I Am Overlord c1-962
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"Ahhhh!"
Xiang Shaoyun continued chanting, giving Mu Qingyu a sensation that countless needles were stabbing into his head, causing Mu Qingyu to wail miserably. The wails were so miserable that Wang Xin felt his legs go limp in fear.
"Xiang Shaoyun, release me, or I will self-destruct by exploding my body! I refuse to believe your Nether Soul Domain can survive the explosion!" Wang Xin was left with no choice but to issue such a threat.
"Ignorant," Xiang Shaoyun replied with disdain. It was then Wang Xin's turn to enjoy Mu Qingyu's treatment. And just like that, two special-recruits of the Dragon Phoenix Academy became Xiang Shaoyun's subordinate.
Done with subduing them, Xiang Shaoyun removed the Nether Soul Domain and heaved a breath of relief as he muttered, "The Nether Soul Domain fears the flames of extreme yang the most. This is a fatal weakness. Looks like I have to temper it with Yun Flame in the future. Perhaps I will get a pleasant surprise out of it."
He then looked at Mu Qingyu and Wang Xin, who were prostrating on the ground like stray dogs. With a grin on his face, he said, "I am now your master. Understand?"
The two no longer dared to resist as they replied weakly, "Yes, master."
"Very well. I have some soul spring liquid here. Consume them and heal up before returning to Feng Xiaosha's side. As for how to explain what happened here, think of something yourself. Oh, don't let me sense any malice toward me. I can kill you with a single thought," said Xiang Shaoyun as he gave the two a drop of soul spring each.
After the repeated tortures, the two were greatly frightened of him. They did not dare to show any disloyalty. In this situation, they couldn't even commit suicide if they wanted. That was how scary the Nether Dragon Soul Headband's control was.
Xiang Shaoyun had no intention to stay any longer. After retrieving the storage rings of the five he killed, he refined a large amount of spirit stones to regain his energy before resuming his travels toward the Dragon Phoenix Academy. After a few days of continuous battles, he had a sensation that he could no longer suppress his strength. He was going to break through to the next stage anytime soon. In fact, if it wasn't for the armor he wore suppressing him, he would have broken through by now.
However, he was very grateful that he had obtained the armor from Ugly Gambler. It allowed him to suppress his cultivation base repeatedly, forging an increasingly stable foundation. He hadn't traveled for long when he noticed Tang Longfei and company returning. He met up with them and asked, "Big Brother Tang, why are you returning?"
"When we saw that you weren't returning, we thought something bad happened to you. Now that you're fine, we won't have to worry anymore," said Tang Longfei. In fact, they had enough time to reach the academy. However, they ultimately decided to look for Xiang Shaoyun, worried that something bad might have happened to him. It was clear Tang Longfei was a person loyal to his friends.
"Don't worry. I won't die so easily. Let's go. Travel at top speed. I believe we will reach the academy soon!" said Xiang Shaoyun confidently.
Chapter 552: Arriving at Dragon Phoenix Academy
Dragon Phoenix Academy, one of the Four Great Ancient Academies.
This was an ancient academy that had existed for nearly 100 thousand years. Their aim was to train powerful human cultivators to protect and maintain the peace of the dominion. One ought to know that the dominion was mainly a territory of humans. Of course, it also contained many powerful races. The moment humans showed weakness, they would definitely suffer the cleansing of the other races, losing the places they could live, and might even suffer extinction.
The Four Great Ancient Academies shouldered the burden of nurturing generation after generation of powerful humans. They maintained absolute neutrality and would not be involved in the struggles between any organizations or be bothered about any injustices that might be happening.
The only time they would take action was when the entire human race was threatened. With their strength, they would destroy the calamity. The Dragon Phoenix Academy was located at the Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range, occupying an area larger than three cities. The academy was constructed on a space surrounded by mountains, akin to a city among mountains.
Looking at the academy from far away, one would have a sensation that the auras of dragons and phoenixes were swirling above the academy, enveloping the academy with an enigmatic ancient aura.
