Amid the dust storm.
“Fine. I will let you off for now.” Wutian’s body shifted in a flash, dodging an attack coming from above. He then kept the rock. Who knows, he might need it someday?
Han Tian felt so painful that he was almost crying. What did he mean by ‘letting him off for now’? Did he mean things had not ended yet? Look at what had happened to him; should Wutian not call off his vengeance for good?
At first, they were just doing it jokingly. But things got out of hand and it turned into a real fight.
Han Tian was no match for Wutian in terms of strength. The several bumps on his head spoke for themselves.
“So much for a direct disciple.” The girl in yellow bent over with laughter. She laughed so hard that even tears were about to burst out of her eyes.
The dust storm slowly dissipated. The two emerged. Han Tian glared at the girl in yellow, rubbing the bumps on his head and snarled.
The girl in red came up and cupped her hands. “May I see your token, please?” she said to them.
“What token? Does a person as handsome as I am look like a fraudster or something?” Han Tian’s expression could not have been worse.
“Handsome?”
The girl in red was struck dumb. Looking at the bumps on his head, this guy looked more like a toad. She tried not to laugh. But her flushed face said it all.
“What are you laughing at? Be careful to grow freckles on her face! And you! That’s right. I am talking to you, bimbo wearing that yellow robe! Without that body, face or boobs, yet you still have the nerve to criticize others. Shut your mouth!” Han Tian barked like a mad dog.
Zhang Ting was struck dumb, overcome by rage. She went mad and started to act threateningly. A few genius teens standing by quickly went up to defuse the tension.
The six nucleus disciples did not know the Wutian and Han Tian, but they still felt ashamed of them and looked away, trying to keep a distance from the two. Never mind that they really did not know each other.
How could a person with no class like him become a direct disciple? What was the clan master thinking?
“Hey, don’t you want to see my emblem? Here you go. Why are you looking away? Is it because you are ashamed of yourself when seeing how handsome I am?” Han Tian tossed the purple emblem over.
The girl in red did not know whether to cry or smile. She had seen many shameless people, but none of them were nearly as shameless as this one. Probably he did not even know what shame was.
She caught the emblem in her hand and looked at it, her heart skipping a beat and her expression solemn. “Please keep your emblem. I’m sorry if I say anything that offends you.” She sounded respectful.
“He is really a direct disciple?”
The expressions of the five nucleus disciples behind her changed abruptly. So too their attitudes. They looked respectful despite not too happy deep inside. They knew they could not go against the direct disciples because that was the rule of the clan.
“You are?” asked the girl in red as she looked at Wutian.
When Wutian took out his emblem, the girl in red was struck dumb. A white emblem? White emblem meant that he was a registered disciple. She took the emblem in her hand and flipped it around. Her expression changed again, and she scanned Wutian up and down in disbelief.
At last, she did not say anything but returned the emblem to Wutian and apologized to him.
“Your Honorable Yan Yangzi, what should we do next?” asked the girl in red respectfully.
“You do what you are supposed to do. You don’t have to ask me,” said Wutian.
“Yes, Your Honorable!” The girl in red cupped her hands and returned to the platform. “Come over and fall into formations,” she told the others.
Those candidates who had just passed the first round of tests started to gather down the platform. They glanced at Wutain from time to time, thinking he must be someone very important for those nucleus disciples to bow before him. Yet he looked so refined, cultured and delicate like a nerd.
“Is he really a direct disciple, Sister Han Ning?” A young man asked quietly.
“Don’t ask!” Han Ning, the girl in red, shot him a glare and he shut up and stepped aside.
Han Ning’s swept her eyes over the one hundred people down the platform. “I guess you all have recovered from your injuries after so long of resting. The second round of tests is about to begin. Starting from here, run toward the clan headquarters; the first 50 people who finish the journey will become the Yan disciples. But remember: no matter what danger you face during the journey, we are not going to intervene. You all are on your own. Those who want to quit you may step out now.”
“We will never quit”
The hundred teens roared in unison. They came from faraway places and had not quit even though they had faced danger on the way. They all had made it, and there was no reason to quit when they just needed to finish the last mile.
The distance from Ironstone to Lake Jade was about 150 miles. Their cultivation base was at the Beta stage, while a few had attained the Gamma stage. If they moved at full speed, it would probably only take less than an hour to get there.
“Great!” The girl in red patted the Mustard Pouch, which then glowed, and a parchment appeared on the ground. “This is the map with the route and the terrains drawn on it. Each of you takes one. You decide how you are going to complete the journey. Let’s move. We will wait for you all at the base.”
Each of the candidates took one parchment. But they did not depart immediately. Small groups of two or three of them were discussing among themselves.
The journey might only be 150 miles, but many demonic beasts were roaming around. Going about the journey alone risked life and limb. They figured they had better stick together in groups. But there were no lack of gutsy ones, who had a relatively more solid cultivation base and did not want to delay even a second. So these people were going it alone.
The most eye-catching group was the Rookies Alliance, which had at least 30 people gather in discussion.
The leading figure was a red-haired young man. He had angular, sharp facial features, a pair of black and clear eyes with a bright sunshine smile on his face. He looked pretty approachable.
Wutian had met this young man before. His name was Xu Yan.
As if he had noticed someone looking at him, Xu Yan looked over, nodding his head with a friendly smile. He then continued with his discussion with others.
The transformation of Wutian was a success. Except for Han Tian and other people close to him, no one could recognize him. Not even those meeting him before.
At last, the Rookies Alliance departed. 30 people embarked on their journey as a group. After the others had also left, quietness returned to the town gate.
