Chapter 52: School Starts at the Academy
Three Lives Academy.
Three months had passed since its establishment, and many had moved into the city. The doors of the central Three Lives Academy were wide open, with the Eternal Fox King personally leading teachers from the Hundred Schools of Thought to greet the disciples who came to enroll.
"So many people,"
Yuyan and Tieshan, riding on clouds, poked their cute faces out, looking down at the sea of people below.
The bustling crowd and the noisy sounds were like the surging waves of the sea.
"Do you think we should sign up too?" Tieshan asked with a smile, "Given your relationship with the Eternal Fox King, you will definitely be admitted without an examination."
To enter the Three Lives Academy, one had to pass an exam.
The exam content was not difficult; as long as one could recognize characters and read and write, one could be admitted.
After all, whether it was studying or meditating, recognizing characters was necessary. Otherwise, even if a profound cultivation technique lay before you, you couldn't learn it.
"We are the king's maids; staying by the king's side, we can learn a lot. Who needs to study here?" Yuyan said disdainfully, "Like this Cloud Climbing Skill, probably even my dad doesn't know it."
Although the Eternal Fox King hadn't indeed learned to ride clouds and mists, he could travel by riding the wind, which was much faster than Yuyan's Cloud Climbing Skill.
But then, being able to ride clouds and mists was considered divine.
Those who could ride the wind were all demons.
Tieshan shook her head and said, "Don't be arrogant. I heard the king say that your dad often mingles in the Ten Thousand Books Tower. Probably if he wished to learn, riding clouds and mists or even soaring with the dawn wouldn't take much effort. It took us nearly three months to learn this Cloud Climbing Skill."
Yuyan nodded, understanding her father's comprehension abilities.
However, what he was most skilled at was still maintaining health.
His other spells were at most armchair strategies.
Yuyan pouted.
She was an Alchemy Master, she didn't need anyone telling her what to do!
"The demons of Huaguo Mountain have gotten quite prettier,"
Yuyan brought up another topic, pointing at the young beautiful girl with rabbit ears and the square-faced man with a rhinoceros horn growing on his nose among other beast-like creatures below, blinked curiously, "Retaining unique racial characteristics while transforming the rest into a human form offers a unique look; it has improved relations with humans significantly."
Tieshan replied, "You've been focused on refining tofu cakes lately, so you might not know. The king, along with Ao Yun, has been promoting a new method of transformation, that is, complete transformation while maintaining the original racial features."
Yuyan nodded, "I know about that, just like sister Ao Yun's dragon horns."
Tieshan nodded, "That's the idea."
Yuyan then shook herself, sprouting two white fox ears on her head and a fluffy, bushy tail appeared behind her, "This, too, preserves the innate talents of my race."
Seeing Yuyan looking like this, Tieshan was momentarily taken aback, observing carefully, there was an unconventional charm to it.
"Tieshan, how do you think I look in this form?"
Facing Yuyan's eyes that seemed to twinkle with stars, Tieshan blushed and said, "It's okay, I guess."
"What do you mean 'it's okay'? It's clearly very pretty!" Yuyan said somewhat dissatisfied, "I've decided, I'll keep this form from now on. The king will definitely like it."
"By the way, Tieshan, what is your original form?"
"A Rakshasa, I think?"
Tieshan said somewhat angrily, "I was born in Rakshasa Country, a human, but I was just trained in the Emerald Cloud Mountain Banana Cave by my master since I was young."
"Although Rakshasas are known as evil spirits, I'm not one. At most, I've just been influenced by evil spirits."
Rakshasa Country is located at the boundary between the underworld and the earthly realm, where humans and ghosts coexist.
Tieshan was born there, was influenced by some evil spirits, and had a quick temper until Fengyun discovered her, gradually helping her break free from that influence.
Sun Wukong had now arranged for her to herd and graze cattle, and her volatile temper gradually became more content.
But she was still prone to anger.
Yuyan apologized with a smile, "Don't be angry, Tieshan, I misspoke earlier."
Tieshan huffed, "Just because I know you, but if it were someone else, they would have gotten a thrashing from me."
Yuyan shivered.
This Tieshan, only a bit older than her, had a much fiercer temper, whoever married this woman in the future would probably suffer.
"Alright, Sister Tieshan, let's go. There's nothing interesting here; I'll go with you to herd the cattle."
"That sounds good."
Hearing Yuyan call her "sister" brightened Tieshan's mood. Riding on the clouds, they left Three Lives Academy together.
Little did they know, a handsome youth in the city was watching Tieshan and Rakshasa as they departed.
A dark mist flashed across the bottom of his eyes, and a shadowy figure appeared beside the young man, admiringly saying, "Huaguo Mountain truly lives up to its reputation as the ancestral pulse of the ten continents and the source of the three islands, full of spirit and grace. To see such rare species like the jade-faced spirit fox and the humanoid Rakshasa here is unexpected."
"Master, aren't they just demons, what's there to admire?" the youth looked around at the crowded scene and said with distaste, "If it's a demon, it deserves to die."
The youth was named Hai Feng, born in the Qin state on the Nanshan Continent, from a poor family. His parents were taken by mountain demons, and he, too, was about to perish by the same fate when the shadow that saved him appeared.
The shadow proclaimed itself a cultivator on the path of truth and discipline, who had merely fallen victim to a demonic ambush, thus only a wisp of its soul remained. Seeing that he had the potential for cultivation, it wanted to pass on its legacy to him.
