One day later, in front of the Spirit Hall Academy gates.
Cui Yongqin stood with a teacher who was at the Spirit Douluo level. In front of them were ten students from the elite class, ranging from children as young as six—like Li Chang'an—to teenagers around eighteen years old who had already reached the Spirit Ancestor rank. Without exception, each one could be considered a genius of Spirit Hall!
Among this group, Li Chang'an didn't spot Qian Renxue's figure. A realization immediately dawned on him—Qian Renxue's undercover mission was likely about to begin. Otherwise, there was no reason she'd skip such an important activity.
Today, he wore a sleek black outfit, his longer hair tied with a red ribbon. Paired with white-soled black boots and that devastatingly handsome face of his, Li Chang'an was, as always, the best-looking guy around.
Cui Yongqin respectfully gestured toward the Spirit Douluo beside her and introduced him:
"Students, this is Vice Dean Duolong. He's already a Spirit Douluo and will serve as both the lead examiner and escort for this mission. He'll be responsible for your safety, so I hope everyone will follow instructions closely!"
Hearing the name, Li Chang'an suddenly recalled that when he'd first acknowledged Bibi Dong as his master, she had appointed a Red-robed archbishop to serve as Vice Dean at the academy. That man's name had been Duolong.
This was great news—having a familiar face leading the mission meant a significant increase in safety!
At that moment, Duolong stepped forward and spoke calmly to the group:
"With me around, you don't need to worry too much about your safety. However, I must emphasize—this mission does carry real danger. And since you're a large group, I can't protect everyone individually. So, stay cautious and don't try to play the hero!"
Having said his piece, Duolong stepped back, gesturing for Cui Yongqin to continue.
She nodded toward Duolong and resumed:
"Our main objective this time is to eliminate a group of bandit spirit masters. Their leader is a Spirit King-level fighter, so don't let your guard down—they're the real deal, actual criminals!"
"Form groups of four and board the carriages. The remaining two will ride with us. The intel is already on the carriage—move out!"
As her voice faded, three large carriages waiting nearby slowly rolled forward. The students began boarding in groups.
Li Chang'an didn't have many friends in class. If anyone counted, it was Hu Liena and Qian Renxue. With Qian Renxue absent, he naturally stuck close to Hu Liena. She, in turn, was with her older brother Xie Yue, who was accompanied by Yan.
Xie Yue didn't say anything when Li Chang'an climbed aboard. Based on the fact that Li Chang'an's first spirit ring was already at the thousand-year level—and that he'd once shattered Huyan Li's defenses with a single axe blow—he was qualified to be here.
Hu Liena flashed him a sweet smile. "Junior brother, you made it up here."
Li Chang'an nodded and smiled politely at the three others in the carriage. "Senior Sister, Senior Brothers."
Xie Yue raised his chin slightly—an acknowledgement. Yan responded with a grunt. While they hadn't fully accepted Li Chang'an into their tight circle, this was already a decent reception.
Li Chang'an didn't try to force a conversation. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Hu Liena, he focused on the intel in hand—after all, this mission was a matter of life and death. Better to be cautious.
The intel wasn't overly long, but it was detailed. It offered a comprehensive profile of the bandit group they were to eliminate.
Where there are spirit masters, there is profit. And while evil spirit masters weren't present in this timeline, there were still many who had strayed from the righteous path. Relying on their strength, they acted with greater destructiveness and lawlessness.
This time, the target was a group known as the Qiumingshan Bandits. They were based near Qiumingshan in the Star Luo Empire. The gang consisted of six spirit masters and twenty-five non-spirit master members. Their leader was a five-ring Spirit King. Because of the treacherous mountain roads in the region, they had managed to remain active and unchallenged for quite some time.
The document also included a rough map of Qiumingshan and detailed the bandits' movement patterns—a rare piece of intelligence.
Li Chang'an had an excellent memory. After reading it once, he closed his eyes and began to mentally process the information.
Suddenly, he felt someone gently nudge him. A faint fragrance of a young woman lingered beside him, and he immediately guessed who it was.
"Senior Sister, what is it?" he asked with a smile, opening his eyes to see Hu Liena's alluring yet innocent face.
She returned the smile, then glanced at Xie Yue and Yan before saying, "We wanted to ask what you thought of the operation. Why did you just go to sleep after reading the intel?"
Only then did Li Chang'an notice that the expressions on Yan and Xie Yue's faces were a bit tense. He was briefly surprised—weren't they experienced? Shouldn't this be routine for them?
He voiced his confusion, and Xie Yue gave a helpless sigh.
"We've participated in field combat drills before—twice, in fact. But those were simple coordinated fights against one or two spirit masters. This is our first time facing something like this..."
He trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed. Admitting weakness in front of Li Chang'an was not easy. But he was also deeply curious: just what gave Li Chang'an the confidence to lie back like that?
Li Chang'an couldn't help but laugh. 'That's what you're worried about?'
Oh, right—he reminded himself. At their core, they were still kids.
So instead of laughing further, he responded with the tone of a seasoned veteran:
"Honestly, I think you're approaching this the wrong way. Why are we assuming we have to take on all of them?"
"What if we disguised ourselves as a small merchant caravan and lured them in? Would they send everyone? Obviously not. At most, they'd send two or three spirit masters. Maybe just one. Can't the whole class handle that?"
The three immediately looked at him with newfound respect.
[Ding! Xie Yue. Points +2.
[Ding...]
---
Spirit Hall - Pope's Palace
Bibi Dong smiled as she signed off on a document, a weight lifted from her shoulders. Following Li Chang'an's suggestions, she had begun laying her groundwork in the Elder Hall. Things were going to be much easier from now on.
Just then, a maid quietly placed a box in front of her.
"Your Holiness, these are desserts sent by Young Master Li Chang'an."
"Chang'an? Didn't they already depart?" Bibi Dong asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but Young Master Chang'an prepared seven servings in advance and asked me to deliver one each day to Your Holiness…"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's eyes glistened with emotion. She had never expected to be cared for like this—not even by that person in the past.
She thought of Li Chang'an and a kind smile appeared on her face, and she felt warm in her heart.
____
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