CHAPTER 489: 489 ROMANTIC AFFAIRS

The Barrier at Longyan Mountain was also under his responsibility, and previously, it was sustained by the blessings of his teacher, and from generations before.

Having discovered the Ancient Battlefield ruins from Zhengying Academy and activating the Barrier, nearly ten thousand years had passed, with his line of Alchemists responsible for reinforcing it. Yet, such a problem had never occurred.

These past days, he had tried countless times, his exhaustion nearly draining him completely, but he still could not open the Barrier.

"Uncle Master, please try again. There must be a way," Zhao Sinin pleaded anxiously.

With the young Swordsmen from the great families trapped inside the Barrier, aside from Duan Tianya and a few other Holy Sword Masters, perhaps no one was more worried than he, for his dream goddess was among those trapped.

And he was indeed Pang Dezong’s junior nephew; those few Alchemy Artifacts had been gifts from Pang Dezong. Hence, when the Barrier failed, even before Duan Tianya’s disciples could relay the news, Pang Dezong was the first to be informed and the quickest to arrive.

"Alas, if there were a way, I would have thought of it by now. I know your fiancée is within the Barrier, but no matter how anxious we are, there is nothing we can do," Pang Dezong said helplessly.

Duan Tianya gave Pang Dezong a strange look. Logically speaking, Zhao Sinin was just a junior; to see an elder work themselves half to death and still urge them on was almost disrespectful, yet Pang Dezong was not the slightest bit angry.

Could it be that the rumors inside the academy weren’t baseless?

It was rumored that Zhao Sinin was Pang Dezong’s illegitimate son, whose mother’s background was too humble, so Pang Dezong never dared acknowledge him, fearing it would tarnish his reputation as the leading Alchemist of Zhengying Academy and as the Court Alchemist. Yet, not wanting his own flesh and blood to be cast adrift, he had his own junior brother take Zhao Sinin on as a disciple, to watch over him personally.

Before, Duan Tianya did not quite believe these rumors, but now the more he watched, the more he felt that there was no smoke without fire, and the rumors were likely true.

After all, Pang Dezong’s junior brother had been dead for over ten years, and Zhao Sinin’s talents were exceedingly mediocre. By the age of thirty and something, he had achieved nothing and should have been expelled from the Academy long ago, yet Pang Dezong still kept him in the Academy and did not even get angry at such disrespect.

Unless the rumors were true, Duan Tianya could not think of any other possibility.

"No, there must be a way, there must be," Zhao Sinin murmured to himself, fidgeting like an ant on a hot pan, his anxiety written all over his face.

"Don’t worry, I’ll try again later," Pang Dezong said comforting him.

Duan Tianya, sensing the consolation in his words, knew there was truly no solution to think of, his mood growing heavier.

"How could this happen? There were a total of one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three participants eligible for the trial, most from noble families, including Branch Family Members from the Capital’s noble families, and even descendants from some down-and-out small families in the Capital. If something goes wrong, how can Zhengying Academy explain this?" Duan Tianya said, worried and distracted from pondering over Pang Dezong’s scandalous secrets.

"There is only one possibility; there is an issue inside the Barrier, but we have no idea what the problem is," Pang Dezong swallowed an Elixir to recover some vitality and sighed with a worried expression.

"Do you think, could that legend be true?" Hearing this, Duan Tianya had a sudden revelation and asked.

Pang Dezong was startled for a moment before replying with a serious expression, "If the legend is true, then even if I risk my life, I wouldn’t be able to open this Barrier. We can only wait for it to open on its own. Before that, those young people can only pray for their fortunes."