Translator: CinderTL
The earth lay scarred and cratered, pockmarked with deep pits.
These pits were the aftermath of Jiang Ye and Xia Qing's earlier battle.
Xia Qing lay motionless in one of these craters.
Whoosh! Jiang Ye landed on the ground, spear in hand, and strode toward Xia Qing.
"Jiang Ye..."
Xia Qing opened her eyes and looked at him, a flicker of clarity in her gaze. "Long time no see," she murmured.
Jiang Ye paused, momentarily taken aback.
"I knew you'd get into martial dao university," Xia Qing said softly. "You're even stronger than I imagined."
Jiang Ye stared down at the girl on the ground, his expression unreadable.
He couldn't tell if she had genuinely regained her consciousness or was merely feigning it.
But with the Chen Family Patriarch present, Jiang Ye wasn't worried about any tricks she might try.
"I'm truly Xia Qing now," she said, as if sensing his thoughts. "But it doesn't matter anymore. I've killed so many innocent people, done so many things I shouldn't have."
"I was indeed a dog of the Hidden God Organization."
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," Xia Qing said, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
Jiang Ye remained silent.
After a moment, he finally spoke in a low voice, "Are your parents still alive?"
"My parents passed away when I was ten," Xia Qing replied softly.
Jiang Ye froze, stunned.
"Jiang Ye," Xia Qing said, her eyes holding a trace of youthful confusion and affection, but more than anything, regret and pain.
"I can't go back. Please... end me," she pleaded, her voice strained.
Something was clearly wrong with her body, causing her immense suffering.
Jiang Ye watched her, his grip tightening on the long spear in his hand.
"Please... hurry," Xia Qing gasped. "I can barely hold it back anymore."
Hideous black veins began to surface on her neck, a faint aura of malevolence seeping from her body.
Within her, it was as if two consciousnesses were locked in a desperate struggle for control.
"Is there anything you want to say?" Jiang Ye asked, his voice low.
As a former classmate, he wanted to grant her this final dignity.
Xia Qing looked at him, her chest heaving violently as she fought to suppress the evil force within her.
"I..."
"I like..." She struggled to utter the three words before her voice abruptly cut off.
Xia Qing's body trembled violently, her eyes suddenly turning pitch black, and her expression twisted into a ferocious snarl.
"Die!"
Xia Qing roared, forcing herself to her feet with astonishing vitality, and lunged at Jiang Ye with lightning speed.
But Jiang Ye was even faster.
Whoosh!
A spear flashed, as dazzling as lightning, carrying tens of thousands of strands of violent stellar energy that pierced Xia Qing's skull.
For a fleeting moment, clarity returned to Xia Qing's eyes.
"Thank you... for freeing me," she murmured softly.
The next instant—
Boom!
Stellar energy erupted, tearing Xia Qing's body apart into a cloud of blood mist.
Whoosh~
A flood of Xia Qing's cultivation insights surged into Jiang Ye's mind.
Jiang Ye stood motionless, watching the blood mist drift through the air, silent for a long time.
After a long while, he sighed softly.
Since entering university, Jiang Ye had killed thousands of people, but only this one death left him with such profound sorrow.
At that moment, Chen Jiuxuan and Chen Zilu descended.
"Jiang Ye," Chen Zilu said, stepping forward to take his hand. She understood what he was thinking.
Having taught Xia Qing herself, Chen Zilu had often seen the girl bringing water to Jiang Ye. She understood his current feelings.
"I'm fine," Jiang Ye said, shaking his head slightly.
Then, turning to Chen Jiuxuan, he asked in a low voice, "Senior, can someone who has undergone the shell-seizing ritual ever regain their consciousness?"
"Theoretically, no," Chen Jiuxuan replied, shaking his head. "But we can't rule out rare cases, such as when a portion of the original consciousness remains in the brain, having evaded complete extraction during the ritual."
"The brain remains the most mysterious region of the body."
