1702 Reverse Cultivation

Shen Ji stood up in the sky, looking down at the Heavenly Mandate Academy.

"I am taking two people away," he said. His tone was extremely calm. It was as if he had said something completely ordinary.

The two people he was talking about were naturally the Sky River Great Elder and Ye Futian.

Countless people in Heavenly Mandate City looked up at him. Within his calm tone lurked an unmistakable meaning. It was as if his words were the will of a god, and no one could go against them.

There was a cold look in the Sky River Great Elder's eyes, but he slowly calmed down.

Today, he would no longer run.

"This is the Heavenly Mandate Academy," said Lord Taixuan, striding forward. He stood in the air above the academy, directly facing Shen Ji.

He had never met Shen Ji of the Central Imperial Realm before. But he could sense his arrogance in everything that had happened in the Tianhe Realm.

Now he was experiencing it himself.

Shen Ji looked at Lord Taixuan, then past him to Ye Futian.

"Qin Xuangang is lucky to have a disciple like you. You and your master should come to the Shen clan for a while," said Shen Ji calmly. When he heard what he had said, Ye Futian realized that the Shen clan knew the truth.

The people of the Heavenly Mandate Academy all looked surprised. But at a time like this, they didn't have time to think about it.

"The Heavenly Mandate Academy has been founded. In addition to the forces of the Heavenly Mandate Realm, the Xiao clan and other clans are here as well. The Shen clan should not be so overbearing in their actions," said an elder of the Xiao clan. There were cultivators from many different forces of the Heavenly Mandate Realm there. The Xiao clan and the Yuanyang clan both came from the Central Imperial Realm and had helped to found the academy.

The Shen clan had come here to take away the Sky River Great Elder, the elder of the Heavenly Mandate Academy, and Ye Futian, the soul of the academy. They clearly thought themselves better than everyone.

"We have come to take them," said Shen Ji in an indifferent voice. "Those who are not involved should stand to one side, or suffer the consequences." As he said this, a terrible aura bloomed from him, and brilliant divine light covered a vast area.

A divine eye opened on his brow. Endless divine light shone out of it.

At that moment, even more divine light fell from the heavens, covering the whole of the Heavenly Mandate Academy.

Obviously, Shen Ji knew that the academy would not easily give up their people. So, they could only do this by force.

In an instant, divine light swept towards all the cultivators.

Lord Taixuan stepped forward, and an invisible light curtain covered Tianshen Academy. Endless guqin strings appeared, each one formed out of the Great Path. The countless strings covered the academy as well, giving off terrifying music.

Endless light came from the sky like a divine knife. The strings trembled, and some of them were cut through. The light continued on downward.

Crack! A figure lay on the ground within the academy in a daze. He could not withstand the attack power.

The divine light swept through the academy, destroying many of the disciples. At that moment, more beams of divine light appeared, forming a second and third layer of protection that covered the rest of the people within. All of the great figures there had gotten involved.

But since the light had been so fast, it had still killed many people.

The sound of elephants trumpeting filled the air as a mighty, massive elephant image appeared within the academy, looking like it was made of pure gold. It wrapped the academy within itself.

"The Shentian Cleave of the Shen Clan is the ultimate use of the spatial great path. It contains double cleaving power, as it can cleave both body and soul. We can't let its attack power reach the academy," said the Sky River Great Elder. He clearly remembered how Shen Ji had destroyed the Tianhe realm all those years ago.

The divine light covered the area. Everywhere it went, all light was snuffed out.

In the space of a single thought, the people were plunged into an abyss of mystery.

At that moment, Shen Ji was still holding back. After all, there were still top figures of the Central Imperial Realm within the academy who he did not dare to directly kill. That would cause trouble for the Shen clan.

"Divine Elephant Emperor, protect them. The rest of us Emperors will fight together," said the Dragon Master.

"Let's go," said the Golden Raven Demonic Lord of the Sky Demon Court. The Heavenly Mandate Academy had been founded by all the forces of the Heavenly Mandate Realm, and it represented the whole realm. If the Shen clan wanted to attack them, they would. They did not care about them at all.

Shen Ji had made his name many years ago and had broken many powerful figures. But he was still weaker than another within the Shen clan. He was stronger than any of them, but he was not without equal.

Many figures shot up into the air, but they saw the endless divine light transform into a terrible spatial storm that ripped through space itself. Tears in space appeared before them.

Boom!

Terrible tears in space ripped open all around the Heavenly Mandate Academy, seeking to tear through the academy and swallow it up.

The cultivators observing from around the academy turned wildly in order to flee the area. The people of Heavenly Mandate City felt their hearts tremble. But ridiculously, they wanted to get closer to watch. What was happening now truly meant that even the slightest aftershocks could completely destroy them.

"Let's go."

