Chương 33: Coalition of the Nine Academies
After Mo Qingcheng left, Qin Wentian and the rest continued their journey, walking past the Arch Gate and arriving at to the other side. It was extremely lively; the majority of the crowd were about 15-16 years old, and the brimming, vigorous energy of youth permeated the atmosphere.
“Today is the day of registration for all the academies, which is why there are so many people.” Mountain explained. Qin Wentian also discovered that in this spacious area, the people were gathered into nine rows as they queued to register and take the required examinations.
“Look at that area in the middle. That area is assigned to our Emperor Star Academy. Wow, there are so many people queueing up to register.” Mountain pointed to a spacious area somewhere in front, where there were plenty of individuals with nervous expressions on their faces. In addition, there were some who left with downcast expressions; evidently, they had failed to meet the mark.
“Why is he the one assigned today?” Mountain’s brows slightly creased as he looked towards the elder assigned by the Emperor Star Academy.
Qin Wentian glanced towards Mountain with a questioning look in his eyes before Mountain explained, “The elder in charge of the examination is named Janus, and within the Emperor Star Academy, there are two schools of thought. I, Teacher Mustang, belong to one of the factions who disdain interaction with the aristocratic clans and the Royal Family, while Janus, belonging to the second faction, holds a viewpoint directly opposite from my own. He is in favor of forging closer connections with those who have authority and power.”
“And, previously, regarding the matters of your family, the Emperor Star Academy rejected the plea for help precisely because of the second faction.”
Having understood, Qin Wentian’s complexion returned back to normal. If the Emperor Star Academy had agreed to the request for help, Mustang and the rest wouldn’t have taken matters into their own hands.
“Let’s go. Since you’re already here, what else can he do?” Luo Huan’s eyes slightly narrowed as she felt an anxious feeling in her heart. The elder in charged wasn’t supposed to be Janus.
The few of them proceeded forwards and soon arrived at the spot reserved for the Emperor Star Academy. As the most famous academy in the entirety of Chu Country, there were countless people who would wanted to try to get in. Not only were there citizens of the Chu Country, there were even people from neighboring countries. As for the Emperor Star Academy, talent was the only criteria. As long as you were talented enough, you would be admitted regardless of nationality.
However, the rejection rate for the Emperor Star Academy was also the highest.
There were so many youths in queue that the line resembled the length a long dragon. Upon seeing Luo Huan’s voluptuous figure approaching nearby, the hot-blooded youths all started to get lost in their fantasies.
As Luo Huan led Qin Wentian forward, a figure decked in white robes blocked their path. Emitting a razor sharp aura, this person had a pair of sword-shaped eyebrows and was 18 years old.
“Junior brother Qin, this person is named Orchon. His cultivation level is at the 8th level of the Arterial Circulation Realm, and he has cultivated at the Emperor Star Academy for two years. He is extremely powerful, so you must be careful around him,” Mountain lightly whispered.
“Senior Orchon.” Luo Huan smiled as she approached Orchon, “I’m here to collect the Jade Medallion from Elder Janus.”
Orchon calmly cast a glance at Luo Huan, and as he shifted his gaze to Qin Wentian, the look in his eyes became as sharp as the tip of a long spear. He coldly stated, “Go join the queue.”
“Orchon, he has already passed Teacher Mustang’s examination earlier in Sky Harmony City.” Luo Huan’s countenance turned chilly as well.
Orchon indifferently stared back at Luo Huan as he indifferently retorted, “So what?”
“Hmmph.” Luo Huan coldly snorted as she turned to Janus, who was in front of her. She declared, “Elder Janus, under the orders of my teacher, I’m here to obtain the Emperor Star Jade Medallion.”
It was as if Janus had not heard her words. Without even looking at her, he directly replied, “Join the queue.”
“Elder Janus, Junior Brother Qin Wentian has already passed the examination set by Teacher Mustang.” Luo Huan, upon noticing that Janus has not even glance in her direction, had a somewhat unsightly expression on her face. It seemed like Janus was determined on using his official authority to achieve a personal vengeance. In the academy, this was the first time that Luo Huan had been at direct odds with Orchon; their confrontation reflected that of Mustang and Janus.
Only now did Janus shift his gaze over to Luo Huan and Qin Wentian. The look in his eyes mirrored Orchon’s sharp and chilly gaze as he replied. “What he passed was Mustang’s examination, not mine. In any case, we have already come to an agreement with the other academies: today was the last day of the examination, and those who passed the initial exams were to join in the coalition of the nine academies and enter the Dark Forest to participate in the hunting of demonic beasts as a training exercise. This exercise counts as the second examination; only those who pass will be able to enter into one of the nine martial academies.”
