Lin Qingxia listened quietly, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and showed no emotion on her face.
Only after Xiao Han finished speaking did she slowly open her mouth, her voice flat. "A narrow escape from death, a lucky breakthrough? Xiao Han, your luck is truly much better than others."
Xiao Han's heart skipped a beat, but he still wore a bitter smile, "I also feel that this time it was a fluke. If I hadn't had a flash of inspiration at the last moment, I'm afraid I really wouldn't have made it back."
Lin Qingxia put down her teacup, the bottom of which lightly tapped against the table, making a crisp sound.
There are some things you don't want to talk about, and I won't force you.
"But you must remember, from the moment you won the Academy Grand Competition and revealed your twin SSS+ Martial Souls, you have been standing at the forefront of attention."
Xiao Han lowered his head, his voice a few decibels lower. "This student understands."
"Understand? Do you really understand or not? Did the people who ambushed you find any clues?" Lin Qingxia asked.
Xiao Han shook his head and answered honestly, "They were all masked, and they were incredibly ruthless. I was so focused on running away that I didn't have time to check who they were. However, they seemed particularly interested in my Martial Soul and cultivation techniques."
He skillfully steered the conversation toward those who openly coveted the property.
Lin Qingxia nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "With such a treasure, it was only a matter of time before someone targeted you. Those people are most likely forces that have become greedy for your special Martial Soul or your mysterious inheritance. Their methods will only become more covert and ruthless."
"Although the academy will do its best to protect you, the Imperial Capital is a complex place with many powerful factions entrenched in their own power. There are some hidden attacks that the academy cannot completely guard against. You must be extremely careful in your future actions."
"Thank you for your guidance, mentor. I will certainly keep it in mind." Xiao Han replied respectfully on the surface, but his fingers, hidden in his sleeve, curled slightly.
Lin Qingxia's words confirmed his earlier judgment.
It seems that the forces targeting him are far more complex and powerful than he imagined.
The information revealed in the mentor's words suggested that this ambush might involve some entities that even the university finds troublesome.
"You've completed the training mission given to you by the academy this time," Lin Qingxia said, then changed the subject. "Go back and rest well to consolidate your cultivation."
You can continue to use the university's resources. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you can come to me.
"Yes, student takes his leave." Xiao Han bowed again and slowly withdrew from the courtyard.
As he walked out of the bamboo forest, Xiao Han glanced back at the quiet little courtyard, paused for a moment, and then continued walking.
The road ahead may not be so easy.
Back in the core area exclusive to Zero Class, Xiao Han's appearance, barely holding on after going through hardships, immediately attracted countless inquiries.
There was undisguised curiosity, incredulous scrutiny, deep apprehension, and naturally, a touch of schadenfreude and contempt.
Those all sorts of scrutinizing gazes almost burned holes in him, trying to envelop and dissect him.
Luo Bing stood not far away, her delicate face still expressionless.
She merely gave a cold snort, and on her usually expressionless face, besides the inherent hostility and resentment, there was something else that was hard to fathom.
She could sense a faint weakness emanating from Xiao Han, but her intuition told her that this person seemed even more... unpredictable than before he left.
Shi Lei, on the other hand, was more reserved. He only glanced at the distance before looking away, leaving it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
There was surprise at his survival in the perilous secret realm, relief at his miserable state, and perhaps even a sense of shared sorrow as Core Sequence member.
Xiao Han didn't even bother to twitch an eyebrow at the various stares and walked straight through the crowd.
His mindset now is no longer that of the boy who first entered the Imperial Capital Academy and needed to prove himself with victory after victory.
The opinions of these people were not worth mentioning to him.
He walked straight to his independent cultivation cave, which was protected by multiple arrays. A faint light flashed at his fingertips as he activated the highest level of defensive restrictions.
Xiao Han casually waved his hand, and the last restriction fell.
The stone gate was completely sealed, and the last glimmer of light was swallowed up.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief, the tension vanished instantly, and he relaxed completely.
The feigned weakness on her face had vanished, replaced by an almost tangible sharpness that could not be concealed.
His aura also rose accordingly, and the previous feeling of being forced to elevate his realm vanished. The pressure of the Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm was extremely heavy, almost solidifying, truly substantial.
"Damn it, pretending to be a grandson is no easy task," Xiao Han muttered under his breath, rubbing his stiff cheeks.
A flash of blue light appeared at his fingertips, and several more, even more concealed soundproofing and anti-spy array patterns disappeared into the surrounding stone walls.
He then felt at ease and sat down cross-legged on the warm, familiar cushion.
"The Creation-Heaven-Penetrating Art" and "The Shadow Void Scripture".
The two techniques started operating almost simultaneously.
The slight blockage left by the previous trip to the secret realm, especially that life-threatening spatial jump, was now completely cleared.
The spiritual energy within his body was no longer weak; it had now gathered together, its power surging, emitting a low roar as it coursed through his meridians.
The Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul gently unfolded, its abundant life force spreading out, seeping into every inch of its bones and flesh, and healing those minor injuries at a perceptible speed.
The Eternal Night King Martial Soul emitted a dark and profound radiance, exuding a sense of solemnity and majesty as it reigned supreme. It actively drew in the already abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the cave, along with the dark attribute treasures it had plundered from the secret realm. These treasures became its nourishment, greedily devoured and refined.
Within the dantian, the spiritual energy vortex was much larger than before, and every drop of spiritual energy was so condensed that it was almost impossible to dissolve.
Its strength is steadily increasing.
Only after the surging spiritual energy within his body was completely tamed and all the minor hidden dangers were eliminated did Xiao Han slowly stop his practice, but he did not stop there.
His mind sank into a deeper, more profound place—the sea of consciousness.
The dark crystal he obtained from the altar in the chaotic alternate dimension was far more valuable than simply helping him break through.
The subsequent chapters of the Shadow Void Scripture are even more profound and mysterious, and have already been imprinted on his soul.
Each character exudes the endless mystery of shadows and emptiness, drawing the reader in.
Xiao Han was completely absorbed in it, dissecting each word and savoring every detail.
"So, the power of shadow can be used in this way..."
Xiao Han muttered to himself, his fingertips tracing an arcane path in the air.
"Tsk, this is interesting."
He tapped his head.
"As for capturing these spatial nodes, it's not just about brute force..."