Of course, at this moment, Liu Yuan had no idea that his impulsive action had caused such enormous trouble for Jing Hongchen.
After carefully testing the terrifying destructive power of his second Spirit Ability—Hurricane—
He retracted Mega Rayquaza with complete satisfaction.
Soon after, his figure melted into the night like a ghost.
In no time, Liu Yuan quietly returned to his tavern room, as if nothing had ever happened.
---
That night was destined to be sleepless for the entire Capital City.
---
The next morning
When the first rays of sunlight streamed through the tavern window, Liu Yuan was already seated in the lobby downstairs, refreshed and relaxed, leisurely enjoying a breakfast filled with the unique flavors of the Sun Moon Empire.
Not long after, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen appeared at the entrance.
They were punctual—
But their condition was… questionable.
Both had deep dark circles under their eyes, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and lingering excitement. They looked both worn out and slightly ridiculous.
Liu Yuan put down his utensils and looked at them in mock surprise.
"Brother Xiao, Little Meng… what happened to you two? Did you go out stealing things last night?"
Hearing that, Xiao Hongchen didn't get angry at all. Instead, he rushed over with a strange expression.
"Brother Liu Yuan, something that big happened last night, and you actually slept through it?!"
Liu Yuan blinked, putting on a perfectly innocent look.
"What happened? I was exhausted and went to bed early. I really have no idea."
"Ah?!" Meng Hongchen widened her eyes, then slapped her thigh in regret.
"Then you missed out completely! A huge loss!"
Liu Yuan leaned forward slightly, playing along.
"Oh? What happened? Tell me!"
Seeing his curious expression, the siblings exchanged a glance.
The urge they had been holding back all night instantly exploded.
"You have no idea!" Xiao Hongchen said excitedly, gesturing wildly. "Last night, right after we finished dinner, something appeared in the eastern part of Mingdu! A Spirit Beast we've never seen before!"
Meng Hongchen nodded rapidly, her eyes shining.
"It was unbelievable! That Spirit Beast was coiled in the sky, glowing emerald green—it dyed half the sky green!"
"I swear, I've never seen anything so massive or majestic! It felt like it could swallow the entire Capital City in one bite!"
"Exactly!" Xiao Hongchen added, still shaken. "And that pressure—it wasn't just spirit power suppression. It felt like… like the heavens were collapsing!"
"I could barely breathe! Grandfather even said it might involve the Laws of Heaven and Earth!"
The siblings spoke over each other, using every exaggerated word they could think of to describe what they had witnessed.
For them, the shock of Mega Rayquaza was simply too overwhelming.
After all, they were still young. Forget something like Mega Rayquaza—even a true hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast was something they had never personally seen.
Last night had completely redefined their understanding of what "powerful" meant.
Finally, Meng Hongchen summed it up:
"Anyway, Brother Liu Yuan, it's such a pity you didn't see it! Even now, my heart is still racing!"
---
Listening to their dramatic retelling, Liu Yuan couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
But on the surface, he showed just the right amount of shock and regret.
"That really does sound incredible…"
After they talked themselves dry, he smiled and poured them tea.
"Alright, calm down and eat first."
---
As they ate, the siblings continued discussing the mysterious Spirit Beast—its identity, its strength, and why it had appeared.
Clearly, the event had shaken the entire city.
---
After breakfast
Led by Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, Liu Yuan arrived at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Perhaps due to last night's incident, the atmosphere across the academy felt unusually tense.
There were fewer people around, and those present gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.
From time to time, they would glance toward the eastern sky.
It was obvious—everyone was still unsettled.
---
The siblings, however, moved with ease.
They led Liu Yuan across the grand plaza and through the advanced-looking teaching buildings, eventually arriving at the top floor of the administrative building.
Before a massive metal door engraved with the dean's emblem—
Xiao Hongchen didn't even bother knocking.
"Anyone here? We're coming in!"
He pushed the door open directly.
---
Inside, the office was empty.
The siblings showed no restraint, pulling Liu Yuan inside casually.
"Brother Liu Yuan, just sit anywhere," Meng Hongchen said with a smile.
"There are snacks and drinks in that cabinet—help yourself!"
Liu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle.
"If someone saw this, they'd think this was your house…"
He glanced around the spacious and luxurious office.
"Where's Dean Jing Hongchen?"
Xiao Hongchen plopped onto the sofa, grabbing a fruit.
"If he's not here, he's probably still dealing with last night's incident."
"Mingde Hall's people followed him all night, but they didn't find anything. That Spirit Beast just… vanished."
"Yeah," Meng Hongchen added, "Let's wait. He should be back soon."
---
So, Liu Yuan waited.
One hour passed.
---
Finally—
Bang!
The office door swung open.
A figure hurried inside.
It was Jing Hongchen.
But this time, the dignified dean looked far from composed.
His hair was slightly disheveled, his robes wrinkled, and exhaustion was clearly visible on his face.
Yet—
His eyes remained sharp.
Clearly, he had rushed here immediately after finishing urgent matters.
---
As a Titled Douluo and the academy's dean, Jing Hongchen showed no arrogance whatsoever.
His gaze swept past Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen—
Then locked onto Liu Yuan.
He quickly stepped forward, his expression filled with sincerity and apology.
"You must be Liu Yuan."
"I've heard a lot about you from Xiao'er and Meng'er."
"I'm sorry—truly sorry—for keeping you waiting."
"There was an incident in the Capital City last night, and I had to personally investigate it."
"I've been extremely busy."
He gave a slight nod of apology.
"I hope you can forgive the delay."