Vol 4. Chapter 95: Yexinlian Royal Academy

Yexinlian Royal Academy was one of the continent’s foremost academies, jointly established by the Crimson Leaf Empire’s imperial family, the Asumos Church, and the Imperial Education Committee.

Its educational standards, faculty strength, student quality, teaching resources, and every other aspect were among the very best.

Across the entire Anqieka Continent, the number of academies capable of standing on equal footing with it could practically be counted on one hand.

Nowadays,

countless powerful figures and outstanding scholars throughout the continent—especially within the Crimson Leaf Empire and the Asumos Church—had graduated from this famous institution.

In fact, two of the Asumos Church’s current three Heavenly Apostles had come from Yexinlian Royal Academy.

In a certain sense, this renowned royal academy was practically a talent factory for both the Crimson Leaf Empire and the Asumos Church.

It continuously cultivated outstanding individuals for these two great powers, steadily raising their overall quality.

And the reason Yexinlian Royal Academy possessed such formidable educational power was, on one hand, because of its exceptional resources.

On the other hand, it was because of the legendary Holy Dragon Heart preserved within the forbidden grounds at the very center of the academy.

The Holy Dragon Heart.

It was said to be the relic left behind after the death of the Holy Dragon King.

The Holy Dragon King had once been the leader of the Dragon Race, a peerless Peak Eighth-Tier powerhouse who had led the dragons to become the overlords of the world.

Naturally, a relic left behind by someone like him possessed extraordinary effects.

And that effect was the ability to bestow blessings upon others.

This was no ordinary blessing.

The blessing of the Holy Dragon Heart possessed astonishing power capable of breaking conventional limits. It could excavate a person’s latent potential and greatly increase their cultivation speed.

Throughout history, countless powerful individuals had broken through their own bottlenecks beneath the blessing of the Holy Dragon Heart, allowing their strength to advance to an entirely new Tier.

Naturally, such a priceless treasure made countless people covetous, all of them intending to seize this legendary Holy Dragon Heart for themselves.

However, those who wanted to make a move first had to carefully consider one very serious question.

Did they have the ability to withstand the wrath of both the Asumos Church and the Crimson Leaf Empire at the same time?

After all, over the past several centuries, there had been no shortage of people who had attempted to steal the Holy Dragon Heart from Yexinlian Academy.

Yet without exception, only miserable endings awaited them.

Most of them,

had not even managed to lay eyes on the Holy Dragon Heart

before dying miserably within Yexinlian Royal Academy.

The reason was very simple.

The level of security and defensive power surrounding the Forbidden Palace at the very center of the academy was terrifying to an almost absurd degree.

......

At this moment,

as noon arrived, a figure dressed in a noble black-and-gold mage’s robe and holding a diamond-studded staff slowly descended from the sky, surrounded by pure-white magical light.

She arrived within the Forbidden Palace grounds at the center of Yexinlian Royal Academy.

Looking at the silver-white palace before her, which resembled an ancient ceremonial temple, the mage slowly removed her hat.

She was an older-looking woman with gray at both temples.

Her hair had been arranged with meticulous care. Her long brown hair was elegantly coiled behind her head, without a single strand out of place.

However, strands of silvery-white hair were still clearly visible among the brown.

Her once rather beautiful face had already lost much of its former charm beneath the passage of time.

Within her slightly sunken eye sockets, a pair of deep-blue eyes silently spoke of all the years she had endured.

“Open.”

After a brief silence, the woman slowly spoke.

The instant that single word left her mouth, a vast surge of white magical power erupted from the gemstone atop her staff, sweeping toward the Forbidden Palace ahead like a raging tide.

And as that immense magical power spread,

four layers of defensive barriers containing terrifying energy suddenly appeared around the Forbidden Palace......

These four barriers formed the first defensive line protecting the Forbidden Palace,

and protecting the Holy Dragon Heart.

They had been constructed through the combined efforts of six Saint-Class mages from the Red Moon Tower and one Eighth-Tier powerhouse.

Without sufficient strength, an intruder attempting to force their way through would be reduced to ashes by the terrifying power contained within the barriers the instant they touched them.

Even if they somehow survived the barriers’ retaliatory power, the fortress-like defensive ability of the barriers themselves would still drive any intruder into complete despair.

After the barriers appeared, the woman waved her staff once again.

One obscure and incomprehensible incantation after another poured rapidly from her lips.

The next moment,

under the control of the woman’s staff, openings simultaneously appeared in all four barriers, forming a passage directly toward the Forbidden Palace in front of her.

Seeing this, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the woman did not hesitate.

She leapt into the air, and in an instant, propelled by pure-white magical power, transformed into a streak of light that shot straight into the Forbidden Palace.

--

Inside the brightly illuminated main hall of the Forbidden Palace,

the dozens of powerful guards stationed there immediately sensed the powerful yet familiar magical fluctuations rapidly approaching from nearby.

They orderly turned toward the entrance of the hall and respectfully dropped to one knee.

“Headmistress, welcome.”

Accompanied by their loud and perfectly synchronized voices, a beam of pure-white light abruptly descended before everyone.

The light dispersed.

The noble and elegant woman holding the staff slowly walked into the hall.

This brown-haired woman was none other than the Headmistress of Yexinlian Royal Academy,

Vinarola-Entuze,

a Peak Seventh-Tier powerhouse.