“Hence, it’s the same for him; even if he passed Mustang’s examination, if he wants to obtain the Emperor Star Jade Medallion, he would first have to survive the training exercise.”
“How long would the training exercise be?” Luo Huan coldly asked.
“A month.” Janus replied.
“If you don’t wish to participate, you can choose to give up and scram back to Sky Harmony City.” At this moment, another youth appeared beside Orchon, staring coldly at Qin Wentian.
At this moment, Qin Wentian could feel multiple stares being focused on his body. His sensory abilities had always been strong, and following his senses, he shifted his gaze over and discovered that in the area designated for the Royal Academy, there were many pairs of eyes staring at him. One of them, clad in a green robe and emitting an frosty air, was none other than Bai Autumn Snow.
The Bai Clan had already relocated to the Royal Capital. Autumn Snow, apparently, had also planned to join the training exercise sanctioned by the Coalition of the Nine Academies.
“Junior Brother Qin, they wished to deal with you.” Mountain explained, “I warned you to be careful of Orchon because he has close connections with Ye WuQue.”
Qin Wentian’s heart was as calm as a mirror. He had not expect that just as he stepped into the Royal Capital, there would already be a trap laid for him by the others, preparing to devour him in a single mouthful.
Naturally, the majority of the applicants had no idea that this expedition, other than being a training exercise, contained a secondary purpose: to deal with Qin Wentian. The majority of the applicants had no idea as to who was Qin Wentian; they only knew that this training exercise was extremely dangerous. Not long ago, the nine martial academies had informed everyone that they could back down up if they feared for their safety.
Luo Huan glared at Janus as she asked, “How are we to determine the fairness of this examination?”
“According to the Coalition of the Nine Academies, all applicants would have to enter the Dark Forest without exceptions. Other than that, each of the nine martial academies, will send two elders as well as four seniors to oversee the operation and to prevent accidents from occurring. What are you trying to question?” Janus coldly countered.
“Then who are the representatives from our Emperor Star Academy?” Luo Huan continued asking.
“As for the elders, they are Mustang and I. The seniors will be both my disciples and his disciples. Mustang knows about this matter, to which he has already agreed.” Janus coldly laughed.
After hearing the answers, Luo Huan turned her gaze to Qin Wentian, only to find Qin Wentian lightly smiling as he replied, “I’m willing to participate in the training exercise.”
Upon his agreement, Qin Wentian noticed that the youth beside Orchon had his lips curled up in a cold and disturbing smile.
“Let’s go to the side and rest.” Luo Huan led Qin Wentian away to the side.
“Junior Brother Qin, this time round, there seems to be many powers working actively against you. You must be cautious in everything you do. Not only that, the Dark Forest was already dangerous enough to deal with without you having to concentrate on defending against the treacherous people.” Mountain gravely reminded Qin Wentian.
“I’ll respect Teacher Mustang’s decision. As for the rest of the applicants who are planning to make a move against me, as well as the demonic beasts, I will definitely be cautious,” Qin Wentian replied.
“Just remember this: do not belittle or underestimate any of the applicants, especially applicants from the aristocratic clans that applied for the Emperor Star Academy and the Royal Academy. Some of them may be young, but without a doubt, their talents can all be considered monstrous.”
“Very well. Let’s wait for the training exercise to start.” Qin Wentian inclined his head, and his gaze accidentally glanced in Autumn Snow’s directions. Over there, Autumn Snow was surrounded by many youthful males and females, similar to the stars clustered around the cold, and beautiful moon. The reason for this attention, other than her own innate talent, also had to do with the marriage engagement between her and Ye WuQue.
“Master, why not let me go scout out some of the good resting places available in the Royal Capital?” Francis respectfully suggested to Qin Wentian.
“Fine, please do so.” Qin Wentian had no objections.
“I will wait for master to emerge unscathed.” Francis smiled and left. He believed that with his abilities, Qin Wentian would be able to turn this apparent danger into good fortune. He was still waiting for Qin Wentian to become the ultimate master weaponsmith in order to look down on Murin.
The first phase of the examination, sanctioned by the Coalition of the Nine Martial Academies, commenced. It evaluated the long lines of applicants with the speed of a wildfire. However, this has nothing to do with Qin Wentian, who was leisurely chatting with Luo Huan and Mountain.
