Chapter 296: Careless Forgetting to Learn to Fly

Aota's dedication to staying celibate in pursuit of Xue Zhiyu was well-known throughout the Ice Spirit Kingdom and was no secret among the elite circles of the Holy Sanctuary. He had once taken pride in it, bragging about it everywhere. But when someone else brought it up in a different place and time, the vibe instantly shifted.

Many around burst into laughter, giving him teasing looks. Unable to defeat this tough guy, they took pleasure in poking fun at him.

Aota's face flushed with embarrassment, and he was about to lose his temper when a powerful force swept from the front, capturing everyone's attention. Yakray had arrived.

"Form up!" a drill instructor from the Fortress of Blades roared.

"I don't have many demands of you—just be brave, fearless, and give it your all," Yakray said, glancing indifferently at Aota and Maxwell. "But if anyone dares to stab their comrades in the back, as long as I find out, whether they come out alive or not, no matter how great their achievements, I have only four words for them: 'grind their bones to dust.'"

The five hundred fell silent.

Yakray gestured slightly, and dozens of soldiers stepped forward, carrying trays with neatly arranged soul tokens, each about the size of a palm and engraved with numbers. These were distributed to the Holy Sanctuary disciples according to their rankings.

"The soul tokens represent your identity. Everyone has one, and they are your access pass to the Soul Illusion Realm," Yakray explained coldly. "The Nine Gods are the same. If you kill a disciple from the War Academy and retrieve their soul token, it will count as your military merit. The higher the rank, the greater the reward. So, slay your foes without mercy! Don't fool yourselves. When you think of peace, remember, your opponent is eyeing your token and your life!"

Old Wang took his token, checked it out, noting its unusual hardness. It was clearly no ordinary soul crystal. Engraved with the number '500,' his ranking, it also featured detailed edge engravings, unique to each person to prevent tampering or forgery.

"Move out!"

…………

After expanding overnight, the Soul Illusion Realm above had fully stabilized. The massive cloud floated overhead, not only enveloping Dragon City but also covering the Fortress of Blades.

With no sunlight in sight, the sky looked gloomy, adding a touch of coolness to the otherwise scorching desert.

The streets near the entrance had long been cleared and secured. As the group arrived, the streets were deserted. Everyone was drawn to the mysterious vortex hovering above the guesthouse.

It was about ten meters square, a dark void dotted with starlight, slowly rotating. This was the entrance to the Soul Illusion Realm.

The Nine Gods' forces had just arrived as well. Leading them was a middle-aged man in golden armor and a red cape, appearing to be in his early forties, with a robust build and a vigorous stride. He had a commanding air. Spotting Yakray and the League of Blades' contingent, he gave a slight hand signal.

All the War Academy disciples immediately halted, stood in dead silence.

The man in the red cape smiled at Yakray. "It's been a while!"

Any Holy Sanctuary disciple who had done even a bit of research would recognize this man.

He wasn't as young as he looked. Yakray's contemporary, he was likely in his fifties or sixties. No one knew his name, but everyone knew his resounding title—the Eighth Divine General!

The Nine Gods Empire had twelve Divine Generals, a tradition spanning centuries. Each who earned this honor was a top expert with a stellar military record.

Stationed at the Fortress of Divine Blades, opposite the Fortress of Blades, he and Yakray had clashed countless times over the decades, with neither gaining the upper hand. They knew each other well.

Yakray also raised his hand slightly, and the noise from the Holy Sanctuary disciples gradually subsided. The two men met, and with mutual understanding, their hands clasped firmly for the first time.

"Life is full of surprises," Yakray said, a glint in his eye. "Who would have thought we'd be standing here, shaking hands in peace?"

"Everything has a first time," the Eighth Divine General replied with a smile. "But calling it peace might be premature. Perhaps when these youngsters emerge, it'll be time for us to clash."

"Ha ha ha!" Yakray laughed heartily. "If you were as straightforward in strategy as you are in speech, perhaps we'd have more common ground."

"Likewise!"

They locked eyes, a blend of respect and competition. Both laughed and calmly released their grip. "After you!"

They stepped back, and the disciples were already flanked by heralds, one holding a ledger and calling out names loudly.

"Ye Dun of the Celestial Sanctuary, Hua Liumu of the Celestial Sanctuary, Cao Zhuizi of the Celestial Sanctuary…" He called out ten names in succession, including some from the Sakuman Sanctuary.

Ye Dun led his group forward, taking a firm stance at the base of the vortex.

The War Academy across from them mirrored the action, led by a striking figure clad in a white robe, a silver sword slung across his back.

"Heavenly Sword Long Feixue!"

Murmurs rippled through the ranks of the Holy Sanctuary. Long Feixue, the undisputed top-ranked student of the War Academy, hailed directly from the Celestial lineage of the Nine Gods Empire. As a member of one of the Nine Gods' three core clans, his status rivaled that of a Nine Gods prince.

Both factions stood resolute beneath the vortex.

Ye Dun regarded Long Feixue with keen interest, but Long Feixue only offered a fleeting, indifferent glance, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

"Open!"

Dozens of exorcists triggered the formation in unison. A ten-meter-square rift slowly materialized in the seemingly vacant air. This spatial formation served to seal off Dragon City. Both the League of Blades and the Nine Gods had gone to great lengths to safeguard this illusory realm. Without deliberate activation, even those at the entrance couldn't gain entry.

While those at the Tiger level's peak couldn't fly at will, basic levitation was well within their capabilities. Clearing a twenty-meter gap was child's play.

