Chapter 492: The Dragon Demon's Brutality

"This..."

When the Dragon Demon Daoist posed this question, not only Han Han Chuijun in the back row—even Li Yuan was somewhat dumbfounded, his mind momentarily unable to catch up, racking his brains to recall.

"You..."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang only felt a tightness in his chest, then fury surged up and dyed his eyes red. He clenched his teeth tightly as his true Qi and blood qi burned and boiled violently:

"Old beast, are you toying with me?!"

In that instant, Chi Chi Zhuiyang almost self-destructively drove the qi and blood and true Qi he had cultivated all his life. His Azure Dragon armor let out 'crack crack' sounds, and behind him flames seemed to surge as the Azure Dragon roared.

He was furious to the extreme, unable to suppress it even if he tried.

He could almost be certain that the old fellow on the lecture platform was deliberately targeting him!

Yet his shocked fury and struggling were tightly bound at the surface of his body. The struggle of a supreme-grade divine weapon and a peak Grandmaster could not penetrate even a foot outward.

Seeing this scene, Li Yuan and Han Han Chuijun grew increasingly terrified in their hearts. The Jingping Office Chief, who had been watching all along, saw this and could not help but twitch his facial skin.

"Deserves a beating!"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang's fury lasted only an instant before vanishing like smoke along with the fall of that ruler.

Under the gaze of the three in the schoolroom and Qin Li Shixian and the other person spying from outside the light and shadow, Chi Chi Zhuiyang—eyes wide with rage, screaming at the top of his lungs—burst apart entirely in a single strike.

There was no flesh and blood flying; instead, he exploded into a cloud of blood mist!

"Ah!"

The shrill scream only echoed out half a beat later.

In just this one instant, the second-ranked person on the Heroes List was beaten to death right at his seat. Apart from the lingering scent of blood in the air, not the slightest trace of him remained.

"H-he's dead, just like that?!"

In the deathly silent schoolroom, even Li Yuan and the other person, who had been pondering how to kill Chi Chi Zhuiyang, cried out in horror.

The Jingping Office Chief, separated by only one seat, could not help but shudder in his spirit, sensing an immense terrifying aura.

In that instant, he finally gained a true understanding of the records about the Dragon Demon Daoist in the ancient texts.

"Martial arts reaching the divine, a man like a demon!"

H-he's dead, just like that?!

Amid the curling incense, Qin Li Shixian, who saw this scene, also felt a chill of dread.

This was the second on the Heroes List, the peak Grandmaster who at the time was closest to the He Yi Jing...

"Many years ago, he had been spying on the Ancestral Hall. I blocked him several times, yet he only assumed I was harboring selfish motives..."

Qin Yun put his hands behind his back, turned, and paced:

"Now, it has fulfilled his wishes entirely."

"The Ancestor, he..."

Qin Li Shixian felt a chill in his heart.

"Keep watching. If something seems wrong, bring them out."

Qin Yun sighed, turned, and sat cross-legged amid the curling incense.

Qin Li Shixian swept a sidelong glance and could faintly see the shadow of an Azure Dragon in raging flames flash by, enveloped within a great sun spirit image.

In the schoolroom, Chi Chi Zhuiyang's traces quickly dissipated, yet the remaining few were speechless for a long time.

"I was careless."

Li Yuan's heart was somewhat pounding. He felt he had been somewhat rash—the inheritance left by the Dragon Demon Daoist was this dangerous.

But naturally there was no time for regret now. He could only silently switch his palm control. If things went wrong as he anticipated and the Star-Picking Tower Master was not spying outside, he would have to prepare to take out the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer to fight for his life.

Li Yuan, who had not been called on even once, was extremely tense. Seeing Chi Chi Zhuiyang die here, the Jingping Office Chief, who had less than two feet left, could no longer sit still either.

When that old gentleman's gaze fell upon him, he finally could not remain silent and spoke in a deep voice:

"Who exactly are you?"

