by Shian Jeen
Wang Na’s head jerked up in disbelief, “The Golden Horned Beast King and Jia Xiangtian are dead?!”
“Yes.” The intangible voice sounded. Only the voice could be heard, not a shadow or inclination of its owner.
“Great Lord, is it true that the Ascending Moon Old Man and Yang Yi really didn't leave Martial Spirit World?” Wang Na couldn’t resist asking.
All of a sudden, a vast force surged out from the void. Before this vast power force, even Wang Na dared not have the slightest thought of resisting as she was blasted into the air, together with the throne seat behind her.
Watching this, Grand Elder Zhang Yingjia curled deeper, like he wished to make himself smaller.
Wang Na quickly struggled up and on her knees again, not a groan of pain came from her as she spoke with caution: “Please give your order, Great Lord.”
“The Golden Horned Beast King and Jia Xiangtian’s cause of death, investigate it in detail! Also, find out if Huwang Xiao’s side has other Highgod Realm masters other than the Ascending Moon Old Man and Yang Yi!”
Other Highgod Realm masters? Wang Na was dumbfounded, but she quickly answered, “Yes, Great Lord!”
After a short ‘En’, the voice disappeared and the hall returned to silence.
It was a long time later when Wang Na gradually stood up, her face dark with thoughts.
“You heard what the Great Lord said just now.” Wang Na looked at Grand Elder Zhang Yingjia, her voice chilling, “Immediately go find out how the Golden Horned Beast King and Jia Xiangtian died! You know what the repercussions are if you fail!”
A cold shiver ran down Grand Elder Zhang Yingjia’s back and he quickly answered: “Yes, Vice Principal!”
The person inside the Godly Mt. Xumi, who was refining Jia Xiangtian’s rank four godhead, was oblivious to this.
Sitting cross-legged inside the Xumi Temple, Huwang Xiao’s body was cocooned by swirling dragon qi.
Both the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Divine Fires’ spirits were hovering around him as the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Galaxies’ star force rushed down like a waterfall from the void, into Huwang Xiao’s body.
Jia Xiangtian’s rank four godhead was hovering in front of Huwang Xiao. Godforce and God’s Law were floating out, entering his body together with the star force from the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Galaxies.
The Treasure Dragon diagram glimmered brightly inside his body, absorbing the three different kinds of forces at a crazy speed, as well as the godforce and God’s Law.
Unknowingly, a year passed.
One year later, the godforce and God’s Law contained inside that rank four godhead were completely absorbed by Huwang Xiao. The godhead turned into gray ash, disintegrated and disappeared from this world.
Another three days passed before Huwang Xiao opened his eyes, waking up.
After opening his eyes, Huwang Xiao immediately checked his overall condition, but the result was disappointing.
Although Jia Xiangtian’s rank four godhead did help his strength increase a little, it wasn’t enough to push his cultivation to peak late-Tenth Order God Realm. However, the number of space and time threads in his soul sea multiplied, reaching a significant number, and his True Dragon Physique became that much stronger.
“I wonder how much I'll improve after refining the other parts of the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s body.” Huwang Xiao muttered his thoughts under his breath.
Now, it was time to search for the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s other sealed body parts.
A moment later, Huwang Xiao exited the Godly Mt. Xumi.
Out from the Godly Mt. Xumi, he summoned the Phoenix Clan Ancestor and the others, asking about the events of the past year.
During the time when Huwang Xiao was in seclusion, nothing out of ordinary happened in the Huwang Clan Manor or Martial Spirit World. Neither the demonic beasts clan nor the people from the Azure Dragon Institute appeared.
Also, the Phoenix Clan Ancestor, Huwang Hongtian, the Peng brothers, and the Nine-Tailed White Fox had completed the task Huwang Xiao gave them before he entered seclusion; arranging small scale Spirit Amplifying Arrays in all royal cities and a relatively bigger array in imperial cities.
On the other hand, the Huwang Clan Manor had expanded twice its previous size.
Hearing these reports, Huwang Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
But, two days later, just as Huwang Xiao was about to leave in search for the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s other sealed body parts, two unexpected guests appeared at his door.
“Senior Apprentice-brother, Third Apprentice-sister!” Seeing them, Huwang Xiao greeted in surprise.
