Soon, the palace examination came to an end, and Tiezhu returned. He had not achieved a particularly good result, earning only the title of martial jinshi and becoming a minor commander in Southern Heaven City.
The Sun and Moon Realm expert who had stood guard outside the Myriad Text Academy for five years had also withdrawn. Su Xiuyi could not be bothered to pay attention. Whether there was a plot behind the withdrawal had nothing to do with him, because he had no intention whatsoever of leaving the Myriad Text Academy. Whatever the other side schemed, it had nothing to do with him.
Ji Zhan and the others returned, and the Silver Wolf Clan had now been exterminated. When Ji Zhan heard that the mysterious disciple had appeared and truly existed, a flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes.
When he heard about that world-shocking slash, a look of disbelief appeared on Ji Zhan's face.
"Could it be him?"
Ji Zhan could not help looking in the direction of the Myriad Text Academy, his eyes narrowing. To tell the truth, he never wanted to go near that compound for the rest of his life, much less enter it. But now he held a golden scroll engraved with a golden dragon. In the Great Zhou Kingdom, only objects connected to the Great Zhou Emperor dared bear a golden dragon design. Otherwise, it was the grave crime of rebellion.
"I probably won't die from going there, will I? It's time I saw him, too. What a pity. A heaven's chosen of his generation has come to such an end. With His Majesty the emperor paying him so much attention, I'm afraid he has no chance of coming out." Ji Zhan sighed and headed to the Myriad Text Academy alone. The strongest expert in front of the academy had left, but quite a few people remained. Before Ji Zhan could approach the academy, he was stopped.
"Lord Academy Head, there is a serious criminal inside. No one is allowed near. Those are the emperor's orders, so please don't make things difficult for us brothers."
The men looked at Ji Zhan with chilly expressions, showing him no courtesy for being the head of the Southern Heaven Academy. They belonged to the Heaven Patrol Pavilion and answered directly to the Great Zhou Emperor.
"The imperial edict is here. If you have any doubts, brother, I can stay out." Ji Zhan frowned slightly and took out the edict.
After reading it, the Heaven Patrol Pavilion man hurriedly returned it to Ji Zhan. "So Lord Academy Head has an imperial order. In that case, please do us a favor and see how that scoundrel is doing. Just when will he finally die? We have already spent five years here." The man leading the Heaven Patrol Pavilion members hurriedly put on a smile. Gone was his earlier air of keeping people a thousand miles away; now he looked utterly servile.
"In that case, I'll take a look for you, my lord." Ji Zhan moved aside without drawing attention to it. Every one of these Heaven Patrol Pavilion men was ruthless. If he offended them by accident, there was no telling when they might pin a crime on him. Knowing the situation, how could Ji Zhan actually accept the gesture of respect?
Rumble!
Soon, the gate, sealed for five years, slowly opened. Though the sunlight outside was pleasant, the Myriad Text Academy felt gloomy and sinister, making people afraid in spite of themselves.
"Lord Academy Head, we're counting on you."
The Heaven Patrol Pavilion men knew how eerie this place was. Each hurriedly stepped back, clearing a path for Ji Zhan.
"You're welcome. It's nothing."
Ji Zhan smiled and strode into the Myriad Text Academy. He knew full well how terrifying the place was. The longer he stayed, the more terrible the curse power he would be tainted with, so he moved quickly.
Ji Zhan strode into the Myriad Text Academy, then frowned slightly. He had not expected Su Xiuyi to be living in the inner residence. This irritated him greatly, but the imperial order could not be defied, so he hurried into the inner courtyard. There, his gaze immediately fell on Su Xiuyi.
"Lord Academy Head, has His Majesty the emperor pardoned me?" Su Xiuyi asked probingly, pretending to be overjoyed.
Hearing Su Xiuyi's words, Ji Zhan frowned. "Xiuyi, you really did wrong. Do you know that? I saw His Majesty the emperor at the palace examination. As soon as I spoke up to plead for you, I was met with His Majesty's thunderous wrath. The Demon Race holy maiden you let go has united dozens of minor clans and two royal clans in the Demon Domain in just five years. A united Demon Race is an immense threat to our Great Zhou. Over the past five years, the army guarding the border has lost more than ten thousand soldiers to their probing attacks."
Ji Zhan was extremely close to Su Xiuyi now, but he could sense that Su Xiuyi's cultivation was only at Ten Thousand Stone. This made Ji Zhan frown. How had someone with such strength survived five years in the Myriad Text Academy? Moreover, Ji Zhan noticed that Su Xiuyi looked to be in even better spirits than he was.
To further probe Su Xiuyi's strength, Ji Zhan moved to his side.
"I only came to tell you one thing. Your teacher, Wang Lin, has fallen!"
"What? My teacher has fallen?" Su Xiuyi trembled all over at Ji Zhan's words, as though he knew nothing about it.
"My condolences. Everyone dies eventually!"
Ji Zhan took the opportunity to place a hand on Su Xiuyi, sending a force into his body. A cold sneer flickered deep in Su Xiuyi's eyes. Sure enough, Ji Zhan had come with an ulterior purpose.
"Hm?"
He really is only at the Ten Thousand Stone Realm. He has merely repaired some shattered Will Characters.
Then how has he survived five years in the Myriad Text Academy? Ji Zhan felt that even if he told someone, no one would believe him. In this place of ten deaths and no life, Su Xiuyi seemed unaffected.
"Master, I've wronged you. I'm the one who harmed you. If not for me, you wouldn't have fallen. Even though I happened by chance to comprehend a Curse Will Character in the Myriad Text Academy, I can only cling to life. My foundation has been destroyed, and I can't improve at all. I can never avenge you." Su Xiuyi pretended to be in immense pain.
A Curse Will Character?
So that's how it is. So that's how it is. No wonder he's alive and well with such strength. But with his foundation destroyed, he really can't get out. This place is his grave. The moment Ji Zhan heard Su Xiuyi's words, he came to a sudden realization. Believing he had found the reason, he prepared to leave.
"Xiuyi, whatever you do, don't leave the Myriad Text Academy. I can't say any more." After leaving those words, Ji Zhan hurried away, unwilling to stay there another minute.
Ji Zhan left, and the gates of the Myriad Text Academy swiftly closed.
"The Great Zhou Emperor personally ordered someone to probe my condition. What exactly is he trying to do? Am I, a man with no backing, worth so much concern from him?"
"Or is there some secret I don't know about?" Su Xiuyi frowned slightly. He also recalled what Wang Lin had said when he died: beware the Great Zhou Emperor.
As for the losses at the border, they were usually greater.
(End of chapter)