Rise of Humanity

by <unknown>

  “He has also never appeared in the Hall of Sword Qi!”

  “He didn’t attend the classes for Hall of Array Carvings either, half a year’s time but not even his shadows came!”

  ….

  The hall masters all blurted out their complaints, Feng Shouzhu who was initially holding high hopes for Zhong Yue also hesitated for a moment after hearing it. He thought, Could this Zhong Yue just be impressive-looking but useless, only his killing intent is strong but his prowess is subpar? He has entered the inner hall but didn’t attend any of the classes of the eight halls, I’m afraid that his achievements will be very limited….

  Zhong Yue’s immense killing intent erupted out, instilling fear and terror in the inner hall Qi Practitioners that came looking trouble. However, there were so many things happening in Swords Gate at the moment; this was merely one of the little tiny ripples of the vast ocean. Feng Shouzhu and the other elders were burdened with a multitude of matters, all of the elders from the elder council could not spare a single second to other trivial things. Other than the Xiao Mang Celestial Race coming forward asking for duels, and the other celestial race guests coming over to alleviate the tension, there was another issue that needed attending to; that was, the investigation on the identity of who killed Xiao Chuqing.

  This time, the Swords Gate elder council has marshaled all of the power at their disposal; searching for the slightest hints in the battlefield, but they always came back empty-handed.

  Not long later, the eight hall masters displayed ‘Long Yue’’s image to all eight inner hall disciples, the scene the disciples witnessed instantly instigated a furor among themselves; one could easily tell how tyrannical he appeared in their eyes!

  ‘Long Yue’ was thereby unanimously acknowledged as the strongest Rebirth Qi Practitioner!

  All of the inner hall disciples viewed him as their strongest enemy, even the attention of the Swords Gate higher-ups were grasped. However, when Zhong Yue heard their depiction of himself in their words and news, he became lost on whether to laugh or cry.

  He was a tiny and inconspicuous character in the Swords Gate. but who knew that his other identity would become a symbol of fear and terror in the same eyes.

  All these days, all the inner hall disciples were just gossiping about the bloody battle he had on the street, the great event about him fighting his way back to Gu Xia City. Especially the incident where he fought his way back to Gu Xia City. Because Swords Gate did not have much information regarding that, it was gradually twisted to something far from the truth. Even Zhong Yue would blush with shame after hearing these stories of ‘himself’.

  These dudes, they didn’t describe me as a dragon but more like an evil king that eats monsters like carrots….

  Zhong Yue stayed in his cave dwelling, not participating in the battles of the inner hall disciples. He spent his passing days sculpting. Soon, there were over hundreds of Jiao Dragons with different postures and different auras. He carefully studied the Jiao Dragon totem patterns given to him by Ao Fenglou through this sculpting method he learned from the old man, attaining an increasingly profound understanding of it.

  Suddenly, knocking sounds started coming from the door. Zhong Yue stood up and answered it — Grandmother Lu was standing there with a dark and gloomy countenance; a meek and soft voice sounded out from behind her, “Senior martial brother….”

  A young lady walked out from behind the cover of Grandmother Lu. Dressed in an elegant blouse of verdant green, she lowered her head and stopped a dozen feet away from Zhong Yue. She proceeded to snatch covert glances at Zhong Yue while her face continued blushing with ever-deeper shades of red.

  “Ah, so it’s Junior Martial Sister Jin’er!”

  Zhong Yue was surprised and overjoyed, “Your legs are fine now? Quick, quick, come in!”

  Grandmother Lu rolled her eyes at him and said furiously, “My missy knew that you were back a long time ago. She thought that you would visit her and spent nearly a whole day dressing herself up, waiting here and there. More than two or three days and you’re still nowhere to be found. My missy wanted to see you but then she was afraid any unsavory gossips; and so she continued waiting for you, and yet your dense head didn’t think to come! See, she has cracked her head for nearly half a day and finally still decided to come!”

