If it were someone else who slapped him, he would definitely be angry. But when it came to the Ling Guang young man’s slap, well, after seventeen times of almost losing his mind, he had gotten used to it. His first reaction was confusion and shock.

Confusion: Why did he slap him?
Shock: Damn, he slapped him again!

Jiang Baiyu touched his cheek, looking very innocent and puzzled. “Why did you hit me?”

The Ling Guang young man didn’t answer, his tone cold. “It seems you gained a lot from your retreat this time; I almost couldn’t find you.”

Jiang Baiyu raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I wanted to ask. You rushed to cultivate alone as soon as you entered the Xian Chi, how did you think of looking for me? I thought you would settle down in the Xian Chi and cultivate until you fully recovered, ideally leveling up your skills.”

He glanced at the eyes drawn in the snow, and as expected, they were so lifelike that he vaguely felt they looked familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.

The Ling Guang young man said, “Something happened.”

Jiang Baiyu asked, “What happened?”

The Ling Guang young man replied, “I don’t know. The Xian Chi suddenly shook continuously, as if a powerful expert intended to force their way in. Something big must be happening at the Deng Xian Academy. They’re trying to invade the central altar, and while it hasn’t affected us here yet, we need to think of a way to leave quickly. Anyone who can confront the academy head-on must be a serious threat.”

He continued, “Since you can read fortunes, don’t you have any feeling about it?”

Jiang Baiyu recalled the pairs of eyes that suddenly appeared in the starry sea. If this was a sign, the implications behind it weren’t good.

So he cast a fortune: auspicious.

Jiang Baiyu lightly coughed, “I’ve been immersed in cultivation and didn’t feel anything. But before I woke up, suddenly… well, you know.”

The Ling Guang young man was silent.

Jiang Baiyu asked, “How long have I been cultivating?”

The Ling Guang young man turned his head away, refusing to “look” at him, and coldly said, “I was awakened by the Xian Chi’s disturbance; I don’t know how long it’s been.”

The temperature at the top of the snowy mountain was very low, and it was night, with a brilliant starry sky, the stars seeming to be within reach. Jiang Baiyu heard the Ling Guang young man calmly say, “Return the Ling Gu to me.”

He looked elsewhere, seemingly gazing at a spot in the snow, indifferent and emotionless. “Our meeting was purely coincidental. You brought me out of the Motou Mountain, I saved your life, and I benefited greatly from the Xian Chi’s cultivation. Now it’s time to part ways. I have my own things to do, and you have your mission and ideals. When we meet again in the future, I will remember this kindness and repay you, but I won’t act as if nothing happened.”

“The Ling Gu is crucial to me. Now I can keep it safe myself, so there’s no need to trouble you anymore. Jiang Baiyu, we may meet again.”

Jiang Baiyu decisively replied, “Not returning it.”

The air instantly fell silent.

The Ling Guang young man slowly turned his gaze back, his eyes turning cold. “What do you mean?”

Jiang Baiyu looked at the boy, whose entire body was covered in light, only his outline visible. “It’s not that I want to take advantage of your kindness. You said you would remember this kindness and repay me in the future, but you’re stingy enough not to even say your name or show your face. It feels very insincere.”

“Even if we meet again in the future, you’ll recognize me, but I won’t recognize you. That’s too unfair. We’ve helped each other, and as long as you can treat me as a friend when we meet again…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

“No.” The response was firm and powerful, without a hint of hesitation.

The air became stiff.

The boy coldly said, “Getting involved with me will only drag you into a whirlpool. You don’t need to know my name or my appearance; knowing nothing is the safest. Even if someone tries to investigate in the future, they won’t trace it back to you. A chance encounter like this, keeping our distance is better for both of us.”

“You don’t know anything right now, which is why you want to be my friend. Once you understand the truth, you’ll only be glad that your relationship with me isn’t too deep, so you won’t be implicated.”

“Interacting with others is most dangerous when you’re too familiar too quickly. What we can say to each other is only this much.”

Who said he didn’t know? A guy who keeps jumping between great danger and great fortune can’t be a simple character. Jiang Baiyu muttered in his heart, but he couldn’t say this out loud.

The boy said again, “Return the Ling Gu to me.”

He took a stance as if preparing to act. If Jiang Baiyu still refused, he would take it back by force.

Jiang Baiyu felt troubled; he really couldn’t return it. The fortune clearly indicated that he couldn’t let the other person leave alone. But if he didn’t return it, the other party would act, and if it came to blows, how could that be good? Unless his strength far surpassed the other’s, achieving unilateral suppression.

Boom—

The Xian Chi space suddenly shook, and this time Jiang Baiyu clearly felt it, as if a giant hammer had struck the Xian Chi’s barrier.

Then, the starry sky cracked open like an eggshell, forcibly broken from the outside, revealing a large number of invaders.

They came in droves, invading in full force, with various flags on their flying machines, clearly organized and aggressive as they entered the Xian Chi space through the crack.

Among them, one flag Jiang Baiyu had seen before, unmistakably the emblem of the Chen family.

Jiang Baiyu stared blankly. “What’s going on???”

