Heavenly Ascension Chronicles Chapter 772: The Unending Storm - Novel Cool

Chapter 772: The Unending Storm

Chapter 772: The Unending Storm

Yao Zhiyi spoke, "These six words encapsulate the essence of cultivation within this realm."

"What is the true form? It's the fundamental shape of the self. Some believe that as long as there is self-awareness, the self exists. Others argue that the divine body is an aspect of the self. Regardless, it's crucial to maintain the self; this is something that cannot be discarded."

"As for the spiritual form, it's the manifestation of your spiritual flame, the external form used in combat. You could say it's the outer appearance. First, there's the self, then the external. You must not stray; you have to find ways to safeguard the fundamental self before figuring out how to manifest the external form."

"Currently, there are roughly three paths: the human, divine, and unusual forms."

"The human form focuses on the self, maintaining the physical body and preserving the fundamental spirit. It's the most mainstream approach."

"The divine form, on the other hand, is the opposite. It treats the body as a vessel, with the divine self being the true essence. This path was uncommon in the past, but with the rapid development of biotechnology, it's gaining momentum."

"The last is the unusual form, which we also call the demonic form. This term might be a bit biased. We may disdain someone's character, but when discussing cultivation, it's best to avoid prejudice. It's a form of self-deception, and you might suffer if you encounter genuine methods."

"Wei Guo Chan cultivates the unusual form. For a metaphor, well, since you're a teacher at Wu Yi Academy, you should have seen the two golden-armored divine generals standing at the gate when you entered, right?"

Chen Chuan nodded, "I did." Those two generals had left a deep impression on him.

"Yes, the path Wei Guo Chan follows, when cultivated to its peak, is similar to those divine generals, becoming a Guardian Divine General."

Yao Zhiyi paused, then continued, "I don't know if you've visited the famous Lotus Light Temple in Xichuan Province. There are eighteen lifelike statues of guardian deities there, and Wei Guo Chan corresponds to the eighth deity, the eight-armed, three-headed one. However, he has only cultivated six arms so far, and the other two arms remain incomplete. The three heads are even more distant."

"But," Wan Yunsan interjected, "not everyone in the former Imperial Court has perfected this path... Many of them cultivate the unusual form because they aren't entirely human. Moreover, the altered beings in the Fusion Land shouldn't be underestimated."

"These are the natives of the Fusion Land. Before the World Ring existed, they often entered our world through rifts. Some were even worshipped as deities. Others were formed after long-term possession and fusion by entities from the other side, or they were their offspring, or simply 'devolved' from those entities. They come in all sorts of bizarre shapes that I can't even understand. Once..."

Yao Zhiyi interrupted, "That's a long story. But you'll eventually face some of the situations on the other side. After returning, someone will brief you on these matters." He picked up his cup, took a sip, finished the tea, and placed the cup in front of Wan Yunsan, "Pour some tea."

"Okay."

Long after the three of them had left on the airship, a group of cavalry from the former Imperial Court rushed to the site of the battle. They surveyed the ground, which looked like it had been bombarded by cannons, and their hearts trembled.

The scene undoubtedly indicated a fierce battle between fighters, as evidenced by the extensive destruction. They had just witnessed the airship belonging to the Great Prosperity Empire leaving with the relic, which sparked unpleasant thoughts in everyone's minds. So, after the commotion subsided, they hurried over to investigate.

However, after searching the area, they couldn't find Wei Guo Chan's figure. Had the Grand General left?

One of the military officers forced himself to remain calm and said, "I believe the Grand General defeated the enemy and left on their airship."

Everyone voiced their agreement; this outcome was what they wanted and could accept. As for the other possibilities, they dared not even think about them.

Just then, a sudden cry of surprise came from a distance, causing everyone's hearts to skip a beat. They immediately rode over.

Upon arrival, they discovered a deep crater, seemingly created by a massive cannonball, with a headless, shattered corpse at the bottom.

The black shadow revealed multiple arms, and some broken armor fragments were attached, faintly outlining the original armor's design.

The sight caused every cavalryman's body to tremble involuntarily.

They were all too familiar with Wei Guo Chan's armor design; it was unmistakably the one they saw before them, with multiple arms—a feature unique to the Grand General, who had demonstrated this ability in front of the troops on numerous occasions.

Given these observations, it seemed likely that...

Their faces turned pale, and they were unwilling and afraid to believe this outcome.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke up, "It's the Grand General..."

The others glared at him angrily, shouting, "Qu Xian, what nonsense are you spouting? How could it be the Grand General? Impossible!"

The rest joined in, cursing, and some even drew their swords, ready to kill him.

