This spatial jump, in terms of both distance and speed, far exceeded his previous limits! After several consecutive long-distance spatial jumps, Xiao Han felt the scenery before his eyes change rapidly.
The suffocating chaos was finally left far behind, replaced by the familiar, dusty spiritual energy fluctuations of the wilderness.
He did it.
Several extremely dangerous spatial jumps sent him out of that distorted little world.
He glanced back; the place was as calm as if nothing had happened, but he knew that danger lurked beneath the surface.
Without a moment's hesitation, he identified the direction, and in a flash, he disappeared into the distant horizon.
Several days later, the familiar outline of the Imperial Capital Academy came into view.
He slowed down, deliberately keeping his aura at the Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak, even exuding a sense of exhaustion after a forced boost.
The realm of the fifth level is now a hidden blade.
This trip to the secret realm was incredibly fruitful, resulting in the transformation of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul, the refinement of the Shadow Void Scripture, and a breakthrough in cultivation level.
But the sudden murder and the highly trained assassins reminded him that the outside world was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
If it weren't for having enough cards to play and a bit of luck, all that might be left now is a handful of yellow earth in the wilderness.
He is now undoubtedly seen as easy prey by many.
The best disguise is to make them believe that he is still struggling to hold on.
On the way back, they bypassed the bustling trade routes and avoided areas frequented by Martial Artists.
The power of shadow and space became the best cover, and his figure moved through the wilderness and dense forest, almost indistinguishable from a shadow.
Images from the secret realm flashed through his mind from time to time: the powerful beasts, the scarred man burning his life force to unleash secret techniques, and the power and secrets contained within that dark crystal.
All of these will become nourishment for his progress.
The Imperial Capital Academy lies ahead; it is a temporary haven, but also the new epicenter of the vortex.
The real test may have only just begun.
A few days later, a figure appeared, looking somewhat disheveled, in the courtyard area reserved for Core Sequence disciples of the Imperial Capital Academy.
His clothes were torn in several places, stained with dust and faint bloodstains.
His face was pale, and he looked exhausted.
He looked as if he had just narrowly escaped death.
"Xiao Han! It's Xiao Han who's back!"
A voice suddenly rang out, tinged with surprise.
The news spread incredibly fast, like a gust of wind, instantly sweeping through Zero Class and spreading throughout the entire academy.
The attention surrounding this prodigy who won the Academy Grand Competition with the skill of the Third Level of the Martial Master Realm and then took on a dangerous mission in a secret realm outside the academy had already reached its peak.
Various speculations have emerged regarding his experiences in that small, otherworldly secret realm.
"I heard that secret realm is incredibly chaotic; even high-level Martial Master Realm have a slim chance of dying if they go in. He really got incredibly lucky to come out alive!"
"He was probably hiding in some corner, trembling with fear, and only sneaked out when the secret realm was about to close, right?"
"Tch, luck is also a part of ability, you're just jealous!"
Amidst the various discussions, most people still believed that Xiao Han was lucky or escaped by chance.
After all, his disappearance wasn't for very long, and to achieve a significant improvement in such a dangerous secret realm was almost impossible in their eyes.
The courtyard area within the Core Sequence attracted many people's complex gazes.
Luo Bing glanced at him from afar, and in addition to the original hostility and resentment, there seemed to be an added hint of unspeakable doubt.
She could sense that Xiao Han seemed a little different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.
Her aura remained at the Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak, even more ethereal than before. Yet, deep within her occasionally raised eyes, something seemed to linger, something that made her heart tremble—a fleeting, elusive sight. Was it just her imagination? Luo Bing frowned, suppressing this strange feeling deep within her heart.
Xia Yubing walked over quickly, her beautiful face showing obvious concern, her voice trembling slightly. "Xiao Han, are you alright? You look like... are you badly injured?" She reached out her hand, as if to help him up, but then thought it inappropriate, paused in mid-air, and withdrew her hand.