  “Grandmother——”

  Qiu Jin’er pulled Grandmother Lu’s sleeves as she walked cautiously trying to follow Zhong Yue’s pace, her voice was soft and ear-smoothening, “My legs are nearly recovered, but it’s just that, I’ve never walked before since birth. My legs are thin and weak, they are still quite unstable at times. Grand Elder Yu had a look, he said that the Wood Qi in my body is still fairly thick, it’s not so easy to get rid of it from the roots. And the muscles are not strong enough too, I need to train them more. It’s still more advisable to sit in the wheelchair during normal cultivation or engaging in a fight.”

  She nearly fell down onto the ground, but Zhong Yue quickly supported her by her arms. Qiu Jin’er heart immediately sweetened while Grandmother Lu faked a cough behind them which was ignored. She gave another cough, and Zhong Yue turned back and said, “Rest assured grandmother, I’ll support junior martial sister, I won’t let her fall down.”

  Grandmother Lu’s eyes were furious as if they were about to spit fire as she remarked, “Men and women should keep a distance….”

  Qiu Jin’er then replied seriously, “Grandmother, my legs aren’t too inconvenient, senior martial brother is only holding me as he is worried that I might fall down.”

  Zhong Yue held the young lady’s hands and brought her into his cave dwelling, Grandmother Lu quickly followed behind with vigilance to prevent him from taking liberties with Qiu Jin’er.

  Qiu Jin’er turned her head and said, “Grandmother, can you leave us for a moment, Senior Martial Brother Zhong is here, I have something I’d like to ask him.”

  Grandmother Lu’s face turned dark like metal as she refused, “No! I’m worried that he will not be able to control himself, you’ll end up like madam!”

  Zhong Yue’s expression was between laughter and tears while Qiu Jin’er was also feeling helpless. They could only acquiesce to Grandmother Lu’s demands and allow her to follow them as they walked to the bridge under the waterfall in the cave dwelling. They could see a colorful rainbow forming from the water vapors in the air, looking utterly spectacular.

  Qiu Qin’er glanced at Zhong Yue with her expression filled with worry. Moments later, she gritted her teeth and asked, “Senior martial brother, Junior Martial Sister Xiao Chuqing is dead, the joke you made that day….”

  Zhong Yue startled, then he laughed out loud, “Wouldn’t junior martial sister be thinking that I’ve killed Xiao Chuqing?”

  The young lady quickly waved her hands and said, “Senior Martial Brother Zhong will not do that, I’m just asking only, senior martial brother you are so kind-hearted….”

  Zhong Yue thought to himself, It’s not that I’m kind-hearted, it’s that you are overly kind and benevolent…

  There was also a soft spot residing in the depths of his heart, a place that the innocent young lady beside him had managed to touch upon.

  He had changed his appearance and identity in the outside world, fought like a savage beast in the monster race, and contended exchanged moves with magnates. But when his eyes fell upon this young lady, he was able to see something in her that he never had, or rather, something that he intentionally chose to forget.

  He relaxed his mind, and the din and chaos of the blood-soaked battles faded away, further and further….

  Chapter 159: Would You Like to Go on a Date? |

  Up in the lightning zone, two souls could be seen showering amidst lightning. Zhong Yue and Qiu Jin'er were refining their souls and psyche, while Grandmother Lu guarded their bodies in the cave dwelling. The deer monster was loyal to Qiu Jin’er and never left her side.

  The two souls in the lightning zone held hands, e
xposing themselves to the lightning, accepting the baptism of the thunder as they rose higher and higher. They gazed at the changes in the lightning, watching them as they morphed into the shapes of the dragons, phoenixes, flowers and grasses. Beneath their feet were just thin clouds, hovering above the mountains.

  That year, Zhong Yue was sixteen; Qiu Jin’er fourteen.

  Both of them have learned the【Lightning Refining Soul Art】, not only they do not feel uncomfortable showering in the lightning, they felt a certain joy and comfort in it. Zhong Yue explained to her the【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】, he then taught her the ways of sculpting while Qiu Ling’er taught him the wood style skills she knew along with some of the Lei Hu Clan’s totem patterns.

  Once Qiu Ling’er received the 【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】, her weak body would start to improve. The lack of blood essence had restricted her movements, and therefore by cultivating the【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】, her mortal body will improve gradually.

