Chapter 162: Soar as dragons, sink as carps.
After Yao Jun's encounter with Zeleon, both he and Leylan continued on with their days, acting as if the entire day where Yao Jun had encountered Zeleon and spotted Old Shade had never happened. While Yao Jun was quietly cultivating in his room, the loud voice of Leylan brought him out of his cultivation state, an occurrence that had already become common to him.
“Brother Yao! Your weapon and armor are finished! You should have seen the look on the faces of our smiths when we told them about the size of the weapon and armor they had to forge, priceless.”
Leylan had a bright smile on his face as he walked towards the bed where Yao Jun was sitting. He removed a yellow ring from his finger, tossing it to Yao Jun as he started to explain with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“You can just keep the interspatial ring, I should have given you one earlier, but I ended up forgetting. Other than the weapon and armor, I have also placed ten Returning Breath Pills, you should immediately take on if you get injured. There is also a Fleeting Cloud talisman and a Striking Thunder talisman, both of which you must keep safe and not use unless your life is threatened.”
Yao Jun accepted the ring, giving it a short inspection before putting it on. With his God Gate, he had no real need for an interspatial ring, but as he wanted to keep his God Gate hidden, having an interspatial ring was necessary. He sunk his mind into the interspatial ring, quickly checking the contents.
With a slight move of his mind, he took out two strange talismans from the interspatial ring. The first talisman was made out of light blue jade and was a little smaller than his palm, the image of a lonely cloud engraved onto the talisman. The other talisman was made out of a type of murky yellow crystal and shaped like a small lightning bolt, this talisman was a little larger than Yao Jun's palm. Seeing Yao Jun take out the two talismans, Leylan quickly started to explain their function.
“The Fleeting Cloud talisman, once shattered and infused with Qi, will teleport you through space in the direction of your choosing. But you must remember, it will always teleport you 200 kilometers so you must keep an eye on your surroundings. The Striking Thunder talisman is an attack type talisman. Shattering it will unleash the energy stored within it, decimating everything in front of you. This talisman holds enough energy to produce an attack on the same level as a cultivator at the early stage of the 8th Xiantian Heaven, always keep it at hand.”
Both talismans had strong effects, but it was the Striking Thunder Talisman that caused Yao Jun to be shocked. Such a small crystal contained enough energy to release such a strong attack? At the same time he could not help but lament that he had not had such a talisman when he faced Yuan Shen and Qiao Xian Yi back on his own planet. Had he had such a talisman then, he would not have been forced to fight like he did, forcing both of them into a spatial rift.
Yao Jun gave a slight shake of his head, no point in thinking about such useless thoughts. He stored away the two talismans, taking out a white bracelet and a light green ring, looking at them with a curious gaze as Leylan started to explain their function.
“That bracelet is your armor, and the ring is your sword. They are fairly easy to activate, you simply input your Qi into them like this, and they will automatically turn into their active states. The armor has two very simple arrays, one to increase its defense, and one to allow it to rapidly repair itself once you fill it with your Qi. As long as you wear that armor, no one below the 5th Houtian Sky will be able to wound you.”
While he was talking, Leylan pulled Yao Jun down from the bed and put the white bracelet onto his wrist. Once Yao Jun input his Qi according to the instructions, a faint light was released from the bracelet, its form rapidly twisting and enlarging. After only a short few seconds, Yao Jun's entire body was covered in a pure white armor. There was a large spike growing out from his knees and elbows, the armor on his shoulders extended outwards, there were intricate leaf engravings all around the armor, and the helmet of the armor was delicately shaped into the form of a roaring lion, a large horn growing out from his forehead. Leylan could not see Yao Jun's eyebrows twitch, so he continued to explain.
“This sword also has two very simple arrays placed in it. One is an array that lets it repair itself when damaged, and the second one is a more offensive array. When you insert your Qi and thought into the array, it will start gathering up the surrounding wind and use it to form an invisible blade of wind at the tip of the sword. The more Qi you put into the array, the longer the blade of wind is.”
Once the sword was activated, the light green ring let out a faint glow and started to expand. The ring turned into a sword that was very similar to Yao Jun's own, a double edged sword whose blade was about 80 cm long. The entire sword was light green in color, the handle decorated with what seemed to be a crystal rose, and the blade itself engraved with the same leaf engravings that the armor was engraved with. After he finished explaining everything, Leylan looked at the armor clad Yao Jun with a smile that contained a mixture of pride and embarrassment.
“They are pretty cool, aren't they?”
Yao Jun removed the armor and the sword, turning them back into a bracelet and a ring. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the bracelet and ring, his voice halting slightly as he struggled to find the right words.
“They are certainly...special.”
If Yao Jun ignored how beautified and gaudy the armor and sword were, just looking at their effects, he would have to say that they were pretty decent. His own armor was about as good as this white armor, but it was far less gaudy. The sword he was rather interested in, as the extendable blade could end up being very useful during a battle.
Leylan shook his head, clearly knowing exactly what Yao Jun was thinking about the look of the armor and weapon. Seshio stepped forward, whispering something into Leylan's ear that caused his expression to turn serious.