Hmm~

As he spoke, the Jingping Office Chief's entire body also erupted with dazzling red-gold light, and sharp sword light continuously flickered in and out, seemingly colliding with an invisible restraint.

His struggling was far more violent than Chi Chi Zhuiyang's, and the entire schoolroom rumbled and trembled.

But in only an instant, his struggling too had been suppressed.

Yet the Jingping Office Chief was far calmer than Chi Chi Zhuiyang, merely staring coldly at that old gentleman:

"Are you Qin Yun?"

The Dragon Demon Daoist had long since perished. Even if the incense worship preserved his will to this day, it could only leave a few instinctive obsessions—it was absolutely impossible for him to suppress him to such a degree.

Even if Qin Li Shixian were still here, he absolutely had no such means. Only Qin Yun could fully activate the Eight Directions Tower!

"Who am I?"

On the lecture platform, the old gentleman lightly raised his ruler. With a 'smack' it fell, blasting the Jingping Office Chief's spirit image into a sheet of mist:

"When asking the teacher a question, one must perform the questioning courtesy."

The ruler rose and fell lightly. In just two strikes, the spirit images of a peak Grandmaster and a Yizunda Sect Grandmaster were beaten out on the spot, without the slightest power to resist!

'This is bad!'

The remaining master and disciple exchanged a glance. Li Yuan inwardly groaned. Even through the mask, he seemed to be able to see the cold sweat on Old Han's forehead.

'I'm next.'

Han Han Chuijun's brows were tightly furrowed. This manner of death was truly too unsightly.

"The Ancestor's killing intent is far too heavy."

Outside the light and shadow, Qin Li Shixian clicked his tongue inwardly, yet had already raised his spirit, ready at any moment to bring the two people in the hall out.

Whoosh~

A brief calm settled over the academy.

But soon, the old master on the lectern looked over again. This time, without Chi Chi Zhuiyang and the other, his gaze naturally drifted between Li Yuan and Han Han Chuijun.

Catching from his peripheral vision that Old Han seemed about to say something, Li Yuan hurriedly bowed and performed the asking-ritual:

"Master, this disciple has doubts in his heart. I beg you, sir, to dispel them."

"You…"

Han Han Chuijun's face changed. He instinctively wanted to struggle, but in an instant he froze again.

As Li Yuan bowed and asked, the old master on the lectern did not raise the ferule, but calmly spoke:

"Ask."

As expected, there were rules.

Li Yuan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. What kind of academy only lets the teacher ask questions and forbids the students from inquiring?

This rule wasn't hard to guess; he just hadn't dared to ask casually. After all, Chi Chi Zhuiyang's wailing had been earth-shatteringly loud — taking a strike of the ferule would simply not be worth it.

But now it was different.

Compared to Old Han, his own situation was far better. Following the rule of one strike demoting you one seat, he could afford to be wrong seven or eight times. Old Han, though, was in the second-to-last row.

'Ask a few questions to stall, to deepen what I just memorized…'

With that thought turning in his mind, Li Yuan bowed and inquired:

"May I ask, Master — what exactly is the Eight Directions Temple you mentioned? How does one enter it? And what are the benefits of entering? Why do so many people cling to such an obsession with it?"

To stall for time, naturally one had to pick the hardest questions.

"The Eight Directions Temple — a marvel of the universe."

The old master paced on the lectern and answered:

"What is a 'marvel'? Mountains and rivers are marvels. Clouds and seas are marvels. What makes a marvel 'strange'? That which differs from the ordinary is called strange. The convergence of thunder and fire is strange. The meeting of water and fire is strange…"

Answering his disciples' questions, the Long Mo Daoist had lost that casual, invisible killing cruelty, and instead appeared exceedingly refined and gentle.

As he spoke, the corner of his mouth even bore a faint, mild smile — a smile that made both master and disciple's hair stand on end:

"A strange marvel is like a forbidden ground; ordinary folk find it hard to enter and hard to leave. The Eight Directions Temple descended upon this realm, severing heaven from earth. The reason so many sages throughout the ages have sought it comes down to two words —

Longevity!"

