Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 136: The Divine Academy

"Wang Chuan has returned? How is that possible? How could he possibly return?"

The Fourth Prince found this incomprehensible.

The climate in the Hua Kingdom was somewhat dry and chilly. Back then, he had been doing quite well in the Xia Kingdom, having strictly forbidden the barbarian soldiers from crossing the border, especially from his territory. Yet, those barbarian cubs never listened and frequently harassed the borders, eventually driving him into a rage that led him to lead his troops into the Hua Kingdom. To his surprise, the commoners had actually welcomed them with pots of wine, showing them deep gratitude.

What a bunch of ignorant fools.

But now, the most embarrassing thing was that Wang Chuan had actually returned.

"Forget it, I never counted on you demons anyway," the Fourth Prince said with disdain. This was a matter between him and Wang Chuan; he would resolve it himself, and he would find a way to do so. He had never intended to rely on others.

The visitor was a young woman wearing a precious cloak. Her skin was as white as snow, her beauty as radiant as a flower, and her stature and temperament were exceptional.

"You cannot deal with Wang Chuan. None of our clan's experts in the mortal realm can handle him," the woman sighed. "Even the Demon Marshal had to humiliate himself and beg for his life when he met him!"

The memory of the Demon Marshal’s kneeling was a source of humiliation for the entire Demon Realm. Yet, Ying Qian remained indifferent; after all, he had survived at Wang Chuan’s hands. If it had been someone else, what would they have done? Die with dignity? Fight a grand battle? Fools! It was laughable.

"I cannot wait any longer. I am returning to my country. It is time to put an end to the matters between him and me." The Fourth Prince picked up his sword and said earnestly, "Go tell the barbarians that even after I leave, they are not to cross this border. Otherwise, do not force me to exterminate their entire race."

Still, he wondered what his Imperial Father was really thinking. The Fourth Prince had never been able to put his mind at ease regarding that.

"With just you, can you really deal with Wang Chuan?" the woman from the Demon Realm asked skeptically.

"What you demons cannot do, I will accomplish. It is not your place to gossip here," the Fourth Prince sneered. "Times have changed. I will not be defeated by Wang Chuan again. I will make my Imperial Father understand who is best suited to inherit his great cause! I have guarded the territory he entrusted to me—if this was a test, then I have passed it."

When Wang Chuan was still in the Wei Kingdom, the Fourth Prince had exercised the power of a regent, trained from childhood. He was proficient in both internal and external affairs. He understood his father’s painstaking efforts; back then, his father often played chess with him, teaching him the ways of offense and defense. He naturally had to prove that while one man could destroy a kingdom, it was even harder for one man to defend it. He would certainly not be inferior to Wang Chuan in governing the world.

*Sigh, they are all more arrogant than the last,* the woman thought. *But do not forget, the reason you have reached this point is because of the power of our Demon Realm.*

"Your Highness..." A subordinate rushed in, panicked. "The Martial Arts Academy has emerged and is issuing orders to all the sects and martial artists in the world!"

"The Martial Arts Academy? Do they deserve to? Do they still have that qualification?" The Fourth Prince sneered.

The Martial Arts Academy was once the holy land for all martial artists in the world. But one day, people realized that the place was unreachable, and since they could gain no benefits from it, why should they still revere it as a holy land? Some might go to kneel and beg, content to be dogs, but the academy would not even throw them a piece of meat or a bone. Thus, their attitude toward the Martial Arts Academy had long since changed; it felt more like they had been toyed with.

"Let's go and see."

"The Martial Arts Academy? They sent these few weaklings?"

At that time, Xu Qing was also watching closely. The three people who had descended to the mortal realm were truly too weak. He did not take them seriously and stopped paying attention. Why did he have a nagging feeling that these few were just the first wave of cannon fodder?

The caravan did not move fast, as they had to look after Xu Wei. It was estimated that they would reach Yang City in seven days. Recently, Xu Qing had been practicing more frequently and diligently. Pieces of spirit stones were lifted by his vital energy, condensing into dense, powerful essence that would explode and merge into his body. His physical form became crystal clear, shimmering with a glazed luster. His blood flowed within him, humming like a great river, radiating scorching power.

With spirit fire to refine his body and a divine golden fetus, Xu Qing now had the power to protect others. He was enough to dominate the younger generation, invincible in the martial arts.

During this period, because of the arrival of the Martial Arts Academy's envoys, earth-shaking changes had occurred. Coincidentally, they appeared in Yang City, ordering all martial artists in the world to unite and resist the demons! The Lord of Jin did not seem to stop any of this, or perhaps he felt powerless to do so. The power behind this was likely something even he dared not easily offend.

"Are the Immortal Gates not just legends? In ancient times, those gods and martial powerhouses entered the Immortal Gates and never appeared in the mortal realm again. For so many years, only the Martial Arts Academy occasionally recruited disciples. Now that a catastrophe is coming, they have actually reopened the Immortal Gates."