“We can't really fault the smiths for falling into old habits, so I'll pretend that was a compliment. We have gotten word from Elder Sister, she will return in three days and then leave after two days. I must warn you now, my Elder Sister is a very direct and brash person, so try not to mince words or beat around the bush when you are around her.”
Leylan did not stick around any longer after speaking, leaving the room with hasty steps and a slightly solemn expression. Yao Jun watched him leave, and then returned to sitting with crossed legs on the bed. He would not be able to test the sword properly without a battle, so he decided to quietly cultivate while he waited for Diana to arrive.
On the morning of the third day, Leylan did not burst into the room like Yao Jun thought he would. He instead knocked on the door and waited for Yao Jun to come and open it. He gave a short greeting and took out some food from his interspatial ring, the two of them eating breakfast while chatting lightly. Once they finished breakfast, Leylan brought Yao Jun to meet Diana.
Leylan brought Yao Jun into the large courtyard, the courtyard that they had walked around for this last month as Leylan showed Yao Jun around. The place Leylan brought Yao Jun was a rather secluded part of the courtyard, tall weeping willows surrounding a small lake, a single green pavilion located at the shore of the lake. There were currently a few people, Gilberd being one of them, sitting within the pavilion, calmly chatting.
Leylan did not even need to point out who Diana was, Yao Jun could immediately point her out. There were several women within the pavilion, but one of them was clearly different from the others, having an aura very similar to the one Yao Jun had felt from Gilberd. She was a little over four meters tall and had a slim body that was clearly filled with muscles. She had short green hair and skin that was tanned dark.
She had the same elongated features as others from Leylan's race, but she also had some features that Yao Jun had not seen in others of Leylan's race. Her ears were longer, ending in slightly pointed tips, and there were light green scales growing up her neck and slightly onto her cheeks. And while her right eye was a normal green color, the sclera of her left eye was completely black, the pupil a light amber color. With Yao Jun and Leylan approaching the pavilion, the conversation died down, Diana turning towards him and looking at him with an appraising gaze.
“You are the one that Gil and Ley told me about, the one that I have to bring with me to join the Sprout Army?”
Diana's voice was surprisingly soft and feminine, but her words seemed to resound within ones head, almost echoing. Yao Jun did not know much about the World Tree clan army, but he knew that the recruits this time around were heading to the Sprout Army, so he gave a short nod of his head.
“That would be me, Yao Jun.”
After Yao Jun acknowledged her words, Diana stood up from her seat and walked out of the pavilion, walking to an open spot a short distance away from Yao Jun. She should have just returned home after a long absence, but she was still clad in a tight-fitting armor that seemed to be made out of a murky brown metal. After she stopped walking, she spoke shortly, turning towards the pavilion.
“Diana Grievin. I don't care what they have told you, there is no place for weaklings in my army. If you are too weak, bringing you will only be a burden on the rest of the army. Squad Captain Azemar.”
After her voice sounded out, one of the people in the pavilion hurriedly walked out. The person who walked out was a man who was almost four meters in height, had long brown hair, and light blue eyes. He only had a cultivation at the late stage of the 4th Houtian Sky and was clad in the coarse robes of the World Tree clan, so Yao Jun guessed that he might be someone like Zeleon, one who had already been chosen to join the army ahead of time.
Diana looked at the man, Azemar, for a short moment, before turning back towards Yao Jun. Her eyes were so calm that they bordered on indifference, her voice equally calm. She pointed to the man she had called out, and then took a few steps back to make room for the two.
“Your Qi can run out, your weapons and armor can shatter, even your laws can be negated. During such a battle, the only thing you can safely rely on is your own body and your instincts. 2 minutes, show me that you can resist his attacks for that long without using any Qi or weapons. If you can do that, then I will agree to bringing you along. If you cannot, then you can stay here.”
After Diana stepped back, Leylan seemed like he wanted to step forward and say something, his voice faltering slightly.
“Elder Sister...this...”
Diana merely glanced at Leylan for a short moment before ignoring him. Her eyes landed on Azemar, who had a slightly awkward look on his face as he looked at Yao Jun. Guessing what he was thinking, Diana spoke out once more, her voice serious.
“Squad Captain Azemar, our clan does not lack healing pills, so I don't want to see you pulling any punches. If you try to hold back because of the difference in cultivation, you will have to suffer ten lashes for each attack you have held back on.”
After hearing Diana's words, Azemar immediately straightened his back, a few drops of sweat appearing on his forehead. Just like Yao Jun guessed, he was someone who was already guaranteed to join the army. He had not yet participated in any battles, but he had already been warned about how terrifying the lashes that Diana could dish out were.
“Yes, Ma'am!”
Azemar took a single deep breath and then turned his gaze towards Yao Jun, his expression serious as he cupped his fists and gave a slight bow, politely introducing himself.
“Squad Captain Berthol Azemar, pleased to meet you.”
While Azemar was politely introducing himself, Yao Jun was wondering what the actual division of power in the World Tree clan was. Leylan was referred to as Young Master, so he should be the next leader of the clan, but neither Gilberd or Diana seemed to treat him with the standard respect. Diana even completely ignored him just now, but Leylan did nothing about it. Could the title of Young Master mean something different on this planet? Remembering where he was, Yao Jun quickly put away these thoughts, cupping his fists and returning the introduction.
