The Great Ruler (Web Novel)

As the youth rushed towards the heavens, boundless Spiritual Energy gushed out from him like a flood. Striding into the skies, his hands were crossed behind his back, with his thin figure appearing ramrod straight. A faint smile was present on his handsome face, with the attitude and aura he sent out being not one bit weaker than Shen Cangsheng or Li Xuantong.

“Big Brother Mu!”

When Mu Chen appeared in the sky, astonishing, earth-shattering cheers erupted across the entirety of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. As of now, Mu Chen’s fame and prestige in the academy had clearly reached the peak, with not a single person still treating him like a Freshman. That’s because the matters that he had accomplished, things that even veteran peak influential figures like Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong weren’t able to accomplish.

“Indeed, it’s Mu Chen!”

Qing Shan and the group looked emotionally at the all too familiar figure. Over the span of a year, the youth had grown much more mature. Yet, there wasn’t too much of a change to his appearance.

At this moment, the young girl by the name of Yu Xi had also opened her eyes wide as she tightly stared at the thin figure in the sky. Faced against such strong and powerful opponents, the former still had a cheerful and leisurely appearance, causing the pretty face of the young girl to turn uncontrollably red as her heartstrings were tugged.

Within the large palace in the central location of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, Dean Tai Cang and a bunch of Elders were smiling from ear to ear as they looked towards the youths in the sky. They had truly not seen such a lively scene for the greater half of the year.

WIthin the sky, Mu Chen raised his eyes, before speaking out with a gentle smile, “Look’s like everyone has greatly improved in strength after this half-year of isolation, huh.”

While sizing up Shen Cangsheng and the rest, astonishment and shock were present in Mu Chen’s heart as he could sense that of the nine people, He Yao, Su Xuan, Xu Huang, Zhao Qingshan and the other two had reached the realm of Heavenly Completion Stage Late Phase, which was equivalent to him. One had to know that they had just reached the realm of Heavenly Completion Stage before entering the Door of the Northern Heavens. Nevertheless, they had actually improved by such leaps and bounds.

Furthermore, other than those six, Shen Cangsheng, Li Xuantong and Luo Li had surpassed everyone in the group. According to his senses, Mu Chen could feel that the trio might have already crossed their Human Body Disaster.

Having such progress in the span of half a year was considerably astonishing.

“If we didn’t have such progress, how could we have to face to participate in the Great Spiritual Academy Tournament, right?” replied Shen Cangsheng with a grin as he started to size Mu Chen up. Clenching his hands, scorching-hot fighting intent brimmed within his eyes. Not being a person that easily gave up and admitted defeat, when he had first seen the former, Mu Chen was a person that needed to enter a life-or-death battle when he faced against that Bai Xuan. However, who could have imagined that in a short span of the next year, this youth had improved by leaps and bounds, and progressed at such an astonishing pace. Half a year ago, he achieved the accomplishments of defeating Mo Longzi and killing Mo Xingtian, causing the entire Northern Heavens Continent to reel in shock.

Unknowingly, that youth he had seen then had already surpassed him within a span of time that hadn’t even reached two years. Even his long-seated position of the Overlord on the Heavenly Rankings was placed in imminent danger by the former. Shen Cangsheng knew that Mu Chen didn’t have much of an interest in the Heavenly Rankings. Nevertheless, being proud and arrogant, Shen Cangsheng didn’t need something like modestly yielding to the former.

In the past, after seeing the fight between Mu Chen and Mo Xingtian, Shen Cangsheng had already felt the disparity between him and Mu Chen. Therefore, he had bitterly trained for this half-year, hoping that his progress wouldn’t be too small. As of now, he had already passed his Fleshly Body Disaster, and was confident that the current him would similarly possess the might to face against the Mo Xingtian of then!

Although he was still unable to surpass Mu Chen, at the very least, he wouldn’t have the same feeling of helplessness he felt then.

“Mu Chen, receive my move!”

The smile of Shen Cangsheng’s face slowly dissipated away, replaced by the usual stern expression he wore. Taking a step forward, a low roar rang from him.

