Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

The disciples from the ceremonial team of Purple Cloud Academy were, after all, only newly ascended Heavenly Saints. Now that their Third Elder, Yu Linzi, was gone, they felt completely insecure in the presence of an emperor-level figure like the large monk.

"At... at the Purple Cloud Academy," one of the disciples timidly replied.

"Oh, uh... I see..."

The large monk coughed awkwardly and took a few steps back, as though a wolf planning to pounce had just noticed the hunters were armed and decided to walk away.

"Phew..."

The disciples of Purple Cloud Academy breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that these figures wouldn't dare act recklessly. Had the teleportation array's endpoint been in the wilderness, the fake monk might indeed have tried something.

"Now that your Third Elder has fallen, does the original agreement still stand?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Yes, yes, no problem at all!" one of the disciples quickly responded. "The selection rules for disciples were set by the academy. As long as you reached the White Jade Plaza, you can join the academy. And as for the respected emperors... no issues either!"

"In fact, once the cross-boundary teleportation array is activated, whether it sends one person or a group, it makes no difference."

It was quite clear that Yu Linzi had been pocketing extra on the side. Allowing emperors to leave the fragment continent didn't actually require any special payment.

None of this surprised the group.

Qin Chuan then asked, "Earlier, we made a deal with your Third Elder. Now that he's dead, if we're teleported to Purple Cloud Academy, what kind of reception can we expect? Will there be extra fees?"

"Please don't worry, Senior," the disciple replied with a bitter smile. "Purple Cloud Academy is a subsidiary of the Human Race's Sacred Hall, akin to a branch of the Sacred Hall in the Purple Cloud Domain. It's a righteous organization."

"In fact, when we find a fragment continent, we always help the emperors within to enter the main continent for free. After all… it's for the sake of the human race."

A few of the emperors nearly spat blood.

So, it turned out this service was originally free! They had assumed Yu Linzi was just opening a back door and making a little extra. But the truth was… he'd closed off the legitimate front door and pretended to open a back one!

In other words, he was scamming them while making them grateful.

"Truly… despicable!"

The elderly emperor, half in his grave and planning to visit the main continent one last time, muttered in frustration. They had initially thought Yu Linzi was magnanimous and approachable, believing him to be a person of high character. But the reality...

Qin Chuan, however, wasn't overly concerned. This encounter gave him a bit more insight into the Human Race's Sacred Hall—it didn't seem like an evil faction. In fact, it appeared to be a force for good, at least for most people. The Sacred Hall served as a governing body for the human race, dedicated to their development and growth.

"Can we depart now?" the large monk asked eagerly.

"We can," the lead disciple from Purple Cloud Academy nodded.

"But, Senior, what about the Third Elder..." another disciple asked hesitantly. If they left before ensuring the Third Elder's safety, wouldn't that offend him if he were still alive?

"Don't worry," the senior disciple replied. "Once we report back, the academy will send strong reinforcements. If the Third Elder is still alive, they will bring him back. If he has unfortunately fallen... the academy will avenge him."

With that reassurance, the disciple said no more.

"Respected elders, fellow disciples, please proceed," the senior disciple gestured politely, a standard and respectful action that made his whole body seem to radiate light. As a nameless supporting character, he hoped to make the most of his brief moment of screen time.

"Hmm."

The emperors nodded and stepped into the giant white pillar of light. The others followed closely behind.

...

The Nine Cang Continent.

Vast skies, boundless earth, and a wild, untamed world!

Due to the existence of a celestial artifact from beyond the heavens, the Nine Cang Continent had seen its spiritual energy grow exponentially over the past tens of thousands of years, becoming overwhelmingly dense.

As a result, every living thing on the continent, from flora and fauna to the very mountains and rivers, had grown significantly larger. Many species had developed sentience and taken human form, establishing their own races.

For a long time, the continent was home to hundreds of tribes. But over the past 20,000 years, the various races had consolidated into three major tribes: the Human Race, the Beast Race, and the Demon Race.

The Human Race commanded vast territories, with the Sacred Hall of the Human Race dividing this massive realm into over a thousand regions. Purple Cloud Domain was just one of them.

At this moment, in the Purple Cloud Academy…

"Boom!"

A figure shot down from the sky, slamming into the ground with such force that the indestructible Purple Cloud Plaza trembled slightly.

"Hmph, is this the standard of the Human Race's academy? How disappointing,"

A young man with black wings sneered from the sky. His sharp eyes and hooked nose gave him a predatory look.

"Eagle Kong, don't get too cocky! I'll fight you!"

Another disciple of Purple Cloud Academy shot into the air, only to crash down seconds later, severely injured and barely conscious.

"Who's next?"

Eagle Kong sneered.

"I'll go!"

"Boom!"

"I'll kill you!"

"Boom!"

"Let's all go!"

"Boom, boom, boom…"

One after another, furious geniuses from the academy leaped into battle, only to be smashed down in an instant, beaten to a pulp.

Outside the plaza, many disciples clenched their fists in rage, feeling a deep sense of humiliation. How could their prestigious academy, which gathered the greatest talents of an entire domain, be humiliated like this by a single demon race genius?

"Has the Purple Cloud Academy no one left who can fight?!"

One disciple roared in anger.

"It's not that there's no one left, it's just that the true monsters of the academy are too powerful. They can't participate in this battle."

"Sigh, according to the rules, this duel with an outsider must be fought by someone of equal cultivation. Eagle Kong is a first-layer Heavenly Saint, and it just so happens that this batch of first-layer Heavenly Saints from the academy isn't particularly exceptional. That's why this beast has the upper hand."

"Hmph! The Demon Race is cunning. They chose the perfect moment to challenge us, knowing we don't have any top-tier first-layer Heavenly Saints right now."

"Uh… if I remember correctly, our academy's geniuses often block the gates of the Starshatter Demon Academy in the Demon Realm as well…"

The Purple Cloud Domain bordered the Starshatter Demon Domain, where tensions often flared between the Human and Demon Races.

Both races frequently clashed, but the friction remained within a set of rules, preventing a full-scale war. After all, during the Celestial Artifact War tens of thousands of years ago, the various races of the continent had united against a common enemy.

Even now, the three major races—Human, Beast, and Demon—shared the celestial artifact, maintaining an overall peace.

Of course, this only applied to the highest-level powerhouses of the three races. Among the lower-ranking elites, conflicts were frequent, though they were framed as necessary competition for mutual growth.

This time, Eagle Kong, a first-layer Heavenly Saint from the Starshatter Demon Academy, had arrived to block the gates of Purple Cloud Academy, issuing a challenge.

"Has Purple Cloud Academy fallen so low that there's no one left to fight? What a disappointment!"

Eagle Kong's eyes gleamed with arrogance as he looked down on the academy from above.