Published at 5th of August 2026 6:13 am

Chapter 7152 Choice

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Long Chen’s announcement caused the disciples’ hearts to shake. Was he planning to carry out a massive downsizing of the academy?

It was obvious that the huge casualties had enraged him. He could not accept this. The new era had come, and the entire world was on the verge of descending into war. Under these circumstances, the disciples’ growth was simply too slow. It was completely unacceptable. In fact, even Zhao Yue’s improvement was unsatisfactory. With her talent and comprehension ability, she definitely shouldn’t have been only at this level.

What did that mean? It meant that these disciples had been putting too much of their focus onto senseless competition amongst themselves. They didn’t have that sense of crisis.

Even at this time, they thought they could just leisurely coast along in life? Did they think that the academy had already risen and they had a large tree that could hide them under its shade? Yes, the High Firmament Academy was rising once more, and the branch academies were also being restored. The academy was welcoming a new golden age, causing these disciples to feel a sense of safety and dependence. But was it really that simple?

Perhaps the reason that the head academy hadn’t directly reinforced the first academy was precisely this situation. Only when the first academy underwent a baptism of blood and fire could these disciples understand what pain was; only in this way could they experience despair and loss. Only something like this could awaken their drive to cultivate with all their might.

In addition, Long Chen was the dean of the first academy, and because of that, even the head academy had its hands somewhat tied when it came to overseeing the first academy. They had absolute authority to appoint and dismiss the deans of the branch academies, but the first academy was an exception. In the end, the head academy’s higher-ups went to ask the sweeping elder for guidance, and once the sweeping elder gave his consent, they secretly sent over the palace master, just in case.

The first academy was the gold standard that the other branches were supposed to follow. Thus, it could not be allowed to fall. Otherwise, it would be a major blow to the entire academy’s structure. At the same time, the head academy was also using this opportunity to tell Long Chen that there were consequences to being an absent leader. He couldn’t stay hands-off any longer. Otherwise, the first academy really would be doomed.

All the academy’s disciples tensed up, but they were also excited. It sounded as if Long Chen was going to personally train them!

Just who was Long Chen? He was acclaimed as the number one figure of the junior generation in all the nine heavens; he was the youngest dean in the High Firmament Academy’s history; he had personally created the strongest legion in the nine heavens and ten lands. If they could undergo his training and pass his examination, they would definitely be completely transformed by the end.

Of course, if they couldn’t, they would be expelled from the academy. With that, they would have wasted their life entirely.

Long Chen quickly gave the orders. The academy’s workers and outer disciples were in charge of cleaning up the battlefield. Some of them organized the spoils of the battle, and there were also some in charge of dealing with the corpses of the academy’s disciples.

The outer disciples were naturally not qualified to participate in a battle of this scale just yet. Having them clean up the aftermath was the best job for them. This would teach them that there was nowhere safe in this world. They might have a safe harbor for now, but when the academy was in crisis, they would also have to come out and fight for the academy.

Although the strength of the elite disciples had disappointed Long Chen, the atmosphere in the academy was still decent. At the very least, apart from a small number of people, it hadn’t become corrupt. This was a pleasant surprise; after all, Long Chen hadn’t stopped people from joining the academy. It was rather surprising how few people had joined hands with Zhang Qinian. Everyone else had maintained absolute loyalty to the academy even in the face of death.

The Bloodfiend Qi on the battlefield was absorbed by Cang Lu. As for the corpses, Long Chen was planning on throwing them into the primal chaos space, but the Two-Face Ghost Wolf looked at him pitifully; in the end, Long Chen sighed and let it have half the corpses.

The Two-Face Ghost Wolf was delighted by the feast and unceremoniously opened both of its mouths. Two giant vortices sucked in the corpses in just a few moments, making it appear as if they’d never been there.

These were the corpses of their enemies, so Long Chen had no misgivings about them. But the Two-Face Ghost Wolf’s aura clearly grew even more frightening after devouring them. Long Chen couldn’t help being shaken. The Two-Face Ghost Wolf had immediately advanced a bit after devouring these corpses. Who knew how strong it would become after digesting them? Long Chen warned Miao Yin once more to be wary of this fellow.

Meanwhile, Miao Yin was still overjoyed over obtaining this Two-Face Ghost Wolf. Things would be much easier for her now on her path of domination. In fact, there would be no need for her to strategize after returning to the Heavenly Sound Sect; she could directly challenge the Music Grandmaster.

