Chapter 291: Heavenly Dao Academy
“The Realm God from the legends?” Chi Xiaodie, who was standing to the side, had been listening to the conversation and couldn’t help but exclaim. She had heard of a few legends regarding the academy’s Divine Beast Protector.
It had always been mysterious. Rumor has it that it had lived for a very long time, but the world had not seen the Divine Beast Protector for tens of millions of years.
Some people even speculated that there was no such existence and it was only a rumor deliberately spread by the academy.
“Yes, the Realm God.” When talking about the Divine Beast Protector of the academy, even the casual Old Daoist Peng became serious: “My old little brothers said that the Realm God has recently become unstable.”
Li Qiye gently shook his head and said: “Your Heavenly Dao Academy has opened several portals, and the Realm God should have left already. It has stayed in this world for too long when it should have returned to ashes. Unfortunately, your academy from generation to generation has always been reluctant and kept on keeping it here.”
Little Autumn couldn’t help but admire as it spoke with grandiloquence: “Realm God ah, I have heard of this tale already. Oh grandmother, hehe, in the future, I want to be such a character. One thought to open a myriad of domains, one thought to become the heavenly world! No, I want to surpass it, hehe, to become a real spatial god. Just wait, in the future, I will be an Immortal Emperor of space.”
Li Qiye squinted at him and said: “Someone like you who only eats and sleeps will become an Immortal Emperor? What will you do to realize this grand dream? If you want to become an Immortal Emperor, then first refine your own realm! When your realm can’t even turn into a world, do not talk about becoming an Immortal Emperor!”
“Heh, Young Noble, how could this insignificant underling compete with you for the Immortal Emperor position? Becoming a True God is enough for me, there is no need to be an Immortal Emperor. Young Noble is the real chosen one; if you can’t become an Immortal Emperor, then no one else in the world is qualified to become one!” Little Autumn became scared by Li Qiye’s glance so he immediately replied with flattery.
“My two bosses ah, if my little brothers cannot stabilize the Realm God, then I’m afraid it will disappear just like the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect’s Calamity God.” Old Daoist Peng couldn’t help but murmur.
“The Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect has the Calamity God and the Heavenly Dao Academy has the Realm God; both are referred to as grand gods, but which one is stronger?” Chi Xiaodie couldn’t help but ask while standing to the side. As a part of the ancient past, she had heard of their tales when she was younger. She didn’t expect that there would be a day to discuss such matters in close proximity.
“This… No, it’s very hard to say, I really can’t tell you the answer.” Old Daoist Peng shook his head and laughed, “ha ha.”
Li Qiye then replied: “This is dependent on the location. If it is inside the Heavenly Dao Academy, then the Realm God has his heaven and earth vein. It was born in this place, and this was the place where it became a god. It is firmly rooted in this earth so this earth is for its usage. When it defends the academy, it could repel all enemies. As long as it doesn’t leave the academy and remains rooted in this location, then even an Immortal Emperor would not necessarily be able to force his way in. If it leaves the academy, then it will be harder to say. In the end, its vitality has weakened; it will surely be at a big disadvantage when fighting against the Calamity God.”
“It is strong to this degree?” Chi Xiaodie couldn’t help but become surprised. Even an Immortal Emperor could not siege it successfully — how frightening was this?
Li Qiye glanced at her and continued: “The academy standing strong for such a long time until now is not without reason. Not to mention, the Realm God’s origin is heaven-frightening; it is not something that you can imagine! Unfortunately, it is affected by the academy. Its success is because of the academy, but its defeat will also be because of the academy. If it left the academy at a young age, then it surely would have carried the Heaven’s Will to become a great Immortal Emperor!”
“The Realm God stayed in the academy at a young age, and all the elders exerted all of their efforts to groom it so it considered the academy as its home. It is understandable that it didn’t want to leave.” Old Daoist Peng smilingly said.
Li Qiye glared at him and said: “It is your academy that does not want it to leave! For millions of years, it blocked so many difficult tribulations for the Heavenly Dao Academy. Even though the academy has made great contributions to the human race, one cannot deny the merits of the Realm God.”
“That, that is of course true.” Old Daoist Peng wryly smiled and said.
“In the end, what belongs to the earth will return to the earth. The Realm God has lived for long enough and it will one day leave. No one is immortal in this world; the same goes for Immortal Emperors and undying existences.” Li Qiye slowly said.
After hearing this, Old Daoist Peng became dejected as he gently sighed. He understood this rationality, but the elders of the academy also understood. They only wanted to keep the Realm God in the past and they expended a countless amount of blood and sweat to prolong its lifespan! But no matter what, it will leave one day.
“I want to go to your Heavenly Dao Academy.” In the end, Li Qiye said: “Your heaven and earth vein has recently been fluctuating too violently. This is very strange, and it is difficult to tell where the portal will open this time so I have to go and see for myself. I need to see your ancestral ground that is channeling the heaven and earth vein to clearly understand this new strange development.”
