Volume 1, Chapter 34: Gathering Storms

At this moment, Mu Yi and Xiao Ziyue had already arrived before Shen Yushu.

"Mu Yi, these three hundred or so people represent almost all the core disciples of the Shenyin Academy. Once you enter the Dragon Gate Battlefield, do your best to bring them back safely."

Shen Yushu gazed at Mu Yi with her beautiful eyes, saying nothing more than this brief instruction.

"Rest assured, Dean."

Mu Yi nodded. He and Shen Yushu were now in the same boat; their fortunes were inextricably linked. The honor, disgrace, rise, and fall of the academy were now tied to his own.

"Very well, Elder Nie, let us depart."

Shen Yushu looked toward Nie Xun, who stood beside her, and gave a slight nod. The elder leading the team was Nie Xun, a Heaven-ranked elder and a member of her own faction. This was a deliberate choice on her part.

"Dean, we are setting off."

On the plaza sat a giant vessel over a hundred meters long. This was a low-grade Daoist artifact known as the Five-Colored Heaven Ship, a grand vessel deployed only when the Shenyin Academy undertook major operations. With a wave of Nie Xun's hand, the three hundred core disciples quickly boarded the ship. The vessel surged to life, shot into the clouds, and vanished from sight.

"Master, this Dragon Gate Tournament will likely be the bloodiest and most brutal one in many years," Xiao Ziyue remarked, watching the Five-Colored Heaven Ship disappear into the clouds as she turned to Shen Yushu.

"Some things must be experienced. The path of cultivation has always been this cruel," Shen Yushu sighed softly, her gaze fixed on the endless white clouds in the sky.

The Dragon Gate Battlefield was located in the northwest of the Great Qian Dynasty, a site that had belonged to two major sects tens of thousands of years ago: the Four Seasons Sword Sect and the Eight Desolations Gate. Legend had it that the strength of either of these sects far surpassed that of the current premier institution, the Great Qian Academy. This was why the Dragon Gate Battlefield was held here every year. Although both sects had been destroyed millennia ago, it was rumored that many treasures remained undiscovered within the ruins. For the disciples of the various sects who entered, the tournament was as much a search for opportunity as it was a contest of strength. This was Mu Yi’s understanding of the battlefield.

*Entering the Dragon Gate Battlefield this time, I must not only lead the Shenyin Academy to first place, but also seize this opportunity to significantly increase my own strength,* Mu Yi thought, standing at the bow of the ship and watching the vast sea of clouds rushing beneath his feet. His resolve hardened.

Two days later, the Shenyin Academy’s Five-Colored Heaven Ship finally landed on a desolate expanse of land.

"So many people."

As Elder Nie Xun led the group off the ship, Mu Yi saw that tens of thousands had already gathered on the barren plains. The disciples of all the major sects had clearly arrived.

There were three prominent positions occupied by hundreds of people each; these were the strongest groups.

"Mu Yi, to the west are the disciples of the Chunqiu Academy. To the north is the Great Qian Academy, and to the south is the Yaochi Academy. To the east is where our Shenyin Academy disciples are stationed," Nie Xun explained.

For the Dragon Gate Tournament, the assembly points for the four major academies, various sects, and clans were strictly regulated before the start of the event. Without rules, there is no order. Nie Xun led the group to the eastern assembly point. Aside from the first-ranked Great Qian Academy, the other three academies had already arrived.

Mu Yi swept his gaze over the disciples of the other two academies. The Chunqiu Academy had over five hundred participants, while the all-female Yaochi Academy had over four hundred. In contrast, the Shenyin Academy’s core disciples numbered just over three hundred. This was a clear reflection of why the Shenyin Academy had ranked at the bottom of the four academies for centuries—they were inferior in both the quantity and quality of their disciples.

