Chapter 150: Something seems off

The past two days passed peacefully. Once the restoration of Battle Valley was confirmed, Li Yunxian and her companions bid farewell to the people of Pingnan.

Mainly, it was Li Tiansuo who handled the farewell pleasantries.

As a technically inclined cultivator, this was the first time such a duty had fallen to her.

The presidents of the four major academies, seeing the matter settled, had long since returned to resume their unfinished meetings.

Su Wenjing, whether inwardly or outwardly, maintained his cold and detached air, never getting involved in anything.

As for the remaining Li Yunxian, she was merely a student.

In this situation, the task of making social farewells really did fall solely to Li Tiansuo.

Li Yunxian half-listened to these formalities, her eyes glancing at Su Wenjing.

Although this fox’s expression was as cold as ever, for some reason, Li Yunxian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

It seemed like he was in a foul mood.

“Did you lose an argument with someone?” Li Yunxian sent a sound transmission to Su Wenjing.

Every time she annoyed the fox, he looked just like this.

Su Wenjing:

This was even worse than losing an argument.

He had gone to them willingly, only to be told he wasn’t needed at all…

Fortunately, no one knew.

But still…

Since Li Yunxian had shown concern for him…

“You only want to ask about this?” Su Wenjing’s voice was reserved. “We’re about to return to Tiantong—don’t you want to ask me something else?”

Li Yunxian blinked, immediately ‘catching’ the meaning behind Su Wenjing’s question.

It was a trivial matter; she didn’t mind satisfying the fox’s wishes a little.

She asked, “When we get back, if I enter the Blood Pool and go directly to the Jindan District, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“With my current cultivation strength, I feel I can temper my body two more times.”

“Does the Jindan District have enough energy?”

The good news was, Li Yunxian had indeed asked something else.

The bad news was, what Li Yunxian cared about had nothing to do with what Su Wenjing had in mind.

Moreover… Su Wenjing could tell that Li Yunxian’s question was a bit like she was trying to cheer him up.

After all, from the questions, it was easy to see she had already thought it through.

Thinking back to her initial question.

Clearly, Li Yunxian had noticed his bad mood and was smoothing his fur.

Su Wenjing, who had lived for many years and understood these subtle twists and turns:

Felt an odd, flattered feeling.

Su Wenjing coughed lightly, calmly saying, “More or less. You’d be too conspicuous in the Yuanying District. If there isn’t enough energy, I’ll make up for it for you.”

Li Yunxian was stunned. “You’ll make up for it? You mean you’ll use your own blood in the Blood Pool??”

Li Yunxian was utterly shocked.

When she came back, she was using her old body. Except for her soul, which had reached the Tribulation-Transcending level, everything else started over.

But Su Wenjing’s cultivation had fallen dramatically; Li Yunxian guessed it was just physical injuries or damaged Xindan, but his physical strength must still be at the Tribulation-Transcending level.

With a body like that, he was even willing to use his demon blood to boost the cultivation of Tiantong’s teachers and students…

Li Yunxian felt that at this moment, Su Wenjing was practically radiating holy light.

Su Wenjing’s mouth twitched.

He practiced the righteous path, not Buddhism’s self-sacrificing, “cutting flesh to feed eagles” doctrine.

“So many demon creatures died during the great tribulation; I stored them all in my space. Why would I use my own blood?!” Su Wenjing felt that Li Yunxian must have some misconceptions about him.

Li Yunxian immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “You scared me to death.”

“You’re the one who scared me to death.” Su Wenjing retorted helplessly.

“You could be a little clearer.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you saw me as such a noble and glorious figure.”

Li Tiansuo finished her social farewells, turned back to the two behind her, her eyes filled with some confusion.

Her student and Su Wenjing were standing on opposite sides, with no interaction, yet for some inexplicable reason, there was an intense air between them.

That feeling… perhaps it could be called “killing intent”?

Li Tianying felt her realization in that moment was too ridiculous, and couldn’t help but smile, saying to the two, “Let’s head back.”

The two who had been ‘arguing’ paused and realized the situation.

“Alright.” “Mm.” The two spoke simultaneously.

Their different voices collided in the air, and they glanced at each other.

Both sets of eyes were reserved and icy cold.

Li Tiansuo: “?” Something about this seemed off.

The three returned to Tiantong. After completing registration, the news that Li Yunxian had reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment instantly swept across the whole academy.

Li Yunxian had graduated!!

Everyone had expected her to graduate quickly, but no one thought it would be this fast.

The leap from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment was a major barrier.

Or rather, each breakthrough was a huge hurdle. Besides Xindan, the reason was that, relying solely on theory, it was hard to truly understand how to open the Dantian after breaking through the final aperture.

Everyone tended to take it slow and steady.

Most students would linger at the “great perfection” stage for months, even over half a year.

But Li Yunxian hadn’t done this at all.

She left at the eighth level of Qi Refinement and returned already at Foundation Establishment.

And it was the mid-stage!

It had taken her only one year and two months!!

She had directly shattered the academy’s near-century record for fastest graduation.

Everyone was shocked, but then a sense of loss crept in as their academy’s living legend was about to depart.

Who knew when—if ever—they’d cross paths with Li Yunxian again?

Perhaps in a few years. Perhaps never.

Li Yunxian had helped quite a few people during her time at the academy, so now, before she left, people hurriedly came, gifts in hand, to her villa.

On their way, they naturally ran into others with the same intention.

Not long after, they met yet more people at the entrance to the Ivy Villa District.

In the end, outside Li Yunxian’s villa, they saw even more people—one group after another, after another… so many people.

Alive.

Looking at the sea of people, at least two or three hundred strong, everyone was stunned:

In the year-plus at the academy, Li Yunxian had spent a third of her time at other academies.

