Chapter 576: Lady of Sin
A challenge?
Gu Chen's words caught the man in white off guard. The lady in the plain skirt cast a brief, silent glance at Gu Chen, but she didn't say anything.
Seeing their silence, Gu Chen's expression soured. "Do you look down on us Inner Courtyard disciples? Come here, then, draw your swords..."
Before Gu Chen could finish his sentence, a sword was already a few inches away from his glabella. Gu Chen's expression stiffened. Yun Zang and the female Divine Mage stood dumbfounded. They didn't see the man drawing his sword.
The man in white cast a nonchalant glance at Gu Chen. Then, he opened his palm, and his sword returned to his grasp. He didn't even say anything as he proceeded to walk away with the lady in the plain skirt.
Rooted to the spot, Gu Chen's expression was grim. At the very least, he managed to see Ye Guan's sword in action. However, he actually failed to see the man in white's movements. He had been completely outmatched. Had he always been this weak? Gu Chen began questioning the meaning of his existence.
Yun Zang and the female Divine Mage wore uneasy expressions as they reeled in shock over the might of the Divine Courtyard students.
Were they really that powerful? It seemed like every student from the Divine Courtyard was the epitome of overpowered.
Yun Zang let out a bitter sigh, and a sense of helplessness and despair filled his heart. It felt as though they were plummeting into an abyss of futility. Was this the reality of the Divine Courtyard?
He finally understood why they couldn't measure up to the standards of the Divine Courtyard. They were like babies when compared to the students of the Divine Courtyard, who were like adults.
Yun Zang glanced at Gu Chen, who was in a daze. "Let's go."
Drawing a deep breath, Gu Chen declared, "I'll strive to surpass them!"
Yun Zang nodded in encouragement. "You can do it."
Gu Chen glared at Yun Zang and asked, "Are you doubting me?"
Yun Zang patted Gu Chen's shoulder in consolation, and his voice was tinged with ruefulness as he said, "Sometimes, effort alone isn't enough."
Yun Zang then disappeared into the distance along with the female Divine Mage.
Left all alone, Gu Chen's expression became increasingly darker.
...
Sin Continent...
Ye Guan and Ye An ventured into the mountain ranges of the Sin Continent. Rather than just hunting demonic beasts, the two explored the Sin Continent as well. Ye Guan himself was rather intrigued by the Sin Continent.
The Divine Academy had portrayed the continent as crawling with evil, but Ye Guan doubted it. He wanted to know more about the continent by himself. After all, real-life experience was always better than just hearing about a place through stories.
Ye An noticed what Ye Guan was trying to do and asked, "Are you not here to hunt down beasts?"
They had encountered quite a few powerful demonic beasts so far, but Ye Guan had always chosen to take detours rather than fight them. Moreover, he even made Little Pagoda conceal their presence.
"The Sin Continent has a god, but the Divine Academy claims that it's an evil god." Ye Guan looked up at the horizon and muttered, "The history behind that time period surely isn't as simple as it seems."
Glancing at Ye Guan, Ye An asked, "Are you interested in that part of history?"
Ye Guan chuckled. "Yes."
Ye An calmly responded, "I think It's best to ask the Great Daoist Brush Master."
Ye Guan shook his head with a smile. "I feel like the Great Daoist Brush Master is also hiding something from us."
Although he and the Great Daoist Brush Master were working together, he knew that the Great Daoist Brush Master had his own agenda. Of course, this was perfectly normal, and Ye Guan expected the Great Daoist Brush Master to have his own ulterior motives.
Just then, Ye An turned toward the distance and saw an ancient city in the distance.
After a moment of thought, Ye Guan suggested, "Big Sis, we should go on a disguise!"
Ye Guan whipped out two black robes and handed one to Ye An.
The siblings wore black robes as they approached the distant ancient city. The city had withstood the cruel passage of time, and its age was visible on its walls that had faded to white as well as the faint, barely visible inscriptions on its walls.
Ye Guan looked around upon entering the city. The city appeared desolate. There were people on the streets, but they were few and far between.
The passersby cast wary looks at Ye Guan and Ye An as they strolled the streets.
Soon, they arrived at the city's temple. The statue of a faceless god was standing within the temple. Ye Guan furrowed his brows as he stared at the faceless statue; he didn't expect that the people here were actually worshiping a faceless god, too.
The faceless statue actually appeared similar to the First God. Upon realizing that, Ye Guan assumed that the Sin Continent revered the First God as its god.
Just then, an elderly man clad in a black robe emerged from the temple. The elderly man was using a cane, and his back was slightly hunched.
The elderly man cast a suspicious gaze at Ye Guan and his sister. "Why aren't you bowing?"
Ye Guan stared at the elderly man and smiled. "The First God once said that everyone's god should be themselves. If my god is myself, why bow to myself?"
The elderly man was briefly taken aback. He sized up Ye Guan and his sister before asking, "Who are you?"
However, Ye Guan didn't answer. He turned and left with Ye An.
The elderly man stared at the retreating pair with furrowed brows, seemingly lost in thought.