Looking towards Shen Cangsheng, who had turned serious, before noticing the scorching-hot and prideful gaze, Mu Chen seemed to understand the gist behind this. Gently nodding his head, he replied in a slow fashion, “Please guide me, Senior Shen Cangsheng!”

With a hearty laugh, Shen Cangsheng strode forward. Clenching his hands tightly, boundless Spiritual Energy swept out, howling across the region like a great sea. A powerful Spiritual Energy pressure radiated out, shocking the world in its awe.

Nevertheless, faced against the astonishing prestige of Shen Cangsheng, a calm and tranquil expression still remained on Mu Chen’s face. Not a single tremor could even be seen on his robes.

With a stern expression, Shen Cangsheng clapped his hands together. Suddenly, his hand seals started to fluctuate, while the torrential Spiritual Energy around him flared up. Following the fluctuation of his hand seals, incomparably gigantic glowing seals formed, before condensing behind him, radiating with astonishing fluctuations.

Everyone present could sense how frightening this attack from Shen Cangsheng was. Clearly, he was absolutely not restraining a single bit of his strength. Furthermore, he had immediately chosen to unleash his strongest attack.

Noticing this, the eyes of Dean Tai Cang and the Elders faintly narrowed as he muttered. “He had actually managed to cultivate the Punishment Divine Art to this step…”

Bang!

All of a sudden, astonishing claps of thunder seemed to resound across the horizon, with Shen Cangsheng’s hand seals suddenly stopped. In the next instant, as his gaze turned fierce, he took a step forward, shooting like a lightning bolt straight at Mu Chen. Behind him, countless glowing seals followed him as he shot forward, causing astonishing claps of thunder that shook the entire region.

“Judgement Divine Art, Myriad Life Seal!”

Akin to a spectre, Shen Cangsheng appeared right before Mu Chen. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, his fingers came together to form a fist. Spiritual Energy that swept out of him blotted the skies as bright and resplendent rays of brilliance radiated from him akin to a dazzling sun. With a low roar, his fist imprint came smashing over.

Bang! Bang!

The air present in the region was completely sent exploding away, with patterns of distortion appearing in the surrounding space. Those hundreds of thousands of glowing seals appeared to be condensed from some infallible faith, merging with Shen Cangsheng’s fist as it rumbled towards Mu Chen.

This fist contained the extreme limit of Shen Cangsheng’s might! Even Mo Xingtian might have to face this fist with all of his strength if he met with it head-on!

The Shen Cangsheng of now truly was much, much more stronger than half a year ago.

At this moment, rays of light blossomed from Mu Chen’s black pupils. All of a sudden, with a furious clench of his fist, low claps of thunder rang out from within his body. In the next instant, black arcs of lightning started to dance across his body, while four lightning runes slowly started to surface onto his chest.

Bang!

The peals of thunder ringing out from Mu Chen’s body reverberated across the region. At this moment, his body appeared to be suffused with jet-black lightning light, while indescribable, surging energies started to radiate from his limbs and bones.

This was the first time Mu Chen had completely activated his Thunder God Physique after successfully condensing his fourth rune.

Such strength and power was more than sufficient to sunder the skies and rend the earth!

Chi! Chi!

Black bolts of lightning arcs crazily lept around his body. In the next instant, taking a furious step forward, he showed no signs of hesitation as he sent a fist out.

There wasn’t anything fanciful in this punch, yet it contained extremely frightening energies imbued within it.

As the fist rumbled out, ripples seemed to fluctuate around the surrounding space as rumbling peals of thunder reverberated across the region.

Bang!

Under countless emotional gazes below, the two fists smashed into each other. At that very instant, any rumbling sounds were eliminated, with the entire region seemingly being devoid of sound for an instant. However, at the next very moment, crazy, boundless energy shock waves swept out akin to thousand metre high tsunamis, with hurricanes seemingly taking form at the area of impact.

Bang! Bang!

Under the terrifying impact of the energy shock waves, Mu Chen’s body sparkled with lightning, while the hundreds of thousands of glowing seals behind Shen Cangsheng’s back rapidly vibrated. In the end, with a bang, a shiver shook through the bodies of the two as they both retreated back.

