True Martial World - Chapter 117: Yi Yun VS Tao Yunxiao

There was a thirty minutes break before the final match. The Tao tribal clan took this opportunity to hold a ritual and a prayer before the ancestral artifact was taken out.

The ritual involved slaughtering a cow and the dancing and chanting by two witches, who had their faces smeared with cow blood.

A witch took out the Tao tribal clan's female sword component of the ancestral artifact and washed it with blood.

This was a necessary ritual the Tao tribal clan used when taking out the ancestral artifact. It was not needed when practicing or demonstrating. But the ancestral artifact would see blood when used against an enemy; hence, they had to hold a ritual to honor the souls of their ancestors within the ancestral artifact.

It could be said to be odd because, when the female-sword was immersed in a copper bucket filled with cow's blood, the cow blood suddenly bubbled as if it were boiling. In a while, the entire bucket was dry. It gave the feeling that the blood had been absorbed by the sword!

"That sword…is a bit malevolent…" Yi Yun frowned slightly. He had originally thought the ritual did not do a thing because it stemmed from the superstitions of the vast wilderness. But he did not expect that the female sword of the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact would absorb the blood.

After feasting on the blood, the female sword looked redder, as though an invisible force circulated on the sword's body. From the looks of it, the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact was extraordinary!

After the ancestral artifact tasted blood, the Tao tribal clan's witch carefully wiped the sword dry before handing it over to Tao Yunxiao.

Tao Yunxiao genuflected and raised both his hands above his head to accept the female sword.

After he received the female sword, Tao Yunxiao felt his body brimming with energy. He looked towards Yi Yun with eyes burning with battle flames.

"Yi Yun! Get on the stage!" Tao Yunxiao said as he jumped into the arena.

Yi Yun gave a meaningful glance at that female sword before working his way into the arena.

The sun began to set in the vast wilderness, its bright glow dyeing the western sky red.

There were tens of thousands of people watching Yi Yun and Tao Yunxiao, who stood a hundred feet apart. They all held their breath and paid full attention. They did not want to miss any interesting moments of the duel.

This was a battle using the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact!

The Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact was no trifling matter; many people of the Tao tribal clan had never even seen the ancestral artifact, even at an old age. Some did not even know what the ancestral artifact looked like.

How could they not feel excited about seeing the ancestral artifact's power today?

"Young Master Yunxiao is sure to win! Long live the Tao tribal clan!" shouted someone in the audience. This shout slowly turned into a tumultuous wave, with each succeeding wave being higher than the last.

It was a battle that determined their future!

Yi Yun wanted to become a Kingdom Knight because he knew that the best among the Kingdom Knights could enter the Divine Kingdom's royal capital, and enjoy the cultivation resources of the Kingdom, practicing the "Tai Ah Sacred Technique"!

Becoming a Kingdom Knight was an important step on his martial path.

Not only that, Kingdom Knights' had their own territory. So, Yi Yun could bring his sister Jiang Xiaorou to the heartlands and lead a comfortable life.

He would include people he received favors from like Aunt Wang, Uncle Zhou and the delicate and touching Zhou Xiaoke. Yi Yun wanted to bring these people into the heartlands, letting them bid farewell to the uncertain life of the Cloud Wilderness.

"Yi Yun, you and I do not have any feud, but the sword is blind. Don't blame me if I were to hurt you accidentally. I'll give you another warning. With the female sword in hand, my strength is at least doubled!" Tao Yunxiao said in high-spirits while embracing the female sword with his arms crossed.

"It's meaningless talk, make your move!" Upon saying those words, Yi Yun opened up his arms to fight bare-handed with Tao Yunxiao's female sword of the ancestral artifact!

The desert wind was fluttering, blowing Yi Yun's linen clothes. Yi Yun's figure and aura left a deep impression in the eyes of many.

Some girls from the Tao tribal clan suddenly had a subtle change of heart when they saw Yi Yun looking like this. The girls of the vast wilderness worshiped heroes; the current Yi Yun was a hero in their eyes!

He was a genius and he had a great future ahead of him. He showed no fear as he faced Tao Yunxiao's sword bare-handed!

This arrogance tormented the hearts of these girls. They looked at Yi Yun's back, and some of their faces blushed red as their heartbeat increased in speed.

If Yi Yun beat Tao Yunxiao, they could follow him to the Kingdom Knight's territory in the event Yi Yun showed them mercy. They could escape the poor and dangerous vast wilderness and to serve Yi Yun for life wasn't a bad thing…

The thoughts of these girls were not known to Tao Yunxiao. If he knew, he would have gone mad from anger. He only felt Yi Yun's aura growing stronger, with a grunt, the female sword he embraced had been unsheathed!

"Clang!"

The female sword flew to Tao Yunxiao's hands as if it were alive. Tao Yunxiao could not wait to defeat Yi Yun.

Time seemed to freeze as tens of thousands of people watched Tao Yunxiao attack!

His body suddenly appeared as a line of shadows and the people could only hear the sounds of his steps and the sword cutting through the air!

"Cha!"

The female sword sliced through the desert wind; it was so fast that people could not see clearly.

"Such a fast sword!"

"We can't even see Young Master Yunxiao's sword, how can it be avoidable?"

When a person attacks with a sword, compared to using fists, it would increase the attacking range, attacking power and the attacking speed as well.

The speed difference between a slash of the sword against a punch from the fist was very different.

"Whew!"

Tao Yunxiao had quickly moved in front of Yi Yun and his female sword had gone straight for Yi Yun's throat!

If this sword were to hit, Yi Yun's throat would split apart. Even if the Jin Long Wei's doctor was nearby, he was unlikely to be saved.

The people exclaimed but Yi Yun remained calm.

He had seen the 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven' before!

Last night, he had seen Lin Xintong's full version of the 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven'. Compared to Lin Xintong's swordplay, Tao Yunxiao's 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven' was not worthy of mention.

Although Yi Yun had never adapted to Lin Xintong's sword, he could see the flaws of Tao Yunxiao's swordplay. It was not a problem.

Just at the moment, Tao Yunxiao was about to pierce through Yi Yun's throat, Yi Yun suddenly moved backward and dodged the killing blow. The sword's tip was less than an inch away from Yi Yun's throat!

"Huh!?" Tao Yunxiao was not pleased that Yi Yun managed to dodge his first attack in an extremely serene manner, and he quickly responded with a second attack.

He was using the 'Flowers of the Storm' stance of the 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven'. When this stance was practiced to the extreme, a sword could stab out over a hundred times in the time it takes one breath!

Tao Yunxiao could not reach that level, but he could thrust a few dozen strikes out. From afar, Tao Yunxiao's strikes were a spectacular light show.

The 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven', when brandished, was so tightly bound that it could prevent water from entering. The sword beams around Tao Yunxiao's body together with sword Qi would form a protective boundary. Tao Yunxiao was in the early stages of this state.

When this dense sword beams hurled at Yi Yun to envelop him, Yi Yun's body turned into shadows that people couldn't read.

This feeling was the same illusion Zhang Yuxian gave off when he demonstrated 'Elephant Swallowing Technique'. They did not know what moves Yi Yun was making, but all they felt was that the arena was covered with afterimages!

The sword beams and afterimages were dazzling!

But there was no doubt that Tao Yunxiao's strikes had failed to hit their target!

A person with a sword had issued a dense rain-like attack, while the other was avoiding barehandedly. It was clear who was better!

"What!?" Tao Yunxiao's face turned a flustered red. He knew that Yi Yun would be a tough fight, so he had requested permission to use the ancestral artifact against Yi Yun. But he did not know that fighting Yi Yun would be much harder than he expected.

He had practiced his swordplay for several years, where his sword was as if a part of him; yet, he could not even touch the sleeves of Yi Yun!

"Yunxiao, don't be anxious!" The voice of Tao Yunxiao's father came into his ears. He could tell that his son was turning distraught from facing Yi Yun.

