Volume One, Chapter Nine: On the Eve of the Final Battle, When Storms Gather
Page 1 of 3
With a deafening blast, Zhao Yu’s body erupted, disintegrating into a cloud of blood mist.
Lin Fan had anticipated this. He had already unfurled a barrier formed by the Astral Diagram, blocking the shockwave and protecting the surrounding students.
After the explosion, the air filled with a thick, nauseating stench of blood.
Lin Fan withdrew the Astral Diagram and stared at the traces of blood remaining on the ground.
He handed Zhao Yu’s remains, along with the token discovered on his person, to the Dean and Elder Qingfeng.
The token was a black tablet engraved with strange runes, radiating an icy, sinister aura.
The Dean accepted it and examined it carefully. His expression grew increasingly grave.
“Shadow Nightmare…” he murmured, reading the words carved into the token, his brows tightly furrowed. “It seems we must prepare for an all-out confrontation.”
Elder Qingfeng nodded solemnly. “The decisive battle is imminent. Notify every student. Heighten security, hasten your cultivation, and make absolutely certain that we are fully prepared!”
With the conclusion of the Zhao Yu incident, the entire academy became shrouded in an atmosphere of tension.
The students understood the significance of the coming battle. They seized every moment to cultivate and strengthen themselves.
On the plazas and in the training grounds, figures could be seen sweating profusely as they practiced.
The craftsmen repairing the defensive fortifications also worked day and night. The clang of their hammers rang throughout the academy.
The air was thick with tension and murderous intent. A great war was on the verge of erupting.
News of the decisive battle spread throughout the cultivation world as swiftly as if it had grown wings.
Forces from every quarter began to stir, sending their experts to observe the situation.
Before long, powerful figures from various sects and clans had gathered outside Divine Martial Academy. Some had come out of curiosity, some to watch, and others with ulterior motives.
At the academy gates, the Dean wore his formal robes and received the guests with imposing dignity.
He exchanged pleasantries with the various experts, maneuvering among them and responding to their probing questions.
The scene appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents surged. The atmosphere was subtle and complex.
Lin Fan stood in the distance, silently observing everything.
He could feel the pressure filling the air, as well as the hidden currents beneath the tranquil surface.
Clenching his fists, he swore inwardly that no matter what happened, he would protect the academy and his friends.
Suddenly, he sensed an unusual gaze. He turned and saw a mysterious figure standing at the edge of the crowd, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, coldly watching him.
Lin Fan’s heart tightened. He was about to step forward and question the stranger when Lin Wan’er hurried over, caught hold of his sleeve, and whispered, “Lin Fan, there’s something I need to tell you…”
Lin Wan’er tugged at Lin Fan’s sleeve and led him to a quiet corner nearby.
She took a delicate little brocade pouch from her bosom and handed it to him, her voice tinged with concern. “Lin Fan, I found this special herb while gathering medicine in the forest. After refining it through a special process, I made it into a protective charm. It can keep you safe.”
Her eyes were filled with concern, as though she had a thousand words she wished to say.
Lin Fan accepted the pouch and felt the faint warmth lingering upon it. A warm current rose within his heart.
He clasped Lin Wan’er’s hand tightly, gratitude shining in his eyes. “Thank you, Lin Wan’er. With you here, I feel much more at ease.”
Lin Wan’er smiled faintly, a delicate blush spreading across her cheeks. Amid the tense atmosphere, the friendship between them seemed especially warm.
Lin Fan drew a deep breath, tied the pouch around his waist, and felt strength filling his heart.
He lifted his head and gazed into the distance, determination shining in his eyes.
Turning to Lin Wan’er, he said, “We’ll protect the academy and every person here.”
Lin Wan’er nodded, resolve gleaming in her eyes.
At that moment, the mysterious leader in the distance watched everything with a cold sneer.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, his eyes beneath the bamboo hat flickering with a sinister chill.
He had originally believed that the academy would lose its composure beneath pressure from all sides. Yet it was proceeding with its final preparations in perfect order.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
This gave rise to a sense of unease in his heart. But rather than retreat, he became even more determined to launch the attack ahead of schedule.
The mysterious leader issued a low command. “Proceed according to plan. Launch the attack early and catch them off guard!”
Lin Fan and Lin Wan’er were preparing to return to the training grounds when Lin Wan’er suddenly felt an inexplicable unease. She seized Lin Fan’s hand and whispered, “Lin Fan, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong…”
At that moment, a hurried series of footsteps came from the distance, drawing closer and closer, as though heralding the arrival of some impending calamity.
The footsteps approached rapidly, mingled with the ringing clash of weapons. The sounds traveled from afar, growing deafening as they shattered the academy’s superficial calm.
A sharp whistle pierced the sky, and countless dark figures surged toward the academy gates like a rising tide.
“Enemy attack!”
A deafening alarm suddenly rang out, instantly spreading to every corner of the academy.
The academy, peaceful only moments before, was thrown into chaos.
The students abandoned their cultivation, seized their weapons, and stood ready for battle.
The academy’s defensive system activated at once. Layer upon layer of light screens rose into the air, weaving together into an impregnable barrier.
Yet the dark figures were no ordinary opponents. Wielding razor-sharp weapons, they attacked the defensive screens with wild abandon.
The sounds of impact, explosions, and battle cries intertwined into a chaotic and brutal symphony.
