I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  Xiang Shaoyun had given nearly all his spirit crystals to Scarlet Flame Monarch. The 30,000 high-grade spirit crystals worked perfectly to replenish his supply of spirit crystals.

  "Strong-ape, I have a mission for you. If you can complete it, you will regain your freedom. I will also give you an opportunity to grow strong. If you disobey, I will kill you right now," said Xiang Shaoyun.

  The strong-ape was a decently helpful assistant, but for Xiang Shaoyun currently, the ape wasn't too important.

  "What is the mission?" asked the strong-ape.

  "Temper the three little fellows for me and help them grow as quickly as possible. I hope that the next time I see them, they will be Emperors or stronger," said Xiang Shaoyun as he pointed at the three birds.

  "Boss, are you abandoning us?" asked the three birds anxiously.

  "Fool. You are too weak, so you won't be able to temper yourself properly by staying at my side. The strong-ape is the local tyrant here and cultivates the same element as you three.

  "With him guiding you, your growth will accelerate," said Xiang Shaoyun. He looked at the strong-ape and asked, "Do you agree?"

  The strong-ape did not dare to disobey and answered, "I will do my best to teach them."

  "Um. Do this task well, and you will be amply rewarded," said Xiang Shaoyun, happy with the answer.

  He was in no rush to leave. In any case, the competition of the four academies was still about two months away. He decided to stay and cultivate his six remaining stars to perfection. By the time the competition began, he needed to be an eighth-stage Emperor. Only then would he have a chance at becoming the competition's champion, completing his master's task.

  His main body stayed in the cave and started absorbing the natural energy of the world with the nine profundities. He occasionally summoned a massive volume of astral energy from the stars in the sky, enriching his inner stars over and over again.

  Even so, he was still not satisfied with his progress. He summoned his clone out and had the clone practice the numerous battle techniques he knew outside the cave, further perfecting the might of his battle techniques.

  With the main body and the clone working hard together, Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation base and combat strength grew rapidly. Time passed, and the four academies competition drew near.

  Chapter 922: Rushing to the Lonesoul Island

  The True Martial Academy, Nine Palace Academy, Dragon Phoenix Academy, and Sacred Deer Academy were collectively known as the Four Great Ancient Academies. They specialized in cultivating new generations of geniuses for the dominion. Any of their graduates would eventually become an existence capable of lording over large swathes of land.

  The four academies periodically competed amongst each other to determine their rankings. The True Martial Academy consistently reigned at the top, while the Nine Palace Academy and the Dragon Phoenix Academy alternated between second and third place. The Sacred Deer Academy always occupied last place.

  Nevertheless, the genius disciples from any of these academies were lofty and unyielding. None of them would be willing to remain inferior to anyone, so the competition between them was naturally intense. It was also during this competition that the strongest genius of all would be crowned among them.

  As the competition approached, the genius disciples of the Dragon Phoenix Academy ended their seclusion one after another. They prepared their equipment and tools as they awaited the competition. Xiang Shaoyun also ended his seclusion. He merged with his clone and sat silently, waiting for his master's summons.

  "After the end of the competition, it will be time for me to return and end Di Batian," said Xiang Shaoyun with thick killing intent in his eyes.

  He had been waiting to kill him for a very long time. The promised 10-year period was going to end soon, and it wouldn't be long before he could fulfill his vow. He was still not strong enough to fight Di Batian, but with his numerous fortuitous encounters over the years and the assistance of Scarlet Flame Monarch and Devouring Ghost, Di Batian would not be able to avoid death.

  As he waited, the wolf guard showed himself again. Xiang Shaoyun was astonished, not understanding how the wolf guard had found him.

  The wolf guard saw through his confusion and said, "Young master, you have the master's protective jade on you. He can easily locate you."

  "I see." Xiang Shaoyun was hit by the realization. "Is the four academies competition starting soon?"

  "Yes. It will be held in half a month on Eastern Pass's Lonesoul Island. You need to journey there starting now. I will be waiting there in half a month," said the wolfman before vanishing into thin air.

