Chapter 1317: Academy Upheaval

Chapter 1317: Chapter 945: Academy Upheaval

Zhang Gaoqiu was a man of meticulous mind; his deep schemes could be called those of an old sly bastard. Upon hearing Chai Wenji’s words, he held the leaf-made map in his hand, a strange look flashing in his eyes. Now that his father had lost the Zhang Family Patriarch’s position, he himself had become a rootless duckweed, lost his usefulness. Even if this treasure were given to him, wanting to contend against Zhang Chen, who already controlled the Zhang Family, was utterly impossible. Since that was the case, this map could not be kept. Better to send it out and give it to the Third Prince, and then ask the Third Prince to avenge him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Gaoqiu turned his head to look at Chai Wenji: “This item is an important object my father had people deliver to me across a thousand miles even on the verge of death. There must be a great secret contained within. The Third Prince is currently contending for the Great Victory; if he can obtain the Creation indicated in this map, he will surely be like a tiger that’s grown wings. As long as the Third Prince is willing, after ascending the Great Victory, to help me take revenge, help me kill Zhang Chen and seize back control of the Zhang Family, I am willing to offer this treasure to the Third Prince.”

Hearing this, Chai Wenji’s eyes couldn’t help but light up. She could clearly see the importance of this item. A treasure map that could make Zhang Shenqi secretly investigate definitely wasn’t some ordinary treasure.

Her gaze flashed as she took the leaf into her hand: “Alright! I’ll agree on Third Brother’s behalf. As long as Third Brother ascends the Great Victory in the future, he’ll help you take back the Zhang Family.”

Inside the Academy

Ever since Zhang Chen had sent the treasure map out, he had been quietly waiting for news inside the Academy. After about seven or eight days, a noisy commotion suddenly came from afar. Zhang Chen’s ears twitched slightly, taking that cacophony entirely into his ears:

“Back then Zhang Shenqi got the target wrong. The direction indicated on that map was actually inside the Academy. Within the Academy lies a Two Realms Passage. That treasure must be related to the legendary New World; it surely contains inconceivable Creation. Pity that Zhang Shenqi’s fortune was shallow; he had no idea of the key within. Otherwise, if he had managed to excavate the treasure, his strength would definitely have risen another level. He might not have been overturned by that brat Zhang Chen.”

“Third Brother’s great fortune reaches the heavens; how could Zhang Shenqi compare?” The little princess Chai Wenji chimed in at the side.

“Hahaha, this treasure lies at the edge of the New World; it must be related to the New World. There may be clues to the New World within. If I can excavate it, perhaps in the future exploration of the New World I can occupy a huge advantage, thereby making Father look at me with new eyes and, riding the tide, ascend that supreme throne.” Chai Wenxin smiled proudly.

A group of people came rushing in a great clamor to the place where the Six Paths of Reincarnation were hidden. The Third Prince Chai Wenxin examined the surrounding mountains and rivers, then pointed at the void of this place and said: “In this void, treasure aura faintly gathers; an inconceivable power hides within. This must be the place of that treasure.”

“In the past when we passed by this place, we never noticed anything unusual here. But today, upon careful observation, we’ve detected some clues. There seems to be some strange, obscure power gathering in this void. If not for the map guiding us to observe closely, I’m afraid that even if we usually passed by here, we’d overlook the anomaly.” Zhang Gaoqiu followed up with a comment.

“Left and right Guardian Divine Spirits, strike at once and tear open the void. I want to see what inconceivable Creation is hidden in that treasure, and whether it’s related to the New World!” Chai Wenxin ordered the Guardian Divine Spirits at his sides.

Within the Kyoto realm, aside from the Divine Spirits enfeoffed by the court, no one could make a move under the suppression of Dragon Qi between Heaven and Earth. As for the Guardian Dao experts at the Prince’s side, they were arranged by the current Human King to guard the Princes, lest someone assassinate them.

From afar, Zhang Chen watched those two Guardian Divine Spirits. He saw Divine radiance circulating around them, brilliant light flashing—it turned out they were two Eighth Tier Divine Spirits. With the blessing of their Divine Power, even a Yang God expert might not be unable to fight them.

The two Guardian Divine Spirits, having received the order, circulated their Divine Power and directly launched an attack at the void where the Six Paths of Reincarnation were hidden.

As for whether the Third Prince causing such a great commotion inside the Academy would stir up some disturbance—that was inevitable. There were people coming and going in the Academy at all times. The Third Prince wanted to open the treasure; he couldn’t avoid this hurdle.

He only needed to block others from coming to share a slice of the pie, to win time for himself to explore the treasure, and the chance to gather all the treasures into his own hands. Once that was done, the matter would be settled.

With two Eighth Tier Divine Spirits blocking the entrance, if they wanted to stave off others’ prying eyes, they could still manage it for a short while.

“Open for me!”

As the two Divine Spirits unleashed their Divine Techniques, mighty Divine Power burst through the void, and that void began to twist gradually.

At this moment, in the secret chamber beneath the Academy, the Academy disciples who were in seclusion cultivation all felt that terrifying Divine Power coursing through Heaven and Earth. A trace of shock appeared in everyone’s eyes: “This is the Academy’s vital ground. Aside from the royal Divine Spirits, no one may wield Divine Techniques here. Why have the royal Divine Spirits made a move in this place? Could something have happened in the outside world?”

Thinking of this, scholars continuously emerged from the underground Academy, drilling toward the surface, wanting to see the source of this upheaval.

