by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Similar to the Yu Clan, the Ouyang Clan was an ancient influential clan. They had great accumulation, and Ouyang Chuanqi was the genius from that clan. It was natural for him to be as dazzling as the sun. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention.
With Xiang Shaoyun’s recent growth in fame, Ouyang Chuanqi's act of walking toward him attracted a lot of attention. When Xiang Shaoyun sensed the uproar, he looked toward Ouyang Chuanqi's direction. And when his gaze landed on Ouyang Chuanqi, he blanked out slightly as a familiar feeling rose within him.
Soon, a certain scene appeared in his mind as he exclaimed, "It's him!"
After joining the academy, Xiang Shaoyun had never met Ouyang Chuanqi. But now, he found that this Ouyang Chuanqi was not someone he had never met before.
Ouyang Chuanqi arrived before Xiang Shaoyun and smiled cordially. "Haha, we meet again!"
"Yes. I didn't expect that you were actually Ouyang Chuanqi. Well, as the saying goes, you make friends from fights," Xiang Shaoyun replied with a smile.
How did he know Ouyang Chuanqi? It was related to the Devil Domain. Back then, Ouyang Chuanqi and some Emperors were fighting over the devil edge grass. Ultimately, Xiang Shaoyun snatched the prize from them.
Ouyang Chuanqi and the others were indignant and wanted to snatch the devil edge grass back. However, Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain scared them off, and Xiang Shaoyun even forced them to pay for their freedom. It was an incident Ouyang Chuanqi had never forgotten.
"Well said, you make friends from fights. In fact, I am itching to fight with you right now," said Ouyang Chuanqi, his battle intent surging.
"If that is your wish, I am ready at any time," replied Xiang Shaoyun without shrinking back.
"Forget it. You're a freak. I still know my strength well," said Ouyang Chuanqi with a sign.
The people in the surroundings were overwhelmed with shock when they heard their exchange. They could tell that Ouyang Chuanqi was backing off from Xiang Shaoyun, and it was an incredibly shocking piece of news. Even Ouyang Chuanqi was not Xiang Shaoyun's match?
In truth, during their first meeting at the Devil Domain, Ouyang Chuanqi was given a big fright by Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain. Back then, Xiang Shaoyun was still at the Skysoar Realm, while Ouyang Chuanqi was already a fourth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator.
Even in that situation, Ouyang Chuanqi still needed to obediently pay Xiang Shaoyun for his freedom. From that, one could see how freakish Xiang Shaoyun was. It was also Ouyang Chuanqi's first defeat in the hands of someone with a lower cultivation level, and he would never forget that experience. When he found out who Xiang Shaoyun was, he was filled with complicated emotions.
"You are exaggerating. You are one of the strongest disciples in the academy. I might not necessarily be your match," said Xiang Shaoyun humbly, giving Ouyang Chuanqi the respect he deserved.
Ouyang Chuanqi's public admission of defeat had greatly improved Xiang Shaoyun's impression of him. Ouyang Chuanqi was evidently a candid and honorable person.
"Don't even bother. Others might not know you, but how would I not?" Ouyang Chuanqi waved his hand. "This trip into the Gleamstar Blessed Land is quite a boring game, to be honest. How about I play alongside you?"
"You're looking to join the Overlord Legion?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
The eyes of the Overlord Legion members shone when they heard that. If Ouyang Chuanqi really joined them, their prestige would rise to a level comparable to the four greatest factions. From then on, the academy would have five great factions.
After all, Ouyang Chuanqi had great fame. A lot of people worshiped him, wishing to become his followers.
Ouyang Chuanqi smiled. "If you can fight me and make me suffer a defeat I wholeheartedly accept, I won't mind joining. But for now, I don't have any interest in that. I merely find you pleasing to the eyes. Perhaps if we enter together, there will be a pleasant surprise waiting for us."
"Sure. Just make sure not to drag us down when the time comes," Xiang Shaoyun said nonchalantly.
