Su Wan’er, Master Fen Lin, and Master Qin Yaomei are dead. They were killed by Xiao Lingtian: These words echoed in Mo Qinghe’s ears continuously.

"Wh– Why?"

"What happened, master?" Teng Jiuxuan asked, taking a step forward.

"Did Xiao Lingtian kill them to find Lin Yuan’s identity?" Mo Qinghe growled, gritting his teeth tightly.

"Yes, he was enraged with an urge of revenge for Xiao Chen. He found out Lin Yuan’s whereabouts from Ying Yue and brutally wounded Chen Ming." Teng Jiuxuan elucidated the impasse situation to Mo Qinghe. "Zhen Yueli healed Chen Ming’s wound, getting him back safely along with Xiao Rong."

"Xiao Rong... Is he okay? Xiao Lingtian is his cousin... He will wreak havoc if he learns about Lingtian’s death." Mo Qinghe frowned, letting out a wet grunt.

"No, master. He knew about the fact that I killed Xiao Lingtian. He said ’Xiao Lingtian deserves death for his sins.’ Don’t worry master, he is fine." Teng Jiuxuan snickered, darting toward the academy gate. Zhen Yueli and Xiao Rong arrived, riding their beasts respectively.

Luo Zhen instantly ran toward Zhen Yueli’s wolf beast and helped Chen Ming into the medical ward in the academy. Apothecary Dan Zhenren pivoted Chen Ming’s body onto the bed, and held his hand on Chen Ming’s chest.

"His vitals are looking fine!" Dan Zhenren confirmed, a gentle smirk crawling on his lips. "He will recover soon!"

"I healed the brutal claw injury on his chest, master Dan Zhenren," Zhen Yueli murmured, bowing to Dan Zhenren. "He is a stubborn boy... If anyone other than Chen Ming was in that position, they would be dead for sure."

"Hahaha... I guess this boy was a lucky prodigy of heavens, Zhen Yueli," Dan Zhenren smiled, bandaging Chen Ming’s chest gently. "But that Lin Yuan... He is something else..."

"Master?"

"Haha... Nothing nothing! Nevermind, Zhen Yueli," Dan Zhenren muttered, offering a faint smile.

Lin Yuan slowly took the bag from Chen Ming’s belongings rack in the medical hall and walked toward Mo Qinghe.

"Master, the trial will be completed in two hours... But Chen Ming and I struggled so much to gain this win. Here the three Rank 2 beast cores—"

"Lin Yuan, there should be five Rank 2 beast cores or two Rank 3 beast cores along with Spirit Herbs," Mo Qinghe growled, giving a pathetic look to Lin Yuan.

"Let him finish, Master Mo Qinghe," Xiao Rong quivered, folding his hands gently. "Don’t degrade Lin Yuan’s character like that! Despite feeling desperate about his friend’s situation, he still managed to find an alternative replacement for the remaining two Rank 2 beast cores. He just wanted to ensure his friend’s struggle wouldn’t go to waste."

"Yes, Master Mo Qinghe," Lin Yuan insisted, snatching out a shimmering violet sphere. "Here is the Rank 4 beast core. It is Stormcrest Hawk’s beast core. I think this is a good alternative for the remaining two Rank 2 beast cores."

’Impossible!’ Mo Qinghe thought, taking a step back frantically.

"H–How did you manage to defeat a Rank 4 beast?"

"I didn’t defeat the Rank 4 beast, I just took the core from the Stormcrest hawk’s corpse which was killed by Xiao Lingtian just before Senior Teng Jiuxuan’s arrival, master," Lin Yuan gave the beast core to Mo Qinghe gently. "Is it sufficient to win this trial master?"

Mo Qinghe didn’t answer for a second.

"Yeah!" Mo Qinghe smirked, taking the beast core from Lin Yuan. "Your reward will be given tomorrow!"

"MASTER!!!!"

"MASTER!!"

A loud yell rattled from the academy gate. The seniors, Mo Qinghe and Lin Yuan jolted their heads towards the gate. They saw a black-haired guy yelling ’Master’ continuously, and carried an orange-haired blood-drained corpse on his back.

"Gu Shiyan?" Mo Qinghe recognised the black-haired guy. He sprinted immediately towards them. "What happened, Gu Shiyan?"

Gu Shiyan was a relative of Gu Clan head — Gu Chi Yen. Gu Shiyan was a Baby Beast Realm - Peak Stage cultivator same as Lin Yuan. But Lin Yuan sensed a flicker in Gu Shiyan’s aura.

"He was ascended," Lin Yuan murmured, sprinting toward Gu Shiyan, beside Mo Qinghe. "He ascended to the Spirit Beast Realm."

Master Mo Qinghe, Teng Jiuxuan and Xiao Rong darted their heads toward Lin Yuan while sprinting. They were shocked by listening to the deduction of Lin Yuan. As they drew closer to Gu Shiyan, the horrific reality of what he carried froze the blood in their veins.

