CHAPTER 1517: CHAPTER 1516: THE DEAN SPEAKS ON THE HEAVENLY BATTLE (PART 2)

Su Yang was once again shaken. The "Classic of Mountains and Seas" recorded numerous strange and fantastical creatures. Su Yang had always thought those were simply figments of human imagination; but now, did this mean they truly existed?

The headmaster softly continued, "Among the Nine Realms, other beings are inherently far superior to humans in terms of innate talent. As such, in the Nine Realms, humans were originally referred to as the ’Cai Tribe.’ There are many unique races throughout the Nine Realms, with some even enjoying the consumption of humans. To them, humans were nothing more than a delicacy."

Su Yang felt a chill run down his spine—was the status of the Human Race truly so low during the Ancient Times?

"Fortunately, a great calamity descended from the heavens back then, forcibly splitting the Nine Realms apart and giving humans a chance to cling to survival," the headmaster explained. "It was precisely because of this separation that humans were able to develop and thrive."

"However, as time went on, people from the other Eight Realms eventually discovered pathways leading to the Human Realm. They opened the routes and once again invaded the Human Realm, plundering resources and enslaving humans, forcing them to dedicate all of their resources as offerings."

"But by that time, the Human Realm was no longer the weak and vulnerable place it once was. Some exceptional cultivators had risen, and some powerful warriors within the Human Realm refused to see it become enslaved to the Eight Realms. They began to resist. However, for the Human Realm to directly contend with the Eight Realms was an impossibility, so they devised a way to seal the pathways leading to the Human Realm!"

"Of the eight pathways, seven were fully sealed. The only remaining pathway led to the Heavenly Realm, and this pathway was the hardest to seal because the Heavenly Realm was the most powerful."

"I still remember that during the sealing of the Heavenly Path, the one who stepped forward from the Human Realm to take on this monumental task was the Kirin Divine Beast, who had remained in the Human Realm instead of departing. Alone, the Kirin fought on the Heavenly Path, exhausting its life force. Yet, even so, it failed to completely seal the path. Still, it managed to shatter the majority of the Heavenly Path. The path became extremely unstable, making it impossible for the experts of the Heavenly Realm to freely enter the Human Realm."

"Unwilling to relinquish their control over the Human Realm, the Heavenly Realm ultimately struck a deal with the powerful humans. They established a branch in the Human Realm, which is what you know as the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court took over governance of the Human Realm, turning it into an extension of the Heavenly Realm. In return, the Heavenly Court assumed the responsibility of maintaining order in the Human Realm and even took on the role of protecting it."

Su Yang’s eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "The Heavenly Court you’re talking about, is it... is it that same Heavenly Court run by the Law Enforcers?"

"Exactly!" The headmaster nodded slightly. "It is indeed the very Heavenly Court you’ve heard of."

Su Yang was utterly stunned. Only now did he finally understand the origins of this Heavenly Court!

The headmaster continued, "The Heavenly Court is tasked with deploying the Law Enforcers to patrol the entire Human Realm, establish rules, and forbid Terrestrial Immortals from murdering ordinary people. Meanwhile, the powerful individuals of the Human Realm are required to join the Heavenly Court, become Law Enforcers, and answer to its commands. However, the Great Sects and powerful families, due to their immense strength, are beyond the reach of the Heavenly Court’s influence."

Su Yang was left dumbfounded. If it weren’t for the headmaster’s explanation, he wouldn’t have known any of this.

"As for the ’Sky Battles’ I mentioned earlier, they are directly connected to the Heavenly Realm," the headmaster continued. "As I’ve said, the Heavenly Path is extremely unstable, so each year, the number of people who can enter the Human Realm from the Heavenly Realm is limited. Over time, the Heavenly Court has made continuous efforts to repair the Heavenly Path, resulting in an increasing number of Heavenly Realm intrusions each year. This trend poses a significant threat to the Human Realm. Therefore, we negotiated with the Heavenly Court to reduce the number of intrusions."

"When negotiations failed to lead to an agreement, we had no choice but to establish a pact with the Heavenly Court. Every year, there are ten battles. For each victory won by the Heavenly Court, one more individual from the Heavenly Realm is allowed to enter the Human Realm. For each victory by the Human Realm, one fewer person from the Heavenly Realm can enter. And this is what I’ve been referring to as the Sky Battles!"

Su Yang took a deep breath. Finally, he understood the true nature of the Sky Battles that people had been talking about.

At the same time, he also understood why people were reluctant to tell him about the Sky Battles.

In truth, without reaching the Land Fairy Realm, one couldn’t participate in the Sky Battles. Conversely, knowing about the Sky Battles and realizing that the Heavenly Realm’s ambitions loomed so ominously could evoke feelings of despair. Those who withheld this information from him were, in fact, trying to protect him!

"Regarding the Sky Battles, Qinghe Academy formed an agreement with the Ten Great Sects," the headmaster explained. "The Ten Great Sects pledged to assist Qinghe Academy in the Sky Battles. At first, the collaboration went smoothly, but over time, the Ten Great Sects gradually became reluctant to contribute. Since the Law Enforcers are unable to intervene in the operations of the Ten Great Sects, the sect members have grown complacent. Many of them have even forgotten the threat posed by the Heavenly Realm and no longer wish to contribute. It wasn’t until your father, Su Zhan, emerged and forcibly led the Ten Great Sects into the Sky Battles that the Heavenly Court’s advance was temporarily halted."

At this point, the headmaster sighed. "But sadly, your father later faced off against a formidable Heavenly Realm expert in combat, after which he mysteriously disappeared. Since then, the Ten Great Sects have once again reneged on their agreement and refused to contribute to the Sky Battles."

Su Yang listened in stunned silence. These revelations answered so many questions he had once yearned to know but had never been told. Now, he finally understood the truth!

"What exactly is Qinghe Academy?" Su Yang couldn’t help but ask. "After the Kirin Divine Beast perished in battle, was it Qinghe Academy that set the agreement with the Heavenly Realm?"

"Qinghe Academy is nothing more than a union of like-minded individuals," the headmaster said with a warm smile. "We formed it out of necessity, to protect the Human Realm."

Su Yang looked at the headmaster, feeling an even deeper sense of astonishment. The individuals capable of striking agreements with the Heavenly Realm were no ordinary people. Truthfully, Su Yang was growing increasingly curious—just who was this headmaster?

"In recent years, Qinghe Academy has suffered repeated losses in the Sky Battles, and the number of people from the Heavenly Realm entering the Human Realm has grown steadily," the headmaster sighed. "In the Human Realm, a different mindset is also on the rise. Particularly within the Ten Great Sects, which are predominantly composed of Terrestrial Immortals. The existence of the Law Enforcers makes them feel excessively constrained. Consequently, they have begun to seek a renegotiation of the rules with the Heavenly Court, hoping to remove the Law Enforcers’ duty of protecting ordinary people."

"This kind of thinking is extremely dangerous," the headmaster warned. "The Heavenly Court itself has long lost any genuine interest in protecting ordinary people. It continues to do so only because of the rules established in the past. In truth, its ultimate objective is to gain full control over the Human Realm. And as for the Ten Great Sects, in their pursuit of self-interest, they’ve even considered abandoning the Sky Battles altogether, essentially handing the Human Realm over to the Heavenly Realm on a silver platter. If the Heavenly Realm launches a full-scale invasion, even the Ten Great Sects would not escape unscathed!"