by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Xiang Shaoyun looked at her with an amused expression. "The Glacier Palace is allying with us? Don't tell me you are not strong enough to face the other factions?"
Han Chenfei smiled. "This time, the academy's many factions will take part. So, is Overlord Legion capable of contending against the likes of the Sword Society, the Crushing Sky, and the Flaming Sun?"
Xiang Shaoyun was slightly stunned as he answered, "We really can't."
During this period of time, Xiang Shaoyun had been considering the same question. Although the Overlord Legion had expanded in size, they might still not be able to work well together during the fight for the gleamstar water.
Furthermore, the other factions were powerful with strong soldiers, far surpassing the Overlord Legion. Even if he was strong, it would still be considered a failure if he couldn't let the entirety of the Overlord Legion profit. Thus, Han Chenfei's proposal was, in fact, very agreeable.
"So, do you think we should ally?" Han Chenfei asked.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded without hesitation. "We should."
"Excellent!" Eyes rippling with a bright light, Han Chenfei asked, "Are you not afraid that Holy Maiden Yu will be angry?"
"Why would she be angry?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in confusion.
"Our cooperation. Are you not afraid she will misunderstand our relationship?" Han Chenfei asked.
Xiang Shaoyun rubbed his nose and said, "What is there to misunderstand? In fact, I'm more worried that Huang Tianji will come looking for trouble."
"Hehe, that is what I wish to see," said Han Chenfei as a smile bloomed on her face.
Looking at her smiling face that was beautiful enough to melt icebergs, he thought, This is indeed an alluring woman. For some reason, Xiang Shaoyun suddenly recalled the woman trapped in the ice coffin in the Deep Tidalwave.
That woman was so gorgeous that no words could aptly describe her beauty. He could not understand why that woman was there, and he also wondered if the black tortoise was in charge of guarding her. The series of questions caused his curiosity to rise.
"Are you thinking of Holy Maiden Yu? You're actually blanking out in front of three beauties like us?" Han Chenfei asked with a reproachful tone.
Her words roused Xiang Shaoyun from his thoughts, and he said, "Yes, I am, but now is not the time to think about her. I am actually thinking about how we should cooperate."
"An alliance means we will be moving together. What is there to think about?" Han Chenfei asked.
"No, I think it will be better for us to form a secret alliance. What do you think?" Xiang Shaoyun said.
Han Chenfei gave it some thought before she smiled and said, "How surprising, you are really thoughtful. That is a decent idea."
"Um. We'll need to control what our people say so others won't find out about this," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Ok. I'll go back and make the arrangements," said Han Chenfei. She acted immediately and said to the sisters, "You can stay and have a chat with him before leaving."
She then left. The sisters remained.
Xiang Shaoyun said to them, "Since you are already following Han Chenfei, you shouldn't stay."
Nobody would wish for their subordinates to be loyal to others.
Han Xuewei mustered her courage and said, "In truth, she already told us before coming that if Young Master Xiang was willing, we could stay by your side."
The moment she had spoken, a trace of red had covered her face. Evidently, she felt somewhat shy saying those words.
Han Qianwei also added, "That's right. We wish to stay by your side and take care of your everyday life."
Xiang Shaoyun frowned and said, "Nonsense. You're actually taking those words seriously? Go back! I do not need to be taken care of!"
"No, we refuse! We like you!" Han Xuewei shouted, no longer able to keep her feelings hidden.
Han Qianwei fixed her eyes on Xiang Shaoyun, waiting for his answer.
Xiang Shaoyun was slightly stunned. He took in a long breath before he said solemnly, "I appreciate it, but I really only see both of you as friends."
Tears dripped down as the sisters heard his words.
Chapter 722: Han Chenfei's Comfort
The Han Clan sisters returned to 2 Phoenix Villa, but they had no idea how they had returned. They were in a complete daze, their appearances pitiful. Han Chenfei was waiting for them in the courtyard. When she saw them, she stepped forth and sighed, "Girls, you must have suffered a great blow."
