Two minutes!

H-how had things turned out like this?

Shi Lai had suddenly lashed out to kill someone, the Deputy Dean had suddenly crippled Shi Lai's Saint Soul power, and her teacher had suddenly attacked the Deputy Dean... For a moment, Zhou Xiaoxian felt as though the whole world had gone wrong.

"When Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges."

"When Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges."

Only after murmuring it twice did she finally recall what her books said about this.

"When Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges; when Celestial Pivot shines, one must speak frankly..." Whenever cultivators first condensed a soul star, they would outwardly manifest the corresponding star's peculiar traits.

It was not that she had a poor grasp of her studies. That so-called "when Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges" simply had little to do with young cultivators like her.

Usually, only cultivators in their forties or fifties, who had wasted half their lives before finally condensing the Tianshu Star and harbored a heart full of resentment, or those who had suffered abuse since childhood, would react so strongly after gathering their star.

Young people who had grown up normally simply did not have much darkness pent up inside.

When she had condensed her Tianshu Star, the transition had been perfectly smooth. She had not noticed any change in her temper at all.

"Could Shi Lai have... How could that be?"

Shi Lai, whom she had decided must have suffered abuse since childhood, had adjusted to his body's weakness. He actually propped his elbows on the gravely wounded boy beneath him and watched the spectacle ahead with relish, feeling quite moved.

This old man was pretty unreliable before, but now he's actually standing up for me like this?

At the same time, he was silently counting:

13, 14, 15...

Naturally, he had not suffered abuse since childhood.

How did that saying go? "In real life, I swallow my anger; online, I strike hard with my keyboard!" To Shi Lai, this world was an online game to begin with. There was nothing strange about his reaction being so strong or his actions so extreme.

If anything was strange, Xia Yi was only surprised that gathering a star could unknowingly influence the emotions and psyche of a player like Shi Lai.

The Holy Academy's Deputy Dean, whom he held in his grip, had actually been right about one thing. If Shi Lai were allowed to keep growing, he would definitely become a monster.

Players were monsters to begin with.

But that was no excuse for the Holy Academy's Deputy Dean to have noticed Shi Lai's abnormal state early on, yet hide in the shadows and deliberately wait until Shi Lai cut down the boy with the mocking face before crippling him-an attack with an ulterior target!

[Name: Luo Ti]

[Age: 77]

[Level: 271]

[Faction: Human Race]

[Saint Soul: ???]

[Threat level: Low]

The Detection Art's screen flashed and vanished. Struggling with both hands to pry open Xia Yi's grip, Luo Ti's eyes blazed with light as he rasped, "Blade!"

A dark glow surged behind him, condensing in an instant into a thick book bearing two large words: Palm Blade!

[You have discovered a three-star Saint Soul: Palm Blade Wielder. Current exploration: 25%]

At the same time, invisible blades slashed across each other toward Xia Yi's chest, then crashed against the Turtle Lives Long shield with a clang, throwing off showers of sparks!

Xia Yi's blood-red hair and beard whipped in the fierce wind. He grinned, and the crimson inside his mouth sent a chill through Luo Ti's entire body!

"You madman!!"

Boom!!

Under the effects of Break the Cauldrons and Sink the Boats, the Saint Soul power inside Xia Yi ran beyond its limits, erupting with unparalleled force. It shattered Luo Ti's invisible blades outright, then blasted him away without losing momentum, embedding him in the earth at the foot of the nearby mountain!

"Urgh-" Coughing up a mouthful of bloody froth, Luo Ti hurriedly struck the ground with his right palm. A green leaf floated up beside him and flew toward Xia Yi!

[You have discovered a four-star Saint Soul: One Leaf Obscures the Eyes. Current exploration: 10%]

As the leaf flew up to Xia Yi, it suddenly swelled to an immense size, blocking his vision and forcing him to slow his charge slightly.

Behind the leaf, Luo Ti had already drawn the long saber at his waist. The book bearing the words Palm Blade appeared behind him again as he raised his saber and brought it down hard!

"Cleave!!"

A streak of saber light tore through the earth, instantly breaking through the illusory giant leaf. Yet Xia Yi was not where Luo Ti sensed him to be. Behind the leaf was only Teacher Hu, stumbling and crawling for his life!

"Hm? Where is he?"

Luo Ti held his saber at the ready and scanned his surroundings, when he suddenly sensed a shadow looming diagonally overhead.

