The Legend of Futian - Chapter 5: Feng Qingxue’s Decision

In the blink of an eye, over twenty days had passed. Two silhouettes were seen leaving the back mountains, returning to Qingzhou Academy.

There had been a significant amount of change to Ye Futian's body. His eyes had never been filled with such energy, and his physique was better than ever. As he walked on the academy's cobblestone road, it all felt like a dream, as if he had been gone for a long time.

"This rascal is finally back after hiding for so long."

"He probably couldn't hide any longer; the Fall Quarter Examinations are only eight days away."

People in the academy whispered amongst themselves upon seeing Ye Futian. The events of Qin Yi's lecture twenty some days ago had already spread. This "infamous character," who hadn't broken through a single plane in three years, disrespected their goddess, Senior Sister Qin. Then he turned around to flirt with Feng Qingxue. Ye Futian was now the talk of the academy.

"Seems like people are looking for trouble." Ye Futian's hearing had sharpened quite a bit; he could now hear even the lowest of whispers.

"How do you feel about that?" Yu Sheng eyed him with pity. Qin Yi and Feng Qingxue were both extreme beauties. The two were very popular in Qingzhou Academy and had countless suitors, especially Qin Yi. At the ripe age of seventeen, she had the looks and the body to captivate any man. So, when this guy flirted with both ladies in a day, he irritated many people.

"It's nothing. I know you have my back," shrugged Ye Futian.

"Shouldn't you be able to handle it by yourself now?" Yu Sheng asked confusedly. Ye Futian was already on the brink of breaking through the Juggernaut Plane; his power might have been able to surpass someone on the sixth Awakening Plane, the Invincible.

"I have to keep a low profile." Ye Futian walked away arrogantly, with his hands behind his back. Yu Sheng looked at the hateful figure ahead, completely speechless. Was this the same person who had announced his identity as a Mandate Sorcerer to the world, despite being stuck on the first plane? Now that he really was a Mandate Sorcerer, he wanted to keep a low profile? How could he be any more contradictory?

Not long after, the two returned to the dorm where they resided together. As expected, there were many other people making their way over there as well. What's more, it was not just one group of people, but two. The two groups met along the way and exchanged wary looks, ready for a fight. Putting their differences aside for the time being, the two crowds became one as they walked towards Ye Futian's residence.

"It's people from the Society of Knights of the School of Martial Arts and people from the School of Divination Arts," said a bystander. Many people were headed in Ye Futian and Yu Sheng's direction. These individuals were all official disciples of Qingzhou Academy. It did not seem like they were there out of jealousy from what had happened with the two girls, things were not that simple.

The School of Martial Arts within Qingzhou Academy consisted of the Battle House, the House of Swordsmen, and the Society of Knights. The School of Divination Arts was made up of the seven Great Elemental Pavilions. One of the two groups was dressed in silver. These people were from the Society of Knights, where the strongest knights were groomed.

On the other hand, the second group of visitors was donned in gold. The two metallic colors reflected off one another. This group was from the Metal Pavilion.

"Senior Brother Mo Lanshan, a three-star Glory Knight, and Senior Brother Han Ye, a Metal Element two-star Glory Sorcerer. I can't believe they're here at the same time," someone recognized the leaders of the two groups, their intentions were now clear to everyone.

Wow, what an honor!

If both schools were there, then it couldn't possibly be for Ye Futian.

Inside the dorm, Ye Futian stood off to the side and looked at Yu Sheng, who was standing in front of the two parties. He smiled lightly. Yu Sheng had always stood behind Ye Futian, but even then, he still shone brightly. His future would only be brighter, Ye Futian believed in him, just as Yu Sheng had for him.

Senior Sister Qin had previously mentioned that Yu Sheng would be exempt from next year's Spring Quarter Examinations and that he would be free to choose whether to join the School of Martial Arts or the School of Divination Arts. Back then, Ye Futian thought that there might be a possibility the higher ups would take action first and recruit him instead of waiting for him to pick. Just as predicted, they were here now.

"You should step outside," Mo Lanshan said. Naturally, Ye Futian understood this was directed at him, so he smiled and stepped outside, not minding too much.

Outside the dorm, a rather large crowd had gathered. Of the thousands of outer sect disciples attending Qingzhou Academy, only a handful were personally recruited as official disciples each year. For this reason, many people would be jealous.

"Yu Sheng is about to be an official disciple while he's about to be expelled, what a joke." The people noticed that Ye Futian was alone and so, they felt no need to lower their voices. There were many others in the academy that did not like him anyway.

"He only made it this far because of Yu Sheng, without him, Ye Futian would've been kicked out of the academy ages ago."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing his performance during the Fall Quarter Examinations." Everyone around laughed at Ye Futian.

"Instead of worrying about me, why don't you worry about yourselves. If you mess up during the exam, it'll be really embarrassing," Ye Futian replied as he leaned on the wall nonchalantly.

"How arrogant."

"Fits his reputation." Everyone stared and discussed Ye Futian. Even though Yu Sheng always followed Ye Futian, he was going to become an official first. Shouldn't Ye Futian be ashamed?

Ye Futian closed his eyes and tried to block out the noise. Not long after, the Society of Knights exited the dorm. As they walked past Ye Futian, their leader halted.

"I heard that Yu Sheng's father works as a manager for your family clan," Mo Lanshan said, without a single glance at Ye Futian.

"Yeah." Ye Futian nodded.

"People are indeed often blinded by others' family backgrounds; but, as they grow older, they'll come to understand that people from different worlds should not collide. The more arrogant you are now, the more petty you will be later in life. The people you once knew will soar so high above your head that you won't even be close enough to reach out and touch them," Mo Lanshan said coldly and walked away.

From the very beginning, Mo Lanshan never spared a glance at Ye Futian, he was worthless in his eyes.

Ye Futian was confused, his eyes followed Mo Lanshan as he departed. Ye Futian was sure Yu Sheng would not have made a choice without asking for his opinion first, and Mo Lanshan knew that. So, why did Mo Lanshan say all those things to mock him? Were they not complete strangers?

The group from the School of Divination Arts also started to leave. Han Ye glanced at Mo Lanshan's figure ahead of him, his eyes then landed on Ye Futian. "You've got some guts, flirting with a senior sister like that."

"Uh..." Ye Futian was speechless. Had the gossip reached the official disciples?

"Mo Lanshan is from the Society of Knights of the School of Martial Arts, and even though Qin Yi is from the House of Swordsmen, they're still from the same school." Han Ye left this for Ye Futian to think about as he walked away. Ye Futian thought about that for a while and his eyes lit up. He finally understood Mo Lanshan's cold attitude towards him.

Yu Sheng looked as if he had something to say when he saw Ye Futian re-enter the dorm.

"Don't waste your time thinking about this. How can they ask you to just decide like this? Isn't this a mockery of your abilities? Don't choose either school; if nothing happens, they'll be able to see what a genius you are at the Fall Quarter Examinations." Yu Sheng was dumbstruck by what Ye Futian said. It didn't seem like Ye Futian wanted to discuss this situation, so even though Yu Sheng already had his thoughts on the topic, he simply nodded.

Yu Sheng trusted Ye Futian more than he trusted himself.

......

It was seven days before the Fall Quarter Examinations. Early in that morning, a bell rang all across the Qingzhou Academy campus.

People left the dorms and all headed in the same direction.

Around this time every year, the academy would gather all the outer sect disciples and make announcements regarding the Fall Quarter Examinations. It was also a time for pre-examination inspections.

The outer sect disciple gymnasium was enormous, able to accommodate tens of thousands of people with ease. Even though the outer sect disciples filed in continuously, the gymnasium remained unfilled.

The outer sect lecturers had arrived early on. Qin Yi was wearing something tight-fitting that showed off her curvaceous figure and attracted the attention of all those around her.

"He's here." The news had come from a small group in the crowd. They were all making a fuss while looking in the same direction. From that direction, came two people.

