THE ETERNAL SUPREME

 

Chapter 1: Awaken

Li Yunxiao had been in a trance all this while. Every now and then, images flashed through his mind as if he had become someone else. He also went into a state of epilepsy from time to time; at times shouting, crying, laughing.

Even stranger was the fact that there was always a voice in his mind which seemed to be reciting a strange scripture. When he listened carefully, it seemed to be a cultivation technique, and his body always swayed involuntarily with the voice. The more epileptic he became, the more fragments appeared in his mind, and the more complete they became.

Finally, he passed out from the torture one day. But when he woke up, all the fragments were joined together in their entirety and appeared in his mind clearly. Li Yunxiao’s eyes were as clear as the stars of eternity: he had finally awakened.

“I can’t believe I was reborn!” Li Yunxiao’s eyes lit up as he turned his head slightly to look out of the window at the tall statue that rose to the top of the cloud. “Year 1033 of the Heavenly Martial Calendar… I, Gu Feiyang, have been dead for fifteen years?”

Fifteen years ago, Gu Feiyang—the Vanquisher Martial Sovereign—one of the top ten Conferred Martial Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm, accidentally passed away in the Tiandang Mountains, shaking the entire continent! Since then, there had been an undercurrent of tension surging among the major powers, and the conflicts had been intensified. The Heavenly Martial Continent, which had been calm for hundreds of years, was once again in turbulence.

“Heh,” Li Yunxiao grinned and sighed softly, “I can’t believe I’ve been born again after fifteen years…I, Gu Feiyang, am back at last.”

“Li Yunxiao!” Suddenly a cold shout of rebuke rang out.

Whoosh!

A sharp noise broke through the air as Li Yunxiao looked up and saw a piece of chalk flying toward him, about to hit him in the face.

He casually caught the chalk between his fingers and put it on the table. Then, he looked calmly at Luo Yunshang, the class teacher, whose face was getting cold on the podium.

It was the nth time that Li Yunxiao’s mind had wandered in the class, so she’d be surprised if he wasn’t distracted. But, Luo Yunshang was obviously in a bad mood today, so she needed someone to vent her depression on.

And Li Yunxiao, the recognized loser, was certainly the best candidate. For a long time, it seemed to be a habit for all the teachers who were in a bad mood to pick on him. Whenever a teacher got upset, everyone knew that Li Yunxiao was going to be in trouble.

Everyone began to snicker and gloat excitedly, all looking forward to watching the show; a few students even started to make noises. This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.

Li Yunxiao squinted at Luo Yunshang and thought, ‘She has got a great body, long hair, and a pretty face. If she were to wear a red gown, silver horn boots, a blue cloak, and the Frosty Sorrow, I bet she would look exactly like Red Lotus Martial Sovereign…Hehe, she’s got a lot of potential for wearing costumes. I wonder if Red Lotus would kill me if she knew what I was thinking…’

Luo Yunshang’s heart gave a jerk. Li Yunxiao’s eyes seemed to flicker with a smile, and that made her shudder inexplicably. It was like a tame rabbit had suddenly been spotted by a tiger. A momentary sense of powerlessness made her feel like falling into an ice cellar.

‘What was that? The boy’s eyes…Was he laughing? No way! I am a great martial master of the Four Quadrants realm! How could I be distracted by the glance of a common boy? It must be because I’ve been stuck in that problem lately that I’m a bit unsettled.’

The look of horror in her eyes flashed away, and she soon recovered from the momentary loss of composure. Her face darkened, and a sneer flickered around her lips. “Li Yunxiao, we were talking about the crafting of weapons. Can you tell us how many methods common weapons are made with?”

Luo Yunshang was teaching the basic course on crafting weapons. Although only a handful of people could become alchemists, the most basic knowledge of weapon crafting was what every warrior must know.

‘The crafting of weapons? Ha! I’m a ninth-tier emperor-grade alchemist of the Heavenly Martial Continent! Who in the world but those few undying old fogies would dare to speak of the methods of weapon crafting in front of me?’

