Way of Choices: Book I - Youths We Were, Schoolmates

by Mao Ni

  He knew that if he was a little slower, he might be stopped by someone, so he no longer hesitated.

  He lunged towards Luoluo, a fist thundering down.

  His fist was very small, yet it carried the terrifying might of a hurricane and dazzling lightning.

  His fist was very firm. Its goal was not her face, but her very slightly raised chest.

  His mind was cruel and his techniques very low-class, but he truly was very powerful. and he was not holding back whatsoever!

  Wind and thunder were created from the condensing of a cultivator's true essence to a certain level, which in turn caused these phenomena to be created in the surroundings. Only by cultivating to the Meditation Realm and thus seeing those star fragments in those tiny places could one refine true essence to such a terrifying degree, could one explode with such effect.

  Tianhai Ya'er had attacked with his full might.

  The tall and sturdy demi-human youth from a moment ago had been crippled by a single fist, and wasn't all that stood before him now just a petite and weak girl?

  Countless shocked cries arose from below the platform, mixed with screams. Many students covered their faces and turned away, not daring to look!

  Amidst these shocked cries and screams suddenly came a strange shout of extreme anger, extreme fear, and even some perplexity!

  The crowd turned to the platform and discovered that this strange shout was coming from Tianhai Ya'er!

  A fist had appeared in front of Tianhai Ya'er's fist!

  It was Luoluo's fist.

  Her fist similarly carried a hurricane, was mixed with lightning, but her hurricane was fiercer, her lightning brighter!

  Crack!

  Countless wounds suddenly appeared on Tianhai Ya'er's fingers, spurting blood, and even the bone was visible!

  Those wounds quickly traveled to his wrist, instantly snapping his wrist bones!

  Pain! Unbearable pain!

  Tianhai Ya'er's pupils shrank into little black dots as a strange shout of pain and panic burst forth from his blood-red lips.

  Followed by a stream of blood.

  What was going on here?

  Why did this soft and tender fist that looked like a white flower contain such monstrous power?

  Tianhai Ya'er had no time to think, his mind completely dominated by fear. As he let out his strange shout, he retreated with all his might.

  He knew that he had to escape this fist as fast as possible, or he would undoubtedly die!

  But though he retreated quickly, Luoluo approached even faster.

  Her fist was as wild and explosive as a hurricane, swift and violent as lightning, as it struck Tianhai Ya'er's fist.

  From one end of the stone platform to the other, several dozen zhang in total, her fist was always striking his.

  The frightening quantities of true essence moved from her fist and continuously exploded into Tianhai Ya'er's body!

  Boom!

  Tianhai Ya'er collapsed at the edge of the stone platform, his wrist completely shattered, nothing but blood between his fingers.

  His face was pale as snow, his eyes brimming with shock and confusion.

  Without even understanding what was going on, he had lost, lost through and through.

  The trees suddenly began to sound with the chirps of cicadas.

  It was a summer night, so it was impossible for it to be quiet.

  Yet surrounding the platform was a silence like that of a snowless winter night, utterly devoid of sound.

  Then it seemed like the snow was beginning to melt.

  Drip, drip.

  Blood dripped down from that delicate fist to the ground.

  The girl stood in the night wind, looking all around, then said one sentence.

  She was replying to Tianhai Ya'er's question, and also communicating a fact to the crowd.

  "My name is Luoluo, and I am a student of the Orthodox Academy."

  The chirping of cicadas grew more agitated as the crowd grew quieter. They looked with incomparable shock at the platform, seeing that girl with her dress swaying in the night wind and feeling that all of this was not real. Everyone believed that they would see this girl collapse in a pool of blood and had thus covered their faces and turned away, not willing to look. Who could have imagined that the person to collapse in a pool of blood at the end would be that little monster from the Temple Seminary?

  No person could imagine this conclusion.

  The forgotten Orthodox Academy, and the girl that nobody recognized, had delivered a mighty shock to the world.

  This fight had begun too abruptly, even shamelessly, but its end had come even faster, rather delightfully.

  Luoluo knew that she would win because she had always been very strong. The night the demon expert had attempted to assassinate her had been very dangerous, but that did not mean that she was a weakling amongst her peers. No, amongst her peers, she was an absolute expert, especially in terms of quantity of true essence, where very few could surpass her.

  If Tianhai Ya'er had been somewhat more cool-headed and chosen to compete against her with techniques and skills, she would perhaps have been unable to use such an overwhelming method to obtain victory. However, Tianhai Ya'er had grown accustomed to using his tyrannical ways to suppress others, and he had no idea that her bloodline had always been the world's most noble, most tyrannical bloodline!

  Everything was concluded.

  Luoluo turned to Tianhai Ya'er and raised her fist once more.