"I heard that senior brothers from both schools went to recruit Yu Sheng yesterday. That sort of treatment isn't for just anyone. How dare that loser walk in front of Yu Sheng like that?" Everyone watched the school's "infamous character", and they were not too happy with him. Yu Sheng was going to be someone important in the future, but what was Ye Futian going to amount to? Probably nothing.

None of this bothered Ye Futian though. Others could not possibly understand his relationship with Yu Sheng.

"Senior Sister Qin," Ye Futian greeted her with twinkling eyes. With a face and a body like that, it was no wonder that a Glory Knight like Mo Lanshan wasted his time getting mad at a nobody like him.

Qin Yi's face fell when she saw Ye Futian. "Where have you been these past days?"

"I went cultivating, of course!" he replied. "Since I made a promise to you, I should give it my all."

It did not seem like he was lying, so her expression warmed up a bit. As long as it was possible to encourage him to develop, and he did not do too badly during the Fall Quarter Examinations, maybe it would be possible to persuade the academy to give him some time.

"Have you progressed into the Enhancement Plane?" Qin Yi asked.

"Senior Sister, I've already stepped into the Juggernaut Plane," he said with a serious look on his face.

After she heard his words, her face fell once again and she glared at Ye Futian. She couldn't believe that she actually trusted him, and that she was even considering putting in a good word for him.

"Haha...!" Everyone around began to laugh. Ling Xiao walked close to the two and questioned Qin Yi while staring at Ye Futian, "Senior Sister Qin, what should we do about this guy?"

"You're running out of time, Ye Futian! If you want to stay in the academy, you have to pick up the pace and try harder to reach the Enhancement Plane." Qin Yi was a bit disappointed. Thinking back on the entrance talent inspections three years ago, it seemed like such a waste.

Ye Futian seemed to understand how she felt, his face broke out into a warm smile. Even though she didn't seem to believe him, he knew she truly cared about his well-being.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I won't let you down." His smile was a display of his pride, the morning sun shone off his handsome face.

Qin Yi's heart warmed at his words, but just as she began to feel this way, Ye Futian said, "Don't forget what you promised, Senior Sister."

"You...!" She stomped her feet and turned to walk away. She was only a young seventeen-year-old, she did not know how to deal with this type of thing.

Many people were dumbfounded. They glared at Ye Futian furiously, but also with a bit of jealousy. Even though it was quite shameless of him, they were jealous that he could joke with Qin Yi without worry.

"Why waste your time on a person like him?" A male lecturer stepped beside Qin Yi and asked.

She spared him a glance and said, "He is actually quite gifted. I still don't understand why he couldn't manage to break through the Collection Plane over the span of three years. Maybe a miracle will really happen at this year's Fall Quarter Examinations."

"I really don't understand why you have such high hopes for him." The fellow lecturer beside her shook his head and looked at Ye Futian with disdain.

At that moment, Ye Futian wondered and questioned Yu Sheng, who was standing beside him, "How come no one believes me when I tell the truth?"

Yu Sheng had no answer for him. Who would believe that anyone could make it from the Collection Plane to the Juggernaut Plane in less than a month?

"We'll become official disciples in the Spring of next year. Should we give Feng Qingxue a hand as well?" Ye Futian asked.

Yu Sheng took a quick look at Feng Qingxue and nodded. If she was able to develop with Ye Futian, then she could definitely make it to the Mystery Plane by the Spring Quarter Examinations.

Ye Futian located Feng Qingxue and began to make his way over. The crowd made way for him unwillingly. Of course, this was because he had Yu Sheng behind him.

Before he could get close enough to her, someone stepped out in front and blocked his way. It was Feng Qingxue's best friend, Murong Qing.

"What do you want?" Murong Qing asked emotionlessly.

"I want to speak with Feng Qingxue." Ye Futian gave out a smile.

"I know. You can say what you need to from here," she said.

Ye Futian lifted his head, ignoring Murong Qing, as he looked towards Feng Qingxue and said, "I have to talk to you."

"It'll be the same if you said it from over there." Feng Qingxue was avoiding his eyes.

"Feng Qingxue, what do you mean by all of this?" Ye Futian was confused by this situation.

"You don't understand? It means that Qingxue doesn't want to be near you. So, mind yourself," Murong Qing answered.

Ye Futian's gaze sharpened and he turned serious. However, Feng Qingxue continued to avoid meeting his eyes.

"Forget it." His eyebrows unfurled and he spoke softly.

"Ye Futian wanted to ask you to train together from now on," Yu Sheng spoke out abruptly from his spot off to the side, his gaze sharp as always.

Ye Futian was shocked as he turned towards Yu Sheng. He was never a man of many words, but the Yu Sheng that Ye Futian was looking at now looked extremely mad.

At this point, Feng Qingxue lifted her head and noticed the look in Yu Sheng's eyes. She then greeted him timidly. "Yu Sheng."

Their interactions attracted the attention of others. Ye Futian wanted to invite Feng Qingxue to train together? That's rich. Was he dreaming? However, it was Yu Sheng who brought this up, so no one dared to interfere.

"I know that Feng Qingxue really looks up to you, but do you really think that Ye Futian is worthy enough to have her train with him?" Murong Qing asked Yu Sheng.

Yu Sheng paid her no attention, his eyes were still focused on Feng Qingxue. "I want to know what think."

Feng Qingxue clenched her small fists. She was shaking. She looked at Yu Sheng, then at Ye Futian. Shaking her head, she replied, "Yu Sheng, we're all grown up now, I think it would be best for us to keep our distance."

After saying this, she let go of the breath she had been holding in. A rock had finally been lifted off her shoulders, and she was feeling much more relaxed now. However, she knew that she had just lost something.

Ye Futian finally got the answer he had been waiting for, although it was not the answer he had hoped to hear. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. She really had grown up.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 4: His Life Spirit Was the Sun

Ye Futian was shocked by the power of his punch. Delighted by what he had just accomplished, something suddenly slipped into his mind. He closed his eyes, and his consciousness went into the Life Palace.

The apparition of Ye Futian appeared under the World Tree. His eyes filled with excitement. At that moment, the jade green tree was faintly covered in flames, looking radiant with fire-element Qi. What shocked Ye Futian even more was the bright, sun-shaped matter that hung in the sky. It exuded a breathtaking flame, though it was far from the dazzling effect of the real sun.

The mind of an actual cultivator always had some kind of artifact in their Life Palace. For some, it would be a mountain or river. For Ye Futian, it was a bright sun.

This power felt so strong that it almost absorbed the essence of the universe. Ye Futian was shocked as he stared at the sun in his Life Palace. Suddenly, he felt as if he were the sun himself. The Spiritual Qi of the entire universe had flowed inside him, then into his constellation and the World Tree.

The World Tree now had flames, and the sun above had grown even brighter.

Oh my, this scorching feeling. Ye Futian felt like he was in the middle of the sun; his joints, muscles, and bones were continually being forged by the flame of the sun.

My spirit lies in my Life Palace… Ye Futian mumbled to himself. Suddenly, he remembered something—something that could possibly be happening. He began to focus, and soon after the glow of the sun had burst out of his head and shone all over the place. It gave his face a sense of holiness.

"Your spirit in your Life Palace—is it a sun?" Yu Sheng asked, standing beside him.

Ye Futian suddenly opened his eyes. The glow was now gone. He looked at Yu Sheng, slightly confused, then mumbled, "I seem to be able to make spirit in the palace…"

He realized the sun in his Life Palace was obviously the spirit. It had boosted his cultivation, and even showed increased improvement on his body.

Yu Sheng was thrilled; his eyes opened wide. He stared at Ye Futian and asked sincerely, "Then please, create one for me?"

Ye Futian was speechless. Yu Sheng was so out of line. How could he even think to ask Ye Futian to make him a spirit in his palace after having been thrilled like this?

"Keep an eye on your imagination, buddy," Ye Futian nodded, turning away.

Yu Sheng was confused again. "Where to?"