The man ignored the crowd and dismounted from his horse, walking down to the remains. He picked up a jade seal from the side and held it up for everyone to see.

"Th-This is the General's private seal..." Someone who recognized it began to tremble. This was the General's personal possession, and it couldn't possibly be fake.

"It's really the General."

"The General is dead? How is that possible...?"

"Who killed the General?!"

Most of the cavalry felt like the sky was falling. The scene instantly became chaotic. Some shouted in disbelief with bloodshot eyes, while others wobbled and fell from their horses, eventually breaking down in tears.

After about half an hour, someone managed to say through chattering teeth, "Quickly, send a telegram to the rear, saying that the General, the General has been ambushed and is already deceased..."

"No, we can't say that!"

Immediately, someone shouted to stop them. Wei Guo Chan's presence in the Fusion Land was of extraordinary significance to the tens of thousands of troops. He was the spiritual pillar for all of them. If this news got out, the morale of the army would collapse instantly.

Although the Great Prosperity Nation would undoubtedly spread this news later, as long as they didn't acknowledge it and came up with a reasonable excuse, they could still maintain their morale, barely.

However, they didn't know what to do next. After some discussion, they decided to first bring the General's remains back, and then let the higher-ups decide on the next course of action.

On Chen Chuan's side, after half an hour, Xu Chan and his group boarded the airship. By the afternoon, they finally approached the forward position of the Great Prosperity military base.

Just then, they heard the faint rumble of cannon fire in the distance. It sounded like a massive-scale battle, with at least hundreds of cannons roaring.

Wan Yunsan's spirits lifted. "Is this the start of a full-scale offensive?" He turned to Yao Zhiyi, "Principal, does this mean Mr. Xue has already taken action?"

Yao Zhiyi was a bit puzzled. Logically, after receiving the news, Mr. Xue should have waited for them and then launched a joint attack together, which would be safer. However, he couldn't gauge Mr. Xue's strength, so perhaps he had his reasons.

"Report!"

A communication soldier outside reported, and the deputy officer took a telegram from him. After a glance, he returned and handed it to Yao Zhiyi, saying, "Principal, it's a telegram from Mr. Xue. He says he didn't find Gai Shuhe in the old imperial army."

In the 1619 book, there was no mistake!

"He's not there?"

"Yes, the flag is still there, but the person is gone."

Yao Zhiyi furrowed his brows. "Could he be hiding somewhere?"

At that moment, a voice spoke up, "He's already left."

Chen Chuan turned to see Xue Shou sitting on a chair nearby, leaning back. He wasn't sure when he had arrived, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was just a spiritual projection. He greeted him, "Mr. Xue."

Xue Shou smiled and nodded in response.

"He's left?"

Yao Zhiyi and Wan Yunsan weren't surprised by his appearance. Wan Yunsan asked, "Mr. Xue, didn't you stop him?"

Xue Shou explained, "After receiving your message, I was about to go and keep an eye on him. But when I arrived, I found that he had only shown himself briefly and then left. So, I notified the Defense Department, urging them to launch the offensive and seize this opportunity."

Yao Zhiyi's expression turned solemn. "Has Gai Shuhe guessed something?"

He was aware that there was an old imperial army unit outside their recent battle location. Although these soldiers couldn't see the specifics of the fight, the sight of the downed airship would be hard to conceal. If Gai Shuhe had been more cautious, he could have indeed left earlier.

Xue Shou said, "Perhaps, but I can confirm that he has indeed left."

Yao Zhiyi scoffed, "As the defending general, he abandoned tens of thousands of troops and left alone. Should we say he's decisive or cowardly?"

Xue Shou smiled, "He's a noble general and a fighter himself, so it's different. Even if he abandoned tens of thousands of troops, as long as he can find a reason, nothing will happen when he returns."

"That's right," Yao Zhiyi said grimly, "The old imperial court was like that, wasn't it? They've never changed."

"In any case, we've won this battle," Xue Shou smiled, "And this victory will solve many problems."

Yao Zhiyi nodded, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Xue."

Xue Shou smiled, "You're too kind. It's my duty." He turned to Chen Chuan, "Night is approaching, and to maintain the army's momentum, we need to retrieve the relic. This will ensure the old imperial army can't escape under the cover of darkness."

Chen Chuan immediately took out the relic and placed it on the table.

Yao Zhiyi picked it up and tossed it to Wan Yunsan, "Xiaowan, you take care of this."

Wan Yunsan turned his neck, making a cracking sound, and said excitedly, "Leave it to me!"

...

...

(Chapter End)

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