As the entrance yawned open, Long Feixue and Ye Dun surged forward, soaring skyward, the rest hot on their heels.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

In a flash, all twenty vanished into the void vortex, leaving not a ripple behind.

The spatial entrance, limited in size, permitted only twenty entrants at a time.

This was the final opportunity for scrutiny. Both factions observed intently, particularly the War Academy's top three experts, previously unseen in Dragon City, who drew the gaze of most Holy Sanctuary members.

The second-ranked Shadow Martial Arts Master, Zang, stood tall and lean, his face obscured by a demonic mask. Twin black short swords dangled at his hips, and his eyes, piercing through the mask, were sharp and intent. He ignored Jiaoxi before him, his gaze instead fixed on Hei Wukai, still amidst the throng.

As the Holy Sanctuary scrutinized the War Academy, the latter returned the favor.

The moniker "Kai God" had already echoed through the War Academy, his threat level surpassing even Ye Dun's. After all, while Blood Demon Manku might not reign supreme in the War Academy, he boasted unparalleled survival skills, earning him the title of the unkillable Blood Demon. Yet, even he had fled wounded from an encounter with Kai God... Moreover, the Eight Tribes had been instrumental in the League of Blades' triumph over the Nine Gods. Much like the Holy Sanctuary disciples aligned with the League of Blades, the War Academy, representing humanity, remained skeptical of the Yaksha Tribe's War God title. Kai God's affiliation with the Eight Tribes, combined with his clash with the Blood Demon, inevitably made him the prime target for the opposition.

The third-ranked Steel Demon, Caesar Mo, likely the most imposing figure there, towered nearly three meters tall, surpassing even Badeluo. His entire body was encased in heavy iron armor, resembling a steel giant. As he walked, the heavy armor clanked loudly, weighing at least several hundred pounds.

Many on the Holy Sanctuary side watched him with interest. With such a massive body and heavy iron armor, could he even jump up to the twenty-meter-high entrance?

But he did...

With just a slight bend of his legs, a loud "boom" erupted, like the firing of a rune cannon. The massive iron tower-like figure shot into the air, creating a terrifying shockwave behind him. Two Holy Sanctuary disciples standing in front of him were almost blown away by the shockwave, cursing incessantly.

When terrifying power reaches its peak, it cannot be measured by common sense. Moreover, Caesar Mo's third rank wasn't just due to his strength...

Both sides entered in an orderly manner.

Old Wang was ranked lower, but Hei Wukai was ranked higher. As part of the Rose group, they took a middle value and soon it was their turn.

As the herald called out names, Old Wang and Fan Xite were in a bit of an awkward situation.

Old Wang hadn't even reached the peak of the Tiger level, and while the fat guy had, he wasn't the agile type. Jumping twenty meters high was out of the question, let alone flying. It was a pain Ah Xi would never forget.

When the two stepped out, they looked at each other: "How are we going up?"

"Fly!" Winnie, as if discovering a new continent, said with shining eyes, "It's so simple! Captain, you can't even do something this simple, can you?"

Mo Tong laughed, "Wang Feng, you can do it!"

Old Wang couldn't be bothered with them. These two would seize any opportunity to mock him. He turned to Kela, "Kela, can you do it?"

Kela nodded.

"Holy crap!" Old Wang widened his eyes, thinking he could have someone else to share the embarrassment. "Kela, you're really ditching the group!"

"Haha!" Winnie burst out laughing, "Kela's been putting in the effort, unlike you two clowns!"

The space gate had already opened.

"Alright, cut it out," Hei Wukai grabbed Wang Feng's arm. "Mo Tong, you take Fantsey."

Sending in twenty at a time, it'd take about five or six minutes to get all five hundred through—quite the hassle.

Yakray and the Eighth Divine General, each trailed by a few top experts, stood below the spatial array's opening, ready to escort the disciples from both sides.

"Ashoka of the Judgment Holy Sanctuary, Andy of the Judgment Holy Sanctuary, Mapeier of the Judgment Holy Sanctuary..."

These were the last few batches. Ashoka had some renown in the Holy Sanctuary, but Mapeier, taking Cai Yunhe's place, was just a few spots above Old Wang. With Andy being new, their average ranking landed them at the bottom of the Holy Sanctuary...

As the twenty from both sides gathered, the space above opened, and they prepared to leap in. Suddenly, the space around them rippled, and a swift figure burst from a nearby inn, blurring as it charged towards the newly opened spatial entrance.

Yakray's mouth twitched slightly, and without a move from him, the red sword on his back unsheathed itself.

Swish!

The Blood Demon Sword flashed, a sinister blood light streaking across the sky, sword energy crisscrossing!

The blur was struck, a muffled groan as it was sliced at the waist. But as it hit the ground, it became two pieces of a wooden puppet, bloodstains on the cuts, the real body already gone.

At the same time, as if on cue, two more swift figures darted out from another direction as the blur screamed.

Yakray didn't even look; the Eighth Divine General was the one to act.

He stood still, just reaching out to grab the air, and a massive golden hand formed instantly in the sky, barreling towards the two figures.

This soul-powered golden palm was five meters tall and three meters wide, pushing forward like a tidal wave. The two figures had no way to dodge and were slapped down like flies, crashing to the ground faster than they had flown in.

Boom! Boom!

With one successful strike, the golden palm dissipated, leaving two pools of blood on the ground, but no bodies.

The two top experts, guarding together, were set on stopping anyone trying to sneak in, but clearly, some still dared to challenge the taboo.

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