You're Strong But Now You're Mine

Cha Huan withdrew his hand; unlike others who collapsed as if drained, he turned and left with ease. From his meaningful gaze, one could even detect the thought 'Is this it? This generation of young people isn't up to par, huh?'

"Thank you all for your hard work. The next gathering will be in three days, so please rest up," Smiley snapped his fingers, and the Blood Essence Stone vanished like a fleeting dream. "Next, leave in order. Hmm, there are quite a few people, and it seems like it'll take too long for everyone to leave one by one..."

Smiley looked towards the other side of the basement, gently extended his hand, and with a loud rumble, the dirt from the basement wall pushed upwards against gravity, like a sausage being squeezed out from its casing, until a new passage was formed.

"You can choose which passage to leave from, and you can even leave together with others if you wish; of course, it should be voluntary. If someone follows with malice, you can tell me before we leave here, and I will ensure the fair justice of the Immortal Palace."

"Although being a 'real person' doesn't mean invincible," Smiley remarked, "Here, no one is a match for me even in one battle."

His words seemed to hold a hidden taunt, or perhaps a mere show-off, but naturally, no one dared to provoke him—everyone had been drained by the Blood Essence Stone, and the basement was dark. Leyu estimated his own combat power was only one-tenth of usual, and he suspected Smiley spoke so forcefully because no one dared to resist him now.

"Then I'll be on my way," said Cha Huan, who still stood strong despite being drained, turning around to leave. Leyu rose as well, "I'll go with you."

Cha Huan nodded slightly.

The weak Yan Yi hurriedly grabbed Leyu's hand, also wanting to stand up, "Then I'll—"

"You can't," Cha Huan interrupted, "Women are too troublesome."

Yan Yi was startled, sitting down next to Ning Xinyuan with grievance. Ning Xinyuan chuckled and embraced her, nodding slightly to gesture towards Leyu and Cha Huan.

Leyu and Cha Huan walked out synchronously through the underground passage, and upon leaving the ruins of the old teaching building, Leyu thought to inform Cha Huan about the Blood Essence Stone's intel: "Uh—"

"Ah! Hold my old arms and legs steady!" Cha Huan grumbled, leaning on Leyu's shoulder: "What a pernicious Blood Essence Stone! I almost thought I'd meet Ming Xuan De ahead of time..."

Ming Xuan De, also known as Lie Sect, was a Grandmaster of Combat Technique, skilled in wielding twin swords. He once achieved a decisive victory over three land immortals on the battlefield and even invented the 'Light Cross Slash,' an unmatched technique that cut an iron city gate into four parts in one stroke. His combat power in the lineage of Luminous Emperors was second only to the Grand Ancestor, and he has always been an idol for sword-wielding Martial Artists, naturally also Cha Huan's earthly ideal.

However, Leyu guessed that Cha Huan didn't admire Lie Sect's historical achievements, political success, or martial prowess but rather his thunderous means—Lie Sect was also the most ferocious emperor in history, almost wiping out all noble families of the previous dynasty, solving any issue through sheer force, and bringing about a peaceful era by slaughter.

Historically, the only person comparable in combat power to Lie Sect was the Grand Ancestor, but during the Grand Ancestor's time, humans were in a pioneering stage, and no one dared to oppose him. In contrast, Lie Sect came from humble origins and favored supporting the underprivileged, which naturally led to the resistance of surviving nobility, inadvertently contributing to his fearsome reputation, making him a popular candidate for second emperor in history.

"I thought you were fine..."

"You've all recognized me, and if I showed a weak appearance, wouldn't I lose face?" Cha Huan retorted, dissatisfied: "I don't understand how, despite disguising so well like any ordinary person, you all recognized me!"

Your understanding of ordinary people might be a bit off... Leyu glanced at his black robe and couldn't help but say, "But this black robe of yours is too conspicuous; everyone instantly recognizes you as the Principal."

"But it's the only black robe I could find!" Cha Huan exclaimed, "It's from the 'Dark Lord' series I custom-ordered from the Wu Lian Chamber of Commerce, and it cost this much!"

Sorry, initially thought you were brainless, didn't expect you to be a Versailles type.

Leyu supported Cha Huan to a side, relaying information about the Blood Essence Stone. If Cha Huan asked about the source of this information, he'd attribute it to the Glorious Four Guards—it's not like Cha Huan could verify it with the Commander.

However, Cha Huan didn't inquire further, calmly nodding, "The Spirit Imprint can only last three days?"

"There might be some variations, but it surely has a time limit."

"Is the Immortal Blood real then?" Cha Huan asked, "At least harmless, right?"

"Essentially, Immortal Blood should be the essence after the Blood Essence Energy is highly condensed and transformed," Leyu pondered, "Whether it can lead to Immortal Ascension is unknown, but it can't be poison. It's like highly concentrated sea water turning into sea salt—at worst, it's too salty, not deadly."

"That explains why the Spirit Condensing Pill and Sea Wave Powder aren't addictive: they're probably based on Blood Essence, essentially granting temporary Blood Essence Stone augmentation, naturally with no side effects."

"That's good, that's good," Cha Huan exhaled a sigh of relief, "As long as everything's fine."

"How is this fine?" Leyu grew anxious, "Principal, your Spirit Imprint has now been obtained by Smiley. Smiley is surely with the National Relief Association, and their leader possesses a Divine Weapon that manipulates souls. In short, Principal, you're at their mercy now!"

"Cough, cough," Cha Huan interrupted, "Vice Principal Qin, your phrasing is quite odd."

Leyu squinted, "Principal, you're so calm, do you have some trump card to handle this situation?... Right, the Imperial Family surely has many Divine Weapons; could it be one that protects the soul—"

"Incorrect," Cha Huan said, "Though I'm close to Yu Lian, she couldn't possibly share all Imperial secrets. There might be such an item, or maybe not, but I will inquire. Don't hold too much hope."

"Then why do you look so confident?"

"Because I believe in myself," Cha Huan replied. "I, the Principal of the Imperial Academy, a mad martial pillar, the thirteenth person in history to be titled as a 'Cyan Star' Hunter, have countless honors and countless enemies I've conquered, leaving piles of bones. I've overcome countless tribulations more dangerous and terrifying than a 'Blood Contract,' why should I panic over this minor issue now?"

I do believe you've encountered endless tribulations; otherwise, with your personality, it would be a miracle if Heaven didn't blindfold itself... Leyu replied, "Your dismissive attitude makes me feel my position as Vice Principal will soon be promoted."

"Hmph, young man, play a few games and don't dream," Cha Huan scoffed, "Survive the Sword-seeking Competition first. You, being so conspicuous and overly assertive, risk breaking easily; I suspect the Platinum Tower's sixth floor will soon be vacant again."

Are you qualified to accuse me of being overly assertive? Leyu twitched his mouth, annoyed, "Whatever, huh, now that the National Relief Association has your Spirit Imprint, they'll undoubtedly target you first."

"Isn't that better?" Cha Huan whispered, "Better them target me than you all."