Chapter 165: I, Jiang Yi, am Not Worthy Enough for Her
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Mt. Spirit Beast College was rather lively during these few days. During the daily transit between the cultivation room and the living quarters, Jiang Yi would keep hearing discussions about the Kingdom War that were accompanied by eyes that were radiating and abnormally excited.
In fact, it wasn’t just the college—the entire continent was talking about the Kingdom War. The words ‘Kingdom War’ could be heard everywhere throughout every major city.
This Kingdom War was indeed a grand occasion of the continent!
Because of the Kingdom War, many peasants were able to rise into generals. Because of the Kingdom War, many martial artists were able to gain military merits and were granted a city by the va.s.sal states. Take Ji Tian for example, who managed to obtain a large number of military merits during the Kingdom War 15 years ago. As such, he earned the position as City Lord of the Skyplume City.
In this world, martial strength ruled supreme. For scholars, there were literature and imperial examinations. Those that pa.s.sed these examinations brilliantly could become government officials. Martial artists might not have martial examinations, but there was the Kingdom War!
The Kingdom War was set in place since ten-thousand years ago. Back then, the Azure Dragon Empire was at its golden age; but something bizarre happened. The emperor, princes, princesses, and all the martial experts situated in the imperial capital—Stellarsky City—had all died over a single night, causing chaos throughout the continent. The six most formidable armies that were watched over by the imperial court took the chance to raise their flags for the sake of protecting the imperial clan and rushed towards the Stellarsky City. But in the dark, they were all getting ready to seize Stellarsky City and overthrow the imperial clan.
Something even more bizarre happened. Six of the armies arrived at the outskirts of Stellarsky City at their fastest speed, but ultimately, none of the armies dared to enter the city. Afterward, the six armies all retreated and occupied an area, forming their own kingdoms—which became the current six va.s.sal states. It was also the time when the Azure Dragon Empire began to decline.
The imperial clan supported one of the young princes that survived and helped him ascend the throne while announcing to the world that they had established the six major va.s.sal states. They bestowed the t.i.tles of Generalissimo to the kings of the six va.s.sal states and allowed them to govern their own territory, but they had to offer tributes to the imperial clan every year.
This also meant that they had acknowledged the independence of the six major va.s.sal states. It was something that was beyond their control. If all six of the formidable armies rebelled at the same time, how was the imperial court going to find and eradicate the rebellion?
The imperial court even gave a baffling decree that orders the six states to conduct a Kingdom War every decade, which was to be held on the outskirts of the Stellarsky City, in the Crystal Stone Plains. During every Kingdom War, the six major states must send out a million troops for a chaotic battle. The military merits would be determined by the headcounts. The three kingdoms which had the least military merits would be the defeated states and would offer tributes to the three victorious states.
Once this decree was sent out, there was an uproar. As long as one wasn’t a fool, they could see the hidden meaning behind this decree. The imperial clan obviously wanted the six major states to have a mutual ma.s.sacre, shaving off each other’s kingdom strength. It would allow them to maintain their rule and be able to slowly acc.u.mulate their rise in power.
What made the whole world astounded was that it was unknown whether the six kings of the va.s.sal states were fools or not—no one actually objected to the decree. They even proactively responded to the imperial clan’s appeal and would provide grand rewards during the Kingdom Wars, encouraging their citizens to partic.i.p.ate and kill enemies dauntlessly!
As for… why all the imperial clansmen of the Azure Dragon Empire were killed? Why didn’t the six armies dare to invade Stellarsky City? Why did the Azure Dragon Empire announce to the world that they allowed the six armies to independently form their own states? Why were the six states so pa.s.sionate about the Kingdom Wars? No one knew anything about these hidden secrets. It seemed like only the imperial clan of the Azure Dragon Empire, the royalties of the six major va.s.sal states, or those exceptional great clans would know of it.
…
And so the Kingdom War carried on for all this time, hosted every decade regardless of anything. A thousand years ago, there was even a minor Kingdom War that would be held five years after the major Kingdom War. This minor Kingdom War was a stage for the outstanding youths. Only martial artists that were 25 years old and younger could partic.i.p.ate. The rewards were as generous as the major Kingdom War.
Just like this time, where the imperial clan offered the rarely seen saint-tier artifact.
Once a regular martial artist refined a saint-tier artifact, their combat strength would definitely increase by a few folds. Even if they didn’t refine it and just auctioned it, it would fetch a price that could buy a city. If they were to offer it to an exceptional great clan, they could even exchange it for a position of a minor city lord.
This was why this Kingdom War had given rise to so much commotion, causing all the cadets in the college to be this excited. Of course, Jiang Yi didn’t bother about such things and didn’t intentionally ask about it; neither did he have the mood to ask about it.