  She remembered very clearly what this little monster had said after severely wounding that demi-human youth. She remembered very clearly the humiliating words this little monster had said to her teacher and herself. So now, it was time to return those humiliations.

  "Stop!"

  Realizing that she was preparing to strike, many of the silent personages spectating began to show unease.

  That demi-human youth could be crippled and killed, the people of the Orthodox Academy could be crippled and killed, but…Tianhai Ya'er could not be crippled, let alone killed!

  Because his surname was Tianhai.

  With harsh cracks, several important figures, the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer included, appeared on the platform.

  Chapter 45 – Tigers Stirring Storms[26]

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer and the experts of the Temple Seminary stood around the stone platform, surrounding Luoluo in the center. Any one of them could easily subdue her, but the problem was that she was standing right in front of Tianhai Ya'er, only several feet away. Her fist was tightly clenched, a thunderstorm within.

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer and the experts of the Temple Seminary all wore very grim expressions. They did not dare to take one step forward, nor did they retreat. They maintained the current state of affairs, hoping to intimidate her into staying her hand. They thought that with the passage of time, Luoluo would emerge from her fighting state and become much more cool-headed.

  All was quiet. No one wanted to excite this girl, nor did anyone wish for an even more gruesome scene to occur.

  Tianhai Ya'er himself had no awareness of this. He looked at Luoluo, coughing blood, his voice trembling and tears streaming as he spoke, "Don't kill me…I beg you…don't kill me, I'm really scared, so scared…hahahaha!"

  This pathetic begging tinged with tears suddenly became a laugh of unbridled arrogance!

  The boy with his face covered in blood had an abnormally ruthless expression and seemed particularly sinister. He fiercely stared at Luoluo and howled, "You believe I'd really be scared of you! I'm just playing with you! Because you're done! The Orthodox Academy is also done! Look around you at these shameless old fellows, their bellies filled with sewage. Whether I beat you into a cripple or it turns out like now, you're both done! Because no one can treat me this way!"

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer's complexion turned somewhat unsightly.

  Luoluo slightly wrinkled her brow and raised her fist even higher. Bright specks of light c
ircled around her fingers, very beautiful and also very frightening.

  Tianhai Ya'er's expression suddenly changed. He shrilly screamed, his two legs kicking about and his expression growing crazed to the extreme. He looked just like a child who had just had its milk snatched away!

  "What do you plan to do! Could it be that you actually dare to strike me! The Divine Empress is my grandaunt! In this continent, who would dare to strike me!?"

  There was a deathly stillness. Everyone knew that this little monster of the Temple Seminary spoke the truth. Let alone the fact that he was rumored to be the Pope's disciple, solely because he had a grandaunt like this meant that no one dared to make things difficult for him. Thinking about the frenzied reprisals that would occur after this incident, the crowd turned to Luoluo with gazes of pity and empathy.

  Surrounded by senior experts and threatened by this repulsive boy, what would Luoluo do next?

  She gazed beyond the stage at a certain corner, at that youth.

  This was her subconscious, or perhaps habitual, action. She might not require Chen Changsheng's opinion, but she felt that she should comply with Chen Changsheng's view.

  Everyone's gazes followed her gaze to the corner, to Chen Changsheng.

  Chen Changsheng at this moment felt rather complex.

  He was not at all surprised, nor was he anything close to pleasantly surprised. After these days of instructing Luoluo in cultivation at the Orthodox Academy, he knew that, though strong, the little monster of the Temple Seminary was no match for Luoluo, else he would have definitely stopped her from stepping onto the stone platform.

  However, he had not imagined that the Temple Seminary's little monster would be such a fool and actually dared to directly contest with Luoluo on strength of true essence and ultimately suffer such a miserable defeat, now requiring Luoluo to make such an important choice.

  He knew what choice Luoluo would make because several days ago, a grain of sand had gotten into her eye. The girl had taken half a day, insisting on getting that grain of sand out, before she was finally willing to continue studying. Ultimately, she succeeded. With red eyes, she happily ran around the lake.

  He knew why Luoluo was hesitating, why she had turned to him. She was concerned that she might stir some sort of trouble for the Orthodox Academy. In addition, she had grown used to asking for his opinion before doing anything, and no matter what he chose, she would always obey.

  He knew why Luoluo was hesitating, why she had turned to him. She was concerned that she might stir some sort of trouble for the Orthodox Academy. In addition, she had grown used to asking for his opinion before doing anything, and no matter what he chose, she would always obey.

  This was very good. Chen Changsheng thought to himself, This responsibility should be mine to bear. He stood and gazed at the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer and the crowd waiting with bated breath. After a period of silence, he said, "A moment ago, he said that he wanted to cripple Tang Thirty-Six."