  Other than that, the sculptings would enable her to perceive different types of totems more efficiently.

  The holder of the Wood Innate Spirit Body could grasp the wood style skills easier than ordinary Qi Practitioners, hence, the knowledge she passed on to Zhong Yue was her own secret arts not even the Swords Gate possessed.

  And the lightning totem patterns she taught Zhong Yue originated from the Lei Hu Clan, their understanding towards the lightning totem were one of a kind.

  My psyche ocean will turn into a lightning pool after a few more days.

  Zhong Yue and Qiu Jin’er cultivated for half a month. He was delighted to discover that his psyche had absorbed the lightnings, and his psyche ocean was gradually becoming smaller and more condensed after getting refined by the lightning. The rate of shrinkage of his psyche ocean was decreasing these few days, indicating that his psyche ocean was transforming into a lightning pool.

  Transforming the psyche ocean into a lightning pool was a rare achievement, even an Awakening level Qi Practitioner could not necessarily transform their psyche ocean into a lightning pool, and yet, he was now only a fine line away from it!

  It was only possible as he possessed the beast god inner core that could supply him with an endless stream of essence. In addition to the refinements from the【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】, along with the aid of the jade liquids of the saint spirit, he was able to improve by leaps and bounds!

  If he succeeded in transforming his psyche ocean into a lightning pool, he would see a tremendous boost in his psyche quality. Regardless whether it was skills, weapon forging, or even placing array formations, they will all be enhanced dramatically!

  His soul would also become nourished from his psyche. And with his higher the rate of improvements, the speed at which he can cultivate his Yuan Shen to the extreme peak would be significantly expedited!

  The most crucial thing of all is that, he could then engrave totem patterns on the Fang Blade, turning it into a real soul weapon to gain full control of it!

  Not only that, he could also brand totem carvings on his bones, allowing his body to receive an exceptional improvement!

  Qiu Jin’er’s cultivation speed was slightly slower, but she was not far from transforming her psyche ocean into a lightning pool as she had an innate spirit body. The Wood Innate Spirit Body was equivalent to a beast god inner core in nature, and it was also inherent with a great deal of advantages, granting her a cultivation speed a few times faster than others.

  Other than that, the fact that she was perennially riddled with ailments since young forced her mother to steal the【Lightning Refining Soul Art】from the Lei Hu Clan a long time ago. She then cultivated this art day and night over an extended period of time, tempering her psyche to a point far beyond normal people!

  This time, as she cultivated alongside Zhong Yue, she had received the【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】from Zhong Yue; hence, her cultivation speed received an additional boost. The【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】was not purely a physique refining art, it also refined the psyche. In addition to the lightning refinement, she should be able to achieve double the results with only half the effort!

  Soon, Qiu Jin’er parted ways with Zhong Yue and returned to the Yang God Palace. However, their souls would still have a rendezvous high up in the lightning zone, to continue from where they left off.

  One day, someone approached his door and called for him, Zhong Yue recalled his soul and answered the door —— it was Elder Pu who was standing outside. He quickly invited the elderly man inside.

  “Is there anything you seek from me, Elder Pu?”

  Elder Pu took in the surroundings of the cave dwelling and laughed, “I thought you would cause a ruckus to claim the first place on the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board after returning from your trip. Who knew that you would stay low for half a month without any actions. Those on the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board, especially Yu Zhengshu, were waiting day and night for you to challenge them. I bet he won’t have much patience left to wait for your return and will take the initiative to seek you out soon!”

  Zhong Yue invited the elder to take a seat and he laughed, “I’m not particularly interested in the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board. Senior Martial Brother Yu Zhengshu won’t be able to secure his first ranking for long, he stands no chance against Junior Martial Sister Qiu Jin’er and Shui Qingyan. So there is no point in challenging him. ”

  Intrigued, Elder Pu inquired, “I see. Then who do you think should be first on the Board?”

  “Shui Qingyan.”

  Zhong Yue said flatly, “Even I dare not say that I can defeat her. But if she is going to represent the Swords Gate to duel against the Xiao Mang Celestial Race, I will definitely step in to eliminate her!”

