Lord Xue Ying

Chapter 474: Forced Labor

The black bird was bouncing on the Bloodshed God Emperor’s shoulder in sheer delight. Despite being in an environment that could easily burn stage four World Deities to death, it didn’t seem disturbed in the least. It was easy to see just how terrifying that was. It kept bouncing around and commenting in a joyous mood, ”Bloodshed, weren’t you the one who solemnly told me back then: ’I won’t be wrong!’” It even deliberately mimicked the Bloodshed God Emperor’s voice as it repeated his words.

”How’s that slap on the face treating you? Does it feel disgraceful?” the black bird cackled out. ”Didn’t I tell you before to not be overconfident? The future has yet to happen, and anything is a possibility.”

”He has yet to grasp a grade one Deity Heart?” The Bloodshed God Emperor put on a slight frown. ”It looks like I’ve regarded him too highly. He’s likely not worth grooming any longer. Alright, let’s just stop mentioning him.”

Concluding the matter with those words, the Bloodshed God Emperor continued watching the flame within the Cosmos Furnace, observing the occasional strand of dark energy forming within. He was doing his best to understand the revolving Law behind the Profound Mystery, always in search of a breakthrough.

”I see,” the black bird obediently acknowledged. It was clear, however, that the Bloodshed God Emperor would not care about Xue Ying anymore, which led to an inward sigh from it. Such a pitiful brat!

Clearly, deep down in his bones, the Bloodshed God Emperor had a cruel personality.

He lived too long and experienced too many things. Matters of life or death were nothing out of the ordinary in his eyes. He also accepted many disciples over the years, and all of his current inner and honorary disciples had been accepted in the last few billion years. After all, any of the disciples who failed to become powerful existences would have limited lifespans. As for the others, some had died in battle, others saw their True Deity Heart crumble apart, and some went on to reincarnate. Over a very long time, the Bloodshed God Emperor actually accepted a large number of disciples, since he would take them in whenever he felt like it. But when he wasn’t inclined to take disciples, even grade one True Meaning Transcendent would be pushed to the side.

He would properly groom those who were worth grooming. But those who weren’t worthy in his eyes…he would be too lazy to even look at. He would immediately throw them to the back of his brain! He found them not worth to pay the slightest bit of attention.

He was the Bloodshed God Emperor, and his time and effort were truly precious!

Even to his two most successful disciples, Monarch Green and Monarch Gu Zang, he merely gave a destined path and then allowed them to grow by themselves. He didn’t bother to care any more than that about them, preferring to instead spend more time on his own cultivation. This was part of what allowed him to stand at the apex of the Deity world. Deep within, he put the greatest importance on his personal combat power. As for the so-called ’Bloodshed God Palace,’ he mostly disregarded it. Even when his disciple, Monarch Green, betrayed the Bloodshed God Palace, he merely accepted it tacitly as one of his disciples taking their own route. Although, despite being too lazy to care, he still quite liked seeing his disciples grow strong.

As for the territory regions? His Majesty simply gave them over to the governors to take care of.

”Mn.” The Bloodshed God Emperor extended his right hand, and a destructive light began flashing about on his palm. ”Everything can be traced back to a single origin. I’m clearly lacking by just a single bit.”

The Bloodshed God Emperor continued looking up at the Cosmos Furnace, watching the strands of dark energy flashing occasionally amidst the blazing flame.

Xue Ying had yet to fully train the secret technique hidden within the 351st level world of the Sealed World Pagoda. Naturally, he had yet to grasp hold of the Chaotic Deity Heart as well.

”Too ruthless.”

”They give us no face.”

”Just a while ago, we could even stroll around the garden by the next wall. But now they’ve simple forced us out.”

The many Deities of the Xia Clan were discussing amongst themselves within Xue Ying’s cavern dwelling. As soon as Xue Ying entered, they immediately stormed toward him to complain.

”Dong Bo, according to the rules, our allowed area of activity within the Crimson Stone Courtyard should extend to this dwelling and that corridor…” Emperor Yun Hai walked over with a frown. ”In reality, however, the attendants of other inner disciples are still allowed to enter the garden separated by the wall and take a stroll. But when we went over today, the attendants of the garden actually forced us out. Dong Bo, seeing how those guards dared treat us this way…is His Majesty perhaps not pleased with you?”

