciousness into the small gray dragon, flew out the window, and slowly made his way towards the cliffside building.
As expected, the window was closed.
The small gray dragon circled the building, then found a small gap in a window and squeezed through.
Just as it entered, it was grabbed by a small hand wreathed in violet flames, completely immobilized.
The small gray dragon looked up and saw Zi Xunyi in the bathtub, her body wrapped in a towel, glaring at him with annoyance.
—Crap, I forgot she’s a soul cultivation expert, highly sensitive to Spiritual Power. I’ve been caught red-handed, and it looks like she’s in the middle of bathing.
This was bad. GG (Good Game/Game Over).