Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Lian Chengkong looked down at the compass in his hand; it didn't display the location of Jing Feiyue's spatial ring.

That spatial ring might have fallen into the secret realm. If Jing Feiyue had been killed, then the student responsible would certainly have taken her spatial ring. Maybe she was killed by a beast within the realm.

Realizing that both disciples he had carefully nurtured were lost in the secret realm made Lian Chengkong age suddenly.

Bear Wei looked at Lian Chengkong's expression, feeling a pang of sympathy.

Lian Chengkong had two disciples with level eight aptitudes, and he had always kept them hidden like treasures. Had it not been for the opening of the secret realm, Bear Wei wouldn't have known of their existence.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Lian Chengkong had invested so much into training them, but both were silently lost in the secret realm, with none returning.

Yin Zong's death had struck Kong Sha deeply, but knowing that both of Lian Chengkong's disciples had died made Kong Sha feel slightly better.

Kong Sha looked at Lu Yao, thinking: At least I still have one disciple left, while both of Lian Chengkong's are gone.

Kong Sha glared at Mu Chen and Ye Shi. Ye Shi fearlessly made a face at him, making Kong Sha's face turn ashen.

Jing Chiyang found Ye Shi's antics somewhat amusing.

No matter how talented someone is, in death, they are just another corpse. Kong Sha didn't turn against Yin Zong and Shengxing.

Despite the successful expedition into the secret realm by both academies, the deaths of the two headmasters' disciples cast a shadow over the entire journey.

...

"Disciple, you're truly amazing! Even an eight-star martial spirit is no match for you. You managed to turn Kong Sha green with envy. No one's ever done that before!" Jing Chiyang praised Ye Shi admiringly.

Ye Shi boasted, "It's just an eight-star martial spirit. Easily handled, really. It's not a big deal."

Jing Chiyang rolled his eyes, "Praise you a little, and you get all puffed up. I've heard the tales. Your victory was thanks to the formation and a bit of luck."

Ye Shi defended, "My own strength played a crucial role."

Jing Chiyang shook his head in resignation, "Without Mu Chen, you wouldn't be bragging here."

Ye Shi rubbed his nose, admitting, "Mu Chen is indeed formidable."

Jing Chiyang narrowed his eyes. Initially, everyone in the Mingyue Academy believed that Yin Zong had killed both Mu Chen and Ye Shi. However, the reality was quite the opposite, much to their dismay.

"It's strange. Jing Feili was killed by Yin Zong, but how did Jing Feiyue die? She was a four-star martial spirit. Even without encountering Yin Zong, she should have been able to defend herself," Jing Chiyang pondered.

Hearing Jing Chiyang's words, Ye Shi's heart raced.

"Maybe some monster thought she was pretty and took her as his wife," Ye Shi joked evasively.

"You! Always spouting nonsense. Let it be. She's gone now, and pondering over her death brings no solace," Jing Chiyang said with a resigned smile, shaking his head and sighing.

Seeing Jing Chiyang drop the subject, Ye Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master, what happened with Shi Ziyu?" Ye Shi inquired.

Jing Chiyang's expression darkened. Shi Ziyu, a spy from the Mingyue Academy, was discovered and promptly dealt with by the headmaster.

Originally from the Fran Empire, Shi Ziyu had been hiding in the Xuanfeng Empire for decades before infiltrating Shengxing, clearly with ulterior motives.

All the academy's attention had been on Shi Ziyu, but during the chaos, Zhuang Yu fled with those from the Mingyue Academy.

The headmaster had initially suspected Shi Ziyu's intentions but believed Zhuang Yu had some loyalty to the academy. Thus, he sent someone to persuade Zhuang Yu to return.

However, Zhuang Yu felt that the academy had unjustly killed her master and harbored deep resentment.

The death of his two disciples had already devastated the headmaster, and Zhuang Yu's actions pushed him closer to a breakdown.

"Shi Zi Yu has passed away, and Zhuang Yu left with the people from Mingyue Academy."

Ye Shi narrowed his eyes, saying, "He's gone, good. Always in my sight, such an eyesore."

"It's a pity that the academy invested so much in Zhuang Yu. And yet, the young man left without a trace." Jing Chiyang shook his head, expressing his helplessness.

Ye Shi smirked, "Before the martial competition, the academy poured resources into Zhuang Yu to boost his cultivation. And in the end, did they just dress another man for his wedding?"

"I never realized that Zhuang Yu, who always appeared weak and delicate, could be so ruthless," Jing Chiyang remarked, frowning.

"Zhuang Yu had an eighth-tier aptitude! Moreover, he possessed the rare Yin physique. I've heard he also has a special spirit eye. Such a promising student, yet he was lured away by the people from Mingyue Academy. What a pity."

"Master, you're really not insightful! At one glance, I could tell Zhuang Yu is ruthless, deceitful, two-faced, and backstabbing," Ye Shi said with a hint of pride.

Jing Chiyang smiled helplessly, "Indeed, your judgment is unparalleled."

"I'm actually glad Zhuang Yu is gone," Ye Shi said, almost gleefully.

"Why? What's good about him leaving?" Jing Chiyang asked.

"He's the type to betray from within. It's better he left earlier rather than later," Ye Shi responded matter-of-factly.