“Good—” Old Daoist Peng hurriedly said: “I will tell my old little brothers to arrange it for you.” He was very willing to see Li Qiye enter the academy since Li Qiye was unfathomable. Maybe he will grant the academy a new opportunity.
“No.” Li Qiye pondered for a moment and said: “We’ll do it like this; I will just enter the Grand Era Hall.”
“Do you want to let the Progenitor know?” Old Daoist Peng couldn’t help but ask. In fact, he wanted to know Li Qiye’s identity and why Li Qiye knew their Progenitor! Unless Li Qiye was a descendant of their Progenitor’s old acquaintance, this would be an impossible matter.
“No.” Li Qiye shook his head and declined: “There is no need to alarm others, I simply want to see the situation of the heaven and earth vein.” Having said this, his heart couldn’t help but lament with a soft sigh.
Meeting the Progenitor? They might as well not meet. At the moment, he didn’t want to see Ma Gu. It was too long ago; matters of the past have been covered with a layer of dust, so why the need to see each other again?
Old Daoist Peng didn’t force the matter; he nodded his head and said: “Then I will let Little Le arrange it for you. This brat is our Heavenly Dao Academy’s most excellent young prodigy. This brat’s nature and temperament are quite excellent and he’s absolutely worthy of being groomed.” At this point, he inadvertently or purposefully looked at Chi Xiaodie, who was standing a bit to the side.
Li Qiye smiled and didn’t say anything about this implication. He then told Chi Xiaodie: “Clean up a bit. Tomorrow, we will go to the Heavenly Dao Academy.”
On the second day, Li Qiye left the temple with Little Autumn and Chi Xiaodie. Although the old daoist didn’t leave the Lastingness Courtyard, he arranged everything for Li Qiye’s entrance to the academy.
But before their departure, Chi Xiaodie didn’t want to leave this old temple; she stared at the statue of her ancestor. There were too many unknown secrets in this temple, and she hadn’t figured all of them out.
To her, the time spent in this temple had changed her greatly, including her attitude and knowledge. One could say that this temple opened a new door for her and exposed her to the real grand dao!
Before this event, she was an arrogant canary, the princess of the Lion’s Roar Country. No matter how modest she portrayed herself, deep in her bones remained an innate arrogance from being a golden daughter. But at this moment of departure, she was only a devout cultivator who managed to constrain her pride within; she was someone who was willing to stay next to Li Qiye with sincerity.
Before, she only glanced at a tiny corner of the grand dao, but after following Li Qiye, she finally saw the grand dao and embarked on the journey towards the supreme path!
“Come, you can come back whenever you want later.” Li Qiye glanced and said towards Chi Xiaodie, who was unwilling to depart.
She took a deep breath and bowed down to her ancestor before leaving with Li Qiye.
Heavenly Dao Academy — an ancient and towering heritage; the human race’s oldest heritage. People said that the grand dao of the human race had two origins; one was the War God Temple and the other was the Heavenly Dao Academy. Its origin was ancient to the point of being untraceable.
One could only understand the academy’s majesticity when standing in front of its doors. Countless divine mountains and giant palaces were present; they towered all the way to the sky to gaze at the heavens. The highest place was surrounded by stars as if it was its own separate world. Amongst the giant mountains, there was a divine bridge that spanned ten thousand miles from one corner of the sky to another…
Inside the academy were divine cranes flying in the sky with flood dragons riding the clouds alongside other auspicious animals… Standing outside the academy made other people question its name; how could this just be an academy? It was more like its own separate world. Heavenly Dao World would be a more appropriate title.
Chi Xiaodie couldn’t help but stare in awe at the academy’s boundless majesticity. The western border was only a corner of the academy — a very desolate and unnoticeable area!
The moment they set foot before the gate, they could see a giant monolith. It was more accurate to call it a giant stone rampart rather than an ancient monument. There were many names engraved on this monolith; some resembled silver hooks and steel strokes written in a calligraphic style while others bore the dragon and serpent style. However, there were also those with the simplistic ink splashing art… 1
Immortal Emperor Fei Yang, Immortal Emperor Hao Hai, Immortal Emperor Ta Kong, Lion Monarch Ba Xian, Martial God, Saber Ancestor… All of these were extraordinary characters and their famous names were carved on this monolith.
All of them were the most excellent students who came out of the academy. Unless one achieves a certain level of invincibility, they would not be able to come back and leave behind their names on this monolith!
1. Silver hook style: The tip of the brush is exposed where it is lifted from the paper, leaving a distinctive hook — hence the description “silver hooks and steel strokes” for his calligraphy.
A continuous cursive force permeates the entire piece. The brush skirts up, down, left, and right as it speeds across the paper. With the crescendo and accelerando of the brush motion, viewers may imagine the brush as if it were a sword, or an arrow, or a group of musical notes, revealing varying speeds and feelings. This ink splashing style is from the Tang Dynasty.