"You, you are Huang Xiaolong?!" Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu stared at Huang Xiaolong with exaggeratedly widened eyes. It had only been fifteen days inside the stone chamber, yet Huang Xiaolong actually grew a head taller! His skin, his temperament, and his aura had changed drastically.
If they were in a different place, without careful observation, they truly would not be able to recognize Huang Xiaolong.
In fact, when Chen Cheng and the other two students came out from their stone chambers, they really did not recognize Huang Xiaolong.
Looking at Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu's reaction, Huang Xiaolong felt helpless about it and could only nod his head in affirmation.
"Xiaolong, ar-, are you alright?" Sun Zhang came up beside him and asked, full of concern. Such drastic changes in fifteen days, hopefully, there isn't anything wrong. Nowadays, Huang Xiaolong was considered to be the Academy and the Luo Tong Kingdom's darling.
"Me? What could happen to me?" Huang Xiaolong smiled helplessly; at the moment, his body was at its best condition. He could probably even kill a Grade Seven demonic beast with a single punch.
"Then all is good." Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu secretly breathed out in relief.
With the cultivation time ended, the two of them brought Huang Xiaolong and the other three students out of Dragon Flame Valley; Lu Kai and the rest had left ten days earlier.
Coming out of the Dragon Flame Valley, the group of six soon arrived at the Academy's square.
Chen Cheng, Huang Xiaolong, and the other two bid farewell to Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu, but when Huang Xiaolong turned around wanting to leave, Sun Zhang called out, "Xiaolong, stay for a moment, I have something to say to you.''
Huang Xiaolong paused for a second and turned back, and he looked at Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu both.
A look was exchanged between Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu; subsequently, Sun Zhang took out a small bottle and stated, "This is a high Grade Five Spirit Dan, take it!"
"Five, high Grade Five Spirit Dan!" Huang Xiaolong was taken aback, then his eyes lit up.
The Academy overall champion, Chen Cheng was rewarded with one high Grade Five Spirit Dan; even to the Academy, Grade Five Spirit Dans are hard to come by.
But, Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu actually gave him one?!
Xiong Chu chuckled, saying "That's right, this is a top Grade Five Spirit Dan. Consider it as our personal gift to you. Xiaolong, practice hard. Both of us hope you can advance to the Seventh Order soon."
Huang Xiaolong took the bottle, feeling delighted in his heart. A high Grade Five Spirit Dan ah! With this, his mother's strength can enhance another level!
As for himself, he doesn't need it.
On Huang Xiaolong's face was an expression of gratefulness to Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu, and he said, "Don't worry, I will practice hard and seize the time to break through to the Seventh Order as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu's face bloomed.
Sun Zhang smilingly said, "With that high Grade Four Spirit Dan you have along with this one, and your talent, we believe within half a year's time you can advance to the peak late-Sixth Order; and in one year, you definitely can break through to the Seventh Order!"
If these two people knew Huang Xiaolong wanted to gift the First Year champion's reward – the high Grade Four Spirit Dan, and this high Grade Five Spirit Dan to his parents, what would they think?
Of course, even without these two pills, Huang Xiaolong estimated that he would break through within half a year's time.
A short moment later, Huang Xiaolong left the Academy, returning to the Tianxuan Mansion.
When he reached Tianxuan Mansion's entrance, Fei Hou, Marshal Haotian, and a middle-aged man were waiting at the Tianxuan Mansion main door. This unknown middle-aged man has sharp-edged eyebrows and deep unfathomable eyes, and faint streaks of gray hair on his temple. He stood there like a sword ready to fly out from its sheath anytime, able to flip the earth over. Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou who stood a step behind him, nearly faded into the background.
Seeing this middle-aged man, Huang Xiaolong could already guess his identity.
Asura's Gate Elder, Yu Ming!
When Huang Xiaolong appeared, the middle-aged man looked over, his eyes sharp like a knife, giving an invisible oppressive aura, making it difficult to breathe with the pressure he exuded.
"Sovereign!" Joy was obvious on Fei Hou's and Marshal Haotian's faces when they saw Huang Xiaolong, they hurried to introduce Huang Xiaolong to the middle-aged man: "Master, that is the Sovereign; Sovereign is back!"
