Chapter 152: Old Grudges
Chapter 152: Old Grudges
.
Zhu Rong sat with his legs and arms crossed as the strong pressure of the air blew against his face.
His expression was calm, as if he were used to something like this, but the same could not be said for the other students. Yao Jianbo was relatively composed as well, but it was clear he was struggling a little to keep a firm grip on his spot due to the speed at which they were moving.
Li Daniu too was trying to hold on, but he was failing miserably. By this point, he was practically clinging with his arms to the skin of the creature, if it could even be called that, since it was nothing more than a spiritual manifestation of the Headmaster’s power.
Only the instructors sat composed like Zhu Rong, without much worry or panic on their faces.
Zhu Rong didn’t pay much attention to that. The Headmaster had in fact erected a barrier capable of lessening some of the pressure from the creature’s speed and the force of the wind, though it clearly didn’t remove it completely.
Maybe he had done it on purpose to let them experience the thrill of riding such a creature, or maybe he simply didn’t care. No one knew, and no one stepped forward to ask.
In less than half an hour they had already arrived above the vast stretch of forest where the entrance to the Yao family mine was located, but of course they didn’t stop there.
They kept flying straight ahead, at full speed, toward their destination.
Zhu Rong wasn’t sure how far they had moved away during the battle with the creature, so from that point on he paid closer attention to the surrounding environment, soon noticing a faint trail of destruction that grew larger the further they went.
Although some time had passed since that incident and nature had already begun to cover up the signs of destruction, many of them were still there, clearly visible even from a distance.
Some traces would probably vanish in another month or two, blending completely with the surrounding wilderness. Others, however, would likely remain for much longer, perhaps for years, decades, or even until the end of time, who knows.
Another half hour passed, and during this time Zhu Rong had to admit that the level of destruction he witnessed struck him somewhat.
It seemed the rumors about the battle hadn’t been exaggerated at all. Large portions of forest had been razed to the ground, as well as several mountains that were either heavily damaged or completely leveled, leaving behind vast stretches of flat land.
Especially near their destination, the area was a complete mess. Shattered mountains, scattered tree trunks, and obvious traces of devastation surrounded them, leaving all the students shocked. Many couldn’t help but wonder whether they would ever reach such a level of power themselves in the future.
They had been traveling for quite some time, but now they had finally reached their destination. The Fire Eagle slowed its pace as it approached a particular mountain ahead that had clearly seen better days.
It was larger than the other ruined mountains they had seen along the way, yet more than half of it had vanished, completely erased without leaving a trace. Only a fragment of the mountain remained, and from it a strange vortex of bluish gray energy seemed to emerge.
It was partially buried within the surviving piece of the mountain, though it was clear at a glance that the area had been worked on recently. Its slightly circular shape showed signs of deliberate excavation, revealing a good portion of the vortex that had been hidden within.
From this distance, he could already see several figures there, numerous groups. Most were standing off to the side, but a smaller number were positioned closer to the vortex itself, apparently working on it with various formations and artifacts.
That was clearly the entrance to the secret realm, and from what Zhu Rong could tell, they had already almost stabilized it completely.
Normally, entrances like this were chaotic, and getting too close to them was dangerous, sometimes even fatal.
If one tried to enter before stabilizing the portal, there was a high chance of never returning, and only a tiny chance of successfully crossing into the secret realm, though even in those cases, the person would usually emerge badly injured.
Over the course of history, countless experiments and tests had been conducted, and humanity’s understanding of these gateways to the secret realms was relatively broad. Still, even now, new discoveries were constantly being made, since every secret realm seemed unique, especially those that had formed naturally.
That said, just as the academy group had noticed them, the other groups had also noticed their arrival. Everyone turned toward them as they approached, just before the Fire Eagle finally slowed down further and descended.
The descent of the eagle was slow, but by no means gentle. A wave of dust burst into the air, whipped up by the strong currents of wind created by its enormous wings.
As soon as it landed, the headmaster, who had been seated on its head, stood up and leapt down, landing like a feather. The other instructors immediately followed.
The students, regaining some of their composure, also began preparing to dismount. But just as they were about to, the beast dissolved, causing many to lose their balance and fall.
Zhu Rong had already expected something like this and had jumped down in time, but the same could not be said for the other students. Some stumbled, others barely managed to keep their balance and land without falling flat on the ground.
The latter, among them Li Daniu, glared resentfully at the Headmaster. But the man ignored them completely, stepping forward to speak with the group leaders of the other squads.
Zhu Rong felt the gazes of many fall upon his group. With a calm expression, he met their eyes one by one, finally able to examine them more clearly.
As expected, all four major families of Qiyan City had sent their squads of ten.
There was Liang Yuexin’s family, his own Zhu family, and also Li Daniu’s family. The latter’s group was led by a middle aged man, tall and broad shouldered, but with a composed and elegant demeanor, quite the opposite of what one might expect from someone of his build.
His expression remained calm as he nodded in greeting toward the headmaster before turning his attention to the academy group. It didn’t take long before his eyes landed squarely on Zhu Rong.
In that instant, Zhu Rong immediately detected a faint trace of killing intent, carefully concealed. To his experienced eyes, it did not go unnoticed. Most likely the others had also sensed it, but they ignored it.
By now, everyone already knew about the results of the tournament, and of course also about the final clash between him and Li Duoji. No one was surprised by this, though many seemed intrigued.
Some even looked pleased, and unsurprisingly, those people turned out to be members of his own family.
Zhu Rong saw eleven individuals he recognized, cousins he hadn’t seen in years, others he had met more often in the past.
All of them stared at him with a mix of emotions, disdain, caution, even traces of disbelief and horror.
But to Zhu Rong, none of it mattered.
For him, none of them had ever been anything more than mere acquaintances. They were people who had never wanted anything to do with him because of his poor talent. Some even joined in mocking or bullying him whenever the chance arose.
He had stopped considering them family a long time ago, so seeing them now stirred nothing in his heart.
His eyes then shifted to the man leading the Zhu family group. Of average height and build, not particularly tall, not thin, he carried himself like a scholar, composed yet with a probing gaze.
This man was none other than Zhu Shen, the Zhu family’s First Elder,
Zhu Yong’s father, and also the family’s next heir.
[Zhu Yong is MC’s cousin, introduced in Chapter 138]
The current patriarch had long since decided who his successor would be, and for important matters such as today’s, he would always send his heir, Zhu Shen, to gain experience.
Not that it really mattered. Whether it was the patriarch himself or this "uncle" of his, to Zhu Rong it made little difference. One of them couldn’t care less about his existence, while the other clearly held grudges against the elder who had raised him, and thus, against him as well.
In fact, when he had finally been expelled, the one who had taken the trouble to humiliate him in front of the rest of the family elders and deliver the final verdict had been none other than Zhu Shen himself.
In his past life, Zhu Rong had wanted revenge, but fate had other plans, and the Zhu family was wiped out during the incident that struck Lushan Province.
It had left a bitter taste in his mouth, but over the centuries he had learned to let it go.
Even so, now that he saw him again, he couldn’t help but feel a faint trace of the injustice and desire for vengeance he had felt so long ago.