Mu Chen retreated back eight steps, with the lightning light behind his back collapsing, causing rumbling sounds to reverberate.

Shen Cangsheng retreated ten steps back, with the glowing seals on his back collapsing one by one. In the end, all of them completely collapsed apart, transforming into glowing dots that blotted the skies, appeared exceedingly beautiful.

Countless people were turned speechless. The collision of the two fists were exceedingly astonishing. However, from the looks of it, it seemed that Mu Chen was still able to gain the slight superiority.

“I never imagined that you’d actually cultivate your Thunder God Physique to such a degree.”

Lowering his head to look at his fist, Shen Cangsheng saw a patch of red being present there, while a numbing sensation radiated from it. Raising his head, he looked towards Mu Chen, before exhaling deeply, while a smile akin to one of relief appeared on his firm and resolute face. As his eyes lit up when he looked towards the glorious Heavenly Ranking steele within the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, he spoke out with a faint smile, “It is finally time for I, the First Rank on the Heavenly Rankings to abdicate my rank. From now on, you’re the true number one in our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy!”

At this moment, countless students had turned quiet as they looked at the ramrod straight figure of Shen Cangsheng, while a feeling of respect and worship gushed from their hearts. Only at this moment did they realise that this clash of fists was for Shen Cangsheng himself to hand over the most glorious honor of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy to Mu Chen.

Having ruled over for so many glorious years, as of now, this glory had finally found a more suitable host.

Looking towards Shen Cangsheng, Mu Chen turned slightly quiet. He didn’t care about this so-called “First Rank” on the Heavenly Rankings. However, he knew that this wasn’t the time where he could reject it. That was due to Shen Cangsheng’s pride and honor as the previous Overlord of the Heavenly Rankings resting on this. Therefore, cupping his hands towards the former, Mu Chen didn’t say a single word, with his expression turning into one of extreme solemn.

As countless students looked towards the exchange of positions from the old to the new Overlord, the blood within them showed signs of boiling and flaring up. In the next moment, ear-deafening roars and cheers resounding across the entire region.

Shen Cangsheng’s expression started to turn gentle, yet his gaze turned into one that harbored evil intent. Sending a smile towards Mu Chen, he spoke out, “Do you know what we’ve decided in the Door of the Northern Heavens?”

Hearing those words, Mu Chen gawked as he noticed similar gazes shooting towards him from Li Xuantong, He Yao, Xu Huang, Zhao Qingshan and the rest, causing some uneasy feelings to surface within his heart.

“If Shen Cangsheng loses to you, all of us will give you a beating!” roared Li Xuantong as he slowly clenched his fists tightly, while boundless Spiritual Energy erupted from him. Similarly, Spiritual Energy started surging from the bodies of He Yao, Xu Huang and the rest. Shooting a look at each other, suddenly, all of them shot straight towards Mu Chen, their Spiritual Energies howling, as they rushed across the horizon.

“You scoundrels!”

Mu Chen’s face instantly turned black as he turned around and ran.

Whoosh!

However just as he was about to run, a beautiful figure shot from behind Li Xuantong and the rest. Bringing about the familiar fragrance, she appeared before Mu Chen. In the next instant, everyone noticed Luo Li smiling as she appeared before Mu Chen, her jade-like hand wielding her longsword that was pointed towards Li Xuantong and the rest.

“Oi, Luo Li! How could you not uphold your words?!” Seeing this, He Yao, Xu Huang and the rest immediately roared in discontent.

“We’ve clearly talked about this!”

Looking at the discontent bunch before her, Luo Li pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, before retreating back two steps. Standing side-by-side with Mu Chen, she gave a sweet smile as she replied, “But, I can’t bear to do it.”

At this moment, countless howls of grief could be heard resounding within the entire Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

Hearing those roars, Mu Chen could not help laughing. Perhaps, in the many years to come, the scene before him would still be fresh within his mind. Within this warm and comfortable ivory tower, there weren’t too many schemes and fights with others. Even if there were some conflicts, they were easily solved. How could he not help such a Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy to obtain the honor and glory it deserved?