Chapter 38: This Summer, Watch the National Academy
This battle lasted a very short time, even shorter than the first day’s match between Chen Changsheng and Zhou Ziheng. Everything happened too fast; ordinary people couldn’t see clearly at all. When Chen Changsheng’s sword had paused for an extremely brief instant before the tomb boss’s chest, they couldn’t possibly have known that beneath the tomb boss’s clothes lay a legendary divine armor from the Hundred Artifacts List. They only saw Chen Changsheng draw his sword, pierce through the opponent’s chest, and blast him into the street. Thus, they couldn’t help but feel some contempt for the tomb boss, thinking: Even if your strength doesn’t match Dean Chen’s, you knew how Dean Chen defeated Zhou Ziheng back then—didn’t you prepare at all? If you did prepare and still lost in the same way, that’s even worse.
Of course, many people noticed the strange phenomenon of Chen Changsheng’s sword strike.
That sword seemed to burn like the sun, erupting with endless light and heat, turning a sea of flowers into a sea of fire. What kind of sword was this?
The tomb boss was in pain, weak, and bewildered, pondering the same question. Clearly, Chen Changsheng was only at the upper level of Penetrating Obscurity, so how could his true essence quantity surpass that of many Star Gathering cultivators? And how could it pierce through the Six Imperial Divine Armor? What in the world was this damned sword?
The stewards and nobles under the awning were also shocked, thinking: What exactly is going on here?
A sigh echoed from the teahouse, then silence returned.
Inside the black carriage at the end of the street, a brush moved steadily and smoothly across paper, leaving behind words.
“Chen Changsheng has finally used his third sword.”
“This violent sword technique clearly consumes a great deal of true essence, but unlike the battle at Xunyang City recorded in the archives, Chen Changsheng can now use it more than once. It seems he has improved significantly since returning to the capital.”
“Mu Musen wore the Six Imperial Divine Armor, yet couldn’t block that sword. Apart from Chen Changsheng’s explosive surge in true essence, it should also be related to the short sword itself, named Stainless.”
Two officials from the Purification Department faithfully recorded everything they saw today, then set down their ink brushes, rubbing their sore wrists. They exchanged silent glances, each seeing shock and confusion in the other’s eyes. Even if the sword technique Su Li taught Chen Changsheng could use secret methods to burn true essence, unleashing energy countless times stronger than usual in a short time, that was still… the Six Imperial Divine Armor! How could it be broken so easily?
“I heard the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has already sent people to the capital, just to examine this Stainless Sword.”
“Could the Hundred Artifacts List really be updated this year?”
“It was said last time: when the Stainless Sword appears, the Hundred Artifacts List must be revised. But after today’s battle… this sword’s ranking might move up even further.”
The Six Imperial Divine Armor was itself a divine weapon on the Hundred Artifacts List. For the Stainless Sword to pierce it so easily, it naturally ranked far above it.
The carriage was quiet. Suddenly, one official remembered something, picked up his brush again, and wrote on the paper: “Chen Changsheng still hasn’t killed anyone.”
Yes, the tomb boss wasn’t dead.
The Stainless Sword had pierced through his chest, just like last time, passing right beside his heart.
Chen Changsheng’s sword was sharp to an appalling degree, and precise to an appalling degree.
How steady must the hand holding that sword be?
Time flowed extremely slowly, finally reaching the height of summer. In these past ten-plus days, the National Academy had faced dozens of challenges without a single defeat, shaking the capital.
Challengers below Star Gathering couldn’t beat Tang Thirty-Six, though a few matches were extremely perilous, and he even suffered relatively serious injuries once.
Challengers at the initial level of Star Gathering all became Chen Changsheng’s defeated opponents. By now, everyone was certain: although Chen Changsheng hadn’t yet succeeded in Star Gathering, he already possessed the standard of the initial Star Gathering level. Some had even begun to imagine: if he fought against Autumn Mountain Lord, who had succeeded in Star Gathering at the start of the year, who would win and who would lose?
So far, no experts above the initial Star Gathering level had challenged the National Academy. Because experts at that level were often major powers in their own right, hard for the Tianhai family to command. Even if they were, they were relatively more important guest elders. Since they were experts, they had to maintain some style and dignity. If they lowered themselves to challenge Chen Changsheng, even winning would be extremely shameful.
Most crucially, no one knew if, should things reach that point, the always-silent Pope would unleash his thunderous wrath. Of course, even if a mid-Star Gathering expert did appear, Tang Thirty-Six had already made thorough preparations. As the National Academy’s manager of external affairs, he had long been waiting for that day.
These days, the real surprise was Xuan Yuan Po.
Zhe Xiu was still lying quietly in the library recovering from injuries. Xuan Yuan Po’s right arm injury had finally fully healed. Under Chen Changsheng’s guidance, he began cultivating the Heaven Thunder Trigger. The狂暴 true essence began flowing freely and joyfully through his broad, highway-like meridians. His innate divine power could finally be perfectly controlled, revealing a destructive force that made hearts tremble and the National Academy’s trees lament.
When he was sure of success, Chen Changsheng let Xuan Yuan Po represent the National Academy in four matches. By human cultivator standards, Xuan Yuan Po, who couldn’t even be considered Penetrating Obscurity, didn’t lose a single one. In the last match, facing an upper-level Penetrating Obscurity expert, he actually won. Of course, at the critical moment, he was forced to transform, uprooting a willow tree in front of the National Academy and smashing it violently into half a courtyard wall on Hundred Flowers Lane, knocking that upper-level Penetrating Obscurity swordsman unconscious in the process.