"Time for cultivation. We have to observe some animals." Ye Futian laughed, seemingly in good spirits. The sun was pushing him through planes so fast that it would be entirely possible to reach the Juggernaut Plane from the Adamant Plane. Though it would require the extreme coordination of strength and spirit, once he arrived at Juggernaut, he would be able to integrate his mind, strength, and spirit. Every technique and move would evolve into a new level of power in the Juggernaut Plane for him. He had to put in the effort.

Mount Tianyao was surrounded by herds of demons, even on its perimeter. Soon after they marched into the mountain area, Ye Futian and Yu Sheng were met with a level four Swift Demon Panther.

"Yu Sheng, go wait to intercept her; I will chase after her." Ye Futian commanded Yu Sheng. Hearing the order, Yu Sheng flew like an arrow, with a momentum that somehow shook the earth. The Panther sensed the threat, and suddenly tried to run away like a bolt of lightning.

"Soul generates mind, mind guides strength; creator of the universe, break your limit and unleash all your power..."

Ye Futian mumbled out the spells of unleashed cultivation power. As he ran, the Panther created a shadow figure, sprinting in his mind. It seemed that almost every single one of Panther's moves were being repeated and slowed down in his mind.

Gradually, his body had unconsciously copied the gestures of the Panther. When he lept into the air, his right leg curled a bit to burst harder into the next step. It was almost as if he were the Panther himself. Though he ran fast, he was still not proficient enough for the Panther's moves, so the Panther was almost able to get away from him. Fortunately, Yu Sheng managed to cut off its escape.

It's not just strength; it's the power of the wind. Ye Futian could perceive the wind-element power surrounding the Panther. He began to feel that his body had also absorbed energy from the wind; his clothes rustled, and his movements became even more fluent. Half an hour later, he merged with the wind, just as the Panther had.

"Yu Sheng, leave her alone. I'm done." Ye Futian stopped running, and Yu Sheng let go of the Panther.

"You are such a great imitator," Yu Sheng complimented. He had watched Ye Futian gain the essence of the Panther's moves in only half an hour.

"I have a sense of wind-element power. As long as I practice my techniques as the Panther has, I will have her speed. It's still not enough though. It looks like you have more work to do for me these days," Ye Futian laughed. Yu Sheng did not say anything, but followed him in silence.

The following few days, Ye Futian developed in Mount Tianyao. He observed and imitated the movement patterns of monkeys, tigers, lions, and even birds. He progressed every single day.

On the tenth day, he made it to the fifth plane of awakening, the Juggernaut. That day, Ye Futian and Yu Sheng walked deep inside the forest. The earth began to shake lightly, as did the trees around them. A terrible voice came roaring in their ears.

They looked at each other to make a decision, then walked towards the source of the voice. The shaking became even worse. Finally, they saw a giant, furious monster, which was over five meters tall.

"Wow, that is a level nine demon; Ape the Furious." Yu Sheng's eyes looked sharp. The giant demon was a real threat to him. What was surprising, however, was seeing a graceful beauty standing right in front of the Ape.

The girl was dressed in all white. Her hair danced along with the wind, as did her skirt. Her facial features were so perfect that she would definitely be considered a "Helen of Troy" when she grew older.

"It's Hua Jieyu. I know her." This girl was a legend at Qingzhou Academy. Ye Futian marveled at her beauty.

"Should we help?" Yu Sheng asked.

"Wait, the Ape is injured." Ye Futian noticed that the Ape had wounds all over, while the girl looked safe.

"Hua." The Ape suddenly stepped towards the girl with a loud roar. Because of the size difference, it seemed clear that the girl could not withstand one attack. However, Hua Jieyu swiftly flew towards a tree to evade the attack.

The Ape knocked down the tree, then picked it up as a weapon to swing at Hua Jieyu. The strength of the throw was terrifying.

The girl remained calm. She bounced all over the air. She also used leaves as her weapon. The leaves charged towards the Ape as if they were blades, and each one made a sound as they flew through the air.

The Ape tried to block the leaf blades with the tree in hand. The leaves were everywhere, and after a while, the tree had almost been cut into pieces.

Gravel and boulders flew all around. Hua Jieyu fell behind another tree and closed her eyes. Suddenly, all the flying rubble charged towards the Ape. Each piece of debris was like a small blade; together, they were eroding the defense of the Ape by cutting into his skin bit by bit. Even more horrifying was the extreme razor-like lance of rubble that had been formed by Hua Jieyu's Qi, and was pointed right at the Ape.

Such a powerful spell. Ye Futian was completely shocked. A moment later, he witnessed the lance pierce right through the eye of the Ape. The giant monster growled in extreme pain and began to run away. He knocked down every tree on his way.

The girl did not chase after the Ape. She slowly descended to the ground, as if she were a Goddess gracing the planet with her presence.

"Enjoyed the show, didn't you?" Hua Jieyu smiled softly. Ye Futian and Yu Sheng walked out of their hiding spots and looked at the girl, who was their age, in shock.

"You are a multiple-element mage? Are you serious?" Ye Futian asked.

"I know you." Hua Jieyu didn't answer Ye Futian's question, instead choosing to look at him.

"Sounds like I am famous." Ye Futian also smiled. He seemed genuinely honored to be known by the legendary beauty of the academy.

"It was three years ago at the Entry Test of the academy. I overheard what you said when we first met."

"Huh…." Ye Futian sensed the awkwardness in the air, but he soon calmed down and asked, "What did I say?"

Hua Jieyu gave him a sweet smile that nearly took his soul away.

"You asked if I was a fairy." She kept smiling, then turned back into the forest.

Of course. Ye Futian was paralyzed for a second, then nodded at the figure as she left.

"Looks like you remember it." Yu Sheng also watched her as she left.

Ye Futian thought back to three years ago. When he had first met the then 12-year-old Hua Jieyu, he had told Yu Sheng, "She's too beautiful to be a human. In a few years she's going to be a fairy, and dangerous for men."

"People say that she has reached the ninth plane of awakening already, and that she majored in both strength and spells. I cannot imagine how awesome the spells she used were; most people in the ninth plane of awakening cannot do the same things she did. Rumor also has it that she is a Mandate Sorcerer. Some great master in the academy already made her their private disciple. Guys are going after her, but none of them could even remotely match her beauty and talent," Yu Sheng mumbled.

"She's caught your heart. Am I right?" Futian mocked him.

Yu Sheng shook his head, then said in a serious tone, "I think she's here for you."

"Come on," Ye Futian said as he patted the top of Yu Sheng's head, "Just stop thinking, then."

He turned back and suddenly smiled like a child. "To be honest, though, I do want to marry her. She's definitely qualified to be a wife candidate," Ye Futian chuckled.

Yu Sheng stumbled upon hearing this. He stared at Ye Futian from behind. Just a candidate? What a rude joke.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 3: Three Planes in a Day

At Qingzhou Academy, with Mount Tianyao as its background, occupied quite a bit of land. Even an outer sect disciple would be able to have a personal residence on campus.

Ye Futian returned to where the residences of the outer sect disciples were located. With Yu Sheng trailing quietly behind him, Ye Futian walked into his own residence.

"Yu Sheng, I want to give up," he said slowly as he stopped in his tracks.

"Even if the Mandate has yet to awaken, you're still incredibly gifted." Yu Sheng looked at the youth in front of him. When Ye Futian had identified himself as a Mandate Sorcerer, everyone had laughed at him, but only Yu Sheng knew that it was no laughing matter.

Ye Futian was indeed a Mandate Sorcerer.

"I know that. It's just that I've worked so hard." Ye Futian smiled bitterly. "It's been three years. If this goes on I really will get left behind by you. It looks like I'll have to work harder."

"Come on, let's go train." Ye Futian turned to look at the young man behind him. Yu Sheng was a head taller than him, with a frame larger than most. He naturally had a strong aura about him.

