In the Purgatory Path, outside the Bottomless Pool, Uro appeared. He had concealed his presence.
Because of the Academy Report, this place was now attracting the attention of many students. If he were spotted, it would definitely cause a commotion. He didn't want the attention before he could take back the Bottomless Pool.
Xia Luo and Yin were not far from the pool, while Lulu had already dived in.
Seeing the two of them, a cold glint flashed in Uro's eyes. These two were also difficult to deal with. The "five-on-one" battle, though exaggerated by Wu Da, wasn't that exaggerated. These two were indeed very strong. With this in mind, Uro left the Purgatory Path to find Van Kleed.
...
"You want my help?" Van Kleed was surprised.
Uro's face was grim. "Those people from the Tenth Academy ganged up on me. I really can't handle them alone."
Van Kleed chuckled. "This is rare. Could the Academy Report be true? A few Melders beat you until you had no options left?"
Uro's gaze turned dark. "I'll tell you the truth. In a one-on-one, they're no match for me. But when they team up, even you would undoubtedly die."
Van Kleed was disdainful. Among the Sixth Academy's Domain Masters, he considered Uro to be at the bottom, followed by Karon. He (Van Kleed) was the Domain Master second only to Zone Master Dobo.
"If I'm asking for your help, I'll naturally pay the price. Just say it, will you help or not?" Uro said impatiently.
Van Kleed sighed. "Sorry, I don't want to cause infighting within the Sixth Academy."
"What do you mean?" Uro was furious.
Van Kleed looked at Uro. "You haven't heard? Among the five who attacked you, there's one named Lu Yin. His backer is Karon. If I make a move, Karon will absolutely not stand by."
Uro was stunned. He genuinely didn't know about this. He had been cultivating in the Bottomless Pool all this time and hadn't heard. "Why would Karon help him?"
"That, I don't know. Or... you could ask Gall. Aren't your relations with the Fire Realm excellent? Even your techniques come from the Fire Realm," Van Kleed said.
Uro left. Van Kleed clearly wasn't helping, so there was no need to beg. Do I really have to find the Fire Realm?
His relationship with the Fire Realm was indeed good, but it was built on a foundation of equal status. If he sought Gall's help over this, it would be troublesome in the future.
After long consideration, Uro finally decided to ask Gall for help. The Bottomless Pool was very important to him. With the Ten Academies Tournament approaching, he hoped to get a good ranking and make a name for himself in the universe.
...
Not long after, in the Purgatory Path, not far from the Star-Stepping-Platform, Gall appeared. This was the same place he had left the Purgatory Path from before.
Gazing at the distant platform, Gall's expression was complex. He, too, had wanted to fight for the Star-Stepping-Platform, but he was powerless against that freak, Dobo.
The one who occupied the Star-Stepping-Platform was the Zone Master. Gall didn't want to be a Domain Master; Zone Master was his goal. However, both Dobo of the Purgatory Path and Feng Shang of the Illusion Path were terrifying beyond imagination. He could only look at the platform from a great distance.
"Sooner or later, I will become a Zone Master," Gall muttered, then looked into the distance and started walking. He was going to the Bottomless Pool at Uro's invitation, to help teach those people from the Tenth Academy a lesson.
He had previously blockaded the Tenth Academy's members because of Lu Yin, but he hadn't expected their backgrounds to be "one bigger than the next" (progressively stronger). Today, he could only act himself. The Fire Realm wasn't afraid of trouble.
Suddenly, Gall stopped, his gaze fixed forward. A man was leaning casually against a black tree trunk, a faint smile on his lips as he watched him.
Gall's eyes narrowed. He clenched his fists, then relaxed them. "Dobo... Zone Master."
The man before Gall was the strongest of the Sixth Academy, a member of the Starry Sky Academy's Student Council, the Purgatory Path's Zone Master—Dobo. He was also a prodigy recognized by the Lockbreaker Research Association, a Lockbreaker far superior to Karon, a monster who had once defeated Comilla before she broke through to the Explorer realm.
Dobo had silver-grey hair and a plain face, unnoticeable at a glance. But it was this very person who had beaten all the students of the Sixth Academy into submission. No one dared to defy him. He made Gall feel an unconscious dread. This man was a true monster. He could clearly break through to the Explorer realm and leave the Academy, but he simply... didn't. Most of the Zone Masters at the Academy were like this.
Only this kind of talent could make Gall despair. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never set foot in the Purgatory Path.
"Gall, long time no see," Dobo said, still leaning against the tree, smiling faintly at Gall.
He looked harmless, but in Gall's eyes, this man was a monster, a freak who could kill him at any time.
"Zone Master Dobo, long time no see," Gall's voice was dry.
Dobo's smile remained. "Why come to the Purgatory Path?"
"At a friend's invitation, to help out," Gall said.
Dobo raised his eyes. "Uro?"
"Yes." Gall didn't deny it.
"Go back. There's no place for you here," Dobo said domineeringly.
Gall's eyes narrowed. "The Academy's rules state that anyone has the right to set foot in other Trial Zones and is not under the jurisdiction of the Zone Master. Zone Master Dobo, I have the right to enter the Purgatory Path."
Dobo looked at Gall. "Of course. Rules are rules. You can certainly come in. And I... can also kill you."
Hearing this, Gall's pupils shrank. He clenched his fists, meeting Dobo's gaze.
Dobo was unfazed. It seemed that in his eyes, killing a Domain Master was a very casual affair.
After a moment, Gall deflated. "I understand. As long as Zone Master Dobo is in the Purgatory Path, I, Gall, will never come again." With that, he left the Purgatory Path.