During the other two-thirds, she mostly followed a three-point routine, seeming solitary, never joining in student activities.

So… how did she have such good connections?!

Shouldn’t she be fairly average in terms of friends…

So why were there so many people!!!

Asking around, this group was her cohort—all second-years.

Ask again, these were students once taught by “Assistant Hua.”

Continue asking, these were ones who had studied and solved problems with her in the workshop.

And those over there had been comforted or encouraged by Li Yunxian in passing.

Others had been given tips and advice by her.

Some had even been discreetly helped financially by her in times of hardship.

All sorts.

Everyone listening…

Most people’s “three-point routine” just meant commuting. How had Li Yunxian managed to do so much while going back and forth?

Some had been at the academy for two or three years and still didn’t know as many people as she did!

Was that even possible?

And after the shock, everyone was faced with a more pressing issue.

Where was Li Yunxian?

No doubt, with so many people here and not a peep from the villa, she definitely wasn’t inside.

Messages and calls all went unanswered.

If it hadn’t been officially recorded at registration that Li Yunxian had returned to the academy, people would’ve doubted the news.

Luckily, real news traveled fast.

“Someone saw Sister Xian at the Blood Pool!” someone called out.

Everyone froze.

As long as you had enough credits, and your graduation wasn’t finalized, using credits to access the Blood Pool was routine.

But why hadn’t there been word that Li Yunxian went to the Blood Pool?

The route from the registration office to the Blood Pool was quite a distance, and the only path there passed through the always-crowded arena area.

If anyone had seen Li Yunxian on the way, news would’ve spread everywhere—they wouldn’t all be at Ivy Villa.

The answer was simple.

“Heh, at first I thought I was seeing things, but Sister Xian’s figure seemed to just appear at the Blood Pool entrance,” someone messaged from the arena area.

Skeptics and believers both spoke up. In the end, a teaching assistant mixed into the crowd said, “Actually… in theory, Foundation Establishment can use Shukudi Chengcun.”

But the words “in theory” showed that no one had ever actually seen anyone do it.

The crowd at Li Yunxian’s villa:

They all knew, Li Yunxian wasn’t someone bound by theory.

“Monster!”

Someone cried out in dismay.

On Li Yunxian’s side, she hadn’t expected that, after submitting her cultivation for graduation, so many would come looking for her.

All she had in mind was the exchange program on another planet in twenty days.

Uncertain how long she’d need for Blood Refinement, Li Yunxian let her teacher know, then wasted no time heading to the Blood Pool.

She paid 500 credits and entered smoothly.

Her second time here, Li Yunxian was already quite familiar with the place—and she ran into someone equally familiar.

“Yunxian?” Duan Qiu’s eyes widened as she looked at Li Yunxian.

She was currently at the peak of Jindan, and could clearly sense Li Yunxian’s current cultivation.

Duan Qiu had first met Li Yunxian a year and a half ago, which to someone who had cultivated for over a hundred years, was a mere blink.

But now…

She had reached Foundation Establishment?!

“Long time no see.” Li Yunxian greeted Duan Qiu.

Duan Qiu marveled, a bit regretful she hadn’t worked harder to recruit her as a student.

If only she had a student like this—it’d be such a point of pride!

But Duan Qiu only let herself imagine.

Seeing Li Yunxian here, she knew exactly why.

Duan Qiu waved her over. “The Blood Pool for Foundation Establishment and Jindan is in the same direction—follow me.”

Li Yunxian didn’t refuse, though she wanted to explain that she wasn’t headed to the Foundation Establishment pool. But the warm, chatty Duan Qiu didn’t give her a chance to speak.

She continued, “Students only need five hundred credits. With a bit of effort, most can get in at least once, so the Qi Refinement pool is large, a separate area.”

“We faculty have to pay by cultivation level,” Duan Qiu said, her tone tinged with pain.

Clearly, the cost for Jindan peak was no small sum.

“I only came once at early Jindan. I’d planned to wait until Yuanying to come again.”

At this, Duan Qiu praised her, “Waiting until mid-Foundation Establishment like you, that’s the best use of five hundred credits…”

Li Yunxian didn’t pay much attention to the compliments.

Instead, she used a pause to ask, “Assistant Duan, did something happen at the academy? Why did you come to the Blood Pool before reaching Yuanying?”

Li Yunxian had immediately caught the implication in Duan Qiu’s words.

Duan Qiu was momentarily speechless.

She hadn’t expected a slip of the tongue to reveal so much.

But it wasn’t particularly classified or forbidden information.

Duan Qiu’s expression barely changed, only vaguely replying, “It’s nothing. Just that I’ll soon be leaving the academy for an exchange elsewhere.”

Academy exchanges were common, so even if Li Yunxian later found herself away from the academy, she wouldn’t think much of it.

After this vague answer, Duan Qiu pointed, “This is the Foundation Establishment Blood Pool.”

Li Yunxian didn’t move, looking a little embarrassed. “Actually, I’m headed to the Jindan Blood Pool…”

Duan Qiu: “?”

Seeing that Duan Qiu was about to try to persuade her otherwise, Li Yunxian quickly interrupted, “Assistant Duan, the place you’re going for exchange—is it outside of Shenzhou?”

Duan Qiu’s words were stuck in her throat: “……???”

“How did you know?” Duan Qiu was astonished. “Did Professor Li tell you?”

Li Yunxian didn’t answer; it would have been too troublesome to explain.

She just kept her slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m also one of the exchange candidates.”

Simple and direct.

As for the rest—like how she knew, or why she was going to the Jindan Blood Pool—she left that for the other to figure out.

Perfect.

Duan Qiu, stunned by the sheer amount of information:

Ah?!