Chapter 127: Guardian Capital Academy's Chief Disciple, Ning Tai

Inside the building on Mountain Ocean Peak, a sharp-browed man fixed his gaze on Lu Chen. "Master, I want to go down and take a look. I can sense his strength. Even without those techniques, Lei Bao wouldn't stand a chance against him in a single exchange."

Fang Yuan, the head of the Guardian Capital Academy, looked at his disciple Ning Tai, who sat cross-legged before him. "Ning Tai, I know you've always longed for a worthy opponent, but this is against the rules. Our academy has always upheld the law. Besides, he's only at the first level of Qi Regulation."

"Master, I understand. But Lei Bao has already broken the sect's laws." Ning Tai rose to his feet and bowed. "I'll bring him back and, at the same time, see for myself what talent this young man holds."

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Fang Yuan, upright and uncompromising by nature, felt troubled hearing his disciple's words. "This..."

Ning Tai was his only personal disciple. At not yet thirty, he had already reached perfect mastery of the Qi Condensation Realm and was hailed as the foremost of the younger generation in Heavenly Mandate Hall. Known for his firm and righteous character, he was set to inherit Fang Yuan's mantle.

But Ning Tai immersed himself wholly in cultivation, obsessed with finding a rival, leaving the academy's management to other disciples. That was the main reason for why shady dealings had started happening in the academy's shadows. To focus on grooming Ning Tai, Fang Yuan had chosen to turn a blind eye.

Seeing his hesitation, Jun Wudi spoke. "Brother Fang, let him go. This is just sparring between disciples. When are young men ever free from conflict?

"Those three are my disciples. The first, Jun Laoye, I raised from childhood, and passed all my techniques to him. The other two I accepted only recently."

Jun Wudi slowly walked over to Ning Tai. "Let him go and have a look. Sooner or later, he'll face them anyway."

Fang Yuan still hesitated. "But... isn't this against the rules?"

Jun Wudi circled Ning Tai with a faint smile. "What rules? Didn't you tell him to uphold the law? If someone harms fellow disciples within the sect's territory, shouldn't the head of the Guardian Capital Academy intervene?"

He stopped in front of Ning Tai and lowered his voice. "Besides, we've gained quite a harvest this time. Since you're close to breaking into the Qi Condensation Realm, take this Clearflow Sword. It's yours."

"That's right! Killing fellow sect brothers within the sect is a grave offence!" Ning Tai went on to look at the sword Jun Wudi offered him. "This... a high-grade Earth Tier sword? Lord Jun, this sword is too precious. I can't accept it."

"It's only a sword. You've always said you lacked a proper secondary weapon. The Clearflow Sword complements your Righteous Sword perfectly."

Jun Wudi patted Ning Tai's shoulder. "Take it and go. Don't underestimate my disciples. They are as talented as you."

Ning Tai bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Jun."

He then turned to Fang Yuan. "Master, Lord Jun has agreed. May I go now?"

"

Ah...

go, then." Fang Yuan waved his hand in resignation, casting a glance at Jun Wudi. "After all these years, you're still indulging him."

"What can I say? The boy suits my temper. If he'd trained in spear arts, I'd have taken him as my own disciple back then."

Jun Wudi walked out of the building. "Ning Tai, test their strength, but go easy on your junior brothers."

"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Lord Jun."

Ning Tai picked up the sword, strapped it to his side, and ran straight down the mountain steps.

Fang Yuan turned to Zhou Chang and said sarcastically, "Tell me, just how strong is your disciple that you’re so confident in him? He just tried to kill another disciple. Handle the punishment yourself."

Zhou Chang nodded quickly from his reclining chair. "Yes, yes, I understand. When he returns, I'll see he's punished severely. But Lord Fang, please spare his life."

Fang Yuan snorted coldly. "See to it yourself. And remove those disciples you stationed in the Discipline Court. That's not your personal enforcement squad."

With that, he left the Mountain Ocean Peak.

Hearing Jun Wudi and Fang Yuan's exchange, Zhou Chang was taken aback. "When did they become so close? How have I never heard of it?"

Fang Yuan had always remained aloof from matters concerning the six academies. Even when Zhou Chang and the others pressured the Serene Void Academy, it had only been through private dealings with the Guardian Capital Academy's stewards.

Huo Shan glanced at the four nearby academy heads. "For Fang Yuan and Shan Long to treat him with such courtesy, Jun Wudi's identity must be far from ordinary. Best we rein ourselves in. If the two of them join hands, the Jade Flame, White Cloud, Lightning Wind, and Tranquil Mind Academies... will all be finished."

Zhou Chang muttered, "But if the four of us unite, surely we can deal with them. Besides, the Serene Void Academy is already finished, and the Guardian Capital Academy is riddled with our influence."

"Now is not the time. Fang Yuan and Shan Long are too strong." Huo Shan's gaze shifted to Shan Long. "Better to lie low for now. Besides, since entering the Heavenly Mandate Hall, I've never once grasped the true depth of either the Earth Ocean Peak Lord or the Heaven Ocean Peak Lord."

"

Ah...

I should never have listened to you lot and boarded this damned ship." Bai Rufeng looked at the Tranquil Mind Academy's head. "Zhao Wunian, you've been quiet this whole time. What are you thinking?"

Jun Wudi's mention of his disciples stirred Zhao Wunian's memory. His eyes gleamed. "That boy's lightning arts... I've seen them before. If I'm not mistaken, the grade of that lightning art comes from a great clan in the Central Continent."

