"No wonder it was Jixia Academy..."
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, unable to conceal the shock in her eyes.
Was this the academy from the Simulator that would one day slay gods and even dare to oppose supreme beings?
She turned to look at Lu Ming beside her, who wore an utterly calm expression, and the thought in her heart grew even firmer.
She had to find the Dean!
She had to make the Heaven Dou Empire form an alliance with Jixia Academy!
Yet she had no idea that the mysterious Dean she had been desperately searching for was standing right beside her at that very moment, acting as her guide.
Lu Ming walked leisurely along Jixia Academy's bluestone slab path, his hands clasped behind his head.
Though "Xue Qinghe" beside him did her utmost to maintain the bearing of a Crown Prince, her eyes were simply not enough, darting rapidly over the sights around her.
The shock she had received along the way surpassed everything she had experienced in the past twenty years combined.
Aside from the lightning battle on the open-air arena just now, which possessed an aura comparable to that of a Titled Douluo, every detail of this academy was reshaping her understanding.
The flowerbeds by the roadside were not casually planted with precious ornamental flowers, but with Spirit-Gathering Grass that was worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain outside.
The dense Soul Power fluctuations almost condensed into tangible mist, and every breath made the Soul Power within her body leap with joy.
In the distance stood strange, uniquely designed buildings. Some floated in midair, while others were forged entirely from unknown metals, their surfaces flowing with a faint azure radiance that exuded an unfamiliar sense of mystery and technology.
"So this is Jixia Academy..."
The two arrived at a lakeside pavilion.
The pavilion was built from white jade, with pale blue gauze curtains hanging all around it. A gentle breeze swept past, making the curtains dance softly like a scene from paradise.
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and finally could not help sighing aloud.
"Brother Lu Ming, your academy truly hides dragons and crouching tigers. With such foundations, even Heaven Dou Royal Academy is like a firefly competing with the bright moon by comparison. It is truly breathtaking."
She was not flattering him. Those words came from the bottom of her heart.
Lu Ming casually sat down on a stone bench and said with a smile, "Your Highness the Crown Prince flatters me. It is merely something insignificant, not worth mentioning."
The corner of Xue Qinghe's mouth twitched slightly.
This was insignificant?
Then wouldn't every other academy on Douluo Continent be nothing more than refugee camps?
Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, a crisp, pleasant laugh like silver bells rang out from the flower path nearby.
"Brother Lu Ming!"
Along with that soft, sweet call, a petite figure came speeding over in a strange floating vehicle, followed closely by a graceful maple-leaf-colored figure.
The arrivals were none other than Cai Wenji and Gongsun Li.
Cai Wenji blinked her large, watery eyes as her vehicle came to a stop beside Lu Ming, her little face full of delight.
"Brother Lu Ming, why did you only just come back? Wen Ji missed you so much. Can you take Wen Ji to Heaven Dou City to buy candied hawthorns?"
The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of coquettishness that made it impossible to refuse her.
Gongsun Li, on the other hand, was far bolder and more passionate.
She put away the Flower Parasol in her hand. Her long, straight, beautiful legs appeared and disappeared beneath her skirt as she stepped lightly to Lu Ming's side in a dancer's gait.
"Brother Lu Ming."
Gongsun Li's voice carried a distinctive magnetic charm and seductive warmth. Her eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water as she stared directly at Lu Ming.
"A Li has recently choreographed a new parasol dance. She wants to perform it for Brother Lu Ming alone."
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly. Her exquisite dance attire outlined her delicate, graceful figure, while her snowy skin gleamed dazzlingly white beneath the sunlight.
"Okay? Just the two of us."
Faced with the fervent advances of these two stunning women, Lu Ming remained as composed as ever, as if he had long grown accustomed to it.
Xue Qinghe, sitting nearby, felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles. Her hand, hidden within her sleeve, clenched tightly.
Even Qian Renxue, who had weathered countless storms, could not stop her heart from pounding wildly.
It was them!
In that despair-inducing "life simulation," the figures of these two women had been nothing short of nightmares.
That seemingly harmless little girl, Cai Wenji, possessed a heaven-defying ability to bring the dead back to life on the future battlefield. She had once saved Qian Renxue's life in a desperate situation, and her strength was unfathomable.
And Gongsun Li, who was seducing Lu Ming so openly, was the terrifying assassin who would deliver Qian Renxue a fatal blow from behind in the future!
These two terrifying beings, who would be even stronger than her in the future, were acting so... docile before this man named Lu Ming?
They even seemed somewhat eager to please him?
Just who was this Lu Ming?
What was his identity?
Xue Qinghe's heart was filled with uncertainty as her gaze swept repeatedly between the three of them.
Lu Ming looked at the two girls beside him, spread his hands helplessly, and pointed at Xue Qinghe across from him.
"Wen Ji, A Li, stop fooling around. I have a guest today. This is His Highness the Crown Prince, and I'm showing him around the academy."
"..."
Upon hearing that, the expressions of the two women, who had been smiling brightly moments before, changed instantly.
Cai Wenji puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at Xue Qinghe, her little lips sticking out so far they could have held an oil bottle.
"Hmph, Crown Prince or not, how annoying. He's interrupting my time with Brother Lu Ming."
Gongsun Li did not hide her displeasure in the slightest.
She turned her head. The eyes that had been full of tenderness just moments ago now swept across Xue Qinghe's face like sharp blades.
"What poor timing."
A chill ran down Xue Qinghe's back. The sensation of being watched by a top predator made her scalp tingle.
She was clearly the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, of the most noble status, yet in the eyes of these two women, she seemed inferior even to weeds by the roadside.
Lu Ming coughed lightly, signaling for them to stop.
Only then did Gongsun Li withdraw her murderous gaze. She turned back to Lu Ming, and a seductive, captivating expression instantly returned to her face.
She leaned close to Lu Ming's ear, her breath fragrant as orchids. She lowered her voice, yet it was still just loud enough for Xue Qinghe to hear.
"Since Brother Lu Ming is busy now, then... how about tonight?"
"Tonight, Brother Lu Ming can come to A Li's room. A Li will wear it for Brother Lu Ming alone to see. Even that kind of... special dance is fine."
As she spoke the last words, she deliberately brushed her long, slender leg lightly against Lu Ming's calf, her eyes filled with temptation and suggestion.
Lu Ming felt a warm, silky touch brush against his leg. What a temptress, he thought, though his expression remained calm.
"Alright, alright. We'll talk about tonight tonight. You two should go get busy first."
After finally sending those two troublesome ladies away, silence returned to the pavilion.
Xue Qinghe watched the two women leave, only snapping back to her senses after a long while.
She turned to Lu Ming, unable to suppress the confusion in her eyes any longer.
Just who... was he?!
Before you continue