The following days passed in calm.
Su Yu didn't tell anyone about his breakthrough to the fourth level of the Origin Opening Realm. Instead, he continued diligently cultivating the Origin Opening Art, solidifying his recent advancement.
Although consuming blood essence had some aftereffects, most of it was absorbed by the Atlas. Within two to three days, Su Yu's body had fully recovered—no more swelling or pain.
Only one drop of Iron Wing Bird blood essence remained. Su Yu didn't use it, cautious not to advance too quickly. Who knew—if he cultivated the Essence Gathering Art again, he might leap straight to the fifth level. That would be too monstrous.
At the very least… he should wait half a month.
He wasn't in a rush anyway. The exam for the higher academies was still more than two months away. If he advanced one level every half month, he might reach the ninth level of the Origin Opening Realm by the time of the exam.
…
"A-Yu, not skipping school today?"
"I'm going."
"You're going again? That's rare. Can't you help me get a day off too…"
Chen Hao spoke instinctively, then paused in surprise. "Wait, you're actually going to class?"
This guy hadn't shown up properly in days. Even when he did, he left quickly. Chen Hao had been envious. Why was he suddenly heading back to the academy?
Su Yu couldn't be bothered to explain. As they walked, he casually replied, "There's still time before the exam. I'm going to see if I can learn a few more foreign languages from the instructor."
"You still want to learn more?"
Chen Hao clicked his tongue. What a freak.
But then something occurred to him, and he chuckled. "A-Yu, I used to think learning 18 foreign languages was insane, but there's someone at the academy even more impressive now!"
"You know Liu Yue from Class One? I heard she passed the proficiency test for her twentieth foreign language yesterday! That's insane!"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "Liu Yue? Twenty?"
Of course he knew her. They'd run into each other often at the library. She was the one who'd pointed him toward the Accelerated Origin Opening Method—even if it turned out to be not very useful.
He knew Liu Yue had mastered quite a few foreign tongues and was more dedicated than him. Most of the time he went to the library, she was already there.
But twenty languages…
Su Yu told himself he didn't care about being surpassed—but a part of him couldn't help feeling uneasy.
There had always been other students at the academy who'd studied foreign languages, but the number they mastered was usually around the same as his.
He hadn't heard Liu Yue mentioned in this context before. Besides, she wasn't even a student of Instructor Liu Wenyan.
And in the academy, those who excelled at foreign languages were almost always taught by Liu Wenyan. Who taught her?
…
Su Yu didn't ask further. The two of them kept walking toward the academy.
There were buses available, and the fare wasn't expensive. But unless students lived far away, most chose to walk. It was considered part of their training.
Along the way, they occasionally passed uniformed traffic inspectors.
Seeing those familiar uniforms made Su Yu feel a bit nostalgic.
His father had been gone for five days now. He wondered how things were going on the All-Heavens Battlefield.
In addition to the blue-uniformed traffic inspectors, they also passed two black-uniformed patrol teams from the Wind Arrest Hall.
The Wind Arrest Hall was responsible for maintaining domestic security.
"Haozi, have these Wind Arrest Hall patrols been out every day lately?"
"Yeah."
Chen Hao, who had been glancing around, immediately answered, "Isn't it because the All-Races Sect has been active in Great Xia recently? So the Wind Arrest Hall's been stepping up their patrols."
"Hehe, A-Yu, have you been watching TV? The Governor dispatched the Dragon Martial Guards to sweep the region. They've captured loads of those All-Races bastards—dozens beheaded every day! Hundreds already!"
Su Yu had seen the reports too. He frowned slightly. "Something doesn't add up."
"What's strange?"
Chen Hao chuckled. "It's not like beheadings are unusual."
"That's not what I mean."
Su Yu furrowed his brow. "The All-Races Sect only moves when there's something to gain. Every time they stir up trouble, it's to cause chaos. But this time in Great Xia… have you heard of any unrest? All I've seen are beheadings. Did they come here just to die?"
It seemed odd to him. The news kept talking about arrests and executions, but there didn't seem to be any actual disturbances.
Could it be that the Dragon Martial Guards were just that efficient, always intercepting them beforehand?
That was possible. Su Yu shook his head slightly. These matters were above his pay grade.
Still, it was a good thing. At least the All-Races Sect probably had no time to target Instructor Liu now.
They chatted along the way and soon arrived at Nanyuan Intermediate Academy.
…
At that very moment—
Atop a tall building overlooking Nanyuan Academy.
A middle-aged man stood at the rooftop edge. He slowly retracted his gaze, his eyes no longer fixed on the school grounds below.
Turning around, the man glanced at the woman cooking in the kitchen. His lips moved slightly as he spoke, "Nanyuan Secondary Academy currently has 3,200 students and 210 instructors. All the students are at the Kaiyuan Realm, while the instructors are in the Qianjun Realm. The headmaster, Chen Shu, is at the second tier of the Wanshi Realm."
"There are 50 guards on campus. One is at the ninth tier of Qianjun, and six are at the seventh tier or above. Among the instructors, 28 are also at the seventh tier or higher. That makes a total of 35 high-tier Qianjun cultivators."
