"Master, what should we do now?"
After everyone else had left, only Xia Xilou and Song Sheng remained in the great hall. Xia Xilou could no longer hide his anxious expression.
"Useless!" Venerable Song Sheng scolded, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes.
Xia Xilou clenched his fists, then softly said with a guilty tone, "It is my fault, disciple. I failed to secure the academy's influence earlier."
After all, he was his disciple and the only person he could rely on. Having scolded him once, Song Sheng didn't wish to say more. He simply waved his hand, "I will speak with Rong Bugui myself. You need not interfere. The immediate priority is to find the whereabouts of the Tianji Sword."
"Disciple has already had people searching. But Master, can we trust what Old Ancestor Xun said?" Xia Xilou did not believe the Xun family would tell them the truth.
Song Sheng let out a cold snort. "That old fox would not dare to deceive me. Moreover, I am now at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, with a deeper understanding of heavenly rules. I also have such a premonition."
"Congratulations on your further advancement, Master! In time, you will surely ascend and become the foremost figure on the Divine Revelation Continent!" Xia Xilou quickly congratulated him with a smile.
Song Sheng laughed heartily, clearly pleased by Xia Xilou's flattery.
"You, you!" Song Sheng tapped Xia Xilou's forehead, his gentle demeanor appearing more genuine.
Xia Xilou's expression remained unchanged, and he smiled lightly, "Disciple believes in you, Master."
"It is too soon to say such things."
Despite Song Sheng's words, he appeared confident. As long as his plans unfolded without a hitch, ascension would be within reach. Then, not only Qingyun and Qinglan, nor this God-forsaken Continent, but even the outer continents would not be able to contain him!
With this thought, Song Sheng confirmed with Xia Xilou again, "What is the situation with the people you arranged to enter the Sanghai Secret Realm?"
Xia Xilou said with a hint of smugness, "Wen Jiuyin did not notice anything amiss with those students this time."
"Master, please rest assured. Disciple has made preparations. Apart from Yun Youyue, this obvious pawn, disciple has also arranged several hidden pieces. Furthermore, if I heard Sect Master Rong correctly, Sect Master Li of the Supreme Sect has also made a move. This trial might not go as Qin Si wishes."
"Hmph!" The mere mention of Qin Si's name irked Song Sheng. He flicked his sleeves and snorted, "An ignorant brat who doesn't know his place. If it weren't for that damned Qinglan breaking through prematurely, I would have already..."
His words trailed off, filled with murderous intent.
Xia Xilou said gently, "Master, please calm your anger. Have you forgotten? In a short while, Venerable Qinglan will be attending a banquet in the outer continent."
Song Sheng's brow relaxed. "You speak the truth. This is a good opportunity. You must grasp it well."
"Yes."
...
On the other side, after Cui Ming watched Wen Jiuyin, Mu Xing, and the others leave, she said to Qin Si, "You were too reckless today. If Qinglan Venerable hadn't been here, and that old bastard Song Sheng had made a move, I wouldn't have been able to save you."
Qin Si's cultivation was still far from Song Sheng's level.
However, Qin Si clearly understood Song Sheng's intentions. He said solemnly, "He dares not."
Rather than killing him directly, Song Sheng and Xia Xilou clearly preferred to suppress him and seize control of the Divine Revelation Academy from his hands.
"He dares not openly, but in secret... who?"
Cui Ming vigilantly vanished from her spot and returned moments later, dragging a dead body.
She tossed the corpse in front of Qin Si. "See for yourself. Wasn't someone here to kill you?"
A cultivator in the early Nascent Soul stage. Song Sheng had certainly made a considerable effort.
"It seems Song Sheng borrowed manpower from the outer continent. Once Venerable Qinglan departs, you will be in even greater danger."
Cui Ming frowned tightly. "Why don't you also go to the secret realm for training? Like that young girl, it would be safer."
Qin Si shook his head. "No need. I cannot leave the academy during this period."
Seeing Cui Ming's confusion, Qin Si explained, "The academy cannot be controlled by Xia Xilou's people. One dean has left today, and another might come tomorrow. Wen Jiuyin and the others' cultivation is not superior to Xia Xilou's. Only by me being here can we ensure the academy remains aligned with our continent."