Li Yunxiao said carelessly, “There are forty-eight methods of crafting common weapons.”

“Forty-eight?” The classroom suddenly fell silent before bursting into laughter!

“Haha! This fella must be talking in his sleep.”

“I told you so! If I had only looked at his composure, I would have thought he really knew the answer!”

“Tsk! If he knew the right answer, I would have been a state guard!”

Li Yunxiao frowned as his glance fell on the textbook in front of him. He flipped open it and immediately saw a sentence: “There are thirty-six methods of crafting common weapons, which are…”

When he closed the book, he saw a row of large words on the cover page: “Basic Artifact Crafting”, and beneath it was a clear row of smaller words: “By Yang Di”.

‘Didn’t I tell him there are forty-eight common methods? That brat actually turned a deaf ear to my words? He’ll never have to come to my lecture again.’

He had sentenced the author of the textbook to death in an instant. Yang Di would have cried himself to death if he had known this.

Yunxiao paid no mind to all the mockery. “There are thirty-six orthodox crafting methods,” he said in a calm tone. “But sixty years ago, Gu Feiyang had invented twelve technical crafting methods, which have been recognized by the Association of Alchemists and listed as basic crafting methods. So, there should be forty-eight.”

“Tsk! What nonsense is this brat talking about? Does he know more than Lord Yang Di?”

“Haha! He must be afraid of being punished, so he has started talking nonsense.”

“Precisely! How could Lord Yang Di, a student of Lord Gu Feiyang, not know how many basic crafting methods there are?”

The whole classroom was filled with mockery, but a sudden shout silenced everyone.

“Shut up! He’s right!”

Yunshang slapped the table, causing a gust of strong wind to spread out in all directions. Everyone felt an overbearing force come pushing at them, and their faces fell in horror. Some of the students near the podium were as pale as paper, as if on the point of coughing blood.

Yunxiao smiled inwardly as he felt the wind. ‘Tier two-stars of the Four Quadrants Realm…She sure has a gift! And her soul seems to be very strong. I reckon she’s at least a senior apprentice alchemist.’ He was a little surprised. He had known Luo Yunshang to be very formidable, but he had never expected her to be at such a high level.

Martial warriors were divided into nine levels: The Origin Realm (Warrior), the Two Forces Realm (Martial Master), the Three Powers Realm (Great Martial Master), the Four Quadrants Realm (Martial Lord), the Five Elements Realm (Martial King), the Six Directions Realm (Martial Grandmaster), the Seven Constellations Realm (Martial Emperor), the Eight Desolation Realm (Martial Supreme), and the Nine Heavens Realm (Martial Sovereign). Each level was divided into nine tiers, from one star to nine stars. As soon as one reached the peak of the Nine Heavens Realm, one would be granted a title by the Holy City, becoming a Conferred Martial Sovereign.

Yunshang stared coldly at Li Yunxiao as a hint of surprise flashed through her mind. Then, she glanced at the crowd and began to explain slowly.

“There have always been thirty-six basic crafting methods. Sixty years ago, Lord Gu Feiyang, with his unparalleled talent, had invented twelve additional methods, which were recognized by the Association of Alchemists. It’s just that these twelve methods are completely beyond the grasp of the average person, so Lord Yang Di didn’t include them when he wrote this textbook.”

All the students were astonished and looked incredulous as they fixed their eyes on Li Yunxiao, who appeared to be perfectly calm. It was like the student at the bottom of the class had suddenly solved a problem that even the top students could not.

Even Yunshang was surprised. It was no secret to the alchemists that there were forty-eight basic crafting methods, but it was very rare for an apprentice martial warrior to know this.

A thought suddenly came to her mind. ‘They say this Li Yunxiao is illiterate in martial arts…Could it be that he has a gift in the crafting of weapons, which is why he has gathered a lot of information to learn by himself?’ The idea set her heart racing. If she could train an alchemist, it was worth more than a warrior!

‘Let me test him again!’

