Chapter 15 - The Dark & The Divine (2)

"So, those are the two Father asked us to investigate," a boy in a giant gold carriage surrounded by guards remarked. The crowd had gathered around them but kept a respectful distance of twenty feet, as anyone who came closer was killed without warning. There was no doubt that the son and niece of the emperor were inside.

"That boy is Guo Lin? He does seem strong, but his...little...brother is more powerful," a girl noted, hesitating as Guo Yang was actually taller than Guo Lin. "Guo Yang, right? Uncle said we needed to discover where he learned his techniques and pay respects to his master."

"That Guo Yang is rumored to be extremely cunning, almost devilish in his scheming. We won’t be able to uncover the truth ourselves, but someone else will," the boy said. "I hope both of them are strong enough to spar with me. I have to surpass my older brother and sister."

"Respects to the seniors," second-year students said, revering them, as most third-years were only at the initial stage of Spirit Forming. Only the children of wealthy and powerful clans could fight them, often relying on magical treasures, while Guo Lin and Guo Yang had none aside from the sword and spear they received after their awakening ritual.

"Big sis!" Guo Lin called as he and Guo Yang entered the classroom. The manticore shrunk to the size of an adult cat as it entered through the window, following its master's scent.

"You two saw the crowd?" Guo Mei asked, the light twisting around her before she noticed and pulled her spirit energy back inside.

"Don’t be so down, sister. You need to smile. I can’t be the only normal triplet," Guo Lin grinned.

"Says the only practitioner in history to fuse elements by himself," Guo Mei replied. "I’ll start smiling if I ever beat you and Yang in a duel."

"Or when you finally see a guy and remember you’re a girl," Guo Lin muttered, eliciting a few silent chuckles from nearby students who greeted him. Guo Lin was not arrogant despite his immense talent, making him the most approachable.

"You!" Guo Mei began, but Guo Yang appeared in front of her in a flash.

"Calm down," Guo Yang said, grabbing her wrist. Guo Mei paled as she felt him drain her spirit energy. The loss was too great, and her legs wobbled until she collapsed, slumped on the ground, too weak to gather her strength.

"I really hate that water practitioner art: the Coiling Spirit Drain Art. You literally grab the opponent and drain all the spirit energy from their blood," Guo Lin commented.

"It’s worse if a snake does it. After the energy is drained, the prey wouldn’t have the strength to resist and would be crushed to a suitable size for swallowing," Guo Yang added. "Not all practitioner arts need to hurt. Some are scarier and more effective in different situations. Don’t limit yourself to palm and fist techniques. Well, I’m the only one who can since I have my own unique arts."

"Ugh. She’s heavier than before," Guo Lin grumbled as he carried Guo Mei to a nearby seat. Guo Mei glared at him with rage.

"Alright, settle down!" a voice boomed as a man in his late twenties entered the room. "I’m Guan Hai, a retired imperial guard captain under His Majesty, Emperor Shen Wukong. The transfer students of Class 3-B will arrive shortly—ten of them, to be precise. The twenty of you are in my class because I personally requested to teach only the best this school has to offer."

"Teacher, what cultivation level are you at? Is it true imperial guards are at the Earth Mortal Stage?" asked Sun Yi, a boy with glasses who had been in Guo Yang’s first-year class.

"Of course. I’m at the late Earth Mortal stage. On this entire planet, the number of Sky Mortals can be counted on two hands, with only three publicly known to the cultivation world. One of them is the empress dowager, the matriarch of the empire, and the pillar of the Song Dynasty. Her presence alone prevents any other empire or nation from attacking our Pangu continent," Guan Hai said. "Once you reach the Earth Mortal Stage, your appearance reverts to your late twenties, and your lifespan not only extends but becomes indefinite."

"What will we do to prepare for the tournament? My father told me about it," Guo Lin asked.

"You will all compete to determine the top eight students in this school. Besides the top three receiving awards, the top eight will represent the school against nine other schools in a nationwide tournament. Tang City is just one of ten cities with imperial clan members. However, only this school will have a child of His Majesty in attendance," Guan Hai explained.

"What’s the purpose of this? It’s never happened before," Guo Yang asked.

"You must be the Spear Wraith, Guo Yang. Interesting. You’ve already reached the third level of cultivation: the Element Adept Stage. Well, the world is changing. Demons and devils are rising, invading human and magical beast lands. The next generations of the Pangu continent must be strong enough to endure the coming war," Guan Hai said. "In this world, strength is absolute power. Without it, you’ll die a dog’s death if an expert seeks you out. Weakness cannot be tolerated. The other classes will be filled with transfer students at the late Spirit Forming Stage. No doubt, they seek to enter the prince’s good graces. Be warned: both the prince and the emperor’s niece are also at the Element Adept Stage."

"I have to train harder. I need to be the best this year," Guo Lin gritted his teeth. "I can’t keep losing to Yang."

"How amusing. Looks like I can go a little harder this year," Guo Yang thought.

"Everyone, rise to greet the new students," Guan Hai instructed. The class stood, turning to face the door—everyone except Guo Yang, who yawned and stared out the window at the clouds. A boy and a girl entered first, spreading their spirit energy to sense the cultivation of the students in the room. Only one person blocked their spirit sense, and they turned toward Guo Yang.

"They’re at the Element Adept Stage. I couldn’t block their spirit sense," Guo Lin muttered, the others nodding in agreement. Suddenly, a giant snake emerged from inside Guo Yang’s jacket collar. It enlarged to a twenty-two-foot long, six-foot-thick serpent, hissing at the two newcomers, red vapor seeping from its mouth.

"Easy now. We’re trying not to accidentally kill anyone this year," Guo Yang said. The snake narrowed its eyes at the transfer students before returning to its tiny form and resting on Guo Yang’s desk.

"You must be the rumored Spear Wraith, Guo Yang. I’ve heard of you and your poison cultivation method. I understand you’re a spear master. We must exchange pointers sometime; I use dual swords," the boy said, while the girl stared at Guo Lin. "And you must be the Divine King, Guo Lin, the only practitioner in history to fuse elements without assistance. My father is very interested in your future."

At that moment, Guo Mei, having recovered her spirit energy, lunged at Guo Yang. Smirking, Guo Yang disappeared, reappearing behind her with his hand on the back of her head. She screamed as cold energy surged from his hand, and she collapsed, shivering violently as a dark energy began to emerge from her body. Before it could manifest, Guo Yang kicked her in the side, slamming her against the wall.

"Control your bloodlust. Has your training been for nothing?" Guo Yang asked as Guo Mei glared at him, realizing what had just happened.

"What just happened?" Guan Hai demanded, staring between them.

"Her control is unstable. It’s affected her personality too. She’s been like this for two years," Guo Yang shrugged, helping her to her feet.

"Are you trying to reveal your Yin Yang divine tattoo? Grow up and control your inferiority complex. Do you want to be imprisoned by the imperial clan?" Guo Yang conveyed to her through spirit sense, akin to telepathy.

"So," Guo Lin interrupted, breaking the tense silence. "Who are you guys?"

"I’m Shen Xiao, and this is my cousin, Shen Hua. As you’ve probably guessed, my father is the emperor of the Pangu continent. Nice to meet you," the blonde-haired boy smiled, while the orange-haired girl nodded in turn.