Thin mist drifted about the mountain peaks, and rows upon rows of elegant and ancient buildings could vaguely be seen behind the mist. Every now and then, flying beasts would fly across the sky. The entire academy gave off a sensation that one had arrived at a divine kingdom.
At this moment, Xiang Shaoyun, Tang Longfei, and company had passed through numerous obstacles to arrive before the Dragon Phoenix Academy's entrance. The entrance was placed between two mountains, looking like the mouth of a massive dragon. The 81 steps of stairs before it were akin to the teeth of a dragon, shining with a luster that exuded extraordinariness.
When they looked up the stairs, two massive pillars entered their vision. In between the pillars was a board with "Dragon Phoenix Academy" written on it. The words were written with vigorous and fascinating strokes and were flamboyant and bold—powerful yet elegant, exceedingly shocking to behold.
"Is this the Dragon Phoenix Academy? We're finally here!" Ning Wenhuang cried out, no longer able to hide her excitement.
"Yes. We have to get through the remaining rounds of the test as well and become official disciples of the Dragon Phoenix Academy!" Tang Longfei said as he clenched his fists tightly.
Even Lady Shura, who had always remained calm, couldn't help but to grab at Xiang Shaoyun and declare, "I will definitely be able to join the academy!"
"Um. You must remain confident in yourself," said Xiang Shaoyun with a nod.
As for the Han Clan sisters, the influence of the others and the grand aura the academy exuded also caused them to be filled with excitement. On their way here, they had been in deep thought. They had also confirmed the relationship between Xiang Shaoyun and Lady Shura.
The combat prowess Lady Shura had displayed was far beyond what they were capable of. In fact, not even Ning Wenhuang was comparable to Lady Shura. Thus, for the sisters, it was understandable why Xiang Shaoyun would select her over them. Therefore, they made a firm resolution to quickly catch up to him to change his opinion of them.
The group looked for an empty spot and sat down cross-legged to take a short break. They had only spent six days to reach this place and had one additional day remaining. Therefore, they had to wait for the others to arrive as well before they could know the contents of the second round.
As they waited, the number of people arriving was neither high nor low, and the final number of people that could arrive after one more day was unknown. But from what they saw so far, it was certain that at least half of the original participants would fail to arrive. Xiang Shaoyun was about to sink into meditation when he caught the glimpse of a group of people. They instantly filled his eyes with fury.
"Di Tong, Di Shang!" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed.
The two were accompanied by a few other young geniuses. Di Lin, who he hated most, was nowhere to be seen, but he was sure this enemy of his must have arrived as well. Both Di Tong and Di Shang also looked at Xiang Shaoyun, and as they saw him, a sharp glint appeared in their eyes.
A toying smile appeared on Di Shang's face as he said, "Little Brother Yun, you're here as well? This is worthy of celebration!"
Xiang Shaoyun clenched his fists tightly, to the point cracking sounds could be heard. It was obvious how much anger he was in. This was the first time Lady Shura and Han Clan sisters saw him so furious. They thus looked over at Di Tong and Di Shang, quickly memorizing the two faces.
"Shaoyun, calm down. Private battles are prohibited here," Tang Longfei said through voice transmission.
"Oh? It can't be that a stray dog like you wishes to make a move against us, right?" Di Shang provoked, as he could se
e the fury in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes. So long as Xiang Shaoyun attacked, he would be immediately disqualified. This provocation was a ruse by Di Shang.
"Is this Xiang Shaoyun, the son of your Ziling Sect's previous sect master? The rumored useless trash?" asked a young man beside Di Shang.
"Yeah. I wonder how he got so lucky to actually obtain a little bit of combat prowess. But he's nothing special," said Di Shang with disdain.
"True. It is quite surprising that someone this weak can actually reach this far. I reckon he won't be able to get through the second round," said the young man. The young man was La Yun, a genius from Celestial King Province's Setting Sun Sect. His strength was similar to Di Tong, a peak King.