Even the cultivators far away in the Heavenly Mandate City could feel that something was wrong. They turned and scattered. If two powerful figures fought at the Heavenly Mandate Academy, the aftershock would affect those in the city.

Guqin music filled the air, the Lost Sound of the Great Path. the Song of the Lost Divine.

In addition to the destructive spatial storm, a storm of swords appeared in the air as well.

Shen Ji stood high in the sky. His palm stretched out like the hand of a god. He waved his arm slightly, and a booming sound rang out, sweeping through the Heavenly Mandate Academy and those inside. The Divine Elephant Emperor stood within, trying to block it, but the power of the hand up in the sky pressed down, ripping through space. Everyone felt their bodies float up along with the academy.

All the cultivators of the great forces looked surprised. The Shen clan was truly powerful.

Even though the cultivators of the great forces were all there, they still acted so forcefully, not showing any mercy.

The endless strings shook together. As the Lost Sound of the Great Path rang out, the Great Path flowed backward in the sky, seeming to forcibly destroy the spatial great path that Shen Ji controlled. It made the floating academy fall back down. It landed on the ground with a boom.

Lord Taixuan stretched out his hand, using the Great Path as his strings. Endless divine swords flew out, slamming into the spatial light. Millions of swords appeared in the sky and swept out towards Shen Ji.

However, Shen Ji's body melded with the air itself, as if he had disappeared in an instant.

Woosh!

In a flash, a terrible wave appeared in front of Lord Taixuan, followed by Shen Ji. He pointed at Lord Taixuan, and endless spatial light ripped through the air. Dark cracks appeared, seeking to swallow up Lord Taixuan.

At the moment that he appeared, Lord Taixuan acted at well. He raised his sword, making the Great Path flow backward. This was the Fleeting Divine Sword.

Their attacks slammed into each other, making a destructive spatial storm sweep out through the sky. In an instant, the storm swept through Heavenly Mandate City, destroying many people. Countless buildings disappeared.

"No..." someone called out in shock. They saw their friends and family turn to dust as if they had never existed.

Shen Ji and Lord Taixuan broke apart. Shen Ji appeared high up in the air, bathed in endless divine light that made him look like a god.

"Shen Ji, let us fight higher up in the sky," said Lord Taixuan. The people of Heavenly Mandate City would not be able to withstand it if they fought there.

"You did not hand them over." Shen Ji stood there in the sky, endless divine light falling upon him. The storm covered Heavenly Mandate City.

At that moment, a figure appeared in the air.

Lord Taixuan's gaze froze as he looked at the newcomer. It was the Sky River Great Elder.

The Sky River Great Elder looked at the storm raging through the city. This scene was very similar to what had happened in the Tianhe Realm all those years ago.

"I will return to the Tianhe Realm, then go with you to the Shen clan to bring an end to this matter," he said, looking up at Shen Ji.

"There is one more person," said Shen Ji.

"He will not go. If you do not accept, we will keep fighting," said the Sky River Great Elder.

Shen Ji thought for a moment. He had come here alone, so he would not necessarily be able to defeat all of the Heavenly Mandate Academy. Since the Sky River Great Elder was willing to compromise, he could leave Ye Futian for another time.

"Alright," said Shen Ji with a nod.

"Let's go," said the Sky River Great Elder.

"I will go with you," said Lord Taixuan.

"No need," said the Sky River Great Elder, shaking his head. "I leave the Heavenly Mandate Academy to you."

Lord Taixuan looked him in the eye. Were these words of farewell?

"I will take up the post of Elder of the Heavenly Mandate Academy," said Lord Taixuan.

"Excellent," said the Sky River Great Elder with a nod. "We have known each other for a while, and you have always been so good to me. From now on, you will not know me anymore.

Lord Taixuan did not understand. What did that mean?

The Sky River Great Elder did not say anything more to him. "Let's go," he said to Shen Ji.

On saying this, he turned and walked away into the distance.

Shen Ji had not thought that his opponent would be so accommodating. He looked down at the Heavenly Mandate Academy, then followed the Sky River Great Elder. He would bring him back to the Shen clan, then he would finish this matter.

Everything needed to be brought to a thorough end.

He had not directly captured him. He knew that he was much stronger than the Sky River Great Elder, and he could not escape him.

"Why do you want to go to the Tianhe Realm first?" he asked.

"I want to bring some things with me when I see her," said the Sky River Great Elder.

Shen Ji looked at him, then nodded and said, "Alright."

The Sky River Great Elder had once been a member of the Shen clan. He would fulfill his wish.

After they left, the Heavenly Mandate Academy was a scene of tragedy.

Ye Futian stood high up in the air, watching the disappearing figures.

What had his master meant by what he said before he left?

The Deed of Thorough Cultivation could cultivate backward?

...