The Great Ruler

Chapter 236 - Demonic Dragon Palace

"Demonic Dragon Palace?"

Mu Chen frowned at Su Xuan's words, as he was unfamiliar with that name. Furthermore, he didn't remember offending some Demonic Dragon Palace on their way here. Right?

"Are they really from the Demonic Dragon Palace?" Guo Xiong and Li Qing's faces changed, going cold, "No wonder they had such a ruthless formation. So, it's them."

Su Xuan lightly nodded. "The ones who intercepted us earlier were two Heavenly Transform Stages and three Quasi-Heavenly Transform Stages. Not many forces within a thousand miles of the White Dragon Hillock are capable of sending out such a formation.

She smiled at the slightly frowning Mu Chen as she spoke. "You're new to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, so it's not strange that you don't know about the Demonic Dragon Palace. A few hundred years ago, one powerful force ruled the entire Northern Heavens Continent — the Demonic Dragon Palace."

"Are they stronger than the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy?" Mu Chen blanked as he considered the inconceivable.

"No. Even though our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy resided on the same continent, we never had any thoughts of ruling. We didn't meddle in the events that went on. That's why the Demonic Dragon Palace seized the opportunity to rise, and became the overlord of the Northern Heavens Continent."

Guo Xiong smiled, "However, the Demonic Dragon Palace wasn't satisfied, even after they became the overlord of the continent. The Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy at the center of the continent was a thorn in their side. They knew that they could only become true overlords by removing the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. They wanted to use the continent as their headquarters as they invade and attack other continents."

Mu Chen swept his tongue around his mouth. How ambitious of the Demonic Dragon Palace. Forget about ruling the Northern Heavens Continent, they actually dared to take action against the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

"As a result, the Demonic Dragon Palace began attacking the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy a few hundred years ago. That battle was truly world-shaking and countless experts fell. The entire continent was embroiled in battle."

Mu Chen seemed shaken. The strength of Demonic Dragon Palace was definitely frightening to be able to rule the entire Northern Heavens Continent. Meanwhile, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had contentedly and stably sat at the center of the Northern Heavens Continent for thousands of years. Their foundation was just as deep and unmeasurable.

The collision of such two forces would definitely result in devastating destruction.

"That battle carried on for years. In the end, Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy stood victorious, while the Demonic Dragon Palace withdrew in defeat, their might declined. Those forces that they'd once suppressed retaliating against them. The Demonic Dragon Palace's ruling seat had been utterly shattered."

Su Xuan stared at the corpses and said, "However, a centipede dies but never falls down. Even though the Demonic Dragon Palace was defeated, they weren't destroyed. They're still hiding out on the Northern Heavens Continent, recuperating, while they wait for an opportunity to arrive."

"Over the years, the students of our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy who've gone out for training would often encounter various attacks. Half of those are from the Demonic Dragon Palace."

"Every year, about half of the students who've died out on the Northern Heavens Continent were at the hands of the Demonic Dragon Palace."

Chill gathered on Su Xuan's sweet-tempered face as she spoke. She clearly, and bitterly, despised the Demonic Dragon Palace.

"Has the academy taken any measures?" Mu Chen asked with furrowed brows.

"You know that nothing is gentle after you leave the borders of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. At the same time, it serves as an experience — the only way you can become a true expert is by experiencing the need to kill for yourself. That's why they send students out to train. In this world, how could anyone grow stronger without paying a price?"

"Furthermore, our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's Mission Hall has a special board — the Bounty Board. All the names on it are well-famed, as many students who've left to train have died by their hands. That's why our academy issues bounties for them. Students who kill those bounty targets will be heavily rewarded."

"Bounty Board?" Mu Chen was confused. He'd never even heard of this board before. Clearly, only students whose strength have reached a certain level could gain the access to go after the terrible people on the Bounty Board.

"Each target on the Bounty Board is a ruthless figure, so much so that they're even known within the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. All of those missions are extremely dangerous and difficult; that's why they're known as the most painful missions of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy."

Guo Xiong stood to the side licking his lips. "What's engraved in my mind was the event that shook our entire Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. Back then, Shen Cangsheng had just come out of his seclusion and took on one of these bounty missions. Furthermore, the one he'd accepted was a Rank 3 of the Bounty Board, an extreme talent from the Demonic Dragon Palace — Blood Demon Dragon - Yu Yuan."

"Blood Demon Dragon, Yu Yuan…" Mu Chen muttered.