“Haha, Junior Apprentice-brother!” Liu Yun was extremely happy seeing Huwang Xiao, laughing heartily as he patted Huwang Xiao’s shoulder.
“Junior Apprentice-brother!” Qi Wen also greeted with a wide smile on her face.
“Senior Apprentice-brother, Third Apprentice-sister, it has been a long time. What brings you here?” Huwang Xiao asked. These years, both Liu Yun and Qi Wen had been focusing on their cultivation in preparation for the upcoming Highgod Advancement Tournament.
Liu Yun smiled, “What, we can’t come here to see our Junior Apprentice-brother without a purpose? You, already returned to Martial Spirit World for so long, yet you didn’t even come back to the Black Warrior Institute to visit me and your Third Apprentice-sister.”
Huwang Xiao tried to cover his embarrassment with a smile.
These years, if he wasn’t in seclusion, he was searching for the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire and the Black Tortoise Divine Fire. He really didn’t have time to return to the Black Warrior Institute.
“But, coming over this time, we do have something to tell you.” Liu Yun grinned, “Master has left his seclusion and wants you to return to the institute, he has something to tell you.”
“Master is out from seclusion.” Huwang Xiao was dazed. But he had no idea what his Master wanted to speak to him about.
Ch.772
“Do you know what Master wants to talk to me about?” Huwang Xiao casually asked his Eldest Senior Apprentice-brother Liu Yun.
Liu Yun shook his head, “About this, Master did not mention it at all.”
“I guess it might be related to Saint Mother Yao Chi’s birthday banquet.” said Qi Wen.
Huwang Xiao was baffled, “Saint Mother Yao chi?”
Qi Wen laughed at Huwang Xiao’s expression, “In the last God Ranking Battle, in the first place was the Azure Dragon Institute’s Principal Qin Yi, while our Master Feng Yang was second, but Junior Apprentice-brother doesn’t know who the first place holder was in the battle before the last one, right? It was Saint Mother Yao Chi.”
Huwang Xiao was genuinely surprised, he didn’t expect this Saint Mother Yao Chi to be the first place winner of the second last term of the God Ranking Battle!
Regardless of which term of the God Ranking Battle it was, the winners undeniably stood at the top amongst Highgod Realm masters.
Liu Yun added, “Although Saint Mother Yao Chi is the winner of the second last term, she went into seclusion right after she won, rarely appearing. Furthermore, the place where she cultivates is located in the Azure Dragon Galaxy, a world surface called Great Lake World. Therefore, it isn’t strange that Junior Apprentice-brother has never heard of her.”
Huwang Xiao nodded, so this Saint Mother Yao Chi comes from the Azure Dragon Galaxy.
“In a few weeks, it will be Saint Mother Yao Chi’s fifty thousandth birthday and she’s holding a celebration banquet, inviting various masters from all over.” Liu Yun went on, “But I’m not sure if this is related to why Master wanted to see you. He didn’t reveal anything to me, he only told us to come here and have you make a trip back to the Black Warrior Institute.”
Generally, a Highgod Realm master would hold a birthday celebration every ten thousand years, just like mortals holding celebration banquets when they reached sixty, seventy, eighty, or even ninety y
ears old.
This made Huwang Xiao think that his Master Feng Yang telling him to return was probably related to this Saint Mother Yao Chi’s banquet.
However, his instinct told Huwang Xiao that things weren’t so simple.
His Master Feng Yang had been in death seclusion these years, cultivating earnestly. Now that he suddenly exited, it must somehow be related to Saint Mother Yao Chi ’s birthday celebration banquet. Looks like there were undercurrents running behind Saint Mother Yao Chi’s birthday celebration banquet.
“Junior Apprentice-brother, your Huwang Clan Manor’s spiritual energy has become so rich!” While Huwang Xiao was pondering the reason why his Master wanted to see him, both Liu Yun and Qi Wen were exclaiming as they looked around the Huwang Clan Manor. “It’s almost as strong as the Cloudsea Mainland!”
Huwang Xiao smiled, “I only arranged a grand scale Spirit Amplifying Array in the Huwang Clan Manor.”
“Spirit Amplifying Array?” Neither Liu Yun nor Qi Wen ever heard of it. They knew of the common spiritual energy gathering arrays, but not this Spirit Amplifying Array that Huwang Xiao mentioned.
