Chapter 226: Chapter 221: Di Cang’s Request

He had walked the path to the cafeteria countless times. It was just that ever since Mu Bingling became a member of the Demon Castle, a graceful and otherworldly figure had been added to the scenery.

"Brother Mu Chen, I feel like my strength has grown a lot again lately," Little Tiger said with a troubled expression, looking down at his arms, which were more slender than a girl’s. "I’m starting to lose control."

Little Tiger’s build was a constant source of teasing from Ye Shuangshuang. It wasn’t for any particular reason, other than the fact that his appetite was ten times larger than everyone else’s, yet no matter how much he ate, he always remained just as scrawny.

"I really don’t know how a body as small as yours can hold so much power. It’s unbelievable," Ye Shuangshuang said, squeezing Little Tiger’s arm. She was surprised to find it cool to the touch; it felt like solid steel. ’If anyone were ever hit by this Iron Arm, the result would be absolutely tragic.’

Mu Chen chuckled. "Little Tiger, it’s about time for you to use the Taotie Seal. There’s a huge difference between your Innate Divine Power and my Postnatal trained power. My power must be built on physical strength; if my body is too weak, my power can’t continue to grow, which is why I focus on Body Forging. But you’re different—you’re the exact opposite. The greater your power, the stronger your body becomes. Because of that, your power growth is almost entirely unrestricted by your physical body. If you don’t use the Taotie Seal now, it won’t be so easy to seal your power once it grows to a certain point."

Little Tiger nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Okay, Brother Mu Chen. I’ll seal my power as soon as I get back."

Mu Chen patted Little Tiger’s shoulder. For some reason, now that he possessed strength far beyond others, his desire to protect the people he held dear had only grown stronger. At this thought, his gaze softened as he looked at Mu Bingling, who was watching him with a smile. ’Once, wasn’t I the one being protected like this, relying on someone else...’

A confident smile touched the corners of his lips. Mu Chen turned and announced, "Let’s go get some barbecue today. Just the six of us."

After a brief, stunned silence, everyone erupted in cheers. Little Tiger pumped his fist and leaped into the air, shouting, "Hooray for Brother Mu Chen! I love Brother Mu Chen’s..." He paused dramatically, as if his mouth was already full of drool, before finishing, "...barbecue!"

Mu Chen let out a sigh of relief and shot Little Tiger an exasperated look. "Can you try not to be so dramatic next time?"

Little Tiger looked confused. "What’s ’dramatic’? Is that a new kind of barbecue?"

Mu Chen, "..."

Ye Shuangshuang, "..."

Mo Qing, "..."

Qing Lei, "..."

Hearing this, Mu Bingling burst out laughing. "That’s right, that’s right. In a bit, we’ll have Brother Mu Chen grill up some ’dramatic’ for you."

Little Tiger’s face lit up. "Awesome, awesome! I want to eat ’dramatic’!"

Mu Chen rubbed his nose and gave Mu Bingling a weird look. ’This sister of mine still loves teasing naive people. It used to be me, and now it’s Little Tiger,’ he thought.

As if sensing his thoughts, Mu Bingling swayed gracefully over to Mu Chen’s side and smiled. "What are you spacing out for? Aren’t you going to hurry up and grill that ’dramatic’ for everyone?"

Shaking his head, Mu Chen gave a wry smile. "Fine, let’s get going. To the woods, then."

"Yeah..."

With that, the group turned and headed for the small woods north of the courtyard.

「In the Outer Ring’s faculty building.」

Di Cang’s expression was grave. After pacing in front of the desk several times, he sighed. "Forget it. This is no time to worry about saving face."

With that, Di Cang tore at the air with both hands, ripping a long, narrow fissure in the space before him. Without a second thought, his figure flickered, stepped into the rift, and vanished.

「In the office of the Holy Hall’s Dean.」

Qin Garden was drawing up the next month’s training plan for the students when she suddenly felt a violent fluctuation in the space before her desk. On instinct, she unleashed her full Primordial Power. Nine solid purple Martial Rings materialized at her feet, and the powerful shockwave instantly obliterated the desk before her.

"Don’t be alarmed. It’s me," a deep voice said, emanating from the spatial disturbance.

Qin Garden froze, her expression turning ugly. "Di Cang? What are you doing here?"

With a whoosh, the fluctuating space was torn open by a pair of large hands, and Di Cang stepped out of the rift. He didn’t immediately look at Qin Garden but instead scanned the office, his gaze soon landing on a desk in the corner—one he couldn’t possibly be more familiar with.

The desktop was spotless, holding only a few teaching proposals. However, in the top-left corner sat a pale pink lotus lamp—clearly not an item a man would possess. An image instantly surfaced in Di Cang’s mind: a woman, not breathtakingly beautiful, but exceptionally fair and refined. She always wore a pink Ni Chang dress, innocent and lovely. A trace of affection flickered across Di Cang’s face before he quickly suppressed it.

