Free Web NovelChapter 22: Chapter 18: Love’s Ancient Sorrow
Of course, Shen Lang couldn’t hear the discussion between Sima Yan and the others.
However, he did know a little about the Thunder Control Divine Technique.
The Thunder Control Divine Technique did indeed come from the Profound Iron Level Profound Dao Sect; it was their most formidable cultivation technique.
In fact, within the War Emperor’s memories, there was an inextricable bond with the Profound Dao Sect.
The founding ancestor of the Profound Dao Sect had even received guidance from the War Emperor. Back in the day, the War Emperor had personally studied the Thunder Control Divine Technique with the sect’s founder.
However, these were matters best kept to himself.
Besides, no one would believe him even if he told them...
The powers of this world were divided into Cyan Wood Level, Profound Iron Level, Spirit Copper Level, and so on, forming a pyramid where each tier suppressed and constrained the one below it.
Shen Lang’s family, along with the Chu, Xiao, and Xu Families, were known as the "Four Great Families" of Celestial Phoenix City. In truth, however, none of them had even reached the status of a Cyan Wood Level power.
They were, to put it bluntly, just a few third-rate families.
In Celestial Phoenix City, only the Celestial Phoenix Mansion—the City Lord’s Mansion—was a true Cyan Wood Level power. frёeωebɳovel.com
The Four Great Families survived by affiliating themselves with the City Lord’s Mansion.
As for why a mere Cyan Wood Level power could control a city as large as Celestial Phoenix City, most people were tight-lipped on the matter.
It was rumored that the Celestial Phoenix City Lord, Ye Xiao Zheng, had come from the Imperial Dragon Sect—the National Protection Sect of the Purple Chu Country. His connections there were supposedly why he had the opportunity to control Celestial Phoenix City.
Above the Cyan Wood Level powers were the Profound Iron Level powers.
The reason Sima Yan and his group were so shocked wasn’t just because the Profound Dao Sect was a Profound Iron Level power. It was because, decades ago, the Profound Dao Sect had been a Spirit Copper Level power, on par with the Imperial Dragon Sect!
However, rumor had it that they were squeezed out by several other major Spirit Copper Level sects. After a series of incidents, they were forcibly knocked down an entire level.
But an old power doesn’t fall so easily. Even though the Profound Dao Sect had suffered a calamity and been demoted to a Profound Iron Level power, the foundations from its time as a Spirit Copper Level power remained.
And their strongest cultivation technique, the Thunder Control Divine Technique, was never passed down to outsiders; only the most elite disciples could ever hope to learn it.
But Shen Lang, with his Martial Power Realm Ninth Heaven cultivation, had thrown a single punch using the Thunder Control Divine Technique. It had effortlessly shattered Shen Jianfeng’s layers of defense as if they were made of paper, causing them to disintegrate instantly. This didn’t seem like the work of someone who had just begun to dabble in a Thunder Element Technique.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed he had cultivated the Thunder Control Divine Technique to a very high level...
Although Tayun Academy enjoyed a special status due to its affiliation with Jialan Academy in the Imperial Capital, it was, to be frank, only a Cyan Wood Level power—not much stronger than the City Lord’s Mansion.
But now that Sima Yan and the others knew Shen Lang was connected to the Profound Dao Sect—a former Spirit Copper Level power—the situation took on entirely new implications...
"If he truly has a connection to the Profound Dao Sect, then if Shen Jianfeng’s father refuses to honor the promise of the Spirit Field... I might just have to move these old bones of mine for the first time in a long while and make him hand it over obediently..." Sima Yan said with a wry smile.
The other two men didn’t speak, but they both chuckled in unison.
As they watched, Shen Lang made his way through the crowd and headed for the dining hall.
Shen Lang had no idea any of this was happening, not that he would have cared much anyway.
In fact, among the cultivation techniques he knew, there were quite a few that were stronger than the Thunder Control Divine Technique.
But those techniques all came with their own secrets. Some had dubious origins, and the powers behind them were immense—some were so vast they could make the entire Star Continent tremble with a single stomp of their foot. It was best not to use them, lest he invite disaster.
’Besides, I only just received these memories. Where would I find the time and energy to practice them?’