The girl in red whistled, and eleven Flamingos arrived from above. Their spread wings were over 30-foot-wide, casting massive shadows on the land down below. They were featherless, body covered in scales, which were fire-red like the lava.
They were fast arriving in just a matter of moments. As they descended and landed on the plains, the turbulent air rolled up the dust and withered leaves into the air.
The girl in red looked at the 51 genius teens. “You all are lucky to become the disciples. I hope you all will work hard in your cultivation and take part in the clan’s development. All right. Get yourself up there and report to the clan.”
They dispersed and excitedly ran toward the flamingos. These birds were very common to the sects; they were just a means of transportation. But they were also very expensive. A typical clan usually could not afford one. That was why these kids were so excited.
“Honorable Yan Yangzi, please.” The girl in red came up and ushered Wutian up a flamingo.
“Maybe you should just call me brother,” said Wutian.
He and Han Tian took the lead and jumped onto the back of the flamingo.
A faint smile appeared on her face. It seemed that Yan Yangzi was not as unapproachable as she had thought. At least he was a lot friendlier than the other two geniuses.
“Let us get out of here!” She instructed, and the others jumped onboard and stood behind Wutian and Han Tian.
“Voorwaards!” As the girl in red hollered softly, the eleven flamingos took off and disappeared from above Ironstone.
Chilly air was blasting in their faces, yet those genius teens did not feel cold at all. Instead, there felt warm air blowing up at them. They were amazed, reaching to touch the fire-red scales and could not take their hands off the things.
“I would like to get a flamingo as a pet next time. It warms you and makes you look so cool.” A teen’s eyes filled with anticipation.
“Grow up, man! This is just a freaking flamingo, transport. If you have to, get a Thunderbolt Eagle, or some other beasts with eyes that shoot fire or something. They could be used as transport while having badass combat capability.” Another teen dressed in green rolled his eyes.
“Why don’t you show us how to catch a Thunderbolt Eagle or the flaming-eyed beast, big man?” The first teenager shot back.
“I was just saying. Don’t get so serious, all right?” The teenager in green let out a dry laugh.
Wutian sat in front, his energy effusing around him, blocking the warm air so he could enjoy the chilly wind.
After the battle of Mount Scorpius, he had his revenge. But there was a knot in his heart he still could not untie.
Judging by how the Fire Cloud Clan handed out the wanted list, the top echelon of the Fire Cloud Clan must have known the ruthless deeds of Huoshi. Instead of punishing Huoshi, they put a price on his head, and even framed him for some ridiculous crimes. This just showed the attitude of the top people in the Fire Cloud Clan.
He thought of Linshan and Longhu, wondering how the two were now. Had they practiced Spirit-Devouring Demonic Manual, too?
They had been very nice to him last time. Lingshan always sent him stuff so he and his grandpa did not have to worry about food. Longhu was his only playmate and friend when he was small. He was the only genuine person he had ever met other than Shishi, Little Tian and his grandpa. Wutian was worried about him.
But his cultivation base was still too low; he could not go to get them out.
My sincere hope that you two will be safe, and I promise I will get you two out of the hands of the devils. He prayed quietly and vowed in his mind.
Han Tian was quietly practicing to heal himself, while Wutian was deep in thought. The atmosphere was pretty depressed. The others had sweat popping up on their foreheads, but none of them dared to make a sound as they were afraid of disturbing these two very important figures.
The girl in red could not take her eyes off Wutian. She felt that this gentle and mysterious young man’s life must be filled with stories. She even sensed a hint of sadness in him.
At last, she could not hold her herself. “When did you become the great elder’s disciple, Brother Yan Yangzi? I have never seen you in the clan before.”
Wutian was jolted out of his thoughts. As he pulled back his energy, the hot air hit him in the face, driving away the chill in his body. He glanced back over his shoulder at the girl. “It has been ten over years. I had been spending all the time in closed-door cultivation. Naturally you couldn’t have seen me.”
“For over ten years in closed-door cultivation?”
The girl in red was startled. Those people sitting behind her looked at Wutian with a strange expression in their eyes, as if they were looking at some monster. Anyone who spent ten-something years in closed-door cultivation with no contact with the outside world could only be described as a monster.
“Your cultivation base must be very high, then!” said another girl.
“Passable!”
They were struck dumb. Passable? Seriously? Then where did nucleus disciples like them stand?
Han Tian finally opened his eyes. “Do you all know why we can become the direct disciples while you all are just nucleus disciples?”
“Enlighten us, if you don’t mind, Brother Han.”
Han Tian hemmed. “Because of our aptitudes, and years of closed-door cultivation, and hard work. What about you all? You all just care about having fun and girls and boys. You all are dawdling your days away. Did I say it wrongly? Knowing your less-than-ideal aptitudes but still not working hard to make up the shortfall, I will not be surprised when battle breaks out next time, you all will become cannon fodder.”
Their faces blushed at hearing what Han Tian said. It hurt to hear that, but what he said was true.
“We will keep that in mind, brother.”
“That’s more like it!” Han Tian nodded. “In fact, there is nothing wrong with staring at pretty girls and handsome boys. The thing is, you all have been staring at the wrong targets. For female disciples like you all, stare at a handsome guy like me is pleasing to the eyes and at the same time beneficial to your cultivation. It is sort of killing two birds with one stone. Don’t you all think so?”
The three female disciples looked at each other, wondering how could there be someone so narcissistic and totally unashamed? If not for he was a direct disciple of the clan master, they would have lunged up all at once and given him a good beating.
The flamingos were quick. They arrived at Lake Jade, where the Yan Clan was in no time.
Below them was a vast lake, the edge of which was invisible even at this height. By the looks of its size, it looked more like an ocean and a lake.