The battle at the Frozen Peak ended in a way no one had expected.
Although Mu Tianyang started strong, his performance towards the end of this battle was disappointing.
No matter how fiercely he had fought, he died before he could even take one move from Ding Hao. This was undoubtedly different to what everyone had expected; when people learned about the battle, many of them had the firm belief that Ding Hao would die. Who would have thought that it would be Mu Tianyang the one who would fail to withstand a single blow?
However, whatever the outcome, this battle would have a far-reaching impact on the Snow Province.
That is, because the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect had sent out teams and wiped out the sects that had participated in the siege of its mountain gate on the same day.
The Falling Star Sect, the Leiyin Sect, and other sects were powerless against the battle puppets of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. Ren Xiaoyao, Guan Feidu, Wang Juefeng, and Leng Yixuan defeated them in a single day. Even though they had been ranked among the top nine sects, they collapsed one after another under the fierce attack.
The Swordsmanship-seeking Sect showed no mercy this time.
Of course, they destroyed the gate of those sects and made their disciples disband, avoiding massive killings.
For these sects with thousands of years of heritage, the destruction of their mountain gate, main hall, and their arsenal was equal to an act of obliteration. It would be impossible for them to rise in the future without a base and resources.
Tranquility Academy had been a mighty force in the Snow Province for thousands of years. It also came to an end on that very day.
Li Lan and Ding Hao led the elites of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect and captured the Tranquility Academy.
Given their status and prestige as the most powerful force of the Human Clan in the Snow Province, the Tranquility Academy’s heritage couldn’t be underestimated.
The place had waterside pavilions, tall buildings, and an expansive main hall. Covering an area of thousands of acres, it was divided into many areas: the Lower, Outer, Inner, Deep, Confucius, Fifth, and Divine academy. There were more than 50,000 to 60,000 disciples and many masters. In addition to martial arts, it also offered teachings on many other skills such as inscriptions, casting weapons, hunting, and architecture.
Ding Hao couldn’t help but be impressed as he walked by the magnificent buildings of the Tranquility Academy.
After looking at the place, one could certainly say that the founder of the Tranquility Academy had been a visionary person with a broad mind and horizon. The establishment was like the universities in his previous life, which cultivated all kinds of talents. It was a true contribution to the Human Clan in the Snow Province.
The Tranquility Academy was indeed worthy of its reputation as the leader of the Human Clan in the Snow Province over the years.
In many ways, it had surpassed a pure sword sect like the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
If it weren’t for the greedy minds of those like Fang Xiaoan and Lu Xiongfei—who had betrayed the foundation of the academy, stirred up internal strife, and caused an uproar in the Snow Province in the recent hundred years—the Tranquility Academy would surely have been the greatest contributor to the Snow Province.
In the Battle of Frozen Peak, Fang Xiaoan had taken along all the elites who were loyal to him. The number amounted to more than half of the experts in the academy.
Therefore, it didn’t take too much effort to break through the Tranquility Academy. There were almost no casualties.
They saw the academy square as they moved forward, the largest academy square in the Inner Yard, where tens of thousands of disciples were located.
They looked panicked. Twenty Martial King Realm stone puppets had forced them to gather in that place. They had surrounded those ordinary disciples and kept them under close surveillance. Wang Juefeng’s Martial Emperor Realm stone puppet, Sky-Supporting Pillar, stood at the center of the square. An overwhelming aura was spread out, deterring the Tranquility Academy disciples from making the slightest move.
Ding Hao entered the square.
He saw hatred, anger, and confusion on the disciples’ faces.
Tens of thousands of eyes were cast over with suppressed anger.
A voice was heard. “Are you Ding Hao?”
It was an old man in Confucian clothes with white hair and beard. He was trembling with a dragon head crutch in hand. He looked energetic, even though he was only at the Great Martial Mentor realm and had not reached the Primordial realm yet. Despite his age, his ruddy complexion revealed an otherworldly aura. He fixed his eyes on Ding Hao.
Ding Hao nodded.
The old man raised his crutch and aimed to smash him with it, “Take this! You sinner of the human clan in the Snow Province…”
Ding Hao reached out and gently held the crutch.
“This old man is Kong Yiru, the head of the Confucius College of the Tranquility Academy. He was a prestigious literary sage in the entire Snow Province, known for his knowledge and strange temper. It was said that he had been summoned by the God of War of Mysterious Frost in the Northern Region. His disciples are all over the Snow Province. Many famous Confucian warriors in the Snow Province have followed him…”
Wang Xiaoqi whispered in Ding Hao’s ear.
Ding Hao nodded.
He already knew who that was.
He had heard of the man a long time before.
This man was considered quite unorthodox in the Snow Province; although he had a good aptitude for martial arts, he chose farming and music instead. He had traveled around the main human settlements in the Snow Province to learn and teach all kinds of survival and farming skills. He had also gone deep into many human tribes in the wilderness. Although he had been known as a sage, he was not that prominent in martial arts. However, he was widely beloved by the common people.