’In comparison, the Profound Dao Sect is a Profound Iron Level power. And over the past few decades, they’ve supposedly suffered a major setback and have been lying low, recuperating ever since. They’re very discreet.’
’As long as I’m not too flashy about it, cultivating a technique from a sect like that shouldn’t be a big problem.’
’What’s more, the Profound Dao Sect is far in the northwest of the Purple Chu Empire, near Yunfeng Country, at least tens of thousands of miles from here.’
’On the other hand, Thunder Power is the most resolute and purest yang power in existence. Thunder Element Techniques are incredibly strong and have great potential for growth, so I absolutely must practice the Thunder Control Divine Technique properly.’
’Besides, I’m counting on using the Nine Heavens Thunder Power for Body Forging after I’ve practiced it enough.’
"Hey, are you going to tell me or not? Why did you call my name in your dream and tell me to... to take... my clothes off?" Xue Dangdang asked, speeding up to catch Shen Lang and lightly tugging on the corner of his sleeve.
Shen Lang sighed. "What’s there to tell? I just dreamed that we went to hunt a Demon Beast, you were injured by it, and I was bandaging your wounds."
"Hmph!" Xue Dangdang fumed. "Hmph, you really think I’d believe that?"
"That’s what happened. Believe it or not, it makes no difference to me," Shen Lang said with a shrug.
Xue Dangdang’s nose wrinkled as she snorted. "Oh-ho, feeling brave now, are we? You dare talk to me like that?"
As if he’d just thought of something, Shen Lang froze. He stopped, turned around, and stared at Xue Dangdang without blinking. "Dingdang, since you love getting to the bottom of things so much, can I ask you something in return?"
Xue Dangdang paused, taken aback for a moment. She raised an eyebrow and said, "What is it? Go ahead and ask, but only if it’s something I would know."
"I just want to ask... your cultivation is impressive, and you have a huge reputation at Tayun Academy. If you wanted to collect protection fees, besides a monster like Old Chu, who in the entire academy would dare refuse you? So why do you only ever demand them from me?" Shen Lang asked, his gaze unwavering.
TING-A-LING... The bells on Xue Dangdang’s clothes chimed as a flash of panic crossed her eyes.
"Wh-why are you asking that?" Xue Dangdang stammered, slightly flustered. "Don’t read too much into it! I promised your sister, Shen Moran, that I would protect you, so of course I only collect fees from you! I can’t be expected to work for free, can I?"
He caught the panic in her eyes, and a sharp pain lanced through his heart, though he let none of it show on his face.
He gave a faint smile. "Alright then, I understand. You saw my fight with Shen Jianfeng today. I may not be much, but I’m strong enough to protect myself within the academy now. So... you don’t have to collect protection fees from me anymore, okay?"
"What are you saying? You... You..." Xue Dangdang never imagined Shen Lang would suddenly say such a thing. She was thrown into utter disarray, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Shen Lang turned away decisively. "I mean," he said through clenched teeth as he walked, "you’ve fulfilled your promise to my sister. From now on... I don’t need your protection anymore. Thank you."
With that, he quickened his pace and soon disappeared into the distance.
Xue Dangdang stared blankly at his retreating back, not moving for a long time. Finally, she stomped her foot hard. "You... You heartless jerk! You think you’re so great just because your cultivation improved a little? Who do you think you are?! Did you think I couldn’t tell that punch of yours used up almost all the Spiritual Power in your body? And you still say you don’t need my protection... Who wants to protect you anyway!"
As she spoke with bitter resentment, a film of moisture welled up in her eyes.
"I’m a girl... Did you expect me to just tell you that I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you...? You idiot!"
Xue Dangdang mumbled in a voice so quiet only she could hear, then walked over to a large tree and sat down. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in them.
What she didn’t know was that Shen Lang, now far in the distance, felt just as miserable as she did.
Shen Lang was deeply conflicted. Xue Dangdang had been by his side for so long that even a block of wood would have sensed her affection for him, yet he could do nothing about it.
In the past, he had seen himself as useless and had no confidence, so he never dared get close to her. Whenever they were together, he would barely even speak.
But now, his cultivation was far stronger. With the War Emperor’s memories and the Tai Chi Diagram Martial Soul, his cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds...
