At that moment, Shen Dong's entire face twisted into a hideous grimace.
"Who? Who was it?!"
"I'll find you, I swear it! Even with Wang Lin, the imperial preceptor, Su Xiuyi couldn't be protected. You're just an ordinary disciple, so who can protect you? Ji Zhan? Would Ji Zhan dare stand in our way? The position of academy head will soon belong to my teacher."
Like a frenzied beast, Shen Dong roared hysterically.
"Investigate! Conduct a thorough investigation! Have all the covert agents planted in the academies get moving. You must find out which disciple is hiding their abilities. If we can't use them, kill them without mercy." A chill also flickered in Ning Xionglin's eyes.
"Grandmaster, am I all right now?"
In the Literary Court, Tiezhu had regained consciousness. Feeling remarkably well, he looked at Wang Lin in disbelief.
"Yes, you're well now. Even better than before." A rare, faint smile touched Wang Lin's lips.
"But I remember I was about to die. Who saved me?"
"Grandmaster, do you think it might have been Martial Uncle? After all, he's still alive and well in that deathtrap, so he must be very capable. Otherwise, who else in the academy would be willing to save me?" Tiezhu's expression changed, and he looked at Wang Lin expectantly.
"Impossible. The Myriad Text Academy is extremely far from here, and experts guard its entrance. Xiuyi couldn't have come here without anyone noticing." Wang Lin dismissed Tiezhu's guess.
Wang Lin thought Su Xiuyi, trapped in that deathtrap, couldn't possibly have obtained divine phoenix blood essence. It was divine phoenix blood essence that had saved Tiezhu.
Hearing Wang Lin's words, Tiezhu calmed down and agreed that Su Xiuyi couldn't have saved him.
"Grandmaster, I want to go see Martial Uncle." Tiezhu's eyes lit up.
"No. No one must find out that you've recovered. We'll leave the academy right now. That way, no one will know you recovered so quickly." Wang Lin rejected Tiezhu's request. If anyone learned about the divine phoenix blood essence, it would surely bring enormous trouble.
Knowing the terrible consequences of divine phoenix blood essence coming to light, Wang Lin chose to take Tiezhu straight out of the Literary Court. Their reason was simple: they were going out to seek medical treatment. Hardly anyone would be suspicious.
With Tiezhu's life no longer in danger, a smile touched Su Xiuyi's lips. He stopped worrying and resumed his cultivation. After sensing Meng Zhige's presence, Su Xiuyi felt that he was far too weak. He had to become stronger.
Soon, several months passed.
Tiezhu returned, carrying a food basket and feeling terribly anxious. He hadn't delivered any meals for months, and he didn't know whether Su Xiuyi had starved to death.
"Martial Uncle!"
Outside the Myriad Text Academy, Tiezhu looked around and, seeing no one, called out.
"You finally came? I've been craving food so badly!"
The moment Tiezhu finished speaking, Su Xiuyi's voice rang out.
"Martial Uncle, I..."
Tiezhu's voice caught. Hearing Su Xiuyi's words, he feared that Su Xiuyi had gone mad from hunger.
"Martial Uncle, I had to go away for a while for some reason. You haven't suffered too badly from hunger, have you? Are you doing all right now?" Tiezhu was deeply worried. The Myriad Text Academy was no good place; it was a living hell. Not one person who entered it had come out alive, and the longest anyone had survived was three years. Su Xiuyi had been inside for quite some time, and Tiezhu feared he could no longer hold out.
"I'm fine, just fine. I won't die. But you, lad, have gotten pretty strong. You've actually reached the peak of Ten Thousand Stone." The calm voice drifted out. Su Xiuyi hadn't expected the divine phoenix blood essence to be so effective.
"Hm?"
"I came across a few opportunities."