"I know, Father. Since he has such strength, I have no choice but to use the ancestral artifact's strength!" Although Tao Yunxiao was haughty and arrogant, he wasn't a fool who couldn't tell Yi Yun's strength. He knew that Yi Yun had withheld a lot of hidden power during his battle with Lian Chengyu. Still, Tao Yunxiao had the confidence to beat Yi Yun, because he could borrow the ancestral artifact's energy!

"Yunxiao, are you sure…?" Tao Yunxiao's father was worried because using the ancestral artifact's energy was no trifling matter.

Tao Yunxiao did not respond because he hit himself in the chest.

"Puah!"

Tao Yunxiao spat out a mouthful of blood onto the female sword.

And just like before, the female sword absorbed Tao Yunxiao's blood like the cow's blood and soon turned red and sinister!

This scene transfixed the audience.

They knew the Tao tribal clan had an ancestral artifact, but for what it was or its powers, they had no idea.

"Using blood to honor the ancestral artifact… Yunxiao really is desperate." The grand elder frowned. The Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact had some sinister side to it. Just using it as a sword gave one immense strength.

To use the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifacts greatest power, the artifact had to be fed with blood. And it was most effective if the blood was the swordman's!

But to use the swordman's blood to feed the ancestral artifact would cause great harm to his Yuan Qi. By doing this blood ritual, Tao Yunxiao might take about half a year to recover which was extremely precious for a young warrior like Tao Yunxiao.

Tao Yunxiao had laid his bets; if he did not win, it would be a huge blow to him!

"Buzz——"

After the female sword fed on the blood, it began to emit a hum across the entire area. The people of the Tao tribal clan were stunned.

They did not know that such a scene would happen after the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact was fed blood.

Although an ancestral artifact that fed on blood seemed sinister, there was no doubt of its power. One could tell just from the hums of the ancestral artifact.

True Martial World - Chapter 116: Kingdom Knight

Zhang Tan was satisfied with the responses of Tao Yunxiao and Yi Yun and said, "Good, in thirty minutes, you will begin your duel. If Tao Yunxiao were to win, he will be designated as a Jin Long Wei elite."

Hearing this from Zhang Tan, Tao Yunxiao was stunned and overjoyed.

Jin Long Wei's elite!

Under normal circumstances, only the exceptional Purple Blood warriors would be inducted as a Jin Long Wei elite. Upon becoming a Jin Long Wei elite, they would be given much greater resources and facilities. They were promised a bright path ahead.

Originally, Zhang Tan promised this to the Mortal Blood's first place, and with Yi Yun winning the first two rounds, Tao Yunxiao felt there was little hope in him coming in first even if he won the final battle. Unexpectedly, luck had turned in his favor and Zhang Tan had promised that he could be a Jin Long Wei elite by beating Yi Yun.

How could Tao Yunxiao not be excited?

Thankfully, he had received the ancestral artifact. With the ancestral artifact aiding him, his might would be doubled, and it would not be hard for him to defeat Yi Yun.

At that moment, not only Tao Yunxiao but all the Elders and the Grand Elder of the Tao tribal clan were stirring with excitement. If Tao Yunxiao could become a Jin Long Wei elite, it would greatly aid that bid of bringing the Tao tribal clan out of the vast wilderness.

But Zhang Tan carried on with his words that shocked the Tao tribal clan's elders and Tao Yunxiao. Their original excitement had evaporated and they were left in a prolonged silence.

Zhang Tan said, "In this final battle, Yi Yun would become a Jin Long Wei elite regardless of the outcome. But if Yi Yun were to win, he will also be conferred the title of Kingdom Knight."

The words “conferred the title of Kingdom Knight” shocked everyone.

Being defeated meant becoming a Jin Long Wei elite.

Not only did victory make him a Jin Long Wei elite, but he would also become a Kingdom Knight.

What was a Kingdom Knight in the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom? Under the divine emperor were the nobles. The nobles were divided into seven ranks: prince, duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron, and knight.

The knight was of course "Kingdom Knight".

Although Kingdom Knights were ranked last amongst the nobles, it was in no way of little value. All the nobles of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom were canonized by the royal household.

The Tai Ah Divine Kingdom was a vast country. The founding emperor of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom was a sage, so it was difficult to measure the number of territories under it.

The great vastness of the Cloud Wilderness was just a remote place in the northern part of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom and it was of little value.

As for the Tao tribal clan, they were just one of the many tribes in the Cloud Wilderness. Their territory just spanned five hundred kilometers.

It was a great honor to be conferred nobility by the royal household in such a vast empire, even if was only in name.

The title of nobility could not be used in idle talk. The difference between nobles and plebeians was great in any country in the vast wilderness.

Previously, the henchmen of Lian Chengyu often claimed that "Lian Chengyu will become a Kingdom Knight", while Lian Cuihua and those women would spread information on how powerful a Kingdom Knight was throughout the Lian tribal clan. This made it seem like Lian Chengyu would immediately become a Kingdom Knight. But in reality, there was a huge gap between passing the kingdom's selection and to be a Kingdom Knight.

Normally, to be a Kingdom Knight, one had to render meritorious services in battle. If not for meritorious services, they had to have outstanding talent to be noticed by the top before they could be conferred.

Just take the Jin Long Wei as an example. 99% of the Jin Long Wei warriors were never conferred titles. Their status was the same as a commoner and not a noble.

Even Zhang Tan as a Thousand Households of the Jin Long Wei was just a 'Kingdom Knight'.

Which is to say, in terms of nobility ranking, Yi Yun would be at the same level as Zhang Tan.

Zhang Tan did not have the authority to confer Yi Yun as a Kingdom Knight, but after Yi Yun had induced Purple Air Comes From The East, it meant that he was bound to have a bright future and to become either a future duke or prince.

For a person who could become a duke in the future, so what if they gave the title of Kingdom Knight?

So to bestow Yi Yun the title of Kingdom Knight, Zhang Tan had consulted the senior members of the Jin Long Wei. Only after they gave their permission did he procure the Kingdom Knight title.

The next thing to do was to enter the capital for approval. In fact, a title like Kingdom Knight was a sure thing once the upper echelon of the Jin Long Wei had decided on it. Going into the capital for approval was just a process.

"As long as Yi Yun beats Young Master Yunxiao, he would become a Kingdom Knight." The warriors of the Tao tribal clan knew clearly what it meant by the words Kingdom Knight. They could not believe that a poor kid from a small tribal clan could become an esteemed noble.

Days later, they would have to bow to Yi Yun upon seeing him.

It would be such a humiliating scene for them.

"Tsk, that will only happen if he beats Young Master Yunxiao. Young Master Yunxiao has obtained permission to use our Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact. With the ancestral artifact in hand, Young Master Yunxiao would be successful in any endeavor." Some Tao tribal clan warriors said indignantly. The warriors of the Tao tribal clan found it hard to accept that such a title could be given to a commoner of a small tribal clan. They were extremely proud but Yi Yun had trampled on their pride.

"That's right, for Yi Yun to get the title, he has to cross the hurdle of our Young Master. Our Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact has killed numerous ancient desolate beasts. Can Yi Yun withstand the ancestral artifact?"

The title of Kingdom Knight made everyone green with envy, because this title was not just idle talk, but was something packed with real benefits.

Kingdom Knights could obtain resources from the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom annually. Not only that, a Kingdom Knight would receive a small piece of land in the central heartlands, where they could build their home.

Don't belittle this, it was an absolute attraction to the people of the vast wilderness.

Typically, a Kingdom Knight was pretty wealthy. As a Kingdom Knight was strong, he had a respectable status. As such, many would come to seek refuge under the Kingdom Knight, giving up their numerous possessions in order to become a servant of the Kingdom Knight.

Many beautiful young women would vie to dedicate themselves, selling their bodies to the Kingdom Knight and serving him. If they were lucky to be noticed by the master, they could become a room maiden or a concubine. It would be a great blessing.

