Spirit Crown Battle, Battle for the Deans!

The violent energy contained within the Essence could be clearly felt even from several meters away.

"Good stuff."

Bing Tianxiao weighed the Essence in his hand, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his lips.

This was a treasure capable of helping him break through to become a Fourth-level Spirit Body.

Not far away, Mu Chen quietly watched the scene.

He had no intention of snatching it away.

Although the Thunder Kylin Beast's Essence was quite tempting to him, he knew better.

If not for Bing Tianxiao's godlike archery restraining most of Ji Xuan's firepower just now, this battle would never have been so easy.

What was more, the silver-haired girl was still standing beside Bing Tianxiao.

If they really fought, the outcome would be difficult to predict.

And it would be meaningless.

"Looks like you won this time."

Mu Chen sheathed the Short Sword in his hand and looked at Bing Tianxiao with a gentle smile on his face.

"But next time we meet, I won't be so polite."

"That goes without saying."

Mu Chen nodded.

He turned to look at Zhan Xiong and the others behind him and waved his hand.

"Let's go."

Before leaving, he took a deep look at Bing Tianxiao.

"See you at the Spirit Crown Battle."

"See you there."

Bing Tianxiao nodded slightly, watching Mu Chen's group disappear into the depths of the dense forest.

Only after confirming that they had completely left did he turn to look at Luo Li beside him.

The seriousness on his face instantly collapsed, replaced by a cheeky grin.

"How was that? I told you this scheme of using someone else's knife to kill your enemy would work, didn't I?"

"Not only did I get my revenge, I even got a great treasure for free!"

Luo Li looked at his smug expression and merely cast him a faint glance.

"Don't celebrate too soon."

"After suffering such a huge loss this time, Ji Xuan will never let this go."

"Heh heh, I'm not afraid of him!"

Meanwhile, outside the Spirit Road.

Inside a magnificent hall, five figures were quietly watching a huge Water Screen.

The scene displayed on the screen was precisely the chaotic and bloody scene unfolding in the Black Demon Forest.

These five people were the deans of the Five Great Academies.

"If this continues, I'm afraid all sixty or seventy of these students will be eliminated!"

Wu Tianwang's expression was as dark as water. He had not expected this scene.

"What vicious hearts they have, to actually use someone else's knife to kill their enemies like this!"

Tang Qiu shook her head slightly.

"Tsk tsk, these little fellows really went all out."

Dean Tian Song smiled, though his eyes were filled with admiration.

"They borrowed strength to strike strength and drove tigers to devour wolves.

Not only did they break Ji Xuan's scheme, they even turned the tables on him.

This mentality, these methods... not bad.

Really not bad."

"Indeed, not bad."

"The Spirit Road has always been cruel. In the past, there were even times when only a dozen or so people survived until the end."

"Our expectations were simply too high this time," Dean Tai Cang said.

"I say, Tai Cang, Tian Song, you're going too far.

Although students are allowed to fight one another on the Spirit Road, taking advantage of others' misfortune like this is truly excessive.

I suggest stripping them of their Spirit Road qualifications and killing them outright, to give the youngsters an explanation."

Dean Tian Sheng of the Sacred Spirit Academy stared at the Water Screen, his voice cold and filled with killing intent.

His most highly regarded student, Ji Xuan, had nearly died.

He was a once-in-a-millennium genius.

If he died in the Spirit Road just like this, all the Sacred Spirit Academy's previous efforts to cultivate him would be wasted.

"Tian Sheng, you're the one going too far."

"Could it be that you're only furious because Bing Tianxiao nearly killed Ji Xuan?"

"The Spirit Road isn't opening just this once. When has it ever been less brutal than this?"

Dean Tian Song of the Qing Tian Spirit Academy disagreed with Tian Sheng's words.

"Exactly. The Spirit Road has always been cruel."

"Which of the youngsters who entered isn't a genius chosen from among thousands?"

"Could it be that only those selected by you, Tian Sheng, are geniuses, while everyone else is mediocre?"

"As long as they can make it to the end of the Spirit Road, whatever methods they use..."

Dean Tai Cang stood with his hands behind his back and spoke coldly.

"Tian Cang, it seems my Sacred Spirit Academy has been silent for too long."

"Everyone has forgotten the glory of my Sacred Spirit Academy."

"For the sake of one youngster, you actually dare to speak to me like this!"

A sharp glint flashed in Dean Tian Sheng's eyes as he looked at Dean Tai Cang.

Dean Tai Cang was not intimidated in the slightest.

He merely snorted coldly.

"Tian Sheng, you have indeed gone too far this time."

"Everything they did was within the rules."

Dean Tian Song clearly had no intention of indulging him.

"Wu Tianwang, Tang Qiu, what about you?"

Dean Tian Sheng did not answer. His gaze swept toward the two of them.

Wu Tianwang crossed his arms over his chest.

Although his emotions had fluctuated greatly earlier, he did not agree with Tian Sheng's words.

He then said calmly, "Tian Sheng, don't use the Sacred Spirit Academy's name to pressure us."

"Since the Spirit Road has opened, everyone should rely on their own abilities."

"Since that brat Ji Xuan dared to form factions and create such a huge disturbance, he should have understood that a tree standing tall in the forest will be toppled by the wind."

"If he doesn't even have this awareness, how can he talk about competing for the Spirit Crown?"

"Being schemed against only means that his skills were inferior."

"If we interfere now, what fairness would remain in the Spirit Road?"

Although Dean Tang Qiu was a woman, she clearly understood the gravity of the matter.

"Although those little fellows' methods were indeed somewhat ruthless, this is precisely the law of survival on the Spirit Road."

"When they were at an absolute disadvantage in numbers, charging head-on like fools would have been true stupidity."

"Being able to find a way to break the balance and make use of every available resource is itself a display of strength."

Tang Qiu turned her head and calmly looked at Dean Tian Sheng.

"What's more, this matter wasn't done by that youngster Bing Tianxiao alone."

"Luo Li and Mu Chen—who among them isn't an astonishing genius?"

"If you want to kill all four of these most promising seedlings for the sake of one Ji Xuan..."

She let out a soft laugh, her tone carrying a hint of ridicule.

"Wouldn't that price be far too high?"

"Do you truly want to offend all the forces and potential represented by these four?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

Dean Tian Sheng's expression became extremely ugly.

He had originally only wanted to use this opportunity to suppress the arrogance of the other academies while protecting Ji Xuan, this promising seedling.

He had not expected these deans not only to refuse to follow his lead, but to step forward one after another and refute him.

Especially Tang Qiu's final words, which had struck directly at his weak spot.

Bing Tianxiao, Luo Li, Mu Chen, and Zhan Xiong...

The Luo Shen Clan and the Ice Spirit Clan...

None of them were easy to provoke.

"Hmph!"

Dean Tian Sheng snorted coldly.

He flicked his sleeve and turned around, no longer sparing the Water Screen a glance.

"Since all of you insist on this, do as you please!"

"But if these little fellows truly turn the Spirit Road into a complete mess, don't blame me for not warning you!"

With that, his figure flashed, and he vanished directly from the hall.

Watching Dean Tian Sheng's departing figure, the remaining four deans exchanged glances and helplessly shook their heads.

"That old fellow is still as protective as ever."

Dean Tian Song curled his lips, then turned his gaze back to the Water Screen.

"But speaking of which, I'm becoming more and more curious about how these little fellows will perform from here on..."