Dobo's smile faded, his eyes turning colder. "How can I let you bully a member of my Association? What a waste."
...
Just as Gall was leaving the Purgatory Path, an event that shook the Starry Sky Academy occurred. Its impact far surpassed Lu Yin's group seizing the Bottomless Pool.
The Tenth Academy's Da Pao and Xiao Pao had joined forces to challenge... the Zone Master of the Heavenly Path!
Zone Master. A group that stood above all others at the Starry Sky Academy. Even a prodigy from the Fire Realm like Gall could only retreat when facing a Zone Master, unable to touch their glory. Every Zone Master had "killed" (fought) their way up from a crowd of geniuses of their generation, looking down on the world, admired by countless. Any Zone Master who broke through to the Explorer realm could directly join the Decablan Council upon leaving the Academy, and even have a say in certain matters. This was a Zone Master, an existence that could speak with the Ten Decablans.
The Heavenly Path had the "Purple Sea" (Zi Hai). Anything that fell in would sink. No one could walk on it, and birds couldn't fly over it. Only extremely powerful beings could cross it.
Legend said that on the other side of the Purple Sea was an island where the remains of countless powerful figures were buried, holding ancient inheritances. But a legend was just a legend. No one could prove it, because to this day, no one had set foot on that island. Even the Ten Decablans, after crossing the Purple Sea in the past, refused to speak of it.
The Purple Sea was the Heavenly Path's largest Trial Site, and also the Zone Master's territory.
At this moment, more than ten people were gathered on the shore of the Purple Sea, all students who had entered the Heavenly Path. Every student stared at the shore in shock, feeling as if they were dreaming, because... the Heavenly Path's Zone Master was being suppressed.
Boom!
The shore trembled again. Da Pao leaped up, his eyes cold, completely different from his usual self. He carried a vintage long spear on his shoulder. He roared at the shore, and the spear spat out countless steaming hot bullets, sweeping toward the coast. The void was torn apart. The rain of bullets shattered the earth, causing the shore to collapse and the Purple Sea's water to surge.
Xiao Pao also leaped up, raising his palm. Black, flame-like patterns formed on his hand, spreading from his palm to form a giant black flaming handprint, which he slammed down. It boomed into the shore, leaving a massive black palm print. This was Xiao Pao's technique—the "Black Flame Palm" (Hei Yan Zhang).
The shore of the Purple Sea was silent. More and more students appeared, staring in shock. The Heavenly Path's Zone Master was actually being suppressed! Suppressed by two "recognized" wastes from the Tenth Academy! It was rumored that these two were rejected by other academies due to their poor aptitude. But this was bizarre. Poor aptitude... could suppress a Zone Master?
In the air, Da Pao and Xiao Pao looked at each other grimly. Was the Zone Master really suppressed? Was it that easy? Zone Masters were supposed to be monsters. Moreover, the Heavenly Path's Zone Master was not alone. He came from one of the Innerverse's eight great Flow-Zones, the Beast Taming Flow-Zone. The beast he "yu'd" (tamed/controlled) was a Cang Long (Azure Dragon). And the Cang Long hadn't even appeared yet.
A fierce wind howled, whipping up the Purple Sea's waves and sweeping them toward the shore.
Everyone stared at the spot. In the waves, a figure slowly stood up, bent over, and coughed a few times. As the waves receded, the figure straightened, revealing a rough, powerful face. He grinned at the sky. He... was the Heavenly Path's Zone Master—Kuang Wang.
"Kuangwang" (Arrogant), Kuang Wang. That was his name. He wouldn't change it; he didn't want to. This was the Zone Master of the Heavenly Path.
"This whole 'hiding strength' thing... I'll never understand it. You two are clearly this strong, so why hide it until now?" Kuang Wang looked up, staring at Da Pao and Xiao Pao, his eyes shining with excitement.
Da Pao and Xiao Pao landed on the shore. "It's just our personality."
"Then why reveal it now?" Kuang Wang was curious.
Xiao Pao shrugged. "Even our junior is causing such a commotion. As his seniors, how can we not step up? We want to tell everyone that the Tenth Academy is not unmanned. Anyone who sticks their claws out... we'll chop them off."
Xiao Pao's words made one person in the crowd turn ugly. He was from the Fire Realm, and the Fire Realm was the Tenth Academy's great enemy.
"Hahahaha!" Kuang Wang laughed heartily. "Well said! I like your style. Just for those words, today, I'll let you feel the difference between a Zone Master and ordinary students like you!" With that, he raised his arm. Everyone's eyes fixed on the tattoo on his arm. It was a Cang Long. People from the Beast Taming Flow-Zone would seal their tamed beasts onto their bodies. The beast Kuang Wang tamed was the Cang Long.
A clear, loud dragon roar shook the heavens and earth. Everyone's heart trembled, stopping for an instant. The Cang Long had appeared. Its pressure stunned everyone; even the void seemed to congeal.
On the shore, the tattoo on Kuang Wang's arm gradually expanded, becoming a hundred-meter-long Cang Long. Its appearance was very similar to the Great Witch's Web-Dragon, but without the fleshy lump on its tail. Its entire body was silver-grey, looking far more majestic and imposing than the Web-Dragon. This was the Cang Long.
Many people retreated, looking on in fear. The Cang Long was a type of Starry Sky Giant Beast, a powerful being that normal people couldn't possibly face. In the entire Beast Taming Flow-Zone, only the prodigies from the "Juepin Tang" (Supreme-Grade Hall) could tame a creature of this level. Kuang Wang... was from the Juepin Tang.