Bang!

He swung his saber up to block. The tremendous force descending at an angle forced him onto one knee. When he saw what had met his saber, his pupils abruptly contracted!

"Wings?!"

"This is Hat-to-Wings?!"

"That girl gave you the Xia Family's legacy?! You attacked me deliberately?!"

Well, that was a quick confession!

Xia Yi snorted inwardly. Just as he had expected, Zhou Xiaoxian had been targeted from the moment she entered the Holy Academy!

"Congratulations, you got it right! Not just you-Feng Shuhu and his son will die too! Everyone secretly targeting my disciple must die!"

As Xia Yi roared, he watched Luo Ti's expression. Seeing the panic in his eyes, he knew his judgment was very close to the mark. His wings abruptly pressed down harder!

Boom!!

Luo Ti spewed blood and was driven into a deep pit.

There were still countless things he did not understand.

Break the Cauldrons and Sink the Boats is a Desperate Saint Soul for risking one's life. After using it, he'll be weakened for a long time. Why would he try to kill me like this in the Holy Academy?!

And why me?!

But he had no time to think these things through. A bone-chilling cold told him that if this continued, he really would die! The dean must have heard the commotion here by now. Several Intermediate Class teachers are halfway up the mountain too. I have to hold out until they get here!

Damn it, after this uproar, King Zheng will definitely hear about it. I probably won't be able to get the Xia Family's legacy now. Damn it! Damn it all!

A bloody gleam flashed through Luo Ti's eyes.

[You have discovered a Five-Star Saint Soul: Fight with One's Back to the River. Current exploration: 1%]

"Oh?" Xia Yi narrowed his eyes.

Fight with One's Back to the River had effects similar to Break the Cauldrons and Sink the Boats. Both were Five-Star Saint Souls used to stake one's life, with extremely high requirements and difficulty of comprehension!

"Sure enough, even a relatively lousy Five-Star Jade Balance has a life-saving Saint Soul up his sleeve."

Xia Yi grinned slightly, but this time the crimson in his mouth could not frighten Luo Ti, who was fighting for his life.

The saber slashed out, its force and sharpness a level above before! But just as it was about to strike Xia Yi, a pair of pure white wings suddenly sprouted from either side of the blade. They flapped hard, pulling Luo Ti's slash off course and leaving him momentarily stunned in utter disbelief!

Squelch!

A straight punch went through his chest!

Luo Ti's body stiffened. He vomited a great mouthful of blood, and the strength drained from his body!

"Why... Six-Star Sowing? How could your Hat-to-Wings have six-star mastery?"

"Without decades of study..."

"Who... are you? Besides Zhou Xiaoxian's branch... the Xia Family has another branch?"

"I'm not telling you." The blood-red color faded entirely from Xia Yi's hair and beard, and he looked a little more drained. He smiled. "Any last words? You won't be alone. Later, I'll send Feng Shuhu and his son, his chancellor father-in-law, and your dean to keep you company!"

Light flared in Luo Ti's eyes again.

Then it quickly dimmed.

"You... can't do it..."

"You're doomed..."

"But... why me? Why didn't you... go after... Feng Shu... first..."

Two trails of clear tears flowed down Luo Ti's face. His eyes wide open, he died unwillingly. Had he not been so shaken by Hat-to-Wings at six-star mastery, Xia Yi would not have killed him in a single blow. He would have had a chance to survive, so naturally, he could not rest in peace!

Xia Yi pulled his hand free with a squelch. "You just happened to be here, didn't you? Don't be angry. You still have a chance to live again. Next time, the first person I kill should be Feng Shuhu-the kind of death no one can save him from."

He took a deep breath and gazed toward the several Four-Star Tianquan and one Five-Star Jade Balance racing down the mountain. He murmured, "Judging by his last reaction, their dean probably wasn't involved. Good. I've learned everything I wanted to know, and the timing is just right!"

"118, 119, 120... That should be about enough time!" Shi Lai had just counted to 120.

Two minutes of silent counting, plus the margin of error, should make it almost three minutes. If I don't use Reloading a Save now, my crippled Saint Soul power won't come back.

Besides, this spectacular scene has already ended. The old man actually beat a Holy Academy Deputy Dean to death for me in just two minutes!

Though from their conversation, there were things I didn't know about-the Xia Family and all that-and it wasn't just for me... Still, I'm touched! That was badass!

Load!