The sisters directly jumped into her embrace and sobbed with great sorrow. It was obvious their feelings for Xiang Shaoyun were quite deep. Han Chenfei patted their shoulders, allowing them to cry all they wanted.
After a long while, they finally stopped crying. She said, "Alright. You've cried enough. Tell me, what do you plan to do next?"
"We will stay by your side forever, expanding the Glacier Palace alongside you!" Han Qianwei was the first to answer.
Han Xuewei also nodded. "Um. We are willing to follow you, big sister. Wherever you go, we won't leave you. We only hope that you won't refuse us."
Xiang Shaoyun's rejection had broken their hearts, while Han Chenfei had always taken care of them well. The three had even become sworn sisters during their time at the iceberg. Hence, the relationship between them had advanced to the next level. Thus, this declaration the sisters made was merely for the sake of severing their past relationship with Xiang Shaoyun.
Han Chenfei understood how they were feeling and said, "You don't have to say all those words out of anger. Since we became sworn sisters, I have stopped looking at you two as subordinates. We are sisters. I don't mind you following me, but you also need to think of your future happiness. Xiang Shaoyun might reject you now, but he might not reject you forever. You don't need to be so disheartened."
Han Xuewei raised her head and said, "Big sister, do you think there is still hope? He has rejected us cleanly. He has no feelings for us."
"Silly girl, he has only rejected you two because you have yet to display your brilliance. You have always talked about him saving you multiple times, right? That can only prove that he still views you favorably. Otherwise, why bother? But that is also why the two of you seem too weak. Regular women are not worthy of an outstanding man like him. Have you not noticed that he doesn't give a hoot about me either?" Han Chenfei said.
"Is that so?" Han Qianwei asked.
"Of course. See, Xiang Shaoyun's goal is Yu Caidie. You should be well aware of that. Furthermore, Yu Caidie seems to harbor some feelings for him as well. An outstanding man like him will find someone worthy of him as a lover. How big do you think the gap between you two and Yu Caidie is?"
Their expressions dimmed at the question. Yu Caidie was the goddess of all the men in the academy. She was flawless, someone few people were worthy of, a lover all men dreamed of having. Comparing the sisters to her was akin to comparing ugly ducklings to a swan. One was on the ground, the other was up in the sky. They were as different as the sky and earth.
Only a man like Xiang Shaoyun was worthy of a woman like Yu Caidie. How were they supposed to compete with her?
"There is no need to be disheartened. Your Icefrost Physiques have formed. You just need to work hard in cultivation. Even if you can't surpass them, you can catch up to them. At that time, Xiang Shaoyun will definitely look at you two in a new light," said Han Chenfei.
"Big sister is right. We need to work hard!" said Han Xuewei, her hope reignited.
Han Qianwei sighed, "Big sister, you are so kind to us. We will do all we can for your cause in the future."
"Alright, don't talk about that anymore. Inform the others to gather here and prepare for the trip to the Gleamstar Blessed Land," said Han Chenfei.
"Yes, big sister," the two answered.
...
A powerful aura surged out from the residence of a certain previous generation elder. The phantom of a roaring dragon appeared, looking incredibly lifelike. This was a draconic aura that had condensed by 55 perc
ent. Thus, its owner was evidently a mid fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm expert.
Of course, within the Dragon Phoenix Academy, an aura like this was not anything special, but the person stepping out of the cultivation room was actually a young man. He was the person leaking the draconic aura. His age made this inconceivable.
The young man was none other than Di Lin, the leader of the Di Alliance. Who would have expected that he would charge straight to fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm from ninth-stage King Realm in only two years? It was a speed that could shock many people.
A gorgeously dressed beauty appeared beside him and smiled. "Junior brother, your improvement is really rapid. Worthy of being the holder of a high-grade eight-star physique."
"Senior sister, you jest. Just this much is probably not enough to make my master happy," said Di Lin with a smile.
He might be speaking humbly, but the joyful smile on his face betrayed his true feelings. Back at the Ziling Sect, he was known as the number one genius. However, even then, his speed of advancement wasn't this fast.