Above the air, far away from the location of the examination, there was an immense demonic beast hovering in the air. The beast looked similar to a lion but had wings growing out of it’s back. From the pressure it was emitting, it was a terrifying 8th level demonic beast—a lionvulture griffin. Standing on top of the griffin were two silhouettes—Mustang and an old man.
“Teacher, when Janus agreed to the Royal Academy’s proposal, why didn’t you object?” Mustang asked, his face showing a lack of comprehension.
“Mustang, do you hold that youth in high regard?” Smiling, the old man countered with another question.
“I do. I will not to conceal anything from my esteemed teacher. I really like the character of this youth very much. If I didn’t, then when they proposed this ‘training exercise’, I would not have invited my esteemed teacher to help me stop this training expedition to the Dark Forest.”
“Since you hold him in such high regards, why don’t you prevent him from joining the expedition?” The old man smiled as he viewed the vast spacious area where the applicants were currently undergoing the examinations. “There are truly some good seedings among this batch of applicants. I’m looking forward to the training expedition.”
Mustang smiled bitterly as he recited in his heart, “Little fellow, I’ve tried. I can only wish you good luck.”
“Grandpa, are you looking for me?” At this moment, a white-colored demonic crane flew up into the skies, and standing on the demonic crane, was actually the number one beauty of the Chu Country - Mo Qingcheng.
“Right. This time around, I want you to follow Mustang and go for a walk in the Dark Forest. It will do you no good if you keep staying at home.” The old man smiled kindly then turned his gaze towards Mustang. “Mustang, I will temporarily lend this 8th level griffin. Help me by taking good care of Qingcheng.”
Mustang froze. He did not fully comprehend the meaning behind the actions of his esteemed teacher. After a while, he nodded his head slightly towards Mo Qingcheng, but he was somewhat stunned. Even someone at his level would still be affected by Mo Qingcheng’s beauty. Regarding the granddaughter of his esteemed teacher, he did not interact with her often, but despite of this, Mustang knew well enough that the ten prodigies in the Royal Capital were all fighting over her. But now, his esteemed teacher actually wanted him to act as a bodyguard for his precious granddaughter? For a walk in the Dark Forest? He couldn’t help but wonder. Was there some other special intent behind this action?
Chương 34: The Dark Forest
The shadow cast by the sun slanted to the west as the people in the spacious region began to disperse. The preliminary examinations had come to an end, and the nine martial academies had stopped their recruitment. There were many who left with downcast expressions on their faces, while the rest who remained began moving towards the Emperor Star Academy and Royal Academy, which was located in the centre of the region.
At this moment, a white-robed youth who carried a long sword on his back began to approach Qin Wentian and the rest. Qin Wentian had met this youth before in the Sky Harmony City This was the sword-user who had condensed two sword-type Astral Souls.
“Luo Huan, Mountain, Teacher has instructions for you all to go over.” Yu Fei passed on the instructions as he walked over to them.
“Very well. Did Teacher have any instructions regarding which of us seniors would be chosen to to enter the Dark Forest?” Luo Huan asked. According to the information she received from Janus, both Mustang and Janus would be able to bring two senior students of the academy with them.
“You and one more person, but Teacher didn’t reveal who it was,” Yu Fei answered, “Well, anyway, we will know once we get there.”
“Right, let’s go.” Luo Huan inclined her head in agreement as she led the rest of them to the gathering point: The Martial Palace of the Nine Academies. There were a total of 5,000 participants who were eligible for the second examination: the training expedition to the Dark Forest. This was a shocking number. But if one were aware of the total number of applicants who applied to join the nine martial academies, then he or she wouldn’t be so surprised. The number of 5,000 eligible participants was actually one percent of the total number of participants who applied.
The Royal Capital and the Martial Palace of the Nine Academies were the gathering points for all the young elites of the Chu Country.
“If you want to be strong, you must be willing to face all kinds of danger. Let this be your first lesson. Go and enjoy it thoroughly. Temper yourself through the baptism of blood.” An elder from the Royal Academy was shouting at them. All the applicants had solemn looks on their faces. Of course, they understood the fact that, without being bloodied, without undergoing some real life-or-death battles, they would never be able to become a real Martial Cultivator.
“Buzz!” Nearby, raging gusts of wind billowed as two demonic beasts flew overhead. Standing on the top of one of the flying beasts was a graceful and beautiful figure, who caused the eyes of everyone present to widen.
“How beautiful! It’s Mo Qingcheng, she actually came!”
In this area, according to the rules set, cultivators who were not at the Yuanfu Realm had no rights to mount flying beasts. However, Mo Qingcheng could, simply because there existed no one who would question her.