Jiang Ye nodded slowly.
Hearing the Chen Family Patriarch's words, it seemed Xia Qing might indeed have briefly regained her consciousness.
But alas, it was only a fleeting moment.
"The Hidden God Organization," Jiang Ye said, a flicker of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "They've committed countless atrocities."
If not for the Hidden God Organization, Xia Qing would never have ended up in this situation.
"Jiang Ye."
"And Xiaolu, you both need to be careful."
"Today's incident was a targeted assassination attempt," Chen Jiuxuan said, looking at the two of them. "The Hidden God Organization has already set its sights on you both."
The shadow hunter beside him added, "If I'm not mistaken, that ninth breakthrough expert was Ma Qian, one of the Hidden God Organization's notorious Twelve Grand Masters."
"This man..."
"He ranks among the top ten in the Hidden God Organization. Even I didn't expect they'd send him after you," the shadow hunter said grimly.
Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu exchanged grave looks.
If they had only sent fifth or sixth breakthrough experts, that wouldn't have been too concerning.
But a ninth breakthrough expert?
This meant the Hidden God Organization valued them far more than they had imagined.
"It's not because of me," Chen Zilu said, shaking her head. "It's likely because of Jiang Ye."
Her innate talent had been revealed long ago.
"Is it because of the hundred cosmic refinements?" Jiang Ye suddenly realized.
He had just left the Chen Clan when he was attacked by a ninth breakthrough expert.
There had to be a connection.
"But didn't the ancestor seal the news?" Jiang Ye wondered inwardly. "How did the Hidden God Organization find out? Could it be...?"
In an instant, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
Chen Jiuxuan also sensed something amiss, his expression darkening slightly.
"It seems this old man needs to conduct a thorough purge," Chen Jiuxuan said, his eyes turning icy.
The Chen Clan!
If the problem originated within the Chen Clan, it would be far more serious than any external threat.
For now, Chen Jiuxuan said nothing more.
He turned to Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu. "I'll escort you both to school first."
"Alright."
"Thank you, Ancestor," Jiang Ye said repeatedly.
With the Chen Family Patriarch personally escorting them, nothing could be safer.
Under Chen Jiuxuan's protection, Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu appeared at White Dragon University in just over ten seconds.
"Stay at the school for now," Chen Jiuxuan transmitted telepathically. "I need to return to the Chen Clan. This old man will uncover the source of the leak."
With those words, his figure vanished without a trace.
A demigod-level expert moved like a phantom, their speed defying comprehension.
"Does Ancestor also suspect the leak came from within the Chen Clan?" Jiang Ye mused thoughtfully.
He had entertained similar suspicions earlier.
But Jiang Ye remembered that the Chen Family Patriarch had previously cast a secret art designed to prevent information from leaking.
Could someone have transmitted information right under the nose of a demigod-level expert?
"The Hidden God Organization's methods are unpredictable," Chen Zilu said, as if reading his thoughts. "It wouldn't be surprising if they had such capabilities."
"Hmm."
"The Hidden God Organization is truly troublesome," Jiang Ye sighed softly, his wariness toward them growing.
Compared to the Shadow Clan, the Hidden God Organization, a menace lurking among the masses, could sometimes inflict even greater harm.
If not for Senior Hunter Shadow and the Chen Family Patriarch's intervention this time, Jiang Ye thought grimly, my senior sister and I would have certainly perished.
At that moment, he felt an overwhelming desire for power.
If I were already a ninth breakthrough expert, what would I have to fear from these lurking threats?
Shadow hunter and the Chen Family Patriarch could protect him for now, but they couldn't safeguard him forever.
Without personal strength, all external protection was futile.
"Let's go see Teacher Qiu," Jiang Ye said, his psychic power already sensing Qiu Cang's location.
Boom! Boom!
Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu swiftly transformed into streaks of flowing light, soaring deeper into White Dragon University.
(End of the Chapter)
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