Li Yunxian walked briskly toward the treatment area exit, but she hadn’t gone far before she saw Su Wenjing again up ahead.
She walked over to him, speechless.
“Aren’t you usually the type to stay out of other people’s business? How come there’s so much going on now?” Li Yunxian didn’t bother with politeness as she teased Su Wenjing.
Su Wenjing looked at her silently.
Did he want to interfere that badly?
He knew he couldn’t outtalk Li Yunxian, so he simply said, “Du Sen just wanted to thank you.”
Li Yunxian looked at Su Wenjing in surprise, as if he had said something strange. “Of course I saw that.”
“But if I let him thank me, how could I scold him afterwards?”
Li Yunxian was being deliberate. Watching Du Sen’s changing expression, she was certain he knew she was doing it on purpose.
So Du Sen should be especially angry.
But Li Yunxian didn’t care.
She was only surprised that Su Wenjing, this old fox who had lived for thousands of years, didn’t see through it.
Looking at Li Yunxian, who had also lived for thousands of years yet still freely joked, scolded, and teased, Su Wenjing sighed helplessly and said, “Actually, Du Sen used to…”
“Stop!” Li Yunxian made a hand gesture signaling Su Wenjing to shut up. “I’m not interested in what he used to be like.”
“I don’t intend to make friends with him.”
Su Wenjing sighed, “He’s not an enemy.”
Li Yunxian stared at Su Wenjing in disbelief. “You’re really strange. If you don’t make friends, then you’re an enemy? What kind of weird idea is that?”
“You don’t think being friends is the only way to be allies, do you?”
“Because if that’s the case, no matter how energetic I am, I couldn’t have that many allies,” Li Yunxian complained.
After saying this, Li Yunxian suddenly realized that in the Reality World, the public’s view of right and wrong was extremely clear-cut.
Maybe that was really the mindset Su Wenjing held.
Li Yunxian roughly explained to Su Wenjing, “The world I lived in before was more chaotic. Good, evil, humans, demons, and beasts were all mixed together.”
“Today you kill me; tomorrow I kill you. We feud one day and join forces the next — that kind of thing happened all the time.”
“As long as the goals were aligned, I’ve teamed up with the Demonic Path plenty of times.”
“For me, as long as someone isn’t a complete enemy, there’s a chance to be comrades. Even with enemies, I can cooperate without problems.”
“For example, Miaoying in ‘All Things,’ Yu Juanshu when fighting Jindan, and those Jindan in the Secret Realm — I managed to achieve all my objectives smoothly.”
“It’s like I’ve already proven it twice against you, Su Wenjing, and you haven’t even noticed anything wrong.”
“Don’t worry about what I’ll do to Du Sen. I don’t have the mindset of making anyone disappear just because I can’t stand them.”
Feeling she had explained herself clearly, Li Yunxian took a step forward and casually patted Su Wenjing’s arm as they passed each other.
“As long as he doesn’t keep targeting me, I won’t target him either.”
With that, Li Yunxian waved casually at Su Wenjing as a farewell.
Su Wenjing quietly watched Li Yunxian’s retreating figure for a long while, recalling how she had treated Yu Qiyao and the others, then reconsidering how she treated him.
Suddenly, Su Wenjing wanted to ask: where did he stand with Li Yunxian — someone she could be friends with or someone she didn’t want to be friends with?
***
The next day, Li Yunxian arrived at the arena.
She saw Yu Qiyao.
She saw Du Rong, whose wounds had healed but was now an ordinary person.
And she saw Yu Juanshu, still weak and confined to a wheelchair.
She watched Yu Qiyao suppress her cultivation, beating Du Rong until he fled in tears and panic.
When the two finally decided the match’s outcome, Yu Qiyao’s cultivation fluctuated, and she advanced to Qi Refinement Fifth Layer right there on the arena.
After Du Rong was given simple treatment, he was sent back to the arena, and a second challenger stepped forward.
The challenger also sealed their cultivation.
At first, Du Rong still shouted angrily at the opponent, accusing them of bullying and promising that once his father came back, he would settle the score.
But as the pain and fear mounted, and he realized his words did nothing to lessen the beating, Du Rong began desperately crying to Yu Juanshu for help like a drowning man clutching at a straw.
“I know I was wrong! Please save me!” he pleaded.
Yu Juanshu closed his eyes.
He finally steeled himself and ignored Du Rong’s requests.
Seeing Yu Juanshu’s indifference, Du Rong started cursing him bitterly, but Yu Juanshu remained unmoved, determined to stop those people.
Du Rong finally realized that none of his past tricks could save him.
He began sobbing and begging those he had bullied, resisting treatment and struggling not to return to the arena.
But it was useless.
The signed Contract had to be fulfilled.
Du Rong was still mercilessly sent back to the arena.
He didn’t notice that there were fewer opponents now, that the attacks on him were lighter, and that some of the classmates he had bullied had started feeling pity for him.
He only felt that the arena was hell — an endless torment that would never cease.
After who knows how long, Du Rong’s pleas turned into a roar.
His eyes were furious and wide open.
The long whip in his hand had long disappeared somewhere.
Collapsing on the ground, he opened his mouth wide and bit down with all his strength on his opponent’s leg.
Du Rong heard laughter.
“That’s more like it.”
His heart trembled.
“Come on, coward! Keep going!” the opponent taunted wildly.
Yu Juanshu stared blankly at the arena, watching Du Rong start fighting for his life.
“Your world, built with Du Sen, has collapsed. He’s finally learned to walk on his own and build his own world.”
Those cold words echoed in Yu Juanshu’s ears.
“But it’s already too late.”
Yu Juanshu suddenly felt warmth wet his face.
He touched it and realized it was his own tears.
Only now did he truly understand the mistakes he had made.
The threshold between Yu Juanshu and Foundation Establishment loosened.
He finally touched Foundation Establishment.
At a cost he was unwilling to pay.
***
Li Yunxian left the arena.
There was nothing left worth watching here.
At noon, Li Yunxian saw group messages revealing that an hour after she left, all challenges against Du Rong had ended.
After simple treatment, Du Rong was sent to Heavenly Rift Ice Valley.
Yu Juanshu and others who had broken through Qi Refinement Grand Completion after entering the Secret Realm chose to go into seclusion.
When they reappeared, they would presumably have entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and be ready to leave the academy.
It was said Yu Juanshu’s intention was to join the most rigorously managed Jun Wei Dui.
The frontline in battles against the alien tribes.
“Seems like the Du family incident scared a lot of people. I heard many of the arrogant second-generation students at the academy got a scolding from their families — pretty funny.”
“Feels like the academy’s atmosphere has improved.”
After scanning the group chat, Li Yunxian closed her phone and headed toward Building 3.
Below the teaching building, Li Yunxian suddenly stopped and looked up at Classroom 1007.
Her spiritual perception sensed something.
Li Yunxian couldn’t help but chuckle.
Standing at the door of Classroom 1007, Li Yunxian reached out and swiped open the door.
Bang—!
Fireworks exploded above her head, showering the room with countless colorful ribbons.
“Happy new semester, Teacher Li!!” the students inside shouted joyfully.
“Congratulations on the new term!”
“Teacher, if you ever need help grabbing classes, I’ll help! I’m super fast, I can even get your classes!”
“I’m often at the gym, if you need, I can be your sparring partner!”
“I can, too…”
Li Yunxian hugged the bouquet that had been slipped into her arms at some unknown time and smiled gently.
“Alright.” Li Yunxian responded.