Last chapter recap: Aofeng and the Freedom Alliance steal from the Lan Family.

This chapter has been brought to you by me, and WanderingGummiOfDoom.

Section 17 Chapter Four | Table of Contents | Glossary | Chapter 2

V01-S18-C01

Section Eighteen – Entering Celestial Rank

Chapter One – Wait For Us

Passing through the thin mist of the valley, Aofeng’s group successfully withdrew back to the mouth of the valley to met up with Qin Aohai and the others. Each member had a smile on their face. They hadn’t yet recovered from their excitement.

“Aofeng, you returned! Who was it? Did you succeed?” Qin Aohai waved towards Aofeng from atop the polar bear.

“Hahaha!”

Everyone laughed in unison. As silver energy flashed, a row of Komodo Dragons were released. The enormous figures of the giant dragons appearing caused Qin Aohai and the others to jump in fright.

“Damn! Don’t scare people!”

The swordsmen laughed and cursed with both admiration and jealousy. They were depressed at the fact that they could not become magisters. The ones that had benefited the most from this mission were the magisters. They correspondingly got the greater share of spoils. While the swordsmen had also gained great profits, the spoils were not as pleasing as increases in their own strength.

Because the Komodo Dragons were injured and had to heal from their wounds, the magisters immediately put them back in their magus beat spaces and used their magic power to help them recover.

“We can create another Dragonrider army!” Qin Aohai’s eyes were wide and glittering as he said admiringly, “I saw the Dragonriders at the capital. Their giant dragons are not as strong as these Komodo Dragons. The earth dragons and lizard dragons with the weakest of the dragon blood are one or two-star sacred beasts. That army could sweep effortlessly through the countries on the continent. If it is a dragonrider army composed of several dozen Komodo Dragons, they will be even more powerful.”

Li Jie shook his head helplessly. “The Kaya Empire is the strongest country on the continent. While the strength of our alliance has risen, but a country has an innumerable number of experts. The members of the Dragonriders are mostly celestial magisters. We cannot rival them yet.”

“Those with ambitions will succeed. Celestial magisters, to us, is just a matter of time.” Aofeng glanced around the crowd, her jewel-like black eyes flashing. She said in a clear voice, “Everyone here is able to survive the Forest of Neversetting Sun, the most dangerous place on the continent. Who here isn’t an outstanding talent? In terms of talent, who will lose to those experts?”

Everyone became motivated, their expressions turning stern as they nodded.

Yes, they were not lacking compared to the others. These adventurers were mostly young, the average age of the group around twenty-six. They were the strongest of those best that had survived Neversetting Sun’s natural law. In about a decade, most of them would reach celestial magister rank, and seven-star spirit magisters such as Li Jie and the others might reach that level in one or two years.

“Yes, we do not lose to them at all!”

“Grand Commander, your words seem to carry a kind of magic. Anything that seems impossible becomes possible when you say it.” Lian Cheng and his sister exchanged a look and said together.

Aofeng smiled coolly but her eyes remained determined. She said slowly, “This is an incorrect feeling. Everyone places the experts too high, and thinks them untouchable, not knowing the path is under their feet. If everyone walks step by step, each person is able to reach that rank. Celestial magisters are not gods, not even magus scholars. They are still humans. When we reach that height, and look back, you will find that those experiences were just so, nothing important. So we have to believe that we are strong and will grow stronger!”

The slow sedate speech caused the people present to wake up as though they suddenly understood something. Their emotions surged with excitement.

Yes, we are very strong! At present, we are truly strong!

These seven days had been like a dream. Even sacred beasts that they used to treasure so much had grown in number. Because it was just the sacred beasts that increased in number, they didn’t feel anything stronger. But who on the continent would dare to say this wasn’t a terrifying army?

Master beast tamers were people that only the most famous factions could recruit. Among the four families, only the Lan Family had managed to raise one. The number of beasts he could tame each year was limited. If master beast tamers were overburdened, their minds would crumble. Did they have many adult sacred beasts? If their group walked out of Neversetting Sun, as long as they did not offend ancient factions with thousands of years of history like Radiance Continent and the four families, they could do as they wished on the continent.