This was the present situation of this chaotic world. Commoners lived arduous lives in this world. By being sheltered by a large tree, their lives would be easy even if they were to lead a freedomless life of servitude.

What Lian Chengyu had previously mentioned of a family clan was this. If he became a Kingdom Knight, he could own his little piece of territory. He could take in servants and beauties and enjoyed splendid riches.

This vague promise had made the people of the Lian tribal clan excited. To these suffering people, they could get by through their labor, with no fear of famine, plagues or attacks from beasts if they could follow Lian Chengyu into the central heartlands of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom. Such days would be like paradise.

Now, Lian Chengyu's dreams had been crushed like his body—never to be realized.

How ironic it was that Lian Chengyu's ambitious goals were realized by Yi Yun.

Once Yi Yun became a Kingdom Knight, he could bring a group of people to his land in the heartlands. He could build his homes, take in servants and become a real lord of nobility.

The thought of a twelve-year-old noble made many jealous. It could only be described as a bright future.

Added with the fact that Yi Yun was handsome, even many girls of the Tao tribal clan would end up admiring him if he were to become a Kingdom Knight. Those fans of Hu Ya and Tao Yunxiao might even turn their backs on their infatuation and go for Yi Yun as one of his admirers. This was the power of the title of Kingdom Knight had.

Tao Yunxiao was so green with envy that his intestines turned green.

He originally thought that defeating Yi Yun to become a Jin Long Wei elite was a great honor.

But in a turn of an eye, Zhang Tan's promise to Yi Yun shattered his pride mercilessly.

Even if Yi Yun lost, he would still be a Jin Long Wei elite, and if he won, he would be a Kingdom Knight!

Tao Yunxiao's ambitions were similar to Lian Chengyu’s. He too wanted riches and concubines, great power and glory. Tao Yunxiao just had a greater ambition than Lian Chengyu.

At that moment, his ambition had not even been realized one bit, but Yi Yun had already taken his first step. This made him jealous.

"Kingdom Knight? How could I allow you to become a Kingdom Knight? Stop dreaming. I'll defeat you no matter what it takes." While thinking this, Tao Yunxiao gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

He wanted to be a Jin Long Wei elite and absolutely did not want to see Yi Yun become a Kingdom Knight. He had to win this final battle.

True Martial World - Chapter 115: Consecutive Victories

Lian Chengyu was carried out by the people from the Lian tribal clan's warrior preparation camp. The arena was filled with pools of blood.

Up in the sky in the airship, Old Man Su smiled at this scene.

"This kid sure is resolute! I like it!" Old Man Su may look gentle and friendly, but he was no benevolent monk; Yi Yun's actions suited his liking.

It was necessary to rid any possibility of any future threat. In fact, if Old Man Su had done it himself, he would have been even more ruthless.

Beside Old Man Su was Lin Xintong; she had seen the entire process of Yi Yun's abuse of Lian Chengyu.

She may be pure as she stood aloof from the world, but she was not a kind fairy who could not bear to step on an ant. On major issues, Lin Xintong had her own thoughts and principles.

Lin Xintong said, "Master, I sparred with Yi Yun again last night. He has high perceptivity and grows fast. His strength may not be a match against the Purple Blood realm, but he's not far from it."

"Oh, he's indeed pretty good considering his background. Let's watch on. In a few more rounds, he will battle with Tao Yunxiao. There might be a surprise waiting for us."

Under the flying boat, Tao Yunxiao watched gloomily at Lian Chengyu, who scarcely had any breath left.

At this point, everyone knew that in this contest of the Mortal Blood warriors, only Tao Yunxiao and Yi Yun were fighting for first place.

Tao Yunxiao had some idea of Lian Chengyu's strength. Although the members of Lian tribal clan warrior preparation camp were a bunch of trash, their master Lian Chengyu had some capability. But now, he had been beaten into such a sorry state. It was a devastation.

Even the haughty Tao Yunxiao felt the pressure from Yi Yun!

"Father, I request the use of the ancestral artifact!" Tao Yunxiao transmitted his voice to his father. Tao Yunxiao had originally planned on fighting unarmed to demonstrate his overwhelming strength.

But now, he needed the ancestral artifact to take down Yi Yun!

Tao Yunxiao's forte was in swordsmanship. By using the female-sword of the female-male sword pair with the 'Nine Mysterious Swords of Heaven', Tao Yunxiao believed that he could beat Yi Yun.

Even if he was no match against Yi Yun, Tao Yunxiao could still use the forbidden energy of the ancestral artifact!

Once he used that forbidden energy, he could fight someone much stronger than him!

Using the Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact to obtain victory was not an elegant win but Tao Yunxiao could not care that much.

Tao Yunxiao's father went silent for a moment. He was negotiating with the Grand Elder silently.

After a long time, the Grand Elder transmitted his voice to Tao Yunxiao, "Yunxiao. Be warned that with the ancestral artifact used, you have to win and not lose!"

"Our Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact has a thousand-year heritage. The ancestral artifact has the spiritual guardians of the Tao tribal clan protecting it. If you were to lose to a commoner from a small tribal clan with the ancestral artifact in hand, that will be the greatest insult to our ancestors. Even all the blessings within the ancestral artifact will be lost!"

The Grand Elder had debated on this topic for a long time before coming to a decision.

The Tao tribal clan's ancestral artifact was not only a protective weapon, it was also used in rituals. Many things were at stake.

In the vast wilderness, anything that had to do with the rituals was given special attention. To use the ancestral artifact in battle concerned the pride of the tribe.

Tao Yunxiao said, "Don't worry Grand Elder. With the ancestral artifact, my strength will increase several times, ensuring my victory!"

Tao Yunxiao said it as a matter-of-fact. He was sure that he would win the battle. He would not hesitate to use the forbidden energy!

...

After Yi Yun went onstage, the matches became much more peaceful.

Previously, Zhang Tan had given his blessings that people could settle any feuds in the arena and the Jin Long Wei would not interfere. But those without any enmity were not allowed to fight to the death. The Jin Long Wei would end the fight if necessary.

Although the elites of the Tao tribal clan fought with flair, compared to the visual impact of Yi Yun thrashing Lian Chengyu, there was still a large gap.

The people were anticipating the final battle between Yi Yun and Tao Yunxiao!

There were over twenty matches that day. Yi Yun had another round in the afternoon against an elite nurtured by the Tao tribal clan.

This man was well-built and he was in his twenties. His results in the preliminary and the semi-finals were not worse than Lian Chengyu’s.

The elites of the Tao tribal clan were all proud people. They would not pay a small tribal clan's heir no mind. A small tribe's heir? What's that!?

But today… on this stage, the tall youth had no such temper when facing Yi Yun.

He clearly knew that he was no match against this beast in human clothes. All the Mortal Blood warriors in the Tao tribal clan were no match against him, except Tao Yunxiao.

"The match begins!" Zhang Tan announced. Yi Yun did not get into any stance. The tall youth's heart thumped because the arena he was standing on still had the blood stains from Yi Yun’s last match.

The twelve-year-old, who was shorter than him by a head, was surely a demon. Against Yi Yun, his aura was much weaker. If he did not do well, he might end up like Lian Chengyu, losing his chances at the kingdom's selection.

But he could not admit defeat immediately. This was the Tao tribal clan's turf. As a member of the Tao tribal clan, he represented the tribe's glory. It was too embarrassing to flee without a fight.

The tall youth was irrevocably committed.

"Do you dare to take three hits from me?" He said with an idea lighting up within his head.

"Go ahead," Yi Yun said casually. Due to the difference in strength, he did not mind that his opponent would strike first.

The tall youth was careful and continuously used moves from the 'Dragon Rib Tiger Bone Fist'.

"Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!"

"Tiger Descends Flattening Dust!"

"Dragon Battles Tiger!"

The three moves were powerful with muscles and bones cracking. This tall youth was full of power!

But the three moves failed to do anything to Yi Yun. Yi Yun twisted and easily took on the attacks.

