Peony’s long-time social connections showed their functions. After slamming down over a hundred middle-grade spirit stones in publicity expenses, Chinacultivation.com ultimately rolled out their tremendous banner and published the news: ‘

The Xingtian Legion’s Inauguration Ceremony Begins at the Month’s End!

’

“Gonna be finally inaugurating the legion, eh…” In a classroom in the south, a literature teacher was teaching class. His cell phone suddenly rang out, and he made an apologetic gesture. He picked it up and shot a brief glance, the light of his eyes suddenly smoldering! 

For ordinary people, two years was long, but for cultivators, even Qi Condensation cultivators, this wasn’t a lengthy period of time at all! Two years ago at the Four Great Joint Pools, the Nantong Province paragon had reappeared after disappearing for three years. The Vermilion Snow Incident frenzied into a state of passion again, and countless people looked to the most magnificent genius blown in by the wind in the recent years.

Xu Yangyi had experienced the Vermilion Snow Incident, slain a God Ming successor at the Four Great Joint Pools, and unleashed his neurons to S-rank… before he was evaluated. He’d been selected by the three powers: the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion, the Featherwood Guard, and the CSIB… Together with Chu Zhaonan in the same graduation, their combined name was the Twin Dragons of 2016.

Any industry required idols, needed hope. Xu Yangyi’s emergence comprised why the cultivation world held a grand paragon signing ceremony once every five years. Everything was like this. 

The teacher calmly finished his last class and drove his car to a restaurant afterwards. Inside, there was already another middle-aged man waiting for him.

“The Xingtian Legion’s started legion inauguration.” Getting straight to the point, the other didn’t beat around the bush and immediately said, “It’s time for us to hit the road.”

“Yes.” At this moment, the professor’s face was devoid of the cheerful talk and banter he had in the classroom. Instead, it was incredibly stern. “Both of our cultivations are at the bottleneck of the middle stage of Qi Condensation. This little county town has been our humble abode for too long. Now’s our chance.”

In a teahouse in Guifang Province, several elders wearing tunic suits and qipaos, seemingly from the period of the Republic’s Founding, were collected together. Their gazes were fiery as they looked at the stack of resources in front of them.

[1]

“The Xingtian Legion’s financial assessment… is valued at 837 million Chinese dollars.” After ages, an old man seated at the head leaned on his cane and said heavily, “Our Mu Clan of Guifang is very understanding of our own clan’s affairs. For us to be able to rank as a second-tier clan can be regarded as our ancestors’ accumulated merit. Mu Ziqi is the once-in-fifty-years genius of our Mu Clan. A dragon must not be trapped in shallow waters. Everyone, we’ve spent more than a day discussing this matter. Right now, the Xingtian Legion’s inauguration announcement has been formally announced to the masses. Please, state your opinions.”

“Even if Ziqi’s talents are at the peak of the clan, he’s still one choice among a hundred.” A middle-aged woman in a qipao gently rocked a wooden fan and murmured, “But, Clan Elder, it’s also been another five years this time…”

“According to our intelligence, Shanghai’s Su Liangping, Beijing’s Fang Yuansheng, Jiangcheng City’s Huang Xiao, and Zhuzhou City’s Mu Xiaoran… In this month, the scores of this graduation’s Heavens Law Qualifier will be published. These peoples’ strength might not be lower than this Commander Xu’s whatsoever. A fine bird chooses a tree to make nest in. Because Ziqi’s talents are good, he cannot be inflexible in decision because of the Xingtian Legion’s robust funds.”

“Based on what I know,” an old man was next to murmur. His hair was stark-white, yet he was hearty in essence. “That’s not the only thing. The paragon of this graduation, Panshan City’s Lu Gandang, is also brimming with talent. He activated his neurons, as well. In particular… before this person graduated, he was picked up by Master Pill-Elixirist Xie Qinran. His future cannot be bound in measure… As for Commander Xu…” he hesitated to say something but stopped.

Xu Yangyi’s neurons had been unleashed to S-rank. Pertaining to ranks of this height, perhaps there were only several in China! Nonetheless, all Xu Yangyi did was seclusion! There were also rumors that Grand Pill-Elixirist Fivetastes and Grand Talismancer Silverhook actually failed to have their invitations delivered to his cultivation room! It was heard that in their fury, these two grand masters hinted: 

In no way will we conduct business with the Xingtian Legion! 

