Returning to Northern Azure

Because the Bei Cang Continent had no Teleportation Spirit Array directly connected to the Luo God Clan, Bai Ye had to make transfers across numerous continents before he could successfully return to the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy.

Although the process was troublesome, as long as he knew the exact route, it was not actually that slow.

Bai Ye had wandered through many continents with Ling Xi and Qing Yanjing since childhood. He could not be called highly experienced, but he was at least familiar with it. He handled everything smoothly and, in just three days, crossed numerous continents and entered the teleportation array leading back to the Bei Cang Continent.

At that moment, he inexplicably missed his Old Man. Back in Ying Longcheng, whenever something came up, his Old Man would usually take him back and forth through the various continents.

With the strength of an Earth Supreme, a journey like this would take no more than two hours. Why did it have to be so troublesome?

Sigh, he silently missed his Old Man for two minutes.

Taking out the travel expenses he had prepared, he stepped into the teleportation array for the Northern Martial Continent. This was the final transfer point. He was going back to Northern Azure.

It had been a full four or five months since Bai Ye left the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy. From the time he left with the Lin Family Siblings after accepting their mission, to the return of the Lin Family Siblings and Su Xuan's team, Bai Ye had never once appeared.

Few people knew that Bai Ye had set foot in Northern Azure City during that time and had nearly returned to the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy.

Fewer than ten people in the entire Northern Azure Spiritual Academy knew the inside story behind that news, while only Ling Xi, Bing Xueran, and Yan Meng knew the deeper details.

As for everyone else, although they had doubts about Bai Ye's departure, they did not pay much attention to it.

He was a freshman who had flashed into prominence, one who had shaken the entire academy upon entering it. But a freshman was still just a freshman. Though dazzling, his brilliance had been fleeting.

After nearly half a year without appearing in anyone's sight, the attention surrounding him had long since faded.

The only thing that could remind people that such a person still existed in the academy was likely the name ranked nineteenth on the Heaven Ranking.

Half a year had passed, and the top twenty positions on the Heaven Ranking had shifted, though not by much. That name had merely fallen two places, from seventeenth to nineteenth.

As for why he stood out so much—

It was simple. Among the entire top twenty of the Heaven Ranking, he was the only freshman...

"I'm also number one on the Divine Soul Rankings."

Inside a Lake-Heart Abode, a young girl puffed out her cheeks and complained to the gentle woman before her.

"You... The Heaven Ranking and the Divine Soul Rankings cannot be compared. Besides, don't you know perfectly well how you got first place on the Divine Soul Rankings?"

Su Xuan shot her younger sister a reproachful look and lightly tapped her forehead with a jade-like finger.

Su Ling'er playfully stuck out her tongue. "It was because those Senior Students were too much. They have Heaven Merging Realm cultivation, yet they refuse to give up first place. I'm simply using their own methods against them."

"You always have an excuse."

Su Xuan smiled faintly. She did dislike such behavior, but as someone ranked in the top ten of the Heaven Ranking, she could hardly lower herself to argue with a group of unambitious, shameless good-for-nothings.

If other freshmen did such a thing, they would very likely be targeted by the Senior Students. But having her younger sister do it was just right.

After all, throughout the entire Northern Azure Spiritual Academy, there really were not many people who dared to touch her younger sister.

However, speaking of the conflict between freshmen and Senior Students, she suddenly remembered something.

"Right, don't get involved in what's been happening recently."

"Why?"

There was a trace of displeasure in Su Ling'er's voice.

"You won't stand a chance."

"How would we know without trying?"

Su Ling'er pouted.

"The Senior Students are not as simple as you think, and this time, three of the leaders are from the top ten of the Heaven Ranking. The freshmen's chances of winning are slim. Listen to me. Don't participate this time, or I won't be able to step in either."

Su Xuan spoke seriously.

Seeing her elder sister so serious, Su Ling'er helplessly slumped onto the table. Of course she wanted to take part in something so interesting, but she also knew her own strength. Even among the freshmen, she could not be considered outstanding, much less when facing Senior Students who had cultivated at the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy for two or three years.

