Chapter 64: Deciding where to go

Even though I could sense his attack coming with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, even though I could clearly see the trajectory of Cang Zhong's deadly palm strike…there was not a single thing I could do to avoid it.

His attack was too fast, too powerful. Even if I tried to dodge, he would still hit me. My mind could see that I was going to get hit, but my body was too slow. My reflexes were lagging too far behind. Even though I was desperately trying to use a footwork technique to retreat, to get me out of there before Cang Zhong could land his attack, I knew I wouldn't make it in time.

Master was right. If I mastered these footwork techniques, any opponent at my level wouldn't be able to catch me. Conversely, it meant that those enemies who were of a higher level would still be able to catch me.

Fuck. I hated this. I was increasingly certain that Cang Zhong was a demonic cultivator sent back in time and space to assassinate me. There was no other reason why he was so obsessed with murdering me, even to the extent of risking his life and career.

Oh, and earlier, Yun Che mentioned someone named Han Sha. I wasn't sure why the name stuck in my mind. Why did Han Sha lie to him about me harassing his junior sister? Perhaps this Han Sha wanted me dead? And if he wanted me dead, that could only mean one thing.

He was a demonic cultivator from another world in the future.

Maybe I was overthinking it. It was only natural, though. After all these attempts on my life, I was getting as paranoid as Sarah Connor.

Whatever the case, I thought it was best if I investigated who this Han Sha was. Of course, that was assuming I survive the attempt on my life now. The old man, Cang Zhong, was a millisecond away from successfully killing me. I could see his palm close in to within a few centimeters of my chest now. Thanks to my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, I was able to read the quantity of qi behind his attack and I knew for certain it was more than enough to shatter every bone in my body.

That was not going to be a pretty death.

Surprisingly enough, the palm strike didn't hit.

"Eh?"

One second, I could see the gloating, triumphant wrinkled visage of Cang Zhong hovering directly in front of me, the next second he was gone. Like literally gone.

Then I realized that he had been blown off course. Someone had struck him from the side and sent him flying several dozen meters away. Cang Zhong's aged body slammed into a tree and snapped it in half before disappearing under the massive trunk.

"W…what?"

I blinked in disbelief, and then slowly turned around to catch sight of an old man in shabby clothing. He was probably fifty or so, and his hair hadn't turned white from age yet. It was a mess of brown, the untamable strands crowding around his head like a lion's mane. A single comb-shaped mustache hung above his mouth.

Even though his suit looked more like tattered rags than proper office attire, and his figure seemed slender and on the skinny side, I could sense the titanic amount of qi swirling around him. Astral Stars realm?

No wonder he was able to blow away the Heaven realm Cang Zhong in a single strike. He probably could have killed the old fool, but he chose to hold back. Unlike the murderous idiot, this newcomer abided by the rules.

"Is this how the elders of Ten Thousand Swords University treat its new students now?" he asked sarcastically, staring at the crumpled form of Cang Zhong who was half-buried underneath the broken tree. He glanced at Yun Che scornfully. "By trying to kill them?"

"But he…" Yun Che protested.

"He what?" the newcomer sneered. "You would rather believe lies from a shady character than your own junior sister? And have you not been paying attention to the Internet? This elder of yours has been pulling all sorts of corrupted stunts today. Check social media if you don't believe me. The videos of his atrocities have been uploaded online."

"Yeah!" Xia Xing Ling shoved her smartphone in front of Yun Che's face. "Look and watch!"

Yun Che mumbled incoherently as he watched whatever video that Xia Xing Ling showed him before he hung his head. Even so, he shot me a glare full of resentment and hatred.

The fuck was wrong with this fella? He was the one making all these mistakes and jumping into conclusions on his own, yet he was blaming me for…what seemed to be the humiliation he brought upon himself? What logic was that?

"Since none of you Ten Thousand Swords University people want this good seed, I'll be taking him." He then turned to Xia Xing Yue. "Sorry, little lady. I know you're probably the one exception, but it's for your boyfriend's own good."

"B…boyfriend?!" Xia Xing Yue spluttered. "No…no! W…we aren't in that kind of relationship!"

"Sister, that's what you're objecting to?!" Xia Xing Ling exclaimed in exasperation. Realizing her error, Xia Xing Yue forced herself to calm down and regained her cool composure.

"I'm afraid you can't do that, Director Qi Xing!" Xia Xing Yue protested. "Shu Cong is a student here at Ten Thousand Swords University! You can't just take him away like that!"

"Really? If he's a student here, why are the elders and other students trying to kill him?" Qi Xing glanced at Cang Zhong, and then he turned his somber gaze to Yun Che. Not just Yun Che, but to the newcomer I had punched earlier when he tried to kill me, as well as the two seniors who Cang Zhong commanded to execute me. "It seems obvious to me that if this young man stays in your Ten Thousand Swords University, his life will be in danger. Will you be able to protect him forever from so many fools out for his life?"

"Don't you think you should ask brother for his opinion regarding this?!" Xia Xing Yue countered stubbornly. "He doesn't even know who you are. Why would he follow you?"

"Ah, good point. Sorry about that." Qi Xing turned to me. "I am Qi Xing, the director of Seven Stars University. As you can see clearly, if you choose to remain in Ten Thousand Swords Academy, your life will continue to be in danger. For some reason, a lot of the people here seem to want to kill you for no reason. Perhaps they are jealous of you because they want your girlfriend. Maybe they want revenge because you hit their grandson. Whatever the case, this place doesn't seem like a safe place for you to train in. My Seven Stars University can offer you security…sanctuary. A place where you can train safely without having to worry about fellow students or teachers going after your life."