  His voice was rather hoarse and halting, so he seemed very clumsy. It wasn't because he was afraid, rather it was because he just wasn't used to speaking in front of so many people. Frankly speaking, today's Ivy Festival was absolutely the first time he had met so many people in his entire life.

  And what he was doing was very unyielding, yet he was not skilled at speaking unyielding words.

  He thought it over, deemed this reason sufficient, and then he spoke, "Tang Thirty-Six is my friend, so…"

  Luoluo understood his meaning and then suddenly realized that she had made a mistake. She should not have looked to her teacher. That look had been out of habit, out of respect, but it was also the equivalent of placing the power of choice and all the consequences that would follow on her teacher. This was an extremely wrong thing to do.

  She turned away and placed her gaze once more on Tianhai Ya'er.

  Now, Chen Changsheng had just said that Tang Thirty-Six was his friend.

  Tianhai Ya'er saw the look in her eyes and understood her intentions. His face turned exceptionally pale and his eyes showed an expression of utter loss, not understanding why things were happening this way. Then, he shrieked in fear and unease, "Quickly save me!"

  He shrieked very loudly, drowning out the words following Chen Changsheng's 'so.'

  But it could not drown the terrifying gale stirred by the fist and the crackle of lightning.

  Luoluo's noble and tyrannical bloodline made her utterly loathe cowardly beings.

  At Tianhai Ya'er's fearful and urgent cry for help, her eyebrows leapt up and her eyes became abnormally bright.

  An image flashed, a young tiger leaping over a stream!

  Her fist fell upon Tianhai Ya'er's stomach!

  With a smack, Tianhai Ya'er's shrieks suddenly came to a halt!

  After a moment, the silence was finally broken by countless alarmed cries and yells.

  Tianhai Ya'er lay unconscious in a pool of blood, his ribs completely shattered and his meridians completely ruptured, already a cripple.

  Luoluo drew back her first, violent winds howling around her small body.

  Whoosh!

  Her black hair blew across her small and beautiful face like catkins in the wind.

  Not catkins, but traces of grass.

  She gazed at the surrounding crowd, her expression cold and calm.

  It was like she was in the north, standing within a mighty gale amidst the bent grass, constantly waiting for the moment where she could deliver the killing blow.

  An indescribable power and prestige naturally formed around her.

  There was absolute silence as the crowd stared with stupefied expressions at the platform.

  That girl…had actually crippled Tianhai Ya'er! Did she know who Tianhai Ya'er was? Did she know what she was doing?

  Chen Changsheng deeply wished to tell the entire world, I was the one that made her do it, but at this time, the gazes of the entire world were focused on Luoluo, none of them on him. For instance, Zhuang Huanyu's gaze only had space for Luoluo's petite figure as he was filled with boundless appreciation and admiration.

  With a shaking of light, the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer and those experts of the Temple Seminary quickly rushed to Tianhai Ya'er's side to check on his pulse and breath. They confirmed that he was still alive, but…his meridians had all been shattered, crippled until they could be crippled no more, making him incapable of cultivation for the rest of his life.

  The people from the Temple Seminary carried Tianhai Ya'er down from the platform as quickly as possible and to the Imperial Palace, hoping that the Guardians or imperial doctors would be able to preserve a final hope. If it really turned out to be no good, there was truly a chance for this incident to disturb the Divine Empress.

  The bishop and teachers of the Temple Seminary departed with them. Before leaving, they shot a glance at the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer, their meaning crystal-clear: You carried out this matter behind the Temple Seminary's back, you were using Tianhai Ya'er, so you will be the one who must give an explanation.

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer gazed at Luoluo, his face like a sheet of frost, his voice as piercing as the edge of a blade. "To strike with such viciousness, you really are an incredibly cold-blooded little girl."

  Luoluo thought, What did that Tianhai Ya'er say to this Heavenly Dao Academy overseer after injuring and crippling Xuanyuan Po? She remembered. At the time, the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer had said that Tianhai Ya'er's attack was too harsh, and Tianhai Ya'er had replied that he had only promised to not kill Xuanyuan Po, but had never said anything about not crippling him.

  "I never promised that I wouldn't kill him, let alone the fact that I only crippled him."

  Luoluo felt her argument very reasonable, so she boldly and confidently turned around and walked off the platform.

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer froze. Recalling his conversation with Tianhai Ya'er and believing Luoluo to be intentionally ridiculing him, he couldn't help but grow angrie
r. His long beard danced rapidly in the night wind as his complexion turned extremely nasty. He sternly yelled, "You think you can just leave like this!"

  Luoluo stopped.

  The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer stared at her back and emotionlessly said, "I don't care what your background is or who your real teacher is, but let me make it clear to you that this is the capital of the Great Zhou, this is the Heavenly Dao Academy. You've committed violent assault before the crowd. Do you think you can just run away?"