Forty Millenniums of Cultivation Chapter 4: Fiend Blade Peng Hai

Chapter 4: Fiend Blade Peng Hai

Translator: Strivon / Ash Editor: Geoffrey / Lancent

The head instructor’s gaze was like that of a predatory tiger as Li Yao lowered his frame, scurrying toward the shut school gates. Letting out a sharp breath, Li Yao glanced at his watch: 7:29—he had made it just in time!

Like every other high school across the federation, Crimson Nimbus Second had plunged into the annual "Crazed University Entrance Exam Season." A murderous tension, reminiscent of a bloody battlefield, saturated the campus air. Standing tall right at the school’s entrance was a massive central hologram. Displayed upon it were several words:

“Time until the entrance exams: 99 days 18 hours 32 minutes and 57 seconds!”

The digits on the display pulsed, ticking away every second. Though the change was incremental, it exerted a crushing weight of pressure upon the exam candidates.

Lining both sides were various slogans:

“Unless studying leads to your demise, you must beat your studies to death!”

“To gain a single point is to crush a thousand rivals!”

“Crimson Nimbus Second dominates the federation. Swear to pierce through the exams or face exile!”

“Secure admission into the ‘Nine Elite Universities.’ Become a cultivator. Ascend to the apex of life!”

A roaring, passionate march echoed across the grounds. Nearly a thousand students surged like a tidal wave toward the sports field. Li Yao quickened his pace, blending into the rushing crowd. Upon reaching the field, the human tide split into three distinct sections, forming entirely separate groups.

The first group consisted of roughly forty students. Each possessed a noble air and handsome features that seemed sculpted by nature itself. These were the arrogant, overbearing chosen of heaven. Their school uniforms were crafted from heaven’s silk, custom-made and refined by cultivators. The fabric fluttered even in the absence of wind, shimmering with the light of hidden treasures. Such details granted them a majestic, martial presence. These individuals belonged to the “Important Class”; every one of them was a one-in-a-myriad cultivation genius. They possessed the raw power to alarm even the recruiters of the ‘Nine Elite Universities.’

The second group was the largest, comprising seven to eight hundred students. While their attire was also woven from heaven’s silk, it lacked custom tailoring and the touch of a cultivator’s refinement. Their appearances seemed plain and uninspired, a sea of a thousand identical faces. These were the students of the “Ascending Class,” mostly the offspring of Floating Spear City’s wealthy and elite families. Regarding their talent, their strength was built upon mountains of consumed resources.

The third group was made up of about a hundred people. Their uniforms were of inferior quality, stitched from common fabrics. These clothes were baggy, worn, and oversized, lending the wearers a somewhat unkempt look. The students in these uniforms lacked any remarkable energy. This was the “Common Class.” Most were the children of ordinary working-class families. Within the halls of the private “Crimson Nimbus Second” high school, they were seen as a disorganized medley of common fish.

Li Yao, well-acquainted with the “Common Class,” moved to his spot in the formation. Just as he settled in, a hand slapped his shoulder. A voice with a greasy tone spoke up, “Little Devil, you just got here? Apparently, a very important person is visiting our school today!”

Li Yao didn't have to turn around to recognize his best friend, “Meng Jiang.” Shifting his gaze toward the main stage, he noted the presence of the headmaster, the vice-principal, and the disciplinary director. Every high-ranking official was in attendance. This was truly a rare sight for a standard morning assembly.

“Who could be so significant that even Baldy Zhao showed up in person to welcome them?”

Technically, Baldy Zhao was Zhao Shude, the Headmaster of Crimson Nimbus Second. He was a grim and solemn core member of the Crimson Nimbus Guild, a high-level cultivator in the Refinement stage. Rumor had it, however, that he had sustained an internal injury during his youth while cultivating in the “Fiend Beast Wasteland” to the northwest. He usually remained in secluded training, rarely emerging to manage school affairs personally.

“It’s Peng Hai! Man, it’s the ‘Fiend Blade’ Peng Hai!” Meng Jiang’s excitement was at a fever pitch, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Hearing that name caused Li Yao’s heart to hammer against his ribs instantly.

Fiend Blade Peng Hai was the most legendary alumnus of Crimson Nimbus Second in several centuries.

Born in the slums, he had displayed a brilliant talent for cultivation since he was a child. At eleven, he was specially recruited by Crimson Nimbus Second. By age twelve, his “Spirit Actualization Quotient” reached 100%, awakening a top-tier spirit root and setting him on the path of cultivation. At thirteen, he was admitted to the “Grand Desolate War Institution,” one of the “Nine Elite Universities.” By his graduation at fifteen, he had already reached the 10th rank of the Refinement stage, hailed as the Federation’s star of hope!

Following his time at the “Grand Desolate War Institution,” he turned down lucrative offers from over a dozen Cultivator Sects, choosing instead to enlist in the “Federal Army.” In the Fiend Beast Wasteland, he fought millions of fiend beasts to protect the federation’s blood and youth, leaving behind mountains of monster corpses and a sea of blood, earning the terrifying title of “Fiend Blade.” Finally, at the age of 22, he became the youngest Cultivator in the federation’s history to reach the Foundation stage!

