Why she had been targeted

The teachers in the spectator stands also saw Ye Buyu leave the arena.

Zhao Zhe was baffled. "Why did she withdraw from the competition herself?"

"If you want to know, ask her. Here she comes," Ding Ruixue said.

After leaving the arena, Ye Buyu headed straight for the spectator stands without stopping, looking at Lan Huaiyu with a pale face.

"Principal, there was a Void Cultist just now. She..."

Before she could finish, a terrifying wave of bloodlust erupted. The chilling, bone-deep killing intent left Ye Buyu unable to speak.

It was like suddenly seeing a ghost while walking at night, getting chased by a horrifying NPC in a haunted house, or sneaking snacks during evening study hall and turning to find the homeroom teacher's huge face pressed against the window.

Cold sweat broke out in an instant, leaving her legs weak.

Ye Buyu braced herself against a nearby chair, barely avoiding the humiliation of dropping onto the floor.

The bloodlust vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The four principals rose abruptly, their expressions grim.

Lei Yue spoke. "Kou Ying's unexpected behavior just now must have been a warning. For the students' safety, we have to stop the assessment."

Ye Buyu opened her mouth, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Um... she ran away."

Lan Huaiyu frowned. "What was her target?"

"I think it was me," Ye Buyu explained awkwardly. "I don't know why, but that Void Cultist named Yan You passed on information before. She came for me."

All the teachers turned to look at her.

Ye Buyu nervously recounted everything that had happened when she met Bajiao.

"She said her name was Bajiao and that she'd come to ask me questions. She asked how Yan You died, where my ability came from, and whether I had anything to do with the River of Forgetfulness incident. Kou Ying tricked her by saying she was going to break her formation, and she ran away."

With a wooden expression, Ye Buyu rattled off the entire story in one breath, then pressed her lips together and looked at the mass of teachers before her.

"That's everything."

Everyone thought, What a fast mouth.

Ding Ruixue stopped Lei Yue. "Wait. Since she's already gone, let the assessment continue."

Lei Yue's brows shot up. "You know how dangerous Void Cultists are. If you know she might still be in the assessment grounds, why won't you stop it?"

Zhao Zhe restrained the bristling Lei Yue. "Lei, you're overreacting. This isn't three years ago, and this isn't the Blue-Label Zone. This is the Present World!

"The Social Security Bureau isn't sitting around doing nothing. There's no way a large group of Void Cultists could show up here. Besides, we're right here. They wouldn't dare try anything."

Ding Ruixue closed her eyes briefly. "Don't embarrass yourself in front of a student. Isn't the whole reason Ye Buyu left the arena to tell us this that she wanted the competition to continue?

"Don't make us a laughingstock in front of the younger generation. If a single Void Cultist makes you this nervous, how are you going to protect the students?"

Lei Yue sat back down without a word, but the veins on his arms bulged beneath the table.

Ye Buyu looked at the teachers farther back. Most of their faces were filled with resentment and anger.

That spine-chilling bloodlust just now definitely hadn't come from one person.

At that moment, Ye Buyu understood just how these teachers became frenzied beasts at the mere mention of Void Cultists.

The [Void Order] was an even more brutal and dangerous organization than she had imagined.

"Ye Buyu, stay here just to be safe. Lei Yue, go to the arena. Since you're worried about someone causing trouble, keep watch yourself."

Lan Huaiyu quickly made her decision, then looked apologetically at Ye Buyu.

"I'm sorry we failed to notice her in time."

Ye Buyu shook her head. "Bajiao was really afraid of you. If you hadn't made them pay before, I don't think Kou Ying could have tricked her into leaving.

"She'd rather turn around and retreat than gamble on whether you'd show up. You don't need to apologize."

Besides, wasn't Bajiao the one who wanted to hurt her? If she was going to blame anyone, it should be Bajiao. Instead of blaming the person causing harm, why blame the people trying to protect her?

How stupid would someone have to be to do that?

The tense atmosphere eased.

Zhao Zhe chuckled. "Lan Huaiyu, you really did find yourself a good student."

He looked up at Ye Buyu. "Do you have any thoughts on why the Void Order has targeted you?"

"Thoughts..."

Ye Buyu considered it. "Bajiao came looking for me because of the information Yan You gave her. Yan You targeted me because of Compulsory Cost, I guess."

Remembering how she had forced Yan You to his knees with a stomp and interrupted his spellcasting, she suddenly understood.

"Because Yan You took an elbow strike from my Compulsory Cost, he left information before he died so Bajiao would come looking for me."

Inside her mind, Little Whale tapped the corner of the table. "Wrong. He targeted you because I killed him at the end.

"A special ability that's useless unless it lands isn't worth him abandoning his information on the Wind-Thunder Cantor and turning his attention to you."

Ye Buyu scowled and grumbled inwardly.

You've got some nerve saying that. What am I supposed to do now? Maybe I should just give you up.

Little Whale's blood pressure shot up in anger. "You heartless jerk! I only came out to protect you!

"Besides, would they believe you if you told them? And even if they did, could they find me? Don't forget, the Social Security Bureau already examined you back then and didn't detect me at all.

"If you tell them now, is it because one [Void Order] isn't enough and you want to bring even bigger trouble down on yourself?"

Ye Buyu bit her lip, glanced at the teachers deep in thought, then quietly looked away.

Sorry, teachers. I really can't tell you about this whale. It would only bring even bigger trouble.

Little Whale snorted. "Once a second person knows a secret, it isn't secret anymore.

"Humanity isn't an impenetrable fortress. You can't guarantee this information won't fall into the hands of someone with an agenda.

"Ye Buyu, this is my first warning, and my last. If the Calamities learn of my existence, it will mean the end of your world.

"You wouldn't want to see seven, eight, nine, or ten level-ten Calamities, or three, four, five, or six Calamities above level ten, gathered around the Present World eyeing it, would you?"

The corner of Ye Buyu's eye twitched. Was it really that terrifying?

That would be the apocalypse to end all apocalypses. Surely one stupid whale wasn't worth all that.

Little Whale said nothing more, continuing to leisurely enjoy the show in the depths of her mind.

Ye Buyu swallowed without asking any further questions, firmly deciding that she absolutely could not let anyone discover Little Whale's existence.

She sat comfortably in the spectator stands, watching the remaining students compete. Surrounded by teachers, she felt completely safe.

A baby-faced female teacher poked her and offered her a piece of chocolate. "Ye Buyu, want some?"

Ye Buyu accepted the chocolate. "Thank you, ma'am."

"My surname is Shi, and my name is Shi Can. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be your next teacher."

Ye Buyu abruptly turned her head, still biting into the chocolate. "Really?"

Shi Can nodded. "Provided you can secure a place in joint training."