Janus and Orchon felt extremely surprised when they saw that Mo Qingcheng actually came together with Mustang. However, they suppressed their surprise well and stated, “Since everyone has arrived, let us be on our way. Everyone, start running, we must arrive at the Dark Forest before night falls.”
“Little Junior Brother, take care of yourself.” Luo Huan smiled as she glanced at Qin Wentian. She continued walking past him, all the way to the front as she led the crowd, That perverted puppy still remained contently in her arms, seemingly having no intention of budging an inch.
“Junior Brother Qin, I will await your arrival at the Emperor Star Academy.” Mountain patted Qin Wentian’s shoulder while the applicants from all the martial academies continued to form orderly rows. The various teachers who were in charge of each group were hovering in the air on flying beasts while all the applicants were running on land in the opposite direction.
The Dark Forest enveloped half of the Royal Capital. Obviously, entering from the front was impossible. Didn’t this mean that they would have to enter via the Royal Palace?
A total of 5,000 people were grouped into nine main camps. The Emperor Star Academy camp consisted of the least number of applicants—only 500—, while the Royal Academy had 800.
Tremors shook the ground as the 5,000 applicants sprinted forwards with all their strength, akin to the might of ten thousand galloping horses. Their powerful movements caused a raging wind to spring into existence wherever they passed. Smiles broke out on the faces of the spectators. This group of people would be the future pillars of the Chu Country.
“Hey.” A young fatty, who belonged to the Emperor Star Academy Camp, smiled as he greeted Qin Wentian. Although the speed at which they were travelling could be considered extremely fast, they were cultivators. This speed was still insufficient to exhaust them, and thus they would still be able to chat leisurely.
“What’s your name?” The youthful looking fatty asked.
“Qin Wentian. How about you?”
“Fan Le. Fan from the word ordinary, Le from happiness.” The fatty smiled.
Qin Wentian contemplated him for a moment. Fan Le was dressed extremely shabbily, with a messy head of hair and a grin on his face.
“This name really suits you.” Qin Wentian laughed
“Hehe.” Fan Le’s lips curled up in a good-natured smile, as his gaze shifted to the youthful lady who was flying on top of the demonic beast in the air, before saying in a low tone, “That’s the number one beauty of the Chu Country The word ‘beautiful’ can’t even begin to describe her. Just seeing her would cause my heart to thump wildly.”
Qin Wentian looked at Fan Le’s mesmerised expression and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Still, he had got to agree with Fan Le. Mo Qingcheng’s beauty was indeed out of this world, comparable to the fabled faeries.
“But still, Senior Apprentice Sister Luo Huan suits my taste more. That figure, that bosom, huehuehue……” Fan Le had a wretched expression on his face and was almost salivating when he said that.
“You’re acquainted with Senior Apprentice Sister Luo Huan?” Qin Wentian asked
“How could I ever be acquainted with such a hot babe? All I know about her is that according to the rumors, she’s the hottest and most bewitching demoness in our Emperor Star Academy. Who wouldn’t know of her? But still, my thoughts earlier are just my fantasies, hehe.” Fan Le smiled as he turned his head, facing towards Qin Wentian. “But from your deadpanned expression, could it be that you already knew her……”
Seeing the pervertedness in Fan Le’s gaze, Qin Wentian rolled his eyes as he scolded in a low voice, “Screw off!”
This fellow was most assuredly a genius.
“Stop acting, hehe.” Fan Le revealed a ‘You know that I know’ expression in his eyes, causing Qin Wentian to be speechless.
“But still, in the Royal Capital of the Chu Country, geniuses and beauties are everywhere. Look over there: Autumn Snow from the Royal Academy, a beauty with looks and talent, I heard that she condensed an Astral Soul from the 3rd Heavenly Layer on her first try.” Fan Le pointed his finger over to the crowd of applicants at the Royal Academy, as he explained to Qin Wentian.
“And there’s still our Emperor Star Academy. The geniuses here are as plentiful as the clouds. In front of us, that pretty boy named Orfon is extremely powerful. He is a 2nd level Arterial Circulation Realm cultivator, and possesses two Astral Souls.” Fan Le pointed in the direction of a youth who was in front of the line next to Orchon It seemed that the two of them were brothers.
“And look over there at that beautiful lady garbed in black. She’s on the 1st level of the Arterial Circulation Realm, possessing two Astral Souls. Not only that, her figure is not bad either. It’s just that when compared to Luo Huan, she’s a bit off.” Fan Le spoke with the tone of an experienced connoisseur.