After his military service, Peng Hai returned to his home city. He joined the Crimson Nimbus Guild in exchange for a massive signing bonus. Within just three years, he became the general manager of the guild’s new “Crimson Nimbus Transporter Group,” tasked with carving out transport routes through lethal territories infested by fiend beasts. Beyond his incredible salary, it was rumored he held a significant stake in the “Crimson Nimbus Transporter Group,” earning a fortune in annual dividends!

“Did you hear the news? Peng Hai just bought an incredible seaside mansion at the edge of ‘Silver White Beach.’ They say it cost seventy or eighty million! The tabloids claim he’s always hosting parties with dozens of women at his villa!” Meng Jiang drooled as he spoke, his envy and jealousy plain to see.

Going from a broke kid in the slums to a high-level executive of a major power, possessing a net worth of over a hundred million, luxury cars, beautiful women, and a mansion by the sea—it was the ultimate dream for every slum child. Li Yao and Meng Jiang were no different.

They both burned with the desire to be the next Peng Hai!

“He’s arriving!”

Li Yao’s watch gave a soft vibration, signaling something approaching at high speed through the air. He looked toward the eastern horizon. A streak of black lightning tore across the sky with incredible velocity. One moment it was a speck on the horizon; the next, it had used a Blink skill to appear silently above the field. It was a black flying shuttle!

The shuttle’s frame was sleek and narrow, shaped like an elongated water droplet. It was nearly double the length of a standard shuttle. Its surface was crystal clear, devoid of any visible rivets or seams—a masterpiece of engineering. One couldn't tell what offensive magical devices were installed just by looking at the exterior. However, beneath its dark luster lay a lethal aura that made people's hearts skip a beat. It was a killing intent that seemed to defy the limits of space, leaving the thousand students feeling breathless.

“It’s the ‘Battle Shuttle Mystic Bird’! The most sophisticated military shuttle in the federation! Its combat power might even surpass a peak Foundation stage Cultivator! With a ‘Battle Shuttle Mystic Bird,’ one could cross the Fiend Beast Wasteland without any hindrance!” Li Yao screamed internally with excitement.

As an artifact enthusiast, Li Yao’s admiration for the “Battle Shuttle Mystic Bird” was even greater than his respect for Peng Hai himself!

Furthermore, he knew that even the most basic version of the Battle Shuttle Mystic Bird cost nearly a hundred million. Even the wealthiest families could rarely afford such a machine.

A moment passed, and the crushing pressure in the students' chests eased, allowing them to breathe again. The Battle Shuttle Mystic Bird had already vanished from the sky.

In its place stood a man with eyes as dark as an abyss. A sharp light flickered within them occasionally, flashing like lightning or a demonic blade.

Anyone caught in his gaze was shaken. Even Headmaster Zhao Shude and the normally terrifying Disciplinary Director couldn't stand it, shifting their weight and looking away. They lacked the courage to meet his eyes.

“Cultivators are so rich! So awe-inspiring! So dominant!” Li Yao whispered, swallowing hard.

“The rumor is the school hired Peng Hai to personally coach the ‘Important Class’! Little Devil, listen—Crimson Nimbus Second is a famous century-old school, but our exam results lately have been mediocre. Not many students have made it into the ‘Nine Elite Universities.’ The Crimson Nimbus Guild’s reputation is suffering, so they brought Peng Hai back for special training, hoping to restore their glory and change their luck!” Meng Jiang’s voice was thick with envy.

Only the “Important Class” students would have the privilege of being mentored by Fiend Blade Peng Hai. There was no such opportunity for the impoverished youths of the “Common Class.”

Hearing this, Li Yao let out a quiet sigh of his own.

The “Nine Elite Universities” held the most profound knowledge and resources in the federation, housing the vast majority of high-level experts. Among all the schools in the federation, they were the ultimate goal.

Typical universities didn't necessarily focus on producing cultivators. Even if a student was gifted, no matter how hard they worked or what luck they had, the odds of becoming a true cultivator were less than one in ten thousand.

However, the Nine Elite Universities were supported by various cultivator sects. Their primary mission was to train cultivators. If one could get into those nine schools, they had a thirty percent chance of becoming a cultivator and reaching the pinnacle of society!

To become a Master Artificer, one first had to be a cultivator. And to be a cultivator, passing the entrance exams for the Nine Elite Universities was mandatory. Li Yao had always made this his goal, yet his natural talent was a constant obstacle that couldn't be overcome. The distance between him and his dream seemed to be widening.

Lost in these troubled thoughts, Li Yao’s excitement faded, and he barely heard the speeches on stage. A cultivator’s time was precious; Fiend Blade Peng Hai didn't stay long, and Headmaster Zhao Shude soon concluded the morning assembly.

Peng Hai was escorted away by the proud geniuses of the Important Class. Consequently, the enthusiasm of the Ascending and Common classes evaporated as they shuffled in small groups toward the school buildings.

With that, the day's lessons had officially begun!