The youth believed it.
At least, the shadow indeed taught him spells and martial arts, allowing him to surpass ordinary people and possess strength.
He felt that he had nothing desirable for the other party to covet, not to mention that the other party had saved his life. With such a great kindness bestowed upon him, even if it cost him his life later, he was willing.
However, after becoming an apprentice, he secretly vowed to eradicate all the demons and evils in the world.
Having suffered a calamity caused by a werewolf in his early years and having witnessed his parents devoured by it, he almost always woke up from nightmares every night.
As long as the demons and evils of the world were not eradicated, he would find no peace!
What constitutes a demon?
Anything non-human is deemed a demon.
Thus, upon learning about Huaguo Mountain, he took a ship out to sea, wanting to subdue the demons and eliminate evils here.
The prosperity of Huaguo Mountain revealed to him a den of demons.
This place must be purged; otherwise, it will bring chaos to the world.
However, being alone, he needed to infiltrate the inner workings of Huaguo Mountain first, enduring hardships and gaining understanding of everything within to eliminate them all in one fell swoop.
Hai Feng understood the principle that knowing both the enemy and oneself ensures victory in every battle.
"Do not underestimate it. Huaguo Mountain is no ordinary place, and if you can conquer it, becoming a god or a Buddha afterwards wouldn't be beyond reach,"
The illusory figure circled around the youth, but the people nearby seemed oblivious to it, only the youth could see.
"I understand, Master. This precious land shouldn't be spoiled by that so-called Monkey King." Hai Feng's eyes were deep as he looked towards the Leisurely Spirit King, who was speaking in front of the academy gates, and he sneered coldly, "No matter how much they learn of human manners and culture, they are still monsters and do not deserve to exist in this world." Visit My Virtual Library Empire (M_VLEMPYR) for more.
The shadow by his side glanced indifferently at the cold expression on Hai Feng's face, and silently nodded: "Only with such indifference can one forge a demonic heart, to be utilized by me."
Then, he looked towards Shuilian Cave and saw something ordinary people couldn't see—a fortune colored in five hues, accompanied by wisps of misty light, forming the shapes of dragons and tigers.
Chaos!
He dared not look further.
In his prime, he wouldn't have feared, and might even have appreciated the master of Huaguo Mountain, looking for ways to bring him under his command; now, however, he was just a wisp of a fractured soul, probing only to fall into a trap.
What he didn't know was that his glance had indeed alarmed Sun Wukong.
"A demonic Intruder?"
Sun Wukong sensed that a glance had been directed his way just a moment ago. He opened his eyes, awakened from his meditation, activated his divine vision, and surveyed all of Huaguo Mountain but found nothing suspicious.
The six-eared macaque was thoroughly scrutinized by him, yet no black qi or demonic qi was detected on it.
"It seems to be another being of chaos. If they intend to hide, they can't be detected unless they reveal themselves," Sun Wukong pondered. "However, this demon has definitely entered Huaguo Mountain and is hiding somewhere in the shadows."
"If not eliminated, I will find no peace."
At that moment, in Three Lives Academy, the demonic intruder entered Hai Feng's body. The Primordial Spirit transmitted a message, advising, "Disciple, be more careful lately, do not act recklessly."
Hai Feng was puzzled: "What has happened, Master?"
The demonic intruder's tone was grave: "Just now, the master of Huaguo Mountain used his demonic eyes to inspect inside and out. It seems he has noticed me."
"Is this demon king of Huaguo Mountain so powerful?" Hai Feng could hardly believe it, knowing that his master, even as just a wisp of a broken Primordial Spirit, possessed boundless mana and vast divine powers.
Yet, regarding the demon king of Huaguo Mountain whom he had not yet encountered, he had to hide inside his body.
This demon must be extremely terrifying!
"This demon is no less than me in my prime, possessing boundless mana and myriad divine powers. Moreover, it colludes with the Heavenly Courts, employing extremely formidable means. If discovered, both you and I will suffer," the demonic intruder said coldly.
Hai Feng's soul shivered.
While not surprised about the demonic intruder's claim that the Heavenly Courts harbored filth—as it was common in the countries of the Nanshan Continent, and he merely saw it as a greater dynasty—
the fact that this king of demons was not only powerful but also backed by the Heavenly Courts made it incredibly difficult to deal with.
It seemed he must stay well-hidden...
...
"Trying to find the hidden demonic qi of the demonic intruder is nearly impossible with my capabilities," Sun Wukong searched again but found no traces.
Scratching his cheek, he summoned the Heavenly Dao Life Simulator.
Perhaps, at such a time, only this mysterious tool could be of help.
"Welcome to the Heavenly Dao Life Simulator."
"At the age of three hundred thirty-one, having been conferred as the Eastern Leisurely Spirit King by the Jade Emperor, you educate the myriad demons in the Eastern Continent, Ao Lai, and Huaguo Mountain.
"Within this year, Huaguo Mountain continued to develop, and the six-eared macaque, jealous of you, infiltrated Shuilian Cave but was discovered and subdued by Ao Yun using a Binding Dragon Rope transformed from your hair, piercing through its spine, sealing its mana, and undergoing labor reform at Huaguo Mountain."
"The Jiao Demon King continues to be exploited by the fox demon..."