The two walked into the designated development area inside the residence. Ye Futian sat down cross-legged, instantly closing his eyes. A bright airflow surrounded him. The Spiritual Qi in the small area he occupied was going crazy, and began rushing towards Ye Futian. Yu Sheng watched all of this from behind without a word. At that moment, Ye Futian was like a formidable vortex, engulfing all the Spiritual Qi. If the others were to witness this scene, they would be rendered speechless out of fear.

The frightful flow of air drifted through his body, his inner mind its destination. This was the location of his Life Palace.

Possessing a spirit in your Life Palace, also known as the Life Spirit, was an attribute of a Mandate Sorcerer.

Currently, in Ye Futian's Life Palace, there was a large ancient tree thick with jade-green leaves. However, the land around the tree was barren. As the Spiritual Qi drifted into the Life Palace, the tree greedily absorbed it all. The crisp green leaves rustled, moving without the help of wind.

An apparition appeared under the tree. It was Ye Futian. He looked at the magnificent tree in front of him and said quietly, "Three years of absorbing Spiritual Qi, yet it hasn't made any difference. You only know how to take. If you're going to be like this, then I'm no longer going to transfer any of the Spiritual Qi I absorb to you."

He had said everything that he needed to say. The apparition he had created with his consciousness disappeared. The Spiritual Qi that was flowing through his body was no longer headed in the direction of his Life Palace, but travelled to the rest of his body instead.

A great wave of Spiritual Qi washed over his body. He was ready for the Enhancement Plane. Right at that moment, however, a strong force emerged, pulling all the Spiritual Qi backward. It began rushing straight back into the Life Palace.

The sudden change caused Ye Futian to shudder. Boy, he was pissed. For the past three years he had sent every last bit of Spiritual Qi he had collected to the Life Palace, but saw no results. Now it was forcefully taking it away, keeping him from developing.

Just the thought of this made Ye Futian want to fight. The forceful energy ignored his feelings, however, and continued its crazed absorption of all the Spiritual Qi. The force then began to absorb all the energy in Ye Futian's body. In only a few moments, Ye Futian's complexion began to turn pale.

*sshole! Ye Futian cursed. Accompanying the raging rush of Spiritual Qi into the Life Palace, he felt a violent shaking in his head. It seemed as if there was a drastic change going on in the Palace. His consciousness attempted to interrupt it, but was destroyed by a wild force.

Ah...! A deep growl escaped his lips. Yu Sheng stood up abruptly, witnessing the change in Ye Futian's body. Not only was his body changing, but all the Spiritual Qi he had previously collected from around him was rushing towards him as well. Even more, the flowers, grass, and trees in the surrounding area all began to wilt at an alarming rate. Yu Sheng's eyes lit up as he realized what was happening. He stepped closer to Ye Futian and took a seat right behind him. When he placed both of his hands on Ye Futian's body, he immediately felt an enormous force. It absorbed the Spiritual Qi Yu Sheng had in his own body, just as he thought it would.

Was it finally awakening?

......

When Ye Futian woke up, all he knew was that his body felt extremely weak. The sunlight pierced his eyes as he opened them. A night had passed.

"What...happened?" Ye Futian sat up and saw the withered plants. Seated beside him was a weakened Yu Sheng.

Thinking of the events of the previous day, Ye Futian closed his eyes, his consciousness entering his Life Palace. Ye Futian jumped at the sight of his previously barren Life Palace. There was now a moon in the sky, shining down on the vast land, as well as mountains and streams. The ancient tree the Life Spirit had resided in stood as tall as ever, looking greener than ever before. It was full of Spiritual Qi.

The World Tree. The apparition of Ye Futian, created by his consciousness, appeared under the ancient tree once more. Could it be that his old man had lied?

His father had once told him that his ancestors were Mandate Sorcerers who had gone against Heaven's will. The World Tree could take the spirit from anything on Earth. However, it had failed to be passed on, and Ye Futian was the only one who had inherited their ancestors' innate abilities.

Could it be that Freedom Meditation is real? Ye Futian thought of the Freedom Meditation mantras he had repeated over and over as a child. He was excited, With his eyes closed, the mantras flowed from his mouth. He quickly became focused, controlling all his thoughts. It was as if he was galloping between Heaven and Earth.

Just as quickly, a dense force of Spiritual Qi appeared in his meditative mind. Within that dense force, he was able to see different colored Spiritual Qi. Those were the purest kinds of elemental Spiritual Qi. Each color represented a different type of element.

Flames. Ye Futian's thoughts locked onto the blazing red Spiritual Qi. It was the fire-element Spiritual Qi. The World Tree Life Spirit took on the blazing red color; it was truly a dazzling sight. Suddenly, outside the Life Palace, the fire-element Spiritual Qi flowed feverishly into Ye Futian's body. It wandered into every organ, giving him a strong burning sensation.

Wood-element. Ye Futian shifted his focus to the green Spiritual Qi using the Freedom Meditation. His body flooded with wood-element Spiritual Qi, instantly replenishing the energy that had been taken from him.

Metal, Earth, Wind, Water... Ye Futian played around with this for quite a while. Finally, he stopped, opened his eyes, and stared blankly into the space in front of him.

"Is this...real?" Ye Futian looked down at his hands in disbelief.

"Of course it's real! You're a Full-Attribute Sorcerer." Sitting behind him, Yu Sheng had clenched his fists in excitement, to the point that the veins in his arms were clearly visible. He stared straight ahead at Ye Futian. "Plus, you're a Full-Attribute Mandate Sorcerer, who is able to develop in both martial and divination arts."

"Then, isn't my gift..." Ye Futian's eyes shimmered.

"Against the will of Heaven," Yu Sheng finished. "There's no one else like you in the city of Qingzhou."

His face cracked into a big smile. So many of the elders in his family had been unable to inherit their ancestors' great gift, yet he had. Was this the Mandate of Heaven? A Mandate Sorcerer, operating on the will of the Mandate?

"Let's go." Ye Futian stood up suddenly, heading outside the residence.

"Where to?" questioned Yu Sheng.

"To the back of the mountains," replied Ye Futian. The mountains he was referring to were the Mount Tianyao mountains behind Qingzhou Academy.

"Demons scour the back mountains. Why do you want to go there?" Yu Sheng asked.

"We'll just go near the border. Besides, what do I have to be afraid of with you next to me?" He was out the door before he finished his sentence. Yu Sheng did not have much to say, so he followed after him.

Mount Tianyao was an extensive chain of mountains. The terrain was steep, and demons walked the land. Not many people knew exactly how deep the mountains were. It was said that the reason for building Qingzhou Academy in front of the mountains was to prevent the demons from coming out and causing harm to the citizens. At the same time, it also provided a place for the academy's disciples to train.

At noon, the two youths climbed up Mount Tianyao and stood on a boulder that was resting on top of a cliff at the border of the mountain range. Looking down at the massive academy grounds, Ye Futian exhaled.

It had been three years. Knowing his identity as a Mandate Sorcerer, how could he have possibly been satisfied developing in only martial arts? There had been no change in his Life Spirit, creating a hint of disappointment under his proud exterior. It had finally come to an end; he was going to keep reaching for his dream of becoming a powerful Mandate Sorcerer.

The scorching sun beamed on Ye Futian as he looked up at its rays. His squinted eyes gave off a powerful sense of confidence. The Freedom Meditation's key points were observation and thought. Right now, he was observing and thinking about the sun.

As Ye Futian observed and thought about the scorching sun, he stood atop the large boulder. The rays of the sun turned into flames and permeated his surroundings. They then pierced Ye Futian's body. The forceful blaze of fire flowed around him, reaching every internal organ and each of his limbs, filling his entire body.

Yu Sheng watched as Ye Futian turned into a man on fire in front of his very eyes. Those same firm eyes showed happiness. The sleeping dragon had finally awakened.

Crackling sounded as Ye Futian's skin burned red from the blazing flames. Under the incineration of the sun's flames, his body continued changing.