Longevity!

The Long Mo Daoist spoke plainly. Li Yuan had heard similar words before and didn't think much of it, but Han Han Chuijun felt quite refreshed, even a little stirred:

"Can one gain longevity by entering the Eight Directions Temple?"

Not good!

The moment Old Han spoke, Li Yuan inwardly cried that things had taken a bad turn. The former also realized it at once, but it was already too late — before his voice had even landed, he caught sight of that ferule.

"……"

With a sharp *crack*, Han Han Chuijun felt his vision go black. It was as if a Shenshan had suddenly pressed down upon him, crushing from outside inward, grinding even his soul to dust.

Pain!

Too painful!

At this moment, Han Han Chuijun finally understood why Chi Chi Zhuiyang had been so pathetic — this simply surpassed the limits of endurance.

He bore it with all his might, yet still could not help but let out a muffled groan. Half of his steel-like teeth shattered on the spot.

"Too vicious…"

Seeing Old Han trembling all over, nearly about to collapse, Li Yuan couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

He knew Old Han far better than he knew Chi Chi Zhuiyang — just how much pain must it take to make even him shake like this?

'It hurts me to death!'

After two strikes, Han Han Chuijun felt like a porcelain vase smashed to pieces. After three, he could no longer recall that Li Yuan was beside him, and a wail seeped out through his shattered teeth.

After five, he was sprawled across the desk, breath going out but none coming in. He felt that all the pain he had suffered in his life combined still could not match one ten-thousandth of today.

'That old bastard is too vicious!'

Li Yuan's teeth ached; he didn't dare look at all.

"When asking the teacher, one must perform the asking-ritual."

After five strikes, Old Han had gone silent. He had been beaten back to the very last row.

Returning to the lectern, the Long Mo Daoist looked at Li Yuan and regained his mildness:

"To enter the Eight Directions Temple, one must possess either a world-shaking talent, or a kingdom-toppling sacrifice. As for what lies within — first, longevity; second, the ability to break through the barriers of this realm."

"This disciple has learned."

Before speaking, Li Yuan first bowed and performed the ritual: "Master, this disciple still has doubts. I beg you, sir, to dispel them."

"Proceed."

He can still ask?

Li Yuan's heart eased, and he continued his inquiry:

"May I ask, Master — have you entered the Eight Directions Temple?"

"Hmm?"

Even Qin Li Shixian, who was spying from outside, couldn't help but perk up. She was beginning to admire this lad.

He really isn't afraid of the ferule.

"I passed the gate but did not enter."

The Long Mo Daoist paused slightly, looking toward the outside of the academy: "Perhaps, at this great sacrifice, I may enter the temple and see for myself."

'The Long Mo Daoist hasn't even entered the Eight Directions Temple? That's not right — he hadn't entered before the fall of the Great Zhou, but what about after?'

Li Yuan's thoughts churned. Just as he was about to ask again, there was no longer time.

The gaze of Dragon Demon Daoist still fell upon him:

"…What was written on that stele?"

It was exactly the question he had just asked Chi Chi Zhuiyang.

Hearing the question, Old Han in the back row couldn't help but look up—only this kid hadn't been beaten yet.

"Replying to the Master."

Li Yuan bowed first before speaking, his manners impeccable; he absolutely did not want to take a whip strike, and with this brief delay, he also roughly sorted through the things he had heard in a muddled way earlier.

"The Great Righteous Dynasty, its sixth emperor, Guang, in his youth, once saw heavenly fire like a waterfall, burning the mountain ranges; when he went to investigate, he saw a stone stele…"

As Li Yuan spoke, he suddenly paused, his expression becoming extraordinarily vivid.

He had only listened in a muddled way earlier; now, as he spoke, it had truly passed through his mind. After a slight pause, his eyelids were twitching wildly:

"On the stone stele, only five ancient characters remained…"

"'Does Heaven have two suns?'"