How could he not be confused? After a retreat, the Deng Xian Academy was being beaten up, and the invaders were charging straight in, invading the academy’s most crucial paradise.

So many people came to snatch the Xian Chi?

He thought his academy life was going according to plan, but in reality, it was full of ups and downs, with the flames of war raging?

He really needed to run quickly; if the invaders could overwhelm the academy, what could a plain and ordinary person like him do… wait, wait, wait???

Jiang Baiyu felt a force grabbing hold of him, and the ground suddenly rose with a beam of light, pinning him at the center, very similar to the beam on the day of the entrance exam at the Deng Xian Academy, but undoubtedly much more violent, like a trap, capturing the target while also restraining them.

The boy beside him, however, did not fall into the beam; perhaps his concealment ability was strong enough not to be detected, or maybe his cultivation was higher than that of the caster, so they couldn’t do anything to him.

Chains descended from the sky, flexible like vines, about to wrap around Jiang Baiyu, when a loud shout rang out from the sky: “Impudent!”

The chains were all shattered, falling down and turning into white light, disappearing.

“I advise the academy head to quickly recognize reality and hand over the disaster star. Resisting will yield no fruit. The Deng Xian Academy has a thousand years of heritage; it cannot be destroyed because of one disaster star that brings calamity to the world, nor can it be ruined by the crime of sheltering a disaster star.”

“The Emperor has ordered that the disaster star must be eliminated before it causes great calamity. We are all acting on orders. Since the Deng Xian Academy has maintained neutrality, please continue to do so to avoid harming each other’s peace.”

The head of the Deng Xian Academy and a group of elders confronted the invading forces.

In terms of numbers, the academy was far outnumbered, but in terms of momentum, not a single elder showed fear.

In front of the densely packed flying machines, they stood resolutely against them.

The head of the academy sneered, “I only know that those in the Xian Chi are the most outstanding students of my academy. You invade the Deng Xian Academy under the name of the Emperor, speaking recklessly, claiming to hunt down the so-called disaster star, but in reality, you’re just using this as an excuse to seize the Xian Chi.”

“Since the Emperor has given an order, why doesn’t the Deng Xian Academy know? If this disaster star truly brings calamity to the world, does the Deng Xian Academy not have the right to know?”

The opposing side replied, “The matter of the disaster star is not trivial; we naturally fear that exposing it beforehand will alert the snake. A thousand years ago, there was also a disaster star that caused a huge uproar. Some people received the news but didn’t believe it, insisting on sheltering that disaster star, leading to constant conflicts and infighting among various sects. Even after the disaster star was eliminated, the contradictions had already formed and could not be reversed.”

“We must learn from the lessons of our predecessors and not let history repeat itself. Therefore, this time we did not inform your academy in advance, but came directly with our companions to hunt down the disaster star and defend the righteous path of the world.”

“I know the head is shocked and incredulous. Since it has come to this, I ask you to make a wise choice. Even though the Deng Xian Academy has a thousand years of heritage and is not a small sect, we are not to be trifled with. If a real war breaks out and the Emperor is enraged, it will be detrimental to both you and me.”

“The heavenly secrets show that the disaster star is hidden within the Xian Chi; I trouble the head to make it convenient.”

The head of the Deng Xian Academy and the elders all wore angry expressions.

The head shouted, “Get lost!”

The roar was deafening, not only ringing like thunder in their ears but also echoing in their minds, shaking their souls.

The flying machines in the sky seemed to be hit hard, some directly collapsing and disintegrating, scaring the other flying machines to retreat.

“Hmph, stubborn!”

As soon as the words fell, Jiang Baiyu instantly felt the buoyancy of the beam increase, lifting him up into the sky. He could still see other beams in various places of the Xian Chi, clearly indicating that there were other people inside, specifically students of the academy cultivating in the Xian Chi.

Then countless beams struck him.

“The disaster star is here; what else does the head have to say?”

Jiang Baiyu: ??????????

His head was filled with question marks, unable to express his confusion as he suddenly became the focus of attention.

He could feel countless gazes falling on him, with many people looking at him from behind the sea of flying machines.

To add a crime, there’s no shortage of excuses.

Jiang Baiyu lightly coughed and said seriously, “Everyone, please listen to me.”

“The disaster star must be punished; do you have any last words?”

Jiang Baiyu said earnestly, “That’s right, I am the disaster star. When I was born, heavenly fire fell on the back mountain, indicating my extraordinary fate. I could speak at one year old, walk at two, and by three, I was already a well-known prodigy. At six, I dreamed of an immortal guiding me, saying that the Yellow Sky had died, and the Cang Sky would rise.”

“Golden scales are not mere creatures in the pond; once they encounter wind and clouds, they transform into dragons. Now that the time is ripe, it is time for us to rise. I currently need fifty million灵石 (Ling Shi) to recruit troops, with payments made monthly, quarterly, and semi-annually, or I can accept treasures and spiritual herbs, and I can issue receipts.”

“Once I soar to greatness, I will definitely remember all of you in the list of deities, placing you among the immortals.”

As he spoke, he seized the moment, “With this senior as my witness, what are you all hesitating for? If you’re brothers, send me money!”

The scene fell into a dead silence.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”