After a long while, Ye Futian's skin glistened like crystals, but also bright, like a fire. Within his body, fiery dragons rushed into every vessel, causing a loud rumble. There was a lot of activity, and many loud, frantic noises. Luckily, there was no one else at the top of the mountains, so Yu Sheng was the only one that heard them.

It was shocking that entering the Enhancement and Venation Planes could cause such a ruckus.

In the blink of an eye, it was already dusk. The sun was setting, and Ye Futian's entire body was engulfed in flames. It felt like a storm was raging inside his body. His bones were crackling continuously. He finally stopped when the sun disappeared below the horizon. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Unexpectedly, a beam of fire shot out from his pupils.

"You broke through three planes in a day," Yu Sheng stated in shock. After having been suppressed for three years, he had broken out in one day. Borrowing the power of the sun for the calcination of his body, he had powered through both the Enhancement and Venation Planes in one go. He was now in the fourth plane of Awakening, the Adament Plane. He now possessed an impenetrable iron body.

"This is too cool," Ye Futian muttered. It would have taken at least a few months for an ordinary person to achieve an iron body. To become a Mandate Sorcerer, he had used Freedom Meditation to observe and think about the flames of the sun, and with some help from his Life Spirit, he had been able to achieve it in half a day.

At that moment, he felt completely energized. He stood up and walked over to an ancient tree at the top of the mountain. With a quick wave of his fist and a loud snap, the large tree that had once stood in front of him split into pieces. The area where his fist had landed on the tree trunk was now burned black.

"Even those in the Juggernaut Plane wouldn't be able to handle a punch from you," Yu Sheng gasped, seeing the result of Ye Futian's work. Those in the Juggernaut Plane had immense strength, but the force of that one punch from Ye Futian definitely surpassed the strength one would normally possess in the Juggernaut Plane.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 2: Three Years Had Passed in Collection Plane

Qin Yi stared at Ye Futian fiercely. Seeing the smile on his face, she was reminded of what had happened three years ago at the Academy Entry Talent Inspection. Ye Futian had only been 12-years-old at the time. In front of all the masters at the Academy, his smile still remained natural and proud, completely different from the nervousness of the other youngsters.　　

The test had finally determined his talent to be of the highest level, which meant that his perception of Spirit and Qi was great. This made him a natural at martial arts.

Now that three years had passed, his perception had not changed, unfortunately, nor had his plane. He had remained casual, lazy, and frequently absent from classes. However, his eyes were still bright and clear.　　

"What if you can't?" Qin Yi asked.　

"It's your call," Ye Futian said.　　

"Please, do not put Mr. Yu Sheng's future in jeopardy." Qin Yi looked up at the resolute boy sitting behind Ye Futian.

Yu Sheng's metal-element perception was of the highest level. He was already in the eighth Awakened Plane, the Metamorph Plane, and was even stronger than Qin Yi, who was at the seventh Awakened Plane, the Mystery. His future should not be tampered with.　

"Sure," Ye Futian promised. But was this possible?

Qin Yi walked back to the podium. Her beautiful eyes looked around at all the students, then she said, "There is only one month before the Fall Quarter Examination. Please use this time wisely. If you wait until next spring, another batch of new students will join and compete. Especially you, Ling Xiao. You are on the sixth Awakened Plane, the Invincible; and Feng Feng Qingxue, you have stayed on the fifth Awakened Plane, the Juggernaut, for too long. I want you guys to make progress on the Spring Quarter Examination next year."　　

The first level of development was Awakening, which was then divided into nine planes: Collection, Enhancement, Venation, Adamance, Juggernaut, Invincible, Mystery, Metamorphosis, and Unmaker.

To become an official student in Qingzhou Academy, one had to reach the seventh Awakened Plane, the Mystery, before the age of eighteen, and perform accordingly in the Spring Quarter Examination.

"I will, Ms. Qin," Ling Xiao nodded. Feng Qingxue made a fist, feeling more determined to reach his goal.　　

"You are dismissed," Qin Yi murmured. She then began to walk outside, her graceful figure followed by the eyes of the boys in the room. Finally, after the figure was gone, they all viciously looked at Ye Futian, the bastard who, in their eyes, had just been disrespectful toward their Goddess.　　

"Ye Futian, turn around," a cold voice said in Ye Futian's ears, attracting a lot of looks. It was Feng Qingxue, who was seated behind Ye Futian.　　

Even at just fifteen-years-old, she was already a beauty, with delicate eyes and exquisite facial features. Her body was full of youthfulness, endowing her with a sense of purity and attractiveness. When she stood up, her legs appeared slim and graceful.　　

"How could you do this?" Feng Qingxue stared at Ye Futian with anger.　　

Ye Futian suddenly realized what had happened and laughed. "You are jealous, aren't you?"　　

Feng Qingxue suddenly froze, speechless. A little while later, she continued, "How will you explain this to your father?"　　

"Explain what?" Ye Futian blinked, then remembered his father having spoken about Feng Qingxue and how she would be a good mother because of her childbearing hips. He couldn't take his eyes off of her curves.　

"Stop thinking of weird stuff. We are still young; it's not time to be talking about having kids yet."

Ye Futian's words suddenly brought silence upon the class. The other boys felt nothing but anger. They believed this bastard was shameless. Just minutes ago he had been flirting with Ms. Qin Yi, and now he was talking dirty to Feng Qingxue, who was so gorgeous and young. What was wrong with this guy?

Feng Qingxue completely froze. She suddenly remembered that Ye Futian's dad had made an inappropriate joke to her dad about her and Ye Futian having kids together. She blushed badly, thinking this shameless bastard was intentionally making fun of her.

"I meant if you were to be expelled from the Academy after the Fall Quarter Examination. How would you explain that to your dad?" Feng Qingxue was breathing hard. Her chest heaved She was confused about what Ye Futian was even thinking about. Apparently she did not believe Ye Futian would pass the Fall Quarter Examination with only the first Awakened Plane.　　

"I will pass," Ye Futian said as he looked at her, shaking his head a bit.　　

"Come on, you have been stuck on the first Awakened Plane for three years, yet you are still confident? Seriously, Ye Futian, please spell the word 'shame' for me," another cold voice said from behind him. People looked back and saw that it was Ling Xiao, the boy sitting behind Feng Qingxue.　　

Ling Xiao had already reached the sixth Awakened Plane, the Invincible. He was such a talented wind-element mage that he was considered extraordinary in the 15-year-old class of Qingzhou Academy. He would hopefully become an official cultivator after passing the Spring Quarter Examination next year.　　

While he was speaking, he did not look at Ye Futian for even a moment. His eyes were drawn to Feng Qingxue. He continued, "Ye Futian, you are the worst in this class, yet you are talking nonsense to a talented girl like Feng Qingxue. You are obviously getting your confidence from nowhere. No wonder people say 'he who knows not, fears not.'"　　

Ling Xiao was actually speaking on behalf of the rest of the class, who were now looking at Ye Futian. They believed that he was definitely the most shameless in the class.

Yu Sheng walked beside Ye Futian without any attention. His mere existence gave him an aura of power, which suddenly demanded the respect of the others' eyes.　　

"Brother Yu," Feng Qingxue mumbled.　

"Hi," Yu Sheng casually nodded, his eyes locked onto Ling Xiao. He was giving him such a powerful look.

"'He who knows not, fears not?'" Ye Futian did not seem agitated by Ling Xiao's words. In fact, he had heard so many insults over these last three years that it was no longer a big deal. It was common for people to insult others in an effort to make themselves look superior, especially when someone beautiful was present.

"You think you are the doctor, don't you?" Ye Futian said.　　

"For development? That's not even a question, especially compared to you, loser." Ling Xiao was confident because Ye Futian had been stuck on the first Awakened Plane for so long, and he was always absent from class.　　

"Okay, then tell me how a warrior could beat a double-element fire/metal mage?" Ye Futian suddenly asked.

