by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
"There's no rush. So long as you have the intention to do so, all is fine," said Shou Xie.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded, and the group continued heading back to the academy. Along the way, he continued thinking of a name and a goal for his faction. Slowly, a clear idea formed in his mind.
Before they reached the academy, Xiang Shaoyun declared, "I am a self-proclaimed overlord. Let's call our faction the Overlord Legion. As for our motto, it will be, 'Don't mess with us, and we won't mess with you. Mess with us, and we will return it 10 times over.' "
"Overlord Legion, that's a good name. And the motto, it's good too. Mess with us, and we will return it 10 times over! It practically radiates dominance!"
Shou Xie also agreed, "I think so as well. In the future, you will be our overlord, Young Master Xiang!"
As he said that, he bowed deeply to Xiang Shaoyun, formalizing his status as Xiang Shaoyun's follower.
Jin Shi and Ling Li did the same as well, and they called out, "Overlord!"
Tang Longfei, Lady Shura, and Ning Wenhuang quickly followed suit. Xiang Shaoyun wanted to stop Tang Longfei from bowing as well, but after giving it some thought, he decided against it. Although he addressed Tang Longfei as his big brother, the dignity of an organization's overlord needed to be preserved.
"Very well. You are all the faction's senior members. From now on, Shou Xie will be in charge of information gathering. Big Brother Tang and Big Sister Ning will be in charge of recruitment. Lady Shura will be in charge of communication between members. I don't care about the strength of our members. Loyalty is my only priority. Those unwilling to obey will not be accepted regardless of strength. All members shall help each other, and we shall never abandon a member in need. Those who betray their fellow members shall be expelled for light offenses. As for serious offenses, do not blame me for being ruthless," declared Xiang Shaoyun solemnly.
"Yes, Overlord!" the others answered.
"Very good. After we return, I shall fight the first battle on behalf of our Overlord Legion and spread our name throughout the academy!" said Xiang Shaoyun with thick battle intent. He already had a target to challenge. By defeating that person, not only could he vent his anger, he could also spread the fame of the Overlord Legion throughout the academy.
Chapter 616: Consuming the Dragon Liquid
The first thing Xiang Shaoyun and company did after returning to the academy was to submit the dragon liquid at the Missions Hall for some contribution points. The amount of dragon liquid they submitted differed individually. Tang Longfei, Shou Xie, and the others only submitted a drop each for 200,000 contributions, while Xiang Shaoyun submitted five drops for 1 million contribution points.
He had submitted that much because he wanted to enter the academy's nine unique cultivation zones. If he cultivated only one type of power, he wouldn't have needed so many contribution points. But since he cultivated nine powers, he needed a lot of points to enter all nine zones.
Although he had earned over one million contribution points through duels, he believed he needed more. After all, the academy had deep foundations, and anything good he wanted from the academy required contribution points.
Thus, it would never be a bad idea to get more points. However, news of Xiang Shaoyun submitting five drops of dragon liquid in one go quickly spread among the disciples. It gave them an urge to snatch the dragon liquid in his possession. But he was already strong enough to enter the Jiao Luan List. Who would dare to easily attack him?
A number of disciples arrived, trying to trade for the dragon liquid instead. These geniuses came from all corners of the dominion and had quite a collection of treasures. Not one thing they could offer would be an ordinary item.
Unfortunately for them, Xiang Shaoyun immediately entered a secluded cultivation session without meeting anyone. The disciples wishing to trade had no choice but to wait gloomily.
Although they could also trade for dragon liquid from the academy, they needed to pay 300,000 contribution points per drop. That was a 50 percent increase in price. One ought to admit that the academy was making a killing with such a deal. Thus, the disciples would rather wait for Xiang Shaoyun.
Naturally, they had also looked for Shou Xie, Tang Longfei, and the others. But they had also entered seclusion, refusing to meet anyone. With dragon liquid in hand, it would be odd if they did not immediately start cultivating in seclusion. The dragon liquid could hasten the speed in which one's astral energy transformed into draconic aura, strengthening a cultivator rapidly.