"I wonder." I sighed. "That's what I thought about Ten Thousand Swords University too…before all these happened."

"Ah, don't worry. There are very few students in Seven Stars Academy. And two of them are your friends. You remember Si Nan and Mu Zi Xing, don't you?"

Oh, that was right! I remembered now. Na Lan Jie informed me about this before. He had told me that Si Nan and Mu Zi Xing had been offered places in Seven Stars University. Perhaps this was fate. We had been schoolmates in high school. And now we would be learning together again in the same institution.

Adjusting my glasses, I pondered over this strange twist. Qi Xing might have mistaken my silent contemplation for hesitation, for he continued.

"Also…I saved your life." he shrugged and jabbed a thumb at the broken form of Cang Zhong. "To put it bluntly, you owe me. You can repay the debt by joining my academy."

"That's not fair!" Xia Xing Yue blurted out. "He saved my sister twice! Even used a precious spirit flame to save her from the cold poison that ravaged her body! We have yet to repay him! We also have a debt to him!"

"If that's the case, you're welcome to join my Seven Stars Academy and repay the debt to him there." Qi Xing shrugged and grinned. "We are in great need of more students anyway."

"Dude, I didn't save Xia Xing Ling so that they would feel forced and obligated to follow me everywhere I go."

"Of course, of course." Qi Xing sighed. "I don't want to use that card either. You're free to decide if you want to stay here in Ten Thousand Swords Academy…where you will feel the pressure of ten thousand swords hanging over you daily, your enemies seeking for an opportunity to pierce you with their blades from any direction. Or if you would like to focus on learning spirit arrays and other techniques without having to worry about the various threats to your life."

"Spirit arrays?" I repeated.

"Yes." Qi Xing leaned closer, observing me. "After witnessing how you circumvented the formation on the stairs and conquered the Nine Heavenly Swords Formation when no one has done that in a century, I surmised that you have a natural affinity with spirit arrays. Also, you have a spirit beast. Ten Thousand Swords University, while famous for their combat and sword techniques, has next to nothing on summoning techniques. That's something I can say for sure that my Seven Stars Academy is better in."

"Along with spirit arrays," Xia Xing Yue said resignedly. "Seven Stars Academy is the best university when it comes to learning formations."

"But…but…" Xia Xing Ling protested.

"It's your choice, kid." Qi Xing shrugged. "No one can force you."

"Well, it is true that I owe you my life for saving me earlier. And I can definitely trust Si Nan and Mu Zi Xing…" I sighed, adjusting my glasses. "And you're right. I need a place where I can also develop my spirit beast in conjunction with my combat skills."

"If you're ever interested, I have a Seven Stars Sword technique that you can learn."

"Really?" That piqued my interest. That did sound like something right up my alley. Even if I found that I didn't really like spirit arrays, I could definitely use Seven Stars Sword technique. I couldn't rely on tracing qi currents and lines forever.

"Ten Thousand Swords University has many different sword techniques," Xia Xing Yue reminded me. "A few which are superior to Seven Stars Sword technique."

"That remains to be seen. The outcome of a battle depends not on the sword technique itself but the wielder executing it." Qi Xing shook his head. He then grinned. "As to your first point, quantity is nothing in the face of quality. Mastering a single sword technique to perfection is better than trying to learn a few hundred different styles."

He had a point. But if that was the case, why wasn't Seven Stars University ranked top at swordsmanship? There was a reason why Ten Thousand Swords University claimed that spot currently.

There was one final deciding factor, though.

"Do any of you know about the Heaven and Earth Sect? Or Heaven and Earth Formula?"

Xia Xing Yue, Xia Xing Ling and Yun Che looked utterly confused. Xia Xing Yue shook her head. "Heaven and Earth? No. I don't think I have never heard of it before."

"What's that?" Xia Xing Ling asked, bewildered. Yun Che remained silent, but his blank expression told me the answer I needed to know.

As for Qi Xing, he was watching me in astonishment.

"Why do you know about the Heaven and Earth Sect?"

"Huh? Because I'm learning a technique that's supposed to be from there…"

"That's impossible!" Qi Xing took a deep breath, and then he lowered his voice. "The Heaven and Earth Sect has been lost for millennia. Their secrets died with them. No official records of them exist."

"So you know about them."

Qi Xing hesitated for a moment, and then turned away. "There may be some information about them in the libraries of Seven Stars Academy. Information that you won't find anywhere else. Definitely not in the other five universities."

"What are you guys talking about?" Xia Xing Yue approached us, frowning. I shook my head and bowed deeply.

"Sorry, Ms. Xia. I've decided. I'll be joining Seven Stars University instead."

This news was huge. If I could find any information about the Heaven and Earth Sect, I had to take that chance. It was more important than anything else…sword techniques, summoning techniques, spirit arrays, whatever. I must find a way to complete Heaven and Earth Formula…and restore the Heaven and Earth Sect.

Even though Kai Li Si claimed that Heaven and Earth Sect existed in the Celestial Realm, from what I could tell, many of these cultivation techniques found their way to Earth. If I could learn Heaven and Earth Formula before going over…

I wanted to give it a shot.

"All right." Xia Xing Yue reached out with her smartphone. "I'll give you my number, so you should give me yours too. We'll stay in contact. Even if you are not a student of Ten Thousand Swords University, there is no reason we can't remain friends. And my sister and I still owe you. We'll definitely repay you someday."

"Don't worry about it."

"The Xia clan always repay their debts," Xia Xing Yue promised.

"All right, then we should get going then." Qi Xing waited for Xia Xing Yue and me to exchange numbers before turning away. "Follow me, kid. I'll take you to Seven Stars University now. I promise you, you definitely won't regret your decision!"