Chapter 501 Come on, let's show you (Part 1)
Cui Dunli, from the second branch of the Cui family of Boling, has been promoted from Zhongshu Sheren to Bingbu Shilang and concurrently served as Lingqi Xue Boshi!
The key is a PhD in spiritual communication!
Many aristocratic families immediately realized that the Cui family of Boling had surrendered to the emperor and gotten what they wanted! However, opinions differed among the families as to whether this benefit was worth a family bowing to imperial power.
But soon after, Li Jing and Li Keshi from the Danyang branch of the Li family in Longxi, and Wang Gui from the Wang family in Taiyuan, successively became doctors at this mysterious new academy.
The remaining aristocratic families were eager to make a move, but before they could take any action, the Spirit Contract Academy had already been completed, and invitations to the opening ceremony had been sent to the heads of each family.
"Shall we go?"
“Noble families don’t need fools. Of course we have to go, and we have to go in a grand manner. We need to see why the Cui family of Boling, the Li family of Longxi, and the Wang family of Taiyuan have to bow down.”
The early summer sun shone through the vermilion pillars of the Spirit Pact Academy, making the training ground exceptionally bright and spacious.
More than twenty representatives of prominent families gathered in front of the bluestone mat, whispering among themselves. The head of the Cui family of Qinghe gently stroked his jade belt buckle, while the silver hairpin of the old lady of the Zheng family of Xingyang trembled slightly at her temple. All eyes were on the empty schoolyard in the center, wondering what secrets this opening ceremony held.
"Thump—"
As the morning bell tolled for the third time, Li Shimin, dressed in a black python robe, stepped onto the viewing platform, the nine-dragon jade pendant at his waist striking each other with a clear, melodious sound.
He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said loudly, "The so-called Spiritual Contract is a protective pact to bless the people of the Tang Dynasty. Today, I sincerely invite you all to witness the power of the Spiritual Contract."
A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the crowd. People looked at each other, and couldn't help but glance at the representatives of the Li family of Longxi, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the Cui family of Boling, their minds filled with all sorts of speculations.
Among the crowd, some astute individuals murmured, "Could it be related to the fire phoenix that appeared in Chang'an before?"
Before he finished speaking, crimson flames erupted around Li Shimin, and a fire phoenix with a wingspan of ten zhang burst forth from his body.
Where its tail feathers swept, the blue bricks gleamed with a glass-like luster, and its sharp phoenix cry made the copper bells on the eaves ring in unison.
The members of the noble families either covered their faces and retreated, or gripped the armrests of their chairs tightly. The jade pendant at the waist of the head of the Qinghe Cui clan fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered in two. But he had no mind to care about the jade pendant. His heart sank suddenly. He had a premonition that this time, the Qinghe Cui clan was really going to be overshadowed by the Boling Cui clan.
Before everyone could recover from their shock, Li Yuan and Li Chengqian, who had somehow walked up to Li Shimin, also began to radiate a strange light.
Li Yuan's dragon-patterned brocade robe shimmered with a ghostly blue light, and a giant tortoise carrying a snake's body emerged from the water. The phantom of Xuanwu obscured the sky, and fine rain fell from the clouds, freezing into ice crystals on everyone's clothes.
On the other side, Li Chengqian's youthful face appeared remarkably calm. With a clear shout, the white tiger leaped out of his arms, its silvery-white fur gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Where the tiger's claws trod, spiderweb-like patterns appeared on the bluestone ground.
The three divine beasts lined up in the training ground. The fiery flames of the Fire Phoenix clashed with the chilling aura of the Black Tortoise, creating a cloud of white mist. The White Tiger roared, its sound waves making everyone's ears ring.
The head of the Lu family in Fanyang suddenly slumped down on his seat, unaware that the ring on his finger had slipped off; the old lady of the Zheng family in Xingyang trembled as she took out her amulet, muttering incantations; but the young men of the Wang family in Taiyuan had bright eyes, bursting with intense curiosity and longing.
Seeing the myriad aspects of life made Li Shimin feel completely at ease, and he couldn't help but pat his beloved son's head.
As expected, Chengqian was right; "pretending" is also a skill, a technique.
At least for now, this kind of entrance is pretty cool.
Li Chengqian tugged at Li Shimin's hand. Sure enough, "pretending" was something only a playboy like him could do. With a calm expression, he whispered "Father," reminding him that this was just the beginning, the main course hadn't even been served yet, and he shouldn't be so excited.
Li Shimin came to his senses, coughed lightly twice, and continued, "Then I hereby declare the opening ceremony of the Spiritual Contract Academy officially commence."
"Huh?" Everyone was surprised and uncertain. This hadn't even started yet? They thought it was all over. What else was there?
With the three divine beasts already there, what else can they do? We can't just throw out a gem to attract a brick, can we?
They were right; it was a classic case of throwing out a gem to attract a brick. But even this brick was enough to make them envious and make them frantically excited.
