Chapter 46: A Dragon’s Roar
Watching the national religion cavalry preparing to charge, the hundreds of teachers and students of the Heavenly Dao Academy showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, they grew even more excited, their shouts rising higher and higher, giving a sense of unity of purpose.
Aside from slogans about guarding the Heavenly Dao, most of the voices from the teachers and students were cursing. The one being cursed the most was naturally Tree Heart Daoist, whom they now regarded as a traitor selling out the academy for personal gain. The name of the King of Ling Sea also appeared frequently, and occasionally there were even disrespectful remarks involving His Holiness the Pope.
Hearing those curses, the King of Ling Sea’s expression grew darker and darker. But if one looked closely, they might notice that the emotion deep in his eyes had never changed at all.
In terms of the strength of both sides, the Li Palace undoubtedly held the absolute advantage.
The national religion cavalry were renowned as equals to the Black Armored Cavalry, and those black-robed deacons of the Heavenly Judgment Hall were once ranked alongside the assassins of the former Office of Clean Governance and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
The Heavenly Dao Academy indeed had deep foundations and had nurtured many powerful individuals. Many bishops now in the Li Palace had also come from here, but after all, it was just a single academy.
That the Heavenly Dao Academy had been able to hold out for so long could only be attributed to Zhuang Zhihuan’s hard heart and the burning passion of the teachers and students.
Facing hundreds of teachers and students willing to shed their blood and sacrifice their lives, if the Li Palace forces launched a full assault, it would inevitably turn into a bloody slaughter. Moreover, given the current situation and the cause of this incident—unlike the bloodbath at the National Religion Academy over twenty years ago—the King of Ling Sea, who was in charge of this matter, would be reviled for a thousand years, and Chen Changsheng would not fare much better.
How to make the teachers and students of the Heavenly Dao Academy give up resistance with as little bloodshed as possible—that was what the Li Palace should be doing.
Yet the King of Ling Sea’s gaze remained as indifferent as ever. No matter how Tree Heart Daoist pleaded bitterly, he showed no sign of revoking his order.
As the national religion cavalry prepared to charge and those black-robed deacons raised their scythes of death, Tree Heart Daoist felt a wave of sorrow and utter despair.
He seemed to see the Heavenly Dao Academy submerged in a sea of blood, and the still-young faces of the students lying in pools of blood.
The next moment, he suddenly thought his eyes were playing tricks on him—the Heavenly Dao Academy hadn’t turned into a sea of blood, but rather a sea of ink.
A shadow descended from the sky, falling upon the ancient, timeworn buildings of the Heavenly Dao Academy.
That shadow was so deep it seemed almost tangible, like true night itself.
The angry shouts ceased. The young Heavenly Dao Academy students looked up at the sky in confusion.
They couldn’t see the entity that cast that shadow.
Countless snowflakes drifted through the dim sky, obscuring all sight.
“It’s snowing!” a student exclaimed in delight.
“Why is it snowing at this time?” another student asked in astonishment.
It was already early spring. Even with a late cold snap, there was no reason for snow to fall.
The students were greatly surprised and began discussing among themselves. Some even forgot about the murderous cavalry outside the academy gate.
But many still remembered the predicament facing the Heavenly Dao Academy and their fellow students.
Watching the beautiful snowflakes in the sky, a delicate female student’s eyes brimmed with tears. She murmured, “Heavenly Dao above, do You also find this world too filthy? Is that why You send this holy snow, to cleanse our eyes and hearts?”
Some students heard her words and felt the same. They began to pray to the sky, feeling both sorrowful and more resolute.
The King of Ling Sea said coldly, “After the snow melts, the ground will still be covered in filth. How can the gods deceive themselves?”
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the sky.
That rumble was extremely deep but not faint, like thunder hidden in the deepest clouds or a river flowing in the deepest earth.
People looked up at the sky, their faces full of shock. Could this be a response from the heavens?
Was it answering the female student’s words? Or the King of Ling Sea’s words?
That sound carried a very clear will.
It was indifference, condescension, and a lack of interest.
No matter whether the King of Ling Sea brought the national religion cavalry or Tree Heart Daoist stood opposite with several instructors, Zhuang Zhihuan’s expression never changed.
But when he heard this hum, his face turned strange. Deep in his eyes, there even appeared a hint of hesitation and a desire to retreat.
He recognized it.
This was a dragon’s roar.
...
...
The number of snowflakes in the sky suddenly multiplied dozens of times, and the cold wind became bitingly fierce.
Snow and wind danced wildly. The temperature inside and outside the Heavenly Dao Academy plummeted sharply.
Whether it was the green vines on the stone walls or the thousand-year-old ancient tree in the deepest part, they all became beautiful jade branches.
Thin ice formed on the surfaces of several small lakes, then thickened at a visible rate. Within a few breaths, they turned into smooth, mirror-like frozen lakes.
In a remote small courtyard, the well water in the deep well completely froze, cracking the surrounding ground in several places.
The entire world turned white, becoming a domain of ice and snow.
Most of the ordinary students turned into snowmen, one after another.
They could still see and think, but they could no longer move, and their faces even retained expressions of shock.
Zhuang Zhihuan, who had been a gifted genius in his youth and was now one of the few powerful cultivators in the capital, naturally had no problem.
A dozen or so instructors and students of decent cultivation level could still hold on.
Their faces were somewhat pale, their lips tinged with blue.
The instructors and students were injured internally because the severe cold had invaded their energy apertures and dark mansions.
As for Zhuang Zhihuan, it was because he suddenly realized he had lost all his advantages.
Where did this snowstorm come from?
Why was it so violent and terrifying?
The teachers and students of the Heavenly Dao Academy pondered this question with fear in their hearts.
At that moment, a figure slowly walked over from the other side of the snowstorm.
The way this figure walked was somewhat strange, seeming a bit uncoordinated, yet it gave an extraordinary sense of stability.
Perhaps it was because that person had only one arm?
Looking at that figure, at that empty sleeve flapping wildly in the snowstorm...
Even those young students who couldn’t move or show expressions had eyes filled with joy.
Those instructors and students who could still speak shouted in surprise.
“Senior Brother Guan Bai!”
“Great Name!”
“Senior Brother!”
...
...
Following that famous stone path, Guan Bai walked into the Heavenly Dao Academy and then stopped.
He stood between two stone walls.
On the stone walls were many names, and at the very top was carved a line: “A favorable wind often lends strength, sending me up to the blue clouds.”
This was the Azure Cloud Ranking.
When he had studied at the Heavenly Dao Academy, his name had also appeared on the stone wall, and at the very top.
For this reason and many others, he had always been the greatest pride of the Heavenly Dao Academy, both then and now.
So even though they knew his cultivation level might not change the current situation, seeing him appear, the Heavenly Dao Academy students still couldn’t help shouting in surprise.
But the next moment, all sounds vanished, and all surprise turned to shock.
Because Guan Bai looked at Zhuang Zhihuan and said one sentence.
“Teacher, admit defeat.”