Lin Fan charged toward the gates first. The Astral Diagram unfurled behind him, radiating dazzling light.
Leading the students, he surged toward the enemy like a fierce tiger descending from the mountains.
Blades and swords clashed, sparks flew in every direction, and blood spattered the ground of the academy.
Lin Wan’er followed close behind Lin Fan, a short sword in hand, her agile figure weaving through the crowd.
Her gaze was resolute. Every stroke of her sword carried a fierce and cutting force, and she did not retreat in the slightest.
The battle was exceptionally fierce, and both sides suffered casualties.
The dark figures seemed to have planned the assault long in advance. Their attacks were ferocious and merciless.
Though the students fought desperately, several who lacked sufficient strength were wounded and collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
Seeing his companions fall into pools of blood, Lin Fan felt as though his heart were being twisted by a knife.
He swung the long sword in his hand furiously, pouring all his strength into every attack.
Yet there were simply too many enemies. Like an endless tide, they surged forward in wave after wave.
The burden upon his shoulders grew heavier, and the pressure mounted with every passing moment.
He knew that this battle concerned not only his own fate, but the safety of everyone in the academy.
He had to become stronger if he was to protect all of this.
An invisible pressure, heavy as a mountain, bore down upon Lin Fan, making it difficult even to breathe.
“Argh!”
With a terrible cry, a student was impaled through the body by one of the dark figures’ blades and collapsed into a pool of blood. Bright red liquid spread across the ground.
Lin Fan watched helplessly as it happened, and a towering fury ignited within him.
He clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
Suddenly, he felt an unfamiliar power surge through his body, like a dormant volcano on the verge of erupting.
The Wood Spirit Body within him seemed to sense his anger and began to stir restlessly.
“Lin Fan, are you all right?”
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Lin Wan’er’s voice sounded beside him, pulling Lin Fan back from his daze.
He turned toward her.
“I…” Lin Fan had just begun to speak when he felt the power within his body growing stronger and stronger.
He drew a deep breath. Then, all at once, he felt his consciousness dragged into an unfamiliar space filled with endless green radiance.
Before his eyes blurred, his consciousness was pulled into a boundless emerald realm.
Countless points of light circled around him like fireflies, while the air was suffused with the refreshing fragrance of grass and trees.
He felt the Wood Spirit Body within him awaken like a colossal beast. Its power surged like a tide, and every cell in his body brimmed with vigorous life force.
He opened his hand, and emerald light appeared in his palm, as though it contained an inexhaustible vitality.
“This is… the power of the Wood Spirit Body?” Lin Fan murmured, a hint of astonishment in his voice.
He tried to control the power. With a thought, a beam of emerald light shot from his fingertip and struck a tree in the distance. In an instant, the tree burst into lush foliage, its leaves gleaming with vibrant green.
In the real world, emerald radiance enveloped Lin Fan’s body, making him appear like a war god descended from the heavens.
He kept his eyes closed, sensing the power surging within him. Beside his ears came the whistle of blades cleaving through the air and the agonized roars of his companions.
He abruptly opened his eyes.
“Wood Spirit’s Protection!”
With a furious roar, Lin Fan slammed both hands against the ground.
In an instant, countless thick vines burst from the earth. Twisting and writhing like dragons, they quickly intertwined into an enormous green barrier that firmly shielded Lin Fan and the students behind him.
The attacks of the black-clad assailants struck the vines, sinking away like stones into the sea without producing the slightest effect.
Immediately afterward, Lin Fan spread both hands. Countless green motes of light flew from his body and merged into the vines. The vines instantly became even tougher, and sharp thorns sprouted from them.
He roared once more. “Myriad Vines—Annihilation!”
The vines came alive, lashing and coiling around the black-clad attackers with terrifying ferocity.
The black-clad men were bound by the vines and rendered immobile. Their thorns pierced into flesh, eliciting shrill screams of agony.
Blood sprayed through the air, staining the vines red.
The black-clad men who had been so arrogant moments before now resembled beasts trapped in cages, struggling and howling helplessly.
Lin Fan’s eyes were scarlet. Every one of his attacks carried the force of thunder. Wherever the vines passed, the dark figures fell one after another.
He was like a razor-sharp blade, tearing through the enemy’s defenses and driving them steadily backward.
Seeing Lin Fan’s valiant figure, the academy’s students were greatly encouraged. They raised their weapons once more and charged bravely into battle.
The experts from the various factions were stunned by the sudden burst of power Lin Fan displayed. They whispered among themselves. They had believed Divine Martial Academy was on the verge of falling, never imagining that such a formidable cultivator would emerge and reverse the tide of battle through his own strength.
When the mysterious leader witnessed this scene, a trace of alarm appeared on his formerly vicious face. He had never expected Lin Fan to be so powerful—far beyond anything he had anticipated.
He let out an unwilling roar, but he was powerless to stop the reversal of the battle.
Outside the academy, the clamorous sounds of combat gradually subsided. Only the groans of the black-clad men and the scraping of vines against the ground remained.
Lin Fan stood at the center of the battlefield, emerald radiance emanating from his body. He resembled a divine being, so awe-inspiring that no one dared look directly at him.
Lin Wan’er hurried to his side and asked anxiously, “Lin Fan, are you all right?”
Lin Fan turned back and gave her a faint smile. Before he could speak, his expression suddenly changed. He raised his head sharply and gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with gravity.
“It’s here…”
Page 3 of 3