Yan's Hostility

"Brother Wu, will they tell us?" Qiangu Changkong asked nervously along the way.

At the Primary Soul Master Academy, throwing around their names would surely earn them plenty of respect, but this was the Advanced Soul Master Academy. Their names carried no weight here.

Wu Qi shook his head. "Let's ask for as much information as we can."

The high officials of Spirit Hall had expressly forbidden seniors from revealing information about Death Canyon to juniors, but they had not forbidden juniors from asking one another.

In recent years, the only ones who had entered Death Canyon, emerged alive, and still remained in Spirit City were Hu Liena and the other two.

Moreover, Bibi Dong had never been one to follow the rules. She had surely told Hu Liena and the others quite a bit.

If they refused to talk, Wu Qi and Qiangu Changkong would be left clueless for a while after entering Death Canyon. Once they figured things out, they could still carry out their mission.

At most, they would waste some time.

But if they could finish the trial early, why drag it out?

Inside the Simulated Training Ground.

Yan hovered around Hu Liena at all times, causing her no small amount of annoyance.

"Yan, aren't you training? Teacher still has missions for us after this. If we mess them up, you know the consequences!"

Hu Liena's face was full of impatience.

Yan was like a clingy shadow. Whenever they carried out missions, he always found excuses to stay by her side.

Now that the mission was over and they had returned to the academy, he still refused to leave her alone.

Hu Liena naturally understood what he was thinking. Unfortunately, she was face-obsessed, and Yan's looks were truly hard to compliment.

Xie Yue stood nearby and helplessly tugged at Yan. "Train first. You'll have plenty of time to spend with Nana later."

With the disturbance, Hu Liena lost all interest in training and turned to leave the training ground.

If not for the life-and-death bond between her and Yan, she would have long since made him disappear from her sight.

"Nana, wait for me." Yan still wanted to chase after her.

Xie Yue grabbed him and sighed. "Nana is under a lot of pressure as Her Holiness the Pope's disciple. Can you stop causing trouble for her?"

Once Yan's voice vanished outside the Simulated Training Ground, Hu Liena felt as though the whole world had finally become peaceful.

She stretched lazily, and from the corner of her eye, noticed someone walking toward her in the distance.

Wu Qi was now nominally twelve years old. Thanks to his cultivation as a Soul Elder, he looked no different from a youth of sixteen or seventeen.

The distinctive aura of the Qing Luan Martial Soul added another touch of charm to his handsome face.

Hu Liena stared blankly. Aside from her Older Brother, this was the first time she had seen such a handsome young man. That unique aura deeply attracted her.

Noticing her gaze, Wu Qi walked over and took the initiative to greet her. "Excuse me, are you Senior Hu Liena?"

Hu Liena responded absently, then asked, "Junior, are you new students? I don't think I've seen you before."

Qiangu Changkong added, "Senior Hu Liena, we came to discuss something with you. Would this be convenient?"

For Wu Qi's sake, Hu Liena did not refuse their invitation. Instead, she responded warmly, "I have time, but it can't take too long. I still have training afterward."

As she spoke, she followed Wu Qi toward a pavilion within the academy.

At the entrance to the Simulated Training Ground, Yan sauntered out. When he saw Hu Liena leaving together with Wu Qi and the others, his expression immediately darkened. "Fuck, who the hell is this brat?! He dares steal Nana from me!"

He was furious.

After being held back by Xie Yue for a "lecture," his home had been stolen right under his nose. Who was he supposed to complain to?

Having endured enough, Yan no longer intended to endure. With a gloomy expression, he followed after them.

Xie Yue let out a long sigh. "Looks like today's training is going down the drain."

To stop Yan from doing something stupid, he could only follow as well.

All three of Hu Liena's group had gone to Death Canyon, yet Wu Qi had specifically chosen her for a reason.

Xie Yue was steady and cautious. On top of that, Wu Qi came from the Worship Hall, so Xie Yue would certainly not say much.

As for Yan, he was a complete idiot. What was there to discuss with someone like him?

On the first day after taking him as a disciple, Azure Phoenix Douluo had told him that people with talent but no brains were destined not to go far on the path of cultivation.

With Yan's temperament, if not for Hu Liena and Xie Yue helping him, he would have died long ago during his cultivation.

Yet that idiot remained unaware of it, believing that he could protect Hu Liena.

Hu Liena had plenty of flaws herself. In the future destruction of Spirit Hall, she would also play her part.

But for now, Hu Liena had not yet become love-addled, so she was still worth discussing serious business with.

Inside the pavilion, Wu Qi sat facing Hu Liena, while Qiangu Changkong stood nearby.

As expected of someone suited to mingling in society, Wu Qi had originally not wanted to bother with him, but the man knew how to conduct himself, so Wu Qi tacitly allowed him to remain at his side.

Wu Qi did not beat around the bush and spoke bluntly. "Senior Hu Liena, we will soon be entering Death Canyon for training. We have heard of the Golden Generation's accomplishments, so we came specifically to ask you about the situation in Death Canyon."

Hu Liena was briefly stunned.

If someone from Pope Hall was about to enter Death Canyon for training, given her status, she would certainly have known beforehand.

Now, there was no news at all from Pope Hall, which proved that they were not from Pope Hall.

Yet they knew of the Golden Generation title, so their background had to be extraordinary.

Considering Wu Qi's looks, she did not feel any dislike toward them and instead asked about their identities. "Junior, shouldn't you introduce yourselves first?"

Qiangu Changkong chuckled. "Senior, my Grandfather is the Qian Jun Consecrator. This is Wu Qi—Brother Wu is Third Grandpa's disciple."

Hu Liena thought to herself, Just as I expected.

She had long heard of the struggle between Pope Hall and the Worship Hall.

As Bibi Dong's disciple, she would naturally stand on Pope Hall's side.

However, they were all juniors. There was no need, nor did she wish, to involve herself in the grudges between their elders.

After pondering for a few seconds, she said, "Regarding Death Canyon, you had best discard all your existing assumptions. That place is not what you think it is."

The source of danger in Death Canyon was not soul beasts or the environment, but people!

A thousand years ago, it had been Spirit Hall's Place of Exile for Criminals. Over time, many tribes had emerged within it.

Talents in those tribes with Innate Soul Power above rank seven would be directly pardoned and brought back to the continent.

The people in those tribes knew that Spirit Hall sent people in for training, and those talented trainees were their primary hunting targets.

As she spoke, Hu Liena swept her gaze around the area and lowered her voice. "Spirit Hall's rule for that place is that anyone who kills a talented trainee entering it can be pardoned and return to the continent."

"So, you absolutely cannot reveal that you are going there for training. Otherwise, you will face endless pursuit."

"That is all I can tell you. Analyze specific problems as they arise, and respond according to the mission you draw."

Wu Qi was shaken.

What Hu Liena had said was absolutely a secret that only the upper ranks could know. His earlier guess had indeed been correct.

"Thank you, Senior. This is a gift from Brother Wu and me."

With a grin, Qiangu Changkong took a small box from his Soul Tool.

Small boxes held great allure for girls.

In the distance, Yan saw this and anxiously stamped his feet.

Call him stupid, and he knew what kind of gift a small box for a girl ought to contain.

Call him not stupid, and his behavior truly was that of an idiot.

He charged over in fury and cursed, "You two pretty boys, I'll fight you to the death!"