Yunshang looked up and saw that Li Yunxiao was looking at her with a hint of smile in his eyes, which gave her a feeling as if a teacher were looking at his disciple. That made anger rise in her. With a cold grin, she said, “Don’t think you can skip class just because you’ve learned something esoteric. I’ll ask you one more question. If you can answer that, you can skip the rest of my class and I’ll pass you with a full mark. But if you can’t answer that…you will stay in the tenfold gravity chamber for six hours!

“Tell me why we need to add Sky Crystal Sand when making weapons?”

“Stay in the tenfold gravity chamber for six hours? That’s too harsh!”

“Haha! Don’t you see that Teacher Nalan is in a bad mood today? The brat has brought himself into the storm.”

“Well, he deserved it. Look at his face…it looks like it needs some slaps. How I wish I could step on him a few times!”

“Wow, did you hear that? That’s a tough question. Everybody knows that Sky Crystal Sand needs to be added when crafting weapons, and there’s no reason why!”

“Yeah, it’s like asking you why one plus one equals two. Haha! It seems that Teacher Nalan is trying to embarrass Li Yunxiao.”

“Stay in the tenfold gravity chamber for six hours?” Li Yunxiao shook his head slightly, feeling a little helpless. If it were before, he would not feel anything even with a thousand-fold gravitational force. But ten times the force of gravity was a bit too much for his current body.

His helpless expression was quickly interpreted by Yunshang as fear, which made her completely erase the admiration she had just expressed for him, and she could not help but look down on him. ‘He is indeed illiterate in martial arts. He has not changed at all.’

Moreover, she immediately regretted it as soon as the question left her mouth. She felt a vague sense of guilt and remorse for playing such a trick on her student. After all, he had just answered a basic question very well, at least showing a studious side which was different from the past. Would she hurt his confidence and self-esteem by doing this? Would she strangle a flower that was going to turn over a new leaf?

As her mind wandered, Li Yunxiao answered almost thoughtlessly.

“In fact, the crafting of weapons does not necessarily require Sky Crystal Sand, but it is not easy for the ordinary alchemists to master the degree of fusion between materials during the refining process after quenching. So, they need to use it, which has a neutralization property, to play a moderating role.”

There was an eerie silence when he had finished. Everyone looked at each other because they could not understand what he was saying.

Chapter 2: In The Classroom.

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The students looked at each other in astonishment. What Li Yunxiao had said was completely beyond the scope of the textbook.

But, Luo Yunshang heard it all clearly!

Her pupils constricted as she blurted out, “If that is the case, the more sky crystal sand you add in the process of crafting weapons, the better. But, why is it that during the melting of carmot mixed with red copper, the more sky crystal sand is added, the more likely it is to fail?”

This was the problem that had puzzled her for days, and she could not find a solution no matter how hard she racked her brain. That was why she had been depressed these days. Now that she had blurted out the problem in her heart, she did not look like she was testing Yunxiao, but someone who was seeking advice.

The whole class looked at her with their mouths wide open. Why did she look so different from the learned, frosty, proud Teacher Luo they remembered?

Yunxiao answered patiently with the same carefree expression, “Because even though red copper’s attribute is metal, it is actually inclined more toward the fire element. So, it has a great melting ability for carmot. As a result, many alchemists prefer carmot when upgrading red copper weapons. But, if it contains sky crystal sand, it’s a different story.”

He paused for a brief moment, and when he saw the look on Yunshang’s face—the thirst for knowledge—he smiled and could not help remembering the disciples who had followed him. “Because the attribute of sky crystal sand is water, it neutralizes red copper’s fire attribute. So, the more you add, the worse red copper’s ability to melt carmot gets.”

“Oh, I see!” Yunshang’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “So that’s why! No wonder I never succeeded. What should I do?”

“Very simple! Treat sky crystal sand as an impurity and use the refinement essence to remove it,” Yunxiao said with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

“Ah!” Yunshang exclaimed again, “How could I be so stupid as to not think of such a simple solution!”

She began to calculate quickly in her mind; the process of crafting flashed through her head and finally came to an end. Her eyes suddenly brightened and her face glowed with a happy smile.