“Yao Jun.”
After Yao Jun delivered his greeting, Azemar's eyes rapidly narrowed as he turned serious. His General had ordered him to not hold back, so how could he dare to do so? Without using any Qi, he dashed forward with grandiose steps, each step firmly digging into the earth. In only a short few moments, he arrived in front of Yao Jun and proceeded with his attack.
He gave a heavy stomp with his left foot, his right leg going into a kneeling position with a loud thud. He tucked his left fist close to his waist, spinning his right arm in a full circle and bringing it down upon Yao Jun's head like a hammer. Looking at his attack, Yao Jun almost felt like letting out a sneer. He performed all the actions rather swiftly, but his attack still held the grandeur and gaudiness that Yao Jun had seen from the other World Tree clan disciples, filled with wasted movements.
Yao Jun could also see a murky gray energy surround the fist that was heading. The energy was not a type of Qi or laws, but rather a type of intent that did not use up any Qi. Just like Yao Jun and Yun Yantian had their sword intent, Azemar had comprehended hammer intent, showing that he normally used a hammer to fight. Yao Jun glanced at Diana, but saw that she had no reaction, so using their intent was clearly allowed.
Since Diana had said that he would be forbidden from joining them away from this planet if he was too weak, he clearly had to show some strength here, show that there was worth in bringing him along. With that thought in mind, he decided to use the swiftest course of action to show his might. Azemar was only at the late stage of the 4th Houtian Sky, he was no threat to Yao Jun, especially now that they were only using their bodily strength and intent to fight.
Yao Jun raised his right arm, his sword intent quickly gathering around his hand. Yao Jun's sword intent was based on his Demon God's Gate, it contained the ferocity and wildness of a horde of Demonic beast. He clamped down on the wrist of Azemar, his fingers acting like teeth as they stabbed into Azemar's wrist.
With Yao Jun clamping down on his wrist, there was no way for Azemar to pull back his arm. In one swift motion, Yao Jun raised his right leg and slammed his knee against Azemar's right elbow, a low shattering sound ringing out. After shattering Azemar's elbow, Yao Jun brought down his raised leg, taking half a step forward.
His left hand shot out and grabbed onto Azemar's throat, his sword intent gathering around his fingers and causing them to stab into Azemar's throat. Yao Jun stopped before his fingers could stab too deep into Azemar's throat, turning his eyes towards Diana. Diana gave a short nod of her head, signalling someone from within the pavilion to come with a medicinal pill. A male youth ran over with a pill, so Yao Jun let go of Azemar's throat and wrist. Diana looked Yao Jun over once more, giving an appreciative nod.
“Good, you are not like the complacent disciples of the clan, you know how to fight properly, there is a home for you in my army. The sword intent you just used, it had some of the charm of a Demonic beast's lunge, you should continue to polish that, you might be able to cultivate the law of demons if you do so.”
Yao Jun felt like letting out a little laughter when he heard her words. He might be able to cultivate the law of demons? He was the holder of the Demon God's Gate, the likely pinnacle of those laws. But he could of course not say that, so he only gave her a deep nod. Diana nodded at him once more, then turning towards Leylan and Gilberd.
“Gil, Ley, prepare the standard armor for the new recruits, about 9000 new ones, we will be heading out in two days time. The Final Fire clan will launch an attack soon, so the new recruits will get to test themselves almost immediately.”
After giving what could only be called an order, Diana gave a few quick orders to the people she had brought along, and then retired for the day, returning to her own room. With Diana leaving, Leylan quickly brought Yao Jun away, seemingly not willing to be alone with Gilberd.
The two returned to Yao Jun's room, Leylan telling Yao Jun to peacefully cultivate for these two days. Yao Jun had no problem with this, so he spent the time before departure peacefully cultivating, Leylan not visiting him once. Upon receiving the notification that they were going to leave, Yao Jun quickly made his way to the meeting point.
The meeting point was the large courtyard outside his room, so he did not have to venture far. He had expected a great amount of people, but he was still shocked when he saw the number of people. A single rough count brought the number to over 10 000 people. 10 000 people, and those were just the new recruits! How large would the actual army be? While Yao Jun was feeling shocked, the voice of Diana rang out, easily reaching everyone of the new recruits.
“We will only wait for another minute, anyone who is not here by then will be left behind.”
Exactly one minute later, the earth beneath the new recruits lit up with long runes, a massive array forming beneath them. Yao Jun could feel space twist and distort, the silver lines that he had gotten used to seeing in his vision were dancing in tune with the twisting of space. A myriad of colors filled Yao Jun's vision for a few moments, until suddenly the twisting of space vanished, the colors dissipating. Yao Jun now found himself standing in a massive hall, the ceiling and walls located far away from them, the faint smell of scorched earth present in the air. Before anyone could say anything, the cold voice of Diana rang out again.
“Little Sprouts, this is where you either soar as dragons or sink as carps, welcome to hell.”