His growth was all thanks to his master's effort at nurturing him. The beauty before him was his master's granddaughter, Situ Yan. She was a mid fourth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator.
"Junior brother, you're still so young, yet you have surpassed me. What is there for grandfather to be unhappy about?" said Situ Yan tenderly. "Oh, right, I have something important to tell you. Your...your elder brother Di Shang...he...he was killed by Xiang Shaoyun!"
Di Lin's expression shifted greatly as he asked, "Is that true?"
Situ Yan nodded solemnly. "Yes. Back then, Sister Yunxi was by your elder brother's side, but she failed to avenge him and had instead retreated from the volcano controlled by the Di Alliance with the other members. As a result, the Overlord Legion was able to occupy the volcano. Looks like Sister Yunxi still can't forget her feelings for him."
Since Situ Yan liked Di Lin, she naturally wouldn't mind speaking ill of Xia Yunxi before him.
"Xiang Shaoyun's audacity, I won't rest until I kill him!" Di Lin declared furiously.
"Don't worry, junior brother. I will help you with your revenge," said Situ Yan as she gave Di Lin a hug. "A good opportunity to kill Xiang Shaoyun has presented itself. I have a way to ensure he will never appear in the academy ever again."
"What plan do you have, senior sister? So long as I can kill Xiang Shaoyun, I will agree to any request!" promised Di Lin, agitated.
"In three days, the disciples will head out for the Gleamstar Blessed Land. There, only Emperors can enter. According to my investigation, the Overlord Legion will be participating as well. At that time, we can ensure that Xiang Shaoyun stays there forever!" said Situ Yan.
Chapter 723: Heading to Gleamstar Blessed Land
Today was a rare day when the Dragon Phoenix Academy disciples assembled. On the martial field, a large majority of the disciples were gathered. All of them were filled with excitement, elation, and the vigor of youth.
They were the Dragon Phoenix Academy's newest generation genius disciples, and they were also among the most talented cultivators in the dominion. Today, they had gathered not to have a competition among themselves. Rather, they were going to head to the Gleamstar Blessed Land in search of gleamstar water.
The gleamstar water was a type of rare spiritual water. In legends, a type of pure astral spring water was created after some stars erupted. This water, known as gleamstar water, could expand the size of a cultivator's stars.
The size of one's stars was fixed since birth, and it would only grow through ceaseless breakthroughs. Apart from that, some rare materials could also expand the capacity of the stars. The gleamstar water was undoubtedly an excellent material among the many materials capable of expanding stars.
These genius disciples originated from the dominion's numerous powerful organizations. Even so, none of them had any gleamstar water in their possession, so the discovery of the Gleamstar Blessed Land had filled these disciples with excitement.
So long as one could obtain some gleamstar water, one would be able to expand one's stars, making it possible to store more astral energy. This was something that would greatly benefit any cultivator, adding to one's accumulation.
Hence, about two-thirds of the disciples were participating in the expedition. As this was a joint operation, an elder from the academy higher-ups gave a speech, informing the disciples that they were not the only ones who would be involved. Some other organizations and races had also discovered the place.
The elder was reminding them that the fight for the gleamstar water would be unimaginably intense. When they arrived, life or death would be up to fate. Soon, the elder finished the speech and activated the teleportation formation, sending all the participating disciples to a place near the Gleamstar Blessed Land.
And just like that, the grand army of over 10 thousand academy disciples arrived at a place called Meteorite City. Meteorite City was a dilapidated, dead city that had been abandoned for many years. It bordered the Southern Wasteland.
The Dragon Phoenix Academy had likely reconstructed this teleportation formation recently. The city was named Meteorite City because a meteorite had once landed here, crushing all inhabitants to death.
The Gleamstar Blessed Land was outside the city. Due to a unique formation surrounding it, it had remained undiscovered all this while. Recently, for some unknown reason, clues of the blessed land appeared and were discovered by a Saint. That was how this expedition for the gleamstar water started.
