Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin: I Set Taboos in the Heavens

Fang Qing and Yang Qi successfully entered the Heavenly Academy and became menial students.

The errand boy who had previously greeted the two immediately smiled and congratulated Fang Qing and Yang Qi on becoming students of the Heavenly Academy.

"I will need your help in the future, senior brother. May I ask your name? This is a small gift from your junior brother. I hope you will accept it."

With a smile on his face, Yang Qi reached out and handed over a silver note containing 100,000 Qi Gathering Pills.

"My name is Li He."

The handyman disciple took the 100,000 Qi Gathering Pills silver note from Yang Qi, his smile widening. He discreetly put the note away, then patted Yang Qi on the shoulder, his tone becoming more friendly:

"Junior brother, you're too kind. From now on, we're all on the same side. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask your senior brother."

Yang Qi smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Li!"

Li He nodded, his gaze sweeping over Fang Qing and Yang Qi, before lowering his voice and saying, "Since you're both so sensible, I won't hide anything from you. Our Heavenly Academy has a strict hierarchy and many rules, especially for us menial students, who must be careful with their words and actions."

He paused, then continued, "You are currently only the lowest-ranking menial disciples, and your activities are limited to the 'Menial Disciples' Courtyard' and the 'Outer Courtyard Lecture Hall.' Your daily tasks are nothing more than cleaning, moving, and organizing books. If you make any mistakes, you will be punished at best, and expelled from the academy at worst!"

Yang Qi frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Seeing his respectful attitude, Li He was satisfied and continued, "However, don't think that the menial disciples have no chance of advancement. Although we are at the bottom, the Heavenly Academy is rich in resources. Even in the menial disciples' hall, there are special 'transmission elders' who come to explain basic techniques every day, and occasionally, senior brothers from the Qi Sect of the outer academy will come to give you some pointers."

"more importantly……"

A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he lowered his voice and said, "The academy will issue missions regularly. After completing them, you can earn 'merit points.' Once you accumulate enough merit points, you can exchange them for cultivation techniques, pills, weapons, and even... the qualification to be promoted to an outer academy disciple!"

"Merit points?"

Fang Qing's gaze shifted slightly.

Li He explained, "Merit points are the 'currency' within the academy, and they are more precious than Qi Gathering Pills. If you want to advance in your career, you must take on more missions!"

A glint of fighting spirit flashed in Yang Qi's eyes as he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"

Li He smiled, gave a few more instructions, and then turned and left.

"Another cycle has begun."

Seeing Li He leave, Fang Qing smiled. Whether it was the Heavenly Academy or the Feathered Gate back then, the training methods were pretty much the same.

In short, we need to move up.

That's not a problem.

“Cousin, cultivate yourself well for a while, and then we’ll discuss things further.”

Fang Qing said to Yang Qi.

"Of course, I will try my best."

Yang Qi nodded.

And so the two spent some uneventful days there.

For a full month, apart from doing odd jobs, they spent most of their time cultivating.

As expected of the top academy on the Bountiful Continent, even the transmission elders of the Miscellaneous Affairs Department explained cultivation techniques far more exquisite than those of the so-called experts in Yandu City.

Yang Qi made rapid progress, while Fang Qing... remained unfathomable.

Realm-level concepts are not a problem for him; he prefers a leisurely approach, waiting for things to happen.

"Bang bang bang!"

On that very day, there was a knock on the door.

Yang Qi opened the door and saw Li He standing outside with a smile on his face: "Junior brothers, the opportunity has come!"

"Senior Brother Li, what opportunity?" Yang Qi asked.

A hint of excitement flashed in Li He's eyes: "The academy just released a mission with generous rewards! I've already accepted it and came here specifically to invite you all to join."

"What mission?"

“That’s right.” Li He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with excitement: “A strange band of horse bandits has recently appeared in the Black Sand City area on the northwestern border.”

"These bandits are elusive and leave nothing but ruins and deaths in their wake. What's most bizarre is that all the victims have their blood drained, leaving only shriveled corpses."

"Vampire bandits?"

"Not bad!"

Li He nodded, his tone becoming somewhat grave. "The academy has determined that these bandits have accumulated an evil substance within their bodies, the Blood Demon Core, which is the crystallization of their evil cultivation technique of sucking human blood."

"The academy has issued a strict order: any disciple who kills a vampire bandit and retrieves the Blood Demon Core will receive a small amount of merit."

"The senior students from the outer and inner courtyards have already set off, and we from the miscellaneous service courtyard can also go. We'll depart tomorrow! What do you say?"

Yang Qi turned to look at Fang Qing, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Fang Qing nodded calmly, "In that case, there's no harm in making the trip."

Three days later, in the northwestern border region, in the black sand desert.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and the wind howled.

Fang Qing, Yang Qi, and four other students who did odd jobs, making a total of six, arrived at an abandoned town.

The town's houses were dilapidated, and dozens of mummified corpses lay scattered haphazardly in the streets, a truly horrifying sight.

The expressions of the several handymen disciples changed on the spot.

"This truly shows that the rise and fall of dynasties are all caused by the suffering of the common people."

Fang Qing shook his head, his gaze suddenly turning to a place more than twenty miles away, where there were already many vampire bandits.

In reality, it would be difficult for him to see that far with his current level of cultivation, but with the Earth Spirit Orb in hand, seeing within a radius of several hundred miles is a piece of cake.

So the group headed off into the distance.

After traveling twenty miles, the group unexpectedly encountered a group of bandits.

"One...two...thirty-five!"

Li He's voice changed slightly, "We're in trouble now. There are only six of us, what should we do?"

"What else can we do but charge in?"

Fang Qing remained calm as he led Yang Qi to charge forward.

Killing is always very simple for Fang Qing. Not to mention the use of all five elements, even the White Emperor Golden Emperor Slash from the Great Five Elements Technique contains the indestructible power of Geng metal.

As those bursts of energy surged forth, one after another, the vampire bandits were slain. In the blink of an eye, Fang Qing had wiped out all thirty-five vampire bandits.

"This...isn't this a bit too powerful!"

“Those bandits were all at least at the seventh level of Qigong, and some were even at the eighth level.”

"Terrifying, absolutely terrifying! Brother Fang Qing is actually this powerful?"

Li He and the other three servant disciples stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning.

Their pupils contracted sharply; they never expected Fang Qing to be so terrifying.

They had seen the senior students from the outer academy take action, but even a Qi Sect expert could not possibly slaughter dozens of bandits so casually.

These are all thugs who have reached the seventh level of Qigong, and there are even quite a few who have reached the eighth level of Qigong.

"Junior Brother Fang... no, Senior Brother Fang... from now on we will have to rely on you!"

Li He cupped his hands in a salute to Fang Qing.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Fang!"

The other students who were doing odd jobs also bowed in unison.

Fang's title was immediately promoted. (End of Chapter)