  "Eastern Pass's Lonesoul Island? What place is that?" Xiang Shaoyun called out, but the wolf guard was no longer there. He was rather gloomy.

  He could imagine that journeying there was also a test from his master. If he couldn't even reach the venue, then he should just forget about the competition. He gathered Money and Aikai before rushing toward Dragon Phoenix City. He had to figure out Lonesoul Island's location as soon as possible before starting on his journey.

  At the city, he entered a grocery store and bought a map of the dominion. The numerous important cities and strategic locations of the dominion were marked on it. The so-called Lonesoul Island was a location picked by the Four Great Ancient Academies. Thus, it should be a known place as well.

  Sure enough, he found Lonesoul Island on the map. He then rushed toward the teleportation formation connected to the Eastern Pass.

  Lonesoul Island was located in the Eastern Sea of the Eastern Pass and was a rather well-known island. According to legend, the ghosts of those who had died unjustly would wail endlessly on the island, and people would frequently hear mournful wails there.

  Thus, travelers generally did not dare to stay on the island for long. People who had stayed on the island would be met with numerous mishaps, such as death and madness. In short, Lonesoul Island was known to be inauspicious.

  However, there were also rumors that the island hid great opportunities, and rarely seen treasures could be found. Once, someone had successfully escaped the island, and their cultivation had subsequently broken through in succession.

  Later, someone claimed that rare treasures capable of helping one enter the Sovereign Realm, such as bloodsoul stones and divine congregation flowers, could be found on the island. Because of that, Emperors started exploring the island for fortuitous encounters, but very few actually left with gains.

  In recent years, the island was occupied by powerful aquatic demonic beasts, and those without sufficient strength wouldn't even be able to reach the island. Thus, the island became a forbidden ground for regular cultivators.

  However, Xiang Shaoyun was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the island. He spent several days hurrying through numerous teleportation formations and finally reached Eastern Sea City, which bordered the Eastern Sea. He then continued without rest and left the city.

  When he arrived at the coast and asked about the route to Lonesoul Island, people avoided the topic, seemingly harboring intense fear for the island.

  As Xiang Shaoyun was starting to get distressed, a crisp voice rang out, "Mister, are you heading toward Lonesoul Island?"

  Xiang Shaoyun looked over and found a beauty looking at him. Evidently, she was the one who had spoken to him. She had bright purple hair, willow eyebrows, a tall nose, tender lips, and an hourglass figure. The blue muslin outfit she wore further accentuated her slim figure. She was seated atop a blue lion and possessed a heroic air.

  Two women and five men were surrounding her. All of them looked to be in their twenties, and each was a heroic, good-looking Emperor. They were obviously a group of genius cultivators.

  Xiang Shaoyun answered, "That's right. I'm heading to Lonesoul Island."

  Before the woman could answer, a handsome youth in gold derided, "Lonesoul Island is not a place anyone can go. I advise that you stop asking about it. In any case, it's currently a special time."<
br />
  The woman in blue smiled and added, "That's right. It's currently a special time, and Lonesoul Island has probably been placed on lockdown. Even if you go, it will be for nothing. Don't bother asking about it."

  "Which academy are you from?" asked Xiang Shaoyun instead of replying.

  The eight before him looked astonished, and the woman in blue leading the group answered, "We are disciples of the Sacred Deer Academy. I am Jiang Qi, and these are my fellow apprentice brothers and sisters. Are you a disciple of an ancient academy as well?"

  Xiang Shaoyun sighed, "No, unfortunately. Can you take me along with you?"

  "You know we are Sacred Deer Academy disciples, yet you dare to ask us to bring you along? You have quite the guts," said the young man in gold with a sinister look. He smiled at Jiang Qi and said, "Junior Sister Jiang, ignore him. We need to get going, or we'll be late."

  "That's right. We're already late and missed the academy's ship. If we don't speed up, we won't be able to get there in time," said another man.

  On the other hand, a different woman offered kindly, "Young man, you should return. Lonesoul Island is not a place you can go. It is dangerous. In any case, they won't allow any outsiders to enter for now anyway."