Under these grand masters, there were several masters in their ranks. Below these masters, there were several tens of journeymen. Yet the grand masters’ declared positions weren’t to Xu Yangyi himself. On the contrary, their stances were for both their organizations to blacklist the Xingtian Legion! Talent was good… but if one didn’t conduct themselves with integrity, what of it?

“I also caught wind of something,” an old man on a walker sighed. “Lu Gandang… is apparently very… disrespectful of Commander Xu. He believes the other has only come to prominence because of nothing more than luck. There are many rumors spreading that he said he would definitely surpass the Xingtian Legion in five years. He seems to also have the intention of joining the Featherwood Guard.”

The room was silent. After a long time, an old man mumbled, “Let’s vote. We’ve also considered it for half a year. Ziqi is certain to be presented off. Our Mu Clan cannot rear this golden dragon… As for where, there must be ruling today.” 

In two years time, the world’s affairs had changed. The Xu Yangyi of that year could even be said to summon a hundred with a single call. The Xingtian Legion was ample in supplies and Xu Yangyi’s popularity back then was high. How many clans had intended on squeezing his legion with people? But now, another five years had passed, and countless newcomers had emerged. In addition to the rumors of the two grand masters’ fury, and although the legion’s power was still impressive after two years of honing and biding, it wasn’t similar at all to its former might and awe on that day.

There were many such people thinking about this, and there were even more such people making considerations. In this time, the information of the Xingtian Legion’s legion inauguration was a blown ripple on springtime waters. Everything depended on what hope Xu Yangyi’s Legion Inauguration Ceremony was able to convey to all legion applicants, the question of whether or not his flat bread would be enough to spread out.

[2]

“Fuck!” In Mingshui Province, a short, slim youth slammed his palm on a table. “He’s really got some damn nerve, huh… Isn’t this a competition with my early graduation?! If he and I were in the same class, he wouldn’t even be second!”

“Brother Lu, it’s nothin’, yeah?” A youth at the side flung a knife in his hand, not paying any mind. He seemed to be a roaming dragon. “Speak a little less. Commander Xu is middle Qi Condensation… but this advancement speed can’t be said to be fast.”

“Hehe… ten-something years to get to the middle stage? And he’s got the cheek to be claimed as a genius?” Lu Gandang snorted. “If he advanced to the middle stage five years ago, I wouldn’t even break wind! I can’t fucking bear to see such a dogshit-luck person ahead of me!”

“Hold up…” He faced the ground and spat. “This time… I’m gonna head to Mingshui Province, too. And I’m also gonna join the Featherwood Guard! I’m gonna make him see what a true genius is! I wanna see if he’s got the stones to even keep on staying in his position!”

Thirty days passed in the blink of an eye. Thirty days later, at the entrance of a hotel in Panshan City. 

From what ordinary people could see, it wasn’t unusual in the slightest. However, in the eyes of cultivators, everyone was terribly serious.

At this moment in the sky above the hotel, several ten thousand hazy qi rays constructed a tremendous insignia of a shield and sword. This was to inform everyone in Panshan City that the Featherwood Guard was handling business and to have solicitors withdraw.

Vroom…

 A GT-R was parked at the entrance. Afterwards, several youths wearing suits waltzed in without any hesitation.

“Welcome, you honor us with your presence!” The doorman immediately bowed and opened the door. After he closed it, he headed towards the car and squinted his eyes. “Ming A-6666, eh… With a license plate like that, he’s so smooth he ain’t making any friends!”

[3]

“Yeah, what’s going on today? A few luxury cars are here?” a doorman at the side whispered. “I’ve never even seen these people… Did the newspaper not report this?”

Their voices yet to fall, a McLaren parked at the hotel entrance. A young man with a chilly face stepped out from the car. Two people who appeared to be assistants followed behind him.

“Hall Master, because of your persistence today we’ve tarried in our transaction with Zhuzhou’s Feng Clan,” a female assistant murmured.

“I know…” Vulture’s complexion was ill. “I just wanted to see… what this kid looks likes after two years.”

Screech…

 At this time, an Aston Martin also parked in the vicinity. With her flirtatious style of back then, Lilac gently swayed from side to side as she got out from the car.