What violent power! What crude tactics! As for the lightning fragments hidden in the willow branches and leaves at that time, aside from Chen Changsheng, not many people noticed.
When the Heavenly Mechanism Elder had originally placed Xuan Yuan Po at the bottom of the Azure Cloud List, many found it inexplicable. Now, no one thought that way anymore. Looking at the tree pit in front of the National Academy and the half wall, clearly newly built, people could only wonder: if the Azure Cloud List were updated, where would this bear clan youth, who often squatted on the stone steps at the academy gate with a bowl, grinning foolishly, rank?
Summer was the hottest time in the capital, and often the liveliest. This summer, the capital was hotter than previous years and also livelier. Because there was excitement every day at the National Academy’s gate—celebrities rarely seen normally appeared in rotation, then fought for you to watch, and it was free, no tickets needed. How could the capital’s people, who loved a good spectacle, miss this? After the weather turned hot, Tang Thirty-Six moved the matches to early morning. So every day at dawn, many capital residents would bring flower rolls, buns, and steamed bread to watch. Some even brought their whole families, as if on a spring outing. Even more exaggeratedly, when relatives or friends from out of town visited, capital residents would specially take them to Hundred Flowers Lane to see the excitement. The National Academy… was becoming one of the capital’s six new scenic spots.
The National Academy’s streak of dozens of undefeated matches naturally had far-reaching effects beyond this. For example, regarding the gambling on the academy tournament, the four major gambling houses had stopped taking bets on wins and losses and started making money in other areas. The daily betting options mostly included: Who will the National Academy send to fight? What sword technique will they use? When will Xuan Yuan Po uproot a tree? How many love letters will Tang Thirty-Six receive after today’s victory? And when will Chen Changsheng use that violent sword strike again?
One evening, it was extremely hot. Chen Changsheng and the other two swam a few laps in the lake, then sat on the big banyan tree, staring blankly.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Her Highness Luoluo,” Tang Thirty-Six suddenly said, looking at the setting sun in the distance, whether intentionally or not.
Chen Changsheng also looked at the setting sun, as if he could see the outline of the Pure Virtue Hall in the palace. Hearing Tang Thirty-Six’s words, he was silent for a long time, then hummed in acknowledgment.
Tang Thirty-Six turned to look at him and said, “Go find her tomorrow.”
Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze from the distance, looked down at the last few strands of golden light on the lake, and after a moment of silence, said, “She might not be available.”
Luoluo was in the palace, in the Pope’s Green Leaf World. It wasn’t convenient for her to come out.
But in fact, it was said that she had appeared at several recent banquets in the imperial palace.
Most crucially, it was said that starting last month, Luoluo had been alternating between living in the palace and the imperial palace.
“Not available” naturally meant something else.
Chen Changsheng understood, so he had remained silent. In fact, this was originally what he had asked of her.
Last year, when the National Academy had just been revived, in the eyes of those important figures, Luoluo joining the National Academy was just a child’s play. Even the Grand Examination was a trivial matter. But now it was different. The Pope and the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress were drifting apart. Luoluo’s identity was sensitive. If she still stayed at the National Academy or frequently returned to it, a small matter would become a big one.
In the Great Zhou capital, Luoluo didn’t represent herself, but the eight-hundred-mile Red River and the two saints behind her.
“I don’t care. I miss her.”
Tang Thirty-Six stood up, leaning on the thick trunk of the banyan tree, and shouted loudly at the palace under the setting sun in the distance.
Chen Changsheng glanced at him, grateful.
His identity was also very sensitive; many things were inconvenient to say. Tang Thirty-Six said he missed Luoluo because he knew Chen Changsheng missed Luoluo, and Luoluo must also miss this big banyan tree here.
“I miss Her Highness Luoluo too, sir,” Xuan Yuan Po said from the side.
He genuinely missed her; it had nothing to do with Chen Changsheng.
Tang Thirty-Six patted his shoulder and said, “Then let’s arrange to eat together tomorrow. If she’s free, we’ll bring her back to the National Academy to have a look.”
Xuan Yuan Po sat on a branch, yet his height nearly matched Tang Thirty-Six standing. This scene was somehow harmonious for no reason.
“Then we need to finish the two morning matches quickly. Xuan Yuan, don’t go up; Tang Tang and I will handle it,” Chen Changsheng said, suddenly thinking of a problem.
Tang Thirty-Six also thought of a very important issue. He crouched down, looked into Chen Changsheng’s eyes, and said, “Let me tell you something.”
Seeing his serious expression, Chen Changsheng asked uneasily, “What is it?”
Tang Thirty-Six said, “Tomorrow’s opponent is a teacher from the Jiangnan Prefecture Heavenly Dao Branch Academy. His level and strength definitely can’t match yours, but… can you use a few more sword strikes?”
(I’ve been stockpiling drafts recently—really stockpiling… Today, I’ll only post one chapter. I now have seven thousand words of drafts saved. In the past, I would have released them all at once. But my goal is to save thirty thousand words of drafts, so I can ensure no breaks in updates, especially since I have to drive over two thousand kilometers at the end of the month.
Of course, this is my dream scenario. Let me dream for a while first…)
...
...