Huwang Xiao openly described to Liu Yun and Qi Wen the Spirit Amplifying Array’s origin and its advantages compared to the general spiritual energy gathering arrays.
At the end, Huwang Xiao humbly offered, “If Senior Apprentice-brother and Third Apprentice-sister don’t dislike it, I can help arrange one at your peaks when we’re back in the Black Warrior Institute.
“Truly?!” Liu Yun and Qi Wen exclaimed in excitement.
“No, no, of course not!” Liu Yun laughed, then slightly embarrassed as he said, “However, the divine grade spirits stones that are needed…? We…” Even though Liu Yun was one of the Black Warrior Institute’s Grand Elders, he still couldn't afford to take out the amount of divine grade spirit stones required to arrange a Spirit Amplifying Array. Even if it was a small scale array.
Huwang Xiao waved his hand, “Divine grade spirit stones, I have more than enough, of course I’ll take care of the divine grade spirits stones needed for the two Spirit Amplifying Arrays.”
Liu Yun and Qi Wen thanked Huwang Xiao profusely. Though Huwang Xiao and the two of them were friendly with each other, this was too big a gift.
Seeing Liu Yun and Qi Wen, the Huwang Family and the others were extremely happy, warmly welcoming them.
Many years ago, when the Ying Family Elders attacked the Huwang Clan Manor, if it weren’t for Liu Yun and Qi Wen rushing back to Martial Spirit World with Huwang Xiao at that time, the Huwang Clan Manor’s people would have already been one with the great earth by now.
Moreover, during the years they spent in the Black Warrior Institute, Liu Yu and Qi Wen constantly checked on them.
Before the Huwang Family’s warm insistence, Liu Yun and Qi Wen stayed for two days in the Huwang Clan Manor. On the third morning, they left Martial Spirit World together with Huwang Xiao, heading back to the Black Warrior Institute.
This time around, they came bearing an order from their Master, so they naturally wouldn't dare delay for too long.
Before leaving, Huwang Xiao assured Shi Xiaofei and his family to stay and cultivate at ease in the Huwang Clan Manor and await his return.
Considering there was a possibility that he’d be participating in Saint Mother Yao Chi’s birthday celebration banquet, Huwang Xiao left the Phoenix Clan Ancestor, Huwang Hongtian, Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi, and the other Highgod Realm masters in the Huwang Clan Manor.
Two days later, Huwang Xiao, Liu Yun, and Qi Wen arrived back in the Black Warrior Institute, meeting with their Master Feng Yang.
Feng Yang was in good spirits seeing his youngest disciple again.
Telling Huwang Xiao to come up to him, Feng Yang observed Huwang Xiao in detail, smiling contently, “I’ve already heard from your Eldest Senior Apprentice-brother and Third Apprentice-sister that you won the first place in the Alchemist Grandmaster Competition, well done!” then he jokingly added, “Now, even Master needs to dip in your limelight.”
All these years, he had been in seclusion, thus he didn't know about this until Liu Yun and Qi Wen told him about it a few days ago when he exited seclusion.
Huwang Xiao grinned good-naturedly, “The fact that disciple can have today’s achievements is all Master’s credit.”
Feng Yang waved his hand, a chuckle sounding from his throat, “You brat, stop flattering me, your success today is the fruit of your own effort and hard work.” Feng Yang was slightly embarrassed as he added, “Master hasn’t been a reliable teacher to you all this time, I barely taught you anything.”
Feng Yang was speaking the truth, Huwang Xiao’s achievements were largely attributed to his own effort. Most of the time, Feng Yang’s time was divided between his own cultivation and handling mundane tasks for the institute, rarely having any time to teach Huwang Xiao.
Then again, one of the reasons was also Huwang Xiao’s monstrous talent, making Feng Yang feel there wasn’t much that he could teach this disciple.
Moments later, the subject changed, with Feng Yang inquiring about the Ascending Moon Old Man and the Huwang Family’s well being.
Huwang Xiao answered all that was asked.
Feng Yang had a strange expression on his face when he heard that the Ascending Moon Old Man went to Vermilion Bird Galaxy’s Fire World.
“Master,” Huwang Xiao called out, breaking Feng Yang’s thoughts.