The duo’s gazes met each other, and they said nothing. Nodding their heads, they headed into the hotel. It wasn’t that they’d forgotten the affair of years prior. There were people that remembered some things, and then there were some who were much clearer about 

that

 year than anything else. Today, even if no one came, they still would’ve come.

“Brother Chu, what didya say you wanted to do at Brother Xu’s Legion Inauguration Assembly?” Luo Sanfeng blew his bubblegum as if he was rather opposed to the suit he was wearing. He furrowed his brows and asked, “Did we have to come in suits? I’m gonna die.”

“It’s etiquette.” Chu Zhaonan was wearing a well-tailored suit and a snow-white shirt. In addition to his tall height, he made no few waitresses steal a couple glances at him.

“I understand why you hate staying at the Chu Clan,” Gao Ye laughed wryly, “Wearing this everyday drives a guy nuts.”

Chu Zhaonan paid no heed to them. Today, he’d naturally come to play up and hype his brother’s initiation, even if he knew that Xu Yangyi wasn’t of his house. If the Legion Inauguration Ceremony couldn’t even arouse the interests of the major cultivation corporations, clans, and powers, things would be very difficult for the Xingtian Legion from this day onwards.

[4]

In the End of Days, resources were number one. After a thousand years of development, the cultivation world’s ecology was already totally different. A legion was an aggregate of the plundering of resources, the first step!

In particular… what the Legion Inauguration Ceremony was presently most important for wasn’t for these people’s observation, but rather the vast scale of cultivators! Fringe cultivators with potential! 

This

 was a legion’s backbone!

What did Chu Zhaonan have to be embarrassed about with Xu Yangyi? He’d delivered the Thousand Illusions; what did he even care about helping hype up Xu Yangyi? Was Xu Yangyi not unaware of the Legion Inauguration Ceremony’s importance? If the ceremony was done poorly, who would come join the Xingtian Legion?

“I don’t even know why I said it earlier.” In his heart, Chu Zhaonan was somewhat angry and lifted his leg towards the elevator.

“Brother Chu.” As Chu Zhaonan arrived at the elevator entrance, a widely beaming youth stood there. The man laughed as he cupped his hands. “This is the first time we’ve met. I’m the Mingshui Province paragon of this graduation, Lu Gandang.”

Initial Qi Condensation…

 Chu Zhaonan faintly skimmed his gaze over and nodded symbolically. Just as he was entering the elevator, though, he didn’t expect the other to stand in front of him again.

The light of Chu Zhaonan’s eyes chilled. As the sole grandson of a deputy minister, there were handfuls and handfuls of people who wanted to curry favor with him every day. In the year the Hidden Dragon Legion had been established, it could be said that the amount of bootlickers were like clouds. Over a dozen rows of luxury cars had been parked at the entrance! And yet in contrast to today’s occasion, where there was less than a single row of vehicles?

In his heart, Chu Zhaonan was vexed; how could he have the mind to understand Xu Yangyi? His own temperament didn’t even regard intimacy. He immediately said in a cold voice, “Is there something the matter?”

“A minor business,” Lu Gandang chuckled, “Today, I just happen to be holding my Signing Ceremony here. If brother Chu is willing to do me the honor…”

POP!

 Luo Sanfeng’s gum bubble exploded, and he glared at Lu Gandang. “What did you say?”

“The paragon of this Heavens Law graduation has already come.” Lu Gandang seemed not to fear him at all. Both of them were at the initial stage of Qi Condensation. The other was at nothing more than the peak. The hell was he scared of?

“I was fortunate to win. Today just happens to be my Signing Ceremony.” He looked at Chu Zhaonan. “Senior Branch Master is also present.”

1. I’m not quite sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but when I used the term “Republic’s Founding” it is not referring to PRC of 1950s and onwards, but of the period of 1912-1949.

2. 大餅 - look up this term for the idea of flat bread. This line is referring to Xu Yangyi’s piece of the pie.

3. So the slang here is literally “he’s so 6 that he’s not making any friends!” In Chinese, in video games, 6 is a homophone for the sound of the word that means something along the lines of “ace”. So like someone aced a game. He was clean and slick about it. So this is a pun on all the 6s of Chu Zhaonan’s car.

4. The word “play up/hype” is a sichuanese slang that originates to public performers. These performers would have people hype them/make sure no hecklers, etc.

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