Outside

As the two Divine Spirits wielded their Divine Power, terrifying Divine Techniques rippled through Heaven and Earth, startling countless Divine Spirits and experts throughout Kyoto; one and all turned their gazes toward the direction from which that Divine Power fluctuated.

Inner Palace of Kyoto

The Human King was seated upright before his desk, reading memorials, a red brush in hand occasionally tracing light strokes as he reviewed the dispatches. With the eruption of Divine Power outside, his movements halted; he abruptly raised his head to look toward the doorway, his eyes filled with horror: “That aura… the aura of Reincarnation! That is the direction of Chongzheng Academy—the resting place of the Ancestors! Who has discovered the Zhang Family’s Land of Reincarnation!”

The Human King’s voice was laden with terror: “Attend me! Quickly, attend me! At once summon Dugu Qiu and three Twelfth-Tier deities to go and suppress it!” The Human King of Great Victory was panicked; who could have known that the Zhang Family actually possessed one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation? And moreover had used the Power of Reincarnation to seal the Ancestors, letting them slumber within Reincarnation?

How secret the Ancestors’ resting place was—if it were exposed, then before all the powers under Heaven, the Zhang Family’s hidden foundation would be stripped bare.

“A great calamity is about to erupt! Who did this? The Eight Great Clans? Or the Demon Race?” The Human King of Great Victory was somewhat unnerved.

Within the ancestral hall of the Zhang Family, countless memorial tablets were enshrined. An old man was holding a mop, slowly and methodically sweeping before the tablets. At the very instant the secret within Chongzheng Academy was triggered, the old man’s motion of sweeping dust halted; he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes gazing into the distance, his pupils filled with indescribable horror: “The lair has been discovered? Who possesses such great ability? By rights, placing the Zhang Family’s lair within the Academy, borrowing the Academy’s Vast Righteous Qi and Qi of Feng Shui to conceal the Zhang Family lair’s Qi Mechanism, and with the various Powers of the Strange intermingling in the world’s Qi Mechanisms, no one should have been able to discover the hidden truth within. Yet it has still been found? Who has such capability?”

A trace of disbelief flashed in the old man’s eyes; then he tossed aside the mop and strode swiftly toward the door.

Outside the Imperial City

The present-generation Ancestor of the Zhang Family, Zhang Shenqi, was playing chess with the Peacock Ancestor. Suddenly his hand, poised to place a piece, froze; he sharply turned his head toward Kyoto, an expression of incredulity in his gaze: “Not good, something has changed within Kyoto—my Zhang Family’s lair has been discovered.”

Zhang Shenqi held the Demon-Revealing Mirror in his hand, about to turn into a stream of light and depart, when he saw the Peacock Ancestor extend his palm, five-colored radiance flowing in the void: “Daoist friend, where are you going? Better stay here and accompany me in finishing this game before we speak of anything else.”

“You bastard, get out of my way!” Zhang Shenqi roused the Innate Spiritual Treasure Demon-Revealing Mirror; a ray of light shone toward the Peacock Ancestor, only to see the void around the Peacock Ancestor twist, his figure warping out of existence and evading the Mirror’s light. When he reappeared, he was already behind Zhang Shenqi: “A mere Demon-Revealing Mirror, how could it subdue me? Were it the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror instead, I might concede it three parts of my fear.”

In the span of a finger-snap, the two exchanged hundreds of moves without a clear victor; for a time they were locked in mutual entanglement, making it impossible for Zhang Shenqi to free himself to attend elsewhere.

Within the Academy

Zhang Chen watched as the two Divine Spirits manifested their means; in the next instant, the void was pierced open, revealing a deep, pitch-black dimensional world. The aura belonging to Reincarnation poured forth, and was directly captured by Zhang Chen.

“Just as I anticipated.” Zhang Chen murmured to himself; his figure flickered several times, the Invisibility Rune affixed to his body, and he had already arrived first to stand at the gateway, carefully sensing the aura within.

“There are actually the auras of dozens of people inside, yet their breaths are exceedingly ancient, exuding a decayed stench, as though they are using the power of Reincarnation to suppress their own Vitality, delaying their decline.” Zhang Chen, wielding Yama Authority, perceived the Qi Mechanism within in but an instant.

“Judging by this aura, there is no Innate Power—it should not be Innate Spirits, nor Innate Divine, but rather Acquired cultivators. Could they all be those old fellows of the Great Victory royal clan, quietly lurking here in slumber?” Thoughts flickered through Zhang Chen’s heart, and a rough conjecture had already formed within him.

Just then, those two Divine Spirits, carrying along the Third Prince and his entourage, had already flown to the entrance of the spatial secret realm, coming to stand beside Zhang Chen—yet they remained entirely unaware of Zhang Chen, though he was but a step away.

“It’s so dim and murky inside; who knows what is concealed within.” The Third Prince stood at the threshold, surveying the pitch-dark secret realm, and voiced his complaint.

Meanwhile, Zhang Gaoqiu at his side was visibly agitated, his body trembling without cease: “Your Highness, it is the aura of the Six Paths of Reincarnation! Within this place, the Six Paths of Reincarnation are hidden!”

“What? Hidden within is the Six Paths of Reincarnation?” At these words, the Third Prince’s heart lurched with shock; his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at that lightless space: “You are not mistaken, are you?”

“Your Highness, the Zhang Family itself conceals one Path of Reincarnation. When I was young and awakened my Bloodline Power, I once sensed the Power of Reincarnation at close range—I could never misperceive it! Within, there must be one Path of Reincarnation hidden; there is absolutely no mistake!” Zhang Gaoqiu declared with absolute conviction.