Thus, faced with her elder sister's stern warning, she could only sulk inwardly.

"Is there really not even the slightest chance?"

"The freshmen are weak, and they don't have anyone capable of taking the lead, so..."

Su Xuan did not continue. She knew all the freshmen who had made a name for themselves. Though they were not weak, that was only compared to others of their own generation. In her eyes, she could at most say that they had promising futures.

Unless...

She smiled softly and shook her head.

What was she thinking?

"So just stay here with me. I won't let you go out."

"I understand."

The atmosphere at the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy had indeed been somewhat explosive lately. The root of it all was related to the Hunting War that had ended not long ago.

Yet no matter how tense the atmosphere became, it could not affect the various elders residing within the academy.

Especially Ling Xi, who lived on the mountain and had no interaction with the other elders whatsoever.

It was still that familiar mountain, and still that familiar Small Courtyard.

Yan Meng lightly knocked on the courtyard gate. The wooden gate slowly opened, and as she stepped inside, she looked toward Ling Xi, who was seated in the courtyard, sketching the painting in her hands.

She walked over with light, lotus-like steps.

The moment she drew near, she saw the painting in its entirety. Upon the plain white paper were three lifelike figures: a gentle woman, a little girl holding a book, and a delicate-faced little boy standing beside them.

The two children leaned against the woman. It was an exceptionally warm painting.

"How is it?"

The instant Yan Meng approached, Ling Xi's calm voice sounded.

"It's beautifully painted."

Yan Meng praised her sincerely. Ling Xi truly was the most skilled painter she had ever seen. She did not recognize the gentle woman, but she could recognize the childhood Ling Xi and Bai Ye at a glance.

"You don't need to come here so often. I'm fine."

Setting down the brush in her hand, Ling Xi spoke indifferently.

She knew why Yan Meng had come. Having witnessed that scene, both Bing Xueran and Yan Meng believed she would suffer a severe blow.

But she had not.

Her fair hand touched her chest, and an exceptionally beautiful smile curved across her lips.

She could sense that he was still alive somewhere in this world. As long as he lived, he would definitely come back for her.

That was their promise.

"I know." Yan Meng naturally knew. As a member of the Spirit Fox Clan, she could sense Ling Xi's mental state. "But I have to take good care of you for Young Master. Only then will I have value."

"I don't want to have no value at all while he is gone."

Ling Xi casually shook her head and turned her gaze back to the painting in her hands.

Over the past two months, she had painted many pictures, just as she had long ago. Only now did she realize how leisurely she was when Bai Ye was not by her side. It seemed that whenever she sat beside him, she could put aside anything in her hands.

Yan Meng sighed softly at the sight.

Yes, from her perception, there was nothing wrong with Ling Xi's mental state. Yet during this period, every time Yan Meng came by, she found Ling Xi either painting or cultivating spirit arrays.

She was vastly different from the Ling Xi Yan Meng remembered, the one who often drank tea and smiled gently.

Perhaps this was also a way to stop herself from overthinking.

Yan Meng could not see through her, so she could only guess.

But it did not matter. Bai Ye was gone, so Ling Xi was now her master. She only needed to take good care of her. As for whether Bai Ye was safe and well, she believed that her Young Master was not someone who could be so easily killed by such methods.

The Small Courtyard fell silent. Out of habit, Yan Meng picked up the teapot from the table and began brewing clear tea. It was something Bai Ye had told her.

He had said that Ling Xi liked drinking tea.

That was why his Mustard Seed Bracelet was filled with all kinds of tea leaves.

Ling Xi gently stroked the brush in her hand with her jade-like fingers, her gaze fixed on the little boy in the painting. She had nearly filled an entire house with paintings of him.

There were paintings of him as a child, as a youth, and after he had grown up. All kinds of him—him when he was lazy, him when he told her jokes, him making faces, him watching plays, him smiling, crying, frowning, being happy...

She truly missed him.

"When will you come back..."

Back to her side.