Ling Xiao hesitated for a second, then answered sarcastically, "Are you kidding me? Even a single-element mage would easily defeat a warrior unless the mage were such an idiot that he let the warrior get into melee range. In a one-on-one battle this would be the only way, let alone a double-element mage."　　

The spells of a mage could attack a warrior from a far distance, which could cause a clear advantage for the mage over the warrior in battle.

"You idiot. A warrior wins when he is on a higher level plane," Ye Futian said satirically. Ling Xiao looked gloomy. People looked at Ye Futian and wondered how shameless he really was to have asked such a question.　　

"You raised a question about battle between different classes without telling me they were on different planes. Is this question even meaningful at all?" Ling Xiao fired back.

"Same plane, huh? What if the warrior had increased strength and enhanced agility?" Ye Futian asked again. People suddenly realized that he was making some sense. A warrior that had increased strength would be good at blitzing. With enhanced agility, the warrior would be able to get in close range quickly.　　

"Come on, you are talking about a double-element fire/metal mage. He would have a fire shield spell and enhanced armor from metal-element spells. Even in close range combat, there is no chance the mage loses," Ling Xiao sneered.　　

"Then what if this warrior knew rampage cleavage? This is a specialized armor-breaking technique. With the power from Strength-concentration, metal-element armor would be nothing more than a piece of paper," Ye Futian continued, "As for the attack from the mage, you know it is nothing."

Ling Xiao became gloomier. In fact, a Strength-concentration warrior with enhanced agility would surely evade the attacks of a mage. Ye Futian was making a good point.

"This conversation is nothing but strategy on paper. Just stop it." Ling Xiao was reluctant to admit his loss in the debate.　　

"Right, how could a mage ever lose to a warrior?" someone followed.　　

"You are just repeating what you know from books, pretending you know everything and that everyone else is ignorant. Okay, then answer this simple one: How do people differ in development over the first Awakened Plane, the Collection?" Ye Futian kept asking.　

"A cultivator feels the Spiritual Qi from the universe and collects them in this plane. A mage possesses better perception over the Qi of a certain element, thus more pure power is gained from the collection. Therefore, if we are talking about collection of a certain Qi element, there is a major difference. However, for general development, there would be little difference. For mage collection, each mage definitely differs in their respective Collection Plane because of their different elements," Ling Xiao answered slowly, confident that he was including every possibility.　　

"Idiot." Ye Futian glanced at Ling Xiao with scorn, then turned his back and walked away.　　

"What do you mean?" Ling Xiao said, frowning at Ye Futian's back. "Pretending to have the last word by walking away when you can't answer? You loser."

"Ye Futian is a douche," people murmured.　　

Suddenly, a piercing glow burst out from Ye Futian's back. It was a cloud of Qi, spreading all around him like a brilliant rainbow. The students dropped their jaws in amazement, completely shocked.

Ye Futian was trying to make a statement. Even people in the Collection Plane could be different; some could be superior, like he was.

Ling Xiao seemed upset about this scene. The glow from Ye Futian was so brilliant that he could not believe he was only on the first Awakened Plane, the Collection. Could it be true?

Yu Sheng followed Ye Futian and they left. After they had disappeared, the class was still blown away by what they had just seen.

"I gotta admit, this douche is unique in the Collection Plane."　　

"So what? He has been stuck on this plane for three years, of course there is going to be a difference. If we ever got trapped on the first plane we would be the sam."　　

"That's right. He has been stuck for three years already. How the hell does he have the nerve to be so arrogant?"　

"And how dare he talk dirty to Ms. Qin and Feng Qingxue like that? Damn this scumbag."　　

"Ling Xiao, take it easy. No matter how much he talks, you would beat him in an instant if he ever dared to challenge you," someone told Ling Xiao. Others mumbled in agreement.　　

Ling Xiao hesitated for a while, then felt confident again. The others were right; a low level cultivator like Ye Futian was not going to confuse him.　　

"Feng Qingxue, that boy is a prodigy. I know you have known each other since you were very young, but still. Stay away from him," Murong Qing said. She was Feng Qingxue's friend, and was trying to persuade Feng Qingxue to stay away from Ye Futian. She had always looked down on Ye Futian, mostly because she believed Ye Futian was always showing off when he had no actual ability at all.

"He is out of line, isn't he?" Feng Qingxue also seemed mad.　　

Murong Qing noticed that Feng Qingxue seemed distracted. She began speaking seriously. "Wake up, girl. You are going to be an official cultivator soon. It's time for you to seriously think about your future. Even being around him will ruin your reputation, but you don't seem to care about this at all. Can you imagine what people will think of you in the future? Is it even worth it for a guy like him?"　　

Feng Qingxue frowned. She was speechless. She had not thought that far ahead yet.　　

"Time to grow up. Stay away from him, forever," Murong Qing said.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 1: The Youth of the Present

Divine Prefecture Calendar, Autumn of Year 9999, East Sea, City of Qingzhou

Qingzhou Academy was a sacred place in the city of Qingzhou. Over half of the strongest individuals from the wealthiest families and most prominent clans had attended this academy. Thus, citizens of Qingzhou took pride in being able to develop themselves there. If the opportunity presented itself for one to attend the academy, they would undoubtedly study with the utmost diligence.

However, it seemed that not everyone felt this way. In a classroom in the academy, there was a young man fast asleep at his desk.

Lecturing at the front of the room was a young woman, clothed in a long teal dress. She took notice of this. A wave of anger flashed across her face as she made her way towards the young man, who was in a deep slumber.

Qin Yi was seventeen, and an official disciple of the academy, as well as a lecturer for outer sect disciples. She was blessed with a beautiful face and an alluring body. In the classroom, all eyes followed Qin Yi as she moved. Even when she was mad, every move she made was elegant.

"This guy again! I can't believe he fell asleep during Senior Sister Qin's lecture again." It seemed as if the rest of the class had not noticed their sleeping classmate u[ until that point. Many of them did not know what to say. It was obviously not their first time witnessing this.

"Senior Sister Qin is serious eye candy. I don't know how that guy could have fallen asleep," whispered a fellow classmate.

Among all the lecturers, Qin Yi was without a doubt the most popular. The reason as to why was evident as soon as one laid eyes on her. She was considered a goddess by many. Her lectures were always made to a packed classroom. Falling asleep in Qin Yi's classroom was seemingly impossible.

Qin Yi's steps were light. She arrived at the young man's side without making a sound. Standing in front of the desk as she eyed his face in deep slumber, her beautiful face frosted over.

"Ye Futian," a soft voice said. The voice was not Qin Yi's, however; it had come from behind Ye Futian.

As if he had heard his name called, Ye Futian's body moved slightly. With his hands holding up his head, he slowly opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision he was able to make out two round peaks.

"So big," Ye Futian muttered unconsciously. His voice was very soft, and he had only murmured to himself, In a quiet environment like this, however, his unexpected comment was heard loud and clear by the entire class. In an instant, everyone froze, then immediately grew angry again.

"I can't believe it! How can he be so openly disrespectful to Senior Sister Qin?!"

"This shameless bastard." Everyone's gaze was fixed on Ye Futian, piercing him as sharp swords would, which caused him to shiver. He could feel that something was wrong. He shifted his gaze upward and away from the glorious view in front of him. His eyes landed on a face as exquisite as jade, but also filled with anger.

"Uh..." Ye Futian was dumbfounded. It was Qin Yi! Had it not been Qingxue calling him?

Turning around, he saw the glaring eyes of a seemingly innocent 15-year-old girl.

Ye Futian took a glance at the young girl and immediately cursed under his breath. He had been played; no wonder the cup size had been wrong.

"Senior Sister Qin, I..." Ye Futian attempted to explain.

"Ye Futian," Qin Yi coldly interrupted him. She asked, "What is the history behind the establishment of Qingzhou Academy?"

It was obvious Qin Yi wanted to avoid the awkwardness by changing the subject, but Ye Futian could clearly feel her anger radiating towards him. He could even feel the Will of Sword flowing through her body. It was as sharp as a knife, cutting into every inch of his body.