“It’s nothing.” Feng Yang changed the subject, looking at Huwang Xiao, “I also heard from your Senior Apprentice-brother that you’re already a peak late-Eighth Order God Realm?” Feng Yang went on happily, “At this speed, you can probably breakthrough to Tenth Order God Realm by the time the Highgod Advancement Tournament begins!”
Liu Yun chimed in from the side, “With Junior Apprentice-brother’s talent, it’s definitely not an issue to reach Tenth Order God Realm by that time. At that time, a place in the top one hundred spots is within his grasp!”
Huwang Xiao was dazed and speechless hearing his Master Feng Yang and Senior Apprentice-brother Liu Yun’s words.
Peak late-Eighth Order God Realm? How many years ago was that?
Breakthrough to Tenth Order God Realm before the Highgod Advancement Tournament begins?
“Kid, what is it? Could it be, you’ve already broken through to Ninth Order God Realm?” Noticing Huwang Xiao’s odd expression, Feng Yang teased.
Liu Yun and Qi Wen also turned to look at Huwang Xiao.
Huwang Xiao braced himself and stopped concealing his cultivation. An alarming aura surged around his body.
Before this momentum, both Liu Yun and Qi Wen retreated in panic.
Three people looked at Huwang Xiao with shock, no, with astonishment.
“Late-Tenth Order God Realm!!” Feng Yang blurted out, unable to control the astonishment, shock, and elation he felt, jumping to his feet and staring at Huwang Xiao with bright eyes.
Liu Yun and Qi Wen sucked in a breath of cold air.
He wasn’t a peak late-Eighth Order God Realm, nor was he a Ninth Order God Realm! Huwang Xiao was already a late-Tenth Order God Realm!!
Ch.773
Huwang Xiao already expected this reaction from the three, but he was still embarrassed being stared at with such intense gazes. He nodded at Feng Yang, saying, “This disciple has been very fortunate, coming across some fortuitous encounters these years, and accidentally broke through to late-Tenth Order God Realm.”
Feng Yang, Liu Yun, and Qi Wen nearly tumbled while standing after they heard Huwang Xiao’s excuse.
Again, accidentally?!
One could break through to Tenth Order God Realm accidentally?!
The three of them stared at Huwang Xiao with exaggerated astonishment.
However, anyone who found out that Huwang Xiao was already a late-Tenth Order God Realm would have such an expression.
How long had he been cultivating?
Not even a hundred and fifty years, right?
/> A hundred and fifty years! For some God Realm cultivators, a hundred and fifty years was nothing but the blink of an eye. Some super forces’ geniuses would take several hundred years just to break through from peak half-step God Realm to God Realm.
A long time later, Feng Yang, Liu Yun, and Qi Wen recovered from their astonishment. Their complicated emotions only grew more complicated.
Looking at Huwang Xiao, Feng Yang suddenly had an impulse to laugh loudly and to cry loudly at the same time.
Huwang Xiao was his personal disciple, and his disciple having such amazing achievements made him feel over the moon. Then again, he had always been proud of his own great talent, but when compared to this personal disciple of his, the gap was too shocking for Feng Yang.
He remembered that it took him exactly five hundred years to reach Tenth Order God Realm from First Order God Realm.
No, more accurately, it took him five hundred and three years.
While Feng Yang was downcast, Liu Yun and Qi Wen were just as despondent.
Liu Yun recalled that moment a little over a hundred years ago, when Huwang Xiao had just passed the Black Warrior Institute’s new disciple assessment, successfully becoming an outer disciple, then their Master took an interest and received Huwang Xiao as his personal disciple. These scenes flashed past in Liu Yun’s mind.
The lively and grand apprenticeship ceremony felt like yesterday, and yet, their youngest Junior Apprentice-brother was already a Tenth Order God Realm cultivator?! Furthermore, judging from the aura he released, Huwang Xiao’s real strength definitely exceeds his!
Liu Yin was depressed. He embarked on the path of cultivation for more than ten thousand years, and how long had Huwang Xiao been cultivating?
No one spoke.
Everyone in the hall was dead silent.
“Master, you told me to return, saying there’s something you want to say to me. May I know what is it?” At the end, it fell on Huwang Xiao’s shoulders to break the heavy silence.