Initially, Yi Yun thought he could attack after the three moves, but the tall youth unexpectedly cupped his hands saying, "Your impressiveness in martial arts make me admit my inferiority. I concede defeat!"

Upon saying that, the tall youth turned and left the arena without delay.

This gave Yi Yun's mixed feelings. He understood that the youth knew that he was not his match, but he could not admit defeat immediately. So he went through the motion by attacking three times. Since Yi Yun had acceded to it, the youth did not need to worry about being wounded.

After three moves, he could openly admit defeat.

The person was truly sly.

Although the tall youth had admitted defeat. He had lost with dignity. The people of the Tao tribal clan did not expect him to win, so the result was as expected.

The many experts from the Tao tribal clan that later appeared used the same tactic as the tall youth. They went through the motions of attacking Yi Yun a few times before admitting defeat.

They were still competing for spots with others; knowing that they were no match against Yi Yun, there was no reason to waste their energy and court death.

As such, Yi Yun reached the finals without any resistance.

The other person that reached the finals was none other than Tao Yunxiao!

Tao Yunxiao and Yi Yun were the two starlets of the Mortal Blood realm and their clash finally came.

This battle was the focus of attention!

In the Tao tribal clan, the people that had gathered were numerous despite Tao Yunxiao having fewer supporters than Hu Ya. Many teenage girls had already treated Tao Yunxiao, who was the same age as them, as their idol.

This was the home ground advantage. Whenever Tao Yunxiao went onstage, there would be a myriad of cheers.

It was already late in the afternoon, with the sun setting in the west. The kingdom's selection final round for Mortal Blood warriors had taken an entire day.

"Do you need to rest?" Zhang Tan asked. They were originally planning to hold the final round over two days, so the battle between Yi Yun and Tao Yunxiao could be left to the next day.

"There's no need," said Tao Yunxiao while shaking his head. He had hardly used any energy in the previous matches since the Tao tribal clan's elites would immediately admit defeat against him. Not only had Tao Yunxiao maintained his optimal state, Yi Yun was also no different.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 17: I Refuse to Accept This

When Yu Sheng arrived at the center of the gymnasium, the expansive space was once again filled with silence.

His fit physique made it easy to forget that he was merely a fifteen-year-old.

He walked into the matrix. Almost immediately, a bright golden light shone over his body. The intent of battle and his powerful aura embraced his entire being.

His perception of Metal Spiritual Qi was of the Sky level. He was in the eighth plane of Awakening, the Metamorph Plane, for both arts.

"Come here." Yu Sheng was pointing at the person who had clamored the loudest. They were now shaking, pale-faced, but he somehow still made his way forward.

He was gifted. His perception of Worldly Essence was of the second highest level, Earth Level. He was also in the Metamorph Plane, but he had no confidence standing in front of Yu Sheng.

"Are you ready?" asked Yu Sheng.

"Yeah...," the challenger's voice was shaking. Hearing his response, everyone in the gymnasium became riled up. Yu Sheng took a giant step toward his opponent.

"Let's go!" yelled the opponent. His jaw was clenched tightly, and he was ready to take on Yu Sheng, but his determination disappeared as soon as he saw the ring of golden light around Yu Sheng. It made Yu Sheng look like the God of War.

Boom! Everyone saw the challenger sailing through the air after one attack. Yu Sheng did not use any special battle tactics, nor did he use sorcery. He was able to send his opponent flying using the pure force of his body.

"Next, you," ordered Yu Sheng. The person at the other end of his pointed finger was another individual who had wanted to challenge Ye Futian. He was no longer interested in battle though. "I admit defeat!" he said in fear.

"You are still required to step into the matrix to show everyone your power ranking even if you forfeit," said an elder. They were not impressed by the cowardice of this student, though they were very impressed by Yu Sheng. He was indeed unique.

Ye Futian's challengers were not looking too good. Was Yu Sheng really going to fight all of them? If he did, they would have no chance in today's debate portion of the Fall Quarter Examinations.

"Ye Futian." The challengers were not too happy with him at the moment. They only stood up because they wanted to challenge him, but now Ye Futian has handed them all off to Yu Sheng. They felt scammed.

Ye Futian smiled as he watched the events unfold. His attention shifted to Yu Sheng who was still standing at the center of the gymnasium. He was the true star of this year's Fall Quarter Examinations.

Not surprisingly, all of Ye Futian's challengers were picked off by Yu Sheng one by one. None of them stood a chance against him, despite the fact that many of them were in the Metamorph Plane. There were even some in the ninth plane of Awakening, the Unmaker Plane.

All of these people could have been official disciples already. They purposely put it off to impress officials at the Fall and Spring Quarter Examinations in hopes that their brilliant performances would make their lives easier as official disciples. Furthermore, rumor had it that the top performing students from the Fall and Spring Quarter Examinations had a chance of being chosen as the disciple of very high ranked academy officials. It was because of this that many people participated in the exams to test their luck.

It was such a pity. All of their hard work only made Yu Sheng look better and shine brighter.

"He's not human," the people on the observation deck shared with one another.

Even General Qin Shuai of the Dark Qilin Knighthood saw Yu Sheng in a different light. This boy was naturally strong. His gifts in martial arts and sorcery were both of the Sky Level. If he became a knight, he would be a force to reckoned with on the battlefield.

"Yu Sheng, that's enough," Ye Futian finally spoke. Yu Sheng returned to his original position beside Ye Futian and a lot of people let out a sigh of relief.

Now, other people finally had a chance to show off their talents. Many students came forth and put their powers on display. However, no matter how interesting the duels got, nothing possessed the same shock factor as Yu Sheng's previous displays of power.

Time passed and it was finally time for Murong Qiu to step up. Things were finally going to get interesting. After he stepped up, Murong Qiu challenged numerous high-level cultivators. When he had defeated all the Unmaker Plane students, he moved down to the Metamorph Plane. He was in the spotlight.

He even looked over at Yu Sheng but gave up on the thought of fighting him. It seemed that Murong Qiu had no confidence that he would be able to beat Yu Sheng.

Ye Futian recognized the determination in his eyes. Of course, Murong Qiu was also aiming for first place. The only way for him to place first would be to get rid of his biggest obstacle, Yu Sheng. He did not do this, though, because he lacked the confidence.

Both Yu Sheng and Murong Qiu are on the List of Brilliance, and both have had excellent performances in today's exam; but in terms of age, Yu Sheng has the upper hand. First place will most likely go to Yu Sheng, Ye Futian thought to himself as he patiently waited for the exam to be over.

The sun was setting in the sky, but everyone in the gymnasium was still just as energetic as they had been at the beginning of the day. Hundreds of students did their very best to showcase their abilities and shine above all. Even though Hua Jieyu was not participating in the exams, she still stepped forth into the matrix to have her power ranking determined. Seeing her beautiful face, the hearts of her admirers began to ache. Please don't really be dating that shameless douche!

Finally, the debates had come to an end and everyone waited for the closing statements.

Eyes diverted to the front of the gymnasium where the academy's elders sat. When Cabinet Master Leng Qingfeng of the House of Swordsmen and Pavilion Lord Shi Zhong of the Earth Pavilion came to an agreement on the results of today's exams, this year's Fall Quarter Examinations would finally be over.

Leng Qingfeng and Shi Zhong were in a serious discussion about the results while someone stood beside them and kept a record of what they were saying.

An elder beside Shi Zhong took the recorded list and walked to the front of the stage. He looked at all the hopeful students and explained, "As usual, the results from both the written exam and the debate will be taken into consideration and the outcome will be the overall rankings for the entire Fall Quarter Examinations."

At the end of the Fall Exams, there would only be one list, the Ranking List. Similar to the written exam, only the top three would be informed of their placement on the list.

The top three garnered great glory and honor. In addition, everyone on the Ranking List would have the privilege to access the library's second floor.

Everyone waited excitedly for the results. Who were the top three going to be?

