Chapter 600 - Golden Battle Stairs
A colossal Golden Battle Stage appeared, as if a god had descended on the world, and remained hovering in the sky. A golden ocean of radiant light covered the region, the sight of it was extremely grandiose.
The four sides around the vast Battle Stage was already occupied by students of various Spiritual Academies, there was no end to the sea of people.
The students from various Spiritual Academies staying in the region belonging to their own academy as screens of light shone down and dividing them based on their factions. After all, there were too many people here, preventing the possibility of fights between the various academies if those vigorous students were overwhelmed by their emotions when the tournament starts.
Since such an incident took place in the past, the Five Great Academies carried out such perfect measures to prevent such incidents from taking place again.
At this moment, everyone was looking at the central region of the Battle Stage. The golden light started to spread out as a golden platform of stairs took form under the countless gazes.
There were eight flights of steps and the highest level was roughly three hundred meters in size, a golden light shaped into a golden lotus that looked extremely gorgeous.
Only those in the Top 8, could have the qualifications to stand here on the golden stairs, commonly known as the Stairs of the Final Battle.
Whoooooosh!
Just when everyone’s sight was gathered on the golden platform, the space above the platform started to distort as five figures appeared.
The moment those five figures appeared, golden light gathered behind them that formed a huge light throne as they overlooked the vast Golden Battle Stage.
Countless students from the various Spiritual Academies that were present in this region shifted their gazes onto the five figures as reverence reflected in their eyes. Those five people were the leaders of the current Five Great Academies.
The Deans of the Five Great Academies.
Dean Tai Cang sat at the last to the right with an indifferent expression. His eyes were as abstruse as the starry skies. Also, although he looked ordinary, an indescribable power was emitting from him, intimidating this entire region.
The one on the right of Dean Tai Cang was an elder wearing an azure robe. His brows and mustache were ash-grey, while his skin was as fair as an infant. An azure pine, which was similar to jade, seemed to be growing on his palm as it swayed and flickered in the azure light. Along with it, even the surrounding space seemed to be swaying as well.
He was the Dean of the Azure Sky Spiritual Academy, Dean Tian Song.
The first on the left was a dried-up old man with a small figure and a pair of drowsy eyes and was rubbing his mustache with his bony palm. However, despite how he looked, he had an overbearing name.
Dean of the Martial Spiritual Academy, Wu Tianwang.
Seated beside Dean Wu Tianwang was a gorgeous woman. She wore a beautiful long dress, along with a graceful and luxurious appearance, her hair was coiled together as it looked like a phoenix’s tail and had glossy jade-like skin. Compared to the four other Deans, she appeared extremely young. However, everyone knew that aside from the Saint Spiritual Academy’s Dean, no one could surpass her in terms of seniority.
She was the Dean of the Myriad Phoenix Spiritual Academy, Dean Tang Qiu.
Amongst the five thrones, there was one that was exceptionally prominent, sat by an imposing figure and whose true age could not be identified. He had ash-grey hair, while his face looked as if it was carved, looking rather handsome. He sat indifferently on his throne, but he was like a colossal mountain that stood towering, instilling fear in others.
This person was the Dean of the Saint Spiritual Academy, Dean Tian Sheng. Amongst the Five Great Academies, his name was the most resounding with unfathomable strength.
The five great figures represented the pinnacle strength amongst the countless Spiritual Academies, is a tremendous figure in the field of academics.
As the Five Great Deans showed themselves, they greeted each other as they exchanged looks and nodded their heads with one another.
“Deans from the various Spiritual Academies, please take a seat.” A smile surfaced on the sculpture-carved face of Dean Tian Sheng as his spring filled voice rang out to every corner of this space.
As he spoke, space distorted in the sky again as numerous figures appeared in a flash as they stepped on the space. All of them were emitting terrifying power, despite the fact that there weren’t any powerful Spiritual Energy ripples around them. However, everyone knew that those people before their eyes were the pillars of the numerous Spiritual Academies with extraordinary strength.
When the Deans of various Spiritual Academies made their appearance, they cupped their hands in the direction of the Five Great Deans. They waved their hands, gathering light to form light thrones in the sky and sat on them, overlooking the earth.
Dean Tai Cang shot a glance Dean Tian Sheng, who was unconsciously occupying the lead as he slightly pulled the corner of his lips. Does Tian Sheng really think of himself as the Head of the Five Great Academies?
Although the three other Deans did not speak, there were glimpses of resent in their eyes.
Dean Tian Sheng acted as if he had not noticed their unhappiness as he shifted his gaze onto Dean Tai Cang and smiled, “Dean Tai Cang, the Great Spiritual Academy Tournament this round is rather crucial to your Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.”
Dean Tai Cang replied with a smile as well, “I do not need your reminder, Dean Tian Sheng. We, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, will definitely do out best.”
“That is for certain.” Dean Tian Sheng smiled as he nodded his head. “I also hope that the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy will perform well this time. Otherwise, it would be a loss to our four Great Academies if you lose your placing as one of the Five Great Academies.”