Li Jie raised his head high and said seriously, “Grand Commander, you are right, we should not say dispirited things! I’ve decided that I will do my best to maintain this alliance after this mission. I will develop the Freedom Alliance, and establish ourselves in the forest. One day in the future, we will be as famous as the Dragonriders of the Kaya Empire!”

“Yes, rival the Dragonriders of the Kaya Empire!”

“It will be better if we surpass the Dragonriders!”

Everyone shouted excitedly. The seed for a young faction silently sprouted like this. When the wild wind of freedom swept the continent, the higher ups still remembered, a long time ago in Death Ridge, Aofeng had made such a speech. This speech created the Freedom Empire that dominated the continent in the future.

Lei Yufeng worried frowned and said with a sigh, “We’ll think about future matters later. Let’s first think of a way to get the giant dragon and the dragon egg. We are about to reach the giant dragon nest. According to Lei Yufeng, the celestial magisters of the other three families will act. If they use their celestial magic techniques, we will not end up well.”

Celestial magic techniques were specialized techniques to celestial magisters and extremely powerful.

The differences between celestial rank and non-celestial rank was not just the ability to fly and the strength of attacks. The power of the celestial magic techniques were something greater than normal magus beasts clawing and biting their way. The celestial magic techniques of low level celestial magisters were able to even harm divine beasts. For example, the Komodo Dragon King who had a great deal of defensive ability had been wounded by several celestial magisters using their celestial magic techniques together.

“Yes, Grand Commander, the celestial magic techniques are too strong. We have many sacred beasts, but other than a few high star-level sacred beasts, we cannot withstand celestial magic techniques. We ourselves are too weak. Today, Lan Xun feared us because they did not want the members of the other families that came to gain experience to suffer injuries, and the other three celestial magisters were unwilling to help.” Li Jie’s expression was serious as he said solemnly, “If five celestial magisters release their celestial magic techniques at once, even if we manage to win, we will suffer heavy losses.”

Aofeng’s emotions did not change greatly as she said confidently, “Do not worry, I have plans.”

Aohai took the mask off her face and put the white priest robes away. She put on the black cloak again and then smiled at Qin Aohai. “We should return. The people here do not welcome us.”

Do not welcome them? The crowd still hearing this and were confused.

Lei Yufeng’s mind spun the fastest. His eyes twirled and he shouted, “Haha, I know you like to be devious. You stole their magic beasts and now want to hit them from behind with sticks. Could you be more shameless?”

“Yes!” Qin Aohai clapped and said in realization. “The members of our family think that Aofeng is a ‘good-for-nothing.’ I know. Haha, hitting them from behind, really shameless.”

Everyone gradually understood and broke out in a sweat. Grand Commander’s enemies were really misfortunate to be schemed against. If Grand Commander remembered and target someone, their future days would be “comfortable.”

“Shameless? This is called wisdom!” Jerking the corners of her lips, Aofeng continued to speak. “Yufeng, Mo Nan, you have already reached celestial rank, and have some defensive ability against celestial magic techniques. You will move separately from us, you will go to the front and attract their attention. Everyone else, do not participate, and wait at the valley mouth for us to return.”

“What!” The crowd shouted in alarm. “Grand Commander, we are not cowardly people, let His Excellency Lei Yufeng take us along!”

“It’s alright to fear for your lives. However, I will not use the lives of my fellows to trade for anything else.” Aofeng looked deeply at the people behind her and then looked into the distance. People could not see her expression, but that slightly cold tone that could warm their hearts spoke softly.

“No matter if it is a divine beast, a super-divine beast, they are never as important as my friends. If it means I must let you step into danger, I will not want those things.”

That voice was as cold and flat as usual, emotionless. However, the people standing behind unconsciously grabbed at their chests. They felt their eyes warm up, and extremely moved inside.

“Grand Commander … …” Lian Ya called out emotionally.

Aofeng turned around and saw everyone staring at her, soundlessly communicating their emotions. She stilled slightly, her eyebrow raising up, as she gave a bright smile.

People would always have some unforgettable scenes in their memories. The handsome youth in black robes, smiling gently in the wind. This picture would be forever imprinted in each person’s mind.

