The Demonic World I designed-Chapter 704 - 695: Choice (Part 1)

The news that the Four Holy Guard now belonged to the new Heavenly Master was so shocking that almost no one listened to the long history of the Heavenly Master Mansion the Old Celestial Master spoke of afterward.

Everyone’s minds were buzzing with the thought of this military power.

At this moment, not to mention those influential families, even the Emperor within the Imperial Palace changed his complexion upon hearing this news.

He had seen the powerful Four Holy Guard as soon as he entered the palace.

He had always wondered why Yundu, with such strength, had never been involved in the strife of the Central Plains for a thousand years. And now, with the Heavenly Master Mansion possessing this power, how did they plan to use it?

And to think they planned to give it away?

Had the old man gone mad?

Or could it be...

"What do you think the Zhang Family is really up to?" the Emperor asked while sitting in the main hall, somewhat puzzled.

"Perhaps it’s not that complicated..." King Xiang said indifferently, "The Zhang Family never intended to give up the position of Heavenly Master. The so-called Four Holy Army has always been reserved for them. The reason for this grand selection was to let all the Sorcerer Families realize anew the power of the Heavenly Master Mansion and to understand why the Heavenly Master Mansion could command all Sorcerer Families in the past. Power... must be demonstrated. I believe that’s the reason."

"The legendary King Xiang never resorts to schemes and deceit, but who would have thought you understand the human heart so well?" the Emperor said with a laugh.

"It’s not that I never use them, but that in most cases, they are simply useless."

"Then who do you think will be the new Heavenly Master after this great assembly?"

"I don’t know..." King Xiang replied indifferently, "I only know that if it isn’t someone from the Zhang Family, the Old Celestial Master will have the Four Holy Guard kill whoever pops up..."

"Hahahaha!" The Emperor burst into hearty laughter.

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"You do paint a rather dark picture of the Zhang Family."

Back at Honglu Temple, Chen Qing’s words were almost identical to King Xiang’s in the palace, which immediately provoked a round of teasing laughter from Shen Qi.

"I’m just imagining them to be somewhat normal," Chen Qing retorted with a curl of his lip, "but... I’m scared they’re abnormal..."

"Abnormal?" Shen Qi was stunned, "Wouldn’t abnormal be good? Maybe they really will give up the Four Holy Guard."

"That’s actually what I fear the most," Chen Qing said somberly, "Abnormal people, acting illogically—either they are truly mentally unstable, or they harbor a more terrifying secret. Either way, they are something I would rather not encounter. To be honest, the Heavenly Master Mansion has already revealed enough frightening capabilities; I really don’t want to see any more troublesome matters."

"So why did you ask Chen Ying to come?" Shen Qi couldn’t help asking.

As soon as Chen Qing returned, he used his divine abilities to notify Wei Gongcheng and instructed Chen Ying to come quickly.

"With such an enticing chip on the table, I couldn’t simply sit back and do nothing, right?" Chen Qing rolled his eyes, "Moreover, it’s good for that girl to see the world too. Now that a new era has arrived, it’s better to have a clear understanding of what the top forces’ subordinates are like and where one stands amongst them."

Shen Qi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, "That’s true. Those youngsters behind Chen Baifeng seem formidable, especially Chen Baifeng’s son, Chen Ye, right? I feel that his power may be no less than Chen Baifeng himself. I even sense... that I might not have the advantage if I were to face him."

"You would definitely lose against him," Chen Qing stated flatly.

"Am I that weak?" Shen Qi said, looking speechless.

"Dragon Transformation is an ancient shortcut that gives up some potential for the maximum development of current capabilities. If even an old man like you can’t keep up, then what’s the point of Dragon Palace Academy’s existence?"

Shen Qi: "....."

Who are you calling an old man?

"The bloodline fused by Shen Ye is extraordinary..." Chen Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. With his True Dragon Rank sense of smell, he detected a very special scent on the young man. If he wasn’t mistaken, that boy... must have fused with that bloodline.

How interesting, the Nanhai Dragon King actually deigned to give that to the Chen Family.

What exactly is he plotting?

"Are you letting Chen Ying come over as a representative for Jiangnan to participate in the contest?"

"Chen Ying is the dean, how could I let her compete so easily? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if she lost?" Chen Qing rolled his eyes, "Of course, it’s for the younger generation to take part."

"You’re joking, right?" Shen Qi was stunned, "When you say ’younger generation’, you’re not referring to the kids at the academy, are you? Do you realize who these participants are?"

"Of course I’m not joking, but you..." Chen Qing looked curiously at him, "Have you really not been paying attention to the progress of Dragon Palace Academy these past two years?"

"Eh?" Shen Qi was taken aback. In the past two years, apart from researching the foundational formations of Dragon Palace’s legacy, he had been playing chess and drinking with Wei Gongcheng and had not paid much attention to the newly established Dragon Palace Academy by Zi Yue.

"It seems you’ve indeed had too much free time lately," Chen Qing said with a smirk. "Take a good look, old man. The rate at which newcomers are rising is much faster than you imagine, in this era..."

Shen Qi: "......"