As Xu Qing and his group got closer to Yang City, they discovered that the commoners were migrating away, fearing they would be implicated. Their fear of these martial artists was second only to their fear of the demons and the barbarian soldiers; after all, these were such powerful beings, capable of destroying rivers, lakes, seas, and mountains with a single hand. Yang City, one of the few great cities in the world, had already fallen into such a state.

Under the orders of the Martial Arts Academy, the number of gathered martial artists grew. The city’s guards had been tripled; it was said that because of this, the Lord of Jin had even suspended his plans to invade other countries.

"Do you have no one left in the Nine Provinces? Is this all you have?" The man in blue looked at the crowd and sneered. "Fine. I will not pursue those who did not come, but from now on, they will not receive protection from my Martial Arts Academy. Do not blame me for being heartless."

The people present were sparse and uneven. There were only two or three grandmasters, and they were all old and nearing the end of their lives, hoping to try their luck and see if there were any opportunities. They were treating the Martial Arts Academy as a joke.

"Is it that funny?"

In the empty palace, the Lord of Jin had dismissed his eunuchs and maids long ago, rarely seeing even his ministers and generals, especially after destroying the Tang and Xia Kingdoms. Rumors in the streets suggested that he was learning to cultivate for longevity like the Lord of Xia. But those in the know guessed more accurately: the Lord of Jin was clearly cultivating the demonic path.

*The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao!* He was cultivating the Demonic Path!

Unfortunately, nothing could stop this; whatever they did was futile. They hoped for Wang Chuan to return and restore orthodoxy. Today, there was an uninvited guest in the main hall.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Jin."

The woman in white, though addressing him as an emperor, spoke without a hint of respect and did not bow.

"Fairy, you flatter me. The Martial Arts Academy emerging to uphold justice is a blessing for all the people of the world! It is I who should be bowing to you," the Lord of Jin said earnestly. "I was injured by a villain yesterday and can hardly move. Please forgive any discourtesy." As he said this, he did not even shift his position.

"Your Majesty need not be so formal. It seems our Martial Arts Academy has been in seclusion for too long; the mortal realm is no longer the mortal realm of yesteryear," the woman in white said.

Her observations over the past few days were exactly that. Commoners had no idea what the Martial Arts Academy was. Some major families, sects, or royal courts had some knowledge, but it was too unfamiliar. The era when the Martial Arts Academy ruled the world had passed far too long ago. After so many years and so many events, most people did not consider it relevant to them.

"How could that be? We remain respectful to the Divine Academy. You wished to command the martial artists of the world, and I have helped you contact them. Even I bow to you," the Lord of Jin insisted.

"The world says that your wife, Your Majesty, was peerless in beauty and once entered the Martial Arts Academy as a disciple," the woman in white said, ignoring his words and bringing up another matter. "And with Prince Wang Chuan being so invincible here and feared by all, it truly is a case of two brilliant talents in one family."

"Those are just legends, do not believe in evil. My wife left on her own back then and has had no contact since. I do not know where she went; I miss her dearly. As for Wang Chuan, he has his own destiny, and I cannot manage him," the Lord of Jin lamented.

"Why does everyone in the world think the Empress entered the Martial Arts Academy, yet we never saw the Academy recruit disciples and bring them back during the time she left?" the woman in white asked, looking at him.

The Lord of Jin was shocked. "I do not know either."

Such rumors were truly suspicious.

On the plaza, the man in blue felt his face burning. When they came down from the Martial Arts Academy, these secular mortals should have lined the streets to welcome them. But what was with those lazy, scattered expressions? A woodcutter passed by from afar, glanced at them, and looked as if he were watching someone perform a monkey show. Recalling the sect's mission, the elders had not been optimistic, and indeed, these people were ignorant.

The Martial Arts Academy had not been in contact with the mortal realm for many years; it was feared they had become strangers.

"How will you resist the demons? You didn't stop the Demon Realm at all; they opened the passage, and countless demons are hiding in the mortal world to this day!"

"Where were you when Wang Chuan and the great experts went to slaughter the Demon Emperor?"

"The Martial Arts Academy? Hah! What use are you? Coming out now to point fingers."

The martial artists faced these so-called disciples of the Martial Arts Academy with more questions and accusations. They felt deep sorrow.

"Enough! You are incompetent yourselves and blame others! You can't even stop a few demons and only know how to complain to me!" the man in blue shouted. "You bunch of trash! What right do you have to complain to me!"

...

"Is this a spy we sent over?" Ying Qian watched from afar, speechless. This guy was truly stupid and dense. "Do we really have such moles? Forget it, never mind. The most important thing is to find clues about the Divine Court. My clan has been preparing for so many years; we cannot fail this time."

"Where did the gods go back then?"

Ying Qian took two more looks and then left. Things here were not worth his time. He had thought the emergence of the Martial Arts Academy would be a monumental event, but it had devolved into a farce.

"They are not from the Martial Arts Academy at all! They must be demons in disguise!"

"That's right, the look in their eyes is shifty; I don't think they're good people!"

"Drive them away! What right do they have to criticize us!"

"Get them out!"

It was as if public outrage had been ignited; the crowd looked at him with hostility. The emotions they had repressed for so long were about to explode.