Xiang Shaoyun took a deep breath and suppressed the fury in his heart. Wearing a mocking smile, he then swept his gaze over Di Shang. "Traitors from the Di Clan, it won't be long before I trample upon you one by one. Enjoy the remaining time you have left."
"Repeat what you just said if you dare, stray dog!" Di Shang was infuriated.
"Sure. Everyone in the Di Clan is a traitor. Your father Di Batian is one, his nine bastard sons are similarly traitors. My father had treated all of you as family, but you actually stole his sect while he was away. What are you if not traitors?" said Xiang Shaoyun, his voice laced with contempt. He then looked at the people around the Di Clan brothers and said, "You guys have to be careful as well. They have a history of stepping on others while they're down, betraying their friends. Don't end up falling for their tricks and still feel deeply grateful to them. I know this from experience."
Those words thoroughly angered Di Shang who almost wanted to attack. Di Tong quickly dragged him back and said, "Don't fall for his provocation!"
Di Tong then met Xiang Shaoyun's gaze and said, "Little Brother Yun, why are you saying all those words of anger? It's your fault for being too useless. None of the elders are willing to submit under your rule. Everyone was afraid that you would be the ruin of the sect. That was why they had elected my father as the temporary sect master. If the old sect master is still able to return, we will naturally return the sect. Fine, why don't you come back to us? We will try to persuade the elders to continue acknowledging you as the young master."
Chapter 553: Second Round
Di Tong's words sounded mild but were in actuality sharp, hinting at Xiang Shaoyun's incompetence being the reason why he had lost the support of the sect, resulting in Di Batian being elected the sect master.
"Hehe, I have no comment on someone who bullies the young," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sneer. "I hope you can get through the test and join the academy as well. At that time, I will issue a formal challenge to both of you. I hope you won't hide like a coward when the time comes. Also, you better not cry that a special-recruit like me is bullying ordinary disciples like you."
Those words immediately attracted the attention of the people around him.
"He's actually a special-recruit? That's not possible, right? Why is a special-recruit taking part in the test?"
"Hehe, don't you know that this Xiang Shaoyun is the one who had killed Da Zixuan? People like him are probably only taking the test to temper himself."
"So it's him! I heard about it! He's only a seventh-stage King and is already capable of killing a War Emperor. I reckon it won't be long before he becomes a Super War Emperor. A freak like this will definitely grow into an exceedingly terrifying existence. Looks like the people who had offended him would no longer be able to sleep in peace."
"He is a freak that had once suffered betrayal. Since he wants revenge, he will definitely be making friends with the other geniuses in the Dragon Phoenix Academy. If he manages to advance into the Emperor Realm, perhaps we can consider being his friend as well."
...
The status of a special-recruit was indeed useful. After Xiang Shaoyun made his status known, the young geniuses around him immediately changed their opinion of him. On top of that, those young geniuses were even looking at the Di Clan brothers with toying looks, as if wordlessly telling them, "Since you're dumb enough to offend a freak like that, just prepare yourself for suffering."
"Don't get too cocky, stray dog. So what if you're a special-recruit? My little brother Di Lin is also a special-recruit! You are destined to be trampled by my little brother. If you're smart, piss off from the academy. Perhaps you will suffer less insults that way," said Di Shang anxiously.
"Are you referring to my best friend Di Lin? Haha, sure, let's see who will be trampling over who in the end," said Xiang Shaoyun as he laughed murderously.
Di Shang still wanted to retort, but Di Tong dragged him away. Now was not the time to get into a conflict with Xiang Shaoyun. Since everyone would enter the academy, they had plenty of time to settle the grudge.
"Shaoyun, after we join the academy, we can kill them off one by one!" said Tang Longfei.
"No, Big Brother Tang. This is my personal affair. I need to kill them with my own hands. I won't spare them," said Xiang Shaoyun as he shook his head. He then sank into silence as he sat in meditation.
