Chapter 453: Chapter 453: Identity Exposed
For a while, the major powers of the Imperial Capital were all discussing the matter in secret.
All the while, they quietly awaited further news.
But what puzzled the Qin family and everyone else was that by that evening, an entire day had passed, and Qin Feng, who had gone to hunt down Ye Xuan, still hadn’t returned to the Imperial Capital.
This left everyone completely baffled.
Just then...
A piece of news suddenly spread from the many adventurers who had traveled from the Imperial Capital to train in the Luoyue Mountain Range.
That morning, Qin Feng, Patriarch of the Qin family, had fought a great battle with a mysterious golden-haired Martial Artist in the Luoyue Mountain Range. In the end, he had fallen in battle, his body left lying in the mountains.
The news caused an uproar.
As soon as it broke, the entire Imperial Capital was in an uproar.
"Did you hear? The Qin family’s Patriarch, Qin Feng, fell in the Luoyue Mountain Range."
"How is that possible? Patriarch Qin is a Tier Seven Martial King. Who could possibly kill him?"
"It’s true. They say many Martial Artists training in the Luoyue Mountain Range saw it happen."
"How could this be? Didn’t Patriarch Qin Feng go to hunt Xuan Ye of the Luo family? How did he end up dead? Could it have been Master Lu Li and the others?"
"It wasn’t Master Lu Li’s group. They returned to the Imperial Capital long ago. The word is it was a golden-haired Martial King."
"The Luoyue Mountain Range, you say? Come on, let’s go see for ourselves."
Instantly, countless Martial Artists scrambled into action, all heading for the Luoyue Mountain Range to find out the truth.
’Qin Feng was actually killed?’
In the Luo family estate, Lu Li and the others, who had been waiting anxiously, were dumbfounded when they received the news. They immediately shot into the sky.
"How could this happen? Father, killed? This is impossible!"
"It must be a lie! The Patriarch can’t be dead!"
"Quickly, summon the Supreme Elder!"
Panic erupted in the Qin family estate. The members of the Qin family were in disarray until their only Supreme Elder, who had been in seclusion, finally emerged and restored order.
"I will go and see for myself."
This Supreme Elder was ancient and decrepit, having withdrawn from worldly affairs for many years. Upon hearing the news, he was overcome with rage and grief, rushing to the Luoyue Mountain Range at once.
The once-desolate Luoyue Mountain Range was suddenly bustling with activity as terrifying figures streaked across the sky, thundering forward.
Where Qin Feng’s corpse lay, a group of powerful experts with extraordinary auras stood, observing.
"It’s definitely Qin Feng, no doubt about it."
"To think the patriarch of a great family would actually fall here."
"I heard Qin Feng left the city yesterday to hunt down Xuan Ye of the Luo family. I never expected the hunter to become the hunted. How pitiful, how tragic!"
The experts watched Qin Feng’s body from a distance with indifference. Their faces showed a mixture of expressions: mockery, disdain, sorrow, and pity.
"Patriarch!"
When the Qin family’s Supreme Elder saw Qin Feng’s corpse, he let out a mournful howl. Flames of hatred ignited in his eyes.
Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he picked up Qin Feng’s body and vanished over the horizon in an instant.
"That must be Qin Li, the Supreme Elder of the Qin family."
"He hasn’t been seen in the Imperial Capital for over a decade. We all thought he was dead, but he’s still alive."
"From the looks of him, he doesn’t have much longer, though."
"What a shame. If Qin Li weren’t around, the Qin family would be..."
Many experts from the major powers of the Imperial Capital sighed, their eyes glinting.
With Qin Feng dead and the Qin family leaderless, they should have been easy prey, ripe for the picking. But with the Qin family’s Supreme Elder, Qin Li, still alive, the dream of carving up the family’s assets was no longer realistic.
Watching Qin Li depart in grief, however, three men were beaming with smiles.
"Haha, I told you Young Master Ye would be fine."
"That fool Qin Feng wanted to hunt Master Xuan Ye, but he ended up getting himself killed instead."
"The patriarch of a great family, falling in the desolate wilderness. It’s truly pathetic."
Master Lu Li and his two companions chuckled before heading back to the Imperial Capital.
Once the news was confirmed, everyone waited with bated breath to see what the Qin family’s next move would be.
Everyone expected the Qin family to retaliate with furious anger. But to their surprise, the family drastically scaled back its businesses in the Imperial Capital and laid low.
They even sealed their gates and closed off the clan, giving the impression they were withdrawing from the world.
The Qin family was truly terrified by what Ye Xuan had done.
In terms of hatred, they wanted nothing more than to cut Ye Xuan into a thousand pieces. But the death of their Patriarch, Qin Feng, was a rude awakening.
The Luo family had already risen, forming an alliance with the Yuan family and the Artifact Refining Workshop.
When the Qin family still had Patriarch Qin Feng, they couldn’t even handle Ye Xuan. Now, with Qin Feng gone, their status had plummeted, leaving them in an even worse position.
And so, because the Qin family laid low, a brewing storm died down.
With Qin Feng’s death and the decline of their businesses, the Qin family was completely removed from the ranks of the four great families.