Looking at the guards kneeling before her, diligently protecting the academy’s most precious treasure, Vinarola smiled faintly and slowly spoke in a tone filled with gratitude.

“You’ve all worked hard.”

“It is our duty!”

The warriors answered in unison.

Seeing this, Vinarola nodded in satisfaction.

“You may withdraw for now. I have something I need to ask His Majesty the Holy Dragon King.”

“Privately.”

“Yes, Headmistress!”

After receiving Vinarola’s order, the dozens of powerful guards gradually withdrew from the hall.

For a time, the enormous chamber became so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could have been heard.

Only after releasing her perception magic and confirming that nobody remained nearby, and that all of the guards had withdrawn from the central area, did Vinarola finally relax her vigilant gaze.

She then solemnly walked toward the center of the hall.

Slowly raising her head, she looked toward the golden sphere floating above the center of an ancient altar.

“Lord Holy Dragon, are you still awake? This student has something she wishes to ask your opinion about.”

All traces of nobility and arrogance vanished from Vinarola’s face.

At this moment, she completely cast aside both her social status and the bearing of a great powerhouse.

Like a servant, she respectfully knelt on the prayer cushion, her deep-blue eyes filled with sincere reverence and respect.

As Vinarola finished speaking, the golden sphere floating in midair suddenly trembled.

The next instant,

an immensely oppressive draconic aura erupted from the center of the sphere!

It swept violently in every direction.

Along with the spreading dragon might and waves of pale-golden light, streams of pale-golden magical energy slowly gathered over the sphere.

Then,

a gigantic vertical dragon pupil suddenly formed upon its surface.

“Lord Holy Dragon King.”

Upon seeing the dragon eye appear, Vinarola excitedly clasped her hands together and pressed her forehead to the ground like an extremely devout believer.

Indeed,

the golden sphere floating in midair was precisely Yexinlian Royal Academy’s greatest treasure—the Holy Dragon Heart.

Contrary to what the outside world believed, the Holy Dragon Heart was not a dead object.

It was a living relic that still retained the consciousness of the Holy Dragon King.

Looking at the Headmistress prostrating herself on the ground and repeatedly bowing toward him,

the golden dragon eye narrowed slightly.

The Holy Dragon King impatiently increased the intensity of his dragon might.

The terrifying pressure slammed down onto Vinarola’s shoulders like an enormous mountain, causing the Headmistress to reveal a faint expression of pain.

There was no doubt that the golden sphere suspended in midair contained the consciousness of the Holy Dragon King.

However, because he had lost his body and his soul itself had suffered severe damage, the Holy Dragon King seemed incapable of producing speech.

He could only communicate with others through changes in his aura.

Fortunately,

this Headmistress did not disappoint him.

Under the increasingly urgent pressure of the dragon might, Vinarola’s pupils suddenly contracted.

She immediately realized that Lord Holy Dragon King was urging her to hurry up.

He was asking why exactly she had come all the way here and disturbed him.

Realizing this, Vinarola hurriedly raised her head and revealed an apologetic expression.

“I’m terribly sorry, Lord Holy Dragon. It has been so long since I last witnessed your manifestation that I became too excited and actually forgot about the important matter!”

“......”

Seeing that Vinarola had understood his meaning, the Holy Dragon King slightly withdrew his dragon might.

The golden eye formed from draconic energy narrowed faintly, signaling for her to answer his question as quickly as possible.

Having lost his body and been left with a damaged soul, he could only remain conscious for a limited amount of time each day.

He had no time to waste on useless formalities and ceremonial kowtowing.

He would rather spend that time repairing his damaged soul.

If you’ve got something to say, hurry up and say it. Stop wasting this venerable one’s time!

The Holy Dragon King grumbled irritably to himself.

The next moment,

under the impatient gaze of the Holy Dragon King, Vinarola hurriedly took a document bearing the emblem of the Asumos Church from her spatial ring.

“Lord Holy Dragon King, it’s like this. The Asumos Church sent someone to Yexinlian Royal Academy and asked me to bring you a proposal.”

A proposal?

What are those religious fanatics plotting now?

The golden dragon eye lifted slightly, signaling for Vinarola to continue.

Receiving the Holy Dragon King’s indication, Vinarola took a deep breath before looking excitedly toward the golden sphere.

“Lord Holy Dragon King! The people from the Church said that they can help you repair your soul and provide you with a new body!”

“If that happens, you’ll finally be able to leave this dull and boring forbidden ground and spread your grace to the people across the entire continent!!”

?!

A new body?

Upon hearing this, the Holy Dragon King froze inwardly.

A trace of interest gradually emerged within the golden vertical dragon pupil.

After all, for all these years, the Holy Dragon King had spent day and night attempting to repair his soul, which was on the verge of shattering.

And at every moment, he dreamed of once again possessing a physical body and restoring his former glory!

To reign over the world once more,

and return to the continent!

Clearly, the Church’s proposal had tempted him somewhat.

Then,

the golden eye lifted once again, seemingly asking Vinarola,

“What are their conditions?”

Immediately understanding his meaning, Vinarola excitedly replied,

“The Asumos Church’s request is very simple! Once you are reborn, they want you to help them fight against the invasion of the Abyss Demon hordes and destroy the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons!!!”

Holy Dragon King: ?!