The spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the cultivation room surged into Ling Xiao’s body, like water seeping into parched ground.
Ling Xiao accepted it all without hesitation.
His Nine Cauldrons Heavenly Vein was far tougher and larger than any other warrior’s, like a bottomless abyss, requiring vast amounts of energy to advance.
Within his Mountains and Rivers World, day and night still alternated, but daylight now lasted noticeably longer.
This was because Ling Xiao focused on mastering the Light Profundity, temporarily suppressing the Shadow Profundity.
By activating his Mountains and Rivers martial soul, without needing any internal cultivation method, the surrounding spiritual energy flowed into his Nine Cauldrons Heavenly Vein, continuously refining and merging into his martial soul.
From the outside, Ling Xiao resembled a blazing red sun, bathing the entire cultivation room in a crimson glow.
His physical condition had reached a bottleneck, so strong it could no longer improve.
Unless he broke through to the Heaven-Human Realm.
Thus, Ling Xiao didn’t expend Tianyuan energy on his body, instead channelling it all into breaking through his Heavenly Vein, aiming to advance his cultivation quickly.
Unbeknownst to him, Divine Phoenix Academy had come knocking.
Leading the group was the red-robed warrior from before, with Mo Wushang and Qin Bixue among them.
But they weren’t the main figures. The true leader was a warrior with peak Four Symbols Heaven cultivation, his skin an eerie blood-red, clearly not human.
Guided by the red-robed warrior, they arrived at the third level.
“Senior Brother, look! Most of our Divine Phoenix Academy disciples are injured, forced to cultivate in the corridor instead of inside,” the red-robed warrior said, pointing at the disciples sitting cross-legged in the hallway.
Previously, Qingxu Academy disciples had cultivated here; now, it was Divine Phoenix Academy’s turn.
“Mo Wushang! Qin Bixue! Your chance to shine has come. Drive out all the Qingxu Academy disciples. This time, they’re not even allowed in the corridor!” the red-skinned youth said coldly.
“Yes, sir!” Mo Wushang and Qin Bixue, clearly obedient to him, charged into the main cultivation room.
Enhanced by the True Demon Empire’s body modifications, their cultivation was now at late-stage Liangyi Heaven, far surpassing their strength at the Martial Arts Festival.
Once they attacked, the Qingxu Academy disciples in the main room stood no chance.
Most were injured and thrown out of the pagoda.
Some, interrupted during cultivation, went into qi deviation, nearly losing all their martial skills.
But it didn’t end there.
The red-skinned youth, eyeing the stone doors of the private rooms where Ling Xiao, Ji Mingkong, and Lan Yuer were cultivating, smirked coldly and placed three secret technique scrolls on them.
He didn’t dare offend Feng Yanran, nor could he afford to.
Then, he channelled Tianyuan energy, muttering incantations.
Moments later, the scrolls emitted an eerie blood-red light, and the three private rooms began to shake violently.
Not only that, the spiritual energy inside became chaotic.
In Ling Xiao’s room, the disruption lasted only a moment before his overpowering Mountains and Rivers martial soul subdued it, restoring calm as if nothing had happened.
In Ji Mingkong’s room, though the spiritual energy remained chaotic, her Heavenly Mechanism martial soul conjured a strange pavilion, enveloping her and shielding her from the external disturbance.
Only Lan Yuer faced trouble.
Her room shook like an earthquake, and with the chaotic spiritual energy, she was caught off guard and coughed up blood.
Being interrupted during cultivation was a grave taboo.
Normally, someone would stand guard.
But this was the Tianyuan Pagoda, where rules strictly forbade interfering with cultivators in private rooms.
Most methods wouldn’t work.
Yet, the red-skinned youth had special secret technique scrolls that could disrupt the rooms’ conditions.
This injured Lan Yuer.
Her face paled, but fortunately, she wasn’t gravely harmed.
She didn’t dare continue cultivating, as the room kept shaking, making it impossible.
“Qingxu Academy, get out!” someone roared outside the stone door.
Lan Yuer recognised Qin Bixue’s voice.
Though furious, she didn’t act rashly.
At the Martial Arts Festival, she hadn’t been Qin Bixue’s match.
Though her cultivation had improved, she still likely wasn’t his opponent.
Going out would only make things worse.
Staying inside, even if she couldn’t cultivate, at least she wouldn’t be further injured.
The Tianyuan Pagoda had clear rules:
First, no interfering with cultivators in private rooms.
Second, no killing.
But the opponents had already broken the first rule, showing they cared little for the regulations.
If she went out now, she might truly be at a disadvantage.
A wise person doesn’t court immediate danger, especially a vulnerable woman like her who didn’t need to prove herself.
“There’s definitely more than just Qin Bixue out there!” Lan Yuer thought, swallowing a healing pill and tending to her injuries.
“Probably Divine Phoenix Academy warriors seeking revenge. The two academies have always been at odds. If I go out, my life could be in danger. Even if I survive, they might use me as a hostage to threaten Ling Xiao. That wouldn’t be smart.”
In the Mysterious Realm, reason held little sway.
Here, might was everything.
Strength was reason!
The stronger one was, the more their words were right, and their actions went unpunished.
Even the laws of the Mysterious Realm were set by the strong.
Survival of the fittest held true across every continent in the Mysterious Realm.
“Qingxu Academy people are all turtles, hiding with their heads tucked in?”
“It’s Mo Wushang. They’re definitely not alone!” Lan Yuer frowned, enduring the constant booming noises while healing.
For now, she could block out the sound and stop cultivating, treating it as dogs barking outside.
She didn’t believe they’d stay out there forever.
The Tianyuan Pagoda’s durability wasn’t something this shaking could destroy, or the private rooms would have been ruined long ago.
“Blood Skeleton! You’re shameless!” Feng Yanran’s voice rang out.
“Heh, Miss Yanran, we’re not here for you. We’re after that arrogant human,” a cold voice sneered.
“No matter who you’re after, you’ve violated the Tianyuan Pagoda’s clear rules. You’ve got some nerve!” Feng Yanran said angrily.
