The moment Chu Feng’s figure disappeared, the space around the ancient tree began to convulse violently.
At last, the fabric of space was forcibly torn apart, and three figures stepped out from the rift.
The instant they appeared, an overwhelming aura of killing intent filled the entire area.
“Who dares trespass into the forbidden grounds!?”
The furious shout rang out, followed immediately by an overwhelming spatial seal that froze the surrounding space solid.
Three mighty cultivators arrived in an instant. Their immense pressure turned the previously clear sky dark and overcast.
The ancient tree returned to its former stillness, and the rustling of its leaves gradually faded away.
All three were men who carried the commanding presence of those long accustomed to positions of authority. Their cultivation was extraordinarily powerful.
The leading cultivator frowned. After sweeping the area with his divine sense, he detected no unfamiliar aura. Yet the formation had undeniably been activated. After probing more carefully, he said in surprise,
“How strange… the Emperor Tree actually triggered the formation itself?”
“What?”
The cultivator on his left stared in astonishment. The Emperor Tree had existed for countless ages without ever developing sentience. How could it possibly have activated the formation on its own?
“It was indeed the Emperor Tree that triggered it.”
After inspecting the formation around the Emperor Tree, the cultivator on the right found no sign that anyone had forcibly entered.
“How strange. Ever since the Human Emperor passed away, the Emperor Tree has never shown the slightest reaction. Why did it suddenly respond today?”
The lead cultivator couldn’t make sense of it. With a wave of his hand, the activated formation gradually returned to its dormant state.
After conducting several more thorough inspections and confirming that there were no traces of any intruders, the three of them finally departed.
Yet not long after they left, a faint whisper echoed around the ancient tree, barely audible.
“…Master…”
***
After bringing Chu Feng away, Su Tiantian patted her chest. Given her generous figure, the motion sent ripples rolling across her ample curves like waves on water.
Blinking her fox-like eyes at Chu Feng, she smiled mischievously.
“Well, you little rascal? Wasn’t that exciting?”
Chu Feng had genuinely thought they were about to be caught. Just as he slipped into the void, the terrifying aura had pierced through space itself, making his soul tremble.
“Sister Tiantian, I think we’d better not do things like this too often. My little body can’t handle that kind of excitement.”
A third-rank cultivator was nothing before such great powers. They could reduce him to dust with a single breath.
“Don’t worry. This Empress knows her limits. I won’t let my little rascal get caught.”
Su Tiantian smiled confidently. Even the vice headmaster of the academy would have a hard time catching a glimpse of her. If that old fossil ever came back, though… that might be a different story.
After everything that had happened, the afternoon had already arrived. It was time for swordsmanship training.
But there was no way Chu Feng could make it back in time now. His only hope was…
He looked at Sister Tiantian. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.
“Sister Tiantian… could I ask you for a favor?”
“Of course you can. But, little rascal, this Empress has a condition.”
“What condition?”
“It’s very simple.” Su Tiantian lightly tapped her soft, luscious red lips with a finger. “Little rascal… you know what to do, don’t you?”
That gesture…
Of course he knew what Sister Tiantian was hinting at.
Besides, given the relationship between the two of them, one more kiss hardly made any difference.
Chu Feng quickly stepped forward. He had intended to give her nothing more than a brief peck before pulling away, but the instant his lips touched her soft, moist ones, a pair of snow-white arms wrapped around his neck.
“Mmph!”
It became a deep, lingering kiss, filled with unmistakable affection.
When Su Tiantian finally let him go, Chu Feng’s head was spinning. It wasn’t just from holding his breath for so long, but because of how boldly and passionately she had taken the initiative.
“Phew… Little rascal, are you ready?”
“S-Sister Tiantian… you know what I was about to ask, don’t you?”
“Mmm~ Who can say~?”
Su Tiantian wasn’t about to tell her little rascal that because her demon core resided inside his body, she could effortlessly glimpse his thoughts.
What she hadn’t expected, however, was that while the demon core was inside him, its quality had actually improved.
It seemed that the object within her little rascal’s dantian really was the Heaven-Mending Stone.
***
The morning had been devoted to swordsmanship theory. The afternoon, on the other hand, was for practical sword training, where students paired up to spar against one another.
By the time Chu Feng arrived, he had made it just in time.
The afternoon lessons weren’t held in the same classroom as the morning lecture, but in the Sword Hall. Chu Feng had been assigned to Sword Hall No. 8, which was located very close to Sword Hall No. 9, where Cao Yu had been teaching that morning.
However, because Hall No. 8 was so close to Hall No. 9, nearly all the female students from Halls No. 8 and No. 10 had gathered in Hall No. 9 instead. As a result, Halls No. 8 and No. 10 were left filled almost entirely with men, to the point that the atmosphere positively overflowed with masculine energy.
Meanwhile, the male students who originally belonged to Hall No. 9 had been forced to spread out between Halls No. 8 and No. 10.
At first, the academy had tried to stop it, but before long the female students simply returned to Hall No. 9 again. Left with no other choice, the academy eventually accepted the situation and responded by reducing the amount of time Cao Yu spent teaching.
When Chu Feng entered Sword Hall No. 8, everyone inside had already begun sparring.
But…
They were so weak…
Sensing the sword intent radiating from everyone present, Chu Feng found it disappointingly feeble. He felt he could fight any of them with just one hand.
“Heh, what is it? Can’t find a sparring partner?”
A familiar voice rang out. Turning his head, Chu Feng saw Qian. The same young master he had met earlier that morning.
“Aren’t you by yourself too, Young Master Qian?” Chu Feng replied calmly.
“Heh, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m nothing like you. If I want sparring partners, I can have as many as I like. And another thing—….’m not ‘Young Master Qian’. My surname is Qian, and my given name is Shao. My actual name is Qian Shao!” Qian Shao corrected him.
“There’s actually someone with a name like that!?” Chu Feng exclaimed, his eyes widening.
Hearing that, Qian Shao couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by his own name. Unfortunately, his parents had been absolutely determined to name him that.
“Hmph. We’re in the same boat. Your name is Xiang Gong, isn’t it? This Young Master has never heard of anyone with that name before either.”
The problem was…
That name was just an excuse I made up.
Chu Feng silently added to himself.
“Heh, kid. Seeing as you’re all by yourself, this young master will graciously lower himself and practice swordsmanship with you.”
“No need. I already have someone in mind to spar with.”
Chu Feng was worried that he might not be able to hold back and accidentally injure him. If that happened, he’d probably have to pay for the other party’s medical expenses.
Losing money was something he absolutely refused to do. It wasn’t as if he had so much to burn.
“Kid, stop pretending to be something you’re not. You just got here….how could you possibly already have someone to spar with? If you really do, I’ll get down on all fours and bark like a dog right here!”
Qian Shao declared with absolute confidence.
The moment he finished speaking, a commotion erupted throughout the Sword Hall.
Everyone turned to look, then froze in astonishment.
A woman dressed in flowing white had just entered.
Her graceful figure and fluttering white robes gave her an ethereal bearing, like an immortal descended from the heavens.
Her beautiful eyes were as cold as ice, and the aura she exuded clearly warned others to keep their distance. She was the very image of a cold, untouchable beauty.
The icy fairy took slow, elegant steps toward Chu Feng.
After stopping directly before him, face to face, she parted her crimson lips and softly said,
“…Xiang Gong.”
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