“Marry me?” Ding Hao laughed out loud, “Do you still think you’re a swan? Seriously, what is wrong with your brain? Do you think I’m here today to discuss marriage with you? I’ll tell you clearly. You made demonic pills to harm a genius, committing a serious crime. The city lord sent me here with his men to capture you! Why are you still not surrendering?”
The officer waved his hand, “Seize them!”
The soldiers marched in and captured both of them. They held them in chains.
With the situation the way it is, Zheng Peipei finally realized that she had no right to act above her station in front of Ding Hao. The problem right now was not just a matter of their marriage contract. It had to do with the Zheng Family harming a genius!
With that thought, she shouted, “Ding Hao, don’t forget we are still betrothed!”
Ding Hao stood proudly and faced the onlookers before shouting, “Everyone present please be my witness. Zheng Peipei violated her duty as my fiance and even plotted to harm me. Right now, I announce that our betrothal is annulled!”
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding people suddenly shouted, “Master Ding, my daughter is sixteen this year!”
“Genius Ding, my conditions are quite good!”
“I feel like I’m quite good in both looks and potential…”
Ding Hao did not expect such a passionate response, and he was so shocked. He ushered the officer to hurry up with the arrest before heading back to the governor’s office.
Once they were back, Ding Junjie was executed.
Zheng Qiang and his daughter should have been sentenced to death as well, but the world of Jiuzhou tended to be merciful toward those with powerful ancestors. The Zheng family had an ancestor that was in the Foundation Establishment stage within the Celestial Cultivation Realm, so they were not executed.
They were instead sentenced to have their cultivation stripped away and their family name removed. The Zheng pair would turn into homeless folks without any power.
That was the end of the case.
The only loose end was keeping Ding Juncai alive. Not eliminating the problem entirely might come back to bite him one day! Ding Hao was not someone who would hesitate to finish the job for the sake of mercy. No matter what he did, he would do it to completion. Returning grudges with kindness was not something he would ever advocate! In his old world, the Monyets killed so many prisoners, even though Wo Country had surrendered. But Wo Country treated them with reverence. Xiahua treated prisoners with kindness but were instead ridiculed for it.
Returning grudges with kindness would only invite provocation and contempt. In other words, if you did not show that you cared, why would other people bother?
Ding Hao was in a foreign world, so he believed that even more!
After the matter was settled, Ling Yunxiao personally handled Ding Hao’s registration.
The registration noted down one’s name and age, their conditions, and when they awakened.
After the registration process, a card would be issued by Wuzhou City. That card would allow him to traverse the entire world of Jiuzhou! People who did not awaken did not have the chance to leave Wuzhou City!
Other than that, the City Lord’s Residence would issue a weapon for self-protection and a cultivation technique manual.
However, Ding Hao did not retrieve his weapon or manual, because Min Qingqiu was about to leave with her father.
In the public square, the Dancing Goddess’s jade status towered over everything. It was a brilliant green color and was as tall as a mountain. The people at her feet looked like ants.
In the public square, a shuttle suddenly appeared from the sky, floating in the air.
The flying machine was actually just a large green jade pellet. It had a flat surface, a few square meters wide, and used the power of Heaven’s Will to fly. The speed that it flew was incredible, and it only needed an hour to reach Jiuzhou Academy from Wuzhou City.
However, this object drained a lot of power, so not many of them existed. In this world, only the city lord of Jiuzhou’s capital and Jiuzhou’s academy had the ability to construct it. Normal people would not have the right to even sit on them, only the very best of Jiuzhou Academy could use it!
Min Zhengyuan stood below the Heaven’s Will shuttle speaking to Ling Yunxiao. “Even though I did not find the location of that demonic practitioner this time, I can’t rule out that he might still be hiding near Wuzhou. If you have any findings, do not do anything risky, just let me know immediately.”
Ling Yunxiao smiled and said, “Don’t worry. If he dares to step within Heaven’s Will, he will not be able to get back out.”
“Demonic practitioners are evil beyond compare. Yunxiao, you absolutely cannot be careless.”
Min Zhengyuan said that then turned to Ding Hao. “Ding Hao, even though you’ve obtained a superior level one celestial gene, as well as a celestial blessing, I still need to give you some advice.”
Ding Hao nodded.
Min Zhengyuan said, “Growth-type celestial genes are different from other celestial genes, in that its most important aspect is growth. Because of that, it could very well awaken multiple times! Therefore, you cannot afford to rest on your laurels, and you need to always maintain your body, meridians, and mental prowess! You need to keep them at their peak levels. Remember, if one single awakening drops in levels, you can never raise it back up!”
Ding Hao had a heavy expression, he did not expect that growth-type celestial genes would be so difficult.
However, Min Zhenyuan continued, “Don’t dwell too much on it. There are pros and cons to this. Growth-type celestial genes might be hard to nurture, but every single awakening will greatly increase the power of you and the celestial gene! As long as you can maintain your status as a superior celestial level one, any cultivator at the same rank as you could never hope to defeat you!”
Ling Yunxiao nodded, “Your payoff will depend on how much effort you put in. Ding Hao, you were unlucky, but it is also a chance for you!”
DIng Hao nodded, “Dean Min you can relax, I will definitely work hard to maintain everything at their highest levels!”
“Your yuandan as well!” Min Zhengyuan reminded him. “Refining your yuandan is key! The earlier you manage to refine your yuandan into a Qi ocean, the better! I would recommend that you hold off training your martial skills and focus on cultivating celestial gene skills!”
