Qian Renxue Meets Lu Ming! Jixia Academy's Foundation!

"Lu Ming, look." The Snow Empress pointed to the river beside them, her tone as light as a little girl's, "The fish in the river are so cute."

Lu Ming followed her gaze. Several fish were playing in the clear water. He smiled:

"They are quite cute, but compared to you, they're still lacking."

A deeper blush spread across the Snow Empress's face. She lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't stop turning upwards.

The two held hands like this, enjoying the rare, ambiguous daily life as they walked towards Jixia Academy.

However, as they arrived at the iconic Blue Silver Grass gate of Jixia Academy, a gentle yet slightly anxious voice broke the tranquility.

"Please inform the dean, Xue Qinghe requests an audience."

Lu Ming looked up. He saw a young man dressed in a luxurious brocade robe, with an elegant demeanor, standing at the school entrance, his path blocked by Gongsun Li.

It was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe. Or rather, Qian Renxue disguised as Xue Qinghe.

"I already told you, the dean isn't here."

Gongsun Li, who had just finished reprimanding Ma Hongjun, spoke with some impatience, "You, the Crown Prince, are useless. Rules are rules."

Qian Renxue looked at the young woman before her, her pupils contracting sharply, and a storm raged in her heart.

It's her!

In the simulation of the "Life Simulator," it was this woman named Gongsun Li who, on a certain day in the future, would try to kill her!

Those tragic scenes flashed through her mind. Qian Renxue unconsciously clenched her hands within her sleeves, cold sweat beading on her palms.

She suppressed the shock and confusion in her heart.

Why?

Why would she try to kill me in the future?

But now was not the time to dwell on this.

The simulator's results indicated that only by finding the dean of Jixia Academy, that mysterious existence, could she change her fated death.

Just as Qian Renxue's thoughts were in turmoil, two figures emerged from the woods behind her.

"A'li, what's going on?"

Lu Ming's voice rang out calmly.

Gongsun Li and Li Xin, who was carrying a greatsword and yawning, straightened instantly upon hearing the voice.

Seeing Lu Ming, respect immediately appeared in their eyes, and they opened their mouths to shout: "Dean…"

Lu Ming gently shook his head, his eyes stopping them.

The two reacted quickly, immediately closing their mouths, but respectfully stepped aside, bowing slightly.

Lu Ming, holding the Snow Empress's hand, walked towards the gate with a composed expression.

Qian Renxue turned around and saw the man and woman, who looked like a divine couple.

The man was handsome and dashing, with an extraordinary bearing.

The woman was stunningly beautiful. Although she wore a veil, her noble aura made one hesitant to look directly at her.

Seeing Lu Ming walk straight towards the gate, Qian Renxue kindly reminded him:

"Brother, please wait. Jixia Academy has strict rules. That guard just said outsiders are not received. I, the current Crown Prince, was refused entry. If you force your way in, you'll likely be thrown out."

She had personally witnessed how that group from Shrek was beaten and kicked out just now. She didn't want to see this young man with such an extraordinary aura suffer undeserved misfortune.

However, Lu Ming merely smiled slightly at her, his steps unwavering.

The next moment, something that shocked Qian Renxue happened.

Li Xin, the arrogant gatekeeper who had been looking down on her and hadn't even glanced at her, now quickly stepped forward.

He pushed open the tightly shut gate and made an extremely standard "please" gesture.

"…"

Qian Renxue stood frozen, her mind struggling to process.

The difference in treatment is too great!

Lu Ming led the Snow Empress through the gate, stopped, and turned to look at the still stunned Qian Renxue.

"Your Highness, aren't you coming in?"

Qian Renxue snapped back to reality and quickly hurried to catch up.

Entering the academy, Lu Ming released the Snow Empress's hand and leaned close to her ear, whispering:

"Xue'er, you go back and rest first. I'll give His Highness the Crown Prince a private tour."

Although the Snow Empress was reluctant, she knew Lu Ming had important matters to attend to. She nodded obediently, her figure flashing as she transformed into an ice-blue stream of light and disappeared.

Qian Renxue watched the Snow Empress's movement technique as she vanished, and was shocked once again.

With such speed, even she, who possessed the Angel Martial Soul, could not fully discern it.

"Brother… why can you enter and exit this place so freely?"

Qian Renxue couldn't help but ask, her gaze filled with curiosity, "Even those two fierce guards are so respectful to you?"

Lu Ming casually fabricated a story, "Oh, I have a friend who teaches at Jixia Academy, so I guess I have some connections."

"I see," Qian Renxue said, a sudden realization dawning on her. "Then it's certainly worth befriending them."

Lu Ming led Qian Renxue along the academy's stone-paved path.

Along the way, the sights within Jixia Academy opened Qian Renxue's eyes.

There were no rigid teaching buildings like those in ordinary academies. Instead, there were various uniquely shaped structures that emanated a faint glow.

The air was filled with dense Soul Power fluctuations. Rare medicinal herbs, difficult to find elsewhere, were scattered along the roadside. There were even some metal contraptions she had never seen before operating automatically.

This place... is practically a treasure trove, Qian Renxue thought to herself.

The two arrived beside a massive open-air arena.

At this moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared deafeningly on the stage.

Two figures were engaged in a fierce battle.

One of them was burly, with his hair and beard bristling, bathed in violent lightning as if he were the God of Thunder himself.

He hovered in mid-air, and with every swing of his hands, thick pillars of lightning crashed down.

"Kuang Tie! You can't defeat me!" the man boomed, his voice like a bell, filled with immense authority.

Below the arena, a youth wielding a giant mechanical electric baton, covered in wounds, was charging forward repeatedly under the onslaught of lightning.

"Sikong Zhen! Enough with the nonsense!"

Kuang Tie roared, the electric baton in his hand crackling with electricity as he fiercely smashed towards the falling lightning. "Even if a god stands in my way, I will smash them to pieces!"

"A mere electric baton kid dares to fight me, the Lightning King!"

Sikong Zhen snorted coldly, and an even more terrifying lightning storm began to gather.

Lu Ming stopped and pointed at the stage, saying, "This is the academy's ranking competition. It's divided into one-on-one, three-on-three, and seven-on-seven. What's happening on stage now is a one-on-one duel."

Qian Renxue stared blankly at the battle on the stage.

The one named Sikong Zhen wielded destructive lightning power with every move. She had only witnessed such might from Titled Douluo.

And the one named Kuang Tie, though appearing battered, possessed a physical body so robust that he could withstand the lightning without a scratch.

That strange staff was also filled with explosive power, making Sikong Zhen cry out in pain.

"So strong..."

Qian Renxue murmured to herself.

She had initially believed that with her Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty and her divine Martial Soul, her talent was already top-tier on the continent.

But here at Jixia Academy, whether it was Gongsun Li at the entrance or these two battle-crazed individuals before her, each of them gave her the feeling of being unfathomably deep.