The body of Mei Jian Li was unrecognizable, transformed into a grotesque, hollowed-out corpse. Every ounce of vitality had been expeditiously purged from his frame. His skin was a translucent grey, stretched so tightly over his bones that it was on the brink to tear. Deep, sunken hollows sat where his cheeks once flushed with life, and his lips had shrivelled, peeling back to expose teeth in a horrific grimace.

The blood in his body was sucked out brutally. Cruel, jagged wounds marred his throat and wrists, the skin around the punctured wounds were torn and purpled from immense pressure. There was no active bleeding—not because the wounds had healed, but because there was simply nothing left inside her to flow. Her veins showed through her paper-thin skin as stark, black tracks, looking like a web of dead roots beneath the ground.

When Gu Shiyan shifted his grip, the corpse moved effortlessly. It was completely dried out.

"WHO DID THAT TO MY DISCIPLE?" A deafening roar rumbled across the academy.

It was not Mo Qinghe. Every darted toward the left side of the academy, a towering figure descended from the giant oak tree. Immense aura raging out from his body. It was Qing Lin Cangxuan, the head master of the academy. He was in the city due to some political meetings and trading businesses.

"Head master?" Teng Jiuxuan frowned, sweat crawling from his temples. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"WHO THE FUCK DID THAT TO MY DISCIPLE?" Lin Cangxuan bellowed, marching toward Gu Shiyan. "Hey brat, I will destroy the whole Blackwood Ravine in seconds to rip the guts of that bastard. Just tell me the name, who did this?"

BAM!

A massive, Seven-tailed Fox materialized beside Qing Lin Cangxuan, emitting the crushing, suffocating aura of a True Beast Realm cultivator. The beast let out a low, wet groan, lowering its head to sniff Gu Shiyan’s blood-stained robes. The sheer force of the hot vapor erupting from its nostrils forced Gu Shiyan to stumble a step backward.

"It was a demonic creature, Head Master," Gu Shiyan muttered, his hands trembling violently under the beast’s immense pressure. "I found a Blue Essence Fruit near the forest lake. My plan was to refine it to finally ascend to the Spirit Beast Realm. Mei Jian Li secured a hidden cave for me, standing guard at the entrance to ensure my cultivation went undisturbed. But then... that fucking demonic beast ambushed him."

Tears spilled over, sprawling through the dirt and blood on Gu Shiyan’s face.

"I stepped out from the cave, excited about my breakthrough," he cried out, his voice cracking with grief. "But the moment I stepped outside, I saw that monster... it was draining the last drops of blood from Mei Jian Li’s body! Rage blinded me. I lost my mind, charged forward, and ripped that bastard bat into two barehanded! But it was too late. I lost my most cherished friend to that fucking demonic beast!"

’Something is wrong..’ Lin Yuan thought, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the blood-stained robes of Gu Shiyan. ’I don’t know why, but this bastard is lying... There is no way a Blue Essence Fruit could just be randomly found on a lake bank deep inside that forest .’

Lin Yuan could clearly sense something sinister radiating from Gu Shiyan. But, everyone else blindly believed the story. Even Headmaster Qing Lin Cangxuan let out a heavy grunt, exhaling an agonized breath.

"Mo Qinghe!" Lin Cangxuan hollered, gesturing for his massive beast to vanish into thin air. "Be ready! We are going to the Blackwood Ravine Forest. I need to know exactly where those demonic bats crawled out from. That bastard Mu Wutian..."

"Master, who is Mu Wutian?" Lin Yuan asked. He had never heard the name before; even searching through his memories there is no trace of it.

"It is nothing. Go back to your house safely, Lin Yuan," Lin Cangxuan ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Walk with Gu Shiyan to his home first, then return to your own."

With that, the Headmaster sharply gestured for Master Mo Qinghe to follow him. Turning their backs on the disciples, the two masters strode purposefully into the shadows of the main academy hall, their heavy footsteps echoing with silent anxiety.

"Yes, Headmaster," Lin Yuan replied softly. He didn’t argue. Cupping his fists, he bowed deeply toward the retreating figures.

The walk back was tense. Lin Yuan matched his pace with Gu Shiyan, the silence between them was heavy and suffocating. Gu Shiyan clutched his injuries, breathing heavily, while Lin Yuan kept his gaze fixed ahead, his mind racing with suspicion.

When they finally arrived at the gates of the Gu residence, Gu Shiyan stepped inside the gate. Assured of his safety, he paused and glanced back to thank Lin Yuan who walked home with him.

"Thank you! See you later, Lin Yuan," Gu Shiyan smirked, and tilted his head back.

For a split second, the facade of the victim dropped, and a faint, grimaced smile lingered on his face — a dark, triumphant smirk.

Lin Yuan caught it instantly. His breath hitched, his fists clenching tight at his sides. He knew. He absolutely knew Gu Shiyan was hiding a monstrous secret. But with no evidence to back up his instincts, Lin Yuan forced his anger down, turned around, and walked away into the darkening night toward his own home.