nm, Ox-Horse

Wu Zhangkong carried Xie Xie directly to the infirmary, where a teacher with a healing-type Martial Soul examined his body.

A moment later, the teacher slowly withdrew his Martial Soul.

Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, he adjusted his glasses and spoke slowly: "There is no danger to his life, nor has his foundation been damaged. You don't need to be too nervous."

Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and the look in Wu Zhangkong's eyes softened slightly.

"Although this child used his Soul Power to protect his body at the critical moment, he was still shaken by the violent impact."

"His meridians are slightly shaken, his muscles have suffered extensive contusions, his bones are somewhat numb from the vibration, and combined with the overexertion of his mental power and Soul Power, he fainted on the spot."

He paused, looked at Xie Xie, who was still frowning slightly in his unconscious state, and his tone grew slightly more serious:

"There are basically no external injuries, but the internal injuries are quite obvious."

"I have already used my healing ability to stabilize his meridians. With two or three days of rest and the help of recovery potions, he will fully recover. There will be no sequelae, and it will not affect his subsequent cultivation."

"However, for this period of time, remember not to forcibly trigger any Soul Skills. Otherwise, if the injury worsens, it will truly damage his foundation."

Wu Zhangkong nodded, "I understand."

Immediately after, the door to the infirmary opened again, and Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi were carried in.

The teacher could only give a few brief instructions before hurrying off to examine the conditions of Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi.

Wu Zhangkong glanced at Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, who were still guarding the bedside with worried expressions, her cold voice devoid of extra emotion:

"You have seen it yourselves; Xie Xie is not in any serious danger, so you can rest easy."

"The match was extremely draining. Your Soul Power and mental energy are both exhausted. Staying here is useless; return to the dormitory to rest immediately."

"But what about Xie Xie..." Tang Wulin couldn't help but ask, still worried.

"I am here." Wu Zhangkong glanced at him.

Gu Yue gently tugged at Tang Wulin's sleeve. The two exchanged a look and finally nodded.

"Then... Teacher Wu, please let us know when Xie Xie wakes up."

"Mm." Wu Zhangkong responded flatly, her tone concise and crisp.

"Go."

Not until their figures disappeared at the doorway did Wu Zhangkong slowly withdraw her gaze, letting it fall back onto the still-unconscious Xie Xie on the bed.

Excruciating pain engulfed Xie Xie like a tidal wave, his consciousness plummeting into boundless darkness as his physical senses were stripped away layer by layer.

He did not know how long he had been sinking, but in the midst of the chaos, a faint light suddenly broke through the haze. A cold, distant aura enveloped him, causing his restless soul to suddenly calm.

Xie Xie struggled to open his eyes.

Before him lay a void space where light and shadow flowed; the textures of time and space drifted slowly around him, weaving into a dreamlike curtain of light.

A slender and majestic dragon shadow hung in the void.

Its scales shimmered with a jade-white luster, and light and shadow darted around its body.

"We meet again, Xie Xie."

A low, ancient voice resonated directly in Xie Xie's mind; it was the voice of the Space-Time Dragon.

Xie Xie rubbed his head and slowly sat up. The excruciating pain from his body had faded away, leaving only a slight soreness.

Looking at the Space-Time Dragon before him and recalling the anomaly that occurred during the match, he rolled his eyes in annoyance: "I'm not saying it, but was it you who caused that mess during the match earlier?"

"After all, besides you, who else could directly seal my Martial Soul? Do you have any idea how painful that level of Rasengan self-detonation is?!"

The Space-Time Dragon's void-like dragon eyes shifted slightly, its tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want."

"That was an emergency intervention by the World Correction Force against you, a variable. It wasn't my fault, so don't go pinning every pot on my head."

"If you really can't find anyone else to blame, just pin it on Danzo. He's used to it anyway."

The Space-Time Dragon looked divine on the outside, but the moment it opened its mouth, it sounded remarkably human, completely lacking the airs of an ancient divine dragon.

The Space-Time Dragon looked divine on the outside, but the moment it opened its mouth, it sounded remarkably human.

Xie Xie was stunned, his brow furrowing: "Variable? What do you mean?"

The Space-Time Dragon rolled its eyes back at him, its tone casual and blunt: "You were brought into this world by me, defying the heavens. Your very existence is the greatest variable in that destined future."

It slowly flicked its dragon tail, causing the surrounding space-time textures to vibrate.

"The World Correction Force doesn't care about minor variables. After all, when it comes to work, who doesn't want to slack off?"

"If you had been allowed to continue fighting with full force earlier, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi would have undoubtedly been defeated, and it would have been impossible to force Tang Wulin to unleash the power of the first seal of the Golden Dragon King."

"To the World Correction Force, that already counts as a major variable."

"The gears of fate were misaligned because of this, and the world had to intervene to correct the deviation."

It explained a whole lot in one breath, but when it finished and turned back, it was met with Xie Xie's blank and foolish stare.

The Space-Time Dragon: ...

The Space-Time Dragon remained silent for a few seconds before finally switching to the most easily understood explanation:

"The World Correction Force is like an old employee in a company who slacks off every day. They can't be bothered with small matters, preferring to avoid extra trouble whenever possible."

"Tang Wulin unsealing the Golden Dragon King is a critical KPI node set in stone by the Boss; it must be completed today, or we're all going to be in trouble."

"But you, you just charged in and wiped out the opponent in one go, cutting off the mission node entirely. The KPI can't be met, and if It doesn't come out to stop you, It'll have to pack its bags and get out."

Xie Xie's mouth twitched. "He's already become the World Correction Force, does he still have to clock in for work?"

"What else did you think?" the Space-Time Dragon retorted irritably. "How do you think the balance of the plane is maintained? It's all thanks to us workhorses pulling overtime every single day."

Hearing this, Xie Xie precisely caught onto one word: "You... guys?"

The Space-Time Dragon's massive wings gave a light shudder, as if the grievances of billions of years had finally found an outlet, and it began to vent:

"Jormungandr sends me messages every day, complaining that his old man acts like a lunatic, forcing them to go out and cause destruction while he just sits on his throne, daydreaming about triggering Ragnarok and overthrowing Odin."

"Ananke is obsessed with the iron laws of the universe, not only having to hunt down cross-boundary intruders everywhere but also having to untangle the fates of all kinds of life."

"And then there's Chronos—that guy has it even worse. If he doesn't move, time doesn't move. 365 days a year, no breaks; he's been driven nearly insane."

"..."

After listening to the Space-Time Dragon's long-winded rant, Xie Xie's brain suddenly short-circuited, and he blurted out:

"Then why are you still working here?"

The next second, the Space-Time Dragon looked at Xie Xie as if he were an idiot.

"Do you work at your company because you love it?"

"Only that guy Zhu Jiuyin has it easy. Ever since the Heavenly Court and Underworld institutions were established in the Huaxia Plane, he's been wandering the mountains and rivers, slacking off all day, and even sending photos over to piss us off!"

"It's just so great, hahahaha!"

"You work hard, I work hard, the Boss gets a new Bentley next year.

As long as you suffer the bitterest of the bitter, the Boss can drive a Land Rover.

As long as the overtime is hot enough, the Boss buys a Maybach.

Work with passion and effort, and the Boss happily picks up a Ferrari."

Watching the Space-Time Dragon, who had become somewhat unhinged the moment the topic turned to work, Xie Xie opened his mouth.

Because he felt that the Space-Time Dragon's mental state might also be a little abnormal.

But after thinking about it, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

After all, it's work—who isn't a little crazy?