"Three hundred years ago, the Great East Phoenix united the Divine Prefectures of the East and commanded all dukes to establish martial arts academies in order to promote martial arts. This was the reason behind the establishment of Qingzhou Academy," Ye Futian answered. Of course, what he had said had come straight out of the history books. In the unofficial history books of his clan, another name was connected to this event. However, this tabooed name must not be brought up.

"What types of occupations are involved with development?" Qin Yi continued her questioning.

"Development can be divided into martial arts and the art of divination," Ye Futian replied. "Development in martial arts is associated with occupations such as warriors, knights, swordsmen, and so on. Development in the art of divination involves occupations such as mages, alchemists, armorers, and so on. Mages can also be divided into subcategories. Of course, there are also people who are naturally gifted and choose to work on both arts."

"It seems like you missed one type of occupation," Qin Yi stated solemnly.

"I couldn't have possibly missed anything," the young man said with a radiant look on his face. "The Divine Prefecture acknowledges Mandate Sorcerers as the most powerful occupation of all, as they possess a gift from the Heavens. Most of those who possess rare gifts are Mandate Sorcerers; conjurers, beastmasters, and astrologers, for example. No matter which artform they decide to pursue, they are able to surpass all others."

Everyone in the classroom was focused on Ye Futian's words. "Being a Mandate Sorcerer is a legendary occupation. They operate on the will of the heavens and are blessed by the heavens as well. Not only that, but even the most ordinary Mandate Sorcerers possess an innate capability for both martial arts and divination arts."

Qin Yi glanced at the young man in front of her, impressed. However, she was still angry. She said, "I didn't expect you to know so much about this."

"Well of course," said Ye Futian as he looked at Qin Yi. "I am a Mandate Sorcerer."

Pfft! Not far away, a young man began choking on his water, and was now coughing up a storm. Many pairs of eyes looked at Ye Futian as if he were crazy.

Everyone began to think that it was possible to be that shameless. Ye Futian was a legendary character at school, and his notoriety was well-deserved. Not only had he disrespected Senior Sister Qin in public, but he was now falsely claiming to be a Mandate Sorcerer. Could it be that he was doing this to attract the attention of Senior Sister Qin?

Who did he think he was? In his three years developing at the academy, he had been stuck on the Collection Plane of the first level of development, Awakening. His body was weak. It was clear that he had yet to reach the Enhancement Plane. How could this loser claim to be a Mandate Sorcerer? How could he be so blatantly shameless?

Qin Yi's chest puffed out again; it was truly a magnificent sight. She looked at Ye Futian angrily. "Since you're a Mandate Sorcerer, you must have spirit in your Life Palace. Set the spirit of your Life Palace free and prove your words to be true."

"My Life Spirit is still in a deep slumber, it cannot be summoned. It is also the reason why I fell asleep in class," Ye Futian answered calmly.

"Ye Futian!" Qin Yi called out abruptly. Her beautiful eyes pierced into those of the young man facing her. "Three years ago, you arrived at the academy as a 12-year-old boy. Back then, I observed the entrance talent inspection as an outer sect disciple. Your ability to perceive Spiritual Qi was at the highest level, shocking the academy. Despite the care of many instructors, you have not made any improvements in surpassing the first level of Awakening for the past three years. Having spent your days lazing around, not paying attention during class, have you developed at all? And now you even dare to falsely claim to be a Mandate Sorcerer, going as far as using it as an excuse for sleeping in class.

"In these three years, whether it be the Spring Quarter Examinations or the Fall Quarter Examinations, you always drop out of testing, automatically making you last in ranking throughout the entire academy. Ye Futian, do you really not feel ashamed?"

Following Qin Yi's enraged outburst was a silent classroom. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched Qin Yi as she fumed; it seemed to be the first time any of them had seen her like this.

Ye Futian was frozen in shock as well. His dark, black eyes stared at the delicate face in front of him, which was now red with anger.

Has it already been three years? he thought to himself. Unknowingly, three years had passed, but the commotion in his Life Palace was still the same, unchanging. He was also a bit surprised because Senior Sister Qin, a goddess to many, was usually an ice beauty. However, it appeared that she had been keeping tabs on him, and doing so since the entrance talent inspections at that.

The room was filled with a dead silence. Qin Yi carefully looked over the young man before her eyes. He had a handsome face with sharp features, with eyes as clear and deep as the night sky. At the young age of fifteen, his only shortcoming was his thin frame. In a few years, he would definitely grow to become an attractive man.

Qin Yi silently questioned herself: Was her tone too harsh? She noticed the slight sadness in Ye Futian's eyes. Her anger dissipated slightly.

"There is still one month before this year's Fall Quarter Examinations. If you fail or give up again, no one will be able to save you from being expelled. The academy is not going to let you stay, do you understand that?" Qin Yi continued. The class watched. It seemed that the academy had reached its limits with this guy.

Was he finally going to be expelled? If it did happen, it would be one for the history books. After all, it was not easy to get expelled from Qingzhou Academy.

"If he goes, I go." From the back of the room, someone spoke up rather indifferently. Many looked over to the young man, who was sitting in a corner. There were looks of envy, jealousy, worship, and worry as well.

"The academy has already decided that Yu Sheng doesn't have to participate in next year's Spring Quarter Examinations," Qin Yi said. "He can choose to develop at the academy Battle House, with the society of knights, or in any of the divination schools. His future can't be tied to you. You will only hold him back." Qin Yi looked at Ye Futian and sighed. Yu Sheng and he were destined to head in two separate directions.

"Hold him back?" The corners of Ye Futian's mouth curled into a soft smile, revealing a hint of cynicism.

"Shut up," Yu Sheng said from the back of the room. He stood up, his eyes shooting daggers at Qin Yi.

"Sit down," Ye Futian said lightly, not turning to look at Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng's gaze dulled as he looked at the silhouette in front of him. He then took his seat quietly, as if Ye Futian's words were absolute orders to him.

"I've decided...", Ye Futian had a frivolous smile on his face. He continued as he looked at Qin Yi, "I am officially participating in this year's Fall Quarter Examinations."

In the back, Yu Sheng's eyes sparkled.

After three years, was he finally going to take things seriously?

Over his three years of development at Qingzhou Academy, everyone knew of Yu Sheng's exceptional talent. His ability to perceive the element of metal was of the highest level. He was also highly gifted in martial arts. He could continue developing in either of the arts. Even though he was an outer sect disciple, his Plane was higher than many lecturers at the academy.

But even so, who could really understand Ye Futian?

"Your body is frail, plus you're still stuck in the first plane of Awakening, the Collection Plane. Even if you were to participate in the Fall Quarter Examinations, how do you expect to pass?" Qin Yi eyed Ye Futian, inwardly releasing a deep sigh. Even if he were to start working hard now, it might already be too late.

"And what if I pass?" It seemed that Ye Futian did not have a clear understanding of his own abilities. His voice was filled with confidence.

"If you pass, then you are free to do as you please in the classroom," replied Qin Yi.

A peculiar light flashed in his eyes as he took in the captivating figure standing in front of him. His eyes unconsciously made their way to a place where he should not have been looking. He asked weakly, "Is it really okay for me to do anything I want?"

This guy...what does he mean by that? many wondered as they stared at Ye Futian.

"You shameless *sshole, where do you think you're looking?" The other students had finally realized what his eyes were trained on. Oh, how they all wanted to hit him. How could he still be saying such disrespectful things to Senior Sister Qin?

Naturally, Qin Yi was aware of Ye Futian's gaze as well. The little pity she had for him died in an instant. Her beautiful eyes glared at Ye Futian with rage once again. She bit her lip and answered his question

"Whatever you want!"

