Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The black-armored elder turned and looked at Jiang Yi as his eyes lit up, and he smiled, saying, “Is this young man a friend of Young Master Wei?”
“Yes!”
He Wei heartedly patted Jiang Yi on the shoulders and said, “These two are both my friends. I met them on the way. This young lad is not bad; I intend on recommending him to enter the Demon-Killing Pavilion. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“None at all!” The elder nodded at Jiang Yi courteously. However, the elder did not say anything to try and persuade Jiang Yi; he only beckoned with his hand. Jiang Yi paused as he looked at the Earth Emanations Pavilion and Battle God Pavilion castles. He was still hesitating. After all, he had not yet figured out the power balance in this domain.
Swish! Swish!
A few guards stood outside the two castles. At the moment Jiang Yi had looked over, two captains outside the castles suddenly looked over. Their eyes glistened as voice transmissions from them both rang out in Jiang Yi’s mind.
“Young lad, the Earth Emanations Pavilion welcomes you. In the Earth Emanations Pavilion, you can receive an unlimited amount of resources and mentoring. As long as you cultivate diligently, you will have the chance to become the Earth Emanations Sovereign’s disciple. When that happens, it will even be possible for you to become a Prefecture Lord.”
“Young ascender, the Battle God Pavilion is the strongest faction in the Higher Domain. It was jointly founded by four Supreme Thearchs. The Battle God Pavilion is very stringent in accepting new members. You managed to ascend despite your young age; your gifts are not ordinary. As long as you pass the appraisal, you will be able to join the Battle God Pavilion and become a member of the most powerful faction in this world! You can then traverse the entire Earth Domain as you please; you will even have the chance to go to the Heaven Domain.”
The men from the Earth Emanations Pavilion and Battle God Pavilion were both trying to win him over. The Earth Emanations Pavilion gave Jiang Yi the impression that one could join as one pleased, and one would be nurtured greatly. He would even have a chance to become the Earth Emanations Sovereign’s disciple? This seemed a little far-fetched.
The Battle God Pavilion, on the other hand, made Jiang Yi feel a little uncomfortable. It was bragging a little too much. Founded by four Supreme Thearchs? Members could go about the Earth Domain freely as they pleased? He still needed to pass an appraisal to get in?
Jiang Yi’s gaze turned towards the elder from the Demon-Killing Pavilion that had come to receive He Wei. The elder obviously knew that the Earth Emanations Pavilion and the Battle God Pavilion were sending Jiang Yi voice transmissions, and yet the elder smiled and said nothing. Jiang Yi’s eyes shone as he looked at the elder and said in a low voice, “He Wei said that he could help me find a friend I lost while ascending together. My Lord, He Wei is not lying to me, right?”
“Of course not!”
The elder replied firmly, “Commander He has eyes and ears all about the Blue Eagle Prefecture. Finding someone should not be that much of a hassle.”
“Alright then!”
Jiang Yi decided resolutely and said, “I wish to join the Demon-Killing Pavilion.”
The elder smiled and said no more. He brought Jiang Yi into the Demon-Killing Pavilion’s castle. The men from the Earth Emanations Pavilion and Battle God Pavilion also stopped sending him voice transmissions; they didn’t even bother to look over anymore. It seemed as if the three factions had an unspoken agreement not to openly influence an ascender’s choice.
The Demon-Killing Pavilion’s castle was huge. There was only one floor, and many people were entering and exiting. They all wore black battle armor. Jiang Yi realized that everyone’s breastplate had a blood-red wolf head symbol. The elder that came to receive He Wei also had the same symbol on his armor. This should be the insignia of the Demon-Killing Pavilion.
The trio entered into a central hall; there was nothing in it except for ten corridors. The ten separately branched into side halls. In the middle of the central hall was a statue of an imposing and dashing middle-aged martial artist. His black battle armor also had the same blood-red wolf head symbol. There was a fiendish aura emanating from the statue. The Black Deity looked at it and immediately felt his body grow cold.
“This is the founder of the Demon-Killing Pavilion, the Demon-Killing Supreme Thearch. He is the only ascendant from the Lower Domain that became a Supreme Thearch!”
The elder introduced the statue to Jiang Yi, He Wei, and the Black Deity. He Wei hurriedly bowed respectfully to the statue. Jiang Yi and the Black Deity exchanged a look and also bowed. Regardless whether they were going to join the Demon-Killing Pavilion or not—at the very least, this Demon-Killing Supreme Thearch was an ascendant; he had even been bestowed the title of Supreme Thearch. Such a formidable martial artist was worthy of respect.
The elder hid his smile as he watched the trio and brought them into the first corridor to the left and into a side hall.