Even though his cultivation wasn’t high yet, he already possessed the presence of a true expert...
This should have been the time for him to be happy, to take the initiative and pursue Xue Dangdang.
But for some reason, whenever he saw Xue Dangdang, he felt both immense joy and unbearable anguish. A heart-wrenching feeling, a torment worse than death, tortured him to his very core...
It was an indescribable sensation, and it had only grown stronger since he had fused with the War Emperor’s soul.
’Unless I cultivate to an incredibly powerful level, I won’t be able to protect her at all. Since that’s the case, I should just leave this place, leave her, and stay far, far away...’
Shen Lang thought to himself.
It wasn’t that he lacked confidence; he simply felt he had no right to be confident.
When the War Emperor self-destructed, even though the specific memories were erased, he could still recall the sounds of inconsolable grief all around him.
’That bastard... He got himself so completely obliterated, yet he left his loved ones behind in such sorrow...’
’Even with all his immense power, he couldn’t protect his family. So how could the current Shen Lang dare to be so presumptuous?’
’Until I’m strong enough, I have to stay away from Xue Dangdang. I’ll come back for her when I’m powerful enough...’
’What’s the point of waiting for tragedy to strike before feeling regret?’
Once fate’s thread is cut and a beauty is lost, it’s like a fallen blossom and a departed soul, each unaware of the other’s end.
There are always things in this world beyond one’s control, things one may never be able to change.
CRACK... CRACK... The sound of footsteps on dry branches came from up ahead.
Shen Lang glanced up, his heart leaping into his throat. He spun around and immediately bolted.
A giant hammer formed from flames smashed down unceremoniously from the dim sky. With a deafening BOOM, the flames shattered and scattered in all directions. A yelp of pain was heard from Shen Lang as the hammer strike sent him sprawling to the ground!
"You little brat, you dare run when you see me!"
Wooden Zither Tutor approached slowly, a giant hammer slung over her shoulder like a veritable War God.
She was wearing a short purple skirt, her figure graceful and charming. But the fiery red big hammer she carried on her shoulder was frankly terrifying; it seemed completely out of place for a woman like her.
Shen Lang grunted and groaned as he picked himself up off the ground.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fight back; it was that his earlier punch with the Thunder Control Divine Technique had completely exhausted his Spiritual Power. Right now, he didn’t even have the strength to run.
"What the hell, are you serious? I’ve been out of class for three days, but I had Lin Feng ask for a leave of absence for me! All I did was not come to see you! Did you really have to blast me with a cannon... I mean, a Fiery Fire Hammer?!" A disheveled Shen Lang was so furious he was hopping on the spot.
Wooden Zither looked at his dirt-streaked face and the leaves in his hair, suppressing a laugh. "The fact that you’re still alive and kicking proves my methods were correct. Do you really think I’d attack you wantonly?"
"I may not have seen your duel with Shen Jianfeng, but I’ve heard all about it. A little love tap from my Fiery Fire Hammer isn’t enough to hurt you—hey! Don’t change the subject!"
She rattled off angrily, "Out with it. Back when we were refining the Purple Thunder Golden Halberd, where did you get that formula? How did you calculate that it would explode with such precise timing?"
"You never showed the slightest interest in Artifact Refining before, so how do you suddenly know so much? I’m a Spirit Level Third Grade Artifact Refiner, for crying out loud! Are you saying I look like a three-year-old in your eyes?"
Shen Lang plucked the leaves from his hair and said irritably, "What’s the big deal? My grades weren’t terrible before, I could at least pass, right? Then later, I found an old book in the Phoenix Mountain Range. It recorded a lot of Artifact Refining Dharma Gates. I read it when I was bored, and I guess I just picked it all up."
"An old book? Let me see it!" Wooden Zither said, her tone skeptical.
"Can’t. It’s at home."
"Take me to get it. Tayun Academy isn’t far from Celestial Phoenix City."
"I lost it."
"So is it at home, or did you lose it!"
"I lost it at home."
"..."
"A lady uses her words, not her fists! Speaking of which, what’s the meaning of you raising that Fiery Fire Hammer? I’m telling you... I don’t scare easy! I... HOLY CRAP, HELP!"
