五月丁香五月丁香激情

Wu Yunzhou’s eyes glistened with tears.

Lu Ming gently smiled, “This is the dean’s token of authority. Hold onto it. As long as White Rock Academy isn’t implicated, it’s fine. If it ever is, you must publicly expel me without hesitation. Be decisive, without the slightest doubt. The academy can do without me, but it cannot be caught up in this matter.”

Understanding that Lu Ming had made up his mind, Wu Yunzhou knew further persuasion was pointless. He cupped his fists and bowed. “Understood!”

Lu Ming said no more, swiftly exiting the dean’s office.

What exactly was a Chaotic Fate Practitioner? He wasn’t sure. Nor did he know if it applied here. But he did know Zhang Xuan well—steady, unassuming, responsible, and without an ounce of arrogance despite his unparalleled talent. Killing such a person for the sake of ambition would leave a stain on the conscience forever.

This was why when Yu Longqing approached him, Lu Ming had already made up his mind. But to protect White Rock Academy, he could only deny any connection.

Moving swiftly, Lu Ming donned a dark outfit and covered his face as he left the academy.

Ten minutes later, he reached a large estate.

According to the intelligence Wu Yunzhou had gathered, Zhang Xuan was currently guiding someone in inscribing talismans. If successful, this would earn him a bounty of 500,000 Source Coins. Zhang Xuan had already completed every task with rewards of up to a million coins. This 500,000 one was the last remaining.

Knowing time was critical and that the Liu family and Ling Buyang had yet to discover Zhang Xuan’s location, Lu Ming acted without delay. He vaulted over the estate wall and landed in the courtyard without alerting a single guard.

Anyone able to offer such a bounty wasn’t insignificant. Though not on par with the top three families, they were still formidable.

Inside the parlor, Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang sat calmly. Across from them, a middle-aged man looked on earnestly and bowed. “Teacher Zhang, please guide me.”

Zhang Xuan nodded. “A talisman is an imprint of one’s power onto paper, capable of unleashing great force when activated. The ‘Explosive Talisman’ you’re working on, once triggered, equates to a full-strength attack from a Jade Bone expert. The difficulty is immense. Currently, you have eight key flaws: first, insufficient focus during the inscribing process…”

Although Zhang Xuan’s understanding of talismans in the Source World was limited, the Library of Heaven’s Path revealed the flaws effortlessly. Pointing them out and instructing the man on corrections was not difficult.

“Thank you, Teacher Zhang…”

The middle-aged man’s face grew serious, acknowledging each flaw Zhang Xuan identified, all of which were consistent with his own experiences. If corrected diligently, success in crafting the talisman was finally within reach.

“No need to thank me. If you have further questions, feel free to ask,” Zhang Xuan said evenly.

“Of course!” The man gestured, and his steward handed Zhang Xuan 500,000 Source Coins. Zhang Xuan accepted the payment and, after bidding farewell to Sun Qiang, started to leave. He paused suddenly, brows raised.

From the air, a crumpled note floated into his palm. He opened it to reveal four words: “Meet outside immediately!”

Frowning, Zhang Xuan walked to the courtyard entrance and saw a figure dressed in black waiting at the end of an alley.

“Who—” he began, but before he could finish, a streak of sword energy flashed in the sky. Another black-clad figure descended and lunged at the first with a blade.

“Clang!”

The first figure responded coldly, stretching out five fingers to unleash a swirling force that trapped the sword mid-air, shaking it loose with a series of metallic clangs.

The second figure exclaimed, “Three taps from the Swallow’s Spring? Are you… the City Lord, Yu Longqing?”

“And you’re… Dean Lu?” Yu Longqing echoed in recognition.

Both pulled down their masks, revealing familiar faces.

“City Lord, Dean, what is going on here?” Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

“It’s clear that you arrived with the same intentions. Dean Lu, you should explain,” Yu Longqing said.