“Huh? Where’s Li Yunxiao?”

She felt a surge of gratitude in her heart, but at the same time, she was greatly shocked—how could a wastrel who had been regarded as not having any talent in martial arts be even more knowledgeable in the art of weapon crafting than her, a genuine advanced apprentice alchemist?

With such an amazing weapon-crafting talent, his future was far brighter than practicing martial arts. Could a student like this be even considered a loser?

Li Yunxiao’s past flashed through her mind as she blamed herself inwardly for failing to discover such an outstanding talent of her student, even though she was his teacher.

“He…he just left the classroom…” One student said obediently. The way he looked at Luo Yunshang had become unusually strange.

“What?” Yunshang arched her eyebrows and said angrily, “How could he ignore me and sneak away while we are in the middle of class?”

The student hastily withdrew his gaze and said weakly, “Didn’t you say that if he can answer your question, he can skip the rest of your class? If I were him, I would go too.”

“Bam!”

Yunshang slapped her palm on the lectern made of black iron, leaving a palm print on its surface while shocking the class. Everyone held their breath and dared not to make a sound. “Which one of you heard me say that?”

Her watery eyes swept across the students. Those glanced at by her were trembling and shaking their heads hurriedly, their faces turned pale. “No, you didn’t say that! We were wrong! Teacher Luo never said that!”

Yunshang snorted coldly and said, “Class is over! Tell Li Yunxiao that if I don’t see him in the next class, I’ll send him to the tenfold gravity chamber for three days!”

“Three days!”

Everyone sucked in a cold breath as they watched Luo Yunshang kick open the classroom door and head for the Alchemy Hall like a gust of wind.

“Hey, can someone tell me what is going on?” Du Feng was the first to speak. He rose directly from his seat and went to a tall student. “Boss, what’s going on?”

The tall student, Lan Fei, seemed to be the leader of a group of students, as he was soon surrounded by a crowd. “How would I know?” he said with a snort. “It seems that this brat Li Yunxiao knows a lot about weapon crafting.”

“No way!” Shangguan Qing’s eyes grew wide as he cried out, “Could he, a brat who has no talent in martial arts, actually be a genius in weapon crafting? What shall we do?” N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

“Pa!”

Lan Fei smacked him on the head with a textbook and said sulkily, “What genius? He has just read a few more books! To become an alchemist requires a lot more talent than a warrior. How can he walk the path of weapon-crafting when he can’t even open a single chakra?”

“The boss is right!” The crowd echoed in agreement, their eyes sparkling with different looks.

Lan Fei pushed Shangguan Qing aside with one hand and saw several other people gathering at the other end of the classroom, whispering to each other. He sneered and said aloud, “No one is to tell Li Yunxiao what Teacher Luo said just now. If he attends the next class… hmph!”

His loud snort immediately made the others turn pale with fright, and when they saw him staring at them coldly, they all bowed their heads in anger.

He went on triumphantly, “Skinny Chen, Fatty Han, and you girls including Ruxue, you better not ruin this for me! If Li Yunxiao attends the next class, I’ll be the first to settle the score with you!”

These few students were those usually close to Li Yunxiao, and could be said to be the opposite force to Lan Fei and his friends.

Qin Ruxue’s face went cold as she clenched her palm into a fist and said angrily, “I’m going to tell him. What can you do to me? I dare you to lay a finger on me right now!”

Whoosh!

Lan Fei flew into a rage. He rose from his seat and strode up to the podium, then struck the black iron with a punch. With that, a shallow fist print appeared on the lectern.

“A mark on the black iron! Could it be that Lan Fei has opened seven chakras and condensed Yuan energy?”

“How is this even possible? If a man’s seven chakras are all opened, he can step into the Origin Realm and be called a warrior! He is only fifteen years old!”

“Even if he hasn’t opened them all, I reckon he’s almost there. A fifteen-year-old warrior…Another genius has appeared in the State of Tianshui!”

