The rivers surged forward in a torrent, flanked by unending mountain ranges to either side. From within these mountains, the roar of monstrous beasts echoed like continuous bursts of thunder.
Nestled by the river's edge, on a vast plain, stood a formidable city. This city, dubbed Celestial Clan City, was located on the outskirts of the Great Zhou Empire's Jizhou state. Due to its strategic position, there had been years of continuous warfare. Only in recent years, as the Great Zhou Empire grew stronger, had relative peace befallen the city.
Celestial Clan City, Star Academy.
It was midday. The blistering sun shone harshly on people's faces. From the open grounds of Star Academy, the sounds of cheering echoed. A group of students sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes transfixed on the sight before them.
A young, male instructor was demonstrating martial arts techniques. His muscles were bulging as if he were an ancient beast, his arms thick and layered with black scales that shone with a deep metallic luster in the sunlight.
"Martial arts is profound and vast. From ancient times to the present, through countless evolutions, three strongest forms remain: Flame Martial Arts, Dragon Martial Arts, and Star Martial Arts," The young instructor explained while demonstrating. "I belong to the Dragon martial artists."
"Dragon Martial Arts practitioners possess dragon blood lineage. Once this dragon blood is activated, one’s physical body is enhanced, granting immense strength, like this!" The young tutor clenched his right fist. Instantly, the muscles on his fist bulged impressively, exuding a sense of brutal power. He swung his fist towards a huge stone, weighing hundreds of pounds, beside him.
From each muscle, creaking sounds echoed, recklessly displaying his power.
Boom!
Stone fragments scattered about.
A terrifying fist imprint, similar in size to a millstone and spiral-shaped, as though it was drilled through by some metal object, was left on the massive rock.
One could imagine what the outcome would be if that fist hit a person.
The students watched, dumbstruck. Just how terrifying was this power! The Dragon Martial Arts practitioners among them felt waves of excitement that kept them agitated for a long time. So, it was possible for a Dragon martial artist to possess such immense strength.
Among the students, a young boy sat stiffly. He was roughly fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed casually. Despite the scorching sunlight, which made his skin a little dark and covered with fine sweat beads, his resemblance was quite handsome. He paid earnest attention, without blinking, to the tutor demonstration.
His name is Ye Xinghe, from Lanli Town in Tianzong City. He was the only person in the entire Lanli Town, who, through his own talent and hard work, got admitted to Tianxing Academy. Naturally, he greatly cherished such an opportunity.
At this moment, the young tutor continued to explain, "There are numerous Dragon Warriors, but they are not the strongest. The strongest are the Flame Warriors, masters of fire power. If it comes to close combat, a Flame Warrior might not be an opponent for a Dragon Warrior of the same rank. But a Flame Warrior can control the power of flames, possibly unleashing a powerful seal and directly defeating several Dragon Warriors of the same level."
"What about Star Warriors?" A clear voice of a young girl asked.
"Star Warriors cultivate the power of the stars. Everyone has their unique cultivation method. The power of the stars has many unique effects, like helping comrades heal from injuries, casting various body techniques, and so on. In ancient times, Star Warriors produced many strong individuals, some of who could move stars, alter destinies. But because many cultivation techniques did not survive, nowadays within Star Warriors, those who can cultivate to the nine heavenly realms are becoming fewer and fewer!" the young tutor said with a sigh.
Ye Xinghe clenched his fists slightly. Like the other students, he also underwent a round of testing at the time of admission. His physical constitution could only be a Star Warrior.
"Haha, it turns out that Star Warriors are just trash!" A young boy laughed provocatively. His physical constitution was tested as a Flame Warrior, and he felt quite proud.
Ye Xinghe's face burned with embarrassment. There were more than thirty people in the class, of which six have been found to have a Star Warrior constitution. Of those, five were girls, which made Ye Xinghe an object of ridicule. For a boy to become a Star Warrior, it is seen as a very embarrassing thing!
"But you can't say that. These three great martial arts traditions have been passed down to this day. Each kind of martial art is profound and far-reaching. Any kind of martial art cultivated to high-level realms can release an incredibly powerful force!" The young tutor's expression became extremely serious, and he said sternly, "If you mock Star Warriors, it means you are mocking the entire Star Warrior heritage!"
The boy who had insulted Star Warriors immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head, not daring to speak. Although he was not convinced, he understood the tutor's words. He couldn't be so reckless in his speech.
The young tutor continued, "There once was a powerful Star Warrior who reversed the stars, used the power of the stars to erect six pillars that reached the sky, and then destroyed an empire with one palm strike! The decline of the Star Warriors is not because their heritage is not strong; instead, there are no successors!"
Destroy an empire with a single palm strike!
My god, the power was so terrifying that all the students showed horrified expressions.
Ye Xinghe also couldn't help but reveal a longing look. Exactly how transcendent and unparalleled must such a being be?
"Since you started school, you have had one round of physical testing. In two hours, there will be a talent test. Prepare yourselves. I'll see how the talent testing arrangements are!" The young tutor said, indicating for the students to sit here, then turned and walked away.
Seeing the tutor leaving, the students remained seated and seemed to relax.
They began to observe each other, knowing that they would become classmates from now on.
A young man dressed in a white robe swept his cold gaze over all the students and spoke in an icy tone: "Today is our first day of school, so from now on we will be classmates. Among you all, there are those who come from various prominent families and those from various subordinate fiefs. No matter where you come from, you should understand one thing; all matters concerning this class from now on will be decided by me. Do you understand?"
His words stir up a buzz from the students.
"Who is this guy? Why is he so arrogant?" A student asked in a low voice.
"Don't you know him? His name is Liang Yu, the young master of the Dark Moon family from Tianzong City. The Dark Moon family is the second most influential family in the city. They own six towns around Tianzong city. Those who accompany him are all sons from noble families of Tianzong City!" Another student whispers.
Upon hearing these students' hushed conversations, a spark of anger flashed in Ye Xinghe's eyes. So, the guy in front was from the Dark Moon family!
Even though he was filled with hatred, he lowered his head, staying silent.
Blue Carp Town is a territory of the Dark Moon family, and the Blue Feather clan, where Ye Xinghe belongs to, is a subsidiary family of the Dark Moon family. In these territories, the Dark Moon family held incomparable privileges.
Ye Xinghe still remembered when he was only six years old, his aunt who just came of age, known throughout Blue Carp Town for her stunning beauty and kindness towards him, was taken away by the Dark Moon family. After being away for half a month, his aunt returned home only to hang herself.
Since Ye Xinghe began to understand, the Blue Feather clan had to pay heavy tributes to the Dark Moon family each year. In a year when the harvest was poor, after paying the tribute, there were barely any grains left. Twenty or so elderly people in the clan starved themselves to death in order to save food.
These are just a few of the countless instances of grievances, each like a blood debt carved into Ye Xinghe's heart, raw and unforgettable.
From a very young age, Ye Xinghe vowed to change the fate of his clansmen. Therefore, he diligently cultivated without a pause. Coupled with his innate talent, the entire Blue Feather clan poured all their resources into training him. Finally, they managed to send him to Tianxing Academy.
His arrival at Tianxing Academy was not only for his own dreams but also to carry the hopes and expectations of his entire clan.