Ouyang Chuanqi almost coughed blood in anger. There was no need to mention how strong he was. Yet Xiang Shaoyun was telling him to not be a burden? That was an insult!
"You bastard, a time will come when you need something from me," Ouyang Chuanqi grumbled. "Do you have any liquor? Just waiting like this is really boring."
A jar of liquor appeared in Xiang Shaoyun's hand. He tossed it over and said, "Are you really just here to ask for liquor?"
Ouyang Chuanqi opened the jar and took a delightful chug before saying, "You don't know this, but I have long finished my liquor supply, and I didn't have the chance to restock before coming."
Xiang Shaoyun took out another jar of liquor and said, "It's dull to drink alone. Let me drink with you."
He then took a bold chug as well.
"F*ck yeah. This is the leisurely feeling I am seeking. Gleamstar water? Who cares? Life goes on whether I get it or not. No point in thinking too much about it," said Ouyang Chuanqi. He was completely at ease and did not seem to care much about the gleamstar water.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled but did not say anything. He continued drinking. Inwardly, he laughed, What a great actor. If you don't care about the gleamstar water, why would you bother looking for me?
The two started drinking and chatting as if they were old friends who had known each other for years. The sight of them was very thought-provoking for the academy disciples.
Some felt that only another freak knew a freak well, and this was a partnership of the strong. Some felt that Ouyang Chuanqi was lowering himself by befriending Xiang Shaoyun and was making an unwise decision. Some felt that Xiang Shaoyun was incredibly lucky to be able to befriend a freak like Ouyang Chuanqi.
Regardless of their thoughts, they now had to readjust their mindset toward Xiang Shaoyun. In the past, they viewed him as someone destroying his own prospects by cultivating nine powers. But now, not only had Xiang Shaoyun displayed great strength, he had even befriended Ouyang Chuanqi. In the future, he would also shine brightly.
Without realizing it, the masses reached a decision to avoid offending the Overlord Legion if possible.
Chapter 725: Gleamstar Blessed Land
Three days later, something was finally happening with the Gleamstar Blessed Land. Above the crater, numerous cracks appeared. Violent energy surged out of the cracks, engulfing the surrounding area in a dreadful energy storm.
It was as if a natural disaster was happening, and it looked like heaven and earth were going to collapse. The entire world was in a terrible mess, with mountains crumbling apart while surging energy spread everywhere.
The disciples gathered below the spatial cracks paled. That terrifying power was not something they could withstand. The moment they were hit, death was the only thing that would happen.
Just as the disciples were about to retreat frantically, two Dragon Phoenix Academy elders flew out. They waved their arms, unleashing a boundless power that blocked the eruption from the cracks and protected the disciples.
All around the cracks, the experts of the different organizations and races did the same. Of course, there were also some groups without Saint Realm experts. They were directly obliterated, not even able to escape.
The Gleamstar Blessed Land had just appeared, yet blood was already spilled. This was a place where fortune and disaster went hand in hand. When the spatial eruption weakened, a Dragon Phoenix Academy elder said, "The formation has been weakened. What are you waiting for?"
At that, the disciples and their mounts charged forward, instantly blanketing the sky with people.
Not one of these disciples was a pushover. As they charged, someone shouted, "Work together and smash through the lingering energy. Only then will we be able to enter the restricted space safely."
With that shout, the disciples worked together regardless of their factions and attacked the remaining energy.
Rumble! Rumble!
Sounds of explosions rang
out as the remaining energy was weakened to the point it could no longer pose any threat to the disciples. Finally, they were able to charge through the spatial cracks.
The moment they entered the restricted space, they found that the environment within was even viler than outside. Rocks were flying about madly in the air, chaotic force fields were everywhere, and the air was turbid. It was incredibly hard for anyone to establish a stable footing inside.
With the large numbers of people entering at once, they were immediately attacked by the flying rocks.
"Ahhhh!"
The disciples were caught by surprise, and some were struck, causing them to wail in pain. Apart from the stones, the chaotic force fields caused the disciples to lose their balance. One after another, they dropped from the sky, looking incredibly sorry.