The classroom was filled with emotional voices while dozens of gazes thrown over were full of envy, jealousy, and hate. This gave Lan Fei an air of superiority as he proudly pointed at Ruxue and said, “Although you are a princess, given my extraordinary talent, His Majesty would not blame me for bullying you once in a while.”

Ruxue’s face was pale with anger. She was about to rush up and beat Lan Fei when Chen Zhen and Han Bai held her back. Both of them were Yunxiao’s hardcore supporters.

“Princess, we are weak now,” Han Bai whispered, “so we better not start a fight with them.”

More than sixty students in this class were the children of Tianshui dignitaries or loyal ministers, and they were naturally divided into two groups according to the factions of the ruling and opposition parties. The children of civil ministers, led by Lan Fei and Shangguan Qing, belonged to one group, while the children of military officials, led by Li Yunxiao, Han Bai, and others, belonged to another.

As the princess had always held the arrogance of Lan Fei and his people in detestation, she naturally sided with Li Yunxiao and the others.

While the classroom was in commotion, Li Yunxiao was already walking alone down the street in Tianshui’s capital.

After his memories had awakened, his soul had begun to slowly regain its strength. The first to benefit was the strength of his divine sense. He examined his body quickly and carefully.

“This body is a bit troublesome. No wonder I was regarded as not having any talent in martial arts. Many invisible meridians have dried up, so they can’t accumulate strength at all. Naturally, I can’t open my chakras. I have to fix this body first…It looks like I won’t be able to recover my strength anytime soon.”

He looked up at the towering building looming ahead and strode toward it. “This is the capital of the state of Tianshui… I remember Yang Di is from here. I wonder if he’s at the Association of Alchemists? All would be well if I could find him.”

The Association of Alchemists was a presence with its influence spread throughout the Heavenly Martial Continent. Wherever it was, it enjoyed the highest esteem, and the Alchemists Tower was surely the tallest building in the area.

Yunxiao looked up at the Association of Alchemists. Although the tower was far inferior to those he had been in, it gave him a feeling of the utmost familiarity.

A few words were carved on an old stone slab in front of the tower: “Association of Alchemists, Tianshui Branch, The Year 1001 of Tianwu Calendar, Yang Di”.

“This stone slab was rebuilt in the year 1001 of Tianwu Calendar? The year 1001? Oh right, it seems that this is the year that Yang Di was promoted to third-tier alchemist and became the president of the Tianshui branch. I wonder if he’s still here.”

Yunxiao had lived in the state of Tianshui for fifteen years, but the branch president of the Association of Alchemists was not the kind of person he could reach. In fact, the highest level alchemist he knew was called Liang Wenyu, a second-tier alchemist.

There was no guard outside the tower, because no one dared to stir up trouble here, and the hidden power inside was enough to make this secluded Association of Alchemists one of the safest places in Tianshui.

He pushed the door open and walked in. The spacious hall inside was much larger than it looked from the outside. The noisy crowd made the interior of the tower extremely lively, which gave him a feeling as if he had suddenly stepped into a bustling market from a quiet countryside.

“Welcome to the Association of Alchemists!”

A melodious voice came into his ears, and then he saw a beautiful woman in a fashionable dress smiling sweetly at him. “What can I do for you, my dear little sir?”

She was a waitress that every Association of Alchemists had, specializing in receiving guests. In the past, whenever he visited the association, the waitresses always greeted him respectfully with bowed heads. He had not seen such a casual, gentle greeting in years.

Yunxiao smiled faintly and said, “Little sir?”

The waitress, whose name was Lu Yao, smiled sweetly and said, “You are the youngest guest I have ever received! May I help you?” Although she had a beautiful smile on her face, she was paying extra attention to Yunxiao on the inside.

Usually, people who came to the Alchemists Tower for the first time were nervous and excited, while children were even more cautious, hiding beside adults to watch. No one had ever looked around the hall as soon as they stepped inside like Li Yunxiao, with a calm and relaxed air. It was clearly the behavior of someone who was accustomed to major scenes.

Chapter 3