Following orders, the group did not enter the giant dragon nest and waited at the mouth of the valley. Aofeng and Aohai went separately from Lei Yufeng and Mo Nan.

Lei Yufeng and Mo Nan flew, using their advantage as celestial rank. Aofeng and Qin Aohai covered themselves in dust and then chased after the magisters of the four great magister families.

Near dusk, as the sky darkened, the already dim valley seemed to be covered with a black cloth.

Near the Candia Giant Dragon’s nest, the presence of the giant dragon was astounding. There were no magic beasts around in the surroundings. The group moved through smoothly which reassured the Lan Family and others. Having people steal magic beasts from them was akin to being slapped in the face in public. That felt worse than having swallowed a fly. If that occurred a few more times, they would have no face.

But everyone knew that the matter wasn’t finished. As they got closer to the giant dragon nest, their anxiousness became stronger.

The four families, more than two hundred people, walked along this dark and vast valley. Almost no one spoke, and the atmosphere was frighteningly suffocating.

Sound came from the path behind them which suddenly interrupted the silence.

“Wait … … wait for us … …”

‘Who is it?” Everyone stopped moving, frowning as they looked back in shock and alarm.

Everyone’s nerves were tense after the afternoon”s events. They were extremely wary. Hearing someone’s voice, they instinctively thought that those sacred beast had come again. Many people paled.

Two figures sprinted along the road in the darkness. The group looked over and found these were two young people, one just in his twenties, the other fifteen or so. The nervous crowd relaxed.

“Aohai, Aofeng? How come it’s you? How did you get to this place?” Qin Jian came over with the members of the Qin Family and recognized the two arrivals. Wasn’t this Aofeng who had disappeared a few days ago and Qin Aohai who had decided to wait at the adventurer camp?

The surrounding people heard the two names and immediately started talking in low voices.

“So that’s the Seventh Young Master of the Qin Family, Qin Aofeng!”

“I had not believed them when they said this person came to the Forest of Neversetting Sun, I hadn’t expected it to be true.”

“I admire this person”s courage, a good-for-nothing dares to enter this Death Ridge, is this called the ignorant have no fear?”

Everyone in the four families knew Aofeng without any introduction. Her arrival immediately added a thread of “liveliness” to the dispirited group.

“They … … they expelled, expelled … … us!” Aofeng panted from “running” and stuttered out.

Qin Jian was confused hearing this. He waved his hand and said, “No hurry, speak slowly, who expelled you? Who are they?”

“It’s that ‘Grand Commander’ of the Freedom Alliance!” Aofeng finally caught her breath and said, “I got lost inside the forest. When I returned and found Aohai, the people from the Freedom Alliance were about to depart. We came in with them, wanting to find Your Excellency Qin Jian’s group. But yesterday, the followers of that “Grand Commander” heard a conversation between me and Aohai. They said we are members of the four families, and we were not welcome, leading them to throw us out. Fortunately, we were near the entrance of the giant dragon nest by then, and didn’t encounter any magic beasts. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know how to get here.”

Qin Aohai listened from the side as he sweated. Looking at the realistic “hurt” on Aofeng”s face, he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, his neck and face flushing.

“You two came alone to find us?” Qin Jian broke out in a cold sweat and lectured in an angry voice, “Do you two know what danger is? The span of one day is enough for magic beasts to tear you to pieces! You two are fortunate to not have died. Next time, you are not allowed to put yourselves in such danger, understand?”

The two nodded repeatedly, looking obedient.

“Alright, alright, since they are on our side, then let’s not delay the journey. Everyone, return to your groups and start moving.” Lan Cheng felt dislike the moment he saw Aofeng. He did not forget to mock, “Weren’t you extremely proud before, not even a fortnight has passed, and His Excellency Lei Yufeng is tired of you? A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing. Don’t assume a celestial magister will really think you worthy.”

Aofeng rolled her eyes and walked with Qin Aohai back to the Qin Family”s ranks. She threw back loudly, “Idiot!”

Translator Ramblings: To the person who gave me ko-fi gold, thank you. I will read up and figure out what to do with it. In the meantime, if you like, send me an email with which novel you would like to see an extra chapter of.

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Section 17 Chapter Four | Table of Contents | Glossary | Chapter 2

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