"Martial Uncle, I have good news for you. Did you know? That bastard Shen Dong's good days didn't last long. He was defeated by a genius from the Battle Sect. But nobody ever expected that our Southern Heaven Academy had an unparalleled genius hidden away! He forced Zhan Wushuang, who had crushed Shen Dong, to cripple both his own arms. Shen Dong became a laughingstock. And word came from the imperial family: at the palace examination held every five years, anyone from our Southern Heaven Academy who qualifies can take part. The ban on Southern Heaven Academy participating in the palace examination has been lifted." Tiezhu's voice carried into the courtyard.
"Is that so?"
"Then work hard, lad. Maybe you'll be able to take part when the time comes," Su Xiuyi said with a smile.
"Martial Uncle, if I can take first place, I'll definitely ask His Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou to lift your confinement." Outside the Myriad Text Academy, Tiezhu's expression was earnest.
"We'll talk about it then. Cultivate hard. Everything else is false; only when you're strong enough and invincible under heaven will you be truly free, able to do whatever you want. That's all for today. Cultivate hard!" A smile touched Su Xiuyi's lips. He felt he hadn't saved Tiezhu for nothing; Tiezhu was loyal and grateful. But Su Xiuyi didn't care whether Tiezhu saved him. Although Tiezhu had used divine phoenix blood essence for Foundation Establishment, it was almost impossible for him to take first place. Divine phoenix blood was precious, but it wasn't unobtainable. Some people could still get their hands on it.
Besides, even if Tiezhu could save him, he didn't want to leave this treasure land.
After talking for a while, Tiezhu left. His fill of food and wine, Su Xiuyi wandered around the Myriad Text Academy. Over the past few months, he had signed in at many places. Only two remained beyond his reach: the site of the great battle years ago, and the library tower.
Today, Su Xiuyi silently walked to the edge of the battle site. Looking at the broken eaves and ruined walls before him, a flicker of terror appeared in his eyes.
"Saints?"
"What terrifying power. Is this the power of rules? Anyone who isn't a saint would surely die if they ventured deep inside. What happened here back then? So many saints died in battle here: the Saber Saint, the Literary Saint, and the Abyss Saint of the Abyss Clan. They weren't the only saints; there were quite a few others. Why weren't those saints mentioned?"
"What secrets are hidden here?"
"Today, I reached the peak of Mountainsea. I wonder if I can go a little deeper." Looking at the ruined area shrouded in terrifying rule power, Su Xiuyi took a deep breath and slowly stepped inside, taking the utmost care. Before he had gone fifty meters, beads of sweat crowded his forehead, and he could go no farther. Su Xiuyi knew that if he forced himself onward, he would die.
"What terrifying pressure. What terrifying rule power. I'm still too weak."
The moment Su Xiuyi finished speaking, the system's voice rang in his ears. "This is where an expert of the Corpse Clan fell. Would you like to sign in?"
"Sign in."
By now, Su Xiuyi was completely calm.
"Ding! Sign-in successful. Signed in at a ten-thousand-year-old corpse of the Corpse Clan. Obtained the Corpse-Nurturing Great Technique."
When the system's voice fell silent, Su Xiuyi found the Corpse-Nurturing Great Technique in his mind, and a bronze coffin appeared before him. But he didn't open it. Instead, he hurriedly took the coffin and left, because he really couldn't hold out any longer.
Only after returning to the hall he had cleaned out did Su Xiuyi drop the heavy bronze coffin outside.
"A ten-thousand-year-old corpse?"
With the Corpse-Nurturing Great Technique now in his mind, Su Xiuyi was filled with anticipation for the ancient corpse. The moment he lifted the lid of the bronze coffin, a powerful presence leaked out, making him feel as though he were suffocating. When his gaze fell inside the coffin, he drew a sharp breath.
"An ancient corpse at the Sun and Moon Realm?"
"What a powerful presence. If this continues, it might even develop intelligence and become a member of the Yin Death Clan." Having gotten a clear look at the ancient corpse, Su Xiuyi drew a sharp breath.
(End of chapter)