Competition in the academy was extremely stiff among the disciples, each trying to outdo one another for a better ranking.
In the gravity room, Xiang Shaoyun quickly refined nine drops of dragon liquid. The nine drops entered his nine stars, transforming the energy within into strands of draconic aura.
"Roar! Roar!"
The roars of a dragon sounded within his body as his energy surged and converged on his spine, enhancing his draconic aura and kick-starting a rapid growth. Each drop of dragon liquid contained a massive amount of energy capable of producing a rich amount of draconic aura after combining with astral energy.
Generally, nine drops of dragon liquid were enough to help a Dragon Ascension Realm advance an entire cultivation stage. But for Xiang Shaoyun, his draconic aura only grew by four percent.
His draconic aura solidification had already reached 15 percent before this. With the additional 4 percent, he reached 19 percent, reaching peak first-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. One more percent would push him straight into the second-stage.
It was obvious how valuable the dragon liquid was. It was practically the best elixir to help one grow during the Dragon Ascension Realm. Of course, as one grew in cultivation, the amount of draconic aura required to advance would increase, resulting in one needing more dragon liquid.
The dragon liquid had only worked so well because Xiang Shaoyun had just entered the Dragon Ascension Realm. He still had a decent amount of dragon liquid, but he did not use it to push him into the second stage.
He needed to first properly temper his first-stage cultivation base before advancing. Rapid advancement wasn't necessarily good for one's comprehension of one's cultivation realm. He was already a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator at the young age of 20. This was fast enough a cultivation speed.
Even within the Dragon Phoenix Academy, few could compare with him in terms of growth speed. After he ended the cultivation session, he started going through his hauls from his recent expedition. To be precise, the hauls referred to the loot he had obtained from killing the two assassin groups.
After taking everything out and sweeping his eyes through them, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. Each of the storage rings he had gathered contained numerous items of differing values. For him, this was a considerable sum of wealth.
The only regret he had was his failure to kill the Sovereign in the group. If he had, he would have had an even larger harvest. The Sovereign would probably be so infuriated he started coughing blood from anger if he knew what Xiang Shaoyun was thinking. A puny Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator was thinking of killing a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator like him? Was he really that weak?
After seven days, Xiang Shaoyun finally ended his seclusion. After he left his room, Lady Shura appeared before him and updated him on the events during his seclusion.
"You're saying a lot of people want to purchase my dragon liquid?" Xiang Shaoyun asked with astonishment.
After he left the Missions Hall, he had been cooped up in his cultivation room. He had no idea so many people were interested in his dragon liquid. After all, the academy had dragon liquid for sale. Why would they need to buy from him?
"Yes. We've all encountered eager buyers. After all, the academy is selling a drop for 300,000 contribution points. Thus, they are offering to trade for our dragon liquid with some other items instead," said Lady Shura.
Xiang Shaoyun considered it for a moment before he smiled and said, "W
hat do you think about luring people to join our Overlord Legion with the dragon liquid?"
"What do you mean?" Lady Shura couldn't understand what he was getting at.
"Anyone joining will be rewarded a drop of dragon liquid. They will also be allowed to trade for the dragon liquid I have as necessary," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Lady Shura's pupils constricted as she gasped, "A lot of people will go mad after hearing your offer. However, I don't think you will gain their loyalty through such a recruitment method."
"You're right. But that drop of dragon liquid will serve as both a chance for them to join us and for us to know them. Those who dare to go against our values will have to suffer our rage, whoever they are!" said Xiang Shaoyun. "Go get Big Brother Tang, Big Sister Ning, Shou Xie, and the others. We'll talk about it. If they agree, we will do so. Of course, if we do decide to move ahead with this plan, we have to do it at the correct timing."
Lady Shura nodded and prepared to leave.