"Additionally, there's a covert squad from the Wind-Catcher Hall stationed within the school—30 men in total, led by a captain in the Wanshi Realm, the rest are high-tier Qianjun."
"In total, there are 64 high-tier Qianjun cultivators and 2 Wanshi Realm experts."
"The City Lord's Mansion is 7,000 meters away. With Lord Wu Wenhai at the second tier of the Soaring Realm, it would take him a little over two minutes to arrive if summoned."
He gave a brief summary of the situation. In the kitchen, the woman continued stirring the food as her lips moved silently beneath the sizzle of oil, "Nanyuan Secondary Academy is the finest in the city—a direct feeder for the top higher academies…"
"This time, we're not acting alone. Six cities are coordinating this strike simultaneously. Each targeting their own secondary academy."
"Xia Longwu… ha!" A cold sneer curled her lips. "Arrogant fool. Just because he crushed a few minor outposts, he thinks we're finished? This time, let him learn the price of underestimating us. Daxia Prefecture... is not as untouchable as he thinks."
The man didn't respond to that. Instead, he calmly said, "There's also a squad of Longwu Guards stationed in Nanyuan—ten in total. Nine are between the fourth and ninth tiers of Wanshi. The squad leader, Xia Bing, is in the second tier of the Soaring Realm. We haven't identified their base yet, but we need to remain alert. If they show up unexpectedly…"
"The Longwu Guards…"
This time, the woman didn't scoff. Her expression turned solemn. "Find them. Locate their base."
"We've tried, but they're too few, and their concealment is tight. It's impossible to pinpoint them…"
"Then cause chaos. Force them out."
Her tone sharpened. "Send someone outside the city. Slaughter a few of the smaller villages. With blood spilled on that scale, the Longwu Guards will have to act."
The man hesitated. "A lot of people have died already. Morale's starting to shake among the lower ranks. If we send them to their deaths again—"
"They don't need to know they're up against Longwu Guards," she said coldly. "Send those Bloodfire Cult fanatics. They're half-mad already and love killing. Let them scout the path."
After a moment, she added, "Once the Longwu Guards are lured away, we strike. Mobilize everyone. One decisive blow. Annihilate Nanyuan Secondary Academy and retreat immediately!"
"This time… leave no survivors."
Her eyes were like frost. "When the six academies are all wiped out, even the mighty Daxia Prefecture will suffer. It may not seem like much now, but in a few years, the loss of this generation will hit them hard. Let Xia Longwu bleed internally. He thinks we're after a few instructors?"
She scoffed again.
Protect Liu Wenyuan?
That was never the goal.
Killing a single Liu Wenyuan meant nothing.
But destroying Nanyuan Secondary Academy—now that would matter. Even if Daxia was strong, losing six feeder schools would cripple their future foundations.
The man exhaled softly, a trace of unease in his voice. "You and I are both at the Soaring Realm. We can deal with Wu Wenhai. But if Xia Bing shows up… we're no match."
The Longwu Guards were Daxia's elite. Even someone at the same level would struggle to take on one of their squad leaders.
"No matter," the woman said with a cold smile. "If they show up, someone else will deal with them."
"Someone from higher up?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
She cut him off, continuing to stir the food. They had lain dormant here for six full years. After this success, it would finally be time to leave. She wondered if returning to headquarters might open the path to further advancement.
As they spoke, a little girl stumbled out of her bedroom, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Mommy, something smells good… what's for breakfast?"
"Almost ready, sweetie," the woman said cheerfully. Her voice was warm and affectionate—but her eyes were as cold as ever.
There was not the slightest trace of real emotion.
This so-called daughter was nothing more than a tool for maintaining their cover.
The man echoed the woman's smile, his eyes just as devoid of feeling.
The girl didn't notice a thing. Still drowsy, she smiled and skipped off to the bathroom.
As soon as she was out of sight, the living room and kitchen fell silent again.
After a moment, the man asked quietly, "What about her?"
"Kill her."
The woman answered without the slightest hesitation. "But not yet. We do it before we leave. Burn her blood afterward—make sure no one can track us through it. She carries our blood, after all."
Yes—she was their biological daughter.
But she had been born solely for the sake of their disguise.
And now, with their departure imminent, she was nothing but a liability.
No one had ever suspected them.
After six years of quiet, hard-working appearances, even having a child to complete the illusion, they were seen as just another honest family.
Who would believe that these two unassuming people were actually Soaring Realm cultists from the Myriad Clans?
"Make contact with the others tonight. We act soon. Remember: kill everyone, and retreat within three minutes!"
"Understood."
The man nodded almost imperceptibly and turned to look out the window.
Nanyuan Secondary Academy stood in the distance.
Soon, it would be gone.
What a shame. So many young, vibrant lives… Some might have become extraordinary people one day.
But they would never get the chance.
"Xia Longwu… Daxia has been quiet for years. You never expected this, did you?"
He felt a flicker of excitement. The Church's grand plan was finally underway.
For years, the Daxia Prefecture hadn't been a true target—just side skirmishes to distract.
But now…
Now, the real blow was about to land.
4o