Explosion (Second Update)

Watching Tang San's departing back, Xue Qinghe's usually gentle expression darkened somewhat.

It was obvious that Tang San had been somewhat moved by her words, but whenever recruitment was mentioned, he kept bringing up Yu Xiaogang, hoping she could help promote Yu Xiaogang's theories and clear his teacher's name.

What deep master-disciple affection!

This trip would likely end in failure again.

Xue Qinghe clenched one hand into a fist and slammed it heavily onto the table.

"Your Highness." A Dark Soul Guard appeared behind Xue Qinghe and bowed respectfully. "There is news from my side."

The Dark Soul Guard reported their findings to Xue Qinghe. After finishing, he dropped to one knee. "Please give your orders, Your Highness."

This could not simply be left alone.

Xue Qinghe tapped the fingers resting on the table and ordered, "Send someone to deal with the academy. Say we are here to pay a visit and are also looking for a few promising talents. Just handle it as you see fit. Ling Yuan, go personally and 'invite' Tang San to return with us."

She deliberately emphasized the word "invite" and gave Ling Yuan a look. Either bring him away, or remove him completely and eliminate future trouble!

When she had infiltrated Heaven Dou, her mother had arranged for Ling Yuan to find a pretext to enter the palace and protect her. Ling Yuan had followed at her side for years, and almost no one knew she was an elder of Spirit Hall. They merely saw her as a powerful figure following the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou, much like Poison Douluo Dugu Bo beside Prince Xue Xing.

Ling Yuan understood at once. After bowing, she followed Tang San's aura out.

"The rest of you, come with me." Xue Qinghe rubbed the Golden Feather at her waist, her gaze dark and unreadable.

The Dark Soul Guards had reported unusual Soul Power fluctuations within the academy, and Elder Ling Yuan had also said there seemed to be the aura of a Soul Beast here. Coupled with the involvement of that little A'li with Innate Full Soul Power, Xue Qinghe decided to investigate personally.

Elsewhere, in the storage room, Xiao Wu sat on the floor regulating her breathing while Dan Hong watched the Soft Bone Rabbit with great interest.

The Third Elder's cultivation was too high, and his appearance here would have been far too conspicuous. Dan Hong had him conceal his aura and lie in wait outside the academy, ready to adapt to any situation. She herself was in the Soul King Realm, so appearing here to "protect" Nan Li was perfectly justifiable.

"They're here again." Nan Li frowned.

"So soon?" Dan Hong glanced at Xiao Wu. "No, at this rate, there may not be enough time. Go stall them."

As she spoke, Dan Hong waved a hand and took out a pill-refining cauldron along with several herbs. She released her First Soul Skill to control the flames. "First Soul Skill, Weave Fire."

Nan Li nodded and went out to intercept them. She did not believe that hiding here would keep them concealed forever. The entire academy was filled with people Xue Qinghe had brought; there was no way to hide the movements of the three of them.

Nan Li stood at the bend in the staircase, sensing Golden Feather's position. She silently calculated the distance in her heart: ten meters, nine meters, eight meters... three meters, two meters, one meter.

She abruptly turned around and quite deliberately crashed into Xue Qinghe's arms.

Xue Qinghe froze when she saw Nan Li appear so suddenly.

"How presumptuous!" A guard stepped forward and shouted, reaching out to pull her away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Nan Li quickly retreated, hiding both hands behind her back. She seemed to be holding something.

"It's fine." Xue Qinghe waved the guard away. She had not missed that fleeting ripple of Soul Power, but quickly composed her expression.

"Xiao Xue?" Nan Li seemed to have only just recognized the person before her. She blinked. "Why are you here?"

"I happened to be passing by and thought I would come see you." Qian Renxue's portrayal of Xue Qinghe had always been flawless. As she spoke, she bent slightly to meet Nan Li's gaze at eye level, her earnest tone making it seem as though she truly had come to visit a friend.

"See me? Then why did you come to the Teacher Dormitory?" Nan Li thought, I'd have to be a fool to believe you. Did she really think I was that easy to fool?

Xue Qinghe's expression did not change. "My guards saw you just now."

She gently rubbed Nan Li's head, as tenderly as if she were treating her own younger sister.

Xue Qinghe took Nan Li's hand and led her in the direction opposite the dormitory. As she turned, though, she cast what seemed like a casual glance at the guards.

"A'li, what were you holding just now? It gave me a very unusual feeling." Xue Qinghe matched Nan Li's pace as they walked slowly, asking her the question.

"Why should I tell you?" Nan Li shot back without the slightest politeness.

Xue Qinghe paused, unable to understand why this little girl had suddenly developed such a strong dislike for her. "A'li, did I do something wrong?"

Jiang E Li was so anxious in the Sea of Consciousness that she practically bounced around. "At least be a little polite!"

Nan Li refused.

"Hmph." Nan Li turned her head and looked up at the sky.

Xue Qinghe was about to say something else when a deafening boom erupted. The ground shook, and the windows of the surrounding buildings rattled violently before shattering.

Xue Qinghe swiftly scooped Nan Li into her arms. A pair of platinum wings spread behind her as she flew into the air. A point of light appeared in her palm, and her hand brushed over the Soul Tool at Nan Li's waist, confirming that the tracking bracelet was still there.

Nan Li, held in Xue Qinghe's arms, gritted her teeth in fury. So that was it, Qian Renxue. No wonder she was so willing to leave. She had been waiting for this all along!

The source of the noise was the top floor of the Teacher Dormitory building.

The storage room was beside the stairs. Something had blasted a huge hole through the white wall, leaving the edges blackened. Nearly the entire wall had been blown apart.

The damaged hole was where the wall met the roof. It looked as if something had pierced through the roof and struck the top floor at an angle. There was also a large hole in the floor, its edges charred black.

It had pierced straight through several floors of the dormitory building!

Then came another deafening explosion. With a boom, the storage room's roof was blown away.

"Big sister!"

Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, thinking Nan Li had seen through her disguise. At the same time, perhaps because of that cry of "big sister," an inexplicable ripple stirred within her heart.

But in the next moment, Nan Li broke free from Xue Qinghe's arms. A pair of crimson wings unfolded behind her as she flew straight toward the blasted dormitory building.

"A'li, it's dangerous!" Xue Qinghe followed close behind.

Nan Li rushed into the storage room and saw that the once fairly orderly shelves had collapsed all over the floor. Xiao Wu lay unconscious on the ground.

Dan Hong's arm seemed to have been injured by the explosion. Only a few scraps of fabric remained around her left arm, while a wound more than ten centimeters long on her forearm was a mangled mass of flesh, still bleeding.

She leaned against the wall where the roof had been blown away, looking seriously injured.

"Cough, cough—" Dan Hong coughed painfully several times, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

Nan Li hurried to Dan Hong's side to check on her. "Big sister, how are you?"

Shielded by Nan Li, Dan Hong discreetly blinked, signaling for Nan Li not to worry.

Hearing that "big sister," Xue Qinghe realized it had not been directed at her. Though relieved, she also felt a faint, nearly imperceptible sense of disappointment.

With nothing left to conceal her, Xiao Wu was exposed to everyone's view.

Blood Pierce Douluo, wrapped from head to toe in a gray robe, silently appeared in midair.

The third update is coming later. (My hands can't keep up with my brain.)

(Screaming) (Twisting) (Crawling in the darkness) Attempting to transform into an octopus.