  Xiang Shaoyun was now 24 years old, but he looked about 17 or 18. Thus, it wasn't weird that people called a young man.

  "My apologies. I will stop bothering you, then," said Xiang Shaoyun with an apologetic look. Since they weren't willing to take him along, he would have to think of an alternative.

  Chapter 923: Lie of Kindness

  "Junior sister, why are you still looking at him? Are you really considering taking him alone because he's handsome?" asked the other woman beside Jiang Qi.

  Jiang Qi shook her head and said, "He feels quite strong, so I thought that he was a disciple of some other academy. I must have guessed wrongly."

  "He feels quite strong? In my opinion, he is probably some Skysoar Realm cultivator. For us, he's merely an ant," said the man in gold with contempt. "Alright. Let's pick up the pace. We are still quite far away from Lonesoul Island. We need at least seven days to arrive, and we might even encounter aquatic beasts on our way. We can't afford to wait any longer."

  "We have only decided to travel this way so we can temper ourselves in the sea. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to get a decent result in the competition," said a different person.

  "Um. Let's go," said Jiang Qi. Surprisingly, she was the group's leader. After voicing her agreement, she led them as they flew toward Lonesoul Island.

  Not far away, Xiang Shaoyun watched the group depart. He wanted to follow them, but he was afraid that they would misunderstand his intentions, so he decided to ask some other people for directions instead.

  At this time, he saw an old man working on a fishing boat. The fishing boat was old and shabby, but the old man still repaired it relentlessly. Beside him was a little girl helping him with the boat. The pair was evidently dependent on each other, and it seemed like they lived a hard life.

  Xiang Shaoyun walked over and said, "Sir, this boat is already very old. No matter how you repair it, it is unlikely that it can still sail. I have some money here. Take it and buy yourself a new boat."

  A smile bloomed on the old man's face, making the creases on his face seem even deeper. He said gratefully, "Thank you, young man. But we never accept undeserved rewards."

  The rejection surprised Xiang Shaoyun. He did not give up and said, "This little fellow is still growing. You should take the money and buy some good food for her. Don't let the child starve."

  The little girl looked at Xiang Shaoyun with a pair of bright eyes and said, "Thank you, big brother. But grandpa once said that we shouldn't accept things from strangers."

  Her words placed Xiang Shaoyun in an awkward position. He wanted to perform some good deeds but was rejected so thoroughly. He even started feeling gloomy.

  "Young man, are you looking for something?" asked the old man. He seemed like someone who had experienced many things in life, and he behaved as though he could see that something was troubling Xiang Shaoyun.

  Xiang Shaoyun nodded and said, "Sir, do you know where Lonesoul Island is?"

  "You're trying to go to Lonesoul Island, young man? I advise you not to go. That place is haunted," said the old man, a trace of fear surfacing on his face.

  "Have you been there before, sir? Which direction is the island?" asked Xiang Shaoyun, automatically ignoring the latter part of what the old man said.

  "I went there once when I was young. At that time, I was traveling with dozens of people. We encountered a storm and were sent to that island, so we decided to rest there. Since I was in charge of watching over the ship, I did not step onto the island. Almost all who left the ship died, with only a single survivor. But the survivor had turned mad. Even then, he died not long after he returned to the ship. Before his death, he had claimed that the island was haunted. It frightened me greatly, so I escaped alone. Even now, when I think back to that incident, I can still feel a chill creep up my back," the old man recollected with a fearful look.

  "Don't be afraid, sir. Perhaps some wild ghosts are creating trouble there. As a cultivator, I am naturally obliged to take care of such wild ghosts. Please tell me the direction of the island, sir. That is all I need," said Xiang Shaoyun, who was brimming with a heroic aura.

  "Fine, fine. The young are always reckless. Lonesoul Island is northeast of here. It's very far. If I have to row my boat over, it will take me two or three months," said the old man as he pointed in a certain direction and sighed.

  "Thank you, sir," said Xiang Shaoyun. He then tossed the money over to the old man before vanishing into thin air.