Although Xiang Shaoyun had braced himself for trouble, he was still given a fright by the condition within the restricted space. Fortunately, he once wore the heavy armor for an extended period of time and had also comprehended the profundity of earth. Thus, he was able to withstand the chaotic magnetic field and landed firmly instead of falling.
At the same time, he focused on the Overlord Legion people and shouted, "Overlord Legion members, assemble here."
The Overlord Legion members quickly rushed toward him. But due to the force fields and the flying rocks, movement was hard. It wouldn't be easy for them to reach Xiang Shaoyun. It was a good thing these disciples were no pushovers. Each of them was an expert capable of holding his or her own. With their weapons in hand, they smashed the flying rocks repeatedly and firmly advanced toward Xiang Shaoyun.
Within the Overlord Legion, some members had less impressive combat prowess, such as Zhong Xia, the alchemist. He focused on alchemy and was lacking in combat. Thus, he was not well equipped to deal with this environment.
A massive stone suddenly flew toward him with a might no weaker than the attack of a mid-stage Emperor. Zhong Xia had just dodged a number of stones. He was completely helpless against this massive one. The others couldn't even save themselves, and nobody could spare any effort to help him.
Fortunately for him, Xiang Shaoyun was not too far away. Xiang Shaoyun rushed over, and borrowing the power from the profundity of earth, he led the stone away from Zhong Xia.
Zhong Xia quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Overlord."
"We're brothers. There is no need to be so courteous. Stay here for now. After the other brothers assemble, have them guard you," said Xiang Shaoyun as he rushed toward a different direction.
He released his own gravity field, changing the flying stones' trajectory and allowing the Overlord Legion members to gather around him.
"The situation here is too complicated. Act according to our previous plan. Split into 10 teams of 50 members each. Take care of your team members and search for the gleamstar water as best as you can. If anyone manages to find it, try to harvest it and leave. Don't stay a moment longer. That's all. Let's move out," Xiang Shaoyun ordered decisively.
And thus, the Overlord Legion split up into 10 teams and headed off in different directions. In Xiang Shaoyun's group, apart from him and Lady Shura, the other members were among the weakest in the Overlord Legion.
His team included Shou Xie, Yan Gang, Zhong Xia, and the others who did not specialize in combat. In such a dangerous environment, they could easily become burdens. Xiang Shaoyun assigned them to himself because he believed that he should take care of them as their overlord. Another reason was so that they would not become the burdens of the other groups. Doing so, he could also build an image of a leader who cared about his subordinates well.
"Alright, let's head that way. Keep your strongest defenses up to avoid any mishaps from happening," Xiang Shaoyun said.
They did not dare to delay and quickly put on the best armors they had.
"Overlord, let me open a path," Ma Qihao volunteered.
He was the Overlord Legion's vanguard. Thus, it was something he should do.
"Good. You and Aikai will be in charge of opening a path," said Xiang Shaoyun with a nod.
For this mission, Xiang Shaoyun had brought Aikai along as well. Aikai was one of his trump cards. After all, Aikai was a peak Emperor. With him around, it would be much safer for the Overlord Legion members.
Although this place was filled with chaotic magnetic fields, it still had mountains, rivers, and plants. However, the mountains seemed to be shaking, and the river water was splashing without end. The trees were also swaying about alongside the flying stones. The environment here was extremely vile.
Who would have believed that the gleamstar water could be found in such a place? Before they could even find the gleamstar water, they were hit by a second wave of dangers.
Chapter 726: Horned Shell Monster
It was total chaos within the Gleamstar Blessed Land, an environment very hard for one to get used to. Each disciple that had entered had to be on alert at all times to prevent injuries. Here, the flying rocks weren't the biggest danger. The biggest danger was actually the unstable spiritual energy that made it hard for anyone to make use of the natural energy in the air.
Because of that, each crisis they dealt with would exhaust their stored astral energy, yet they had no way of replenishing their energy. If this continued, they would be forced to replenish their energy with spirit crystals or herbs.