"The Jun Clan of the Central Continent? The legendary clan that commands the Heavenly Dao?" Bai Rufeng narrowed his eyes. "Jun Wudi, Jun Laoye... both bear the name Jun, and their lightning arts are of such high grade. Could it be?"

"Impossible. The Heavenly Mandate Hall offers tribute to the Jun Clan every year, so how could people of that lineage end up here? Not to mention, we've been bullying Jun Wudi for decades."

Watching Jun Wudi from afar, Zhou Chang quickly shook his head. "At most, they're from a branch family, nothing more. Otherwise, why would they be in such a backwater?"

"Whether they are or not, any tie to the Jun Clan of the Central Continent will only bring disaster."

Huo Shan's gaze hardened. "There's only half a year until the grand competition. No matter what, we can't jeopardize our plans. Let's lie low for now. Have your academies' chief disciples probe the Serene Void Academy first."

The three academy heads replied in unison, "Alright, we'll proceed as planned."

Huo Shan went on to say, "Let's head out. We may be able to uncover more ourselves."

***

At the mountain gate stairways.

Lu Chen's emotions had spiraled completely out of control. Spirit qi surged violently within a radius of thirty feet. No matter how the others called out to him, he kept hurling attacks at Lei Bao.

Nantian Yijian, still short of the Qi Regulation Realm, couldn't withstand the torrent of energy. Each time he tried to rush forward, the wave of spirit qi flung him back. "Little Jun, what do we do now?"

Jun Laoye charged again and again, only to be repelled each time. "We must wake him up, no matter what. This disturbance is far too great. It'll surely draw the elders' attention. Killing a fellow disciple is a grave crime in the Heavenly Mandate Hall."

Nantian Yijian shouted toward the sky. "Wan'er, do you know how to wake Little Lu? If we don't, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Nantian Wan'er grew more anxious at his cries. "Lord Wind Dragon, what do we do? Lu-gege isn't completely lost. He's still somewhat conscious, but I can't wake him."

"We need someone to suppress him first," Wind Dragon dropped down beside Lu Chen and flicked his tail. "No good. Little Lu is my master now. I can't truly restrain him with my attacks."

Tears welled in Nantian Wan'er's eyes. "Then what do we do? If Lu-gege keeps attacking like this, he'll end up killing his opponent. When he wakes, he'll be devastated."

"Don't cry, girl."

With a sweep of his tail, Wind Dragon scattered the surging spirit qi around them, allowing Jun Laoye and Nantian Yijian to get closer.

As Wind Dragon poured spirit qi into Lu Chen, Nantian Yijian asked urgently, "Senior Wind Dragon, you're our boss's spirit weapon. Can't you wake him? He mustn't lose control!"

Wind Dragon shook his head. "Little Nantian brat, even I can't do anything about it."

At the same time, he silently recited the Ice-Heart Command, doing everything he could to steady Lu Chen's mind. "We need someone with cultivation higher than the Qi Regulation Realm, someone who won't harm him."

"The Qi Regulation Realm?" Nantian Yijian turned back to see Song Ping following closely behind. "Senior Martial Brother Song, hurry, we need your help."

Wind Dragon glanced at Song Ping and shook his head. "He won't do. He's only just stepped into the Qi Condensation Realm. He's not strong enough to break through Little Lu's defenses."

"Then what should we do? Should we move up to the next level?" Nantian Yijian looked toward the platform above. "There must be cultivators stronger than the Qi Regulation Realm there."

Song Ping caught up and lowered his voice. "That's impossible. The other academies have already infiltrated the Discipline Court. Going to them now would be no different from walking to our deaths."

Nantian Wan'er wept harder, despair clouding her voice. "Then what are we supposed to do? Lu-gege has never wanted to hurt anyone."

"I didn't expect Lord Jun's favored disciple to have such a fragile state of mind."

"

Hm?

Who's there!" Wind Dragon whipped around toward a massive tree nearby. "To slip past my senses... his cultivation must be above the Qi Condensation Realm."

Ning Tai stepped lightly out from behind the tree. "Well, well. I didn't expect a spirit weapon to notice me."

Wind Dragon frowned, unsettled. "You... can tell I'm a spirit weapon?"

Wind Dragon's current cultivation was only at the second level of Qi Condensation Realm, but he had once been a mighty beast himself. For a human youth to pierce through his true nature left him deeply puzzled.

Ning Tai ignored the question and called softly, "Gang Zheng, come forth."[1]

A beast resembling both ox and sheep appeared behind him. It had a horn rising from its head.

The creature bellowed toward Wind Dragon. "

Roar!

"

It then settled itself beside Ning Tai.

Wind Dragon's voice trembled in disbelief. "The most upright of divine beasts... a Xiezhi? To think you possess such an ancient beast within you."[2]

1. The name 刚正(gāng zhèng) literally means upright and unyielding, righteous and principled. It refers to one who acts with absolute integrity, never bending before injustice or corruption, which makes it a fitting name for the xie zhi, the mythical beast that embodies justice and discernment. ☜

2. The Xiezhi is a legendary one-horned beast from Chinese mythology, revered as a symbol of justice. Said to discern right from wrong, it would attack the guilty and protect the innocent. Because of this, it became closely associated with law and fairness, often appearing as an emblem on judges' robes and court insignia. ☜