Ye Futian watched the elder with bright eyes. First place belonged to Yu Sheng.

"In first place, Murong Qiu," announced the elder. Ye Futian's gaze froze. He could not comprehend what had just been said.

First place? Murong Qiu?

Others were just as shocked but the shock dissipated quickly. After all, Murong Qiu was in the ninth plane of Awakening and his performance was quite outstanding as well. However, they still felt that it was a pity for Yu Sheng.

"Second place, Yu Sheng," the elder continued with his announcement.

"Why?" Ye Futian interrupted the elder as he prepared to announce third place.

Everyone waited for a response, feeling mixed emotions. The elder, as well as other academy elders, scowled in disapproval. Interrupting the result announcements was extremely disrespectful towards the elders.

"Why is Murong Qiu first and Yu Sheng second?" Ye Futian wanted to know.

"You're getting out of line here!" the elder scolded. "The results have already been decided and they are this way for a reason."

"I refuse to accept this," said Ye Futian.

"Murong Qiu, seventeen, Earth Elemental Sorcerer, Sky Level, cultivating in the ninth plane of Awakening. Yu Sheng, fifteen, cultivating in both arts, Sky Level for both. In comparison, Yu Sheng is obviously more outstanding. In the written exam they were both on the List of Brilliance and did not receive placement, so I can count that as a tie. However, in today's exam, Yu Sheng defeated cultivators in the ninth plane despite only being in the eighth. No matter how you look at it, Yu Sheng has the upper hand. So, why is Murong Qiu in first place?" reasoned Ye Futian.

He took a step closer to the elders on stage and bowed down. "Please reevaluate their performances and decide on the results carefully."

This guy... Qin Yi looked at Ye Futian. Even though, she objected the results as well, how could Ye Futian question the decisions made by the cabinet master and the pavilion lord? He was obviously a smart guy, but why was he acting so dumb now?

Outer sect disciples standing in the gymnasium were all watching Ye Futian, and began to whisper about him. Murong Qiu's face frosted over as he glared at Ye Futian.

The honorable guests sitting on the stage were all speechless as well. They too felt that it was a pity for Yu Sheng, but they would never have thought that a disciple would stand up to question the results.

"Stop talking! Do you know what you're doing right now?" asked an elder standing by the matrix. He liked Ye Futian, but it was also because of this, that he could not let him continue his outrageous actions. You may do crazy things in your youth, but you should know your limits.

Ye Futian knew exactly what he was doing. He also knew that his actions might not change a thing. His actions were not being made logically right now. He only knew that he had to speak up. If he had been in this situation, he would not have cared; but this was Yu Sheng's honor they were talking about. Why should he let Yu Sheng miss out on first place because of the judges' mistake?

The rankings for the Fall Quarter Examinations were based on the grades of both days. Just as he had said before, Yu Sheng did not lose to Murong Qiu in any aspect, so why was he ranked below Murong Qiu?

There really was not that much of a difference between first and second place, but to Ye Futian, first place could only be Yu Sheng. Why should it be taken away?

I know that what I'm doing may be disrespectful, but I really cannot accept these results. He was set on his decision, and he could not have been more serious. Ye Futian could handle being insulted by the world, but he could not and would not sit by and do nothing as they took what rightfully belonged to Yu Sheng away.

"Ye Futian," Yu Sheng called out to him. His hand was on Ye Futian's shoulder as he shook his head, trying to get Ye Futian to forget about it. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Ye Futian looked right back at Yu Sheng and he shook his head as well.

"Continue announcing the results and cross his name off the list," said Shi Zhong coldly. They had anticipated some disagreements with the final results. However, they also thought that there would not be too much of a problem since Murong Qiu's performance was more than good enough. They never expected that Ye Futian would stand up and question the results in front of everyone.

The elder announcing the results nodded. He took a look at the name listed for third place and skipped over it. "Third place, Hua Jieyu," he announced.

Even though Hua Jieyu had not participated in the debates, she had ranked second in the written exam, possessed outstanding talents, and was in the Unmaker Plane. No one questioned the decision to give her third place, but everyone had assumed that third place would have gone to the stubborn youth, Ye Futian.

"I still refuse to accept these results," Ye Futian repeated himself once again, but his words were ignored as the elder went on to announce the next name on the Ranking List.

Then, for the first time ever, a great disturbance interrupted the announcements of the Fall Quarter Examinations' results. Yu Sheng stared at Ye Futian's small frame, clenching his fists tightly. His determined eyes now shone red.

BOOM! Yu Sheng took a step forward. No one could diminish Ye Futian's pride, not even Qingzhou Academy.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 16: Young and Frivolous

Yang Xiu slowly walked to the matrix in the center of the stage. All of a sudden, he lit it up. Bright flames with strong fire-element power were raging all around him. He was at the highest level of fire-element perception; the seventh Awakening Plane, the Mystery.

It seemed that the surrounding flame aura was binding with Yang Xiu. The Spiritual Qi wrapped around his body, gradually converging on him. People were thrilled by the scene, as the flames turned into fire serpents. They spat out fire in the direction of Ye Futian.

Such strong spell power. People were staring at Yang Xiu. For a powerful mage like he was, it would be easy to absorb the elemental power from the universe and combine this power into spells to attack the enemy. In general, the power of spells was stronger than the techniques of a martial arts cultivator.

"Come on, prove yourself. You said the martial arts cultivators could prolong the fight to exhaust a mage and win. Now it's time for you to eat your words; I will make you suffer." Yang Xiu's pride was typical of almost all powerful mages.

"Yesterday on the written exam, I remember a professor told you that you need to respect the powers of others to become powerful yourself. I guess you just never learned that lesson," Ye Futian said, smiling gently at Yang Xiu. "What I said yesterday was for general situations. But I do not have to waste my time with you."

While speaking, Ye Futian stepped forward to Yang Xiu. He began to be surrounded by the power of martial arts warriors; the power seemed to combine into one form.

"He's going to clash head-on?" People were speechless at what Ye Futian said. This guy was in the Mystery Plane of martial arts, yet he had directly pounced on a mage who already had powerful spells?

"He is going to regret this ridiculous confidence," someone sneered.　　

Yang Xiu was also laughing, finding Ye Futian's comments amusing. He pounced on Ye Futian. All the fire snakes converged to create their final form, which appeared to be a giant fire python. This fire python was in such a frenzy that the space around Yang Xiu looked contorted, as the python would engulf everything in its way.　

Is he insane? Qin Yi realized how terrifying this spell was and looked nervously at Ye Futian. She knew that this spell could be lethal.　

"If that's the case, I'll teach you a lesson today," Yang Xiu said coldly as he began charging faster. Ye Futian also sped up with all the power surrounding his body. They were approaching the middle of the arena like two thunderbolts.

Right at that moment, the power around Ye Futian turned purple. Suddenly, this purple power formed into a new shape. It was a dragon!

Ye Futian's body was now cracking with the roaring sounds of a dragon. The crowd was stunned at what was happening right in front of them. The two finally reached each other and struck at the same time. Yang Xiu shouted with rage. The fire python charged right at Ye Futian.

With a roaring sound, Ye Futian became the incarnation of a dragon. He stretched out his arms and a purple dragon burst out of them, going straight into the fire python.

The thunder dragon and fire python crashed. The python could not handle this dragon power. It soon disappeared, but the thunder dragon still charged until it struck Yang Xiu's body. Yang Xiu was knocked backwards by Ye Futian's power.

"This is a technique of martial arts, Release of the Dragon Power! How could he ever manage to do that?" All the students were shocked. They knew Ye Futian had checked out the book yesterday, but they had thought it would mean nothing. They didn't believe that Ye Futian could ever learn the techniques, especially in just one day.

Now the joke was on them. Those who had sneered at Ye Futian now felt ashamed. Who had said the Release of the Dragon Power was beyond their abilities? Ye Futian proved to them that just because they couldn't do it, didn't mean no one else could.

