Chapter 33: The True Child of Destiny!

Mi Daoyuan stared at Wuque’s face for quite a long time.

His long, slanted eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, sharp as blades.

Then, he showed a gentle smile and said to Wen Daozi, “It’s a deal.”

Wen Daozi reached out and shook Mi Daoyuan’s hand, saying, “It’s a deal.”

Everyone was stunned for a moment. Did Mi Daoyuan agree so easily?

“See you at the Academy Grand Examination.”

Mi Daoyuan left with his people, but Jiumogang’s wife, Lin Miaoluo, remained standing where she was, motionless.

Her gaze towards Jiumogang was filled with blood-red intensity.

She was also filled with a will to die.

“Jiumogang, you killed our son. You killed our son,” Lin Miaoluo screamed hoarsely.

Jiumogang stood there, unmoving, as if struck by lightning.

Mi Daoyuan looked at Lin Miaoluo and beckoned, “Take her away.”

Immediately, two women stepped forward, pulling Lin Miaoluo up. “Let’s go, senior sister.”

After his wife Lin Miaoluo left, Jiumogang could no longer hold on. He violently spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Wen Daozi hurried forward to help him up. Seeing Wuque approach, he took half a step back.

Wuque helped support Jiumogang to a sitting position.

Jiumogang looked at Wuque and said slowly, “I am originally from the Snow Qiang tribe. I trained in Martial Arts at the Snow Mountain Sanctuary since childhood. The light of the Scholarium finally shone upon the snowy plateau. As the most outstanding youth of the Snow Mountain Sanctuary, I was sent to Xiajing Scholarium to study Martial Arts and knowledge.”

This was the achievement of the Reformist Faction—expanding and educating foreign tribes.

“At Xiajing Scholarium, I met my beloved wife, Lin Miaoluo. She was a noble daughter of the Empire with countless suitors, yet she chose me, a foreign boy.”

“We fell in love, married, and had a child. I felt like I was living in honey.”

“After finishing my studies, I did not return to the Snow Mountain Sanctuary. Instead, I lived in the Empire with my wife. I followed Mountain Master Wen Daozi and came together to Tianshui Academy, becoming the head of the Martial Arts school. My wife also became one of the founders of the Martial Arts Subject at Tianshui Academy. Husband and wife, united in heart, could cut through metal.”

“My tribesmen and the Snow Mountain Sanctuary always called me a traitor. They said I was attached to the glamorous world of the Great Xia Empire and didn’t want to go back. But I didn’t care. I knew I was carrying out a great mission.”

“Time passed so quickly. My son turned eighteen in the blink of an eye. Back then, the most outstanding genius at Tianshui Academy, Crown Prince Shaluman of the Wuzi Kingdom, was about to return to his country to compete for the throne. He had been away for too long and had no talented people around him. So, Tianshui Academy sent dozens of people to return to the Wuzi Kingdom with him. My son was eighteen at the time and already a very outstanding Martial Arts practitioner. He volunteered to assist Shaluman.”

“A year later, with our help, Shaluman successfully reclaimed the throne. This was hailed as a great victory for the Reformist Faction. My son also became the youngest general in the Wuzi Kingdom and the pride of our couple.”

“However, another year later, terrible news arrived. Shaluman massacred all the Scholarium disciples, joined the Western Theocracy, and planned to march east to attack Roulan City, the westernmost frontier of the Great Xia Empire. Using the secret arts he learned at the Scholarium, he carried out the Roulan Massacre.”

“All the soldiers and civilians of Roulan City, over a hundred thousand in total, perished.”

“Since then, the most important border town of our Great Xia Empire in the west fell. The sky of the Scholarium Reformist Faction collapsed!”

“My… my… my son died in that massacre.”

“Wuque…” Jiumogang turned and grasped Wuque’s hand, his voice hoarse. “You have no idea how sunny, how kind, how just, how handsome, how good… how good, what a wonderful child my son was!”

“But he… he left this world just like that.”

The rest of the story didn’t need Jiumogang to tell.

The Roulan Massacre and King Shaluman’s betrayal dealt a fatal blow to the Scholarium Reformist Faction.

Several giants of the Sky Scholar City Reformist Faction stepped down one after another.

As a pioneer of the Reformist Faction, Wen Daozi was also ousted and exiled to the Solitary Mountain Villa.

Lin Miaoluo also turned against her husband because she believed the Reformist Faction led by Wen Daozi bore the greatest responsibility for their son’s death.

Jiumogang held Wuque’s hand and said hoarsely, “Child, what we are doing is a just and great cause, right? All the price we have paid is worth it, right?”

This Grandmaster of Martial Arts looked lost and confused, like a child who had lost his way.

He was a beneficiary of this great cause, but also a huge sacrifice.

Not just his son.

Also, not long before, he… to protect Wuque, he killed his own uncle and cousin.

He was almost on the verge of going mad.

Wuque looked into Jiumogang’s eyes and said slowly, “Yes, we are engaged in a very just, very great cause.”