“Do you see? If you always wait until you have a strategy to do everything, you will lose out on many opportunities. During the time that you’re strategizing and waiting for the perfect chance, your opponents are all rapidly growing. Furthermore, your opponents might have deeper foundations and more resources than you. Just as you finish making all your preparations to deal with a cat, you will discover that the cat has grown into a tiger.

“Since you’ve chosen the path of dominance, you must choose the most direct, most efficient methods. The way of the benevolent king is for your people; for your enemies, you must do things the way of the hegemon. If you try to use your brain to solve all your problems, you will waste all your cultivation talent,” said Long Chen.

Miao Yin nodded. If she had been the one dealing with this attack, she would have come up with countless plans and backups. She would have tried to reduce the casualties to the lowest level while gaining the most, and she would have done her best to avoid exposing her trump cards.

However, was it really possible for there to be such a perfect thing in this world?

Long Chen had crushed the battlefield with brute force, and at the same time, he had revealed their own side’s weaknesses. It was a perfect display of power versus schemes. Thus, she also couldn’t be so afraid of revealing her abilities that she lost out on opportunities for growth. For example, this time, she had just obtained a new terrifying trump card with limitless potential. A battle mount like the Two-Face Ghost Wolf was absolutely priceless.

Opportunity existed within danger. Sweeping through your enemies and growing within crisis was what it meant to contend for hegemony.

This was a method that Miao Yin had always regarded highly but never dared to try. She kept feeling that her own power was insufficient, so she was always using conservative methods. Such methods had allowed her to avoid danger many times, but in the same vein, they had also cost her many opportunities she could have taken advantage of.

All things had pros and cons, and in the end, it was difficult to tell what the right choice was. But those who wanted to forge themselves had to throw themselves into the fire. If their steel was good, they would be turned into a fine blade; if it turned out to be poor, they would end up burned. Yet if they were never touched by the flames, they would remain a piece of dead iron whose edge dulled at the slightest touch. If they didn’t even have the courage to temper themselves this way, then aiming for supremacy was just a joke.

Long Chen had used his actions today to give her a lesson. There was only one way to dominate, and the path there was the path of the hegemon. He was telling her that her talent could only truly flourish when she truly made use of it. Only by stepping foot onto the battlefield and fighting with her all could she awaken her potential and sharpen her instincts. The reason Long Chen was so strong was because he was continuously carving out every bit of potential he had.

This lesson was something Miao Yin had to learn. As for the terrifying steed she had just gotten as a gift, it could count as an employment bonus.

For some reason, when she thought of that, Miao Yin felt a sense of disappointment. At this time, she noticed Zi Yan gazing into the distance, with a slightly pained expression on her face. Miao Yin was startled by this reaction. She let go of Long Chen, since he could now stand on his own, and retreated two steps before bowing lightly.

“I will go recuperate now. I will see you later, Young Master!”

Miao Yin left with the Two-Face Ghost Wolf.

After she was gone, Zi Yan came up to Long Chen. She looked in the direction that Miao Yin had gone and sighed.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit cruel?”

Long Chen lowered his head. He was silent for a moment before also sighing. “She doesn’t remember me, and I don’t remember her…”

“And so you thought giving her some good fortune could sever the karma of a thousand lifetimes?” Zi Yan stared into Long Chen’s eyes. “If you keep treating her like this, what if one day she marries someone else and then remembers your bond as deep as the ocean and as high as the mountains afterwards? Big sister Qingxuan spent a thousand reincarnations awakening you from the red dust. But not everyone is like her; not everyone has the ability to maintain their original will through the repeated cleansing of reincarnation.

“Miao Yin’s original aspiration was to vie for supremacy of the world with you! But her memories were erased and her aspiration faded to the point that now she only knows that she wants to fight for dominance, but she doesn’t remember why she wants to! You have seen just how pitiful she is. You treat Qingxuan one way, but you treat Miao Yin another way entirely. This is completely unfair to Miao Yin!”

At this point, Zi Yan began to tear up.

Long Chen smiled bitterly. “You really did know…”

Zi Yan shook her head. “And you didn’t know, but you’re not stupid. How could you not guess it? You just refuse to face it, but have you thought of the consequences of avoiding it? Let me tell you, you would not be able to accept those consequences!”

Long Chen turned silent once more. After a few long moments, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Zi Yan. “Were we also like this in the past?”

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