After leaving the temple, Ye An said, "I'll go train in your tiny pagoda. Call me when there’s a fight.”
Ye An didn't wait for Ye Guan's reply and directly entered the world inside the tiny pagoda.
Ye Guan shook his head with a wry smile. His elder sister was clearly not interested in that particular period of time. Just as Ye Guan was about to leave the ancient city, the sky abruptly split open, revealing a group of people.
They were a group of men and women numbering about twenty. All of them were clad in the divine robes of the Divine Academy. Clearly, they were students of the Divine Academy!
"Prepare for battle!" A voice boomed through the city. Soon, a group of black-robed experts rushed out to confront the students of the Divine Academy.
A red-haired man at the helm of the students grinned and roared, "Everyone! Let's have a good fight and rack up some credits for ourselves!"
The students charged at the black-robed figures. The black-robed figures were strong, but they were no match for the students of the Divine Academy. A dozen of them were slain in just a few moments.
The remaining Divine Academy students rushed into the city, leaving death in their wake. Every single kill was marked by a severed head flying into the sky; the students grew even more excited with each life they claimed.
Soon, the city was filled with heart-wrenching screams.
Ye Guan observed the spectacle in a dark corner. He was clad in black robes, and he could be easily mistaken to be in cahoots with the black-robed individuals. The city was in chaos, and the citizens were trying to put up a fight as well.
Meanwhile, the students massacred the powerless citizens—the powerless Sin Citizens.
Ye Guan’s heart felt heavy at the grueling sight.
Just then, three figures emerged from a nearby house—a man, a lady, and a little girl. The little girl's face was pale, and her wide eyes were filled with fear.
A cold light made a beeline for the three. The man's expression twisted in horror, and he instinctively pulled the lady and the little girl behind him. Before he could do anything, however, the cold light severed his head, and blood splattered in all directions.
The little girl went hysterical, crying out for her father, but the lady pulled her behind her, hiding the gruesome sight from the little girl.
A Divine Academy student walked up to the lady and the little girl. His saber, which was dripping in blood, still looked thirsty for blood. The student's lips curled up into a malicious smirk as he stared at the little girl. Moments later, his figure blurred as he charged at the little girl and her mother.
The lady was horrified. She pulled out a shield and attempted to defend herself.
Unfortunately, it was to no avail, and the lady was blasted away upon impact
"Mommy!" the little girl screamed.
Meanwhile, the Divine Academy student made a beeline for the little girl rather than for the lady.
Ye Guan made a move just then, unleashing a powerful wave of spiritual energy that sent the student flying away.
The student eventually came to a halt; he glared at Ye Guan and said, “So it's another Sin Citizen...”
Ye Guan ignored the student and approached the lady and the little girl. Ye Guan immediately noticed the lady’s weak and labored breathing.
The lady hurriedly placed the little girl's hand in Ye Guan's hand, and her figure trembled as she muttered, "Senior..."
Ye Guan hesitated briefly before saying, "She's going to be fine."
The lady smiled, seemingly relieved upon hearing Ye Guan's words. However, she soon became pallid upon seeing her husband's lifeless body, and her eyes glazed over in despair.
The little girl clung to her mother as tears streamed down her face.
Swoosh!
The Divine Academy student transformed into a streak of light, flying toward Ye Guan.
Ye Guan's brows furrowed. He was about to make a move when a spear light flew toward them from a distance. The spear light moved at breakneck speeds, shattering the cold streak of light.
Clang!
The Divine Academy student was impaled by the long spear, and he was pinned to a wall hundreds of meters away.
It was an instant kill!
Ye Guan turned and saw a lady walking over toward them.
The lady—wearing a form-fitting black dress and her long hair cascading down her shoulders—appeared to be in her twenties. She had exquisite facial features, which would have been perfect if it weren't for her cold demeanor and the heavy aura of death billowing out from her.
A droplet of what looked like crimson cinnabar was on her glabella. The lady was undeniably beautiful, and she exuded an aura of elegance and danger at the same time.
A nearby Divine Academy student was stupefied upon seeing the lady, and he exclaimed in terror, "The Lady of Sin! You...!"
Swoosh!
The student couldn't continue his sentence as the lady delivered a powerful punch to his head.
Bang!
The student's head exploded into a bloody mist, creating a gruesome sight.
"The Lady of Sin is here! Retreat!" someone roared. The Divine Academy students wasted no time and retreated into the distant horizon. However, the sky split open once again, and a group of mysterious figures in red robes emerged from the rift to chase after the fleeing students.
The Lady of Sin didn't chase after the students. Instead, she turned around and saw Ye Guan standing in front of her.
The Lady of Sin merely stared at Ye Guan.
Ye Guan stared calmly at the Lady of Sin, but alarm bells were already ringing inside his head.
Just then, the little girl sobbed and said, "Sister Sin... He... he saved me..."
The Lady of Sin stared at Ye Guan and said, "You did not flee in the face of danger. You are indeed a true man. From now on, you shall follow me!"
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