That night, at the Qingyun Sect.
The night was deep, and not a single star could be seen.
Inside the room, a blue light flashed, flying out of the wide-open window and soaring straight into the sky.
The blue light shifted unpredictably, rising and falling with the changing patterns of the hanging plates. After a long while, Qi Changfeng withdrew his spiritual power and slowly opened his eyes.
"The balance of Yin and Yang is reversed, chaos is brewing, it seems the demons are about to make a comeback." He stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the distant horizon.
"I wonder who will win and who will lose this time."
...
Tianqi Academy is located on flat land, in an excellent geographical location. It is surrounded by sacred mountains, with abundant spiritual energy, making it easy to cultivate.
The academy wasn't far from the Kingdom of Apocalypse, but Qing and the others deliberately bypassed the Kingdom of Apocalypse and headed directly towards the Apocalypse Academy.
The journey, which took more than ten days, was leisurely. When we arrived, we learned that the college was preparing for its admissions conference, which was quite lively.
Seeing the large crowds, Qinghe couldn't help but complain, "How come I always run into such a grand event wherever I go? Is it really that coincidental?"
If she hadn't read the original story, she would have doubted that she had the protagonist's fate.
Zhuge Changdeng, on the other hand, looked relieved. "Luckily, I made it in time. If it had been a day or two later, the old man would have nagged me to death."
He galloped to the academy gate, where the towering bronze gate made him appear unusually small.
"Open the door, I'm back!"
A moment later, the gate opened, and two doormen ran out. Seeing that it was the young master returning, they immediately ran to him and said happily, "Young master, you're finally back! We missed you so much, and the headmaster talks about you every day!"
Zhuge Changdeng leaped off his horse and tossed the reins aside. "He misses me? He's more likely to take revenge on me. He's been talking about me all the time. No wonder I keep sneezing!" He looked back and said to the boy, "By the way, those are my friends. Treat them well and don't neglect them."
"Don't worry, young master."
The group dismounted and got off their carriages, and were welcomed through the gate.
The academy is grand and imposing. Everywhere you look, there are magnificent green tiles, golden stones and jade trees. It truly deserves to be the richest of the five major sects.
Upon entering the courtyard, a disciple approached, dressed in white robes with a cinched waist, his hair styled high, exuding a dashing and heroic air.
Upon seeing Zhuge Changdeng, he greeted him with a smile: "Senior Brother, you've been wandering the world, longing for the martial arts world, and finally decided to return?"
The disciple was naturally Luo Fan, and Luo Yun followed beside him.
Zhuge Changdeng, hands on his hips, said nonchalantly, "How could I not come back? If I don't come back, the old man will chant the protective spirit incantation until he kills me."
"Master just missed you." He looked behind Zhuge Changdeng and saw that they were all familiar faces. He was delighted and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen you all. The academy's admissions ceremony is in a few days. Would you like to sit and watch the competition and help the academy recruit talents?"
Li Jiang declined, saying, "We are guests, and it is not right for us to interfere in the academy's admissions process."
"That's a bit of a stretch. We are all cultivators. Even if we belong to different sects, our feelings for each other remain unchanged. We are all brothers within the four seas."
Li Jiang: "Since you've put it that way, it would be pointless for me to refuse again."
Luo Fan took two steps forward and saw that there was still a group of people behind Li Jiang. He carefully examined them for a moment and said, "With his jade-like bones and silver sword protecting him, this young master is like a fairy descending to earth. This young master must be Liu Yuntai, the young master of the Liu family, right?"
Liu Yuntai stepped forward and said politely, "Young hero, you are right. I am indeed Liu Yuntai."
"May I ask what brings Young Master Liu to Tianqi Academy?"
Liu Yuntai did not directly state his purpose, but said, "I have heard that Dean Zhuge is highly skilled in cultivation, especially in alchemy. I have long admired him and have come to pay him a visit."
"I see." Luo Fan looked up at the time. "At this time, Master should have finished his morning meditation. Please follow me."
On the way, Li Jiang stepped back slightly and whispered to Qing He, "Did the Divine Pearl react?"
Qinghe touched his waist. "Nothing."
"Um."
It's normal for him to have no reaction when he first arrives at the Apocalypse Academy's territory; he never expected to find the last divine pearl so quickly.
Following Luo Fan, we arrived at the back hall of the academy, where a strong medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Qinghe really liked the smell of the medicine. The aroma made him feel refreshed and cleansed. However, some people couldn't stand the smell and covered their mouths and noses the whole way, chattering incessantly.
"This smell is so strong it's choking me to death! Why aren't the academy's disciples dealing with it?"
Liu Yuntai looked apologetically at Luo Fan, then said to Chi Haoyu in a deep voice, "Cousin, we are guests, please don't be so rude."
"I'm telling the truth."
A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes as he walked beside Liu Yuntai, when he bumped into someone.
He looked ahead and saw Zhuge Changdeng holding a sword, raising an eyebrow at him. His narrow eyes revealed the sharp and ruthless nature unique to those who cultivated swords.
Chi Haoyu was startled, and the next second he suddenly clutched his stomach. "I... I suddenly feel a little unwell, cousin. Why don't you go and pay your respects to Senior Zhuge first? I won't go."
Liu Yuntai knew he was faking it, but he didn't want to take him along, lest his loose tongue offend Senior Zhuge. Upon hearing this, he immediately agreed, "Alright, I'll leave the shadow guard behind to protect you." He then turned to Luo Fan and said, "Please help him find a room to rest for a while, Young Hero Luo."
Luo Fan: "That's easy. Luo Yun, you take him there."
Luo Yun nodded, then led Chi Haoyu and the shadow guard in another direction.
After walking for a while, the shadow of the pharmacy could be vaguely seen.
Just as he was about to go in, a disciple came running towards him, shouting anxiously, "Senior Brother, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"
Luo Fan grabbed the disciple and shouted, "Why are you running! What happened? Tell me slowly."
The disciple hurriedly said, "Dean...Dean, he..."
Before Luo Fan could ask any questions, Zhuge Changdeng stepped forward and grabbed his disciple by the collar, demanding, "What happened to my father?!"
The disciple was stunned for a second or two when he saw Zhuge Changdeng, then came to his senses and said, "Young...Young Master, you should go and see the headmaster yourself."
Zhuge Changdeng looked in the direction of the medicine hall, pushed his disciple aside, and ran into the house.
The group followed closely behind and entered the pharmacy, only to find that Senior Zhuge was lying motionless on the bed, his body devoid of any life force, no different from a dead man.
Strangely, his face was rosy, his muscles were soft, and there were no wounds on his body. He didn't look like a dead person at all; he looked like he was asleep.
Zhuge Changdeng knelt by the bed and carefully touched Zhuge Hongming. The usually domineering man was now acting like a child.
Li Jiang and Liu Yuntai examined Senior Zhuge's body. Although Senior Zhuge appeared to be fast asleep, there was no pulse or soul movement, and even they could not find any reason for it.
Qing felt something was off and subtly touched Qi Rong.
Qi Rong glanced at her, then walked to the bedside. A red light appeared in his hand, which transformed into strands of silk that enveloped Zhuge Hongming as he made his gesture.
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