It was at this time that Xiang Shaoyun called at her and said, "Also, help me send the dragon liquid here to 2 Phoenix Villa."
A look of astonishment flashed past Lady Shura's face. However, she left with the dragon liquid without asking anything.
Chapter 617: Legion Recruitment
At 2 Phoenix Villa.
When Han Chenfei received the dragon liquid Xiang Shaoyun had sent her, a dazzling smile bloomed on her face as she muttered, "What an interesting person."
Beside her, Han Lingshuang asked, "Young palace master, what is his meaning? Is he thanking you for accepting Han Qianwei and Han Xuewei?"
"Hehe, no. If that were the case, he would not send this much dragon liquid over. There are 10 whole drops here!" said Han Chenfei with a smile.
"Are these drops of dragon liquid meant for the sisters, then? What about you, young palace master?" asked Han Lingshuang with doubt. "Young palace master, it is obvious that Xiang Shaoyun is unable to forget them. I can also see that they have real feelings for him. There is really no point in keeping them here. We should just send them off—"
"Enough," Han Chenfei's cold voice interrupted her before she could finish. "You can stop guessing randomly. He sent the dragon liquid here for two reasons. First, to thank me, showing that we are friends instead of enemies. Secondly, he is telling me to take more care of the sisters. He's also making it clear that they aren't hiding anything from me, so we don't have to over-analyze their relationship."
Berated, Han Lingshuang shut her mouth. But inwardly, she shifted her anger toward the sisters. And when she heard that Han Chenfei was going to leave a few drops of dragon liquid for the sisters, the envy and fury in her heart reached a boiling point.
...
That day, a shocking piece of news spread from 1 Dragon Villa.
The master of 1 Dragon Villa had officially established the Overlord Legion faction. Xiang Shaoyun was hereby known as the Overlord. His current followers consisted of Tang Longfei, Shou Xie, Lady Shura, Ning Wenhuang, and a few others. Anyone able to join the faction would be rewarded with a drop of dragon liquid. Members of the faction would be allowed to trade for more dragon liquid with items of equal value. A total of 10 spots were open, and the recruitment was on a first-come, first-served basis.
The news struck the academy disciples like a bolt of lightning. Each drop of dragon liquid was worth 300,000 contribution points. Many people needed over half a year to gather that many points, and it wasn't uncommon for one to take a year.
And now, the Overlord Legion was rewarding their new members with a drop each. Their actions were exceedingly generous. Furthermore, members were also allowed to trade for more dragon liquid with items of equal value, which signified that the faction had a considerable amount of dragon liquid on hand.
"Overlord Legion? What an old-fashioned name. But that reward is really generous. I wonder if it will be a trap?"
"They're trying to attract elites into the Overlord Legion just like that? Aren't they taking recruitment too lightly? Is Xiang Shaoyun not afraid that some people will only join to fish in troubled water?"
"Xiang Shaoyun actually took on the title Overlord? That fellow is really quite bold, isn't he? Looks like I need to challenge him and crush his confidence somewhat."
"Well, time to join the Overlord Legion. That drop of dragon liquid will be enough to push me into the Emperor Realm."
...
There were numerous reactions to the news. Some disciples were filled with disdain, some were attracted, and some were envious. Regardless, a large number of people headed toward 1 Dragon Villa.
All of them came with one goal: obtain the dragon liquid. As for what would happen in the future, they would think about it after getting what they wanted. When they arrived, the first batch of applicants was allowed inside the villa while the rest were made to wait outside.
Looking at the 10 people standing before him, Xiang Shaoyun released and wrapped an incorporeal pressure around them as he asked, "Why do you want to join the Overlord Legion? Start from the left. Those who can answer the question correctly will be allowed to stay. Pick your words wisely."
Not one of them was a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. Most of them were stuck at peak King Realm, their draconic aura completion at about 80 or 90 percent.
The first person answered, "I wish to fight alongside the Overlord Legion, spreading our glory throughout the academy!"
