Devour

Chapter 450 Invading the Academy

The ancient tradition has come to an end.

Master Li could not hide his joy and stroked his beard, saying loudly, "An Yiren, the foundation of your path has been laid. From this day forward, you shall be the seventh direct disciple of the Confucian scholar, and the rightful seventh master of Taowu Academy. After years of honing your skills, you have finally seen the light of day, and the great path is within your reach."

An Yiren’s eyes shone with wisdom, and his expression was solemn. He prostrated himself before Master Li, kowtowing three times, and said respectfully, “Student An Yiren thanks Master for imparting knowledge and cultivating me with all his might. I will never forget this kindness and virtue!”

Mr. Lan, who was standing to the side, encouraged him gently: "Seventh Brother, your cultivation has improved rapidly. This year's Immortal Gathering is full of geniuses, so we'll have to see you show your skills."

An Yiren calmly stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the crowd, and said confidently and firmly, "This student will certainly live up to the high expectations of the teachers, senior sisters, and senior brothers."

Just as everything was about to be completed and all was peaceful, Master Li suddenly felt a chill of disharmony creep into his mind.

He hurriedly used his unique "divination and sacrifice" technique, throwing out three ancient coins as a sacrifice. Then he made calculations with his fingers, his expression suddenly changing as he exclaimed, "Oh no! Tonight, the demon star is attacking... something bad is going to happen!"

Master Li's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his predictions were like those of a god: "This time, the gathering of all the wise men to handle important matters has left the academy's defenses weak, allowing demons and evil cultivators to take advantage of the situation and infiltrate."

The group exchanged glances, then rose from their seats, their fighting spirit surging.

Wu Xu said loudly, "These evil scoundrels are so audacious as to trespass into Taotie Academy. We will make sure that such scoundrels never return!"

Master Li's eyes revealed a rare look of fear, and he resolutely shouted: "The enemy is barbaric and cannot be compared with the evil demons of the Five Continents! Follow me to the third floor and activate the 'Star-Suppressing and Time-Fixing Array', only then will we have a chance to survive."

"What?!" Everyone was shocked and paled upon hearing this.

Of the seven disciples, Xiong Wuxiu was the most knowledgeable about the power of the Star-Suppressing and Star-Fixing Formation. He couldn't help but say, "This formation is a fifth-tier Origin-grade formation, the foundation of the academy. Once activated, it can shake the heavens and the earth. If the Master himself were to oversee it, its offensive power would be comparable to that of a celestial being! What kind of ferocious demon could possess such extraordinary abilities?"

Master Li flicked his sleeves and led the way to the third floor, saying in a deep voice, "The situation is urgent, all of you follow me. This battle concerns the survival of the academy; we must work together and not allow any failure!"

An Yiren clenched his fists, feeling the surging, powerful magic energy within his body, his confidence soaring like never before. But as he looked towards the stairwell where his fellow disciples were rushing off, the slight ease and joy he had just felt vanished, replaced by a deep sense of awe as he faced an unknown and formidable foe.

……

In the inkstone washing pool, the originally calm water surface was stirred up as if by an invisible giant hand, like a raging sea, with ink-colored waves splashing everywhere.

Inside Qingjianlu, the twelve-petaled bone lotus grew at an astonishing rate, its bone-like petals spreading out layer by layer, causing the walls to crack and sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.

The primordial spirit energy within a radius of several thousand miles was boiling and churning, as if it were the eye of a storm!

The humble scholar was in his study, shaking his head at a tattered ancient book, dismissing the annotations of his predecessors as "utter nonsense," and unconsciously putting all his disappointments in life behind him.

The sudden collapse of the walls and houses left him covered in dust and dirt, like a startled rabbit hopping and skipping away from the ruins, looking back to find the source of the chaos.

"What kind of evil spirit dares to play tricks and damage the sacred ground of the academy? Take this!" Lord Lou Shi was both shocked and furious to see his collection of books being destroyed for no reason. Without thinking, he raised his hand and unleashed the "Hong Tao Palm" in a flash.

He thrust out a palm strike, seemingly simple and unadorned, yet its powerful force was like a surging river, compressing the air and creating a sudden explosion, as if it could split mountains and sever rivers.

This powerful strike, which would make even the most powerful cultivators tremble at the mere mention of it, was like a gentle breeze to the Bone Lotus.

With a gentle exhale from the skull on the lotus platform, the decaying gray-white aura easily shattered the incoming palm strike.

Following the deafening roar, the aftershocks of the airflow swept across everything in its path, utterly destroying the Qingjianlu building and then engulfing the open space outside.

Bricks, stones, and timber crumbled and crumbled amidst the explosions and crushing, and torn fragments of ancient books transformed into butterflies fluttering wildly. It was as if a hurricane had swept through, leaving only devastation behind.

Although the Humble Abode Master was pedantic, he was still able to distinguish between the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and ourselves.