Jing Chiyang chuckled, "True enough."

"I've heard Zhuang Yu helped Lu Yao find several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs in the secret realm. Seems like Zhuang Yu and Lu Yao have been in cahoots for a while."

"Who would've thought? Zhuang Yu is really something!"

"Lan Ruofeng died in the secret realm," Jing Chiyang said, looking contemplatively at Ye Shi.

Ye Shi nodded indifferently, "Well, he had it coming."

Jing Chiyang looked at Ye Shi's gloating face but chose not to ask if Lan Ruofeng's death was connected to him.

"The dean has been in a foul mood lately. Stay out of his way and avoid drawing his attention," Jing Chiyang advised earnestly.

Ye Shi nodded obediently, "Understood."

Ye Shi hung his head. He never intended to appear in front of the dean in the first place. Although no one witnessed Jing Feiyue's murder, it wasn't guaranteed that no evidence remained. It would be wise for him to lie low for now. Once the storm passes, even if the dean discovers he was the murderer, the issue would likely be buried.

...

After some rest, both Mu Chen and Ye Shi began their closed-door training.

Both had consumed pills refined from the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs in the secret realm. The effects of the medicine still resided within them, and they hadn't used up the spirit stones they acquired.

The sudden appearance of Yin Zong and the Jing siblings in the secret realm made Mu Chen realize the existence of formidable rivals in this world.

The alliance between Lu Yao and Zhuang Yu added pressure on Mu Chen. He understood that if he didn't strive harder, he'd easily be surpassed and then overshadowed.

After a month of seclusion, Mu Chen fully assimilated the medicinal effects and used up the sixty spirit stones he found in the secret realm.

Upon emerging, Mu Chen had advanced to a four-star martial spirit level. To his surprise, Ye Shi also reached the same level, catching up to him.

"Shi, you've made rapid progress!" Mu Chen remarked, appraising Ye Shi with a smile.

Ye Shi scratched his head, "Really?"

Having used up the sixty high-quality spirit stones, Ye Shi was left with no choice but to use regular ones. After getting accustomed to high-grade stones, he found the lower-grade ones to be insufficient.

"Indeed!" Mu Chen replied.

The innate eighth-tier aptitude indeed differed from the acquired one. Observing Ye Shi, Mu Chen couldn't help but ponder.

"I need to work harder to keep up with the genuine eighth-tier talents!" Mu Chen thought.

"Both of you have finished your seclusion?" Xiong Wei approached with his hands behind his back, looking at them calmly.

"Yes, Master," Mu Chen replied respectfully.

Xiong Wei looked at the two of them, smiling slightly. At just fourteen, both were already at a four-star martial spirit level. The dean's disciples, in contrast, had reached the same level at eighteen.

"I'm planning a trip to Tianxin City. Would you two like to come and take a look?" Xiong Wei offered.

"Tianxin City?" Ye Shi blinked in surprise.

Mu Chen squinted. Tianxin City was known as a commercial hub. It was said that as long as you had spirit stones, anything could be bought there.

Not governed by any nation, Tianxin City was managed by several powerful factions, each with their own Martial Emperor overseeing the city.

The thought of the bustling city excited Mu Chen. Given his current cultivation bottleneck, traveling might prove beneficial over isolated cultivation.

"Senior, have you set your sights on something particular?" Ye Shi asked.

Xiong Wei nodded, remarking, "Indeed! I heard there's an auction in Tianxin City where a piece of mysterious ice jade as big as a basin will be on sale."

If he could obtain this item, his cultivation level would swiftly advance to the second star.

Reaching the level of cultivation that Xiong Wei has is quite challenging. Many martial emperors take decades, even centuries, to transition from the first to the second star.

With such an opportunity at hand, Xiong Wei wouldn't want to let it slip away lightly.

"That item must be expensive, right?" Ye Shi inquired.

Xiong Wei nodded again, replying, "Indeed! The starting bid is three billion."

Ye Shi's eyes widened in shock. A starting bid of three billion — what would be the final price?

Skeptically, Ye Shi gazed at Xiong Wei and said, "With a starting bid of three billion, why even bother going? You can't afford it."

"What kind of remark is that?" Xiong Wei retorted, glaring at Ye Shi.

Ye Shi scoffed, thinking, 'I'm only stating the truth. Xiong Wei has always been poor!'

"The dean granted me five billion in elemental stones, and I have some savings of my own," Xiong Wei stated, producing a card of elemental stones.

Ye Shi stared at the card in Xiong Wei's hand, his eyes glittering with greed. "Five billion! The dean truly is affluent!"

Noticing Ye Shi's greedy gaze, Xiong Wei warned, "Don't even think about it!"

"Senior, you mentioned savings. Just how much do you have?" Ye Shi curiously asked.

"Five million," Xiong Wei replied, sounding somewhat dejected.

Ye Shi: "..."

"Only five million?" Ye Shi sized up Xiong Wei with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Xiong Wei, angered by Ye Shi's reaction, fumed silently.

"What's with that expression?" Xiong Wei demanded.

"Senior, you're a martial emperor. And yet, a martial emperor like you has only five million in savings," Ye Shi murmured.

So what if he's a martial emperor? Can't a martial emperor be impoverished?