"The Release of the Dragon Power, in just one day? What kind of joke this is?" The students still could not accept what was happening.

"The power of thunder is real. Not only is he a warrior, but he is also dominant in the power of thunder."

At this point most official students and professors were staring at Ye Futian. Ye Futian had combined the power of martial arts techniques and the thunder element. He had successfully fused the power of thunder into his moves as a warrior in the Mystery Plane.

"Why didn't you believe me?" Ye Futian sighed at Yang Xiu, who looked miserable. He stepped into the matrix, looked around the arena, then began to talk, saying, "Have I ever told you that I'm not only in the highest level of martial arts power, but that I'm also in the highest level of thunder-element power?"

As soon as he stopped talking, the matrix shined with thunder. Thunderbolts surrounded Ye Futian, making him look like Zeus.

People were staring at him in shock. To them, Ye Futian had been a symbol of youth and frivolousness. He had been the joke of the school for three years. Even though he had kept calm and acted like he was not mistreated, deep down, he had felt upset. Now, in the middle of the stage, he had broken the shackles that had been holding him back for three years.

Ye Futian was no longer the loser. Now, he was the champion of the written exam, had the highest level of perception in martial arts and thunder-element power, and was in the seventh Awakening Plane, the Mystery.

Feng Qingxue could not take her eyes off of him. She seemed gloomy. She finally understood that when Ye Futian had asked her to cultivate, he had only been trying to help her. He knew he could help her cultivation. Ye Futian hadn't been trying to hit on her. But how did she respond? She had let Murong Qing get between them, and told him to keep his distance.

All of a sudden, the image of Ye Futian leaving and sighing came into her mind. It gave her a feeling of sorrow. She kept asking herself, Have I really grown up? Will I ever regret my decision? She had been lying to herself.

Maybe she had kept a distance from Ye Futian only because she had thought she was out of his league, just as her father had said

"What a punk." Murong Qing looked dismal. She was also staring at Ye Futian, refusing to admit that she was wrong. However, these words sounded harsh to Feng Qingxue. She began to remember all the advice Murong Qing had given her, and now doubted why she had believed her unconditionally in the past.

While Ye Futian was still in the matrix, he turned around. His eyes were drawn to a beautiful girl.

Hua Jieyu noticed Ye Futian was looking at her. She faintly sensed that something was wrong behind that weird smile Ye Futian was giving her.

"Hey Fox, I didn't let you down, did I?" Ye Futian began to laugh again. His eyes seemed to speak to her. Suddenly, the crowd was silenced again.

Fox? What a flirtatious nickname that was. Plus, he had used the phrase "didn't let you down." People began wondering if something was going on between these two, especially when they also remembered that yesterday, after the written exam, Hua Jieyue had sat next to Ye Futian and smiled at him when she had left. She had said, "I have some expectations for you tomorrow." Now people were genuinely petrified. They were thinking, Come on, it can't be how it seems….

Being looked at in that way, Hua Jieyu became speechless, again realizing how shameless Ye Futian was.

The way she had spoken to Ye Futian had apparently made him public enemy number one, and now Ye Futian was getting back at her. He was doing it intentionally, of course; how could he stay silent when this girl had tried to set him up.

Now almost everyone was looking at Hua Jieyu. They waited to see if she would deny or ignore him.

Her eyes glittered. With all the attention on her, she suddenly smiled back at Ye Futian. The smile looked like the most beautiful star on a clear night.

"Yeah, I'm satisfied," she said.

Her voice was soft and gentle. This, combined with her perfect girlish smile, made the students' hearts melt. At that moment, they were falling in love. However, their hearts were bleeding, because that smile was not for them, but for another boy.

Hua Jieyu, the legend and goddess of almost all the students, had never been seen speaking or smiling to someone like this. They felt like Ye Futian was doing something unheard of. Yang Xiu and Murong Qiu had both failed to make her behave like that, yet Ye Futian was able to.

Looking at what was happening, Feng Qingxue became even more upset. She now knew that even though she was also a 15-year-old beauty of this academy, she had still been overshadowed by Hua Jieyu.

Ye Futian was also enamored by the smile Hua Jieyu gave him, as it was too perfect a smile for Ye Futian to keep his heart defiant. He was so overwhelmed and befuddled.

"Ye Futian, accept my challenge!"

"How dare you do this to my Goddess! Accept my challenge!"

Angry people were yelling at him from all over the place. It gave Ye Futian chills. Only a few of the participants today were in the eighth or ninth plane of awakening, but all of them were eager to kick his *ss now.

You are a bad*ss. Ye Futian said to himself as he looked at Hua Jieyu, still speechless. However, she kept smiling at him with that unique softness. This smile was making the crowd even angrier.

"This is the Fall Quarter Exam, be respectful and silent!" Ye Futian suddenly yelled at the crowd, turning back around to address them. People were shocked for a moment, then became silent, continuing to stare at him.

"Okay, now, who wants to challenge me?" Ye Futian began asking.

"I do, I do, and I…." Many people rushed to the stage and answered. Ye Futian looked at them, trying to remember their names.
　　
Ye Futian began talking again with his hands in his pockets, saying, "I have fought twice in a row. It's time to rest." He then turned around and left the arena.

"What, are you kidding?" People began swearing at him.

"You can run, but you cannot hide," a student in the eighth Awakening Plane started to say.

"Yu Sheng, it's your turn. Take care of them." Ye Futian had made the crowd speechless again.

Seriously, how could someone be that shameless…

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 15: Too Arrogant

Not even Ling Xiao himself knew why he hated Ye Futian so much. Maybe it was because Ye Futian did not seem to know just how much of a loser he was. He even had the nerve to tease the goddess lecturer, Qin Yi, in class and bickered daily with Feng Qingxue. These were all things that Ling Xiao would never be able to do. In addition, Ye Futian got to sit next to Hua Jieyu during the written exam. She even turned back to smile at him afterward.

All of these things added to Ling Xiao's hatred of Ye Futian. Just looking at that handsome and confident face of his was enough to start a fire in Ling Xiao's heart.

Perhaps this was jealousy. Ling Xiao was jealous that Ye Futian was confident enough to do all these things he never had the guts to do.

The good news was that the shameless bastard was about to crawl back down to where he came from and go back to being a loser. He was also going to be expelled from the academy.

Everyone watched with heated eyes as Ye Futian walked to the center of the gymnasium. They anticipated what was to come.

Ranked first in the written exams? That meant nothing in the world of cultivators.

"This rascal..." Qin Yi was speechless looking at Ling Xiao. He was purposely trying to make things difficult for Ye Futian by calling him out first. Ling Xiao was not going to show him any mercy.

She tried to hide her worry for Ye Futian. If Ye Futian was too afraid to accept the challenge and forfeited the exam, then being ranked first on the written exam was useless.

"I didn't think anyone was going to make a move for him before I did, but this is good, too. Let's see how he's going to try to keep up his façade," Yang Xiu said coldly.

"Watch closely, Feng Qingxue. You'll realize soon that your decision was correct. That disgraceful loser is not worthy of standing beside you," Murong Qing said to Feng Qingxue.

Murong Qiu was also looking ahead. He scowled at the sight of Ye Futian, as if he could not have cared less about him. However, it was also because of Ye Futian that Murong Qiu was pushed down from the List of Excellence, where he once belonged, onto the List of Brilliance.

The first round of the debate had already stirred up so much tension, but not because of how strong the competitors were; it was because of how "legendary" Ye Futian was.

Ye Futian walked to the center of the gymnasium step by step, finally stopping in front of Ling Xiao.

"Ye Futian, do you accept the challenge?" an elder questioned him. Everyone's eyes were frozen on Ye Futian, awaiting his response.

A huge smile spread across his face. Under the sun, his youthful face looked exceptionally appealing.

"I accept," he replied. A look of surprise immediately spread across the faces of many in the audience, but it quickly turned into amusement. Had he finally realized that there was no escape?

