The Deity of War

On the Qing Xiao Peak.

Within a guest hall, there was a spell formation that cut off all sound and divine sense. There were two people seated in the hall, one of which was a middle-aged man in a set of lavish robes. A green cape trailed behind him, and his eyes were as sharp as those of a falcon.

That man was a renowned powerful being in the Yun Xiao Kingdom.

He was even more of a terrifying being in the Green Class.

He was the deputy principal, Chu You!

There was a graceful young man sitting beside him with a sword strapped to his waist. He was the leader of the largest faction in the Green Class, Chu Bixue of the Bixue Sword Alliance.

Chu Bixue joined his hands in a salute and said, “Uncle You, the disciples of our Bixue Sword Alliance have gathered extensive information on Qi Ying. He was born as an ordinary person, but underwent a drastic transformation following the events that took place on the Nameless Mountain four months ago. During that span of four months, he progressed to the Seventh Energy Martial Stage from scratch. I feel that it has something to do with that Heaven Tier beast that appeared on the Nameless Mountain; perhaps it gave him an inheritance of some sort.”

Chu You replied with a calm expression, “I was thinking the same thing. It would explain why his bloodline aptitude is grey.”

“He also seems to be related to the Yan family. There’s a man in the Celestial River County by the name of Yan Thirteen, and he seems to be very close to Yan Nine of the Yan family. Yan Thirteen holds Qi Ying in extremely high regard, and helped him in every step of his growth. There was a major family that Qi Ying had a blood feud with, back in the Celestial River County, and Yan Thirteen wiped out the entire family for his sake. Following our investigation, we found that both Yan Thirteen and Yan Nine were once bodyguards of the former prince, and are part of the Yan family.”

“Hmm? That actually makes more sense then!” Chu You narrowed his eyes, “Even though three families deployed warriors to hunt down the Heaven Tier beast, it fell into the hands of the Yan family in the end. A Heaven Tier beast must hold many secrets; perhaps Qi Ying really did receive an inheritance from it! Could that be why the Yan family is willing to support him?”

Chu You paused momentarily before continuing, “Let’s set all that aside for now. Bixue, the Dragon Metamorphosis Trial this year is an important opportunity for you. Ever since the fall of those prodigies from our branch all those years ago, we’ve been on a constant decline. Your aptitude is limited, and you may not even make it to the Earth Martial Stage in the future. However, if you can find the dragon vein and enhance your aptitude, you’ll rise to far greater heights! Chu Kaolie is already dead, so you must take this opportunity and strive to take his place!”

“Then, what are we doing about Qi Ying? The family leader has ordered us to kill him.”

Chu You replied in a sinister voice, “If he refuses to go to the Dragon Metamorphosis Mystic Realm, then he’ll be banished to the Jade Class. The Jade Class is incomparable to the Green Class; the death of a Jade Class disciple is a commonplace event. Our Chu family’s forces are no slouches! However, if he chooses to participate in the trial, then it’ll be up to your subordinates to take him out. But remember this; Qi Ying is just a minor character, so you don’t need to hunt him down yourself. Your top priority is to search for the dragon vein!”

“Understood.”

“Alright.”

Chu You stood up and placed a hand on Chu Bixue’s shoulder. He then handed a warm object to the latter and said, “This is a piece of Dragon Guidance Jade; it is a treasure I purchased at a very steep price, and it can detect the location of the dragon vein! The dragon vein in the academy has lain dormant for too long, so there’s a very good chance that it’ll appear this year. You have to grab that opportunity!”

“Uncle You, you’re so good to me.”

“Hehe…” A resigned smile appeared on Chu You’s face, “Your father saved my life all those years ago, but he’s gone now, so I can only repay him by doing all I can for you… Kill Qi Ying, and reinvent yourself; those are the two missions for you!”

…

“Alright, I’ll participate!”

Qi Ying barely hesitated at all before taking the badge from Liancheng Ying.

He knew what fate would await him in the Jade Class. Fifteen Jade Class disciples had died just recently, and the academy’s higher-ups had barely batted an eyelid. There was a severe lack of resources, so disciples had to take on all sorts of dangerous missions to fund their cultivation paths. As such, deaths were commonplace, and if he were to end up there, he would most likely disappear someday with barely anyone noticing.

In contrast, the Dragon Metamorphosis Trial was also quite perilous, but it also was an opportunity. Taking a gamble was surely superior to accepting a sure defeat.

Qi Ying learned from Liancheng Ying that the Dragon Metamorphosis Mystic Realm was a separate space. Its terrain was quite complex, and there were many spell formations, seals, and powerful beasts within its boundaries. Furthermore, it covered a massive land area that was almost as large as Yun Xiao City. Some people obtained precious treasures there, and some attained powerful inheritances… In summary, it was a place that had completely transformed the lives of many.

It was a place that was fraught with peril, but also teeming with opportunities!

Countless disciples dreamed of reinventing themselves there, so they could secure a one-way ticket to the Black Class!

Qi Ying didn’t really care about the supposed inheritances and opportunities there. After all, it was most likely the case that none of them would be able to match his constitution anyway.

However, he had to make a splash in the Dragon Metamorphosis Mystic Realm, in order to display his potential!

Risk and reward came hand in hand.

Qi Ying was well aware of that, and he knew that he would have to take some massive risks in the upcoming trial. However, risks weren’t something to be feared for those with ambition.

Qi Ying would be the first to admit that he was a very ambitious person.

Deep down, he wanted to become someone like Qi Shun and Yan Beigui. He wanted to be revered and respected by everyone, and have everything he wanted be offered to him. In particular, he had to ascend to great heights in order to be with the one that he loved.

…

At the Fire Gorge.

The two guards stared at Qi Ying with surprise etched on their faces.

One of the guards was holding the badge that Qi Ying had just handed to him, and he asked, “Sixty hours! Are you going to be able to handle that? You have to realize that the Fire Gorge is not a place that reaps you more benefits the longer you stay in there. Disciples below the Spirit Martial Stage would be prone to be infected by fire poison if they stay in there for too long, and that could hurt your cultivation foundation.”

“I know my limits.” Qi Ying replied in a calm voice, “If I can’t handle it, then I’ll come out.”

He had spent over five thousand Yun Xiao Points for sixty hours in the Fire Gorge, exhausting all of his income from the past month. However, it was worth it as his top priority was to become stronger before the Dragon Metamorphosis Trial!

Whoosh!

Qi Ying set foot into the Fire Gorge, and made his way further in.

“You again!” An unfriendly disciple suddenly positioned himself in Qi Ying’s way, “You little lying brat! You disrupted my cultivation last time and made me fail in my breakthrough! Third flag leader of the Blood God Alliance? What a joke! You’re no young master from the Qi family; you’re just a stupid hillbilly!”

Qi Ying recognized who he was being confronted by. It was the same Rudder Leader Liu of the Bixue Sword Alliance that he had met last time.

Liu Chunlei continued in a loud voice, “Get out! There’s no place for you here! Piss off!”

“Hehe.”