They were not fools.

After being forced out, they were not particularly angry about it, but rather worried that Xue Ying might have lost His Majesty’s favor.

”There are just some slight issues.” Xue Ying smiled. ”Nothing major.”

”Oh.” The Deities exchanged glances without continuing on the topic.

Jing Qiu walked over to him and transmitted him a message, ”Xue Ying, what exactly is going on? Even the guards dare mess with our people?”

”I might have disappointed teacher with my cultivation,” Xue Ying sent back. ”Don’t worry. It’s no big deal.”

”You should take more care of yourself. Don’t give in to the pressure,” Jing Qiu consoled him.

Suddenly—

”Disciple Brother Dong Bo,” a cold voice arrived from outside by means of transmission.

Xue Ying looked outside to see a gray-robed woman with a cold countenance currently standing by the entrance. She was none other than Disciple Sister Gong Feng who coldly said, ”In the future, you better take proper care of your men. I’ve already told you about the places your attendants can and cannot go. Fortunately, they did not intrude upon the forbidden grounds. If they had, they would have most likely been sentenced to death.”

”Junior Disciple understands.” Xue Ying was not anguished at this treatment. After all, strictly speaking, it was his subordinates who had, indeed, gone against the rules! Previously, everyone was simply closing an eye to the situation.

The Crimson Stone Courtyard was under the management of Disciple Sister Gong Feng.

At the moment, seeing how her expression became cold toward Xue Ying, it was clear that she was no longer pleased with him. He had long since known that Disciple Sister Gong Feng was a cold person; she would only treat those with great combat power or potential in a more polite manner, and did not give a damn about the rest. The subordinates of stage three World Deities might be less restricted by the rules in the Crimson Stone Courtyard, and Xue Ying himself had enjoyed the same treatment. Clearly, however, he was no longer in that same position.

”On top of that, now that you’ve cultivated for a total of two thousand years without grasping a grade one Deity Heart and have proven yourself to be so useless, you’re no longer qualified for me to waive you from doing forced labor.” Gong Feng threw out a crystal jade to Xue Ying. ”For every thousand years in the Crimson Stone Courtyard, you will have to undergo one session of forced labor. Go do it now.”

”Alright,” Xue Ying replied upon receiving the crystal jade.

He should have been doing forced labor from the very start, so there was no way he could decline Gong Feng now that she asked him to go do it.

Xue Ying was currently wielding an axe to chop down a huge tree somewhere in the mountain range behind the courtyard. The tree he was working on was towering in size, and Xue Ying had to put in all of his strength to chop it down. With how tough they were, he had spend an entire half-hour to chop down a single tree!

Peng peng peng… the continuous drone of chopping reverberated throughout the range, causing Xue Ying’s heart to gradually calm down.

His Disciple Sister, Gong Feng, was not pleased of him! His teacher never asked him over anymore. The rest of the inner disciples were still rather polite, only talking about him behind his back, though some were clearly much colder whenever they saw him! Such was the world of cultivation, where combat power was paramount. He had received some Nine-Fruit every year for a total of a thousand years, and he had even received personal guidance from his teacher, on top of cultivating within the Sealed World Pagoda. Under such treatment, two thousand years of training was equivalent to ten thousand years under some other powerful existence.

The inner disciples now felt that Xue Ying’s potential wasn’t as great as initially thought, and that naturally caused their attitude toward him to shift.

Peng peng peng… The axe continued to come down on the tree. Xue Ying became quieter, only the corners of his lips now sticking up slightly.

It was the business of others to think of him what they will.

As long as he walked down the path he decided to walk, proceeding onward without stop, he found no need to be disappointed at his situation. He would once more begin to shine in the future, and countless people would start being respectful and polite to him again.

It’s no wonder that teacher wants his disciples to undergo forced labor. As I go through this task, I have to put in all of my energy and spend a lot of effort to cut down even a single tree. It might seem that this makes it hard to calm down and cultivate as a result, but whenever the body is tired, the mind also relaxes, Xue Ying thought. Clearing and loosening up my thoughts might prove helpful to my cultivation.

　　**