His voice deepened.
"Cui Ming, you must have sensed it. Our continent's barrier will not last much longer. If the Divine Revelation Academy remains a dependency of the outer continent, then when the barrier shatters, how will our continent's cultivators and ordinary people fare? Will they still be treated as abandoned slaves? Would their lives not be worse than when the barrier existed?"
Qin Si did not consider himself a selfless hero who cared only for the greater good of the world. However, on this matter, he held his ground.
It was not just because he had once promised someone to protect this world, but more so because he had his own principles.
As cultivators, they should know what to do and what not to do.
"Fine, if you have so many reasons, then my husband and I will not be going out for a while. Let Wen Jiuyin and Qian Ying handle the matters of the Heaven Mending Squad."
Cui Ming soared into the sky and flew away, as if afraid Qin Si would disagree.
Qin Si shook his head and smiled. He then took out a small bell from his storage bag and shook it. The bell made no sound, but a moment later, a shadowy figure appeared before him.
"Master, what are your orders?"
If Xia Xilou were present, he would have become even more wary of Qin Si, because this shadowy figure's cultivation had already reached the mid-stage of Nascent Soul!
One must realize that Xia Xilou himself was only at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul!
"What is the situation with the royal family?"
"As per your instructions, our people have been monitoring. Currently, besides the Great Ning Dynasty, cultivators from the outer continents have appeared in the Golden Sparrow Kingdom and Qi Zhou Kingdom. One of them has been newly enfeoffed as the Imperial Preceptor by the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's royal family. Also, Master, the Crown Prince seems to suspect your identity."
Qin Si had been absent from the capital for a long time. The Crown Prince of the Great Ning Dynasty, who was the Third Prince back then, naturally wanted to investigate him while also harboring apprehension.
"No need to worry about it for now." Qin Si pondered for a moment and instructed, "Withdraw our personnel from Qi Zhou Kingdom and the Great Ning Dynasty. Go to these secret realms and find something for me."
Qin Si waved his hand, and an image appeared in mid-air.
However, whether due to limitations of the rules or not, the image only lasted for three breaths before dissipating in the air, though Qin Si's actions did not stop.
But Qin Si was not surprised.
He asked the shadowy figure, "Did you record it?"
"Recorded."
"Then go. I will be staying at the academy during this time. Inform me immediately if you get any news."
"Yes."
After the shadowy figure left, Qin Si went out towards Zhen Dan Peak. In just this short journey, he encountered three waves of assassination attempts.
Clearly, today's events had agitated certain individuals.
However, Qin Si was not flustered. He killed those who came to assassinate him, captured some, and increasingly brazenly roamed the academy.
The people orchestrating the assassinations from behind were instead angered to the point of spitting blood!
...
Inside the Sanghai Secret Realm.
A year had passed since Bai Shengyi and his group entered the secret realm. In this past year, the spiritual mansions within the secret realm had become no secret among the seeds. The competition for the spiritual mansion keys had also entered a white-hot stage.
As Bai Shengyi and his entourage traveled westward, they did not have a moment's peace.
"Where is Sun Chongyang?" Bai Shengyi looked up at the clear blue sky and grassland stretching to the horizon, feeling a sense of unease.
Sun Ling blinked in surprise. "Didn't he say he returned first?"
About half a year ago, after Sun Chongyang's eyes were healed by Bai Shengyi, he shamelessly insisted on following Bai Shengyi and Sun Ling.
Initially, Bai Shengyi and Sun Ling coldly refused. However, the man followed them from a moderate distance, like a haunting shadow. In such a situation, Bai Shengyi felt it was better to keep him under their watch, so they had no choice but to agree.
After half a year of adjustment, the three of them got along reasonably well. The main reason was that Sun Chongyang was very well-behaved and articulate. At least Sun Ling had a better impression of him. Two days ago, she even told Bai Shengyi that she felt her previous evaluation of Sun Chongyang was biased.
However, Bai Shengyi had never let down his guard against Sun Chongyang. Thus, he immediately sensed something was amiss.
"When did he tell you that?" Bai Shengyi frowned slightly, the feeling of unease intensifying.