Xiao Yi Xian's Dou Qi had long isolated the place where the group had been speaking. Only five of them could hear a single word.
The moment Xiao Tian finished speaking, his body vanished from the spot.
Where did he go, you ask? He had gone to fight a war without smoke—an unfair war, at that—the many against the few.
Tears of frustration streamed down from the corners of Xiao Tian's mouth.
Han Yue watched Xiao Tian and Medusa's bodies disappear, her face full of questions as she turned to Yun Yun.
Yun Yun chuckled at her expression. "They went back to take care of some… 'big things.'"
Han Yue might be naive, but she was far from stupid. Hearing Yun Yun emphasize those two words and recalling their earlier conversation, understanding clicked into place instantly.
Her face flushed crimson. *Is it really okay to do that in broad daylight?*
An image of Xiao Tian surfaced unbidden in her mind. Then she thought of herself and him, and—
"What, do you want to join in now too? Should I speak with them and let him be yours first?"
Yun Yun watched Han Yue's blushing face and knew exactly what kind of improper thoughts were running through her head. She couldn't resist teasing.
"No… no, no! I wasn't thinking about that! I wasn't! I'm not!"
Han Yue flailed, her denial tumbling out in a garbled rush.
"Alright, alright. You weren't."
Yun Yun found it endlessly amusing to see the usually aloof Han Yue so thoroughly flustered. No wonder Xiao Tian loved making those ice-cold beauties break character for no reason at all. This expression was simply too adorable.
"Sister Yun… are you pregnant?" Han Yue's eyes kept darting to Yun Yun's seemingly flat stomach.
"Yes." Yun Yun touched her belly and smiled.
"Wow… what does it feel like? Can I touch it?"
Han Yue's eyes went wide with curiosity.
"Of course you can. But not right now. First, I'll deal with the rest of this mess. Then I'll take you somewhere."
Yun Yun patted Han Yue's head, her voice warm. Han Yue nodded obediently. She could feel that Yun Yun was genuinely kind to her—not pretending in the slightest—and it moved her deeply.
Yun Yun went directly to Su Qian. He had met her the very first time he encountered Pure Heaven Divine Palace, so he knew her identity well. He had also seen how close Xiao Tian and Yun Yun were just moments ago. A guess had already formed in his mind, though he wasn't one hundred percent certain yet.
"Palace Master Yun, how may I help you?" Su Qian's rare smile surfaced as he addressed her.
Pure Heaven Divine Palace was, for all intents and purposes, the academy's savior now. Even if it had been a transaction, the fact remained—they had saved his academy. That alone earned his respect. The academy was his life's work. Saving the academy was the same as saving him.
"Don't build anything here for now. Just enclose the area. Otherwise, there may be unforeseen problems later."
Yun Yun was relaying a message Xiao Tian had asked her to pass on. She didn't fully understand the meaning herself, but her task was simply to deliver the words.
Xiao Tian had sent this message because he remembered what would happen later—when Xiao Yan broke free, he would erupt out with lava. If they rebuilt now, and then Xiao Yan burst through and shattered the newly built Qi Refining Tower… what if the Grand Elder got so furious he fainted on the spot?
Su Qian was puzzled, but hearing it came from Xiao Tian, he took the words seriously. At this point, he had deep faith in whatever Xiao Tian said.
"That won't be a problem." Su Qian nodded, accepting the suggestion.
"Then we'll head back first. The rest is for your academy to handle."
Yun Yun nodded, then quickly took Han Yue and vanished.
Watching Yun Yun leave in such a rush, another question formed in Su Qian's mind. But not long after, that question would get its answer.
"Men! Cordon off this entire area. Station two elders to guard it daily. No one is permitted to approach."
Su Qian's deep voice rang out to the Inner Academy elders. They all voiced their agreement.
Su Qian slowly rose into the air, surveying the wreckage before him, then the students standing a hundred meters away. A long sigh of relief escaped him.
Yes, there was damage. But only to a small area. Most importantly—not a single student, not a single elder, had been lost.
As for the Fallen Heart Flame problem, it still wasn't fully resolved. But Xiao Tian had been so certain that Xiao Yan could handle it, and Su Qian had grown to trust that certainty. All that remained now was to wait—wait for Xiao Yan to deal with the Fallen Heart Flame, and then obtain the newborn flame. That would solve all of the Inner Academy's problems at once. No more living in constant fear of the next eruption.
And it would give him more time to cultivate. After this clash with the Gold and Silver Elders, he had felt his own weakness with painful clarity. Two people, both with lower cultivation than his own, had fought him to a standstill for so long—and he hadn't even been able to defeat them. If word of that got out, people would laugh their heads off. They would immediately doubt the Inner Academy's foundation, which would then affect future recruitment.
Su Qian looked down at the Gold and Silver Elders, already dead, and the other Dou Huangs from the Black-Corner Region. As for the Dou Kings and Dou Spirits? Sorry, they couldn't be found. They had either become piles of minced meat or been eaten directly by the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor.
"Hang their bodies on the Dead Spirit Tree in Peace Town."
The elders moved to collect the already cold corpses. Su Qian's eyes fell on Han Feng's body.
"Wait. Not Han Feng's. Just burn his."
Su Qian thought of Han Feng's former teacher—Venerable Yao. Even though the Venerable had already fallen, Han Feng was still his student. If someone who owed the Venerable a favor came seeking to stand up for Han Feng, it would only bring more trouble. Besides, the bodies of the Gold and Silver Elders were already deterrent enough for anyone else eyeing the Inner Academy.
—
"The academy won! We're safe! Woohoo!"
"Yeah! Even though that battle came and went so fast, I'm still shaking with excitement. That was a fight between Dou Huangs—and even Dou Zongs! It's the first time I've ever seen so many Dou Zongs in one place."
"Dou Zong… that's my lifelong dream. If I could reach Dou Zong, I could start my own family lineage."
The Inner Academy students let out a collective breath as the great battle finally ended. If the academy had fallen, none of them would have escaped disaster either. As for running away—impossible. The Inner Academy was surrounded by endless forests in every direction. They'd run into some Magical Beast long before they ever found their way out. And besides, they had always held great faith in the academy.
"Speaking of which, Xiao Tian's cultivation is just insane. We're still stuck at Da Dou Shi, and he's already a Dou Huang."
"Exactly. And those two women who appeared at his side, plus that woman hidden in the void who only spoke—their strength has to be even more terrifying."
"I'm so jealous."
"I think Xiao Tian truly deserves all of it. If you were as handsome and talented as him, every woman in my family would marry you without a second thought."
Among the students, one girl made a rather… startling statement.
The others turned to stare at her in shock, uttering variations of "holy crap" and calling it a "grand filial piety"—the kind of filial piety that killed.