The Legend of Futian

The Legend of Futian ( 伏天氏 )

Author : Jing Wuhen
Translator : Nyoi-Bo Studio 
Editor : Nyoi-Bo Studio
Genre : Adventure, action


Synopsis

In a time when the Divine Prefectures of the East Sea were in great disarray, Emperor Ye Qing and Donghuang the Great appeared to save the day. Under their rule, the prefectures united and all nations as well as their kings have been controlled. However, the legend of these two great heroes becomes altered when Emperor Ye Qing's name is wiped from the history books after his sudden death. All statues and images of him were destroyed and his name a taboo. Only the legend of Donghuang the Great shall live on.

Fifteen years later, a young man by the name of Ye Futian begins his journey in search for his true identity. The legend of Futian was going to be one for the history books.

The Lord's Empire - Chapter 21 – Skeleton Captain

Two days later, the stairs were completed. Because it was not very wide at the bottom, Zhao Fu only brought 10 Shieldbearers, 10 Infantry, 10 Archers, Bai Qi, and Old Logue. They were currently walking down the stairs towards the bottom.

 By now, their equipment looked completely different. The Infantry were all using iron swords and sabers, while the shields that the Shieldbearers held had a thick layer of iron on the surface, increasing their defensive capabilities greatly. The arrowheads that the Archers now used were also iron, and everyone was wearing leather armor.

The Great Qin Village was currently unable to create plate armor – there were many different kinds of plate armor, and they all required blueprints. Also, the price of creating plate armor was roughly eight times more expensive than creating normal weapons.

Right now, Bai Qi was using a Blue grade sword – it was one of the weapons they had obtained last time from this place, and it had been made usable again after some simple repairs. The Blue grade armor he was wearing was from the Violent Fire Rabbit he had killed before.

Zhao Fu stayed at the back – he was not one to rush at the enemy, so he only wore Normal grade leather armor because it would be more suitable for Bai Qi to have the Blue grade leather armor.

Their group held torches, and the formation was as follows: Bai Qi and the Shieldbearers in the first row, Infantry in the second row, Archers in the third row, and then Zhao Fu and Old Logue, the Mages, in the fourth row.

As they slowly advanced, tongues of blue flames appeared in the heads of five Skeletons ahead. They raised their weapons and rushed at the group of humans. These five Skeletons were all Infantry and held either swords, sabers, or spears.

Bai Qi and the Shieldbearers created a defensive wall, blocking off the Skeleton soldiers. The Skeleton soldiers swung their weapons at the Shieldbearers, but they were blocked by the Shieldbearers’ shields.

The Archers drew their bows and fired arrows at the Skeleton soldiers. Arrows weren’t very effective against Skeletons because unless the arrows hit the Skeletons’ heads, the arrows would not deal much damage. However, the arrows could obstruct the Skeleton soldiers, giving the Infantry opportunities to attack.

This time, Bai Qi and Old Logue didn’t do much – the five Skeleton soldiers were split up by the Shieldbearers while the Archers made it difficult for them to attack, and the Infantry attacked the Skeleton soldiers, causing them to retreat. After the Skeleton soldiers lost their balance, the Infantry wildly attacked them without any worries.

After doing this three or four times, the Skeleton soldiers became a pile of bones. Because Skeletons were fuelled by spirit power, once their spirit power ran dry, they would naturally ‘die’. The five Skeleton soldiers dropped three Refined Martial Souls and five weapons.

After advancing, they encountered six Skeleton Infantry and two Skeleton Archers.

The six Skeleton Infantry raised their weapons and rushed at Zhao Fu’s group without any fear. The Skeleton Archers drew arrows from their quivers and drew their rusty bows.

Swish! Swish!

Two arrows tore through the air and drew an arc as they flew towards Zhao Fu’s group of people.

The Shieldbearers quickly raised their shields, blocking the two arrows. However, by now, the six Skeleton Infantry were right in front of them. If the Skeleton Archers continuously shot arrows, they would disrupt Zhao Fu’s soldiers’ coordination. Moreover, if they weren’t careful, they would be hit by the Skeleton Archers’ arrows, causing injury or death.

Zhao Fu immediately called out, “Old Logue, attack!”

Old Logue obeyed and raised his wooden staff as two blood-colored fireballs flew at the Skeletons, blasting the six Skeleton Infantry backwards.

Zhao Fu once again commanded, “Archers, suppress those two Skeleton Archers!”

The Archers drew their bows, sending arrow after arrow towards the Skeleton Archers, who were about to attack again.

Following this, Zhao Fu ordered, “Bai Qi, rush over there and deal with those two Skeleton Archers.”

Bai Qi ran around the six Skeleton Infantry that had been blasted backwards and charged towards the two Skeleton Archers.

By now, the six Skeleton Infantry were slowly getting back to their feet, and Zhao Fu quickly yelled, “Shieldbearers! Separate them and attack them like last time!”

Zhao Fu gave out a flurry of commands, and everyone quickly carried them out. The Shieldbearers and Infantry formed six small teams and separated the Skeleton Infantry while the 10 Archers fired at them whenever they found the opportunity to. Bai Qi rushed to the Skeleton Archers and swung down with his sword, which was covered in sword qi.

Just like that, they stabilized the situation and turned it in their favor.

Old Logue looked up and stared at Zhao Fu giving orders. Before, even when they were enemies, Old Logue felt quite fearful towards him because he felt that Zhao Fu was incredibly calm and rational when dealing with matters.

Zhao Fu had quickly analyzed the situation and rapidly given out orders in a coherent and calm manner, twisting this situation in their favor. Old Logue felt that it was only natural for his village to submit to Zhao Fu, and his Loyalty towards Zhao Fu increased.

Now that their allies and enemies were fighting at such close range, Zhao Fu and Old Logue could only stand by and watch.

Bai Qi was the first to succeed. He lopped off one of the Skeleton Archers’ heads and slashed his sword the other way, sending the other Skeleton Archer crashing against a wall, after which it fell apart.

The Shieldbearers and Infantry also coordinated like they did last time, and they dealt with the Skeleton Infantry one by one.

This time, they obtained 10 weapons: eight were Blue grade and two were White grade, and the two White grade weapons were the Archers’ short swords. There were also five Refined Martial Souls.

After resting for a short while, they continued ahead.

It was completely dark within the passage, and the dark made it feel as if there was no end. It was also deathly silent, making everyone feel quite wary.

At this moment, the sounds of the Skeletons coming to life could be heard. There were 12 Skeletons this time; 11 of them were Skeleton soldiers that held sabers, while the last one held a large saber and wore a suit of armor. The last Skeleton’s displayed name was [Skeleton Captain].

The situation instantly became quite dangerous for Zhao Fu and his soldiers.

The Skeleton Captain drew its sword and roared as a formless soundwave rippled outwards, its voice incredibly ear-piercing.

Following this, the Skeleton Captain rushed over with the other Skeleton soldiers behind it, and they did not seem clumsy or disorderly at all. They followed behind the Skeleton Captain as if they were living soldiers, and they gave off an unstoppable aura as they charged towards Zhao Fu’s soldiers.

“Is this the Skeleton Captain’s effect?” Zhao Fu muttered before yelling, “Arrange the formation!”

The soldiers’ expressions became grim as they started to move. The Shieldbearers formed a shield wall with the Infantry behind them, and the Archers prepared their arrows.

“Fire!”

The Archers obeyed, and arrows streaked through the air, reaching the Skeletons in an instant. The Skeleton Captain brandished its large saber, and a cold light glinted as five or six arrows were cut out of the air.

At this moment, Zhao Fu roared, “Logue!!”

Old Logue was fully prepared, and he raised his wooden staff, drawing out his full power. Two blood-colored fireballs appeared above his head, and they were twice the size of the ones before. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Old Logue waved his wooden staff, causing the two blood-colored fireballs to fly at the Skeletons.

The Skeleton Captain did not seem to fear the two fireballs at all. The Skeleton Captain tilted its saber as rays of grey light extended out from the saber, and it was about to slash at the two fireballs.

At this moment, Zhao Fu coldly harrumphed. He had long since drawn his Iron Wood bow, and the arrow knocked on it shined with a mystical yellow light as he released it.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot out like a bolt of lightning.