  Elder Pu nodded and said, “I heard she was your lover, but then you two had an argument, turning that love into hate….”

  Zhong Yue’s face turned speechless the veins on his forehead bulged, Elder Pu quickly added, “Let’s not talk about that, the old geezer wants to see you, follow me!”

  “Old geezer wants to see me?”

  Zhong Yue was surprised, he stood up and followed Elder Pu out of the cave dwelling. Elder Pu then led him up to the mountains.

  Suddenly, Zhong Yue halted. Elder Pu was curious and shifted his gaze towards where Zhong Yue was looking and saw dozens of Qi Practitioners chatting and giggling. The crowd was huge, but among them, there was only one highlight; a charming and elegant young lady — Shui Qingyan. The one who commanded the center of attention amidst the congregation of Qi Practitioners.

  “Senior Martial Brother Zhong”, ‘Shui Qingyan’ made her way through the crowd and greeted Zhong Yue with a smile.

  “Junior Martial Sister Shui”, Zhong Yue returned the formality and greeted back.

  “I’ve heard that you came back long ago and wanted to look for you, but little sister couldn’t because as I was afraid others would gossip about it.”

  ‘Shui Qingyan’ looked at Zhong Yue deeply and laughed softly, “I wanted to have a chat with you and talk about some recent events, such as the death of Junior Martial Sister Xiao Chuqing and the upcoming duel with the Xiao Mang Celestial Race. Do you have the time? Why don’t we arrange a date? ”

  “Since junior martial sister has invited me to, certainly, why not? ”

  Zhong Yue’s eyes twitched, he was certain that she suspected him as Xiao Chuqing’s murderer, aiming to use this as a means to blackmail him. He smiled and said, “When and where do you want to meet, junior martial sister?”

  ‘Shui Qingyan’ chortled coquettishly, “How about tonight during the moonrise, at my cave dwelling?”

  “Sure.”

  Zhong Yue nodded. Just as he was about to leave, ‘Shui Qingyan’ suddenly said, “Senior martial brother, you have yet to make a move, so you should have no interest in challenging the the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board, right? What would you do if I were to contend to become first place on
it? ”

  Zhong Yhalted and grinned brightly, “If you decide to compete, then I will step in too. Obtaining first place on the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board should be a piece of cake for you and I, but we should keep a low profile and allow the others a chance, right?”

  ‘Shui Qingyan’’s eyes shone with vigilance. After a while, she nodded and agreed, “You’re right, we should give others a chance, as for the details, we will discuss them further when we meet.”

  Zhong Yue was about to leave when someone yelled at him, “Zhong Yue of the Zhongshan Clan!”

  Zhong Yue halted once more. He looked towards the source of the voice and found a furious and young Qi Practitioner staring at him. He smiled and said, “May I help you, senior martial brother?”

  The young Qi Practitioner stepped forward and said, “Junior Martial Sister Shui is gifted and intelligent, you could say that it’s a piece of cake for her to win the first place , and that's because she’s earned it through her skills! But how dare you say the same for yourself? Your words show your disdain towards all of us, the senior martial brothers and sisters on the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board. If you have the audacity to make such claims, then you’ll have to prove it with your strength! I am Nan Tian from the Nan Lu Clan, ranked fifth on the Tiger and Dragon Challenger Board. Zhong Yue, why don’t we have a duel today, and let’s see if you have the strength to match your words!”

  Zhong Yue praised, “The spirits of the inner hall disciples have indeed changed since I left. The inner hall Qi Practitioners now have the heart and will to strive for excellence, I’m very gratified about this fact, however….”

  He said apologetically, “In my eyes, all of you are like poultry for sale on the market. Your hearts are weak and your wills are feeble. Once the butcher's knife is raised, you would only withdraw your heads and mourn in sorrow and fear. How could you possibly be deserving of my interest, much less my attention? Senior martial brothers and sisters, you will have to go through more life and death experiences to develop that indomitable aura of a warrior, unwavering against a bloody battlefield; only then, may you challenge me.”