*The Chunqiu Academy has as many as twenty disciples at the peak of the tenth level of the God Transformation Realm,* Mu Yi noted. *The Yaochi Academy has sixteen at that same level.*

Mu Yi also realized something that troubled him: the strength of the leading figures in the other academies. The Shenyin Academy only had four people at the peak of the tenth level of the God Transformation Realm—the four inner-court prodigies: Qi Chao, Li Wan, Gu Yunfei, and Mo Feng. Beyond them, there was no one else at that level.

"Mu Yi, do you see the gap?" Nie Xun came to his side and sighed. "The Great Qian Academy has yet to arrive. Once they appear, the overall strength of their disciples will be truly despairing. Especially this time—the four kings, the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, and Crane, who were never supposed to participate, will all be there. For any other faction, this is a devastating blow!"

Though Nie hoped for a good result, he held no real expectations, feeling a sense of indescribable hopelessness.

"Look, the Great Qian Academy disciples have arrived!"

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd. A cloud ship tore through the sky and descended. Standing on the bow were over eight hundred disciples at the God Transformation Realm, their hands behind their backs. They stood high above, appearing like envoys from the heavens surveying the mountains and rivers.

"Over eight hundred core disciples," Mu Yi’s eyes narrowed. "And more than sixty are at the peak of the tenth level of the God Transformation Realm. It seems that the green-robed man who showed off in the plaza wasn't lying when he said he was only ranked in the thirties on the Mountain and River Rankings—a mid-tier existence."

As the ship landed and the Great Qian Academy disciples disembarked, Mu Yi felt four piercing gazes lock onto him. He scanned the crowd and identified four individuals among the eight hundred who possessed exceptionally strong auras. They remained hidden in the crowd, appearing ordinary to anyone but a true expert.

*These four already possess the aura of the Yuan Mansion Realm,* Mu Yi thought, his eyes narrowing.

He knew exactly who they were: the final trump card deployed by the Great Qian Academy to kill him—the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, and Crane kings. Although their cultivation was still at the peak of the tenth level of the God Transformation Realm, the energy within them was infinitely close to the Yuan Mansion Realm, as if they could step into it at any moment. The four shifted their gazes, returning to a state of calm meditation, as if nothing else mattered. They had one purpose: to execute Mu Yi.

"Mu Yi, do you see them? Those four are the trump cards sent by the Great Qian Academy to kill you," Nie Xun said, his voice low. "Well? Do you have the strength to deal with them?"

"They could step into the Yuan Mansion Realm at any moment," Mu Yi replied immediately. "As long as they haven't crossed that threshold, they are no match for me. But once we enter the Dragon Gate Battlefield, if they break through, they will be a significant threat. The outcome would be unpredictable."

Mu Yi was confident against any opponent at the God Transformation Realm, even at the peak of the tenth level. However, a confrontation with a Yuan Mansion Realm practitioner, even at the first level, would be extremely棘手, especially since he had never fought one before.

"Mu Yi, the Dragon Gate Battlefield is the site of the ruins of the Four Seasons Sword Sect and the Eight Desolations Gate. There are many opportunities inside. Once you enter, do not engage the four kings head-on; find a way to improve your cultivation first," Nie Xun advised, deeply worried.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Mu Yi said, his eyes filled with infinite confidence.

The Great Qian Academy believed that sending these four kings would be enough to kill him in the battlefield, which was laughable. He would soon prove how foolish their actions truly were.

"Hahaha, Nie Xun, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. It really is a small world, isn't it?"

Just then, a black-robed elder from the Great Qian Academy stepped forward. It was Sima Xiangru, the same man who had accompanied Ling Tiandu to the Shenyin Academy to show off their power.

"What do you want?" Nie Xun asked coldly, clearly unwilling to engage.

"Nothing in particular, just here to give you a reminder," Sima Xiangru smiled slightly. "Our Dean has given the word: this time in the Dragon Gate Battlefield, the disciples of the Shenyin Academy will bleed like a river. Because of one Mu Yi, your academy will pay a price far greater than in any previous tournament. Take care of yourselves."

With that, Sima Xiangru turned and left, but his words had clearly reached the Shenyin Academy’s camp. In an instant, the faces of the three hundred disciples turned pale.