Book 9: Chapter 59: Brightest Star in the Sky

When Lin Xi’s voice sounded, Gao Yanan, Jiang Xiaoyi and the others all followed Lin Xi’s gaze, all of them becoming stunned.

It was precisely Xu Family’s third young master, Xu Zhenyan.

In Green Luan Academy, Xu Zhenyan was an extremely well-known great golden spoon, and he didn’t know how to act a bit more low profile, so almost all of these new students recognized this Xu Family third prince.

While in Green Luan Academy, third young master Xu always had followers flattering him, full of flamboyance. Meanwhile, how was this current person anything like the past third young master Xu? It was as if he became a completely different person.

His complexion was waxen yellow, his cheekbones clearly visible, hair scattered and lacking luster. His shoulders and back were covered in thick bandages, the bandages covered in traces of blood of varying depth. Where did he look like an influential family’s young master? He didn’t look much different from a Central Continent beggar, too skinny, eyes even a bit sunken. It was as if he suddenly aged five or six years from when he was in the academy.

At this time, he struggled onto a warhorse with great difficulty. While looking at Lin Xi, his eyes, carried unspeakable hatred and resentment.

When their eyes met, Lin Xi could feel even deeper hostility and bitter resentment than when they were in the academy. Only, he couldn’t understand why when he furrowed his brows in discontent, Xu Zhenyan’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Starting from the moment they suffered the first attack from Wenren Cangyue’s subordinates, Xu Zhenyan and his group of men had experienced an untold amount of dangers. In the end, when they successfully took over Jadefall East Outskirts Deer Chasing Army, his troop that was secretly dispatched from Central Continent Imperial City under Qiu Hanshan’s lead only had five people left. Xu Zhenyan who suffered serious injuries from that river ambush spent every day in anxiety and misery. Whenever they encountered enemies, even if his injuries were serious, he still had no choice but to go all out, all for the sake of survival.

His wounds never fully healed. Before they began to fester and get infected, Qiu Hanshan’s group could only use burning coals to directly burn his injuries to stop them from worsening.

What he thought about every single day was whether or not new blades would enter his body, if he could live to see the sunrise tomorrow. Even while asleep, he would suddenly wake up screaming from his nightmares, his entire body soaked in cold sweat.

When had he experienced such suffering? These days, for him, were an endless hell and nightmare. Meanwhile, during his nightmares, the sinister and terrifying monsters all had Lin Xi’s face.

He understood his father’s, Xu Tianwang’s callous nature clearly, knowing that even if it wasn’t Lin Xi, but another opponent, he would have similarly be dealt with in such a cruel manner, that he would still be sent out to Jadefall City to carry out this type of mission.

However, Xu Zhenyan always believed that it was precisely because Lin Xi’s performance was too good and too outstanding, that his father felt that there was such a huge difference between them, thus treating him this way. Moreover, Xu Zhenyan also really liked Qin Xiyue, he always believed that if there wasn’t a Lin Xi, Qin Xiyue definitely wouldn’t have refused Xu Family’s request to be related by marriage, nor would Xu Tianwang feel so useless.

In the following few days, even though his cultivation and willpower both unknowingly experienced tremendous advancement, already becoming a cultivator who knew how to endure and fight, he still subconsciously believed that all of his troubles were because of Lin Xi, so his hatred and resentment naturally became even more powerful than before.

This was especially the case right now when he discovered that he already completely used up all of his soul force in the previous battle, already no different from an ordinary wounded person, like a beggar, while Lin Xi used such a shocking method to cut down a general, appearing before his eyes like this, how could he control the emotions he felt within him?

Bitter resentment and anger, together with the shock and fear towards the strength Lin Xi displayed… all of these things prevented his entire body’s shaking from stopping.

Qiu Hanshan naturally knew Xu Zhenyan’s status. When he heard Lin Xi’s subconscious cry, saying Xu Zhenyan’s name, he became even more sure of Lin Xi and the other youngsters’ identities. When he looked at Lin Xi, Gao Yanan and the rest of these other youngsters, he released a light sigh inwardly, thinking that Green Luan Academy really produced some extraordinary figures today. No wonder that previously, even though Thunder Academy had Wanyan Muye and Helan Yuexi, these types of students, they still suffered a thorough defeat in Ten Fingers Ridge.

“Lin Xi!”

Unknown as to what kind of thoughts spurred him on, this entirely shaking Xu Zhenyan squeezed out Lin Xi’s name from his throat.

Bian Linghan was always frank and outspoken, this was especially the case after staying with Tong Wei for such a long amount of time, unknowingly also having some of his proud and untamed aura. At this time, when Lin Xi saw Xu Zhenyan’s eyes, because they were still retreating, he only frowned, not saying anything, but she couldn’t hold back. Her brows jumped, shooting Xu Zhenyan an ice-cold look and saying, “Xu Zhenyan, even if you don’t hold any feelings of camaraderie for a fellow classmate, for better or for worse, we saved your life. Even if you don’t thank Lin Xi, you should at least watch your tone. What kind of eyes are you looking at him with?!”

When he heard Bian Linghan’s words, saw this ‘bumpkin’ who he normally despised while in the academy, but was now far more awe-inspiring than him, Xu Zhenyan instead slowly calmed down. “Thank him?” He looked towards Bian Linghan and Lin Xi, coldly shaking his head and said, “Instead of being saved by you all… I would rather no one came to save me. It is because for me, this is instead a type of unendurable humiliation. However, there are some matters where I indeed have to thank Lin Xi for. Without him, I wouldn’t have learned so many things so quickly, think through so many things.”