The second person answered, "I am in awe of your strength, Overlord. I wish to become your follower."
The third person answered, "Overlord Legion, a domineering name. As for your title as the Overlord, it is a name that one can look up to. Therefore, I decided I want to be part of the Overlord Legion."
...
They gave different answers, each trying to butter him up in a different way. Evidently, they were all trying to leave a good impression. Alas, only one person was allowed to stay.
That person was the eighth to answer, his answer being: "I'm here for the dragon liquid."
That was why Xiang Shaoyun had allowed him to stay. When the others heard the result, they were indignant and even questioned Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun answered, "He has the guts to speak his mind, while you lot are being all secretive about your motive. Are you not ashamed to continue staying here? Look at your attitude, where is the admiration and respect you claim to have for me? Stop lying already!"
Sure enough, after those words, they were too ashamed to remain and left gloomily. Next, the second batch of applicants were allowed in.
Xiang Shaoyun asked a different question, "After joining the Overlord Legion, what is the first thing you will do?"
The first person asked, "Serve the Legion and earn glory for the Legion!"
The second person answered, "Get even more dragon liquid for the Legion to repay the Legion!"
The third person answered, "I will stick to my station and perform my duties as required by the Legion!"
...
Two people were allowed to stay this time. After about two hours, a total of 15 applicants were left. All 15 were filled with doubt as they wondered why 15 people remained when only 10 would be recruited.
After making them wait for about an hour, Xiang Shaoyun reappeared and announced that from the 15 here, 5 had been disqualified. The five were naturally resentful. It hadn't been easy for them to remain after picking the right answer. What was the meaning of kicking them out like this?
Xiang Shaoyun pointed at one of them and said, "Yu Ming, you're part of the Di Alliance, right? Since when have you turned your back on them?"
Yu Ming's face instantly turned ghastly. He wanted to retort, but he couldn't find his words and simply left silently.
"As for you three, I believe I don't have to say the reason for your disqualification out loud, right?" Xiang Shaoyun said.
The three left with a look of shame on their faces. Although they weren't Di Alliance members, they were members of other factions. Obviously, Xiang Shaoy
un had researched their backgrounds.
As for the final person to be disqualified, Xiang Shaoyun explained, "You are too good at hiding your strength. It is quite obvious you're not someone who actually needs the dragon liquid. Am I right?"
Chapter 618: Shang Jifeng Greets the Overlord
The last person to be disqualified was Shang Jifeng, someone within the Serpent Fowl List's top 100. He had always maintained a low profile. He spent most of his time cultivating and had little contact and very few disputes with anyone. At a glance, his cultivation level was peak first-stage Dragon Ascension Realm, but in truth, he had already reached mid first-stage.
Someone with his strength could easily challenge the Jiao Luan List. For some reason, he was here hiding his strength, as if he was afraid that someone would discover his secret. Due to a lack of information, Xiang Shaoyun did not dare to recruit him.
A look of astonishment flashed in Shang Jifeng's eyes as he said, "You're actually able to see my true strength? Your nine-star physique is indeed extraordinary. However, are you kicking me out after learning of my true strength because you are afraid that one day I will overshadow you?"
"It's good to be confident, but it's also important to have the strength to back the confidence," said Xiang Shaoyun expressionlessly.
"You are absolutely right. I hereby challenge you to a duel. If you can defeat me, I will stay and lend you my hand. However, I have to make it clear that I do not have any contribution points to wager for the duel," said Shang Jifeng with a carefree shrug.
His main goal was to witness how strong Xiang Shaoyun actually was. After he left his recent seclusion, he had heard of Xiang Shaoyun's deeds over and over again, including Li Haonan's defeat.
Of course, that was only one of the reasons he wanted to challenge Xiang Shaoyun. His other reason was that both of them were similarly special-recruits picked up by Xiao Wei. Xiao Wei had once praised Xiang Shaoyun before him. Since then, he had wanted to challenge Xiang Shaoyun.