According to estimations, the formation would open in a few days, and only those at the Emperor Realm or lower could enter. The place would remain open for a month, after which it would collapse and cease to exist.
Hence, those entering were required to gather the gleamstar water within a month before leaving safely. Those failing to leave in time would remain inside forever. The Dragon Phoenix Academy elders brought to disciples to the edge of a certain crater before setting up camp.
The crater was created when the meteorite had landed. A regular person would not be able to sense anything different about this place, and only a Saint would be able to sense the spatial instability. Amid the crowd, Xiang Shaoyun could sense something different about this place.
He thus unleashed the senses of his Nether Soul Domain. With astonishment, he found numerous cracks in the air, as if a spider web was covering the space above the crater.
An indescribable power was leaking out of the cracks. Perhaps it was the formation's power. He was only able to sense the cracks with his Nether Soul Domain. A regular person would not be able to see anything with their naked eyes.
What's the matter with this spatial formation? Is it only detectable by Saints while only Emperors can enter? I doubt so. The Saint must have set a formation here, giving us a chance to temper ourselves in there, concluded Xiang Shaoyun.
The gleamstar water was extremely valuable, and it was useful even for Soul Foundation Realm cultivators. Without any limitation, Soul Foundation Realm cultivators would be able to enter. If so, no Emperor would have a chance to get any gleamstar water.
Of course, that was information no outsiders knew. Only the Saints in charge of the whole affair was aware of it. Even if Xiang Shaoyun knew the truth, he would not dare to spread it.
The genius disciples thus waited for the formation to open. At some other spots, other organizations and races were lying in wait as well.
Despite the Dragon Phoenix Academy's reputation, they had limited reach. Inside the blessed land, the disciples would have to rely on their own capabilities. Xiang Shaoyun gathered the Overlord Legion members and personally made some arrangements for their course of action after entering.
"This expedition will be extremely dangerous. After entering, it will be great if you can find some gleamstar water. But if you can't, don't force it. Prioritize staying alive. If you are not even alive, there is no point talking about the future. Remember this well," said Xiang Shao
yun.
"That's right," Tang Longfei agreed. "Even if we can't get the gleamstar water, we can still look for star extension grass or other herbs to expand our stars. But if we are dead, we will have nothing."
The first batch members of Overlord Legion nodded in agreement, while those who had joined later seemed somewhat displeased. They felt that the words were ruining morale, and they also felt that Xiang Shaoyun wasn't acting as imposing as their overlord should be.
Xiang Shaoyun also appointed several captains in charge of different groups to make it easier for them to deal with any changes after entering. In such a manner, everyone waited for the formation to open.
At this moment, someone suddenly walked toward the Overlord Legion. The surrounding disciples were surprised.
"Isn't that Ouyang Chuanqi, the loner? He's walking toward Xiang Shaoyun?"
"Huh? You're right. Ouyang Chuanqi is the same as Baili Yixiao, rarely showing himself in public. So he is also here as well? And he's looking for Xiang Shaoyun? Is he going to teach Xiang Shaoyun a lesson?"
"I don't know, but I have never heard about any conflict between them. Then again, Ouyang Chuanqi has always been low-profiled and rarely gets in contact with anyone. He also hasn't even bothered building his own faction. There must be a reason for his appearance this time."
"I heard he was already a late-stage Emperor. I wonder if that is true, but he is my idol!"
"This is a genius comparable to the likes of Baili Yixiao and Zhang Wushuang. What is so surprising about him being a late-stage Emperor?"
Chapter 724: Ouyang Chuanqi
Ouyang Chuanqi was about 30 years old yet looked like an 18- or 19-year-old youth. His conspicuous red hair whipped about wildly, and with a set of crimson armor and a fiery spear hanging on his back, he walked toward Xiang Shaoyun in a spirited manner. He was one of the 10 freaks rarely seen in public. Nobody knew where he had been cultivating all this while. Even so, that did not hinder his fame from spreading within the academy.