Ding Hao was in awe of him when he first heard the man’s deeds for the first time.
Given the cold world they lived in, where strength and martial arts were worshipped, there were not many people like him.
He didn’t expect to see Kong Yiru on such occasions.
Ding Hao looked at the white-haired Kong Yiru and said, “What am I guilty of?”
“You stirred up the turmoil in the Snow Province, killed the innocent, attacked the Tranquility Academy, and brought blood and flames into the civil and martial arts Holy Land that has been in peace for thousands of years. Every crime is enough to make you die countless times.” Kong Yiru was not a strong expert, but he was full of energy. His voice was loud and clear. He looked at Ding Hao—the devil in the heart of the Tranquility Academy experts—without showing the least bit of fear.
Ding Hao nodded and shook his wrist.
With a bang, the ironwood dragon head crutch suddenly turned into a cloud of smoke and disappeared.
After the impact, Kong Yiru took close to three steps back.
“Master…” Behind him, more than a dozen young men in Confucian costumes exclaimed loudly. They stepped forward and hurried to hold him. A couple of them even stood in front of Kong Yiru, to block him from the devil Ding Hao who might start killing at any time. All of them looked at Ding Hao with fury.
Ding Hao clapped his hands while shaking his head gently.
“I heard that you’re a great sage, a person with vast knowledge. After having met you in person, I think you’re just old and muddle-headed. You mistake right for wrong and are blind to the real causes. What happened is just the result of Fang Xiaoan and Lu Xiongfei’s wrongdoings. If they wouldn’t have killed the disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, the Tranquility Academy wouldn’t have been besieged.”
“Fang Xiaoan and Lu Xiongfei cannot represent the Tranquility Academy. They are men with no moral sense who betrayed the spirit of the academy. They didn’t listen to my advice, acting on their own will. They made a big mistake and deserved to die. However, the innocent people who died in your hands, Ding Hao, are no less than those killed by those two… Alas, martial artists who entangle in fighting for fame are vulgar and shallow. If people knew more things besides violence and killing, maybe there wouldn’t have been so many disasters and deaths.”
Kong Yiru straightened his body, without showing a trace of fear.
He looked at Ding Hao with disdain and shouted angrily, “Today, you attacked the Tranquility Academy, bringing along those vulgar martial artists, robbed the classics, looted cultivation resources, and smashed the buildings of the academy. This is tantamount to destroying the foundation of human civilization in the Snow Province… Hum, you won’t be remembered as winners nor heroes in the history books of later generations. You’re just rogue martial artists.”
Ding Hao burst into laughter.
Ding Hao looked at him mockingly. “If there weren’t any martial artists in this world, you old bones, as well as the weak disciples around you, would have long become food for the demons.”
Kong Yiru said word for word, staring at Ding Hao with a firm look, “Haha, it’s useless to talk sense with a rogue. Heaven operates around karma. Goodness will be rewarded and evil will be punished. Ding Hao, you have committed sins. You won’t end well. Just wait and see.”
Ding Hao nodded and said with a smile, “Well then, I’ll wait for karma to take its course.”
Then Ding Hao suddenly changed the subject and said casually, “Since you think Tranquility Academy is the foundation of the Human Clan in the Snow Province, why don’t I let you manage the buildings for me? Let me see what the foundation of our civilization can bring us.”
After remaining stunned for a while, Kong Yiru said with a sneer and undisguised disdain on his face, “Humph, you’re just a vulgar martial artist. Do you think you deserve me?”
“Oh,” Ding Hao nodded and said casually, “You don’t want to? Then there’s no other way.” He spread out his hands, turned to Wang Xiaoqi, and said, “Tell the others to prepare firewood and burn the Tranquility Academy. Kill all the disciples who are above the Great Martial Mentor Realm. Don’t let any of them go!”
Wang Xiaoqi was stunned for a moment. He then realized his intention and responded loudly.
Kong Yiru was shocked. Trembling with anger, he cursed loudly, “You… you butcher, executioner, the devil. Ding Hao, you can’t do this. How can you be so bloodthirsty and violent?”
Ding Hao looked at him with a smile. “Do you want to serve me?”
“You… I…” Kong Yiru’s expression changed. He was shocked and angry, along with a mix of other feelings. He glared at him with rage and finally hit the stone pillar beside him. “I would rather die than let you get what you want.”
Ding Hao laughed coldly. He led a gentle force to envelop Kong Yiru with his mind.
Ding Hao looked at Kong Yiru sternly and said word for word, “If you die, I will be more bloodthirsty. I will kill everyone in the Tranquility Academy and burn the place down. I will completely wipe out what you believed to be the foundation of the human clan in the Snow Province.”