Earlier, they had spoken of collaborating with Ling Buyang to capture Zhang Xuan. But showing up like this revealed their true motives to each other.

“Teacher Zhang, Ling Buyang from the Destiny Hall of the Hanyuan Dynasty is here, conspiring with the Liu family to arrest you,” Lu Ming said, not holding back and recounting the news Yu Longqing had shared. “My advice: flee immediately.”

Yu Longqing nodded. “Exactly. The Destiny Hall is acting, and neither the City Lord’s Mansion nor White Rock Academy can openly resist. We came in a personal capacity to warn you to leave, sparing everyone further difficulty.”

Zhang Xuan’s brows knit. “Are they certain I’m a Chaotic Fate Practitioner? Won’t they at least confirm it before taking action?”

He had anticipated revealing his strength might invite scrutiny but had prepared his defenses and a fabricated mentor to cite. Yet from their urgency, it seemed Ling Buyang wasn’t going to give him a chance to explain.

Lu Ming nodded, face grave. “Yu Longqing is right. If they feared your backing, they would investigate cautiously. But if you appear weak, they’ll act swiftly. Labeling you a Chaotic Fate Practitioner would be enough to justify killing you and earning them prestige.”

Zhang Xuan took a moment, then nodded solemnly. He understood this principle all too well: being vulnerable meant being an easy target.

“Leave now. I’ve ordered the East, South, and West gates closed but left the North gate open. You can slip out unnoticed. Any later, and it may be too late…” Yu Longqing urged.

Zhang Xuan looked at them intently. “And what will happen to you both if I go?”

Though they hadn’t elaborated, he knew the answer. If Zhang Xuan vanished just before a capture, suspicions of a tip-off would arise. These two men, one the father of his student and the other who had endorsed him at the academy, would inevitably face repercussions.

Especially Yu Xiaoyu and Hong Yi, who would likely be implicated as well.

“We have enough status to shield ourselves. Without solid evidence, Ling Buyang won’t dare go too far…” Lu Ming explained.

“What is Ling Buyang’s strength? Do you know?” Zhang Xuan interrupted.

“He should be at the ninth level of the Source Pool Realm, Dharma Aspect. I’ve only just reached it, so he’s stronger than me,” Yu Longqing admitted.

“Dharma Aspect?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes flashed.

Although he hadn’t reached this stage, the Library had descriptions. A cultivator with a powerful soul could form a Dharma Aspect, attacking with soul power. Invisible and unpredictable, such attacks could result in madness or death even for a Divine Soul expert.

This made Dharma Aspect practitioners formidable, standing at the peak of the Source Pool Realm, unmatched by most.

In the region, a city like Fuyuan was renowned for having a ninth-level lord. Competing cities couldn’t challenge it.

But while such power was impressive, Zhang Xuan wasn’t too worried.

Soul attacks, feared by most, weren’t a significant threat to him. Unless an opponent could destroy an entire world, they held little sway over him. For him, these were the weakest form of attack.

Moreover, while Dharma Aspect cultivators could merge soul power with their bodies for massive strength, Zhang Xuan could achieve similar power by burning the Source World.

So if Ling Buyang was at this level, he wasn’t as vulnerable as he seemed. With the Library of Heaven’s Path, he might even gain the upper hand.

“Yes, that’s correct. Besides himself, he has a Divine Soul-level Black-scaled Phoenix Eagle. Together, they’re virtually invincible below the Dharma Aspect level. With his talents and advantages, you should leave before it’s too late,” Yu Longqing urged.

“With your talent, it won’t take long to surpass him. It’s wise to retreat now and return when you’re stronger,” Lu Ming added urgently.

Seeing their sincerity, Zhang Xuan’s heart swelled with gratitude. Taking a deep breath, he smiled.

“I appreciate your concern, but I won’t leave. If they think me weak and aim to take my life for glory, I’ll make sure everyone knows that’s a grave mistake.”

Author\'s Note