Yu Ming's gaze inevitably fell on Huang Xiaolong's left ring finger where the Asura Ring was. Suddenly, he trembled excitedly, and all his tyrannical aura disappeared in an instant as he strode towards Huang Xiaolong and bowed down in salute, "Asura's Gate Elder Yu Ming greet the Sovereign. Sovereign invincible throughout!"
Seeing their Master like this, Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou quickly followed suit.
"Quick, please stand." Huang Xiaolong stepped up and helped the three of them up.
After the three stood up, Huang Xiaolong spoke: "Let's go in and talk."
Minutes later, the four came to the main hall, and Huang Xiaolong waved away the Marshal Mansion guards and Boli's group of slaves.
"I heard from Marshal Haotian and Fei Hou, you went to the Mohe Kingdom to do something?" After everyone took a seat, Huang Xiaolong asked Yu Ming.
"It is so, Sovereign." Yu Ming quickly stood up and answered respectfully, 'Three years ago, this Subordinate was searching for Life and Death Grass for alchemy and I heard that the Mohe Kingdom has them, so Subordinate had rushed over there."
Huang Xiaolong nodded, thought for a moment and said, "Actually, the main purpose I asked Haotian and Fei Hou to contact you was to inquire about the Asura's Gate current situation and the headquarters' location."
"Asura's Gate headquarters location?" Yu Ming spoke in a somber voice, "In fact, the Asura's Gate headquarters is not on the Snow Wind Continent."
"What? Not on Snow Wind Continent?!" Huang Xiaolong was greatly surprised; he turned to look at Fei Hou and Haotian and found that both of them had the same surprise look on their faces. Apparently, both of them never thought of the possibility that the Asura's Gate headquarters wasn't located on the same continent.
"That's right, Sovereign." Yu Ming continued to elaborate, "Our headquarters is built on the Star Cloud Continent."
"Star Cloud Continent!" Huang Xiaolong's eyes opened wide.
In this Martial Spirit World, wasn't there just Snow Wind Continent? Could there be many different continents? Martial Haotian and Fei Hou had never mentioned this to him before.
"In this Martial Spirit Word, there are other continents other than the Snow Wind Continent?" Huang Xiaolong took the opportunity to clarify.
Yu Ming nodded his head, "Yes, Sovereign. In Martial Spirit World, there are three continents -Snow Wind Continent, Star Cloud Continent, and Shifang Continent. Star Cloud and Shifang Continent are many times larger than Snow Wind Continent. Our Asura's Gate headquarters is in the center of Star Cloud Continent, in a place called Zhongzhou, on the peak of the Heavenly Sky Phoenix Mountain!"
Star Cloud Continent, Zhongzhou, on the peak of the Heavenly Phoenix Mountain!
Huang Xiaolong repeated once to himself.
"Sovereign wants to go to the headquarters?" At this time, Yu Ming's brown scrunched together tightly and ventured: "If Sovereign plan to go to Asura's Gate headquarters, I'm afraid…"
"Afraid what?" Huang Xiaolong pursued.
"I'm afraid it would be risky." Yu Ming said, "Fifty years ago, Old Sovereign disappeared suddenly. Main Chief Chen Tianqi had always wanted to take control of the Asura's Gate and step into the Sovereign position. But, Zhao Shu, the Left Deputy, and Zhang Fu, the Right Deputy, and many Elders opposed the idea. So, the Asura's Gate is divided into two factions because of this."
"Main Chief Chen Tianqi?" Huang Xiaolong looked at Yu Ming, full of doubt.
"Below the Sovereign, there is the Main Chief, Left and Right Deputy; and after them, there are Section Chiefs and Elders." Yu Ming explained: "In truth, Main Chief Chen Tianqi is Sovereign's Senior Brother!"
"My Senior Brother!" Huang Xiaolong was astounded by this piece of information.
Yu Ming nodded and continued "Main Chief Chen Tianqi is the disciple that Old Sovereign received about two hundred years ago. These years, he had continued to search for news of the Old Sovereign. If Sovereign wants to go to the headquarters and is made known to Main Chief Chen Tianqi, he will surely attempt to assassinate you to snatch the Asura Ring so that he could take over the Sovereign's position with justification!"
Note:
Shi Fang – lit. ten side/directions. Thus, pinyin is used here.