Chapter 446: Princ.i.p.al
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The battle at Monarch City caused a huge commotion!
If the various influential kingdoms and factions were concerned previously, it had now turned into fear. Jiang Yi led a Yazi Beast and wreaked havoc in Monarch City. He took out Eunuch Lin in a frontal a.s.sault while severely injuring Xia Tingwei and Jiang Bieli.
The scouts from the various factions returned and reported that Xia Tingwei’s actual combat strength had already reached the fifth stage of the Vajra Realm. It was needless to say about Jiang Bieli who was already a renowned as one of the top ten martial experts of the continent. The Yazi Beast might be powerful, but it had yet to reach the demon thearch realm and couldn’t change its form into a human, and so its strength was still limited. Its overall strength was probably around the fifth or sixth stage of the Vajra Realm, but if it was to break through to the demon thearch realm, its strength would have a complete transformation.
In fact, without looking at the course of events or the methods that Jiang Yi used—just by looking at the result, there was one thing for certain. Jiang Yi’s already had the ability to go against three Vajra Realm martial experts. One could even say that he already had the strength to clash against three fifth-stage Vajra Realm martial experts.
Once this conclusion was revealed, the entire continent was in an uproar!
How many martial experts were there with the strength that was on par or beyond a fifth stage Vajra Realm? There were only ten, which included the newly introduced Xia Tingwei. Taking out, the ranked no.1 Shui Youlan, the old monk from the Great Zen Monastery, Zhuge Qingyun, and Grandma Silver Flower, there were only six left… The old ancestor from Azure Dragon Empire, Xiao Longw.a.n.g of the Northern Mang Kingdom, Sha Di of the Northern Liang Kingdom, Princ.i.p.al Yu of the Azure Dragon Empire, Jiang Bieli, and Xia Tingwei.
Right now, Xia Tingwei’s survival was still unknown, and Jiang Bieli was severely injured, which meant that he wouldn’t recuperate in just a short amount of time. If Jiang Yi was to silently go to the Northern Liang Kingdom, then to Azure Dragon College, then to the Northern Mang Kingdom, and finally going to Stellarsky City—seeking out and eliminating all the Vajra Realm experts, would the whole continent have to change their clan names to Jiang?
Princ.i.p.al Yu panicked and immediately departed for Stellarsky City. The old kingdom marshal of the Saint Spirit Kingdom had also been summoned to the Stellarsky City. Ling Xue ordered for Xiao Longw.a.n.g and Sha Di to come over as well so that they could all have a discussion for their countermeasure.
Only one year had pa.s.sed since the three-year promise was made, Jiang Yi strength was already at such a level. If Jiang Yi continued to cultivate for another two more years, would he break through to the Heaven Monarch Realm? No one could predict it! If they didn’t have a good plan, then when the three-year deadline was up, everyone would be sitting ducks.
…
Swis.h.!.+
A ma.s.sive demonic beast was flying towards Mt. Spirit Beast and to the college which was located on the peak of Mt. Spirit Beast. Many mentors were alerted by the demonic beast’s aura presence, and when they rushed out to see it was the Yazi Beast and Jiang Yi, they were all instantly ecstatic and emotional.
Jiang Yi spent around four to five days to fly back. This amount of time was enough for the Monarch City’s incident to be made known to the entire Divine Martial Kingdom. Princ.i.p.al Qi and the others who were left in the Divine Soldier City had naturally received the news as well. They might still be on the way back, but they had already sent the message back to the college.
Now that Jiang Yi was back, the college was naturally boiled over. Jiang Yi had stormed into Monarch City single-handedly. Not only did he bring back Liu Yu’s head, but he even killed Eunuch Lin who was suspected to be the culprit.
This news was too inspiring, which gave a confidence boost to many mentors and cadets who were originally at a loss… while some had found their backbone. When Zhuge Qingyun pa.s.sed away, many of them were fearful and were afraid that one of the influential factions might just suddenly attack their college, s.n.a.t.c.hing their manuals on the taming of spirit beasts. When that happened, the entire college would probably flow into a river of blood.
Now that Jiang Yi had taken revenge for the college and used his martial prowess to set deterrence, whoever that dared to provoke Mt. Spirit Beast College would have to consider if Jiang Yi would go insane.
The Yazi Beast slowly landed on the plaza at the southern gate of Mt. Spirit Beast. Jiang Yi had a gloomy face while he jumped off and placed the Yazi Beast into the Universal Palace while letting out Su Ruoxue, Qian w.a.n.guan, and the others. He then looked at the vice princ.i.p.al that was overseeing the college and asked, “Where are the Princ.i.p.al’s remains? I want to go pay my respects.”
“He is at the Princ.i.p.al’s courtyard.”
Jiang Yi had given his instruction, and so this vice princ.i.p.al didn’t bury Zhuge Qingyun yet and simply placed him in a coffin while waiting for Jiang Yi to return. The weather was still considered cooling so the corpse didn’t rot.