Lights flashed in the eyes of the three other Deans. Naturally, they could make out the verbal confrontation between the two Deans. However, they weren’t surprised by it as the Saint Spiritual Academy and Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy didn’t have a good relationship, to begin with. Back then, Dean Tian Sheng tried to assist a powerful academy to ascend up to the position of the Five Great Spiritual Academies so that he would have more support and be closer to being the Head of the Academies. But, who could have expected that the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy would suddenly appear and seize a place of the Five Great Academies, wrecking the plans of the Saint Spiritual Academy?
“There’s no point talking, let’s begin the Golden Battle Stairs. I also yearn to know which academy will be in the Top 8.” Dean Tang Qiu of Myriad Phoenix Spiritual Academy displayed a mature elegant smile which was very charming.
“Haha, Dean Tang Qiu is right. It’s a waste of time wasting saliva if the students’ abilities aren’t up there. Dean Tian Sheng, although you have Ji Xuan in your Saint Spiritual Academy, don’t underestimate the brats from my academy.”
The small-figured Martial Spiritual Academy’s Dean spoke with an eye-narrowing smile. Among the five, he had the worst appearance. But when facing this old man, even Dean Tian Sheng didn’t dare to speak as he nodded with a faint smile on his face.
The Five Great Deans acted at the same time as they flicked their fingers, spreading five spiritual lights that shrouded the Golden Battle Stairs, which attracted the attention of everyone present.
Tsssssshhh Ssssssshhh
As the spiritual light spread out, everyone witnessed the distortion of the space above the Golden Battle Stairs.
The atmosphere in this region froze as all of the noise turned into silence with innumerable gazes fixed on the Golden Battle Stairs.
Under the innumerable gazes, the golden light on the eighth level started to dissipate as five silhouettes showed themselves, slowly being presented before the countless gazes.
Fang Yun and this four teammates showed themselves. They had already worn their academy badges and, thus, they were recognized the instant they appeared.
“Rank 8 - Nine Cauldron Spiritual Academy’s team!”
“Truly formidable, no wonder they were once in the Five Great Academies!”
When Fang Yun’s team appeared, an uproar instantly exploded in this region.
As the uproar exploded, the golden light in the remaining levels of the Golden Battle Stairs started to dissipate as one powerful team after another appeared in the eyes of the crowd.
“Which academy is in the 7th Rank?”
“Looks like the Undefeated Spiritual Academy, they should be an ordinary Spiritual Academy, right? They actually made it to the best 8? How is that possible?”
“Where did the Blood God Academy at Rank 6 come from? I’ve never heard of that name before!”
“Truly well-deserving of the Great Spiritual Academy Tournament, truly hidden dragons, and crouching tigers! No matter what Spiritual Academy they came from, their strengths are well-proven by the fact that they are in the best 8.”
“Rank 5 is the team from the Azure Sky Spiritual Academy, led by Liu Qingyun, right? Haha, the teams from the Five Great Spiritual Academies are finally appearing!”
“Rank 4 is from the Martial Spiritual Academy? Heavens! That’s Wu Ling, the absolute genius of the Martial Spiritual Academy! Even someone like him was only Rank 4? Just how fearsome are the remaining three?!”
When the five powerful teams descended on the golden platform, an uproar exploded between the heavens and earth as countless voices soared into the skies. Many people had excited expressions on their faces as the quality of the Great Spiritual Academy Tournament had far surpassed their imaginations.
Seeing this scene, the Five Great Deans seated on their light thrones had different expressions flickering in their eyes. Dean Wu of the Martial Spiritual Academy snorted with his eyes widened. Clearly, he was unsatisfied with the fact that Wu Ling had only managed to achieve Rank 4.
Dean Tai Cang had a heavy expression with the light in his eyes constantly changing. Five out of the best 8 have already appeared, leaving the remaining three hidden and, until now, there wasn’t a single team from his Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.
There were only two outcomes to this situation, either the team from their Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had not made it to the best 8 or the results achieved by the team had surpassed his imagination.
Two outcomes, separated by hell and heaven.
The difference between the two outcomes raised billows even in the heart of Dean Tai Cang.
Even Dean Tai Cang couldn’t maintain his calm, not to mention about the students of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.
In the region gathered by the students of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, every single one of them could not sit or stand still as the intense atmosphere nearly choked them.
Standing at the front, Ye Qingling, Su Ling’er, and Yu Xi’s faces were filled with nervousness. Even Elder Ling Xi was tightly pursing her lips as her hand, which was holding onto Sun’er’s tiny hand, was gripping tighter, causing Sun’er to have a bitter expression, but she didn’t dare to speak up.
Buzzzz.
The golden light started to, once again, spread out on the remaining three platforms as the silhouettes of the three teams started to reveal themselves.
Everyone had their eyes fixed on the remaining platforms.
Golden light gathered and dissipated in the end, revealing the three remaining teams, who represented the three strongest teams under the countless gazes.
However, when the three teams were revealed, the atmosphere between the heavens and earth froze in an instant.