“But, in our batch, do you know who’s the number one genius in our Emperor Star Academy?”
“Who?” Qin Wentian curiously asked
“Well, that person is right in front of you.” The flesh on Fan Le’s face mashed together, as his smile got more and more wretched.
“Fan Le, are you boasting again?” Another person ran over, smiling as he look at Fan Le. Apparently, this was not the first time Fan Le had shamelessly boasted in front of people.
Qin Wentian laughed. This Fan Le was an extremely interesting person. Although he loved to boast, his sense of humour was pretty good.
As the sun setted, nine huge teams consisting of 5,000 people stepped out of the Eastern Heavenly Gate of the Royal Capital.
The Royal Capital was surrounded by the Dark Forest. Ever since the Chu Country was formed 3,000 years ago, it had experienced countless violent clashes against the demonic beasts living in the Dark Forest. Hence, the gate and walls that separated the Dark Forest from the Royal Capital were all built to be immensely sturdy and tall. They were an exceedingly majestic sight, akin to a heavenly moat surrounding a city.
After stepping out of the Eastern Heavenly Gate, there was another smaller city which acted like a buffer zone and connected the Royal Capital to the Dark Forest. In this city, there were plenty of cultivators who had come here for training, as well as many risk-takers who came here for a thrill. As they saw the 5,000 people from the nine martial academy camps approaching, all of them were stunned.
“Wow, could those be the applicants for the nine martial academies?”
“There’re so many handsome boys and beautiful girls, haha.” Nearby thrill-seekers discussed with a smile on their faces.
“Continue forward, set up your own camp within the Dark Forest.” A clear voice instructed while hovering in the air, causing the applicants to be slightly apprehensive. They had to spend many nights in this perilous Dark Forest and had to take care of their own survival needs, hunting the dangerous existences in the Dark Forest for food.
As night descended, the coalition of the nine academies finally arrived at the boundaries of the Dark Forest. Gazing ahead over the horizons revealed only an endless sea of ancient trees, as if there was no end in sight. A thick and heavy pressure of demonic Qi permeated the air.
As everyone halted their steps, the air was suddenly filled with an unusual silence. All of the applicants knew that in the following days, they would all face great danger.
The elders of the nine martial academies who were standing atop the flying demonic beasts hovering in the air, instructed the applicants, “Now, all of you are to enter the Dark Forest. By dawn tomorrow, you must all be at least be at least 10 li away from the boundary of the forest. Treat the distance of 10 li as the boundaries of the designated “safe zone”. In the following month, if any one of you is discovered in the safe zone before the training exercise ends, you will automatically be deemed to have failed. Now, you guys can enter.”
The safe zone, consisting of a distance of 10 li, could be considered the outer perimeter of the dark forest, and hence, it was filled with human activities. High level demonic beasts would rarely appear, so it was much less dangerous.
“Qin Wentian, let’s stick together.” Fan Le requested.
“Right.” Qin Wentian nodded, as the nine rows of people belonging to the various academy camps all entered the Dark Forest. The 5,000 applicants dispersed in all four directions upon entering. Breaking up into smaller groups of two to three, they proceeded forward.
Borrowing the aid of the faint starlight, Qin Wentian and Fan Le wandered within the Dark Forest. There were some cultivators whose condensed flame-type Astral Souls that manifested ember sparks and lit up the area. There were also some people who used valuable items such as night illumination pearls to illuminate the path.
“Let’s just venture a little further before finding a spacious area to rest for the night. We will depart the safe zone before dawn, so it will not count as violating the rules.” Fan Le intoned in a low voice. Everyone was still stumbling in the dark as they tried to figure out their paths. Fan Le and Qin Wentian both had no choice but light wooden branches with flames created from flintstone in order to illuminate their way as they proceeded forwards.
“Wait, there seems to be someone staring at us.” Fan Le suddenly exclaimed in a whisper as they travelled. With his strong sensory abilities, Qin Wentian had also sensed it earlier.
In the Sky Harmony City, he had killed Ye Mo, Ye Lang and displayed his extraordinary talent. How could the Ye Clan spare him so easily?
It was highly probable that Qin Wentian was part of the reason why the training expedition was proposed in the first place. But at the same time, such training exercise, could enable the surviving students to gain real life-and-death experiences, so all the nine martial academies would have absolutely no reason to refuse.
TL Note:
凡乐 - Fan Le (平凡 - ordinary, 快乐 - happiness)
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