Xiao Han forced a slightly pale smile, coughed lightly twice, and then waved his hand. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Xia. I suffered a minor injury, but it's nothing serious. I'm just a little exhausted. I'll be fine after a few days of rest." His breathing was slightly rapid as he spoke, as if even saying a few more words would be difficult.
His miserable appearance, as if he might cough up blood again at any moment, secretly relieved many people who were initially wary of him.
See? Even a grand champion would be badly injured in that kind of hellish place. The previous speculations about him possibly gaining a tremendous opportunity have faded considerably. Just being able to come back alive is a miracle.
He had just returned to his private courtyard and tossed aside the tattered clothes he had deliberately kept on, stained with blood and dust. Before he could even sit down properly, a message from his mentor, Lin Qingxia, arrived. A cold, clear thought rang in his mind, concise and to the point—come see me immediately.
Xiao Han raised an eyebrow. This mentor has a really keen sense of smell.
He quickly washed up, changed into a clean but ordinary school uniform, deliberately left his disheveled hair unkempt, and made sure he still looked somewhat disheveled before slowly walking towards Lin Qingxia's courtyard.
It was still that familiar bamboo grove, serene and elegant. The bamboo leaves rustled, and the stream murmured.
Lin Qingxia, dressed in a simple long dress, was leisurely sipping fragrant tea, her figure as beautiful as a painting.
Upon seeing Xiao Han enter, her clear, phoenix-like eyes scrutinized him closely, as if trying to see through him from head to toe.
"You're back." Lin Qingxia put down her teacup, her voice calm and unreadable, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"This student greets Mentor Lin." Xiao Han bowed respectfully, but inwardly he was on guard. This instructor's insight was far beyond that of ordinary people. If he hadn't pushed the Shadow Void Scripture to its limit and perfectly concealed his aura after the breakthrough, he probably would have been exposed.
"Sit down." Lin Qingxia pointed to the stone bench opposite her.
Xiao Han sat down as instructed, but dared not straighten his back, instead hunching slightly, showing signs of exhaustion and weakness.
"Tell me, what did you gain from this trip to the secret realm?" Lin Qingxia picked up her teacup, gently stirred the floating leaves, and asked seemingly casually.
Xiao Han was already prepared. Upon hearing this, he sighed, a mixture of fear and bitterness on his face, and began to recount his prepared explanation. "Master, please forgive me, that secret realm... it's simply not a place for a human to stay."
He began to describe in detail the chaos and danger within the secret realm, deliberately exaggerating its horror.
"Spatial rifts were everywhere, and the students nearly got caught in them several times, leaving no trace. The beasts inside far exceeded what was recorded outside; they were not only incredibly powerful but also fearless, some even knowing combined attack techniques. The students barely survived, relying entirely on the life-saving skills their instructors taught them and a bit of... a stroke of luck."
He vividly described how he was relentlessly pursued by a pack of Windblade Wolves, each at the sixth or seventh level of the Martial Master Realm, leaving him with nowhere to run or hide; how he accidentally swallowed an unknown poisonous insect in a swamp, nearly causing his intestines to burst; and how, while fleeing from a giant spider comparable to Martial Grandmaster, he panicked and fell into a hole, narrowly escaping death.
As for the gains...
Xiao Han gave a wry smile and shrugged. "My strength is meager; it's a miracle I survived in that environment. Most of the time I was hiding or running for my life. I only managed to find a few reasonably aged healing herbs by chance; otherwise, I probably wouldn't have made it this far."
He paused, then fumbled in his pocket and took out a small, dusty cloth bag. He opened it and found several wilted-looking herbs inside, one of which was broken in half.
"The student risked his life to obtain a strange beast core; its grade seemed decent, but in the chaos of escaping, he lost it somewhere." He pounded his head in frustration, "What a huge loss!"
His vivid and dramatic account of his "tragic experience," coupled with his current "extremely weak" appearance, was quite reasonable. After all, it would be strange if someone who entered at the Third Level of the Martial Master Realm and came out at the peak of the fourth level, covered in injuries, could have gained anything earth-shattering.