Since Di Lin was present, that other person must have arrived as well. Once, Xiang Shaoyun and that young lady were known as the perfect pair, enjoying the attention of the entire sect. As for him and Di Lin, they treated each other as brothers and were closer than biological brothers. Alas, the two people closest to him had betrayed him. The pain of betrayal was etched deeply in his heart.
Di Lin, Xia Yunxi, I sincerely hope both of you are still living well, thought Xiang Shaoyun coldly.
In a flash, another day passed. Finally, the period of the seven days had ended. A large number of geniuses had arrived, and most of them looked to be in a rather sorry state. Evidently, this hadn't been an easy journey. Initially, there were more than 100,000 participants in the test. More than half had been disqualified in the very first round. There were about 60,000 of them left. At this time, the people from the Dragon Phoenix Academy appeared again.
They arrived on the same cart pulled by eight demonic beasts, and the same old man with a crew cut announced, "Everyone, prepare for the second round. Those capable of stepping through the entrance within two hours will be official disciples of the academy. The second round begins."
At that announcement, the participants charged toward the stairs before the entrance. However, the moment they arrived, multicolored light rippled from the stairs and an incorporeal wall appeared. The participants in front crashed right into the wall and were directly jolted back.
"Ahhhh!"
Those in front were completely unprepared and were sent flying and wailing in pain. Those following tightly behind them were also implicated. Chaos erupted.
"Damn it! The stairs are protected by a formation! I knew we wouldn't be able to get through the test so easily!"
"Sure enough, the test is not so easy. Looks like I have to do my best. I must become a disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy!"
"Since I'm already here, there is no retreat. This formation won't be able to stop me!"
"Get out of my way, you trash! Watch how I climb the stairs!"
...
After the initial chaos, the participants became cautious and started doing all they could to climb the stairs. The stairs were about one kilometer wide, leaving plenty of space for a large number of people to climb at the same time. But since everyone wanted to be the first to reach the top, the participants started pushing and shoving.
Some were completely incapable of taking the first step, while some started climbing. However, those who managed to start climbing stopped after a step or two. Based on their looks, it seemed they were exerting a lot of energy as if a massive mountain had landed on their shoulders. At this time, Xiang Shaoyun and company prepared to climb as well.
"Big Brother Tang, Big Sister Ning, Lady Shura, do your best!" Xiang Shaoyun cheered them on.
"Same for you," the three replied as they charged the stairs.
"You are not strong enough to climb these stai
rs, so you don't have to partake in this round. I believe I will be able to bring both of you in after passing the test," said Xiang Shaoyun toward the Han Clan sisters.
The two nodded. "Alright. All the best!"
Regardless of their feelings toward him, at this point, they both hoped he could get through the test with his own strength. Xiang Shaoyun nodded and started dashing toward the stairs as well. He found that Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Lady Shura were still at the outer periphery of the crowd and weren't able to approach the stairs at all. After all, there were too many participants, and everyone wanted to be at the front.
"Over here, Big Brother Tang. Let's charge together," Xiang Shaoyun called out to them.
They thus grouped up and erupted with their auras, forcing their way through the crowd. However, the people at the front were also doing their best to push at each other. It wouldn't be so easy to force a path through them.
"Get out of my way or suffer the consequences!" Xiang Shaoyun howled. At this point, there was no need to hold back. Everyone's focus should be to get ahead of the others.
"Piss off if you don't want to die!" replied furiously the person in front of Xiang Shaoyun. Right after he said that, silver lightning bolts rained down.
Rumble! Rumble!
Chapter 554: I Think He Is Breaking Through
The rain of silver lightning presented quite a striking visual impact. They bombarded the person directly ahead of Xiang Shaoyun, and as the person's flesh and blood sprayed everywhere, he wailed in pain.
"Ah, damn it! Why am I being struck by lightning? It hurts!"
"Move away! Move away! Someone's summoning lightning bolts, and these aren't even regular lightning bolts! They are much more powerful!"
"That's a madman! Let him through or all of us will suffer! Damn it! Why am I so unlucky to stumble upon someone like this!"