The moment Bai Ye stepped out of the teleportation array on the Bei Cang Continent, he breathed in the air here and felt incomparably refreshed.

It was not because the air here was particularly good. It was simply that getting closer and closer to someone could truly brighten one's mood.

The city where the Teleportation Spirit Array was located was a Neutral Town.

When it was first built, its founders had considered the conflicts among the major powers, which was why they established the Teleportation Spirit Array here. However, this array was rarely used by the major powers.

After all, within major powers like the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy, they could bear the cost of operating Teleportation Spirit Arrays themselves, so they had built their own.

The places they connected to were all powers and continents that the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy frequently contacted. The Luo God Clan and the Northern Martial Continent did not fall within that scope, and Bai Ye could not suddenly appear inside the academy either. Otherwise, he would be crushed by the Academy Protecting Spirit Array.

Ling Xi had mentioned that Academy Protecting Spirit Array to him once. She had only said—

"Do you know why the Dragon Demon Palace dares not come to provoke the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy? This is the answer."

Looking back over the conflicts between the Dragon Demon Palace and the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy, there had never been an instance of the Dragon Demon Palace attacking their doorstep. That alone showed how formidable the Academy Protecting Spirit Array was.

Without proof issued by Northern Azure City, he truly did not dare enter the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy rashly.

Especially since, in everyone else's eyes, he had been away from the academy for four or five months.

Stepping out of the array, he walked forward.

At the same time, a white figure slowly passed by his side and entered the Teleportation Spirit Array.

They brushed past each other.

At that moment, Bai Ye frowned slightly. As if drawn by something, he turned around and looked at the figure in white robes.

At the same time, the white-robed person turned around as well.

Their gazes met. Bai Ye clearly saw her face—it was a girl.

And a girl about his age.

As he saw her, she too found him.

At that moment, Bai Ye seemed to see a vortex in her eyes, drawing in his gaze and slowly pulling his mind downward.

But in the next instant, his gilded gold eyes abruptly turned silver, and the scene before him instantly became clear.

See Through Illusion.

Had this person used an illusion technique on him just now?

Bai Ye frowned slightly. Then he saw the person opposite him smile gently, her voice ringing beside his ears like a bewitching demonic melody, utterly seductive.

Then she turned around and stepped directly into the Teleportation Spirit Array, vanishing without a trace.

Bai Ye narrowed his eyes as he watched the direction in which she had left.

That feeling just now...

"The Spirit Fox Clan?"

He seemed to have heard Yan Meng mention such illusion techniques before. They were inherited secret arts of the Spirit Fox Clan.

Among all illusion techniques in the Great Thousand World, if the Spirit Fox Clan dared to call themselves first, absolutely no one would dare object.

But why had the Spirit Fox Clan come here?

What had she come to the Bei Cang Continent for?

Somewhere deep down, Bai Ye had a premonition that this girl was connected to him—or rather, to that Cold Pool.

However...

"Since you've left, don't come back."

Otherwise, dealing with it would be troublesome.

Northern Azure City was still the same as before.

After Bai Ye entered, he headed straight toward the City Lord's Mansion as usual.

However, he did not know whether it was merely his imagination, but he felt that something was off in the air.

The feeling was jarring, completely unlike the two times he had come here before.

Had something happened at the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy?

After arriving at the City Lord's Mansion without obstruction, he headed inside.

But this time, rather than being stopped after coming out, he was stopped before he could enter.

"Freshman or Senior Student?"

The man leading the group asked Bai Ye. His attitude was somewhat arrogant as he waited for an answer.

"Is that important?"

Bai Ye asked in confusion. The last time he came here, he had not seen anyone distinguish between freshmen and Senior Students.

"Senior Students can pass. Freshmen need to leave a toll."

"A toll?"

Bai Ye frowned slightly. "What do you want?"

"What do we want?" The moment the man heard that question, he knew Bai Ye was a freshman.

He grinned broadly. "Ninety percent of the gains from your trip."

"Ninety percent?"

"That's right, ninety percent..."

Before he could finish, he saw a foot growing larger and larger before his eyes...