Chapter 478: Returning to the North-Western Region

The Heavenly Court launched a sudden attack on the Hall of Souls.

As news of this attack spread, it sent shockwaves throughout the Central Plains.

Both the Earth Hall and the Man Hall were destroyed, and with them, seven or eight branch halls of the Hall of Souls suffered the same fate.

Many powerful people in these branch halls met their demise, and in the Hall of Souls itself, half of its experts were wiped out. It didn't matter if they were Dou Venerates, Half-Saints, or low-level Dou Saints; when Xiao Ming decided to kill, they were killed.

The Hall of Souls' ability to intimidate people across the continent had been built on the shoulders of these formidable individuals. Without them, the power of the Hall of Souls was reduced by more than half, and it gradually became the target of everyone's wrath.

In truth, the Hall of Souls had been widely despised for years, especially as their actions became more brazen. People harbored a deep-seated hatred for them, but their formidable strength had kept most from openly challenging them.

Now that the Heavenly Court had taken the initiative, it was truly a cause for celebration.

Of course, while many people were pleased with this turn of events, they were also keeping a close eye on the Hall of Souls, wondering if they would launch a fierce counterattack.

But to everyone's surprise, the Hall of Souls began to withdraw its defenses on all fronts in the period that followed.

The losses were simply too great, and they had no choice but to retreat and wait for reinforcements from the clan before attempting to expand again.

It was safe to say that this time the Heavenly Court had dealt the Hall of Souls a crippling blow.

...

North-Western Region, Crimson Sand Plains.

Winds whipped swirling sands across the boundless plains as a blood-red evening sun hung low in the distant sky. Its faint crimson glow draped the land in a sheer scarlet veil, casting a subtle but eerie crimson hue.

Hiss!

Human presence was a rare sight on these desolate plains, where the only sound was the incessant howling of the wind.

Then, at a certain moment, the empty space rippled with intense spatial fluctuations. Soon after, a massive spatial black hole, tens of meters wide, slowly formed.

As the spatial black hole took shape, waves of fluctuating energy filled its interior. Moments later, two figures stepped out gracefully, traversing the empty space before gently descending onto the plain.

Zi Yan looked around, blinked her eyes, and asked, "Xiao Ming, this doesn't seem to be the location of the Jia Nan Academy, does it?"

Xiao Ming scratched his head and looked somewhat embarrassed as he replied, "Uh, well, there was a slight discrepancy in determining the exact spatial coordinates. It couldn't be helped."

Xiao Ming and Zi Yan ended up here because the former had received certain information while using the simulator. Combined with his long absence from the North-Western Region, he had temporarily put aside his current duties to return.

What left Xiao Ming somewhat helpless, however, was that although the Heavenly Court had established a branch in the Northwest Region, there was no direct wormhole to the remote location of the Jia Nan Academy in the Black-Corner Region. Similarly, there was no direct wormhole to the Jia Ma Empire. This was because the ongoing conflicts in the region weren't there.

Therefore, Xiao Ming and Zi Yan had to traverse the void on their own, and given the considerable distance involved, a slight deviation led to their current mishap.

Fortunately, Xiao Ming was now in the Dou Saint realm, and the distance resulting from this minor error was insignificant.

After confirming their direction once more, Xiao Ming opened a spatial rift and stepped through with Zi Yan.

When they emerged, they found themselves on the vast, boundless black plains.

They had arrived at the Great Plains of the Black Region!

...

The Jia Nan Academy experienced a significant surge in development in recent years, and several key factors contributed to this growth.

First, a few years ago, the Jia Nan Academy wiped out several sects in the Black-Corner Region. Even the Ground Fire Sect, which had a seven-star Dou Ancestor, had been wiped out due to a certain event. As a result, Jia Nan Academy's dominance over the Black-Corner Region was firmly re-established.

Second, because the Jia Nan Academy had produced a talent like Xiao Ming, various clans were more inclined to send their own geniuses to cultivate at the Academy. For various reasons, many of the most powerful clans had previously been reluctant to do so. However, this situation underwent a profound change, resulting in a significant increase in the number of exceptionally talented students enrolled in the Academy.

Third, the Alchemy Department of the Jia Nan Academy was headed by a sixth-tier Alchemist, which attracted a large number of alchemist talents. This influx in turn improved the quality of the Academy's teaching staff, allowing it to meet the expectations of those clans.

These three factors combined to drive the development of Jia Nan Academy, allowing it to flourish more than ever before.

...

Today was a special day for Jia Nan Academy, as it was the day for new students to enroll and for senior students to be promoted to the Inner Academy. To mark the occasion, the Academy held a grand ceremony that filled the grounds with joy.

In the ceremony square, it seemed as if a sea of people had gathered, their voices forming a resounding chorus that rose to the sky.

Several not-so-small platforms had been set up in the center of the square. Dou Qi erupted on these platforms as figures moved in and out, engaging in intense sparring matches. The exchanges were fierce and passionate, and the victors occasionally stood proudly, attracting the adoring gazes of numerous young women, their eyes alight with fascination.

The whole academy buzzed with the distinctive vigor of youth.

At the center of these platforms stood two colossal stone statues. One appeared aged, while the other was strikingly youthful and handsome. Judging by the latter's appearance, he did not appear to be much older than the students themselves. This puzzled some of the newcomers who had recently joined the Academy.

"Senior sister, who are those two statues? One of them must be the legendary Headmaster of the Academy, but who is the other one? He looks incredibly handsome!" Several lively young girls surrounded a tall and elegant young woman, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Hehe, you've come to the right person. You must have heard his name. He is the most outstanding student to come out of Jia Nan Academy since its founding, and he is also the youngest elder of the Academy."

"When you first arrived, you must have seen the Death Spirit Tree in Peace Town, right? The two Dou Emperor's corpses on it were his handiwork. He was even younger than you are now."

The tall woman, whose beautiful eyes looked strangely at the massive statue, chuckled.

"Wow, that must be Xiao Ming, right? I've heard of his name, but I never imagined he was so extraordinary!" one of the girls exclaimed in amazement.

"He left Jia Nan Academy a few years ago. This statue was erected not long ago. I heard from an Elder the last time that he went to the Central Plains. That place is known for its abundance of formidable figures. So you girls should let go of any romantic fantasies..."

"Hehe, aren't you the one who's interested, Senior Sister?"

"You want to be beaten, right?"

"..."

On the elevated platform, Su Qian gazed out at the vibrant scene unfolding in the square, a faint smile creeping across his aged face.

As he looked up, he saw the two statues in the square and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

It had been about five or six years since Xiao Ming had left. Su Qian wondered if Xiao Ming had ever met the Headmaster.

Although he had sent numerous messages to the Headmaster, he was still unsure if the old fellow had received any of them. However, considering how well Xiao Ming was doing now, it seemed that he no longer needed the Headmaster's guidance.

Remembering the information revealed by the old man who had arrived at the Academy two months ago, Su Qian couldn't suppress a smile.

"The Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Court! Truly extraordinary!'

Although the Jia Nan Academy had accepted a large number of exceptionally talented students, they all seemed to be overshadowed by him.

"Old Su, why aren't you in the Inner Academy today? What brings you out?" An elderly voice could be heard from behind. Su Qian didn't even have to turn around to discover that it belonged to Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan.

Chairs scraped the floor as Hu Gan, accompanied by Elder Huo and others, took their seats.

"Hehe, staying in the Inner Academy can get a bit monotonous. I came out to see you all," Su Qian chuckled.