Chapter 662: Out of It
Translator: Irene_ Editor: X, TYZ
"… The victory at the Windy Pearl Bridge defensive line has many noteworthy details. The pagoda cannons were again greatly helpful. This type of new weapon has many flaws, but they also have advantages that other weapons don't provide. For example, they demand little from elementalists. According to our standards the elementalists in the Pagoda Cannon Alliance aren't considered elite, but they could still be as equally useful as a team of elites.. Plus, the pagoda cannon salvos were so powerful that they managed to directly shake up the God Wolf Division's head-on charge. We aren't able to forge heavy and expensive weapons like God-subduing Peaks. Pagoda cannons are fire elemental weapons, so can we produce a similar wood elemental weapon?"
"The Sword of Lightning's battle tactics are even more unique. Fleeing far away after missing a shot, they leave the enemy with no alternatives. It's said that this thing is called a Pinwheel Sword. It's fast as lightning and operates differently from the usual Fiery Floating Clouds and Three Leaves Bamboo Carts. It's not as effective for breaking up formations, but is the perfect vehicle for scouting and causing disturbances."
Quan Weide was crafty and profound, but had unique foresight. He had been observing the pagoda cannons for a long time, so everyone in the Lotus Command Hall was full of assurance and not at all frightened.
Dai Gang's expression was the same as usual as his gaze slowly scanned across the audience below, but his heart was unavoidably sighing.
Other than Yu Mingqiu and a few others who were engrossed in listening, the majority of the audience were lowering their heads in disinterest.
The Jadeite Forest was like a utopia, free from war and turmoil. Plus, with the persistent battle between Beyond Avalon and the God Nation, the Jadeite Forest's economy had been flourishing. Everyone was more concerned about how they could profit even further. The high influx of money did not go into training because wood elementalists lacked a sense of urgency. They knew that as long as Grandmaster Dai was alive, the Jadeite Forest would be safe and stable. Grandmaster Dai was in his prime, so for the next few decades, they had nothing to worry about.
This also led to the hedonistic way of life in the Jadeite Forest.
Grandmaster Dai had called for this assembly precisely because he was worried.
"Master's Glory was a huge success, and there was a total of 278 Masters produced. The world is starting to enter the era of Masters. The Ye family has control over Beyond Avalon, and even without the help of Ai Hui, Shi Xueman, and their comrades, it is no longer the case that they have no chance of winning against the Blood of God. Between the Sky Leaf Division and the six god divisions, it is still unclear which is stronger or weaker since they have yet to have a face off. However, it is important to note that the Masters in the Sky Leaf Division are much stronger than ordinary ones. So far, the Masters in the Sky Leaf Division have only had successful battles! It is clear that they have a palpable superiority, which is why people distinguish them as Sky Leaf Masters. According to our standards, no more than five of us in the entire Jadeite Forest are on par with Sky Leaf Masters.
The silence broke as everybody started fidgeting. They were obviously feeling indignant over this conclusion.
"Impossible! Only five in the entire Jadeite Forest? President Quan is threatening others' ambition and killing his own might."
"We have plenty of powerful experts, and there are countless of talents in each family. What is Sky Leaf?!"
"I don't believe it either. According to President Quan's logic, wouldn't it be effortless for the Ye family to destroy us? Then why isn't she here yet?
"Hahaha…"
The audience burst into laughter along with all kinds of ridicule and mockery.
Yu Mingqiu smiled too. He was rather skeptical.
Suddenly, a soft sigh sounded from above, effectively ending the laughter. Everyone only now realized that they had been impudent before the Grandmaster. They quickly lowered their heads and kept quiet.
Grandmaster Dai started, "President Quan's words do seem a little exaggerated."
While lowering their heads, the audience couldn't help but smile a little.
Grandmaster Dai continued, "Five? That's wrong. Only three, to be exact."
The audience's smiles froze. Everyone found it hard to believe. A few people even stood up in the next moment. Even Yu Mingqiu and Lu Chen seemed shocked.
Grandmaster Dai extended his finger and pointed with a calm expression, "Other than Chen'er, Xiao Qiu, and myself, no one else is their match."
The whole hall fell into silence. It was only then that people realized it wasn't a joke. A white pallor slowly took over their complexions.
Grandmaster Dai sighed. "It is not just everyone else, but I, too, have underestimated Madam Ye. There are indeed supernatural abilities involved in Master's Glory. There's a blend of fusion elemental energy from the Assembly of Patriarchs, blood refinement methods from the Beast Venom Palace, and even some ideas from my own [Lotus Chiropractic Technique]. Masters who managed to survive were reborn with all five elements and five elemental rings. Assembly of Patriarchs has come up with the concept of five elemental rings a very long time and that's why they created the fusion elemental energy. I didn't expect Madam Ye to succeed."
Those listening stared blankly into space. Only Yu Mingqiu and Lu Chen's faces changed. This was because they knew what it meant to bind the five elemental energy rings.
It meant that becoming a Grandmaster was attainable.
Prior to Dai Gang and the Holy Emperor, elementalists who could bind the five elemental energy rings were the cream of the crop.
Dai Gang added, "But Master's Glory isn't without its flaws. While the Masters they produce are extraordinary, it is difficult for them to improve further."
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, but quickly realized that this fact made no difference. How terrifying would a combat division made up of members at Yu Mingqiu's level be?!
