“I’m fine, but it’s a long story…” Ling Hu grinned, saying.
“No rush, we’ll have a good drink somewhere after cleaning up this mess!” Lin Xiao glanced around and said.
“You’re still thinking about drinking? After using the Martial Emperor’s battle imprint essence blood, you’d better find a place to rest and recover. It’ll take at least ten days or half a month to get back to normal.”
At this moment, the Vice Dean and others flew over, the Vice Dean teasing timely.
Lin Xiao’s face immediately fell; he had almost forgotten about this.
His Fifth Layer Martial Lord power was forcibly granted by the Martial Emperor’s battle imprint essence blood, not his own. When enduring power far beyond one’s own, there would inevitably be side effects.
To recover without any damage was impossible, but being able to recuperate in ten days or half a month without major issues was already fortunate.
Of course, this was also because he had refined the Martial Emperor’s essence blood before; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy.
“You really are shocking, kid. The mighty You Tian Demon Palace, destroyed by your hands!” Vice Dean Xu and others also flew over, smiling broadly.
“No waste of the Martial Emperor’s essence blood!” The master of Wanbao Pavilion nodded with satisfaction.
“Killing the You Tian Demon Palace was thanks to the Vice Dean’s and elders’ help, and that drop of essence blood. With my own strength, I couldn’t have done it,” Lin Xiao responded respectfully, then couldn’t help but ask, “By the way, Vice Dean, can the Holy Academy handle the Cao family’s retaliation?”
“The Holy Academy has stood for so long; naturally, we have ways to defend against enemies. But we’ll discuss this after you’ve recovered,” the Vice Dean replied.
Lin Xiao nodded, just as he had expected—the Holy Academy indeed had trump cards.
“Sss!” At this moment, the Blue Corpse Puppet returned to Lin Xiao’s side. Lin Xiao commanded it to suppress its aura and, with a wave of his hand, stored it in his storage ring.
He also collected the twenty or so intact battle skeletons, capable of fighting mid-tier Martial Kings, which could prove useful in the future.
Then, the sky full of white tendrils rapidly retracted, shrinking to the size of a human head, resembling a small cat with no limbs, only a pair of black pupils visible, covered in fine white fur—an adorable pet.
After transforming into this form, Xu Tian Wangyue blinked innocently at the crowd before leaping into Lin Xiao’s arms.
No one could imagine that this beast, capable of trapping hundreds of powerhouses and draining them into dried corpses in an instant, could look so cute.
No one could connect the adorable creature in Lin Xiao’s arms with that terrifying beast.
“This guy is actually so cute!” Hu Yue couldn’t resist stepping forward to pinch it, then tugged at it.
Xu Tian Wangyue’s face showed a trace of anger. Was this the act of pampering a pet? It was clearly manhandling.
But under Lin Xiao’s gaze, Xu Tian Wangyue didn’t resist, displaying a deeply aggrieved expression that made it even more adorably pitiful.
Then, Hu Yue “tormented” it even more vigorously.
Others quietly gasped. Though the creature was cute, its eerie and terrifying nature still sent shivers down their spines. Probably only someone as fearless as Hu Yue would dare to touch it.
On Hu Yue’s shoulder stood another cute pet, the Fire Spirit Rabbit.
The Fire Spirit Rabbit showed both wariness and sympathy towards Xu Tian Wangyue. Following Hu Yue, it had endured plenty of her “torment.”
“What kind of strange beast is this?” Even the Vice Dean and others were astonished and wary, having never heard of such a creature.
“Lin Xiao, are you sure you’ve tamed it?” The master of Bafang Tower asked with doubt and caution. The beast’s strength far surpassed Lin Xiao’s, terrifyingly so. Logically, Lin Xiao shouldn’t be able to tame it.
If it wasn’t tamed, keeping such a fearsome spirit beast nearby would be extremely dangerous.
“I don’t know its origins. I haven’t tamed it, but it saved my life. If not for its help, I’d have died in the Xuanyu Battlefield. We’re friends, and it won’t harm me,” Lin Xiao answered confidently.
The master of Bafang Tower and others were stunned. Lin Xiao had survived the Xuanyu Battlefield because of this beast?
This was unexpected, but since it had saved him, it likely wouldn’t harm him.
Having such a beast as a companion was a tremendous advantage for Lin Xiao.
No one pressed further on the matter.
The battle was over, and their first task was to clean up the battlefield.
The storage rings of the You Tian Alliance and Cao family powerhouses were quickly inventoried. Lin Xiao took the ring of the Sixth Layer Cao family Martial Lord, leaving the rest to the Vice Dean to handle.
After all, the Holy Academy had suffered significant losses in this battle, the greatest being the loss of a drop of Martial Emperor’s battle imprint essence blood. Its value likely exceeded all the contents of the storage rings combined.
The injured disciples needed healing pills, and those who fought deserved rewards.
Moreover, post-battle reconstruction and expansion of the Holy City required substantial resources.
These resources would come from the wealth of the defeated, so Lin Xiao didn’t greedily claim too many storage rings.
Not long after, the power in Lin Xiao’s body faded, and the side effects of the Martial Emperor’s essence blood began to manifest. He had to fly to the quiet cultivation area to meditate and recover.
The aftermath of this battle no longer concerned him. For the next half month, Lin Xiao remained in seclusion.
During this half month, the entire Chaotic Lands were in an uproar.
News of the You Tian Alliance attacking the Holy City, only to be annihilated by the Holy Academy, spread rapidly across the Chaotic Lands. Lin Xiao’s name soared to prominence, echoing through every street and alley.
His fame from the Xuanyu Battlefield was already notable, but now, having single-handedly slain over a dozen Martial Lords, his legend shocked the Chaotic Lands, making him an idol for countless youths.
Though it was due to the Martial Emperor’s essence blood, this did nothing to diminish Lin Xiao’s fame or the admiration of countless people.
Of course, many forces in the Chaotic Lands also saw that the region’s power structure had shifted. From two dominant forces, it was now one.
This dominant force would only grow stronger, becoming untouchable for all in the Chaotic Lands.
Some secretly rejoiced for not joining the You Tian Alliance in the conflict between the two powers, as the consequences would have been dire.
Others worried that the Holy Academy’s killing of the Cao family members might provoke their powerhouses to destroy the academy.
This caused many forces wanting to align with the Holy Academy to hold back temporarily.
Within the Holy Academy, many were also concerned, and some factions in the Holy City quietly withdrew from the Holy City Alliance.
Of course, many in the Holy City, especially the younger generation, were thrilled. Destroying the entire You Tian Alliance was a feat that would be hard to calm down from anytime soon.
Many young people in the Chaotic Lands were desperate to join the Holy Academy.
In short, for that half month, the Chaotic Lands were abuzz with excitement.
…