The so-called academician title, the dignity of a master, and the responsibility of protecting Qingjianlu... all seem pale and powerless in the face of absolute disparity.

"This demon's abilities far surpass mine!"

Seeing his masterful move, honed over many years, easily broken, Lord Lou Shi was horrified. He feinted a move and then fled in panic, his tone changing completely, losing all trace of his previous righteous indignation.

He was unwilling to give up, so he screamed at the top of his lungs, a shrill and exaggerated scream that echoed through the streets and alleys: "Help! A bone lotus monster has invaded the academy. It tried to steal things but failed. Instead, it got angry and tore up all the books in Qingjianlu!"

Knowing all too well what would most provoke the academy's members, Lord Lou Shi ran wildly while shouting angrily, "His sins are too numerous to count! This scoundrel has severed the literary lineage of my Qingjian Academy; how is this any different from murdering my parents!"

The astonishing turn of events drew numerous cultivators from all directions, eager to uncover the truth. Waves of figures streaked across the sky, some riding the gentle breeze, some shrinking the distance between people, and some flying on swords, quickly gathering into groups.

Among them, more than a dozen academicians, who usually appeared dignified and respectable, were ruthless when it came to fighting. They unleashed their powers, spells, or magical treasures, launching a barrage of dazzling and deadly attacks at the enemy as if they were throwing money at them.

A dazzling light shone in mid-air, spells flew, sword energy clashed, and bursts of brilliant light occasionally erupted. A round of attacks, however, was like a gentle breeze brushing against a mountain ridge, unable to shake the Bone Lotus in the slightest.

The academicians were all highly ranked figures on the academic ladder, with extensive experience and exceptional insight. They immediately realized that the other party was a formidable enemy and dared not approach rashly.

They quickly met up with Lou Shi Jun, exchanging their thoughts and doubts in hushed tones.

"What kind of monster is this? I've never heard of it before."

"How formidable! My sword couldn't even pierce through this fellow's protective aura!"

"Lou Shi Jun is ranked fortieth on the list of sages and is also among the top academicians. Even he is helpless."

"Gentlemen, do not act rashly! Quickly inform the Master and the six gentlemen!"

The Bone Emperor sat atop his lotus throne, chuckling contemptuously, "Heh heh, a bunch of pedantic old fools. Today I'll sacrifice you all... Hmph! No, stop wasting my energy here. Finding the Pure Yang Sword Bone is more important."

His deep-set eyes suddenly shone with a dark light, and his powerful senses spread like a net, enveloping every corner of the Taotie Academy, searching for his target: "No matter where you go, you can't escape my grasp."

To everyone's surprise, even after searching the entire region with his divine sense, the Bone Emperor still couldn't find Xu Buwei's hiding place. The trace of the Pure Yang Sword Bone seemed to have vanished into thin air.

It turned out that Cheng Bai had already used the Phoenix Force to pinpoint Xu Buwei's exact location. He and Bei Tingjun worked in perfect harmony, taking advantage of the moment when the Bone Emperor was entangled with the academicians, and preemptively brought Xu Buwei into the protective barrier constructed by the Golden Life Tower.

The protective and concealing abilities of the celestial artifact meant that even with his Listening Technique, the Bone Emperor couldn't detect a single clue. Moreover, he had already lost his sacred embryo and his magic was incomplete.

Xu Buwei's face was ashen, but he forced himself to bow to Cheng Bai and Bei Tingjun and said, "Thank you both for your righteous rescue. If it weren't for your timely arrival, I would not have escaped this calamity."

“Brother Xu, you flatter me. It is only right and proper for us to help those in need.” Cheng Bai nodded slightly, led his team into the shadows, and observed the confrontation between the Bone Emperor and the academicians from afar. His expression was solemn. “The Bone Emperor should not be so powerful, yet he can fight against so many of them and treat the academicians as nothing. It is simply unbelievable.”

Bei Tingjun's pretty face was unusually stern. She steadied herself and said slowly, "Observing the flow of the power of all things, when I faced that skeleton, it was like looking up at an insurmountable peak, and my soul trembled. He is more than one realm above me!"

Cheng Bai pondered and said, "Although the academy has more experts than any of the nine sects and ten schools we have seen before, it is still of no use. If the Master does not personally take action, I am afraid that this fellow will do whatever he wants, and our great foundation will be in danger."

At the pond's edge, the Bone Emperor's ferocious power was unmatched. The petals of the Bone Lotus suddenly burst open, releasing pale light in all directions, instantly flattening the entire Qingjian Lodge, reducing the house to rubble.

Lord Lou Shi watched helplessly as his treasured collection of books was destroyed. His eyes widened in fury, his throat felt sweet, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He suppressed his anger and shouted hoarsely, "Damn demon! You destroyed my study and damaged my classics! Ten deaths would not be enough to atone for your sins, and the waters of the four seas could not wash away my hatred!"