"When I was accepted into the academy, my perception ability was tested to be of the highest level, Sky. I am also about to participate in the debate. I should not have to go through the matrix inspections, then, right?" Ye Futian asked the elder. If he rejected the debate, he would have to go through inspections, and everyone would know what plane he was in; but, if he accepted the challenge, everyone would find out during the battle anyway.

"That is correct," the elder agreed.

Out of the blue, Ling Xiao laughed and said while looking at Ye Futian, "You're about to drop back into reality. How does it feel?"

"After the written exam, I asked you one thing. What are you going to do if the results turn out differently from how you imagined?" Ye Futian said, shaking his head at Ling Xiao. "If you forfeit now, maybe you won't have to experience the shock and humiliation that's to come. Otherwise, with your state of mind, I know you won't be able to withstand it."

Everyone was stunned. How could Ye Futian say something so absurd at a moment like this? Has he gone completely insane?

"How can you still be pretending when everything is about to end for you?" Ling Xiao's rage was through the roof. The Wind Spiritual Qi in his body was bursting at the seams. One foot landed on the floor ahead. His body was moving as fast as the wind as ran toward Ye Futian.

Ling Xiao was a Wind Element Sorcerer in the Invincible Plane. He was in front of Ye Futian in the blink of an eye. He could have easily used the Spiritual Qi within himself to cast a simple spell on Ye Futian, but he was not worthy enough for Ling Xiao to use sorcery. A simple punch would suffice.

"Look out!" shouted Qin Yi from afar. She could not help being nervous after seeing Ling Xiao's attack toward Ye Futian. If Ye Futian was really still in the Collection Plane, he would not be able to handle this punch. Ling Xiao was too much.

Even though almost everyone in the vicinity disliked Ye Futian, they could not help but feel pity for him. He was about to get seriously hurt by this single attack.

Murong Qiu, Murong Qing, and Yang Xiu watched without a worry in the world.

It was as if they had been waiting for this to happen.

There was a loud boom. An unexpected scene unfolded. Ling Xiao halted, his fist did not land on Ye Futian's body. Instead, it was engulfed by Ye Futian's hand.

"This...." Everyone's eyes widened and froze on the scene in the middle of the gymnasium. As Ling Xiao's fist had gotten close, Ye Futian had lifted his hand and stopped the powerful punch like it was nothing.

Could a complete loser in the Collection Plane do that?

Qin Yi, Feng Qingxue, Yang Xiu, Murong Qing, and countless others, all focused on Ye Futian. They were all so surprised and rendered speechless. To easily stop Ling Xiao's punch, Ye Futian had to, at the very least, be in the same plane as him.

That would mean that Ye Futian was a martial art cultivator in the Invincible Plane or higher.

"How...is this possible?" Ling Xiao looked ahead. The only thing he knew was that his fist had been stopped by a powerful force, making it nearly impossible to advance any further.

"I gave you a chance." Ye Futian looked at Ling Xiao. Afterward, a strong intent for battle emitted from his entire being.

The artistic conception of martial arts. He's in the seventh plane of Awakening, the Mystery Plane. Everyone watching Ye Futian shuddered at the sight of him. The infamous loser of the academy was actually a martial arts cultivator in the Mystery Plane.

Furthermore, his gift of martial art perception was of the Sky level and he also ranked first on yesterday's written exam.

He was without a doubt, worthy of being called a 'genius' at the academy.

How many people have mocked, laughed at, and insulted this genius in the past?

"Gosh, this guy really pisses me off!" Qin Yi was conflicted. On the one hand, she could not believe he had kept this from her. Thinking about the bet they made in the classroom, her face flushed red with rage. This rascal had always been shameless. What if he came up with an inappropriate request? Was she really going to have to accept it?

On the other hand, she felt happy. The boy she had seen at the entrance talent inspections all those years ago was still here; he had not given up on his wonderful gift.

However, it was still very puzzling When had he reached this plane?

Feng Qingxue was completely dazed by Ye Futian. She suddenly felt a little lost. A loser? She thought back to what her father had said. After hiding his abilities at the academy for three years, he had emerged from his shell despite all the negativity he had received. Ye Futian really was special.

Standing beside her, Murong Qing did not look too well. Neither did Yang Xiu. Everyone was completely focused on what was going on. Ye Futian looked at Ling Xiao with the slightest of smiles.

"What do you think?"

Ye Futian was repeating Ling Xiao's words back to him.

Ling Xiao broke through the shock and instantly retracted his fist, wanting to back away. Fighting close range with a martial arts cultivator really was a poor choice. He had to widen their distance. He still had a chance.

BOOM! Ling Xiao was not expecting an attack. The powerful force from Ye Futian's kick to the chest caused Ling Xiao to propel backward. He landed on the ground far away, groaning, with blood in his mouth. It looked like he was injured pretty badly.

Ling Xiao managed to pull himself up. He was as pale as a ghost. He glared fiercely at Ye Futian.

"This is what you've always wanted to do to me. How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?" Ye Futian did not pity him. He had never done anything to Ling Xiao, yet Ling Xiao had always seen him as an enemy. He was constantly looking for ways to insult Ye Futian. Ling Xiao had made it his goal to see Ye Futian be expelled. Plus, the punch he had delivered earlier had showed no mercy for Ye Futian, either.

Therefore, just as Ye Futian had said, this was simply to give Ling Xiao a taste of his own medicine.

"I'll get you back for this!" said Ling Xiao. He stood and walked toward the crowd looking dejected.

Everyone was still focused on Ye Futian. So, yesterday's written exam wasn't just a fluke.

"Even if you are in the Mystery Plane, do you have to be that arrogant? Aren't you thinking a little too much of yourself?" asked Yang Xiu. He stared right at Ye Futian and continued, "Plus, since you're a martial arts cultivator in the Mystery Plane and I'm a sorcerer in the same plane, this is the perfect chance for us to settle our little dispute from yesterday's written exams. I challenge you to a duel."

During yesterday's written exam, Ye Futian and Yang Xiu fought over the power of martial arts and sorcery cultivators in the Awakening Place. Ye Futian thought that martial arts cultivators had a higher chance of victory in a battle between the two and even the academy elder agreed. As Yang Xiu brought up, this would be the perfect chance to test out each of their theories.

"Do you accept?" Yang Xiu asked Ye Futian.

Ye Futian took a quick look at Yang Xiu. Calmly, he said, "You lost to me during the written exam, and you're definitely going to lose to me now. Haven't you been embarrassed enough?"

Isn't this guy being a bit too cocky? Everyone thought Ye Futian was crazy. How could a martial arts cultivator mock a sorcerer like this?

"Do you accept?" Yang Xiu asked once again.

"Why don't you guys ever listen to what I have to say?" Ye Futian was a little dispirited by this. He then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fine. If you want it so bad, I'll have to comply."

"He really is crazy." Everyone in Qingzhou Academy was speechless at the Ye Futian's carefree attitude. Even if you were a genius, you still couldn't mock a sorcerer in the same plane! Since when had martial arts cultivators become so arrogant in front of sorcerers?

This boy is really asking to get beat. Even the special guests and instructors on the stage were speechless.

The Legend of Futian -Chapter 14: The Debate

The morning sun shined on Qingzhou Academy, giving the historic academy a golden glow. Outside the academy, a crowd began forming again. There were even more people today than there had been yesterday.

The Fall Quarter Examination was separated into two sections; one day for the written test, and the next day for the debate.

The written test examined the students' knowledge learned over the past year, while the debate tested their talents and planes. There would also be combat to evaluate their cultivation status. Although knowledge was essential for cultivators, power would be the primary texting criteria. Therefore, people considered the debate more crucial than the written test.

Boom, Boom… The ground outside the academy suddenly began to shake as a group of knights began approaching.