As Li Shimin raised his hand and waved it lightly, the Black Tortoise and the White Tiger retreated to the sides of the training ground. Only the Fire Phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky, its crimson-gold tail feathers sweeping across the clouds, turning them a magnificent red. A phoenix cry tore through the sky, like a thousand-pound hammer striking everyone's eardrums.
Amidst the golden light, Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, rode a roc that soared past with a wingspan of twenty zhang. Its iron-hook-like claws tore through the clouds, and with each flap of its wings, a whirlwind ten zhang high rose from the ground, blowing the golden crowns and hairpins of the noble families to pieces.
Then, a ball of crimson flame enveloped the Bifang bird as it swooped down. Cui Dunli's black wide sleeves fluttered in the wind. The flames spewed from the Bifang bird's sharp beak condensed into seal characters in the air. Wherever it passed, the stone slabs hissed and emitted blue smoke, melting into winding grooves.
At the same time, Wei Zheng sat upright on the back of the Chongming bird, his eyes reflecting the bird's four golden pupils. The Chongming bird scattered thousands of luminous feathers as it flapped its wings, which fell on the people and turned into cool dew. When they touched the silk, they burned fine holes in it.
The divine birds circled and intertwined above the training ground, their cries of the roc, the sharp calls of the bifang bird, and the clear chirping of the chrysanthemum bird blending together.
Under the divine bird's display of power, everyone was in a sorry state. But no one cared; all eyes followed their every move with fervent devotion.
As the fire phoenix folded its wings, it landed on Li Shimin's shoulder like a leaping flame, and the other three divine birds also shrank instantly.
Li Yuanji played with the tail feathers of the roc, Cui Dunli brushed away the sparks from his sleeve, and Wei Zheng stroked the golden crown on the head of the Chongming bird. The four of them smiled at each other and calmly walked back to their seats.
An eerie silence fell over the training ground, with only the embers of the fire still crackling in the cracks between the blue bricks.
Of the three, Li Chengqian felt that Fourth Uncle was the most convincing at "acting," possessing a bit of the potential to be a playboy, but unfortunately, he was too old and no longer suitable for this industry.
Li Chengqian felt a little regretful, but Li Shimin, who didn't know what his precious son was thinking, felt particularly pleased as he looked at the disheveled heads of the noble families.
They tried day and night to restrain him, the emperor, with "demeanor" and "grace," and to display the nobility of his aristocratic family. But as it turns out, in the face of enormous interests, anyone would abandon such empty words and rhetoric.
Soon, the training ground, scorching under the blazing sun, suddenly darkened. Xuanwu's mountain-like body moved slowly, the ancient patterns on its tortoise shell glowing with a ghostly blue light. Each step seemed to carry immense weight, and the blue bricks beneath its feet groaned under its strain.
The gazes of everyone from the noble families were immediately drawn to the Xuanwu. As its massive body stood in the center of the training ground, it slightly raised its head and emitted a deep rumble from its throat.
Immediately afterwards, a wave of water carrying a chilling aura gushed out of its mouth, like a giant silver dragon, instantly rushing towards the still-burning flames.
The blazing flames collided with the icy water, sending up plumes of white steam and hissing sounds that echoed throughout the field. In the blink of an eye, the raging fire was extinguished, and the training ground was quickly submerged, the water level rising until it became a shimmering pool.
Just as everyone was stunned, ripples suddenly appeared on the calm water, spreading rapidly like a spider web.
"Splash!"
Three crimson figures burst out of the water; they were three carp, each over ten feet long, their scales shimmering like rubies in the sunlight.
Following closely behind, the three fierce generals Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, and Qin Qiong leaped out of the water, water droplets dripping from their armor and splashing on the surface of the water.
Cheng Yaojin held a Xuanhua axe, his tiger eyes wide open; Yuchi Jingde's iron halberd was still dripping water, its tip gleaming coldly; Qin Qiong's long sword was half an inch out of its sheath, the dragon pattern on the hilt emitting a ghostly light.
Before everyone could recover from their shock, three ripples of water, like serpents, coiled around their shoulders, and the crimson carp suddenly transformed into streams of light, merging into the weapons in their hands.
When the Xuanhua axe cleaved, the axe blade was wrapped in a water dragon, and the water surged wherever it passed; when the iron halberd swept across, the water waves condensed into sharp spikes, and the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp and ear-piercing; when the longsword was swung, countless water blades shot out like a rainstorm.
The powerful moves blended perfectly with the gentle ripples of the water, stirring up huge waves in the pool that were terrifying to watch. Even from a great distance, one couldn't help but retreat.
The three fierce generals stood in the water, like demons descending to earth, their powerful aura making it hard for everyone to breathe.
Only when the three finished their movements and the pool disappeared did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
Someone couldn't help but murmur, "It's finally over..."
"And there's more, the White Tiger hasn't even entered the arena yet."
"besides……"
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