“I really cannot understand just how your brain works.” Bian Linghan looked at Xu Zhenyan and said with a low voice that carried cold mockery, “I just cannot understand where Lin Xi provoked you, with your current appearance… even if there was no Lin Xi, I reckon Qin Xiyue definitely wouldn’t like you.”

“Is that so?”

Xu Zhenyan laughed, his laugh extremely sinister.

His smile made Lin Xi unable to help but furrow his brows again. It wasn’t because he felt more displeasure towards Xu Zhenyan’s attitude, but rather that Xu Zhenyan’s current sinister smile made him feel that Xu Zhenyan was already completely different from before. At the very least, in terms of his temperament, he already went through a complete transformation, becoming harder to deal with. It was just like how a young and tender wolf became a wounded sinister lone wolf.

“Do you see?”

The moment he felt like Xu Zhenyan already truly grew into an opponent that now posed a bit of a threat to him, his face frowning, Xu Zhenyan raised his head, pointing into the starry sky above.

Following his finger, Bian Linghan, Jiang Xiaoyi and the others saw the star that was shining brightest in the sky.

“That star doesn’t look any different from the other stars, but its brilliance instead covers the radiance of the stars beside it. When this type of star exists… who would care so much about the stars at its side?” Xu Zhenyan gave Bian Linghan a look, slowly continuing.

“Does that mean even you are aware that Lin Xi is the brightest star?” Bian Linghan looked at Xu Zhenyan with a bit of happiness, saying, “But I fear that you will never be able to match Lin Xi.”

“That is only right now.”

Xu Zhenyan lowered his head, said this, and then didn’t say anything else.

Before speaking with Bian Linghan, he witnessed Lin Xi’s power. When he thought about how Lin Xi could easily end his life with his current strength, he still felt great fear inside. However, at this time, he completely subdued the fear he felt, his heart instead producing a type of ‘so what’ feeling of joy. The moment he lowered his head, he coldly thought inside… Father, since you like being cold, I will become the type of cold person you like. Regardless of how much you disregard my life, in the end, I am still someone from Xu Family. My changes and growth will definitely make you happy.

Bian Linghan obviously wouldn’t have any way of knowing what Xu Zhenyan was thinking inside right now. She gave Xu Zhenyan a look and then didn’t say too much anymore either, only coldly thinking that if you treat us unfavorably in the future, I won’t feel much fellow student camaraderie either, ruthlessly shoot you down with an arrow.

…

The light cavalry army returned to the slope.

Under the assistance of several warhorses, the seventeen intact Mountain Piercing Crossbow Carts were dragged up to the top of the hill.

This was also the first time he saw Yunqin’s most powerful standard military equipment. He knew that this type of mobile City Guarding Crossbow’s power was enough to penetrate the body of a State Master. Meanwhile, he previously already learned from An Keyi that State Master’s bodies and Sacred Expert’s bodies didn’t have too much of a difference, just that Sacred Experts’ reactions and speed were things a normal cultivator couldn’t even imagine. This type of crossbolt that couldn’t change directions, before their eyes, it most likely seemed too slow, so they didn’t possess much destructive power against them.

However, they posed a powerful threat even for State Master level cultivators, so this type of military device was already enough to make one’s heart tremble.

Lin Xi sized up this Mountain Piercing Crossbow Cart.

He saw that the outside of the Mountain Piercing Crossbow Carts were just like completely sealed rectangular bronze carriages, just that their ends had iron chains connected to them, up ahead were three holes used to reload the giant crossbow.

Hong!

Before he had the time to look at these steel monster-like powerful military weapons, a wave of cheers and shouts suddenly erupted from the top of the slope.

“Divine might!”

“Divine might!”

Large amounts of soldiers shouted this in a uniform manner, making one’s blood boil, feeling deeply moved.

Lin Xi was confused. When he turned around, he saw that almost all of the Rear Heaven’s Lens Army soldiers’ eyes were gathered on him. When he saw the light cavalry’s officials who were checking their numbers, he immediately reacted.

Their entire seven hundred membered light cavalry, under this attack, only suffered less than fifty casualties.

Sacrifices admittedly left one in grief and sorrow, but the opponent was a five hundred manned light armored army and a few hundred remaining Jadefall Border Army troops. After slaughtering the other side until only two hundred were able to flee, yet only taking on this type of losses, this type of battle achievement was already enough for any Jadefall Border Army commander to feel proud.

Moreover, all of the Rear Heaven’s Lens Army who stayed  behind also began to understand that the one Lin Xi beheaded was Qin Qinghuang! They learned that the ones they faced were the iron army Qin Qinghuang commanded!

As such, these border army cheers praising bravery and victory naturally sounded.

Lin Xi became momentarily quiet. He turned around to look at the meadow battlefield and at the other hilltop, and then slowly carried out a military salute, quietly saying, “For the departed… for glory.”

When the entire army saw Lin Xi turn around and give this salute, they quickly became quiet, becoming speechless.

When they heard Lin Xi’s voice, recalling Lin Xi’s Spiritual Sacrifice Priest identity, all of the Rear Heaven’s Lens Army soldiers’ felt hot blood boil within their chests with even greater ferocity, their faces becoming even more serious. At this time, they could feel the respect Lin Xi had towards the bravery of every single ordinary soldier, so all of them orderly carried out a military salute, seriously saying, “For the departed… for glory!”

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