  Playing with the money in his hand, the old man smiled before saying with a sigh, "Young man, you are in too much of a hurry. I don't know where Lonesoul Island is either. I only said that much so you would retreat out of fear. But you actually rewarded me so generously for my lie. I am ashamed."

  "Grandpa, you're lying again!" complained the little girl with a pout.

  "Ahh, Little Sprout, your grandpa wasn't lying. I was merely trying to talk him out of losing his life. Anyway, he was the one who had voluntarily given us the money. Someone so kind is rare nowadays," praised the old man earnestly.

  "That big brother is a good guy. We shouldn't lie to someone like him!" said the little girl with her innocent voice.

  "You're right. That's why your grandpa is ashamed. But Lonesoul Island is definitely a land of danger. By sending him in the wrong direction, I am saving his life. As the saying goes, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda. I do not feel any guilt at all," retorted the old man.

  "Oh, I understand. That was a lie of kindness," said the little girl.

  "Exactly, a lie of kindness," the old man hurriedly agreed.

  "If that's the case, I played a role in that lie of kindness as well. Grandpa, shouldn't you share half the money with me?"

  "Little Sprout, are you trying to rob me? This is your grandpa's retirement fund!"

  "Don't worry. Little Sprout will save the money for your retirement, grandpa. I will only use a little bit of it."

  "Eh..."

  ...

  If Xiang Shaoyun had heard their conversation, he would probably spit blood in anger. He sympathized with the pair after seeing that they probably lived a hard life and that they weren't cultivators. But they had actually pointed him in the wrong direction, completely misleading him.

  He was currently seated atop Money as they flew above the sea. Following behind him was Aikai. Together, the group flew at top speed. After flying continuously for three days, they reached the center of a boundless sea.

  No signs of human activity could be seen around them, and no land was visible either. The only thing they saw was a boundless blue connecting the sky and the sea. The view was great, yet it also gave rise to a lonesome feeling.

  "Something isn't right. We have been traveling at full s
peed for three days. If we were traveling in the right direction, we would have encountered the Sacred Deer Academy disciples by now. However, we haven't seen anyone. Is this direction...damn that old swindler!" With his intelligence, Xiang Shaoyun immediately realized that he had been cheated.

  He stopped, anxiousness welling in his heart. If he couldn't reach Lonesoul Island in time, he would not be able to participate in the competition. At that time, his master might even sever their relationship.

  "No, I need to think of something," muttered Xiang Shaoyun. His brain spun rapidly, and he soon thought of an idea. "Money, go capture some aquatic demons to ask for directions."

  The sea had no lack of aquatic demons. He believed the aquatic demons would definitely know the island's location.

  "Sure, boss. This happens to be something I'm good at," said Money as he roared.

  "Roar!"

  Chapter 924: It's Actually a Female Jiao?

  Money's roar was akin to a dragon's roar. The sea churned and turned, his roar displaying the might of a true dragon. When the nearby aquatic demons sensed the powerful aura, they fled and scattered in fear. Of course, there was also a powerful aquatic demon that decided to poke its head up to see just what demonic beast was here disturbing them.

  "Roar!"

  A top-tier blue-scale jiao Demon Emperor shot out of the water, giving an unyielding reply. It did not seem any weaker than Money, its over 10-meter-long body filled with strength. Its shiny blue scales were extremely conspicuous, and its head was slightly similar to the shape of a dragon's head, making it look incredibly fearsome and majestic.

  Without even bothering to talk, it pounced at Money. In its eyes, the dragon blood flowing in Money proved fatally attractive. If it could devour Money, it would be even closer to evolving into a dragon. Money naturally wasn't one to shrink from a fight. He roared fiercely as he engaged the blue-scale jiao in an intense battle.

  Money was already a ninth-stage Demon Emperor. Furthermore, his strength never stopped growing. However, this blue-scale jiao wasn't a pushover either. It had long reached peak Demon Emperor realm and could punch above its class. After all, the jiao was a branch family of the dragons. They possessed a trace of dragon blood in their bloodline, and they were mighty combatants.