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"Father, is what the old Celestial Master said true?" Many ancient families from the Southern Sea were currently discussing today’s announced matters in a room within the Honglu Temple, warded by a barrier.

To be honest, at first, everyone wasn’t very concerned about this selection of the new Heavenly Master, but now it was different.

The Four Holy Guard...

This power was too tempting.

If a Sorcerer Family could control this power, that would indeed be an everlasting legacy!

"Since he promised it in front of all, he must deliver, but only if we can get our hands on it," Chen Baifeng said with a slight smile. "The old Celestial Master dares to offer such a reward because he has absolute confidence in his successor."

"That might not necessarily be up to him to decide!" Flames of golden ambition flickered in the eyes of several young heirs in the room.

Their Dragon Transformation left them cold to this so-called new generation Heavenly Master.

"Don’t be careless..." Chen Baifeng shook his head. "You’ve seen the power possessed by the Heavenly Master Mansion. I can’t see through the level of that Zhang Zhiyun. Let’s take it one step at a time; let’s first get through this initial round and grab the promised rewards."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Besides announcing the new Heavenly Master’s benefits today, the old Celestial Master also offered other substantial tokens of sincerity.

For instance... anyone who passed the first round would receive ten models of the Four Holy Guard.

This point alone had many families eagerly gearing up. The Four Holy Guard were created by techniques, and if they could be taken back home, they would be of immense value, a true treasure if they could be passed down through the family!

Guards nearly as strong as Yakshas were nothing short of a family’s divine protective artifact.

"Lord Father is right. There might be tricks in the future selections of the Heavenly Master, but they wouldn’t dare cheat openly in the first round. To ensure the continuity of the Heavenly Master’s assembly, they won’t renege easily."

Chen Baifeng, stroking his beard, nodded. His youngest son Chen Ye had not only an astonishing talent for techniques but also wasn’t lacking in emotional intelligence. If he could accomplish a great deed for the family this time, there would be no objections from his mother’s lineage to his succeeding as the heir, despite being from the secondary branch.

In a Sorcerer Family, though legitimacy mattered, talent ultimately held greater importance.

"What does Lord Chen think about the first round’s announcement?"

Today, the old Zhang Celestial Master had also declared the first round’s rules. In the selection of the new Heavenly Master, the four candidates would defend the Four Holy Gates of the Imperial Palace. Others would register to breach the gates. Those who succeeded in entering the Four Holy Gate and reaching the Zhenghe Hall would pass the round. If they could find the candidates along the way and defeat them, they could even replace them. The rule was simple and clear-cut, seemingly straightforward, but the selection had its twists.

Not all four candidates were from Tiandu; Chen Qing’s subordinate Zi Yue... was also one of the candidates.

"Speaking of which, could Chen Qing allow Zi Yue to cheat?" someone couldn’t help asking.

"In front of everyone under heaven, he surely cares about his reputation," Chen Baifeng laughed.

"What about us, then? How should we choose?" others from different families eagerly inquired.

"Well..." Chen Baifeng, caressing his beard, suddenly fell into hesitation. "From what we know now, the popular candidates Zhang Zhiyun and Murong Ziyi are likely the strongest from Yundu. Both the Zhang Family and the citizens of Yundu seem very confident in them. In contrast, the candidate from the Azure Dragon Gate, Zhang Xiaoyun, you’ve seen him, he doesn’t seem strong at all. The less likely it looks, the more likely it’s a trap."

"You mean..."

"I’m not quite certain either..." Chen Baifeng sighed. "The Heavenly Master Mansion is deliberately being enigmatic; it surely isn’t that simple. The gate guarded by Zhang Xiaoyun is not intended to give everyone a free pass; otherwise, everyone would choose that gate. If everyone could pass, would the Heavenly Master Mansion have enough Four Holy Guards to give away?"

"That’s also true..."

"But it’s also possible that they are just creating an illusion," Chen Baifeng shook his head with a rueful smile. "Who could be sure about these things? Ye’er, which gate would you like to challenge?"

"I want to test... the first popular candidate’s true worth!" Chen Ye spoke with high spirits. "The gate guarded by Zhang Xiaoyun seems to offer a great chance, but as my father said, it could turn out to be a huge pitfall. So why not be forthright? I will aim for the top popular candidate, and surely he can’t resort to any underhanded tactics, right?"

Chen Baifeng didn’t oppose but instead nodded. "This choice might not be bad. Honest and upright, even if you lose, it won’t tarnish the Chen Family’s reputation. What about the rest of you?"

The others exchanged looks, and like Chen Ye, several held great confidence, yet some showed hesitation on their faces.

Since Chen Ye had chosen Zhang Zhiyun’s gate, they naturally couldn’t pick the same; competing against each other would only decrease their chances, especially because they didn’t share the same confidence as Chen Ye and others.

"Lord Chen, what do you think about... the Vermilion Bird Gate?"

The Vermilion Bird Gate...

Chen Baifeng gave the younger generation of the other ancient families an odd look; the Vermilion Bird Gate... announced today, was the gate Zi Yue was defending.

These youngsters... truly did not seem to hold the past might of the Great Jin’s once premier sorcerer in high regard...

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