The terrifying destructive sword intent raged through the entire training room.
However, this fearsome sword intent did not come from Ling Xiao himself but from the Mountain River Martial Soul.
Ling Xiao’s exploration of this treasure trove was still at a beginner’s stage, akin to a toddler taking faltering steps.
Interestingly, despite the immense power of the sword intent, Butterfly Girl seemed utterly unafraid.
All the sword intent that struck her was effortlessly dissipated, causing no harm.
This unique constitution would surely shock Ling Xiao if he saw it.
But Ling Xiao was fully immersed in his cultivation, oblivious to external events.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
With the Spring Festival approaching, many would find this holiday difficult.
Take Pixiu Island, for example.
During the month of Ling Xiao’s cultivation, Pixiu Island was besieged by experts from the Divine Phoenix Empire, the Black Crow Empire, and various islands.
In the end, the island was sunk to the seabed.
Pixiu Island was completely destroyed.
Rumour had it that the young master of Pixiu Island, Chu Mu, was rescued by a mysterious figure and vanished.
But few cared about a mere Chu Mu. With Pixiu Island destroyed, most felt satisfied, and aside from a small group still searching for Chu Mu, others let the matter drop.
The Divine Phoenix Academy also faced tough times.
Two vice-deans had their arms broken by Ling Xiao, severely damaging the academy’s reputation.
To restore prestige and retaliate against Qingxu Academy, under the efforts of Master Artisan Sun Shang, the affordable and effective “Heavenly Return Pill” was created.
The Heavenly Return Pill was useful to every martial artist, primarily for restoring Heavenly Essence Power, though it could also restore True Essence Power, True Qi, and other internal energies.
Its effects were excellent, and with its low price, it became a hot-selling pill in the imperial city and across the Divine Phoenix Empire.
In the imperial city alone, the Heavenly Return Pill allowed Divine Phoenix Academy to dominate Qingxu Academy’s pill market.
Losing this market cost Qingxu Academy not just face and honour but also significant revenue.
Without this income, many disciples left Qingxu Academy for Divine Phoenix Academy.
Unlike sects, academies allowed students to withdraw.
Though morally questionable, it was within the rules.
This gave Qingxu Academy’s leadership quite a headache.
Ling Xiao, unaware of these events, emerged from a month of cultivation with his injuries fully healed and his spirit markedly improved.
His cultivation had reached the peak of the Five Elements Heaven, though breaking through to the Six Arts Heaven realm depended on opportunity.
Like the Mortal Realm, the Heaven-Human Realm grew harder to advance in as one progressed, requiring ever-increasing energy and comprehension.
When he emerged, Ji Mingkong and others were still cultivating.
So, he returned to Qingxu Academy alone.
Upon arriving, he noticed a gloomy atmosphere and a significant drop in student numbers.
Previously, there were thirty to forty thousand students, but now barely ten thousand remained.
On the way, he saw Feng Qingyan and was about to greet him, but Feng Qingyan, frowning deeply, passed by without stopping, as if he hadn’t seen Ling Xiao.
In that moment, Ling Xiao clearly sensed the frustration and anger pent up in Feng Qingyan.
“What’s happened? Even Vice-Dean Qingyan, who usually takes things lightly, is so agitated?” Ling Xiao wondered, puzzled, wanting to chase after him, but Feng Qingyan was already gone.
“Ling Xiao! You’re out of seclusion!” a slightly anxious voice called.
Turning, Ling Xiao saw Feng Yanran in red.
“Oh, Miss Yanran,” Ling Xiao said.
He had a good impression of Feng Yanran. Apart from their first meeting in the imperial city, she had always supported him.
For that alone, he couldn’t help but be polite.
“Here’s a healing medicine specially made by our Fire Phoenix Clan. Take it. I couldn’t help much last time, and you suffered,” Feng Yanran sighed.
Passing academy disciples, seeing the esteemed Fire Phoenix Clan’s Lady Yanran giving something to an ordinary disciple, felt both envy and jealousy.
Their own anxiety seemed to ease slightly.
“Thank you,” Ling Xiao said, accepting the medicine with a smile.
Though his injuries were healed, he couldn’t refuse her kindness.
Seeing Ling Xiao accept her gift, Feng Yanran’s mood lifted, a blush spreading across her pretty face.
“Ahem, Miss Yanran, has something happened at the academy recently? Why does everyone seem so worried and agitated?” Ling Xiao coughed, dispelling the awkward tension and changing the subject.
Feng Yanran shook her head helplessly.
“It’s true. After Divine Phoenix Academy lost face last time, their Master Artisan Sun Shang created the Heavenly Return Pill, an affordable and effective miracle drug. It’s not only reasonably priced but also highly effective and produced in large quantities, making it popular among martial artists,” she continued. “As a result, our Qingxu Academy’s pill market has been almost entirely squeezed out. You know, the economy determines the superstructure. Without money, the academy can’t function. Many students, under pressure and inducements from Divine Phoenix Academy, have chosen to defect. In just a month, so much has changed. Things are tough for us now.”
“No wonder Vice-Dean Qingyan looked so grim,” Ling Xiao said with a smile. “They’ve caused quite a stir while I was in seclusion. It seems Divine Phoenix Academy is still bitter about last time. But a mere Sun Shang, at best a high-grade Yellow Rank alchemist, thinks he can turn the tables?”
“A high-grade Yellow Rank alchemist doesn’t impress you?” Feng Yanran looked at Ling Xiao in surprise.
As everyone knew, pills were ranked in four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.
Each grade had five sub-tiers: low, middle, high, top, and supreme.
Alchemists were ranked based on the pill grades they could consistently produce.
For instance, someone skilled at crafting high-grade Yellow Rank pills was a high-grade Yellow Rank alchemist.
Sun Shang was at this level, considered the best in Tianlong and Divine Phoenix continents, with supposedly no one surpassing him.