But as quick as he was, he couldn’t hide it from Qin Garden, who had been watching him intently. Before Di Cang could speak, she snapped, "Don’t get any funny ideas. I didn’t throw your desk out because I couldn’t be bothered to touch your things and get my hands dirty. As for why it’s so clean, I’m a stickler for cleanliness, so the cleaning staff took it upon themselves to tidy it up. And that lamp belonged to my sister. It was her most cherished possession. I’d smash your desk to pieces before I ever let anything happen to it."

Di Cang shook his head. "I didn’t say a word. Besides, that isn’t why I came. I... I have a favor to ask of you."

Qin Garden paused, then let out a cold laugh. "You? The Imperial Academy’s strongest expert, and you have a favor to ask of *me*?"

Di Cang sighed, his tone dejected. "The strongest expert? Don’t call me that. What kind of expert am I if I couldn’t even protect the woman I loved?"

Qin Garden’s laugh grew even colder. "The woman you loved? That’s the biggest joke I’ve ever heard. If you really loved her, why is my sister the one who’s dead and not you? You’re not a man at all!"

Di Cang frowned. "Qin Garden," he said in a low voice, "I know you’ve hated me all this time because of Shishi. I failed her. If I hadn’t been so reckless and arrogant back then, she wouldn’t have died right in front of me. But that’s no excuse for you to be so extreme. You can hate me, you can even kill me, but don’t let that hatred make you lose sight of who you are. The Imperial Academy was Shishi’s and the old dean’s life’s work. I will never let you destroy everything they built. I will stop you."

"Hmph." Qin Garden snorted and fell silent.

Di Cang continued, "But I truly came today because I have a favor to ask. This is a matter of grave importance. If we fail, the Xuanling Empire will fall within two years."

Qin Garden’s pupils constricted. She bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Fine. I’ll hear what you have to say. But if you’re toying with me, I swear I will attack you, even if my Martial Artist Realm is beneath yours."

Di Cang sighed in resignation. "You saw Mu Chen’s performance in the challenge tournament last month. What was your objective assessment?"

Qin Garden gave Di Cang a puzzled look, as if unsure why he was asking. Still, she nodded and replied, "He’s the strongest Martial Artist of his generation I’ve ever seen, bar none. His power could even rank him among the top tiers of the entire Extreme Martial Continent."

Di Cang shook his head. "Your evaluation, while high, is still incorrect. Excluding the Central State, Mu Chen’s true strength would absolutely place him in the top ten among the Four Great Dynasties of the Extreme Martial Continent!"

Di Cang’s words were spoken with such absolute confidence that Qin Garden felt no inclination to argue. He went on, "From his battle against He Long, it’s clear that boy has yet to reveal his true power."

Qin Garden countered, "What makes you say that? I saw it with my own eyes. Mu Chen was at the end of his rope. He barely managed a draw against He Long."

Di Cang smiled. "Then let me ask you: what weapon was Mu Chen using during that fight?"

Qin Garden replied, "A Locking Chain."

"And what is Mu Chen’s usual weapon?"

"..." Qin Garden suddenly realized the critical point. She murmured, "The black case he carries on his back... What exactly is in there?"

Di Cang clasped his hands behind his back. "It’s a Giant Fan, identical in form to the Profound Ice Giant Fan he creates with his Elemental Power Materialization. I’ve seen the fan itself. It looks ordinary, but it’s extraordinarily unusual. Even for me, it takes all my strength just to pick up that black case. And even then, I can only lift it; swinging it is impossible. You can imagine, that fan is definitely not a common weapon. A weapon that low-key is either trash or a Treasure Artifact. And without a doubt, it’s the latter."

"If Mu Chen had used that Giant Fan, He Long would have been defeated instantly. He must have fought with that Locking Chain because he was concerned about the trouble it would cause the Empire if he gravely wounded his opponent. But what he doesn’t realize is that even by holding back like that, he has still been marked."

A cold light flashed in Di Cang’s eyes as he spoke. Qin Garden exclaimed in shock, "Are you saying someone wants to assassinate Mu Chen? It’s He Long!"

Di Cang nodded. "If He Long had revealed power on par with Mu Chen’s that day, I would have cut him down without hesitation, even if it cost this Old Bone his life. But think about it from their perspective. Why would a Middle and Upper Class Empire ever give a Lower-class Empire like our Xuanling Empire a chance to turn the tables? That’s why, for some time now, Emperor Realm experts have been continuously sneaking into the Imperial Academy, searching for an opportunity to eliminate Mu Chen."

"And now, they finally have their chance. I have to travel day and night to the Flame Dragon Dynasty to prepare for the Empire tournament held once every five years. The journey there and back will take at least a month. During that time, Mu Chen will be completely unprotected. He is the hope of our Xuanling Empire. If we lose him, the day the tournament ends will be our Empire’s doomsday. For the Empire, for the Imperial Academy, for Shishi and the old dean... Qin Garden! Please, put aside your hatred for now and help me protect Mu Chen for one month!"