Jiang Yi led everyone and walked into the inner courtyard in a grandiose manner. After entering Zhuge Qingyun’s courtyard, which was filled the white silk, black clothes, candles, and joss paper—Jiang Yi could see a large pitch-black coffin that was placed in the middle of the courtyard. There were a few elderly female mentors who were burning the joss paper money while tears were flowing down their faces.
Plop!
Jiang Yi knelt on both knees and took out Liu Yu’s head from the Fire Spirit Pearl before he kowtowed respectfully. Su Ruoxue, Zhan Wushuang, and the others knelt behind Jiang Yi and kowtowed in a respectful manner as well. Su Ruoxue’s eyes were red as Zhuge Qingyun had always been a revered senior who had taken great care of her. Otherwise, with all the hedonistic young masters in the college, she would have already met with trouble if she only had Princ.i.p.al Qi as her support.
“Princ.i.p.al, I have brought back Liu Yu’s head. You can rest in peace now.”
Jiang Yi kowtowed nine times while his eyes were filled with deep sorrow. His lips twitched as he spoke in a voice that only he could hear. “Princ.i.p.al, the mastermind shouldn’t be Xia Tingwei and Eunuch Lin. But… don’t you worry. I will investigate this matter and serve the justice that you deserve.”
…
Several days later, Princ.i.p.al Qi and the others returned. Everyone bade farewell to Zhuge Qingyun and buried him in the Martyr Pavilion of the inner courtyard, which was where all the previous princ.i.p.als were buried.
After settling the matters of Zhuge Qingyun, Princ.i.p.al Qi gathered all the other vice princ.i.p.als to look for Jiang Yi, requesting for him to take over the role as the princ.i.p.al. Mt. Spirit Beast College didn’t have any Vajra Realm martial expert, but they had the invaluable secret art of taming spirit beasts. Moreover, only the princ.i.p.al of Mt. Spirit Beast College could create the spirit beast talismans.
Mt. Spirit Beast College also possessed that those precious divine monuments. All these were all valuable a.s.sets. With all the unrest on the continent, Mt. Spirit Beast College would definitely suffer destruction without a formidable princ.i.p.al.
Although all the vice princ.i.p.als desired this role as the princ.i.p.al, none of them thought that they were qualified for it. After a lot of discussions, they decided for Jiang Yi to take over.
“No way!”
Jiang Yi didn’t even consider it and immediately rejected. “I have already rejected the Princ.i.p.al back when he offered me the position of a Vice Princ.i.p.al. I am too young, and no one will be convinced. How would the cadets think? Some of those cadets are even older than me, right?”
“Convinced?”
Princ.i.p.al Qi revealed a bitter smile and said, “Jiang Yi, don’t you know of the prestige you have right now? Let alone the cadets—even the mentors and us old fools would raise both hands in approval. Who can be the princ.i.p.al apart from you? Who has the ability and the strength to suppress others with martial prowess?”
“Sigh…”
Jiang Yi let out a light sigh and said, “Actually, that is just my secondary reason. I don’t want to keep everyone in the dark. I have too many enemies, and when the three-year deadline is up, I cannot even guarantee that I will survive. If you let me take on the role of the Princ.i.p.al, it will just be detrimental for the college.”
There were the Azure Dragon Empire, Divine Martial Kingdom, Saint Spirit Kingdom, Northern Mang Kingdom, Northern Liang Kingdom, Azure Dragon College, Centaurea College, and the even more powerful Martial Arts Hall!
Jiang Yi was already finding it hard to breathe under their oppression. The Black Wasps incident, the murder of Zhuge Qingyun, and that mastermind who was suffocating him. He didn’t even know how much longer could he sustain; how would he dare to burden the college?
With more people relying on him, his responsibilities would be greater; and the pressure would be much more immense. Perhaps, there would be one day that he would just be crushed by the pressure before the enemy even had to make the move to kill him.
“Ke-Ke!”
Princ.i.p.al Qi let out a mournful laugh and spoke with a painful expression, “Jiang Yi. If you take on the Princ.i.p.al’s position, the college will survive as long as you don’t die. If you don’t take this role as the Princ.i.p.al, I guarantee that—in less than half a year—this college would be destroyed… unless you stay in the college forever. It’s either you take the role or we disband the college, and everyone will go on their separate paths. However, I think if the late Princ.i.p.al got to know this in the netherworld, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.”
“That’s right! Jiang Yi, if you don’t take the role as the Princ.i.p.al, I am not going to be a Vice Princ.i.p.al anymore. We are just going to wait for death in this place.”
“Yea!”
“Princ.i.p.al Zhuge… we have all sinned. Mt. Spirit Beast College, which has been established for ten thousand years, is probably going to be destroyed in our hands…”
“…”
The rest of the vice princ.i.p.als added on their comments one after another. Jiang Yi’s heart sank when he recalled about Zhuge Qingyun’s wrinkled face. He gritted his teeth and stood up before speaking loudly, “Alright then. I will be the Princ.i.p.al. As long as I—Jiang Yi—am alive, no one shall take a step into the college!”