When he was young, he had heard of the words ‘Kingdom War.’ Five years ago, a group of people from the Skyplume City went to partic.i.p.ate in the Kingdom War; but no one returned. He didn’t need to ask to know how brutal this Kingdom War must be. He had too many enemies and would certainly die if he partic.i.p.ated in it.
He had been busy every day, either cultivating or refining elixirs. With the a.s.sistance from the Earth Dragon Elixirs and the cultivation rooms, his cultivation stage rocketed. He was just about to break through to the ninth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm and was going to continue to condense the Purple Mansion—all in preparation to step into the hall of martial artists.
He knew clearly in his heart that the Cast Tripod Realm didn’t require much essence force, and his cultivation speed wasn’t inferior to any of the top cla.s.s prodigies of Divine Martial Kingdom. Utilizing the cultivation room and also the Earth Dragon Elixir that was enhanced by the black essence force, it was perfectly normal for him to cultivate as such drastic speed. After reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, the need for essence force would be in a huge volume, and it would definitely be impossible to break through this easily.
Time flew, and soon enough, two months had pa.s.sed.
A month ago, Jiang Yi had broken through to the ninth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm and was now das.h.i.+ng towards the peak stage of the Cast Tripod Realm and preparing to condense the Purple Mansion.
During this period of time, Jiang Yi refined a ma.s.sive amount of elixirs. Coupled with the Kingdom War which was about to begin, many youth prodigies began to frantically cultivate, causing the price of the elixirs to soar. Not only did Jiang Yi repay all his debt to Qian Clan, but he even became a small-time millionaire. Of course, with his unique skill, purple gold wouldn’t be a problem for him anymore.
There was something that made Jiang Yi felt suffering: it was the lack of information about Jiang Yunhai. Qian w.a.n.guan sent someone to scout in the Saint Spirit Kingdom, but there wasn’t any response. Perhaps Jiang Yunhai had died from his grievous injuries, or he was killed by the fangs of the demonic beasts in the Forest of Sin.
Shui Qianrou, Third Prince Xia Tian, and Zhangsun Wuji finally left and headed towards the Divine Martial Kingdom’s royal capital. When Jiang Yi heard of this news, he didn’t have a hint of delight as he didn’t intend to leave the college either. Was there any difference if they resided in the Spirit Beast City or the royal capital?
Plenty of individuals from the college registered for the Kingdom War. It was a grand occasion after all, and it was a great opportunity for youths like them to valiantly display their strength.
Once they obtained a large number of military merits in the Kingdom War, not only would they receive the rewards from the college and the imperial court, but they would also receive rewards from the various va.s.sal states. The rewards of the Heaven Mystics Kingdom and the Great Xia Kingdom had been announced. They were the generous rewards of statuses as the Tiger Prestige General and Royal Vanguard respectively.
There was still two months. The Crystal Stone Plains were in the northwest of the Divine Martial Kingdom, and it was rather distant. The college army had already begun to make preparations for the journey. They were going to depart three days later and were headed straight for the Divine Martial Kingdom’s royal capital. They would then pa.s.s through the Teleportation Array of the royal capital and arrive at the Stellarsky City to begin the brutal Kingdom War.
Jiang Yi was determined that he wouldn’t partic.i.p.ate in the Kingdom War, which disappointed Zhuge Qingyun and the several vice princ.i.p.als. The Mt. Spirit Beast College had been oppressed by the other two major colleges—Water Moon Observatory and the Great Zen Monastery—for hundreds of years. This time, they might have Zhan Wushuang, Yun Fei, Shen Ying, Ah Ni, and several prodigies who had mystical arts. But in the eyes of Zhuge Qingyun, they would struggle to make it into the top ten, let alone the no.1 rank.
Three days later, the college army was departing. Jiang Yi and Qian w.a.n.guan came to send off Zhan Wushuang, Su Ruoxue, and the rest. Su Ruoxue wasn’t 25 years old yet, but she wasn’t here to partic.i.p.ate in the Kingdom War. She was here to accompany Princ.i.p.al Qi and the other vice princ.i.p.als to escort the cadets to the Stellarsky City.
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds better perform greatly and strive for a great rank to bring glory to your clans!”
Qian w.a.n.guan didn’t go either. His measly strength fated him to be the bottom feeders; thus, he didn’t dare to go throw his life away. He was here to bid farewell to Ying Sha, Long Xiang, and the rest. He then went over to Jiang Yi and sighed slightly. “Why don’t you say a few words to Su Ruoxue? Why… do I feel that the two of you are intentionally avoiding one another?”
Jiang Yi was looking at a woman, who was so beautiful that she looked dazzling, and let out a wry smile, “You can see it, too. She is intentionally avoiding me, and it is obvious that we aren’t suitable. I naturally don’t want to make things difficult for her. There are some things in life that cannot be forced. I, Jiang Yi, am not worthy enough for her.”