Even with the Supreme Elder Qin Li still present, everyone understood that the current Qin family had fallen into complete decline. Its glory days were over.
「The Qu Family Estate!」
’A golden-haired Martial King!’
When the dust had finally settled, Crazy Battle received the news, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
’Good kid. So you were the one who tricked me.’
Crazy Battle’s fists clenched tightly, killing intent surging from him like a tide.
’The golden-haired expert... Xuan Ye... He must be the one who murdered my son, Gale.’ Crazy Battle gritted his teeth, his face contorting with rage.
He had initially ruled out Ye Xuan as a suspect because Ye Xuan had been alone, with no golden-haired youth by his side. Furthermore, the power Ye Xuan had displayed was not enough to kill his son, Gale.
But as soon as the news of Qin Feng’s death spread, Crazy Battle had an epiphany.
Qin Feng had left yesterday to hunt down that Xuan Ye, but he ended up falling to a golden-haired expert. Combining this with the information he had gathered from places like Black Stone City, and considering the timing of Xuan Ye’s arrival in the Imperial Capital...
...Crazy Battle instantly concluded that Xuan Ye was the same teenager who had appeared in Black Stone City, and the golden-haired expert was the young man who accompanied him.
’The direction of the Luoyue Mountain Range... What is his destination?’
Crazy Battle frowned in deep thought, his mind tracing a path outward from the Luoyue Mountain Range. A savage look crept onto his face, and a cold light flickered in his eyes.
Suddenly, he had a flash of insight.
’Gale Light Academy!’
’In a little over half a month, Gale Light Academy starts its term. Could his destination be the academy?’
’Whether it is or not, I can’t let him get away.’
’You dared to kill my son! No matter where you run, I will tear you to pieces!’
A ferocious roar suddenly echoed from within the Qu family estate.
Immediately after, a figure shot up into the air and vanished over the horizon.
At this moment, Ye Xuan was unaware that Crazy Battle had discovered his identity. Blue-violet lightning flickered behind him as he raced frantically toward Gale Light Academy.
Along the way, Ye Xuan crossed mountains and valleys, taking countless shortcuts thanks to the Lingxu Feathers.
Finally, after half a month, he arrived at Gale Light City, the home of Gale Light Academy.
It was a city spanning several thousand square kilometers. From a distance, its magnificent gates towered into the sky, standing hundreds of zhang tall.
The ancient, unadorned city walls had been weathered by thousands of years, giving them a sense of profound history.
Gale Light Academy was located in the very center of the city.
Its location near the center of the Dream Realm Plain was uniquely advantageous.
Because the next day was the annual registration day for Gale Light Academy, the area outside Gale Light City was bustling with carriages and countless pedestrians waiting to enter.
Ye Xuan stood in the crowd and looked around. He saw many teenagers around the age of twenty. Unquestionably, they were all here for Gale Light Academy’s entrance examinations.
But what left Ye Xuan speechless was that many of them had brought their entire families along, escorted by their parents. Some of the young men looked like typical spoiled heirs, with a maidservant on each arm. They were swaggering about, looking less like they were here for an exam and more like they were on a sightseeing trip.
"Hehe, Chunxiang, starting tomorrow, I, your young master, will be an official student of Gale Light Academy," a shifty-eyed youth in silk robes said with a sleazy grin.
"You’re so amazing, Young Master."
A plump, heavyset maidservant snuggled up to him, her eyes shining with adoration.
"Hahaha." The sleazy youth clearly enjoyed the praise. His roving hands gave the plump maidservant’s large bottom a firm squeeze. The tantalizing flesh clenched and then bounced back, full of elasticity.
The youth reveled in it, a lecherous glint in his eyes. He chuckled, "They say Gale Light Academy is the number one academy in the Dream Realm Plain, and it’s full of beauties. A handsome man like myself will surely make them all swoon!"
The plump maidservant immediately flattered him coquettishly, "Of course! You’re so handsome, Young Master. The moment those women see you, their hearts will flutter, and they’ll be utterly captivated."
"Hahaha," the sleazy youth cackled, revealing a set of large, yellow teeth.
Nearby, a pockmarked youth, surrounded by several guards, almost gagged listening to this. He finally couldn’t resist sneering, "With a face like yours, you think you can make anyone swoon? Why don’t you go take a long look in a puddle? You look like you’re twenty-four or twenty-five, and you’re only a Tier Four First Heaven Martial Artist. I doubt you’ll even make it through the gates of Gale Light Academy."
"Hehe, my friend, you just don’t get it, do you? You think getting into Gale Light Academy is about cultivation level?" the sleazy youth said with disdain.
"If not cultivation, then what? Looks?"
The sleazy youth said mysteriously, "Looks are part of it, but the most important thing is your background. There’s a lot more to it than you think."
"Oh?"
Everyone’s interest was suddenly piqued. Could this sleazy youth actually know some inside information?
Seeing all eyes on him, the sleazy youth declared smugly, "According to my investigation, I’ve discovered that cultivation is secondary when it comes to joining Gale Light Academy. Background is what truly matters. Disciples from minor families have absolutely no chance of getting in. As for how powerful a background you need... hehe, I can’t say much more. But for someone like me, getting in is a sure thing."
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