"This Yu Yuan was extremely powerful. Before this, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had sent out a party of twenty out for training, including two Heavenly Transform Stage Initial Phase upperclassmen. Even the worst among them was a Heavenly Fusion Stage Late Phase. Such formation is already formidable, but when they encountered Yu Yuan, only one Senior Sister escaped, protected by the others."

"After that, our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy attempted an unsuccessful hunt; two of the hunting party ended up killed instead, increasing Yu Yuan's fame. After that, no one else dared to accept his bounty mission."

Guo Xiong had an expression of admiration. "Until Shen Cangshen came along."

"Shen Cangshen still wasn't Rank 1 back then, only somewhere in the top 10 of the Heavenly Ranking. He often hid away by himself, but, that day, he came out of seclusion and exploded. With his spear, he soared to Rank 1 of the Heavenly Ranking."

"After that, while the student body was in shock, he accepted Yu Yuan's bounty mission. 10 days later, he returned with his spear over his shoulder and Yu Yuan's head on the end of it."

Guo Xiong's eyes boiled with excitement as he recalled the huge shock that'd brought to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

"Everyone had been dumbfounded as they raised their heads towards the war god returning with the spear on his shoulder. They were in extreme shock."

Mu Chen looked at Guo Xiong, whose eyes were still boiling and Li Qing, the ice beauty who seemed faraway at the moment. He could see that this Senior Brother, Shen Cangsheng, who he'd never met before, possessed an extremely high position in the eyes those students.

He was curious. How powerful was this legend-like figure? How strong was he compared to Li Xuantong?

"Shen Cangsheng is indeed a powerful individual," Su Xuan confirmed with a soft voice. "You could think of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy as a gathering place for geniuses. He Yao, Xu Huang, and the others are also fairly outstanding. There are many who've hidden themselves from the public, waiting for the day they amaze the world with a single brilliant feat and become powerful figures soaring to the heavens. Even still, no matter how outstanding they were, they still can't shake the Heavenly Ranking's peak, that majestic war god."

"Most of the targets on the Bounty Board are from the Demonic Dragon Palace. They're the only ones who'd try to kill our students by any means."

Su Xuan looked at Mu Chen, "Now you know about the blood feud between our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy and Demonic Dragon Palace?"

Mu Chen nodded. It seemed that this Demonic Dragon Palace shouldn't be underestimated. The Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy allowed this to happen was for the sake of their students' training, but also possibly because they had no way of pulling up the Demonic Dragon Palace by its roots.

"This time, it seems the Demonic Dragon Palace has noticed us." Su Xuan's charming facial features drew together. "As far as I know, the White Dragon Sovereign who fell here was once a high-ranking member of the Demonic Dragon Palace. However, he betrayed them. It's likely that the Demonic Dragon Palace sent their experts because of the appearance of this Sovereign Spirit Treasury. When the time comes… we'll have to be careful."

Mu Chen, Guo Xiong, Li Qing, and Su Xuan all nodded. They felt the inconvenience. It seemed that this mission wasn't going to be as easy to complete.

"We should move. We'll take advantage of nightfall and the fact that we've just thwarted the Demonic Dragon Palace. Best if we lose them completely." Su Xuan said.

None of them had any objections. They tried to tidy up the area, then headed deeper into the White Dragon Hillocks with increased vigilance.

…

Mu Chen's party headed deeper into the hillocks. Meanwhile, Bai Dong stood in the forest on a faraway slope, his color turning steel-grey.

"Trash, trash! Four pieces of trash! Heavenly Fusion Stage Late Phase strength and they couldn't even dispose of a girl who wasn't even a Heavenly Fusion Stage Late Phase and a Heavenly Fusion Stage Initial Phase boy!

Bai Dong look down at the four black-colored jade tokens in his hand, which was completely shattered. It showed that those four had already been killed.

The grey-robed elder stood next to Bai Dong, his expression bewildered. "How is this possible? How could the two of them kill four Demonic Dragon Guards?"

He was familiar with the strength of the Demonic Dragon Guards. Even he'd have to bide his time if he wanted to deal with the four them together. But now, a boy and a girl, still smelling of their mother's milk, kill them?

Bai Dong was so angry that he crushed the jade shards in the his hand. Then, he looked to the depths of the forest with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Inform my father. It looks like we don't need to worry about being exposed, anymore. As long as we obtain what's in the Spirit Treasury, we can withdraw from this place. But, before we leave, I want those irksome things exterminated!"