"Alright, alright, it's fine now. The Bloody Crimson Bat King has already sacrificed itself. No one here can harm you anymore."
Xin's voice was calm, steady, and carried a reassuring weight that slowly dispersed the lingering tension in the air.
But the moment those words fell, the tightly held emotions of the girls finally broke.
"Teacher Xin, I'm scared too, boo hoo~"
Ning Rongrong clung to him even tighter, her voice trembling as she buried her face against him.
"We even thought Teacher Xin had already gone back to the academy by himself and wouldn't care about us anymore…"
Her words came out broken, mixed with lingering fear from what they had just survived.
Not far away, Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling also stepped forward. Their strength, though restored slightly, was still unstable from the aftermath of the battle. Without hesitation, they leaned against Xin as well, their expressions carrying a rare vulnerability.
They were strong in battle.
But not here.
Not in front of him.
Xin exhaled lightly.
"Of course I would be here."
His gaze softened slightly.
"But I couldn't show myself. If I had, it would have greatly reduced the effectiveness of your cultivation in Slaughter City."
He paused, looking at them one by one.
"This place exists so that you can grow."
"You will eventually have to face the world alone."
"I cannot always stand beside you."
The words were not cold, but they carried an undeniable truth.
Silence followed.
Then Ning Rongrong tightened her grip even more.
"But we don't want that…"
Her voice shook.
"Teacher Xin… we don't want to be separated from you anymore."
"Especially in dangerous places."
"Compared to becoming strong… I'd rather stay by Teacher Xin's side forever and ever. That would be enough."
The other girls did not speak, but their eyes quietly agreed.
Xin looked at them for a moment.
A faint sigh escaped him.
"You girls…"
"How can you still have such naive thoughts after more than a year of tempering in Slaughter City?"
His tone was slightly helpless, but not harsh.
"What will become of you in the future?"
To him, this was concern.
But in reality, he misunderstood something fundamental.
He thought they were moved because of a pure master-disciple bond—gratitude, respect, emotional attachment born from guidance and survival.
But what they felt had long exceeded that definition.
It was not just discipleship.
And not just dependence.
At the edge of the collapsed Hell Slaughter Arena, amidst broken stone pillars and scattered ruins, a figure slowly climbed up from the debris.
Hu Liena.
Her body was injured, her aura unstable, yet her eyes never left Xin.
A faint tremor passed through her fox tail as she watched the scene unfold—the disciples surrounding him, the way they instinctively leaned toward him, the way even fear turned into comfort in his presence.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had just obtained a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, now sat quietly recovering under his guidance.
It was a kind of presence that naturally gathered others around it.
Something she had never experienced before.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Teacher Xin…"
"Do you still remember me?"
Her voice was soft, almost hesitant.
"I am Hu Liena of Spirit Hall. My nickname here is… Hell Messenger."
Her gaze lowered for a moment, then rose again, more resolute than before.
She looked at Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Ye Lingling…
And especially Zhu Zhuqing.
All of them had found something to rely on.
Something she had never had.
A faint, almost imperceptible envy flickered in her eyes.
Then, as if driven by something she could no longer suppress, she spoke again.
"Teacher Xin…"
"Can I… become your student too?"
"I want to follow you and learn in the future."
The words echoed into the ruined arena, carried by lingering blood mist and fading killing intent.
And for a brief moment—
Even Slaughter City itself seemed to fall silent to hear the answer.