A middle-aged man in black armor sat in that side hall. His wolf head symbol was slightly different, however. Behind the wolf head, there was an additional longsword symbol. He looked as the group entered and glanced questioningly at the elder. He then looked at Jiang Yi as his face revealed his understanding. He smiled slightly and said, “I wondered why Elder Bu would personally make a trip himself; it seems you have found an exceptional young seedling.”
“Keke!”
The elder smiled faintly and said, “Captain Chen, this lad is indeed an exceptional young seedling. Also, this is Commander He’s son. Commander He had sent me a message asking me to receive him first; the commander will be arriving slightly later.”
“Oh?”
Captain Chen’s gaze turned towards He Wei as he grinned and said, “I see, it’s Commander He’s son. In that case, the two of you will not need to be appraised. You can straightaway become in-name disciples of the Demon-Killing Pavilion. Elder Bu, bring them to be settled down.”
“Wait!”
Jiang Yi suddenly spoke, “The two of us? How about my friend?”
“Him?”
Captain Chen lightly swept a glance at the Black Deity, shook his head and said, “He is merely a small demon from the Lower Domain; he had not even become a Demon God. He is naturally not qualified to enter the Demon-Killing Pavilion. Although we—the Demon-Killing Pavilion—are not as strict as the Battle God Pavilion in accepting members, we are not as frivolous as the Earth Emanations Pavilion to accept everyone. You can ask him to go and cultivate first. When he reaches the Demon God Realm, he can then undergo the appraisal.”
The Black Deity saw that Jiang Yi still wanted to say something and hurriedly stopped him. The Black Deity shook his head and said, “Forget it, Young Master. I will go and cultivate more first.”
“No way.”
Jiang Yi said very firmly, “If we are to enter, we will do so together. If not, I will not join the Demon-Killing Pavilion either.”
He Wei looked anxious as his gaze turned towards Elder Bu and asked, “My Lord, can an exception be made? If he doesn’t join any of the three factions, he won’t be able to stay in the tribe. With his strength, if he went outside, he would be killed by the Chaos Beasts.”
“There is no choice!”
Elder Bu shook his head and said, “The rules are rules. Unless… this lad can attain an ‘A’ grade in the appraisal. In that case, we can specially make a request to Commander Liu.”
“That’s right!”
Captain Chen also nodded and said, “What is your name? If you wish for your friend to stay, you two will have to go under the appraisal. Also, you two will have to attain an ‘A’ grade. You both have to consider carefully. This appraisal is very dangerous; you two could die if something goes wrong.”
Jiang Yi’s eyes flashed as he asked, “My name is Jiang Yi; what is the appraisal about?”
“Killing someone!”
Captain Chen produced a scroll. He perused for a while and said, “We received news yesterday that the Jiyang Tribe to the south has been controlled by the Netherworld Realm. A small troop will be heading soon to handle the situation. Your mission is to follow the troop and head to the Jiyang Tribe together. You have to at least kill ten people. I will warn you first: although this tribe is very small, there are a dozen-odd Martial Generals in it. If you two are not careful, you could die there.”
“Controlled by the Netherworld Realm?”
Jiang Yi’s eyebrows rose as he asked, “What does that mean? Has the Netherworld Realm’s claws extended even to the Earth Emanations Domain?”
“Haha, it seems like you are still not clear of the situation in the Higher Domain.”
Captain Chen smiled slightly as he looked at Elder Bu and said, “Explain the situation to him, please.”
Elder Bu nodded and said, “The Netherworld Realm’s claws had not only extended to the Earth Emanations Domain, but their forces have even spread to the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Domains. In fact, many domains have completely fallen under their control. The Demon-Killing Pavilion, the Battle God Pavilion, and the Earth Emanations Pavilion were formed with the mission of resisting the Netherworld Realm and protecting the living.
“Although the Earth Emanations Domain is now being ruled by humans, the Netherworld Realm has been secretly sending out envoys to use their mystical abilities and secretly nurture or control factions, big and small. They are attempting to destroy and occupy the Earth Emanations Domain from the inside! Once any faction or martial artist is discovered to be under the Netherworld Realm’s control, the Earth Emanations Domain, the Demon-Killing Pavilion, and the Battle God Pavilion would send men to kill these people.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Jiang Yi’s eyes revealed his killing intent. The Netherworld Realm was his nemesis. Since the Demon-Killing Pavilion’s mission was to resist the Netherworld Realm, it seemed like he had made the right choice. He gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, we will accept this appraisal.”
If he could not even pass such a trivial appraisal, Jiang Yi would have no way to make a name for himself in the Earth Emanations Domain; much less find a way to eliminate the threat the Netherworld Realm is posing to the Stellarsky Domain. He might as well kill himself right here, right now.