Someone shouted, "But they're not Grandmasters! Why do we need to worry when we have Grandmaster Dai around?"
Immediately, the atmosphere loosened up.
Yeah, Grandmaster is around. No matter how powerful the Sky Leaf Division is, they're no match for him. Plus, Sky Leaf Masters can not improve further, but Lu Chen and Yu Mingqiu have this potential. The situation isn't that bad.
Yu Mingqiu suddenly recalled the blazing fireball from earlier, vaguely understanding the reason behind this assembly. His face changed.
Dai Gang smiled. "That is another problem, and we'll talk about it later. President Quan, please continue."
Quan Weide bowed. "Yes."
Quan Weide found it hard to remain calm. Even though he was the one who made that judgment, Grandmaster Dai had spoken very frankly, revealing that the situation was worse than he had imagined. His heart sank.
Inhaling a deep breath, he recalibrated his state of mind and continued.
"Beyond Avalon is in disarray and so is the Blood of God. Shi Beihai had launched a surprise counterattack and severely injure Ye Baiyi. The Heart of God, bestowed by the Holy Emperor, is an extraordinary object. The Beast Venom Temple's master, Nangong Wulian, personally implanted this heart for Ye Baiyi."
Someone asked, "What is the Heart of God?"
Quan Weide shook his head. "I have no idea, but I have heard that it is like the heart of a dragon and astoundingly mighty."
Yu Mingqiu noted that Teacher's expression was unusual. Most wouldn't be able to notice this, but being meticulous and familiar with Teacher, Yu Mingqiu understood that this sentence meant a lot to Teacher.
What was the Heart of God? Something that even Teacher paid attention to?
He looked over at his Senior and was given a look that said, "We'll talk later."
Quan Weide raised his voice in excitement, "Who knew! The Dread and Judgment divisions conducted a long distance surprise raid, charged into the enemy's rear camp, and kidnapped both Ye Baiyi and Nangong Wulian!"
The crowd cheered as everyone was unable to contain their joy.
"Great! The three central divisions are flawless!"
"The Dread and Judgment divisions converted shame into bravery and achieved a huge merit. The story of this battle is sure to last forever!"
"Ye Baiyi, the traitor… If I had been there, I would've cut him into pieces!"
...
Yu Mingqiu looked happy as well. Yei Baiyi and Nangong Wulian were without a doubt crucial figures within the Blood of God. One was the number one military commander in the God Nation, while the other was responsible for an even wider scope of activity. Losing them was an extremely major blow for the Blood of God.
Although the Jadeite Forest and the Blood of God had long since reached a cease fire, the Jadeite Forest had been a part of the Avalon of Five Elements after all. Everyone in the Jadeite Forest sympathized with Beyond Avalon and felt resentful toward blood elementalists.
When Yu Mingqiu caught a glimpse of Teacher out of the corner of his eye, he was stunned.
He thought he had seen wrongly.
Teacher's finger was trembling slightly.
How could a Grandmaster's finger tremble? Even if the Holy Emperor were to appear right now, Dai Gang's finger wouldn't be shaking the slightest! Yu Mingqiu's mind went blank. Shortly after he regained his senses and realized that he had not made a mistake.
This was the first time that Teacher was so out of it.
No powerful expert in this world could make Teacher act like this!
A premonition rose in Yu Mingqiu's chest.
"Where are the two of them?" Dai Gang's voice rang once again, silencing the hall.
Yu Mingqiu was even more certain now. Teacher's voice always sounded calm, but now it carried a tinge of anxiety. Yu Mingqiu couldn't help but look at Lu Chen. Lu Chen's expression changed, as if having a revelation.
Did he know something?
Yu Mingqiu wanted to open his mouth, but knew that it wasn't the right time. He racked his brain, trying hard to recall.
When had Teacher ever displayed such unusual behavior…
Quan Weide reported, "No news thus far. The Holy Emperor bestowed a sacred artifact to She Yu, ordering her to rescue Ye Baiyi and Nangong Wulian. Madam Ye was aware of this and sent the Sky Leaf Division out to battle. Ximen Caijue and Wan Shenwei's corpses have been found and both of their combat divisions have been destroyed. There's still no news about the Blood of God's successful rescue. Wan Shenwei and Ximen Caijue are both resilient individuals. They would've gotten rid of Ye Baiyi and Nangong Wulian if they had no chance of winning. As such, I'm guessing that the captives might already be dead."
The hall was instantly filled with sorrowful sighs.
"The Dread and Judgment divisions are heroic!"
"They've died an honorable death!"
...
Yu Mingqiu noticed that Teacher's expression was off. He could smell an aura of dejection and defeat and was shocked when he saw a strand of white hair surfacing on Teacher's head.
He recalled the other times that Teacher had been so out of it. His mind went completely blank as an indescribable image invaded his thoughts.
Teacher's room.
A wordless wooden plate.
Yu Mingqiu's eyes opened wide as his face changed.
Could it be… perhaps…
Beside him, the same paleness was reflected in the similarly intelligent Lu Chen's face. He had a look of disbelief as well.
Suddenly, a jade-colored king lotus leaf started to wither at its edge. Wisps of white mist rose from the trickling water as the water suddenly stopped dripping.
A ball of flames rose from the lotus flower in the pond, turning it into ashes together with its stem.
A destructive and terrifying aura enveloped the whole Palace of Origin.