"Look! The Dark Qilin Knighthood!" The news quickly made itself through the crowd when everyone saw the knights. The knights were all riding on monsters, Dark Qilins. The monsters' bodies were completely dark, which gave them a very ominous vibe. Rumor had it that the Dark Qilins carried blood from the ancient Qilin, the true lord of the monsters in this world.

"It's General Qin Shuai!" When people saw the middle-aged general of the knights, they voluntarily cleared the way for the riders with ultimate respect to these knights.

The knights were the guardians of the city. People in Qingzhou respected the Knighthood even more than the Lord of the city.

"Did General Qin Shuai come here to see his daughter?" people asked each other. The fact that General Qin Shuai's daughter was an academy student was not a secret.

"No, he is here to check out the future talents of this city," someone said. Others nodded agreement. The young students in the academy would become the pillars of the city in the future, and some would even join the Knighthood. General Qin Shuai had actually once been a student here.

After drawing the attention from the crowd outside, the knights entered the academy. Soon, another group of people arrived with a well-decorated coach in the middle.

"The lord of the city is coming." Every year, the lord of the city would attend the Fall Quarter Exam in an effort to show how much he valued the school. This year was no exception.

"Looks like today more than half of the big chiefs in the city are coming."

"Yep. Today, some of the students will be noticed by them," people outside said to one another.

Meanwhile, inside the arena, the stands were packed to capacity. There wasn't a single empty seat. Most of the students were here, but many of them could only watch the debate. It was a strict rule at the academy that only those who had qualified on the written test could join the debate. It was designed to signify the importance of knowledge.

In the stands, Ye Futian found his father. He looked around and asked, "My godfather didn't come?"

Ye Baichuan shook his head. "He isn't here, but he had some words for you."

"What are they?"

"The first thing is that you have to stay calm under any possible circumstance; The second is not to show all your power until you are cornered into desperation," Ye Baichuan told him plainly.

"Okay, got it." Ye Futian nodded attentively, then looked at Yu Sheng, who was standing next to him. "Did godfather have any words for Yu Sheng?"

Ye Baichuan smiled at Yu Sheng and said, "After you become an official in the academy, you do not have to be stuck here and study all the time. We welcome you to come home often."

"Sure." Ye Futian nodded again, but he seemed a bit disappointed for a second.

"Let's go boys. It's your time to shine today." Ye Baichuan laughed and let them go. They left together for the arena. Seeing them leave, Ye Baichuan felt happy that they had finally grown up.

Feng Ruhai was also talking with his daughter. "You made it to the List of Brilliance on the written test, and you have the second highest level of perception over fire-element power. Besides, you are already in the sixth Awakening Plane, the Invincible. Don't be nervous; just fight for yourself."

"Okay, Dad." She nodded slightly and looked at Ye Futian from far away. As she started walking, she suddenly got a small feeling that Ye Futian was very different than he had always been. She thought some miracle would happen to him today.

The Murong family members were also sitting together. Murong Yunshan looked at the host of the debate and told Murong Qiu, "Few people in this debate have reached the Unmaker plane. If Hua Jieyu does not participate, you have to do your best and beat everyone else. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father" he nodded. He was confident that he would win.

There were two hosts for this debate: Leng Qingfeng, the Director of the Hall of Swords at the College of Martial Arts, and Shi Zhong, the Director of the Hall of Earth Element at the College of Sorcery. They walked to the center and glanced around the crowd. Suddenly, Shi Zhong said, "Those who qualified in the written test will take part in the debate today. I believe you guys know the rules clearly enough. Now, all participants, please enter."

The students began to enter the arena from various directions.

When Hua Jieyu showed up, she automatically drew the attention of the majority of the crowd. She was so gorgeous and talented at the same time. Unfortunately, she always refused to fight in the Fall Quarter Exam. She only took the test on her talent and level, but never joined the combat.

"She had aced three straight years of written tests until her first failure yesterday, and she still refused to join the debate?"

"I guess she just believed she was too good to be challenged by the others. An incredible honor like the champion of the Fall Quarter Exam seemed to draw little interest from her. What arrogance."

Then many started to look at Ye Futian. Those who were not official students were expecting him to fail this time, believing he had no way of excaping.

Among those people, of course, were Ling Xiao and Yang Xiu. They both looked forward to his failure.

Feng Qingxue was standing next to Murong Qing. They also noticed Ye Futian, which made Murong Qing sneer at him. "Yesterday he was the champion with all the glory, but today he will be the failure again. How hilarious would it be if he got expelled from the academy for being stuck in a low plane even after acing the written test."

Most people were thinking the same thing Murong Qing was. They believed that even though Ye Futian had aced the written test, he was still useless because he had been stuck in the Collection Plane for three years. For a cultivator, their plane was almost everything.

Feng Qingxue remembered seeing Ye Futian at the library yesterday and how she had felt something strange about him. However, she pushed the thought out of her mind.

"Ye Futian, a little bird told me that you went to the library yesterday and checked out two books. One for martial arts, The Release of the Dragon Power, and another one for sorcery, Grand Meteor?" Ling Xiao said as he walked towards Ye Futian, laughing. In fact, the news of Ye Futian checking out these books had already spread around the academy.

"That's our champion of the written test. His taste is so distinguished." Some began to laugh with Ling Xiao. Students in both the College of Martial Arts and the College of Sorcery all sneered when they heard the names of these books. It would be impossible for Ye Futian to learn such profound material. What a fool!

"I would like to experience the power of these two books, but I'm afraid you will have to quit before you use them." Ling Xiao was cold because Ye Futian had aced the written test and humiliated him yesterday; but today, Ye Futian would be the one being humiliated.

Most of them were looking forward to Ye Futian quitting. How humiliating would it be for the champion of the written test to abandon the debate session; but what if he did not quit? It didn't matter regardless, as he would be defeated and expelled from the academy anyway. This meant that no matter what, this guy who had stolen the thunder yesterday was definitely going to be put to shame today. This ironic contrast would be inevitable.

"Ye Futian," someone called him with a cold tone. People looked towards the voice, finding that it was Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu was also ashamed of what had happened yesterday. He was writhing in anger, and was ready to tear Ye Futian to pieces at any moment.

"Today people are going to know that you are nothing more than a daydreaming talker." Yang Xiu still sounded bitter about what had happened. In fact, many people were looking at Ye Futian with a combination of jealousy and viciousness.

Ye Futian knew how complicated his situation was and involuntarily looked towards the "fox." Almost all the hatred for him had come from the smile she had given him yesterday. In the past, people had only made jokes about him. Now, he was public enemy number one, and it felt as if everyone would spit on him if they had the chance.

"He was the champion of the written test yesterday, Ye Futian. Looks like he has earned all the hatred pointed at him." Some people in the stands were also looking at him with slight smiles.

"People say that he has been stuck in the Collection Plane for three years. He is talented, but has bad methodology. He skipped the last three Fall Quarter Exams, but suddenly aced the written test this year. How strange is that?"

"Yeah, he's good, but he's also in trouble. Other participants are going to kill him." People were still talking about how bad things would go for him. The pressure was pretty high.

Right in the middle of the stage, there was a Spiritual Qi testing matrix inscribed by the masters. It would accurately test the talents of the participants and their perceptions of Spiritual Qi. The students had already been put through this process before, but because their ability would change with cultivation, it was necessary to retest at the Fall Quarter Exam.

A master was standing beside the matrix. He said to the students, "You know the rules. Time for our first challenger."

"I'm ready," someone shouted, walking towards the matrix. It was Ling Xiao.

He stepped onto the matrix and closed his eyes. Soon, the matrix began to shine brightly with the wind whistling through his body. It was the intense power of wind-element flowing all over Ling Xiao. His shirt was drifting with the wind, which gave the audience a sense of his youthfulness and authority.

"Perception of wind-element at the second highest level and sixth Awakening Plane, the Invincible," the master announced, judging his ability. "Who will you challenge?"

"Ye Futian!" Ling Xiao said, looking directly at Ye Futian. He had only volunteered to be first because he wanted to humiliate Ye Futian!