THE FOURTH PRINCE'S CHOICE

As the Vice Academy Master and the Imperial Guards were in their hot argument, the Fourth Prince and the Academy Master reached their destination.

The master told him to sit, as he continued to pace to and fro. At this point, the fourth Prince had begun to suspect that something serious had happened.

He smiled and cupped his hand in obeyance to the Academy Master and said," Revered master, please be at peace I sense an event had occurred that has put you in a difficult position" he paused.

" I also could sense that this has to do with me somehow, could the Revered Master please tell me what it is" he continued.

" If my breakthrough into the Xantian Martial Realm at fourteen years had caused. An issue with the other Empires am sure my Imperial father would be able to protect me"

"So the Academy Master should not be troubled much about it, the way I see it; am a good seedling to be nurtured and my Imperial father would do anything to protect me" he concluded with a smile.

The Academy Master stopped his pacing and looked at the young boy with pity. Only if he knew what was going on, the same Imperial father he was confident in to chase the wolves away: might be the very wolf he needs protection from.

"Indeed an occurrence beyond our imagination had occurred, but this is within the Imperial clan. This event may impact your life in ways you could never imagine".

He walked behind his desk and sat down, he then retrieved an imperial decree and gave it to him.

It was an order for him to be handed over to the Imperial court the moment he arrives from the tournament. It also stated that failure to release him would incur full of the wrath of the Black Dragon Emperor upon the Imperial Academy.

The fourth Prince was shocked, what had he done for such a tone and threat to be used in an Imperial decree against the Imperial Academy?

The Imperial Academy is directly under the Emperor, even though they were an autonomous institution, the Emperor was their backer. The Imperial Academy is considered the Emperor's Academy.

The same Academy that had nurtured all the Imperial Cities experts for thousands of years, is now been threatened by the very Emperor they serve because of him?

The Fourth Prince looked at the Academy Master in confusion, after a while he smiled and told the Academy Master to hand him over.

The Academy Master was perplexed once more. "Does this child even know what fate awaited him once he goes beyond the gates of the academy?" he thought to himself.

As he was about to speak the Academy gongs were sounded, this was a battle cry. Soon enough there were booms and bangs of clashes heard. The Academy Master told the young Prince to stay behind as he left.

Soon the whole academy was quaking from the impact of their clashes, the Fourth Prince couldn't hold it anymore and rushed out.

By the time He got to the square, there was a nauseating stench of blood and bodies straw around. Some were students and others were Imperial bodyguards.

The Academy Master and his vice alongside some experts were still locked in fierce combat against the Imperial Guard experts. The fourth Prince stood in a daze for a few minutes.

He was bewildered by the spectacle before him, how could two sides of the same entity fight against each other as if they were enemies? This had deteriorated too quickly.

He empowered his voice with yunqi and shouted, "Stop this madness now, I am here!!". After he had spoken the battle came to an abrupt halt. Both sides separated into defensive formations.

The Imperial Academy experts formed a defensive formation around The Fourth Prince to protect him. Showing their refusal to hand him over.

The Guard Commander of the Contingent bowed towards the Fourth Prince. "His Imperial Majesty, the Son of the Dragon has summoned his highness the Fourth Prince to the Imperial Court"

"Does the Fourth Prince wish to rebel and bring down the Imperial Academy through his action? The leader with a smirk on his face. He bowed but showed no respect.

"He is a student of this Imperial Academy, and we intend to protect him. I would not have it said that our Imperial Academy is unable to protect its students!" The Academy Master thundered before the fourth Prince could answer.

The Guard Commander rose from his bowing position with a dark expression and retorted. " This old man must have gone senile, how dare you refuse an Imperial decree? He pointed his finger at the Academy Master.

"This is a crime worthy of nine generations being exterminated" he concluded and raised his hand for the soldiers to raise their weapons and from the battle formation.

He also released a signal into the air to summon reinforcements. Immediately ten thousand man-strong armies were seen flying over from the Inner City. Within minutes they had arrived outside the Academy.

The Academy Master also took out a jade horn designed with golden dragon carvings and blew into it. There was a loud thunderclap and an equally ten thousand-man army appeared behind the Academy experts.

They were all dressed in the full battle army with the Academy insignia on their chest. They carried a red war banner that read "The Thunder Fire Army".

This were the elite force of the academy, the best of the best student were retained by the academy and trained into this elite force. After all the academy has thousands of years of foundation.

The atmosphere was taut and one could hear a sweat drop, most of the students had never seen nor heard about this awe-inspiring army owned by the academy.

The heroic stance of the academy's army made the blood of the student boil as they were filled with pride. At this moment they were inspired to fight to the death for their glorious academy.

Even the Imperial Guard leader was shocked by the power of the academy, he had hourly underestimated the Academy. He felt his whole body grow cold. This is going to be a tough battle.

The fourth Prince stood silently observing the whole situation, this wouldn't end well for the academy no matter how he looked at it. The Emperor had a lot of resources at his disposal to wipe the Academy out in a thousand different ways.

A fallout with the Empire wouldn't be good for the academy, not to talk of the many lives and clans that would be doomed due to this incident.

He couldn't allow it to happen, he walked forward without speaking and stood in front of the Academy Master.

"Revered Master, I am highly indebted to you and the Academy for your nurturing and support. I am equally very appreciative of your effort to shield me from the Emperor"

The Academy Master wanted to say something, but the fourth Prince didn't allow him as he continued to speak.

"I am a citizen of the Empire, an Imperial Prince who must heed the summon of my Emperor. I would never stand and watch the Academy fallout with the Empire on my account".

He scanned the student, elders, and the army behind them, "I am very grateful to all of you for standing with me, I might not understand fully the gravity of this event but I shall forever remember your kindness."

He bowed towards them three times and turned to the Guard Commander and took the decree after kneeling and stood up.

"This Fourth Prince accepts the Imperial summon, where is my escort?" the imperial Guard Commander bowed to him and gestured towards a mount.

The Fourth Prince mounted and was escorted away without even glancing back towards the Academy. He was decisive and never looks back. This is how he had always been.

The Academy Madter signalled for the group to disperse, he remained behind to watch the Imperial Guard recede in the distance. After some time he sighed.

He was filled with admiration towards that remarkable youth, a truly talented young man with unlimited potential and a strong dao heart. He truly had the bearing of a sword cultivator.

He turned left with heavy steps and the defensive formation that was broken earlier shone brightly once more. The storm was far from over.