Celestial gene skills meant mental arts. It was used to refine the yuandan and could also boost some combat prowess. On the other hand, martial skills were completely focused on combat prowess!
Min Zhengyuan’s suggestions were solid. After all, the earlier he manages to refine his yuandan and enter a different realm, the better it would be for his growth-type celestial gene.
After that, Min Qingqiu took out a jade talisman and said, “Brother Ding Hao, I do not have much to give you, but this is an Innate-Stage Jade Measuring Talisman. I’ll give it to you so you can keep track of the state of your cultivation. With your conditions, you will definitely enter Jiuzhou Academy. At that time you definitely need to come and find me! Oh, even though you’re making money helping people meditate, don’t forget that cultivating is the most important thing! You absolutely must not focus on the wrong thing!”
When Ding Hao heard Min Qingqiu’s sincere thoughts, he nodded and said, “Sister Qingqiu, you can relax! I will definitely go to Jiuzhou Academy! I will also definitely step onto the Celestial Cultivation Realm! A person lives to learn more things, walk further paths, and go through more experiences, so that he can die in peace!”
Ding Hao’s views were something rare in this world, and Min Qingqiu was moved when she heard it, “Right! We live to learn more things, walk further paths, and go through more experiences, so that we can die in peace! Ding Hao what you said is exactly right, good luck!”
After that, she followed Min Zhengyuan up the Heaven’s Will shuttle.
As the shuttle slowly rose up, Min Zhengyuan wore a smile on his face, as his long beard drifted with the wind. He faced Ling Yunxiao and all the other onlookers and saluted them in thanks.
The wind danced and flowed around Min Qingqiu’s dress, causing her to look like a green butterfly was about to board the shuttle. Her dark, long hair flowed in the wind—it looked alive. Her eyes had a faint look of amusement as she waved her hands and said, “Brother Ding, remember what you said. We’ll meet in Jiuzhou Academy!”
The shuttle flew further and further upward. Gazing at her retreating figure, Ding Hao said to himself.
‘Farewell, Min Qingqiu.
‘I will step on the Heaven’s Will shuttle as well!
‘Farewell, Min Qingqiu.
‘I will not remain at a small place like Wuzhou for long!
‘Farewell, Min Qingqiu.
‘We will definitely meet at Jiuzhou Academy!
‘Farewell, Min Qingqiu.
‘In half a year, you will be in for a surprise!’
On top of the Heaven’s Will shuttle, Min Zhengyuan was gazing into the distance.
Min Qingqiu said softly, “Father, Ding Hao should have gotten the right to enter Jiuzhou Academy without needing to pass a test. Why did you not bring him with us? Entering Jiuzhou Academy early would be good for his growth!”
Min Zhenyuan knew this as well, he lamented, “Alas, he is young and he definitely had a lot of potential, but his heart is too vengeful and hateful. The world of Jiuzhou is a righteous one, and we preach kindness. However, Ding Hao would actually use his one chance at asking Heaven’s Will on revenge. He is way too fixated on it.”
Min Qingqiu said, “But Ding Laosi’s family really is deplorable. They’re despicable! Death was too little for them!”
“Ding Laosi’s family really did deserve to die,” Min Zhengyuan said. “But what I’m worried about is that he is too determined, cold-hearted and fixated on revenge. I’m afraid that when he steps into Jiuzhou Academy, with its fierce competition, he might one day face someone he cannot beat. If that happens, he might end up following the path of those failed practitioners, walking on a path with no return and turning into a demonic practitioner. The reason I did not bring him with us was so that he can hopefully experience some things in Wuzhou!”
Min Qingqiu finally understood her father’s intentions and said, “I hope Brother Ding can quickly mature.”
After the shuttle left, the people in the public square began to disperse. Ling Yunxiao asked an officer to lead Ding Hao to his goods and went back to the City Lord’s Residence work.
Weapon’s storage, City Lord’s Residence.
As the officer brought Ding Hao in, they saw that Ding Juncai was there to retrieve his weapons as well.
Ding Juncai was here with the prince. He was extremely grateful that the prince saved his life.
Ding Juncai hated Ding Hao deeply, so he pretended to not see him, and Ding Hao also ignored them.
However, the prince smiled and said, “Genius Ding Hao, growth-type celestial gene Blaze Beast, this beast is not easy to train.”
What a two-faced person. Ding Hao also replied with a hidden meaning, “Thanks for the concern, prince. I will definitely work extra hard, so as to not disappoint you.”
The prince laughed loudly, “Ding Hao your words are so interesting. A flaming sparrow. I really want to see if it will grow into a flaming crow or a flaming phoenix!”
Ding Hao heard the jealousy in his words and said, “You are looking, I’m also looking!”
The prince asked, “What are you looking at?”
Ding Hao said, “Fortune changes all the time. Even a crow can fly and become a phoenix. Even a phoenix, if it’s not careful, can fall and turn into a featherless chicken. I’m waiting to look at a featherless chicken.”
He implied that the prince might turn into a featherless chicken one day.
“Well, I guess we’ll all have to wait and see.” The prince had a cold look and stopped talking.
At that time, the officer in charge of the weapon’s storage said, “Congratulations to the two geniuses. According to the city lord’s regulations, newly awakened practitioners will be awarded a willow-leaf saber and a storage pouch.”
The prince asked, “Everyone gets a willow-leaf saber? Even geniuses? It’s not like this in Tangzhou.”
The officer said, “Prince, it is like this in Wuzhou. Every awakened practitioner gets a willow-leaf saber. Only after the annual test will geniuses that manage to enter Jiuzhou Academy be given the right to pick their own weapon.”