Initially, they assumed that there would be no life forms living in this place. With such a vile environment, what kind of life form could survive in here? Alas, there was indeed a certain life form thriving in this environment. That life form was known as the horned shell monster.
The horned shell monster was an extremely rare life form that looked like both a bug and a beast, making it hard for one to judge the actual constitution of this life form. A horned shell monster was spheroid, with clear edges around its body. Each edge was akin to the sharpest blade.
The horned shell monsters weren't big, and when they coiled, they resembled a rock. Their actual shape could only be seen when they weren't coiling. Because of that, many horned shell monsters had actually merged with the flying rocks. Only when the disciples smashed the rocks apart would the horned shell monsters reveal themselves and smash into the disciples.
The edges of the horned shell monsters were extremely sturdy and sharp. With a single collision, they could skewer a disciple.
"Ahhhh!"
Some disciples who had not expected there to be such monsters here were caught by a complete surprise. They were seriously injured, and some even had their heads directly smashed. Blood spilled everywhere, and the disciples panicked.
"Monster! Monster! Watch out, everyone!"
"What are these? They can actually survive here? Kill them, quick! Or we will suffer!"
...
Thus, the disciples were forced to work together yet again. However, when they struck the horned shell monsters, they couldn't even deal much damage. It was evident how sturdy these horned shell monsters were.
Xiang Shaoyun's group had also suffered the attack of the horned shell monsters. The first to suffer was Ma Qihao, who couldn't react in time, and he wailed in pain due to the injury dealt to him. Fortunately, Aikai had an impressive response time and could still maintain a certain level of speed superiority even in such a chaotic environment.
However, not even he could forcefully block the horned shell monsters. At this moment, a horned shell monster was flying straight toward Xiang Shaoyun. He was using the profundity of earth to control the trajectory of the flying rocks, but the horned shell monsters were life forms. Thus, he wasn't able to control them.
Xiang Shaoyun quickly reacted and formed a brownish fist that smashed right into the horned shell monster flying his way.
Bang!
The horned shell monster was sent flying, yet it had suffered no damage. Instead, it borrowed the impact to smash toward someone else instead. These monsters were completely unaffected by the chaotic environment. Rather, they drifted along
with the flow of air and attacked whoever they encountered in their way.
They weren't attacking just to harm the humans. Rather, they were taking the chance to devour the blood of their prey and grow their vitality. To make matters worse, there were many horned shell monsters. Among every few rocks, one would be a horned shell monster.
Even though many disciples had entered, their numbers were pitifully small in comparison. A few people in Xiang Shaoyun's group had been injured. Fortunately, there were no deaths yet.
Xiang Shaoyun immediately commanded, "Everyone, enter the formation and release your presence to block these things."
Leading by example, he released his presence. The projections of a roaring tiger and a roaring dragon appeared. At the same time, his six-layered Goldplates took form and protected him.
The others did not dare to hold back and unleashed their respective presences as well. A massive defensive wall of presence was formed, protecting them from the chaos around them.
Xiang Shaoyun was playing his role as a leader. If he did not have the prestige he had and his subordinates were disobedient, it would be hard for them to display such teamwork. A good example was a group of disciples not far away. They had not been able to form a similar defensive line and were badly battered by the flying horned shell monsters.
At this moment, a large number of horned shell monsters suddenly appeared. Nobody could escape for now.
"Attack together!" Xiang Shaoyun commanded again.
His group of fifty attacked uniformly. Numerous attacks of all colors flew out, creating a dazzling curtain of light as they bombarded the incoming monsters. Who would have thought that the Overlord Legion would have such teamwork? It was all thanks to the hard work of Zhuge Zhantian, the chief butler of the Overlord Legion who had been drilling them since a month ago.
Not only was Zhuge Zhantian good at managing the household, he was also proficient at battle formations. He had only taught the Overlord Legion members some simple offensive and defensive battle formations, yet that was already enough to let them display proper collective combat prowess.