“That’s good, that’s good…” Immediately, Jiumogang fainted.

Several people stepped forward and helped carry Jiumogang into a room.

Wen Daozi approached and bowed deeply. “Wuque, thank you for saving my life.”

By taking on the final battle of the Pact of Nine Duels himself, Wuque had effectively saved both their lives.

If Jiumogang and Lin Miaoluo had dueled to the death today,

the result was obvious. Jiumogang would certainly have died. He couldn’t bring himself to strike his wife.

And after killing her husband, Lin Miaoluo would certainly have taken her own life.

If Wuque hadn’t stepped in to stop it, today’s bloody tragedy was inevitable.

Of course, Wuque’s action also came at a great cost.

Thirty Large Warships!

The Contract he signed would place the Shen Gong Clan in a very difficult position.

And if he lost and actually had to deliver those thirty warships, it would be a huge blow to the Shen Gong Family’s strength.

The Shen Gong Clan’s militarism required staggering amounts of money, much of which came from maritime trade, which relied on warships for protection.

Handing over those thirty warships would mean the Shen Gong Family would lose some of its maritime power, reducing its annual revenue by about thirty percent.

And crucially, the Mi Clan’s naval power would increase greatly. This shift in balance would be a severe blow to the Shen Gong Clan.

But if Wuque hadn’t proposed this condition, Mi Daoyuan would not have agreed to let Wuque and Fu Tieyi represent the two sides in the final battle.

Not only would Wen Daozi’s side certainly lose, but Jiumogang and his wife would certainly die.

The ruthlessness of Mi Daoyuan was truly evident.

After quite a while, Wen Daozi asked, “The Star-Draining Art… you learned it?”

Wuque nodded. “I learned it.”

Wen Daozi trembled slightly, his inner shock beyond words.

Back in the day, how many people had tried to learn the Star-Draining Art, only to become possessed, go mad, and die?

The genius Xiang Wentian took a full three years to master the Star-Draining Art. Yet this Wuque before him had done it in just seven days.

Was he truly the Child of Destiny?

Wuque said, “But I’ve only learned it. I’m still as weak as a kitten right now.”

Wen Daozi said slowly, “Yes. The Star-Draining Art can directly devour the power of Demon Spirits and make it one’s own, breaking through Martial Arts realms in the shortest time. That’s why it’s seen as a heaven-defying skill.”

Most areas of this world had no Demon Spirits. Only a very few places filled with strange energy fields would give birth to Demon Spirits.

These strange energy fields did not exist at all over a thousand years ago.

But… the geniuses of the Dark Academy discovered these strange dark energy fields.

And by absorbing the Dark Energy within, they gradually fell into depravity.

The geniuses of the Dark Academy grew greedier and greedier, and the dark energy fields in this world also increased.

Eventually, the Dark Academy was destroyed by the Sky Scholar City.

The Dark Domains in this world stopped increasing.

These Dark Domains and the outside world mostly kept to themselves.

People from outside dared not enter. The Demon Spirits inside could not come out. Once they left, they would turn to dust.

Now, there were only eight days left until the Academy Grand Examination!

Only eight days.

Within these eight days, Wuque needed to find a Dark Domain, risk his life to enter, kill a Demon Spirit, devour its power, and rapidly break through in Martial Arts.

Where was there a Dark Domain?!

In the Eastern Seas, three hundred li from here, there was a Dark Domain.

Everyone knew about it!

That place was called the Sea of Hell, also known as the Demon Spirit Sea.

It was an area of sea about two hundred li in radius. Any ship, any person, once they entered the Demon Spirit Sea, never came out again.

It was a mysterious death zone.

It was a Dark Domain.

It was the territory of Demon Spirits. Any human who entered would certainly die.

Over the long years, no one knew how many people, confident in their high Martial Arts skills and brave enough, had ventured into this Demon Spirit Sea.

Not a single one came out alive.

The last one to disappear inside was the famous Arrow Path Master, Li Jiqian.

His archery skills were renowned under heaven.

Eleven years ago, he braved the Demon Spirit Sea for his daughter and never returned.

Wuque said, “Xiang Wentian practiced the Star-Draining Art, so he must have been to a Dark Domain.”

Wen Daozi nodded. “Yes, but he never went to the Demon Spirit Sea.”

At least until now, no one who entered the Demon Spirit Sea had ever returned alive.

The Demon Spirit Sea was also known as the most mysterious and dangerous place within a thousand li.

“But we have no other choice,” said Wen Daozi. “The Demon Spirit Sea is the closest Dark Domain to us. We have no time.”

“Wuque, going to the Demon Spirit Sea might mean death. Not going means certain defeat. If we could afford to lose, if there was a way out, then we wouldn’t have to go.”

“But no matter what, I will go with you. Wuque, you choose.”

Wuque smiled. “Mountain Master, actually we have no choice. So we go.”

Wen Daozi nodded. “Good, child, we go! Let’s go now!”

…